Bengals v Bears Week 1 Recap

Sunday reminded me of a great oldies son: “Mama said there’ll be days like this, there’ll be days like this my Mama said.” Only that was not the proper soundtrack for Sunday’s game in Chicago. The proper track record would have been circus music.

 

However, 24 hours after the meltdown, I am bringing the voice of reason (without overlooking the problems). Take a deep breath Bengals fans and step back from the ledge. As I said in my preview, a loss to the Bears would not be reason for panic (regardless of how it occurred).  Sure, the way the Bengals lost was painful - killing themselves. Sure a win would have been huge – more so with every other AFC North team losing. Sure, they had it won and should have won. But, lets also give credit where credit is due. This is a good Bears team that made plays and will likely end the year with double digits wins. And, despite the bad (and there was plenty of it), there was also plenty of good to take away from this game. Prior to the game, if I were to tell you the Bengals would lose on the road to a Bears team that went 10-6 in 2012, you probably wouldn’t have been shocked. Losing on the road to a good team is hardly something to panic over – this was a 50-50 game. The frustration is they lost a game they should have won and failed to take advantage of an early opportunity to take the lead in what could be a tight division. While the saying may be “The good, the bad and the ugly,” we are going to reverse the order, get the bad out first, then the ugly, and then talk about what went well on Sunday and how that should lead to a victory next Monday. I am frustrated, disappointed, but still very optimistic about this team.

 

The Bad

Turnovers – Likely the most accurate predictor of football games are turnovers. In the last 20 years, teams with a +1 turnover differential win 68% of the time. Bump that up to a +2 and the win percentage goes to a whopping 82.8%. The worst team in the league can beat the best team in the league when they win the turnover battle. The Bengals and Bears are too closely matched for either to have much of a chance withstanding a -2 in the turnover differential category. While the Bengals were the better team yesterday, the Bengals were careless with the football, lost the turnover battle 3-1, and like many teams before them, lost the game because of it.

Turnover #1: Dalton’s INT was a poor throw by Dalton and led directly to the Bears first score. While I will not excuse Dalton, Green needs to at least break that up. Turnover #2: The 2^nd picks was not on Dalton and it cost the Bengals, at a minimum, 3 points. Dalton threw a perfect pass to Green and Green simply dropped it. While the Bears didn’t score, a catch would have given the Bengals 1^st and 10 inside the Bears 15, almost assuring the Bengals of 3, or maybe 7 points - as well as control of the game. Turnover #3: Sanu’s fumble was the nail in the coffin. Falling to the ground would have given the Bengals 1^st and 10 at the Bears 17 with 12:30 to play and a 21 to 17 lead. At worst, the Bengals go up 7 with less than 10 to go. At best they go up 11 with less than 10 to go. Instead, Chicago, like all good and opportunistic teams, took the gift and went straight down the field to score the GW TD with less than 8 minutes to play.

 

The Defensive Line – In my preview, I said the game would be won or lost based on the Bengals DL and their ability to control the Bears OL. The Bengals defense tied for 3^rd in the NFL in 2012 with 51 sacks. They were going up against a line with 4 new starters, 2 of which were rookies - the DL got some pressure (4 QB hits), but 0 sacks. That is an incredible win for the Bear’s OL and a tremendous loss for the Bengals DL. At times, Cutler had all day to throw, and on top of the 0 sacks, the DL (MJ specifically) let Cutler out of the pocket for a huge 18 yard scramble on 2^nd and 20. Two plays later, the Bears went for (and converted) a 4^th and 1, setting up the winning TD. Given what is expected of this line, Sunday had to be an utter disappointment.

 

Green’s Hands – Yes, I know he had 9 catches for 162 yards and 2 TDs. Yes I know he is a top 5 WR and  was one of the reasons the Bengals had the lead for most of the game. But, he also let a perfect pass from Dalton go through his hands and into the hands of Charles Tillman. It was a ball that any WR (not just an AJ type) should catch. While it didn’t lead to a score, it did have an enormous effect on the game and momentum. The drive prior, the Bengals offense hit their stride going 97 yards in 9 plays to tie the game, and were marching again for a go ahead TD, a score that would have swung momentum and limited the crowd. If Green catches the pass, the Bengals have 1^st and 10 at the Bears 15 – a near automatic 3 points (likely 7 with the way the offense was clicking). The Bengals have a very thin margin for error and can’t afford lapses like this (especially from Green – who also had a fumble earlier in the drive which luckily was kicked out of bounds).

 

Ball Security – Along with Green’s fumble that was kicked out of bounds, was the fumble by Sanu which essentially sealed the game. Sure, one play doesn’t lose a game, but this was the last of the major plays that did. This fumble was just poor football IQ. The fumble came on 2^nd down with Sanu right at the 1^st down marker and the Bengals already in chip shot FG range (17 yard line). I like a guy fighting for yards, but not in this situation. Sanu was boxed in by 3 guys and at best he may have been able to fight for another yard. The difference of that yard was 1^st and 10 at the 16 rather than 1^st and 10 at the 17…meaning he fumbled fighting for a yard that didn’t matter. Even if Sanu didn’t have the 1^st down, he was less than a yard short and would have given the Bengals a 3^rd and less than 1. Instead, Sanu fought for a meaningless yard, coughed up the ball, and watched the Bears march down the field for the eventual winning score. On 4^th down, that’s what I want him to do. On 3^rd down I might be able to excuse it. On 2^nd down, Sanu has to know better. Sanu’s skill set is unlikely to make himself a name in the NFL. To make a name for himself, Sanu is going to have to rely on his sure hands and savviness, much like a Wes Welker or TJ Houshmanzedah. That was not very savvy…or sure-handed.

 

The Run Game

14 carries for 25 yards? Really? Hell, I may have been able to get something close to that…ok, maybe not, but you get the point. Since becoming an OC in the NFL, Gruden has struggled If the Bengals want to win the AFC North (and help Dalton limit mistakes), they have to run better than 21 carries for 63 yards.

 

The Lack of Gio - What was the point in drafting Giovanni Bernard if they aren’t going to use him? I understand BJGE is still (in theory) their top back, but when your “top back” goes 14 carries for 25 yards, doesn’t it seem like a good time to try the new toy? Not to mention, in the few times they did use Bernard, he produced  22 yards on 4 carries (5.5 ypc), 1 catch for 8 yards, and another 14 yard run that was taken wiped out by a penalty.

 

Leon Hall – Hall didn’t suck and he had good coverage, but he kills me that he doesn’t turn around when the ball is in the air. How many times does he have to see a WR catch a ball on him despite him having good coverage before he learns to turn around. He is in position for picks, if he would turn around he could lead the league.

 

Zimmer – For the most part the defense played pretty solid, but there were a few head scratchers that may have cost the Bengals the game: 1) 3^rd and 17 and the Bengals fake a blitz – either bring the blitz or play to stop the first down. The fake blitz gets your guys out of position and results in Burfict on Marshall. Result = 18 yard completion; first down; TD. Burfict should never end up on the best WR. 2) Speaking of not being placed on the #1 WR, why was Nelson 1-on-1 with Marshall on the go ahead TD? 3) 2 timeouts in 1 play because you don’t have the right number of guys on the field (10 and then 12)? That is Mickey Mouse stuff. Those 2 timeouts may have been useful at the end of the game…maybe.

 

Maualuga – Death, taxes and Maualuga sucking. I’ve read articles claiming Maualuga played ok up until his bonehead penalty, but they must have watched a different game than I did. The 1^st TD could have been knocked away (or picked) if Maualuga did not have the worst timed jump since Rahim Moore. I also recall Maualuga being in the hole to stop Bush for no gain on a 2^nd and 8 on the final drive and he missed the tackle, leading to a 7 yard gain and an eventual 3^rd and 1 conversion. Then the unnecessary roughness penalty. I would call that a pretty poor game. Maybe we need to start designating bad games as “Reys?”

 

The Ugly

Penalties – 2^nd easy way to lose a game? Penalties. Especially dumb penalties. The Bengals racked them up on Sunday. 8 penalties for 84 yards. Can’t win many games like that. The sad part is, the numbers don’t tell the half of the problem. Terrible Penalty #1: Peerman’s block from behind on the Bengal’s first possession was a 50 yard swing in field position. Rather than start their first drive at the Chicago 27 with a silent crowd (compliments of Jones’s 50 yard punt return), the Bengals instead set up shop at their own 26 with a suddenly re-energized crowd and immediately threw a pick. The stat sheet shows 1 penalty for 10 yards. The effect was much larger. Terrible Penalty #2: Dre Kirkpatrick’s 15 yard personal foul penalty with 37 seconds left in the half which gave the Bears an opportunity to kick a 58 yard FG to go to the half 14-10 instead of 14-7. In a 3 point game, that may have been big, no? Terrible Penalty #3: Big Play Rey ending the game with a personal foul. There are not enough keys on this keyboard for me to properly express my feelings on this one. Thanks to Rey, the Bengals lost the small chance they had at a comeback. Rather than get the ball back with 1 minute to play, needing just a FG, Rey and the Bengals got front row seats for Jay Cutler’s victory kneel. 1 game into is new contract and Rey is back on my list.

 

Lack of Composure/Discipline – Peerman, Kirkpatrick, Maualuga, Shawn Williams facemask, burning 2 timeouts because you are unaware that the NFL only allows/requires 11 guys on the field.  Along with the 84 penalty yards, the Bengals 8 penalties also eliminated 72 yards of offense (the 50 yard punt return, an 8 yard catch and a 14 yard run). So the penalties were actually more like 8 for 156! I can handle some penalties (holds, PI, etc), but the personal fouls (3) and too many men on the field are just poor discipline and some of that is on coaching.

 

3^rd Down Defense - The Bengals ability to get off the field on 3^rd down in 2012 hurt them. On Sunday, the Bears were 6-14 on 3^rd down (42.9%) and 1-1 on 4^th downs. Those 3^rd down conversions include a 3^rd and 17 for 18 yards, a 3^rd and 9, a 3^rd and 9 for 13 yards and a 3^rd and 7 for 30 yards. 2 of those 3 conversions lead to a TD. The 3^rd TD included a 2^nd and 20 that was converted thanks to an 18 yard scramble by Cutler.

 

Game Management – Death, taxes, Maualuga sucking and Marvin not knowing how to manage a game, timeouts or his red flag. Example #1: Why challenge the first TD? Someone has to be phoning down to him (or should be) that there is nothing to challenge. I think Marvin just throws the flag on plays he wishes would be over turned regardless of what the replay shows. Example #2: There is a difference between aggressive and stupidity. I like aggressive play calling (Chip Kelly). The end of the half was not aggressive play calling, that was stupidity. If you want to go for the first down with 1:43 and 2 timeouts, fine – I still think it is stupid, but fine. You call real plays and use your timeouts. Once your first play nets -4 yards, you run out the clock, you don’t take the chance of an incomplete pass, Bears timeout, and a punt with about 45 seconds left on a short field…of course, that is exactly what happened. Example #3: Having 0 timeouts in the last 8 minutes because you had to call your last 2 timeouts on back-to-back plays where you couldn’t get the right number of players on the field. Example #4: Marvin carried 2 timeouts into the half and had 0 timeouts for the last 8 minutes of the game. By now you would think he would realize you cannot carry over timeouts.

 

The Good

 

Run Defense – Matt Forte is a great back, who if healthy, will likely approach 2,000 all-purpose yards in 2013; 1,300-1,500 of which will be via the ground. The Bengals shut Forte down with just 50 yards on 19 carries (2.6 ypc). The longest run by a non-QB was a 9 yard run by Forte. That is stout run defense.

 

They were the better team – This makes the loss all the more frustrating, but it is true. It may sound like typical loser talk, but it is true. Anyone that watched that game would have to admit that the Bengals were the better team (when it comes to simply the football part). They had scoring drives of 97, 91 and 80 yards, and 2 other drives where they were moving the ball unimpeded until they coughed it up. The penalties and turnovers can be fixed, and that is what killed them. The Bears did not beat the Bengals. The Bengals beat the Bengals.

 

AJ Green - Despite his drop and fumble, he is still a stud that is impossible to shut down (9 catches, 162 yards, 2 TDs – and should have been 10 catches for 187 and 2 TDs) and was the reason the Bengals had the 11 point lead they had.

 

Andy Dalton – I’m sure he will get blamed, but Dalton played really well (26-33, 282 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 97.2 Rating). The 1^st pick was his fault (though not a terrible throw), but Green needs to do a better job to break that up. The 2^nd pick was a perfect pass to Green and is all on Green. I was very encouraged by what I saw from Dalton on Sunday.

 

Gio – He barely played, but when he did, he produced. 22 yards on 4 carries (5.5 ypc), a catch for 8 yards, and a nice 14 yard run which was negated by a hold. This guy is electric and needs to find his way on Gruden’s play sheet more often than he did on Sunday.

 

Anthony Collins – I have always liked Collins and Sunday showed why. He was tasked with protecting Dalton’s blind side from Julius Peppers and he did a damn good job. In 27 snaps against Peppers, AC allowed 0 sacks and just 1 pressure. I love Whitworth for his attitude, run blocking and leadership, but when it comes to pass blocking, I think AC is better.

 

Tight Ends – I love the 2 TE set and Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert make the emergence of a #2 WR a moot point. 5 targets to Gresham and 5 to Eifert resulted in a perfect 10 catches for 82 yards. Easy to see why the coaches loved Eifert and Gresham looks like the pick of Eifert has lit a fire under him. Gresham has been running through guys this year!

 

Offensive Line – With Whit out and Smith hobbled, I was a little concerned about the line going up against a very good defense. At least in the pass game, they held up great, giving up just 1 sack and 0 other QB hits in 34 drop backs. Unfortunately the run blocking did not have quite the same success

 

Looking forward to Week 2:

Despite the loss, I remain high on this team. The way they loss kills me. The turnovers and dumb penalties kill me. But those things are correctable. Despite the 3 turnovers (2 in scoring position) and 156 yards lost to penalties, the Bengals still lead most of the game and had a chance to win it. Correct those mistakes (and I believe they will), and that game was a blow out. I think the Bengals will fix those issues prior to their Monday Night match up against a very wounded Steelers team. The 16-0 chase is out the window, but hey, they are still in first place. A win next week and they are guaranteed a 2^nd week atop the division.