Zimfense won't be a makeover

[Bengals1181]

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer may have actually smiled Wednesday after practice if he heard what Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said to reporters about how the absence of Bengals Pro Bowl tackle Geno Atkins is going to impact Sunday's game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) in Baltimore.

"I’m sure that will affect them in some way. But they’ve got a bunch of guys over there that can get after the quarterback," Flacco said.  "They’ve got some good schemes in order to help free those guys up and get them in one-on-one situations also. But that’s been a big staple of their defense the last few years and since I’ve been playing them. If you just listen to our offensive line talk about those guys after we play them, I think our guys have always had a really high respect level for the guys on Cincinnati’s team just because of the way they do play.”

Dealing with the season-ending losses of two staples of playoff defenses ranked seventh and sixth, respectively the last two seasons, in Atkins and cornerback Leon Hall, Zimmer is turning to his unit's substance, its inner being, and not its personnel. No matter who is out there and who isn't out there, Zimmer is going to stay true to the style.

True Grit. He's telling his people to stay true to what they are. The tenth week, he says, is no time to start changing a defense that is built on 11 men and not two.

"That's always been what we do. I hope any coach you ask that plays us says those guys play good team defense, they play good together," said Zimmer with echoes of Flacco. "Obviously the better players we have the better we play it. Our deal has always been to play good as a team. Do your job and everything else will take care of itself."

That's how Zimmer changed the culture of a defense when he arrived in 2008, taking it from 27th to 12th, and then making it the centerpiece of the 2009 AFC North championship.

He did it with two brilliant young corners, Hall and Joseph, a collection of blue-collar mid and late round grinders up front in Robert Geathers, Domata Peko, and Jonathan Fanene.  A pair of rookies in right end Michael Johnsonand SAM linebacker Rey Maualuga. A host of new-lease-on-life guys led by tackle Tank Johnson, middle linebacker Dhani Jones, and safety Chris Crocker.

And no Pro Bowlers.

It's almost as if Zimmer is relishing the challenge.

"It's what I do. We'll see, though. It's a challenge, it's an opportunity," he said. "We've got some other good players in the locker room that we pride ourselves on playing good team defense. I can't reiterate that enough. That's what we do, that's what we've always done and hopefully we'll continue to do that."

The Bengals have been here before. Two years ago Hall went down with his first Achilles tear nine games into a playoff run. After playing in 74 straight games to open his career, he has missed 13 of the last 32. Last year the Bengals started the year with backup tackle Pat Sims on PUP, backup end Jamaal Anderson suffering a season-ending injury in the second game, and the secondary so banged up that they re-signed Crocker off the street before the fourth game.

They have yet to play without Atkins and his marvelous push up the middle that has wreaked havoc from Big Ben to Diamond Tom Brady to the other Geno (Smith). His streak of 57 straight games to open his career comes to an end Sunday.

"We've got a lot of solid guys. There are all kinds of solid guys in the locker room. We don't have non-solid guys here. That's part of what we stress; you do your job, I do my job," Zimmer said.  "Geno only played half the time. He didn't play every snap, so we had other guys playing. It's not like, well maybe we were (bad) half those other times.

 

"And Leon hasn't played in (five) games now. ..Obviously we'd love to have those guys because they're good guys and good players and fit into our system, but it is what it is…. We've got competitors that like to compete. So they don't want to say, 'We can't win now because we don't have Geno and Leon and this guy.' They don't want to hear that. Imagine if I walked in that room and said that to these guys. 'Oh, no, we can't win. What are we going to do?'

 

And you're going to have to imagine how  Zimmer is going to replace Atkins' 29 career sacks because he's not tipping his hand on who's going to play tackle on passing downs.

 

Could SAM backer James Harrison play some end while Carlos Dunlap Johnson or Michael Johnson go inside to tackle?

 

"I don't know, we're just trying to figure out how to beat Baltimore," Zimmer said.

 

We know Peko and Brandon Thompson are going to play on run downs and each might get a few shots in nickel. But could backup ends like veteran Wallace Gilberry and rookie Margus Hunt move inside?

 

"We do what we do," Zimmer said.

After Atkins went down in Miami, Gilberry and Hunt took their shots. They're not ideal in there. Hunt is inexperienced, not to mention 6-8, and Gilberry is smallish for that type of work at 275 pounds. But he and Hunt are also the kind of solid guys Zimmer is talking about.

Gilberry, a throwback to '09 when he got a second chance in Cincinnati last season when Tampa Bay released him the weekend Jamaal Anderson got hurt, gutted out 22 snaps in Miami despite a groin injury. He got dinged against Detroit two weeks ago but came back declaring, "Never count me out." He had 6.5 sacks last season averaging about 20 snaps per game, and some of those plays came inside on nickel, where he had been before.

"My experience came from being in Kansas City those four years playing in that 3-4 system," he said. "It's all about technique and leverage. True enough that the extra weight helps at times but when you go in there for a brief stint I can get it done."

 

It's not lost on Gilberry that an injury last year revived his career.

 

"That's how this business is. It's one of those things where it's sad to say something like that happens, it gives plenty of guys around the league…they got their start from guys going down in front of them. That's the nature of the beast….Things happen. It's just your job to be ready, be prepared to take on the position."

 

Maybe Hunt is one of those guys. A second-round pick with off-the-chart measurables, he's played football for only five years but he knows its challenge moving from end to tackle. Even if for just one down.

 

"It's a lot of more compact, a lot less freedom to work with. It's harder for me because usually the guards are a lot shorter than the tackles, so I have to really focus on keeping my pads down. There are more double teams from the tackles," Hunt said. "It's tough because the entire time I've been learning defensive end stuff. Most of the stuff goes with every position you play, but still it’s a lot tougher inside because the guards are a lot shorter so I have to really focus on staying low and getting off the blocks."

The only time Hunt worked inside in college is when SMU's 3-4 switched to a four-man front on passing downs and put the defensive ends over the guards. Still, he felt like he responded well Thursday.

"I had mostly the responsibility of taking on the guard and center. I was mostly on that side," Hunt said.  "It's tough. I had some good push even though I had two guys on me. If you occupy two guys, other guys have single blocks so they have to make something happen."

 Hunt has watched Atkins' strength collapse pockets single-handedly and while he's got Gold Medal strength from the World Junior Championships discus and shot-put competitions, he's looking for the balance with the game.

"This is more than about having strength," Hunt said. "You have to be able to get off blocks and get to the ball. Those are things I have to learn still and get better at. You have to learn to use (strength) and not just have it."

Another intriguing brew of rookies and second-chance guys like Gilberry and middle linebacker Michael Boleyand…

"What we have to do is affect the quarterback however we can affect him," Zimmer said. " There's a lot of different ways to do that."

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Zimfense-wont-be-a-makeover/407db953-6012-4c8a-b58d-c8800afe63fb

[knomage]

Baltimore will be in desperation mode..  I expect them to totally shuffle their offensive line (as they so successfully did in last years playoffs)  bring out every saved play from the last several years, hoping to regain or create some magic.

 

Zim seems to be least successful against surprises..  hopefully we will not be outcoached  ... 

 

the timing of a win here could change the thinking of the Raven front office putting them in "wait til next year mode" 

 

while a Bengal loss would leave a knot in all of our guts...

[Randle P McMurphy]

Baltimore will be in desperation mode..  I expect them to totally shuffle their offensive line (as they so successfully did in last years playoffs)  bring out every saved play from the last several years, hoping to regain or create some magic.

 

Zim seems to be least successful against surprises..  hopefully we will not be outcoached  ... 

 

the timing of a win here could change the thinking of the Raven front office putting them in "wait til next year mode" 

 

while a Bengal loss would leave a knot in all of our guts...

 

A Bengals loss will not only leave a knot in my gut but make my goatee purple for a day at work!!

I have a bet with a co-worker that's a Ravens fan.  Bengals win and he has to dye his hair orange

for a day.  Bengals lose and my goatee becomes purple for a day!  Bengals better win!!!!  :)

[|Numbers|]

 

A Bengals loss will not only leave a knot in my gut but make my goatee purple for a day at work!!

I have a bet with a co-worker that's a Ravens fan.  Bengals win and he has to dye his hair orange

for a day.  Bengals lose and my goatee becomes purple for a day!  Bengals better win!!!!   :)

 

Here is what you have to look forward to...

 

 

Here is what your co-worker has to look forward to...

 

[Hooky]

 

A Bengals loss will not only leave a knot in my gut but make my goatee purple for a day at work!!

I have a bet with a co-worker that's a Ravens fan.  Bengals win and he has to dye his hair orange

for a day.  Bengals lose and my goatee becomes purple for a day!  Bengals better win!!!!   :)

 

Or this?:

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/9936032/chicago-bears-fan-tasers-green-bay-packers-fan-wife

[|Numbers|]

 

Or this?:

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/9936032/chicago-bears-fan-tasers-green-bay-packers-fan-wife

 

Yea, they should have made that bet.  I can hear it now...  Ravens fan tasered by Bengals fan, news at 10.

[cincity]

This week I think we'll see the defense return to being pretty good.  Zim and the rest of the defensive coaches have had 10 days to get a strategy and they haven't addend anyone that will have to be plugged in and play crucial minutes.  And next week I think they'll be even better if they can get Rey and Devon back.  

[Bleeds Orange]

 

while a Bengal loss would leave a knot in all of our guts...

 

I won't be the least bit happy if they lose and might even get a bit uneasy about how the rest of the season is going to play out.  So in that respect, I agree about the knot in gut thing.

 

On the other hand, when I look at the schedule at the beginning of each year, I consider the game at Baltimore to be an "excusable" loss, if there is such a thing.  But given how bad Baltimore has looked this season, I'm not sure how "excusable" a loss there would be this time.  I guess the bottom line is, even with a loss, they'll still be in the driver's seat for the division, so I don't think I'll panic if they do.

[Oldcat]

 

I won't be the least bit happy if they lose and might even get a bit uneasy about how the rest of the season is going to play out.  So in that respect, I agree about the knot in gut thing.

 

On the other hand, when I look at the schedule at the beginning of each year, I consider the game at Baltimore to be an "excusable" loss, if there is such a thing.  But given how bad Baltimore has looked this season, I'm not sure how "excusable" a loss there would be this time.  I guess the bottom line is, even with a loss, they'll still be in the driver's seat for the division, so I don't think I'll panic if they do.

 

It would be another division road loss, but other than that...

 

Ravens still have to play

 

Bengals

@Bears

Jets

Steelers

Vikings

@Lions

Patriots

@Bengals

 

Their best win is a home win vs Texans.  Their other is a narrow road win in Miami.  I don't see them winning all but one or two of those games.

[cincity]

 

It would be another division road loss, but other than that...

 

Ravens still have to play

 

Bengals

@Bears

Jets

Steelers

Vikings

@Lions

Patriots

@Bengals

 

Their best win is a home win vs Texans.  Their other is a narrow road win in Miami.  I don't see them winning all but one or two of those games.

 

We had the meat of our schedule in the beginning of the season and came out 6-2, I'm sure we can at least get 4-4 out of the last 8, that's more than enough to eliminate the Ravens.  

[Randle P McMurphy]

 

Here is what you have to look forward to...

 

 

Here is what your co-worker has to look forward to...

 

 

That's awesome!!  Although, there was no "Eyebrow" coloring involved in the bet!!  lol

 

I'll post pics of the loser next week!

 

We both work at Amazon.com in Lexington, so there will be roughly 2,000 people seeing

which ever one of us loses!

[Randle P McMurphy]

Won't be any taser's involved either.  Although if the Bengals win and he shows up with his 

usual black hair, our supervisor is also a Bengals fan and will make the ENTIRE week a little

"extra" rough on him!  I do have that going for me.  I don't foresee any problems though.

He wore a Browns Jersey all day last Wednesday after the Ravens lost to the Stains!!  That

was a nice little treat!

[blueridge]

Zimmer is going to make his bones all over again. We'll ride his defense to the AFC North title and he will finally get the HC job he deserves.

[|Numbers|]

 
That's awesome!!  Although, there was no "Eyebrow" coloring involved in the bet!!  lol
 
I'll post pics of the loser next week!
 
We both work at Amazon.com in Lexington, so there will be roughly 2,000 people seeing
which ever one of us loses!

That is going to be an epic bet around the workplace. Hopefully we don't have to see the color purple next week. Can't wait to see the pics.

[Randle P McMurphy]

That is going to be an epic bet around the workplace. Hopefully we don't have to see the color purple next week. Can't wait to see the pics.

 

I'm hoping for the same outcome myself!!  It'd be one thing for a 27 year old that plays in a "punk" band

to come to work with orange hair versus a 46 year old in management to come to work with a purple

goatee!!  I mentioned our supervisor being a Bengals fan too.  He has a side bet with him that if the 

Ravens lose he has to eat a "ghost" pepper.  So if the Bengals win, he'll have orange hair and at a minimum

be shitting his brains out all day if not worse!  Ever hear of a "ghost" pepper?  They can be "lethal."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhut_Jolokia

 

God I hope the Bengals win!!   :lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao: 

 

I probably didn't mention I work with a bunch of crazy people!  But that probably goes without

saying regardless of where you work.  I doubt too many other places would put up with some of

the crazy shit we do to others though.  :)

[Randle P McMurphy]

http://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/17/1358244/can-the-hottest-peppers-in-the-world-kill-you

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agGckl9pqNo

 

 

Go Bengals!!??  hehehe!

[|Numbers|]

 

I'm hoping for the same outcome myself!!  It'd be one thing for a 27 year old that plays in a "punk" band

to come to work with orange hair versus a 46 year old in management to come to work with a purple

goatee!!  I mentioned our supervisor being a Bengals fan too.  He has a side bet with him that if the 

Ravens lose he has to eat a "ghost" pepper.  So if the Bengals win, he'll have orange hair and at a minimum

be shitting his brains out all day if not worse!  Ever hear of a "ghost" pepper?  They can be "lethal."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhut_Jolokia

 

God I hope the Bengals win!!   :lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao: 

 

I probably didn't mention I work with a bunch of crazy people!  But that probably goes without

saying regardless of where you work.  I doubt too many other places would put up with some of

the crazy shit we do to others though.   :)

 

I am familiar with the Ghost pepper.  Not sure I like the taste as much as the habanero which I have grown for many years.  I save my seeds and have what amounts to a sweet habanero but retains all the heat of a habanero.  Not sure how that happened exactly ( may have been cross pollination with another plant in the garden ).   I do like the Tepin ( a bird type pepper ) which compares and in some cases exceeds the ghost pepper.  Peppers don't cause me the crazy shits like some people but may be that I have been eating them for over a decade or more.  However, someone not used to them will likely have a somewhat severe reaction to the pepper, especially if you inject it with further juice from another pepper... ( hint )

[Randle P McMurphy]

 

I am familiar with the Ghost pepper.  Not sure I like the taste as much as the habanero which I have grown for many years.  I save my seeds and have what amounts to a sweet habanero but retains all the heat of a habanero.  Not sure how that happened exactly ( may have been cross pollination with another plant in the garden ).   I do like the Tepin ( a bird type pepper ) which compares and in some cases exceeds the ghost pepper.  Peppers don't cause me the crazy shits like some people but may be that I have been eating them for over a decade or more.  However, someone not used to them will likely have a somewhat severe reaction to the pepper, especially if you inject it with further juice from another pepper... ( hint )

 

 

Good idea you sick puppy!  I like the way you think!   :)  

 

I'd say you got the "sweetness" exactly how you mentioned, cross pollination.  I like hot, spicy food and peppers

myself but pretty much cut the line off at  Habanero's.  Even then, it's not a whole one.  Just enough of one to kick up

the spice in something else I'm cooking.  Just for "shit's" and giggles last night I "googled" ghost peppers and

found some pretty crazy stuff.  Apparently a few people have actually died after eating one.  

 

I've got the safer part of the bet for sure!  Bengals lose and my goatee is purple for a day.  On the other hand  our

supervisor has to eat a ghost pepper.  Bengals win and my co-worker has to dye his hair orange AND eat a 

ghost pepper!   I'm going to take pictures for sure and record the loser of the other bet eating a ghost pepper!

 

Pics and or videos will be posted no later than Thursday or Friday!  Of course I hope no one sees me with a purple

goatee but I wouldn't mind videoing my supervisor eating a ghost pepper!  Even though he's a fellow 

Bengals fan!  hehe

[|Lucid|]

 

I am familiar with the Ghost pepper.  Not sure I like the taste as much as the habanero which I have grown for many years.  I save my seeds and have what amounts to a sweet habanero but retains all the heat of a habanero.  Not sure how that happened exactly ( may have been cross pollination with another plant in the garden ).   I do like the Tepin ( a bird type pepper ) which compares and in some cases exceeds the ghost pepper.  Peppers don't cause me the crazy shits like some people but may be that I have been eating them for over a decade or more.  However, someone not used to them will likely have a somewhat severe reaction to the pepper, especially if you inject it with further juice from another pepper... ( hint )

 

 

Mmm.. I love Habaneros!  And your "sweet" Habanero sounds interesting..  In what way is the taste different?

[|Numbers|]

 

 

Mmm.. I love Habaneros!  And your "sweet" Habanero sounds interesting..  In what way is the taste different?

 

A little difficult to describe.  If you take a regular Habanero by itself or a part of a regular Habanero and eat it, there is a slight harshness to the taste that hits a person in a certain part of the mouth.  Almost an unpleasant taste that makes the heat taste the only taste in your mouth.  While the ones I have hit a person in a different part of the mouth in regards to taste.  Sweetness is the easiest way to describe it because the harshness no longer exists but the heat is still equal to the regular Habanero it just seems to creep up on you and not hit all at once.  Almost like its been pickled in a sweet substance before eating.  In other words, one is harsh ( slightly ) and the other takes the harshness away and replaces it with a sweetness.  However, if you want to sample some I will be at the Cleveland game tailgating in Lot 1 and you can give me a better description to use.  I also have a mix of Habanero, Red Pepper ( also home grown ), Sea Salt, and Black Pepper that simply rocks for spicing up BBQ sauces, Jerky mixes, Chicken ( baked, grilled, fried, etc... ) or anything.  Just three reminders;  1.  Use it sparingly at first ( something like one teaspoon per pound ) until you figure out what your ( or others around you ) limit is.  2.  When using this on anything capable of producing steam ( like a fryer or pan ), don't stick your face over the steam for a sniff and make sure you vent the cooking area ( turn on exhaust fan or something ).  This stuff getting in your eyes or lungs will cause a sensation very similar to getting squirted with pepper spray.  3.  Don't touch your eyes after handling the pepper mix without thoroughly washing your hands first.  Note:  I have paid the price for breaking all these rules to include not letting the blender settle after use.  That one caused everyone in the house to choke.

 

Note:  Capsaicin in sufficient quantity also has wonderful medical benefits also.  Khat can probably expand on this a little better.

[|SF2|]

This week I think we'll see the defense return to being pretty good.  Zim and the rest of the defensive coaches have had 10 days to get a strategy and they haven't addend anyone that will have to be plugged in and play crucial minutes.  And next week I think they'll be even better if they can get Rey and Devon back.  

The Defense gave up 10 points to the Dolphins last week.  They are not the problem.