Cincy Jungle - Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts in NFL Week 6: Everything to knowWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2020-10-25T18:53:32-04:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/212822552020-10-25T18:53:32-04:002020-10-25T18:53:32-04:00Bengals have made bad NFL history in losses to Colts and Browns
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<figcaption>Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC</figcaption>
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<p>The last two weeks have been historically bad for the Bengals. </p> <p id="gtunxX">All sorts of history was made during today’s <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> vs. <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> shootout, a game that saw the road team escape with a last-second 37-34 victory. </p>
<p id="BsoqHO"><a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> rookie quarterback <span>Joe Burrow</span> <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/25/21533334/joe-burrow-nfl-history-bengals-qb-cleveland-browns-lsu-tigers-news">hit several passing milestones</a>, which is a good piece of history to make.</p>
<p id="XEsJni">Unfortunately, the Bengals also made some bad history by losing to the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> in the manner they did. By scoring 34 points and not punting once vs. Cleveland, Cincinnati became the first team in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> era to lose such a game. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Prior to today, teams that scored at least 33 points and had zero punts were 55-0 in the Super Bowl era.<br><br>55-1 now</p>— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayMorrisonATH/status/1320492996601806853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="MEHkAR">This comes one week after the Bengals made some not-so-good history in their collapse vs. the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>, a game that saw the road team build a 21-0 lead before falling 31-27 in Indy. </p>
<p id="4mZ3YA">Since the start of the 2016 season, teams that had built leads of at least 21 points in the first half were 93-0, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F2148620%2F2020%2F10%2F19%2Fdunlap-goes-live-bynes-goes-blue-and-the-beat-goes-on-bengals-final-thoughts-carlos-dunlap-lou-anarumo-zac-taylor%2F%3Fredirected%3D1&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2020%2F10%2F25%2F21533561%2Fbengals-bad-nfl-history-colts-news-browns-lou-anarumo" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">according to The Athletic reporter Jay Morrison</a>. </p>
<p id="tBMnPk">Following the conclusion of Week 6, that record was 95-1, the lone defeat being by the Bengals. </p>
<aside id="yivX4J"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Carlos Dunlap adds more gas to a dumpster fire of his creation","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/25/21533431/carlos-dunlap-bengals-browns-week-7-zac-taylor-nfl-news-rumors-trade"},{"title":"Joe Burrow makes NFL history again vs. Browns","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/25/21533334/joe-burrow-nfl-history-bengals-qb-cleveland-browns-lsu-tigers-news"}]}'></div></aside><p id="m3UcPd">While there’s plenty of blame to go around for both losses, the one common theme in both defeats was the defense coming undone. They allowed <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/8/28/20835194/baker-mayfield-fantasy-football-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Baker Mayfield</a> and Phillip Rivers — both of whom have struggled in games not vs. Cincinnati this season — to combine for 668 passing yards and eight touchdowns vs. two interceptions while completing 51/72 passes (71%). </p>
<p id="S31I0u">It also has likely put defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo firmly on the hot seat with Cincinnati’s bye coming in Week 9. If things don’t improve next week vs. the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a>, we could see a new defensive play-caller coming out of the bye. </p>
<p id="1fQf3f">And regardless of what happens there, if the Bengals keep losing and can’t string together some wins over the second half of the season, head coach Zac Taylor may also be looking for a new job. </p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/25/21533561/bengals-bad-nfl-history-colts-news-browns-lou-anarumoJason Marcum2020-10-21T19:58:51-04:002020-10-21T19:58:51-04:00The Orange and Black Insider Bengals podcast: Battlegrounds
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<img alt="NFL: OCT 18 Bengals at Colts" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Rt9POxoBcKNjX6kTifu0wLwstD4=/0x0:4519x3013/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67669275/1229194779.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by MSA/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>John Sheeran and Anthony Cosenza try to make sense of the collapse by the Bengals and the viability of this still-inexperienced coaching staff. They also preview 2020’s second installment of “The Battle of Ohio” and give a “Stat of the Week”.</p> <p id="HzfIne">It’s tough to get a gauge on the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> right now. Everything about a 1-4-1 record points to them being one of the worst teams in the league, yet they’ve had three golden opportunities for victories. </p>
<p id="e8uU9Q">Unfortunately, with losing comes strife and a lot of longtime <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> players are unhappy about their current roles? Is it because their old coach who brought them in is no longer placating them, or is the current one losing the locker room?</p>
<p id="a4BKDb">John Sheeran and Anthony Cosenza talked about this amid the Bengals’ loss to the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> and their upcoming contest against the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> on this week’s Orange and Black Insider. On tap this week:</p>
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<li id="ZfnfzR">What message is the coaching staff sending when <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-pro-bowl">Pro Bowl</a> defensive linemen <span>Geno Atkins</span> and <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> get less snaps than practice squad call-up <span>Amani Bledsoe</span> and street free agent <span>Xavier Williams</span>?</li>
<li id="8Uyldj">Zac Taylor is 1-11-1 in one-score games as the Bengals’ head coach. Is this a sign of a staff still finding their way and being close to turning the tide, or is this just who this staff is at this point?</li>
<li id="kDmRSv">What do we make of the recent “complaints”, so to speak, from Bengals players about their roles?</li>
<li id="cgpwVI">
<span>Tee Higgins</span>’ performance against the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> gives us some talking points on this week’s “Stat of the Week”.</li>
<li id="kOmVLA">Should Cincinnati’s game plan for Cleveland actually be to have a former No. 1 pick in <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/8/28/20835194/baker-mayfield-fantasy-football-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Baker Mayfield</a> be forced to beat them?</li>
<li id="zEltWP">How much does this game against the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> mean for Taylor’s coaching career?</li>
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<p id="vUKNId">Thanks for listening!</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/21/21527044/the-orange-and-black-insider-bengals-podcast-battlegroundsAnthony Cosenza2020-10-21T13:24:23-04:002020-10-21T13:24:23-04:00Is Zac Taylor in over his head?
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<img alt="NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U3g8w_YyWkQV91ifkQGoP77qjKk=/0x0:3167x2111/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67666901/usa_today_15021754.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The young head coach has struggled to manage his football team, and it’s starting to show. </p> <p id="L0qYwJ">When <span>Geno Atkins</span>...<span><em>Geno Atkins</em></span><em>, </em>joins in the frustration, that’s all you need to know. </p>
<p id="Dyem5l">Just think about it. This means he would have had to exert the effort to open his mouth, push air all the way from his lungs up to his vocal cords, and curl his lips and tongue in the appropriate fashion to produce sounds recognizable to English speakers. That’s a lot for him. Especially when the topic was something that probably made him very uncomfortable. </p>
<p id="FT1vaY">This is very different from the other vets airing out grievances.</p>
<p id="IKeEKJ"><span>Carlos Dunlap</span>? Sure. He’s the most outspoken member of the <span>Marvin Lewis</span> era and was coming off a great season only to be turned into a specialist this year.</p>
<p id="cMxwVu"><span>A.J. Green</span>? Yeah, okay. He’s still looking for a new deal and knows <span>Mike Brown</span>’s wallet is about as tight as his pants are following a (thrifty) Thanksgiving meal. </p>
<p id="Sk1cvl"><span>Shawn Williams</span>? That makes sense. We knew before the year that he’d be the odd man out with <span>Jessie Bates III</span> and <span>Vonn Bell</span> getting the majority of the snaps at safety. </p>
<p id="B5o68I">But Geno?! Sorry, Zac Taylor, but that’s it. That’s the indication that you’re losing the locker room. </p>
<p id="FH4X2u">Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for benching guys—no matter their track record—when it’s clear they can’t produce anymore. But Geno has only played two games! Give the guy the snaps he needs to get back into a rhythm. </p>
<p id="YgICXn">Honestly, though, maybe it’s not even about playing time. Maybe Geno just doesn’t like the direction of the defense, <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/19/21523729/bengals-rumors-news-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-zac-taylor-nfl-hot-seat">as Tyler Dragon of Cincinnati.com reported</a>. Maybe he doesn’t want to be coached by a staff that has the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/20/21525550/bengals-defensse-al-golden-lou-anarumo-cincinnati-coaches-nfl-rumors">linebacker coach calling third down and rush packages</a>? Maybe he just wants to finish his career out on a franchise that operates in a professional manner? </p>
<p id="R9zfHi">Taylor has tried hard to sweep every bit of controversy under the rug. It simply isn’t working anymore. If the team were winning, sure, it’d be easier to buy into whatever in the world he thinks he’s doing with his lineups. But he’s now 3-18-1 and still winless on the road after a year and a half. </p>
<p id="caYkVl">His latest loss may have been his ugliest, as the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> looked helpless against a mediocre <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> team that mounted a 21-0 comeback led by a 38-year-old <span>Philip Rivers</span> who looks like he has maybe five or six kids left in him max. </p>
<p id="Cdj3Q4">We talked—at length—about what exactly went wrong in that debacle, and a big part of it was coaching. </p>
<div id="eiQcXN"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qo8P4HagOW4?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="9GNxXN">You can also listen to the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bleav-in-the-1-bengals-podcast/id1530835181">on iTunes</a> or on the player below. </p>
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<p id="BWnOgy">Yes, it’s true, Taylor has been given a very long leash and is more of a project Brown and Katie and Troy Blackburn looked to invest in long-term. But you simply can’t put the product on the field he has, have terrible team chemistry, and show you and your staff’s struggles by employing unconventional play-calling duties and expect to maintain the respect of players - even those getting playing time - for very long. </p>
<p id="xAaby2">If Taylor doesn’t wake up and look at that ocean of dirt bubbling under the metaphorical rug, he may soon find himself drowning in it.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/21/21526271/bengals-head-coach-zac-taylor-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-aj-green-nfl-newsDadio Makdook2020-10-21T11:45:00-04:002020-10-21T11:45:00-04:00Weekly Lineman: Bengals’ third-down pass rush underwhelms vs. Colts
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Indianapolis Colts" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4HHfI9qS0b8DGpSrYlZUDi47rXo=/0x0:3040x2027/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67666225/1280938962.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A preconceived mismatch between the Bengals and Colts turned into the biggest difference in Cincinnati’s Week 6 defeat.</p> <p id="sATB52">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> can argue that with a few individual events turning out differently, they would possess a winning record through six weeks. It’s an optimistic take, but it’s not backed up by any sensible reasoning. </p>
<p id="6GP4j8">Bad football teams can expose themselves in many ways; there isn’t one singular method in doing so.</p>
<p id="0m5uFg">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>’ way? Galactic inconsistency.</p>
<p id="LFNGHL">During last two weeks, we’ve seen two completely different defenses sporting the orange and black. Last week against the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a>, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s unit held the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a> scoreless on six-straight drives and limited one of the best quarterbacks in the game to under 200 total yards and -0.11 expected points added per play. </p>
<p id="ppPudk">That performance provided a glimpse of hope entering their matchup with the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a>. From Weeks 4-5, <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> quarterback <span>Philip Rivers</span> was Pro Football Focus’ lowest-graded QB, and other metrics didn’t help <span>Rivers</span>’ case. He was struggling, and the Colts’ season was teetering on the brink of falling apart. </p>
<p id="wuel9H">All he needed was the right defense to return to his vintage form. </p>
<p id="PwEPEb">The hot topic of <span>Rivers</span>’ monster bounce back performance against the Bengals was his absurd second quarter showing. Rivers completed 14 of his 21 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. That first touchdown drive was so efficient, Rivers converted every second down into a first down. The Bengals couldn’t even force a single third down after the Colts got the ball at their own 25-yard line. Funnily enough, this game showed that it probably wouldn’t have mattered.</p>
<p id="9DSsKe">28 teams played this past week, and while the Bengals weren’t the worst third-down defense from a first-down conversion perspective, their EPA/play allowed of 0.74 on third down was the highest from around the league, or simply, the 28th worst. They weren’t just allowing first downs, they were allowing <em><strong>explosive</strong></em> first downs.</p>
<p id="9J4K68">The reality with watching football on TV is that the secondary isn’t as noticeable as the defensive line. So when Rivers was wheeling and dealing at will, the Bengals’ pass rush—or their lack of—was center stage for all us gasbags to witness. Rivers was sacked just once during this game, and it came from the guy they had just signed last week. </p>
<p id="n3LOWL">Was it all on the defensive line not winning their blocks, was the secondary more culpable, or was Anarumo’s squad just ill-equipped to do anything against a well put together offensive line? These were the questions in my mind as I put on the tape of all nine of Rivers’ third-down pass attempts. </p>
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<p id="UM00KU">The Bengals’ best pass rushers were reserved solely for third-down usage, and such a decision has garnered an immense amount of attention this week. While <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/19/21523729/bengals-rumors-news-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-zac-taylor-nfl-hot-seat">Geno Atkins has expressed his displeasure</a> for being regulated as a sub-package player internally, <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> has expressed his displeasure internally <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/19/21523729/bengals-rumors-news-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-zac-taylor-nfl-hot-seat">and externally</a>. </p>
<p id="rcIAKR">Still, both of them had plenty of opportunities to pressure Rivers, and neither one of them had any part in the few instances when the defense got Rivers off the field.</p>
<p id="tvL3lp">This was a mismatch on paper. The Colts’ offensive line is one of the very best at pass protection in the NFL and they were facing the Bengals’ most depleted position group. A trio of <span>Amani Bledsoe</span>, <span>Christian Covington</span>, and <span>Xavier Williams</span> isn’t supposed to combine for 65 pass-rushing snaps in a Week 6 game. </p>
<p id="nG0R28">Then there’s the Rivers aspect. His average time of release of 2.38 seconds was critical in negating any pass-rush the Bengals had. Only seven other quarterbacks from Week 6 had a quick average time of release. This alone doesn’t let the defensive line off the hook, though. When Rivers held onto the ball for more than 2.5 seconds, he completed 11 of his 15 passes and had a passer rating of 109; the third-highest this week for quarterbacks with at least 10 throws after holding the ball that long.</p>
<p id="q7hGTW">As we discussed in the video, the secondary was at fault as well. Rivers simply identified holes in the zone coverages the Bengals were deploying behind their three or sometimes four-man rushes. And when they tried man coverage, Rivers was still throwing receivers open. </p>
<p id="YLaxQE">Why didn’t the Bengals blitz more? How could they when they can’t trust their secondary for more than two seconds? </p>
<p id="A51ytA">This lose-lose reality is difficult to comprehend when you remember how dominant the defense was in the first period and from the entire previous game. It seemed like once the Colts realized they didn’t need to run the ball, all of their problems were solved. How’d the Bengals adjust? Not very well.</p>
<p id="ooJ6TK">When this defense is limited to this personnel and this coaching staff, they simply can’t be trusted on any given week.</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/21/21525723/bengals-weekly-lineman-film-review-third-down-pass-rush-vs-colts-philip-riversJohn Sheeran2020-10-21T10:30:00-04:002020-10-21T10:30:00-04:00Film Room: The next step in Joe Burrow’s development
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Indianapolis Colts" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TTmCLkpi-x5R6jr-2Es5ZyrKblE=/100x0:2350x1500/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67665634/1229154358.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Bengals pass game shows promise and concern</p> <p id="Bz5DI9">It was another painful weekend for <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> fans, but looking back at this game with a clear head, there are some positives particularly in the passing game. </p>
<p id="9u4Pra">The pass protection looked pretty good, and <span>A.J. Green</span> finally had a productive day.</p>
<p id="ZXPhHr">The offense showed improvement in the red zone and on 3rd-down conversions.</p>
<p id="NQMxJg">There is, however, one area of <span>Joe Burrow</span>’s game that stands out as an important area where the rookie can improve.</p>
<p id="fUNUye">We will get to that, but let’s start with one of the game’s biggest highlights.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blitz pickup <a href="https://t.co/5tR0UeI19b">pic.twitter.com/5tR0UeI19b</a></p>— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1318621166043529218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="bJn3pW">This was a thing of beauty!</p>
<p id="DAeuVb">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> have struggled to pick up 3rd downs this season. They have also struggled to overcome penalties that push them back. </p>
<p id="RRAtaD">On this drive, a false start on 2nd and 4 and a dropped pass on the following play led to 3rd and 9. This spelled trouble in earlier weeks, but not here.</p>
<p id="x0VVxV">The <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> sent pressure, knowing that the Bengals pass protection has been an issue, but the protection was excellent on this play. Right guard <span>Alex Redmond</span> starts out helping <span>Trey Hopkins</span> with the defensive tackle, then comes off to pick up the blitzing linebacker. Running back <span>Giovani Bernard</span> comes from the other side of the formation to pick up defensive back <span>Kenny Moore,</span> who is also blitzing. <span>Bernard</span> gets pushed back a bit, but overall the protection is excellent.</p>
<p id="N88wGM">Knowing he has a one-on-one matchup, Burrow goes deep to fellow rookie <span>Tee Higgins</span> for the biggest gain of the season. Higgins picked up 67 yards before being brought down by <span>Rock Ya-Sin</span>. </p>
<p id="4egUME">This was huge play.</p>
<div id="G2fHmW">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joe Mixon like water <a href="https://t.co/wouS47otXp">pic.twitter.com/wouS47otXp</a></p>— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1318559636719546371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="K1cSp3">The Bengals have also struggled in the red zone, but they were 3-for-3 Sunday.</p>
<p id="wVQ9Iw">This appearance didn’t start off well, as a false start pushed them back from the 2-yard line to the 7-yard line, but <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/11/11/20959324/joe-mixon-fantasy-football-injury-trade-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Joe Mixon</a> would not be denied.</p>
<p id="qVkscE">The offensive line gets a big push, and <span>Mixon</span> fits right in to the blocks and following them into the end zone. </p>
<p id="S2P8Tu"><span>Mixon</span> seemed much more decisive in this game and followed his blocks rather than trying to make something happen by himself.</p>
<div id="GPKKCd">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No reason to leave this pocket when he did <a href="https://t.co/zM1zGxK0oh">pic.twitter.com/zM1zGxK0oh</a></p>— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1318552923689943041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="CQwgMt">The Bengals certainly did some good things, but I have a concern.</p>
<p id="w4Sx4U">Their pass protection was much better this Sunday, but it was troubling to see Burrow escape the pocket when he shouldn’t.</p>
<p id="GyJErs">In this clip he scrambles to the right and <span>Green</span> smartly drops behind the defender and gets open for the 1st down. It was a good play by <span>Green</span>, but Burrow should have never scrambled.</p>
<p id="yTp5u5">The defensive end comes around <span>Jonah Williams</span>’ block, but not until well after Burrow has already taken off in the other direction.</p>
<p id="qFhHgr">Burrow needs to stay in the pocket and let the routes develop. </p>
<p id="FDWUvm">As the linebacker runs vertically with the tight end, <span>Tyler Boyd</span> comes open on the dig underneath him.</p>
<p id="5WRnul">Throwing it to <span>Boyd</span> may not have netted many yards more, but that’s not the point. </p>
<p id="1MBM6S">The quarterback has to know when to leave the pocket, but he also has to know when to stay put. </p>
<p id="alh0by">This time Burrow still managed to make a play, but that will not always be the case as we saw later in the game...</p>
<div id="DZTEYh">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hit it <a href="https://t.co/oCaR9ZSq4A">pic.twitter.com/oCaR9ZSq4A</a></p>— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1318581637047791617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="2DG78h">This was 3rd and 10 on the last drive of the game. </p>
<p id="tRICTk">The <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> send another blitz on this play, and the Bengals pick it up once again. </p>
<p id="LmweWW">Tight end <span>Drew Sample</span> is running up the seam, wide open, and Burrow has plenty of time, but for some reason he decides to tuck the ball and run, only picking up a yard.</p>
<p id="0Q9gbl">He has got to stay in the pocket and make that throw. </p>
<div id="D1lzlh">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I have too many thoughts on this one to cover in the number of characters Twitter gives me<br>Stay tuned to Cincy Jungle <a href="https://t.co/HpzkuMqxR8">pic.twitter.com/HpzkuMqxR8</a></p>— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1318563847570149377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="nUyiCR">The Bengals scored a touchdown on each of their first 3 drives. The 4th drive was looking good as they broke the huddle for this 2nd-and-10 play on the 30-yard line. </p>
<p id="RYVcvc">Burrow drops back and looks to his left. </p>
<p id="A5ZLvV"><span>Michael Jordan</span>, who was initially helping <span>Hopkins</span>, comes over to assist <span>Williams</span>. Whether it was seeing the defense tackle after Jordan came off or feeling Williams getting pushed back, something spooks Burrow.</p>
<p id="HX9d4o">Sometimes the quarterback needs to stand in the pocket at take the hit. If he had thrown the ball to <span>Boyd</span> just as he was making his break, it would have led to 1st and Goal. Instead, he tries to escape and is sacked. </p>
<p id="zvwXVl">The Bengals settled for a field goal after a short gain on 3rd Down.</p>
<p id="htFCjO">This play was truly frustrating, but do not fret. Burrow can stand and deliver, and I have proof. </p>
<div id="tZjeBM">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Siri, show me a tight-window throw <a href="https://t.co/B4kXuXWajs">pic.twitter.com/B4kXuXWajs</a></p>— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1318571084174794754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="ADvaFD">Williams and Jordan each fall victim to an inside move and Burrow is in trouble. </p>
<p id="UJxccU">What does he do?</p>
<p id="EZpaup">He zips a beautiful ball into Higgins who has 3 defenders around him. This was an incredible tight-window throw under pressure. </p>
<p id="rOmWP2">Burrow takes a hit, but not before making the throw for a 1st Down.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6jGlpb">
<p id="tFULgG">The Bengals’ pass protection was better in this game than it has been in previous weeks, which helped them to convert on 3rd downs at a higher rate.</p>
<p id="wGbZne">They have had issues with their pass protection at other times this season, but Burrow cannot let that phase him. He needs to understand when to escape the pocket and when to stay put. </p>
<p id="qebNFz">Overall, Burrow has looked very good as rookie, but this is an area where he needs to improve after this game. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/21/21524881/bengals-film-room-joe-burrows-highlightsMatthew Minich2020-10-21T07:00:00-04:002020-10-21T07:00:00-04:00The good, the bad and the ugly from Bengals vs. Colts
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<img alt="NFL: OCT 18 Bengals at Colts" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iA3OT71t2PuvLPMEWQgvhfXYe2c=/0x95:2830x1982/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67664668/1229171420.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by MSA/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals took some steps forward from Week 5, but the end results aren’t changing. </p> <p id="6WQYJv">It’s hard to believe the Cincinnati Bengals let that one slip away. After going up 21-0 on the Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis rallied for an unlikely 31-27 win. </p>
<p id="WG3PHM">Here are the best and worst facets of the contest, from a Bengals perspective. </p>
<h2 id="Xse8po"><strong>The good</strong></h2>
<p id="PN3zad"><em><strong>More points scored and baby steps forward from Week 5:</strong></em></p>
<p id="I0bMsA">It would have been hard for the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> to not improve off of their three-point outing against Baltimore, but they answered the bell against a No. 1 Indianapolis defense. Sure, <span>Darius Leonard</span> was out of the lineup, but <span>Joe Burrow</span> and Co. made a lot of exciting plays on offense. </p>
<p id="3nuct9">Cincinnati appeared to have the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> on the ropes at the onset of the second quarter, leaping to a 21-0 advantage. The three touchdowns were scored all on the ground and by three different players (<span>Giovani Bernard</span>, Burrow and <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/11/11/20959324/joe-mixon-fantasy-football-injury-trade-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Joe Mixon</a>, respectively). </p>
<p id="igrPPo">Additionally, Cincinnati’s top-three receivers (<span>A.J. Green</span>, <span>Tee Higgins</span> and <span>Tyler Boyd</span>) combined for 19 receptions, 275 yards, a 14.5 yards-per-catch average and 27 rushing yards. Netting over 300 yards from scrimmage from that trio against a stout <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> defense was a positive. </p>
<p id="AbuFlh"><em><strong>The early surge:</strong></em></p>
<p id="L3qVV5">After getting trounced by Baltimore and facing a daunting task of going on the road to take on the Colts, jumping out to a 21-point lead felt pretty nice. Not only for the sake of improvement, but for the brief belief that Zac Taylor had the team ready to turn a corner after a perceived week of adjustments. </p>
<p id="wOpYsX">It was short-lived, unfortunately, but it was the formula to get a potential win against a team like Indy. </p>
<p id="L3Kv2S"><span><em><strong>Jessie Bates III</strong></em></span><em><strong>: </strong></em></p>
<p id="dcT0gB">One of the lone bright spots on the entire <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> roster this year has been Bates. He grabbed another big interception late in the game and continues to be one of Pro Football Focus’ top defensive players in the NFL. He played very well on a day where the defense allowed <span>Philip Rivers</span> to carve them up for the big comeback. </p>
<p id="ly9mCY"><em><strong>Offensive line improvement:</strong></em></p>
<p id="oEHkEa">Again, it’s a matter of expectations with the Bengals’ offensive line. Two sacks were given up this week, but one was Burrow running into pressure. </p>
<p id="jcUNas">It was a matter of two halves, in terms of running the football, as the team pounded three touchdowns on the ground in the first quarter, but struggled the rest of the way. </p>
<p id="WyKFqu">Their performance had inconsistencies, but it was far from the worst showing of the year. One could even make the argument that they did enough to allow the Bengals to get the win. </p>
<p id="xczX6U"><em><strong>Some elements of offensive creativity:</strong></em></p>
<p id="PJsbPD">There were a lot of issues with the offensive play-calling late in the game, but there were also effective elements. In fact, some of those finally resembled the Sean McVay <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Rams</a> offense that Zac Taylor was supposedly bringing to Cincinnati. </p>
<p id="W7sqzq">We saw an effective sweep by <span>Boyd</span>, effective passing by Burrow and, as mentioned above, some capable offensive line play. My personal favorite facet to the offense this week was the placement of <span>Mixon</span> and <span>Bernard</span> simultaneously in the backfield. </p>
<p id="ii8wC9">On one of those plays, it netted a huge pass to <span>Boyd</span> to set up a touchdown. This may be a wrinkle the Bengals want to use going forward in an effort to keep opposing defenses on their heels and allow Burrow to have two capable receiving outlet options when things break down. </p>
<p id="qPdQZv"><em><strong>Tee Higgins and </strong></em><span><em><strong>A.J. Green</strong></em></span><em><strong> emerging:</strong></em></p>
<p id="FWcn2Y">We won’t go much further into detail here, but Higgins had his first 100-yard receiving day and caught a long bomb, while <span>Green</span> was four yards away from a 100-yard day himself. Higgins caught a bomb by Burrow, while No. 18 failed to haul another in, but <span>Green</span> did have a highlight-reel catch on the sideline late in the contest. </p>
<p id="P4NNF7">The Bengals need to start stringing together wins, if only to heal a seemingly-fractured locker room (more on that later). Higgins emerging as a go-to guy and Green seemingly finding his stride this week are positive signs towards the team getting in the win column. </p>
<h2 id="rqxiQe"><strong>The bad</strong></h2>
<p id="oGiXXT"><em><strong>The pass rush:</strong></em></p>
<p id="BtsTif">Injuries have killed this facet of the Bengals, which was one of their bigger strengths not too long ago. Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins have now been relegated to rotational duties, but others garnering snaps aren’t faring well, either. </p>
<p id="adhDwM">Cincinnati only had one sack of the very immobile <span>Rivers</span> on Sunday, which was critical to Indianapolis paving their way to a comeback win. Whether it’s gambling with blitzes because of the absences of <span>Mike Daniels</span>, <span>Sam Hubbard</span> and others, or biting the ego bullet, if you’re Taylor and Lou Anarumo, and letting <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> and <span>Geno Atkins</span> to resume their previous roles, something needs to change for the team to have any success going forward. </p>
<p id="iukx25"><em><strong>Tripping over their own feet with familiar mistakes:</strong></em></p>
<p id="4oV1vX">“The Cincinnati Bengals: Finding creative ways to lose football games since 1968”. Too sarcastic?</p>
<p id="c07lkS">Like we’ve seen in other big moments, be it under <span>Marvin Lewis</span> or other head coaches, this team shrinks when they have a good win in their grasp. This past Sunday was no different. </p>
<p id="TgNfKf">An inability to come up in clutch situations continues to plague this team. <span>Randy Bullock</span> doinked a would-be go-ahead fourth quarter field goal, the defense allowed the Colts to convert on 63 percent of its third down tries, Green couldn’t come down with a critical deep ball and even Burrow caught a case of last-minute “Bunglitis” with a turnover on a potential game-winning drive. </p>
<p id="jgiLIe">Someone needs to start grabbing this team by the collar and willing it to wins. “Learning how to win” remains tough to stomach. </p>
<p id="VpYF66"><em><strong>Special teams:</strong></em></p>
<p id="TFQFVu">As mentioned above, <span>Bullock</span> missed a critical kick in this one. While he nailed a 55-yarder and has had a stellar season, his only two misses were at pivotal points in contests. </p>
<p id="FhrCaX"><span>Kevin Huber</span> has had a great season, but he shanked a 28-yard punt in the fourth quarter to set up the Colts nicely for a potential go-ahead score. Bates bailed him out with a great interception. </p>
<p id="tQWhXR">The return game was also blah, with <span>Alex Erickson</span> fielding two punts for 12 return yards and <span>Brandon Wilson</span> returning two kickoffs for a pedestrian 40 total yards—one of which was just to the 12-yard line. A spark there would have been nice for the offense and could have been a catalyst for a win. </p>
<h2 id="AZjkOE"><strong>The ugly</strong></h2>
<p id="KfDNlT"><em><strong>A handful of coaching decisions:</strong></em></p>
<p id="VkrAgM">Oh, boy—where do we begin here. We all loved the aggressiveness Zac Taylor showed in the beginning of the game by going for it on fourth-and-goal in the first quarter and some of the other facets we mentioned above in “the good”. </p>
<p id="B5Oyzj">However, in the fourth quarter, Taylor made the inexplicable decision to call a fullback dive to <span>Samaje Perine</span> on a third-and-1. Perine hadn’t had a regular-season carry since Week 7 of last year with the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a> and, while he is a bigger, north-south runner, he isn’t a traditional fullback. </p>
<p id="Dm1iMU">Obviously, this was one of those occasions where Taylor tried to get tricky and it becomes a massive success/failure situation. The latter occurred and then the Bengals’ head coach compounded the issue by sending <span>Bullock</span> out for a 47-yard try, only to have him miss it. </p>
<p id="UwzSTs">On the other side of the ball, Lou Anarumo’s unit went into cruise control mode when Cincinnati was up 21-0. The unit went to zone coverage and didn’t really attempt to blitz <span>Rivers</span>. </p>
<p id="RG6mol">Zone or man coverages without pressure can be disastrous, but this zone/no-blitz concept was particularly lethal to the Bengals with a Hall of Fame quarterback under center. Rivers constantly exploited holes in the coverage and with his immobility, one has to wonder why Anarumo and Co. didn’t mix up the looks.</p>
<p id="FCX1Bb"><em><strong>The collapse:</strong></em></p>
<p id="CmivF9">We’ve talked about it a lot throughout this post. There isn’t much more to say except that this was a game in which Taylor and his staff could have silenced a lot of critics. Now, there are more questions than answers and a number of players seem to be disgruntled about their roles and the constant losing. </p>
<p id="CeVoSY"><em><strong>Some dubious records:</strong></em></p>
<p id="QXgj4y">Some fans are content with the Bengals being poor-to-mediocre this year. Their reasoning resides in more high draft picks to surround Burrow and fling the championship window open in 2021 and 2022. </p>
<p id="CUi3lg">Fine. </p>
<p id="AYXQNV">But, with this recent loss, Cincinnati is 1-11-1 in one-score games under Taylor and are 0-16-1 in their past 17 road games. If Taylor and the Bengals were to just win half of the 13 games in the first statistic, we’re talking about a much better building block of a 2019 season and a 2020 campaign where playoff chatter may be a long shot, but still a reality. </p>
<p id="puSwgi"><em><strong>The player fallout:</strong></em></p>
<p id="XZUSO8">There are a couple of ways to look at the recent slew of reports on Bengals players being disgruntled with their roles this year. On one hand, some of the better players in recent years simply aren’t performing to standards and/or aren’t healthy, with the vast majority of complaints stemming from holdovers of the Marvin Lewis regime. </p>
<p id="i94yHn">On the other, Taylor and his head coaches deemed many of these upset players captains over the past couple of seasons. When taking over for Lewis last year, Taylor wanted to keep the Lewis cornerstones, while purging the bulk of the roster for “his guys”. </p>
<p id="8bgnFb">Just exactly where are we now? </p>
<p id="9yYEZU">The necessary quarterback move has been made, but practice squad call-up <span>Amani Bledsoe</span> and brand new acquisition <span>Xavier Williams</span> received more snaps on Sunday than <span>Dunlap</span> and <span>Atkins</span>. The ongoing saga of John Ross and Auden Tate also becomes a weekly talking point. </p>
<p id="GGnnV0">We know that Atkins is being eased back into the lineup, but does this message appear to be one that shows everyone you’re giving your team the best shot at winning? Particularly on defense, when the unit was largely responsible for blowing a three-touchdown lead?</p>
<p id="EmQNyn"></p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/analysis/2020/10/21/21525245/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-from-bengals-vs-coltsAnthony Cosenza2020-10-20T11:15:04-04:002020-10-20T11:15:04-04:00Bengals rookie report: Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins finally connect downfield
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Indianapolis Colts" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/olwRJhcMKtJkbFnAkTpBJmQ21F8=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67660201/1280932524.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Burrow and the Bengals experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows against the Colts. </p> <p id="B8UqET">The last time it was this obvious that the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> hit on their first and second-round draft picks, the team was 4-2 through six games. The players in question played quarterback and wide receiver, and their Week 6 opponent that year was none other than the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a>. </p>
<p id="xR9qKa">That was all the way back in 2011, and the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> beat the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> during that week nearly a decade ago. Dalton and his partner in crime <span>A.J. Green</span> took the league by surprise as rookies that year, and while <span>Joe Burrow</span> and <span>Tee Higgins</span> are doing their best to do the same, they simply don’t have the record to validate it. Their latest loss has shaken any and all faith in a possible turnaround for this season, but we can still recognize what these two did in an effort to hold onto a victory.</p>
<h2 id="q1DhWW"><strong>The Burrow Breakdown, Vol. 6</strong></h2>
<p id="8bO6Er">It nearly took 21 quarters, but Joe Burrow finally popped his cherry with the deep ball. Had the Bengals held on to win in Indianapolis, the play itself would’ve been properly viewed as a clear turning point.</p>
<p id="MNes6I">Let’s go back to the situation at hand. The Bengals have already scored twice in the first quarter. Burrow had just led a 78-yard touchdown drive that ended with him sneaking the pigskin in from two yards out. Both the offense and defense were feeling themselves and after the Colts’ third-straight drive without a first down, Burrow and the gang got the ball back again with the chance to go up three scores. Cries for the proverbial foot to be placed on the gas pedal could be heard all the way from Cincinnati.</p>
<p id="ZQyL20">Suddenly, mistakes started to be made. <span>Michael Jordan</span> false started and turned a second-and-four into a second-and-nine. The very next play featured a <span>Michael Thomas</span> drop in part because Burrow threw the ball lower than he expected it to be. Momentum was hanging in the balance as Burrow faced a third-and-nine and an inevitable blitz from the Colts. </p>
<p id="rHetz8">The first encounter of adversity was upon him, and he nullified it with a perfect pass to Higgins running down the right sideline.</p>
<p id="hAVLtz">Just a week after Burrow was eaten alive by the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a>’ many blitzes, Burrow stood tall in the face of pressure and finally delivered a successful pass to the receiver he’s been trying to connect with all season down the field. </p>
<p id="4Gq5jC">Higgins’ 67-yard catch-and-run, which had an official 29 air yards behind it, was the 10th target of 20 air yards or more Higgins has received this season. It was the first of a few impressive completions on the day from Burrow as we can see from Burrow’s best plays of the week.</p>
<div id="kyrGEU"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c6VOBO1yA0w?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="8zXygi"><em><strong>EPA/Play: 2.62</strong></em></p>
<p id="E06Zog">For those who are still learning what expected points added is, a play that generates 6.3 expected points is hard to beat. The maximum points you can score on one play is 7.0, which is a touchdown, but the expected point value before the play will never be 0.0, so no play can really add 7.0 points. </p>
<p id="Tijiy6">That third-and-nine from the Bengals’ own 31-yard line had an expected point value of 0.1. Getting the ball down the the Colts’ two-yard line added 6.3 expected points on the next play. That’s how huge it really was.</p>
<p id="NnLCmQ">The deep bomb was awesome, but was it more impressive than the second time they connected? Burrow rifled in a pass over the middle right into Higgins’ hands while he was being swarmed by two defenders with a third coming in hot. The concentration displayed by Higgins was only matched by the pinpoint precision from Burrow. </p>
<p id="WUDMCY">The flea flicker, for how fast it had to develop, was fun too. Burrow had to rush the throw with pressure coming from his left and he made the adjustment. All he had to do was just get the ball down there to a wide open Higgins.</p>
<p id="tNV2qJ">Higgins finished the day with 125 receiving yards on six catches. With 339 receiving yards on the year, Higgins is now third amongst rookie receivers in that category only behind <span>CeeDee Lamb</span> (433) and <span>Justin Jefferson</span> (537!). </p>
<p id="dDX6Cs">It was a great day for Higgins, but he wasn’t the only receiver on the same page with Burrow.</p>
<p id="YqLo8L">Half of <span>A.J. Green</span>’s eight catches on Sunday came in the fourth quarter alone, including his two biggest ones. Burrow released a dart to <span>Green</span> running a 10-yard out towards the near sideline and the 10th year veteran extended his arms to the ground, plucked the ball and dragged both feet while securing it next to his torso. </p>
<p id="NcTle4">Of course the offense wouldn’t score on that drive, so Burrow needed to find <span>Green</span> again on the last drive of the game. In the middle of a collapsing fourth quarter pocket, Burrow found Green boxing out his defender at the sticks for what would be the last first down of the game.</p>
<p id="vEjpxQ">What happened after that, well, it’s one of the bad plays for sure.</p>
<div id="LsPfdJ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YeI4nthd5E?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="j8ts7C"><em><strong>EPA/Play: -1.4</strong></em></p>
<p id="eIF45Q">Through his first five games, Burrow threw a modest three interceptions. None of the three looked quite like the one he threw at the end of game six. </p>
<p id="oRnNfl">The Colts were showing a single-high look before the snap but rotated into a quarters (Burrow called it palms after the game) coverage after the snap. Burrow had to get the ball out and saw <span>Tyler Boyd</span> running in front of the field-side safety, but the safety that was in the middle of the field pre-snap, <span>Julian Blackmon</span>, read Burrow’s eyes the whole way and stepped in front of the throw. </p>
<p id="g79Fig">That’s an interception you see from rookie quarterbacks all the time; it just happened to be the first of its kind we’ve seen from Burrow. Earlier in the afternoon, he definitely got away with another one when he tried to throw over the 34” arms of linebacker Bobby Okereke. The Colts had great coverage all over the field on that play, but it’s no doubt a turnover-worthy throw. </p>
<h3 id="ewJt3S"><em><strong>Passing Chart</strong></em></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wbr_XlHuVLTf0BqBJnSENJwxrf0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21973487/Screen_Shot_2020_10_19_at_7.56.36_PM.png">
<cite>nextgenstats.nfl.com</cite>
</figure>
<p id="0IjMme">Those plays haven’t been common for Burrow. He’s not only consistently making tight-window throws, he’s also done well avoiding the blatant misses, those two notwithstanding. According to Pro Football Focus, only Burrow, <span>Russell Wilson</span>, and <span>Ryan Tannehill</span> are amongst the 10 best in making good throws and avoiding bad throws.</p>
<div id="u2azvx">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Only 3 QBs rank in the top 10 in both positively graded throw rate and avoiding negatively graded throw rate:<br><br> Russell Wilson<br> Ryan Tannehill<br> Joe Burrow <a href="https://t.co/e5QsdrNIoK">pic.twitter.com/e5QsdrNIoK</a></p>— PFF (@PFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1318533937627529217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="7CEO88">That’s a six-week snapshot of Burrow’s progress, what does progress in just two weeks look like?</p>
<ul>
<li id="oJniGi">Against Baltimore, Burrow averaged 4.9 yards per attempt against the blitz (16 attempts).</li>
<li id="OsUaup">Against Indianapolis, Burrow averaged 15.4 yards per attempt against the blitz (six attempts).</li>
</ul>
<p id="zxYw4R">Burrow turned in another solid performance this week, but while a lot of the attention is on the defense, Burrow’s offense only mustered three points in the second half. The game-sealing interception absolutely hurts, and it’s just another lesson Burrow must learn on the run.</p>
<h3 id="YrvNzQ"><em><strong>Advanced Stats and QB Comparison</strong></em></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ez5EiWlq3_wnaNuexpJJK13Icw4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21973625/Screen_Shot_2020_10_19_at_8.44.11_PM.png">
<cite>rbsdm.com</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gJLgZRL0K4WFBXUSrQVw0PZLMPY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21973628/Screen_Shot_2020_10_19_at_8.44.18_PM.png">
<cite>rbsdm.com</cite>
</figure>
<p id="C0W9VE"><em>*The Total EPA from the top figure will only factor in non-running plays. The Total EPA from the bottom figure will factor in all plays.</em></p>
<p id="RmNTFP"><em>**SR from the top figure stands for Success Rate, which is the percentage of plays that achieved a positive EPA outcome.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="GUQgGo">
<p id="U0eopn">Much has been said about the Bengals’ defense this week, and the rookies that have been most featured in the group are <span>Logan Wilson</span> and <span>Akeem Davis-Gaither</span>. But the player that is in the spotlight now is <span>Khalid Kareem</span>.</p>
<p id="hB35DI">Kareem played a season-high 25 snaps against the Colts. In just 19 pass-rushing snaps, Kareem had as many pressures as <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> and <span>Geno Atkins</span> did combined. Even on reps where he did not pressure Colts quarterback <span>Philip Rivers</span>, Kareem was at least winning early and getting off blocks. </p>
<p id="uWKmWy">The situation with <span>Dunlap</span> doesn’t seem to be getting better, which means that Kareem is only going to see more of the field with <span>Sam Hubbard</span> still on injured reserve for at least a couple more weeks.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="rb4yRF">
<p id="cBZgcE">Going back to the linebackers, Davis-Gaither was actually one of the handful of defenders who turned in a grade of 70+ from PFF this week. Per usual, he was used only on passing downs, and 20 of his 26 snaps came in coverage. He was targeted just once on a pass to running back <span>Nyheim Hines</span> out of the backfield and stuffed the play for a gain of one yard.</p>
<p id="OQpeWD">Wilson was picked on a bit more. He was targeted four times in his 20 coverage snaps and was responsible for <span>Rivers</span>’ third touchdown of the day. <span>Rivers</span> lofted a beautiful pass to tight end <span>Jack Doyle</span>, whom Wilson was running stride for stride with in fairness. Wilson was just a little late getting his hands up on the play and the Colts took a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.</p>
<p id="W7PGZG">A bounce-back game from Wilson is needed in many ways this week. The <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> are coming to town just a month after they embarrassed Wilson and the rest of the Bengals’ defense. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/20/21524162/bengals-week-6-rookie-report-joe-burrow-tee-higgins-deep-throw-akeem-davis-gaither-khalid-kareemJohn Sheeran2020-10-19T15:54:47-04:002020-10-19T15:54:47-04:00Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap unhappy with roles in Bengals defense, per report
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Cincinnati Bengals Contract Extensions" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/N1cxMSMJMpBlbc_j6rtUlOGf9yA=/0x0:5184x3456/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67656119/usa_today_11149838.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODA</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other players are confused by the changes as well.</p> <p id="bnYj53">In years past, a combined 94 snaps from <span>Geno Atkins</span> and <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> would’ve been achieved by the end of the third quarter during a single game. In 2020, it took them a full two games to reach that combined snap count.</p>
<p id="atPCwq">It wasn’t a big deal in Week 5. The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> made <span>Dunlap</span> a third-down specialist against the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a>, and they had just gotten <span>Atkins</span> back from his shoulder injury. Fast forward a week to Sunday’s loss against the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a>, and now it’s something to seriously take note of. </p>
<aside id="22EkVa"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Zac Taylor can’t talk his way out of losing forever","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/19/21522661/bengals-colts-zac-taylor-press-conference-lou-anarumo-joe-burrow"},{"title":"Bengals at Colts snap counts: What was up with the D-line? ","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/19/21522905/bengals-colts-snap-count-takeaways-carlos-dunlap-geno-atkins-joe-mixon"}]}'></div></aside><p id="k6Rvk7"><span>Atkins</span> and <span>Dunlap</span> have both been regulated to rotational pieces in a defense that they used to star in. We’ve known about Dunlap’s demotion for over a week now, but now Atkins’ playing time has been minimized in a similar way. </p>
<p id="dL1vlN">Tyler Dragon of <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincinnati.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fnfl%2Fbengals%2F2020%2F10%2F19%2Fcincinnati-bengals-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-frustrated-roles%2F3707697001%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2020%2F10%2F19%2F21523729%2Fbengals-rumors-news-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-zac-taylor-nfl-hot-seat" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cincinnati.com</a> is reporting that both players are upset about their roles being reduced.</p>
<blockquote><p id="WvUIrv">According multiple sources, Atkins and Dunlap are frustrated with their lack of playing time. Atkins and Dunlap are miffed by the team’s defensive philosophy and approach. They have basically been demoted to third-down specialists.</p></blockquote>
<p id="Tq4xLq">For us on the outside, the current state of the defensive line made this revelation even more bewildering. <span>Sam Hubbard</span>, <span>D.J. Reader</span>, and <span>Mike Daniels</span> are all on injured reserve, yet players like <span>Amani Bledsoe</span> and newly-signed <span>Xavier Williams</span> were on the field first and more-often then the duo of Atkins and Dunlap.</p>
<p id="FqqDdy">Just as much confusion apparently exists inside the locker room. Dragon reports that the coaches did communicate with Atkins and Dunlap about the change in their playing time, but that has not gone particularly well with the players.</p>
<blockquote><p id="7YvZKq">Multiple players inside the locker room are wondering why Dunlap and Atkins have been relegated to situational players. The two veterans have combined for 10 Pro Bowls.</p></blockquote>
<p id="Oce1U3">This comes after an aforementioned loss that featured a defensive meltdown in just one quarter of play. The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> allowed 21-unanswered points to the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> in the second quarter alone and gave up 7.2 yards per play on the day.</p>
<p id="WjDVti">Dunlap even commented on a Bengals <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGf0TySl_CW/?utm_source=ig_embed"><em>Instagram</em></a> post to joke about the fact that he’s playing outside linebacker and how he’s “social distancing” from the field, seemingly a jab at his lack of playing time. </p>
<p id="TRX40P">Such a plan would make more sense if the Bengals had the requisite complementary talent around Atkins and Dunlap on the defensive line. Instead, guys like Bledsoe, <span>Williams</span>, <span>Andrew Brown</span> and <span>Kahlil McKenzie</span> are playing more or just as much as two guys who are better than them. </p>
<p id="Mf7zr3">The plan isn’t clear, and the results don’t back it up. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2020/10/19/21523729/bengals-rumors-news-geno-atkins-carlos-dunlap-zac-taylor-nfl-hot-seatJohn Sheeran