What would you say caused the offensive decline?

[walzav29]

Usually the more familiar the player are with an offense, the better they play. I don't understand what happened. There must be something on film that has really shown something. Is there a chance that Willie's lowdown of the offense hurt us this week? He knew every play. They have radios in their helmet. That had to have helped.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Usually the more familiar the player are with an offense, the better they play. I don't understand what happened. There must be something on film that has really shown something. Is there a chance that Willie's lowdown of the offense hurt us this week? He knew every play. They have radios in their helmet. That had to have helped.

The loss of Willie Anderson...PERIOD!

I'm sure Willie is at home snickering to himself knowing Mike and/or Marvin f**ked up royally by letting him go.

No offensive line = no wins.

[gregstephens]

Usually the more familiar the player are with an offense, the better they play. I don't understand what happened. There must be something on film that has really shown something. Is there a chance that Willie's lowdown of the offense hurt us this week? He knew every play. They have radios in their helmet. That had to have helped.

Well, crap, everyone on this forum knows the Bengals' offense! Willie didn't have to tell them much. First down, fruitless run up the middle for two. Second down, either pitch out for a loss of one or maybe a short, middle of the field pass that someone drops. Third down, another middle of the field pass, a little longer than second down, but still short by a freaking yard, that the receiver will catch half the time OR shovel pass if it is third and five to third and seven. Fourth down, punt.

[Spor_tees]

Well first off, the Bengals decided to put their fate in the hands of Crystal Perry...Perry who many said was so valuable because he was like having another receiver in the backfield. Well Perry had all of ONE reception today. Once again the coaches inability to adapt in game is miserable. The Ravens loaded up the line and blitzed often yet the Bengals didn't adjust with screens and hot routes for the tight ends. I would have to also say this was the worst called game by Carson, because he always has the ability to audible into a different formation and play if he feels they need to. That is one thing that many of you overlook when placing all the offensive play calling on Brat. No matter what play Brat sends into the game, Carson can change it. Well whether Brat called a bad game, or Carson just didn't have his head in the game, it doesn't matter because honestly it was all a failure.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Well first off, the Bengals decided to put their fate in the hands of Crystal Perry...Perry who many said was so valuable because he was like having another receiver in the backfield. Well Perry had all of ONE reception today. Once again the coaches inability to adapt in game is miserable. The Ravens loaded up the line and blitzed often yet the Bengals didn't adjust with screens and hot routes for the tight ends. I would have to also say this was the worst called game by Carson, because he always has the ability to audible into a different formation and play if he feels they need to. That is one thing that many of you overlook when placing all the offensive play calling on Brat. No matter what play Brat sends into the game, Carson can change it. Well whether Brat called a bad game, or Carson just didn't have his head in the game, it doesn't matter because honestly it was all a failure.

Behind this poor excuse for an offensive line, I think Palmer was calling play just trying to survive. Flacco had far more time in the pocket than Carson had, and this difference sportsfans spells the demise of our Bengals.

[kingwilly]

The downfall of this Offense is three things:

1. Personnel

2. Mental/Psychology

3. Stagnant Gameplan

1. In 2005, the most successful (wins) of the "Marvin" years, the team had a offensive different make-up. It has a healthy/effective Rudi, it had an effective Eric Steinbach, a Pro Bowl Willie Anderson and it had a raw but yet un-suspended Chris Henry. Letting Steiny go was plain dumb, now letting Willie go will be questioned forever. Rudi was cooked but Mr. Perry behind a deficient line is not a real solution. The current WR's are banged up and "Cheech", though re-signed, is suspended till game 5, leaving no clear #3. Win with that. Andrews needs to improve or Mr. Palmer will be looking to exit Cincy.

2. The mental game is a big problem. It affects Carson, for whom I remain convinced is a bit shaky in light of his knee, eroded line play, stupid Chad antics and increased pressure to deliver. Some is self-imposed but for his core WR's to either not show up (TJ) or act like a world-class douche, it has to have impact. It also affects the most fragile, narcissistic of them all, Mr. Ocho Inflated Ego. His self-image wne through self-destruct this offseason and he is about as stable as a 17 year old girl. Toss on to him his ankle issue and his shoulder tweak and he is just not where he was.

3. Gameplanning in the NFL requires constant re-invention and evolution. THis game changes so quickly, that if you get repetitive in any phase of the game it gets identified and exploited. The way the Bengals have performed in 06-07 tells me they are just stuck in the same base plays and have tailspun their way into being increasingly predictable. Defenses have every play charted and figured. Brat is formula and that formula with these current players adds up to urine.

This offense needs to evolve and fast if there is any way they will become effective in 08.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Blocking and picking up blitzes. Alexander's group FAILS again this year.

[COB]

Kingwilly pretty much summed it up. It was obvious the offense was crap last year, and although they made personnel changes on the field, the coaching is the same. I've always defended Marvin and Mike Brown. That display today went a long way to convincing me the naysayers have been right all along.

I can accept total futility. But only if there is light at the end of the tunnel. If this team were in complete rebuild mode, ok we take our lumps and build for the future. But despite what Marvin said about wanting to blow it all up, we are far from that. We'd have taken the first and third pick for Chad. We'd have done something about our center position. They're trying to rebuild the defense, but have apparently misjudged the offense so badly that it won't matter what the defense does.

What could we do? Right now, Fitzpatrick would be a more effective quarterback than Carson. I believe that now, and for the foreseeable future, the ability to run for your life is a more important skill to the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback than having a rocket arm. Carson cannot escape pressure. If preseason is an indication of how the regular season will go, then Fitzpatrick should get an opportunity. He made the only good plays the offense had in all four preseason games - with his feet.

I've staunchly defended Mike Brown in here. His f**ked up undermining of his head coach, and his insistence that his head coach coach so many f**ked up heads, has convinced me that Mike Brown has disproved the blind squirrel theory. That dumbass will never find a nut.

[jjakq27]

Failure to find a suitable replacement for Rich Braham.

Allowing Eric Steinbach to leave.

Being hamstrung by Willie's contract and rapid decline.

TJ and Chad's absence for the spring practices and seeming air of superiority or distance from the rest of the team.

Failure to find a suitable replacement for Jeremi Johnson who has battled constant weight issues repeatedly and is now out for the year.

[Sandwedge]

My 2 cents:

Brat is so damn predictable... Everybody and their brother knew what was going to happen on the 4th down plays...

Paul Alexander is still a coach

Hayes is still our D-line coach

Carson still is horrible at calling the correct audible...

No huddle needs to go away

We need to snap the ball before the play clock runs out.. I went into a seizure on that one...

Hell snap the ball before the D lines up would be nice..

I'd like to understand Zimmer's definition of aggressive?? Looked pretty damn passive to me today... Tackling sucked

It might be time to work on the golf game on Sundays... Th

[cincyhokie]

Failure to find a suitable replacement for Rich Braham.

Allowing Eric Steinbach to leave.

Exactly. These 2 reasons above are the major reasons we went from 3-0 to start 2006 to 8-8...to 7-9 in 2007. Once Braham left with the injury in 2006 and this team was 3-0, this team has never been the same.

[Spor_tees]

Failure to find a suitable replacement for Rich Braham.

Allowing Eric Steinbach to leave.

Being hamstrung by Willie's contract and rapid decline.

TJ and Chad's absence for the spring practices and seeming air of superiority or distance from the rest of the team.

Failure to find a suitable replacement for Jeremi Johnson who has battled constant weight issues repeatedly and is now out for the year.

That play was amazing when Coats got blown up by Bart Scott in the backfield when he was trying to make a block. I don't know about the rest of you but I felt sick knowing that Lorenzo Neal could have been on the Bengals had they not been so stubborn and penny pinching. Instead of signing Neal they continued to work with Fat a$$ Jeremi Johnson, and are trying to convert a TE to a FB. If there were awards for ineptness by an organization, the Bengals would get the Noble prize for it. I am totally amazed how they can go out every year and make maybe one or two good moves and turn around and make five or six bad ones. Drafting Rivers good...not finding an upgrade at center BAD. Signing Peko to an extension good...not signing a better FB BAD. Cutting Chris Henry for his off the field brain fart problems good...resigning Henry BAD. I am going to stop right there because the more bad moves I bring up the more mad I get.

[GregCook]

To show what a nerd I am, I'm typing this as I watch the movie "10", on HD Net Movie, and just now Bo Derek is 100% nude......ahhhhh.

The problems with the offense are different for each season. In this season its the fact

1. Chad and TJ never practiced with Carson, ever prior to the last week of August.

2. Losing Kenny Irons, remember him? He would have added youth and explosiveness to the game.

3. Offensive line is terrible, as they can't pass protect nor run block. Fact. not scheme, not tweaking this or that.

4. Carson hasn't been the same since his knee injury. Especially when the pocket is collapsing.

[agreen_112]

What caused the offensive decline?

Simple. We lost Braham, Steiny and now Big Willie... Palmer hasn't been the same since the injury is just the icing on the cake.

[walzav29]

He had a phenomenal season the year after the knee surgery. I don't think the offensive line is giving him the time he needs and the receivers aren't where they should be.

[gregstephens]

He had a phenomenal season the year after the knee surgery. I don't think the offensive line is giving him the time he needs and the receivers aren't where they should be.

Statistically he did, but his level of play was not the same as 2005. The throws weren't as crisp. The mobility went from 1 on a scale of 1-10 to zero. He was a little more rushed on the throws. He had a great 2006, but I wouldn't say phenomenal, nor would I say the 2006 year didn't foreshadow last year, which foreshadowed this year.

[redsbengalsbucks]

The OC can not change his play-calling to adjust to sefensive pressure. He just blindly assumes his plan will eventually overpower the other team.

What is wrong with some halfback/fullback swing passes, some hot route TE passes, to get the Offense moving and take the extra man out of the box so the running game has a chance?

Brat has let the game pass him by and he is still stuck in 2005.