Some Questions About the Offense

I am told Chad gets "double-teamed" every play.  I can't really verify this as watching the games on TV you don't get a shot of what goes on in the secondary or on the outside of the play.  He got 7 out of what looks to be 36 possible targets last night.  TO got 14.  Here are some stats from other teams that have at least two marquee pass catchers (at least one of which is an alleged clear number WR1).  The figures are targets and total passes for the year:

• Arizona:  Fitzgerald (86/257), Breaston (38/257)
• Atlanta:  White (88/288), Gonzalez (59/288)
• New York Giants:  Nicks (84/271), Smith (72/271)
• Indianapolis: Wayne (93/351), Clark (53/351 - would be around 70 if you add Tamme's stats from last week)
• Cincinnati:  Owens (100/318), Johnson (75/318)

I see no reason why Larry Fitzgerald, Hakeem Nicks, Reggie Wayne, or Roddy White (who just last week against the Bengals caught 13/33 for 201 yards) wouldn't receive the same types of coverage that Chad does yet they seem to get the most targets.  Lots of things can explain this but it's not like, outside of Arizona, these are bad quarterbacks forcing the ball to one WR even if that WR gets more defensive attention.

Something doesn't add up with this double coverage excuse.  I think it's a couple of things:  1) Chad really has taken a step back from the elite level and 2) Carson just seems to be forcing it to TO whenever he can.  I would love if it someone who watches film can even tell me if either TO or Chad receives more attention at this point.  You have to wonder why teams would worry more about one of these guys than the other.  In fact, TO certainly seems more dangerous.  If these receivers really do get equal attention at this point, it seems like this strange over-targeting of a WR2 would be on Carson.

Next topic:  Play Calling on Last Drive

After a 3 hour exchange between the Bengals and Steelers where each team insisted the other team win the game ("no really, I INSIST") it seemed like the Steelers trumped all prior efforts of politeness and handed the Bengals the game after Jeff Reed hooked a field goal wide.  The Bengals started their final drive to win the game at their own 36 yard line with 3:59 on the clock and 3 timeouts.

First, we had all 3 timeouts.  This is nothing short of a miracle.  Second, 4 minutes and 64 yards is a fucking ETERNITY - you really don't even need the timeouts.  Third, this is play-calling heaven.  It's late in the game and you need a TD, so it sorta feels like a 2-minute type drill situation, and the defense will shade towards the pass as if it is a 2-minute drill even though you don't need to pass at all.  The defense is also likely more tired than the offense.  It's a perfect drive to call both runs and passes as well as use the entire field and let the clock bleed away so you don't leave them an opportunity to retaliate.

So what do we do?  Call 14 consecutive pass plays, only 4 of which exploited the soft middle, and the last 5 of which were from shotgun.

Jesus Christ.  Bratkowski, you are fucking fired.  8 of those 14 dropbacks resulted in an incompletion or sack.  You think the Steelers might have been expecting passes?  Eat shit and die you brainless asshole. 

This is not me second guessing after the fact.  I was bitching about the whole drive (which almost succeeded in spite of itself due to some fluky shit like Benson's tipped dump off) at the bar while others at the table uneasily pretended not to notice my tantrum.

Don't expect any of this to get fixed.  Neither Marvin nor Brat nor Carson have any incentive to fix this beyond pride.  And that's not something you can rely on under the Mike Brown autocracy.  Thus ends my on-field nitpicking for the day.  I needed to change things up after some big picture ranting yesterday.

Comments

[TJanns]

Yeah. They could have run it 2-3 times on that drive with success. But no.

Also, I heard the announcers at least 3 times mention how Carson 'missed a wide open Gresham'. It's like he only looks for T.O. Which still almost won the game.

And, why can't this team throw screens or dump offs to Benson or Scott in the first FUCKING quarter. I'm done. Bratowski is such a joke, I can't stomach this anymore.

[Robert]

It might help Chad's cause if he actually caught the balls that hit his hands. Just sayin'.

[BMN]

Chad said that T.O. could be Batman and he could be Robin. He kinda walked right into it when you think about it...

[ghostchild]

Last night, Chad seemed to be teetering on the verge of slipping back into that full-bore whiny bitch mode of a few years ago. The attitude that completely kills his ability to have a positive affect on games. Seems like the "Are there really enough footballs to go around for both of these guys?" argument we heard all summer might be coming true, and Chad's on the losing end of it. Watch us let him go and sign with Baltimore to play alongside TJ again. T.O. can become "THE guy" but how many years does he have left? He's not a long-term franchise guy anymore, no matter how good he is.

[BMN]

BTW, after counting down to the 200 losses...I suggest a new countdown: til the days of the 10th anniversary of Bratkowski's hire as OC (January 24, 2001, in case you're wondering). 'Cause I defy you to come up with a coordinator who's produced such non-outstanding results for a whole decade that managed to keep his job that long.

[ickey's headband]

i was glad they threw the ball, that defense had been pretty much stuffing benson the whole game. the only time he got ANY yards was when they took the foot off the gas and just played the pass.

if TO catches the pass in the endzone on third down, we win. if shipley catches the pass on 4th we have a 1st down, then who knows..

am i missing something or did we not get to within scoring distance by passing 14 consecutive times. the play calling got them a chance to win late in the game (after being down by 20) against the leagues best defense...

by the way, we gave them the ball back with 40 seconds left on the clock, so there goes your time for running plays. yeah, i know about the time outs, but you all are talking about "they shoulda run the ball more," i'm saying, dudes shoulda caught the balls that were thrown to them. if you want to argue with me further about this point, im gonna cut you off and just say that we agree to disagree, ok?

throughout the game, we made plays, only to be called back by a holding penalty or a false start. how many 1st and 20s, 2nd and 20s, etc etc etc did we have to play through? how many of those we're after a play for first down had been made only to be called back. those are drive killers against the steelers, i dont care what OC you have calling the shots there just isnt anything he could have done about it. its called bad execution, plain and simple.

bashing BRAT is great because it makes it seem like there is some kind of easy solution, but it just doesnt make sense anymore. i still think he should be gone, mostly due to my irrational hatred for all people that make decisions about the bengals, but he just isnt as bad as everybody says he is. also, further disclaimer, i just dont think there is that much to it when it comes to play calling (and all you monday morning offensive coordinators calling for screens and dump offs would have to agree with me there, i mean, it seems easy enough to you guys to make those statements.) it still comes down to guys beating guys, our guys are just straight up losing their matchups. were losing in the trenches (sacks, QB pressures, holding penalties, false starts), were not catching passes that go right to our WRs hands. sorry, thats just how i see it. its the players=its the scouting=its the years and years of terrible player personnel decisions=its mike fucking brown's dumbass fault, all the way home. why even try to pass the blame to anyone else? thats probably why Brat is still around in the first place, M Browns very own deflector shield, his shitty OC.

my other thing is this, what in the hell were the bengals thinking when they decided to enter the season without a legit fullback, despite the fact that having one contributed to our rushing game last season and further that it seems like an essential component to a power offense (the kind that we were supposed to have). i mean, where the hell has the run game been this season??

lastly, can we start jerome simpson in place of chad for the rest of this long lost season? not only do we need to give this guy a chance to gain some real experience, but we need to know what the hell he's got so we can know its worth it or not the keep him inactive on the roster next year. i swear to god, what other team in the league holds on to a guy this long without throwing him in the water? you know, the question that everybody wants to know, will he sink or will he swim? also, chad is a dumbass and hes lost his game, at least with the bengals. lets move on from this sideshow once and for all. i still think he changed his name so he wouldnt be the lesser c. johnson....

[Mike Fightmaster]

I agree with everything that's been said about Brat and his shitty playcalling, but what do you all think about Carson being able to check out of passes and runs AFTER Brat calls the plays? I agree that Brat blows big dick, but I'm just trying to play devil's advocate. Maybe Carson really doesn't see the field well and his ability to audible is lacking because of his lack of confidence...

Just a thought.

[IvanPutski]

I'm the FNG here. I just learned to read and write. Monday night's game was symbolic of not only the Orange and Black this year, but as a franchise. Historically, they have been folly, outcoached, overmatched, and a national afterthought (I was going to say joke), which played itself out on the grand stage of MNF last night. Hank Williams JR must be rolling in his whiskey.
I don't live in town anymore, so I gave up my tix, but I still reserve a shitload of space in my life to dedicate to these fucking clowns (Browns). I'm not going to reiterate all the shit that has been correctly outlined here.

Here is what we know:
The Brown regime running a football team looks like a retarded kid playing with rubik's cube.
Marvin isn't coming back. His ship has sailed, and he's the captain. Even if we want him back, not sure we do, he is out.
Chad's perceived football talent is enhanced by his marketing value and he should be gone. His marketing value is not worth the Goddamn hassle anymore. Off you go douche bag.
T.O. is interesting. He's having a huge year, and CP seems to love him. He might really like to end his career with the best QB he's played with since Steve Young. I know, Carson has been bad, but he's been great for T.O.
Carson isn't going anywhere. Any mock draft site you see with Mallett, Locker, et al, is totally full of shit and don't know anything about Bengals ownership. Marvin's probably gone. Chad could likely be gone. Carson isn't going anywhere, nor should he.
Cedric doesn't get the ball enough. He needs to be signed to an extention... See next.
The fact that Bob Bratkowski has a job in the NFL is absurd. I wouldn't ask him to be a dad assistant coach for my 10 year old team. In fact, I would kick his nuts if he asked.
Zimmer is probably your next HC. Brat is your cab driver. Marvin is DC in a big time market, or HC in Buffalo. Chad goes to Oakland, which will fuck them up.
Thanks gang. Great site.

[Hofbraunow]

We need a delayed option play in the repertoire...we would mess up the opposition's defense with a play like that...everybody's reading pass...there's pass rushing...then BOOM...our guy's gone with the ball

[Hofbraunow]

I read somewhere that Chad felt "like crying" because of LeBeau's double coverage on him...pull yourself together, man!

I hope Chad was kidding...what a wuss...who the hell says that, about being double-covered...?

It makes me laugh, but now *I* feel lke crying, when i think about our season this year, and what's left of it...lol

[comrade guttersnake]

Hello from Afghanistan! I work up at the crack of dawn to watch what will likely be the last game I will be able to watch this season. Looks like I saw the finale...

That being said, I'm still going to keep checking in on this site as the only legit source for Bengals new and reviews. I agree with everything being said here, except for Icky's Headband - dude, not sure how much orange kool-aid you've been drinking, but seriously, talk to someone.

The rest of the season should be interesting. Season is all but done. True colors are going to come out, I think. If Carson has been jittery or conflicted or whatever, it should stop now; nothing to play for but to play. If personalities are going to deflate and give up, get ready. If a key players are going to step up and play for pride, lets see who they are. In the meantime, here are some thoughts on what I see happening at some key spots:

Coach Lewis - Unless he figures it out or shows a spark, he's done; Mikey will leave this whole mess of a season on his doorstep and use it as an excuse not to pay him. I look for a new, cheaper version next season. Maybe that Schotenheimer kid who's the O-Cord for the Jets. My hopefule vote is that we snag Charlie Weis from KC! One of my buddies joking offered that maybe we'd see The Chin in Stripes next season... I don't know how I'd feel about that one.
Coach Bratowski - No, no, no. But fuck... we'll probably never be rid of this horrible plague of man until Katie has the reins.
Coach Zimmer - Will not be the next HC. Not after this season. Love him, still believe in him, don't want him up front.
Carson - If the coaching staff changes (which it should), he'll get another year. If not, I would not be surprised if a cheap floating veteran QB shows up in the line before next season.
Ocho - I'm a huge advocate for Ocho, but he needs to get his head out of his ass. Ironically, the only one who has any hope of talking some sense into him is...
T.O. - I'm shocked that he is the only one that is keeping his cool on this team, keeping the in games, and genuinely being a (dare I say it) leader. Might get another year from Mikey at his current price tag.
Jordan Shipley - The prodigal son...
Cedric / Bernard / Leonard - No change... yet.
Full Back - Exactly.
Jermaine Greshman - Improving every game. Next year will be one of the top five TEs in the NFL.
Offensive Line - This squad is going to get dismantled and rebuilt in the offseason. Calling it right now - first or second pick in the draft will be a Guard followed by a Tackle.
Defensive Line - I still don't understand what is wrong with these guys... Atwan Odom had more sacks in Game 3 of last year than the whole line has had up until a few games ago. WTF.
Linebackers - We got big names that need to unfuck themselves or Mikey is going to put them on the Denny's payment plan.
BJ / JJ / Jones - Job security is all but locked, I think.
Safety - Gabriel Wilson was a 'band-aid aquision' when we realized that we weren't going to address this position with the draft. We will next year, possibly in the first round.
Kicker - I'm not going to lie, I was worried about this position. Now I heart the Nuge.

Gents its good to read you all again. Hof, SWB, Wyatt - I look forward to a beer in Cinci with you before the offseason next year. Perhaps Draft Day '11? I should be home then...

Cheers to all; Viva La Revolution!

[Hofbraunow]

Comrade Guttersnake,

Thanks for taking the time to write us, how's the chili over there? : ) Really though, don't buy it if they're sponsoring PBS...helluva game, though...of course I'm disappointed with the loss, but it was great to see some of the plays they made after 1st quarter...Pitts scored more points, but evidently we beat the crap out of them every other way, considering there was a Steelers player down after every other play...as for the 4th quarter, Shipley sticks passes like that...catch him on the next play like that, he's got it...

PS Throw a tarp on that computer before you start typing : )

[kensil]

Great questions. I was at the Atlanta game. Brat doesn't put Chad in position to beat the double. Watching the game Chad pretty always lined up on the outside and didn't go in motion..98 percent of the time there is a safety over the top on his side...Now Roddy White was not only on the outside but put in motion, put in a bunch formation, heck there was some plays he was put in the slot in a 3 receiver set..going against our nickel back..you can guess how that turned out. Tony G was bracketed sometimes. With some creativity Chad can get the ball..

[comrade guttersnake]

copy all, hof...

I actually had what passes for chili here for dinner... but it has goat meat and some oily curry sauce, which I'm actually fond of. While I don't think they support PBS, they may be supporting some other nefarious scheme... you really never know.

I'll see you on the high ground.

-snake

[Hofbraunow]

copy comrade guttersnake

You wrote that the game vs. pitts would be the last one you'd be able to watch this season...hope I didn't spoil it...the curry chili with goat sounds interesting...when you get back stateside, if you wind up missing it, they might have something similar (curry-type sauce) at Jungle Jim's...I don't know how they carry the inventory they do, seems like they've got just about everything there...

Did some work for a guy who just got back from deployment in Afghanistan, laptop repair...it was covered with desert/mountain (?) dust...when I disassembled it, there was dust everywhere inside it...we replaced just about everything...

Sounds like you'll be busy for while, give us a report if you get the time, over and out