Notes: Ozzie says Hue ready; Pumping up Hill; Shazier hit under scrutiny?

[oldschooler]

Notes: Ozzie says Hue ready; Pumping up Hill; Shazier hit under scrutiny?

Posted 1 hour ago

Geoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

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Running backs coach Kyle Caskey says Jeremy Hill is going to come out of it OK.

INDIANAPOLIS _ Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens general manager who brought Hue Jackson back into the AFC North eight years ago, had no time to worry about Jackson’s impact on the toughest division in football when he was named the Browns head coach last month.

But after Jackson’s two stints with the Bengals that included forays into defense and special teams and one as the Ravens quarterback coach who pushed for the drafting of quarterback Joe Flacco, Newsome knows it is a formidable hire.

“I try not to worry too much about the 31 other teams. I worry about the Baltimore Ravens because that’s the team that I have

some control over,” Newsome said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine. “I’m just glad that Hue, who had that opportunity in Oakland, decided to work his way back up through the ranks by working on the defensive side, working on special teams, now he’s better prepared to be a head coach. We have to find a way to beat him twice a year.”

The Ravens were 0-4 against Jackson’s Bengals offense the last two seasons and eight years after Flacco went to Baltimore in the first round, Jackson looks to be in the market again for a first-round quarterback at No. 2. Newsome knows what that looks like after Flacco took the Ravens to the AFC title game in his second season under Jackson and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

“Hue has a way of relating to players,” Newsome said. “Cam was the OC but the calmness that Hue brings in his relationship with Joe or just with anybody in the building, I think that was very beneficial in Joe’s ability to go out there and play in his firyear. I’ve got a lot of respect for Hue.”

 After spending seven seasons in Cincinnati in a variety of jobs for head coach Marvin Lewis, Jackson says the Browns are too different from the Bengals to replicate a model.

“It’s a great organization. An organization I’m very fond of,” Jackson said. “But we have to do it our way here. I obviously learned a lot there, people were for me and good to me, but at the same time we have to do what I think is best for us to have success.”

HILL TO CLIMB: The last snap of Jackson’s two-year tenure as Bengals offensive coordinator had an ironic, devastating twist. The Bengals set a franchise record for fewest turnovers in 2015, but their season became defined by running back Jeremy Hill’s fumble at the Pittsburgh 20 with 1:23 left, turning a 16-15 win into their most devastating loss since Super Bowl XXIII, 18-16.

Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese said here Wednesday that Hill is using the play to fuel a better season in 2016. Zampese and running backs coach Kyle Caskey are pumping him up with positive vibes. Both have touched base with him more than once.

“He’s doing well for himself. He’s well aware what his situation is. He knows what needs to get better,” said Caskey Wednesday.  “You have to take the good with the bad and figure out why those bad things happened.”

On the fumble, Caskey said the end-zone camera shows Hill’s second arm coming up a second too late on Stealers linebacker Ryan Shazier’s forced fumble after a six-yard gain on first down.

“You can say he should have gone down, but he’s playing football,” Caskey said. “It’s the heat of the moment. Unfortunately it was about two inches away from being down. He has to learn from those mistakes sometimes you do need to get down.”

And on Hill’s yards per average that dropped to 3.6 from his rookie year of 5.1, Caskey says they’re looking for more decisiveness.

“It depends on the read he has. He just has to trust the block and what’s going on in front of him,” Caskey said. “Whatever his read is, sticking to that and not try to make something on his own.”

But Caskey is also reminding him of how good a player he is. His 11 rushing touchdowns tied for the NFL lead last season. In the heart-breaking aftermath Caskey admitted there wasn’t much to be said, but he says he told Hill, “You’re a really good player and you have to remember that one play does not define you as a player.”

Then a few days later in the exit interview he was told, “It’s going to be a rough offseason because people are going to be constantly talking to you about this. You need to understand that it’s going to happen. You just can’t walk away from it.”

“He’s handled it well,” Caskey said. “He’ll come back strong. He’s a very smart kid  . . . he’ll come back strong.”

COMMITTEE WORK: Newsome, like Lewis, is a member of the league’s competition committee said Wednesday the heavy lifting won’t begin until it meets in Florida in a few weeks. But it sounds like the NFL is going to re-work what should be called the Giovani Bernard Adjustment when the owners convene next month for the league meeting in Boca Raton, Fla.

Bernard, the Bengals running back knocked cold by a crown-to-helmet hit by Stealers linebacker Ryan Shazier, suffered a concussion and a fumble in the Wild Card Game in the most malicious hit of the postseason.  Despite Shazier clearly leading with his head, there was no flag or fine because the league said Shazier didn’t line up Bernard after he took a couple of steps with the ball.

Look for a new rule or point of emphasis to outlaw the hit if you read between Newsome’s lines.

“As far as targeting, basically we have that with the launching, the hitting of a defenseless player. We have that,” Newsome said. “We also have the leading with the crown. We have that rule in place. Will we do some tweaking with some of that? Yes, we potentially can.”

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Notes-Ozzie-says-Hue-ready-Pumping-up-Hill-Shazier-hit-under-scrutiny/3c5ff1e0-4e5a-49e6-8b4b-a05907bd6e5b

[|BlackJesus|]

The fact that this wasn't called a personal foul, is worthy enough for all of those refs to be fired (and ideally executed). The TEXT BOOK definition of leading with your helmet! This cost us at least 3 points, possibly 7.

[BengalRep85-9]

So this will be at least the 3rd specific penalty put on the books due to a Stealer cheap shot in the last 10 years. And that's just dirty hits on Bengals players.

Kimo, Whines Hard, and now Shazier. I'm sure Harrison has 1 or 2 to his credit also.

But clearly we're the "dirty" team...

[Cat]

Same old shit.

A "clean, unfortunate play" that is quietly the basis of a rule change after the damage is done.

[|schotzee|]

Didn't line him up?! Smh. They need to make these rules with no more grey areas, meaning a helmet to helmet is automatic penalty and fine no matter what colors said team is wearing. Ridiculous already.If the NFL is so worried about concussions, I'd even go as far as to say 1 game suspension. 

[Jason]

So this will be at least the 3rd specific penalty put on the books due to a Stealer cheap shot in the last 10 years. And that's just dirty hits on Bengals players.

Kimo, Whines Hard, and now Shazier. I'm sure Harrison has 1 or 2 to his credit also.

But clearly we're the "dirty" team...

Kimo wasn't the reason you can't go low on a QB. The League didn't value Carson that much. It came after Brady got hurt. 

[Le Tigre]

 "But it sounds like the NFL is going to re-work what should be called the Giovani Bernard Adjustment when the owners convene next month for the league meeting in Boca Raton, Fla.

"Look for a new rule or point of emphasis to outlaw the hit if you read between Newsome’s lines."

“As far as targeting, basically we have that with the launching, the hitting of a defenseless player. We have that,” Newsome said. “We also have the leading with the crown. We have that rule in place. Will we do some tweaking with some of that? Yes, we potentially can.”

Wonderful...ANOTHER rule! Fairly soon the NFL Rulebook will be nearing Tax Code thickness. And again, no one will be able (or willing) to consistently enforce it. 

This will be Amendment 35 to Sub-section XX, codicil 9(a). Please keep that straight...the integrity of the NFL is to be protected.   

[fluhartz]

Kimo wasn't the reason you can't go low on a QB. The League didn't value Carson that much. It came after Brady got hurt. 

QFT

[DanvilleBengal]

Didn't line him up?! Smh. They need to make these rules with no more grey areas, meaning a helmet to helmet is automatic penalty and fine no matter what colors said team is wearing. Ridiculous already.If the NFL is so worried about concussions, I'd even go as far as to say 1 game suspension. 

I agree with this, but this has the sense of a point where ironically the same hit is gonna bite us at the most inopportune time...

[T-Dub]

I agree with this, but this has the sense of a point where ironically the same hit is gonna bite us at the most inopportune time...

Of course it is, because like all these other rules it will be made grey enough to let them call it when it suits the plot, and ignore it when it doesn't. Where in the rulebook is there any language about "lining up" a helmet-to-helmet hit?  A month after the season ends & they're talking about scrutiny.  The NFL is a fuckin' joke. 

[bigboi]

this is why the nfl is a fucking joke,how many more rule's are they going to put in the rule book and how many more rule's are the shittburge Stealers going to be allowed to break.

[Passepartout]

It is why the NFL at times is called the No Fun League! Due to Goodell's way of methods.

[T-Dub]

I've got no problem with rules to protect the long-term health of the players. I don't want to see my favorites end up as vegetables & I don't want to watch a bloodsport. Those rules have to be the same for everyone though, and they clearly aren't.  Worse, we're expected to blame it on "idiot refs" & accept it as part of the drama.  Then they try to crucify Burfict while celebrating a career headhunter like James Harrison.  I know that as long as they're raking in the $$$$ none of this is likely to change but I can choose not to participate.