Thanks a ton for that 3-4 look with JPP at ILB and Osi at RDE that left a hole you could have driven John Holmes through with no pain. Brilliant way to use your best edge rusher, on the fucking inside. I'm also pretty happy with how you haven't closed down the zone coverage at all and moved your safeties closer towards the hash marks and 2-3 yards further up the field like a real Cover 2 would, you don't need to study what a shitty team like the Bears do on offense, and certainly you wouldn't want to pattern anything after the Steelers and their rolled up C-2. Be your own man!!!
And Corey Webster being totally flummoxed 9 weeks into the season against the opponents best player? Bravo sir, why on Earth would he want to waste time playing defense when standing still is just as easy and the results are the same? I'm also particularly proud of how wide you allow your worst DL to play outside at RDE, why use gap discipline when Osi can fly upfield 8 yards past the QB and have a nice view of the Cincinnati 100 sections which are chock full of tubby midwestern goodness. Kudos as well for allowing teams free reign over the middle as you did in week one Vs. Dallas and continue to do in week 10. I predicted the night prior to the opener that our biggest issue would be deep and medium middle because you don't press your CBs, your LBs don't sink well enough usually (save for one play in the Super Bowl) and you love to stunt your tall athletic DEs inside or play them at DT so there is no WAY they could affect the wide open passing lanes that have existed since you got here.
Pressure? You don't need no stinking pressure, just send a 265 slow footed LB on a..delayed blitz on Osi's inside shoulder, that should work because the two guys who had to block #72 are really bored as he runs himself outside of the play by ignoring essentially 3 gaps at once. A gap blitz with a fast LB because double teams are aimed at JPP? Noooo JPP is inside or at LB or ..where is he?? that's a fun game. Using the talent you have at DE to open up the inside to LB, S, CB blitzes would be silly, you just keep looping them around like very slow flies swarming a carcass they may or may not want to eat. Most coaches would have watched tape, adjusted or gone back to the basics of the Cover 2 that you learned but not you big guy. You just won't let anyone dampen your creative spirit, now matter how badly you fingerpaint a all over our defense.
In your defense, you don't have much to work with, only 4 All Pro players, and certainly no high draft picks, I mean Corey Webster was a 2nd round pick...what a LOSER, Phillips, Rolle and Amukamara are all #1s so trust me pal, I feel your pain. Your DL?? Big money on Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, premium picks in Kiwi, Tuck, Osi, JPP, Linval Joseph but your hands are tied by that confounded Jerry Reese who just keeps stockpiling OL players but won't even look to the DL or secondary. He sure never got you any LBs, he didn't sign a high priced one, draft 3, trade for another and dust one off and buff him to a big white shine so he could rescue you in the Super Bowl. What are you supposed to do when you have no talent, and the front office does nothing to help your side of the ball at all. Stay strong Perry, you'll show those bastards.
When the offense repeatedly goes 3 and out or turns the ball over, you increase the odds of the other team scoring and that's what we've seen happen. If the offense can sustain more drives and be more efficient in the red zone, the defense will benefit. It all goes hand in hand. It's not a matter of singling out each unit as much as it is pointing out that they each effect the other. And right now, neither is playing well. Thus, ugly losses and terrible football.
hopefully the communication gets cleared up/defense simplified and having kenny phillips/rivers or williams back on the field will improve run defense and elimination of the deepballs/miscommunications.
The same reason,ego.Maybe a little bit of stubbornness.Perhaps Fewell is conscious of how it would look to teams who are considering him as a head coach.I believe he did come out and deny he even made significant changes last year.
79 yards - TD
11 Yards - TD
49 yards - loss of downs
60 yards - FG
Now the only POSITIVE thing shown there is a loss of downs. And it was a 11 play drive, took time off the clock. Good defense makes stops. I believe part of the problem with the offense is that it never gets into a rhythm.
And even the 11 yard drive, we had them 3rd and 10 - and we still couldnt stop it. Defense is a huge problem. Always has been, always will be.
I mean, this logic just makes no sense to me at all.
I can't kill a defense for giving up a TD when the team starts on OUR 11.
Forcing a turnover on downs and holding a team to 3 are fine.
A 11 play 50 yard that results a loss of down isnt good either.
Two drives that take up 12 minutes is not good defense. Good defense know how to get off the field.
These two drives took up 14 minutes of the first half. How can an offense get ANY rhythm when they are not on the field? Getting 3 and outs are good results.
We're 12th in points allowed, were creating more turnovers than any other team. I'm annoyed by the blown assignments and lack of pressure and we need to be better. But it's not like we are giving up TDs every single time the D takes the field.
Hey Perry, just cause your making millions, doesn't mean you have to try to force people to think your brilliant through your schemes.
It's NOT ABOUT YOU DUDE.
And yes you can expect offense to make long drives like that. But the Bengals were 3 for 3 in the first half. We didnt stop them once. A good/great defense forces 3 and outs. A good defense doesnt get field position flipped on them continuously.
This is about the 4th or 5th time this season where our opponent hasnt punted in a half. That is very bad. I am not absolving the offense, since they have been putrid. But its tough when you only get 2-3 chances to score in a half. Momentum is very big in football, and BOTH the offense and the defense do a bad job of maintaining it.
The thing is the defense has been doing it for 3 years, while the offense has been doing it for 3 games. Relying on other teams to make mistakes is very dangerous.
And ill say it again. its been documented in articles that the 2 years prior the players have gone to Fewell and asked for the simplification and after its done our defense has played better. Earlier this year we heard grumblings from Webster about the scheme again. If people want to wait till our backs are totally against the wall yet again to call for a change then thats your choice but that just doesnt make any sense to me.
the starting D-Line
Boley and Rivers at LB
webster - rolle - prince at CB
brown + phillips deep
-------
this accomplishes getting hosley off the field for the stretch run (like they did with prince last year). too many mistakes from him - put it in the hands of the vets. jayron's day will come
this includes putting kiwi in the defensive end rotation
boley + rivers gives u tremendous range, instincts and tackling ability at linebacker
get ur best players on the field, in position, to defend the belt. if rivers keeps going down, hopefully j-will is ready to step in, but they really need to get the same 11 guys stringing practices together