Cincy Jungle - NFL Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals vs Washington Redskins in LondonWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2016-11-30T18:41:05-05:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/131678072016-11-30T18:41:05-05:002016-11-30T18:41:05-05:00NFL considering changing start time of games in London
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<figcaption>Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>No more waking up at the brink of dawn for NFL games in London? Count us in!</p> <p id="LaFSi5">It’s nice when your voice is heard. When you complain how you kid’s rooms are messy, and they clean them - that’s nice. When you complain to your spouse about leaving a toilet seat up, and they start putting it down - that’s nice. When you complain to your boss about being underpaid, and you get a raise - well, that’s pretty nice too. Also, when you write an article <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/10/26/13379766/how-will-bengals-sunday-morning-kickoff-in-london-impact-fans-nfl-week-8?_ga=1.198966639.1599882103.1441923675">grumbling about the absurdly early start of NFL games in London</a>, and a month later news breaks that the NFL is considering pushing back the start times of international games - well, that’s also nice.</p>
<p id="X7tJ3m">Ok, so maybe the NFL’s decision was not in response to my thoughts, but who knows, maybe it was? Regardless, this is good news for NFL fans in the United States.</p>
<p id="dkkNV7">Per The Wall Street Journal, the NFL could be moving the start time of all London games to 1 p.m. Eastern Time, the time at which most of the Sunday games typically begin.</p>
<blockquote><p id="KKXoHy">[T]he league is planning some changes for Sunday with regards to broadcasts of games that are played in London. Currently, those games air early in the morning and the ratings have been tiny. Starting next season, games played in London will air in the afternoon in the United States along with the rest of the games, a person with knowledge of the matter said.</p></blockquote>
<p id="o08968">During Week 8, the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> played against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Redskins</a> in London, in what was a 9:30 ET start. For various reasons, a 9:30 a.m. start presents an issue for many viewers who otherwise have other plans on Sunday morning. And it’s even worse on the west coast, as west coast fans were faced with a 6:30 a.m. start time.</p>
<p id="nLwtrZ">There were three games this year that featured early starts because they were played in London:</p>
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<li id="d52jRH">Week 4 - <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a> vs. <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>
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<li id="ztNbQr">Week 7 - <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a> vs. <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Rams</a>
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<li id="eiJBF8">Week 8 - Bengals vs. Redskins</li>
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<p id="hvhT8N">The have been rumors that the NFL would like to be in a position to place a franchise in London in the next four or five years. It would remain to be seen if such a plan were to be enacted, when those games would start. But for the present time, it is only American-based teams playing in London, so it’s great news that the American-based fans will be able to watch their team play without making extraordinary plans to accommodate the NFL’s absurdly early start time for these games.</p>
<p id="L0goUM">There are also reports that the NFL will add a fourth game to the London slate in 2017. And, this week, it became known that <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-under-consideration-to-play-in-london-in-2017-20161129-story.html">the Ravens are in consideration</a> to play an away game, against the Jaguars, in London next season.</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/30/13796772/nfl-considering-changing-start-time-of-games-in-londonDeusVult2016-11-06T10:00:03-05:002016-11-06T10:00:03-05:00Norman fined for speaking out about officiating
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals weren’t <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/4/13527108/williams-flowers-kirkpatrick-fined-for-actions-in-bengals-vs-redskins-game">alone in having fine notices</a> sent their way this week.</p> <p id="y19flD">Criticize the NFL and you will pay. Literally. </p>
<p id="jAmF4U">After complaining about an NFL official in his postgame press conference in London, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Redskins</a> cornerback <span>Josh Norman</span> has been fined $25,000 by the NFL. He is appealing the hefty fine.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Source: NFL fined Washington CB Josh Norman $25,000 for his comments last weeks about officiating. Norman is appealing.</p>— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/795053402187239424">November 6, 2016</a>
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<p id="We2RvF">Norman took offense to an official’s excessive flagging of his illegal hands to the face contact and pass interference up against <span>A.J. Green</span>. Most, if not all, of the flags were by the rules and deserved. Clearly, Norman did not feel that way.</p>
<p id="hYcu6E">“Who is official eighty-eight? I've gotta know," Norman said after the same. "You suck. I'm just being honest with you. I'm just being straightforward. He was terrible and I feel like he should be reprimanded.”</p>
<p id="CaFnc8">Norman wasn’t done there.</p>
<p id="ItU9QN">"I'm baffled by it, I really am,” Norman continued. “I just feel like they really need to sit down and look at that because the plays out there that was going on, I have never had seven flags on me in my entire life and I feel like he coulda had more than that. Every time he (<span>Andy Dalton</span>) threw the ball I feel like there was gonna be a flag."</p>
<p id="OIWVoP">Just a wild guess here, but, maybe Norman felt there was going to be a flag on every play because he couldn’t get his hands off of Green’s face, and knew he’d commit a flag-worthy offense on each passing down.</p>
<p id="7v048C">Norman has since said this after receiving notice of his fine:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"How did I get fined $25,000?" - <a href="https://twitter.com/J_No24">@J_No24</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/JayGlazer">@JayGlazer</a> <a href="https://t.co/dsssqDe1VI">pic.twitter.com/dsssqDe1VI</a></p>— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/795303323305811968">November 6, 2016</a>
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<p id="a2cLhc">Had Norman not been committing so many penalties, Green probably would have had an even better day than he had in London. Green recorded 121 yards on 8 catches against the Redskins, but not all of his grabs came against Norman.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A.J. Green vs Josh Norman today<br>11 targets<br>5 catches<br>76 yards<br>0 TD<br>0 INT<br>3 passes defensed<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WASvsCIN?src=hash">#WASvsCIN</a></p>— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/792786283785490432">October 30, 2016</a>
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<p id="FKL5I7">Green didn’t dominate Norman, but he clearly won the matchup while the Redskins cornerback was too busy racking up flags and breaking NFL rules. Norman proved that if you talk badly about NFL employees, the league will fight back. And their form of fighting back is issuing a massive fine.</p>
<p id="ihsClY">Three <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/4/13527108/williams-flowers-kirkpatrick-fined-for-actions-in-bengals-vs-redskins-game">Bengals were also fined during the game</a>, <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> ($18,231, facemask), <span>Shawn Williams</span> ($24,309, spearing; $9,115 facemask), <span>Marquis Flowers</span> ($9,115, unnecessary roughness).</p>
<p id="JyCOad">What’s interesting is that Norman was not reportedly fined for any of his penalties in the game.</p>
<p id="ue0i8I">The London game was Norman’s third of the season in which he received a fine; those fines now total $83,620. Norman is expected to appeal this latest fine.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/6/13538694/josh-norman-fined-for-speaking-out-about-officiating-in-bengals-vs-redskins-gameRebecca Toback2016-11-04T16:49:06-04:002016-11-04T16:49:06-04:00Williams, Flowers, Kirkpatrick fined after Bengals vs Redskins game
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<img alt="NFL: International Series-Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HgRtrSBrFlgnLR4ic1IOQhuhCnQ=/0x179:2104x1582/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51684545/usa_today_9642895.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="y3airX"><a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> players aren’t new to receiving fines as a result of their in-game actions and once again, the latest game has caused three players on the team to receive fine notices from the NFL.</p>
<p id="ESi21l">According to Jay Morrison of The Dayton Daily News, safety <span>Shawn Williams</span>, linebacker <span>Marquis Flowers</span> and cornerback <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> were all fined as a result of rule-breaking actions in the the Bengals’ tie with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Redskins</a> in London.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">3 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash">#Bengals</a> fined for their actions in Sunday's game against the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Redskins?src=hash">#Redskins</a>, led by<br>Shawn Williams $24,309 (spearing) and $9,115 (facemask)</p>— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonCMG) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayMorrisonCMG/status/794640339168534530">November 4, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dre Kirkpatrick also fined $18,231 for horse collar, and,Maquis Flowers fined $9,115 for unnecessary roughness.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash">#Bengals</a></p>— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonCMG) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayMorrisonCMG/status/794640687648096258">November 4, 2016</a>
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<p id="hx2wvK">Kirkpatrick’s fine was reportedly for a horse collar. Kirkpatrick has already been fined this season for a facemask penalty in the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> game, which may explain the high value of his fine this week.</p>
<p id="t0AEWO">The reasons for Williams’ fines were spearing and a facemask. The facemask was not flagged and was committed during a <span>Jamison Crowder</span> fourth quarter touchdown that gave the Redskins a 24-20 lead.</p>
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<p id="WZivuM">“I don’t know how that’s not called,” the FOX announcer said during the game when Williams committed the facemask.</p>
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<p id="vmhXSJ">Here’s an image of the facemask, too. It was clear and it was not flagged during the game, so, per the NFL rules, the fine was deserved.</p>
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<img alt="NFL: International Series-Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WqnABICZRfgiqbqsgsd54kV_vs0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7410621/usa_today_9642895.jpg">
<cite>Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="qnOrUz">Flowers received a penalty in the fourth quarter on a punt return when he had an illegal block above the waist, after recovering a fumble that <span>Adam Jones</span> dropped on the return. That was likely the cause of his fine. The Bengals would go on to punt on the ensuing drive.</p>
<p id="lIPHQ1">Money collected by the NFL as a result of player fines is donated to charity. All three players can appeal their fines.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/4/13527108/williams-flowers-kirkpatrick-fined-for-actions-in-bengals-vs-redskins-gameRebecca Toback2016-11-04T15:45:38-04:002016-11-04T15:45:38-04:00London experience: Fan highlights from Bengals’ first international game
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<p>As the Bengals played their first game ever in Europe, many fans across the continent took the chance to go see their beloved team in London. Here are some of the many experiences of those fans, myself included</p> <p id="Ptkdqq">Last Saturday night the clocks in Europe were turned back one hour. In a normal situation that would have meant one more hour of sleep, which is good. But last Saturday night wasn’t a normal situation. I was going to get on a plane to London to watch my Bengals live for the first time.</p>
<p id="jWzH20">I own a pub in Madrid, Spain, and we are usually pretty busy Fridays and Saturdays, as nightlife here is probably the best in the world. We open from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., although we rarely leave before 4:00.</p>
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<figcaption>That is water, by the way.</figcaption>
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<p id="0ZDZZN">That night, though, the clocks were turned back one hour. I am not complaining, after all more business is always good. But the clocks in the U.S.A. stayed put (that changes this coming weekend, which made the Bengals game in London start earlier, at least for us in Europe.</p>
<p id="OcSUyv">So I left the bar, went back home, took a shower and got on a bus to the airport. I landed in London at Gatwick Airport at 8:55 a.m. (9:55 a.m. in Spain) and headed to my hotel to leave my stuff and go to Wembley Stadium. I ended up getting there half an hour before kick off, but the fatigue from having gotten barely any sleep at all disappeared as I met the fellow Spanish Bengals fans who I was going to watch the game with.</p>
<p id="ZgJ2sk">We all made little sacrifices to get to see our beloved team play in London, not only us coming from Spain. There were fans from many countries around Europe and others that travelled with the Bengals from Cincinnati. My girlfriend, who is from Northern Virginia, also flew from the U.S. to see her Redskins.</p>
<p id="ky6bb7">These sacrifices might mean nothing to many, I know. A lot of people have greater struggles. We just had to make it to a different country to see an American team we root for, usually at a great distance.</p>
<p id="KwKHuy">The game wasn’t bad, though, the final score was bad. London games are often terrible but this one wasn’t.</p>
<p id="ox6vuV">I wasn’t able to take in the whole experience of the International Series, as I had to work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but my friends told me how excited they were to hang out with Anthony Muñoz, the Bengals mascot, some of the coaches... and Cincy Jungle’s “Jungle John” at The Admiralty Pub, the designated Bengals pub in London for the weekend.</p>
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<p id="elg4nb">A win would have been nice, as the Bengals are trying to stay alive in the playoff race. But as with any other experience in life, the trip and the process matter much more than the result.</p>
<p id="dookas">Xavi, a Bengals fan who started rooting for the team because of a girl he met while living in Baltimore, couldn’t find a hotel until the early hours of Friday because the one that he booked left him (and his wife and friend) out on the street. The third party company he made the reservation with ended up taking care of them because the apartment owner said they just couldn’t comply with the booking.</p>
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<p id="kL5rTz">Gerar, who travelled from Valladolid (deep Spain, if you will), lied to his boss so he could get the days off to see the game. Dani got there on Friday from Asturias in northwest Spain. Antonio, who writes about the Bengals and the rest of the AFC North for AS - the second leading sports journal in Spain - <strong>convinced his wife to let him go to London </strong><strong>o</strong><strong>n their anniversary</strong>. Imagine her face when he told her his plans. Antonio had to get her something from Harrods, thanks to Xavi’s wife, Mónica, for the assist. He also had some nice words about the London experience in his newspaper. You can read it in Spanish <a href="http://masdeporte.as.com/masdeporte/2016/11/02/nfl/1478103939_413972.html">here</a>.</p>
<p id="Y8ixrG">Menez, who has been rooting for the Bengals for only one year after laughing at me for watching the NFL and not rugby, drafted Andy Dalton in the first round of our fantasy draft.</p>
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<figcaption>Me (left) and my friend Menez, only into his sixth month of Bengals fandom but already playing the part.</figcaption>
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<p id="nN1lmZ">After so many podcasts about the Bengals, Whatsapp chats during games, frustration over late night losses - including in the Wild Card - we finally got to see the team live, and together. Some of us didn’t even know each other in person, and <strong>I only knew Xavi and Vic because they travelled from Barcelona to Madrid </strong><strong>(a nearly six hour drive) </strong><strong>just to watch a Bengals - Steelers game </strong><strong>at </strong><strong>my bar</strong>. We lost that game and also lost Dalton, by the way. So even if a win would have been nice, the trip was worth it beyond the final score. Beer was warm, soft drinks were hot - and I was counting on a heavy dose of Coca Cola to stay functional after the fourth-quarter. Nevertheless, we got to see a big return from Alex Erickson - finally, A.J. Green’s dominate, Tyler Eifert’s clutchness, and lucky breaks that kept the Bengals alive in overtime... </p>
<p id="kMzx0G">Cincinnati fans get to cheer on the Bengals plenty of time, but for us here in Europe this was THE chance. No matter how decaffeinated the atmosphere was with so, so many Dolphins (¡¡¡) jerseys in the stands. Nearly 75% of the crowd were casual British fans that came down to watch an NFL game, as is case in the U.S. with friendly soccer games in the summer.</p>
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<figcaption>Where else in the world can you see this</figcaption>
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<p id="qXdzPB">But there were also a lot of Bengals fans with stories to tell about what it took for them to get to London and support their beloved team, just like the ones I wrote above.</p>
<p id="tGx0oR">Share your story of traveling to London in the comments section if you attended the game; I’d love to hear from you!</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/4/13523804/the-london-experience-fan-highlights-from-bengals-first-international-gamemuertedeatenas2016-11-03T15:56:35-04:002016-11-03T15:56:35-04:00Stephen A. Smith says Bengals embarrassed NFL in London
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s hard to disagree...</p> <p id="IWsIYa">To no surprise, Stephen A. Smith is still not a fan of <span>Marvin Lewis</span>. </p>
<p id="0ieLSj">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>’ Week 8 matchup with Washington was supposed to be a clash of two teams that looked like playoff contenders. It ended up being a comedy of errors that has the ESPN talking head back to being critical of both the Bengals and head coach Marvin Lewis.</p>
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<p id="PdM94B">“Marvin Lewis needs to go. I’m not a fan of Marvin Lewis and the job he’s done in Cincinnati,” Smith said. “He’s been there for 12 complete years. I think he’s in his 13th or 14th year. They still have not won a playoff game, and it looks like it’s going to be another year that they fail to do it. </p>
<p id="aOpfjz">“I think the citizens of Cincinnati deserve better. I think the media needs to do its job better by calling this man out instead of worrying what the hell I’m saying about ‘em, which they’ve tended to do. Why don’t you call him out for what he’s not doing, which is winning football games when it counts. </p>
<p id="XWZlXj">Can I get an amen? </p>
<p id="UPEAKU">We’re to the point where Lewis deserves the criticism he gets. Seeing Smith continue to call him out while no one else does (for whatever reason) is actually refreshing, though, that’s something no one should ever say about anything Smith says. </p>
<p id="LCa8Iw">I’m not saying Lewis should be fired, but he definitely deserves more heat than he gets from local and national media. Sunday was a debacle, something this team has seen far too many times this season, despite having as much, if not more talent than almost every team they’ve faced this season. </p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/3/13511220/stephen-a-smith-bengals-embarrassed-nfl-london-marvin-lewis-firedJason Marcum2016-11-03T10:00:03-04:002016-11-03T10:00:03-04:00Cincinnati’s o-line issues continue to rattle Dalton
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<figcaption>Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals’ offensive line has struggled mightily in 2016 and those issues trickled down to Cincinnati’s signal-caller on Sunday. </p> <p id="tbJTqD">When <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> quarterback <span>Andy Dalton</span> had his breakout campaign in 2015, many of the criticisms of the previous four seasons began to dissipate. After throwing for 25 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, Dalton was in the NFL MVP conversation before getting hurt in Week 15 against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers.</a> It subsequently led to him not taking a snap the rest of the year. </p>
<p id="ah4PtK">Even with the departure of Hue Jackson, Marvin Jones and <span>Mohamed Sanu</span>, Dalton has played solid football throughout the first eight games of 2016. <span>Tyler Eifert</span> also missed the first six games this year, and with Cincinnati’s defense not living up to expectations, No. 14 has had to shoulder a lot of the responsibility for the team’s success this year. </p>
<p id="6Oz3oJ">Even so, certain stigmas about Dalton still seem to remain. Though Dalton has taken relatively decent care of the football this year (11 total touchdowns against four total turnovers), Cincinnati’s disappointing record that now stands at 3-4-1, national perception seems to lay it at Dalton’s feet. </p>
<p id="4wxKZz">So it goes with any quarterback deemed as a franchise player, but any who follow the Bengals closely know that any struggles Cincinnati has faced this year isn’t squarely on Dalton’s shoulders. Regardless, some perceptions just don’t die. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All we needed for a good game in London was Andy Dalton and Kirk Cousins. Who knew?</p>— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) <a href="https://twitter.com/RotoPat/status/792766596930428928">October 30, 2016</a>
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<p id="rhY85f">Unfortunately, some of those old stigmas that were dead and buried with Dalton’s play last year came to fruition on Sunday in London. After rallying the troops to give the Bengals a 10-point lead in the second half, two critical and mind-boggling turnovers in both the fourth quarter and overtime led to a frustrating tie. </p>
<h3 id="KsI6P9">Dalton’s fourth quarter interception: </h3>
<p id="6s43nf">Dalton’s inexcusable fumble on a sneak late in overtime wasn’t due to pressure, but other missed passes and an ill-advised interception might be a residual effect from the offensive line’s 2016 performance. The Philip Rivers-esque shot put Dalton launched toward Eifert and into the loving arms of <span>Will Compton</span> in the fourth quarter was something akin to a version of Dalton we saw earlier this decade. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">PICK!<br><br>The Kendall Fuller pressure results in a hurried Dalton throw straight into the bread basket of <a href="https://twitter.com/_willcompton">@_willcompton</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Redskins?src=hash">#Redskins</a> ball! <a href="https://t.co/W6M5KxGR4V">pic.twitter.com/W6M5KxGR4V</a></p>— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoRCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadwikoRCC/status/792759033010663425">October 30, 2016</a>
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<p id="hq0ZrT">Obviously, the pressure allowed by the line on this play led to the end result. Regardless, it doesn’t excuse a poor decision by the quarterback, who at this point, we know is capable of more. This interception was particularly huge though, as it created at least a 10-point swing in the contest. </p>
<p id="RQY8mg">The Bengals were at the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Redskins</a>’ 20-yard line at the time and even taking a sack would have kept them in field goal range. Instead, Washington marched downfield and took a 24-20 lead over Cincinnati on a <span>Jamison Crowder</span> 33-yard touchdown reception. </p>
<p id="Ebq2Lg">Also, as a side note, look at the personnel in protection. Running back <span>Giovani Bernard</span>, who had been stellar in pass protection all game, wasn’t in the formation picking up blitzing players. As noted by the tweet, <span>Kendall Fuller</span> blitzed from his defensive back spot to rush the throw. Later in overtime, the Bengals used Bernard to pick up another blitz from Fuller to allow Dalton to scramble for 14 yards on a third down play.</p>
<h3 id="YkeuQ7">Continued protection issues affecting the offense:</h3>
<p id="FWjATC">Last year, the Bengals’ offensive line was the eighth-best in the NFL in sacks given up with 32 on the entire year, 20 of which came with Dalton playing quarterback. Through half of their schedule in 2016, they are currently in a tie at 31st with 25 already allowed this year. That’s simply unacceptable.</p>
<p id="0rQRZ0">We’re primarily focusing on the issues in Week 8, so we again will look at the fourth quarter against the Redskins. On a first down with 32 seconds remaining in regulation, Dalton targeted <span>A.J. Green</span> on a deep ball down the right sideline. Pressure came from multiple places, so Dalton couldn’t step into the throw to Green. It was knocked away and then two plays later, the offensive line let up a sack once again and the offense was forced to punt.</p>
<p id="d1fr3e">Later on in overtime, the Bengals moved their way into Redskins territory, thanks to the aforementioned 14-yard Dalton scramble. While Cedric Ogbuehi was clearly a culprit in allowing <span>Ryan Kerrigan</span> to get to the quarterback, we are hard-pressed to find a lineman who didn’t fail in the scenario.</p>
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<p id="13hSn4">It resulted in a failed drive and led to the subsequent tie. </p>
<h3 id="65NIDa">Dalton making plays in the face of pressure:</h3>
<p id="q78Ww2">Sunday afternoon wasn’t just about Dalton making poor throws in the wake of pressure. Even when his line failed him, the Bengals’ quarterback did make some good plays. </p>
<p id="Ur8K05">In the fourth quarter, Dalton dropped back and sailed a pretty ball to Green, who was tightly and illegally covered by Josh Norman. For some reason, the play called for Tyler Eifert to go up against Trent Murphy. While this one isn’t on an offensive lineman per se, tight ends are an extension of the group.</p>
<p id="x0BxZ2">We know Eifert isn’t a blocking tight end, but if Dalton hadn’t gotten rid of the ball quickly, this play that led to a <span>Jeremy Hill</span> touchdown run, likely wouldn’t have happened.</p>
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<p id="PgUyQP">The next play isn’t necessarily a breakdown from the line because the pressure came from a blitzing defensive back, but Dalton still hung tough and delivered a touchdown pass. It was a little high, even for the 6’6” Eifert, but the play was made in the face of pressure.</p>
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<p id="jndaGM">If you look back to last week and his touchdown pass to <span>Brandon LaFell</span>, Dalton still saw pressure on the 44-yard play. Granted it was a slow-developing play, Dalton saw the middle of the pocket collapse as the free agent acquisition broke wide open, it still shows that Dalton will find a way to make a play when he’s uncomfortable after dropping back. </p>
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<h3 id="627YWj">Conclusion:</h3>
<p id="GZDQKr">Here’s the deal: with continued poor protection, <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/analysis/2016/11/1/13480706/nfl-week-8-redskins-vs-bengals-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly">visions of “Bad Andy”</a> might creep up more frequently than we saw last year. Some may call the toss to Eifert, which led to an interception, a result of simple miscommunication, but it’s clear that both immense pressure and a poor decision caused one of the critical plays of the game. </p>
<p id="O9cEq9">However, with his growth shown last year and into this one, Dalton will still make his share of plays when things break down. Sometimes it’s with his legs and other times it will be in the face of allowed pressure, but if we’re looking at the eight-game sample size in 2016, the good should greatly outweigh the bad this year—even if the offensive line doesn’t improve after the bye.</p>
<p id="RL8bS2">And, that’s the difference between the 2015-2016 version of Dalton, as compared to the one from 2011-2014. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/film-room/2016/11/3/13475958/cincinnati-bengals-offensive-line-issues-continue-to-rattle-andy-daltonAnthony Cosenza2016-11-03T07:00:03-04:002016-11-03T07:00:03-04:00Bengal linebackers continue to struggle
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<img alt="Washington Redskins v Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T6cezSMRhRM18ODbaQEqmK29Ezs=/0x0:4503x3002/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51652965/619221452.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals’ linebacker group looks nothing like it was expected to coming into the season. What’s going wrong?</p> <p id="hzvuF4">Back when <span>Karlos Dansby</span> was signed during the offseason, Cincinnati thought they would have a group of linebackers that could stop opposing offenses in their tracks. A combination of Dansby and <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>, with help from <span>Rey Maualuga</span> and <span>Vincent Rey</span>, seemed scary good on paper this offseason. </p>
<p id="PMqGse">However, what we’ve actually seen hasn’t been intimidating, at all. </p>
<p id="aFjk43">We’ve seen these linebackers get burned in pass coverage, give up significant yardage before making tackles, and make inexplicable mistakes leading to penalties and big plays. </p>
<p id="3gVnpF">This was apparent when the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> took on the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a> in London, as the linebacker play looked sloppy throughout the contest.</p>
<p id="skswB7">Perhaps the worst play by the Bengal linebackers was when <span>Vernon Davis</span> broke free for a 44-yard reception against Karlos Dansby. </p>
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<p id="G2TVqT">Davis motioned over to Dansby’s side before the play, then proceeded to get to the outside and run right by him. You can see Dansby stumbling to keep up as Davis makes the catch with ease to continue running for a few additional yards.</p>
<p id="A1koE2">Over the course of his career, Dansby has been known for pass defense, but at 34-years-old it seems as though he’s lost a step. Getting burned by a 32-year-old tight end is a sign that Dansby isn’t exactly at peak athleticism. </p>
<p id="NLoixk">While that may have been the worst the Bengals’ linebackers were burned all day, it wasn’t the only time they showed an inability to keep up with tight ends. Earlier in the game, Rey allowed a reception to <span>Jordan Reed</span>, who then showcased another weakness of the Bengals’ linebackers as he evaded Burfict and dragged Rey another 5 yards before he was brought down. </p>
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<p id="WIP1VM"><span>Reed</span> evaded Burfict’s tackle there, which wasn’t common in this game. In fact, Burfict led the team in tackles with 10. However, tackles aren’t all that meaningful when they come at the end of a huge play for the opposition. Take this play for instance, where Reed sends <span>Adam Jones</span> flying in the wrong direction and picks up the first down on third before Burfict brings him down from behind. </p>
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<p id="fQAvyt">Many of Burfict’s other tackles in this game came at the end of four to five yard runs from the Washington running backs. He wasn’t making tackles because he was getting up into running lanes, but was instead making them because the backs were getting past the line and into the second level of the defense. The front seven as a whole has struggled to stop the run, and that continued as Washington’s backup rookie running back Robert Kelley averaged more than 4 yards-per-carry on Sunday. </p>
<p id="aVYbKR">Speaking of tackles, one linebacker who has very few of them is Maualuga. This season, he has just 20 total tackles, ranking 12th on the team in that category, and fourth among linebackers. His tackle numbers stayed low against Washington, as he had just 2 total tackles. Maualuga’s struggles have been apparent this season, and his number of snaps have shown that. Over the past two weeks, Maualuga has played just 24 snaps and 23 snaps in each game, respectively.</p>
<p id="7uhSyS">Another issue that has shown both in previous weeks and against Washington is Burfict’s discipline issue. We all know the reputation that Burfict has built, and he’s sometimes unfairly criticized for what his play. While he didn’t have any “dirty” hits in London, he still showed a lack of discipline by committing a holding penalty on third down in overtime. </p>
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<p id="uSz3bH">Burfict’s hold was due to bad coverage, as he was beat by Reed from the snap, and it was either hold him or let him go deep. The issues that each linebacker, specifically Dansby, Burfict and Maualuga, are having stem from two main issues: age and shape. </p>
<p id="Fl9YZb">Dansby is 34; he’s a veteran, and when it comes to athleticism he’s peaked. Both Maualuga and Burfict are a different story, though. With them, it’s the shape they’re in and their athleticism. </p>
<p id="Ua0ugQ">You may recall that Burfict and Maualuga both sat out during portions of OTAs this offseason due to the fact that they were <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/6/13/11920334/vontaze-burfict-rey-maualuga-sat-during-otas-due-being-grossly-overweight">“grossly overweight.”</a> Both players have had this problem before. For Burfict, however, he doesn’t seem to be fixing the issue. When he went to the pre-draft combine, Burfict weighed in at 248 pounds. He’s now listed at 255 pounds on the <a href="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster.html">Bengals’ team roster</a> this season, and in reality, he probably weighs more. On top of the weight gain, Burfict had an extra three weeks off at the start of the regular season, and he didn’t play in any preseason games. If he treated that extra off time like an extension to his offseason, he’s likely not in the shape that he’s usually in at this point in the regular season. Combine Burfict’s weight issues with the fact that he’s likely still trying to get in game shape for the season, and you can see why he isn’t making tackles until the opposition has already done damage. </p>
<p id="d9Ipnz">Maualuga, who actually weighs three pounds more than Burfict, per the team roster, also may have an issue with being in shape. He’s not very fast as a linebacker to begin with, but the weight issue makes it worse. It makes it harder for him to close on ball carriers and shed blocks, which have been his better attributes in the past.</p>
<p id="3btqCm">Dansby, Burfict and Maualuga are all under-performing, as we can see them struggling to fill running lanes early in plays and keep up with receivers in coverage. If Cincinnati wants to help fix the issues at that position, they should start getting rookie <span>Nick Vigil</span> more opportunities. And conveniently, <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/1/13490384/paul-guenther-suggests-changes-are-coming-young-players-could-see-more-snaps">Paul Guenther suggests that may be happening</a> after the bye.</p>
<p id="kBUcP9">Vigil isn’t exactly expected to be an All-Star, but his showing of athleticism in college and in the combine should be enough to get him on the field more, especially with the lack of athleticism being shown at the linebacker position right now.</p>
<p id="v0Z8p7">At the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-combine">scouting combine</a>, Vigil ran a 4.72 40-yard dash, a 6.73 3-cone and a 4.0 20-yard shuttle. Those times were some of the best in his position group, so it’s clear that Vigil has good athleticism. On top of that, Vigil weighed in at 239 pounds at the combine.</p>
<p id="AbRqjQ">I’m not saying that Vigil needs to be playing the majority of the snaps. But so far he has played just 11 snaps all season. With the struggles of the linebacker core so far, the Bengals should be seriously considering getting Vigil work on defense, especially when Maualuga comes off the field. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/3/13501916/bengal-linebackers-struggle-against-washingtonJeremy Chisenhall2016-11-02T16:41:17-04:002016-11-02T16:41:17-04:00Andy Dalton had an off day in London; it happens
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<img alt="NFL: International Series-Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PFEGfJ04pzzettNBxyXdPSZpz-g=/269x9:3179x1949/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51648377/usa-today-9642896.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Andy Dalton was simply off target against Washington. It’s as simple as that. It hasn’t been an issue for the large majority of the season, so what went wrong in London?</p> <p id="oVKu93">Despite the overall struggles of the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a>, <span>Andy Dalton</span> has looked sharp this year. Even in losses, it was clear that he was on target, but simply didn’t have enough time to get the ball to <span>A.J. Green</span> and company due to the lackluster offensive line play. But that was not the case in London, where Dalton missed on a number of potential big plays and the Bengals tied the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a> 27-27. </p>
<h3 id="8Zo8yi">The Data</h3>
<p id="koEzsK">Dalton was 27/42 for 284 yards, with 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception. His QB rating was 81.8. He also ran 4 times for 21 yards and 1 touchdown and lost a fumble in overtime on a QB sneak. Dalton was sacked 3 times for 21 yards.</p>
<p id="A5Rv95">For an analysis of Dalton’s performance, watch the following video:</p>
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<h3 id="lWQr10">Deconstructing Dalton</h3>
<p id="IwRRBM">Time and time again, Green got the better of <span>Josh Norman</span>, an outspoken cornerback who received a $75 million contract in the offseason. And while Green ended up with 121 yards receiving, he should have had about twice that. Dalton missed him on a number of throws that could have changed the game. Some of the inaccurate throws were simply Dalton’s fault, while others were because he didn’t have sufficient time to throw.</p>
<p id="CEdonI">On second-and-9 with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter and the Bengals clinging to a 27-24 lead, Dalton <a href="https://youtu.be/tAQnjgYrLmM?t=1m47s">misfired on a slant</a> to Green that could have potentially iced the game. Then then with 32 seconds left, Dalton had Green wide open for what <a href="https://youtu.be/tAQnjgYrLmM?t=2m20s">would have been the game winning touchdown</a>, but under-threw him severely. In this example, though, the quarterback was not really at fault; Dalton was about to get leveled by defensive end <span>Chris Baker</span> and was fortunate to even get the pass off. </p>
<p id="BN840f">In addition to Dalton missing opportunities down the field, there are his <a href="https://youtu.be/tAQnjgYrLmM?t=4m15s">turnovers</a> and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAQnjgYrLmM&feature=youtu.be&t=3m56s">costly sack in overtime on third-and-8</a> that spoiled any chance of a game winning field goal. If we factor in offensive line play and the quality of the opponent, this was probably Dalton’s worst game of the season. Sure his stats against the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> were worse, but he had far more opportunities to succeed in London. </p>
<h3 id="Mz80U5">On Deck</h3>
<p id="odjmbk">Dalton faces the retooled <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> defense after the bye week on Monday Night Football. The Giants have allowed the sixth fewest touchdown passes, but have only nine sacks all year (31st in the NFL). New York shouldn’t pose any major problems for the Bengals’ offense, especially with <span>Tyler Eifert</span> back to form. </p>
<h3 id="KqlfYx">Dalton’s Direction</h3>
<p id="kvc21H">Downward. This game came out of nowhere. Dalton’s play had been one of the few positives this year. His accuracy was a thing of beauty. But that changed Sunday in London. The game against Washington was likely a fluke, and you can expect Dalton to be on target after two weeks of rest. </p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/2/13495648/week-8-redskins-vs-bengals-the-dalton-dispatch-nflDadio Makdook