I miss Jesse Bates and Vonn Bell

[Trademark]

This defense is atrocious without them. Heck I miss Eli Apple too...

[NATI BENGALS]

Valuable experience for the young secondary we have.


I hope.
 

[casear2727]

(11-17-2023, 03:19 AM)Trademark Wrote: This defense is atrocious without them. Heck I miss Eli Apple too...

This is our core secondary for the next 3-4. years minus NCB, hope they catch on quick....

[*michaelsean*]

(11-17-2023, 04:55 AM)casear2727 Wrote: This is our core secondary for the next 3-4. years minus NCB, hope they catch on quick....

We have four that are in their first or second year, correct? I think those four can be pretty solid by next year.

[casear2727]

(11-17-2023, 04:59 AM)michaelsean Wrote: We have four that are in their first or second year, correct?  I think those four can be pretty solid by next year.

Yep, 2 boundary CBs and 2 safeties.  We will eventually need a nickel unless Anderson or Ivey find a way on the field.

[Bengalstripes9]

Honestly with burrow going down this year it was the perfect year to get some fresh blood in the secondary and develop them. I like the young guys Dax and Battle at safety. I like Turner and CTB. Next year we’ll be much better and hopefully burrow is healthy for a run.

Last year was the year to win it all, but we got unlucky with the oline injuries.
Next year could be another great window year to win it all. Need to stay healthy.

[BengalsLUFC]

It’s the vets that have killed us this year.

Dax,CTB and Turner have been solid for the most part.

Chido looks like a shell of the player he was and at this point who’s going to sign him away from us at the end of the season based on this year?

Nick Scott can **** off and when he gets to wherever he’s ****** off to he can **** off again.

[Destro]

(11-17-2023, 03:19 AM)Trademark Wrote: Heck I miss Eli Apple too...

Ok, let's not get too crazy here. 

[Fan_in_Kettering]

I even miss Kevin Kaesviharn at this point.

[lone bengal]

Wondering if Turner starting over Awuzie is because of his ACL or back ? Was hoping Awuzie would be decent, I like Turner but he’s a rookie and we seem to have little continuity on the back end plus if Battle starts you’d have to rookies in the back end.

[jj22]

The Defense was always supposed to struggle. The disappointment is in the Offense which by now should have put the team on it's shoulders for all the glitz and glamor and publicity it gets.

The Offense never has been able to prop the team up, and with the transition on the D and the need to get the youth up to speed this was the year we needed them to the most... They dropped the ball and it's inexcusable given the supposed "talent".

Defense still gets a pass in my book. This was the year they were going to get one and that shouldn't change given the Offense inability to carry the team when needed.

[bengals67]

(11-17-2023, 10:59 AM)jj22 Wrote: The Defense was always supposed to struggle. The disappointment is in the Offense which by now should have put the team on it's shoulders for all the glitz and glamor and publicity it gets.

The Offense never has been able to prop the team up, and with the transition on the D and the need to get the youth up to speed this was the year we needed them to the most... They dropped the ball and it's inexcusable given the supposed "talent".

Defense still gets a pass in my book. This was the year they were going to get one and that shouldn't change given the Offense inability to carry the team when needed.

Totally agree. And more specifically the major problem with this team is it’s poor o line. What’s the point of having Burrow and a pass first offense when the kid gets scacked or hit on at least half of our passing plays every game after game after game.

Players and o line coach are not good enough. Maybe both

[Whacked]

(11-17-2023, 10:59 AM)jj22 Wrote: The Defense was always supposed to struggle. The disappointment is in the Offense which by now should have put the team on it's shoulders for all the glitz and glamor and publicity it gets.

The Offense never has been able to prop the team up, and with the transition on the D and the need to get the youth up to speed this was the year we needed them to the most... They dropped the ball and it's inexcusable given the supposed "talent".

Defense still gets a pass in my book. This was the year they were going to get one and that shouldn't change given the Offense inability to carry the team when needed.

PREACH!
and AMEN!

[grampahol]

Lots of tough decisions coming up for next season.. Reader, Higgins, Boyd and even Williams at RT.. I don't really see a lot of viable replacements for any of them. As much as i like Iosivas and Jones I doubt they're going to be able to replace the skills of Higgins and Boyd. Reader is probably gone and there's the continuing saga of the Oline woes.. 
On the other hand this hasn't exactly been a banner year for Higgins heading to free agency, but Chase is going to demand a king's ransom as well..  The ship of trading any of them for picks has sailed and sank off the coast of Indiana.. 

[Frank Booth]

Honestly, people are overlooking the loss of Apple.

I know, sounds crazy, but Chidobe hasnt been the same since the knee injury. Eli became a stable cb2. Solid

Dax is fine, Von Bell is missed.

So really, it's been cb2 and SS that has been issues in the secondary

[grampahol]

(11-17-2023, 02:12 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Honestly, people are overlooking the loss of Apple.

I know, sounds crazy, but Chidobe hasnt been the same since the knee injury. Eli became a stable cb2. Solid

Dax is fine, Von Bell is missed.

So really, it's been cb2 and SS that has been issues in the secondary

But, but, but..Apple ran his mouth.. He was the Anti-Andy! 

[Roland]

Battle played well. He played most of the game and had 11 tackles. Not sure why Scott is still listed as the starter.

Dax had a couple of missed tackles. He needs to lock that down.

CTB obviously wasn't 100% and Awuzie is still getting back up to speed. Turner is on the CTB track to be good by the end of the year. We have the makings of a great young secondary.

Our big problem is that in spite of a lot of investment, we don't have the depth on Dline to create any pressure when we lose one key piece. Jackson had all day and when the scramble drill starts people are going to get free.

[tms]

Battle played 57 snaps to Scott's 11. I think the "battle" is over.

He played well too. I don't know what plans Lou has for him, tho. Seems to be a bit of a hybrid between Bell in the box and Bates in center field. He can play both. The problem is who'll be his battery mate. I don't like what I've seen from Dax lately (or ever, tbh). He's uber-athletic but doesn't have exceptional ball skills. Battle plays on his front foot (as Bates and Bell both did) whereas Hill is still reactionary. I thought that would fade with experience but it could simply be how he is. Which would be a problem.

Bigger problem is the boundary corners imo. CTB is strong but that's where it ends. Turner definitely doesn't have ball skills, Chido's lost a step, and Ivey's a total wild card. The fact that two are rookies and one is a second-year makes it worse since Lou runs his defense from the backfield in (at least he did with B & B) and he doesn't have that luxury with all these kids. I think Scott was meant to be the glue and that backfired.

Anyway, I miss them too. No matter how they played they were a stabilizing force. We're playing whack-a-mole trying to recreate their production now.

[Essex Johnson]

(11-17-2023, 03:19 AM)Trademark Wrote: This defense is atrocious without them. Heck I miss Eli Apple too...

well Bell is underperforming for Carolina so maybe age is catching up with him....

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(11-17-2023, 07:29 AM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: Honestly with burrow going down this year it was the perfect year to get some fresh blood in the secondary and develop them. I like the young guys Dax and Battle at safety. I like Turner and CTB. Next year we’ll be much better and hopefully burrow is healthy for a run.

Last year was the year to win it all, but we got unlucky with the oline injuries.
Next year could be another great window year to win it all. Need to stay healthy.

This, I like our young players a lot. Dax, Battle, DJ, CTB are all extremely good for how young they are.

Watch these guys develop into a top Secondary. We miss Bell. Bates was never going to be here so no need to cry over losing him.

Scott is the problem, he is no Vonn Bell and Battle needs to grow into a Vonn Bell, he has the instincts and he is bigger than Bell.

Battle could end up being better than Bell, yah never know.

I also love Tycen Anderson's upside for the future as well.

(11-17-2023, 08:14 AM)BengalsLUFC Wrote: It’s the vets that have killed us this year.

Dax,CTB and Turner have been solid for the most part.

Chido  looks like a shell of the player he was and at this point who’s going to sign him away from us at the end of the season based on this year?

Nick Scott can **** off and when he gets to wherever he’s ****** off to he can **** off again.

Nice post BengalsUFC. Made me laugh and I agree.