I am Loving the Speed

[3wt]

(06-14-2017, 10:05 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: This and the improvement offered by Mixon and a healthy Hewitt.  I think we dismiss just how easy it was to defend the Bengals last year on defense.  No Eifert.  No AJ Green.  No Gio.  When Hill was lined up in the backfield, it was almost always a run (early, before losing Gio) because he sucks at blitz pick up, and he isn't much of a receiver.  

Talk to any offensive lineman and he will tell you that the best way to cure a line that is hurting in pass blocking is to let them fire off the ball and run block.  

Sexy made the line look better in his very limited action a year ago.  Mixon and a healthy Hewitt will have an even greater impact.  

I think everyone has underestimated the devastating injury situation we had.   It wasn't just that we didn't have Green, Eifert and Gio.  We didn't have players like Boling (who was lucky to have an arm hanging from his shoulder by the end of the season), Hewitt and Hill.   For all my rants about losing Burkhead (I still maintain that, but that's a dead horse for a different thread), Hill was clearly hurt pretty much the whole season.

They say Hill has looked awesome in the Mandatory Sessions this week.

So, it all does come down to Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum on the ends of the O-line.   If they're up to it we're gong to have an awesome season.  And even if Og is not (I say this cringing) I think overall we will be better.  To what degree will depend on injuries.