Did our play calling become more conservative in the 3rd quarter?

ZekeTrain

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I was able to watch the first half and the 4th but missed the third. Did our play calling become more conservative? Did the Bengals make half time adjustments?

Just trying to figure out why we moved the ball so well in the first half only to get shutdown for the third quarter and most of the 4th.
 

foofighters

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Kellen Moore got conservative but yet got away from running the ball again. Had some head scratcher plays, as in low % success rate plays.
However, the Bengals seemed to have the ball the entire 3rd quarter.
Ya, I think we had a penalty that killed our first drive in the 3rd. Then on the next possession, we moved it well until we fumbled. That's when they took over for more than 8 minutes.
 

Aven8

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Yes he did. But Cincy also started running the ball more and went to the quick passing game and ate a ton of clock too.
 

shabazz

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Rush struggled some in the 2nd half with the Bengles adjustments. It’s normal for a quarterback with 2 career starts to get confused with new looks and execution. I was just waiting for a pick six on the sideline throws and thankfully it didn’t happen.

I’d like to see more high percentage TE connections in the next few games. We are gonna see some growing pains.
 

charron

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Things didnt go wwll in the 3rd but still a better overall game plan that these players can execute
 

BoysfanfromCanada

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I feel like the long Bengals drive to start the 3rd tired the D down, so MM must have said to run the ball to give the D a rest. But it lead to a 3 and out if I'm not mistaken. This isn't a team that can turn it off if it wants to win
 

glimmerman

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The first half I saw MM holding the play cards and talking into the head set before the plays. The first half play calls were different than the second.
 

TheSport78

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Yes. KM has no feel for the game. He scripted a good first 20 plays or so but then it became the usual.
 

thunderpimp91

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I would have loved to see more play action on 1st/2nd down. I can appreciate staying stubborn to the run, but it was clear that Cincinnati was selling out to stop the run 2nd half, and force this offense into 3rd and long situations.

Kellen Moore seems exactly like the guy you want on your sideline instead of the opposing sideline, but you also don't want him to be in charge. It's almost like if you've ever had a conversation with a brilliant person who just has zero ability to read non verbal cues that is exactly what I think happens with KM. He is a brilliant football mind, but struggles to adapt in the moment. You want an OC who thinks 3 steps ahead of defenses, but Kellen seems to be a week behind more often than not. I'd love to see him stay on as OC, but someone else take a try at calling plays.
 

noshame

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They began stacking the Box
We have to adjust our routes to defeat that this week

We have a quarterback who can do that
 

glimmerman

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That early 4th down we went for and got a 17 yard pass was huge.. Nice pass and catch and was gutsy. If that went the other way it could have cost us the game. Just one of those plays that defined the game.
 

Hennessy_King

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Rush struggled some in the 2nd half with the Bengles adjustments. It’s normal for a quarterback with 2 career starts to get confused with new looks and execution. I was just waiting for a pick six on the sideline throws and thankfully it didn’t happen.

I’d like to see more high percentage TE connections in the next few games. We are gonna see some growing pains.
He definitely got away with one throw
 

RonnieT24

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Yep. Maybe more than one. But in the first half I noticed more than once I saw MM with the play sheet and was talking into the head set. I think he was more involved this game..

I counted at least 4.. Fortunately there's a reason why guys who run 4.4 end up playing DB.. and it's usually because they can't catch. There were two outs to CD and Brown that should have been picked and the one swing pass to Pollard that also could have been. Then there was one over the middle that went through the defender's hands.. Rush has a "good enough" arm when he is decisive but he does not possess that cannon that can flick the ball at 100 mph to a receiver at the last instant when he sees it. His eyes showed him openings that his arm couldn't capitalize on.

Still to the OP's point I think the play calling did go conservative in the second half but I think how Rush was throwing the ball might have had something to do with that. Dude was not slinging it with any confidence really until the drive that Schultz fumbled on. People harping on the diminished effectiveness of the running game miss the point.. Cincy knew they had to be more stout against the run so they gave it more attention in the second half. But the Cowboys STILL had to run the ball to set up their play action game as well as to keep the defense from teeing off. So even though they probably only averaged about 3 yards a pop on the ground in the second half I was glad to see them still using it. Now if we could just quit with the stupid toss sweep to the short side of the field with nobody blocking the playside DE. Zack Martin aint winnin no footrace with pretty much any DE in the league so asking him to get out in front and take that DE is just a bad play design. And it hung poor Zeke and Pollard out to dry every time but one.
 
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