Defense

[*ochocincos*]

(09-10-2024, 02:21 PM)J24 Wrote: We haven’t talked enough about the defense and their poor performance. They were playing the worst Offense in the league and  they should have dominated. I look at this unit and I see a lack of athleticism in the back seven, a Dline with 1 pass rusher, no nose tackle on the roster ,and I see an undisciplined unit out there.


- the Tackling was piss poor

- they forced zero turnovers

-gave up three first downs on QB scrambles. The pass rush discipline was atrocious on Sunday!

If this team is going to win anything of merit this year the defense is going to have play better!

I will agree on some but disagree on others.

The "back 7" (DBs + LBs) have actually pretty good athleticism overall.

There were some missed tackles, and those need cleaned up.
The run defense we knew was not going to be good with Rankins as the NT and Jenkins and Jackson out.
Rankins is not a traditional NT. He's always been more of a 3T size and playstyle wise.

People lauded Geno Stone because he had 7 INTs last year. But he had 1 total in all the other years combined.
Vonn Bell is not a ball hawk. He hasn't had >3 FFs any season in his career either.
CTB isn't really a ball hawk. He's only ever had 1 FF each season.
Dax Hill hasn't been a ball hawk, even in college. He doesn't cause FFs either.
Mike Hilton doesn't usually get many turnovers.

This defense misses Chido and especially Bates and Reader.
But we knew this was something that was likely to happen once the young offense (mainly Burrow) started getting big veteran contracts.
Bengals have to get some (more) good play out of their young dudes.