Watching the Bengals this past season I felt like the team lost its physicality on the defensive side of the ball especially and after last year's playoff fiasco I wonder if the Bengals didn't over-correct the issue and made the players more timid to be physical. That's not excusing stupid penalties like Jones caused but you can't have players thinking twice about making tough plays during the game because of the refs. I think you have to pick your battles.

In 2016 Bengals had the 2nd fewest flags thrown there way after being in the middle of the pack or higher since 2011. Obviously penalties are bad but if you look at some of the toughest teams in the NFL they don't seem to worry about being penalized and refuse to sacrifice the toughness of their team out of fear of being penalized.

Seattle has led the league in penalties in 2013 and 14 and have been in the top 10 since Caroll took over.

Denver has been in the top 10 in penalties since 2013

Oakland led the league in penalties this season

So maybe the key is to avoid stupid penalties like Adam Jones jawing with Porter but don't hesitate to make a tough physical play like Burfict against Brown.

(01-19-2017, 05:15 PM)CageTheBengal Wrote: Watching the Bengals this past season I felt like the team lost its physicality on the defensive side of the ball especially and after last year's playoff fiasco I wonder if the Bengals didn't over-correct the issue and made the players more timid to be physical. That's not excusing stupid penalties like Jones caused but you can't have players thinking twice about making tough plays during the game because of the refs. I think you have to pick your battles.

In 2016 Bengals had the 2nd fewest flags thrown there way after being in the middle of the pack or higher since 2011. Obviously penalties are bad but if you look at some of the toughest teams in the NFL they don't seem to worry about being penalized and refuse to sacrifice the toughness of their team out of fear of being penalized.  

Seattle has led the league in penalties in 2013 and 14 and have been in the top 10 since Caroll took over.

Denver has been in the top 10 in penalties since 2013

Oakland led the league in penalties this season

So maybe the key is to avoid stupid penalties like Adam Jones jawing with Porter but don't hesitate to make a tough physical play like Burfict against Brown.

Something needs to improve to make this team serious contenders.

Yeah but... It's those penalties in critical situations that can just kill a team. Remember the Palmer years when they would go on a rampage of penalties in the red zone and seemingly just go backwards? Delay of game penalties used to irk me to no end. They'd get to the 5 yardline and somehow wind up on the 35 yardline without snapping the damn ball.  

I can live with a hard hitting penalty or a Pass Interference to prevent a TD but those offside penalties
like Michael Bennett and the Seahawks do all the time are not good penalties. There is a difference
between playing too physical and just playing stupid.

After the bye our Defense found itself again really. We do need to get better limiting plays over the
middle and getting gashed at times in the run game. This is why i would like for us to add a versatile
Linebacker somewhere in the early rounds.