Mad props to Lou Anarumo and the Cincinnati defense!

The tackling was absolutely stunning today: Physical, certain, and confident. I didn’t see anyone try to tackle by tripping, shouldering, or grabbing the ankles. I saw impact aimed at the center of mass, wrapping up, and driving the ball carrier to the ground — and often backwards.

Physical defense wins games late in the game and late in the season.

The linebacker play was vastly improved by several orders of magnitude. Germaine Pratt is going to be solid. They did much better moving laterally and shutting down the Vikings when they had to.

Now were the linebackers and secondary out of position a lot today? Oh yes. They most definitely were. However, scheme and execution are more easily fixed than bad tackling fundamentals. Lou will fix this issue.

Elli Apple whiffing a tackle and 3rd and 24 ruined the entire performance for me.

How is that clown still in the NFL?

(09-12-2021, 09:55 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: Elli Apple whiffing a tackle and 3rd and 24 ruined the entire performance for me.

How is that clown still in the NFL?

Outside of that one missed tackle and the penalty in the endzone, what else did he do in the game? Corners get beat, and a lot of them aren't good tacklers. If it was 1st and 10 and he misses that tackle, we probably aren't talking about it as much, but due to when it happened, it is magnified.

I still don't like to see a missed tackle like that, but overall the team tackling certainly was much better then we saw last year.

They need to execute Eli Apple. He singlehandedly gave the Vikes over a hundred yards passing and a TD.

(09-12-2021, 09:59 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Outside of that one missed tackle and the penalty in the endzone, what else did he do in the game? Corners get beat, and a lot of them aren't good tacklers. If it was 1st and 10 and he misses that tackle, we probably aren't talking about it as much, but due to when it happened, it is magnified.

I still don't like to see a missed tackle like that, but overall the team tackling certainly was much better then we saw last year.

Not to mention the guy is a backup.  If he never got beat, never took penalties, and never missed tackles, he'd be making $15+ mil a year.

(09-12-2021, 10:02 PM)Whatever Wrote: Not to mention the guy is a backup.  If he never got beat, never took penalties, and never missed tackles, he'd be making $15+ mil a year.

Very true.

Holy shit... did we finally agree on something?!??!?!?!? 

Winning does cure everything. 

(09-12-2021, 10:00 PM)Joelist Wrote: They need to execute Eli Apple. He singlehandedly gave the Vikes over a hundred yards passing and a TS.

He's really a sad story when you look into it. Pretty much the story of a stud who is too much of a Mama's Boy to know when he's being manipulated and sucked dry.

https://www.nj.com/giants/2017/12/family_strife_at_the_root_of_giants_cb_eli_apples.html


His mom is really a piece of work. That's why I've always had a soft side for him, but I don't want him stinking up my team.

The defense looks much improved over last year, or the last few years even before Zac and Lou came along. The DL was in the backfield all day big time. The LBs played solid, of course Bates and Bell made plays, and Chido looked good. The Vikes WR's are no joke, and neither is Cook. We gave up a handful of pretty big plays to their WR's but overall played a good game, especially up front. The tackling was solid.

(09-12-2021, 09:55 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: Elli Apple whiffing a tackle and 3rd and 24 ruined the entire performance for me.

How is that clown still in the NFL?

Is something going on with you man? You've been pretty bitter in a few threads and now you're saying 1 missed tackle by 1 player ruined an entire game for you? 

Why would an entire performance be ruined by 1 thing? The tackling today was the best we've seen by the Bengals in quite a while and it showed. 

(09-12-2021, 09:55 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: Elli Apple whiffing a tackle and 3rd and 24 ruined the entire performance for me.

How is that clown still in the NFL?

I would have taken Apple out of the game after that botched 3rd and 24.We have better cornerback depth in my opinion.

The safeties were thumping dudes, Awuzie played great for the most part, and the IDL looked dominant. Lots to like from the defense today.

Hopefully Waynes will be back soon. Apple was really the only issue.

(09-12-2021, 10:31 PM)TheFan Wrote: Is something going on with you man? You've been pretty bitter in a few threads and now you're saying 1 missed tackle by 1 player ruined an entire game for you? 

Why would an entire performance be ruined by 1 thing? The tackling today was the best we've seen by the Bengals in quite a while and it showed. 

Was being a bit hyperbolic, but that play did stand out in my mind when tackling was mentioned.  Crazy how D-line penetrating gaps can make tackling easier for a defense.

(09-12-2021, 10:35 PM)ezekiel23 Wrote: I would have taken Apple out of the game after that botched 3rd and 24.We have better cornerback depth in my opinion.

I hope it doesn’t become a case of Lou being overly loyal to “his guy” (from NY). I can’t imagine Phillips or Davis being any worse.

(09-12-2021, 10:35 PM)ezekiel23 Wrote: I would have taken Apple out of the game after that botched 3rd and 24.We  have better cornerback depth in my opinion.

Darius Phillips is better when he's good but worse when he's bad.

I guess consistently bad is better than hot and cold in the Bengals' locker room?

(09-12-2021, 10:35 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The safeties were thumping dudes, Awuzie played great for the most part, and the IDL looked dominant. Lots to like from the defense today.

Hopefully Waynes will be back soon. Apple was really the only issue.

I think you have to give a lot of credit to Mike Hilton and the attitude he brought to training camp and the DB room in general. The entire secondary was just hitting guys today and played well. Corners get beat from time to time, but it wasn't a situation where guys were constantly running free.

(09-12-2021, 10:41 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: I think you have to give a lot of credit to Mike Hilton and the attitude he brought to training camp and the DB room in general. The entire secondary was just hitting guys today and played well. Corners get beat from time to time, but it wasn't a situation where guys were constantly running free.

The Steeler attitude?

(09-12-2021, 10:43 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: The Steeler attitude?

I mean he won more games last year then some of our guys have in their entire career so any attitude would probably be an improvement. Especially if it's a winning one. 

(09-12-2021, 10:38 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I hope it doesn’t become a case of Lou being overly loyal to “his guy” (from NY). I can’t imagine Phillips or Davis being any worse.

Hopefully Wayne's is back next week and no one gets hurt. Ever. So we don't have to figure it out

(09-12-2021, 10:43 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: The Steeler attitude?

Can't be that, it was hard hitting not cheap and dirty.

(09-12-2021, 11:02 PM)TheFan Wrote: I mean he won more games last year then some of our guys have in their entire career so any attitude would probably be an improvement. Especially if it's a winning one. 

I'm not dogging it. Just curious to see.

I can dig it honestly. But you know people don't like small market teams adopting Steeler tactics.