Bengals Status

[CrashDavisSports]

I think this team can be pretty dang good depending on how Dalton performs this year. Hopefully year two was a dose or reality that you can't just skate by, that the league will figure you out, and you need to adjust. Same can be said for Gruden. Dalton needs to read and react quicker though, a lot of those sacks were on him last year.

However, starter and depth wise, very happy with the team for right now. As long as Brown resigns Green and Atkins next year to long term deals, we should be a competitive good team for 4 or 5 more years with decent to solid drafts.

 

[bengaldoug]

I think this team can be pretty dang good depending on how Dalton performs this year. Hopefully year two was a dose or reality that you can't just skate by, that the league will figure you out, and you need to adjust. Same can be said for Gruden. Dalton needs to read and react quicker though, a lot of those sacks were on him last year.

However, starter and depth wise, very happy with the team for right now. As long as Brown resigns Green and Atkins next year to long term deals, we should be a competitive good team for 4 or 5 more years with decent to solid drafts.

Dalton is still the key, and therein lies the potential problem. If the team is to rise to the next level, not only winning a playoff game, but becoming a legitimate contender, Dalton must get better. I'm not sure he has it in him. As he is now, we still lose to Houston in the first round.

 

[BigBlueNation111]

Dalton is still the key, and therein lies the potential problem. If the team is to rise to the next level, not only winning a playoff game, but becoming a legitimate contender, Dalton must get better. I'm not sure he has it in him. As he is now, we still lose to Houston in the first round.

 

[Skinnyfats]

The run blocking was pretty horrible last year. Also going to depend on how well the line is blocking.

 

[kramer1]

This just in! An NFL team is only as good as it's QB! Who knew!?!

 

[icehole3]

Do any of you guys think the Bengals improved more than Houston?

 

[kramer1]

Do any of you guys think the Bengals improved more than Houston?

No. I like Miami over us as well. Pitt will be better too.

 

[bengaldoug]

The only thing that could improve us ahead of Houston is great improvement from the quarterback. Houston added Ed Reed and got a receiver. We added Harrison plus a couple of new pieces for the offense. Can Dalton make use of the new pieces successfully? We'll have to wait and see.

 

[bengaldoug]

I think this team can be pretty dang good depending on how Dalton performs this year. Hopefully year two was a dose or reality that you can't just skate by, that the league will figure you out, and you need to adjust. Same can be said for Gruden. Dalton needs to read and react quicker though, a lot of those sacks were on him last year.
However, starter and depth wise, very happy with the team for right now. As long as Brown resigns Green and Atkins next year to long term deals, we should be a competitive good team for 4 or 5 more years with decent to solid drafts.

PFF stats absolutely support this. The Bengals OL was ranked second in the NFL as pass blockers by PFF last year, yet Dalton was sacked 46 times? The only imaginable reason is Dalton holding on to the ball way too long whether it was confusion or failure to throw the ball away. How many of those sacks effectively stopped would be scoring drives? I guess someone could look at the whole season on tape and give the exact number, but it's not worth it for me to do that.

 

[BigBlueNation111]

No. I like Miami over us as well. Pitt will be better too.

 

[Tubbs1518]

PFF stats absolutely support this. The Bengals OL was ranked second in the NFL as pass blockers by PFF last year, yet Dalton was sacked 46 times? The only imaginable reason is Dalton holding on to the ball way too long whether it was confusion or failure to throw the ball away. How many of those sacks effectively stopped would be scoring drives? I guess someone could look at the whole season on tape and give the exact number, but it's not worth it for me to do that.

It's not that he holds it too long, he feels pressure when there isn't any. He then tries to scramble and he runs into sacks. If he stayed in the pocket and stepped up he would have avoided a ton of those sacks. Honestly should have only gotten sacked like 30 times last year.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

It's not that he holds it too long, he feels pressure when there isn't any. He then tries to scramble and he runs into sacks. If he stayed in the pocket and stepped up he would have avoided a ton of those sacks. Honestly should have only gotten sacked like 30 times last year.

If that is the case, then his WR's are mostly to blame in this case, because they could not get open quick enough to allow Dalton to feel comfortable stepping up in the pocket to throw.

 

[Tubbs1518]

If that is the case, then his WR's are mostly to blame in this case, because they could not get open quick enough to allow Dalton to feel comfortable stepping up in the pocket to throw.

These sacks are all on Dalton. It's been talked about a lot by a lot of people. Dalton is just panicking when he shouldn't be.

 

[bengaldoug]

He panics, and then his progressions cease, and down he goes......if he could improve in this area alone his inaccuracy downfield would be much less a factor imo......

 

[Tubbs1518]

He panics, and then his progressions cease, and down he goes......if he could improve in this area alone his inaccuracy downfield would be much less a factor imo......

Absolutely. I think Eifert will help alot along with Bernard. Both will be great safety valves.

 

[bengaldoug]

Absolutely. I think Eifert will help alot along with Bernard. Both will be great safety valves.

I can't wait to see Eifert, Sanu and AJ together in the red zone....that should be really hard for defenses to deal with.

 

[Tubbs1518]

I can't wait to see Eifert, Sanu and AJ together in the red zone....that should be really hard for defenses to deal with.

Gresham would also be a great red zone target if he could catch worth a lick.

 

[bengaldoug]

Gresham would also be a great red zone target if he could catch worth a lick.

True dat. He still would be on the field in those packages, and still could help create mismatches. Maybe watching Eifert's good hands will rub off on him, out of fear of losing his starting job if nothing else.

 

[Tubbs1518]

I mean in the red zone think about AJ, Eifert, Gresham, Sanu and Bernard. Mismatches everywhere.

 

[cincygrad]

And we have Tits to jump offside which will raise the degree of difficulty!