To Those Who Blame Injuries

[*bengalfan74*]

(11-01-2019, 09:36 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: This is a great post.

The Cincinnati Bengals treat backup players like fodder and that’s an issue.  Other teams consider backups “starters waiting to happen” so when an actual starter goes down, the fall off in quality of play is minimal if not nonexistent.

How many times have we watched the BLEEPing Steelers when one of their offensive lineman gets dinged up and has to sit out a series or two.  Their backup comes in and still pass blocks and run blocks with energy and great technique.  That’s depth.

The Bengals used to be deep on the defensive line.   A prime feature of the Mike Zimmer defense was rotating fresh defensive lineman in and out of the entire game. You need to have depth to do that.  When Andy Dalton went down in late 2015, I thought AJ McCarron did a fantastic job backing him up.  Heck, AJ McCarron almost won a playoff game!

A depth chart is for more than just deciding in which “string” a player belongs.

I can't remember for sure what team it was ? I believe it was last year like mid season, could have been the year before ? It all jumbles together when you get on the backside of 50. Anyways

The narrative going into game was both of our opponents starting OT's were out, our Dline is gonna have a field day ! We had nothing even close to a field day and I'm thinking we lost.

You see examples of this all around the league. Yet we lose one guy and it's kaput, it's over. I think a lot of this can be attributed to mindset, culture, heart. It's ingrained deep in the heart and soul of this team. Look at how we lay down vs. the Steelers and have for years.

Somebody, somehow, someway has to step up and end it.

Chad Johnson put a good dent in it  :andy: