Steelers @ Bengals Game Thread

[HoosierCat]

Good call on Erickson, he's for real.

Yup, Dre isn't special. If he walks I won't chirp much.

MJ is done. Clark > Hunt but that's like Spam > head cheese.

[cincyhokie]

As a sign seen at the stadium said..."Watch.  Wince.  Repeat."

[cincyhokie]

More times than not for the past 16 plus years when I see the Bengals play the Steelers, I say to myself..."look how much faster they play than the Bengals on both sides of the ball."  

You'd think the Bengals would have adjusted the roster to keep up with the Steelers as time goes on from season to season.

No.  The Bengals lock into a plan and riiiiiiide it out.  Basically, the Bengals are driving a 2010 model Acura going on 120,000 miles.  Most other teams have moved on to new models.  

Too slow to adapt.  Too slow to let players go that can't get them to the next level.  Too stubborn to change.  Too loyal to hurt feelings.  Too quick to overrate their players and not have the foresight to keep up with the top teams.

If the coming years are an indication of the last 6, the Bengals will rebound just enough to stay in the 2nd tier of teams in the AFC.  Too scared to take the moves the best teams make that push them into "elite" status.

[HoosierCat]

That's about it. Sad that a team founded by the man who basically created modern football is now the picture child for timidity.

[volcom69]

Yup I feel like I'm watching the the same team for the last 6  years! Players and coaches may go, but it's all the same shit and its boring and stale and still not working!

So can't say I'm all excited about seeing the same next year as well!

[ArmyBengal]

Sooooooo, I played Xbox One with my son, did some laundry, watched cartoons with the kids, and pretty much laid around all day doing nothing.

As I mentioned, I checked the score after the game was over and was overjoyed I spent the time with my kids.
Not irritated, not surprised, just happy.  It's a nice place to be.

I do however, think this is the 4th or 5th time this year they've taken a lead into the 4th quarter and then lost the game.
I could be wrong, but it's something close to that. 

PacMan with another unsportsmanlike penalty playing against the Steelers ??  Say it ain't so...
On a plus side, I read Bullock was 2 for 2 with his FG's and didn't miss an extra point.
Gotta be pretty amped up about that one !!!

 

[AMPHAR]

Yeah the Bengals are something like 0-4 or 0-5 with 4th quarter leads this year.    There's a whole bunch of stats that really point to the talent being there but in-game/game management strategy isn't there to capitalize all the way to the win column and in previous years win in the playoffs.

I don't know how many times ownership has to be shown that the coaching staff can't deliver big wins, but I'm guessing we'll be treated to another year of trying.

Haven't watched all-22, but going off radio broadcast the Bengals took advantage of the Steelers soft nickel in the first half ran up tempo and very few subs to keep the Steelers in it.   Bengals coaching staff won.   In the second half the Steelers load the box early and when down and distance matched dropped deep safeties.   Steelers won the second half.

Also the lone Steelers TD.  From the TV broadcast you can see Ben go to #17 say something  in the huddle and I said right then and there it's going to him.   Probably because they knew they'd get the zone coverage.  It was an easy read for the Receiver and Ben.    

Lap and Hoard were passive aggressive (IMO) about calling out the strategy.   At one point, Hoard speculated IF they would have run those routes on First down instead of 2nd and 14 they probably would have been more successful. 

I've followed this team for years and years like everyone else.  Fans can get into rationalization or overly negative comments after a loss.   Bottom line this coach can't deliver big victories, period.

Sure for the ownership and rationalization portion there's always that "one time", "injury" or and "if or but".   It's not going to change when Marvin roams the sidelines.   It's more apparent when he isn't shielded with highly competent Coordinators.   He's an CEO type head coach that will tinker just enough in the details to screw it up probably.  His best years is when he can outsource the direct X and O management to a coordinator and a coordinator that is strong enough to tell him to buzz off.   Paul and Ken aren't established enough so they are going to march to Marvin's orders more frequently.    Just my take.

 

[membengal]

Until Marvin is gone, nothing that needs to change will change. 

[TJJackson]

In all fairness, Mem, even though I'd like to see plenty more changes, I've already seen 3 and a half good ones

1) Nugent out, Bullock in

2) Oogie Boogie out, Fisher in

3) First name Rey all but out

4) (only worth a half point) Jeffro briefly benched (and we actually scored when he was out)

If I get one wish for the offseason, I'd spend it on walking papers for Paul "Bodine is a great player" Alexander

 

[Passepartout]

Yeah as really need to beef up pass rush over in the draft next year!

[kingwilly]

52 minutes ago, TJJackson said:

In all fairness, Mem, even though I'd like to see plenty more changes, I've already seen 3 and a half good ones

1) Nugent out, Bullock in

2) Oogie Boogie out, Fisher in

3) First name Rey all but out

4) (only worth a half point) Jeffro briefly benched (and we actually scored when he was out)

If I get one wish for the offseason, I'd spend it on walking papers for Paul "Bodine is a great player" Alexander

 

Fully agree. I might add 5) getting Rex deserved touches. All he does is make plays.

[AMPHAR]

I don't disagree with beefing up the personnel with the pass rush because they've had better performances under Marvin.    I would also say it starts with Marvin as he is reluctantly unleashed the hounds.   It would be nice to have DEs chase QBs more than set the edge, maybe.   There's always a side effect.   Maybe looks for a OLB that can rush and actually blitz him.

Especially against the Steelers they are more than happy to rush 4 most of the time and keep Ben in the pocket. 

[COB]

12 hours ago, kingwilly said:

Fully agree. I might add 5) getting Rex deserved touches. All he does is make plays.

How did the coaches not play him earlier?  Hill looked water logged at times.  Rex is up to full speed in like two steps, his burst is obvious.  Admittedly he takes some bad hits downfield so you can't run him 25 times a game, but it is beyond me how they didn't have him playing in every game.  Draft position?  

[AMPHAR]

10 minutes ago, COB said:

How did the coaches not play him earlier?  Hill looked water logged at times.  Rex is up to full speed in like two steps, his burst is obvious.  Admittedly he takes some bad hits downfield so you can't run him 25 times a game, but it is beyond me how they didn't have him playing in every game.  Draft position?  

It's a classic problem of not being able to cook.   Got all these fancy groceries from your local high end food mart and still can't make a decent meal and just end up with a bunch of side dishes.

Somewhere around the Pats game watching the all-22, IMO the Bengals take what is given instead of pounding what is known.   At that time, I thought AJ Green and Gio should see no less  than 20 targets.    Some will fail, maybe a lot will fail.   Eventually they'll get the big plays.

It's exactly what the Pats do.  They'll throw at Gronk or whoever and you'll stop it and they'll throw it again.  Eventually his size and the way the game favors the offense he'll get a push off and break away.  Then they mix all these other parts in.

Zamp/Marvin never figured that out.  

 

[ArmyBengal]

Here in Cincinnati, you have coaches that stop going to what works because the other team "might" figure it out.

The definition of face palm !!!

[HoosierCat]

1 hour ago, COB said:

How did the coaches not play him earlier?  Hill looked water logged at times.  Rex is up to full speed in like two steps, his burst is obvious.  Admittedly he takes some bad hits downfield so you can't run him 25 times a game, but it is beyond me how they didn't have him playing in every game.  Draft position?  

I would disagree about the 25 carries a game. I think Rex could handle a 25-30 carry workload. I know the common perception is that he's more like Gio than Hill, but I think that mostly stems from Rex's agility, but he's really IMO a north-south runner. And at 210 (down from his college weight a bit) he has some size. As to why he doesn't get more carries, I'd say yes to draft position. Which sucks because it means that next year he'll be racking up yards in some place like NE while we're still watching Hill struggle to gain 2-3 yards a run.

[kingwilly]

1 minute ago, HoosierCat said:

I would disagree about the 25 carries a game. I think Rex could handle a 25-30 carry workload. I know the common perception is that he's more like Gio than Hill, but I think that mostly stems from Rex's agility, but he's really IMO a north-south runner. And at 210 (down from his college weight a bit) he has some size. As to why he doesn't get more carries, I'd say yes to draft position. Which sucks because it means that next year he'll be racking up yards in some place like NE while we're still watching Hill struggle to gain 2-3 yards a run.

Yep, I agree. 

He'd be a great fit at many teams. NYG, SF, Denver, Minny, and even Carolina all look like great landing spots. 

I really hope they keep him, and give him more of a role. It's borderline criminal he's been so underutilized.