(11-27-2020, 06:11 PM)JSR18 Wrote:  I agree with this. However, Taylor gets no pass. Players are saying he's got a locker room with a college like atmosphere.

Not what this team or any PRO team needs. He's to over the top trying to be a "players coach"

What does this even mean anyway. In college, players usually play like a team that wants to win, together. In many Pro locker rooms players are playing for themselves and their next contract, which is we so many of them are laughing it up after a loss. In college, players listen to their coaches and do what they are asked in order to get to the next level.... in the pro's it's hard to motivate some players who are already multi millionaires and believe their position is locked up no matter what.  So someone explain exactly how saying a college atmosphere is a bad thing. Seriously. 

(11-28-2020, 11:48 AM)Sled21 Wrote: What does this even mean anyway. In college, players usually play like a team that wants to win, together. In many Pro locker rooms players are playing for themselves and their next contract, which is we so many of them are laughing it up after a loss. In college, players listen to their coaches and do what they are asked in order to get to the next level.... in the pro's it's hard to motivate some players who are already multi millionaires and believe their position is locked up no matter what.  So someone explain exactly how saying a college atmosphere is a bad thing. Seriously. 

 Not everybody gets to play for a team in the SEC. Maybe some of the players talking came from "lesser" college teams where the atmosphere was practicing/playing and living the college life...

Wilson

(11-28-2020, 10:29 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Pratt sucks.

He is the other player that really concerns me.  He was looking really good down the stretch last year.  Is he having a Dunlap-situation?  I think they have him and Wilson in most nickel sets, correct?  I just wonder if he is playing a different position than last year.  It is much harder without the all-22 or being at the games to tell.  

(11-27-2020, 01:16 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Well, that and our coaching staff should be working at Starbucks.

I'm not even sure I'd trust them to make a decent cup of coffee.

 

(11-28-2020, 10:56 AM)WhodeyRay Wrote: This is how I see it as well. You need at least 7 quality guys rotating on the d-line. We also get Tupou back next year as a good run stuffer. But we really need that speed rusher specialist type guy. This would keep double teams off Lawson and allow Hubbard to kick inside on passing downs. Also someone has to pan out at linebacker eventually one would think.

I am not trying to single you out, bud, but your comment made me think of something one of the announcers of the Dallas/Washington game said on Thanksgiving:  He pointed out that Del Rio was sending extra guys usually on early downs and then only rushing four on third and long.  It seemed backwards but it was working.  If you think about it, as often as teams pass the ball right now, it makes sense to have your speed rush (or NASCAR package, whatever you choose to call it) in for plays early in drives as well.  

There are very few run-first teams (some are more tilted this year than in the past, like pitt) like Seattle, Tennessee, and Washington....and the Bengals under Lou did pretty well against those offenses.  I think the Bengals thought the Browns would come out running the ball and instead they aired it out in week 2 and then turned to the run to salt the lead away.  

You can say that Cincy isn't very good against the pass (and that would be true) but I can't help but wonder about what I saw Del Rio doing and Anarumo's failures against the pass.  No pass rush, no sacks, no forced fumbles, and no INTs (at least very few...). 

On a side note, Washington's defense is all of a sudden looking like killers.  With Alex Smith not losing games for them (as some of their previous QBs have done), the WFT might be the favorite in the NFC Least.  

(11-28-2020, 10:29 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Pratt sucks.

No he doesn't.  He has been targeted 31 times in pass coverage and only allowed 181 yards.  That is only 5.8 yards per target which is pretty good.

He has 55 tackles and only 4 missed tackles.  Again a 6.8% missed tackles rate is pretty good.

I realize there are no hard numbers to show how many times he has been out of position or made bad decisions, but it is hard to define these problems because we don't know his exact assignments or responsibility on every play.

He is also being used differently than he was last year.  He has already played almost as many snaps this season (417) as he did all of last year (439) but he has only blitzed 19 times this year compared to 28 last season.

I can't find a breakdown of how much he is playing by down, but this year he has made 66% of his tackles on first down,  Von Bell is the only Bengal with more tackles on first down than Pratt's 36.  But Pratt only has 1 tackle on third down.  Last year he only made 55% of his tackles on first down but had 8% of his tackles on third down.

(11-28-2020, 09:47 PM)Destro Wrote: Wilson

I take small victories.

They have enough talent on defense that there's no excuse for giving up 19 points to such a weak opponent. Bynes, Bell, and Reader are solid. Lawson and Hubbard were looking good under prior to Anarumba. The linebacker group is better than they've had in most recent years outside of when Burfict was playing well.

(11-29-2020, 12:53 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: I am not trying to single you out, bud, but your comment made me think of something one of the announcers of the Dallas/Washington game said on Thanksgiving:  He pointed out that Del Rio was sending extra guys usually on early downs and then only rushing four on third and long.  It seemed backwards but it was working.  If you think about it, as often as teams pass the ball right now, it makes sense to have your speed rush (or NASCAR package, whatever you choose to call it) in for plays early in drives as well.  

There are very few run-first teams (some are more tilted this year than in the past, like pitt) like Seattle, Tennessee, and Washington....and the Bengals under Lou did pretty well against those offenses.  I think the Bengals thought the Browns would come out running the ball and instead they aired it out in week 2 and then turned to the run to salt the lead away.  

You can say that Cincy isn't very good against the pass (and that would be true) but I can't help but wonder about what I saw Del Rio doing and Anarumo's failures against the pass.  No pass rush, no sacks, no forced fumbles, and no INTs (at least very few...). 

On a side note, Washington's defense is all of a sudden looking like killers.  With Alex Smith not losing games for them (as some of their previous QBs have done), the WFT might be the favorite in the NFC Least.  

I would agree with this. We just need to somehow create some pressure. Hard to evaluate the db's when they need to cover till the cows come home.