Looks like Vigil, Gilberry and Dennard will get more playing time

[2MinutesHate]

(11-09-2016, 08:18 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: So Lewis stated that Guenther should not have made that statement, and the young guys still need to earn the snaps...

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Lewis-Says-Not-So-Fast-To-Defensive-Changes/0bd02342-ee05-4186-b20f-3177142b2f64

Last week, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther told reporters that some changes could be coming after the bye.

“We have a lot of guys here who have been fixtures in our system for a long time,” said Guenther. “But it’s like I told them, it’s a production business. Even though you’ve been that kind of guy that’s been around here, if I think there is a younger player or somebody else that can do it better at this point, whether it be for 15 snaps, I have to look at that.”

Well, in the immortal words of ESPN’s Lee Corso, “Not so fast my friend.”

Here’s how Marvin Lewis responded on his weekly TV show when I asked him if he anticipated some of the younger players getting more snaps on defense.

“I don’t,” Marvin told me. “Paul shouldn’t have…you have to be careful doing that. We’re going to keep working and guys will earn opportunities as we go. But you’ve got to earn opportunities. We’re not going to just make a wholesale change and so forth. Our good players are expected to play good and I think that’s part of it. They have to play up to a certain level all the time. We have guys doing that on offense but we have to get the same throughout the football team in every area. And we have to continue to coach better – that’s part of the responsibility as well.”

In other words, some of the younger players might earn more snaps in the second half of the season. But the key to significant improvement on defense is for the core players to perform up to their capabilities.

I think what Marvin is saying, is that we've got the offseason to get the younger guys the snaps and experience.  The guys that haven't been getting it done all year need more opportunities to return to form, which may be difficult for the older and/or out-of-shape players.  

On the bright side for the younger players, they should be able to start their offseason work in January.

Guenther will also get the opportunity to coach better by keeping his mouth shut next time as well.