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What's Wrong with the Bengals? (TDN)


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https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/blame-game--who-is-to-blame-for-the-2019-cincinnati-bengals

 

For the first time since 2002, a head coach other than Marvin Lewis roamed the sidelines in Cincinnati. 

Lewis was fired after logging three consecutive losing seasons from 2016-2018 and Zac Taylor replaced him. It made 2019 a transitional year for the Cincinnati Bengals, but the results are still hard to stomach. 

The Bengals have the worst record in the NFL (1-12) and very few bright spots to cling to. Perhaps the greatest concern is that young players aren’t developing. But the issues this season have deeper roots than what can be seen on the field. A peculiar front office structure and resistance to investing in players are at the forefront of what Taylor and his staff have to overcome. 

The leader for the first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Cincinnati is positioned to land LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. Hopefully, the top pick, Year 2 under Taylor and an improved roster can generate optimism for the Bengals. Tomorrow the plan to fix the Bengals will be outlined, but today is about pointing fingers at what is responsible for this mess.

No Rookie Contributions

Arguably the most disappointing component of the Bengals’ clinching their fourth consecutive losing season, and first under Taylor, is the lack of meaningful contributions from the rookie class. As has become tradition, Cincinnati’s first-round pick suffered a costly injury and projected starting left tackle Jonah Williams missed his rookie year due to a shoulder injury. 

Second-round pick Drew Sample played in just 108 snaps across the Bengals’ first nine games of the season before landing on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He finished the season with five catches for 30 yards. 

 

Germaine Pratt, the Bengals' third-round selection, became a starter in Week 10 but has struggled mightily in coverage with his share of blunders defending the run. Fourth-rounder Michal Jordan has started five games this season and proved he is nowhere ready to play on Sundays. 

The Bengals other six draft picks have made almost zero impact. Despite 10 draft selections and the worst record in football, the Bengals’ rookie class was near fruitless. 

Offensive Line

Despite investing thee first-round picks, a second-round pick and trading for Cordy Glenn since 2015, the Bengals’ offensive line is arguably the worst unit in the NFL. Cincinnati relied on the likes of Bobby Hart and John Jerry to play considerable snaps and they continued to be liabilities. Billy Price, a 2018 first-round pick, hasn’t come close to meeting expectations and Michael Jordan is clearly not ready to play but has been forced into action and struggled. As for Andre Smith? He has been asked to play 254 snaps across six games. 

Center Trey Hopkins has been a bright spot for the unit and right guard John Miller can adequately fill a starting role on the interior, but the pieces around them are barely depth players and have been asked to start. Glenn is a serviceable starter but has been severely limited with injuries in two of the last three seasons. 

Getting Williams back from injury will be a major boost at left tackle but considerable investments are needed to add another starter or two and improve the depth. 

Expired Linebackers

It is hard to determine why the Bengals are so averse to having athletic linebackers, especially in today’s NFL where offenses are wide open while challenging defenses with pace and space. There has never been a time where range and athleticism were needed more on the second level of the defense, yet Cincinnati spent a majority of 2019 with heavy-footed linebackers Preston Brown and Nick Vigil claiming the majority of the defensive snaps. 

Despite inking Brown to a three-year, $16-million extension in March, the Bengals waived him in mid-November. Stepping in for Brown, Pratt has improved the speed on the second level but he has to develop the mental side of the game before that makes a difference for the defense.

Linebacker isn’t the only problem with the Bengals defense but it would certainly help to have better athletes in the fray, especially considering the offensive talent featured within the AFC North. 

Promising Young Defenders Regressed

Cincinnati’s roster needs considerable upgrades, but it wasn’t without promising young talent to build around, especially on defense. 

After a splashy rookie season in 2017 where Carl Lawson produced 8 1/2 sacks and 21 quarterback hits, his sophomore season was derailed by an ACL tear. Injuries have again plagued Lawson in 2019 and he has failed to capture the sizzle of his rookie season and severely impacted the Bengals pass rush. 

Jessie Bates, the first Bengals’ rookie defender to start all 16 games since 1998, looked like one of the early steals of the 2018 draft. Bates was a second-round pick but he certainly performed like a first-round talent during his impressive first year. In 16 games, Bates tallied 111 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions. Flash forward to 2019 and Bates has regressed in coverage, as a tackler and playing forward against the run. Instead of standing out for a bad defense in 2018, he blended right in with the Bengals’ poor defense this season. 

William Jackson looked like one of the NFL’s most promising young corners in 2017 and 2018 but those years seem like distant memories after watching him play this season. His consistency in pass coverage and efforts in run support have made 2019 a year to forget for Jackson.

 

Unfortunately, none of those young talents took a step forward in 2019 and the Bengals are in danger of having the worst defense in the NFL for the second consecutive season.

 

 

No Big Plays on Defense 

The offensive line, and not having A.J. Green, sunk the Bengals offense. But the defense did very little to help. It was gashed in the run game, yielded big plays in the passing game, couldn’t get to the quarterback and didn’t create takeaways. The Bengals are among the bottom five in each of the following categories:

  • Sacks (21)
  • Yards Per Passing Attempt Allowed (8.4)
  • Yards Per Rushing Attempt Allowed (4.9)
  • Takeaways (12)

If Lou Anarumo is given another season to coordinate the defense in Cincinnati, these numbers have to improve significantly. The defensive personnel isn’t so devoid of talent that these results are acceptable. 

 

  • Offensive line was arguably the worst in football 
  • Defense gave up big plays and didn’t make enough
  • Promising young defenders regressed
  • Outdated linebackers couldn’t matchup
  • Rookie contributions were few and failed to make a positive impact on a bad football team that had 10 picks. 
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3 minutes ago, Jimmy D said:

Is there any hope for a brighter tomorrow on the offensive line?  How do we get ship shape there?  

I think there's a realistic path that we have an average line next year.

1. Jonah Williams has to be average to above average (this is possible)

2. Sign a mid-tier RT in FA...we may have to overpay (this is possible)

3. MJ gets better (this is probable)

4. Keep Hopkins at C (this is probable)

5. Draft another G for depth (this is probable)

 

If this happens, I think we'll be in good shape on the line.

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5 minutes ago, WRAPradio said:

I think there's a realistic path that we have an average line next year.

1. Jonah Williams has to be average to above average (this is possible)

2. Sign a mid-tier RT in FA...we may have to overpay (this is will not happen)

3. MJ gets better (not with the same OL coach)

4. Keep Hopkins at C (we will overpay him then he will regress)

5. Draft another G for depth (this is probable, and then he goes on IR for the year)

 

If this happens, I think we'll be in virtually the same position  on the line.

 

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5 minutes ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

 

I'm not a fan of Jim Turner the person.  The jury is out on Jim Turner the coach.  From game 1 until now, that line has gotten better so I think it's reasonable to expect our young offensive linemen to improve over the offseason. 

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How to Fix the Bengals in the offseason:

 

https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/how-to-fix-the-cincinnati-bengals-over-the-2020-offseason

 

The Cincinnati Bengals currently have the worst record in football and that’s exactly how Bengals’ fans should hope the season finishes. At the end of the road, the reward of receiving the first-overall pick in the 2020 draft means receiving LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, which should make Who Dey Nation very excited. 

Burrow has exceptional accuracy to all levels of the field, field vision, football IQ, the ability to handle pressure, athleticism and intangibles. The season he has put together at LSU is arguably the greatest year an SEC quarterback has ever had. He’s met every moment and proven to be the difference-maker for the undefeated Tigers. He’s an Ohio native and he is perfect for Zac Taylor’s offense. And when you consider the Nebraska ties for both Burrow and Taylor, it’s truly an ideal marriage. 

Entering the offseason, Cincinnati has the resources in terms of available cap space and draft capital at its disposal to make significant strides to improve the talent on the roster. Here’s what they should do. 

Fire Lou Anarumo

Rarely do head coaches or coordinators deserve to be one-and-done but Anarumo’s unit has performed at a level that warrants the idea. The search to settle on Anarumo as the guy to lead Zac Taylor’s defense was exhausting. After the Bengals’ passed on Jack Del Rio, Florida’s Todd Grantham turned down the gig and the Bengals failed to secure an interview with Ohio State’s Jeff Hafley. 

We have seen other young offensive-minded head coaches land gigs and each of them secured an established defensive mind to coordinate the defense. Sean McVay hired Wade Phillips. Matt LeFleur retained Mike Pettine. Kliff Kingsbury has Vance Joseph. And while Anarumo may be in his early 50s, his experience coordinating NFL defense is lacking. 

Outside of a stint in 2015 as the interim defensive coordinator for the Dolphins, Anarumo’s experience comes as a defensive backs coach with the Giants (2018), Dolphins (2012-17), Purdue (20014-11), Marshall (2001-03) and Harvard (1995-2000). 

As detailed yesterday, the Bengals defense has been among the worst in the NFL and did nothing to lift a struggling offense. 

It was gashed in the run game, yielded big plays in the passing game, couldn’t get to the quarterback and didn’t create takeaways. The Bengals are among the bottom five in each of the following categories:

  • Sacks (21)
  • Yards Per Passing Attempt Allowed (8.4)
  • Yards Per Rushing Attempt Allowed (4.9)
  • Takeaways (12)

There is enough defensive talent on the Bengals’ rosters to reasonably expect better from this unit. The worst thing a team can do is cling to mistakes and Anarumo is proving to be an underperforming coach. It’s time for Taylor to try again to find the right lead man for his defense. 

Three Contracts to Renew

With a projected $64 million in salary-cap space, Cincinnati does have several of its own free agents to consider for extensions. These three will need to come back.

A.J. Green

The A.J. Green situation has been a weird one to follow. Rostered for the entire season, Green never got healthy enough to play in a game. Green is on the wrong side of 30 and has missed 29 out of a possible 64 games since 2016 due to injury. With that said, Green’s production once healthy and what he can mean to a rookie quarterback is reason enough to keep him in Cincinnati. 

Darqueze Dennard 

A first-round pick in 2014, Darqueze Dennard hasn’t emerged into a lockdown corner but he is versatile, experienced and more than serviceable. While the Bengals shouldn’t break the bank (don’t worry, Mike Brown would never), being careful to not create more holes by letting Dennard walk would be wise. 

Andrew Billings 

Cincinnati has surrendered the most rushing yards in the NFL, so, on the one hand, it may appear odd to suggest re-signing Andrew Billings who literally exists on the roster to stuff the run. With that said, Billings is an ascending player who has played well in each of the last two seasons serving his role as an interior gap plugger. Poor linebacker play and a lack of depth have attributed more to the Bengals’ issues defending the run. A fourth-round pick in 2016, Billings has earned an extension. 

One to let go: Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton helped the Bengals achieve uncommon success, but his run in Cincinnati should be over. The team has clearly peaked with him as the starter and he can be released after the season for a cap savings of $17.7 million while accumulating no dead cap space. Those savings will be helpful for the construction of the roster moving forward and Dalton may get a legitimate chance to compete to be another team’s starter.

Three Key Free Agents

The Bengals are typically quite passive when it comes to the free-agent market but the cap space is available for Cincinnati to add talent to a roster in need of it. The Bengals would be wise to consider these three additions. 

Jack Conklin (TDN Analyst Ben Solak)

The Bengals offensive line needs major upgrades, especially at right tackle. The 25-year-old Jack Conklin has been an above-average starter since the Titans made him the eighth overall pick in the 2016 draft and would represent a massive improvement for Cincinnati. He is an athletic blocker that would fit well with the concepts of Taylor’s offense. 

Beau Allen (TDN Analyst Kyle Crabbs) 

The Bengals have to do a better job winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and Beau Allen is one of the more stout run defenders in the league. Whether Andrew Billings is extended or not, Allen would help beef up the interior defensive line and help fix the problematic run defense. 

Cory Littleton (TDN Analyst Joe Marino) 

An undrafted free agent in 2016, Cory Littleton has developed over the last four seasons into one of the better off-ball linebackers in the NFL. He is a sure tackler that has been excellent in coverage while showcasing impressive processing skills. Taylor is familiar with Littleton from his time in Los Angeles and he would go a long way in shoring up the second level of the Bengals’ defense that figures to be overhauled this offseason. 

Draft Joe Burrow 

Chase Young is a rare talent that is deserving of the first-overall pick, but he isn’t a quarterback. Burrow is a quarterback, also deserving of the top pick and this shouldn’t be a difficult decision for the Bengals. 

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16 hours ago, Jason said:

If you have so little hope why remain a fan?

I'm a fan by default. Closest pro team to where I grew up and I loved their helmets. 

When I was very young no one would ever take me to a game which was about a 70 mile trip from where I lived. I used to get on my mom's exercise bike and try to calculate how long it would it take me if I snuck out one day and rode my bike to a game. Didn't even care if I had a ticket or not. Was going to take my boom box and listen to the game next to the stadium. At the very least I just wanted to tailgate at the game before I even knew what tailgating was. 

When I was in 4th grade my mom got me this super sweet pro player Bengals jacket for Xmas. I slept in that thing for a week. When went back to school after break all the older kids made fun of me real bad for being a Bengal fan. I remember going home from school crying and begging my mom to take the jacket back and trade it for a cowboys jacket. Which she did. And for one year I was a fake cowboy fan. 

Got my first payroll job at 14 and bought season tickets with my own money. Well I bought single game tickets to every regular season game. This was the year of akili Smith. Remember being at the Bucs game by myself. We got blown the F out. Some people that were next to me were wearing brown bags and took them off and left. I grabbed one put it on and moved to the front row of the upper deck end zone. After the game when the Bucs were going to the locker room Warren Sapp pointed at me sitting there all alone with a brown bag over my head and he started busting out laughing. 

I'm in it for life and feel like I have earned the right to bitch, moan, dog and ridicule this franchise, team and coaches all I want. Basically a prisoner to the team. 

In about 29 years time I can probably count on one hand how many times Ive missed following a live game. Back before the modern internet it was very rare to see a game but I always listened on the radio. Sunday family get togethers I drove everyone nuts because i always had my little hand held radio going with the game on. Antenna streached as far as it would go. Constantly getting in trouble at my grandparents for wasting tin foil trying to get a better signal. Y'all don't even know the lengths I used to go just to follow the team. 

 

I write novels. :) bless you if u made it this far. :) Lol

 

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10 hours ago, Catfish Bob said:

I'm a fan by default. Closest pro team to where I grew up and I loved their helmets. 

When I was very young no one would ever take me to a game which was about a 70 mile trip from where I lived. I used to get on my mom's exercise bike and try to calculate how long it would it take me if I snuck out one day and rode my bike to a game. Didn't even care if I had a ticket or not. Was going to take my boom box and listen to the game next to the stadium. At the very least I just wanted to tailgate at the game before I even knew what tailgating was. 

When I was in 4th grade my mom got me this super sweet pro player Bengals jacket for Xmas. I slept in that thing for a week. When went back to school after break all the older kids made fun of me real bad for being a Bengal fan. I remember going home from school crying and begging my mom to take the jacket back and trade it for a cowboys jacket. Which she did. And for one year I was a fake cowboy fan. 

Got my first payroll job at 14 and bought season tickets with my own money. Well I bought single game tickets to every regular season game. This was the year of akili Smith. Remember being at the Bucs game by myself. We got blown the F out. Some people that were next to me were wearing brown bags and took them off and left. I grabbed one put it on and moved to the front row of the upper deck end zone. After the game when the Bucs were going to the locker room Warren Sapp pointed at me sitting there all alone with a brown bag over my head and he started busting out laughing. 

I'm in it for life and feel like I have earned the right to bitch, moan, dog and ridicule this franchise, team and coaches all I want. Basically a prisoner to the team. 

In about 29 years time I can probably count on one hand how many times Ive missed following a live game. Back before the modern internet it was very rare to see a game but I always listened on the radio. Sunday family get togethers I drove everyone nuts because i always had my little hand held radio going with the game on. Antenna streached as far as it would go. Constantly getting in trouble at my grandparents for wasting tin foil trying to get a better signal. Y'all don't even know the lengths I used to go just to follow the team. 

 

I write novels. :) bless you if u made it this far. :) Lol

 

I was pretty obsessive with The Bengals for many years. I was initially a baseball fan living in Cincy. The Reds of the mid-1970's where the very pinnacle of excellent team sports, so when I started becoming interested in football The Bengals were the guys playing in the same stadium. Kenny Anderson, Isaac Curtis etc. They were not great in those years but it was not as dire as it became. They had a pretty good run and some just misses in the 80's and my mind-set was always that they were going to eventually clear that hurdle. I did all the same stuff you describe... Obsessively trying to find Bengals action on TV and radio. Old school satellite etc.

 

Enter Mike Brown and eons of futility.

There has been a turd brown cloud over this team since he took over. Even those one or two years when they had a good enough team to compete in the mid 2000's they were clearly cursed when it mattered most.
It has worn me down. This, and the entire NFL sell out culture. The 2015 Stealers playoff game just tore it. There was no question that Cincy was a broken tricycle at that point.

I fully do not expect this team to win anything in my lifetime. This makes it harder to commit to an afternoon of grief watching this team embarrass itself. I dumped the NFL channels and for the first time since being a fan I haven't watched more than just game highlights of The Bengals this season. This was a decision prior to the season, and I have not proven myself wrong thus far. 

Maybe the next generation of fans will get something different. Probably not...

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