Bengals should improve in Week 2

[Bengals1181]

[quote]



[b] Bengals should improve in week 2[/b]

August 20th, 2011
[indent=1]


I’m excited to watch the Bengals play the New York Jets this Sunday. Not because I think this will be a great game or anything like that, but I’m anxious to see what the team will look like after having a long week of practice. Last weeks game vs the Lions was a mini disaster, so the coaches made practices more intense and the players should want to correct the wrongs from the last game.

This game against the Jets comes at the perfect time. The Jets are Super Bowl contenders and they beat up on the Bengals the last two times. These type of games in the preseason usually favor the underdogs. The Bengals players know they can’t perform like they did last week if they want to build confidence for a good season.

What do I want to see? I want to see the offense score some points. I want to see Andy Dalton move the team down the field on two scoring drives ending in touchdowns. Why two? Because one scoring drive will show that the offense can do it. Two scoring drives will show that the offense didn’t have a letdown after having success against the tough Jets D. I want to see the OL keep Dalton clean. The Jets like to harass and bully young QBs, so the OL must take pride in helping him out. The offense has big time playmakers that like to get down the field, and Dalton needs a clean pocket to be able to get the ball to them. I also want to see the WRs beat man press coverage vs the Jets great CB tandem. A good game for this unit vs the Jets and Rex Ryan’s D would show the team if Dalton can handle starting early in the season. He wont face tough defenses in the last two preseason games.

On defense I want to see a better unit. Last week wasn’t good at all. I think the Bengals want a defense similar to the 2009 unit that played hard and made few mistakes, this is a great time to start doing that. I know Mike Zimmer said he isn’t worried about the defense, but they have to have a good game to get the doubt out their heads. I want to see Domata Peko hold the point against the Jets C, Nick Mangold. I want to see Leon Hall play well vs deep passes. The Jets will take shots down the field off of play actions, and Leon has to put this fire out.

This game means more to the Bengals than it does for the Jets. It’s only the preseason and losing or winning the game doesn’t matter, but having the starters play well means much more. I think team will rebound and treat this game like it’s a must win and play well. I will be surprised if they don’t win.

[/quote]


[url="http://www.allproblogger.com/2011/08/20/bengals-should-improve-in-week-2/"]http://www.allproblo...rove-in-week-2/[/url][/indent]

[Bengals1181]

I still think tomorrows game will be great as long as no one gets hurt. The jets will throw more looks at the Bengals offense tomorrow night than they'll see in the first 9 weeks of the season. It's also Dalton's first time against a 3-4 defense to my knowledge.


Tomorrow night's a great learning experience for a young offense.

[bengalsfan850]

not to be an ass but it would be almost impossible not to improve after they shit the bed against detroit

[cincity]

Of course seeing if Dalton can get a little more comfortable as the starter.

I'm hoping to see the OLine continue the run blocking they established against the Lions 1st team D-lin. And hopefully see how the rookie works with the other linemen. (if he's a better option than Livings)

Would love to see just how A.J. matches up with Revis,

I like the LB's we have, to me they're a lot more athletic than the team we ones we had last year.

And hopefully Dunlap will have a chance to play.

[oldschooler]

[b] [size=6][b]'Nowhere to go but up' for Bengals[/b][/size][/b]
[size=6] [/size]
[size=6][b] [b]After ugly preseason opener, they hope for sign of progress[/b][/b][/size]

[b] [b]10:01 PM, Aug. 20, 2011 [/b][/b]


[b]EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.[/b]-- After suffering the worst preseason loss in franchise history in their opener, the Bengals' hopes of seeing progress will face a steep challenge Sunday night.

Unlike their game at Detroit Aug. 12, when they faced a young Lions team just hoping to contend, the Bengals will face the New York Jets, who have been to the AFC title game the past two seasons and are one of the more physical teams in the conference.

Tonight's game at New Meadowlands Stadium will be an indicator of whether the Bengals' mistakes in their 34-3 loss to the Lions are chronic or correctable.

Two things lacking from the Detroit debacle would be especially welcomed by the Bengals: a touchdown drive and tighter coverage by the defense.

"We started with a very low standard, so we have nowhere to go but up," offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said.

Coach Marvin Lewis said he expects the first team to play as much against the Jets as it did in the preseason opener, which for the offense would be nearly a half.

Jets coach Rex Ryan told reporters he expects his first team to play into the second quarter.

Starting on a level playing field would help the Bengals' offense. By the time it got on the field for its first snap against Detroit, five minutes into the game, the Bengals were down 14-0.

The Lions scored a touchdown on their opening drive, then recovered the ball after a Bengals fumble on the ensuing kickoff and again found the end zone.

"You're not going to get a perfect fairytale beginning," Gruden said. "Sometimes you're going to start down 10-0 or 14-0 or start on your own 1. We have to make do with what we have and make the most of it, which we didn't do."

With the Jets expected to use different looks on defense, including a steady diet of eight-man fronts, they will test the Bengals' rushing game. It was one of the few bright spots for the Bengals against the Lions, as Cedric Benson averaged more than 6 yards per carry and the offensive line got good push, including on the ends.

If Benson can have another strong day, that should allow the offense to maintain some drives. The final two drives by the Bengals' first-team offense against Detroit averaged 6.5 plays, but the last one stalled due to a holding penalty and finished with a missed field goal attempt.

Gruden is also eager to see how rookie quarterback Andy Dalton fares against a physical team like the Jets. After being planted on the turf by Detroit's Ndamukong Suh, Dalton shouldn't expect any mercy from Ryan's defense.

"Everyone is going to be trying to force their will on him and make him crumble," Gruden said. "We are going to see how resilient he is."

The game should be a good measuring stick for the Bengals' wide receivers as rookie first-round draft pick A.J. Green and fourth-year pro Jerome Simpson go up against Jets cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said his group's coverage has shown improvement in practice but he still isn't happy. He said the blowout loss at Detroit was a case of the entire defense falling short of expectations.

"We have to cover better and rush better. Linebackers have to be in their spots. It's collective," Zimmer said.



(Click the link for the entire article)


[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110820/SPT02/108210376/-Nowhere-go-up-Bengals?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Bengals"]http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110820/SPT02/108210376/-Nowhere-go-up-Bengals?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Bengals[/url]

[oldschooler]

[size=6][b]NFL Preseason Preview - Cincinnati (0-1) at N.Y. Jets (0-1)[/b][/size]

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By Scott Garbarini, Sports Network

The Sports Network


Andy Dalton continues his crash course as a professional quarterback when the Cincinnati Bengals rookie leads his new team into New Meadowlands Stadium for Sunday's game against the New York Jets, who hope to have Plaxico Burress make a long-awaited NFL return in this preseason showdown.

Dalton, Cincinnati's second-round pick in this past April's draft, entered his first training camp as the favorite to take over signal-calling duties following franchise quarterback Carson Palmer's offseason decision to walk away from football unless the Bengals granted his trade request. The former TCU standout showed he's still got a long way to go to master the position, however, after experiencing a rough debut in the team's preseason opener.

Dalton's first pro pass was intercepted by Detroit cornerback Chris Houston and the 23-year-old couldn't get Cincinnati's offense untracked over a half's worth of work in the Bengals' 34-3 defeat to the Lions at Ford Field. Though he did manage to complete 11-of-15 attempts on the night, Dalton finished with only 69 yards passing.
While the Cincinnati fans and coaches will be monitoring Dalton's performance closely in his second start, the real focus of Sunday's tilt will be on Burress, provided the controversial wideout is over a sprained ankle that caused him to be scratched from the Jets' matchup at Houston this past Monday.

Burress did return to the practice field on Wednesday and appears ready for his first game action since his well-publicized 2008 incident with the local rival New York Giants. The now 34-year-old accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan night club during November of that season, then wound up serving a near two-year jail sentence for violating New York City's strict gun laws.

The Jets signed the four-time 1,000-yard receiver in late July to become part of a revamped pass-catching corps for the 2010 AFC Championship Game participants. Head coach Rex Ryan stated earlier in the week that he's confident Burress will be able to go on Sunday.

New York did come out of its initial preseason game rather banged up, with several players sustaining injuries in the 20-16 loss to the Texans. The most serious one occurred to reserve offensive lineman Robert Turner, who broke his right leg in the first quarter and will likely miss the next 8-10 weeks.

Linebacker Bart Scott also exited the contest early with a lower leg injury, while backup running back Joe McKnight suffered a concussion. In addition, top rusher Shonn Greene has been ruled out of this week's test after recently coming down with a foot infection.

Turner started Monday's game at center in place of All-Pro Nick Mangold, who's dealing with a shoulder stinger but may be able to suit up. Right guard Brandon Moore, however, will sit out another week while still recovering from offseason hip surgery.

New York's depleted front line allowed a total of seven sacks to the Texans.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez played the first quarter for the Jets and completed 6-of-7 throws for 43 yards before giving way to rookie Greg McElroy, who threw for 203 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-39 passing the rest of the way.

The Jets and Bengals faced off at the Meadowlands on Thanksgiving of last season, with New York coming away with a 26-10 win. The teams haven't met in the preseason since 2003, in which the Jets prevailed at home by a 28-13 count.

New York holds a 4-3 edge on Cincinnati in the overall preseason series.

Read more: [url="http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/19/2366436/nfl-preseason-preview-cincinnati.html#ixzz1VfUGp2xI"]http://www.miamihera...l#ixzz1VfUGp2xI[/url]

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1313891419' post='1018316']


[url="http://www.allproblogger.com/2011/08/20/bengals-should-improve-in-week-2/"]http://www.allproblo...rove-in-week-2/[/url][/indent]
[/quote]


[quote][url="http://www.allproblogger.com/"]JT[/url] [color=#CCCCCC][font=LubalinDemi, sans-serif][size=4]says:[/size][/font][/color]
[url="http://www.allproblogger.com/2011/08/20/bengals-should-improve-in-week-2/comment-page-1/#comment-17019"]August 20, 2011 at 7:33 pm[/url]

RJ

They did draft him bc Jay Gruden loved him. I think MB favored Mallet. We’ll see how it plays out


[/quote]

[quote][url="http://www.allproblogger.com/"]JT[/url] [color=#CCCCCC][font=LubalinDemi, sans-serif][size=4]says:[/size][/font][/color]
[url="http://www.allproblogger.com/2011/08/20/bengals-should-improve-in-week-2/comment-page-1/#comment-17023"]August 20, 2011 at 7:57 pm[/url]

Kenny

I still look for them to add an OG to start if Nate doesn’t play better and center to back up Cook. But that would have to be a guy that gets cut from another team. I doubt they trade for a player.

I see DL as a place that could get help after releases. They have bodies but have to make more plays in next few weeks.

And DBs. One corner, one safety[/quote]

[oldschooler]

[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465182"][b][color=#3b5998]47 minutes ago[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465182"][b][color=#3b5998]5 things to watch vs. Jets: No. 1 -- QB Andy Dalton[/color][/b][/url]
Five things to watch against the Jets: 1. [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/1125961/andy-dalton"][color=#3b5998]Andy Dalton[/color][/url]. This will be the story line every week. Dalton was 0 for 2 with an interception on passes down the field (greater than 10 yards) last week. Eliminating turnovers and completing passes beyond dink and dunk will be atop Dalton’s priority list. [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/team/CIN"][color=#3b5998]Bengals RapidReports[/color][/url]



[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465176"][b][color=#3b5998]50 minutes ago[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465176"][b][color=#3b5998]5 things to watch vs. Jets: No. 2 -- Pressure on QB[/color][/b][/url]

Five things to watch against the Jets: 2. Pressure. Somehow, the Bengals went through the Lions game without a single hit on the quarterback. DE [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/1273172/carlos-dunlap"][color=#3b5998]Carlos Dunlap[/color][/url] (knee) isn’t likely to play. Still, the Bengals need to find some semblance of a pass rush fast if they have any hope of becoming a top-tier defense. [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/team/CIN"][color=#3b5998]Bengals RapidReports[/color][/url]




[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465174"][b][color=#3b5998]51 minutes ago[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465174"][b][color=#3b5998]5 things to watch vs. Jets: No. 3 -- Cedric Benson[/color][/b][/url]

Five things to watch against the Jets: 3. [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/406400/cedric-benson"][color=#3b5998]Cedric Benson[/color][/url]. He was the lone bright spot last week (6 carries, 37 yards). If his performance continues, it will suggest the Bengals have found an offensive identity they can hang their hat on every week. [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/team/CIN"][color=#3b5998]Bengals RapidReports[/color][/url]



[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465171"][b][color=#3b5998]57 minutes ago[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465171"][b][color=#3b5998]5 things to watch vs. Jets: No. 4 -- Tighter coverage[/color][/b][/url]

Five things to watch against the Jets: 4. Tight coverage. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was upset with the coverage not being tight enough last week. He spent all week stressing playing closer and contesting more passes. How many passes the Bengals get their hands on will tell how well they’re learning. [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/team/CIN"][color=#3b5998]Bengals RapidReports[/color][/url]



[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465170"][b][color=#3b5998]58 minutes ago[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15465170"][b][color=#3b5998]5 things to watch vs. Jets: No. 5 -- watch rookie G Boling[/color][/b][/url]

Five things to watch against the Jets: 5. Guard play. OL [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/1114541/nate-livings"][color=#3b5998]Nate Livings[/color][/url] struggled last week against Detroit. Rookie OL [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/1273201/clint-boling"][color=#3b5998]Clint Boling[/color][/url] is expected to be infused into the rotation at either RG or LG. If he plays well in his time there, he’ll open the conversation of moving into a starting spot.

[oldschooler]

[b] [size=6][url="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/30791/three-things-bengals-jets"]Three things: Bengals-Jets[/url][/size][/b]

August, 21, 2011

By James Walker

[i]Three things to watch for in Cincinnati's preseason game against the [url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets"][color=#225db7]New York Jets[/color][/url] on Sunday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.[/i]



[b]Will the effort be there?[/b] This sounds like a silly question for a preseason game. But neither the Bengals' starters nor the backups showed up ready to play in last week's 34-3 drubbing to the [url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/det/detroit-lions"][color=#225db7]Detroit Lions[/color][/url]. Cincinnati looked shell-shocked and sloppy. The Bengals turned over the football, didn't play hard and were battered in every phase of the game by Detroit. Cincinnati is a rebuilding team. It needs to play better now to start building confidence.

[b]What strides will rookie quarterback [url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14012/andy-dalton"][color=#225db7]Andy Dalton[/color][/url] make?[/b] The Dalton era in Cincinnati got off to a rough start. His first throw was intercepted and he finished with 69 yards and an interception. Dalton needs to show growth in his second career start. The Bengals are relying on the second-round pick to be the starting quarterback in Week 1 against the [url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/cle/cleveland-browns"][color=#225db7]Cleveland Browns[/color][/url].

[b]What to make of the defense?[/b] Two seasons ago, Cincinnati was No. 4 in total defense. Last season, the Bengals were No. 15. This unit wants to get back to its 2009 form but looked more like the 2010 version last week. The Jets' star-studded offense should be another good test for the Bengals' defense.




[url="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/30791/three-things-bengals-jets"]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/30791/three-things-bengals-jets[/url]