Bengals vs. Falcons

[traderumor]

tr, What I saw was an inexistent pass rush giving Vick all day to throw the ball. A line that didn't create ANY holes. A defense that allowed Vick to go something 7-19 with over 100 yards on 3rd down. It didn't matter if it was 3rd and 16, they converted it. What I saw was the Bengals play pretty poorly at home today.

Notice I said the D is what it is. They do not have a pass rush, why would you suddenly expect them to mount one on an elusive QB like Vick? If you saw what they were trying to do, they were keeping him in the pocket as much as possible to keep him from getting in the open field. When they did mount a pass rush, he eluded it and made a big play.

So, observations being what they are, I'm gonna give credit to the winning team and think that the D played to their expectations. The O couldn't go out and win it, as their 3 point 2nd half effort until the one big play to Henry would attest.

[MWM]

I was never blaming CJ for the loss. That would be silly. I was simply stating that his act has gotten very old with me. It's not fresh anymore, it's stale. I'm just tired of his antics. It's all about him.

[Yachtzee]

I was never blaming CJ for the loss. That would be silly. I was simply stating that his act has gotten very old with me. It's not fresh anymore, it's stale. I'm just tired of his antics. It's all about him.

Sorry, I just see people on the Bengals' boards criticizing CJ's antics and somehow trying to pin some blame on him whenever the Bengals lose. Blaming CJ's mouth for the Bengals' performance today is like blaming the Reds' losses on Adam Dunn's strikeouts. Wishing him "out of town" because you don't like the way he plays the game is silly and will only result in Bengals fans getting to watch a potential Hall of Famer help win games for someone else.

[WVRed]

It's all about him.

I disagree with this.

Chad is not TO, Keyshawn, or Randy Moss. The fact that he is having a quiet season and is not openly criticizing Palmer the way TO did with McNabb and Garcia speaks volumes. Chad is drawing double coverage and is allowing TJ and Henry to make the big plays.

I could be proven wrong in the future on this, but right now, Chad is as close to a team player as anything, although I think Marvin has a big piece in that.

[MrCinatit]

I would take Chad Johnson light years ahead of the likes of TO and Moss. His work ethic alone makes me like the guy, big time. I just hope he can teach Henry a couple of those tricks before Chris' career implodes.

[traderumor]

Sorry, I just see people on the Bengals' boards criticizing CJ's antics and somehow trying to pin some blame on him whenever the Bengals lose. Blaming CJ's mouth for the Bengals' performance today is like blaming the Reds' losses on Adam Dunn's strikeouts. Wishing him "out of town" because you don't like the way he plays the game is silly and will only result in Bengals fans getting to watch a potential Hall of Famer help win games for someone else.

Stay off the Bengals' boards is my advice. It is better to discuss the game here than attempting to find a rational thought in those places.

[Danny Serafini]

Disappointing result today. I'll type more about what I saw there later, but I do have to dispute the Chad Johnson criticism. For the most part he owned DeAngelo Hall today. Problem was Palmer was a little off. There were at least three occasions where Johnson was wide open and Palmer missed him, and missed badly a couple of times. And he really had the fans jacked up before the game today. I'm sure they showed it on TV, but if you missed it during the warmups and the coin toss he was wearing a jersey with Ocho Cinco across the back. Funny stuff, and the fans were eating it up. I know he may rub a few people the wrong way, but from what I saw today the vast majority were loving it.

[wolfboy]

Disappointing result today. I'll type more about what I saw there later, but I do have to dispute the Chad Johnson criticism. For the most part he owned DeAngelo Hall today. Problem was Palmer was a little off. There were at least three occasions where Johnson was wide open and Palmer missed him, and missed badly a couple of times. And he really had the fans jacked up before the game today. I'm sure they showed it on TV, but if you missed it during the warmups and the coin toss he was wearing a jersey with Ocho Cinco across the back. Funny stuff, and the fans were eating it up. I know he may rub a few people the wrong way, but from what I saw today the vast majority were loving it.

Agreed. Chad could have put up some monster numbers if Carson had connected on some of those throws.

[MWM]

I disagree with this.

Chad is not TO, Keyshawn, or Randy Moss. The fact that he is having a quiet season and is not openly criticizing Palmer the way TO did with McNabb and Garcia speaks volumes. Chad is drawing double coverage and is allowing TJ and Henry to make the big plays.

I could be proven wrong in the future on this, but right now, Chad is as close to a team player as anything, although I think Marvin has a big piece in that.

I used to think this as well. And he's clearly still not as bad as either of those guys. But it's gotten to be too big of a story that it's a distraction. He'd be just as great a player if he just went out and played and just STF up. I don't think it's just playful enthusiasm anymore. It's gotten old to me. I dont like it and wish he'd just shut and play. It's no longer a novelty.

[guttle11]

Expectations are rarely realistic and most of what I saw was folks realizing the schedule would be tough to even make the playoffs on, let alone dominate.

As for all the dogging of the defense, the coaches and the like, I must have been watching a totally different game. I am a diehard Bengals fan, but the Falcons are a dangerous team. The NFC South is really going to be a dogfight. The only valid criticism I have seen so far is the disappearance of Rudi after the first quarter. The D is what it is. They decided they would make Vick beat them with his arm, and gosh darn it if he didn't do exactly that.

It's not that they made him beat them with his arm, it's that they let him. They sat back in a soft zone and rushed only 4 all game, scared that he would run. They were reactionary, and in the NFL, that gets you beat every week. Re: Tampa Bay game.

That's just a bad gameplan. You have to dictate the style of the game. That's what makes the Ravens and Bears defenses great. They don't sit back and wait for you to screw up, they force you too.

I was actually pretty pleased with how the defense executed the gameplan. There were fewer missed tackles, and they covered all but Crumpler well. They just gave Vick too much time to throw the ball and he burnt them. You can't do that. You have to put pressure on him. You have to blitz him all day long. Who cares if he burns you once or twice with a 30 yard scramble? That won't beat you.

Also, Simmons needed to be in the middle. Ahmad Brooks will be very good in time, but he couldn't cover my grandma right now. He's a 3rd down blitzer only at this point.

[Gainesville Red]

The Offense always does their own thing. Today would have been a great day to pound Rudi(They didn't prove they could stop him)

My fantasy team, sporting, yet again, another close loss, agrees with you. Maybe I should call Marvin Lewis and talk to him about it. Maybe I could reason with him. Doesn't he realize there's $50 on the line here?

[RedsBaron]

The Bengals loss today will be worth it if the Stillers lose to the pitiful Raiders.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been if they hadn't beat the Cardinals last week.

The Steelers destroyed the Raiders in almost every category, piling up 360 total yards to the Raiders 98; Oakland had all of 17 passing yards for the entire game. The Steelers lead in time of possession, 35:30 to 24:30. There were only a couple of categories the Raiders lead the Steelers in---interceptions ran back for touchdowns---and the score, 20-13.

[traderumor]

Yes, that the Bengals are so far only having a so-so season while the Steelers is in swirly mode is some consolation.

[traderumor]

Looks like Bratkowski's offensive gameplan isn't winning votes with the players. This was the one item that upset me about the loss, as well:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...610300375/1066

Bengals air some complaints about abandoning the run
BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Running back Rudi Johnson carried the football five times for 32 yards and capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown run on the Bengals' opening drive Sunday.

But the most important stat regarding Johnson in the Bengals' 29-27 loss to the Falcons was what happened the rest of the game. And it's a problematic trend, according to Johnson, that is causing the Bengals to lose winnable games.

After that first drive, Johnson carried just seven more times, gaining 14 yards. The Bengals offense sputtered throughout the second half, scoring just 10 points after halftime and moving the ball inconsistently.


"A lot of games we lose is for that reason," Johnson said of the Bengals' offensive scheme that featured more passing and less running as the game developed. "You line up and play football. Its real simple. We make it real complicated.

"We should have beaten this team like the other teams we lost to. I don't know what to say. Whenever my number is called, I'm going to play hard, for four quarters, 60 minutes. Today, I only played for one quarter."

Johnson had support from the offensive line in his argument that he should have received more carries, not only on Sunday but in general. Tackle Willie Anderson suggested that the Bengals need to be tougher, partly by utilizing more often a rusher who gained more than 1,400 yards each of the past two seasons.

"You've got to run right at them," said Anderson, who lamented that the Bengals didn't take better advantage of an opportunity to expose a potential talent gap between the Bengals offensive linemen and the Falcons defensive linemen.

"It's a joke, who they were putting in front of me. When you put who you put in front of me, or you put who you put in front of Bobbie (Williams) or (Eric) Steinbach and say you can't run against us, that's a joke. It's not the Ravens."

While the Bengals turned away from the running game, the pressure on the pass offense increased, creating several third-down situations in which the Bengals were forced to pass the ball. That caused a 40-percent efficiency rating on third down, which led to Atlanta finishing with a time of possession advantage of more than 14 minutes.

"We did a lot of good things today," coach Marvin Lewis said, "but not consistently enough. We need to make some of those throws and catches that we're not making at times, particularly to the outside."

But Johnson regretted that while those passes were being called, the running plays that worked in the first quarter seemed to be no longer part of the playbook.

"Play football," Johnson said. "Do what works. I'm not saying run me 50,000 times, especially if it's not working. I'm just saying you move up and down the field with what's working, until they find a way to stop it."

In the Bengals' three losses, Johnson has averaged 54.3 rushing yards, well below his season average of 78.9 yards. Johnson said he noticed early that the offensive line could have manhandled Atlanta's defensive line. Anderson questioned whether the Bengals have the mental toughness required to be as successful as they want to be, and whether that factors into Johnson's diminishing touches.

"We've got a 1,400-yard back, but we're not a running team," Anderson said. "Do the coaches respect our toughness, when we don't? You finish the statement."

[Tony Cloninger]

Is it that hard to build even a good defense in Cincy?

1983 and counting the last time a Bengal defense was dominant.

Even in 1988 their defense was suspect. Pretty much in the bottom 20 for about more than half of the last 20+ years.

I could churn milk into butter faster than some of these Bengal blitzes develop and actually hit home. YET the other team blitzes and someone on the OL does not pick up? You leave TE back there to help and they offer none? Might as well throw them out there and let them catch some passes.

AND in the NFL you can win with short passes.....it's almost more high PCT to try and pass down the filed than it is to try and run down the field.

Look what Manning did against DEN. 32 for 35-39, or something.....for 340-350 yards. MAYBE the DEN defense is not that great you say? Well...in this day and age of offense....when you can shut down people the way they had until Manning came into town...... then i would say it is a very good defense....and Manning showed if you are patient ...you can dink and dunk another team and beat them.

Is Palmer a Manning clone? A lot of people think he could be or will be.
Is IND line better than CIN.....before this year i would have said NO.
Yet even with injuries ( and to me injury in football is an oxymoron.....YOU are ALWAYS injured in football, some worst than others, but you are probably always playing hurt).....................this OL had another week to play together and they still had problems picking up bliztes....and adjusting.

Throw quick passes and if they are only 5-6 yards...so what.....at least you are working the clock and force ATL to quit blitzing.
I like Rudi.......and i agree that he should have run more...but he also has a lot of games where almost half of his carries are for 1-2 yards.....that is not going to help either. A more versatile.....outside runner is needed....and i don't think it's Perry ...right now.

Remember the 1981-1982 LIndy INfante coached (OFF COD/ QB COACH).....offense? A lot of short passes.....mixed with some deep ones...but not as many as you might think. They threw a lot of short passes....to Ross, Krieder, Alexander, Griffin....heck even Pete Johnson could catch a pass out of the backfield better than Rudi.
Sure they threw some deep to Chris....Isaac.....but they worked the field by dinking and dunking. The running game was AVG barely 4 yards a carry.
Heck...in 1982.....Anderson was the 2nd leading rusher.
They had more trouble in 1982 scoring ...but they still moved the ball.

No reason this offense cannot do the same and work the clock.

Trouble is....again it's the defense. This defense will do OK....but when it is pressured to hold someone.....they mostly crack.

That is something those 1981-82 teams had. Defense......especially one that could stop the run. Hank Bullough had them playing the best defense they have not been able to play since.
(No. 1 in AFC vs run in 1980, Top 5 in 1982, No. 1 in AFC in 1983 and NO. 1 defense in all NFL)