Game plan vs. the Titans: Pick you poison

[*SHRacerX*]

The Titans have been struggling on defense. Their offense has one of the lowest time of possessions in the league, and it isn't because they aren't successful. Teams have to either sell out to try and slow down Henry, and risk getting beat by play-action or stay back and get chewed up by Henry.

Here is what I would do: No, I don't think the Bengals will listen.

Run blitz almost every play. Send an additional rusher. Try to hit Henry before he gets up to speed. Once he gets going upfield, at 6'3" tall, he falls forward for two yards. And he virtually always falls forward. Double A gap blitzes a la Mike Zimmer. Use ADG for this role, with Bynes. Try to get Henry going sideways before he gets to head upfield. If you are successful early downs, they won't be handing the ball off on 3rd and 10.

Running this scheme will likely result in a quick checkdown, a missed tackle, and an 80 yard completion for a TD. I know that would suck, but one of the ways the Titans D has become 2nd in the league in turnovers is tipped balls. They don't get much of a pass rush, but they get their hands up. When the defense is storming upfield in a run blitz, and they see play action, they have to get their hands in the air when Tannehill pulls the ball on play-action. That is a key to getting a turnover on downs or an INT.

I have no doubts the offense will be able to put up points, but if they play the "well, we want to stop Henry, but we don't want to give up any big plays" sissy defense a la Chuck Breshnahan, they will bleed to death with 5-8 yard runs all day by Henry which have near zero turnover chance as well as no chance of forcing a punt. They MUST be aggressive and get him going sideways and tackle TOGETHER this week.

This is it, Lou. Here is your chance to show you can attack and hold down one of the best offenses in the league. Be aggressive. Your players might just reward you for it.

[HarleyDog]

In addition to what your saying, they need to play 60 minutes and not let up. Stay with what works and change what doesn’t quickly. Real time adjustments will be needed if we want to hang with these guys.

[Yojimbo]

I don’t think you can beat the Titans by shutting down only one side of their offense. You stop Henry, then Tannehill, Brown, Smith, Davis and Humphries light you up. You shut down the passing and Henry lights you up. Any chance to win has to come from a complete game from the defense and they have not yet shown they are a defense that can do that.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-31-2020, 11:41 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: I don’t think you can beat the Titans by shutting down only one side of their offense. You stop Henry, then Tannehill, Brown, Smith, Davis and Humphries light you up. You shut down the passing and Henry lights you up. Any chance to win has to come from a complete game from the defense and they have not yet shown they are a defense that can do that.

Who do you think has a better chance of beating you:  Henry or Tannehill?  How many bad things can happen when you throw the ball?  Clearly, sitting back in coverage has yielded zero stops.  The other teams aren't even bringing their punter to the game (that's an exaggeration).  I think you might actually get something out of your defense if they play with aggression and fire with the scheme I suggested.  

Like I said, it is doubtful that is what the Bengals do, and if the Burrow and the boys are stopped ONCE, the Bengals will likely lose.  To me, this is the game to see if Lou should be a DC moving forward.  EIther grow some balls or we will replace you with someone that has them.  

Did you see what the Cardinals did to the Cowboys?  Same idea.  And it worked.  I know the Cowboys are decimated with injuries on their offensive line but they still have Zeke and he never got on track because Arizona was sending guys every damn snap.  Oh, and they looked like they were having fun.  Our current defense by France?  Running the other way with your hands in the air?  It isn't aggressive, fun, or most importantly, successful.  

[*Synric*]

You can't sell out one way or the other. The Linebackers and Defensive Backs need to stay disciplined. The Titans will move the ball but the Bengals need to show up in the redzone and limit points.

[Gdale_Bengal]

I don’t think tge D stops anything and gets are alive tomorrow.

It will look close, but not really. The D won’t stop tgem and won’t force a punt.

I won’t be able to listen to the game since I’ll be at work getting double time so I hope When I tune in at 3 30 Im proven wrong.

[Bengalstripes9]

Yeah, I don't hold much hope for our defense this week. The offense needs to score at will to keep us in this one.

[impactplaya]

Problem is we have the most unqualified DC in the league. The Titans offense doesnt have to play perfect to win tomorro.
So.right there the Bengals D is behind the 8 ball.

Even if the Bengals load up.the box Henry is fast enough
To hit that tiny seam, and out run the others to.the 2nd level
Dont be the least bit alarmed if Henry hits the 200 yd mark
Tomorrow.
The Bengals LBers are undersized in terms of trying to bring him down one on one.
They need to move a CB off the edge and run blitz

[KillerGoose]

I don’t think the defense is going to have much success against the Titans. They have a very talented offense and Tannehill has really turned it around there. The focal point is going to be their pass rush vs our makeshift offensive line. They do get pressure (especially Clowney) But they haven’t converted that into sacks due to how soft their coverage has been. Their pass rushers vs Fred and Hakeem is going to be the key. I think the only opportunity Cincinnati has here is to beat their pace on offense and I don’t feel optimistic about that.

I do think Burrow is going to play well again. Their secondary is struggling hard.

[kevin]

The Titans are not playing the D that got them to Play-Offs last year.

The Chiefs showed how to beat the Titans, of course Rebuilding Bengals are not The Super Bowl Chiefs.

Mahomes to Kelce finding the open holes in D to post up in for easy plays beat Titans. Burrow to Sample has yet to develop into such a thing, but it would pick apart Titans and set up Green, Boyd, Higgins, Thomas as Mahomes works the field. I really think if Sample could be used like a Gronk or Kelce or Trumpy or Dan Ross, that is what picks Todays NFL Defenses apart....That TE finding the weak spots and the QB like Brady moving the chains on the open TE Play.

So, I think if Burrow to Sample could develop, then Burrow to Green, Boyd, Higgins, Thomas would look like Brady Patriots or Mahomes Chiefs.

The O Line is weak, but I've noticed if Burrow releases the ball in 3 seconds or less, Good plays happen. If Burrow is forced to hold the ball 4 seconds or more, Bad plays happen. The Bengals BREAD and BUTTER is those quick release passes like Dan Marino against the 1985 Bears. That is when Burrow is on his game.

[jfkbengals]

Our offense needs to run wide open and convert at will.

Hopefully that would put the onus on the TN offense to feel they are in a shootout and need to air it out.

This could cause them to abandon Henry and the running game.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-31-2020, 12:35 PM)Synric Wrote: You can't sell out one way or the other. The Linebackers and Defensive Backs need to stay disciplined. The Titans will move the ball but the Bengals need to show up in the redzone and limit points.

Sending an extra guy and trying to penetrate with run blitzes isn't selling out.  It is a scheme.  AZ did it because they didn't want to let Zeke get on track.  If the Bengals just sit back and let Henry get going, he will pound them to the tune of 175 yards, he won't turn the ball over, and he will limit possessions for the Bengals.

Like I said, I have little faith the Bengals will show aggression....since they have only done that in a half of one game (balt) and it was working.  

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-31-2020, 02:29 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Problem is we have the most unqualified DC in the league. The Titans offense doesnt have to play perfect to win tomorro.
So.right there the Bengals D is behind the 8  ball.

Even if the Bengals load up.the box Henry is fast enough
To hit that tiny seam, and out run the others to.the 2nd level
Dont be the least bit alarmed if Henry hits the 200 yd mark
Tomorrow.
The Bengals LBers are undersized in terms of trying to bring him down one on one.
They need to move a CB off the edge and run blitz

Vonn Bell is the one that should be used for this, along with ADG.  

[*bengalfan74*]

(10-31-2020, 02:24 PM)Bengalstripes18 Wrote: Yeah, I don't hold much hope for our defense this week. The offense needs to score at will to keep us in this one.

(11-01-2020, 11:30 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: Our offense needs to run wide open and convert at will.

Hopefully that would put the onus on the TN offense to feel they are in a shootout and need to air it out.

This could cause them to abandon Henry and the running game.

To me that's the only way we win this game - a shootout. We've got to score TD's in the redzone, we're not gonna win this game kicking FG's

[*bfine32*]

Last week folks said "just stop Hunt and make Mayfield beat us".

Henry's gonna get his, just play it straight up and hope we can find someone to get into their backfield.

[*SHRacerX*]

(11-01-2020, 12:34 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Last week folks said "just stop Hunt and make Mayfield beat us".

Henry's gonna get his, just play it straight up and hope we can find someone to get into their backfield.

Good point, but in fairness to this week, Henry is a tougher task than Hunt and Mayfield has a lot more offensive weapons and a better line than Tannehill.

The Titans are something like 14-0 when Henry gets 100 yards.  I guess we will just accept the loss giving up 5-8 yards a pop than risk looking bad and giving up a big play.  And, yes, I am being sarcastic because the best coach in the NFL for the past 10 years has always focused on taking away what you do best and has a pretty good track record.  Yes, he lost last year in the playoffs to the Titans, but you get what I am saying. 

I hate watching a defense that hopes the other team will make a dumb mistake rather than trying to force the issue.  

[fredtoast]

Titans defense is weak.

Bengals defense can't stop their offense. Fans love to blitz, but if it was that simple then NFL DCs would be blitzing every down. I say we just do the best we can to slow them down.

But the fact is that the only way will will win is a shootout. And the only change in scheme I would make is to go for it on every 4th down. Don't even think about punting. Treat every third down call as "two-down territory".

I might even throw in a surprise on-side kick if we score.