Biggest problem with defense this season

[Yojimbo]

I think this is the biggest problem with the defense and it needs to be fixed, either through personnel changes or scheme changes. Ok I’m not seeing the image I attached, so the problem is pressure on percentage of snaps. The Bengals ranked dead last in the league and it wasn’t even close.

32. Bengals - 25.9%
31. Raiders - 30.8%

[*bengalfan74*]

The Dline was without any doubt my biggest disappointment of the season !! I really thought they were gonna be a top level unit. I knew the LBers were our weakness, didn't think they would be as awful as they were but still not totally unexpected.

But our Dline, never dreamed they would be as ineffective, in the big picture, as they were. In my opinion a space/blocker eating NT is a must in the offseason.

[Goalpost]

We are awful at pressure. I don't know where we rank on blitzing, maybe mix it up some more.

[J24]

Losing Lawson was a huge loss this year and it makes it even more puzziling why he didn't play against Pitt or KC when he was healthy.

[I_C_DeadPeople]

WE have no one to blitz, the LB's are useless as is let alone blitzing.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

If your LBs can't cover or pressure, your DL is going to be ineffective. Why would a QB hold onto the ball and get pressured when he can instantly dump it off to a wide open RB or TE?

Then there is nobody good to blitz, either.

[masonbengals fan]

They were a huge disappointment.

[*ochocincos*]

(12-27-2018, 01:34 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I think this is the biggest problem with the defense and it needs to be fixed, either through personnel changes or scheme changes.  Ok I’m not seeing the image I attached, so the problem is pressure on percentage of snaps. The Bengals ranked dead last in the league and it wasn’t even close.

32. Bengals - 25.9%
31. Raiders - 30.8%

This particular stat and graphic was for pressure on 3rd down.
https://twitter.com/NFLMatchup/status/1078319261364432896

Their defense thrives off pressure from the front four, but losing Lawson to injury and not having a good nickel DT has really put a hamper on this.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(12-27-2018, 04:59 PM)ochocincos Wrote: This particular stat and graphic was for pressure on 3rd down.
https://twitter.com/NFLMatchup/status/1078319261364432896

Their defense thrives off pressure from the front four, but losing Lawson to injury and not having a good nickel DT has really put a hamper on this.

Glasgow too.

[*ochocincos*]

(12-27-2018, 05:09 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Glasgow too.

Meh, I've not really seen him be a difference maker yet. He only played in 3 games in 2018, totaled 1 QB hit and 0 sacks. Last year, 0 hits or sacks. I don't have data for "pressures" though since I don't prescribe to PFF premium. 

[*jason*]

(12-27-2018, 03:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: If your LBs can't cover or pressure, your DL is going to be ineffective. Why would a QB hold onto the ball and get pressured when he can instantly dump it off to a wide open RB or TE?

Then there is nobody good to blitz, either.

This...

All if this talk if Geno and Dunlap not playing well this year is so silly. They have a symbiotic relationship with the LBs and secondary.

[grampahol]

One problem starting the season off was Austin. His schemes didn't match up with any of our players and once injuries began piling up it began to steamroll, but another waste is Haslet coaching LBers.. They've consistently gotten worse and worse since he arrived. Say what you want about Marvin he did at least stabilize the defense after a few games. I'm not wild about the secondary coach either so much of it has to start with coaching then players. A terrible coach isn't going to get much out of great players...see our Oline over the past several years with PA, not that all the players were great, but man, did he waste talent or did he waste talent?  Haslet has been terrible. 

[*bengalfan74*]

(12-27-2018, 05:51 PM)grampahol Wrote: One problem starting the season off was Austin. His schemes didn't match up with any of our players and once injuries began piling up it began to steamroll, but another waste is Haslet coaching LBers.. They've consistently gotten worse and worse since he arrived. Say what you want about Marvin he did at least stabilize the defense after a few games. I'm not wild about the secondary coach either so much of it has to start with coaching then players. A terrible coach isn't going to get much out of great players...see our Oline over the past several years with PA, not that all the players were great, but man, did he waste talent or did he waste talent?  Haslet has been terrible. 

No doubt Haslet needs shown the door as well.

[impactplaya]

also consider you have to make 3rd down a very hard down to convert distance wise.
how many 3rd and 7's and up did Cincy actually have to make a offense convert...
3rd and 7 and less is really easy to convert.
find a RB or TE on a LB like Nickerson...poof..the chains are moving

[*bengalfan74*]

(12-27-2018, 03:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: If your LBs can't cover or pressure, your DL is going to be ineffective. Why would a QB hold onto the ball and get pressured when he can instantly dump it off to a wide open RB or TE?

Then there is nobody good to blitz, either.

I get what you're saying and mostly agree. But there were a ton of plays where opposing QB's had 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 and more seconds to throw with little to no pressure. Textbook pockets

[BengalsRocker]

(12-27-2018, 05:30 PM)jason Wrote: This...

All if this talk if Geno and Dunlap not playing well this year is so silly. They have a symbiotic relationship with the LBs and secondary.

It's not that Geno and Dunlap were playing badly it's more that our NT and other side of line weren't great or sporadic at best.

If QBs were making first read throws and quick underneath stuff all of the time you might have a point.

Like another poster said there were times when QBs had time to make more reads and stand flat footed.

That's not good.

No doubt our Lbers are bad but they were glaring with the lack of pressure.

You're right.  It all goes hand in hand though.  You could even reverse that logic to say our CBs are being abused because of it.  Our bad LBers look even worse.

It just needs to be acknowledged that out front 4 as a unit need improvement.

[*bengalfan74*]

(12-27-2018, 08:40 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: It's not that Geno and Dunlap were playing badly it's more that our NT and other side of line weren't great or sporadic at best.

If QBs were making first read throws and quick underneath stuff all of the time you might have a point.

Like another poster said there were times when QBs had time to make more reads and stand flat footed.

That's not good.

No doubt our Lbers are bad but they were glaring with the lack of pressure.

You're right.  It all goes hand in hand though.  You could even reverse that logic to say our CBs are being abused because of it.  Our bad LBers look even worse.

It just needs to be acknowledged that out front 4 as a unit need improvement.

Right ! It's not that Geno and Carlos are bad, it's been that everything else has been broken the bulk of the time.

Constant zone coverage that vet QB's can pick apart. DB's all out of sorts first half of season. Sporadic pressure from the other players. Little to no blitzing, no disguise, little to no stunting. Just a perfect storm of failure.

Having said all of that our front four didn't have a lot of success on any kind of regular basis.

I still believe the thing we need the most is a dominant nose tackle. Everything else will get better if we can get that.

[Catmandude123]

(12-27-2018, 05:30 PM)jason Wrote: This...

All if this talk if Geno and Dunlap not playing well this year is so silly. They have a symbiotic relationship with the LBs and secondary.

Geno has five sacks in two games. That means he has five in the other thirteen games. Carlos has one in the last seven. They had thirteen between them in the first eight games and only five since. Four of those five sacks since game eight came against the Raiders. When your top d-lineman disappear for half the season the whole defense is going to suffer.

[jfkbengals]

The biggest problem with the defense this season was by far tackling.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(12-27-2018, 08:27 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I get what you're saying and mostly agree. But there were a ton of plays where opposing QB's had 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 and more seconds to throw with little to no pressure. Textbook pockets

That's when being the worst 3rd down defense in the league (last I knew) comes into play. If they can't get off the field, they don't get to rest.

Also I am not sure if this is part of the problem of why they can't get off the field, or if it's a result of the fact that they can't get off the field, but they rotate FAR too often. Way too commonly see a DL with no Atkins or no Dunlap out there so it's like MJ and 3 guys who were 3rd on the depth chart out there. Of course that's going to fail. I just can't tell if they're getting playing time because the defense is stuck on the field, or if they are just trying to get too cute with their rotation because of that one or two years where it worked well under Zimmer.