Hang in there guys

[LesterLyles]

Season is far from over, guys. Even at 1-3, it won't be over. The Begals simply have to improve fundamentals i.e. tackling. Jets were 1-4, 2-5 in '02 and came back and won the division. Their first few gaems, they couldn't tackle anything. Listen, sometimes these things come early, sometimes it takes a few games. Hang in there. As an outsider, I say no way is the problem Palmer. You can't put your young QB in a hole like that. Play better D, keep games close, and Palmer will succeed.

Out of curiosity, who will be playing MLB for you guys? Wondering if there was any interest in Marvin Jones. Just curious.

[Barbarian]

Season is far from over, guys. Even at 1-3, it won't be over. The Begals simply have to improve fundamentals i.e. tackling. Jets were 1-4, 2-5 in '02 and came back and won the division. Their first few gaems, they couldn't tackle anything. Listen, sometimes these things come early, sometimes it takes a few games. Hang in there. As an outsider, I say no way is the problem Palmer. You can't put your young QB in a hole like that. Play better D, keep games close, and Palmer will succeed.

Out of curiosity, who will be playing MLB for you guys? Wondering if there was any interest in Marvin Jones. Just curious.

I'm still thinking the Bungles are 1 year away from good stuff. They need to address their defensive line problems and fire Drunkowski at the end of the year.

Then they should be good.

[BengalByTheBay]

Yesterday's team website suggested that another rookie -- Caleb Miller -- is likely to see time at MLB. They also had a former Bengal, Adrian Ross, in for a look after he was cut by the Steelers. Miller's an undersized LB with very good speed and solid decision making, but IMO the Bengals are, or should be, scouring every available source for a replacement in the middle. Ross will apparently not stick, but I think he was just a desperation move anyway.

Also, thanks for the kind words. People seem to forget that a 1-3 start last year still saw the Bengals in contention until the last weekend. That said -- with this defense I don't think it's too early to be VERY concerned.

[Kirkendall]

The Begals simply have to improve fundamentals i.e. tackling.

Why a professional team of paid players to play defense needs to re-learn how to tackle is beyond me. These guys should have learned the fundamentals of tackling in pee-wee, high school and college ball. Professional football isn't about teaching players how to play, rather it's the next level. If they can't tackle, why are they here?

I'm still thinking the Bungles are 1 year away from good stuff. They need to address their defensive line problems and fire Drunkowski at the end of the year.

Absolutely! Especially firing Brat..

Yesterday's team website suggested that another rookie -- Caleb Miller -- is likely to see time at MLB.

There's no way this can happen. Miller is too inexperienced and too small to play MLB. I could see however Hardy going back to MLB and let Miller use his speed at OLB.. just a thought.

[skyline]

If Brat is gone, they will need to find someone that runs a very similar system. If this team has to start from scratch, it'll be another year of problems...

[Kirkendall]

If Brat is gone, they will need to find someone that runs a very similar system. If this team has to start from scratch, it'll be another year of problems...

Start from scratch now while the team is young. I really think Zampese will take over OC duties very soon (perhaps as soon as next season) and he could incorporate a more Brat system included with improvements -- such as rushing.

[kevnz]

If Brat is gone, they will need to find someone that runs a very similar system. If this team has to start from scratch, it'll be another year of problems...

I think you'd find Zampese (current QB coach, and probably either our next o coordinator or someones next year) would get the nod. He might introduce some things, but he wouldn't blow up the playbook.

[cincy9275]

if we are going to shuffle lb's i would put brian in the middle and put miller on the week side simmons is a better middle lb than hardy and has had some success playing the middle lb spot and the steelers don't have a big time te to give miller fits in the passing game that way miller could use his speed and not be so much of a liability with his lack of experience

[kybengalsfan]

Everyone is calling for Bratkowski's head, but nobody is mentioning Frazier. What makes anybody think Fraizer is getting the job done? He didn't last year, and things look worst this year after all the positive hype about an improved defense, with improved players. I hope I am wrong, but I don't see the D improving this year, especially with Frazier as coordinator. He is a failure at getting these fired up; even at this level there has to be some emotion.

[HoosierCat]

Why a professional team of paid players to play defense needs to re-learn how to tackle is beyond me. These guys should have learned the fundamentals of tackling in pee-wee, high school and college ball.

No, they aren't. Learning tackling before they get to the NFL, that is. That was Madden's point during the Eagle/Vikings Monday night game, in which the Vikings' tackling was even worse than ours last Sunday. After one of their many atrocious efforts, Madden noted that "they don't teach tackling in college or high school anymore."

Unfortunately, Al Michaels is so far gone in his journalistic dotage that he couldn't be bthered to ask the follow-up question, why is tackling not being taught? I don't know -- but my guess would be because tackling isn't what gets you drafted; certainly it isn't what gets you drafted on day 1.

Sacks, picks, forced fumbles, 40 times, how much you can bench, Wonderlich scores, blah, blah, blah, that's what makes a top pick. When was the last time you heard a coach say of a top draft pick, "he's the best tackler in the draft"? The only position where it even seems to come into play is for run-stuffing DTs -- hard to stuff the run if you can't tackle. But even then, the run-stuffing variety of DT is usually the No. 3 variety, taken behind the guy who can both rush the passer and play the run, and the pass-rush DT.

Bottom line, the reason so many NFL players can't tackle is that the NFL version of natural selection doesn't select for tackling skills. If you want to blame anyone, blame the cvoaches and GMs who don't put enough emphasis on tackling when they draft, and fail to institute "remidial tackling" programs for their players.

[redsfan2]

Everyone is calling for Bratkowski's head, but nobody is mentioning Frazier. What makes anybody think Fraizer is getting the job done? He didn't last year, and things look worst this year after all the positive hype about an improved defense, with improved players. I hope I am wrong, but I don't see the D improving this year, especially with Frazier as coordinator. He is a failure at getting these fired up; even at this level there has to be some emotion.

This has been a topic of discussion on this site since the end of last season. I may have been expecting too much too soon, but I'm disappointed in the performance of the defense overall.

Coach Lewis also alluded to the fact that he was going to be more involved in the defense .... and ... we picked up the Raiders former DC .... alone, none of those means much, but all together they don't look good for Frazier.

I will have to admit tho that it's hard to get a good handle on him because he wasn't given the upgrades that he and the rest of us were expecting to see on the defense.

Your point is a good one tho and hard to argue with.

[Barbarian]

Sacks, picks, forced fumbles, 40 times, how much you can bench, Wonderlich scores, blah, blah, blah, that's what makes a top pick. When was the last time you heard a coach say of a top draft pick, "he's the best tackler in the draft"? The only position where it even seems to come into play is for run-stuffing DTs -- hard to stuff the run if you can't tackle. But even then, the run-stuffing variety of DT is usually the No. 3 variety, taken behind the guy who can both rush the passer and play the run, and the pass-rush DT.

And I believe that this is the way the Bungles have been drafting for years on end--which would explain a whole lot of things.

Especially 40-times!!! I don't know how many times I've heard that Mike Brown goes to the Indy Combine and stands on the 40 with his own stop watch.

It's ludicrous. It really is. Strength, speed, intelligence, etc.--they're all important, however, Nehemiah (see 49ers receiver who never made the NFL--WITH WORLD CLASS SPEED) never made it. Neither should have Artrell Hawkins or Akilli Smith. No doubt these men are great athletes, but they should have never been picked into the NFL.

[HoosierCat]

And I believe that this is the way the Bungles have been drafting for years on end--which would explain a whole lot of things.

Well, it's the way virtually everyone drafts...but as my mother always said, if everyone jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you?" But that's something to look at in the offseason. For now, the coaching staff has to take a step back and run a s*it load of tackling drills, which I assume they are.

As for drafting for speed, intelligence, etc., I agree they should be big considerations because they're things that, unlike tackling, can't be taught. But...if you are going to deemphasize things that can be taught, it's incumbent on you to teach those things later on. Apparently, that isn't being done here, in Minnesota, or in many other places around the league.

[BengalBobNC]

I'm still thinking the Bungles are 1 year away from good stuff. They need to address their defensive line problems and fire Drunkowski at the end of the year.

Then they should be good.

I look at it this way: There was no way Marvin Lewis was coming in here and turning the worst team in the NFL from losers to postseason partyers in one year. Yet he almost did! I feel like the plan is for patience, build a team, and dominate! We almost made it last year, but our defense wore out down the stretch. He drafted 6 or 7 defensive players this year and picked up more defensive help via free agency and trades. We got hit bad with injuries so far this year. This year, Palmer is getting the experience he needs. This team will continue to build because it is a pretty young team. We will be good, we will be very good! And if that doesn't happen until next year, that is okay by me because the fix is in. This is no longer the dark years of Mike Brown/LeBeau/Coslet/Shula. We have gone screaming past that.

This year IS far from over. No matter....our future looks excellent!

[Tampa Bengal]

They need to address their defensive line problems and fire Drunkowski at the end of the year.

Then they should be good.

I don't get this fire Brat stuff. This is the same guy who took Kitna and brought his career back from the grave, granted the guy knew Brats system before he got here but it worked last year. Palmer is much better than Kitna, sure he made some mistakes but thats gonna happen. Warrick isn't in the line up so Chad is being double teamed. The line isn't healthy and because of that the running game is suffering. You can't blame the coordinator for injuries and rookie mistakes. Things take time to work out.

[skyline]

They need to address their defensive line problems and fire Drunkowski at the end of the year.

Then they should be good.

I don't get this fire Brat stuff. This is the same guy who took Kitna and brought his career back from the grave, granted the guy knew Brats system before he got here but it worked last year. Palmer is much better than Kitna, sure he made some mistakes but thats gonna happen. Warrick isn't in the line up so Chad is being double teamed. The line isn't healthy and because of that the running game is suffering. You can't blame the coordinator for injuries and rookie mistakes. Things take time to work out.

Yeah, I'm not ready to string him up yet either. Give him the year, and see what happens.

They threw in Baltimore because they were behind. Not all that unusual.

[kybengalsfan]

Firing Frazier makes a lot more sense than firing Bratkowski; at least they have been putting points on the board. We can win with a good kicker and a good defense. We have the kicker but the defense is awful.

[TippCityRick]

I agree. Frazier's defense is the problem not Brat's offense.

[Barbarian]

They need to address their defensive line problems and fire Drunkowski at the end of the year.

Then they should be good.

I don't get this fire Brat stuff. This is the same guy who took Kitna and brought his career back from the grave, granted the guy knew Brats system before he got here but it worked last year. Palmer is much better than Kitna, sure he made some mistakes but thats gonna happen. Warrick isn't in the line up so Chad is being double teamed. The line isn't healthy and because of that the running game is suffering. You can't blame the coordinator for injuries and rookie mistakes. Things take time to work out.

Nope--I can't accept this "we were behind" s**t!!! Drunkowski starting heaving the f**king ball before it was time for all that DESPERADO s**t.

Simply said--HE PANICKED. HE MIKE MARTZ'ED. And this isn't the 1st or the last time he's done it either. He's been doing the same s**t for 2 years!!!

2 stinking years?!?!?!?!!? Nah, he's had enough time to prove himself--and he's proved why he's the worst offensive coordinator in the game. And the cheapest too.

I will agree with the firing of Frazier. Off with both their heads!!! There are people in the Bungles' Organization that are completely capable of running their respective shows (offensive and defensive gameplans).

I'll make a bet that both of them stays--that will include next year too. Mike Brown isn't hasty with any kind of decision--especially if someone is LOYAL to the Organization.

:player: