Super Bowl defense?

[fredtoast]

In 1988 our rush offense ranked #1 in the league in yards, tds, and yards per carry.  Our pass offense ranked #1 in the league in passer rating, yards per attempt, and td percentage.  But our defense ranked 16th (out of just 28 teams) in points allowed and 15th in yards.  They were especially weak against the run ranking 18th in yards, 20th in tds, and 23rd in yards per attempt.

But what happened in the playoffs?

First round...Seattle Seahawks #10 rush offense in the league produces 18 yards on 17 carries.  Number 12 scoring offense only gets 13 points.

AFC Championship game...Buffalo Bills held to 10 points and 181 total yards (only 45 rushing)

Super Bowl...Bengals lose their only All-Pro defender (Krumrie) in the first quarter, but hold Niner's elite offense (#2 yards, #7 points) to just 2 FGs through the first 3 quarters.


This year our defense did not look very good during the season.  But all that matters is how they look now.  Last week I was impressed that we won the game at the end with our pass defense which I considered to be the weakest link on the entire team.  Same thing happened again this week.  Pass defense came up with the big pick that set up the game winner.  And the play was made by a guy (Apple) who took more grief than almost any other player on the team this year.

Si I don't see any reason why we can't call what we have right now a "Super Bowl Defense".

[J24]

The defense has had it's moments this season. Their a bit Bend and don't break for my liking but they have gotten the job done more than they haven't.

They remind of the early 00's Patriots defensives. Nothing wows you but they win.

[Interceptor]

Defense. Offense. Special Teams. On-the-field screw-ups. This team as a whole finds a way to win at the most critical moment.

[Stonyhands]

(01-23-2022, 03:46 PM)fredtoast Wrote: In 1988 our rush offense ranked #1 in the league in yards, tds, and yards per carry. Our pass offense ranked #1 in the league in passer rating, yards per attempt, and td percentage. But our defense ranked 16th (out of just 28 teams) in points allowed and 15th in yards. They were especially weak against the run ranking 18th in yards, 20th in tds, and 23rd in yards per attempt.

But what happened in the playoffs?

First round...Seattle Seahawks #10 rush offense in the league produces 18 yards on 17 carries. Number 12 scoring offense only gets 13 points.

AFC Championship game...Buffalo Bills held to 10 points and 181 total yards (only 45 rushing)

Super Bowl...Bengals lose their only All-Pro defender (Krumrie) in the first quarter, but hold Niner's elite offense (#2 yards, #7 points) to just 2 FGs through the first 3 quarters.


This year our defense has not looked very good. But all that matters is how they look now. Last week I was impressed that we won the game at the end with our pass defense which I considered to be the weakest link on the entire team. Same thing happened again this week. Pass defense came up with the big pick that set up the game winner. And the play was made buy a guy (Apple) who took more grief than almost any other player on the team this year.

Si I don't see any reason why we can't call what we have right now a "Super Bowl Defense".

That’s a good take. I also noticed all year long defense had issues closing games out when given opportunities…like dropped interceptions. These playoffs I believe they are near perfect when given the opportunity. I wish Lou could generate more pass rush though. One thing was evident watching the 49ers and Packers and that was that both teams were consistently getting after the other teams QB. It worries me that we rarely got near Tannehill when he was statistically the most sacked QB in the NFL this season.

[M.W.]

The defense is not concerning at all. They have played well enough for the Bengals to win nearly every game this entire season, save the 1st Cleveland game. This is a legit defense and it should be as it came with a healthy price tag over the last couple off seasons.

[NATI BENGALS]

Multiple big time players at every level.

Our eldest starters on this studly D being Hilton, Reader, Bell, and Hendrickson all at 27 years old......

All year I've been stunned when putting in daily fantasy lineups and seeing our D ranking on the RBs or WRs we were playing that week. Never felt right being so low

[M.W.]

(01-23-2022, 04:33 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: Multiple big time players at every level.

Our eldest starters on this studly D being Hilton, Reader, Bell, and Hendrickson all at 27 years old......

That being said, most of our defensive players are ascending in talent.

[Au165]

This defense feels like the one the Chiefs had a couple years ago when they won. They can generate some pass rush when needed and can get some turnovers but for the most part they are a bend not break unit between the 20’s. I said this a year or two back when we talked about the historically bad defense, you don’t have to be elite on defense to win a SB you just can’t be awful and I think we are better than that so they are definitely good enough to win.