This defense is a major concern...

[Tlawsonmariat82]

I know some on the boards will feel as though this is a little premature, but it's good reason for my concern.I truly don't feel like Austin has a clue on how to play sound defense in the nfl..

This defense from a scheme standpoint has no aggression, no plan of attack and absolutely no creativity at all..I haven't seen seen blitz package that fooled an offense in 4 weeks of football..

We've come out the locker room on our heels every game,the coverages are loose and for the most part very vanilla,you don't have to take risks to create the allusion of pressure..

Watching this defense it's like they don't have a plan at all,no run fits,no coverage integrity,and absolutely no physicality from our cornerbacks on receivers off the Los we need this fixed fast....

[thillan]

Defense all over the league is disappearing. The pace for offense this year is unbelievable.

Perhaps one of the more concerning parts is that one of the most sound defenses in the league thus far plays in our division.

[BengalsRocker]

You're right.

The D is playing as vanilla as a preseason game.

The rest of the league sucks on defense so... oh well... lower the damn bar again!

[Tlawsonmariat82]

(10-02-2018, 07:23 PM)thillan Wrote: Defense all over the league is disappearing. The pace for offense this year is unbelievable.

Perhaps one of the more concerning parts is that one of the most sound defenses in the league thus far plays in our division.

I  feel like we have better defensive personnel than most of those teams that's having defensive issues,I feel like our defensive woes are coaching related honestly..

[wolfkaosaun]

It's been extremely discouraging. Every week there seems to be issues from all over.

We've seen miscommunication, soft zones called often, linebacking corp struggling mightily in the pass.

There's just issues all over. Teams are averaging 57% 3rd down conversions against us.
Over the last 6 years, no team has allowed more than 48% conversions on 3rd down.

The scheme isn't helping this defense. There's players out of position. And the linebackers have no clue what to do in these passing situations.

Players have been struggling all around on defense. WJ III has been the biggest surprise. He's already allowed 3 TDs on the season.
This week, Jackson gave up 111 yards and a TD.

Sure, there's been flashes from players like Brown, Fej, Bates, etc.
But there's no consistency outside of Atkins, Dunlap, and Lawson.
And yes, I know Lawson doesn't have the sack numbers but he's been getting consistent pressure.

[BengalsRocker]

(10-02-2018, 07:37 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: It's been extremely discouraging. Every week there seems to be issues from all over.

We've seen miscommunication, soft zones called often, linebacking corp struggling mightily in the pass.

There's just issues all over. Teams are averaging 57% 3rd down conversions against us.
Over the last 6 years, no team has allowed more than 48% conversions on 3rd down.

The scheme isn't helping this defense. There's players out of position. And the linebackers have no clue what to do in these passing situations.

Players have been struggling all around on defense. WJ III has been the biggest surprise. He's already allowed 3 TDs on the season.
This week, Jackson gave up 111 yards and a TD.

Sure, there's been flashes from players like Brown, Fej, Bates, etc.
But there's no consistency outside of Atkins, Dunlap, and Lawson.
And yes, I know Lawson doesn't have the sack numbers but he's been getting consistent pressure.

I truly believe that WJ III is directly affected by Austin's scheme.

[reuben.ahmed]

Let's see how Burfict changes it. He is the AJ Green of the defense, after all.

[Goalpost]

A lot of problems and it is all just not in one area. Thought the linebackers would struggle 'some' but it's been broader than just them.

[J24]

I wonder how much losing Iloka hurts this defense. He was the guy that got everyone in the secondary lined up and ready. Now it's Bates who is a rookie. Also think this losing Tez hurts us a lot more than it really should.
With that being said our pass rush is good/great, we have a good secondary, and Text is coming back. This is going to sound bold but by the end of the year our defense will be better than the offense as long as their no injuries.

[BengalsRocker]

(10-02-2018, 08:19 PM)Jakeypoo Wrote: I wonder how much losing Iloka hurts this defense. He was the guy that got everyone in the secondary lined up and ready. Now it's Bates who is a  rookie. Also think this losing Tez hurts us a lot more than it really should.
With that being said our pass rush is good/great, we have a good secondary, and Text is coming back. This is going to sound bold but by the end of the year our defense will be better than the offense as long as their no injuries.

I don't think Iloka played well unless Nelson was on the team.

Nelson was the brains of the duo.  He just got old.

He still made a crucial play for the Raiders against the Browns last game.

[yang]

Everything is designed to hinder the deep pass, cover three, quarters coverage and soft zones. Offenses are dissecting it. Our strength is our aggressive cover corners and we have them giving up huge space underneath. We are still giving up huge TD's as they are hitting the seams in the gaps. It is taking away our strength. If the line had a just a little longer they would have a dozen more sacks.

[McC]

(10-02-2018, 08:28 PM)yang Wrote: Everything is designed to hinder the deep pass, cover three, quarters coverage and soft zones.  Offenses are dissecting it.   Our strength is our aggressive cover corners and we have them giving up huge space underneath.  We are still giving up huge TD's as they are hitting the seams in the gaps.  It is taking away our strength.  If the line had a just a little longer they would have a dozen more sacks.

Austin is afraid to get shot in the head but he's okay having pieces sliced off and just hoping he won't bleed out. 

He depends on turnovers since he can't figure out how to just plain stop somebody.  And I wholeheartedly agree with everyone who says our personnel is better than this.

[*bengalfan74*]

(10-02-2018, 07:37 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: It's been extremely discouraging. Every week there seems to be issues from all over.

We've seen miscommunication, soft zones called often, linebacking corp struggling mightily in the pass.

There's just issues all over. Teams are averaging 57% 3rd down conversions against us.
Over the last 6 years, no team has allowed more than 48% conversions on 3rd down.

The scheme isn't helping this defense. There's players out of position. And the linebackers have no clue what to do in these passing situations.

Players have been struggling all around on defense. WJ III has been the biggest surprise. He's already allowed 3 TDs on the season.
This week, Jackson gave up 111 yards and a TD.

Sure, there's been flashes from players like Brown, Fej, Bates, etc.
But there's no consistency outside of Atkins, Dunlap, and Lawson.
And yes, I know Lawson doesn't have the sack numbers but he's been getting consistent pressure.

I agree Wolf it's been awful

On the last Atlanta TD dre get roasted alive ! He bites on a stutter step and the receiver takes off and dre is left grabbing air. I don't know if he was expecting help over the top or what ?

I bring this up because many times after a play you can see the DB's looking dazed and confused staring at each other with those giant question marks in front of their faces.

I hear people blaming it on the new rules but is that really what it is ??? Our pass rush hasn't been getting that much pressure anyways. And how does the new roughing the passer rule affect the lack of coverage right from the start of the play ? You see guys running uncovered off the LOS because two DB's are running with the same receiver.

I think our problems lay more with confusion in coverage than they do the rules.

[RASCAL]

If you guys think Austin is a D wizard or something, all you have to do is remember back to what Detroits D was, or was not, to find out!

[*wildcats forever*]

Losing Adam Jones' intuition on the field hasn't helped much either imo. He lost a step or two in his playing, but having him back there kept the younger/less experienced on point in ways most of us have probably discounted. We recognize Burfict for his contributions along those lines, but not Jones. Moot point now, and I'm not saying we should have kept him. It's just something I think is pertinent to the problems we now see.

[Bengalfan4life27c]

2 reasons im not overly concerned yet.
1 we have faced 4 high octane offenses 3 on the road
2 our QB on defense is returning in vontez burfict

[*bengalfan74*]

(10-02-2018, 08:34 PM)wildcats forever Wrote: Losing Adam Jones' intuition on the field hasn't helped much either imo. He lost a step or two in his playing, but having him back there kept the younger/less experienced on point in ways most of us have probably discounted. We recognize Burfict for his contributions along those lines, but not Jones. Moot point now, and I'm not saying we should have kept him. It's just something I think is pertinent to the problems we now see.

I'm glad he's gone as well but I'd say you're spot on about this.

[BengalsRocker]

(10-02-2018, 08:32 PM)McC Wrote: Austin is afraid to get shot in the head but he's okay having pieces sliced off and just hoping he won't bleed out. 

He depends on turnovers since he can't figure out how to just plain stop somebody.  And I wholeheartedly agree with everyone who says our personnel is better than this.

The bad thing is he is wrangling the TEs and WRs into our soft LBers who can't tackle for shit.

So yeah theoretically we're giving up the underneath but not executing when it matters the most on 3rd down.

Hell even the DBs are playing off but can't close in and stop before the first down marker.

I think WJ III would be much more suited pressing the WRs and then covering and not playing off of them.

Hey, whadda I know...  I'm just a couch shlub not an NFL coordinator.

I'm still not sold on our Safeties so maybe that's why he's giving so much cushion?

[*wildcats forever*]

(10-02-2018, 08:39 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I'm glad he's gone as well but I'd say you're spot on about this.

My gut tells me that replacing the savvy that Jones brought will happen over time, maybe more as a group confidence thing. We're probably just seeing what it's like while waiting for that to happen. Whether it comes in the form of WJIII or Kirkpatrick or someone else, I don't know. Just feel that's it's an intangible not yet fulfilled.

[BengalsRocker]

(10-02-2018, 08:48 PM)wildcats forever Wrote: My gut tells me that replacing the savvy that Jones brought will happen over time, maybe more as a group confidence thing. We're probably just seeing what it's like while waiting for that to happen. Whether it comes in the form of WJIII or Kirkpatrick or someone else, I don't know. Just feel that's it's an intangible not yet fulfilled.

Nah DreK will never shake that idiot stuff he does.

It's like it's entwined into his DNA.