Pats @ Bengals

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

http://hosted.stats.com/fb/preview.asp?g=20131006004&home=4&vis=17

 

(AP) -- Referring to an offense that failed to get into the end zone last week as "explosive" might sound strange, but New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't about to underestimate the Cincinnati Bengals.

 

That's especially true with the anchor of his defensive line likely out for the rest of the season.

 

New England seeks its first 5-0 start in six years Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium while looking to keep Cincinnati's offense sputtering despite the absence of Vince Wilfork.

 

Wilfork, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in last week's 30-23 win over Atlanta, leaving a defense allowing 346.0 yards per game without one of its top players.

 

Undrafted rookie Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, a sixth-round pick of Houston who was cut by the Texans and Tampa Bay, are expected to split time in Wilfork's place.

 

"You just don't replace Vince Wilfork," Belichick said. "We'll still have his presence around the team and in the locker room and those types of things, which he's great at. On the field we'll miss him, but whoever is out there, those other 11 guys that are out there, we're all going to have to pull a little bit harder."

 

If the Bengals' offense looks anything like it did last week in a 17-6 loss to Cleveland, the Patriots may not have much to worry about. Cincinnati committed two turnovers and totaled 266 yards, including 63 on the ground. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who played four seasons with New England and had a 1,008-yard campaign in 2010, rushed only six times for 13 yards.

 

Andy Dalton had another rough day, going 23 of 42 for 206 yards and an interception, while A.J. Green caught seven passes for 51 yards and is averaging only 46.0 over the last three weeks.

 

Still, Belichick knows Cincinnati (2-2) - which has scored 54 points in two home games - has the potential to put points on the board.

 

"I feel like we're going up against a real explosive team this week," Belichick said. "They're a good football team that can really score from any place on the field with any of their units. I think those are the kind of things that we really have to do a good job on - taking care of the ball, being able to handle their explosive players and explosive plays and staying out of long-yardage and bad situations offensively."

 

While the Patriots, who have won three games by seven points or fewer, seek their best start since going unbeaten in the 2007 regular season, Tom Brady knows there's still plenty of question marks surrounding the team given its overall health.

 

"Like every team, we put a lot of work into a season and we're trying to make improvements every week," Brady said. "4-0 is obviously off to a good start. Hopefully we can continue that. We're trying to get better this week."

 

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis hopes his team can be much better.

 

"This is a team we've got to play very well against," Lewis said. "We need to play better football. We can draw things, and put words on paper and do all those things, but we need to go out and execute and play winning football. This is a good week and a good chance to go out and compete and win the battles and eventually, hopefully, win the war. I'm looking forward to it."

 

Though Lewis refused to put all the blame for the offense's inconsistency on Dalton, he made clear his young quarterback needs to play better. Cincinnati ranks 22nd in total offense (327.5 yards per game) with six turnovers over the last two weeks, including two interceptions and a pair of fumbles from Dalton.

 

"I think we haven't played to our potential yet," Dalton said. "We've done some good things and we've done some things that have hurt us. The biggest thing is, we've got to keep getting better. I expect that, especially this week."

 

Belichick believes Dalton will present a tough challenge.

 

"I think he's a good, solid player for them at that position with very good skill players around him and an experienced offensive line," Belichick said. "Like I said, it's an explosive offense."

 

The Patriots have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Bengals, including all four with Brady under center. He's completed 69.7 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns in those matchups.

 

[KempBolt 498]

:Patriots: 30

23

 

New England is slowly going to improve this season as they get healthy. And their defense is good enough to keep them in just about any game.

[Cheese Head 11]

We shall see how adding Austin Collie to the receivers will help Tom Brady out. I think this game will be close.

 

Patriots: 27

Bengals: 23

[RazorStar 4,025]

The Patriots are getting hot, while the Bengals got smoked like a ham last week. If you're thinking Andy Dalton is gonna outwit Aqib Talib this week, it ain't happening.

 

:Patriots: 34

17

[The Burfict Storm 39]

Bengals are gonna shoot themselves in the foot - again.

[KempBolt 498]

Andy Dalton, if he is who I think he is, is the worst kind of QB a team can have. Good enough to try and build around but not good enough to really get the job done. Keeps teams from reaching the top.

[theMileHighGuy 656]

KempBolt, on 04 Oct 2013 - 5:50 PM, said:

Andy Dalton, if he is who I think he is, is the worst kind of QB a team can have. Good enough to try and build around but not good enough to really get the job done. Keeps teams from reaching the top.

 

I agree, the Red Rifle misfires a little too often to predict them beating a top team. Pats could have Amendola and Gronk this week as well.

 

:Patriots: 31

21

[KempBolt 498]

 

KempBolt, on 04 Oct 2013 - 5:50 PM, said:

Andy Dalton, if he is who I think he is, is the worst kind of QB a team can have. Good enough to try and build around but not good enough to really get the job done. Keeps teams from reaching the top.

 

I agree, the Red Rifle misfires a little too often to predict them beating a top team. Pats could have Amendola and Gronk this week as well.

 

:Patriots: 31

21

 

 

Yeah, it's the unforced mistakes that throw up the "red flag" for me. Over/under throwing open looks. If a guy is just a little better than average with a great supporting cast, then he isn't a franchise QB.

[seanbrock 1,684]

The fact that everybody here is picking NE kind of makes me leans towards The Bengals here. With the AFCN in the state it's in right now, the Bengals need a win here more than the Pats and imo they just have more overall talent.

 

24-20 Bengals

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

24-21 :patriots:

[BradyFan81 404]

Bengals are gonna shoot themselves in the foot - again.

This. I'm pretty confident the Bengals will have a couple dumb turnovers that should give us free points.

 

:patriots: 30

24

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

Bengals declared RE Michael Johnson (concussion) and CB Leon Hall (hamstring) inactive for Week 5 against the Patriots.

It makes for a sneaky good matchup for Tom Brady, who will be getting back Danny Amendola.

Also inactive for the Bengals are CB Brandon Ghee, G/C Mike Pollak, RB Rex Burkhead, WR Ryan Whalen and OT Tanner Hawkinson.

 

 

 

 

Danny Amendola is active for Week 5 against the Bengals.

Austin Collie is inactive.

Amendola is expected to be on a snap count in his return, making him a dicey WR3. As previously reported, both Rob Gronkowski (back) and Stevan Ridley (knee) will sit. That leaves LeGarrette Blount as the Pats' clear lead back, and as a solid FLEX option in fantasy leagues.

Backup Brandon Bolden (knee) is also active, but it's unclear how limited he will be.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, RB/KR Leon Washington will "have (his) number called today," suggesting Bolden will be on a snap count. Neither player is a recommended FLEX option.

Also inactive for the Patriots are WR Matt Slater, OG Chris Barker, LB Steve Beauharnais and S Tavon Wilson.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

No Michael Johnson? Pats licking their chops. While that line is still stacked, one less epic player makes it that much easier.

[Dutch 874]

Both defenses are playing well right now so when I look over at the offensive side of the ball, I trust Brady more than Dalton. However, if the Bengals can get to Brady, it will be a long night for him.

 

:patriots: 27

 

21

[BradyFan81 404]

Offense just could not get anything clicking today. Oh well. Gotta give credit to the Bengals, they played great D.

 

That 3rd and 16 our D gave up from the 2 yard line was a back breaker, but I can't really blame them for this loss, they played great other than that.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Wow, what a great game by that Bengals D and without Michael Johnson? Oof. What kind of gameplan did they have going in? Was it mostly man coverage across the board?

[Piggly Wiggly 960]

Worst offensive performance I've seen by the Pats. So many overthrows by Brady and plenty of drops. Play calling wasn't that great either. Absence of Ridley and Gronk hurt a lot, too. Amendola was extremely rusty, too.

 

At least the defense has come a LONG way from that 2011 season. They're legit.

[BradyFan81 404]

It looked like mostly man coverage. I'll have to rewatch it later though. They got a ton of pressure too, sometimes with their front 4 alone, other times they brought blitzes that were really effective.

 

Brady, McDaniels, and the O-Line were just shit. Or maybe the receivers just couldn't get open. Idk, it's tough to tell from the TV broadcast.

 

I'm glad the Dolphins lost though

Edited October 6, 2013 by BradyFan81

[BradyFan81 404]

I rewatched it but I'll go over the first 3 drives here

 

 

- First drive was ended by a sack on a play action pass where the O-line literally didn't block on purpose because they're trying to sell the run to the right so much. Geno Atkins just went straight upfield for the sack lol. It's not like the O-line did a bad job because that's obviously what the play call is and they've done that play many times throughout the year and it's worked, just didn't yesterday.

 

- 2nd drive:

1st play- Blount rushed for 2 yards, James Develin missed a block on Maualauga that could've made it a 5 or 6 yard run.

2nd play- little 6 yard option route to KT that he double-catches and then falls down. If he caught it cleanly could've ran for 3 or 4 more yards.

3rd play-Nate Solder just doesn't block Wallace Gilberry for some reason and he wrestles Brady down for a 8 yard loss.

Net yardage on drive: 0 yards.

Bengals get the ball at the 47.

 

Patriots 3rd drive:

1st play-10 yard run for Blount. Mankins seals off Geno Atkins 1 on 1, Hooman seals off Peko, and Blount runs through a Burfict arm tackle. Nice play.

2nd play- Effective run off LG for 7 yards. 2nd and 3 now

3rd play-Brady just audibles cause he sees Adam Jones way off KT and throws it to him for a quick 5 yard pick up. 2 1st downs this drive!!

 

At their own 34 yard line now.

4th play-loved this play call, faked the handoff to Bolden, fake the end around to Amendola and then throw a screen to Bolden. Worked perfectly, they fooled 8 Bengals, but unfortunately Bolden dropped it. Could've been a huge pick up, probably like 30 or 40 yards, maybe a TD, who knows.

5th play-3 yard run for Blount, but to me Bolden has to be a lot quicker in hitting the hole. That was Maroney-esque running. He gets the hand off and hesitates and dances when he should just be plowing downfield. Also cuts left when he should've cut right. His instincts and vision really suck.

6th play now 3rd and 7- crucial 3rd down play to keep the drive alive from the 38 yard line.

 

We have Amendola and Edelman in the slot, KT and Dobson out wide, and Bolden in the backfield next to Brady. Bengals have 6 guys at the line showing blitz. They only bring 5 guys and they just completely collapse the pocket. Margus Hunt pushes Solder back and gets an arm on Brady as he's throwing, and Atkins pushed Mankins back so much that Brady's hand hits Mankins as he throws it causing it to be a duck and almost get picked off.

 

It was zone coverage, and if the line could've given Brady another second someone would've been wide open but Brady had to get rid of it. I don't think the receivers really do a great job of getting open in zone coverage. Instead of finding the open space they just continue with their routes right into defenders.

 

So that's just the first 3 drives of the game. To me the main thing is the offensive line has to play a lot better. The Bengals have a great d-line, but Mankins is supposedly a great OG too and if he's gonna get man handled in pass protection then our offense is gonna struggle. I really don't think it's about the receivers at all, the offensive line was a steaming pile of shit.

 

The only way to offset that would be to go to the no huddle and tire them out and not allow any subs. We started doing that at the end of the 2nd quarter and it worked effectively. We came out in the 3rd qtr in no huddle and were moving the ball but then Amendola dropped a pass on 1st down so we stopped for some reason. To me that's on McDaniels, going no huddle all game like the Broncos do was our best chance to win the game. We don't need to stop no huddling just cause of 1 dropped pass lol. He's such a retard sometimes.

 

And I can't wait until Ridley and Vereen are back. And why does Leon Washington even have a job on this team? Guy is completely useless.

Edited October 7, 2013 by BradyFan81