The Good, The Bad, and The Fugly; Preseason Game 2

[Nepa]

(6 hours ago)WeezyBengal Wrote: I'd say Burrow playing way too much, trying to make way too much happen for a preseason game is one of the fuglys. 

For the love of God, will someone save this man from himself? Grow some balls before you torpedo the season, ZT.

Burrow really needed the reps. He hadn't played a solid defense in 8 months, and it took him time to get adjusted. You could see that in his running around and losing about 15 yards on one play, when his brain didn't seem to comprehend that he should throw it away. And when Chase and Higgins went out, Burrow was misfiring badly until he got it figured out. 

It takes time to adjust to the speed of the game, which cannot be replicated in practice. Burrow had by far the worse game of the season last year in the first regular season game against New England, when he threw for only 164 yards and no TDs, and the Bengals scored 10 points. He needs the reps. And he knows he needs the reps. And this year the first game is at a divisional foe,  a place where he had his second worse game of the 2024 season. 

[BengalsBong]

(1 hour ago)Joelist Wrote: Looking at the film you see that a lot of the early defensive issues were of all things schematic, and mostly mental. not only did they play vanilla in terms of wrinkles but there was zero diagnosis and recognition going on - which is the disturbing part. You can play vanilla and still read plays and react correctly. Then of course DC on offense also opened up the playbook. and so you had ridiculous nonsense like us in a 4 man front with a cavernous gap in its center and only 2 linebackers....it would have been amazing NOT to get gashed on a run in that look. Sorry but they should have switched out of that stupid 4-2-5 look after one play. We have a large enough LB room to use 4-3-4 so use it.

Right around the middle of the second quarter the defense solidified. Part of it was Barrett Carter coming in a LB but also they went to a "heavier" look with some 4-3 in it. This took the easy runs away and forced passes - which got picked. So when we blast the defense remember they did not have a "Front 7" when the 1s were in - it was a "Front 6".

Been screaming this for years we need to play in a 4-3 to stop the run especially in the AFC north.

At least we picked up 2 linebackers and a FA backer in the off season.

Now if they can put the right 3 on the field in the right spots. I do not like Wilson in the middle give me a thumper not a cover guy in the middle of our defense.