It’s Super Bowl week and I am not picking a prediction for
the game. Why you ask? Because I am rooting for a tie and for no trophy to be
given out. Don’t know if that is possible, but a boy can dream, right? As a
Bengals fan that remembers the 80’s, I remember the 49ers ripping the hearts
out of my Bengals twice, therefore I cannot stand them. I also hate the Ravens
and am opposed to rooting for murders, er, guys that cover up murders. Either
way, I am not picking the Super Bowl, so instead, you get a 2012 Bengals Report
Card, which is much better than this Super Bowl.
2012 Cincinnati Bengals Report Card
Quarterback (B-)
When
asked to describe Andy Dalton’s season, 3 words come to mind: 1) Inconsistent,
2) Frustrating, and 3) Concern. Sure, there were some good improvements to
Dalton’s game in 2012 - Dalton improved in completions (300-329), completion %
(58.1%-62.3%), YPA (6.59-6.95), Yds (3,398-3,669), TDs (20-27), QBR
(45.8-50.7), Rating (80.4-87.4), and wins (9-10). There was also regression -
Dalton threw more INTs (16-13), had more fumbles (4-3), had 4 pick 6’s, was
sacked nearly twice as often (46-24), and though he lead his team to the
playoffs for the 2nd straight year, his play in the postseason was
brutal for the 2nd straight year – 2 games, 41-72 (56.9%), 384
yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs. Hence the inconsistent and frustrating designations. As
for the concern, it has nothing to do with numbers. Numbers wise, Dalton joins
the NFL elite as just the 3rd QB to start his career with 20+ TD
passes in each of his first 2 season (P. Manning and Marino). Numbers wise,
Dalton, as a rookie, took a team some had projected to go 0-16, to the playoffs
(without even having a training camp). My concern has to do with what I see or
do not see of Dalton’s progression. My concern is that the game doesn’t seem as
though it has slowed down for him. My concern is not just the 16 INTs, but when
and where he throws them. My concern is the plays he leaves on the field/misses
on. My concern is 46 sacks – at least half of which were on Dalton for holding
the ball to long or not recognizing the rush. My concern is the way he has
looked so bad in 2 playoff games against beatable teams. I ultimately believe
2013 will be a big year for Dalton – if there is not a vast improvement in his
decision making, the Bengals need to consider looking for their next QB. Making
the playoffs and looking silly is not enough for the fans, and it shouldn’t be
enough for the organization.
Dalton’s Encouraging
Statistics
Dalton
|
NFL Rank
|
Notable QBs Below Dalton
|
|
TDs
|
27
|
7
|
E. Manning, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Wilson, Luck, Schaub,
Flacco, Stafford, Cutler, Newton
|
Comp. %
|
62.3
|
12
|
E.
Manning, Stafford, Flacco, Cutler, Bradford
|
Yards
|
3,669
|
16
|
Rivers, Roethlisberger, RG3, Cutler, Wilson
|
Rating
|
87.4
|
13
|
E.
Manning, Newton, Bradford, Stafford, Luck
|
Dalton’s Concerning
Statistics
Dalton
|
NFL Rank
|
Notable QBs Better than Dalton
|
|
INTs
|
16
|
8
|
Palmer, Cutler, Tannehill, Cassel, Ponder, Newton, Vick,
Flacco, Wilson, RG3,
|
Sacks
|
46
|
3
|
N/A
|
YPA
|
6.95
|
18
|
Freeman, Newton, Wilson RG3, Luck
|
YPG
|
229
|
19
|
Vick,
Newton, Freeman, Palmer, Luck, Flacco
|
Pick 6s
|
4
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Running Backs (C+)
Let’s play a game called guess this RB!
Att
|
YDS
|
AVG
|
Long
|
20+
|
TD
|
YDS/G
|
Fum
|
FumL
|
1Dn
|
Rec
|
Rec Yds
|
Rec TDs
|
|
RB1
|
273
|
1,067
|
3.9
|
42
|
4
|
6
|
71.1
|
5
|
2
|
53
|
15
|
82
|
0
|
RB2
|
278
|
1,094
|
3.9
|
48
|
7
|
6
|
72.9
|
3
|
2
|
54
|
22
|
104
|
0
|
Scary how similar they are. RB1 is 2011 Cedric Benson. RB2
is 2012 BJGE. The good part? The Bengals basically got the same RB production for
less money and without the complaining. The bad part? They got the same RB
production. Like 2011, the running game (like most of the 2012 Bengals) was
inconsistent and disappointing. Based on previous years as a split-time back,
and based off Lewis and Gruden said they were going to work on, I thought 1,300
yards and 10 TDs were reasonable to expect from BJGE. While his professionalism
and team attitude were great, the Bengals (Dalton specifically) needed more
production, consistency, and more explosion from the running game. BJGE gained
543 of his yards (108.6 ypg) during a 5 game stretch late in the season. The
other 11 games he ran for a total of 551 (50.1). Most frustrating was the 14
yard performance…which occurred twice (Mia and Pit)! While some of the issues
in the running game were because Gruden failed to stick with the run game (see
Dallas and Houston games), BJGE will never be a dynamic back. I like BJGE and
would keep him next year, but the Bengals have to get a more explosive and
dynamic RB in the draft – one that can be a threat in the passing attack and a
threat for the long run.
Wide Receivers (B-)
This is really a two tiered grade. Tier 1 (aka AJ Green) =
A+. Tier 2 (aka WRs not named AJ Green) = D. Group grade = B-. AJ Green is a
top 5 WR in the NFL and needs no additional discussion. What he does need is a
#2 WR. Imagine what Green could be with a threat on the other side? The Bengals
have been unsuccessful finding a legit #2 ever since TJ Houshmanzadeh left in
2008 (Coles, Bryant, TO, etc). In fairness, they may have found a #2 in Sanu,
but his season, due to injury, ended just as it began. Hawkins had a good year
(51 rec, 533 yds, 4 TDs), but he is not a #2. Hawkins is a great slot receiver,
but at 5’7”, he is not going to be opposite Green. The guy opposite Green with
the most yards? …. Brandon Tate! That ain’t good. Tate had 211 yards (44 on 1
play) and 1 TD. After Tate you ask? Armon Binns. Binns had 210 yards (48 on 1
play), 0 catches in 3 games, and was release after week 8. The question going into the offseason (as far as WRs are
concerned) is can Sanu or Marvin Jones be the #2, or do the Bengals need to
look to FA or the draft for a #2? Sanu had a slow start, but came on late. In
the 3 games prior to his foot injury, Sanu had 11 catches and 4 TDs. Sanu also
gives the Bengals an added dimension as a wildcat QB, but is he a #2 or a slot
guy? That has yet to be determined. Marvin Jones also got a shot at #2 late in
the year, and though he shows potential, he was not very impressive. The most
memorable plays of Jones’ season were some terrible drops. Go back to the end
of 2011, finding a #2 was a top priority last offseason. The Bengals decided to
address it in the draft rather than FA and Marvin Lewis assured us they were
fine. Safe to say what I saw in 2012 was less than “fine” from the #2’s. Let’s
hope they figure something out this offseason.
Tight Ends – aka Jermaine Gresham (B-)
Take a look at the stats and the stats say Gresham deserved
his Pro Bowl election. 64 catches, 737 yards, and 5 TDs. 1st on the
team in YAC and 2nd on the team in yards and catches. Those are good
numbers for a TE. What the numbers don’t show is penalties (lead the team) and
the drops. More importantly were when and where the drops came. The drops were
always easy catches and usually resulted in killing drives. Look at the opening
drive of the playoff game: Gresham drops what would have been a first down at
midfield – one play later the drive ends and the Bengals punt and lose the
opportunity to score first and put the pressure on the Texans. Jermaine Gresham
still remains one of the most frustrating players in Bengals history. The guy
has the size, talent, and ability to be a dominant TE. At times he is. The
beautiful part is the Bengals don’t need him to be dominant. They do, however,
need him to make plays when he is asked to do so, and the frustrating part is
his inability to that on a consistent basis. With Jermaine Gresham, the only
consistent part of his game you can count on is that he will have one drop or
one crucial penalty per game. That needs to improve and I would like to see
more of Orson Charles. I am not giving up on Gresham, but I also would not give
him a big contract. In an effort to help the Bengals get better in 2013, I
would like to offer Jermaine Gresham a list of things I would like him to work
on this offseason:
1)
Work on staying still until the ball is snapped
2)
Work on blocking defenders as opposed to holding
them
3)
Work on catching balls that hit you in the
chinstrap
Offensive Line (C+)
I like the nucleus of this line. I like Whitworth, I think
Zeitler will be a great guard, I like Andre Smith at RT (and think the Bengals
should resign him), and I like what I saw out of Trevor Robinson at center.
However, anytime a QB is sacked 46 times, that is not a good year for the OL. I
have curved their grade however because about 1/3 of those sacks were Dalton’s
fault (either holding the ball too long, not seeing pressure, etc). Therefore,
I am giving the OL credit for 30 of the
46 sacks, which would put them in the middle of the pack. After the first 12
games (27 sacks), this grade would have likely been a B. However, in the last
3.5 games (only played 1 half against Baltimore), Dalton was sacked 19
times…that averages out to 87 sacks in a year! So what happened in the last 4
games? Kyle Cook happened. The rookie Trevor Robinson had been doing a great
job at center, then Cook comes back and the line seemed in disarray. If the
line can stay healthy next year, I like the potential of this group.
Defensive Line (A-)
Clearly the strength of this team. Geno Atkins has quietly
become the most dominant DT in the NFL and MJ and Dunlap are legitimate threats
off the edge. When all 3 are in together, it presents real issues for the
opposing team. The beauty about this DL is the depth and productivity. Wallace
Gilberry, a backup DE who didn’t start the year on the Bengals, ended the year
with 6.5 sacks. Sims, when healthy, caused issues in the backfield, and Peko
was his normal solid self. How deep was this line? The Bengals picked highly
touted DTs in the 2nd and 3rd round (Still and Thompson)
in last year’s draft and neither played any significant time. This will be a
big offseason for the DL. MJ, Simms, Geathers, and Gilberry are all FAs with
Dunlap and Atkins becoming FAs after next season. Can they sign MJ and still be
able to sign Dunlap and Atkins? Do they let Simms walk and promote Still and
Thompson? Either way, the DL looks to be in good shape for years to come.
Linebackers (C-)
This group was saved by an outstanding effort from the
rookie FA Vontaze Burfict (127 tackles). Without Burfict, this grade would be
an easy F. The Thomas Howard injury was a blessing and a curse. A blessing in
that it allowed Burfict to get in the lineup. A curse because Howard was the
best LB on the team (other than Burfict). Maualuga had his best year in terms
of tackles (122), but likely missed just as many. His poor tackling, was just
the start of it. In the passing game Rey was the equivalent of an orange
highway barrel – the only difference is the orange highway barrel would be more
likely to break up a pass. How does a starting MLB on a top 10 defense end the
year with 1 tackle for a loss? Rey’s highlight was getting his 3rd
sack of his career (3 sacks in 4 years) – a sack that netted 0 yards lost…so is
that a sack? Speaking of LBs not making any impact on a game, how does a
starting LB (Lawson) end the year with 39 total tackles? 39? He did have twice
as many sacks and tackles for loss than Rey did, so I guess he made more impact
per tackle than Rey. Either way, LB has to be the single biggest need for the
Bengals going into the offseason. I believe they would be best off letting Rey
walk, moving Burfict to MLB (his natural position), resign Howard, and then
pick up 1 or 2 LBs in FA or the draft.
Cornerbacks (B+)
I was worried about this group simply because of age
(Clements, Newman) and injuries (Hall, Jones, Allen, Prater, Ghee, Kirkpatrick).
However, after a slow start, this group played surprisingly well. Most
surprising had to be the play of Terrance Newman. Zimmer has a history of
bringing in older high draft picks and reviving their careers and Newman is his
latest. Newman was said to be washed up, yet he ended the year 4th
in tackles, 2nd for passes defensed, and tied for 2nd in
INTs. Along with Newman, Hall had an impressive comeback off what is normally a
devastating injury (torn achilles). Not many teams could finish top 10 in
defense with basically getting 0 snaps from their top FA pick up (Allen) and
top draft pick (Kirkpatrick). It will be interesting to see what they do with
this group in the offseason, but with Kirkpatrick healthy, it is like the
Bengals have two 1st round picks again.
Safeties (B-)
Once Chris Crocker came back, this group played pretty well.
In fact, Crocker and Nelson tied for first on the team with 3 picks apiece. Of
the 14 INTs the Bengals had, 7 came from the safeties (3 – Crocker and Nelson,
1 – Clements). The concern with this group is age, depth, and game changing
ability. Nelson is a good safety, but not quite a game changer. Clements is a
converted CB, and like Crocker, isn’t getting any younger. We didn’t get to see
much of George Iloka and Robert Sands was injured and beating his girlfriend.
If LB is the top FA/draft need, I would classify safety as a very close 2nd.
This group outplayed their ability in 2012, you can’t continue to count on that
happening.
Special Teams (A-)
2012 was a strong year for special teams:
Punting – Kevin Huber was 4th in the NFL in Net
Avg at 42.0, which speaks not only to Huber, but to the punt coverage team, as
well as 5th in the NFL when it came to punts downed inside the 20.
Kicking – Nugent was just 20th in the NFL in FG%,
but he had 0 misses within 40 yards, which means he was perfect on the easy
ones. More impressive was Josh Brown. In fact, even if Nugent is healthy, I
would have a competition between Nugent and Brown.
Punt Return – Jones was 7th in the NFL in PR Avg
and had 1 PR TD, which set the tone for the Cleveland win. Why Tate ever saw a
punt is beyond me.
Kick Returns – This was the one weak spot in the special
teams in 2012. With Scott hurt, Tate had full duty and didn’t have much to show
for it. He also showed a lack of control of when to take a kick out of the
endzone and when not to. I hope to see someone not named Tate returning kicks
in 2013.
Offensive Coordinator (C-)
Gruden epitomized the inconsistency of the Bengals 2012
offense. How does an OC that comes up with the Washington game plan which saw
the game open with an 80 yard bomb from Sanu to Green, come up with the same
game plan in Houston that saw Green be ignored for the entire first half? And
how does an OC only run the ball 12 times in a game when your RB is averaging
7.4 ypc (Dallas game – 12 for 89)? Part of me was hoping Gruden would get a HC
job so the Bengals could move Hue Jackson into the OC position. I put Gruden in
the same boat as Dalton, whereby the 3rd year should be a make or
break year. If Gruden’s offense shows the same inconsistencies and
ineffectiveness, I would look to move on.
Defensive Coordinator (A-)
Another great year for Zimmer and another mistake by teams
not to hire him as a HC. After a horrific start to the year, Zimmer did what
Zimmer does – coached a group of castoffs to a top 6 defensive ranking. While I
would have liked to see Zimmer get a shot at being a HC, I am happy as hell to
have him back and look forward to see what he can do with this defense and the
acquisition of Aaron Maybin. Maybin is the perfect Zimmer type project.
Head Coach (C)
My expectations of this team were 9-11 wins, a wildcard, a
shot at the division, and a playoff win. They got the 10 wins, the wildcard,
the shot at the division, but didn’t get the playoff win. So, Lewis basically
got them where I thought he would, therefore the C/Average grade. He also gets
a C by averaging the two halves of the season. After going 3-5 in the first 8
games against the weak schedule the Bengals had, I would give Lewis an F.
However, after going 7-1 against what looked like a much tougher schedule in
the last 8 games, I would have to give him an A – therefore average it out to a
C. My problem with Lewis is what seems like an inability to manage a game and
an inability to prepare his teams for big games. Props to him for making the
playoffs now 4 times…but at some point you have to win. Lewis now has coached
in the second most playoff games (4) without recording a win (Jim Mora – 6).
More frustrating is that 2 of those games were against rookie QBs. Most
frustrating is that in all 4 games, Lewis’s teams have appear grossly
overwhelmed and looked absolutely terrible. Though I don’t believe management
sees Lewis as being on a hot seat, I believe he should be. To me, if Lewis
doesn’t win a playoff game next year, I have seen enough. If I were calling the
shots, 2013 would be a make or break for Dalton, Gruden, and Lewis.
The 2012 Season (C)
In 2011, the Bengals beat every team they should beat and
lost to the superior teams – that was good enough to earn a wildcard spot and
lose in the first round. In 2012, the Bengals made some improvements by beating
some better teams (Washington, Pittsburgh, NYG, Baltimore) and winning 1 more
game (10), but they regressed by losing to some inferior teams (Cleveland,
Miami, Dallas), and ultimately, they earned the same #6 seed and lost
embarrassingly again in the first round of the playoffs. Therefore, they made
no improvement. Generally no improvement is not a passing grade, but I can’t
give a playoff season, especially one that started 3-5, a failing grade. However,
at some point winning in the playoffs has to be the expectation, not just
getting there.
