With how Vigil has been playing, he may be the key to victory in this game.

I'm not too concerned with Carolina to be honest. I could make a 'Never Fear, The Panthers Suck' post because I really don't think their offense is that much of a threat.

-McCaffrey will break some runs here and there, and the tackling needs to be sound (Collins got away on a few runs last week)
-Olsen is out, which is HUGE for this Bengals team
-Cam will do what Cam does, make great plays, but also make some boneheaded ones. Pressure will be key, he gets flustered easily. A few Atkins/Los hits and he will be moping around
-Who do they have at reciever outside of Funchess???? I think our secondary will do well.


Bigger story is our O vs their stout D. I think we can do it, but will take some creativity with Mixon being out.

Looks like a big ??? heading into Carolina, but I feel this team has the grit to get through it. Excited to see!

Our run game will be horrible i think because of the injury to Mixon. Bernard is not the back to take a beating or deliver one. I hope he can but I believe we will become 1 dimensional and I, if I were a betting man, think our passing weapons can get it done. The best way to beat carolina is to keep their O on the sidelines most of the game!!!

(09-17-2018, 02:30 PM)RASCAL Wrote: Our run game will be horrible i think because of the injury to Mixon. Bernard is not the back to take a beating or deliver one. I hope he can but I believe we will become 1 dimensional and I, if I were a betting man, think our passing weapons can get it done. The best way to beat carolina is to keep their O on the sidelines most of the game!!!

I think we will be fine running the ball. Gio runs the ball pretty well between the tackles, he slippery inside. I think some are discounting Carson, he's not Mixon, but when he hits the holes, people go flying. I'm taking M-1 hitting a car type of back!

As others have said, Cam and McCaffrey are their most potent weapons. Their offense is built more to move the sticks and get an occasional big run than it is to take shots down the field (at least through 2 games). Their d may allow for underneath stuff/seams all day.  I don't know what it is this year, but the receivers and Dalton seem to be on the same page as far as working zones. Whatever Lazor has done, it seems to slice up zone defense. 

will t. eifert make a real appearance this game or still be water boy?

Defending Carolina is more about not over pursuing, staying in our lanes and making Cam beat us with his arm. As he no longer has the all world receivers he had for most of his career and especially no Olsen his lack of touch on passes can be exploited. On offense the key actually is to go uptempo and stay uptempo. Every time we slow the offense down we start to have problems - uptempo helps mask the fact that our OL is still a work in progress.

Yup - Mcaff is a beast. A win here would go a long way in solidifying this team as a contender.

(09-17-2018, 04:22 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: will t. eifert make a real appearance this game or still be water boy?

He played 64% of the snaps last week. While it hasn't translated into huge production he is playing, and he does add something to the run blocking. 

(09-17-2018, 10:12 AM)t3r3e3 Wrote: We all know how the Bengals have fared covering backs and TE’s over the past, well, forever.  Enter Christian McCaffrey and thankfully, an Olson-less Panthers.  The guy from Indiana replacing Olson is athletic as he11 though.  Linebackers will have to play well this week to win.

I thought the Ravens presented a major challenge?


The Panthers have no OL right now....

Newton is the problem.

Keep him in the pocket and use a safety spy, as others have already stated.

Geno will have to earn his new contract money this Sunday. Pressure has to come through the middle.

(09-17-2018, 02:30 PM)RASCAL Wrote: Our run game will be horrible i think because of the injury to Mixon. Bernard is not the back to take a beating or deliver one. I hope he can but I believe we will become 1 dimensional and I, if I were a betting man, think our passing weapons can get it done. The best way to beat carolina is to keep their O on the sidelines most of the game!!!

Last time we played Carolina Bernard had 22 touches.  He rushed for 137 and added 20 receiving.

(09-17-2018, 05:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last time we played Carolina Bernard had 22 touches.  He rushed for 137 and added 20 receiving.

OO Freddy thats a 6.2 yards per touch!!!

What you forgot to mention was that Gio had an 89 yard TD in the game.

Take out the outlier, so, more like 48 rushing and 20 recieving on 21 touches... or 3.2 yards per touch.

Still, regardless, I think Gio will be decent in this game.

(09-17-2018, 06:06 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: OO Freddy thats a 6.2 yards per touch!!!

What you forgot to mention was that Gio had an 89 yard TD in the game.

Take out the outlier, so, more like 48 rushing and 20 recieving on 21 touches... or 3.2 yards per touch.

Still, regardless, I think Gio will be decent in this game.

Why take out an 89 yard run?

(09-17-2018, 06:15 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Why take out an 89 yard run?

To gauge Gio's abilities during the entire course of the game without being skewed by one play of irregularity.

(09-17-2018, 06:28 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: To gauge Gio's abilities during the entire course of the game without being skewed by one play of irregularity.

But RBs are supposed to be rewarded for making "big plays".

Now you say they don't count?

(09-17-2018, 06:35 PM)fredtoast Wrote: But RBs are supposed to be rewarded for making "big plays".

Now you say they don't count?

I don't believe I've ever said anything that puts me in the group of folks who believe the big play thing.

Give me a consistent 4+ YPC and I approve. Gio is plenty capable of doing this, as you point out in your other thread.

(09-17-2018, 07:33 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: I don't believe I've ever said anything that puts me in the group of folks who believe the big play thing.

Give me a consistent 4+ YPC and I approve. Gio is plenty capable of doing this, as you point out in your other thread.

Never liked Barry Sanders.

(09-17-2018, 05:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last time we played Carolina Bernard had 22 touches.  He rushed for 137 and added 20 receiving.

lets hope he does it again, without getting banged around and hurt!

(09-17-2018, 06:15 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Why take out an 89 yard run?

Because breaking big runs doesn't ever matter - don't you remember the Texans game last year?!  Watson's one fluke play had zero impact on the game at all.

(09-17-2018, 06:28 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: To gauge Gio's abilities during the entire course of the game without being skewed by one play of irregularity.

But the one play was part of the entire course of the game......