2012 Bengals Report Card

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 2^nd straight year, his play in the postseason was brutal for the 2^nd 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 3^rd 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. 1^st on the team in YAC and 2^nd 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 2^nd and 3^rd 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 3^rd 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 4^th in tackles, 2^nd for passes defensed, and tied for 2^nd 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 1^st 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 2^nd. 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 4^th in the NFL in Net Avg at 42.0, which speaks not only to Huber, but to the punt coverage team, as well as 5^th in the NFL when it came to punts downed inside the 20.

Kicking – Nugent was just 20^th 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 7^th 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 3^rd 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.