***Week 2 GameDay Thread - Bengals @ Bears***

[samhain]

(09-19-2021, 05:15 PM)Joelist Wrote: We lost a game we should have won. We will be in 3rd place likely going into next week (remember both the Stealers and Rats while also 1-1 got their win in conference while we did not).

The issue with the backs and TEs not blocking their assignments is a must fix and must fix immediately even if it means benching Mixon.

Also the game plan today was baffling to say the least. A blitzing offense and they went 5 wide constantly (and got burned a lot doing it). Also after saying there were going to operate more under center they went shotgun a LOT. And also they waited WAY too long to do the obvious - mass protect and throw deep. When they did it it worked.

And yes Burrow looked terrible today. The game was decided on his idiotic pick six, he missed a wide open Higgins on an easier play (plus Higgins dropped a TD). In fact all three INTs were mental errors on Burrow. This is not what we were supposed to get with a 1OA pick - by now even with the injury last season he should be essentially mistake free.

It seems like the game plan is predicated on fear of getting the quarterback hurt.  That's goes against both the outclassed staff and the front office for not bringing in the personnel needed up front after they showed the need for it in 2020.  

Burrow owns 2 of those INTs and no doubt the pick six.  I'm still not panicking.  He's a somewhat unfinished product that's learning the league alongside a coach that's also a work in (backward) progress.  He's not Mahomes with Andy Reid in his ear deciding what's best for his development. Even great quarterbacks have bad games, esescially when they are young.  

I feel like desperation late in the game forced Taylor to unleash him in ways he avoided early.  It looks like the Bratkowski run-run-pass offense until shit goes sideways.  It's not great if he's so fragile to them that they won't run an optimal gameplan until they have no choice.  

The 2 quick scores late show that he can shake off the major lapses and still deliver when he has to.  I'm still all in on Burrow until this becomes a regular thing.  Taylor not so much.