CINCINNATI -- If he could, Hue Jackson would totally make the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" part of his Cincinnati Bengals' playbook.

Actually, who knows? Maybe it is already in there.

"If there's plays that exist and we don't have them in the playbook," Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said, "I'd like to hear about them."

A lot of people would. Given the various unique formations and misdirection plays the Bengals have run lately, it's clear creativity is a key part of Jackson's offensive system. According to the second-year coordinator, many of his change-of-pace ideas come from his time coaching on the Bengals' defense.

"I know what defensive coordinators like and what they don't like," Jackson said, referring to his year as one of the Bengals' secondary coaches.

While we can't be so sure the Bengals won't fake a snap to the quarterback only for the center to secretly run downfield with the football like the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" play from the 1990s kid's movie "Little Giants," very little that Jackson runs at this point would be a surprise. (The Panthers actually ran a variation of the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" in 2011 against the Texans.)

When he was rehired by the Bengals in 2012 following his unexpected firing as Oakland's head coach, Jackson was brought in to lead one of the deepest and most talented position groups on the Bengals' roster. He worked most closely with veteran cornerbacks Adam Jones, Terence Newman, Leon Hall and the newcomer, Dre Kirkpatrick. Jackson coached the group hard on the field, and served as a mentor and friend off it.

Those relationships are evident to this day. Often during practice periods when Jackson's receivers are matched up one-on-one with Jones and Kirkpatrick, the coach is jawing right back with the chatty, trash-talking cornerbacks.

"Defenses are too good and will figure you out and bring your offense to a screeching halt," Jackson said. "When you're able to do more, and guys have to be prepared for more and defenses don't know where you are from one play to the next, it gives you a chance to have success. That's what you're seeing from our team."

Already this season we've seen the Bengals complete a 31-yard pass to an offensive tackle, and come out in formations that put linemen such as Whitworth in the slots. The constant pre-snap audibles and motions and other moving parts also are meant to get defenders thinking from the moment the Bengals break the huddle until the ball is snapped.

"Defensive football is played by a lot of tenacious guys wanting to attack and fight and tackle," Whitworth said. "And if you can kind of get them a little bit off, sometimes that helps you. We've just got to continue to be able to push the envelope offensively and push the aggressiveness."

By this point last season, receiver Mohamed Sanu had already completed a pass to another receiver, and was days away from throwing a touchdown pass to quarterback Andy Dalton.

"The days of throw it to just one guy or just do this one way are over," Jackson said. "If we're going to be a high-powered offense that is unpredictable and hard to stop, then we have to do a lot of things and we have to do a lot of things well. That's where we're headed. And Andy is the key to that. He's the orchestrator of it all. But all the pieces have to be played in the right way and in the right spots. Thus far, we've done an OK job of that but we can continue to get better."