Atkins is Returning to BEAST MODE!

[BFritz21]

Apparently, according to this article, Geno Atkins is looking like an absolute MACHINE!

He's impressing Guenther and getting him excited, and what stood out to me was this quote:

Quote:Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins tore his ACL on Halloween night in 2013. Rather than training and improving, Atkins was forced to rehabilitate throughout the ensuing offseason.

That does make a lot of sense and now he can concentrate on things like technique, endurance, defensive moves, and the different names, like daddy, that he's going to make Big Ben call him after he drives him into the turf.

I'm also excited because MJ back, along with Dunlap producing like last year (I actually expected a bigger year this year even before this Geno news because he looked like it was finally clicking last season), and even Hardison shooting the A gap should just make our pass rush absolutely sick, especially with Geno back to his one-man wrecking crew status.

This was the best news I've heard in a while!

[blt4584]

I hope so, but I don't really put to much stock in what a coach says about anyone during training camp.

This sums it up.

That being said, Geno did start to look more like his pre-injury self towards the end of the season.

[Bryan]

Are you pumped?

[Utts]

Sounds promising but I recommend cautious optimism.

[*bengalfan74*]

If Geno is truly back to old Geno that will put this defense back on the map. He's one of the game changers that completely disrupts the oppositions plan. WOW it would be so sweet !

[jj22]

I think Geno will bounce back this season, and I can't wait to watch him dominate again.

[fredtoast]

Our defense had two elite player. Atkins and Burfict. Neither played like himself last year.

If Geno returns 100% he can transform the entire defense. He is that good. 12 sacks from an interior lineman is ridiculous good.

[Harmening]

(07-28-2015, 07:48 PM)Utts Wrote: Sounds promising but I recommend cautious optimism.

I'm on this boat.

[djs7685]

(07-28-2015, 09:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Our defense had two elite player. Atkins and Burfict. Neither played like himself last year.

If Geno returns 100% he can transform the entire defense. He is that good. 12 sacks from an interior lineman is ridiculous good.

He got an obscene amount of pressure on QBs in 2012. If he returns close to that player, our entire defense is immediately much better, you're absolutely right.

It gets pretty annoying being a fan of Cincinnati sports where something bad always seems to happen to (most of) our best players.

[J24]

Atkins is the best player on the team and the 2nd best defensive player in the League when he is at his best. If he is his oldself then this defense will be a top 5 defense. If you add a healthy Vontez and  if Leon can return to his old self( Or Dennard takes over Leons spot which seems more likely at this point). Then this defense can challenge Seattle for number 1 in the league. However there are a lot of ifs for that to happen.

[CornerBlitz]

(07-28-2015, 09:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Our defense had two elite player.  Atkins and Burfict.  Neither played like himself last year.

If Geno returns 100% he can transform the entire defense.  He is that good. 12 sacks from an interior lineman is ridiculous good.

I think Dunlap has potential to be an elite defender along with Michael Johnson. They have the physical ability to be just that but for whatever reason haven't lived up to their potential.

[masonbengals fan]

You guys are correct. Atkins & Burfict are definitely the keys to this years defense. If they can somehow get back to where they were it will be game on.

[M.W.]

(07-28-2015, 09:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Our defense had two elite player.  Atkins and Burfict.  Neither played like himself last year.

If Geno returns 100% he can transform the entire defense.  He is that good. 12 sacks from an interior lineman is ridiculous good.

Absolutely! A healthy Geno makes the whole defense much better!

[jmccracky]

(07-28-2015, 09:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Our defense had two elite player.  Atkins and Burfict.  Neither played like himself last year.

If Geno returns 100% he can transform the entire defense.  He is that good. 12 sacks from an interior lineman is ridiculous good.

I am not just saying this because I am a Bengals fan. BUT, I have never seen in interior lineman play as dominant than he did in 2012-2013. When he wasn't sacking the QB, he was 90% of the time around the QB. Just flat out dominating mofos on almost every play. Watching him play, you just know we have a 1st selection Hall of Famer if he stays healthy. Atkins, Burfict, and Whitworth have HOF talent. But I think that Atkins might be the best of the bunch. If he stays healthy and plays like his oldself, he will be in every fans top 5 greatest Bengal of all time.

[3wt]

(07-28-2015, 07:05 PM)blt4584 Wrote: I hope so, but I don't really put to much stock in what a coach says about anyone during training camp.

This sums it up.

That being said, Geno did start to look more like his pre-injury self towards the end of the season.

I don't think what the coaches have been saying (particularly Guenther) is just training camp speak.   Guenther is not usually effusive, and you didn't hear anything positive about Geno in last year's training camp.   Hayes said (earlier in the spring) that he looks BETTER than he did before the injury.

Unless he turns out to be fragile d/t his post injury physical status, I think we can expect pretty close to what he was.

[PApinhead]

(07-28-2015, 09:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Our defense had two elite player.  Atkins and Burfict.  Neither played like himself last year.

If Geno returns 100% he can transform the entire defense.  He is that good. 12 sacks from an interior lineman is ridiculous good.

Without a doubt having both back in top form would be awesome!!  Even if we only get Geno back in top form, that should help out a lot!

[Millhouse]

Hope so. The defense could use some elite talent this year at any spot unlike last year when they had none.

[Savagehenry54]

We need this dude like no other. If you gotta account for a 43 DT with more than one guy or you're screwed, run or pass, it is such a tremendous advantage. Time was one guy couldn't block that dude, he gets back to that, forget about it!!

[BFritz21]

(07-30-2015, 03:03 PM)Savagehenry54 Wrote: We need this dude like no other.  If you gotta account for a 43 DT with more than one guy or you're screwed, run or pass, it is such a tremendous advantage.  Time was one guy couldn't block that dude, he gets back to that, forget about it!!

People are talking about him returning to 100%, but I can't believe that there's not more excitement about the quote that I quoted in my opening post:

Quote:Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins tore his ACL on Halloween night in 2013. Rather than training and improving, Atkins was forced to rehabilitate throughout the ensuing offseason.

Think about that: an entire offseason or just rehabilitation and not working on his technique and what makes him great.

That's like taking an entire year off of playing golf, building things, doing complicated building work where you have to be precise, etc., and just being thrown into the fire and are expected to have no drop-off.

The more I think about this and the more I see it, the more that I think that our defense an really be a dominant squad.