Ratliff at Saftey

[GROIIIDayton]

After Oiams**ta got hurt on passing downs they had Ratliff playing saftey. This made me very happy and I hope to continue to see him play there. I don't see why he hasn't gotten more time there even before the injury.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Actually Mitchell was playing safety.

[derekshank]

Yep... it appears as though if Ratliff was ever going to play safety, he would have yesterday. Marvin just isn't going to do it.

[HairOnFire]

So much for the Tab Perry playing SS thread.

[walshfan]

Ratliff is too small to play saftey....185lb safety?????

Mitchel can do as good a job as Ohalete... how could he not?

[BengalsOwn]

Ratliff is too small to play saftey....185lb safety?????

Good point, considering Madieu is 195, and Kaesveharn is 196...

[GROIIIDayton]

I didn't say Ratliff played the whole game at saftey. I was at the game and can guarentee you that Ratliff saw time at saftey. Mitchel played saftey most of the game, but Ratliff was in on passing downs. I'm sure if someone taped the game you would be able to see Ratliff playing saftey. They moved KK to SS and Raliff was playing FS.

[Stripes]

I don't think Ratliff was ever playing safety honestly. I think on passing downs he was just in as a nickleback as usual. Mitchell was in on every play that I know of after Ohalete's injury.

[GROIIIDayton]

TDB you are wrong I know I saw Ratliff playing Saftey. My uncle went to the game with me and pointed it out at one point. It was sometime in the third quarter when I first saw him back there.

[Stripes]

Could be I suppose. In any event, I think Mitchell will still get the majority of the plays back there if Ohalete can't get back.

[GROIIIDayton]

Yet again I was right and we saw it again in Detroit. Ratliff played saftey on nearly every passing down.

[walshfan]

Yet again I was right and we saw it again in Detroit. Ratliff played saftey on nearly every passing down.

Good for you Gro!! Your perceptions are coming to light!

[AMC]

The rushing stats for the D over the last five games is rather stellar....That is a reflection on which position group??? LB with Odell, safety. DL, overall D, competition????

[walshfan]

tackles take on blockers freeing up the backers and safties to make plays... The backers have to be in their correct lanes to do this.

Coach Bresnahan is getting the point accross!

[7/11]

i saw ratliff at safety a number of times yesterday.

also, i noticed that mitchell had a couple really NICE tackles. his downfall is his movement, but he was a sure tackler yesterday.

[kayaker0678]

i think ratliff could be the man with the plan

[kentjett]

Ratliff was in at safety on a couple third down plays but Mitchell was playing majority of the time and did a better job than Ohalete has been. Mitchell didn't miss any easy tackles and came up w/ some big hits. He's not great by any means but he is definately serviceable. TBD, what year did you graduate. I graduated from Butler in 2000.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

The rushing stats for the D over the last five games is rather stellar....That is a reflection on which position group??? LB with Odell, safety. DL, overall D, competition????

Brian Simmons and Landon Johnson, and probably Sean Smith and the improved play of Thorton and Geathers (Justin Smith is just doing what he's always done - an adequate body who doesn't produce much).

Odell hasn't done much versus the run, kind of overrated amongst cincy fans - he still takes bad angles and over-pursues and gets caught up in traffic once he commits to a lane etc..., That said he's often dropping back into pass coverage - but vs the run he still doesn't seem to be the first to the ball very often for a variety of reasons.

It's why he won't be ROTY - he has some improving to do

i saw ratliff at safety a number of times yesterday.

also, i noticed that mitchell had a couple really NICE tackles. his downfall is his movement, but he was a sure tackler yesterday.

Are you guys sure you are not referring to #21 Bauman? He was the one making those sure open field tackles from what I remember Sunday. I like him much more so than Mitchell outside of special teams.

[Spain]

Watched tape, Ratliff came in on third and long for mitchel , looked like the dime. Mtchel cant cover but he takles ate least.

[derekshank]

The rushing stats for the D over the last five games is rather stellar....That is a reflection on which position group??? LB with Odell, safety. DL, overall D, competition????

I guess I just don't see the rushing defense as that different from the beginning of the season.

Over the last 5 games, we are allowing only 92.6 yards/game on the ground. That is damn decent... but we weren't bad before the bye either.

We only had 2 bad games, and this gave the impression to us, and to the rest of the world, that our rushing defense was weak. These stats are not an accurate measurement of our rushing defense for the entirety of the year.

Against the Jags in week 5 and the Steelers in week 7 we allowed 404 yards. 2 ridiculously bad games do not give an accurate picture. No one thinks that the Colts O-Line sucks now, bcause they gave up 4 sacks to the Chargers. You can't ignore the first 13 games of the season.

So, taking away weeks 5 and 7, we allowed only 103.1 yards/game rushing. The rushing defense has improved slightly over the last 5 games... but not dramatically.

[Stripes]

The rushing stats for the D over the last five games is rather stellar....That is a reflection on which position group??? LB with Odell, safety. DL, overall D, competition????

I guess I just don't see the rushing defense as that different from the beginning of the season.

Over the last 5 games, we are allowing only 92.6 yards/game on the ground. That is damn decent... but we weren't bad before the bye either.

We only had 2 bad games, and this gave the impression to us, and to the rest of the world, that our rushing defense was weak. These stats are not an accurate measurement of our rushing defense for the entirety of the year.

Against the Jags in week 5 and the Steelers in week 7 we allowed 404 yards. 2 ridiculously bad games do not give an accurate picture. No one thinks that the Colts O-Line sucks now, bcause they gave up 4 sacks to the Chargers. You can't ignore the first 13 games of the season.

So, taking away weeks 5 and 7, we allowed only 103.1 yards/game rushing. The rushing defense has improved slightly over the last 5 games... but not dramatically.

That could aslo have been a measure of our competition this season. Early in the year, when we played two teams that live by running the ball in Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, they devoured us just as we feared they might before the season. We've done well to stop the run against bad teams or when we've stacked the box (in which case we've surrendered huge yardage through the air).

[schweinhart]

The injury to Ohalete has forced the Bengals to expand the roles of other players. And that will help going into the playoffs by giving multiple looks with different personnal that will make it harder for opposing QBs to read.

None of the safeties are more phsyical or take better angles with more forward speed than Ohalete, which is proly why Marvin elevated him to starter not only this year but also in 2002 with the Skins.

But fortunately the rest of the safeties use their arms to tackle, don't routinely whiff on the first cut, and have better reaction and speed going back into coverage than Ohalete.

Keiwan covers range like Ohalete can't, but I really don't see Keiwan coming up off of free either in a cover 2 or centerfield to tackle, say, Mike Anderson, Duce Staley, Larry Johnson, Corey Dillon, Greg Jones..ie any big back the Bengals may face in the playoffs. Still, that look with Keiwan to free safety and Bauman in the slot on nickel vastly improves pass coverage against teams like Indy, KC, or New England.

K2 looks stronger this year but still gets either pinned or crushed too much against bigger run blockers. But he is a sound tackler and covers like a zone corner, which helps against passing teams. And he's a proven player whether he's dropping back or in the box.

Mitchell is the most situational of the group but excels at blitzing, not so much with speed as his ability to avoid blocks to get to the QB. He's a much surer tackler than Ohalete when he gets to the ball but his coverage skills are very limited.

The good in all of this is that the Bengals have given experience to their personnel to help gameplan better against whatever team they face.

The bad is that if you took the good in the bunch and dropped all the bad in each one, you'd have Madieu.

[CantStop85]

I would like to see Bauman at safety occasionally. The kid can tackle and always plays hard. And before anyone mentions his height or weight, yeah I know.

Anyone else noticed an immense improvement in John Thornton the past few weeks? Seems like he plays better when Shaun Smith's right beside him.

[schweinhart]

Anyone else noticed an immense improvement in John Thornton the past few weeks? Seems like he plays better when Shaun Smith's right beside him.

Yes. I'm still pretty sure Thornton would be best as a 3-4 DE, but his play at DT in a 4-3 is definitely improved next to a bigger DT who fills that LDT gap and commands more attention from the O-line. Thornton has held his own at the line and his ability to pursue down the line and downfield makes good things happen.

[Stripes]

I don't recall seeing Thornton making all those pointless tackles seven yards beyond the line of scrimmage many times of late. Yes, he has seemed to be improving, and with Smith in there making that much of an impact, there should be all the more reason for the Bengals to pursue a defensive tackle in the offseason, even a free agent.