(09-06-2018, 03:16 PM)yang Wrote: With that said, I believe the Bengals will have a top 5 defense.  They have all the makings of being very special sharing the key ingredients with other elite squads- Monster defensive tackle, stud pass rushers, elite corner, and bruising and quick linebackers.   I think we'll have better schemes and more be more aggressive going after turnovers.    It's going to be fun to watch.

This is exactly what I am hoping for to. Hope they get better with the run D, stopping good receiving TEs, and forcing more turnovers.

Can't wait. I think we could be top 3. Don't think the Bengals defense was taken in many FFL's. Might be a good steal in some leagues. We shall see.

Bengals will have a Top 3-5 defense when Burfict is back/in playing form, but will be in the 12-15 range when he's not around, and the difference will be solely based upon run defense. The run defense has struggled for years without Burfict. I don't think Vigil/Evans/Williams are going to change that this year.

They should have a monster DL, so long as they don't commit to starting Michael Johnson and playing him the majority of the snaps.


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Interesting thing I read in that article: In the Lions section, they said Matt Patricia never had any great individual pass rushers in New England. I'm sorry, but did Chandler Jones stop being a Pro Bowler/All-Pro? He had 11.5 and 12.5 sack seasons with New England and 11 and 17 sack seasons with Arizona.

Plus Rob Ninkovich had 3 straight 8 sack seasons with New England, bracketed by two 6.5 sack seasons.

There's a lot of teams out there who wish they had no great individual pass rushers that could give them 8 and 11-12 sack seasons. Lol

I think we can be a top-10 D this year for sure. Would love to see top-5, but I think the Chargers, Rams, and Texans are better than us (as well as the Jags, Vikes, and Eagles), at least on paper. And although I would love to see the Steelers at 19, I'm afraid they'll be a little better than that.

(09-06-2018, 07:17 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Good article.  Thanks for sharing.

I found it surprising that they referred to Baltimore's secondary as "one of the best in the league".  It sure didn't look that way last year, but we will see.  

Reading this also hurt:  "CB Shaq Griffin was a steal in last year’s draft".  Groan.  We got Malik Jefferson.  

I think the Bengal's only potential weakness on the defense is at LB, although Vigil and Evans are looking good.  I just hope they stay aggressive when the bright lights go on.

I really like Shaq as well, but in the long run, I think Malik will have the longer and better career.

Did anyone else notice which team was number 32 on that list? The Colts. Defense wins games (and championships).

From the "I told you so," well maybe not....
Anyway, the defense is going to be Terrifying. Remember Vigil went out after game 11. SOOOO, if you consider he's back and healthy and the improvements to the LB's and Safety positions yeah pretty scary...

3 and out's and take away's, to an offense that has improved. (the running game HAS to be better than it was last year, so by default they should win more than 7 games)

This is going to be one of the best Bengals teams EVER. I see a SCORING RECORD.

GO BENGALS!

(09-06-2018, 10:35 AM)grampahol Wrote: Are you trying to convince us that the experts (or egg spurts as I like to refer to them as) could possibly ever be wrong and possibly full of excrement? Wash your mouth typing fingers out with soap! How dare you even suggest some kind of nefarious agenda on the part of the egg spurts!

Hah ... an "ex" is a has been and a "spurt" is a drip under pressure.

(09-07-2018, 08:03 AM)jwayne Wrote: From the "I told you so," well maybe not....
Anyway, the defense is going to be Terrifying. Remember Vigil went out after game 11. SOOOO, if you consider he's back and healthy and the improvements to the LB's and Safety positions yeah pretty scary...

3 and out's and take away's, to an offense that has improved. (the running game HAS to be better than it was last year, so by default they should win more than 7 games)

This is going to be one of the best Bengals teams EVER. I see a SCORING RECORD.

GO BENGALS!

Too early to call our defense anything, let alone terrifying. New DC dont forget so and Burfict gone for 4. They certainly have the potential to be very good.

Our OL could be terrifying, to the QB.

(09-08-2018, 09:55 AM)I_C_DeadPeople Wrote: Too early to call our defense anything, let alone terrifying. New DC dont forget so and Burfict gone for 4. They certainly have the potential to be very good.

Our OL could be terrifying, to the QB.

I’m not too worried about the pass protection, they’ll probably be more terrifying for those that have Mixon or Gio in fantasy leagues.

Did you guys agree with the rankings? I'm not sure if I would put too much merit in these rankings.

(09-06-2018, 06:42 AM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: For those who say the Bengals never get enough respect from the media here is a site that thinks pretty highly of the Bengals Defense...

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/09/nfl-defense-rankings-2018-season-jaguars-vikings-ravens?utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline-related

(Of course Zims team is rated #1)

Could be the best Defense in the league if the Offense can sustain drives.

Will Jax, Lawson, Billings, Willis, Evans, Vigil should all be much improved going into this season.

Having players like Geno, Dunlap and eventually Burfict along side them helping them along will help.

Sure sounds like a recipe for greatness stew, we shall see.

Bates could be the X-factor if he can be that Center fielder we have needed since Reggie's departure.

Hubbard should be a good rotational End for us, have high hopes for these 2 rookies this season.

(09-08-2018, 12:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Could be the best Defense in the league if the Offense can sustain drives.

Will Jax, Lawson, Billings, Willis, Evans, Vigil should all be much improved going into this season.

Having players like Geno, Dunlap and eventually Burfict along side them helping them along will help.

Sure sounds like a recipe for greatness stew, we shall see.

Bates could be the X-factor if he can be that Center fielder we have needed since Reggie's departure.

Hubbard should be a good rotational End for us, have high hopes for these 2 rookies this season.

I've seen a few outside writers saying they're looking for Lawson to be pushing for All-pro. Many are saying Willis is gonna reach a new level this season. Billings was a pure beast in preseason ! When he continues tearing it up in the regular season I'm gonna make Sunset apologize to him   Hubbard has had some high praise and done pretty good. Then there's Geno and Carlos. This may well be one of the best D lines Cincinnati has ever had take the field, if not the best !

Just tighten up on the run lanes.

(09-08-2018, 02:54 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I've seen a few outside writers saying they're looking for Lawson to be pushing for All-pro. Many are saying Willis is gonna reach a new level this season. Billings was a pure beast in preseason ! When he continues tearing it up in the regular season I'm gonna make Sunset apologize to him   Hubbard has had some high praise and done pretty good. Then there's Geno and Carlos. This may well be one of the best D lines Cincinnati has ever had take the field, if not the best !

Just tighten up on the run lanes.

If Billings does tear it up in the regular season i am sure Sunset would be happy to apologize to him lol

Indeed, need to get better at being in the right position to stop the run is our one weakness at this point.

Have to clean this up, but Billings is young so he will probably make a splash play here and then make a mistake here.

But eventually it should come to him and he will be that nasty, mean, super strong beast of a DT we have always wanted
next to Geno. I like how when he does screw up he gets pizzed and beats his man bad the next play, he has passion.