This team SUCKS because of mainly one thing

[WeezyBengal]

and its their linebackers.

The rest of the defense has talent, even though they are under performing. Geno, Dunlap, Bates, WJ3, hell...even Dre. These guys are at least competent. There is just absolutely not talent at the linebacker position.

They can't cover OR tackle. They cant stop the run or the pass. They are AWFUL. Burfict has looked terrible, Preston Brown is trash, and I cant even name their other starter since Vigil went down. Hardy Nickerson is BAD.

The linebackers are softer than Dre Kirkpatrick laying on a bed of cotton balls. When the hell is this team going to learn and draft a competent play maker at linebacker?

KC didnt shred the secondary last night (ok, maybe they did just a tad), but they shredded our LINEBACKERS.

Play Malik Jefferson, hes gotta be better than these LOSERS.

[Big Boss]

I'm genuinely dumbstruck by this team's tackling. Dumbstruck.

It's at a point now where it's third down and I expect the other team to convert. Probably a guy wide open in the middle. Then three of our players proceed to whiff tackles. It's maddening.

Who is responsible for this? Who? We see it week after week and it never gets ***** fixed.

[WeezyBengal]

(10-22-2018, 06:14 PM)Big Boss Wrote: I'm genuinely dumbstruck by this team's tackling.  Dumbstruck.

It's at a point now where it's third down and I expect the other team to convert.  Probably a guy wide open in the middle.  Then three of our players proceed to whiff tackles.  It's maddening.  

Who is responsible for this?  Who?  We see it week after week and it never gets ***** fixed.

They play softer than hell. Its embarrassing. 

[KillerGoose]

Malik Jefferson is miserable. I mean, he legitimately looked miserable in the pre-season against back-ups. I'd be very confident in him getting trashed against starters.

The fact of the matter is that the team doesn't have any good backers right now. They lack sideline-to-sideline speed and fail to finish tackles. Burfict has honestly looked very bad.

[WeezyBengal]

(10-22-2018, 06:18 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Malik Jefferson is miserable. I mean, he legitimately looked miserable in the pre-season against back-ups. I'd be very confident in him getting trashed against starters.

The fact of the matter is that the team doesn't have any good backers right now. They lack sideline-to-sideline speed and fail to finish tackles. Burfict has honestly looked very bad.

I mean what the hell do you do? What can you do? The Steelers exposed us and the Cheifs blew us up. EVERY team is going to scheme around our poor linebacking play. 

[Bengalholic]

(10-22-2018, 06:10 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: and its their linebackers.

The rest of the defense has talent, even though they are under performing. Geno, Dunlap, Bates, WJ3, hell...even Dre. These guys are at least competent. There is just absolutely not talent at the linebacker position.

They can't cover OR tackle. They cant stop the run or the pass. They are AWFUL. Burfict has looked terrible, Preston Brown is trash, and I cant even name their other starter since Vigil went down. Hardy Nickerson is BAD.

The linebackers are softer than Dre Kirkpatrick laying on a bed of cotton balls. When the hell is this team going to learn and draft a competent play maker at linebacker?

KC didnt shred the secondary last night (ok, maybe they did just a tad), but they shredded our LINEBACKERS.

Play Malik Jefferson, hes gotta be better than these LOSERS.

Tackling is an issue for this entire defense right now. Malik Jefferson isn't going to fix that. In fact, Jefferson has his own issues with the fundamentals of tackling. So, more than likely, he just makes the overall problem even worse.

[Nicomo Cosca]

LB is a huge problem right now but they’re not the reason our offense scored 1 TD last night.

I wish it was as easy as fixing one position group, but it’s not. The right side of our OL is horrendous, and our offense is back to being one dimensional.

ST have also been bad (other than Erickson).

There is plenty of blame to go around.

[GreenCornBengal]

It's at the point where you have to wonder if Austin is gameplanning to hide the weakness. If I was him I would game plan to emphasize the strengths, can't be much worse than where we are at.

[BengalsRocker]

I'd say two.

O-Line and linebackers.

Yes I know the whole team has had it's weaknesses but those two are glaring.

If Price comes back and maintains stability perhaps Hopkins can shift to help another position so there's some hope.

The LBers are kind of a lost cause at this point.

Burfict was our hope but he has not played to his potential and again is dinged up.

Brown is not reliable and sometimes flat out stinks.

Vigil is okay but far from being a real legit force.

I absolutely think there is a direct correlation to our "front 4" struggles because the lack of LBer talent mostly and some of the scheme.

Our DBs are dinged up too and would be much better if any real pass rush could be established.

[Beaker]

Bad thread. This team doesnt suck.

[JWW1971]

I honestly think Burfict is done, He just looked all over the place and it wont be long until he is suspended again.
I thought we should have cut him before the season started, maybe its time now

[Millhouse]

Maybe I am in the minority here, but as of today I am definitely more concerned about the offense than the defense.

[motoarch]

(10-22-2018, 07:53 PM)JWW1971 Wrote: I honestly think Burfict is done, He just looked all over the place and it wont be long until he is suspended again.
I thought we should have cut him before the season started, maybe its time now

The league is in his head. As much as I’ve had negative things about him lately none has been about his skill and talent.

I think with the league putting on notice with that (even I’ll admit) unreasonably high fine and telling him next time it’s a suspension they took away what made him good. He’s thinking instead of doing right now.

As much as I don’t like the (what I see as) unnecessary stuff I’d rather have him as the green hulk rather than the grey hulk.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(10-22-2018, 07:55 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Maybe I am in the minority here, but as of today I am definitely more concerned about the offense than the defense.

Right there with you.

[motoarch]

(10-22-2018, 07:55 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Maybe I am in the minority here, but as of today I am definitely more concerned about the offense than the defense.

(10-22-2018, 08:10 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Right there with you.

It’s shaky to be sure. Losing eifert and not having gio right now hurt. The oline doesn’t look that much better this year and we don’t have the center we thought we would. I like dalton but lastnight he looked like the guy that target fixated on aj in the past. They need to get it together.

[HarleyDog]

(10-22-2018, 07:55 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Maybe I am in the minority here, but as of today I am definitely more concerned about the offense than the defense.

Ugh. I don’t know. Defense needs a ton of work. Offense has had a bad 2 games. Well, not really even 2.

[BengalsRocker]

(10-22-2018, 08:15 PM)motoarch Wrote: It’s shaky to be sure.  Losing eifert and not having gio right now hurt.  The oline doesn’t look that much better this year and we don’t have the center we thought we would.  I like dalton but lastnight he looked like the guy that target fixated on aj in the past.  They need to get it together.

I'd agree to this if I had seen the All-22 film.

I'm not sure if they focused on shutting down Boyd too but he pretty much was not thrown too until the game was about lost.

Has anyone here seen it?

[motoarch]

I’ll admit I didn’t see the whole game but at half time I think aj had 110 yards receiving and everyone else had a combined 1. Not a typo they had 1 yard receiving to anyone not named aj green.

I don’t know what the coverage was like and how that even happens but that’s a crazy stat anyway you slice it.

[Atomic Orange]

Nah it's Merv. The PT/PO record speaks for itself. Dude has never won on Sunday night. Switch teams with Merv coaching the Chiefs and the results would have been the same but reversed. It would be interesting to know the Bengals all time PT record since the beginning.

Conspiracy:
It seems ever since Rose got banned the city has a hex over it. Funny enough that was around the same time blue collar jobs (factory) started getting shipped out of Cincy en masse.

[*bfine32*]

(10-22-2018, 06:17 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: They play softer than hell. Its embarrassing. 

Not sure how soft Hell is.

As to the OP: We need a stud at LB; shit makes me think I was wrong about Maul. Dude was limited, but he came with the heat.