3 defensive stats comparing the 0-2 starts:

2022:
1. Snaps played: 116 (11th fewest)
2. Missed tackle %: 9% (2nd best)
3. Open target % in coverage: 42.2% (2nd best)

2023:
1. Snaps played: 149 (5th most)
2. MT %: 14% (18th)
3. Open target % in coverage: 73.3% (2nd WORST)

— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) September 18, 2023

All pretty disturbing, but during the game, I saw a bunch of missed tackles and guys wide open on the Ravens.

We're probably a .500 team if the defense continues to play like this.

2 game sample is pretty damn small.

I said it in another thread, the defense was on the field A LOT during the first half of that game yesterday. Not sure if the snap count, but it had to have been 75% of total plays.

They were gassed in that 4th quarter.

(09-18-2023, 11:49 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: 2 game sample is pretty damn small.

I said it in another thread, the defense was on the field A LOT during the first half of that game yesterday. Not sure if the snap count, but it had to have been 75% of total plays.

They were gassed in that 4th quarter.

Missing Bates and Bell too. Having 2 experienced Safeties is HUGE.

Like I said in the offseason, Scott was a fringe starter. He's a big downgrade.

They were on the field a lot only because of their own total inability to get off the field. This "defense" made both the Rats and Stains look better than they actually are. Defending Lamar Jackson isn't some secret - mush rush, STAY IN YOUR LANES and disguise coverages. Well, they failed all three of those. Lane discipline was laughable, they got zero push against backups and the coverages were so basic a baby could read them.

This same defense stopped Patrick Mahomes more than once. But they seem to have gotten amnesia on what they did. Lou should be on the hot seat here because his defense is on a track to be NFL record setting and not in a good way...

(09-18-2023, 11:49 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: 2 game sample is pretty damn small.

I said it in another thread, the defense was on the field A LOT during the first half of that game yesterday. Not sure if the snap count, but it had to have been 75% of total plays.

They were gassed in that 4th quarter.

Same as last week.

Not defensive, but TE is an issue:

Sorting TE groups by Offensive PFF grade thru 2 weeks:

1. Vikings
2. Seahawks
3. Patriots
-----
14. Colts
15. Chiefs
16. Rams
-----
30. Ravens
----- BIG GAP
31. Titans
32. Bengals

— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) September 18, 2023

(09-18-2023, 11:52 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Missing Bates and Bell too. Having 2 experienced Safeties is HUGE.

Like I said in the offseason, Scott was a fringe starter. He's a big downgrade.

Bates and Bell were the perfect safties for this defense. Not only are we missing their communication but thier skil sets meshed perfectly together.

(09-18-2023, 11:56 AM)Joelist Wrote: They were on the field a lot only because of their own total inability to get off the field. This "defense" made both the Rats and Stains look better than they actually are. Defending Lamar Jackson isn't some secret - mush rush, STAY IN YOUR LANES and disguise coverages. Well, they failed all three of those. Lane discipline was laughable, they got zero push against backups and the coverages were so basic a baby could read them.

This same defense stopped Patrick Mahomes more than once. But they seem to have gotten amnesia on what they did. Lou should be on the hot seat here because his defense is on a track to be NFL record setting and not in a good way...

Not really all true.

The defense being worn out has a lot to do with the offenses inablity to put together drives and the punt return rather than them giving up long sustained drives to the Ravens. Having your offense contintually go three and out to start the game puts a ton of reps on the defense. Not to mention there was a quick turn around after the punt return as well.

(09-18-2023, 12:02 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Not really all true.

The defense being worn out has a lot to do with the offenses inablity to put together drives and the punt return rather than them giving up long sustained drives to the Ravens. Having your offense contintually go three and out to start the game puts a ton of reps on the defense. Not to mention there was a quick turn around after the punt return as well.

Actually yes all true. The defense stunk from the very first snap, letting the Rats march effortlessly down the field in a long TD drive. They only got 2 three and outs all day. The TOP imbalance really sits on the head of the defense. It isn't like they played hero ball but wore down because of lack of rest - they failed to stop the Rats almost every drive. 

(09-18-2023, 12:20 PM)Joelist Wrote: Actually yes all true. The defense stunk from the very first snap, letting the Rats march effortlessly down the field in a long TD drive. They only got 2 three and outs all day. The TOP imbalance really sits on the head of the defense. It isn't like they played hero ball but wore down because of lack of rest - they failed to stop the Rats almost every drive. 

I agree - D was trash from the first drive of the game. Couldn’t get pressure and the Bengals two best D linemen were playing against back ups. The offense hung them out to dry vs Cleveland but this pathetic performance was their own fault.

(09-18-2023, 12:29 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: I agree - D was trash from the first drive of the game. Couldn’t get pressure and the Bengals two best D linemen were playing against back ups.  The offense hung them out to dry vs Cleveland but this pathetic performance was their own fault.

The ends got pressure. The DTs are the issue.

People told me I was unfounded, when I had a mini-meltdown over allowing both Safeties to walk in free agency..

I mean, this is after two weeks of three and out after three and out on offense against smash-mouth running teams. The number of snaps and time of possession tell the tale.

I'm never going to complain about a punt return TD, because they badly needed to score. Even so, that TD spit the defense right back out there after little rest. If someone would have told me that it was going to be up to the defense to get a 3 and out late after the time they spent on the field, I would not have felt great about our chances.

If the offense starts putting drives together as they did late yesterday, IMO the defensive woes begin to fade away.

(09-18-2023, 12:20 PM)Joelist Wrote: Actually yes all true. The defense stunk from the very first snap, letting the Rats march effortlessly down the field in a long TD drive. They only got 2 three and outs all day. The TOP imbalance really sits on the head of the defense. It isn't like they played hero ball but wore down because of lack of rest - they failed to stop the Rats almost every drive. 

Both things can be true as to why the defense was worn out in the 4th. 

(09-18-2023, 01:43 PM)samhain Wrote: I mean, this is after two weeks of three and out after three and out on offense against smash-mouth running teams. The number of snaps and time of possession tell the tale.

I'm never going to complain about a punt return TD, because they badly needed to score. Even so, that TD spit the defense right back out there after little rest. If someone would have told me that it was going to be up to the defense to get a 3 and out late after the time they spent on the field, I would not have felt great about our chances.

If the offense starts putting drives together as they did late yesterday, IMO the defensive woes begin to fade away.

This defense could be fully rested and they would still get destroyed. The scheme isn’t conducive to what’s needed at the NFL level. The line isn’t good enough to generate any pressure. The two linebackers are serviceable at best. Soft zone coverage has guys covering empty space. Hubbard has looked like trash and fundamentals of the position have all but been thrown out.

Bottom line is that this defense thrived on being castoffs and written off and that mentality is gone now.

They don’t disguise the defense and Lou sure as Hell doesn’t scheme to shutdown the other teams playmakers. It’s as though he just calls the play and the defense has no clue based on formations or down and distance where the ball is going. The Ravens aren’t all that unpredictable and they still forced only 1 punt…not counting the late punt where the Ravens were killing clock.

People look at it like the defense was gassed because of the offense…no they were gassed because they couldn’t get a stop. The offense couldn’t get anything together until the 2nd half because they didn’t hardly see the field.

(09-18-2023, 01:58 PM)Stonyhands Wrote: This defense could be fully rested and they would still get destroyed.   The scheme isn’t conducive to what’s needed at the NFL level.  The line isn’t good enough to generate any pressure.  The two linebackers are serviceable at best.   Soft zone coverage has guys covering empty space.   Hubbard has looked like trash and fundamentals of the position have all but been thrown out.  

Bottom line is that this defense thrived on being castoffs and written off and that mentality is gone now.  

They don’t disguise the defense and Lou sure as Hell doesn’t scheme to shutdown the other teams playmakers.   It’s as though he just calls the play and the defense has no clue based on formations or down and distance  where the ball is going.    The Ravens aren’t all that unpredictable and they still forced only 1 punt…not counting the late punt where the Ravens were killing clock.  

People look at it like the defense was gassed because of the offense…no they were gassed because they couldn’t get a stop.   The offense couldn’t get anything together until the 2nd half because they didn’t hardly see the field.

So we've moved on to bashing Lou today. Got it. 

Could be Lamar Jackson is just really damn good at football and one of the best athletes in the NFL and made plays yeserday. 

(09-18-2023, 01:58 PM)Stonyhands Wrote: This defense could be fully rested and they would still get destroyed.   The scheme isn’t conducive to what’s needed at the NFL level.  The line isn’t good enough to generate any pressure.  The two linebackers are serviceable at best.   Soft zone coverage has guys covering empty space.   Hubbard has looked like trash and fundamentals of the position have all but been thrown out.  

Bottom line is that this defense thrived on being castoffs and written off and that mentality is gone now.  

They don’t disguise the defense and Lou sure as Hell doesn’t scheme to shutdown the other teams playmakers.   It’s as though he just calls the play and the defense has no clue based on formations or down and distance  where the ball is going.    The Ravens aren’t all that unpredictable and they still forced only 1 punt…not counting the late punt where the Ravens were killing clock.  

People look at it like the defense was gassed because of the offense…no they were gassed because they couldn’t get a stop.   The offense couldn’t get anything together until the 2nd half because they didn’t hardly see the field.

So a defense that get to a Super Bowl and an AFC title game is not constructed to win at the NFL level?  

Lou literally wrote the current book on limiting some of the best quarterbacks in the league.  

(09-18-2023, 01:35 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: People told me I was unfounded, when I had a mini-meltdown over allowing both Safeties to walk in free agency..  

Scott and Hill are vast downgrades. Hill likely will improve. Scott is what he is.

Defense was a huge reason why we won the last two years. Even the playoffs outside of the Buffalo game we struggle to score 20. I was fine with winning on defense because the offensive line was such a liability. It’s an offense league we should be able to win on offense when we have too. Brown, Cappa , Karra’s and Williams we should be good up front , best trio of WR’s in the league and a stud QB.