2016 Bengals: Cornering the Market

[Rudy's Curve]

The Bengals did not use the franchise tag which they should've used on George Iloka. Fourth-year player Shawn Williams is definitely going to get one of the safety spots while they have the option of second-year player Derron Smith or to bring back Reggie Nelson for the other, but Iloka is the only proven defensive player they've drafted in the last five years and he's very likely gone. Now they really need to get Marvin Jones and Adam Jones back in free agency to remain a legitimate contender.

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Hope they can stay healthy next year. They were actually a pretty fun team to watch with everyone on the field, and firing on all cylinders.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Hope they can stay healthy next year. They were actually a pretty fun team to watch with everyone on the field, and firing on all cylinders.

They led the AFC in SRS and DVOA last year so there's definitely a lot to work with. However, they were very fortunate with health as they finished first in FOs Adjusted Games Lost metric. Unfortunately, Dalton's injury came at the wrong time and they missed out on a bye on a tiebreaker (of course, that would've been moot if they held on to a 14-point lead in Denver). Hopefully they can weather Burfict's suspension like they weathered his injury last year when they started 6-0, but he's pretty clearly a difference maker. They also have no WR depth if Marvin Jones leaves (Sanu is gone and not a starter anyways) and could really use Adam Jones back, as although he's 32 he's still playing at a high level with no signs of decline.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

If there's any truth to this, then he's gone:

Dianna Marie Russini ‏@diannaESPN 50m50 minutes ago
Youth will be served. 25 year old Marvin Jones of the Bengals will get a HUGE deal in a few days. Top receiver on most NFL free agent boards

The Bengals haven't been shy about extending their own guys while under contract (Green, Atkins, Dunlap) but they rarely match big deals in FA. Good thing they drafted Will Clarke over Moncrief and John Brown two years ago and passed on Lockett and Diggs last year. Now they'll be desperate for a WR in a very shallow class.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

All in all, a solid first week of free agency. I didn't think they'd be able to resign Iloka after they didn't franchise him but they locked him up before he hit the market. They were also able to get Adam Jones back to keep most of the key pieces of the defense - Reggie Nelson and Leon Hall are probably goners at this point but that was to be expected. They also brought back supersub LB Vinny Rey, although ideally that's the role he'll occupy once Burfict returns while last year's third-rounder Paul Dawson takes a starting job. Either way, they need to upgrade the athleticism in that unit.

On the flip side, they lost Marvin Jones. It's unfortunate they only got two healthy years out of him (and didn't make him a FT player until down the stretch in 2013) because he's a really good receiver. Supposedly the Bengals offered a similar deal to what he got in Detroit, but he wanted to be the top option which obviously wasn't going to happen in Cincinnati. I can handle losing him (and Sanu, who was never coming back), but the problem is they ignored the last two WR classes which have produced a ton of good players in the middle rounds. Now they're desperate for a starting receiver and might even double up on the position in the first two rounds like they did with tackles last year.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Anyone want to give the lowdown on LaFell? I know he couldn't catch a cold last year but he seemed to have a pretty decent year in 2014 and is young enough that hopefully there's something left in the tank. Unfortunately he'll probably see too many snaps on the outside since the Bengals rarely give rookies extended playing time.

 

[pappymojo]

I think LaFell will be a solid contributor for the Bengals. Depending on how much money he is making, seems like a good fit for both parties.

I don't think the Patriots make and win the Super Bowl without him in 2014. He certainly had issues in 2015 but it is hard to quantify how much of that was him reverting to his true form versus him dealing with injuries.

I certainly wish him the best. He never seemed to be a distraction on the team and he seemed to work hard and genuinely try.

 

[Mugsy's Walk-Off Bunt]

I'll always be grateful for LaFell. Definitely a big contributor to Lombardi #4. Iffy hands, good blocker, can make some plays. I wouldn't be stunned if he gives the Bengals production that's some sort of middle ground bw 2014 and 2015 w the Pats.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Ian Rapoport

‎@RapSheet
The #Bengals are signing LB Karlos Dansby today, source said. The former #Browns defender visited last week.

He'll turn 35 in November, but he should just be playing in nickel situations and adds athleticism this unit sorely needed. Ideally, last year's third-rounder Paul Dawson will become a starter alongside Burfict and Maualuga.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

The Bengals certainly didn't catch any breaks with the timing of the schedule as they'll open at the Jets (they haven't opened at home since 2009 which has to be the longest streak in the league) and Pittsburgh before hosting Denver while Burfict is suspended. That's followed by a Thursday night home game against Miami (where he's only going to have one practice) and another set of back-to-back road games at Dallas and New England. I'll be pretty happy if they can get through that stretch 4-2, especially if it comes with two wins against Pittsburgh/Denver/New England (obviously it will be very tough to win in Foxboro) for potential tiebreakers. They've mostly always managed to beat teams they should over the last five years though, so hopefully they can still manage to take care of the Jets (although the early line is a pick'em), Denver, Miami and Dallas.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

No one loves first round corners like the Bengals - that's three in five years and five in 11 in addition to signing Adam Jones and Terence Newman. Jackson was pretty clearly their BPA (and by all accounts they took him from the Steelers) and provides quality insurance to Jones' age/injuries and Dennard's recovery from shoulder surgery. Unfortunately, if Kirkpatrick and Dennard are any recent indications, he won't have much of an impact his first year which is unfortunate for a team trying to win now. This almost certainly means Kirkpatrick will walk after this year and hopefully he'll battle Dennard for a starting spot next year.

After being left standing in the WR musical chairs game, they need to come away with one tonight. They were in a similar spot four years ago when they took Sanu in the third and Marvin Jones in the fifth. Hopefully they can walk away with Garrett/Carroo/Michael Thomas (tOSU) tonight and then Mike Thomas (Southern Miss.) Saturday. They'll probably also come away with a DL tonight as they need a NT replacement for Peko next year and a third DE now since Margus Hunt and Will Clarke are all but busts.

 

[soxfan121]

I am done criticizing Duke Tobin draft picks. He's had his misses, but the Bengals drafting (in general) during his tenure has been exemplary and his BPA picks have contributed to one of the most solid rosters in the league.

Note: I refuse to give Mike Brown any credit at all for this.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

I am done criticizing Duke Tobin draft picks. He's had his misses, but the Bengals drafting (in general) during his tenure has been exemplary and his BPA picks have contributed to one of the most solid rosters in the league.

Note: I refuse to give Mike Brown any credit at all for this.

I can't complain. Green and Dalton were no-brainers at those spots but he really killed it the next year when they got Iloka and Marvin Jones in the fifth and Burfict in CFA. They really need to hit on a DL here with Gilberry gone and being so dependent on a deep rotation to keep everyone fresh - they had a great run in '09-10 where they got Johnson/Dunlap/Atkins in the third/second/fourth but they're 0 for 4 since.

As for Mikey, he's responsible for a decade-plus of historical futility and a rocky 2000s but I have to give him credit for finally stepping aside after they bottomed out in 2010 and handing the team over to Katie, Duke and Marvin. It's no coincidence they've been perennial contenders since then and he really doesn't do much anymore.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

The Bengals didn't hit every need but still hit some very important ones. Second-rounder Tyler Boyd should start in the slot and push LaFell for snaps on the outside but lacks the separation and YAC skills that Marvin Jones brought. Third-round LB Nick Vigil will probably only play on special teams this year but has a nice blend of athleticism and versatility that could make him a starter next year. They finally ended Andrew Billings' free fall in the fourth - he should see some snaps this year and start next year assuming they finally move on from Peko. Fifth-rounder Christian Westerman had a Day 2 projection, can back up all the interior spots and eventually start at C if Russell Bodine keeps getting pushed into the backfield consistently. Sixth-round WR Cody Core and seventh-round S Clayton Fejedelem are projects who are probably headed for the practice squad.

It's possible that each of their first five picks could be starters next year which would make it a home run. Unfortunately, they still have a big need at DE where they didn't replace Wallace Gilberry and will have to rely on Margus Hunt and Will Clarke, neither of whom have shown anything to this point, to back up a declining Michael Johnson. I guess there's a sliver of hope with Clarke under a new position coach but Hunt's door is probably closed after three years and given he turns 29 in a couple months.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

The Bengals signed Shawn Williams to a four year/$19 million extension with only $4 million guaranteed. Although he hasn't played a ton, he did a very good job as a nickel LB and starting at safety when Iloka went down last year and then when Nelson got hurt in the playoffs as well as being a big contributor on special teams. They believed in him enough to let Nelson walk and now have two ascending young safeties locked up for the foreseeable future.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

In a somewhat surprising move, the Bengals cut last year's third-rounder PJ Dawson when they claimed Jeff Driskel at final cuts. Dawson being a healthy scratch for the third preseason game was a big red flag though and he appeared to be pretty uncoachable which is a death knell on top of the physical limitations he's always had despite having good instincts. Driskel gives them a project at QB where hopefully he can develop into a quality backup which will allow them to trade McCarron next year. I certainly would've taken the return the Eagles got for Bradford and McCarron is more valuable especially considering salaries.

They were also bit hard by the injury bug during camp/preseason. Andrew Billings (who I was hoping would start at NT next year) and Marcus Hardison (who was competing for the nickel DT job) were both lost for the year while ST ace Cedric Peerman and first-rounder William Jackson were both placed on IR after final cuts which means one of them can come back (after Week 8) but both can't. In addition, second-year tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher should be back Sunday but both missed almost all the preseason and the valuable reps that come with it.

As mentioned upthread, I am worried about replacing Marvin Jones. Tyler Boyd has done a nice job in the slot and working underneath but both he and LaFell lack the separation skills that Jones had on the outside. That's going to be especially magnified with Eifert out at least this week. They were faced with pretty much this same scenario two years ago and leaned hard on the power running game but that's going to be pretty tough against their first three opponents (NYJ, PIT, DEN).

Thankfully, the defense is still really good. They lost Reggie Nelson and Leon Hall, but Shawn Williams should be able to fill in capably for Nelson (they certainly feel so as they extended him despite only four career starts) while Josh Shaw occupies the slot corner role although Hall was one of the best in the game there. Their biggest loss might have been third DE Wallace Gilberry going to Detroit, because behind Dunlap and Michael Johnson are Margus Hunt (it's year four and he still sucks) and Will Clarke (it's year three and he still sucks). They have as much depth as they've ever had at LB with the signing of Karlos Dansby and drafting of Nick Vigil (who should start next year if not sooner) and should be able to weather Burfict's suspension although it certainly isn't optimal. When he returns they should return to being a top-five unit again.

The schedule starts out very tough (at NYJ, at PIT, DEN, MIA, at DAL and at NE) especially without Burfict for three games and Eifert for at least one, although the Dallas game looks a lot better now. I'd be very satisfied if they can come out of that 4-2 before hopefully a return to health and a soft middle of the schedule.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

It sure as hell wasn't pretty but road wins in this league rarely are. A.J. Green reminded us that he's superhuman, and he's going to have to be at least until Eifert comes back. Although there were a couple of times where he should've gotten rid of it, Dalton held in there despite a ferocious rush to average over 12 yards an attempt without a ton of YAC and lead them down the field with the game on the line. There's no way he would've been able to do that earlier in his career - I'm not rushing to put him in the upper echelon of quarterbacks but he's certainly matured. The running game didn't get much going although that was to be expected against a very stout front, but Hill's TD was an impressive run and fighting through the contact was something he wasn't able to do last year. I was surprised by Bernard's lack of involvement in the passing game - that usually functions as their running game against good run defenses and the Jets' base LBs are pretty slow, but I guess who needs to do that when you can just throw it to 18? LaFell went for 91 yards and caught all four targets including a huge 49-yarder on 3rd and 18 in the third which led to a TD while TE C.J. Uzomah had a big 54-yard catch and run down the seam which got the offense off the mat and would've had a TD later that drive if Dalton didn't underthrow him, although he still could've caught it.

Obviously, seven sacks are a big problem and the blame lies mostly with Russell Bodine. He often gets bench-pressed back into the quarterback but the frequency and quickness in which it happened yesterday was worse than it's ever been. It's not an optimal solution, but Boling and Zeitler have the ability to play center with Jake Fisher filling a guard spot and it's something they may have to consider soon because this can't go on much longer. A matchup against Cameron Heyward (who routinely rag dolls Bodine) isn't looking too appetizing next week.

It wasn't their best defensive effort yesterday, but they really showed some guts on a hot day where they were on the field a lot. They made a big goal-to-go stand already down 7-0 where a TD would've meant a very uphill climb and then Margus Hunt finally showed off his kick-blocking prowess which kept it a one-score game. He also flashed on defense with a TFL and a couple hurries which is something they're really going to need. The run defense was gashed for 5.3 a carry between Forte and Powell and really wore down in the second half although some of it may have been due to selling out to stop Marshall and Decker, plus they were in nickel almost the entire game as Maualuga only played eight snaps. They also made three big red zone holds which turned out to be the difference. The secondary continued to be nails, holding Fitzpatrick to 5.4 an attempt with Josh Shaw picking up an interception to seal the game with perfect coverage.

On to Pittsburgh next week in what will be another very tough one without Burfict and likely Eifert - at least Bell will be out too. They should have success in theory throwing the ball against that secondary but Pittsburgh's exotic looks and blitzes generally confuse Dalton and he'll have pressure in his face all day from Heyward against Bodine. They'll definitely need Bernard out of the backfield and the secondary receivers to step up to have a chance to win this one.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Heightened awareness, they said.

Mike Mitchell makes Burfict look like Gandhi. I'm anxiously awaiting his three-game suspension.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Never in a million years did I think this defense would get owned at home by Trevor Siemian making his first road start, but that they did. They killed themselves with penalties and two dropped picks in the first half before wearing down in the second despite keeping Anderson in check. Vinny Rey is a nice story who worked his way up from the practice squad to become a captain and core special teamer, but he's simply not a starting linebacker. He had one of the killer dropped picks on what ultimately led to a TD drive at the end of the half and often looks like this in coverage. Adam Jones got uncharacteristically whipped by Sanders (after fumbling a punt where he was down, but I digress) for one of the long TDs and then as was mentioned in the Broncos thread, playing cover zero with Chris Lewis-Harris on Demaryius Thomas would not have been my first choice. They have big problems at DE too as Michael Johnson looks like he's never recovered from the injuries he suffered his year in Tampa Bay. I never thought I'd be saying this but I'd give Will Clarke more snaps at this point - he's at least shown signs of life rushing the passer. Thank god Burfict is back on Thursday - even if he's on a snap count, he's a huge difference maker.

Offensively, that's probably what I expected when a one-read QB plays the best defense in the league without a second option that can consistently separate and no TE. After gashing them the first drive with the run, they were never able to replicate it and the offense was so bad in the second half that their best option by a mile was Dalton scrambling when the play broke down. Eifert is about as sorely needed offensively as Burfict is defensively - he may not play Thursday, but hopefully they'll still be able to get by Miami and he'll have 10 more days to get ready for Dallas.

Being 1-2 sucks (and it's absolutely sickening they're two games behind the Ravens), but they've played two of, if not three, the toughest games on the schedule, only one has been at home and they're getting two top-five players at their positions back soon who haven't played a down yet. They really have to beat Miami and Dallas the next two weeks which won't be easy - I think it'll be a close game Thursday night and they'll probably be underdogs in Dallas - as they have the Pats in Foxboro after that which is all but an L. Being in the HF race like last year is pretty much an afterthought (especially with losses to Denver and Pittsburgh and a likely one to NE), but if they can get out of Foxboro 3-3 and healthy with a soft middle of the schedule coming up I'll take my chances.

 

[jsinger121]

Never in a million years did I think this defense would get owned at home by Trevor Siemian making his first road start, but that they did. They killed themselves with penalties and two dropped picks in the first half before wearing down in the second despite keeping Anderson in check. Vinny Rey is a nice story who worked his way up from the practice squad to become a captain and core special teamer, but he's simply not a starting linebacker. He had one of the killer dropped picks on what ultimately led to a TD drive at the end of the half and often looks like this in coverage. Adam Jones got uncharacteristically whipped by Sanders (after fumbling a punt where he was down, but I digress) for one of the long TDs and then as was mentioned in the Broncos thread, playing cover zero with Chris Lewis-Harris on Demaryius Thomas would not have been my first choice. They have big problems at DE too as Michael Johnson looks like he's never recovered from the injuries he suffered his year in Tampa Bay. I never thought I'd be saying this but I'd give Will Clarke more snaps at this point - he's at least shown signs of life rushing the passer. Thank god Burfict is back on Thursday - even if he's on a snap count, he's a huge difference maker.

Offensively, that's probably what I expected when a one-read QB plays the best defense in the league without a second option that can consistently separate and no TE. After gashing them the first drive with the run, they were never able to replicate it and the offense was so bad in the second half that their best option by a mile was Dalton scrambling when the play broke down. Eifert is about as sorely needed offensively as Burfict is defensively - he may not play Thursday, but hopefully they'll still be able to get by Miami and he'll have 10 more days to get ready for Dallas.

Being 1-2 sucks (and it's absolutely sickening they're two games behind the Ravens), but they've played two of, if not three, the toughest games on the schedule, only one has been at home and they're getting two top-five players at their positions back soon who haven't played a down yet. They really have to beat Miami and Dallas the next two weeks which won't be easy - I think it'll be a close game Thursday night and they'll probably be underdogs in Dallas - as they have the Pats in Foxboro after that which is all but an L. Being in the HF race like last year is pretty much an afterthought (especially with losses to Denver and Pittsburgh and a likely one to NE), but if they can get out of Foxboro 3-3 and healthy with a soft middle of the schedule coming up I'll take my chances.

They are undisciplined poorly coached team. If this team canned Lewis and elevated Zimmer a few years back I would take them seriously but I never will.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

They are undisciplined poorly coached team. If this team canned Lewis and elevated Zimmer a few years back I would take them seriously but I never will.

Undisciplined and poorly coached teams don't go 53-29-1 with average QB play over the last five-plus years. The four teams with better records over that time (NE/DEN/SEA/GB) have all had excellent to HOF caliber QB play for at least most of that stretch. They've also done that in a division that's produced six Wild Card teams in that time - no other division has more than four. But hey, thanks as usual for your utterly worthless contribution.

 

[SMU_Sox]

Not that penalty yards are the best way to measure this but...
1st = most/highest 32nd = fewest/lowest I combined personal fouls, unnecessary roughness, roughing the passer, unsportsmanlike conduct into one metric and will give you that rank too... call it PF.
Bengals 2016: 18th in penalties accepted, 25th in accepted penalty yards, tied for 1st in PF (along with 3 other teams).
Bengals 2015: 14th in penalties accepted, 15th in accepted penalty yards, tied for 9th in PF (along with 6 other teams).
Bengals 2014: 21st in penalties accepted, 25th in accepted penalty yards, tied for 8th in PF (along with 5 other teams).
Bengals 2013: 13th in penalties accepted, 6th in accepted penalty yards, tied for 6th in PF.
Bengals 2012: 21st in penalties accepted, 16th in accepted penalty yards, tied for 23rd in PF.
Bengals 2011: 18th in penalties accepted, 13th in accepted penalty yards, tied for 17th in PF.

So... since 2013 they have been in the top 10 for some of the more stereotypical hot headed plays but 2016 is a small sample size. In 2015 and 2014 they were really more in the middle of the pack when you take how many teams they were tied with. Overall though they are not an overly penalized bunch.

 

[Toe Nash]

Is number of penalties a good measure? I think you'd have to look deeper at types of penalties.

And is Dalton an average QB? He was in the top three in most efficiency measures last year. I wouldn't sell him that short.

I think the point is they have had a lot of talent and it feels like they should be better than they have been. They've been one and done in the playoffs 5 times (Lewis is 0-7!), and then there are the prime time struggles (which I think is more randomness than anything, but it's a thing). Last year they obviously lost their cool at the worst time. These losses have to get in the team's heads and you can't just dismiss this by pointing to their regular season record. Is it gameplanning? Is it keeping the players in the game? Is it playcalling? Is it execution?

Most coaches wouldn't have survived long enough to lose in the first round 7 times. Continuity has its benefits, but...maybe there's an issue there.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Is number of penalties a good measure? I think you'd have to look deeper at types of penalties.

SMU broke it down. They've been in the top 10 the last three years in "undisciplined" penalties but were in the bottom half the two years before that.

And is Dalton an average QB? He was in the top three in most efficiency measures last year. I wouldn't sell him that short.

He was having an MVP-caliber season last year before he went down but his ANY/A ranks from 2011-14 were 19th, 19th, 11th and 22nd. Overall, that's pretty average.

I think the point is they have had a lot of talent and it feels like they should be better than they have been. They've been one and done in the playoffs 5 times (Lewis is 0-7!), and then there are the prime time struggles (which I think is more randomness than anything, but it's a thing). Last year they obviously lost their cool at the worst time. These losses have to get in the team's heads and you can't just dismiss this by pointing to their regular season record. Is it gameplanning? Is it keeping the players in the game? Is it playcalling? Is it execution?

It's a little bit of everything. Let's take a look at each loss:

2005 - Palmer is the second-best QB in the league after Peyton. He goes down on the second play of the game, which was a 66-yard completion to Chris Henry who dislocated his shoulder on the same play. Kitna leads a couple TD drives but turns back into Jon Kitna in the second half and the defense melts down. I don't think their defense was good enough to make a deep run but given that they hung 38 on Pittsburgh a month before and started that one with a bomb, I think they had a pretty decent shot to win that game.

2009 - This team wasn't even good (.7 SRS) - they just won a bunch of close games. They were also badly banged up by the end of the year and facing a Jets team that was really good for a Wild Card (8.6 SRS) and hit its stride at the perfect time. This result shouldn't be too surprising.

2011 - Another team that wasn't good but just won a bunch of close games (.5 SRS). It was still an excellent coaching job given that they were widely projected to be the worst team in the league that year. Losing by 21 in the playoffs is never a good look, but it was as close to a house money game as you can get.

2012 - Dalton misses an open Green in the end zone that would've given them the lead with under three minutes to go. Hard to win playoff games with a 45 passer rating.

2013 - Bernard has a killer fumble inside the SD 5 late in the first half. After the Chargers score to go ahead early in the second half, Jay Gruden inexplicably abandons the run that had been gashing them in the first half and when they had met a month earlier. Dalton drops back 54 times and shits himself. Chargers win going away.

2014 - This team was decimated by injuries (no Marvin Jones or Eifert for the year, Green missed at least a part of six games, Burfict only played five). They were fortunate to play both South divisions that year which was why they made the playoffs. Their starting WRs/TE in the playoff game were Mohamed Sanu, Rex Burkhead and Kevin Brock. Has anyone even heard of Kevin Brock? I know Brady made an AFC CG throwing to Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney but those guys were still a hell of a lot better than that crew.

2015 - No Dalton for the playoff game. He's never played well against Pittsburgh and it was hard to throw in the rain that night but he was playing at an MVP level and is still better than McCarron. League admits Bryant catch wasn't a TD, Shazier essentially should've been flagged which produced a turnover, Porter should've been flagged, etc. Yes, they lost their cool at the worst time although I still don't see what Burfict should've done - he deliberately tucked his elbow in and was lining up to hit Brown square in the shoulder/chest before his head dropped at the last second making it impossible to pull up. Jones also doesn't get flagged if they correctly flag Porter. That game will always be a farce.

The common theme in all these losses except for last year is being badly outscored in the second half. That's certainly on the coaching although it's hard to win with the generally awful QB play they've had.

Most coaches wouldn't have survived long enough to lose in the first round 7 times. Continuity has its benefits, but...maybe there's an issue there.

Marvin is certainly far from perfect and Mike reportedly nixed a succession plan where Hue would've taken over after next year, which I certainly would've been in favor of. He's obviously not an elite coach but I think bad QB play and some pretty terribly unlucky circumstances have held them back a lot more than he has.

 

[rmaher]

How about those Thursday night "White Tiger" uniforms? Woof!

 

[koufax32]

Just so I'm clear, I am not ripping on people with disabilities, okay?

Does that tiger have Down's Syndrome?

 

[tims4wins]

I thought the unis were a major improvement from their usual unis. Especially the shoulder design / striping and side panel. Their normal unis are too busy. If they were allowed to wear white helmets with the black stripes the look would have been incredible.

 

[RFDA2000]

Just so I'm clear, I am not ripping on people with disabilities, okay?

Does that tiger have Down's Syndrome?

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/kenny-white-tiger-reveals-price-inbreeding/

 

[soxfan121]

@Rudy's Curve - I cannot imagine how frustrating it is to root for this team. The Marvin Lewis era is never gonna amount to nothing, and it is situation normal (all fucked up) in Bengal town. Again, one of the most talented rosters in the league is being mismanaged and under-coached, and again, they'll bomb out of the playoffs because Marvin is lousy game planner, but he'll be back again next season because Mike "Jeremy Jacobs" Brown only cares about getting a home playoff game and enough wins to dupe the fans into renewing their season tickets.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

@Rudy's Curve - I cannot imagine how frustrating it is to root for this team. The Marvin Lewis era is never gonna amount to nothing, and it is situation normal (all fucked up) in Bengal town. Again, one of the most talented rosters in the league is being mismanaged and under-coached, and again, they'll bomb out of the playoffs because Marvin is lousy game planner, but he'll be back again next season because Mike "Jeremy Jacobs" Brown only cares about getting a home playoff game and enough wins to dupe the fans into renewing their season tickets.

It's certainly frustrating but I think you're overstating it a little bit. They're 2-2 while one of their difference-makers on defense has played one game and a difference-maker on offense hasn't played a snap. If they can get out of Foxboro in two weeks 3-3 (hardly taking a win in Dallas for granted though I think they're certainly capable) and healthy, I'll take my chances with a CLE/WAS/NYG/BUF/BAL/PHI/CLE stretch after that.

As for Marvin, he certainly has his warts but as I said above, I think he's been a victim of really bad QB play and unlucky circumstances too. That's not to say he's blameless - he could've told Jay Gruden (fuck that guy) to run the goddamn ball against the Chargers and it's on him that Pacman bumped a ref at the worst possible time. They've often been destroyed in the second half of these games too - sometimes they've been outclassed talent-wise but they have to be more competitive. I would have moved on when a possible upgrade in-house existed (Zimmer/Jackson), but the odds of a better coach coming from outside the organization aren't as big as you think.

The problem is more that their last two drafts have kind of sucked. Dennard is really going to have to turn it around not to be a bust and they had an inadequate plan for Marvin Jones moving on. LaFell is a nice placeholder and Boyd might be a starter down the line but neither one of them can consistently separate which you need with a middle of the pack QB. The 14 and 15 drafts were loaded with good WRs - obviously they couldn't have drafted Beckham/Evans/Cooper, etc., but all they used on it were two sevenths. They took Will Clarke, who did nothing his first two years but has come on this year so I guess there's some hope, over Moncrief and John Brown two years ago and Marcus Hardison (whose next regular season game will be his first and it won't come this year) over Diggs last year. Drafting is obviously an extremely inexact science but they didn't give themselves a chance to have a good starter for when Jones left. They haven't hit on a DL since getting Atkins and Dunlap in 2010 and haven't had a really good draft since 2012 where their first two days actually sucked but then they got Jones and Iloka in day three and Burfict in CFA.

As for Mike, he's gotten a lot better over the years but I'm pretty pissed that he nixed a succession plan where Hue would have taken over after next year. It's going to be an uphill climb for home field this year so hopefully they can get the five seed if they don't win the division and play a weak South winner.

 

[Super Nomario]

The Bengals were also 55-137 with zero playoff appearances from 1991 to 2002. I'm guessing Rudy and other Bengals fans are happier with where they are now than where they were then.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Next week should end the season. They made the playoffs in 2012 at 3-5 but the AFC was much weaker then. Ten days to prepare for this one too, hell of a job all around.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Next week should end the season. They made the playoffs in 2012 at 3-5 but the AFC was much weaker then. Ten days to prepare for this one too, hell of a job all around.

Sorry Rudy. Hope you keep posting here because you've been rocking it all season.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Sorry Rudy. Hope you keep posting here because you've been rocking it all season.

I appreciate it SSF. Assuming they lose next week, they have to take at least six of seven in the CLE/WAS/at NYG/BUF/at BAL/PHI/at CLE stretch and then two of three of PIT/at HOU/BAL to close the season to have a chance. Oakland is in pretty good shape for one Wild Card now which likely leaves one spot among them, Buffalo, Baltimore and Kansas City. It's tough to imagine that happening at the moment given how broken they look.

Dalton is what he is at this point - an average quarterback. When you surround him with Marvin Jones and Eifert in addition to Green, keep him spotless and have a great OC, he's capable of having the season he had last year. However, that's not the case right now:

- Hill looks nothing like the player that ran over the league down the stretch in 2014. They've barely used FB Ryan Hewitt (who they extended before the season) who was on the field for a ton of those plays, but Hill has still significantly regressed on his own.

- The protection, long a staple of this team, has fucking sucked. Whitworth is finally starting to show signs of age while last year's first-rounder Cedric Ogbuehi has been a disaster on the right side. Andre Smith became increasingly unreliable as his tenure here came to a close and letting him go was the right move, but he was generally good when he was on the field. And this is in addition to the likely league-worst center play they've been getting for two-plus years from the utterly atrocious Russell Bodine. The Cowboys are pretty bereft of a pass rush (although getting Demarcus Lawrence back helped) and they got push at will.

- The complementary options are pretty terrible right now. LaFell's best days are behind him - ignore the garbage time production today and can they please stop running jet sweeps with him? C.J. Uzomah has made a couple plays but he can't catch a cold and he's not Eifert, especially in the red zone where they've been horrible. Eifert was supposed to be back this week as his ankle healed, but then he hurt his back at practice on Monday. He gets hurt. A lot.

- So when you add it all up, you have an average quarterback with an offense that can't run block, can't protect and only has one guy that can beat you. It's a miracle Green has taken over two games like he has - it's not that hard to take him out given the rest of the offense.

- Defensively, they miss Reggie Nelson and Leon Hall more than I thought. I still think it was the right move letting them go, but you're going to have growing pains with new starters. Shawn Williams has been out of position a ton and doesn't have anywhere near the ball skills Nelson had while Hall was one of the best slot corners in the league. Darqueze Dennard is not an NFL-quality player right now. Considering he was a first-round pick, that's not good.

- Michael Johnson is finished. He was never a great pass rusher, but he was a decent one while being a very good run defender and able to play a ton of snaps. He's none of that now.

- Adam Jones has fallen off. It's hardly surprising as he's about to be 33 and plays a really physical style while also returning kicks and punts, but considering he missed two seasons I was hoping his body would be two years younger.

- For the love of god, enough with Vincent Rey. Please. Stop. Let rookie Nick Vigil (who should be a starter next year) come in and take his lumps now. It can't be any worse than Rey, who is a glorified special teamer.

- Speaking of Rey, Maualuga really turned in a hell of a performance today. He prides himself on being an excellent run-stuffer and taking on linemen - he was either destroyed or way out of position repeatedly as Elliott and Morris went through this defense like a hot knife through butter. You could've driven an 18-wheeler through those cutback lanes.

- In addition to having his team dominated from the opening kickoff despite an extra three days to prepare, Marvin really turned in a chickenshit performance today. Good thing he punted on 4th and 5 from the Dallas 40 and 4th and 6 from the 41 on their first two possessions - that field position really ended up making a huge difference. And then to top it off, he kicks on 4th and 9 from the 32 to open the second half down 28-0 and Nugent (not one of the 32 best kickers around but hey he's from Ohio and went to OSU!) promptly misses from 50 in a dome. For reference, Vinatieri never misses. Like, ever.

Other than that, the play's been great says Mrs. Lincoln.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Bump.

It's funny the last post is from right after the Cowboys game, because that's when the obituary may as well have been written. Even in the worst AFC North ever by a mile, yesterday's loss all but eliminated them as they're 2.5 back of Pittsburgh and Baltimore with five to go. It was unrealistic to expect them to be as good as last year with personnel and coaching losses while not being as fortunate on the injury front, but it turned out to be a worst-case scenario. I think I'm rooting for losses going forward - it would be one thing if they were a young team with a new coach that needed to learn how to win, but it's exactly the opposite and there need to be changes. Most of the guys from the last few years are still here (and in their primes) and they're in a lot better shape than they were when they rebooted six years ago so they need to build a better supporting cast around them.

First and foremost, they need a right end/SAM that can get around the edge and bend. This defense is S-L-O-W and I can't even recall the last time they had a good speed rusher. Dunlap is a bull-rusher/power guy as was Justin Smith (who they played out of position - he'd be a shoo-in HOFer if he played his entire career in San Francisco). They clearly believe in taller ends but considering they haven't hit on a DE since Dunlap, it might be time to rethink their philosophy. Elsewhere along the line, it's time for Domata Peko to go. They need to get younger, but considering the coaches love him and they kept Robert Geathers (another coaches favorite) through 2014 when he probably expired in the Bush administration, I'm not optimistic.

They also badly need an infusion of athleticism at linebacker. Burfict is fine - he wasn't in great shape when he came back but he's still a legitimate three-down linebacker. Unfortunately, there's not much else to work with. Maualuga's days appear to be numbered - he's only been a two-down player for years now, but teams are still allowed to pass when he's in the game. Karlos Dansby has been a colossal disappointment - although he's aging, he came advertised with the ability to play nickel and be a plus against the pass. That couldn't have turned out further from the truth as he's been a massive liability all year. Adios. There's some hope for rookie third-rounder Nick Vigil, but he's going to have to get a lot better this offseason. Either way, this unit sorely needs an upgrade.

The secondary has also been largely disappointing this year. Adam Jones' play has dropped sharply - I suppose it's hardly surprising given his age and style of play, but he had been defying it for a while. The extension they gave Shawn Williams isn't looking very good right now and Derron Smith is probably a better option there. Dre Kirkpatrick has actually had a pretty decent year (the horrible penalty late in the first half against the Pats excepted) and he's up for free agency. Normally I'd be interested in bringing him back, but they already have one first-round corner in Darqueze Dennard that can't get on the field - Will Jackson needs to play next year and I wouldn't be opposed to handing him a starting job. Of course, it would be nice to get him some reps this year but they decided it was more important to activate Cedric Peerman (a special teamer) from IR than their first round corner in a lost season. Have I mentioned they need a new organizational philosophy?

They haven't been bad offensively, but they certainly haven't been good. The 2014 Jeremy Hill is officially DOA. They still need to find an outside receiver to do what Marvin Jones did - hopefully LaFell is gone and Tyler Boyd's had a nice rookie year, but he's likely just a slot guy. The line has continued to struggle. Russell Bodine was finally benched and coincidentally, they went on a touchdown drive with TJ Johnson in there. Johnson is a seventh-rounder in his fourth year - it's pretty pathetic when he seems like a godsend. Cedric Ogbuehi has continued to struggle and it's not going to get any better until he can work on his strength and technique in the offseason. He has great feet which is why they loved him and he was a first round pick, but he can get knocked off by a feather and doesn't use his hands at all. They also need to re-sign Kevin Zeitler but I'm afraid he's going to get better offers. I'd bring Whitworth back for a year and see if they can find a solution between fifth-rounder Christian Westerman (who a lot of people thought has Day 2 talent), last year's second Jake Fisher and Ogbuehi on the right side next year.

It'll be very interesting to see what happens with Marvin Lewis. He has another year on his contract and Mike Brown has been loathe to pay two coaches in the past, but the last time he was in a lame duck year was 2010 which turned into a disaster. He's gotten a series of one-year extensions the last few years, but how can you extend him at this point?

 

[InstaFace]

"Vontaze Burfict (knee/concussion) didn't practice today. Burfict passed concussion protocol during the game but reported symptoms on Tuesday and was held out of practice." -- Katherine Terrell, ESPN

I just feel awful for the guy.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

"Vontaze Burfict (knee/concussion) didn't practice today. Burfict passed concussion protocol during the game but reported symptoms on Tuesday and was held out of practice." -- Katherine Terrell, ESPN

I just feel awful for the guy.

As opposed to the noble Marcus Gilbert and David DeCastro who are just out there Playing The Game The Right Way for the hard-working, blue collar fans of Pittsburgh, like Matt Spaeth did last year.

Yes, Burfict is a dirty player. He's been appropriately and, in the instance of the playoff game, harshly punished for it. The evidence here is just as bad if not worse than if he stepped on Blount and he got 75k for it. Can't wait to see how much DeCastro gets - I'm sure it'll be right up there with Shazier's hefty fine for helmet-spearing Bernard in the playoff game!

 

[RedOctober3829]

Redskins player Chris Cooley suggested this will be Lewis’ last year in Cincinnati.

“From somebody I know in Cincinnati, Marvin Lewis will retire at the end of this year, slash, be asked to retire. Which is the only information I know,” Cooley said during hour two of the show (beginning at the 22 minute mark).

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/12/27/14089060/report-marvin-lewis-will-retire-at-end-of-2016-season

 

[Rudy's Curve]

They're unlikely to hire someone they don't know so if the report is true, I'll take Vance Joseph please.

 

[dbn]

Rumor is that the rumor is false, and that Lewis will return in 2017. Evidently he wants to extend his record for most playoff appearances by a HC without a win.

 

[sodenj5]

They're unlikely to hire someone they don't know so if the report is true, I'll take Vance Joseph please.

Baby, come back!

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Happy offseason! Pacman arrested on 3 counts!

 

[johnmd20]

I hear "harassment with bodily substance" and immediately think of Silence of the Lambs. But I'm assuming it's spit for the Pacman.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I hear "harassment with bodily substance" and immediately think of Silence of the Lambs. But I'm assuming it's spit for the Pacman.

Correct. Apparently he spit on the jailhouse nurse.

Funny thing is that everything was a misdemeaner except the spitting, which was a felony. GJGE Pacman.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

LaFell back on a two-year deal as they continue to be obsessed with their own mediocre players. This ensures they won't draft Corey Davis and that the offense will continue to struggle when Eifert inevitably gets hurt unless they draft a game-changer like Howard or Mixon. I hate this team.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

You could make a very good argument this team had the best roster in the league two years ago. The level of incompetence it's taken for it to deteriorate to this point this fast is staggering.