Cincy Jungle - 2016 Preseason Week 3: Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville JaguarsWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2016-08-31T15:34:39-04:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/123976812016-08-31T15:34:39-04:002016-08-31T15:34:39-04:00McCarron, D. Williams among highest rated Bengals by PFF
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<figcaption>Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We're breaking down stats and information from the Bengals' preseason loss to the Jaguars, provided by our friends at Pro Football Focus.</p> <p id="paragraph0">Despite an impressive performance from the starters on Sunday, the Bengals’ backups were unable to hold on to a sizable lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They allowed an 18-point comeback in the second half, being shut out 15-0 in the fourth quarter alone. The Jaguars walked away with a 26-21 win, although the fact that it was a preseason game means that the final score isn’t the primary takeaway. </p>
<p id="NTJMkz">The Bengals built up their lead with really good performances from many starters recording <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fpro-cin-jax-grades-rookie-lb-myles-jack-grades-well-in-jaguars-win%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2016%2F8%2F31%2F12731866%2Fbengals-preseason-week-3-pro-football-focus-grades-and-analysis" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">impressive grades from our friends at Pro Football Focus</a>. In particular, Ryan Hewitt (84.2), Geno Atkins (81.6), Dre Kirkpatrick (80.3), Andrew Whitworth (77.1), Russell Bodine (76.1), and Kevin Zeitler (75.2) performed the best. In addition, despite an overall awful performance from the backups, some backups performed admirably like DeShawn Williams (82.2), AJ McCarron (80.5), Marquis Flowers (80.4), and Will Clarke (79.2).</p>
<h4 id="mqGgzV">Offense</h4>
<p id="paragraph4">Recording six completions and a touchdown on ten attempts, Andy Dalton’s 107.5 quarterback rating should be regarded as a pretty great day for the Bengals’ starting quarterback. However, PFF notes that Dalton attempted three deep passes and completed none of them. All of his completions happened within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, so despite leading the offense to the endzone on two of his three drives, he received an average grade from PFF (55.1).</p>
<p id="UxPnKI">As good of a game as Dalton had on the stat sheet, backup quarterback AJ McCarron had an even better day recording eight completions on 12 attempts for 107 yards and a touchdown, despite being sacked twice. That was good for a 122.6 quarterback rating and a very good grade from PFF (80.5). PFF notes that the main thing separating the two players is McCarron attempting two deep passes, connecting on both. The fact that he was able to perform better with much less impressive offensive line play is also key.</p>
<p id="llqTwy">Three of the Bengals’ five top rated offensive players were linemen, allowing Dalton to only be sacked once and pressured three times. The line also helped Giovani Bernard to an impressive 9.0 yards per carry. Jeremy Hill was less impressive with 2.6 yards per carry, but he made up for it by getting into the endzone for a touchdown. McCarron was sacked twice and under pressure 11 times. </p>
<h4 id="FBoBMQ">Defense</h4>
<p id="paragraph5">Geno Atkins was the top rated defensive starter, despite only recording a single tackle on the game. However, that tackle was an important one, allowing only a short gain on the play. It was his ability to pressure the quarterback that really stood out for the Bengals. He recorded two pressures on 13 rushes and managed to hit the quarterback twice while on the field. Don’t forget this impressive pancake on Luke Joeckel early in the game.</p>
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<p id="RD7ARI">Despite the Bengals’ second half meltdown, there were a few backup defensive players whom PFF praised for their performances. In particular, Marquis Flowers made his case to make the final roster by recording two impressive tackles, both of which appeared to help the Bengals stop the Jaguars in their tracks before defensive breakdowns led to a key touchdown drive for the Jaguars. Regardless, he performed well and received a good grade (80.4) for his efforts. </p>
<p id="U6leit">Will Clarke (79.2) has been a bright spot for the Bengals at backup defensive end all preseason and reinforced that with a tackle and a pass deflection on Sunday. In one case, he stopped T.J. Yeldon dead in his tracks for a mere one yard gain. In the other case, he batted a pass from Chad Henne down that helped lead to the Bengals forcing a punt on an early third quarter drive.</p>
<p id="9sXSZi">Finally, it was DeShawn Williams (82.2) who walked away with the best performance of all backups. In the process of recording a tackle and a pass deflection, he recorded three pressures on Chad Henne. His one tackle was also on Chad Henne, after a scrambling attempt. Williams stopped him after two yards. He should have a pretty good chance to make the team with a performance like that.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/31/12731866/bengals-preseason-week-3-pro-football-focus-grades-and-analysisKyle Phelps2016-08-30T19:12:31-04:002016-08-30T19:12:31-04:00The Weekly Lineman: Backside blocks and mid-season form Geno
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<p>It was a clinic on the ground in the first half of this preseason’s dress rehearsal, and a certain defensive tackle is looking as good as ever.</p> <p id="kgvGYq">A couple of weeks of ago, we went over how the Bengals offense utilizes the two guard pull in their power running scheme. That was again on full tilt against the Jaguars this past Sunday night and for the vast majority of the time, it was successful, but at times there were some mishaps. Let’s go ahead and diagnose what happened on their first attempt at power:</p>
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<p id="G0ORdt">On this misdirection out of shotgun, guards Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler (red arrows) pull around to the field side. This is nothing new, a very standard play in their playbook. And in usual form, both players execute their blocks perfectly. The problem here is that right tackle Eric Winston (second from bottom blue arrow) gives up some ground to defensive tackle Malik Jackson, and allows him to disrupt Boling’s pull. Boling still makes his block, but Jackson has beaten Winston, remains part of the play, and makes the tackle coming from behind Hill:</p>
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<p id="JN0DI3">Andrew Whitworth, as great as he is, was tasked with an even tougher backside block, going into the second level at an angle to try and take out a very aware veteran in Dan Skuta, the former Bengal, who wasn’t prohibited by the oncoming Whitworth at all. The play all together was called back by a clipping penalty by Ryan Hewitt, but still, these are backside blocks that need to be executed better for these plays to work, and it almost did. </p>
<p id="uqFxir">Later in the quarter, they ran the exact same play on a 2nd and short. This time with different personnel toward the opposite side of the field, and, with more success:</p>
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<p id="GqgmTl">This time, Whitworth is the play side tackle tasked to seal the strong side defensive tackle, and he does it beautifully. C.J. Uzomah does as well against the end, giving up lateral ground, but not letting him break engagement to break up the hole for Jeremy Hill. Winston does a much better job taking out the linebacker with a great entry angle. He barely makes contact with him, but it does enough to delay his pursuit. Boling and Zeitler, once again, lock on and drive their targets out of the play, allowing Hill to cut up field into the gap and gain the first down.</p>
<p id="U0rTEq">I am personally not a fan of running Hill out of the shotgun that much, but on misdirection sweeps like this that allow him to survey blocks and cut upfield to get downhill, I think it utilizes his strengths to a degree. If you have the personnel on the offensive line like the Bengals do, you can do this all game long, which is probably what they would’ve done if it were a regular season game. </p>
<p id="qc9P3U">The importance here, is that with the common denominator of the execution of both pull blocks, the difference in sealing the backside defenders from guys like Winston, Whitworth and Uzomah made the difference.</p>
<p id="XSJ14T">The Jaguars operate with more of a zone blocking concept, but backside blocks are just as important on the stretch runs they call.</p>
<p id="BKPFYa">Defensive tackle Pat Sims came on the field for Geno Atkins as the 3-Technique for the second drive for the Jaguars and contributed to that eventual three and out:</p>
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<p id="WFijcv">The Bengals come out in their base defense with a 4-3, with Sims (circled) playing the aforementioned 3-tech spot on the strong side of the formation. The play direction is going to be towards the weak-side of the line of scrimmage on an outside zone run for running back T.J. Yeldon. Sims plays this as well as he could:</p>
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<p id="5tLze5">The right guard A.J. Cann attempts a reach block on Sims, but never quite gets his hands in his frame as Sims swims out of it. The right tackle Kelvin Beachum sees this and tries to push him away, but Sims is already at Yeldon, and makes the tackle for a minimal gain. Cann’s whiff of a backside block causes this play to only go for a measly two yards, and Sims shows why he’s still deserves playing time in his 10th year in the league. </p>
<p id="zM1O7T">Plays made from the backside can make or break the play entirely, and these examples showcase that exactly.</p>
<p id="KNpawW">Switching topics, someone that this series will presumably feature a lot this year is defensive tackle Geno Atkins, and we caught a glimpse of the best of one of the game’s best interior force.</p>
<p id="xLd8OX">Pressure is production, and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. This doesn’t just go for imploding pockets from the inside, but destroying running lanes as well. Atkins’ quickness in his hands and lower body explosiveness help him do this better than pretty much anyone:</p>
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<p id="APKC5a">Atkins doesn’t accumulate too many tackles on a game-to-game basis, he racks up sacks and pressures pretty easily, but he doesn’t pile up stops. Plays like these are the primary reason why. So many times he’ll penetrate the B gap like this to where the running back has to bounce outside to a group of patient tacklers. You can’t teach this quickness and timing. This is what 1 gap defenders dream of. </p>
<p id="rqRCpo">Both fronts had a plan to attack the weaknesses of the Jaguars’ lines, and both had good success in the early part of the game. The plan will be similar when the backups battle against the Colts this Thursday; the question is, will the execution be the same?</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12699526/the-weekly-lineman-the-importance-of-backside-blocks-and-mid-season-form-geno-atkins-bengalsJohn Sheeran2016-08-30T17:19:55-04:002016-08-30T17:19:55-04:00VOTE: Bengals Play of the Game vs Jaguars
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<figcaption>Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We take a look at some of the best plays by the Bengals in their 26-21 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday night. Cast your vote and sound off on your winner!</p> <p>It was a game of ups and downs on Sunday night for the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a>, as they shot out to a 21-3 lead, but saw it evaporate late in the contest. There was also the chronic problem with injuries against the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jaguars</a>, making this one of the more problematic offseasons in recent memory.</p>
<p>Regardless, many of the players expected to make the final 53-man roster stood out--including several starters. Cast your vote and sound off on your winner for this week's Bengals Play of the Game versus the Jaguars!</p>
<p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Vincent Rey's 16-yard fumble recovery and return: </i>After converting a third down, Jacksonville quarterback <span>Blake Bortles</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>dumped the ball off to <span>T.J. Yeldon</span>. Rey Maualuga swarmed and caused a fumble in Jaguars territory. Rey scooped it up and returned it to the 22-yard line.</p>
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<p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Giovani Bernard's 19-yard touchdown reception: </i>The Bengals were on the move in the first quarter, thanks to the above-mentioned fumble recovery. After a three-yard run by Jeremy Hill and an incompletion to <span>C.J. Uzomah</span>, offensive coordinator Ken Zampese dialed up a screen to Bernard. He weaved through blocks and took it to the house for a 7-0 Bengals lead.</p>
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<p><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span>Jeremy Hill's</span> 1-yard touchdown run: </i>Usually such short touchdown runs aren't anything to write home about, especially with three other failed attempts prior, but we have to applaud the effort here. After trying to get into the end zone by going up the middle, Hill decided to bounce it outside and go airborne for a 14-0 Bengals lead.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The dive.<br>The stretch.<br>The SCORE.<br><br>Take flight, <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyHill33">@jeremyhill33</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CINvsJAX?src=hash">#CINvsJAX</a> <a href="https://t.co/LrBr009Qek">https://t.co/LrBr009Qek</a></p>
— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/770063105732780032">August 29, 2016</a>
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<p><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span>AJ McCarron's</span> 53-yard pass to <span>Cody Core</span>: </i>After the starters took a seat and <span>Andy Dalton</span> had himself another good night, it was time for McCarron to shine once again. On third down, McCarron sailed a beauty down the sideline to Core who broke free from the defender and set the Bengals up for their third offensive touchdown of the night.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/10AJMcCarron">@10AJMcCarron</a> goes DEEP to <a href="https://twitter.com/Bengals">@Bengals</a> WR Cody Core.<br><br>53 yards. They made it look effortless. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CINvsJAX?src=hash">#CINvsJAX</a> <a href="https://t.co/i9xLuQYryM">https://t.co/i9xLuQYryM</a></p>
— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/770102134377447424">August 29, 2016</a>
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<p><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span>Alex Erickson's</span> 21-yard touchdown reception from AJ McCarron: </i>The young kid <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12696922/alex-erickson-paving-his-way-onto-bengals-53-man-roster">just keeps making plays</a>. After an outstanding debut and more special teams showcasing in Week 2 of the preseason, Erickson shined in both facets once again on Sunday night. He only logged one reception on the night, but it was a 21-yarder to give the Bengals a 21-3 lead.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We told you that you'd like that Alex Erickson guy, <a href="https://twitter.com/Bengals">@Bengals</a>... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnWisconsin?src=hash">#OnWisconsin</a><a href="https://t.co/z4MLUinKRq">pic.twitter.com/z4MLUinKRq</a></p>
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BadgerFootball/status/770080095612628993">August 29, 2016</a>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/awards/2016/8/30/12715060/preseason-week-3-bengals-play-of-the-game-vs-jaguarsAnthony Cosenza2016-08-30T16:00:03-04:002016-08-30T16:00:03-04:00Film room: Dalton and o-line look ready for regular season
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<figcaption>Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Once again the Bengals’ offense looks to be a well-tuned machine in 2016.</p> <p id="C2fafL">The third preseason game is always the most extended look at the first team units before Week 1 of the regular season. As such, it was paramount that Dalton and the rest of the Bengals offense looked good. It’s safe to say that they more than delivered, putting in two solid quarters of work to take a 14-3 lead going into the second half. I’ll show just exactly what went right and what went wrong in Week 3 of the preseason as the Bengals prepare for a short turnaround before facing Indy at home.</p>
<h3 id="ujyYdV">Slick screens lead to six points</h3>
<p id="wUJ454">We’re going to start on the Bengals’ opening drive, with a third down situation at the Jags’ 19 yard line. This is a fairly standard empty formation. We have trips to the right with three receivers, and C.J. Uzomah and Giovani Bernard split left. What you don’t see is Dalton read the defense pre-snap and audible to this beautiful screen.</p>
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<p id="6gybJD">Dalton correctly predicted the all out blitz that the defense shows. The screen is the obvious check considering there’s single coverage across the board and all the defensive backs are five or more yards off the line. Bernard does a nice stutter step, coming forward first to make the defender backpedal before coming back to the ball. Uzomah peels back to take out the corner on Bernard, and guard Clint Boling leaves the line to take Uzomah’s man, effectively pounding him into dust. This is really nice stuff from Zampese, as I’ve never seen an offensive guard used this way to block a screen. As you can see, the Jaguars aren’t prepared as Bernard walks in for an easy touchdown.</p>
<h3 id="VZIWlg">You get a screen, and you get screen!</h3>
<p id="pLy0zN">We continue with ScreenFest 2016 with a nice tailback screen to Jeremy Hill.</p>
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<p id="pnOocm">You might not be prepared for what I’m about to say, so you may want to sit down for this. This play happened because of and ONLY because of Russell Bodine, who actually played a very nice game Sunday night. The play starts on a play-action fake to Hill up the gut. The receiver clear out by running dashes down the field, and the offensive line sets up the screen for Hill. You’ll see big 61 right at the numbers of the 50 yard line take out not one, but two defenders in order to spring Hill for 28 yards. Does it look a bit ugly? Yes, but screens very rarely end with linemen getting square blocks on defenders. They’re big and we’re slow so as a rule they’re just trying to get in your way more than anything. A+ effort by Bodine here.</p>
<h3 id="bdPpjq">With the good, comes the bad</h3>
<p id="eodZTo">It can’t all be positive, as there’s always places that you can get better week to week. No one has ever seen a perfect game of football in their life and no one ever will. For this week, this is my mistake of the game.</p>
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<p id="ezBNca">This play was on third and 20, maybe five yards or so outside of field goal range. It’s unlikely the Bengals would be able to pick up 20 here, but a nice chunk would put them in prime position for a field goal attempt. However, that was not to be. Kevin Zeitler and Eric Winston face a stunt from Jared Odrick and Dante Fowler Jr. Fowler is able to drive Winston back while pushing inside. Seeing this inside push, Odrick works his way outside. Typically you would see linemen try to pass off defenders and slide the protection to pick this up. Unfortunately Winston is too far behind Zeitler to do this and Zeitler is essentially stuck and has no way to fight Odrick from taking the outside route. This may go down as a Zeitler allowed sack, but make no mistake this is the fault of Winston giving too much ground.</p>
<h3 id="ht4mEb">Ground and pound</h3>
<p id="QT4x60">On the Bengals next possession, the offensive line was able to put in some serious work.</p>
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<p id="IrMBno">Little things in football matter, like the slight shift from Bernard here. Starting as a sidecar to the right of Dalton he gives an impression that he will be running (most likely) to the offense’s left/defense’s right. Thus, the defensive line can shift and prepare for such a run. By moving to the other side just before the snap, it throws off some pre-snap adjustments by the defense. From the snap, you see the red sea essentially part into two. The play is a power run, but with a center pull instead of the usual guard. Bernard is following Bodine, and will run right behind his butt, wherever that may be. Zeitler does such a good job of angling down on the defensive tackle that Bodine has to cut his pull inside, and is able to seal off Paul Posluszny for a great gain of 8.</p>
<p id="RQKS2K">Similar events happen on the next play.</p>
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<p id="lqeUoh">This is a good example of plays no going perfect, but being able to adapt on the fly. This double pull power play is a staple of the Bengals offense. It’s similar to what you would see in a counter trey, just without the counter. Both guards are pulling here. Zeitler is the playside guard so his job is to kick out the end man at the line of scrimmage which is number 37 Johnathan Cyprian. Boling’s job is to read Zeitler’s block and lead inside for Bernard. Bernard is just following Boling and hitting the first hole he sees. Unfortunately, Eric Winston gets beat badly from the get go which forces Boling to take a deeper pull step and almost blows up the play. However Boling is able to keep moving and Bernard patiently waits for him, a sign of a veteran running back, and is able to spring for 11 yards. I love this play, because it’s a great microcosm that represents the NFL and football as a whole.</p>
<h3 id="M0GdzK">Cool under pressure</h3>
<p id="GoyrJN">Our last gif of the day comes on a fourth-and-five the Bengals faced on the same drive.</p>
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<p id="gLE4rP">You can see immediately Dalton sees the Jaguars’ defense crowding the line and he knows exactly what coverage they’re in. They’re bringing overload pressure to the left side of the offensive line with man coverage throughout. This is evidenced also by the safety on the right of the screen lining over a receiver. This almost always dictates a man coverage. Dalton audibles and hits Tyler Boyd on an easy stick route for the first down. The Jaguars never had a chance as Posluszny was too far away from Boyd to ever have a hope of making a play. Can I just say it might be a bad idea to pressure one of the NFL’s best QBs against the blitz on a fourth down?</p>
<p id="8Y2szX">There’s your preseason Week 3 breakdown on offense. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe learned something in the process. One game to go before the regular season! Who Dey!</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12702578/film-room-bengals-dalton-and-offensive-line-look-ready-for-regular-seasonBraden Whited2016-08-30T15:17:34-04:002016-08-30T15:17:34-04:00The best throws from Dalton & McCarron on Sunday
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<p>Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron led the team to three touchdowns thanks to efficient offensive performances. We break down some of their best throws. </p> <p>On Sunday night in Jacksonville, <span>Andy Dalton</span> led the Bengals to two first half touchdowns before <span>AJ McCarron</span> added another on the first drive of the second half. On the road in a preseason primetime showing, both quarterbacks posted stellar QB ratings, 117.5 for Dalton and 122.6 for McCarron. Each had his fair share of impressive throws, but with injuries now becoming a concern, they did not take many shots downfield, instead leaning heavily on running backs <span>Giovani Bernard</span> and <span>Jeremy Hill</span> in both the short passing game and in churning out yards on the ground.</p>
<p>For a look at the performances of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>' top two quarterbacks, watch the following video:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YbgoFT3OCT4" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<h4><span>The Data:</span></h4>
<p>Dalton was 6/10 for 77 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. McCarron was 8/12 for 107 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions.</p>
<h4>Deconstructing Dalton and McCarron:</h4>
<p>For quarterbacks, leadership at the line of scrimmage is almost as important as throwing the ball. Just ask Peyton Manning. In that regard, Dalton had a stellar day. He made critical presnap adjustments, including one that led to a touchdown on a tunnel screen to Bernard. However, Dalton did miss on a few of his throws. Most notably, he misfired on a throw to <span>C.J. Uzomah</span> in the endzone on the play before the Bernard touchdown.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, McCarron provided some fireworks with a 53 yard completion to <span>Cody Core</span>, followed by a quick strike to <span>Alex Erickson</span> for a 21 yard touchdown. But other than that 75 yard drive, the Bengals only managed 26 yards on the remaining five drives with McCarron under center.</p>
<p>The reality is that neither of these issues are cause for concern. McCarron was working with backups for the most part, and Dalton's ball placement was largely an attempt to avoid turnovers.</p>
<h4>On Deck:</h4>
<p>On Thursday, the Bengals face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> in their final preseason game. But Dalton will almost certainly be withheld from the lineup. McCarron may play the first quarter or so, but for the most part, expect to see a lot of <span>Keith Wenning</span>, especially with <span>Joe Licata</span> getting cut on Monday.</p>
<h4>Dalton and McCarron's Directions:</h4>
<p>No change. The two quarterbacks did what they were supposed to do -- led their team to scores by balancing run and pass and avoiding turnovers. Both are refined passers who are still gaining familiarity with their new weapons, but yet they've manage to score a good amount of points in the process.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12707662/the-dalton-dispatch-preseason-week-3-bengals-vs-jaguarsDadio MakdookJohn SheeranDr. Hodgie E. Smodgie2016-08-30T13:00:07-04:002016-08-30T13:00:07-04:00Erickson paving his way onto Bengals’ 53-man roster
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<p>The undrafted rookie receiver has been one of the best stories of the preseason for the Bengals. His quest to make the final roster continued with a strong performance against the Jaguars on Sunday night. </p> <p id="5n5mmo">Every year, storylines take center stage in NFL training camps. Unfortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the major points of interest this summer has revolved around the excessive amount of injuries the club has suffered. But, one positive storyline has been the emergence of undrafted free agent, Alex Erickson. </p>
<p id="todgCr">In what is becoming a near annual tradition with the Bengals, one of the best rookie additions they made isn’t one they spent a pick on in the draft. Erickson, who went to the University of Wisconsin, has had a strong preseason while contributing on offense and special teams. That’s giving him a real shot at making the final roster, given the competition for the receiver openings this year. And now <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12690958/bengals-roster-cuts-2016-brandon-tate-finally-cut-after-5-years-in-cincinnati">with Brandon Tate’s release</a>, it seems certain that Erickson will be on the Bengals’ 53-man roster this year.</p>
<p id="eTYUWW">His impressive preseason continued on Sunday night in Jacksonville, as he scored his third touchdown in as many contests. While observations from training camp practices saw some positive reviews of Erickson in drills, he’s proven to be a real gamer and has been one of the most impressive Bengals players so far. </p>
<p id="VTmR9Y">One of the areas in which I wanted to see Erickson grow in Weeks 3 and 4 is his ability to work out of the slot. It’s how he scored his first touchdown in the opener against the Vikings and he did so again against the Jaguars, too. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We told you that you'd like that Alex Erickson guy, <a href="https://twitter.com/Bengals">@Bengals</a>... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnWisconsin?src=hash">#OnWisconsin</a><a href="https://t.co/z4MLUinKRq">pic.twitter.com/z4MLUinKRq</a></p>— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BadgerFootball/status/770080095612628993">August 29, 2016</a>
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<p id="EHO8eG">This one had him cut in on a slant and then use a nice stiff arm to break free and into the end zone. It’s a savvy, veteran-like move and was a great complement to his touchdown reception against Minnesota where he went the other way in the flat. </p>
<p id="doOrkS">Even with the touchdown catches though, special teams is a critical component in his quest to making the final roster. His impressive punt return for a touchdown in the opener has been well-chronicled, but he had three more great ones on Sunday night. </p>
<p id="OH1ovi">A 31-yard kickoff return was arguably the low point of the three attempts, and that’s certainly saying something. He averaged 28 yards per punt return on the night, highlighted by his 39-yard scamper down the sideline. </p>
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<h3 id="0RgGDG">Other traits to note:</h3>
<p id="mmegDl"><strong>Tackle-Breaking Ability: </strong>In almost every play he’s made this preseason, Erickson has broken tackles—sometimes quite a few in a single play. It actually shows quite a bit of strength for a guy who is slight at 6’0”, 195 pounds. </p>
<p id="suY4zy"><strong>Ability to read creases in defenses: </strong>On both return duties and as a receiver, Erickson created plays by dissecting lanes. Sometimes he created them on his own because of the above-mentioned ability to get through would-be tacklers, but he also extended the gained yardage on plays by taking the right angles.</p>
<h3 id="E5OuAU">Does he make the final roster?</h3>
<p id="n3EWOY">With young players grappling to cling to a roster spot, Erickson has done pretty much everything he could to make his case. Marvin Lewis has long been a proponent of his young players making the roster by in-game performances in the preseason and not in practices, so the former Badger has to be a coaching staff favorite at this point. </p>
<p id="5E4YPz">After the Bengals’ Monday cuts, there are now eight players vying for just three or four wide receiver spots. Cody Core has been impressive, and Rashaun Simonise remains a promising project, so the competition is heated. But, as has been previously noted, Erickson was likely battling Brandon Tate for one of those final roster spots. </p>
<p id="kRcLMK">The veteran who Lewis and his staff have loved since he arrived in 2011 didn’t have a great night versus Jacksonville. He didn’t record a catch and had two punt returns for 16 total yards. Now, with <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12690958/bengals-roster-cuts-2016-brandon-tate-finally-cut-after-5-years-in-cincinnati">Tate being released by the Bengals</a> on Tuesday, a clear path to the final roster seems to be had. </p>
<p id="XNfeHG">Could Erickson become the next in line of undrafted free agents who ended up contributing to the Benglas’ 53-man roster? With three touchdowns in three preseason games and good things always seeming to happen when he gets his hands on the football, Erickson should be on the roster for Week 1 against the Jets. It’s especially apparent he will be on the final roster now with special teams coach Darrin Simmons proclaiming him the starting punt return man at this point. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12696922/alex-erickson-paving-his-way-onto-bengals-53-man-rosterAnthony Cosenza2016-08-30T12:00:03-04:002016-08-30T12:00:03-04:00Bengals' starting D making points hard to come by
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<p>The Bengals’ starting defense made points hard to come by for the 2nd straight week against Jacksonville.</p> <p id="MJRx0f">While the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cincinnati Bengals</a> eventually gave up a 21-3 lead and suffered a loss in their third preseason game against the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> on Sunday night, there’s no denying that the starting defense held strong for the second week in a row.</p>
<p id="Eh8yC4">Cincinnati absolutely dominated the first half, giving up just 90 yards and three points.</p>
<p id="zUIaGn">The Bengals started the game off perfectly on defense, as they shut down Jacksonville’s very first drive when <span>Rey Maualuga</span> forced <span>T.J. Yeldon</span> to fumble, and <span>Vincent Rey</span> scooped it up and took it 16 yards the other way to put the offense in great position for a scoring drive.</p>
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<p id="A63S4y">The defense was a brick wall for the next two drives, as they forced back-to-back three-and-outs before Jacksonville was able to put up any kind of fight.</p>
<p id="trONp2">When Jacksonville finally did put a drive together, they went 66 yards on 12 plays, but with one huge play from <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> and a little luck (or misfortune for Jacksonville) the Bengals still managed to keep the Jags out of the end zone. After getting all the way down to the 1 yard line, the Jaguars had a potential touchdown pass broken up by Kirkpatrick, who made an outstanding play on the ball to save six points.</p>
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<p id="8PqUGI">That kind of play is what we’re all hoping to see out of him this season, as <span>Adam Jones</span> is aging <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/28/12685056/bengals-cornerback-adam-jones-calf-injury-pregame-warmups">(and getting injured)</a>and we are drawing nearer and nearer to the time where Kirkpatrick becomes the No. 1 cornerback on the depth chart. If he can consistently play the ball as well as he did here, that position will be in great hands.</p>
<p id="B8Xh7d">Following that, the Jaguars committed consecutive penalties, one being failure to report as an eligible receiver, which nullified a once-in-a-lifetime touchdown reception for Jaguars linebacker Hayes Pullard. The Jaguars would eventually have to settle for a field goal on the long drive, their only three points of the first half.</p>
<p id="kWimTh">The half continued in that dominant fashion for Cincinnati, as they forced another three-and-out, and on the last drive of the half Jacksonville shot themselves in the foot with a false start penalty to end the second quarter.</p>
<p id="uR3d1n">This defense has made a great deal of progress since their first preseason game. While the first unit hasn’t given up a ton of points at all this preseason, it’s clear that they have improved since allowing <span>Teddy Bridgewater</span> to throw a 49-yard touchdown pass during Week 1. Since then, the defense hasn’t given up a single first half touchdown, nor have they allowed any single play to go for that kind of big yardage. And for the overall yardage allowed, that has improved greatly as well. After giving up 145 yards in the first half to to Minnesota and 203 yards in the first half to Detroit, the 90 yards they gave up to Jacksonville has been the fewest thus far in the preseason, and is something to build on going into the regular season.</p>
<p id="Xs9o8w">Not only has the defense shown an improvement in containing offenses, but they’ve shown improvement in forcing turnovers. In the second week of the preseason, <span>Derron Smith</span> recorded a pick-6 in the second quarter, and as mentioned before, Maualuga forced a fumble this week that cut the Jaguars’ very first drive short.</p>
<p id="INsGAr">This starting defense looks how we hoped and expected they would right now. Despite losing some key players, they’re still looking like they’re capable of being the No. 2 scoring defense in the league again. It’s only the preseason, but if they continue to hold up this well it will be very difficult for opposing offenses to score on them in the regular season.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12686730/bengals-starting-defense-holds-strong-for-2nd-week-in-a-rowJeremy Chisenhall2016-08-30T10:00:07-04:002016-08-30T10:00:07-04:00What We Learned about the Bengals in Preseason Week 3
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<figcaption>Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>What did the Bengals teach us about their outlook in 2016 during Sunday’s third preseason game.</p> <p id="1K6SFi">The Bengals’ most important preseason game is now in the rearview mirror and we’re taking a look back to see what lessons can be taken away from the action prior to the final preseason game and a slew of roster cuts on the way this week.</p>
<h3 id="bio8ib">Offense</h3>
<p id="M9L19m"><strong>Andy Dalton hasn’t shown any signs of regression. </strong>Way too many people assumed the quarterback’s fantastic 2015 season was a product of the receiving weapons around him or his former offensive coordinator’s tutelage, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The quarterback is a savant when it comes to reading opposing defenses and changing the play call at the line of scrimmage. He rarely misses a pass, and rarely seems to make the wrong read on a play. Ken Zampese must be grinning right now.</p>
<p id="UpPlri"><strong>For the first time in a while — maybe ever — Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard are both playing well at the same time. </strong>Granted, we’re still in the preseason, but the two backs have been tearing it up lately. Hill and Bernard combined for 48 rushing yards, 53 receiving yards and two total touchdowns (Hill’s coming on the ground, Bernard’s coming through the air). Hill has been a much more decisive runner, but he’s seemed to improve in the passing game as well. Bernard seems a lot more confident running between the tackles, and he has improved as a blocker as well. The duo has been dominant throughout the preseason and we should look to see that continue into the regulars-season.</p>
<p id="jCHuVY"><strong>Brandon LaFell should’ve had a touchdown catch. </strong>Pass interference by Prince Amukamara robbed the wideout of a touchdown, but LaFell still managed an 8-yard reception from AJ McCarron in his Bengals debut.</p>
<p id="Vds84D"><strong>Tyler Boyd can really move the chains. </strong>The jury’s still out, as we’re still in the preseason, but from the looks of it, the wideout seems like a guy who will be targeted a ton on third down.</p>
<p id="pr3JR1"><strong>Cody Core has the tools to develop into a serious deep threat. </strong>We saw a glimpse of his ability on Sunday night.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Cody88Core">@Cody88Core</a> with the bomb. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeepThreat?src=hash">#DeepThreat</a> <a href="https://t.co/S5m0QoQAYY">pic.twitter.com/S5m0QoQAYY</a></p>— Connor Howe (@HoweNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoweNFL/status/770425214920458240">August 30, 2016</a>
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<p id="u6IbiU"><strong>C.J. Uzomah had a sneaky good game. </strong>Bengals fans wanted to see the tight end thrive in the absences of Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft, and while the third-stringer hasn’t been dominant, he’s shown enough to assure fans he can potentially start if needed. He was pretty badly overthrown on what should’ve been an easy touchdown pass, but he snagged a 10-yarder and made some solid plays in the run game. The tight end’s improvements as a blocker seem improved this year.</p>
<p id="ayoE9G"><strong>The starting offensive line was near-perfect under the lights. </strong>Clint Boling, Russell Bodine and Kevin Zeitler, in particular, put on a clinic throughout the game. Boling and Zeitler are a no-brainer top-three guard tandem, and Bodine showed fans why Paul Alexander has been so adamant about the center’s ability to start. After struggling against Linval Joseph, one of the NFL’s best nose tackles, in Week 1 and missing a couple of blocks in the first couple of drives of the Detroit game, Bodine has really come into his own. Aside from a false-start penalty, the center was fantastic in Jacksonville.</p>
<h3 id="sYB8CR">Defense</h3>
<p id="cBmTJg"><strong>The Bengals’ defensive line might </strong><strong>could be the</strong><strong> best in the NFL.</strong></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GenoSacks">@GenoSacks</a> vs Joeckel: If there wasn't such a thing as a defensive pancake before, there is now. <a href="https://t.co/mSkI7noxsf">pic.twitter.com/mSkI7noxsf</a></p>— Connor Howe (@HoweNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoweNFL/status/770383094666956800">August 29, 2016</a>
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<p lang="tl" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/MJ_Agent90">@MJ_Agent90</a> abusing Luke Joeckel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bulldozer?src=hash">#Bulldozer</a> <a href="https://t.co/WRdEutsB9L">pic.twitter.com/WRdEutsB9L</a></p>— Connor Howe (@HoweNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoweNFL/status/770414964607635456">August 30, 2016</a>
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<p id="UHBk9G">Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson both steamrolled Joeckel like he was a piece of paper. This defensive line looks dominant.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Solid play from the front 7. All 4 D linemen recognized screen coming, Rey M forces fumble, V Rey recovers. Huge. <a href="https://t.co/SKQLJR4Q1v">pic.twitter.com/SKQLJR4Q1v</a></p>— Connor Howe (@HoweNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoweNFL/status/770386034853052417">August 29, 2016</a>
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<p id="T1d7es">This was the best play for the Bengals defense all game long, and Carlos Dunlap wasn’t even on the field. Atkins and Margus Hunt beat their opponents off the line but recognize a screen pass coming, and while Johnson and Domata Peko aren’t able to beat their guys, they both also have the awareness to understand the screen play. Quality play from the Bengals’ linebackers with the forced fumble and recovery is just icing on the cake.</p>
<p id="g7ljxt"><strong>Dre Kirkpatrick continues to </strong><strong>look good in the preseason</strong><strong>. </strong>The corner has played well throughout the preseason, and things weren’t any different on Sunday night. Kirkpatrick beautifully broke up a pass in the end zone, made a tackle in the run game and did not allow a single completion in coverage against one of the best receiving groups in the NFL.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I see you <a href="https://twitter.com/DreKirkSWAG">@DreKirkSWAG</a>. Lookin like Richard Sherman out there. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoFlyZone?src=hash">#NoFlyZone</a> <a href="https://t.co/krSO9eJxX9">pic.twitter.com/krSO9eJxX9</a></p>— Connor Howe (@HoweNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoweNFL/status/770419608448671744">August 30, 2016</a>
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<p id="fq8ULO"><strong>George Iloka hasn’t been tested all preseason long, and that’s a good sign. </strong>Shawn Williams and Derron Smith have been seeing more time in the preseason, presumably because Iloka has been near-perfect in coverage in each of the Bengals’ three games. Of the two safeties behind Iloka, Williams looks like the better run defender while Smith looks like the better pass defender. Williams tallied two tackles (one for loss), while Smith tacked on two tackles of his own and broke up what would’ve been a touchdown pass to Julius Thomas. Hopefully the two can work off each other to improve their games while Paul Guenther looks for a way to effectively implement the two players into his secondary.</p>
<p id="1QXqxx"><strong>Hunt could play a significant role on defense.</strong> As of now, it looks as though he’ll be Wallace Gilberry’s replacement as the nickel defensive tackle alongside Atkins. While that’s not the most exciting thing to hear, it’s worth noting he commanded a double-team one play, leaving Johnson, Atkins and Dunlap in one-on-one matchups with their opponents. The defensive linemen was constantly pressuring opposing quarterbacks and rarely seemed to run out of energy.</p>
<p id="JBiH9n"><strong>Pat Sims looked much better in Week 3 </strong><strong>of the preseason </strong><strong>than he did in Week 2. </strong>He wasn’t a huge factor against the pass, but the nose tackle made two nice tackles against the run. He looks like a solid backup at nose tackle.</p>
<h3 id="BovVzx">Special Teams</h3>
<p id="MXArns"><strong>Peerman</strong><strong> </strong><strong>will be truly missed.</strong> Sure, he’s the team’s fourth-string running back, but his impact on special teams is hard to come by. Peerman often faced double-teams and even the occasional triple-team on kickoff and punt coverage, and he was one of the three key guys responsible for opening and securing a seam ahead of Bengals return men. Finding a replacement for the running back will be easier said than done.</p>
<p id="Fw94nE"><strong>Alex Erickson’s performance has people excited, as it should. </strong>The wideout looks confident and decisive in the return game, and he makes big plays. Erickson tallied 57 return yards on two punt returns and 31 yards on his only kickoff return of the night. To cap it off, he also caught a 21-yard touchdown pass and had an eight yard rush. The receiver’s 109 all-purpose yards on four touches makes him a hard player to ignore.</p>
<p id="8t5cdO"><strong>Erickson and Tate each misjudged a punt on Sunday night. </strong>On his second punt return, Erickson couldn’t get under the ball, allowing the punt to roll for an additional 17 yards on top of the initial punt. On a punt in the third quarter, Tate opted to let a punt bounce in the end zone, instead of fair-catching it at about the 9-yard-line. Because he misjudged the punt, the Bengals were pinned on their own 2-yard-line.</p>
<p id="c5t8FE"><strong>Kevin Huber should take a weeklong ice bath. </strong>Punting nine times (for 377 yards) is no easy task. Heading into Week 4 of the preseason, which Colts punter Pat McAfee claims is the hardest week for punters of the entire calendar year, Huber might want to take a couple of days off.</p>
<h3 id="ywykPG">Bubble Players</h3>
<p id="ttwSLM"><strong>Tra Carson and Bronson Hill really struggled, but that was more a fault of the reserve linemen than the running backs themselves. </strong>I could see Cincinnati offering spots on the practice squad to both of the running backs, especially considering Cedric Peerman’s injury. Speaking of...</p>
<p id="7Dk1rm"><strong>There’s a decent chance the Bengals only keep three running backs on the roster. </strong>I don’t imagine they’ll add Carson or Hill to the 53-man roster, so it would likely take a free agent signing for Cincinnati to keep four running backs on the roster. If that’s the case, most people expect the Bengals to keep a seventh receiver — but don’t be surprised if they use it to create an additional spot on one of the lines or in the secondary instead.</p>
<p id="BglqiK"><strong>One bad snap isn’t going to impact T.J. Johnson’s chances of making the roster.</strong> Barring an unforeseen trade or unexpected cut, the backup center will likely make the team.</p>
<p id="xOVU1O"><strong>DeShawn Williams quietly made an impact, but it might not be enough to warrant a roster spot. </strong>After a disappointing Week 2, the defensive tackle was a bit better in Week 3, tallying a tackle and a pass deflection in an otherwise unspectacular outing. The battle for snaps at the defensive tackle position is a numbers game, and Williams might not be on <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/28/12665576/bengals-defensive-tackle-underrated-position-battle-roster-2016-atkins-thompson-williams-hardison">the right side of the bubble.</a></p>
<p id="h11WDL"><strong>Cincinnati’s reserves, for the most part, struggled immensely. </strong>Chris Lewis-Harris, Chykie Brown and Tony McRae had their good moments, but all three had bad moments as well. Darius Hillary really struggled, and the safeties battling for the fourth spot on the roster didn’t show much. Champions have yet to emerge from the battles for the final spots at corner and safety.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/8/30/12700484/-what-we-learned-bengals-preseason-week-3-2016Connor Howe