05-08-2021, 08:15 AM
(05-07-2021, 09:51 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: LB was an issue before Lou took over. The secondary, his coaching background, was filled with players specializing in Man coverage. The DLine was aging, but still had some up and comers. Let's not paint that Lou took over a wasteland, when coaches that subscribed to a man coverage may have thought it was a good starting point.
Sure, it was painful to see the team move past guys like Atkins and Dunlap, particularly in the fashion that it happened for each. I, for one, would have loved to see both of them retire as Bengals. However, age gets the best of all people, father time is undefeated. I'm just trying to get on board with Lou's philosophy and hoping that his new breed of Bengals defense gains momentum this year.
What?!
The 2018 Bengals finished ranked 30th in points allowed. They were horrific. Aging players fat with big contracts, the WRONG players extended and kept around, 20+ year old defensive concept (Marvin) that didn't fit the modern NFL anymore, poor depth across the board from year after year of bad drafting, awful LB corps, couldn't tackle AT ALL, AND on and on. That defense was putrid.
1 CB was good at man (Will Jackson). The other, Dre K was trash from jump street and everyone knew it but Marvin. The Steelers threw at him 9 straight times to win a MNF game at PBS and either completed the pass, got holding on Dre K, or a PI on Dre K. He was HORRIBLE.
^ Lou primarily plays zone, BTW. So, man corners are not ideal. The defense needed an entire cleansing and washing away of the stink that was on them from the years leading up to Zac. I am glad the old guard is gone.
Also, in looking up 2018 defensive rankings I found it encouraging that #31 behind the Bengals was Tampa Bay. 2 good drafts and an awesome QB turned into a Superbowl for them quite quickly. (I also noticed they dumped Marvin's good friend friend, Dirk Koetter, as their coach, too
)
