Finding A Run Stopper

[|High School Harry|]

Finding run stoppers a priority for the Cincinnati Bengals

 

Jim Owczarski, Cincinnati EnquirerPublished 8:17 p.m. ET July 30, 2018 | Updated 8:19 p.m. ET July 30, 2018

   

 

Two days before training camp opened, Teryl Austin leaned back in a chair in the club level of Paul Brown Stadium and had an immediate answer to the question of where he wanted to see the most improvement out of his group in 2018: “Number one, we have to shore up our run defense.”

While Austin’s style as a play-caller will be more discernible once regular season games begin, and he hasn’t been shy about saying he wants the back end of his defense to be more aggressive, he’s not wrong in saying the Cincinnati Bengals could be better against stopping the run.

The Bengals were 30th in that category a year ago, down from 21st in 2016 and seventh in 2015. From 2011-14 they were 10th, 12th, 5th and 20th against the run.

“I’ve always said that every defense I’ve been on when we’re good against the run, we’re usually pretty good,” Austin said. “I think you can control the game that way and don’t open yourself up to the play-action pass and all those different things. “If teams want to throw on you all day, then good luck, that’s fine. We want to stop the run, because then you send the message by controlling the line of scrimmage.”

That is true, as the 2011 AFC Championship-qualifying Baltimore Ravens were second against the rush and the 2005 Super Bowl team in Seattle was fifth. But a team doesn’t necessarily need to be dominant against the run to have a successful overall unit – the 2008 Arizona team Austin was a part of was 16th against the rush and they also went to the Super Bowl.

In Detroit, Austin’s group was slightly below the league average in that regard (19th in 2015, 18th in 2016 and 21st in 2017), but they were No. 1 in his first year in 2014. He had Ndamukong Suh that season, along with Nick Fairley for half a year (he was injured in the eighth game that year) and veteran C.J. Mosley clogging up the middle.

 

Austin obviously has Geno Atkins inside in Cincinnati, and veteran Michael Johnson has proven he can provide some pass rush from the interior when placed there in nickel rush situations.

 

But who is going to be handling the middle when Atkins needs a breather, or line up next to the All-Pro when a big run stop needs to be made?

The Bengals signed veteran defensive tackle Chris Baker as a free agent this offseason, and the tenth-year pro has had past success rushing the passer (9.5 sacks from 2015-16 in Washington), but he feels he is in great shape and able to take on more of a role in Cincinnati.

“Obviously I’ve had a lot of success in this league in previous years,” Baker said, noting he feels like he can play all three downs. “Last year was obviously a down year, but I know once I get to playing the way I know I’m capable of playing, I could be one of the top defensive tackles in the league. Being able to play next to a guy like Geno, Carlos (Dunlap) and Mike, it also will help me out if they have to work on double-teaming Geno, then maybe I can get some singles. It’s just a matter of going out there and playing and feeling comfortable.”

The 30-year-old is currently listed at 320 pounds, but he is closer to 300 and feels prepared for a bounce-back season after Tampa Bay released him after one year.

“My body feels great,” he said. “This is Year 10 for me, so it’s really just about trying to stay healthy and maintaining my health. But so far, I’ve done a good job just taking care of my body. The coaches do a good job with my reps in practice. I’m feeling good. I’m ready to go out there and compete each and every day. It’s just a matter of going out and playing and proving myself.”

The Bengals do, however, hope third-year defensive tackle Andrew Billings can make a leap now that he is a full year removed from a season-ending injury in 2016. The 325-pounder out of Baylor flashed at times a year ago but didn’t consistently prove he could be a run stuffer.

Through the early part of camp, Billings has been lining up next to Atkins and has made his share of appearances in the backfield during run plays.

“My technique is really developing,” Billings said. “My steps, my hands, my pad leverage has changed from last year. It got better last year as the year went on, but now it’s really putting the pieces together and doing it in practice this year. It’s just really came together. Eye vision. Everything has really improved.

“Last year I made my plays when I knew what was going on and it was a lot of times I didn’t know what was going on. Now I’m seeing myself learning more and more about formations, running back sets, tight ends and where the ball is probably going to go and playing blocks better. It’s really improving, the knowledge of the game.”

Competing with Billings is Josh Tupou, a second-year undrafted free agent out of Colorado. Listed at 350 pounds but looking lighter than that, he is still trying to figure out what weight is best for him to play at while making the most of the opportunities he’s getting to prove he can make the 53-man roster and contribute.

“I still have a lot to improve on,” Tupou said. “I just try to focus on getting better every day and don’t try to look too much forward into the future. It’s a luxury playing aside Geno, Carlos and some of the vets and seeing how they carry themselves in practice and how they approach every day and getting themselves better. Seeing that and just trying to follow their lead and trying to help the team as much as possible.”

A lot of the early focus on camp has been on the ball-hawking abilities of the secondary and which linebackers can fill in for Vontaze Burfict early in the season, but for Austin and his group up front, they know it’s all about what’s going on up the gut.

“I know it’s a passing league,” Billings said with a smile. “But, they run the ball first.”

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2018/07/30/cincinnati-bengals-looking-run-defenders/866457002/

 

 

[LostInDaJungle]

Whatever... Run stopping is a 7-8 man job. It's all about gaps and coverage. You get better at it as a unit, or worse as a unit.

The real question is if we're going to be more aggressive or if we're going to be passive like we were in the Chunk days. Hard to keep guys from getting 4 yards when you have LB's waiting to meet them 6 yards off the ball.

[T-Dub]

8 hours ago, LostInDaJungle said:

Whatever... Run stopping is a 7-8 man job. It's all about gaps and coverage. You get better at it as a unit, or worse as a unit.

The real question is if we're going to be more aggressive or if we're going to be passive like we were in the Chunk days. Hard to keep guys from getting 4 yards when you have LB's waiting to meet them 6 yards off the ball.

 

 

Something to be said for leadership, though.  There's a lot of "want-to" involved in taking on a pulling 300+ lb guard.  Fully expect our run D (and as a whole) to suddenly improve in Week 5.  The scheme won't change; it's one player setting an example.  Those other LB's aren't going to be waiting on the RB with Burfict on the field.

[Inigo Montoya]

Billings looked to be in good shape when I saw him on Friday.  I think they will get enough production from him along with Baker and Glasgow.  DT depth is also in good shape with Brown and Topou in the pipeline.  At LB, Evans looked bulked up and Jefferson looked smallish.  Nominal starters were Preston Brown, Vigil, and Evans.  Vinny didn't practice at all.

[thezerawkid]

On 7/31/2018 at 10:12 AM, LostInDaJungle said:

Whatever... Run stopping is a 7-8 man job. It's all about gaps and coverage. You get better at it as a unit, or worse as a unit.

The real question is if we're going to be more aggressive or if we're going to be passive like we were in the Chunk days. Hard to keep guys from getting 4 yards when you have LB's waiting to meet them 6 yards off the ball.

Agree.

 

The only thing one could hope for from a “run stopping” defensive tackle is a man that is so large/fast that he typically requires two defenders to stop/slow him, thus putting the offense at a numeric disadvantage as frequently as possible.

 

But, beyond that, yes, it becomes all about strategy and discipline.

[|Bunghole|]

11 hours ago, thezerawkid said:

Agree.

 

The only thing one could hope for from a “run stopping” defensive tackle is a man that is so large/fast that he typically requires two defenders to stop/slow him, thus putting the offense at a numeric disadvantage as frequently as possible.

 

But, beyond that, yes, it becomes all about strategy and discipline.

And football instincts, the one thing (besides natural athletic ability) that you can't teach.