Peyton Manning & Other Guys vs. Bungles

[Reds4Life]

I already decided at the start of the season I wasn't renewing my Bengals tickets, maybe I'll get Bearcats season tix instead.

[remdog]

Wow the Bengals are just flat out bad.

You are too generous.



REALLY.

Rem

[Hoosier Red]

I understand that but all teams are forced to deal with injury, Coach Dungy just say next man up and he expects them to play as well as the starters. It looks to me that the problem starts with the O-Line play. When the Bengals were good they had Montoya and Munoz on the line and it was a strength why did they let the line deteriorate?

That's true to a point, but 22 guys on IR, + Carson being out creates some extra ordinary circumstances.

The team was pretty bad to start with, very thin at some spots, but would be "competitive." With the injuries they've just become brutal.

Consider, from the initial 2 deep roster in the secondary, one player was active today.

The offensive line is in shambles, Andrews almost certainly won't be back, Williams is getting older, Ghiacic sucks, Whitworth finished the season on IR, and the LT Levi Jones knee may never recover. So you're looking at replacing at the very least three spots on the OL. Anthony Collins, hasn't been awful, but hasn't been great either.

[Redsfaithful]

I actually think Collins has been pretty decent, considering the situation. At least that's what I'll be telling myself when the Bengals take Beanie Wells instead of Oher in the draft.

But seriously, for a rookie left tackle he has been ok. If you want a good example of how stupid the Bengals are just look at the waste of space Stacey Andrews has been, and then remember that they franchised him but not Eric Steinbach.

[Hoosier Red]

Different years for Andrews and Steinbach, and Steinbach is quickly becoming the Denorfia of the Bengals.

It was a bad decision to let him go, but clearly it wasn't the deciding factor in the OLine's suckitude. I think an argument could be made that Whitworth has out played him at LG, and there's little evidence Steinbach would have been a better C than Ghiacic.

The Bengals need to cut Levi, draft a tackle, and put Collins at the opposite side,(I don't care if they draft a RT and keep Collins at LT, or vice versa) and draft a center.

Later in the draft they could use some more depth at Guard as well.

[Sea Ray]

It was a bad decision to let him go, but clearly it wasn't the deciding factor in the OLine's suckitude. I think an argument could be made that Whitworth has out played him at LG, and there's little evidence Steinbach would have been a better C than Ghiacic.

The line took its biggest hit when Braham retired and Ghiacuic replaced him at C. If you have a C who gets bull rushed by big, physical NGs in this division then that kills your pass protection and run game. They need a strong, mean center

[CTA513]

Ghiaciuc can't hold his ground and can't get any push on short yardage plays.
He's a big reason why Bengals QB's can't step up to avoid the speed rushing DE's or OLB's.

The offense will continue to suck unless he magically becomes a good center or they replace him with someone that's better.

[Redsfaithful]

Different years for Andrews and Steinbach, and Steinbach is quickly becoming the Denorfia of the Bengals. .

Well, except of course the decision was actually Justin Smith or Eric Steinbach, as that's who they franchised instead of keeping Steinbach. Steinbach was a pro bowl alternate this past season, and I don't recall Chris Denorfia ever receiving comparable recognition.

But that's in the past, bottom line the Bengals don't know how to use their franchise tag as they've wasted it in recent years on guys like Justin Smith and Stacey Andrews who definitely weren't worth the money.

[Hoosier Red]

The fact that they misuse their franchise tag is indisputable, I agree. My point with Denorfia was that it was a bad move, in a long line of bad moves, but not protecting Steinbach was not the lynch pin many make it out to be.

[Yachtzee]

The fact that they misuse their franchise tag is indisputable, I agree. My point with Denorfia was that it was a bad move, in a long line of bad moves, but not protecting Steinbach was not the lynch pin many make it out to be.

I would argue that the loss of Steinbach and Braham together destroyed the line. Braham was great at calling the line plays and protecting the middle. And while Steinbach wasn't the greatest pass blocker, he was better at center than Ghiachuc. However, the real effect that losing Steinbach has had has been seen in the running game. Steinbach was a great pulling guard and helped make Rudi Johnson what he was. Since Steinbach has left, the Bengals' running game has gone to pot, allowing defenses to tee up on the Bengals' QBs.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

I would argue that the loss of Steinbach and Braham together destroyed the line. Braham was great at calling the line plays and protecting the middle. And while Steinbach wasn't the greatest pass blocker, he was better at center than Ghiachuc. However, the real effect that losing Steinbach has had has been seen in the running game. Steinbach was a great pulling guard and helped make Rudi Johnson what he was. Since Steinbach has left, the Bengals' running game has gone to pot, allowing defenses to tee up on the Bengals' QBs.

Totally agree.