Cincy Jungle - NFL Week 10: Monday Night Football Cincinnati Bengals at New York GiantsWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2016-11-19T15:30:01-05:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/133352392016-11-19T15:30:01-05:002016-11-19T15:30:01-05:00Coach Talk: Interpreting Marvin Lewis' comments heading into Week 11
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<img alt="NFL: International Series-Fan Rally" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/76oXoeJjWgGYbGvysyGk3bDjojI=/0x224:3040x2251/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51895373/usa_today_9646441.1479442750.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals have fallen two games under 0.500, can they get up?</p> <p id="6pFjrm">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> have dropped another game, falling to 3-5-1 on the season. Will a return to playing in Paul Brown Stadium help them get up? Will facing a <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Bills</a>’ team on a losing streak help them? Can the Bengals turn their season around? What did <span>Marvin Lewis</span> have to say about this all, and more importantly, what did he mean? Let’s take a look at the head coach’s press conference this week.</p>
<p id="qwzOpE">Lewis opening comments: ...It doesn’t get much easier getting ready for the Bills this week. They are a football team that started out and lost two, then they got on a roll, and then they’ve lost the last three. They’re coming off the bye week. They’re running the football very effectively. They do a good job with their scheme. Their quarterback is playing very efficiently and is doing a great job running their offense. It’s impressive to watch what they’re doing.</p>
<p id="ecPfE6"><em>Commentary: In the NFL, there is rarely such a game as a “sure thing”, unless you are facing the </em><a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/"><em>Browns</em></a><em>. But when Lewis alludes that facing a team at home, who has lost the last three games, isn’t easy, it doesn’t give you the feeling that he has a lot of confidence in his team’s ability right now.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="BpxY1n">
<p id="pirZJS">Question: One positive has to be that this is the first true home game in what seems like forever ...</p>
<p id="nge5Xn">Lewis’ Answer: It does seem like it. </p>
<p id="VKR5F6"><em>Commentary: Yes, it does seem like that. The last three weeks have been played in London, on a bye week, then playing in New York. So it’s essentially been one month since the Bengals last played a home game in Cincinnati.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="CM6VQA">
<p id="KjVUX3">Question: Some of the assistants have said that practice has gone very well during the week, but for whatever reason it’s not translating to the game. How do you get it to translate to the game for a player?</p>
<p id="BJ5Brq">Lewis’ Answer: They’ve just got to relax and do it. But that’s our job to get it done.</p>
<p id="k6joo8"><em>Commentary: This is what happens when you insist on playing players who “practice well”, but aren’t great NFL players. It’s why </em><span><em>Carlos Dunlap</em></span><em> sat for three seasons behind the likes of </em><span><em>Robert Geathers</em></span><em>, and why </em><span><em>Darqueze Dennard</em></span><em> and </em><span><em>Dre Kirkpatrick</em></span><em> get drafted in the first round but </em><em>had to sit and watch for years</em><em>, and why guys like </em><span><em>P</em></span><span><em>.</em></span><span><em>J</em></span><span><em>.</em></span><span><em> Dawson</em></span><em> never get a shot.</em><em>.. Dawson somehow backfired more than the rest as they didn’t even let him stay on the 53-man roster bench. He’s been demoted to the practice squad for the year.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="uDREZa">
<p id="Ra6KhU"> Question: It’s been so close for you guys this year ...</p>
<p id="ZlQXxI">Lewis’ Answer: Every game is close...</p>
<p id="vJSENQ"><em>Commentary: Well, let’s not get too carried away with the revisionist history. Three of the Bengals</em><em>’</em><em> five losses have been by at least a dozen points: DEN 29-17, DAL 28-14, NE 35-17</em><em>.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="IxQMM0">
<p id="BZXke7">Question: What goes into decision making for a fourth-and-inches situation?</p>
<p id="4Jk7ix">Lewis’ Answer: The number one thing is your opportunity to make the fourth down. It’s the consequences if you don’t make it, where the field position is, the situation in the game, and the time on the clock. They’re all important. The strength of the kicker on both sides matter as well. Field situations and wind are also things you have to take into consideration.</p>
<p id="zL9NIC"><em>Commentary: Essentially</em><em>, Lewis </em><em>does not believe his team can convert in that situation. Based on what the team has done this year, it seems to be an accurate, although disappointing, assessment, since a coach should be able to come up with a scheme, formation, personnel grouping, play that can get you a few inches out of 100 yards.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="9bxPfn">
<p id="g2o0mv">Question: Coach McAdoo did the same thing when the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a> went for it on fourth-and-three. So do you tell your quarterback not to force anything on third down because of that?</p>
<p id="fIXogn">Lewis’ Answer: With that situation in the game, they had an opportunity, if they didn’t make it, to hold us there and make us punt the football back...</p>
<p id="EB9MVs"><em>Commentary: Well, that’s not a very exciting assessment. Basically he says that the Giants are smart to go for it on fourth down, because they’ll likely just force the Bengals to punt if they don’t convert on fourth down.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="gHI6Ku">
<p id="qPMNMt">Question: In a positive moment looking ahead, you have lots of division games left ... </p>
<p id="Qo3R7B">Lewis’ Answer: We do. That’s important. We have to take advantage of where we are, understand it, and have great preparation this week. It’s a very important football game for us. It’s a home game, and we have to go pin our ears back.</p>
<p id="rkt56Y"><em>Commentary: Thankfully the Bengals are in a division where n</em><em>o team </em><em>is having a great season, s</em><em>o </em><em>their one shot at a playoff spot remains in winning the division. They are only 1.5 games behind the </em><a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/"><em>Ravens</em></a><em>, who they have two games </em><em>against in the weeks ahead</em><em>, and they still get the </em><a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/"><em>Steelers</em></a><em> at home, who they only trail by half a game</em><em> in the division as well.</em></p>
<p id="zY15J0"> </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/19/13663662/coach-talk-interpreting-marvin-lewis-comments-heading-into-week-11DeusVult2016-11-18T10:00:01-05:002016-11-18T10:00:01-05:00Atkins ranks 7th in Week 10 B/R NFL 1000
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gxENOh1ZB2SiLdR8qi2qx8QGD7g=/0x0:3558x2372/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51894945/usa-today-9579069.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals veteran defensive tackle was again at his best, making life for the Giants' offensive line tough on Monday. But on the less honorable side of the line, the edge rushers continue their fall into an abysm not even Carlos Dunlap can escape.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> lost, again, on Monday night. They haven't shown they're good enough to beat winning teams, and thus, a loss seemed inevitable. There's a number of issues that can explain such a deep drop off for Cincinnati only one year after clinching the AFC North title. The play of <span>Geno Atkins</span> is not one of them.</p>
<p>While it is true that the seventh-year veteran defensive tackle hasn't been playing consistently at the elite level we've grown accustomed to, he has still been pretty great, numbers aside. Atkins was a bright spot for the Bengals on Monday, totaling seven pressures, one sack, two hits and four hurries. He was the highest-ranked defensive tackle in <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2676307-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-1000-players-from-week-10/page/1">the latest B/R NFL 1000 rankings</a>, with an outstanding 21 out 25 points in the snap explosion category and an elite 22 out of 25 in pass rush. With a total grade of 82 he was the seventh best player in Week 10 in Bleacher Report's ranking of every player in the league.</p>
<p>The only other Bengals player to make the top 50 was <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>. The leader of Paul Guenther's defense had his best game of the season against a team that relied on short passes, draw plays and quick screens. He was far better than everyone else in the coverage category, getting 23 points out of 25. No one else got more than 20.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was above all of those normally great players. As a run defender and blitzer, he was effective and violent. His most important role for the Bengals defense is to be the tone-setter and force the offense to respect his prowess, and he did both of those things well as a run defender and blitzer.</p>
<p>Where Burfict rose above, though, was in coverage. Despite not coming away with an interception, Burfict disrupted a handful of Eli Manning's passes, often doing so with destructive hits at the catch point that challenged the receiver's ability to hold on to the ball.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><span>A.J. Green</span> had another strong game, despite looking limited with an injury, and finished ninth among all wide receivers with 73 points. The only other players who ranked among the top 10 of their respective positions were left tackle Andrew Whitworth and strong safety Shawn Williams.</p>
<p>Quarterback <span>Andy Dalton</span> was middle of the pack with a 15th place finish and one point better than his counterpart on Monday, Eli Manning. His 68 points awarded by B/R were not much to speak of, but the Bengals' signal caller managed good consistency against a highly capable front four. He struggled again against the blitz and his routes weren't working well. <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/awards/2016/11/16/13655106/bengals-goat-of-the-week-offensive-line-struggles-vs-giants-take-center-stage">His offensive line didn't do him any favors either</a>.</p>
<p><span>Cedric Ogbuehi</span> was again the worst-ranked right tackle with a new career-low of 63 points. He was as bad, 15 points out of 25, against the run as he was in pass protection.</p>
<p>On the other side of the ball, every Bengals' defensive end not named <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> was again among the worst at the position. Not that the starting left end was much better, as he was 40th out of 53 players, neutralized by the Giants' quick pass scheme. Dunlap hit the 40s for the second week in a row, which is not good. <span>Wallace Gilberry</span> was the 48th highest-ranked end, but somehow wasn't the worst player along the Bengals line, as <span>Will Clarke</span> continues his downfall after a promising start to the season.</p>
<p><span>Karlos Dansby</span> ranked higher than only two other outside linebackers, with 59 points and the worst grade in the coverage category. He wasn't alone though, as teammate Vincent Rey got the same grade. The veteran out of Duke got an impressive score from ProFootballFocus.com despite giving up a touchdown on Monday. The disparity in the rankings is a bit worrisome.</p>
<p><b>Here are the ranked Bengals players and you can check the full rankings <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2676307-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-1000-players-from-week-10/page/1">here</a>:</b></p>
<table width="614" height="656" border="0" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center"><b>Player</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Pos</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Rank/out of</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Week 8</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Score (all out of 100)</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Week 8</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>High rank/score</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Low rank/score</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Andy Dalton</td>
<td align="center">QB</td>
<td align="center">15/29</td>
<td align="center">28 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">68</td>
<td align="center">53 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">10 (Week 7) /71 (Weeks 2&7)</td>
<td align="center">28 (Week 8) /53 (Week 8)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Giovani Bernard</span></td>
<td align="center">RB</td>
<td align="center">20/56</td>
<td align="center">12 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">72</td>
<td align="center">73 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">12 (Week 8) /73 (Weeks 5, 6 and 8)</td>
<td align="center">51 (Week 1) /69 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Jeremy Hill</span></td>
<td align="center">RB</td>
<td align="center">19/56</td>
<td align="center">19 <span>↔</span>
</td>
<td align="center">72</td>
<td align="center">71 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">7 (Week 7) /76 (Week 7)</td>
<td align="center">53 (Week 2) /66 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">A.J. Green</td>
<td align="center">WR</td>
<td align="center">9/111</td>
<td align="center">2 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">73</td>
<td align="center">78 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 1) /86 (Week 1)</td>
<td align="center">32 (Week 2) /70 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Brandon LaFell</td>
<td align="center">WR</td>
<td align="center">64/111</td>
<td align="center">39 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">64</td>
<td align="center">67 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">6 (Week 5) /76 (Weeks 1&5)</td>
<td align="center">62 (Week 2) /66 (Week 7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Tyler Boyd</span></td>
<td align="center">WR</td>
<td align="center">55/111</td>
<td align="center">31 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">65</td>
<td align="center">68 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">31 (Week 8) /68 (Week 8)</td>
<td align="center">104 (Week 1) /60 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">James Wright</td>
<td align="center">WR</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">114</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">55</td>
<td align="center">110 (Week 6) /59 (Week 6)</td>
<td align="center">125 (Week 4) /54 (Week 4)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Cody Core</span></td>
<td align="center">WR</td>
<td align="center">91/111</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">60</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">91 (Week 10) /60 (Week 10)</td>
<td align="center">115 (Week 1) /52 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Alex Erickson</span></td>
<td align="center">WR</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">108 (Week 5) /56 (Weeks 5&6)</td>
<td align="center">129 (Week 6) / 55 (Week 7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Tyler Eifert</span></td>
<td align="center">TE</td>
<td align="center">16/70</td>
<td align="center">1 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">67</td>
<td align="center">79 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 8) /79 (Week 8)</td>
<td align="center">16 (Week 10) /65 (Week 7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Tyler Kroft</span></td>
<td align="center">TE</td>
<td align="center">41/70</td>
<td align="center">25 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">60</td>
<td align="center">63 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">14 (Week 6) 66 (Week 6)</td>
<td align="center">62 (Week 1) /51 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Ryan Hewitt</span></td>
<td align="center">TE</td>
<td align="center">37/70</td>
<td align="center">30 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">61</td>
<td align="center">62 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">30 (Week 8) /63 (Week 3)</td>
<td align="center">67 (Weeks 2&7) /55 (Week 2)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>C.J. Uzomah</span></td>
<td align="center">TE</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">6 (Week 4) /71 (Week 4)</td>
<td align="center">67 (Weeks 2&7) /55 (Week 2)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>Andrew Whitworth</p>
</td>
<td align="center">LT</td>
<td align="center">8/30</td>
<td align="center">9 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">75</td>
<td align="center">76 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">6 (Weeks 1&4) /85 (Week 1)</td>
<td align="center">16 (Week 2) /73 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Jake Fisher</span></td>
<td align="center">LT</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">26 (Week 7) /70 (Week 7)</td>
<td align="center">26 (Week 7) /70 (Week 7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Cedric Ogbuehi</td>
<td align="center">RT</td>
<td align="center">31/31</td>
<td align="center">24 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center">68 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">20 (Week 6) /72 (Week 2)</td>
<td align="center">31 (Week 10) /63 (Week 10)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Eric Winston</td>
<td align="center">RT</td>
<td align="center">20/31</td>
<td align="center">7 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">70</td>
<td align="center">74 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">7 (Week 8) /74 (Week 8)</td>
<td align="center">20 (Week 10) /70 (Week 10)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Kevin Zeitler</td>
<td align="center">G</td>
<td align="center">15/57</td>
<td align="center">39 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">72</td>
<td align="center">67 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 7) /80 (Week 3)</td>
<td align="center">50 (Week 1) /67 (Week 8)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Clint Boling</span></td>
<td align="center">G</td>
<td align="center">35/57</td>
<td align="center">13 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">68</td>
<td align="center">72 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">10 (Weeks 2&7) /79 (Weeks 1&2)</td>
<td align="center">47 (Week 6) /67 (Week 6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Russell Bodine</span></td>
<td align="center">C</td>
<td align="center">20/28</td>
<td align="center">21 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">68</td>
<td align="center">67 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">17 (Week 4) /69 (Weeks 3&5)</td>
<td align="center">32 (Weeks 1&2) /57 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">T.J. <span>Johnson</span>
</td>
<td align="center">C</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">30 (Week 6) /65 (Week 6)</td>
<td align="center">30 (Week 6) /65 (Week 6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Carlos Dunlap</td>
<td align="center">DE</td>
<td align="center">40/53</td>
<td align="center">41 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">66</td>
<td align="center">65 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 4) /76 (Week 4)</td>
<td align="center">41 (Week 8) /62(Week 2)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Michael Johnson</span></td>
<td align="center">DE</td>
<td align="center">47/53</td>
<td align="center">49 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center">59 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">19 (Week 2) /62 (Week 2)</td>
<td align="center">53 (Week 4) /55 (Weeks 1&3)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Margus Hunt</span></td>
<td align="center">DE</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">52</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">57</td>
<td align="center">20 (Week 2) /63 (Week 6)</td>
<td align="center">60 (Week 4) 53 (Week 4)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Will Clarke</td>
<td align="center">DE</td>
<td align="center">50/53</td>
<td align="center">47 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">62</td>
<td align="center">61 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">33 (Week 4) /65 (Week 7)</td>
<td align="center">55 (Week 5) /53 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Wallace Gillbery</td>
<td align="center">DE</td>
<td align="center">48/53</td>
<td align="center">-</td>
<td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center">-</td>
<td align="center">48 (Week 10) /63 (Week 10)</td>
<td align="center">48 (Week 10) /63 (Week 10)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Geno Atkins</td>
<td align="center">DT</td>
<td align="center">1/75</td>
<td align="center">2 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">82</td>
<td align="center">78 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 10) /91 (Week 1)</td>
<td align="center">16 (Week 5) /71 (Weeks 5&7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Domata Peko</td>
<td align="center">DT</td>
<td align="center">39/75</td>
<td align="center">45 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center">60 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">29 (Week 4) /70 (Week 1)</td>
<td align="center">56 (Week 2) /59 (Week 2)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Pat Sims</td>
<td align="center">DT</td>
<td align="center">59/75</td>
<td align="center">48 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">58</td>
<td align="center">59 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">45 (Week 4) /64 (Week 4)</td>
<td align="center">60 (Week 3) /57 (Week 7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Vontaze Burfict</td>
<td align="center">OLB</td>
<td align="center">1/37</td>
<td align="center">12 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">79</td>
<td align="center">68 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 10) /79 (Week 10)</td>
<td align="center">14 (Week 6) /60 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Karlos Dansby</td>
<td align="center">OLB</td>
<td align="center">35/37</td>
<td align="center">15 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">59</td>
<td align="center">66 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">8 (Week 4) /73 (Week 2)</td>
<td align="center">35 (Week 10) /53 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Vincent Rey</td>
<td align="center">OLB</td>
<td align="center">31/37</td>
<td align="center">17 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">61</td>
<td align="center">63 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">7 (Week 2) /76 (Week 2)</td>
<td align="center">31 (Week 10) /57 (Week 6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Rey Maualuga</td>
<td align="center">MLB</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">39</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center">37 (Week 3) /71 (Week 3)</td>
<td align="center">52 (Week 1) /60 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Adam Jones</td>
<td align="center">CB</td>
<td align="center">62/91</td>
<td align="center">41 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">57</td>
<td align="center">63 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">10 (Week 2) /81 (Week 2)</td>
<td align="center">74 (Week 3) /57 (Week 10)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Dre Kirkpatrick</td>
<td align="center">CB</td>
<td align="center">24/91</td>
<td align="center">66 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">67</td>
<td align="center">57 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">11 (Week 2) /80 (Week 2)</td>
<td align="center">104 (Week 1) /49 (Week 1)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Josh Shaw</span></td>
<td align="center">CB</td>
<td align="center">43/91</td>
<td align="center">80 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">61</td>
<td align="center">53 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">23 (Week 1) /72 (Week 1)</td>
<td align="center">80 (Weeks 3&8) /53 (Week 8)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Darqueze Dennard</span></td>
<td align="center">CB</td>
<td align="center">44/91</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">61</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">44 (Week 10) /61 (Week 10)</td>
<td align="center">101 (Week 2) /50 (Week 2)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>George Iloka</span></td>
<td align="center">FS</td>
<td align="center">15/36</td>
<td align="center">5 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">73</td>
<td align="center">77 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">5 (Week 8) /77 (Weeks 3&8)</td>
<td align="center">40 (Week 6) /62 (Week 6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Derron Smith</span></td>
<td align="center">FS</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">N/R</td>
<td align="center">27 (Week 6) /72 (Week 6)</td>
<td align="center">27 (Week 6) /72 (Week 6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Shawn Williams</td>
<td align="center">SS</td>
<td align="center">9/38</td>
<td align="center">1 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">75</td>
<td align="center">79 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">1 (Week 8) /82 (Weeks 1&3)</td>
<td align="center">25 (Week 7) /72 (Weeks 5&7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">Mike Nugent</td>
<td align="center">K</td>
<td align="center">15/28</td>
<td align="center">26 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">69</td>
<td align="center">50 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">4 (Week 4) /74 (Week 4)</td>
<td align="center">29 (Week 7) /50 (Week 8)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><span>Kevin Huber</span></td>
<td align="center">P</td>
<td align="center">17/30</td>
<td align="center">15 <span>↓</span>
</td>
<td align="center">65</td>
<td align="center">64 <span>↑</span>
</td>
<td align="center">15 (Weeks 4&8) /69 (Week 4)</td>
<td align="center">32 (Week 2) /53 (Week 5)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/18/13665994/geno-atkins-ranks-7th-in-week-10-b-r-nfl-1000muertedeatenas2016-11-17T15:00:01-05:002016-11-17T15:00:01-05:00Bengals defensive ends put on notice with Gilberry’s return
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: International Series-Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mDXobwrYOrE1IP6HBDaUpTGU438=/0x311:1965x1621/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51877283/usa_today_9642901.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Bengals’ returning defensive lineman looked great in his first game back on Monday. That isn’t good news for defensive linemen who have been underperforming.</p> <p id="mDvmSW">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> suffered many losses in terms of starting and reserve talent this offseason. One of the more underrated departures was that of rotational defensive end <span>Wallace Gilberry</span>, who established himself as one of the better backup defensive linemen in the NFL in his four year stint with the Bengals from 2012-2015. </p>
<p id="m7rMIE">His 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, six passes deflected, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and one fumble returned for a touchdown in those four years were enough to convince the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> that he deserved an $885,000 pay day to play for their team. Unfortunately, an abdomen injury suffered in early October led to his release from the Lions a little more than a week later. His return to the free agent market allowed the Bengals to bring him back to the squad for just about half of the price that Detroit paid in the offseason ($468,529).</p>
<p id="yJgEjV">The move came after defensive coordinator Paul Guenther hinted that the Bengals’ poor defensive effort against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Redskins</a> in London <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/1/13490384/paul-guenther-suggests-changes-are-coming-young-players-could-see-more-snaps">would be met with some personnel changes</a> during the bye week. And Gilberry’s signing does pose a threat to under performing members of the Bengals’ defensive line.</p>
<p id="AfkCI5">The signing itself was clearly a statement for the Bengals to their linemen. In addition, Gilberry’s performance in his first game back was better than anyone would have expected. With a run stop and a QB hit recorded in 30 snaps, Gilberry exceeded most expectations for the kind of impact he would have after largely doing nothing with the Lions.</p>
<p id="U2HbjP">To point out the two most obvious names put on notice by this signing; the Bengals seem to be telling reserve defensive ends <span>Margus</span><span> Hunt</span> and <span>Will Clarke</span> that they need to step up their game immediately. After strong starts to the season, both Hunt and Clarke have fallen off in recent weeks, which doesn’t bode well for the Bengals’ future at the defensive end position. The starters aren’t going to be around forever, so the Bengals need to start seeing more out of their young, developing players if they are going to continue pursuing their development. And, because Gilberry was active, Hunt was not. That goes to show how highly the team things of the defensive end who’s in a contract year.</p>
<p id="aKAUaa">One somewhat surprise player who could be impacted by the signing and subsequent impressive performance by Gilberry is starting defensive end Michael Johnson. After playing relatively well in 2015, Johnson has failed to make much of a positive impact consistently in 2016. If both trends continue, Gilberry could have a clear opportunity to take more and more snaps away from Johnson. That’s not to say Gilberry will take Johnson’s starting spot, but it would certainly follow the idea that the Bengals are planning to hold players accountable for their poor performances moving forward.</p>
<p id="3xUO51">Ultimately, the results of Gilberry rejoining the team are going to take time to determine. He had a good start and the poor performances from his position mates in East Rutherford certainly make you think about the possibilities. But, he’s still a ninth year veteran who has never managed to hold down a starting spot in the NFL. So with that in mind, temper your expectations when considering if Gilberry can help this Bengals team find success. At the same time, for what he does bring to the field, it seem the Bengals made a good call by bringing him in at the midpoint of the season.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/17/13655962/wallace-gilberrys-return-great-for-bengals-bad-for-margus-hunt-will-clarkeKyle Phelps2016-11-17T13:01:14-05:002016-11-17T13:01:14-05:00The Orange and Black Insider, Ep. 17: What now?
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QB8zbeks9rx0KFSCvvothTDcB7U=/0x0:1865x1243/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51885131/usa_today_9678269.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>On this week’s episode of the show, we look back at the loss to the Giants, examine Marvin Lewis’ future with the Bengals and answer fan questions!</p> <p id="SFxMAw">As evidenced by a 3-5-1 record to the start of the 2016 season, it appears the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> haven’t been able to get over a multitude of offseason issues. Whether it’s because of player attrition, coaching turnover, a hangover from the Wild Card loss to the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a>, or all of the above, the team isn’t playing the same level of football we saw last year, which led to a 12-4 record. </p>
<div id="X15LkD"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P3TdieKH6NE?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="F1TnOR">Because of the continued issues on primetime and against quality teams, an inevitable discussion on <span>Marvin Lewis</span>’ future is occurring. We discussed that topic (13:00 mark), as well as the pros and cons that could come with his potential departure. The team is still theoretically in the mix for the postseason this year, but if things continue to fall apart, more questions are going to arise. </p>
<p id="VRCfxJ">“He has this very strong tendency of hanging on to mediocre players too long,” co-host Scott Schultze said of Lewis. “Favoring a veteran over better, younger players, in terms of making the roster and playing time...You know what you’re going to get, we know what he can do, we know what he can’t do, and I think the things he can’t do have limited the team or kept them from doing the things they could have done.”</p>
<p id="g8UgIH">“I kind of get this feeling that when the Bengals start to lose, fans keep going back to the same narratives,” co-host Connor Howe retorted. If you fire Lewis, you need to consider that the Bengals are probably going to be changing schemes. (Andy) Dalton is going to need to learn something new. <span>A.J. Green</span> is going to need to learn something new. All of these guys who have been in this system for so long, because if Lewis leaves, a good portion of the staff will too, you’re going to need to change things.”</p>
<p id="zez1mG">We also answered some fan questions (42:00 mark) and gave our predictions for the critical Week 11 matchup against the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Bills</a>. Did we agree on the outcome? Have a listen and find out. </p>
<p id="kgAswc">You can get in touch with us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BengalsOBI">@BengalsOBI</a> or via email at theobinsider@gmail.com, and you can find our content here at Cincy Jungle, on <a href="http:///podcast/the-or">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-608248362&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2016%2F11%2F17%2F13661492%2Fthe-orange-and-black-insider-bengals-podcast-ep-17-what-now" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">SoundCloud</a> and YouTube. Thanks for listening!</p>
<div id="wuB7X8"><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F293415660&show_artwork=true" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: 400px;"></iframe></div>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/17/13661492/the-orange-and-black-insider-bengals-podcast-ep-17-what-nowAnthony Cosenza2016-11-17T11:00:02-05:002016-11-17T11:00:02-05:00Adam Jones’ struggles among Bengals’ biggest issues
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: International Series-Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5zXcBFN-CUSu7I-7GmeDuYxMUKs=/0x0:3940x2627/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51877085/usa_today_9663764.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Bengals’ secondary looks like a shell of itself compared to the units we’ve seen in recent years. </p> <p id="D3oxxB">There’s a lot of reasons why the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> are 3-5-1, but perhaps none have been as big as the dramatic decline of the secondary. </p>
<p id="Lfaib6">After ranking at the top of seemingly every major pass defense category in 2015, Cincinnati ranks closer to the bottom in most areas this season. That includes ranking 21st in yards per pass allowed, 26th in passing scores, 20th in opponent passer rating, and 21st in opponent completion percentage heading into Week 11. </p>
<p id="ysKQUO">A number of defensive backs have contributed to this drop, but the biggest drop-off is coming from <span>Adam Jones</span>. A Pro Bowl selection last year after playing like an elite corner, Jones has been average at best this season, as evidenced by <a href="https://grades.profootballfocus.com/#/ratings/positions/show/CB">Pro Football Focus</a> ranking him as their 87th-best cornerback this season out of 116 eligible players. </p>
<p id="g3jopW">In fact, after Dre Kirkpatrick’s big game on Monday vs the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a>, Jones is now the lowest-ranked Bengals corner (Kirkpatrick is 74th, <span>Josh Shaw</span> is 50th, and <span>Darqueze Dennard</span> hasn’t played enough snaps to be ranked). </p>
<p id="c9lF0O">That shows just how far Jones has fallen this season, and part of it has to do with him trying to make up for other players’ mistakes and play hero ball, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincinnati.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fnfl%2Fbengals%2F2016%2F11%2F15%2Fcincinnati-bengals-corner-adam-jones-on-odell-beckham-jr-touchdown%2F93863344%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2016%2F11%2F17%2F13659368%2Fadam-jones-struggles-among-bengals-biggest-issues" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">as he told the Cincinnati Enquirer</a>. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="u8CfWT">On the 2nd-and-5 play from the Bengals' 10, Beckham, Jr. dug down off the top of his route, looking like he was going to sit there and wait for the ball. <span>Eli Manning</span> pumped, and Jones bit. Beckham, Jr. then spun to the outside and was left all alone in the end zone.</p>
<p id="Q38df9">“I’ve got to be more patient,” Jones said. “I should’ve just let him catch it and tackle the ball. That’s the smart thing to do, instead of trying to be a hero.”</p>
<p id="pSQ5C3">Beckham caught 10 of the 11 targets he saw for 97 yards. One catch went for 21 yards, so nine of receptions resulted in 8.4 yards per catch. The two-time Pro Bowler came in averaging a career high 15.4.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="cIW4gz"><span>Odell Beckham Jr.</span> racked up 10 grabs for 97 yards against the Bengals, his third best game of the season. Following the Bengals loss to the Giants, all Jones can think about was that one play in the red zone when he bit too hard on a pump fake looking to make a pick, and got burned for six instead. </p>
<p id="ncYD06">“I’m just mad about the one he caught on me,” Jones said. “I take mines a lot more personally than some guys. It’s a hard feeling when you work so hard and the bad (expletive) part about it is I damn near watched every play they did. I’ve done seen that play 100 times.”</p>
<p id="9rIus4">Playing hero ball and trying to make a big play while the rest of the defense is certainly part of Jones’ struggles, but he’s still been shaky far too often this season compared to what we’re used to seeing out of him.</p>
<p id="9ll2FG">But then again, can we really be ‘surprised’ that a 33-year-old corner is having a sharp decline in his level of play? Most corners at 33 are close to or already in retirement, so maybe we shouldn’t be shocked that father time appears to finally be catching up to Jones. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/17/13659368/adam-jones-struggles-among-bengals-biggest-issuesJason Marcum2016-11-16T20:02:43-05:002016-11-16T20:02:43-05:00Addressing the state of the 3-5-1 Bengals defense
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YEvSVhh5bjhPzPz3TuZ6temBFdA=/0x1:3941x2628/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51873159/usa_today_9678303.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A one-point loss doesn’t tell the whole story. The Bengals showed again they simply can’t beat winning teams.</p> <p id="fnRp6J">After dropping their fifth game of the season in New Jersey on Monday night, the Bengals are not out of playoff contention yet, if only because the AFC North is so bad and still wide open. What’s clear, though, is that this squad is mediocre and has yet to beat any good team.</p>
<p id="QDuxWi">What’s surprising is that after the defense’s best outing of the season since their Thursday Night Football win over the Dolphins, I want to talk about what’s still going wrong on defense. It was the offense that shut down in the fourth quarter in a one-point loss. And, <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/15/13632688/2-winners-and-3-losers-from-bengals-disastrous-loss-to-giants-nfl-week-10-2016">Marvin Lewis was again playing Marvinball before halftime</a>, which didn’t help.</p>
<p id="8G0PbA">But the Giants were trying to give the win away and the Bengals didn’t take it. New York was playing with a depleted offensive line, without Víctor Cruz and with a quarterback prone to throwing interceptions. On top of that, the Giants sported one of the worst running games in the entire league before Monday. Yet they ran over the Bengals defense when it mattered in the closing minutes and ended up getting 123 yards on the ground. Cincy also benefited from countless drops by the Giants’ receivers, including a couple in key third down situations.</p>
<p id="sHKrN7">There are three main issues with Paul Guenther’s unit: <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/15/13634998/bengals-pass-rush-falls-short-yet-again-in-loss-to-giants-nfl-week-10-monday-night-football">they only have two</a> relevant pass rushers in Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap, their linebackers are slow and unathletic and their secondary has regressed badly from last season.</p>
<p id="DdG3gy">Cincinnati lost Reggie Nelson, Leon Hall and three position coaches on the defense in the offseason. They also lost two rookies to injuries in cornerback William Jackson III and nose tackle Andrew Billings. Noted.</p>
<p id="p3ldOO">There’s also not much hope for a quick fix because of a concerning lack of depth and unwillingness by the coaching staff to make changes like giving young players a chance. They value familiarity above all else, which is why they thought veteran defensive end Wallace Gilberry could help. I don’t get it.</p>
<p id="OATUGX">With the season on the line and established players underperforming and showing clear signs of slowing down, the Bengals should try to see what they have in players like rookie linebacker Nick Vigil, or safety Derron Smith, or defensive lineman DeShawn Williams. How bad it is that they waited to bring in Gilberry to deactivate Margus Hunt when Williams was playing very good in Preseason? It’s not that he was going to be the answer to every single that the unit has, but he’s young and has upside.</p>
<p id="629QpA">As of today, the Bengals might be hoping that "executing better" will get them to play football in January, but the reality is they lack the talent and they are comfortable playing mediocre veterans.</p>
<h3 id="u5ZaVL">Lack of pass rushers</h3>
<p id="t2tMgq">I wrote before the season started that <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/9/5/12792498/bengals-should-blame-themselves-for-lack-of-defensive-end-depth">the Bengals should blame themselves</a> for their pass rushing situation. Atkins was pretty good against the Giants, but New York relies heavily on short passes and draw plays and they neutralized Atkins after a while. Dunlap has been pretty good all season long, and is one of the elite defensive ends in the NFL. After them, who’s left?</p>
<p id="XpRmND">Veteran Michael Johnson has lost all of his athleticism and has no speed to contribute.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qw1RysOeXA4-qFtsKprYoArN6d8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7480163/CINvsNYGpassrush.gif">
</figure>
<p id="Dlrjx4">Two old nose tackles are just two bodies out there most of the time in Pat Sims and Domata Peko. When they share the field, the results are pretty bad. The first play is a running play, where the Giants nearly picked up a first down on first-and-10. The second play is a passing play where one of the NFL’s oldest linebackers, Karlos Dansby, essentially gave up on his tackle.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oxw1Td2vqTu79vv115TPo4hOi4s=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7480179/CINvsNYGPekoAndSims.gif">
<figcaption>
<br><br>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UPbo3CgMeQcpP5F7kOmku0OnW5I=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7480185/CINvsNYGPekoAndSims2.gif">
</figure>
<p id="F66nkZ">Will Clarke, drafted to be Johnson’s long-term replacement has improved this season, but after a nice start to the year, he has faded away and back into the shadows. I don’t want to talk about Hunt again.</p>
<p id="baWzx4">The Bengals must add speed on the edge in the coming offseason. They really need it.</p>
<h3 id="QRKCXA">Slow and unathletic linebackers</h3>
<p id="z3RfOA">If you can’t get to the quarterback with your front four you figure to call more blitzes. That is what the Bengals did against the Broncos in Week 3 and got burned by Trevor Siemian, and they blitzed some on Monday as well.</p>
<p id="wTqjwj">Problem is, you need to win your one-on-one matchups for at least a tiny beat to allow the blitz to work.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2TQQUOMY4WVDrUSDkKySRRloR44=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7480259/CINvsNYGlinebackers2.gif">
</figure>
<p id="CrK4m1">That is how tight ends have huge games against the Bengals defense. Dansby was brought in because of his pedigree as a cover guy, but maybe, just maybe, he was already on the wrong side of 35. Vincent Rey has been their best linebacker this season, which tells you what you need to know. Ideally he would be your fourth linebacker - or third, in this nickel days.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
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<p id="wivkg9">Vontaze Burfict had a strong game against the Giants, but, again, New York can’t run the football and throws a huge number of five and six-yard passes. His football instincts are great, and Burfict makes this team better when healthy, but he can’t do it all, and he isn’t.</p>
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<p id="Ppvql3">The Bengals’ margin for error is slim, and that gave New York plenty of room underneath on third down.</p>
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<p id="72H35d">That was on third-and-three. The Bengals’ second level guys can’t play so far off the line of scrimmage because they don’t have the speed to make up for it if the receivers get the ball just around the first down marker.</p>
<p id="j7yZ8j">The Bengals have prioritized big and tall linebackers and linemen over speed and athleticism for the last few years, and they are paying the price. Former defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, now head coach of the Vikings, has gone the other way with his team in deploying great coverage linebackers in his defense.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's kinda cool seeing Zimmer prioritise athleticism at LB considering how his CIN defenses were structured.</p>— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cianaf/status/779434795327713282">September 23, 2016</a>
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<h3 id="aSbEij">The secondary has regressed</h3>
<p id="lxzNpg">I was OK with giving Shawn Williams the safety job after last season and letting Reggie Nelson walk if he still wanted to be a starter. I wasn’t anticipating George Iloka would be so unimpressive without his former buddy on the field.</p>
<p id="V96E52">Williams has been above-average despite his shortcomings in coverage, and Iloka is young and a candidate to bounce back next season. But, the cornerback situation is a mess.</p>
<p id="ewn1jP">The Bengals have added first rounders at the position without a clear path, and are now stuck with a lot of enigmas and no clear solution. That is for the future, though. Right now we can tell that Adam Jones, who was elite just last year, looks like a sliver of his 2015 self.</p>
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<p id="qzUg0y">Odell Beckham Jr.’s touchdown play wasn’t the only time he made a mistake, but this one was the most costly. He had another play in which he didn’t give Beckham any depth and allowed Beckham to get between him and the safety at ease for a big gain. On the touchdown catch, the worse part is not that he bit on the double-move, but that Darqueze Dennard was already underneath.</p>
<p id="gHX5nW">On the other side, Dre Kirkpatrick has been playing some of the best football of his career, which is not much, and is still pretty inconsistent.</p>
<p id="ERXV4j">What’s going to happen with Dennard and Josh Shaw? The Bengals seem to see both as nickel cornerbacks and both need to play now so the Bengals can find out what they have in these young players. So, what gives?</p>
<p id="TRwImT">I don’t want to sound overly negative, but unfortunately, this is not something that the Bengals can fix in one day, or one week. The Bengals need to upgrade their defense in the offseason and they need to rethink their priorities. Bringing back guys they’re familiar with, like Taylor Mays, or washed down veterans on the cheap, cannot be the solution.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/16/13650682/addressing-the-state-of-the-3-5-1-bengals-defense-film-review-week-10-2016muertedeatenas2016-11-16T18:13:06-05:002016-11-16T18:13:06-05:00Placing blame: Offensive line’s struggles take center stage
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<figcaption>Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals are struggling to get back to their winning ways and the failures up front on offense are a big reason why. </p> <p id="6b1wUJ">When we do our weekly award designations here at Cincy Jungle, we often have an option for our readers to vote on particular winners, or, as is the case with the Goat of the Week, losers. This week, we decided to arbitrarily nominate the offensive line as the recipient of the Goat of the Week award. To clarify, we’re not talking about the acronym GOAT (meaning greatest of all time) we’re talking about goat as in scapegoat.</p>
<p id="i0qNUV">Almost every time we do this post, a reader comments with something akin to blaming the coaches. While that’s a reasonable assumption once again this week and one <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/15/13632526/coaching-decisions-spell-doom-in-bengals-21-20-loss-vs-giants">we’ve already reacted</a> to after the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>’ loss to the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a>, these weekly posts are directed toward the players. </p>
<p id="2BhfGt">Additionally, we also <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/15/13634302/bengals-offensive-line-issues-continue-to-plague-a-disappointing-2016-season">noted the line’s struggles on Monday night</a> as a microcosm of the 2016 season. They gave up three more sacks to the Giants, bringing the total to 28 for the season, good for a current ranking of 30th in the NFL. </p>
<p id="PY4qOc">The <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/16/13645284/week-10-pro-football-focus-grades-bengals-defense-steps-up-offense-struggles">Pro Football Focus grades for</a> many of the members of the offensive line weren’t terrible this week. Offensive guard <span>Kevin Zeitler</span> had the highest grade of the group at 78.3, while offensive tackle <span>Andrew Whitworth</span> and center <span>Russell Bodine</span> also graded in the mid-to-low 70’s. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Top-graded <a href="https://twitter.com/Bengals">@Bengals</a> on offense:<br><br>1.RG Kevin Zeitler 78.3<br>2.QB Andy Dalton 77.0<br>3.LT Andrew Whitworth 74.5<br>4.C Russell Bodine 73.1</p>— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/798388338168303618">November 15, 2016</a>
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<p id="EMr6sk">Neither Tyler Eifert nor A.J. Green were graded better than Bodine on Monday, so consider that.</p>
<p id="XLVMlo">On the flip side, the Giants had <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fpro-nfl-cin-nyg-grades-odell-beckham-jr-shines-in-giants-win%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2Fawards%2F2016%2F11%2F16%2F13655106%2Fbengals-goat-of-the-week-offensive-line-struggles-vs-giants-take-center-stage" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">three defensive linemen score well</a> (via PFF) and help to take down the Bengals. Defensive end <span>Olivier Vernon</span>, who had 10 total tackles and one of the three Giants sacks, graded out at 83.5, while his counterpart on the other side, <span>Jason Pierre-Paul</span> had an 83.2 grade. Defensive tackle <span>Damon Harrison</span> was rated at a shade under 80 at 79.8. Those are three quality grades from three starters along the New York defensive line. </p>
<p id="iRzQNJ">Personally speaking, this is why I like, but don’t love PFF and their metrics. Many who follow football can use “the eye test” and see that the Bengals’ line and its players didn’t play up to the ratings they were given. </p>
<p id="6Sflyz">Aside from one sack of the three being split between Harrison and <span>Jonathan Casillas</span><span>,</span> pointing to multiple failures on the line on that particular fourth quarter play, many other pressures occurred. The picture below speaks a thousand words on the line’s performance both on Monday night and throughout 2016. <span>Cedric Ogbuehi</span> is on his back, while <span>Clint Boling</span> is on his knees and Zeilter is on his rear end as Dalton has four guys piling on him. It’s a pretty unbelievable sight, really.</p>
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<p id="yl44uU"><a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/16/13650298/despite-offensive-struggles-andy-dalton-is-having-a-great-season">Dalton still made plays</a> in the wake of immense pressure on the evening, both with his feet and when scrambling out of the pocket. Examples of both were seen in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard pass to <span>Tyler Eifert</span> after rolling to his right, and a 15-yard scramble on their final drive of the game. It was on that final drive that the line gave up back-to-back sacks, including the one in the picture above, which effectively ended the game for the Bengals.</p>
<p id="4wtYl7">Do you think the offensive line deserves the blame as the biggest negative contributors to the team’s loss, a la, the Goats of the Week?</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/awards/2016/11/16/13655106/bengals-goat-of-the-week-offensive-line-struggles-vs-giants-take-center-stageAnthony Cosenza2016-11-16T16:51:32-05:002016-11-16T16:51:32-05:00Vote: Bengals' Week 10 MVP vs Giants
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<figcaption>Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Even though the end result was disappointing, the Bengals had a number of quality individual performances on Monday night. Cast your vote and sound off on the Week 10 MVP!</p> <p>As the weeks go by and the losses begin to mount, the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a>’ view of the 2016 postseason is slowly disappearing into the horizon. They have time to make up ground and the AFC North is weak this year, but very little time can be wasted.</p>
<p><span class="author-1389">They nearly righted the ship on Monday night in New York, as they lost to the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a> by just one point. Even in the loss, there were a number of quality individual performances by Bengals players that need to be recognized.</span></p>
<p>Cast your vote and sound off on the Bengals’ Week 10 MVP in their 21-20 loss to the Giants!</p>
<p><b><i><span>Tyler Eifert</span>: </i></b>What a difference one guy makes in the entire offense. The output was inconsistent with him on the sidelines for the first six games of the season, but in three games so far this season, he already has 13 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown, with the bulk of those stats coming in the past two games. He finished with three catches for 97 yards on Monday night, including an awesome 71-yard catch-and-run.</p>
<p><b><i><span>A.J. Green</span>:</i></b> It wasn’t the prettiest game from Green, but he made a lot of tough catches and did more chain-moving, than the big gain plays. He took a shot while hauling in a touchdown pass on the team’s first drive and continued to make tough catches over the middle. He finished with seven catches for 68 yards and the score.</p>
<p><b><i><span>Geno Atkins</span>:</i></b> The big guy in the middle of the defense has quietly been having a quality season once again for the Bengals. Because of the inconsistency on the rest of the line and the team’s 3-5-1 record, he just isn’t getting the same notoriety as he did in past years. He was constantly in Eli Manning’s face on Monday night, racking up two quarterback hits, four hurries, two tackles and a sack. If you’re into <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2016/11/16/13645284/week-10-pro-football-focus-grades-bengals-defense-steps-up-offense-struggles">Pro Football Focus metrics</a>, Atkins had a very high rating on the night at 85.6.</p>
<p><b><i><span>Vontaze Burfict</span>: </i></b>The Pro Bowl linebacker had one of his best games of the season, racking up 11 total tackles—nine of them of the solo variety. He also had a forced fumble on tight end <span>Jerell Adams</span> and was seemingly everywhere on Monday night.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/awards/2016/11/16/13654812/bengals-week-10-most-valuable-player-vs-giantsAnthony Cosenza