(05-29-2021, 08:34 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Absolutely gouged in the running game was to the tune of 162 yards, combined with 180 yards passing and they held the Ravens to a total of 342 yards with an offense doing nothing but giving the ball back.  The defense forced the Ravens to punt 4 times.  

I can't find Darius Phillips game log via PFF, but he rated something like a 90 that game as he was all over Jackson.  

162 rushing yards per game would be the 2nd best running game in the league last year and only 6 yards from being the best (14 yards from being 3rd). 6.7 yards per carry is 1.2 yards more per carry than any team in the NFL last year.

So no, giving up stats that would make a team the 2nd best (if not arguably the best when factoring in efficiency) rushing team in the NFL isn't brilliance or doing a really good job.

Okay, so the defense forced the Ravens to punt 4 times. The Ravens in 2020 punted 53 times in 16 games, or 3.3 punts per game. 4 is barely above their average and hardly anything to hang your hat on when you got ran all over.

(05-29-2021, 07:16 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 162 rushing yards per game would be the 2nd best running game in the league last year and only 6 yards from being the best (14 yards from being 3rd). 6.7 yards per carry is 1.2 yards more per carry than any team in the NFL last year.

So no, giving up stats that would make a team the 2nd best (if not arguably the best when factoring in efficiency) rushing team in the NFL isn't brilliance or doing a really good job.

Okay, so the defense forced the Ravens to punt 4 times. The Ravens in 2020 punted 53 times in 16 games, or 3.3 punts per game. 4 is barely above their average and hardly anything to hang your hat on when you got ran all over.

Weren't the Ravens the best rushing team in the NFL last year averaging 192 yards per game? 

(05-29-2021, 01:35 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: 27 points
162 rush yards (6.7 per carry)
7/15 conversions on 3rd down

Not exactly what I'd call masterful. And it seems Baltimore learned from that game, because they ran it down our throats without mercy in the next game. We just couldn't stop or even slow them down on the ground.

14 of those points came off turnovers(1 being a 51 yard fumble return for a TD) and in the second game they were missing Reader, Atkins, Dunlap, L Wilson, and Jackson. 

(05-29-2021, 09:58 PM)J24 Wrote: 14 of those points came off turnovers(1 being a 51 yard fumble return for a TD) and in the second game they were missing Reader, Atkins, Dunlap, L Wilson, and Jackson. 

I hate to keep repeating myself, but I dont care who we were missing. 404 yards rushing was inexcusable. As Wes said, theres only been 4 such performances in NFL history, and I'm sure many many many teams dealt with bad personnel and didn't give up 400 rush yards.

(05-30-2021, 01:00 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I hate to keep repeating myself, but I dont care who we were missing. 404 yards rushing was inexcusable. As Wes said, theres only been 4 such performances in NFL history, and I'm sure many many many teams dealt with bad personnel and didn't give up 400 rush yards.

Well just stop repeating yourself.....

(05-29-2021, 09:08 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Weren't the Ravens the best rushing team in the NFL last year averaging 192 yards per game? 

"We held the best rushing team to only being the second best rushing team (while also letting them be even more efficient than normal)! Flashes of BRILLIANCE! DAMN GOOD JOB!"  - Nobody, ever, before this conversation.

Also worth noting that the Ravens were "only" averaging 178 yards per game until Lou Anarumo's defense let them run for 404 in Week 17.

The Bengals’ defense has just undergone the biggest roster change I’ve ever seen in one year. On paper it looks deep and improved. I’m not asking Lou Anarumo to be the second coming of Buddy Ryan or Marvin Lewis; I just want the Bengals to play physical football, tackle successfully, and hold leads in the fourth quarter.

(05-30-2021, 09:15 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: The Bengals’ defense has just undergone the biggest roster change I’ve ever seen in one year.  On paper it looks deep and improved.  I’m not asking Lou Anarumo to be the second coming of Buddy Ryan or Marvin Lewis; I just want the Bengals to play physical football, tackle successfully, and hold leads in the fourth quarter.

That's it, right there ^

I feel like the offense will score points, so as long as the defense can give the team at least a chance to win, it should be a very exciting season.

(05-29-2021, 07:16 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 162 rushing yards per game would be the 2nd best running game in the league last year and only 6 yards from being the best (14 yards from being 3rd). 6.7 yards per carry is 1.2 yards more per carry than any team in the NFL last year.

So no, giving up stats that would make a team the 2nd best (if not arguably the best when factoring in efficiency) rushing team in the NFL isn't brilliance or doing a really good job.

Okay, so the defense forced the Ravens to punt 4 times. The Ravens in 2020 punted 53 times in 16 games, or 3.3 punts per game. 4 is barely above their average and hardly anything to hang your hat on when you got ran all over.

I wish this game were replayed on the NFL network so you could watch it again.  Though painful, you would see that despite doing absolutely nothing on offense, the defense held Baltimore in check for most of the early part of the game and at the very least kept Cincy in the game:

Bengals punt, Ravens get the ball at their 20 and get a FG

Bengals turnover on downs, Ravens get the ball at their 37.  Ravens drive the field for a TD

Bengals throw INT, Ravens get the ball on Cincy's 31 yard line.  Ravens drive 31 yards (with the help of a Dunlap PF) for a TD.

This is where the game could have gotten completely out of hand.  Here is what happened next:


Bengals fumble, Ravens recover at the 50 yard line.  Ravens get 4 yards on 4 plays and turnover on downs.


Bengals go backwards 10 yards and punt.  Ravens get the ball on their 21.


Ravens get 14 yards on 5 plays and punt.  Bengals get the ball on on their 25.


Bengals go backwards 1 yard on three plays and punt.  Ravens get the ball at their 30 yard line with 2 minutes to go in the half.  We all know where this is going, right?


Wrong, the Ravens throw an INT and Bengals get the ball on their 24 yard line.  


The Bengals go 3 yards on 3 plays and use up 22 seconds on the clock and punt the ball back to the Ravens.  


The Ravens quickly drive 34 yards and get a FG right before the half (in 51 seconds)


The Ravens next four drives (the rest of the game's possessions in the 2nd half for them) go as follows:


Punt


Punt


FG


Punt. 

If you don't see any defensive flashes there instead of completely inept offensive work, then I will stop trying.  

(05-30-2021, 09:22 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: That's it, right there ^

I feel like the offense will score points, so as long as the defense can give the team at least a chance to win, it should be a very exciting season.

In the near future I expect the defense to become dominant if the Bengals want to win playoff games. I go back to the Super Bowls where the Giants’ defense shut down Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense and just last year when the Tampa Bay defense embarrassed Patrick Mahomes.

Yes, the modern NFL is a high scoring pass happy league but that ends in the playoffs and definitely no longer applies in the Super Bowl.

Defense still wins championships.

(05-30-2021, 01:33 AM)sandwedge Wrote: Well just stop repeating yourself.....

If people would stop trying to excuse a historically bad defensive performance, I would.......

Bengals trying to go from a man based coverage to a zone based coverage isn't very easy. It's like this brand new 4' x 8' sheet of 7/16" plywood. Some assembly required.

(05-30-2021, 03:22 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Bengals trying to go from a man based coverage to a zone based coverage isn't very easy. It's like this brand new 4' x 8' sheet of 7/16" plywood. Some assembly required.

Solving the puzzle of our LB Corps is a work in progress..

(05-30-2021, 03:22 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Bengals trying to go from a man based coverage to a zone based coverage isn't very easy. It's like this brand new 4' x 8' sheet of 7/16" plywood. Some assembly required.

They ran 60/40 to 55/45 Man/Zone the last two years under Captian Lou so I don't expect much of a change...

(05-30-2021, 01:38 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: "We held the best rushing team to only being the second best rushing team (while also letting them be even more efficient than normal)! Flashes of BRILLIANCE! DAMN GOOD JOB!"  - Nobody, ever, before this conversation.

Also worth noting that the Ravens were "only" averaging 178 yards per game until Lou Anarumo's defense let them run for 404 in Week 17.

So you were mistaken? 

brilliance
[ bril-yuhns ]
See synonyms for brilliance on Thesaurus.com
noun
-great brightness; luster: the brilliance of a fine diamond.
-excellence or distinction; conspicuous talent, mental ability, etc.
-splendor, elegance, or magnificence: the brilliance of the court of Louis XIV.
-Optics. that luminance of a body consisting of its saturation and brightness.

Which of these best describes our "brilliance" in our losing effort against Baltimore?

The roster on defense IS improved. The question is whether our coaches can actually scheme to utilize the talent effectively. So far in Lou's tenure all his schemes do is make our players look confused or by using weird, exotic formations set our players up to fail. And it is probably the single biggest failing of Lou (like it was of Teryl Austin) - stop trying to be too cute on defense, pick a normal base formation your players can do well and then use it. Consistently. Any twists or tricks base on that formation.

This by the way is how Tampa Bay make Patrick Mahomes look like an amateur in the Super Bowl. They played the same base defense, rushed 4 and doubled Tyreek Hill. Beyond that it was relying on the defenders to do their jobs. The fancy stuff was going on up front with twists and unusual stunts combined with lack of blitzing a lot and excellent lane discipline.

(05-30-2021, 04:14 PM)bfine32 Wrote: So you were mistaken? 

If you to celebrate being the 2nd worst rather than the worst with a trophy or something, by all mean, you have at it. Hang your "only 2nd worst" banner.

Me? I won't ever call a game where you allow 162 rushing yards at 6.7 yards per carry a "flash of brilliance" and a "damn good job".

(05-30-2021, 06:26 PM)Joelist Wrote: The roster on defense IS improved. The question is whether our coaches can actually scheme to utilize the talent effectively. So far in Lou's tenure all his schemes do is make our players look confused or by using weird, exotic formations set our players up to fail. And it is probably the single biggest failing of Lou (like it was of Teryl Austin) - stop trying to be too cute on defense, pick a normal base formation your players can do well and then use it. Consistently. Any twists or tricks base on that formation.

This by the way is how Tampa Bay make Patrick Mahomes look like an amateur in the Super Bowl. They played the same base defense, rushed 4 and doubled Tyreek Hill. Beyond that it was relying on the defenders to do their jobs. The fancy stuff was going on up front with twists and unusual stunts combined with lack of blitzing a lot and excellent lane discipline.

What exotic formations are you talking about?

Nonsense like all the 2 LB sets, dropping DTs into coverage, leaving absolutely no one in the middle behind the DL and so on.