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That’s pretty cool
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Why can’t we call this matchup what it is - Jordan Willis Revenge Game!
- Yesterday
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49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had some good and bad news on the injury front for his club as it begins preparing for the Bengals. Linebacker Fred Warner is slated to return to the practice field after missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury. Shanahan told reporters that Warner should be a full participant in Wednesday’s session. But receiver/running back Deebo Samuel (groin) will not practice on Wednesday. Running back Elijah Mitchell (concussion/knee) also will remain sidelined. Shanahan said Mitchell suffered some knee irritation, which will keep him off the field. Samuel could be back for Thursday’s practice, Shanahan said. Samuel has 1,006 yards receiving and five receiving touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 203 yards and five TDs, four of which have come in his last three games played. He also missed the Week 13 loss to Seattle. Mitchell suffered the concussion on Sunday. He has rushed for 759 yards with five touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 126 yards. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/12/08/fred-warner-returning-to-practice-on-wednesday-but-deebo-samuel-still-sidelined/ Also:
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He was not practicing today. That’s all I know.
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Any idea about the availability of Deebo Samuels? Our job will be much easier with him on the sidelines.
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This is huge. I wonder if they could have gone last week but the staff was overconfident with how they'd perform based on kicking the Steelers' ass.
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"RUN BITCH, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, GET SOME HELP" !!!
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I have always liked Cunningham. From the time he was coming out of college and watching him a lot since my son is a Texans fan. I would hope the Bengals would consider bringing him in here. He's ABSOLUTELY NOT WORSE than the likes of Bailey or Batchie. Maybe more once he got settled into the defense.
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Can we get someone to plant a story about Devin Lloyd to get him to drop please?
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Hobs: The Bengals today cleared G D'Ante Smith and CB Trae Waynes to return to practice by designating them for return from the Reserve/Injured list. https://www.bengals.com/news/d-ante-smith-trae-waynes-cleared-to-practice Glad to see Smith getting back into it with the oline so stressed right now. Hopefully all that promise we saw in preseason wasn't a fluke. As for this Waynes guy, good I guess, gonna go have to google him and find out who he is...
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Mel's latest big board: 1. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan HT: 6-6 | WT: 265 | Previously: 5 Yes, Hutchinson makes the leap to the top of my Big Board. He has been unreal down the stretch and is now a Heisman Trophy finalist. Since I last updated my rankings, he has doubled his sack total. He now has 14 and two forced fumbles, showing powerful moves and relentless pursuit of quarterbacks. Three of those sacks came in the win over Ohio State, as he dominated the Buckeyes' O-line. Hutchinson played only 144 defensive snaps last season before he injured his leg against Indiana and had to have surgery; the Michigan defense cratered after he was hurt. He was outstanding as a sophomore in 2019, putting up 4.5 sacks and creating havoc in the backfield (10.5 total tackles for loss). It's going to be a real battle between Hutchinson and Thibodeaux for the No. 1 pick. 2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon HT: 6-5 | WT: 250 | Previously: 1 After missing a few games because of an ankle injury he suffered in the season opener, Thibodeaux was spectacular in his return. In a win at UCLA, he had a strip sack, another sack and nine total tackles. Against Cal the week before, he had a sack and 10 total pressures. He finished the regular season with seven sacks and two forced fumbles. Thibodeaux, the No. 1-ranked high school recruit in 2019, is an elite pass-rushing talent with the quickness and bend to get double-digit sacks annually at the next level. He had nine sacks as a true freshman in 2019 and had three more and 9.5 total tackles for loss in seven games last season. He drops one spot here, but he's going to be in contention to be the top pick. And he officially declared for the draft on Monday night. 3. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama HT: 6-7 | WT: 360 | Previously: 4 Neal is another prospect I mentioned in my mailbag in September. He's an elite left tackle prospect with a massive frame and stellar physical traits. Check out this clip of him showing off those skills. Neal started at right tackle last season and was Bama's starting left guard as a freshman in 2019. He has moved over to the left side this season, taking over for first-round pick Alex Leatherwood. He is the complete package, excelling as a run-blocker and also in moving his feet as a pass-protector. 4. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame HT: 6-4 | WT: 219 | Previously: 2 Hamilton hasn't played since he suffered a right knee injury on Oct. 23 against USC and might not return this season. He's one of the most versatile defenders in the country. He had two interceptions against Florida State and added another in the win over Purdue. He now has eight in his career since 2019. Hamilton has the size to move up to the line of scrimmage and help in the running game and the speed and range to cover pass-catchers out of the slot. He's exactly what NFL teams want in their first-round safeties. 5. Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU HT: 6-1 | WT: 195 | Previously: 3 Like Hamilton, Stingley hasn't played in a while, as he's dealing with a foot injury. I wrote about him and his ceiling earlier this fall, and he's the top corner in this class even though he hasn't been consistently great since 2019. This ranking is all about his upside. His freshman film, when he was one of the best players on LSU's national title team, is tremendous. He didn't play as well in 2020, but that can mostly be attributed to the entire LSU defense being dreadful. He has shown that he can lock down SEC receivers. There are going to be questions about his up-and-down play, but NFL teams will see more good tape than bad and draft him based on his ceiling. 6. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama HT: 6-2 | WT: 185 | Previously: 11 Williams made my list of potential first-round sleepers in October, and he just keeps getting better. He's averaging 21.3 yards per reception and ranks 10th in the country with 554 yards after the catch. He can take the top off the defense with his speed, and he has shown that he can track the ball and adjust while it's in the air. Watch him on this 76-yard score against Mississippi State and on this 55-yard TD in the SEC title game. Williams has been Alabama's best receiver this season, and I didn't expect the Ohio State transfer to have such an immediate impact. Plus, he has two kickoff return touchdowns. 7. Drake London, WR, USC HT: 6-5 | WT: 210 | Previously: 7 London was having a phenomenal season before fracturing his right ankle against Arizona on Oct. 30. He had 88 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 11 catches and 136 yards per game. London, who played on the USC basketball team in 2019-20, towers over Pac-12 defenders, and he can outleap just about any corner. He had 72 catches for 1,069 yards and eight touchdowns from 2019 to 2020. I noticed a few concentration drops this season -- he has five after just one the previous two seasons -- but he does have soft hands and a huge catch radius. 8. Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah HT: 6-3 | WT: 235 | Previously: 8 Lloyd has been incredibly impressive for the Utes, filling the stat sheet each week. He has 107 total tackles and has added seven sacks, 20 tackles for loss, four interceptions (two pick-sixes, including one in the Pac-12 title game) and a forced fumble. He penetrates past linemen at the snap, but Utah also uses him often in coverage, showing off his range as an off-ball linebacker. Lloyd was used more as a pass-rusher in 2019, racking up 6.5 sacks. He has 15.5 for his career. The versatility stands out as a major plus. I've compared him to former top-five pick Devin White, though I'm curious to see what he runs at the combine to see whether he has the same elite speed as White. 9. David Ojabo, DE, Michigan HT: 6-5 | WT: 250 | Previously: 10 Ojabo has been one of the most impressive newcomers in the country. A third-year sophomore who spent his youth in Nigeria and Scotland (check out my new colleague Jordan Reid's piece on him for more), Ojabo has 11 sacks and five forced fumbles playing on the other side of Aidan Hutchinson. He has flashed advanced pass-rush moves -- check out this spin on the right tackle for a strip sack against Indiana -- and his athletic traits pop on tape. While Ojabo needs to work on his all-around game, there's a lot to like. He's still young; he could develop into a elite edge rusher. 10. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State HT: 6-5 | WT: 310 | Previously: 6 Cross has taken the next step. He has allowed just one sack and five pressures this season, and that's with playing in a pass-heavy Mike Leach offense. He was dominant against a good LSU front earlier this season and more than held his own against the mega-talented Alabama defense. He stalemates edge rushers. Cross has long arms and good feet, and his coaches rave about his work ethic and attention to detail. He showed potential last season, his first as a starter, but he's also asked to do a lot in Leach's offense, and so he had some poor pass-blocking reps. He allowed five sacks and 13 pressures on 556 pass blocks in 2020. Based on his 2021 tape so far, I see a top-10 pick. 11. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M HT: 6-4 | WT: 290 | Previously: 12 Leal is one of my favorite prospects in this class, a versatile defensive lineman who could play in any defense at the next level. I like his potential as an interior penetrator a little more than I do as an edge rusher, and he has the frame to put on a few more pounds. But he plays incredibly hard and is always in the right spot. Leal has 8.5 sacks this season after having 2.5 last season, when he also had a forced fumble and an interception off Alabama's Mac Jones. He has 15 tackles for loss. 12. Nakobe Dean, ILB, Georgia HT: 6-0 | WT: 225 | Previously: 9 In October, I picked Dean as a rising prospect to watch, after he was tremendous in the Bulldogs' shutout of Arkansas. He's the leader of one of the best defenses in recent college football history. Even after the Bulldogs allowed 41 points to Alabama in the SEC title game, they've given up an FBS-best 4.0 yards per play this season. Quarterbacks playing against the Bulldogs have posted a 117.3 QBR, which is worst by far in FBS. Dean runs sideline to sideline to blow up plays and is a sure tackler once he finds the ball carrier. He has 61 tackles, five sacks -- he's a great blitzer -- and two interceptions this season. 13. George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue HT: 6-4 | WT: 270 | Previously: 21 Don't be fooled by Karlaftis having only 4.5 sacks this season. He affects games in other ways, and his pressure numbers (13.7%) stack up well next to the best edge rushers in the country. He gets double-teamed often along the Purdue front, and he is physical in fighting through them. He's tough -- he plays to the whistle and runs down whoever has the ball. Karlaftis played just three games last season; a positive COVID-19 test in November cut short a promising campaign. As a freshman in 2019, he had 7.5 sacks and 17 total tackles for loss. I think he will test well at the combine, too. 14. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa HT: 6-3 | WT: 290 | Previously: 13 Linderbaum is one of the best center prospects in recent memory. He can do everything, and he excels as a puller to either side. He's a fantastic run blocker. He doesn't have many weaknesses. Linderbaum allowed just one sack in the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined. He has allowed two this season, but I'm still huge fan of his game and upside regardless. 15. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State HT: 6-0 | WT: 193 | Previously: 16 Wilson played mostly out of the slot last season, catching 43 passes and averaging almost 17 yards per reception, but he has done most of his damage outside in 2021. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands and can run away from defenders after the catch. Here he is doing that against a Minnesota defensive back for a 56-yard score. He has 70 catches for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, including six in the past three games. His versatility will help at the next level. Wilson and Chris Olave form one of the best wideout tandems in the country. 16. Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati HT: 6-3 | WT: 200 | Previously: NR I'm pumped to see Gardner lined up against Alabama's Jameson Williams in the College Football Playoff. Gardner has long arms and is physical in press coverage. He doesn't give up big plays. As the nearest defender in coverage this season, he has allowed quarterbacks to complete just eight passes on 29 targets -- for 60 total yards. He has three picks this season and nine in his three-year career with the Bearcats. He's also not afraid to make a tackle in run support. Gardner is a really good player. 17. Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State HT: 5-11 | WT: 184 | Previously: 14 Dotson is explosive. He had an incredible leaping catch against Illinois, and look how open he is on this 49-yard touchdown against Wisconsin. Plus, check out Penn State's first offensive play against Villanova, a 52-yard strike to Dotson in which he showed acceleration at the catch. While he had a few drops in 2019 and 2020, he has dropped only two passes this season. He has 91 catches for 1,182 yards and 12 scores, including six in his final four games. 18. Ikem Ekwonu, OT/G, NC State HT: 6-4 | WT: 320 | Previously: 17 Ekwonu bullies pass-rushers. He toys with them. He has played both guard and tackle in his career, but he has excelled at left tackle this season. He moves his feet well in the run game and can get to the next level. My only question is his arm length and whether he might move inside to guard at the next level. He can be a really good player at either position, but I could see teams preferring him inside. 19. Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa HT: 6-7 | WT: 321 | Previously: 15 Penning destroys edge rushers at the FCS level. He's consistently dominant in both the run and pass game. "Rugged" is the word I'd use to describe his game. And though he's not playing against NFL-caliber players every week, I think he has a chance to be an elite guy. He has played mostly at left tackle for the Panthers, who had 2021 third-rounder Spencer Brown on the right side from 2017 to 2019. Penning has flashed more than Brown did. He could be an early NFL starter. 20. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt HT: 6-3 | WT: 220 | Previously: 20 Pickett remains my top quarterback, but the reality is that I'm not enamored with this QB class so far, as I wrote last month. I don't see an elite, top-10 pick in this group. Now, we see every year that quarterbacks rise based on need at the top of the draft; just because I don't have one ranked in the top 10 doesn't mean all 32 teams agree. Pickett or Malik Willis or Matt Corral could still rise. Fifth-year senior Pickett has been incredibly impressive this season, throwing 42 touchdown passes with seven interceptions. He ranks seventh in the country in QBR (81.5). Pickett was up and down the past two seasons, with 18 picks and an average of 6.9 yards per attempt. He's up to 8.7 this season. He is accurate to all three levels of the field, has shown patience in taking the checkdown throws when necessary and has good zip on his throws. Now, he has started 49 games in his Pitt career, so NFL teams will like that he has experience. (The last first-rounder with that many starts was Baker Mayfield with 46.) But Pickett dealt with an ankle injury in an inconsistent 2020 season, so scouts and execs are going to have to be comfortable with his improvement and believe that he's an improved quarterback. The signs are there, and his ability to use his legs to maneuver the pocket and scramble when he has to is underrated. 21. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati HT: 6-4 | WT: 215 | Previously: NR Welcome back to the Big Board, Mr. Ridder. I wrote about him after the Bearcats' big win over Notre Dame, and he was really impressive down the stretch, even if he does have a couple head-scratching throws every game. (Check out this interception against Navy.) Overall, Ridder has taken the next step, throwing 30 touchdown passes and eight picks while completing 65.9% of his throws. His counting stats won't totally wow you, but he has the arm talent and mobility that put him in the first-round conversation. Like Pickett, Ridder has started more than 45 college games, and so I'd like to see him have better ball placement on tight-window throws at this point. He's not the perfect prospect, but he does have upside. NFL teams will bet on upside. 22. Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State HT: 6-1 | WT: 188 | Previously: 22 Ohio State's pass-catching group is one of the best in the country, which means Olave and Wilson don't have huge counting stats. I'm not worried; just turn on the tape and watch Olave get open. I wrote in May that he could have been a Day 2 pick had he entered the 2021 draft, and now he has a chance to be the No. 1 wideout in 2022. He's one of the best deep threats in this class -- he averaged 15.0 air yards per target from 2018 to 2020 -- and is an improved route runner with stellar hands. He can make defenders look silly in coverage and with the ball in his hands. Olave has 13 receiving scores this season, giving him 35 for his career. 23. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss HT: 6-0 | WT: 200 | Previously: NR Like Ridder, Corral is also back on my Big Board. I went deeper on his upside in September and wrote about what I liked about his game in October. He's not the biggest quarterback, but he has touch and accuracy and a good-enough arm. He's tough. He has limited his mistakes this season, throwing 20 touchdowns and just four picks. He puts the ball on the money on schedule. What doomed Corral last season were two total disaster games in which he threw 11 combined interceptions against LSU and Arkansas. He hasn't had those in 2021. I also love his ability to use his legs to maneuver the pocket, and he has shown some speed once he does escape the pocket. He even had 195 yards on a whopping 30 carries in a win over Tennessee. Corral is firmly in the mix to be the No. 1 quarterback. 24. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas HT: 6-3 | WT: 232 | Previously: 24 I wrote about Burks earlier this season, as he tore up Texas A&M and gave the Aggies' defensive backs fits. Check out his speed on this 85-yard touchdown catch. He has a big catch radius and can play inside or outside, though he's doing most of his damage out of the slot. He has 66 catches for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had seven scores a year ago. Concentration drops are an issue, but he's going to battle for the top wideout spot in a deep class. I want to see how he tests at the NFL combine next March. 25. Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson HT: 6-0 | WT: 195 | Previously: NR I wrote in May that Booth was overshadowed nationally last season by Derion Kendrick, who is now at Georgia, but the tape showed something different. He was really, really good. If you just looked at his counting stats in his first two seasons -- two interceptions, four total pass breakups -- you didn't see how he locked up wideouts. Quarterbacks rarely threw his way. Booth had three picks this season, including two in the Tigers' win over South Carolina. He has allowed only one completion for more than 20 yards this season.
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Never mind he signed with the Raiders. Who cares?
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I had to look up who the hell Will Compton was.
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"BREAK YOURSELF FOOL" "AH SHIT, IT'S TRAE WAYNES SON" !!!
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I’m predicting a loss this week. Expectations are low. I’ll be glad to be surprised with a win. But I don’t see it.
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Season turning point is here. Do they trend up and make the playoffs or fall apart?
ArmyBengal replied to cincyhokie's topic in Cincinnati Bengals
I went with 3-2 and am thinking (hoping) playoffs, but won’t rule out a shot at the North crown as I mentioned in the other thread. If the other teams continue to play as inconsistently as they have and the Bengals figure it out, it’s game on. I think this would a very motivated team in the playoffs. Hoping we get to experience that. -
Every time I see Trae Waynes name, I think about the Dave Chappelle skit with Wayne Brady. ”Is Trae Waynes gonna have to choke a bitch”
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Season turning point is here. Do they trend up and make the playoffs or fall apart?
COB replied to cincyhokie's topic in Cincinnati Bengals
Amazing that we’d be in the playoffs if played today. Losses to the Jets, the bears, and the Chargers does not sound like a playoff team. But that’s where we are! -
Tums might help that Hoosier… Hard to say what this team does, but the same could be said for any team in the AFC North at this point in time. Just never know what you are going to get from any of them week in and week out. That being the case, the Bengals have just as much of a shot of winning the North as any other team at this point in the season. STAY FOCUSED AND GET MOTIVATED. Lets goooooo !!!
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Season turning point is here. Do they trend up and make the playoffs or fall apart?
HoosierCat replied to cincyhokie's topic in Cincinnati Bengals
For the record, after the Bills loss tonight, Bengals are in the 6 spot and would play…Baltimore if the playoff started today. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace/
