Will Brat Ruin It???

[savagehenry54]

An article discussing Brat's potential impact on the 2010 offense to enjoy at your leisure.

[Stripes]

I agree with generally the entire article. The writer presents plenty of complaints about Bratkowski but never once claims any as his own. I think Brat is fine and will not negatively impact anything the Bengals do this season.

[ArmyBengal]

I'm sick of talking about Brat and will simply say one thing.

If he can turn around the passing game the way he did the running game last year when everyone knew what was coming, I will remain very optimistic about the Bengals chances this season. Just keep things balanced and we will be fine. If the offense turns to roadkill this season, I think he's done.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

If he can turn around the passing game the way he did the running game last year when everyone knew what was coming

Is that to his credit? I'd put that on the assistant coaches who built the line and RB corps.

[redsbengalsbucks]

Chad and P-Dub = Lion-O and Snarf LMAO

[HairOnFire]

I agree with generally the entire article. The writer presents plenty of complaints about Bratkowski but never once claims any as his own.

I'm disappointed to read a rehash of fan complaints that doesn't include my own Bastard Sons of Paul Brown and Clockwork Orange ravings. How Brat can sometimes overthink a gameplan by ignoring strengths in favor of tactics of deception. How the offense never seems to click unless the roster is stacked with every concievable type of role player. How the offense has too often been built around a player who is routinely shut down by simple double coverage. How the key to everything is said to be an untrustworthy role player whose actual production was almost laughable. How he often prefers the gimmicky over the grind.

In the end it's still football and the simple act of being more physical than the other guy is often all that is required for modest success. Add a few wrinkles here and there and you should be good to go. But too often this team is guilty of trying to split the atom...an overly complicated act that often takes more time, assets, and energy than you have.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

In the end it's still football and the simple act of being more physical than the other guy is often all that is required for modest success. Add a few wrinkles here and there and you should be good to go.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Pittsburgh Steelers (well, pre-Arians). 12 plays in a row that involve either 1) run between tackles, 2) pass less than 10 yards, or 3) TE over the middle. Then, when the D starts overpursuing, the double reverse.

You're right about that - if you're just better, you don't need to be clever. That said, if you're too predictable, any but the best offense can be shut down. The key is knowing just when to run the gadget play so the D stays honest.

[HairOnFire]

The key is knowing just when to run the gadget play so the D stays honest.

I'd say the key is staying away from gadget plays altogether.

Smashball works....especially in the AFCN.

It's been proven....by this team and others.

[kingwilly]

In the end it's still football and the simple act of being more physical than the other guy is often all that is required for modest success. Add a few wrinkles here and there and you should be good to go.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Pittsburgh Steelers (well, pre-Arians). 12 plays in a row that involve either 1) run between tackles, 2) pass less than 10 yards, or 3) TE over the middle. Then, when the D starts overpursuing, the double reverse.

You're right about that - if you're just better, you don't need to be clever. That said, if you're too predictable, any but the best offense can be shut down. The key is knowing just when to run the gadget play so the D stays honest.

How about no reverses, ever again, period.

I hope I have seen my last Bratkowski turd-reverse, when a Benson counter-tre would have been smarter.

I think the problem is Brat thinks he is smarter than he is.

The one upside to having TO is that Brat will need to have him in routes that TO runs well, not make TO learn to run routes Brat would like.

TO brings that. Chad, nope. Chad runs whatever they call.

TO will run the routes he can deliver on.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

How about no reverses, ever again, period. I hope I have seen my last Bratkowski turd-reverse, when a Benson counter-tre would have been smarter.

Well that's exactly the problem - when Brat does it, it doesn't work. But for some reason, whenever the Stoolers would do the reverse, or the flea-flicker, or the Randle El WR option they killed us. It's all about timing.

But yeah, if I'm Marvin I think I keep Brat on a leash with that stuff.

[savagehenry54]

I agree with generally the entire article. The writer presents plenty of complaints about Bratkowski but never once claims any as his own.

I'm disappointed to read a rehash of fan complaints that doesn't include my own Bastard Sons of Paul Brown and Clockwork Orange ravings. How Brat can sometimes overthink a gameplan by ignoring strengths in favor of tactics of deception. How the offense never seems to click unless the roster is stacked with every concievable type of role player. How the offense has too often been built around a player who is routinely shut down by simple double coverage. How the key to everything is said to be an untrustworthy role player whose actual production was almost laughable. How he often prefers the gimmicky over the grind.

In the end it's still football and the simple act of being more physical than the other guy is often all that is required for modest success. Add a few wrinkles here and there and you should be good to go. But too often this team is guilty of trying to split the atom...an overly complicated act that often takes more time, assets, and energy than you have.

I'm a huge fan of this post, awesome.

If you were referring to Chris Henry as the "role player with laughable production", I would only submit that production aside, he had to be accounted for by defenses and there in lied his value. An NFL defense facing a Brat coordinated offense with only one true receiving threat will shut that offense down nearly every time. The fact the dude didn't go for more receptions and yards is a result of defenses accounting for that threat. Thusly, even though Henry did not put up huge numbers individually, the offenses' numbers in general suffered greatly once he was no longer there.

[redsbengalsbucks]

To be totally honest, I think Brat could ruin a good crap the day after binge eating at Taco Bell.

[GoBengals!]

I recall reading that the reason why the Bengals were a run first team is because the inexperienced O Line. And it supposely easier to run block instead of pass protect.

[Kazkal]

I recall reading that the reason why the Bengals were a run first team is because the inexperienced O Line. And it supposely easier to run block instead of pass protect.

Here I could swore it was Marvin's a Defensive minded coach and we finally had a defense to justify a run first offense.

[savagehenry54]

I recall reading that the reason why the Bengals were a run first team is because the inexperienced O Line. And it supposely easier to run block instead of pass protect.

Yes, it definitely is easier to run block. It's physics really. When run blocking the OLinemen get to fire off the ball and generate some velocity of their own to go with all that mass and thusly the force they are applying to the guys they're trying to block is greater. When pass blocking they're trying to hold their ground by anchoring with good knee bend and getting good arm extension and "punch" into the DLinemen's chest pads. Needless to say, due to the techniques involved, it is much easier to run block than pass block generally speaking.

Also, it does stand to reason the pass blocking would improve from the added cohesion playing together brings. Chemistry and functioning well as a unit is more important when pass blocking because of the higher degree of difficulty not only physically but also from a mental standpoint as it relates to being aware of all the different blitzes and stunts teams run to try and pressure the QB.

[HairOnFire]

My perspective is a little different.

As a unit I think effective pass blocking is more difficult because the entire group has to be cohesive and work in tandem. Granted, that's also true of run blocking, but perhaps not as much as run blocking is a point-of-attack exercise.

Individually however I think run blocking is more difficult since you have to physically control AND move your opponent rather than simply fighting him to a draw.

Example: Several seasons ago I watched Justin Smith absolutely destroy Raider OT Langston Walker on nearly every snap. The end result was no rushing attempt directed at Smith gained more than 3 yards all game long, and Smith consistently pressured Rich Gannon on every pass attempted. But despite all of that Smith never came close to actually sacking Gannon as the ball was always delivered after a quick 3-step drop. After the game I read how a Raider coach had evaluated Walker's play, describing him as a "punishment sponge" who would probably have to spend the coming week recovering in a whirlpool tub. As for Smith, the following week I listened to Bengal fan after Bengal fan chide him for failing to sack Gannon despite being matched against a marginal blocker.

So how difficult can pass blocking really be if being a "punishment sponge" meets the minimum standard for success?

[BengalPimp]

How about no reverses, ever again, period.

Uh.....I might run one with this guy.........................

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi8f10TTNTM

[Stripes]

I don't mind Brat's obligatory reverses. They really never break for huge gains, but they don't utterly fail nearly as often as plaintiffs in this thread might suggest. Quite often they'll net a decent 5-10 yard gain. Far less often do they actually end up losing the offense yardage.

I used to whine about his beloved shovel passes to Kenny Watson, but even those seem pretty useful now with Leonard or Scott in the backfield.

[Stripes]

I'm disappointed to read a rehash of fan complaints that doesn't include my own Bastard Sons of Paul Brown and Clockwork Orange ravings. How Brat can sometimes overthink a gameplan by ignoring strengths in favor of tactics of deception. How the offense never seems to click unless the roster is stacked with every concievable type of role player. How the offense has too often been built around a player who is routinely shut down by simple double coverage. How the key to everything is said to be an untrustworthy role player whose actual production was almost laughable. How he often prefers the gimmicky over the grind.

In the end it's still football and the simple act of being more physical than the other guy is often all that is required for modest success. Add a few wrinkles here and there and you should be good to go. But too often this team is guilty of trying to split the atom...an overly complicated act that often takes more time, assets, and energy than you have.

I agree to a point that Bratkowski's offense has a complexity that can stall its progress, but from a different standpoint. I'm not sure the offense is structured in a manner that allows for many real problems on a play-by-play basis, so long as the players Brat fields are executing properly. Normally, I think they've done very well in that regard. Limited players like Chris Perry were used about as effectively as they could be used because of the very specific role they were given. Losing any one of them hasn't normally crippled the team like the loss of Henry may have last season, but last season there were simply no weapons left. Three capable receivers became two, one of whom appears to be headed for the fourth or fifth rank on depth chart this year. Brat's most effective players haven't been asked to work within such strict limitations. Chad and T.J. were both asked to do a great many things when they played together. Coles was meant for that sort of purpose last year, but he simply didn't play well enough to make it work. Bryant and Owens certainly won't be role players in this offense either.

Rather, I think the complexity of that role player concept can slow the development of young players with little familiarity to NFL offenses. It's probably one factor that contributed to T.J.'s slow start (less a factor than his draft position), Chris Henry's failure to ever threaten for a starting spot after T.J.'s departure, Caldwell's slow improvement, and Simpson's and Coffman's much chronicled allergies to the playbook. For that reason I am rather hesitant to expect big things from Gresham early on. I'll say the same for Shipley, but his biggest enemy against production will be the depth chart.

[agreen_112]

Brat knows his stuff. He can spot talent, he's great at scouting. As far as his playcalling, not so much. I don't have very much faith in Brat this season. I'd like to see us bring in a real OC and move Brat to the head of scouting/operations, something like that.

[kingwilly]

Brat knows his stuff. He can spot talent, he's great at scouting. As far as his playcalling, not so much. I don't have very much faith in Brat this season. I'd like to see us bring in a real OC and move Brat to the head of scouting/operations, something like that.

I don't have much evidence that Brat can scout, or that he has been a deciding factor in the types of players they've selected.

There are as many hits as misses, from the offensive side of the ball. So, going by that, I don't agree.

I think Brat has one fundamental problem. He is a system OC. He requires players to adapt to his system, rather than adapt his system around the strengths of the players he has at any given time.

The ONLY exception I have for this is Benson. The calls Benson gets are designed to get the most out of his ability.

[ArmyBengal]

One of the rule changes I heard and saw last night needs to be thought about greatly by our coaches.

When they are in the last two minutes of a game and there is a review by the booth, if the play resulted in the player coming down in bounds, there is a 10 second run off of the game clock. It was that wasy last year, but this year, if the team has a timeout remaining, they can use that as opposed to having the 10 second runoff killing their drive.

Here's to hoping they don't blow needless timeouts...