08-22-2019, 10:35 AM
(08-22-2019, 07:50 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: I did the same thing...a lot of us did. And Hubbard turned out to be a real find. Austin turned out to be a real dud. After a couple weeks of adjusting to the new "scheme" after his departure, the defense did ok. They averaged about 20 points a game, and that would be solid. They did that without Lawson, Glasgow, and others.
What has me most excited about this year's defense is the possibility of a bit more aggressiveness. More blitzing. We haven't seen it yet in the preseason (maybe tonight? Since I think Lawson will play?) but one thing that I have always been frustrated with was our lack of an answer to maximum protection packages. Tell me if this sounds familiar:
Bengals rush four, play patty-cake, six blockers hold them down easily, QB pats ball, patty-cake continues, QB pats ball, secondary getting tired, QB checks down to a RB or TE for an easy 10 yards.
Well, Anarumo has been working on a 5-man defensive front line with 2 LBs:
Dunlap-Atkins-Billings-Hubbard-Lawson
I want to see that line. I want to see what it can do to create pressure and, hopefully, create turnovers.
I'd like them to look at these sort of looks or a 5-1-5 with their current weakness at LB.
Hubbard has shown flashes of being able to drop back in a short zone if needed, keeping that package versatile.