The seeing-eye test is always a reliable confirmation of an opinion and/or perspective. However, what you see may not be the same as another. A perfect example of that is the finger pointing after Sunday's tie against the Panthers. There are those who directly blame Mike Nugent for his miss (reasonable, no doubt) that led to a tie. And there are those who are far more concerned about the other issues facing this team's long-term health (aka, defensive issues and injuries on offense).
Thanks to the good folks at Pro Football Focus, we're receiving fantastic looks from a PFF perspective. We'll be doing that weekly.
OFFENSE
- Bengals rookie center Russell Bodine posted a +2.3 overall score against the Panthers. It's the highest grade given to a Bengals offensive lineman in the game and the second time in the last three weeks that he's scored a +2.3.
- Andrew Whitworth and Clint Boling were "formidable" on the left side in pass protection, with only one quarterback hit allowed between both of them (Boling).
- Quarterback Andy Dalton (+3.0) and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (+4.0) ranked as the team's best offensive players against the Panthers. Sanu was named to the PFF all-star team of the week.
- On the other hand, Sanu also leads the team with a "drop rate" of 15.15. That's five drops on 33 catchable passes. A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard each have one drop.
- Wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher has ran 63 routes this year... and 52 of them are from the slot where he's posted six catches for 82 yards receiving.
PASSING
- Andy Dalton attempted 21 of his passes between the numbers.
- The Panthers blitzed Dalton 16 times on Sunday. Dalton completed 11 of 16 passes for 121 yards passing with two touchdowns and only one pick. However, Dalton was only pressured on nine of his 47 dropbacks.
- If we exclude batted passes, passes thrown away, batted at the line of scrimmage and drops, Andy Dalton has completed 77.2 percent of his passes -- which is tied with Russell Wilson for sixth.
RUSHING
- If we exclude the 89-yard touchdown run, Giovani Bernard only generated 48 yards on his other 17 carries. However, he did generate three missed tackles on Sunday against the Panthers.
- Bernard's yards-per-route run has dropped to 1.76.
DEFENSE
- Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins recorded four quarterback hurries and one hit.
- Reggie Nelson, George Iloka and Leon Hall all posted positive coverage grades against the Carolina Panthers.
- Linebacker Vontaze Burfict allowed six completed passes in his coverage area and missed another tackle.
- Margus Hunt has been struggling since the preseason and was only on the field for 15 snaps against the Panthers -- very little impact.
- Defensive end Carlos Dunlap has rushed the passer 206 times this year, resulting in 15 total pressures. His Pass Rushing Productivity of 6.5 is three points lower than last year.
- George Iloka has allowed 27 yards on two receptions this year. His 0.11 allowed yards per snap in coverage is among the top safeties in the NFL.