Tom Pelissero: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd said Bengals have 'the bes

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(05-31-2019, 01:12 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: What a RB competition we have, Traveon was my favorite RB in that entire Draft and Anderson was a Heisman trophy looking Back before got hurt. Adding these two guys to Mixon who i find to be just as talented as any RB in the NFL and Gio who is a very good RB that like you said can play Receiver and i wouldn't know what to do on Defense. It can be so unpredictable with all these guys.

Everyone of them knows how to run the ball, catch the ball, pick up the blitz and i am not even mentioning Hall, the other RB.

This Line that Turner is putting together just needs to open up a hole and any one of these backs, especially Traveon and Mixon can take it the distance. We will see how healthy Gio is and if age is catching up to him this year though, great player when healthy and i don't think he has been used right over his career and it is a shame. Anderson is extremely smooth, hard to take down and has great hands.

People always ask "How do the Pats do it and why doesn't anyone copy it"?

Well, I see their success as multifactorial, but one of the big keys to their success is smart, versatile players that can adapt to any opponent.  Combine that with great coaching and game-planning and you have a great foundation.

Last year, it seemed the Pats were content to line up with two TEs, two WRs, and a single back.  They would evaluate the personnel on the other side:  If the defense was in nickel and playing off the LOS, they pounded you with their RBs and a great offensive line with a good blocking TE as well.  If the defense was more in a base personnel, they would gash their LBs with short, quick passes to their RB, TE, and slot WR.  They didn't have to change personnel to change their attack.  They could even go hurry up and when the defense was in nickel and just go pound, pound, pound...and never allow the defense time to substitute.  Seems simple, but it was very effective.  They attack what they are seeing.

Marv and Co typically would go two drives with Mixon, then one with Gio.  They would use the TEs primarily as receiving threats.  They would send Ross vertical (I know that is largely an X receiver's role, but every damn time until the Red Zone?) to try and draw defenses back to open up the underneath to the TEs, Boyd and AJ, and sometimes Mixon/Gio.  It worked to an extent but teams adjusted and the Bengals had no answer.  

I understand the Bengals don't have a line close to that of the Pats, nor the coaching talent/experience, but I am very excited at the actual personnel adaptations to focus on the rushing attack.  They aren't just talking about the running game, they addressed it with the best blocking TE in the draft.  Two new key pieces on the offensive line, and two new backs for depth of talent and competition.

If they are able to have some success attacking nickel defenses with the rushing attack, it will open up all kinds of opportunities for Dalton with play-action.  

As you said, this season, IMHO, is going to come down to the middle of the defense and if the front four can do a better job generating pressure.