Bengals Banter: Is concern about the Bengals passing game justified?

…but actually, I think it’s mostly BratWorst, with a healthy dose of WRs/TEs having the dropsies…and yes, I’m looking at YOU, Mr. Coats!

The most interesting thing about the new draft schedule will be that there will be loads of negotiating, trades of players and draft picks, etc., leading up to the draft, but then between the 1st and 2nd rounds, there will be, what…20+ hours of opportunity for the Jerry Joneses of the world to do a pile of horse trading. Of course, Mike Brown will do nothing during that time, unless he has an opportunity to trade down to leave another Darnell Dockett on the board so he can draft another Chris freakin’ Perry that we don’t need!

I really thought I had let that one go. I guess I haven’t.

+Indy was ranked like 26th in rushing.
+SD’s rushing was ranked 31st (which still shocks me)
+AP hasn’t been that great since MIN became a passing team.
+BAL coun’t pass well unless you count screens to Rice.
+PIT became a passing team but couldn’t run.
You would think that being great at one would help the other but I guess not.

but something that’s been mentioned a little, but not on here, is his thumb. I don’t think it affected his passes, but it did affect his ability to run the play action effectively. the whole point of being a good running team is being able to get the play action going to open up the passing game. his glove made the play action a dead giveaway and linebackers could key in on it before it got going.

All deserve a nice swift kick in the nut sack

OL was subpar at protecting the passer, whether giving up sacks or taking holding penalties.
TE position was down to the 4th, 5th , and 6th stringers when compared to the opening preseason depth chart.
WR included only two players who had caught TD passes from Palmer (Ocho and Henry) before the start of the season (I didn’t bother to see if Caldwell or Simpson caught a pass from CP last season)

Palmer shoulders some of the load as I would imagine returning from an injury that forced him to miss 12 games last season probably doesn’t help. And, yes this is the NFL so even the chopped liver on the roster should be able to contribute, but it was still a poor supporting cast in the passing game.

Ultimately, there was not a lot to work with in the passing game especially with no reliable second pass catching threat consistently showing up throughout the season AND the deduction of a TE who could either stretch the middle of the field, created some sort of positive mismatch, or at last catch the ball when he was wide open (Coats).

Looking towards next season, I am hopeful the secondary pass catcher will develop whether it be someone on the roster, FA acquisition, or drafted player. I am also hopeful the TE position will not be the worst in the league in 2010.

spending the whole weekend on the couch talking in the open forum on cincyjungle. I had never watched the entire draft but when you have lots of people talking football it is totally worth the time, plus it gives you bragging rights with your buds. Even though they chopped it up into multiple days, which is totally ridiculous, I have already inked in my calendar watching the draft while hanging with cincyjungle. If you have the time it is pretty sweet to see who will be joining our bengal family, well.. if they draft like they did last year.

Im still pissed we didnt pick Tatupu.. haha.

Losing an experienced Pro Bowl Wide Receiver that knew our Offense and had so much timing with Palmer probably cost the Bengals a shot @ another Super Bowl.

didn’t Bratkowski make this teama running team for the first time since about 2001? He also did what he could with a no-name O-line.I also like that thing Cincy does when Roland plays wing back and runs in motion. True he made the passing game suck donkey ass but he did help come up with a formula for winning. Run x clock management+ top 5 defense = 10-7 season/division title

Is concern justified? How on earth could it NOT be justified? We’ve gone in only a few years from one of the best to one of the worst, and Carson has gone from accurate to couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.

Really we need to fix all three, OC, OL, and WR/TE. But it starts at the top. The least competent OC in the league could make the best all-star roster look like crap. The best OC in the league could at least find a way to get something out of even Jamarcus Russell. Probably.

A great quarterback makes his receivers great. Brady won a Super Bowl with a no name receiving corps. Peyton Manning made stars of Austin freaking Collie and Pierre Garcon. Carson’s become timid and inaccurate. Maybe, just maybe, a competent OC can get something more out of him but I’m not optimistic. Palmer’s become Trent Dilfer.