(09-21-2023, 11:27 AM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: They haven't looked good. I'd like to see better.
But, they did just play two of the best offensive lines in the league the past 2 weeks.

I had the Browns and Ravens olines in my top 5-7 going into the year and targeted their running backs in fantasy.

There's potential for them to bounce back against lesser offensive lines like the Rams, Titans and Cardinals.
I think we'll know a lot more about what we have going into the bye.

Let's not forget both of those teams were playing a backup OT. 

(09-21-2023, 11:27 AM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: They haven't looked good. I'd like to see better.
But, they did just play two of the best offensive lines in the league the past 2 weeks.

I had the Browns and Ravens olines in my top 5-7 going into the year and targeted their running backs in fantasy.

There's potential for them to bounce back against lesser offensive lines like the Rams, Titans and Cardinals.
I think we'll know a lot more about what we have going into the bye.

The Ravens were missing their 2 best starters.

Everything changed when Larry left.

(09-21-2023, 10:28 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Hendrickson and Hubbard have been awful this year. Not just bad...AWFUL.

A combined 1 sack, 3 pressures, 1 QB hurry.

Hendrickson has 5 tackles on the year (297th) and Hubbard has 12 (100th).

If this defense is going to go anywhere, these dudes need to get their shit together. They make too much money and have been producing too good in past seasons for this kind of performance over the first two weeks. Let's also not forget both teams we have played so far had a BACK UP tackle playing against these guys. Just piss poor.

Yep.

Primary OTs going against:
Hubbard - Dawand Jones (backup), Morgan Moses
Hendrickson - Jedrick Wills, Patrick Mekari (backup)

Seasoned veterans Hubbard and Hendrickson should have made Dawand Jones and Patrick Mekari look terrible.

Jones (2023 4th round pick) did not allow a pressure against the Bengals. He allowed 5 against the Steelers.

Mekari (2019 UDFA) did not allow a pressure against Houston, only 2 against the Bengals.

(09-21-2023, 10:37 AM)kalibengal Wrote: Trey was great for us and now not too sure...as for Hubbard : it is what it is...pass rush was never and never will be his strength

Oddly the team never really pursues FA edge game wreckers in offseason either....its always been a head scratcher to me

Exactly.

Hubbard is solid, but he's not a "good" pass rusher.
He's a good run stopper though (or at least had been in years prior).

BJ Hill is solid, but not "good" pass rusher either.

Ossai might be the second-best pass rusher on the team, and he's been out. Cam Sample was also out last game.
So your DE3 and DE4 both out against the Ravens.

Hendrickson and Hubbard get paid well as DEs, so they are the ones expected to put up the best stats.
Reader is also getting paid a lot, but he's not a sack guy. Never has been. He's gonna command double teams, which should allow these other guys more opportunity to close the deal.
Bengals haven't gotten enough out of recent drafted DL yet.

(09-21-2023, 12:04 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Exactly.

Hubbard is solid, but he's not a "good" pass rusher.
He's a good run stopper though (or at least had been in years prior).

BJ Hill is solid, but not "good" pass rusher either.

Ossai might be the second-best pass rusher on the team, and he's been out. Cam Sample was also out last game.
So your DE3 and DE4 both out against the Ravens.

Hendrickson and Hubbard get paid well as DEs, so they are the ones expected to put up the best stats.
Reader is also getting paid a lot, but he's not a sack guy. Never has been. He's gonna command double teams, which should allow these other guys more opportunity to close the deal.
Bengals haven't gotten enough out of recent drafted DL yet.

The Bengals are missing that one true elite playmaker on the DL. 

Reader is elite, but not in a game wrecking play making kind of way...if you know what I mean. I think of Parsons, Watt, Crosby, Donald, Jones as elite game wrecker type of players. 

(09-21-2023, 12:06 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: The Bengals are missing that one true elite playmaker on the DL. 

Reader is elite, but not in a game wrecking play making kind of way...if you know what I mean. I think of Parsons, Watt, Crosby, Donald, Jones as elite game wrecker type of players. 

Yep Game Wrecker as in pass rushing fiend.

Hendrickson is the closest the Bengals got, but he's not quite at the level of Parsons, Watt, Garrett, Donald, Chris Jones.

Bengals are probably SOL this year with who they got, but we should be able to determine by year's end if any of Carter, Ossai, Sample are worth a damn to the point of not needing to invest an early draft pick into another pass rusher and/or get another vet.

(09-21-2023, 11:35 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Let's not forget both of those teams were playing a backup OT. 

(09-21-2023, 11:36 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The Ravens were missing their 2 best starters.

I stick behind my original point. The Ravens and Browns have great offensive lines and elite running games.

That said, I agree with your point that we don't have an elite player along the dline. We are solid and have some great players in Reader and Hendrickson, and good players behind them. But I wouldn't say we have an elite pass rush by any means. 

It'd be nice to have elite players up front on both lines but I wouldn't say we're in terrible shape, neccessarily. I would say we're atleast average or above average at both position groups. Average lines typically look bad against elite lines, and good against average to below average lines. That's the way of it. I'd like to be better, but we need high draft picks or to get extremely lucky in the draft.