10-30-2019, 08:47 AM
I decided to look, rewatch and analyze some of the key players, ratios and coaching decisions over the first half of this year and all of last year.
It wasn't pretty.
I'll start with the defense. Having looked at last year, you saw a noticeable difference when Marvin Lewis took complete ownership of the defense. Looking at it, it was probably a big mistake not to go for Jack Del Rio.
That was a Zac decision.
He would of ran a similar style defense and brought the same intensity.
The defense has kept teams out of the endzone, but honestly looking at these games it'd probably be more true to say these offense's have gotten in their own way then just our defense coming up with big plays.
Some eye opening stats.
The Bengals in 2018 had 1053 tackles, 104 missed tackles for a 9 percent missed tackle percentage. Burfict had 10 missed tackles, missing a total of 23.3 percent of his tackle attempts. Both Williams and Bates had 10 missed tackles, but one had 110 tackles and the other 111 tackles.
So their missed tackle percentage was only 8.3 percent.
Believe it or not, the fans perception of missed tackles didn't hold up last year, thanks mainly to the efforts of Lewis. We ended up with one of the best NFL missed tackle percentages. The Ravens were 12.4, the Browns were 10.4 and the Steelers were 7.8.
This year the same can't be said. We have gotten a whole degree worse at 10.4 percent missed tackle percentage.
That still probably puts us at around 15-20 in the NFL in tackling. Were on pace for over 120 missed tackles this year. The most eye opening is that Vigil is on pace for 24 missed tackles by himself this year.
The most gut wrenching thing is just how bad our defensive line has been this year.
In 16 games our team had 75 QB hurries, 42 QB knockdowns and 34 sacks.
In 8 games our team has 20 QB hurries, 18 knockdowns and 9 sacks.
Our defensive line effectiveness has literally been cut in half this year. Just how our best unit, has become arguably our worst or least effective is just head scratching.
Vigil, Brown and Williams have 63% percent of our blitzes this year. If he isn't blitzing one of those 3 players, he probably isn't blitzing.
The offense has looked worst in almost every conceivable way this year.
Instead of going over the stats of the running game, which everybody already knows. I'm just gonna tell you what I see.
To me the biggest difference between our running game this year and last year is this, play calling and blocking schemes.
We draft Sample and they sell us on running the ball.
Well, they're setting him up for failure. I noticed this on a couple of plays. They would put Sample next to Hart. It was a misdirection run, they pulled Hart to the misdirection side, leaving Sample to block their best defensive linemen.
He gets beat and Mixon gets blown up in the backfield.
Zac has a lot of our linemen doing a lot of these pulls and when you have Eric Steinbach you can do that, but we don't.
The more I watched the worse it seemed to get. I would post videos of them, but just watch the video on Cincy Jungle on the article "disestablishing the run 101" if you want to see just how bad it is.
The offense line in 2018 gave up 37 sacks, 63 QB hurries and 32 QB hits.
The offensive line this year has given up 28 hurries, 15 QB hits and 29 sacks.
Dalton looked better as a rookie than he has at times this year.
In 2018 for Dalton the average depth of a target was 8.1 yards.
In 2019 for Dalton that average depth of a target is 6.8 yards.
In 2018 Dalton was blitzed 100 times in 11 starts.
In 2019 Dalton has been blitzed 124 times in 8 games.
In 2018 Dalton had 55 poor throws in 11 starts.
In 2019 Dalton has had 60 poor throws in 8 starts.
Ironically, the one holdover from Lewis, Simmons has produced the most consistent unit on the team.
Play styles are obviously different.
Zac passes the ball 71 percent of the time. Marvin passed the ball 61 percent of the time.
I have to believe Zac Taylor is hoping Ryan Finley brings some kind of spark to this offense.
Let's be honest Finley is already turning 25 here in a couple of weeks, he's pretty old by NFL rookie standards.
At 0-8 I understand trying to see what you have now.
This does happen to be the weakest part of our schedule.
I wish him well. I hope he stays healthy.
It wasn't pretty.
I'll start with the defense. Having looked at last year, you saw a noticeable difference when Marvin Lewis took complete ownership of the defense. Looking at it, it was probably a big mistake not to go for Jack Del Rio.
That was a Zac decision.
He would of ran a similar style defense and brought the same intensity.
The defense has kept teams out of the endzone, but honestly looking at these games it'd probably be more true to say these offense's have gotten in their own way then just our defense coming up with big plays.
Some eye opening stats.
The Bengals in 2018 had 1053 tackles, 104 missed tackles for a 9 percent missed tackle percentage. Burfict had 10 missed tackles, missing a total of 23.3 percent of his tackle attempts. Both Williams and Bates had 10 missed tackles, but one had 110 tackles and the other 111 tackles.
So their missed tackle percentage was only 8.3 percent.
Believe it or not, the fans perception of missed tackles didn't hold up last year, thanks mainly to the efforts of Lewis. We ended up with one of the best NFL missed tackle percentages. The Ravens were 12.4, the Browns were 10.4 and the Steelers were 7.8.
This year the same can't be said. We have gotten a whole degree worse at 10.4 percent missed tackle percentage.
That still probably puts us at around 15-20 in the NFL in tackling. Were on pace for over 120 missed tackles this year. The most eye opening is that Vigil is on pace for 24 missed tackles by himself this year.
The most gut wrenching thing is just how bad our defensive line has been this year.
In 16 games our team had 75 QB hurries, 42 QB knockdowns and 34 sacks.
In 8 games our team has 20 QB hurries, 18 knockdowns and 9 sacks.
Our defensive line effectiveness has literally been cut in half this year. Just how our best unit, has become arguably our worst or least effective is just head scratching.
Vigil, Brown and Williams have 63% percent of our blitzes this year. If he isn't blitzing one of those 3 players, he probably isn't blitzing.
The offense has looked worst in almost every conceivable way this year.
Instead of going over the stats of the running game, which everybody already knows. I'm just gonna tell you what I see.
To me the biggest difference between our running game this year and last year is this, play calling and blocking schemes.
We draft Sample and they sell us on running the ball.
Well, they're setting him up for failure. I noticed this on a couple of plays. They would put Sample next to Hart. It was a misdirection run, they pulled Hart to the misdirection side, leaving Sample to block their best defensive linemen.
He gets beat and Mixon gets blown up in the backfield.
Zac has a lot of our linemen doing a lot of these pulls and when you have Eric Steinbach you can do that, but we don't.
The more I watched the worse it seemed to get. I would post videos of them, but just watch the video on Cincy Jungle on the article "disestablishing the run 101" if you want to see just how bad it is.
The offense line in 2018 gave up 37 sacks, 63 QB hurries and 32 QB hits.
The offensive line this year has given up 28 hurries, 15 QB hits and 29 sacks.
Dalton looked better as a rookie than he has at times this year.
In 2018 for Dalton the average depth of a target was 8.1 yards.
In 2019 for Dalton that average depth of a target is 6.8 yards.
In 2018 Dalton was blitzed 100 times in 11 starts.
In 2019 Dalton has been blitzed 124 times in 8 games.
In 2018 Dalton had 55 poor throws in 11 starts.
In 2019 Dalton has had 60 poor throws in 8 starts.
Ironically, the one holdover from Lewis, Simmons has produced the most consistent unit on the team.
Play styles are obviously different.
Zac passes the ball 71 percent of the time. Marvin passed the ball 61 percent of the time.
I have to believe Zac Taylor is hoping Ryan Finley brings some kind of spark to this offense.
Let's be honest Finley is already turning 25 here in a couple of weeks, he's pretty old by NFL rookie standards.
At 0-8 I understand trying to see what you have now.
This does happen to be the weakest part of our schedule.
I wish him well. I hope he stays healthy.
![[Image: i-8rLM4gw-M.jpg]](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-8rLM4gw/0/a325f03c/M/i-8rLM4gw-M.jpg)
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
