The Bengals gained 120 yards on 31 carries against the 9th ranked rush defense. That is not bad. The running game does just fine when Gio gets the ball. Team rushing numbers are lower because the Green Ellis is the worst starting RB in the NFL.Originally Posted by Yachtzee
The Bengals also gained 364 yards yesterday. Not a great day, but considering the wind, they were able to move the ball fine.
RiverRat13 (11-12-2013)
I think it was the right call to kick the XP. The Ravens hadn't moved the ball all day, so there was good reason to be confident with their chances in OT.
Joseph (11-11-2013)
Why throw downfield so often with the wind? There are weeks I really don't understand Gruden's playcalling.
I'd like to see Dalton with a half decent run game.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Going for 2 would have been momumentally stupid. Especially if their best play was that one they ran on 4th down in OT.
In past couple of games Dalton hasn't been good. That said he really hasn't been picked up by his WR's and TE's. In the Miami game you can start to name the number of good throws that were dropped. The early one to Green, Gresham across the middle for a first down. Sanu had one deep ball over the middle that he cradled and then had it knocked up into the air for an INT and then the one in over time on the plus side of the field.
In the Baltimore I was watching the game with my buddy and we noted that someone needed to make a play. Someone needed to make a play to help out Dalton. In the Jets game Jones made some pretty good catches as well as nice moves after the catch. They haven't done that recently. If your a NFL receiver and the ball hits your hands you need to catch it more times than not. Eifort has one off his hands in the endzone. Jones has one picked off when he had position. Truth be told I the offense has been in a funk the last two games, everyone on offense.
The Ravens knew the wind was tough and playing against a QB who doesn't possess a canon, it is possible their plan was to take away the short/intermediate stuff.
As far as the running game goes, they need to upgrade BJGE, especially if they view Gio as a 15-20 touch guy.
They lost to the Dolphins. All you need to know about the mental makeup of the team. The season is over.
By that you mean there will be no post season for this team?
They played cover-2 with a double on Green, ala' what every team used to do to the Culpepper-Moss Vikings.
It means they aren't afraid of the run, and anything deep will be doubled by a Safety. It means they are daring the Bengals to run or go deep, or be deadly accurate with the short/intermediate stuff.
When Gresham and Bernard aren't on the field, this offense is Klingler-Pickens bad. Blake-Pickens(after everyone took away their deep ball) bad. One Dimensional.
But plug in a healthy Bernard and Gresham to go along with the Green and Company...then suddenly they are a top-10 offense.
"Lemonade requires a significant amount of sugar. Otherwise, you've just made lemon juice."
The throw to Eifert was an awful throw. Yes he got his hands on it, but that would have been a top 10 catch. Going back against his body, full extension, off his fingertips. That was not a difficult throw, but Dalton threw it about 3 yards off target.
Green made an amazing catch on a tipped pass 50 yards downfield. Guys were making plays, but I didn't see many balls go off receivers' hands against Baltimore. Most of those throws were just off target (outside of the Jones play - that was a combination of a bad play by Jones and an incredible play by the CB).
Even worse than Marvin's brain farts and Dalton's inconsistency, injuries have absolutely gutted this team.
I could have actually envisioned a scenario where the Bengals could have risen above the first two to win a SB, I'm afraid with all the injuries to essential personnel added on top it is just too much for the Bengals to win it all. I think they will still limp into the playoffs, however.
Geno going down was the back breaker.
All things considered, Ed Reed just got cut today. The Bengals should call him up.
Professional sports is littered with inconsistent players. It's really difficult to sustain top performance the majority of time they're on the field/course/court.
But I can't recall many cases where the good and bad performance is to the extreme that we see with Dalton. He's like Jay Bruce. Only it makes sense for hitters in baseball. I'm not sure it makes intuitive sense for a QB in football. It can't just be a matter of Dalton's ability. QB in the NFL is so dependent on game planning, play calling, etc.... He looks SO good in some games and SO bad in others. I think Gruden must play a major role in that level of inconsistency.
Last edited by MWM; 11-12-2013 at 04:44 PM.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
Redsfaithful (11-13-2013)
Drafting a decent Center or developing one seems to be a big problem for this team.
Richie Braham......last good one they had. Several offensive players said when they lost him after 3rd game against CLE in 2006....they just did not click as well and really missed something with him there.
They have not replaced him, they seem to be very weary of drafting anyone....besides Luigie and he did not pan out at all. They cannot get much room to run up the middle and Cook is pushed back a lot.
Besides LB and S....where they have better luck in UFA or in trades and FA.......that is one position of need to help stabilize that OL.
It has not hurt them on defense at all. That injury has not been a backbreaker at all. Zimmer was able to get a Top 10 D in 2008 out of almost nothing. Go look up who they had that year.
They are losing because of the inconsistent offense.
Thompson and Vincent Rey have been very good on the D and Crocker has once again helped the secondary out. If this offense could just quit with the TO and Gruden would avoid any running on short yardage situation......this team is now 8-2.
They lost 2 close games in OT and outgained the other team by over 100 yards in each game.
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