12-05-2023, 11:28 PM
Agreed that losing Bates and Bell has been devastating. Not sure it was more devastating than anyone anticipated: I think Lou was very clear about the consequences before they signed elsewhere.
I hope your analysis is accurate, that Lou is now training their replacements and we should soon see steady improvement versus the passing game. Bates has played at an all-pro level so far this season, and Bell has been excellent as well. The losses of those two may be the principal reason the defense has declined so much in one year.
The defense needs to get fixed soon while the Bengals are still in the playoff hunt. The defense's performance this year may also cost Lou a head-coaching opportunity. How do you sell a fan base on a new head coach if as DC his defense overall was ranked 32nd in terms of yards yielded per game, and also 6th lowest in pass defense, which is where the current Bengals defense stands?
I hope your analysis is accurate, that Lou is now training their replacements and we should soon see steady improvement versus the passing game. Bates has played at an all-pro level so far this season, and Bell has been excellent as well. The losses of those two may be the principal reason the defense has declined so much in one year.
The defense needs to get fixed soon while the Bengals are still in the playoff hunt. The defense's performance this year may also cost Lou a head-coaching opportunity. How do you sell a fan base on a new head coach if as DC his defense overall was ranked 32nd in terms of yards yielded per game, and also 6th lowest in pass defense, which is where the current Bengals defense stands?
