In 1968, Walsh joined the staff of head coach Paul Brown of the AFL expansion Cincinnati Bengals, where he coached wide receivers from 1968 to 1970. It was there that Walsh developed the philosophy now known as the "West Coast offense". Cincinnati's new quarterback, Virgil Carter, was known for his great mobility and accuracy but lacked a strong arm necessary to throw deep passes. To suit his strengths, Walsh suggested a modification of the downfield based "vertical passing scheme" he had learned during his time with the Raiders with one featuring a "horizontal" approach that relied on quick, short throws, often spreading the ball across the entire width of the field. In 1971 Walsh was given the additional responsibility of coaching the quarterbacks, and Carter went on to lead the league in pass completion percentage.
In 1968 Walsh joined the staff of head coach Paul Brown of the AFL expansion Cincinnati Bengals where he coached wide receivers from 1968 to 1970 It was there that Walsh developed the philosophy now known as the "West Coast offense" Cincinnati's new quarterback Virgil Carter was known for his great mobility and accuracy but lacked a strong arm necessary to throw deep passes To suit his strengths Walsh suggested a modification of the downfield based "vertical passing scheme" he had learned during his time with the Raiders with one featuring a "horizontal" approach that relied on quick short throws often spreading the ball across the entire width of the field In 1971 Walsh was given the additional responsibility of coaching the quarterbacks and Carter went on to lead the league in pass completion percentage