I really hope they find ways to get Gio more quality touches this year. Either as a receiver or runner, I don't care. They guy is one of our biggest playmakers, and I really feel like the more he's involved - the greater the opportunities will be for all our skill players.

Yup, with our WR situation I'm expecting Lion(ess) dump offs to the RB once or twice every long series.

Ehh, we've already been down this road and defenses target Gio harshly. We gotta cool it on the obvious swing passes and get him involved more intricately. I hope Hill and Gio realize how important they are to eachother as competitors and teammates. We have the best RB tandem not on skill alone but because they can compete against and with eachother and propel eachother to greatness.

The key thing is that he is "involved" in every play as he's a threat the defense has to watch out for out of the backfield. He's a descent blocker for his size, but just the idea of having to pay extra attention to him helps somewhat offset Eifert slowly coming back or any hiccups with the new WRs. Actual usage and touches aren't as big of a deal as a balanced game plan and even having tread on his tires in January.

(07-18-2016, 03:41 AM)phil413 Wrote: The key thing is that he is "involved" in every play as he's a threat the defense has to watch out for out of the backfield.  He's a descent blocker for his size, but just the idea of having to pay extra attention to him helps somewhat offset Eifert slowly coming back or any hiccups with the new WRs.  Actual usage and touches aren't as big of a deal as a balanced game plan and even having tread on his tires in January.

Exactly. 

He was what allowed us to put up 31 points on a good Arizona defense. They were so worried about getting beat down the field and trying to put pressure on Andy it left Gio open underneath all day and he tore them up.

I guess everyone seems the game from a different view point. I see Gio's talent and I also see that it's underutilized. But at the same time I just don't see him lasting a whole season if he's on the field "every play".

If he runs the same predictable swing plays over and over, I don't see him lasting 4 weeks. His size just doesn't lend itself to getting 20 touches a game.

AJ Green can carry his own, but I don't want to see him averaging 20 touches a game.

(07-18-2016, 10:55 PM)BengalChris Wrote: I guess everyone seems the game from a different view point. I see Gio's talent and I also see that it's underutilized. But at the same time I just don't see him lasting a whole season if he's on the field "every play".

If he runs the same predictable swing plays over and over, I don't see him lasting 4 weeks. His size just doesn't lend itself to getting 20 touches a game.

AJ Green can carry his own, but I don't want to see him averaging 20 touches a game.

No doubt... They don't seem to know how to utilize him to the fullest. He's so dangerous in space I think he should have 2-3 times the amount of big plays he's gets in a season. They just struggle getting him the ball in those spaces. Remember him getting crushed in that Colts game back in 2014? The Shazier hit is fresher in our memories, but Gio got rocked (legally) in that Colts game.

Predictable play calling caused some of those hits. I remember calling it more than a times.

(07-18-2016, 12:54 AM)Utts Wrote: I really hope they find ways to get Gio more quality touches this year. Either as a receiver or runner, I don't care. They guy is one of our biggest playmakers, and I really feel like the more he's involved - the greater the opportunities will be for all our skill players.

I agree to a point. Just no more of those screen passes to him that get him blown up. He needs to be used on fade
routes coming out of the backfield. If a Defense is concentrating on Green, Eifert and whoever our 2nd WR is Gio
could get lost and take a few to the house. He has that kind of speed and burst.

Along with his hands and running ability he really makes our Offense more unpredictable with him out there instead
of Hill. I like Hill a lot but until he shows he is as good or better than Gio i believe Gio should get more snaps.

Still one of the best RB duos in the league and the stats back it up. Now if both played their best at the same time
and the OL opened up holes well, look the frick out!

It will take both Hill and Gio to get us there imo.

But was silly to abandon Gio last season when he was rolling so well and Hill was not.

Just took them both out of rhythm imo.

He needs to start. Open with the spread and wear out the D. Close with the ground and pound.

(07-20-2016, 01:41 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: He needs to start. Open with the spread and wear out the D. Close with the ground and pound.

Yup, covert third downs early and often with Gio and run it down their throats with Hill to finish them off.

(07-20-2016, 03:32 AM)jeremydc Wrote: Yup, covert third downs early and often with Gio and run it down their throats with Hill to finish them off.

Hill will need to vastly improve on his 1.46 yards-after-contact from last season, which ranked 43rd for RBs.
As a rookie, Hill had 2.29 YAC, which ranked 4th behind Blount, Lynch, and Lacy...all of who are considered bulldozers.
Hill needs to become a bulldozer again for this team to get back on track in the running game and close out games.

We have 2 outstanding RB's....I want to see both of them shine.

Gio is going to do his thing. He may not be a top 10 rb in the league, but he does his job very well and can be depended on.

I'd honestly rather it be the year of Jeremy Hill. I want to see the 2014 5 YPC Jeremy Hill come back to the field with a vengeance. He couldn't do it in 15, but the team had enough going on in the passing game with Dalton's red-hot start coupled with a healthy group of pass-catchers to mitigate the backslide.

I have no doubt that the Bengals would love to be a run-first team. It's in their historical DNA. If they can win between the tackles on offense and continue what they did last year on defense, then the losses in the WR corps won't mean a whole lot. A team that can run like that and play defense is tough to beat.

(07-18-2016, 03:15 AM)treee Wrote: Ehh, we've already been down this road and defenses target Gio harshly. We gotta cool it on the obvious swing passes and get him involved more intricately. I hope Hill and Gio realize how important they are to eachother as competitors and teammates. We have the best RB tandem not on skill alone but because they can compete against and with eachother and propel eachother to greatness.

I'd take in no particular order...
-Elliott + either McFadden or Morris.
-Adrian Peterson + Anyone.  (Would love to see what he'd do with a good QB drawing respect rather than Ponder/Bridgewater/etc.)
-Doug Martin + Charles Sims

But yeah, Hill/Gio are probably 4th in my mind. Much worse if Hill has another season like last year, though.





(Steelers are D-Bags, so F Bell/Williams.)

(07-18-2016, 11:36 PM)jeremydc Wrote: Predictable play calling caused some of those hits. I remember calling it more than a times.

This.  We have to find different ways to use him so that defenses can't just tee off on him.  And the ball has to get where he is in a hurry so he has time to get the ball and start moving up field.

He has a lot of talent.  The more ways they use it (that start off in a similar way out of similar formations) the less easy it is to predict where he'll be.

The guy can do some serious damage.  The other thing that will open him up is connecting deep a couple of times...

Preach it man. Been screaming this for years. Give that playmaker a chance and he will GO OFF. Well, as long as that chance isn't foolishly squandered on running him up the gut which infuriates me.

(07-18-2016, 12:54 AM)Utts Wrote: I really hope they find ways to get Gio more quality touches this year. Either as a receiver or runner, I don't care. They guy is one of our biggest playmakers, and I really feel like the more he's involved - the greater the opportunities will be for all our skill players.

I know it is extremely high praise cause he has not lived up to it yet but Gio seriously reminds me of a mix between...

Darren Sproles and Barry freaking Sanders...