Let`s Look at 3rd Down

[GapControl]

I compiled every 3rd down the Bengals defense faced against the Chargers on Sunday`s game. I pasted the results in text format below. The score is listed in the top left, above the 3rd Down Conversion distance, at the time of each third down play. Note the incredible difference in the defensive play between the 1st and 2nd Half. Also, I compiled this while listening to Brad and Dave`s radio broadcast so if there are any mistakes it came from them.

Where there are 2 or more 3rd Downs listed, this represents an extended drive by the Chargers Offense.

Just looking for some people`s thoughts on this. It is a 1 sample game but it looks to me that we have a serious inability to defend the pass on third down. So, the question must be, how good are O`neal, Madieu, James, and Dexter at coverage? How about how good are the LBs and DEs at generating pressure in known passing situations? Why, if we are consistently passed over, does the defense play zone pass defense on 3rd Down? Can we not generate a decent blitz on 3rd down?

Interestingly, there were two TD drives in which the Chargers did not face a 3rd Down conversion. That is pretty sad in itself.

Chargers at Bengals Game

Chargers 3rd Down Conversion attempts

1st quarter Chargers, 1-4 attempts

score

0-0

3rd 18 - 17 yard pass short

0-7

3rd 10 - more than 10 yard pass

3rd 4 - ball tipped by Geathers incomplete pass

0-14

3rd 11 - incomplete pass McCardell juggles ball

0-21

2nd quarter Chargers, 0-1 attempts

0-21

3rd 8 - sacked by Geathers loss of yards

7-21

*there were no 3rd attempts on Charger TD Drive

7-28

Chargers Finish 1st Half 1-5 on 3rd Down

*note: Bengals offense is 5-6 on 3rd down

******************************Half Time***************

3rd Quarter Chargers, 3-3 attempts

score

7-28

3rd 3 - more than 3 yard pass to Thomlinson

14-28

21-28

*there were no 3rd attempts on Charger TD drive

21-31

3rd 3 - defense offsides/illegal hands declined for

past gain over three yards.

28-31

28-38

3rd 8 - more than 8 yard pass,Malcolm Floyd reception

4th Quarter, 5-6

3rd G

from 2 - rushing touchdown LT

35-38

42-38

3rd 15 - pass complete, short by 10 yards

42-41

3rd 2 - more than 2 yard run by Thomlinson

3rd 9 - pass complete to Floyd, more than 9 yards

3rd 8 - pass complete to Gates more than 8 yards

3rd G

from 5 - TD by shovel pass to TightEnd

49-41

Chargers Finish 2nd Half 8-9 on 3rd Down

******************************Game*******************

Final Score: 49-41

Chargers: 9-14 3rd Down Conversions

[Stripes]

The Bengals have been abysmal defensively the last two or three games on third down. Against the Falcons, coverage broke down while Vick ran around like a wild man. Against the Ravens, McNair continued to pound a dagger right into the defense's heart converting third downs despite solid pressure and coverage. Against the Chargers in the 2nd half, pretty much everything sucked defensively.

[HairOnFire]

Here's some more numbers from the 2nd half of the Charger game.

0 - The number of times the Bengals OFFENSE converted on 3rd down in the 2nd half.

5 - The number of times the Bengals OFFENSE failed to convert on 3rd down in the 2nd half.

13 - The number of seconds the Bengals OFFENSE held the ball during their only TD scoring drive in the 2nd half.

13 - The amount of rest the overmatched Bengal DEFENSE got at a critical point in the football game.

9 - The total number of seconds the Bengals OFFENSE held the ball on the following drive....before fumbling the ball away on their own 9 yard line.

22 - The total number of seconds the Bengals OFFENSE held the ball during the two drives described above. This total matches the amount of rest the Bengals gasping DEFENSE got during this critical time period, and the total amount of time the Bengals offense kept the ball away from the highest scoring offense in the NFL.

3:11 - The longest time of possession of any Bengal OFFENSIVE drive during the 2nd half.

9:68 - The Bengal's total time of possession during the 2nd half.

[GapControl]

those offensive numbers are shocking. i think rest is playing an issue in the defensive team play. but, to argue a little bit, isn`t the big lead of 21-7 supposed to let your defense "rear back" and go get them therefore pushing the other team`s offense off the field quickly?

you know, the Chargers had that 8 second TD play themselves too and I think that was their second possession in the 2nd half.... so the D should have still been rested from the half, huh?

[rudi32]

Time of possession always falls back on the offense, but it is a two-way street. A defense that allows a team to methodically march down the field does as much to skew those numbers as an offense that goes 3 and out. Here's the offense/defense stat from the second half that concerns me most:

Points produced by offense: 13

Points allowed by defense: 42

You can win a lot of games scoring 13 points in a half, but you won't win any by allowing 42 in a half.

[HairOnFire]

I didn't throw those numbers out as a way to defend a defense that was gashed for 42 points in the 2nd half. I can't defend what can't be defended.

But all coins have two sides, and I think it's fair to say that the Bengal offense did a terrible job of killing the clock in the 2nd half, and that not only kept the ball in the hands of the #1 scoring offense in the NFL (Chargers), but also kept a gasping-for-breath Bengal defense on the field facing a no-huddle offense that gave it little or no rest.

I'm just saying....