(10-30-2024, 11:00 AM)PhilHos Wrote: Goose, you seem like an insightful individual that knows a thing or two about football. How much difference, in your opinion, would it make if we had someone else calling plays on defense? Whether that's firing Lou and promoting within or bringing in an outside replacement?

Also, what if Lou was replaced with someone mid-season as our new DC (not interim) and they tried to implement their schemes each week and during the bye week but by-and-large keeping Lou's system? How much, if any, positive/negative effect do you think any of the potential replacement options would make?

(10-30-2024, 11:16 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: I don't think it would make much difference in the short-term. Defensive schemes are complex and coaches have their own preferences & terminologies that really can't be implemented mid-season. So, hiring a new DC would force them to work within Lou's infrastructure for the rest of the season. This was a big point against hiring someone like Saleh as a DC. You'd have to bring him in as an analyst or a consultant like GB did. As far as calling plays, I think the answer would largely be the same. You'd see some differences if you got a guy in that was more aggressive as he may be more prone to call blitzes and attempt to pressure the QB but that doesn't necessarily mean "good", right? The defensive line is just unable to generate any consistent pressure outside of Trey. Blitzing may actually make it worse because you're taking a player out of coverage to rush. If the blitz isn't working, you can end up making life easier on the QB. 

Defense, in my opinion, is a bit more straightforward than offense. If you have a receiver that isn't the greatest route runner you can throw him screens or hand him the ball out of the backfield. You can run plays where he doesn't have to run an option route. You can be more creative. On defense, if you have pass rushers that can't pass rush or corners that can't cover, what can you do? There's not really a way to mask that. I don't think Cincinnati's DBs are an issue outside of the safety room but the defensive line just isn't getting it done and those guys are the foundation. 

(10-30-2024, 08:02 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: All of those things are true, and the Bengals base defense is a 4-3. The problem with running in base often is that teams then are able to feast on the middle of the field with throws to the TEs and RBs on the edges.

(10-30-2024, 09:26 AM)Mer Wrote: And I fear we never will be "there" under Taylor.

(10-30-2024, 02:42 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: I guess 1 player can make all the difference (J. Bates)

(10-30-2024, 02:40 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: We were 2-3 years ago. We were a very good team and had a defence that wasn't shut out, but appeared at the right times. Yes, we've had the luck of drafting Joe and Ja'Marr, but those two weren't really the guys winning us playoff games.

The problem is we haven't transitioned from the Super Bowl team very well. Look at the roster from then and now, and while it's pretty similar in terms of 'key guys', we've not moved forward. We are and will be limited by the Burrow and Chase contracts, but the defence looks an absolute shell of what it was. And it's not like it was phenomenal then either, it just turned up at the right times.

I guess it's a great example of what happens when you need draft picks to pay off and they don't. 

(10-30-2024, 02:40 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: We were 2-3 years ago. We were a very good team and had a defence that wasn't shut out, but appeared at the right times. Yes, we've had the luck of drafting Joe and Ja'Marr, but those two weren't really the guys winning us playoff games.

The problem is we haven't transitioned from the Super Bowl team very well. Look at the roster from then and now, and while it's pretty similar in terms of 'key guys', we've not moved forward. We are and will be limited by the Burrow and Chase contracts, but the defence looks an absolute shell of what it was. And it's not like it was phenomenal then either, it just turned up at the right times.

I guess it's a great example of what happens when you need draft picks to pay off and they don't. 

(10-30-2024, 03:07 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Chase literally set the rookie record for yards in the playoffs during the Super Bowl run. He had back-to-back 100+ yard games. He was every bit as vital to that run as the timely turnovers from the defense (plus McPherson).

(10-30-2024, 04:13 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: I disagree he was 'every bit as vital' as the defence in that run, though it's quite difficult for one WR to be as important as an entire half of the team. Just look at us now, Chase literally leads the league in yards but it means nothing with a bad defence.

Raiders - Good performance all round really.
Titans - With the defence keeping King Henry to 3.1 YPC, we'd have been in this game regardless of what the offence did, as long as they didn't turn the ball over.
Chiefs - Horrible from both facets in the first half. The defence kept Mahomes extremely limited for over a half of football, an exceptional performance. Gave the offence a short field on the BJ Hill pick. Gave the offence a good starting position on the OT drive. Offence did their bit but the defence were the catalyst here.

I think we could've beaten the Raiders with a worse defence, as the offence would've kept playing. I don't believe we beat the Titans if the defence doesn't smother their offence. Their 9 sacks and good defence meant we were never scoring a boatload in that game, but had Henry been effective they could've ran all over us. The Chiefs was a phenomenal defensive performance 2nd half, to bottle up the best QB in the league. Offence did its bit, but the big moments were from the defence. Far from just about turnovers as well, they won their battles against Henry and Mahomes, the best RB and QB in the league.

(10-30-2024, 03:51 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Well, we had a star QB on a rookie contract. Tee and Chase were on rookie deals.

We've lost some free agents and our drafts haven't replaced many of them with quality. And with the salaries going up, we can't have as many good free agents.

(10-30-2024, 04:18 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The bold is a fair point. Bates was definitely our best player in the Super Bowl run, but Chase was up there.

(10-30-2024, 12:38 PM)Synric Wrote: Overall defensive schemes are alot more simple than most fans realize. It's when you get down to the individual players that it gets really complicated. I'm mentioned a few times the Bengals are a heavy cover 1 man team but that same cover 1 has to be prepared for different keys from different types of offenses. 

(10-29-2024, 06:14 PM)pally Wrote: We have the most predictable offense in the league.