A Few Thoughts about the Bengals Game - Community Edition

[WideNine]

7 hours ago, BobbyC81 said:

It would also help if Josh, and other QBs today, put some effort into the fake handoff.   In NFL history, some QBs like Boomer Esiason were excellent at it and hid the ball on their hip.  On some replays you’d see a LB frozen and confused since he didn’t know where the ball was.

 

Today, sometimes it’s just the RB running into the line.

 

I agree..you look at how effective a good play action handoff fake can be when you look at how well it worked for Lamar for years and even how well it is working for the Chargers with their renewed emphasis on their running game and Herbert's use of the read option plays.

 

Allen does not do himself any favors if he does not really sell those fake handoffs. They are highly effective and there is so much misdirection Brady can bake into play action.

 

Dating myself as an old dog here, but Peyton used to practice those over and over to make sure there were no tells and that his mechanics remained consistent whether faking or handing it off. 

[Steptide]

Bengals blew a big lead, but had a chance in the end if they could've made a defensive stop. Fortunately for us, Allen made a big run on 3rd and 15 to seal the game 

 

If I'm McDermott, I'm taking notes. We are fortunate we were on the right side of winning this week, but for the Bengals, this is what we as bills fans seem to see every year in the playoffs. A chance to win in the end, but the defense can't get a crucial stop 

[JP51]

On 12/8/2025 at 3:00 PM, Repulsif said:

2 bad things I remember from the game were

- at some point Bengals were 8/8 (or more ?) on 3rd down, and that's why they were up 21

- it took them around 40s to score a TD near the end of the game

You can't allow that if you're a supposed contender

 as well as the resident VI who coaches the defense.. (either McD or Babich) absolute refusal to put pressure on Burrow with anything other than a 4 man rush while he is taking up the entire first half driving the field, scoring touchdowns, and converting 3rd an hideously long...