[LoganBuck]

This year's problems are based on two things:
1. Injuries
2. Lack of depth/roster issues

On the injuries, we have not seen Dre Kirkpatrick play 1 snap yet this season, he was brought it to be a starter. Jason Allen has not played 1 snap, he was to be a staple of nickle and dime packages. Leon Hall is not playing at 100%. This has overexposed Terrance Newman, and the awful safeties, because they end up in 1 on 1 coverage. Thomas Howard was the weakside linebacker who was counted on to cover most TEs. He played in 1 game. Rey Maualuga's knee injury from the preseason, was obviously a bigger deal than was initially thought, the guy is two steps slower, and has no explosion at all. Vontaze Burfict has been a nice surprise, but he is not a weak side linebacker, he is a middle linebacker, he is playing out of position. That is a whole lot of less than desirable. The safety position has become a makeshift mess street free agents, injuries, guys not developing, guys playing out of postion. Is it any wonder teams can seemingly throw at will on the Bengals?

The running back position has been exposed as a mess. BJGE is a steady player, but he is not a 3 down running back, and he is playing a 3 down back role. He doesn't have the burst and explosion on the edges, or in the pass game. Bernard Scott was to be that guy. Once again gone because of injury. Many of us howled during the draft about this. I won't argue that the Bengals got good players of value, but they didn't do enough at the running back position.

The injury to Kyle Cook has also become a problem. Jeff Faine has been worn down as the season progresses. Faine is not getting any push, and BJGE doesn't have the speed to get outside, so we are left without a running game. The Bengals can get yards in the guard/tackle gaps, not inside, or outside of them. Opposing defenses are back off the line because they don't fear the run game. As the season has gone on opposing defenses have moved to a Tampa 2, that doubles AJ Green. Green still can get his, but unless Dalton and Gresham exploit the middle of the field, there isn't enough to be had.

Now the argument can made that they didn't do enough from a personnel direction in the offseason. What can be done there? Fire the GM? Ha!