Going into the season, the Bengals defensive line looked to be a lot better. But the doubt remained whether they would know how to overcome a few of the weaknesses of the 2008 season’s team. Let’s narrow down the 3 essential areas as I see them.
The Bengals rarely got to the QB in the 2008 season, and when they did, it customarily came from the linebacker position.
During the game vs. the Broncos last Sunday, the team recorded 3 sacks, all of which came from the defensive unit. DE Antwan Odom registered two sacks, including one huge one late in the game, which knocked the Broncos out of field goal position.
The other came from Jonathan Fanene.
Presently, I’d say the defensive line looks improved in the area of attacking the quarterback, although there is room for much improvement. A lot of that comes from the other DE, Robert Geathers, but his inconsistency continues to be a dilemma.
During training camp, the d-line seemed like they were going to take it to the next level, with respect to stopping the run. The signing of Tank Johnson was bound to benefit the team in this respect.
For the matchup versus the Broncos, the rush defense was rather pedestrian. There was nothing that stood out, although the d-line did not surrender any big plays either. They let up an average of 3.8 yards per carry and 75 yards.
That’s a step in the right direction, from a sheer yardage perspective. If you offer up less than 100 yards on the ground, you are giving your franchise a chance to win.
It would be great to see the yards per carry average come down to 3 or less, however. While Tank Johnson saw a fair share of double coverage, he nevertheless made an impact with two tackles and brings a swagger of toughness to this line.
Tags: Gambling