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Are Bengals avoiding Jermaine Gresham?


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Are Bengals avoiding Jermaine Gresham?
October, 9, 2014
Oct 9
7:00
PM ET
By Coley Harvey | ESPN.com
 
CINCINNATI -- Are the Cincinnati Bengals avoiding Jermaine Gresham?

The thought went through my mind earlier Thursday when I wrote about how quarterback Andy Dalton and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said they still have full confidence and faith in the fifth-year tight end despite his issues corralling the football.

Staying Away?

Comparing Jermaine Gresham's production after four games between 2013 and 2014:

 

Category 2013

2014

 

Catches 18

8

 

Targets 25

13

 

Yards 181

61

 

Touchdowns 0

0

 

Drops 0

1

 

Drops pct. 0.0%

7.7%

 

Targets/routes 22.50%

14.90%

 

First downs 10

3

 

Source: ESPN Stats & Information

 

Gresham didn't fully finish a route in last Sunday's game at New England, causing him to miss a wide-open short-yardage catch as a result. He also dropped a pass in the end zone that Dalton had thrown him earlier in the game.

Combine those plays with another botched scoring opportunity Gresham was part of Week 1 at Baltimore, and you have a strange set of circumstances involving a player who was one of the best of his draft class.

After factoring heavily in the Bengals' red-zone plans and being a key producer in Cincinnati's passing game at the start of his career, Gresham has suddenly become unreliable.

So are the Bengals going to him less than before? The statistics say so.

A first-round pick in the 2010 draft, Gresham is in the last year of his rookie contract. He had a promising start to his career, catching more than 50 passes and drawing more than 80 targets in each of his first three seasons. His production took a slight hit last year when he caught just 46 passes with the addition of Tyler Eifert to the offense.

But the second-year pass-catcher Eifert has been sidelined since the season opener with a dislocated elbow that isn't expected to get him back until Nov. 6. At the time of Eifert's injury, Gresham's responsibilities were expected to grow.

A look at the statistics show that even with him assuming the bulk of the tight ends' pass-catching opportunities the last three games, Gresham's production has decreased overall this year compared to this time last year.

Since drawing five targets in Week 1, Gresham has been targeted only eight times in the games that followed. He has eight catches this year, compared to 18 after four games last year. Keep in mind, the Bengals do have a slightly different offensive scheme with Jackson as their offensive coordinator instead of Jay Gruden, the assistant who guided Gresham through three of the first four years of his career, including last year.

Like this season, Gresham had five targets in the 2013 opener. In the three games that followed it, he collected another 15.

After four games last year, his targets per routes run percentage was 22.5 percent. After four games this year, his targets per routes run percentage is at 14.9.

What explains the hit in production? The Bengals will tell you that he just hasn't been part of Dalton's progressions. The cynics will say he's gotten on Dalton's and Jackson's bad side. Others will say he just hasn't responded well to increased pressure with Eifert out several weeks. The truth is located somewhere in the middle of all of that.

 

 

 

 

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Gresham is as good as gone after this season.
Dead Man Walking

I'm not so sure they're ready to give up on him yet. I wouldn't. He's a first round pick and has all the physical tools. Yes, his production has dropped steadily over the last couple years but someone needs to break through his mental issues, someone like Hue Jackson, and remind him that he's the fucking man in beast mode and to dial in that mode for every play. I'm not certain it can be done, but with where we are right now this season with the dearth of receiving threats, it'd be a good time to try that philosophy and see if he responds.

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I'm not so sure they're ready to give up on him yet. I wouldn't. He's a first round pick and has all the physical tools. Yes, his production has dropped steadily over the last couple years but someone needs to break through his mental issues, someone like Hue Jackson, and remind him that he's the fucking man in beast mode and to dial in that mode for every play. I'm not certain it can be done, but with where we are right now this season with the dearth of receiving threats, it'd be a good time to try that philosophy and see if he responds.

I agree we could really use him now but his opportunity to 'show up' has been there all season really (No Jones, No Eifert except for a quarter, No AJ for pretty much a game and hobbled another) and he has done everything to show that for whatever reason he can't do it. The penalties, the drops, the bad routes etc. are all still there. Even with these massive opportunities so far the targets aren't coming his way. The dude has came out in an interview sounding like he's accepted being considered a failure and his twitter account reads like a man depressed. His last tweet even reads like he knows the writing is on the wall. I hope for the team's sake Hue can snap him out of all his issues and turn him around but I just don't see it happening.
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I know hindsight is 20/20 but Demaryius Thomas was taken one pick after Gresham and

Dez Bryant 3 picks after Gresham.  That'd be scary having either of those 2 lined up 

opposite of A.J. Green!  As for Gresham though, something has to give.  He has the size,

strength etc etc.....seems to be lacking big time in concentration/focus or something!!

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Damn this guy for peeking my interest and making me look it up.

 

Through 4 games vs. last year.    Bengals have thrown it 40 fewer times.    There you go.

 

 

Last year in 3 of 4 games Bengals trailed in the 4th quarter.    This year in first 3 games bengals trailed for 2 seconds and then whole game in 4th game.

 

 

I should be on myth busters.  

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What use is it being a first round pick and 'having all the tools' when he can't catch the fucking ball and gives away dumb penalties every (and I mean EVERY) damned game.

I've been patient with him for a long time because he's potentially a great player but you can't make a whole career out of 'potential'. At some point that 'potential' has to be realised. The ball bouncing out of his hands in the end zone at Foxboro did it for me.

 

This is the perfect time for him to step up to the plate and 'be the guy'...but it's not going to happen. The Bengals cannot count on him*

 

 

 

 

*I'd love to be proved wrong but I don't think I will be.

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[font='lucida sans unicode']Truth be told, he just needs a few sessions with a Psychiatrist.[/font]
[font='lucida sans unicode']A visit to his old high school or college coach would help also.[/font]
[font='lucida sans unicode']He just needs someone to boost his confidence, because it is shot.[/font]


Yes . Or a good legal drug. :)
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There might not be a lot of people who remember this guy, but Gresh reminds me of former Seahawks first round tight end Jeramy Stevens. Super athletic TE in that had all the physical potential in the world but could never seize the moment. Stuck around for 7 or 8 years but never really panned out. I realize Gresh has not had near the off the field problems but still...like someone said earlier, if he cant figure out how to be a consistent contributor, he will find himself on another team.

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Eifert was supposed to be "that guy" along with Gresham, but he hasn't managed to stay healthy yet. Jury's still out on him. I remember a guy named Chase Coffman too, that was an excellent receiver but a poor blocker and they tried to turn him into Reggie Kelly...why can't we get a receiving TE to work for this team? We're supposed to have an excellent offensive line, so why can other teams afford the luxury of less than excellent blocking TE's that can also catch the shit out of the ball AND are a HUGE part of their offensive gameplan? Where is that for the Bengals?

I actually still have faith in Gresham, though it's fading. The guy has all the physical tools, and is actually an excellent blocker. He has mental and ball security issues. On the few occasions when we've seen him get pissed and in "beast mode" he's practically unstoppable. We need to have the coaches tell him Gatorade is better than water or something. Dude needs a fire lit under his ass constantly.

 

I want so bad to have your faith in him! I do agree that is blows my mind that we cant figure out for literally YEARS how to use a TE effectively. We cant even have a whole game that features the tight end as a weapon. I think when you look at teams game planning for the Bengals, they almost don't even have to account for the TE as a major threat. Its like they know we are clueless on how to use them and work on the other area of our offense. Hurts us bad. Hope when Eifert gets back that changes.

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IDK that the scheme is to blame. Eifert was a big part of the offense early on, but he's out. As for Gresham, when you drop wide open TD passes and can't remember snap counts then no, the OC probably isn't going to build a game plan around you. I'm sure Eifert will get a ton of work when he gets back out there.
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IDK that the scheme is to blame. Eifert was a big part of the offense early on, but he's out. As for Gresham, when you drop wide open TD passes and can't remember snap counts then no, the OC probably isn't going to build a game plan around you. I'm sure Eifert will get a ton of work when he gets back out there.

 

Hard to argue that being true or Jackson's rationale. He had a Pro Bowl TE in Oakland as a OC in Zach Miller, he knows how to use one if he has a reliable weapon. Gresh is just a blocker and an occasional target. Might be the biggest bust at his draft position in the Marvin era. fr me a toss up between him and Rivers.

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