Bengals vs Chargers: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

That was a huge win. Not a pretty win. Not an encouraging win. But a huge win nonetheless. The Bengals fought off two huge demons - the West Coast and the bye week - and with just 4 games remaining, hold a 2 game lead in the division with 3 home games left. The win also allowed the Bengals to keep pace with the Colts and Patriots to keep hope alive for the 2 seed, or at worst, the 3 seed. Before taking a look ahead at the big matchup against the Colts this weekend, lets’ look back at the win in San Diego.

 

Here’s the Week 12 Good, Bad and Ugly…

 

The Good

The Run Game – As the weather turns, the emergence of the run game is important for 2 reasons: 1) it is harder to throw in poor weather and 2) it takes pressure off Dalton.  It was very encouraging to see the Bengals come out of the bye week and run for their most yards in regulation (164). Most encouraging were the holes being opened by the line and the sight of the 2012 version of BJGE. While the injury to Clint Boling weakens the line depth, I think this line might be better with Whitworth at LG and Collins at LT. One thing is for sure, the switch worked well on Sunday.

 

Andrew Hawkins Sighting – When the Bengals drafted Eifert and Bernard, I couldn’t wait to see the Bengals offense with Green, Bernard, Gresham, Eifert and Hawkins on the field at the same time. For the first time all year, we got to see what Hawkins can bring to this offense. He is quick and can make big plays out of short passes. Perfect for a QB like Dalton.

 

Dre Kirkpatrick – For the first time in two years, Kirkpatrick is healthy and getting playing time. And, for the first time in his career, he is producing. In their last game, Kirkpatrick got his first sack of his career and this week he got his first pick of his career, and it was an impressive play in a big situation – ending a Chargers drive that was on the verge of scoring points. The emergence of Kirkpatrick can really fill the void left by the Hall injury.

 

Big Play Defense – The defense gave up 252 yards in the air and 4.4 ypc to Mathews, so they have certainly had better all-around days, but they forced 3 huge turnovers, 2 of which came deep in Bengals territory and kept the Chargers from scoring points. Without the fumble forced by Iloka, the Chargers would have had 1^st and 10 at the Bengals 18 and without the Kirkpatrick circus interception, the Chargers would have had 1^st and 10 at the Bengals 30. Instead, the Bengals got the game winning TD off Kirkpatrick’s interception.

 

Wallace Gilberry – A mid-year free agent pick up in 2012 and a backup in 2013, Gilberry (6.5) is now 2^nd on the team in sacks and just .5 off the team lead (Dunlap – 7.0). He may not get talked about much in the national (or even local) media, but he is a big reason this defense has barely lost a step with the loss of Atkins.

 

Killing the Clock at the End of the Game – When was the last time the Bengals got the ball at the end of a game, with a one possession lead, and were able to kill the clock? It has been a long time, but they did just that on Sunday. With 4:43 left, a 7 point lead, and the Ball on their own 34, the Bengals forced the Chargers to use all 3 of their timeouts, drove 63 yards to the Chargers 3 yard line, had 35 yards rushing and killed all 4:43. That is what you like to see from the offense, in particular, the run game.

 

Marvin Lewis Challenges – That makes a perfect 6 for 6. Admit it, you are amazed by that.

 

The Bad

Despite a big win, there was plenty to be concerned about on Sunday.

BJGE Fumble – All we heard about the BJGE signing was how the guy NEVER fumbles. In his 4 years and 536 touches in New England, he had exactly 0 fumbles. In his 2 years and 479 touches in Cincinnati, he has 5 fumbles (4 lost). His fumble on Sunday was huge. With the Bengals driving and already in easy FG range to seal the victory, BJGE coughed it up, leading to a SD FG which allowed them to pull back to one possession.

 

Rey Maualuga – Why the coaches insist on replacing a more effective Vinnie Rey with a less effective Rey Maualuga is beyond me. Sure, he had 10 tackles and 1 sack (which I do not recall), but he also allowed a completion on what seemed like every ball thrown in his area (again), blew a coverage that led to San Diego’s only TD, and had at least one blatant missed tackle which I do recall. I think this defense is better with the other Rey in the middle (Vinnie Rey), but unfortunately I don’t believe this coaching staff has the balls to make that move.

 

The Lack of a Full Back – Another game with Orson Charles being active. Another game where the only person not used at the FB position was Orson Charles. Peko was used again. Alex Smith used again. Hue Jackson’s pet project, not used once. It makes you wonder what happens when Pressley is activated. Do they cut Pressley? Charles? Smith? Someone else? No matter what they do, having a “real FB” would be nice as the calendar moves to December.

 

 

The Ugly

Dalton – The Dalton of the first half will get this team bounced in the first round of the playoffs again. The Dalton of the second half might (emphasis on might) be good enough to win a game in the playoffs. Neither Dalton is good enough to advance more than a game in January. All season long I have defended Dalton. I can’t continue to do so. Yes, he is 1 of 3 QBs in the history of the NFL to have 20+ TDs in his first two years (Marino and Peyton). Yes, he became only the second QB in NFL history to throw for 3,000+ in each of his first 3 seasons (Peyton). Yes, he has an impressive 27-17 record. But watch him. He doesn’t seem to be getting better. In fact, he seems to be regressing. He looks confused. He has issues coming off his primary target and getting through his progressions. He has very little pocket presence. He has issues with accuracy. His deep ball is brutal. And his ball protection is regressing as well. I want Dalton to succeed, but that interception (er, punt?) was the worst interception I can remember. At this point, I think the Bengals have to give serious thought to picking up a QB in the 1^st or 2^nd round in the 2014 draft to start grooming if Dalton does not work out, because at this point, I see a championship caliber defense (even without Atkins and Hall) and a QB that seems incapable of cashing in on the talent around him.

 

The Offense as a Whole – There just seems to be no rhythm. At their best, they are streaky. At their worst, they are completely incompetent. If, as the players say, it is not Dalton’s fault, then it is the coaches fault. At this point, I have seen enough of Jay Gruden to say a change wouldn’t be a bad thing.

 

Clint Boling’s Injury – While I think the line may be better with Collins at LT and Whitworth at LG, the loss of Boling hurts the depth of an o-line that is already dinged up (Whitworth and Zeitler). With 5 projected starters (and 2 stars) on season ending IR (Atkins, Hall, Boling, Mays), the Bengals can’t afford any more injuries.