First of all, let’s get the preseason record issue out of the way; I don’t care if the Bengals finish 3-0, 0-3, or any other of the 27 possible permutations of a set of three events with three possible outcomes.

OFFENSE

My biggest concern is rushing; I want to see the Bengals pound the rock and pound it hard. Certainly Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, CJ Uzomah and the rest of the receivers will get plenty of passes thrown their way but I want to see Frank Pollack’s retooled offensive line break upon some holes and create some seams. Run blocking is, to me, the primary criterion for evaluating an offensive line’s cohesion because it’s a team effort. For example, to create a large seam through the right side A gap it takes the center blocking one defensive lineman one way while the right guard takes either another defensive tackle the other way.

Of course, pass blocking is critical as well and I want to see Brandon Allen have plenty of time to go through his receiver progressions, set his feet, and throw with velocity and accuracy. The pocket should stay intact as long as possible and even move laterally if necessary.

Whether pass blocking or run blocking I want to see the offensive linemen lock up, engage, and move their player out of the play. Once their assignment is complete I want them to look for another player to block.

I do not want to see Joe Burrow on the field in preseason — period. If I had my way, Brandon Allen would get the majority of the snaps in preseason but the other quarterbacks on the current roster would also play limited snaps with both the first and second string teams. Due to Joe Burrow being injured last year the Cincinnati Bengals need a solid second string quarterback and in preseason we need to definitively identify who that is.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Let Evan McPherson kick! This kid looked awesome in preseason so let’s see if he can routinely kick accurate field goals in game situations from greater than 55 yards. If McPherson has this ability will take pressure from the offense...

AND MORE OFFENSE

...but this does not excuse the offense from improving in the Red Zone. Lately, the Bengals’ offense has not exactly been effective inside the 20 yard line. Since 2016 the Bengals have often moved the ball well between the 20 yard lines but inside the Red Zone tend to stall. The best teams come away with seven points in the Red Zone, mediocre teams come away with three points in the Red Zone, but Cincinnati too often comes away with no points at all. Maybe somebody on this board who is really good at keeping statistics can maintain a record of touchdowns, field goals, and total whiffs in the Red Zone.

Also, knowing the success rate of pass vs. run inside the Red Zone is useful.

DEFENSE

Pain. I want to see some serious thumping going on. On defense energy and aggression can sometimes make up for the lack of proper technique. Technique and defensive strategy can be taught but energy cannot. This is a mindset one must use to play successful defense in the NFL. Lou Anarumo had the Bengals doing this in the second game against Pittsburgh last year; I’m not saying every hit has to be a slobber knocker like Von Bell did to Juju Smith-Schuster but we all saw how playing with energy and purpose led to a win.

Tackling should be aggressive. The players need to play physically but cleanly; I am done seeing Bengal defensive players dive for opposing ball carriers’ ankles and missing. That’s bush league crap. The defensive players need to aim for the center of mass and wrap up.

So far in training camp I have seen very good play from the secondary. It is one thing play well against your own team in practice but I want to see solid coverage against our opponents in preseason. Cushions belong on couches, not in the defensive backfield. Interceptions would be nice but seeing a lot of plays broken up would be welcome as well. When an opposing receiver does catch the ball I want to see a tackle happen immediately. Cincinnati has not been good at limiting yards after catch since Mike Zimmer left. This is crucial if the Bengals are going to win and have playoff aspirations.

The defensive line needs to get after it! I want to see opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable, throwing on the run, and having to throw from their rear leg. More sacks would be extremely welcome too. Those big guys need to shed blockers and stop opposing running backs for no gain. If the defense can do that the Bengals may have a winning season ahead.

The big unknowns for me are the linebackers. If the defensive line does a good job they can drop into coverage on pass plays and I want to see them shoot gaps and help stuff the run as well. Also, Bengal linebackers have not exactly been blitzing a lot for many seasons and this has to change. I know the linebacker position has changed appreciably over the past 25 years or so and there is less blitzing of the quarterback all across the league but nothing scares the stuffing out of a quarterback more than seeing a linebacker come off the edge at full speed.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

To summarize, I want to see the Bengals play fast, play with energy, and play with purpose. Go ahead and take some chances out there; see what works and what doesn’t and adjust the playbook accordingly. I want to see outstanding execution individually and as a team and I want to see leaders emerge on both sides of the football.

This is crunch time for the coaching staff. I was lenient in 2019, upset in 2020, and I will be furious in 2021 if I do not see major improvement in every aspect of the game. Say what you will about the Front Office but they’ve been active in free agency and aggressive in the draft. This is easily the most solid roster the Bengals have had since 2015. If this particular collection of players cannot win then something is seriously wrong.

Great post FIK. Not much to add to that except that I want to see some good coaching going on. I like the additions of Frank
Pollack, Hobby and Troy Walters and want to see how the OL, DL and WR's improve under decent coaching. If we are much
better in the trenches and have Receivers that are able to separate it opens up a lot of things including the running game
with the new Wide Zone Scheme implemented that the best running teams have been running lately.

Run the ball, stop the run, get after the passer and it goes without saying, keep the injuries at a minimum.

I do want to see Burrow and the 1's have at least a couple series this Preseason hopefully in the last game before our opener.

(08-12-2021, 07:11 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: First of all, let’s get the preseason record issue out of the way; I don’t care if the Bengals finish 3-0, 0-3, or any other of the 27 possible permutations of a set of three events with three possible outcomes.

OFFENSE

My biggest concern is rushing; I want to see the Bengals pound the rock and pound it hard.  Certainly Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, CJ Uzomah and the rest of the receivers will get plenty of passes thrown their way but I want to see Frank Pollack’s retooled offensive line break upon some holes and create some seams.  Run blocking is, to me, the primary criterion for evaluating an offensive line’s cohesion because it’s a team effort. For example, to create a large seam through the right side A gap it takes the center blocking one defensive lineman one way while the right guard takes either another defensive tackle the other way.

Of course, pass blocking is critical as well and I want to see Brandon Allen have plenty of time to go through his receiver progressions, set his feet, and throw with velocity and accuracy.  The pocket should stay intact as long as possible and even move laterally if necessary.

Whether pass blocking or run blocking I want to see the offensive linemen lock up, engage, and move their player out of the play.  Once their assignment is complete I want them to look for another player to block.

I do not want to see Joe Burrow on the field in preseason — period.   If I had my way, Brandon Allen would get the majority of the snaps in preseason but the other quarterbacks on the current roster would also play limited snaps with both the first and second string teams.  Due to Joe Burrow being injured last year the Cincinnati Bengals need a solid second string quarterback and in preseason we need to definitively identify who that is.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Let Evan McPherson kick!  This kid looked awesome in preseason so let’s see if he can routinely kick accurate field goals in game situations from greater than 55 yards. If McPherson has this ability will take pressure from the offense...

AND MORE OFFENSE

...but this does not excuse the offense from improving in the Red Zone.   Lately, the Bengals’ offense has not exactly been effective inside the 20 yard line. Since 2016 the Bengals have often moved the ball well between the 20 yard lines but inside the Red Zone tend to stall. The best teams come away with seven points in the Red Zone, mediocre teams come away with three points in the Red Zone, but Cincinnati too often comes away with no points at all.  Maybe somebody on this board who is really good at keeping statistics can maintain a record of touchdowns, field goals, and total whiffs in the Red Zone.  

Also, knowing the success rate of pass vs. run inside the Red Zone is useful.

DEFENSE

Pain.  I want to see some serious thumping going on.  On defense energy and aggression can sometimes make up for the lack of proper technique.  Technique and defensive strategy can be taught but energy cannot. This is a mindset one must use to play successful defense in the NFL.  Lou Anarumo had the Bengals doing this in the second game against Pittsburgh last year; I’m not saying every hit has to be a slobber knocker like Von Bell did to Juju Smith-Schuster but we all saw how playing with energy and purpose led to a win.

Tackling should be aggressive. The players need to play physically but cleanly; I am done seeing Bengal defensive players dive for opposing ball carriers’ ankles and missing.  That’s bush league crap.  The defensive players need to aim for the center of mass and wrap up.  

So far in training camp I have seen very good play from the secondary. It is one thing play well against your own team in practice but I want to see solid coverage against our opponents in preseason.  Cushions belong on couches, not in the defensive backfield. Interceptions would be nice but seeing a lot of plays broken up would be welcome as well. When an opposing receiver does catch the ball I want to see a tackle happen immediately.  Cincinnati has not been good at limiting yards after catch since Mike Zimmer left. This is crucial if the Bengals are going to win and have playoff aspirations.

The defensive line needs to get after it! I want to see opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable, throwing on the run, and having to throw from their rear leg. More sacks would be extremely welcome too.  Those big guys need to shed blockers and stop opposing running backs for no gain. If the defense can do that the Bengals may have a winning season ahead.

The big unknowns for me are the linebackers. If the defensive line does a good job they can drop into coverage on pass plays and I want to see them shoot gaps and help stuff the run as well. Also, Bengal linebackers have not exactly been blitzing a lot for many seasons and this has to change.  I know the linebacker position has changed appreciably over the past 25 years or so and there is less blitzing of the quarterback all across the league but nothing scares the stuffing out of a quarterback more than seeing a linebacker come off the edge at full speed.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

To summarize, I want to see the Bengals play fast, play with energy, and play with purpose.  Go ahead and take some chances out there; see what works and what doesn’t and adjust the playbook accordingly.   I want to see outstanding execution individually and as a team and I want to see leaders emerge on both sides of the football.

This is crunch time for the coaching staff. I was lenient in 2019, upset in 2020, and I will be furious in 2021 if I do not see major improvement in every aspect of the game. Say what you will about the Front Office but they’ve been active in free agency and aggressive in the draft.  This is easily the most solid roster the Bengals have had since 2015.  If this particular collection of players cannot win then something is seriously wrong.

10 possible outcomes. 

No injuries first and foremost. I'm not sure what I'm expecting early in the season and I'm certainly not expecting much for the preseason other than not to look terrible. I'd like the starting defense to atleast challenge Tampa's starters and hopefully get them off the field with no points atleast 1 drive. Also see some positive from the Oline.
I want to see Chase a little hopefully he has a catch. Also yeah I'd like to see the kicker attempt a 50 yd field goal and see how he does.

(08-13-2021, 12:51 AM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: No injuries first and foremost. I'm not sure what I'm expecting early in the season and I'm certainly not expecting much for the preseason other than not to look terrible. I'd like the starting defense to atleast challenge Tampa's starters and hopefully get them off the field with no points atleast 1 drive. Also see some positive from the Oline.
I want to see Chase a little hopefully he has a catch. Also yeah I'd like to see the kicker attempt a 50 yd field goal and see how he does.

The perpetual jinx. I wish people would just stop it.

I was wanting to see Burrow get some preseason reps. But after seeing Chase get his strip sack against Cam I don't want it to be next week and I'm more than fine just getting the OL all the pratice we can on the run up to the season. I think Burrow is gonna be a little shaky no matter what come the regular season and I don't think a couple preseason drives is gonna make a difference.

I want 2 things.

No significant injuries to key players.

Good line play.

Jinxers keep on doing it Rfaulk.

(08-13-2021, 01:13 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Jinxers keep on doing it Rfaulk.

I know. 

You know what they say. You can lead a fish to water but you can't make him neigh. 

Will be mostly interested in the O-line play which Im a litte nervous about.

Plus watching our new and has to be improved defense as a whole.

Yet especially interested in watching Ossai per thinking he could be really good for Bengals.

Rookies are always my prime focus, just to see how they look and fit based on the rumors we've heard.

Chris Evans, specifically, is a compelling add. He looked like a shell of himself last year but... small sample size. It would be super if we saw the dynamic, confident Evans of 2017/8. Also curious to see how creatively he'll be deployed.

The TEs are my fav position group on the team this year. If we could blend O'Grady, Moss, Wells, Sample and Uzo into one, we'd have the greatest tight end in history. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that (yet?). But it should be fun to see them chase their dreams under the bright lights. And maybe we'll even get some answers as to why we have so many of them lol

Can't wait.

(08-14-2021, 01:44 AM)tms Wrote: Rookies are always my prime focus, just to see how they look and fit based on the rumors we've heard.

Chris Evans, specifically, is a compelling add. He looked like a shell of himself last year but... small sample size. It would be super if we saw the dynamic, confident Evans of 2017/8. Also curious to see how creatively he'll be deployed.

The TEs are my fav position group on the team this year. If we could blend O'Grady, Moss, Wells, Sample and Uzo into one, we'd have the greatest tight end in history. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that (yet?). But it should be fun to see them chase their dreams under the bright lights. And maybe we'll even get some answers as to why we have so many of them lol

Can't wait.

I'm definitely intrigued to see our depth TEs battle for a spot behind Uzo and Sample. But then there are depth position battles all over the team that will be worth watching. Will we see anything between Price, Hill, and Gaillard at Center that changes things? Who is worth keeping as our #5 and #6 WR? 

Like you said, we'll get our first look at Chris Evans at RB, not to mention Pooka and throw in another chance to see Trayveon Williams who was always touted as a possibly big upside guy. Of course, without great run blocking there will only be so much we can see. 

On defense I'm hoping our starting LB corps have something to show for another year under their belt. Pratt, Gaithers-Davis, and Logan Wilson impressing for the quarter(s) they are in would go a long way towards allaying my concerns for the defense. Then you have to be looking at the defensive line. Is Hendrickson and the rest generating pressure? There are about 12 guys on the defensive line who you could make a legitimate argument for keeping, so who impresses for that 9th and maybe even 10th spot?

And that leaves the overall evaluation stuff: Will play be clean or are we sloppy/undisciplined and rack up a lot of penalties? Will there be good team chemistry especially on defense where you have a couple position groups that are pretty different from a year ago (looking at you corners)? Will we see evidence of good coaching -- yes it is pre-season which means a vanilla gameplan but how about holding guys accountable when they miss a tackle or are out of position? You can see that  much on the sidelines in realtime. How is the clock management?

(08-14-2021, 12:38 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I know. 

You know what they say. You can lead a fish to water but you can't make him neigh. 

Never heard that before, gonna have to steal that one from you man lol

Obvious choice is the line but, honestly, I want to see excitement!

I want players who are fired up, playing hard, and celebrating with teammates!

I know it won't be all-out with players like Burrow not playing, but I just want to see enthusiasm!

I want to see players being happy to put on the stripes!

WHO-DEY!