Remember how Marv coached defense in Baltimore?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(11-09-2017, 01:35 AM)The Caped Crusader Wrote: Depressed why we don't use some of the speed we have at corners, safety and linebackers to create pressure. We have a great line, but rest our laurels on that. We have to be SUPER easy to beat because we never blitz, and when we do, it's the biggest red flag in the world. I wish we would mix it up, but we don't do that. Not since Zimmer left.

There's less speed on the back 7 than you might think.

Jones: 4.38 (he is 34 y/o now)
Williams: 4.46
Kirkpatrick 4.51
Iloka: 4.66
Vigil: 4.72
Minter: 4.81
Burfict: 4.93 (he was fat when he ran this, so there's no good 40-time, he reads plays well, but isn't extremely fast)
AVERAGE: 4.638

So Burfict is faster than that number, and Jones is slower than his number, but two of the other three fastest people on the D (Kirkpatrick/Williams) can't tackle worth a damn.

It's not a particularly fast defense, hence the propensity to play zone defense. Here's some other 4-3 back 7s as a comparison...

JACKSONVILLE:
Ramsey: 4.41
T. Smith: 4.52
Bouye: 4.55
Gipson: 4.60
Poslunszny: 4.62 (he's 33 now)
Church: 4.69
*Jack: No 40 Time*
AVERAGE: 4.565
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SEATTLE:
Griffin: 4.38
Thomas: 4.49
Wagner: 4.51
Sherman: 4.56
Chancellor: 4.69
Wright: 4.75
Wilhoite: 4.82
AVERAGE: 4.600
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MINNESOTA:
Waynes: 4.31
Rhodes: 4.43
H. Smith: 4.57
Kendricks: 4.61
Densejo: 4.65
Barr: 4.66
Gedeon: 4.75
AVERAGE: 4.569
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CAROLINA:
Adams: 4.49 (he's 36 now)
Bradberry: 4.50
Kuechly: 4.58
Coleman: 4.62
Thompson: 4.64
Worley: 4.64
Davis: 4.65 (he is 34 now)
AVERAGE: 4.588

Obviously 40 times don't mean everything, and they aren't a perfect indication of how fast a player can really play (*Cough*Ross*Cough*) but it kind of just goes towards showing that the Bengals aren't particularly fast in their back-7. Sure the differences listed aren't huge, but the point remains that a little here and a little there equates to a step of separation here and a step past a diving tackle there.