(12-26-2023, 12:23 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I'm going to strongly disagree on Starting 3T needing addressed this offseason.  By all accounts, BJ Hill is having a very good year at 3T.  He has 2 INT, 5 PDs, 1 FR, 4 Sacks, 44 tackles, and 18 QB hits with at least 2 more games to play this year.  It would be so very expensive to add an experienced vet with a stat line better than that one.  Hill is under contract through next season, after which he'll turn 30.  I know that the Bengals don't typically extend contracts to players aged 30 and above, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them extend his current deal by a year or two this offseason.

Starting NT absolutely needs to be addressed, I would guess that they both sign a competent veteran, as well as invest a 2-4 round draft selection on a rookie to develop.

Not sure about the rest of what you are proposing, as both LBs were signed to nice deals last offseason and the Safety position has already been addressed and is in the process of developing a young duo.

(12-26-2023, 12:11 PM)Sled21 Wrote: There's 31 other teams in the NFL that would love to have him. Only here is he blasted because the defense is young. 

(12-26-2023, 03:36 PM)Joelist Wrote: First off you need to just admit the defense is awful. It can't be blamed on the offense or on losing 2 safeties - it is a BAD defense that has creating turnovers as almost its only upshot. They cannot stop either the run or the pass with consistency. So what is making it so bad? To fix it you need to diagnose the issues. Well...

First off the DL does not generate pressure consistently and ESPECIALLY has problems with interior pass rush. Whether it be via an unlikely free agent coup (Chris Jones) or draft picks that work there HAS to be interior pressure to compliment Trey.

Second, a lot of the run game issues go to inability to seal the edges. This is the weakness in Trey's game and hopefully he can improve his side but the other side also has to improve. Usually Hubbard was good at this but had issues this year - we need Murphy to be ready to if necessary take this spot is he can show he can seal the edge - otherwise we're looking for DE again.

Third, the DL rotation right now is problematic in that the drop-off from starters to backups is TOO big. Especially on the inside we need a big, powerful rotational NT.

The passing game issues really seem linked to answering the question "Why are receivers constantly WIDE open against this defense"? Lou likes zone and zone can work very well IF the players in it are smart and read the flow of the play and react to it. The current group seemingly cannot read stuff fast enough and so they don't react and receivers easily sit in the edges between the zones. So either these kids have to learn how to play in zone smartly or the system has to change to support what they do well. As this group has a lot of speed maybe we need to use more tight man coverage concepts for now?

However we go there are no simple answers for the issues but part of being a great team is you figure issues out - this will be the test of the Bengals.

(12-26-2023, 07:12 PM)Joelist Wrote: Thanks!

Of all these I think the biggest issue may be the constant dumb errors in the secondary. Because of them the D can't even handle third and long reliably. If these young speedsters can't figure out how to play zone with some smarts then either they have to be replaced with smarter players or we have to simplify the system into something they CAN execute.

(12-26-2023, 10:52 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: I like you, Trademark, but I’m afraid I must disagree. Last week the defense was ugly; I mean ugly! It didn’t even have a nice personality. I’ve seen train wrecks with less blood.

However, it’s a new week with a very familiar yet weakened offense. Patrick Mahomes is running for his life in the pocket and Mr. Travis Swift is going emo on the sidelines. Andy Reid is distracting over his newfound prime donne* on offense. It’s time to smash the Chiefs.

The statistics from the Pissburgh game were skewed for one reason: The Steelers gained much of their offensive yardage on just two plays. The reason is simple yet ugly: The secondary was not playing deep enough. Period. Lou Anarumo excels at teaching the secondary to keep the receivers in front of them but against Pissburgh they failed miserably.

This is completely fixable and having Cam Taylor-Britt back on the field will be a huge advantage.

*Italian plural for “prima donna.”

(12-26-2023, 10:06 PM)Trademark Wrote: I hate to be doom and gloom and hope the Bengals can upset but I just don't see it with this garbage defense, hope I'm wrong but this defense has already made Beathard, Mullens and Rudolph look elite

(12-26-2023, 10:52 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: I like you, Trademark, but I’m afraid I must disagree.  Last week the defense was ugly; I mean ugly!  It didn’t even have a nice personality.  I’ve seen train wrecks with less blood.

However, it’s a new week with a very familiar yet weakened offense.  Patrick Mahomes is running for his life in the pocket and Mr. Travis Swift is going emo on the sidelines.  Andy Reid is distracting over his newfound prime donne* on offense.  It’s time to smash the Chiefs.

The statistics from the Pissburgh game were skewed for one reason: The Steelers gained much of their offensive yardage on just two plays.  The reason is simple yet ugly: The secondary was not playing deep enough.  Period.  Lou Anarumo excels at teaching the secondary to keep the receivers in front of them but against Pissburgh they failed miserably.

This is completely fixable and having Cam Taylor-Britt back on the field will be a huge advantage.

*Italian plural for “prima donna.”

(12-26-2023, 11:55 PM)QueenCity Wrote: We should Blitz Mahomes early and often. Let's contain Kelcie and see if his WR can beat us.

Easier said than done of course.

(12-26-2023, 11:55 PM)QueenCity Wrote: We should Blitz Mahomes early and often. Let's contain Kelcie and see if his WR can beat us.

Easier said than done of course.

(12-27-2023, 12:14 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: I want to see Hilton sent in at least 5 times in the first quarter.

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