Sixteenth ranked offense
by steveinaz on Nov 21, 2009 11:39 AM EST
11 comments
This is my first FanPost so please ignore any formatting snafus or lack of pizzazz. But I have a bone to pick with some NFL Network "experts" who were dogging Cincy's offense ranking on last Sunday's pregame show (I'm looking at you, Marshall).
According to NFL statistics regarding Yards-per-game allowed (from si.com); in the nine games the Bengals have played so far this year, seven have been played against top-ten defenses.
2 games vs. Pittsburgh (ranked #2)
1 vs. Green Bay (#4)
1 vs. Denver (#6)
2 vs. Baltimore (#7)
1 vs. Chicago (#10)
And I don't think Houston's defense is a pushover, either.
If this has been posted or ranted about already, I apologize. But I find this to be very interesting. I suspect the #16 ranking will improve over the next few weeks.
Go Bengals!
0 recs |
11 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Sixteenth?
I thought they’d be higher than that.
Look at
Our schedule ahead, we got Oakland, Detroit, Browns. After these three games im sure we will be close to cracking the top ten. and we still have Kansas City so no worries!
that is why I said...
I expect them to improve. Let’s hope Marvin keeps them motivated and avoids a letdown. I want to see Ocho’s 12-4 prediction come true.
12-4 has a nice ring to it
But 14-2 sounds better
by WhoDeyDerek on Nov 21, 2009 11:51 PM EST up reply actions
Confidence
Like the confidence that everyone shows. We still need to play the games one at a time. Cannot have any letdowns, excuses, etc. Focus on the turnovers (+/-). Winning team always have a large take/give differential.
Stiff Competition
We’ve played the Steelers and Ravens twice, plus the Broncos. So over half our games are against some of the league’s best Ds. Like previous posters said this next month is when we prove once and for all that we have a top flight offense.
About an hour ago I considered looking up 1st half offense compared to 2nd half, then comparing that to all the other teams, but it seemed like a lot of work for my rapidly dwindling weekend. Seems to me there’s been at least 4 games where the Bengals were on fire to start the game, ripping off 2-3 scoring drives before having to punt or turning it over, then went scoreless for the rest of the game. Maybe it’s selective memory, but I’m pretty sure that’s happened at least 3-4 times. I want to know what’s different in those first 2-3 drives. Are they scripting the first few? That’s not uncommon. If so, why are the scripted drives working so well and the rest of the game failing miserably? I’m tempted to go through all the gamebooks anyway just to see how many points the offense put up if you take out the first 3 drives of each game and everything in the final 2 minutes of their first 5 or 6 games. I wonder if there would be more than 40 points left for the whole season.
The Bengals offense started the season with 5 straight games in which they scored on or after the 2 minute warning. In 3 of the last 4 games they’ve scored multiple touchdowns in their opening 3 drives. Outside that window, the offense has been largely ineffective. Outside that window they’ve scored more than 10 points only 3 times in 10 games.
At first it seemed the offense couldn’t get going until the 2 minute whistle blew. Now it seems like they can only put up points in the first few drives. 15 total points for the offense in the last 3 games after the first 3 drives, and 12 of those points were in the Steeler game.
Let’s get right to the point: There have only been 2 games all year in which the Bengals offense scored more than 17 points total in the entire game. Obviously this team is still a work in progress. They’re winning most of their games, and they’re 5-0 in the division. There’s a lot to be happy about. What worries me is the same thing that REALLY excites me… the offense still hasn’t started running smoothly. If they do, this could be a historic year for the Bengals. If they don’t, that defense is going to wear out. Maybe they pull a Baltimore/Tampa Bay kind of Super Bowl win with the defense, but with balanced teams like the Colts and Saints and Vikings out there I don’t think this is the year for a lopsided team to take it all.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
