Defense is better than it's stats.

[walzav29]

I look at the point's allowed and the yards they give up and it looks bad, but the turnovers are such a big deal. It's not like in the past where the defense just couldn't stop anything. It seems like they can stop the run sometimes, and the pass sometimes. Just not both yet. That Chiefs game is going to be rough. I know it's looking ahead, but I just can't help it. New Years eve we'll find out if we're playing for the 1st rnd bye or not. The Broncos play the @SD on Saturday, and the Bengals @KC the 1st. The Chiefs haven't lost in December at home for a while.

[jjakq27]

I look at the point's allowed and the yards they give up and it looks bad, but the turnovers are such a big deal. It's not like in the past where the defense just couldn't stop anything. It seems like they can stop the run sometimes, and the pass sometimes. Just not both yet. That Chiefs game is going to be rough. I know it's looking ahead, but I just can't help it. New Years eve we'll find out if we're playing for the 1st rnd bye or not. The Broncos play the @SD on Saturday, and the Bengals @KC the 1st. The Chiefs haven't lost in December at home for a while.

It doesn't help when your offense can score so quickly. They aren't on the field very long or because of the turnovers, the field position can be inside the 50 somethimes.

The late 80's Bengals had the same problem.

[Spain]

I was thinking about posting something similar. This d is turning the corner and getting better every week. They are slowly (very painfully slow) getting better. Water boys hold out kept him from making an impact. You remeber the artcicles about how it wouldnt hold him back? Odell has caught on. J Smith and simmons have played their best games the last 2. They are going toneed to continue the improvemant if we are to get to th AFc championship game.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Hmm, Indy's defense sure had no problems holding the Texans to 3 points last week despite running the same fast-paced offense with big plays.

It's hard for me to look at a defense that gives up 29 points to the Ravens despite only one turnover, or 31 to Pittsburgh with no offensive turnovers, and say they are indeed "getting better."

I don't know what the problem is exactly, other than obvious ones like Odell over-pursuing against the run, Ohalete and James in coverage, lack of sacks or negative yardage plays, etc..., dunno.

I do know that expecting them to score 40 points every week to win games isn't going to get them anywhere in the playoffs, so I sure hope the D is getting better. But they seemed to be a lot better early in the year when they weren't giving up so many points.

Let it ride, nothing we can do except watch and hope at this point. There's a reason guys like Fanene and Sean Smith are getting more time now and Webster was activated onto the roster.

[walzav29]

Your looking at the glass as half empty. I don't count the garbage time stats against the Ravens, and the Steelers could not run. That's all you've heard about after the 1st game how the Steelers can impose their will any time they want against the Bengals. The Bengals wanted a shoot-out. The speed of the defense cause some INT's.

[derekshank]

We've shown we can stop the pass. I think we've shown that we can stop the run too... it's just that we aren't able to do both at the same time. Edgerrin James had nothing, until we had to change schemes to stop their TE, because Manning was killing us...

The proof that our defense is getting better is the Steelers game... Yes I know we gave up 31 points... but we dictated to them, not the other way around... so that is improvement. If we weren't better, they would have run the ball down our throats again. Didn't happen.

We made them throw the ball early and often... The problem is that Ben, despite his 3 INT's, threw for almost 400 yards and 3 TD's. We are focusing on stopping the run... and are getting scored on more often now. We won't beat the Colts if we can't do better... but we have several weeks to work on it.

I guess each week we'll have to pick what we will stop, and go with it. If we make it to the AFC Championship game... we will have to really consider playing Ratliff at FS to slow their TE. If we do that, we very well may be able to slow down James, and keep Manning from going hog wild... but we'll have to get there first.

[ArmyBengal]

I will acknowledge the fact the D is getting better, but we are in no way shape or form where we need to be in regards to being a dominate defense. I know no one is claiming we are dominate, I'm just saying... If not for our offense's ability to run up points at will, there would be far many more pissed off fans in regards to our defense. Another strong draft or free agent pickup and Madieu coming back healthy will go a long way. Anyway around, I'm just happy as can be. The wife and I came home from being out and about just to watch MNF pregame on ESPN and hear what they had to say about the Bengals. Good times indeed !!! Carson for MVP !!!

WHODEY !!!

[bengalsfan2005]

i think the bengals defense will improve over the years..

[walzav29]

It's jumping the gun, but they have a shot against the Colts. The thing with the Colts is that they did not stop the Bengals at all. The Bengals made some mistakes and played the worst defensive game of the season. The Bengal's are the only team that can hang with the Colt's point for point. Manning has a long history of choking in the big games. Let's get the divion first. Then we'll go from there.

[HairOnFire]

The proof that our defense is getting better is the Steelers game... Yes I know we gave up 31 points... but we dictated to them, not the other way around... so that is improvement. If we weren't better, they would have run the ball down our throats again. Didn't happen.

We made them throw the ball early and often... The problem is that Ben, despite his 3 INT's, threw for almost 400 yards and 3 TD's. We are focusing on stopping the run... and are getting scored on more often now.

That's dead on. I'm a little bit torn on this one because I'm not a big fan of the strategy used against the Colts and every game since. I prefer a strategy that continues to take the pass away from the opposing team and dictates the opposition attempt to keep up with the Bengals offense with the run. But I'm not getting my way, and I won't complain much as long as the wins keep coming. That said, stopping the run was deemed a priority and the career passing days from Boller and Biggest Ben are the result.

[Stripes]

I think focusing on the pass on defense has forced opposing offense into our game. We've set the pace to be very fast in every game since the Colts game, and neither the Ravens nor Steelers have been able to keep up. It was simply foolish of the bengals to expect the Colts to falter in that sort of game, but against other teams I think it is effective.