Going into the season, the Bengals defensive line looked to be a lot more robust. However the question remained whether they might know how to overcome several of the deficiencies of last year's team. Let's narrow down the 3 vital areas as I see them.
The team hardly ever got to the QB in the 2008 season, and when they did, it ordinarily came from the linebacker position.
During the game against the Broncos last Sunday, the team registered 3 sacks, all of which came from the defensive unit. DE Antwan Odom had 2 sacks, which included one huge one in the 4th quarter, which knocked the Broncos beyond field goal range.
The other came from Jonathan Fanene.
Presently, I'd say the d-line seems better in the area of rushing the quarterback, but there is room for much improvement. Much of that comes from the other end, Robert Geathers, but his unpredictability continues to be a concern.
In the preseason, the d-line looked like they were going to take it to the next level, with respect to defending the run. The addition of Tank Johnson was destined to help in this respect.
For the matchup against Denver, the rush defense was somewhat ordinary. Nothing stood out, however the defensive line did not let up any big plays either. They let up an average of 3.8 YPC and 75 yards.
That's a step in the right direction, from a total yardage angle. If you offer up less than one hundred yards on the ground, you're giving your franchise a chance to win.
It would be good to see the yards per carry average come down to 3 or less, though. While Tank Johnson saw a fair share of double coverage, he nonetheless made an influence with 2 tackles and adds a swagger of nastiness to this line.
The team hardly ever got to the QB in the 2008 season, and when they did, it ordinarily came from the linebacker position.
During the game against the Broncos last Sunday, the team registered 3 sacks, all of which came from the defensive unit. DE Antwan Odom had 2 sacks, which included one huge one in the 4th quarter, which knocked the Broncos beyond field goal range.
The other came from Jonathan Fanene.
Presently, I'd say the d-line seems better in the area of rushing the quarterback, but there is room for much improvement. Much of that comes from the other end, Robert Geathers, but his unpredictability continues to be a concern.
In the preseason, the d-line looked like they were going to take it to the next level, with respect to defending the run. The addition of Tank Johnson was destined to help in this respect.
For the matchup against Denver, the rush defense was somewhat ordinary. Nothing stood out, however the defensive line did not let up any big plays either. They let up an average of 3.8 YPC and 75 yards.
That's a step in the right direction, from a total yardage angle. If you offer up less than one hundred yards on the ground, you're giving your franchise a chance to win.
It would be good to see the yards per carry average come down to 3 or less, though. While Tank Johnson saw a fair share of double coverage, he nonetheless made an influence with 2 tackles and adds a swagger of nastiness to this line.
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