Football Gameplan's 2014 NFL Team Preview - Bengals

[EmDiggy]

FBGP's 2014 Bengals Season Preview

Good evening Bengals fans! Here's my season preview for you guys. Good luck this year!

Em

[HoosierCat]

Except for the part about where they finish in the division, dead on. Nice work.

[ArmyBengal]

2nd and a wildcard isn't a bad guess, but I'll stick with my thoughts on them winning the north.

[GapControl]

King in the North!

[EmDiggy]

Thanks Gang! Much appreciated. I think, contrary to popular belief, you guys are in good shape with Dalton. What's your opinion on AD?

[ArmyBengal]

What's your opinion on AD?

And there you go trying to stir up the relative calm this particular board has going on in regards to that topic.

Seriously though, I think you will find the same questions here that you will on any board, but we aren't melting down over it.

We seem to be able to agree to disagree on the subject of Dalton and that works just fine.

You have some that think he sucks balls and some that think he needs to be signed to an extension today.

There's all the same reasons you will find anywhere else that wants to discuss Dalton and his pros and cons.

Personally, while I might prefer to wait until the end of the season and see how it works out, I won't be upset if they get a deal done prior to the start of the season. He's going to cost them big coin any way around, so if they drop that coin after he takes them to (and God forbid) wins the Super Bowl, I don't think anyone is going to care.

The problem I see and a reason to get him done sooner in the eyes of the organization is the fact they know they are going to stick with him and getting him done sooner will probably save them money if he wins out in the season. Couple that with one Mr. AJ Green, Vontaze Burfict, and a good chunk of starters coming due for FA in the next two seasons and any saved money is good money to keep things together.

[HoosierCat]

Re Dalton, I think you have it exactly right, diggy: let him be the game manager he has shown he can be. Quit trying to turn him into Brees Jr. with these "let's throw the ball 50 times" game plans.

That's why I think Hill was the best pick of the draft, and the swap of Hue Jackson for Jay Gruden a case of addition by subtraction. Nothing will help Andy more than fixing our crap run game.

[ArmyBengal]

Another aspect that I think helps Dalton greatly and isn't mentioned hardly at all is the addition of Jason Campbell.

Campbell wasn't brought in to do anything more than be a backup. There are two reasons I like his sigining.

First, he has a familiarity with Hue and his style of things.

Next and more important for me is that Campbell provides a veteran backup that Dalton has never had during his time in the league.

I think Dalton will benefit from having someone he can go to and get another perspective about whatever is going on.

While I don't really want Campbell having to step in for a long period of time, I like what he was brought in for and think Dalton benefits.

[HoosierCat]

Oh, BTW diggy, here's another forum you can add to your list:

/>http://footballpros.com/forumdisplay.php/18-Bengals

There was a schism over at Go-Bengals recently (primarily over Dalton, of course) and a bunch of the regulars decamped to the new board.

[HoosierCat]

Also, on the subject of the Bengals performance in 2- and 4-minute drills, Geoff Hobson (the guy who writes for the team's web site) had what I thought was a good observation in his new mailbag column.

With watching the Bengals closely over the last few years, it appears that the team doesn't like or know how to close out the game on offense. Are the Bengals practicing a 4 minute and 2 minute offense situations in practice? Nikki Jones, Atlanta, GA

NIKKI: They practice it. They practice everything right down to the Victory formation. It just doesn’t look like it at times.

(Well, they practice everything except the Hail Marys. Somebody could get hurt. But that didn’t stop them from pulling off the M&T Miracle last year when wide receiver A.J. Green’s 51-yard TD catch off a tipped ball tied the game on the last play of regulation before they lost in overtime.)

To me, closing out a game goes back to being able to run the ball. My opinion why they haven’t been able to close out some games (most famously home games against Tampa in 2010, Houston in 2011 and Dallas in 2012) is embedded in their 3.8 yards per rush average the past four seasons.

Example: Rewind to last Halloween Night in Miami and the Bengals stalking their third last-minute winning field goal of the month. They’ve got a third-and-four from the Dolphins 36 with 1:35 left. But a shocking long pass to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu is incomplete, only six seconds go off the clock, and Mike Nugent is forced to kick a 54-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 20-17 lead with 1:29 left.

If they had faith/effectiveness in the running game, they might have got the first down. Or, go play-action. But you have to run the ball there. Even if you don’t make it, you get Nugent a few yards closer and, even more importantly, you drain 30 more seconds off the clock, and Miami probably calls their last timeout.

So when right end Michael Johnson sacks Ryan Tannehill on the first play of the ensuing series with 1:11 left, the thing is over. But Miami regroups with their last timeout, kicks the tying field goal, and wins in OT.

That’s not screwing up the two-minute drill. It’s not having enough confidence in the running game to finish it off. So you have to like the way Jackson and head coach Marvin Lewis are talking about emphasizing the running game.

/>http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Hobsons-Choice-heir-apparent-and-airing-it-out/6fd8cfd9-c42b-45ef-a5d0-51301ad20833