12-05-2023, 11:59 PM
(12-05-2023, 11:21 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Like many of you, I shake my head at the way the Bengals’ secondary is weak against the pass. In 2021 and 2022 Lou Anarumo was the secondary whisperer and the things the safeties and cornerbacks could do were nothing short of astounding.
Now, during the game day threads everyone consistently criticizes Lou for allowing too many completed passes. After careful analysis I believe I have figured out what is going on. NOTE: I’m not saying I agree with what Lou is doing — but I understand it.
First of all, losing Von Bell and Jessie Bates III was more devastating than anyone anticipated. At the end of the 2020 season the secondary was lighting up receivers. Heck, JuJu Smith-Schuster is still reeling from that infamous Von Bell hit.
It took Lou at least one season to develop Bell and Bates into the NFL’s best safety tandem. The same will occur for Jordan Battle and Dax Hill. Right now Battle and Hill are where Bell and Bates were in 2020. It takes time and talent to develop safeties.
Right now Lou is training Battle and Hill to play over the top and guard against huge pass plays. It’s called keeping the ball in front of you and it’s a fundamental of good safety play. This means allowing short and medium length passes to be completed. Basically, allowing a fifteen or twenty yard completion is better than allowing a forty yard bomb over the top.
As their proficiency increases we will see less short and medium length passes completed. It’s a work in progress.
Yes, and as Dax and Jordan get experience those completed passes will not happen near as much. They are gaining their experience
and it will grow them into instinctual players that will see these plays happen in their minds before they happen and they will start to
jump routes like Bates does now and make game changing plays. Dax is an insane athlete with all the talent in the world and Battle
has great instincts and is a good tackler. These guys could be better than Bates and Bell.
