Play Makers

[The Big Orange]

I see some play makers of the O side of the ball...but very few on the D side. We are simply very hopeful that some of these guys will "wake up". I guess it's the same sentiments we feel every year at this time, but I would just feel so much better with proof and production vs. just potential.

Because potential equals coach who can coach up, and besides a couple on the O side of the ball I'm not sure we've got that. O and D coordinators are more about overall vision and direction and play calling/creating, then really coaching a player up.

Position coaches who can build players up as rooks are what we need if we are to truly build through the draft like ML preaches about.

We've gotta have that with our DB's...we know we have a guy who has taken some questionable free agents and made them solid and filled in the gaps with rooks. We don't have a clue with our line backers yet...the potential is there, insert good coaching and we'll have something special. And our DL coaching is extremely suspect. We had better be solid at tackles and special at end because I think that is where our talent level is at if our coaching comes through.

Bottom line, in our division, if we don't have several guys on our defense turn into real playmakers we will be at 8-8 again next year. We belive the talent is there...we'll see if the coaching is.

[BengalsOwn]

Uh, we caused 36 turnovers last year. That's third best in the entire NFL.

All this defense needs is guys who can tackle the damn RB.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Uh, we caused 36 turnovers last year. That's third best in the entire NFL.

All this defense needs is guys who can tackle the damn RB.

If we could put these two things together, we'd have a top 10 defense. Here's hoping we do! :player:

[DesperateDerelict]

2004 Defensive ACTUAL play makers (players who could, and did, make the ‘big’ play:

T. James, B. Simmons, R. Myles (ST)

2004 Defensive OCCASSIONAL play makers (players who infrequently got it done:

R. Geathers, L. Johnson, D. O’Neal, J Thornton, M. Williams, N. Webster (inj.)

2004 “D” SHOULD-BE play makers (guys in a position to make a play, and too often didn’t:

D. Clemons, K. Herring, K. Hardy (gone), K-squared, J. Smith

2005 POTENTIAL play makers: (guys who will be put in a position this year to make the big plays:

B. Robinson, D. Pollack, O. Thurman, Abdullah, M. Askew, L. Moore, S. Shabazz

2005 NON Play-makers (won’t get a chance, or take advantage of the few they get:

C. Miller, E. Patterson, C. Powell, G, Scott, R. Baumann, Fanene

Did I miss anybody?

[HoosierCat]

2004 Defensive ACTUAL play makers (players who could, and did, make the ‘big’ play:

T. James, B. Simmons, R. Myles (ST)

I'd add in Marcus Wilkins on ST. Led the team in ST tackles (24), tied for lead in ST solo tackles (17), plus 2 fumble recoveries, including nabbing Sams' muff in Baltimore, the play that launched the big comeback win. Definitely a keeper.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Dude, put down the food and pay attention...... our defense has a lot of playmakers.

1. Tory James: Tory didn't go to the pro bowl because he didn't make plays, he went because he was 2nd in the NFL behind Ed Reed (who everyone agreed was one of the biggest playmakers in the league) in interceptions.

2. Deltha O'Neal: Despite missing several games and practice sessions, O'Neal had 4 int's including one for a TD. If he's not injured, he makes more plays.

3. Robert Geathers: 3.5 Sacks, 4 Passes Defensed, and an interception for a touchdown in spot play last year AS A ROOKIE. There's a damned good reason Smith is being moved to make room for Jumpy Jr.

4. Madieu Williams: 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, 7 passes defensed, a touchdown, 103 tackles (86 solo). What more do you want from this kid? Lets face it, he was a rookie learning 4 defensive back positions last year and now he's settling into one.

5. David Pollack: If we know anything about this kid, it's that he makes plays.

[Kirkendall]

Uh, we caused 36 turnovers last year. That's third best in the entire NFL.

I don't think he's just talking about turnovers.

Big hits on 3rd down. Interceptions on the final drive for the opposition. A sack when the opposing team is driving. Things that change the balance of the game. Taking over the big mo' to change the other team's momentum. That type o' thing.

If I were to choose one (since I hate making lists) it would be Geathers for now. He made some great plays during critical situations. He just needs more PT to really be considered a playmaker though.

[schweinhart]

Jumpy Jr is gonna skin some hide this year. Excellent things happen when he's on the field.

I'd add Keiwan. Dude is a ball hawk and should bump James either this year or next. He just needs to catch the ball. Plus, he's can patrol FS w/o fear of contact and returns punts better than anyone else on the team.

[DesperateDerelict]

Excellent! I forgot all about the rat-liff!

The guy I look for to make the biggest leap, and who we can rely on when we need a 3rd down stop or turnover, is Madieu Williams. He is meant to play center field!

[BengalPappaw]

Okay!! Ratliff finally got added -- he IS a playmaker.

My playmaker list on D that will "step it up" this year are: Pollack, Ratliff, Madieu W, Thurman, Geathers, and J. Smith.

My steady playmakers on D are: Simmons, Thorton, Landon J., ONeal and T. James

My Bottom line -- we have lots of "playmakers" on D this year. I'm hoping for a "killa defense".

AND, if the D is down one game we have even more playmakers on O this year!!!

AHHHH isn't it great to dream what may be!!

Lets start the season next week -- I'm ready!!! :player:

[The Big Orange]

I tell you I am feeling much better after hearing you guys pipe in...but what I still want is for there to be some fear from somebody when they play us. Sometimes we got that in our passing D last year with all of the picks.

But nobody is afraid to go accross the middle. We don't have anybody on the line that makes QB's squirm. None of our linebackers are headhunters...I do like how Landon (who was known as the "Silent Killer" in college) would hit. I could usually tell it was him before I saw his number just by the way he hit. Madeiu is my favorite Bengals player, but I'd like to see him take somebody's head off sometimes, instead of just drag him to the ground.

Don't get me wrong, I think the potential is there, but for every stupid penalty that we got last year we didn't get hardly any (if any) for something good like unnecessary roughness. And if you don't think that an NFL D doesn't need that, then we just aren't watching the same game. D should have a big fear element, we don't have that...not in the last several years.

[Kirkendall]

I don't think Ratliff is a play-maker yet. He's still got to earn the starters job first. Maybe he will be in the future, but he's still got a lot to do before then.

I'm with TBO, we don't have that fear guy yet. That guy that the defense looks to to make a difference; change the complexion of the game.

Is that guy on roster? Could be. But we have a pretty young defensive roster too.

[DesperateDerelict]

Madeiu is my favorite Bengals player, but I'd like to see him take somebody's head off sometimes, instead of just drag him to the ground.

I seem to remember at a home game Madieu getting a bs penalty in the middle of the year for 'leading with the helmet' or some such nonsense when he nailed an opposing receiver.... His tackling subsequent to this personal foul was a lot less aggressive.

It was a crappy call, and it made him more tentative

[HairOnFire]

Everybody wants the monster in the middle but the thing that impressed me most about the old Raven defense that Lewis built was the amount of production and impact he got from role players. Everyone knows who the stars were on the Ravens championship defense and their reputations were well deserved, but Lewis used a heavy rotation that produced contributions from everyone on the roster....something Bengal fans witnessed last year.

What I'm looking for now is more production from those same role players now that they have some experience and a better idea of what their role is. That alone could produce a major jump in the defensive rankings. And the potential big play impact of new starters like David Pollack and perhaps Robert Geathers can't be ignored.

The time hasn't come yet, but pretty soon we're going to have to think of a worthy nickname for this bunch.

[TJJackson]

2004 Defensive ACTUAL play makers (players who could, and did, make the ‘big’ play:

T. James, B. Simmons, R. Myles (ST)

<snip>

2005 POTENTIAL play makers: (guys who will be put in a position this year to make the big plays:

B. Robinson, D. Pollack, O. Thurman, Abdullah, M. Askew, L. Moore,  S. Shabazz

<snip>

Did I miss anybody?

Yes.

Look just to the left of this post. That's Mr Myles, who will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of this year.

He's mentioned for 2004, but not for 2005.

Look for even bigger hits in 2005 as looks toward his big payday

Also, I think Madieu will make some big plays this year, and he too is absent from your 2005 list.

How about putting up a new/edited list? Don't edit the old one, or you'll appear to invalidate existing comments

[The Big Orange]

Hair, your nickname comment makes me smile. Wouldn't that be just swell. Not since the Who-Dey chant and the Ickey Shuffle have we been known for stuff. Of course that Fulcher guy didn't need any of that...he was a one man wrecking crew with Solomon and other real good talent around him.

I'm all in favor of a good leading with the helmet type of penalty. All I want for Christmas is a John Lynch fine from somebody. If David Pollack can give Boller a concussion, I say let him wear whatever number he wants.

I do see the makings of a rotating system which accentuates players strengths and responsibilities are really well understood in the making...Marvin's philosophy hasn't changed. I feel like we've upgraded in almost every position and a Hardy, Rogers Beckett, and Mike Williams just aren't good enough anymore. Soon Clemmons, Herring, and (I can't think of anybody else, whoever doesn't buck up) won't be good enough either. I like it that we don't seem to tolerate mediocre any more, and soon average and serviceable won't do either.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Uh, we caused 36 turnovers last year. That's third best in the entire NFL.

All this defense needs is guys who can tackle the damn RB.

Yeah, we did have a lot of turnovers.

There were quite a few playmakers last year, if you set aside all the excruciating running teams did on us.

Deltha, Tory, Jumpy Jr., Landon, and Madieu were all bright spots on our D.

And who could forget Justin Smith coming through and sacking Big Ben a couple of times.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Madeiu is my favorite Bengals player, but I'd like to see him take somebody's head off sometimes, instead of just drag him to the ground.

You musta forgot that hit he put on Hines Ward @ PBS last year.

Damn near decleated him, but he got called for a penalty.

[DesperateDerelict]

but pretty soon we're going to have to think of a worthy nickname for this bunch

Hair -

That certainly is worth a new posting . . . I can't imagine what this group will come up with . . . my first vote might be for "The Wrecking Crew"

[TecmoFever]

How about "The Georgia Bulldogs"?

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

How about "The Georgia Bulldogs"?

Naw, because if we do that, we have to call the wideouts "the Beavers"....

[bengalskyspy]

The Bengals Bloody Bastards. Bengals Bull Rushers. Bengals Brick Wall. Yeah,,, that's it... The Bengals Brick Wall... we would even have a theme song for the games when there's a stop on 3rd down... " all in all its just another brick in the wall" by Pink Floyd.

[HoosierCat]

I think the Giants have dibs on "wrecking crew" from the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" of the late Eighties.

Personally, I'd be happy with a nickname like, "Those 11 Guys Who Could Stop The Run." Little long, tho...

[TecmoFever]

How about "The Georgia Bulldogs"? 

Naw, because if we do that, we have to call the wideouts "the Beavers"....

Good point. And then we'd also eventually have to call our lineman the Central Michigan, er, guys.

[The Big Orange]

I like "The Brick Wall"...or the "Bengal Bricks". Of course that's kinda close to the "Bengal Pricks", which wouldn't be near as cool. How about the "Horrible Head Hunters"? or the "Teeth Rattlers"?..."Adam's Apple Crushers"? "The Ouch Men" "The Injury Report" "The Orange Bruise" "Marvin's Mayhem"