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Ok no more negative posts


BengalBax

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I hereby promise to not make any more negative posts until the Bengals give me reason to. So since the game from Sunday is now ancient (and unfortunately unchangeable) history, lets talk about what we need to do to beat the Steelers.

1) We must win the turnover war. No more silly mistakes. Don't make TO's in the red zone. 3 points is better than none, let's get points EVERY time in the red zone.

2)Put massive pressure on Big Ben. We need to be in his face. I don't care about sacks, just make him throw it short and erratic.

3)RUN THE BALL. Take the heat off Palmer. Establish the run at any cost. Don't start winging it unless we are down by 14 or more. I really think Rudi is due a MONSTER game soon.

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I hereby promise to not make any more negative posts until the Bengals give me reason to. So since the game from Sunday is now ancient (and unfortunately unchangeable) history, lets talk about what we need to do to beat the Steelers.

1) We must win the turnover war. No more silly mistakes. Don't make TO's in the red zone. 3 points is better than none, let's get points EVERY time in the red zone.

2)Put massive pressure on Big Ben. We need to be in his face. I don't care about sacks, just make him throw it short and erratic.

3)RUN THE BALL. Take the heat off Palmer. Establish the run at any cost. Don't start winging it unless we are down by 14 or more. I really think Rudi is due a MONSTER game soon.

Number 3 would have and should have been Sunday's Game--if Drunkowski wasn't boozing it up at the Offensive Coordinating "Wheel" again!!!

I'm still saying that 23 for 98 against that defense is huge. It's a hellova lot better than what I predicted.

;)

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Come out passing and hopefully Warrick's healthy enough to play, try to get a lead and keep Staley and Bettis from running crazy on this defense.

Don't know if they need Warrick as much against the Steelers. both TJ and Washington had good games against the Ravens and the Steelers have a weak secondary. Don't get me wrong Warrick is a great option but he isn't as big a need in this game as oppossed to a team with better corners

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Bengals should move ball some but O-line problems seem likely to surface and gears look to grind in red zone.

There is no reason to believe the Bengals D will be any better this week. It should be even worse because the options so far considered for replacing Webster should make the Bus and Staley look like the greatest RBs who have ever lived. Plus, this is one of a couple games where O'Neal doesn't match up real well with the opps WRs.

Steelers 27

Benagls 16

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This is a winnable game, not sure if we will but its winnable & the keys to it will be setting up the run, once the run is set then it will take pressure of the passing game, with pressure off the passing game Carson will have a field day with the squealers secondary !!!

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Bengals should move ball some but O-line problems seem likely to surface and gears look to grind in red zone.

There is no reason to believe the Bengals D will be any better this week. It should be even worse because the options so far considered for replacing Webster should make the Bus and Staley look like the greatest RBs who have ever lived. Plus, this is one of a couple games where O'Neal doesn't match up real well with the opps WRs.

Steelers 27

Benagls 16

Aside from your prediction -- I wouldn't hand this one to the Steelers yet, they have their own issues -- I agree next Sunday looks rough. If Levi can't go then we're in for another reshuffling of the o-line, which won't do anything for that running game we need to take the pressure off Palmer. On the other hand, we can keep the backs and TEs in and go to max protect and let Chad, TJ, and K-wash try to exploit a weak Pitt secondary. On defense, I don't think there's much choice than to focus on stopping the run and pressuring Cheesligburger. Pitt's WR corps is a talented group; the only hope we have of stopping them is making Big Ben eat turf on a regular basis (and Pitt doesn't exactly have the world's greatest o-line.) Beckett may be back, which would be a big help in the run-stuffing department.

Damn bye week can't come soon enough, can it? This team needs to get healthy in the worst way.

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Defense, tackling, and o-line blocking. That is all it is going to take.  Those aspects were very lacking last Sunday.

I think that about says it all......

The Bengals had one of the Best O-Lines in the AFC last year.

But the OL has not been completely healthy since last December.

Every week now, it is a new set of patch-work.

It is The Weak Spot on the Offense.

And it is a Hugh Difference Maker.

A lot can be (and has been) said about the problems on defense.

The lack of a fat-a$$ run-snuffing DT....

Not signing quality free agents.....

Having a horrible draft....

The Scheme.....

But for the most part, what I have been seeing is our defense Getting into Position to make plays.

And then just Not Making the play.

Case in point......

Jamal Lewis' first run of the game.

A defender Meets him Head on Right AT the LOS........

But Lewis runs right over him without even missing a beat.

Well Jamal Lewis runs over a lot of people..........

But damn at least try to Grab him and Hold on and slow him down till help gets there.

I am also wondering if we don't have players on defense & special teams trying so hard to Force turn-overs that it is causing them to miss tackles ?

Case in point......

Jamal Lewis' back-breaking 75 yards TD run in the 4th quarter.

Justin Smith was in the backfield on that play......

But as Lewis took the hand off all I see Smith do is take a SLAP at the Ball.

He didn't try to go after the ball carrier or even take a lunge at him.....

I don't think that his feet even Moved.

I am not getting down on Smith I have seen other players on defense & special teams doing the same thing.

Yea we want to win the battle for turn-overs.

But not at the expense of missing tackles......

I know that we have had more than our share of problems with injuries and all.

But we still Need the OL Blocking and the Defense Making Tackles.

If we are going to be Winning any games.....

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The answers to a question like this are simple:

1. Run defense...it goes without saying. Duce Staley is no Jamal Lewis, but he has gotten decent yardage so far this year, and if he gets it close enough to the goal then Jerome Bettis will tear us apart. Gotta stop the run.

2. Tackling. I don't know who taught our defense how to tackle, but I'm guessing that it's someone who really likes to hug. Our tacking is as bad as the Chiefs, and that is pretty freakin' awful.

3. Palmer has to find a way to open up the passing game. I know that the O-Line is giving him absolutely no help, but Chad and TJ had no problems getting open last week against a good secondary. If short passes are all he can manage, then do it, but he has to do something. Also, he has to run up the middle if he's got a lane, as he failed to do numerous times last week.

4. Put pressure on Big Ben...he will crumble if the D-Line can put decent pressure on him.

As for my prediction, I have been thinking about it all week, and I have come to this conclusion: it will be a close game all the way, but the Bengals will improve just enough in their problem areas to make it work. Rudi still struggles, Palmer still struggles, but signs of improvement will be evident.

Bengals 24, Steelers 17

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1. Run defense...it goes without saying. Duce Staley is no Jamal Lewis, but he has gotten decent yardage so far this year, and if he gets it close enough to the goal then Jerome Bettis will tear us apart. Gotta stop the run.

Since 1996, Bettis has rushed for 1,463 yards against the Bengals in 15 games. Bettis burns us every time. But we gave up big yards against Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis; two potential hall of famers. As long as Bettis, the Bengal-killer, is left on the sideline, I think we've got a chance.

2. Tackling. I don't know who taught our defense how to tackle, but I'm guessing that it's someone who really likes to hug. Our tacking is as bad as the Chiefs, and that is pretty freakin' awful.

Why the Bengals need to learn how to tackle at the professional level is beyond me; and embarrassing. If players have trouble on defense in such a simple aspect as tackling, they have no right being in the NFL.

3. Palmer has to find a way to open up the passing game. I know that the O-Line is giving him absolutely no help, but Chad and TJ had no problems getting open last week against a good secondary. If short passes are all he can manage, then do it, but he has to do something. Also, he has to run up the middle if he's got a lane, as he failed to do numerous times last week.

Palmer is 4th in passing in the AFC, most sacks in the NFL, most INTs in the NFL, and most pass attempts in the NFL. Personally, I believe if the offensive philosophy is primary passing, then the Bengals will have problems all season. Proof? 52 pass attempts against the Ravens... NG, not good. Anyway, I'm hard-pressed to believe Palmer has anything to do with the Bengals struggles.

4. Put pressure on Big Ben...he will crumble if the D-Line can put decent pressure on him.

As for my prediction, I have been thinking about it all week, and I have come to this conclusion: it will be a close game all the way, but the Bengals will improve just enough in their problem areas to make it work. Rudi still struggles, Palmer still struggles, but signs of improvement will be evident.

Provided we can actually stop the rush. I believe if the Bengals have a chance, I think Frasier needs to force Big Ben to beat us; god knows Bettis -- or Staley -- (and/or a 10-grade running back) can do the job anyway.

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This game definitely has me worried. The Bengals are coming off a beat-down loss to the Ravens, are even more banged up than they have been, and are traveling to Pittsburgh where they tend to struggle even under normal circumstances.

I agree that they have to establish the run, and give Palmer the opportunity to take advantage of a weaker secondary. I really hope that they can at least score a TD this week!!! More than 1 would be preferable, but since its been 2 games without one I'll take what I can get.

That said, none of it will make a difference if the Bengals get run over by the Bus and Staley. Also, can we stop Hines Ward, and/or Plexico?? Hopefully the Secondary will step up in this game, but they'll likely be seeing more of Staley and the Bus if the front 7 can't stop the run.

Cincy won in Pittsburgh last year on a last second drive, hopefully they won't need that this year, but I'm worried that the team may be limping into the bye at 1-3.

On a more positive note, saw this on NFL.com:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7739181

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