Len Pasquerelli article on espn.com

[jditty47]

Heres the part about the bengals:

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis has turned a deaf ear to the critics who are screaming for him to replace quarterback Carson Palmer, the first player chosen in the 2003 draft, with former starter Jon Kitna. We're not going to join the chorus. For one thing, Lewis made the offseason decision to switch starters knowing full well the result might mean some slippage from the Bengals' 8-8 record of a year ago. To have allowed Palmer to fester on the bench another season would have meant another year in an apprenticeship that wasn't paying any dividends. Plus Lewis knew he had the luxury of job security and could afford to take some lumps. Palmer has completed 104 of 190 passes for 1,023 yards, with four touchdown passes, eight interceptions and a microscopic passer rating of 59.6. There isn't much good about those numbers. At the same time, the second-year pro hasn't lost his poise, despite playing in an offense that hasn't run the ball very well and where wide receivers drop far too many big-play opportunities.

If someone wants to criticize Lewis for the poor play of his defense, a unit peopled by a lot of guys who played for him at various other NFL precincts, well, we won't get in the way. The Bengals rate dead last in the league in defense versus the run and face the red-hot Reuben Droughns of the Denver Broncos on Monday night. The way Cincinnati is playing versus the run, a well-constructed Reuben Sandwich might go for 100 yards. The Bengals are allowing 160.4 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry. Since the start of the 2003 season, the Bengals have surrendered individual rushing performances of 196 yards (Curtis Martin), 186 yards (both Jamal Lewis and Lee Suggs), 180 yards (Lewis again), 141 yards (Marcel Shipp), 123 yards (Duce Staley), 120 yards (Clinton Portis), 121 yards (Marshall Faulk), 115 yards (William Green), 104 yards (Domanick Davis) and 101 yards (Lewis for a third time). Those numbers aren't pretty and frankly, neither is the play of the Bengals' interior against the run. Tackles John Thornton and Tony Williams have not been effective, Cincinnati lost middle linebacker Nate Webster to a season-ending knee injury and the safeties haven't always supported very well.

Remember, the Bengals lost out in the free-agency bidding for Warren Sapp and then their efforts to land a big, run-stuffing tackle were further filed when Daryl Gardener, who had agreed to a contract, couldn't pass his physical because of back problems.

Not to be a Carson Palmer apologist, because he hasn't earned that yet, but the offense in Cincinnati needs to get more balanced and to get some playmakers on the field. Palmer is averaging 38 passes per game, and while Rudi Johnson is a nice enough runner, he isn't the blunt instrument pounding on defenses that Corey Dillon was. And in many games, in part because they have trailed early, the Bengals have abandoned the run. Palmer misses wide receiver Peter Warrick, whose leg injury will keep him out of a third straight game. Rumblings are that the injury, widely advertised as a bruised shin, actually is a broken bone. Warrick seemed to finally find his niche in 2003 as a slot receiver and he had 79 catches. He's got just 11 receptions for 127 yards right now, after grabbing 29 passes for 279 yards in the first five games last season.

[BengalBax]

Oh brother.....

[Barbarian]

Heres the part about the bengals:

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis has turned a deaf ear to the critics who are screaming for him to replace quarterback Carson Palmer, the first player chosen in the 2003 draft, with former starter Jon Kitna. We're not going to join the chorus. For one thing, Lewis made the offseason decision to switch starters knowing full well the result might mean some slippage from the Bengals' 8-8 record of a year ago. To have allowed Palmer to fester on the bench another season would have meant another year in an apprenticeship that wasn't paying any dividends. Plus Lewis knew he had the luxury of job security and could afford to take some lumps. Palmer has completed 104 of 190 passes for 1,023 yards, with four touchdown passes, eight interceptions and a microscopic passer rating of 59.6. There isn't much good about those numbers. At the same time, the second-year pro hasn't lost his poise, despite playing in an offense that hasn't run the ball very well and where wide receivers drop far too many big-play opportunities.

If someone wants to criticize Lewis for the poor play of his defense, a unit peopled by a lot of guys who played for him at various other NFL precincts, well, we won't get in the way. The Bengals rate dead last in the league in defense versus the run and face the red-hot Reuben Droughns of the Denver Broncos on Monday night. The way Cincinnati is playing versus the run, a well-constructed Reuben Sandwich might go for 100 yards. The Bengals are allowing 160.4 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry. Since the start of the 2003 season, the Bengals have surrendered individual rushing performances of 196 yards (Curtis Martin), 186 yards (both Jamal Lewis and Lee Suggs), 180 yards (Lewis again), 141 yards (Marcel Shipp), 123 yards (Duce Staley), 120 yards (Clinton Portis), 121 yards (Marshall Faulk), 115 yards (William Green), 104 yards (Domanick Davis) and 101 yards (Lewis for a third time). Those numbers aren't pretty and frankly, neither is the play of the Bengals' interior against the run. Tackles John Thornton and Tony Williams have not been effective, Cincinnati lost middle linebacker Nate Webster to a season-ending knee injury and the safeties haven't always supported very well.

Remember, the Bengals lost out in the free-agency bidding for Warren Sapp and then their efforts to land a big, run-stuffing tackle were further filed when Daryl Gardener, who had agreed to a contract, couldn't pass his physical because of back problems.

Not to be a Carson Palmer apologist, because he hasn't earned that yet, but the offense in Cincinnati needs to get more balanced and to get some playmakers on the field. Palmer is averaging 38 passes per game, and while Rudi Johnson is a nice enough runner, he isn't the blunt instrument pounding on defenses that Corey Dillon was. And in many games, in part because they have trailed early, the Bengals have abandoned the run. Palmer misses wide receiver Peter Warrick, whose leg injury will keep him out of a third straight game. Rumblings are that the injury, widely advertised as a bruised shin, actually is a broken bone. Warrick seemed to finally find his niche in 2003 as a slot receiver and he had 79 catches. He's got just 11 receptions for 127 yards right now, after grabbing 29 passes for 279 yards in the first five games last season.

This is a great analysis by Pastabelly.

I can't fault any of it. The moral of the story:

You can't place blame on your first year QB when the offense clearly hasn't been balanced (eh, Kirk?)--and the Defense has been god-awful.

kINTna or Palmer would have taken the Bungles to the playoffs last year, if it weren't for the horrid defense!!!!!

[Bobcat Bengal]

The Bengals are allowing 160.4 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry. Since the start of the 2003 season, the Bengals have surrendered individual rushing performances of 196 yards (Curtis Martin), 186 yards (both Jamal Lewis and Lee Suggs), 180 yards (Lewis again), 141 yards (Marcel Shipp), 123 yards (Duce Staley), 120 yards (Clinton Portis), 121 yards (Marshall Faulk), 115 yards (William Green), 104 yards (Domanick Davis) and 101 yards (Lewis for a third time). Those numbers aren't pretty and frankly, neither is the play of the Bengals' interior against the run.

Damn....thats a helluva stat right there...

I didnt realize it was that bad.