FuzzyLumpkins
The Boognish
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Offense came out on fire. Consistently dominated on the los making the Bengals front 7 look pedestrian. Plays run were consistently efficient if run and pass. Culminated in a big play that has been talked about ad nauseum on the first play of the second half.
Offense at that point mailed it in a bit. The following drive was a trainwreck. Multiple penalties on the OL, a near DoG that Garrett had to save, and finally the strip sack because Dak wasn't paying attention. I watched the second half in isolation and the nonchalance on display irritated me greatly. Celebrate after the game is over; there is a fine line between confidence and hubris.
They righted the ship quickly enough to finally ice the game; I love Linehan's aggressiveness at the end of games.
Defense came out strong and for one game was able to consistently get pressure. Against a man running team, Marinelli ran stunts and twists all game long to great effect. Primary target was the Bungles center who was overpowered when isolated on our DT. Bungles also tried to use TE to block DE on the edge and Mayowa and 58 took advantage. The LB struggled on run fits behind the movement taking the same gap and similar gaffes. It wasn't enough to cause any big plays although it nearly did early. Team is tackling very well limiting RAC particularly at the S spot.
When they drop into coverage with few exceptions the guys seem instinctive anticipating routes and help cover for each other. Under the previous two passing regimes every man was on an island. Not so this year. In man coverage we are pushing the illegal contact envelope keeping with receivers throughout breaks; I expect our opponents cry about it but the refs don't call it consistently. Occasionally the guys underneath would bite on play action and not get good depth on their drops allowing completions of ins and the like but that was gone in the second half and overall the coverage was consistently good.
Special teams was solid. Wilcox was on fire making a great stop on a return and beating both guys as a gunner to stick Pacman on the sideline. Dan Bailey was not tested. Chris Jones has turned into a bit of a weapon with those coffin corner kicks. If you were wondering why Rod Smith is on the team, don't, he plays on all coverage and return teams and is consistently blocking and around the ball. Both FB play key roles.
Dak is accurate consistently hitting receivers in stride and his misses are not by much. Does a good job making quick reads over the middle of the field and getting the ball out. Judicious when leaving the pocket to good effect. No decision puts the ball in danger. Only complaints are that he does not challenge 1v1s downfield on go and post routes and they have disappeared and he appeared to lose focus for a bit in the second half.
Zeke plays with power, makes people miss, and out runs people. He is devastating in pass pro and has sure hands catching the ball. Would like to see him more utilized in the passing game to get him out in space but I think that will come with time.
Morris is a poor man's Zeke. Very well rounded. Vision is some of the best but lack of top end quickness and speed limits his windows compared to 21. Didn't do a good job disguising the screen pass in the second half. Not all on him but he just ran out to the flat and didn't disguise at all.
Smith does a good job engaging in space, getting under the LBers pads, and driving. Not consistent yet but has the ability to root guys out of the hole that we have not seen since Moose. Much better leverage and power compared to Clutz and Fiammetta.
Witten's blocking is better than it was early in the season. Much better sustain and finish. No whiffs. RAC is also something we have not seen in some time. Hands were inconsistent this game. Catch radius was limited and catches away from his body that he normally gets were dropped.
Swaim wasn't been used as a receiver much. His blocking is effective the farther away you get him from the DL. The wham that freed Zeke was nice but he gets pushed around by DE. He couldn't handle Dunlap at all inline. He holds on to LB pretty consistently and likes to bully DBs. Needs to get stronger but is proficient picking guys up in space. H-back is a very good role for him.
TWill looks more explosive out of his breaks. Still a body catcher. Blocking has nice drive and sustain on the perimeter. Nothing boneheaded this game.
Butler is a better hands catcher but more limited in his route tree than TWill. Struggled blocking on the perimeter missing several blocks that would have sprung bigger gains.
Beasley quickness continues to grant him consistent separation underneath. He is doing a better job utilizing it in space to rack up yards after the catch.
Lucky's speed is apparent. He got past to corner with separation at least 3 times that I saw and Dak never looked that way once. Butler missed a block on the jet sweep or it would have had a chance to spring down the sideline. His blocking belies his size. Granted it is feast or famine but if he gets his hands on you he is a strong little bugger. OTOH he can be pushed around in his own right. Effort is unquestioned. Would like to see more of an effort to get him into space at some point. His open field vision is obvious on returns.
Fred remains a dominant drive blocker. He took the 1v1 on the NT and consistently won in both phases of the game. Able to snap the ball and get his hands up to punch lightning quick after the snap. Lacks elite quickness but footwork is precise and pays off on his ability to reach on the second level. Works extremely well with both 65 and 70 on combo blocks. Overpowering but can be caught off balance and end up on the ground.
Leary plays with better leverage than LC. Was isolated on Atkins often and held his ground. Show a nice ability to recover and sit down when beaten off the snap. Plays with a mean streak and likes to pancake the second level. Nobody likes false starts.
Martin is awe inspiring from reaching blocks down the line to dominating 1v1s to pancake slamming Bengals LBer to the turf. Burfict is an aggressive player who will step to anyone who challenges him but he wanted no part of 70. When 70 stepped Burfict turned the other way. His reputation precedes him.
Free is great on the move and picking guys out in space. He has nice power when he can put his base into the punch. Lacks elite upper body strength though when you get inside his hands and can be taken for a ride. This is nothing new but he can be exploited particularly by power DE. Dunlap gave him fits issues when isolated. Zeke helped him out quite a bit to significant effect.
Smith was a bit rusty. The snap and bend was there and on display as he stood Bengals up and drove them. OTOH he missed some cut blocks and seemed sluggish out of his stance at times too. Mend well, big man.
Several DL had their best game chiefly Thornton, McClain, and Mayowa.
DLaw struggled to finish but was very effective. Was able to lean and capture the corner but his swim move was consistently beating the RT. Forced Dalton to step up in the pocket pretty consistently and got his hands on him a couple of times but failed to bring him down. I expect this to improve as he knocks the rust off. He was still the straw stirring the pass rushing drink when he was in there more often than not.
Crawford is a power player with quickness that belies his size. His stop start is only average so he requires moves to redirect. His upper body strength is elite and he uses it to great effect with inside out and outside in power moves. He was getting pretty consistent pressure off the edge. He is an absolute force when diving inside on the pick for line stunts. He turns the OT and forces a double team which he can split with his quickness and power. When he doesn't try to cheat inside he sets a very nice edge and is difficult to move. I like him starting at SDE and kicking inside on passing downs more than a little. He is getting better the more he plays out there.
Jack Crawford plays football how its supposed to be played: balls out every play down in down out. He lacks ideal length to extend but he makes up for it with active hands that prevent sustain on blocks and maximum effort. Can lose his base trying to get the corner and get sat down on but he is a joy to watch.
Mayowa had his best game. He is getting better with the hand techniques Marinelli asks his guys to use and was much better getting off blocks allowing his speed and quickness to shine. Much better job keeping his feet setting the edge. Nice finish too. Cinci tried to block him with TE at times and he dominated the matchup.
Ryan has active hands that work consistently and nice power when he gets inside the OT's hands to work up field. Can shed inside or out. Would like to see a better edge set. For all that power he can be pushed around. TE failed to contain him similar to Mayowa.
McClain has always had that push. In the past though he didn't have the upper body technique/strength to disengage and interior linemen would just steer him away from the pocket. Now he has evolved so that he just overpowers interior linemen. Maybe a guy like out TFred could single block him but nobody on the Bengals front could do it with consistency. Does lack the quickness to swim on inside out type moves but he can absolutely destroy a gap and squeeze the line.
Collins has great hands and quickness but yet lacks the lower body strength to sit down. Can get dug out on double teams. In short he cannot stop his hands or his feet to be effective. Does so with much better consistency than earlier in the year and its paying off with penetration resulting in sacks and TFL. If Woicik can improve that bubble he could be a force in years to come. He has the quickness to swim from gap to gap.
Thornton remains a work in progress. He is comfortable in certain situation like a bull rush but is inconsistent trying to capture a shoulder. It comes down to his hand technique and he is not there yet. Coming from a 2 gap system it appears he is having to unlearn some things as he applies new techniques. I love his attitude though and switching systems as he has requires a special kind of courage. There is no question he is getting better. He is starting to get pressure and finish even if does end up on the ground and dug out some snaps.
Lee spent a lot of time attacking OL and TE on the line against the run. Was interesting to see. He does seem to be running better than he did earlier in the year. No big plays in the passing game yet but he was anticipating and attacking as he is known for.
Hitchens can be very hot and cold. When he anticipates and attacks versus the run and pass patterns he makes plays. When he doesn't and stares stuff down it leads to open receivers and running lanes. I hate guys that stare down the QB and don't adjust their drop; it gives me Cam Lawrence nightmares. He can struggle to take on blocks when he doesn't use technique to stack and shed and has played better in this regard. Does a good job avoiding blocks when he sees it coming. Tackling has been solid.
Durant is better in the 3rd down role. He sees the route combinations and anticipates. He doesn't make a lot of plays on the ball but he does a good job shutting down receptions. He struggles badly trying to take on blocks.
Gachkar still has good range covering the flats and short zones. Tackles with ease. Isn't as physical at the POA on run downs as Wilber.
Claiborne is showing catchup speed, leaping ability, quickness, and ball skills. He is pretty grabby out of breaks which did lead to a couple penalties but much like Seattle plays I'm not sure if it is a negative coming out the wash. PI hurt a lot worse than holding though. He does make business decisions taking on blocks in the run game. Inconsistent on willingness to stick his nose in there but i s good tackler when he does.
Carr is more physical than Mo. Jams well on the line and often wins there. Can struggle keeping up with breaks and uses the grabbiness to help make up. I think we might just have to get used to it and am okay with that.
Brown ability to take on blocks is a big reason why we have been able to stay in nickle and dime as much as we have. Has the quickness and speed to keep up with slot receivers including when the WR1s come inside. Does need to work on ball skills as he was late to look for the ball on the second TD and failed to locate it. He did only allow a small window on the throw.
Jones shows good range patrolling the deep middle. Also maintains man skills to blanket receivers and TE. Wasn't required to do that much with Eifert out this game. Did get baited on an underneath route and gave unnecessary help which allowed a receiver outside to get behind him deep in end zone for a TD. Should've been in position to contest.
Church is the team's surest tackler. When he gets his hands on you, you don't break free. Did get carried a few yards for a first down but continues to be reliable. Doing a better job anticipating and beating people to spots which helps him overcome his lack of top end speed.
Wilcox looks intuitive in coverage particularly zone where he has struggled in the past. Is also the team's most physical tackler. He is finally starting to play with confidence and it is paying dividends.
Overall have to love the game. Was a dominant win with enough errors to give the coaches plenty of ammunition to keep the players interest. The third quarter let up was enough for that. 60 minutes all that.
Offense at that point mailed it in a bit. The following drive was a trainwreck. Multiple penalties on the OL, a near DoG that Garrett had to save, and finally the strip sack because Dak wasn't paying attention. I watched the second half in isolation and the nonchalance on display irritated me greatly. Celebrate after the game is over; there is a fine line between confidence and hubris.
They righted the ship quickly enough to finally ice the game; I love Linehan's aggressiveness at the end of games.
Defense came out strong and for one game was able to consistently get pressure. Against a man running team, Marinelli ran stunts and twists all game long to great effect. Primary target was the Bungles center who was overpowered when isolated on our DT. Bungles also tried to use TE to block DE on the edge and Mayowa and 58 took advantage. The LB struggled on run fits behind the movement taking the same gap and similar gaffes. It wasn't enough to cause any big plays although it nearly did early. Team is tackling very well limiting RAC particularly at the S spot.
When they drop into coverage with few exceptions the guys seem instinctive anticipating routes and help cover for each other. Under the previous two passing regimes every man was on an island. Not so this year. In man coverage we are pushing the illegal contact envelope keeping with receivers throughout breaks; I expect our opponents cry about it but the refs don't call it consistently. Occasionally the guys underneath would bite on play action and not get good depth on their drops allowing completions of ins and the like but that was gone in the second half and overall the coverage was consistently good.
Special teams was solid. Wilcox was on fire making a great stop on a return and beating both guys as a gunner to stick Pacman on the sideline. Dan Bailey was not tested. Chris Jones has turned into a bit of a weapon with those coffin corner kicks. If you were wondering why Rod Smith is on the team, don't, he plays on all coverage and return teams and is consistently blocking and around the ball. Both FB play key roles.
Dak is accurate consistently hitting receivers in stride and his misses are not by much. Does a good job making quick reads over the middle of the field and getting the ball out. Judicious when leaving the pocket to good effect. No decision puts the ball in danger. Only complaints are that he does not challenge 1v1s downfield on go and post routes and they have disappeared and he appeared to lose focus for a bit in the second half.
Zeke plays with power, makes people miss, and out runs people. He is devastating in pass pro and has sure hands catching the ball. Would like to see him more utilized in the passing game to get him out in space but I think that will come with time.
Morris is a poor man's Zeke. Very well rounded. Vision is some of the best but lack of top end quickness and speed limits his windows compared to 21. Didn't do a good job disguising the screen pass in the second half. Not all on him but he just ran out to the flat and didn't disguise at all.
Smith does a good job engaging in space, getting under the LBers pads, and driving. Not consistent yet but has the ability to root guys out of the hole that we have not seen since Moose. Much better leverage and power compared to Clutz and Fiammetta.
Witten's blocking is better than it was early in the season. Much better sustain and finish. No whiffs. RAC is also something we have not seen in some time. Hands were inconsistent this game. Catch radius was limited and catches away from his body that he normally gets were dropped.
Swaim wasn't been used as a receiver much. His blocking is effective the farther away you get him from the DL. The wham that freed Zeke was nice but he gets pushed around by DE. He couldn't handle Dunlap at all inline. He holds on to LB pretty consistently and likes to bully DBs. Needs to get stronger but is proficient picking guys up in space. H-back is a very good role for him.
TWill looks more explosive out of his breaks. Still a body catcher. Blocking has nice drive and sustain on the perimeter. Nothing boneheaded this game.
Butler is a better hands catcher but more limited in his route tree than TWill. Struggled blocking on the perimeter missing several blocks that would have sprung bigger gains.
Beasley quickness continues to grant him consistent separation underneath. He is doing a better job utilizing it in space to rack up yards after the catch.
Lucky's speed is apparent. He got past to corner with separation at least 3 times that I saw and Dak never looked that way once. Butler missed a block on the jet sweep or it would have had a chance to spring down the sideline. His blocking belies his size. Granted it is feast or famine but if he gets his hands on you he is a strong little bugger. OTOH he can be pushed around in his own right. Effort is unquestioned. Would like to see more of an effort to get him into space at some point. His open field vision is obvious on returns.
Fred remains a dominant drive blocker. He took the 1v1 on the NT and consistently won in both phases of the game. Able to snap the ball and get his hands up to punch lightning quick after the snap. Lacks elite quickness but footwork is precise and pays off on his ability to reach on the second level. Works extremely well with both 65 and 70 on combo blocks. Overpowering but can be caught off balance and end up on the ground.
Leary plays with better leverage than LC. Was isolated on Atkins often and held his ground. Show a nice ability to recover and sit down when beaten off the snap. Plays with a mean streak and likes to pancake the second level. Nobody likes false starts.
Martin is awe inspiring from reaching blocks down the line to dominating 1v1s to pancake slamming Bengals LBer to the turf. Burfict is an aggressive player who will step to anyone who challenges him but he wanted no part of 70. When 70 stepped Burfict turned the other way. His reputation precedes him.
Free is great on the move and picking guys out in space. He has nice power when he can put his base into the punch. Lacks elite upper body strength though when you get inside his hands and can be taken for a ride. This is nothing new but he can be exploited particularly by power DE. Dunlap gave him fits issues when isolated. Zeke helped him out quite a bit to significant effect.
Smith was a bit rusty. The snap and bend was there and on display as he stood Bengals up and drove them. OTOH he missed some cut blocks and seemed sluggish out of his stance at times too. Mend well, big man.
Several DL had their best game chiefly Thornton, McClain, and Mayowa.
DLaw struggled to finish but was very effective. Was able to lean and capture the corner but his swim move was consistently beating the RT. Forced Dalton to step up in the pocket pretty consistently and got his hands on him a couple of times but failed to bring him down. I expect this to improve as he knocks the rust off. He was still the straw stirring the pass rushing drink when he was in there more often than not.
Crawford is a power player with quickness that belies his size. His stop start is only average so he requires moves to redirect. His upper body strength is elite and he uses it to great effect with inside out and outside in power moves. He was getting pretty consistent pressure off the edge. He is an absolute force when diving inside on the pick for line stunts. He turns the OT and forces a double team which he can split with his quickness and power. When he doesn't try to cheat inside he sets a very nice edge and is difficult to move. I like him starting at SDE and kicking inside on passing downs more than a little. He is getting better the more he plays out there.
Jack Crawford plays football how its supposed to be played: balls out every play down in down out. He lacks ideal length to extend but he makes up for it with active hands that prevent sustain on blocks and maximum effort. Can lose his base trying to get the corner and get sat down on but he is a joy to watch.
Mayowa had his best game. He is getting better with the hand techniques Marinelli asks his guys to use and was much better getting off blocks allowing his speed and quickness to shine. Much better job keeping his feet setting the edge. Nice finish too. Cinci tried to block him with TE at times and he dominated the matchup.
Ryan has active hands that work consistently and nice power when he gets inside the OT's hands to work up field. Can shed inside or out. Would like to see a better edge set. For all that power he can be pushed around. TE failed to contain him similar to Mayowa.
McClain has always had that push. In the past though he didn't have the upper body technique/strength to disengage and interior linemen would just steer him away from the pocket. Now he has evolved so that he just overpowers interior linemen. Maybe a guy like out TFred could single block him but nobody on the Bengals front could do it with consistency. Does lack the quickness to swim on inside out type moves but he can absolutely destroy a gap and squeeze the line.
Collins has great hands and quickness but yet lacks the lower body strength to sit down. Can get dug out on double teams. In short he cannot stop his hands or his feet to be effective. Does so with much better consistency than earlier in the year and its paying off with penetration resulting in sacks and TFL. If Woicik can improve that bubble he could be a force in years to come. He has the quickness to swim from gap to gap.
Thornton remains a work in progress. He is comfortable in certain situation like a bull rush but is inconsistent trying to capture a shoulder. It comes down to his hand technique and he is not there yet. Coming from a 2 gap system it appears he is having to unlearn some things as he applies new techniques. I love his attitude though and switching systems as he has requires a special kind of courage. There is no question he is getting better. He is starting to get pressure and finish even if does end up on the ground and dug out some snaps.
Lee spent a lot of time attacking OL and TE on the line against the run. Was interesting to see. He does seem to be running better than he did earlier in the year. No big plays in the passing game yet but he was anticipating and attacking as he is known for.
Hitchens can be very hot and cold. When he anticipates and attacks versus the run and pass patterns he makes plays. When he doesn't and stares stuff down it leads to open receivers and running lanes. I hate guys that stare down the QB and don't adjust their drop; it gives me Cam Lawrence nightmares. He can struggle to take on blocks when he doesn't use technique to stack and shed and has played better in this regard. Does a good job avoiding blocks when he sees it coming. Tackling has been solid.
Durant is better in the 3rd down role. He sees the route combinations and anticipates. He doesn't make a lot of plays on the ball but he does a good job shutting down receptions. He struggles badly trying to take on blocks.
Gachkar still has good range covering the flats and short zones. Tackles with ease. Isn't as physical at the POA on run downs as Wilber.
Claiborne is showing catchup speed, leaping ability, quickness, and ball skills. He is pretty grabby out of breaks which did lead to a couple penalties but much like Seattle plays I'm not sure if it is a negative coming out the wash. PI hurt a lot worse than holding though. He does make business decisions taking on blocks in the run game. Inconsistent on willingness to stick his nose in there but i s good tackler when he does.
Carr is more physical than Mo. Jams well on the line and often wins there. Can struggle keeping up with breaks and uses the grabbiness to help make up. I think we might just have to get used to it and am okay with that.
Brown ability to take on blocks is a big reason why we have been able to stay in nickle and dime as much as we have. Has the quickness and speed to keep up with slot receivers including when the WR1s come inside. Does need to work on ball skills as he was late to look for the ball on the second TD and failed to locate it. He did only allow a small window on the throw.
Jones shows good range patrolling the deep middle. Also maintains man skills to blanket receivers and TE. Wasn't required to do that much with Eifert out this game. Did get baited on an underneath route and gave unnecessary help which allowed a receiver outside to get behind him deep in end zone for a TD. Should've been in position to contest.
Church is the team's surest tackler. When he gets his hands on you, you don't break free. Did get carried a few yards for a first down but continues to be reliable. Doing a better job anticipating and beating people to spots which helps him overcome his lack of top end speed.
Wilcox looks intuitive in coverage particularly zone where he has struggled in the past. Is also the team's most physical tackler. He is finally starting to play with confidence and it is paying dividends.
Overall have to love the game. Was a dominant win with enough errors to give the coaches plenty of ammunition to keep the players interest. The third quarter let up was enough for that. 60 minutes all that.
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