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Bengals @ Steelers Pregame Thread


HoosierCat

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I don't know what the forecast is,

Bascially a rerun of Monday night's game with a bit less wind. Low of 12 degrees Sunday night in Pittsburgh, 10 mph winds, 20% chance of snow.

I agree, run the ball, not because of the weather but because Pitt's run D stinks.

Re the secondary, both Ghee and Kirkpatrick got a good amount of PT in garbage time against Indy and looked solid. We'll be all right.

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I don't know what the forecast is,

Bascially a rerun of Monday night's game with a bit less wind. Low of 12 degrees Sunday night in Pittsburgh, 10 mph winds, 20% chance of snow.

I agree, run the ball, not because of the weather but because Pitt's run D stinks.

Re the secondary, both Ghee and Kirkpatrick got a good amount of PT in garbage time against Indy and looked solid. We'll be all right.

I hate to do the apples and oranges thing, but I can't forget how Tom Brady was discovered! Eventually I'm sure he would have surfaced as a starter, but the ONLY reason he got discovered when he did, was the fact that Drew Bledsoe got hurt!

I truly believe that these things not only happen at the QB position! Newman is no spring chicken and maybe it's Kirk's time!!

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Kirkpatrick has had a redshirt year to study the system and three-quarters of a season being eased in. If he isn't ready now, he'll never be. That isn't to say I expect perfection, but he didn't get drafted in the first round to play special teams and fill in in garbage time. I don't think there's any question that it's his time -- just whether he grabs the opportunity.

I'm confident he will.

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I'm confident he will as well.

Thing is, will the fans let him make a mistake ??

I still expect him to get burned here and there, but give him some starting time and I expect him to come around.

If, come the end of the season, he still sucks, then yes there are bigger problems.

In the interviews I've seen with him, they have all been positive and humbling. I really think it's his time!

Adam Jones also said he is going to kind of take charge back there and keep him and Ghee, if Iloka can't go, on their toes!

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Yeah Zeitler would go back at RG. I don't see them moving Whit. Way it is now the line is better than it was before.

I get why everyone is saying this, and they're probably right.

But, let's not lose sight of the fact that we've played terrible run defenses in back to back games.

I wouldn't say terrible. The Colts game was definitely the worse of the two because I've never seen the Bengals miss as many tackles as they did last Sunday.

That's one of their strong points, fundamental tackling!

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Yeah Zeitler would go back at RG. I don't see them moving Whit. Way it is now the line is better than it was before.

I get why everyone is saying this, and they're probably right.

But, let's not lose sight of the fact that we've played terrible run defenses in back to back games.

I wouldn't say terrible. The Colts game was definitely the worse of the two because I've never seen the Bengals miss as many tackles as they did last Sunday.

That's one of their strong points, fundamental tackling!

I believe he was saying that we've played against terrible run defenses, and so we shouldn't pin the Whit move to LG as the only reason our rushing production is up. I still vote that we keep things as they are for now and see if the rushing production/pass protection remains at this very high level, but I do agree we'll need more info than a pair of crappy run D's before we can call the experiment an unqualified success.

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Yeah Zeitler would go back at RG. I don't see them moving Whit. Way it is now the line is better than it was before.

I get why everyone is saying this, and they're probably right.

But, let's not lose sight of the fact that we've played terrible run defenses in back to back games.

I wouldn't say terrible. The Colts game was definitely the worse of the two because I've never seen the Bengals miss as many tackles as they did last Sunday.

That's one of their strong points, fundamental tackling!

I believe he was saying that we've played against terrible run defenses, and so we shouldn't pin the Whit move to LG as the only reason our rushing production is up. I still vote that we keep things as they are for now and see if the rushing production/pass protection remains at this very high level, but I do agree we'll need more info than a pair of crappy run D's before we can call the experiment an unqualified success.

Pitt is ranked 24th, so they should have another good game. On paper at least.

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Yeah Zeitler would go back at RG. I don't see them moving Whit. Way it is now the line is better than it was before.

I get why everyone is saying this, and they're probably right.

But, let's not lose sight of the fact that we've played terrible run defenses in back to back games.

Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I'm saying it because the line play as a whole has been notably better since the move, in both the running and passing game. Frankly I'm not in any particular hurry to see Zeitler back either.

Whit is a good LT but he's an all-pro LG. More, Cook looks a shtload better with Whit next to him than he did with Boling. And while AC may not be the tackle Whit was in his prime, right now with his knee issues I think Collins is at least as good as Whit in that spot.

I think what we are seeing now is a vindication of the pre-draft analysis of both Whitworth and AC. Whit was pegged as having potential to be an elite guard in the NFL, but lacking the athleticism to play his college position, LT, at the next level. He proved them wrong on the latter score, but now than injury has cut into that athleticism, we are seeing exactly the excellence in G that was predicted. Collins was a fourth-round pick but there was broad consensus that he came out too early (needed to provide for family IIRC) and that if had stayed for his senior year he could have been a first round pick.

I say bring on the better Ds. They'll still play well. But in the meantime, let's enjoy watching them pave the Steelers. :bengal:

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Steelers practice report:

Not practicing on Wednesday were tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle), defensive end Ziggy Hood (ankle), defensive end Brett Keisel (foot), nose tackle Steve McLendon (ankle) and safety Troy Polamalu (shoulder). Video from practice showed Keisel and Hood both lightly jogging on the side.

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I don't know what the forecast is, but either way around, I want to continue seeing a running game that beats up the Steelers defense and eats the clock.

That and not only get to Ben, but get him on the ground. Giving him additional time with our secondary is my only concern.

I agree with you on the run part but we have to give Gio he ball more often. The Law Firm doesn't really get started until midway through the 2nd half of games. r we need to use a FB to help open some holes. We also need to mix it up a bit and throw some screen plays or maybe some down and out passes.

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I agree with you on the run part but we have to give Gio he ball more often. The Law Firm doesn't really get started until midway through the 2nd half of games.

This will depend on the play calling - BJGE is a right down your throat runner, Gio is a get to the outside runner. We need both.

BJGE spends the first part of the game banging up and tiring out the run D which is why he, and other similar backs, usually have more success as the game goes on - one sloppy play, one missed tackle, one mis-read route and he's gone for 15 or 20 yards.

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The thing about BJGE is that while tenderizing the defense he still gains mostly positive yards so even in the first half he is getting 2-3 yards per run rather than dealing with negative plays. Maybe we can change the name to The Law Firm of BenJarvis Green-Ellis and Bernard.

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