The Good and the Bad: Week 2

[BroncoWave]

Good:

Von Miller- What a beast this guy is. Somehow, he seems even better than ever. Should be head and shoulders above everyone else in the DPOY race right now.

Talib- Yet another pick-6 in a clutch situation. He is hood.

Siemian- Another very solid game by the young QB. He had the bad pick, but was otherwise very solid.

CJ/Booker- Both were solid today. It's nice to have a somewhat effective rushing game again.

DT- Made some really big plays today. Stretching to get that first down late was huge.

Dak Pre...oops, sorry, wrong game. I got too hype!

Bad:

Defensive penalties. Seems like this is one every week, but we gave up way too many first downs on penalties.

Red zone offense. We are absolutely great between the 30s, but we really need to figure some stuff out when we get in close. We have left WAY too many points on the board through 2 games.

Can't really think of much else bad. We honestly dominated this game, just had a few fluky things that kept it closer than it should have been. Overall, very solid team win.

[BroncoWave]

Uh-oh, more bad. Ware has an arm fracture. :(

[VonDoom]

We seem to have one drive a game where the defense becomes just some ordinary, penalty prone defense, going back to last year. It happened here but we overcame.

Love the running offense (mostly) right now. You are correct that it's hard for us to execute in the red zone, which will be a problem at some point. I was annoyed at DT's drop early but that stretch redeemed himself.

The defense was solid (except for that one drive). Luck being Luck, he got off a few throws that should have been sacks against an ordinary human but I thought we did a great job overall.

[I Eat Staples]

I loved that Kubiak came out passing the ball on our last drive of the game. Going run run run punt would have almost surely allowed Indy to win or at least tie.

[BroncoWave]

I loved that Kubiak came out passing the ball on our last drive of the game. Going run run run punt would have almost surely allowed Indy to win or at least tie.

No doubt. I was shocked by the aggression on that drive but I loved it.

[Tned]

No doubt. I was shocked by the aggression on that drive but I loved it.

And, he said in the presser that he really hated his decision to kick the field goal. He did it because they struggled in short yardage runs all day, but when you are in that situation, you have to be able to get the yard and close out the game.

[Poet]

Anderson is playing well and continues to impress. That catch and spin combo for the first down near the end of the game is all-pro material. I love that guy. I know his YPC this game wasn't stellar, but he's playing well.

Talib -- He is the best corner in football. Revis is a goner. Sherman is a zone guy who rarely follows the best corner in the game. Peterson is close, but his career has been inconsistent, and Talib takes them picks to the house. I don't want to hear Darius Slay or any other one or two year wonders, either. Talib is the second best player on our defense, and probably the second best player on the team.

Von Miller -- He's eclipsed J.J. Watt as the best defender in the game. If he sacrificed a lot of his utility for more pure pass rushing he would get more sacks than anyone in the game. He is a god and will be remembered as being better than either Derrick Thomas or Lawrence Taylor. Also, Von Miller, unlike LT for his best years, goes against tackles and not tight ends and RB's chipping him. Von Miller can routinely stop Luck, Newton, Big Ben, and any other behemoth QB in the game. He is a god.

Derek Wolfe -- that man big. That man strong.

[BroncoWave]

And, he said in the presser that he really hated his decision to kick the field goal. He did it because they struggled in short yardage runs all day, but when you are in that situation, you have to be able to get the yard and close out the game.

I didn't mind the FG call there. Like you said, we had been struggling in short yardage. And IIRC, it was more like a yard and a half. Would not have been an easy conversion.

[Joel]

I loved that Kubiak came out passing the ball on our last drive of the game. Going run run run punt would have almost surely allowed Indy to win or at least tie.
The main thing I liked was that it wasn't ALL pass nor ALL run, but a good mix of both. And not just "run till they stuff it, then pass till they stuff that," but "roll your dice and take your defenses chances." It's a lot easier to beat a D if you don't invite them into the huddle on every down.

Sucks about Ware; Ray and Barrett must simply step up and prove they're legit starters.

[Simple Jaded]

Bad...bubble screens.

Good...DT actually getting some prodction out of bubble screens.

[Tned]

I didn't mind the FG call there. Like you said, we had been struggling in short yardage. And IIRC, it was more like a yard and a half. Would not have been an easy conversion.

I thought it was the safe call, force them to go length of field and get a TD vs. failing to convert and they only have to get inside the 40 or so to kick a game tying FG.

What I did like was Kubiak's agressive mindset, which would have had him going for it if not for how poorly their short yardage running was today.

[VonDoom]

Bad...bubble screens.

Good...DT actually getting some prodction out of bubble screens.

That play is made for DT. I don't have a problem calling that once a game to fool a team. I didn't like when that was our passing offense in its entirety

[tripp]

A little disappointed in the fact that Colts secondary was hurting big time and we didn't take much advantage of that. Siemian looked much better this week than he did last week, probably due to the fact that it's one extra game under his belt and Colts D is far from being Panthers D.

Thought CJ and Devontae Booker had great games. Status quo for our defense.. dominant. Gonna get some those flags just because how aggressive our D is.. I.E. the hit on Luck from Stewart.


Pretty clear that DT's hip is causing him trouble. I have no doubt he would of taken that bubble screen to the house if he was 100%. Would like to see Sanders more involved in the passing game. I think sometimes our offense forgets about the things that were working for us, and get stuck being predictable. Also would love to see more play action passes, the run game was working so well in the 3rd quarter, we could've busted a play action for a huge gain if we only had tried.

Overall, great performance. Same kinda performance as last year against teams, let's hope we can get the offense clicking next week in Cinci, that's going to be a difficult game. :salute:

[Poet]

Cincinnati is going to get blown out. The right side of their line is really, really bad. Jeremy Hill is running like a statute, and their tertiary weapons don't mean shit. Brandon LaFell is alright. Boyd looks promising, but he's a rookie. Their secondary is not what it used to be, and the pass rush is down, too.

The game will be over midway in the third quarter.

[BroncoWave]

Unless our offense drastically improves in the red zone, I don't see us blowing out anyone, especially a decent team like Cincy. We will be in a bunch of close games this year, much like last year, IMO.

[Poet]

Cincy is trash. Their defense is meh. Their offense is meh. Their QB is trash. They have the worst HC in the history of sports. Denver by 35.

[tripp]

Cincinnati is going to get blown out. The right side of their line is really, really bad. Jeremy Hill is running like a statute, and their tertiary weapons don't mean shit. Brandon LaFell is alright. Boyd looks promising, but he's a rookie. Their secondary is not what it used to be, and the pass rush is down, too.

The game will be over midway in the third quarter.

Hate to sound negative but outside of Green Bay last year, we haven't dominated a team that badly, and I don't think next Sunday will be any different. Will most likely be decided again late in the 4th. Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard are a much scarier double headed monster than an ancient Frank Gore, and Turbin. Took us all the way to OT to beat these guys, on a snap fumble. It's going to be a good game, but don't see it being a blow out.

[VonDoom]

Cincy is trash. Their defense is meh. Their offense is meh. Their QB is trash. They have the worst HC in the history of sports. Denver by 35.

Are you happy you jumped to a winning team? Or is this some reverse psychology, long con shit where you gloat when we lose next week?

[tripp]

Are you happy you jumped to a winning team? Or is this some reverse psychology, long con shit where you gloat when we lose next week?

Ah is it that King87 guy? Makes a bit more sense now haha

[BroncoWave]

Are you happy you jumped to a winning team? Or is this some reverse psychology, long con shit where you gloat when we lose next week?

That would be the most epic long con ever. But Kinger has seen the light. He is a Bronco now.

[Poet]

Are you happy you jumped to a winning team? Or is this some reverse psychology, long con shit where you gloat when we lose next week?

I am a Broncos fan and find this post offensive.

[I Eat Staples]

Anyone know our record in early road games, either in the past decade or all-time?

I'm sure it's not good, but I'd like to know exactly what it is.

[NightTrainLayne]

Cincinnati is going to get blown out. The right side of their line is really, really bad. Jeremy Hill is running like a statute, and their tertiary weapons don't mean shit. Brandon LaFell is alright. Boyd looks promising, but he's a rookie. Their secondary is not what it used to be, and the pass rush is down, too.

The game will be over midway in the third quarter.

Damn you King! You did this last year. Stop it!

[Poet]

Damn you King! You did this last year. Stop it!

Then I was using vooodoo. Now I am sincere. Trust the King.

[NightTrainLayne]

The Good:

Pretty much all of it. We ran the ball well. Controlled the LOS on both sides of the ball. Got after Luck.

The Bad:

Defense loses its focus sometimes. However, they are always there in the clutch it seems. I'm sure it's just not possible to keep up the level of intensity that they displayed in the playoffs last season for every game.

The not so bad, but not good either:

Siemian is doing great for 2 starts under his belt, but he needs more. . .and the only way to do that is just keep growing and developing. Luckily the rest of the team is pretty stacked, so he doesn't have to carry it all on his shoulders. I saw some on Twitter complaining and comparing him to Kyle Orton. An apt comparison except that Orton had a hell of a lot more starts than 2 when he came to us.

Siemian seems to have the tools and the smarts to do that job. He just needs the experience of seeing hundreds of more plays at speed.

[tripp]

The Good:

Pretty much all of it. We ran the ball well. Controlled the LOS on both sides of the ball. Got after Luck.

The Bad:

Defense loses its focus sometimes. However, they are always there in the clutch it seems. I'm sure it's just not possible to keep up the level of intensity that they displayed in the playoffs last season for every game.

The not so bad, but not good either:

Siemian is doing great for 2 starts under his belt, but he needs more. . .and the only way to do that is just keep growing and developing. Luckily the rest of the team is pretty stacked, so he doesn't have to carry it all on his shoulders. I saw some on Twitter complaining and comparing him to Kyle Orton. An apt comparison except that Orton had a hell of a lot more starts than 2 when he came to us.

Siemian seems to have the tools and the smarts to do that job. He just needs the experience of seeing hundreds of more plays at speed.

At the very least, Siemian looks like he could be a viable back up QB in this league. He's made some big time throws the past 2 weeks, he'll clean up the INT's in time.

[Joel]

Cincy is trash. Their defense is meh. Their offense is meh. Their QB is trash. They have the worst HC in the history of sports. Denver by 35.
Woah! Worse than that bum running Denver? Not SonofBum, Bums old ballboy; that loser.


Are you happy you jumped to a winning team? Or is this some reverse psychology, long con shit where you gloat when we lose next week?
First McDumbass, now this guy. They fifth column us 'cause they ain't us. :tsk:

[Poet]

ML is the worst ever.

Von Kinger refuses to accept this disrespect. Apologize or prefer for style bombs.

[TXBRONC]

I am a Broncos fan and find this post offensive.

You are such a safe spacer.

[Joel]

The Good:

Pretty much all of it. We ran the ball well. Controlled the LOS on both sides of the ball. Got after Luck.

The Bad:

Defense loses its focus sometimes. However, they are always there in the clutch it seems. I'm sure it's just not possible to keep up the level of intensity that they displayed in the playoffs last season for every game.

The not so bad, but not good either:

Siemian is doing great for 2 starts under his belt, but he needs more. . .and the only way to do that is just keep growing and developing. Luckily the rest of the team is pretty stacked, so he doesn't have to carry it all on his shoulders. I saw some on Twitter complaining and comparing him to Kyle Orton. An apt comparison except that Orton had a hell of a lot more starts than 2 when he came to us.

Siemian seems to have the tools and the smarts to do that job. He just needs the experience of seeing hundreds of more plays at speed.
Orton didn't have half Siemians fight or improvisational skills. Siemian's not a notorious nor any other kind of swooner. And, as you say, if Siemian's at the same level 2 games into his career that Orton was 3 SEASONS into his, Siemian's immeasurably better almost by definition.

[TXBRONC]

The Good:

Pretty much all of it. We ran the ball well. Controlled the LOS on both sides of the ball. Got after Luck.

The Bad:

Defense loses its focus sometimes. However, they are always there in the clutch it seems. I'm sure it's just not possible to keep up the level of intensity that they displayed in the playoffs last season for every game.

The not so bad, but not good either:

Siemian is doing great for 2 starts under his belt, but he needs more. . .and the only way to do that is just keep growing and developing. Luckily the rest of the team is pretty stacked, so he doesn't have to carry it all on his shoulders. I saw some on Twitter complaining and comparing him to Kyle Orton. An apt comparison except that Orton had a hell of a lot more starts than 2 when he came to us.

Siemian seems to have the tools and the smarts to do that job. He just needs the experience of seeing hundreds of more plays at speed.

Siemian is playing well but not well enough for me to think he'll replace Lynch quraterback of the future. Or am I being to harsh?

[Joel]

ML is the worst ever.

Von Kinger refuses to accept this disrespect. Apologize or prefer for style bombs.
Pfft, how many times did I point out that Kubiak's coached circles around Lewis in ALL their HALF DOZEN meetings, only to have you argue the point that Lewis sucks but Kubiak swallows. If anyone owes anyone else an apology, the record is clear on whom that is.

[Poet]

I don't recall ever saying Kubiak was worse than ML. I believe I said ML is so bad that he's somehow worse than Kubiak. And I'm still not sold on Kubiak as his tenure in Houston wasn't actually all that great. But I'm more focused on celebrating an enjoyable weekend of football and LSAT prep success.

Also, Apologize to Talib!

[Joel]

I don't recall ever saying Kubiak was worse than ML. I believe I said ML is so bad that he's somehow worse than Kubiak. And I'm still not sold on Kubiak as his tenure in Houston wasn't actually all that great. But I'm more focused on celebrating an enjoyable weekend of football and LSAT prep success.
As I recall it was more like "Kubiak's marginally worse than even an awful coach like Lewis, yet always won because he had Wade." A potent gambit since it tries to divide my Houstonian loyalties, but it's also conveniently unfalsifiable since Kubiak had Wade each (of the many) time(s) he beat Lewis.

What we know with certainty is that when they matched strength against strength (i.e. Kubiaks offense vs. Lewis' D) Kubiak carved him up like a Christmas ham. Even when the stakes were highest (i.e. elimination games) and even with rookie UDFA QBs or timid flame outs. I know you bag on Dalton, too, but swap him for Yates or Schaub in those games and Kubiak blows out Lewis by halftime.


Also, Apologize to Talib!
NEVER! :mad:

[Poet]

If I said it, of course I made it unfalsifiable. I'm Von Kinger, baby. Why do you disrespect the Von Kinger and his style? Beating up on Marvin Lewis isn't saying much. But, relying on a head-to-head matchup as a litmus test isn't a good one, either. No one wants Eli over Tom Brady. Yet Eli (or secretly that defense) fathered Brady in two Super Bowls. Also, just to be a stickler, I don't recall the Texans scoring a lot of offensive points on the Bengals defense...but really, let's be honest, the Bengals never had a good defense until Zimmer got there.

But, I don't have to worry about how good Kubiak is so long as Phillips is here. I certainly don't have to worry about how good Marvin Lewis is.

And that makes me happy, sir.

Talib is the best corner in the league and you should love him.

[Joel]

If I said it, of course I made it unfalsifiable. I'm Von Kinger, baby. Why do you disrespect the Von Kinger and his style?
Unfalsifiable affirmations aren't style, but anti-style; styleless. They can't hold up in any court in the land, counselor.


Beating up on Marvin Lewis isn't saying much. But, relying on a head-to-head matchup as a litmus test isn't a good one, either.
Um... it's the first tiebreak, man; if it's a poor one, you need to alert the Competition Committee YESTERDAY. But then we might end up playing last years AFCCG in NE* even though we had the same record AND beat them. Given that we need OT to win at home the first time and only a missed PAT prevented the same result at home the next time, I'd prefer to let head-to-heads remain the first tiebreak. And 6-0 is a pretty dominant head-to-head record.


No one wants Eli over Tom Brady. Yet Eli (or secretly that defense) fathered Brady in two Super Bowls.
I'D take Eli over Brady in a heartbeat: Not only did he beat Brady with far less, a big reason was that Eli may look like a 5-year-old but he PLAYS like a MAN; Brady does just the opposite. The Giants didn't win their first SB meeting just because Eli shrugged off three blitzers and two sacks SIMULTANEOUSLY, but also because Brady COULDN'T. Reverse the roles on that play and the grounds crew's sweeping Brady Bits off midfield. While he bawls. Oh, wait: He DID do that.

The biggest knock on Eli is that he forces things too often, either throwing picks or getting stripped when he runs for first downs. But with the kinds of lines he's had in NY it's hard to blame him for that: If he DIDN'T do that stuff they'd never have REACHED a SB as a 10-6 team facing the #1 and #2 seeds on the road before facing an 18-0 Irresistibly Inevitable Force, or a 9-7 team proving the first one wasn't a fluke.


Also, just to be a stickler, I don't recall the Texans scoring a lot of offensive points on the Bengals defense...but really, let's be honest, the Bengals never had a good defense until Zimmer got there.

I'm not responsible for your early onset Alzheimers. :tongue: Lewis had Zimmer in his back pocket EVERY SINGLE TIME he played Kubiak before last year (the closest of their half dozen head-to-heads.) Kubiak scored PLENTY of offensive points on their combined D anyway. Here's the box score from the 2011 playoff (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201201070htx.htm):



1
7:34
Bengals
Cedric Benson (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BensCe00.htm) 1 yard rush (Mike Nugent (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/nugenmik01.htm) kick)
7
0



4:57
Texans
Arian Foster (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FostAr00.htm) 8 yard rush (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
7
7


2
7:09
Bengals
Mike Nugent (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/nugenmik01.htm) 37 yard field goal
10
7



1:48
Texans
Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) 39 yard field goal
10
10



0:52
Texans
J.J. Watt (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WattJ.00.htm) 29 yard interception return (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
10
17


3
1:08
Texans
Andre Johnson (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnAn02.htm) 40 yard pass from T.J. Yates (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/YateT.00.htm) (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
10
24


4
5:15
Texans
Arian Foster (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FostAr00.htm) 42 yard rush (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
10
31



Not only did a rookie UDFA torch Zimmers secondary for a 40 yd TD pass, Arian Foster followed up by blowing through his front seven for a 42 yd TD run of his own. Sure, that was Watts unofficial coming out party, but even without his pick-six just before the half it's still a double digit Texans win. Now, that last score was after another Int at Cincys 45 (yet still only took THREE plays) but the other scoring drives began on Houstons 20 and 17.

The 2012 game was tight Because Schaub, but with a DECENT QB Kubiak shredded Zimmers D, because he BUILT the blocking and running to do so with most any QB.

Zimmer was in Cincy in 2009, when Schaub—SCHAUB!—threw 4 TDs to beat Lewis and Zimmers D 28-17 (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200910180cin.htm) despite a blocked FG try from Cincys 11.

Zimmer was there in 2008, when Schaub threw three TDs and the BACKUP RB added a fourth with a 20 yd dash in a 35-6 rout (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200810260htx.htm). One of those TD drives began on Houstons 9, another on their 16; Kubiak moved the ball pretty well on Lewis AND Zimmers D. Granted, Jacoby Jones ran Cincys first punt back for a TD, too, but 28-6 would've been every bit as much an offensive blowout.

Like the 2012 playoff, the regular season 2011 game was close (in fact, Houston won by a SINGLE point, the closest of Kubiaks half dozen wins over Lewis until last year.) But Kubiaks offense has chewed up Lewis AND Zimmers D pretty thoroughly more often than not. With guys like Yates, Schaub and Osweiler.

#SubstanceoverStyle
#FactsAreStubbornThings
#TruthHasaStyleAllItsOwn

But, I don't have to worry about how good Kubiak is so long as Phillips is here. I certainly don't have to worry about how good Marvin Lewis is.

And that makes me happy, sir.
I certainly can't argue that, and there's more than enough Luv Ya Blue AFC Central left in me to enjoy a native Houstonian and former Oilers ball boy smashing the Bungles with however much help he needs from SonofBum.


Talib is the best corner in the league and you should love him.
Uh huh.

[7DnBrnc53]

I'D take Eli over Brady in a heartbeat: Not only did he beat Brady with far less, a big reason was that Eli may look like a 5-year-old but he PLAYS like a MAN; Brady does just the opposite. The Giants didn't win their first SB meeting just because Eli shrugged off three blitzers and two sacks SIMULTANEOUSLY, but also because Brady COULDN'T. Reverse the roles on that play and the grounds crew's sweeping Brady Bits off midfield. While he bawls. Oh, wait: He DID do that.

The biggest knock on Eli is that he forces things too often, either throwing picks or getting stripped when he runs for first downs. But with the kinds of lines he's had in NY it's hard to blame him for that: If he DIDN'T do that stuff they'd never have REACHED a SB as a 10-6 team facing the #1 and #2 seeds on the road before facing an 18-0 Irresistibly Inevitable Force, or a 9-7 team proving the first one wasn't a fluke.

Good points, especially because we saw again today what the system (and another AFC Least opponent) does for New England.

[Mike]

Overall, it was a good game. Would have liked to have seen our offense play better against such a questionable secondary.

I hated our red-zone offense under Shanahan and hate seeing the return of it now. We need a big time threat at the TE position...especially in the RZ. Maybe Janovich could be used out in the flats like Howard Griffith used to be?

Siemian is doing well, but he needs to learn to put finesse on the ball when it is needed. He is also locked in on his primary target on most of his drop backs.

Offensive line wasn't as good as I'd hope they'd be after last week.

[TXBRONC]

Overall, it was a good game. Would have liked to have seen our offense play better against such a questionable secondary.

I hated our red-zone offense under Shanahan and hate seeing the return of it now. We need a big time threat at the TE position...especially in the RZ. Maybe Janovich could be used out in the flats like Howard Griffith used to be?

Siemian is doing well, but he needs to learn to put finesse on the ball when it is needed. He is also locked in on his primary target on most of his drop backs.

Offensive line wasn't as good as I'd hope they'd be after last week.

What exactly are seeing when comes to the offensive line because I thought they preformed at least as well as they did last week.

[Mike]

What exactly are seeing when comes to the offensive line because I thought they preformed at least as well as they did last week.

It was mostly when Stephenson went out. They seemed to have lost the push and just didn't seem as solid every down. Schofield just isn't a good Tackle. Hopefully Stephenson can play next week and they will get back on track.

[Tned]

The Good:

Pretty much all of it. We ran the ball well. Controlled the LOS on both sides of the ball. Got after Luck.

The Bad:

Defense loses its focus sometimes. However, they are always there in the clutch it seems. I'm sure it's just not possible to keep up the level of intensity that they displayed in the playoffs last season for every game.

The not so bad, but not good either:

Siemian is doing great for 2 starts under his belt, but he needs more. . .and the only way to do that is just keep growing and developing. Luckily the rest of the team is pretty stacked, so he doesn't have to carry it all on his shoulders. I saw some on Twitter complaining and comparing him to Kyle Orton. An apt comparison except that Orton had a hell of a lot more starts than 2 when he came to us.

Siemian seems to have the tools and the smarts to do that job. He just needs the experience of seeing hundreds of more plays at speed.

I think it's way early for an Orton comparison.

Considering his level of experience, he's playing great. His mechanics look amazing. I think I've seen one throw when he wasn't in great throwing form, and that was when a rusher was coming in low, and he threw flat footed or even leaning back, rather than stepping into the low rush. Other than that, he has a compact, fast delivery. Only a few of his balls have been behind receivers. If he misses, he's leading them a hair too much.

He hasn't thrown enough deep to get a good feel, but he looks like he is going to have a beautiful deep ball.

All of that and he is far more mobile than I realized.

So, I'm not going to sit here and crown him the next Tom Brady, but I am sitting here very, very pleased with what I saw and wouldn't be surprised if Lynch has a very hard time winning the job from Trevor.

[Hawgdriver]

Siemian is playing well but not well enough for me to think he'll replace Lynch quraterback of the future. Or am I being to harsh?

Kinda harsh. Siemian is serving up W's. Until he shows that he can't handle the pressure, he's the dude and we ride.

[NightTrainLayne]

I think it's way early for an Orton comparison.

Considering his level of experience, he's playing great. His mechanics look amazing. I think I've seen one throw when he wasn't in great throwing form, and that was when a rusher was coming in low, and he threw flat footed or even leaning back, rather than stepping into the low rush. Other than that, he has a compact, fast delivery. Only a few of his balls have been behind receivers. If he misses, he's leading them a hair too much.

He hasn't thrown enough deep to get a good feel, but he looks like he is going to have a beautiful deep ball.

All of that and he is far more mobile than I realized.

So, I'm not going to sit here and crown him the next Tom Brady, but I am sitting here very, very pleased with what I saw and wouldn't be surprised if Lynch has a very hard time winning the job from Trevor.

Agreed on all counts. I thought the Orton comparison silly, and only related in terms of lack of red-zone efficiency (so far).

Siemian is light-years ahead of Orton at this point.

[GEM]

Good:

Von Miller- What a beast this guy is. Somehow, he seems even better than ever. Should be head and shoulders above everyone else in the DPOY race right now.

Talib- Yet another pick-6 in a clutch situation. He is hood.

Siemian- Another very solid game by the young QB. He had the bad pick, but was otherwise very solid.

CJ/Booker- Both were solid today. It's nice to have a somewhat effective rushing game again.

DT- Made some really big plays today. Stretching to get that first down late was huge.

Dak Pre...oops, sorry, wrong game. I got too hype!

Bad:

Defensive penalties. Seems like this is one every week, but we gave up way too many first downs on penalties.

Red zone offense. We are absolutely great between the 30s, but we really need to figure some stuff out when we get in close. We have left WAY too many points on the board through 2 games.

Can't really think of much else bad. We honestly dominated this game, just had a few fluky things that kept it closer than it should have been. Overall, very solid team win.

Haven't we had that complaint before? Geez. Need to get that ish figured out!

[Poet]

Unfalsifiable affirmations aren't style, but anti-style; styleless. They can't hold up in any court in the land, counselor.


Um... it's the first tiebreak, man; if it's a poor one, you need to alert the Competition Committee YESTERDAY. But then we might end up playing last years AFCCG in NE* even though we had the same record AND beat them. Given that we need OT to win at home the first time and only a missed PAT prevented the same result at home the next time, I'd prefer to let head-to-heads remain the first tiebreak. And 6-0 is a pretty dominant head-to-head record.


I'D take Eli over Brady in a heartbeat: Not only did he beat Brady with far less, a big reason was that Eli may look like a 5-year-old but he PLAYS like a MAN; Brady does just the opposite. The Giants didn't win their first SB meeting just because Eli shrugged off three blitzers and two sacks SIMULTANEOUSLY, but also because Brady COULDN'T. Reverse the roles on that play and the grounds crew's sweeping Brady Bits off midfield. While he bawls. Oh, wait: He DID do that.

The biggest knock on Eli is that he forces things too often, either throwing picks or getting stripped when he runs for first downs. But with the kinds of lines he's had in NY it's hard to blame him for that: If he DIDN'T do that stuff they'd never have REACHED a SB as a 10-6 team facing the #1 and #2 seeds on the road before facing an 18-0 Irresistibly Inevitable Force, or a 9-7 team proving the first one wasn't a fluke.



I'm not responsible for your early onset Alzheimers. :tongue: Lewis had Zimmer in his back pocket EVERY SINGLE TIME he played Kubiak before last year (the closest of their half dozen head-to-heads.) Kubiak scored PLENTY of offensive points on their combined D anyway. Here's the box score from the 2011 playoff (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201201070htx.htm):



1
7:34
Bengals
Cedric Benson (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BensCe00.htm) 1 yard rush (Mike Nugent (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/nugenmik01.htm) kick)
7
0



4:57
Texans
Arian Foster (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FostAr00.htm) 8 yard rush (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
7
7


2
7:09
Bengals
Mike Nugent (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/nugenmik01.htm) 37 yard field goal
10
7



1:48
Texans
Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) 39 yard field goal
10
10



0:52
Texans
J.J. Watt (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WattJ.00.htm) 29 yard interception return (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
10
17


3
1:08
Texans
Andre Johnson (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnAn02.htm) 40 yard pass from T.J. Yates (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/YateT.00.htm) (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
10
24


4
5:15
Texans
Arian Foster (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FostAr00.htm) 42 yard rush (Neil Rackers (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/rackenei01.htm) kick)
10
31



Not only did a rookie UDFA torch Zimmers secondary for a 40 yd TD pass, Arian Foster followed up by blowing through his front seven for a 42 yd TD run of his own. Sure, that was Watts unofficial coming out party, but even without his pick-six just before the half it's still a double digit Texans win. Now, that last score was after another Int at Cincys 45 (yet still only took THREE plays) but the other scoring drives began on Houstons 20 and 17.

The 2012 game was tight Because Schaub, but with a DECENT QB Kubiak shredded Zimmers D, because he BUILT the blocking and running to do so with most any QB.

Zimmer was in Cincy in 2009, when Schaub—SCHAUB!—threw 4 TDs to beat Lewis and Zimmers D 28-17 (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200910180cin.htm) despite a blocked FG try from Cincys 11.

Zimmer was there in 2008, when Schaub threw three TDs and the BACKUP RB added a fourth with a 20 yd dash in a 35-6 rout (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200810260htx.htm). One of those TD drives began on Houstons 9, another on their 16; Kubiak moved the ball pretty well on Lewis AND Zimmers D. Granted, Jacoby Jones ran Cincys first punt back for a TD, too, but 28-6 would've been every bit as much an offensive blowout.

Like the 2012 playoff, the regular season 2011 game was close (in fact, Houston won by a SINGLE point, the closest of Kubiaks half dozen wins over Lewis until last year.) But Kubiaks offense has chewed up Lewis AND Zimmers D pretty thoroughly more often than not. With guys like Yates, Schaub and Osweiler.

#SubstanceoverStyle
#FactsAreStubbornThings
#TruthHasaStyleAllItsOwn

I certainly can't argue that, and there's more than enough Luv Ya Blue AFC Central left in me to enjoy a native Houstonian and former Oilers ball boy smashing the Bungles with however much help he needs from SonofBum.


Uh huh.

You mean to tell me that a statement that cannot be disproved and is plausible won't hold up in court? What magical courtrooms have you been to? For instance, witness testimony that is not verified by technology, where it's a credit card statement, video camera, GPA, etc. holds up in court all the time.

Don't confuse the first tiebreaker with sound logic when it's not about the team but about two individuals. That is a false equivalence.

Also, look at the scores of those games. Not a few plays here and there, the actual scores.

http://www.bengals.com/team/all-time-results/texans.html Note that the 31 pt game also had a defensive touchdown. So, realistically, if you had caught my point, even if we are to accept Lewis as a defensive mastermind (maybe he was as a coordinator but as a coach meh) it was because of Zimmer, not Lewis so much. At the very least Zimmer's start marks the beginning of a good defense. Now to be fair to Lewis, that also roughly marks the time where he started to get more input for drafting and free agency acquisitions, so I do believe that Lewis had more of a managerial hand in the improvement. Probably a strong one, too.

Also, if you look at those games, or rewatch them (as I have, unfortunately,) you'll also find the Cincinnati offense swimming in its own shit as it committed turnovers and failed to advance the ball. Or, in other words, a lot of those points came from the field position game. Which means, beloved Joel, advancing the ball a few times and then kicking a FG isn't exactly dominance, either.

I appreciate that effort, though.

[Poet]

Haven't we had that complaint before? Geez. Need to get that ish figured out!

It's going to get better. Siemien isn't going to let it rip in the red zone, and a lot of times that's the best way to score in those tight windows and congested areas. Teams know that and it makes it easier for them to thwart the running game or safer passes. What I would like to see are some more bootlegs where he can use his athleticism to try to make a play. A fade pattern to DT would also be fantastic; there are few safer passes in the NFL Redzone. Regardless, when they trust him a bit more the playbook can open up. The Broncos line is also just starting to play with one another -- when they get more experience with one another they will be better equipped to run block in that hellhole area.

[NightTerror218]

Cincy is good. Good defense that can be dirty. Running the ball may not be easy and we barwly beat them last year with their backup QB. Aj Green has always had a good game against us too.

Geno Atkins could be a one man wrecking ball.

No a team i think we will steam roll or whoop easily.

[Poet]

Their defense is not great at coverage without Burfict. Burfict is out for this game via a suspension. Green might prove to be a bit of a problem, but the tertiary weapons aren't going to do anything. They will mostly be one-dimensional. That is not how one beats a great defense.

Denver is getting at least one defensive TD in this game.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Cincy is good. Good defense that can be dirty. Running the ball may not be easy and we barwly beat them last year with their backup QB. Aj Green has always had a good game against us too.

Geno Atkins could be a one man wrecking ball.

No a team i think we will steam roll or whoop easily.

Unless we get a nice lead early I think we will loose.

[NightTerror218]

The bad i would have to say was defense penalties.

Siemien. He is showing to be a game manager only. He does not take deep shots. He throws an int a game and a few potential dropped ones a well. We arw getting the same QB production as last year.

I saw a comparison for last years first 2 games vs this year. We have 2 more turnovers and 1 more TD compared to last year. More rush yards this yeat and fewer passing yards.

[Poet]

Unless we get a nice lead early I think we will loose.

I hate you.

Tyler Eifert is out. Burfict is out. Reggie Nelson, their ballhawking safety is gone. Those are three of their biggest playmakers. Marvin Jones and Sanu are gone. They have Brandon LaFell and a rookie WR as their next biggest threats. Jeremy Hill is an anchor. Gio can't get more than 15 touches a game. Andy 'Interception' Dalton is their QB. He is also known as the Red Fumble and Small Arm.

They have no coverage LB's. They might come out and put up a fight for awhile, but most of their playmakers are gone. GONE I SAY!

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I hate you.

Tyler Eifert is out. Burfict is out. Reggie Nelson, their ballhawking safety is gone. Those are three of their biggest playmakers. Marvin Jones and Sanu are gone. They have Brandon LaFell and a rookie WR as their next biggest threats. Jeremy Hill is an anchor. Gio can't get more than 15 touches a game. Andy 'Interception' Dalton is their QB. He is also known as the Red Fumble and Small Arm.

They have no coverage LB's. They might come out and put up a fight for awhile, but most of their playmakers are gone. GONE I SAY!

Once our D gets tired because the offense can't stay on the field the red rider will pick us apart like he's shooting fish in a barrel

[Poet]

Once our D gets tired because the offense can't stay on the field the red rider will pick us apart like he's shooting fish in a barrel

Both Forte and DeAngelo Williams had a sturdy game running the ball against Cincinnati... Not insanely good, not incredible, but sturdy.

[DenBronx]

Wave, you always do a great job on these good/bad post after the game. I like you man, even if you don't trust our kicker.

#nohomo

[DenBronx]

Once our D gets tired because the offense can't stay on the field the red rider will pick us apart like he's shooting fish in a barrel

Both Forte and DeAngelo Williams had a sturdy game running the ball against us. Not insanely good, not incredible, but sturdy.


I believe our defense has so much tunnel vision on the QB that they almost forget about the RB at times. I guy like Deangelo can rip big chunks of yard with his speed and that might be a problem for us. We over correct and then the Steelers WRs will be wide open. They definitely have a scary offese.

[Poet]

I believe our defense has so much tunnel vision on the QB that they almost forget about the RB at times. I guy like Deangelo can rip big chunks of yard with his speed and that might be a problem for us. We over correct and then the Steelers WRs will be wide open. They definitely have a scary offese.

A big part of Williams' game is his ability to take it to the next level and get more yards via abusing a corner/safety. Our corners tackle, and while they won't stonewall him every play, they should be able to contain him. The Steelers have been getting some really nice production out of their tight end Jesse James, and he looks like a strong up and coming player. His big six foot seven frame is going to be tough. With that being said, Both games the Steelers line (and it is a good one) gives up pressure around the edge. We know Von Miller can get there and deal with Big Ben. I'm a little worried about Shane Ray in that regard.

The Steelers with Le'Veon Bell also become even better. I would still pick us over any team thus far in the league, but Pittsburgh is tough.

Cincinnati is not tough. They went from having a loaded roster to just having a very solid one. Are they slouches? No. Are they weak? No. But they're not the same team, especially on offense.

[Buff]

Good -

I continue to be encouraged by Siemian's mechanics. He is smooth - his footwork is clean, he has a quick release, and he throws a pretty accurate ball. He looks relatively comfortable in the pocket for this being his 2nd game as a starter. I think the positives outweigh any negatives.

Talib. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie overplaying his hand in free agency was one of the best things to ever happen to this team. The pass rush was awesome yesterday as well.

Bad -

One of our tackles going down is a bit of a nightmare scenario given the lack of depth - so I really hope Stephenson is ok. When we were faced with 4th and 1 later in the game there was virtually no doubt that we were going to run off the left side behind Okung as opposed to Weems and Schofield on the right side - and we were predictably stuffed on the play.

I thought the offensive gameplan let an undermanned Indy team remain in the game. It sort of exposed us as a fairly one-dimensional offensive team that relies on the run and play action. In a perfect world we would have just gone 4-wide and picked them apart for the rest of the game.

That was a stupid hit on Luck by Stewart. Most of the Carolina hits were borderline IMO and could have been argued either way - that one is hard to justify.

[BroncoWave]

Stephenson is out 2-3 weeks. Hopefully Sambo is ready to go so we can push Scho back to guard.

[LawDog]

Good -

Bad -

One of our tackles going down is a bit of a nightmare scenario given the lack of depth - so I really hope Stephenson is ok. When we were faced with 4th and 1 later in the game there was virtually no doubt that we were going to run off the left side behind Okung as opposed to Weems and Schofield on the right side - and we were predictably stuffed on the play.

I thought the offensive gameplan let an undermanned Indy team remain in the game. It sort of exposed us as a fairly one-dimensional offensive team that relies on the run and play action. In a perfect world we would have just gone 4-wide and picked them apart for the rest of the game.

That was a stupid hit on Luck by Stewart. Most of the Carolina hits were borderline IMO and could have been argued either way - that one is hard to justify.

Which 3-1 are you referring to? The one in the third qtr they had been running to right with Booker for a couple of good gains (12 and 5 yds) followed by CJ running left for 9 yds, then left for O, followed by up the middle for 0. The one in the fourth qtr Cj has just run to the right for 13 yds followed by the left for no gain. I don't think a run to the left in either situation was predictable.

As for Stewart's forearm shiver to the helmet... Stoopid. What's the over/under on his fine this week? I'd put it at the $24k that Marshall got last week and take the over.

[TXBRONC]

I hate you.

Tyler Eifert is out. Burfict is out. Reggie Nelson, their ballhawking safety is gone. Those are three of their biggest playmakers. Marvin Jones and Sanu are gone. They have Brandon LaFell and a rookie WR as their next biggest threats. Jeremy Hill is an anchor. Gio can't get more than 15 touches a game. Andy 'Interception' Dalton is their QB. He is also known as the Red Fumble and Small Arm.

They have no coverage LB's. They might come out and put up a fight for awhile, but most of their playmakers are gone. GONE I SAY!

Wow, are you sure you want to be a fan of the Broncos because your post looks like you're pinning away for the Bengals?

[slim]

Bengals should win by two scores.

[tripp]

Bengals should win by two scores.

Bengals aren't nearly as good as they were last year on offense, missing a few key players Sanu, Jones, and Eifert. The only game we lost last year by 2 scores was that absolute melt down against the Chiefs in Denver. And we should've lost by more considering how many turn overs on offense we had.

I could see Bengals perhaps winning by a TD or a FG late in the 4th, will be a close game!

[Buff]

Which 3-1 are you referring to? The one in the third qtr they had been running to right with Booker for a couple of good gains (12 and 5 yds) followed by CJ running left for 9 yds, then left for O, followed by up the middle for 0. The one in the fourth qtr Cj has just run to the right for 13 yds followed by the left for no gain. I don't think a run to the left in either situation was predictable.

As for Stewart's forearm shiver to the helmet... Stoopid. What's the over/under on his fine this week? I'd put it at the $24k that Marshall got last week and take the over.

I think the last 3rd and 1 is the one that was fresh in my head. Maybe I am overstating our predictability - it just seemed obvious at the time that in a short yardage situation with the game on the line we were never going to run behind Weems and Schofield when you've got Garcia/Okung on the other side. The Colts seemed to be anticipating it. But they might have been keying on a run to either side.

[tripp]

I think the last 3rd and 1 is the one that was fresh in my head. Maybe I am overstating our predictability - it just seemed obvious at the time that in a short yardage situation with the game on the line we were never going to run behind Weems and Schofield when you've got Garcia/Okung on the other side. The Colts seemed to be anticipating it. But they might have been keying on a run to either side.

The 3rd and 1 deep into Colts territory, where all we needed was a 1st down to seal the game? I was a little disappointed there wasn't much play action passes once we started running the ball effectively. Did Kubiak forget to call those plays?

[VonDoom]

I think the last 3rd and 1 is the one that was fresh in my head. Maybe I am overstating our predictability - it just seemed obvious at the time that in a short yardage situation with the game on the line we were never going to run behind Weems and Schofield when you've got Garcia/Okung on the other side. The Colts seemed to be anticipating it. But they might have been keying on a run to either side.

According to the game book, that third and one stuff came on a CJ run to left guard. However, the play before that was the 13 yard run to the right, CJ's best run of the game. I can't remember if there were any great blocks on that particular play, though. Also, that was 2nd and 14, and we might have caught them off guard. I agree that on 3rd and 1, everyone knew we would try to run it there, especially given that it was right after the two minute warning and Indy had to burn their last timeout.

[tripp]

This is essentially what I've left thinking after yesterdays game..

Vic Lombardi ‏@VicLombardi 58s59 seconds ago
Trouble is, they won't be facing an injury-ravaged secondary every week. Their numbers should have been good yesterday.

[VonDoom]

This is essentially what I've left thinking after yesterdays game..

Vic Lombardi ‏@VicLombardi 58s59 seconds ago
Trouble is, they won't be facing an injury-ravaged secondary every week. Their numbers should have been good yesterday.

Manning would have put 50 on that team yesterday (well, if that team didn't have "Colts" on their jerseys) but that's not the world we live in now. Siemian is learning every week and I'm happy to get out of there with the win. Next week, despite what King says, Cincy will be a real test, especially on the road.

[tripp]

Just watched the condensed version of the game, man did we get bailed out on offense by some dodgy P.I. calls. You could take 2x FG's off the board if it wasn't for those calls. Scary with all things considered.

[Traveler]

Call me crazy, but the struggles the team is experiencing on defense doesn't worry me too much. I'd rather them be clicking in the last part of the season than peak too early. As for the offense, while I do like seeing their commitment to establishing the run, they still must get DT and Sanders more involved. They are making way too much money not to be a larger part of the offense. The Colts secondary was a mess! The play calling was too conservative and should have taken advantage of all the injuries to their secondary.

Offense is still working out their kinks, but GK struggles to attack weakness from a coaching standpoint IMO. Luckily, we have such a great defense. Sooner or later, being too conservative s going to cost us a game or two.

[DenBronx]

If our defense is even average then this team is maybe a 5 win team. I don't see our offense winning games alone. All they have to do is not screw it up.

I like Trevor and think he will only get better but I think Paxton will turn this offense into something special. Trevors leash is going to be short this season bc I believe the team will be chomping at the bit to see what Paxton can do. If he is what we hope he is then this team will be even more scary.

[Traveler]

I like Trevor and think he will only get better but I think Paxton will turn this offense into something special. Trevors leash is going to be short this season bc I believe the team will be chomping at the bit to see what Paxton can do. If he is what we hope he is then this team will be even more scary.

This is my thought too. Can't wait!

[gregbroncs]

Manning would have put 50 on that team yesterday (well, if that team didn't have "Colts" on their jerseys) but that's not the world we live in now. Siemian is learning every week and I'm happy to get out of there with the win. Next week, despite what King says, Cincy will be a real test, especially on the road.Manning last year or Manning 3 years ago? Because I'm afraid Manning from last year throws 3-4 picks and gets sacked 6 times.

[gregbroncs]

The bad i would have to say was defense penalties.

Siemien. He is showing to be a game manager only. He does not take deep shots. He throws an int a game and a few potential dropped ones a well. We arw getting the same QB production as last year.

I saw a comparison for last years first 2 games vs this year. We have 2 more turnovers and 1 more TD compared to last year. More rush yards this yeat and fewer passing yards.All this looks bad for this year. Except we actually played the 2nd best defense in the league in the 1st game with a 1st time starting QB. I think it's way too early to worry about those kinds of stats.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I don't think our run defense is as good as it was last year

[VonDoom]

Manning last year or Manning 3 years ago? Because I'm afraid Manning from last year throws 3-4 picks and gets sacked 6 times.

Let's say up to 2014 first half

[VonDoom]

I don't think our run defense is as good as it was last year

I'd say that's a safe bet

[Simple Jaded]

I don't think our run defense is as good as it was last year

Agreed, should be dumping Peko and fortifying run D with some Potroast.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Agreed, should be dumping Peko and fortifying run D with some Potroast.

I don think Crick would have made our roster last year.

[Canmore]

I don't think our run defense is as good as it was last year

No Malik Jackson.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

No Malik Jackson.
And no Vance Walker or Antoine Smith

[Simple Jaded]

I don think Crick would have made our roster last year.

I think he was a FA last season if they wanted him, resigned with Texans and was a cap casualty this offseason. I could be wrong.

Broncos went with the creepy uncle instead.

[Joel]

You mean to tell me that a statement that cannot be disproved and is plausible won't hold up in court? What magical courtrooms have you been to? For instance, witness testimony that is not verified by technology, where it's a credit card statement, video camera, GPA, etc. holds up in court all the time.
Key word being "WITNESS:" A SECONDARY statement (of firsthand observations) either VERIFING OR FALSIFYING a prior DIFFERENT statement. You can't send someone to prison by merely arguing, "well, the case is plausible and can't be disproven, so: Guilty." That's not what "presumption of innocence" nor "guilt beyond reasonable doubt" mean; it's not even what "a preponderance of evidence" means.

Prove the case, else there's NOT any, and the burden's always on the affirmative position because it's impossible to prove a negative. This is first year stuff, man. :tongue:


Don't confuse the first tiebreaker with sound logic when it's not about the team but about two individuals. That is a false equivalence.
More like a valid analogy. Not identity, only analogy.


Also, look at the scores of those games. Not a few plays here and there, the actual scores.
Did; the drives were SUPPORTING evidence, to verify/falsify the initial statement with firsthand observation of events in question. Like witness testimony. ;)


http://www.bengals.com/team/all-time-results/texans.html Note that the 31 pt game also had a defensive touchdown.
I DID note that: Explicitly. I also noted that removing it to yield a 24-10 final would still be a solid win by Kubiaks offense against a solid offense.


So, realistically, if you had caught my point, even if we are to accept Lewis as a defensive mastermind (maybe he was as a coordinator but as a coach meh) it was because of Zimmer, not Lewis so much. At the very least Zimmer's start marks the beginning of a good defense. Now to be fair to Lewis, that also roughly marks the time where he started to get more input for drafting and free agency acquisitions, so I do believe that Lewis had more of a managerial hand in the improvement. Probably a strong one, too.
Six (or five) of one: If you want to look at as Kubiak being 5-0 against DC Zimmer instead of 6-0 against HC Lewis, it amounts to the same thing. The only substantive difference is that if we contend Zimmer's a solid defensive coach rather than an awful one (as you contend Lewis is,) Kubiaks offense consistently mauling the defenses of a coach you STIPULATE to be excellent just makes Kubiak that much more impressive.


Also, if you look at those games, or rewatch them (as I have, unfortunately,) you'll also find the Cincinnati offense swimming in its own shit as it committed turnovers and failed to advance the ball. Or, in other words, a lot of those points came from the field position game. Which means, beloved Joel, advancing the ball a few times and then kicking a FG isn't exactly dominance, either.
Which is another reason I looked at particular scores: Starting at Houstons 9, 14, 16, 17 and 20 (twice) weren't exactly "great field position:" That's MORE THAN HALF of a DOZEN scoring drives. Only ONE started in Cincy territory (and, again, it took all of THREE plays to score a TD; "good field position" isn't why Foster ran 42 yds for a TD on a SINGLE PLAY: Lewis, Zimmer et al. simply failed to STOP him.) Only ONE other began at midfield (or Houstons 47; close enough.)

Lest you think focusing on scores is cherry-picking: Not counting 4th qtr kneels, Houstons average starting field position for ALL drives in those three games was its own 30.2 yard line. Above average, but nothing special; this seasons NFL average is 27.4 (so far.)

Or how 'bout this: Before ANY Bengals turnovers they'd ALREADY been blown out of the '08 game 28-6. Cincy certainly shit the sheets by ending ALL THREE of its final drives with turnovers, but the Texans mercifully took only a SINGLE score out of that: And had to drive 86 yds to get it. On a Lewis-Zimmer D that had 11 plays and 4:35 of game time (i.e. nearly 20:00 of REAL time) to rest up before the next onslaught.

Same deal next year: Houstons great field position at their 34 to start the second half was because of the KICKOFF, not Cincys offense, and they drove 66 yds to take a 21-17 lead before the Bengals first turnover. Once again Cincy faded down the stretch (i.e. their next three drives were three-and-OUT, then a fumble, then an Int) but Houston once again let them off easy by only scoring a SINGLE time off those five chances (even fumbling it back once.)

That bring us to the 2011 Wildcard, and yes, Watts pick-six made a difference: Because it broke a TIE heading to the locker room. But Houston drove 83 yds for their next TD after a PUNT, NOT a turnover (nor a three-and-out) and even though Cincy yet again ended the game with turnovers on its final THREE possessions (seems like their offenses problem is finishing badly) Houston yet again contented themselves with only a SINGLE additional TD (that's actually the ONLY Houston scoring drive that began in Cincy territory—not just that game, but EVER.)


I appreciate that effort, though.
"That's my quarterback coach." Yours too, now; might wanna keep that in mind. ;) Speaking of which:


Both Forte and DeAngelo Williams had a sturdy game running the ball against us. Not insanely good, not incredible, but sturdy.
WE'VE actually NEVER played Forte, and the last time we played Williams he gained 26 yds on 14 carries (for those scoring at home, that's <2 yds/att.)

[Joel]

Haven't we had that complaint before? Geez. Need to get that ish figured out!
Turns out it's way harder to move the ball inside the 20 than outside (who knew?) ;)


Just watched the condensed version of the game, man did we get bailed out on offense by some dodgy P.I. calls. You could take 2x FG's off the board if it wasn't for those calls. Scary with all things considered.
It seemed to me the refs called that game tight all around, which is fine with me: Call it loose, tight or however you want as long as you call it CONSISTENTLY. As long as BOTH teams ALWAYS play by the SAME rules, they'll figure it out eventually and the better squad will win. I only get pissed when the calls are so uneven it feels like the refs are deliberately handicapping a vastly superior team to prevent people switching to a more competitive game at halftime.

[LawDog]

Joel playing lawyer is cute... I just want to pat him on his head in a patronizing kind of way.

[TXBRONC]

I don think Crick would have made our roster last year.

Crick's strength is supposedly playing against the run. When Jackson was lost to free agency I had a feeling it would be the run defense that would be effected the most.

[NightTerror218]

Peko is a DT. No point dropping him, since he is a backup to Sly. I doubt potroast wants to be a back up.

[NightTerror218]

I am hoping crick improves while learning to playbwith wolfe and sly.

[TXBRONC]

I am hoping crick improves while learning to playbwith wolfe and sly.

He's already played for Phillips previously so this is about as good as he's going to get.

[Poet]

He's already played for Phillips previously so this is about as good as he's going to get.

That's how I see it as well. Your observation in tandem with his age leads me to the same conclusion.

[Simple Jaded]

Peko out, Keo in.

#Milquetoast.

[Joel]

Joel playing lawyer is cute... I just want to pat him on his head in a patronizing kind of way.
I just enjoy twitting King because he's in law school.

[Poet]

I just enjoy twitting King because he's in law school.

I go to law school next year.

Twitting is a strange word.

[Joel]

Peko out, Keo in.

#Milquetoast.
Conflicted: I like Keo, but am unsure of our depth behind Sly and Kilgo (not even sure who it IS, to be honest.) Last year we rotated Walker with Sly so we could deactivate Kilgo nearly half the season, but only got away with that because Walker and Sly were healthy all year. Now Walker's gone for the year, so Kilgo's played both games, and if he or Sly get hurt, the next man up is...?

Peko looks built for the job and has a good pedigree; wonder if we'll try to PS him if he clears waivers.

[Joel]

I go to law school next year.
Pre Law then?


Twitting is a strange word.
It's a perfectly cromulent word, just archaic: Which is your new normal (name three places "affiant" is still used outside law—Hell, name ONE.)

[Poet]

I graduated from college this past year. I work in a law office as the moment as a case evaluater.

[Joel]

I graduated from college this past year. I work in a law office as the moment as a case evaluater.
Between law schools right now, eh? Then don't forget to grab them by their big fat heads and say, "Listen, man: I'm not going to jail for YOU, or for ANYBODY!" Lawyers, like juries, respond really well to pop culture references delivered with conviction. :)

[7DnBrnc53]

Between law schools right now, eh? Then don't forget to grab them by their big fat heads and say, "Listen, man: I'm not going to jail for YOU, or for ANYBODY!" Lawyers, like juries, respond really well to pop culture references delivered with conviction. :)

Joel, have you been watching Cop Rock re-runs or something?

[Joel]

Joel, have you been watching Cop Rock re-runs or something?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwea0LZQe9k

[Simple Jaded]

Conflicted: I like Keo, but am unsure of our depth behind Sly and Kilgo (not even sure who it IS, to be honest.) Last year we rotated Walker with Sly so we could deactivate Kilgo nearly half the season, but only got away with that because Walker and Sly were healthy all year. Now Walker's gone for the year, so Kilgo's played both games, and if he or Sly get hurt, the next man up is...?

Peko looks built for the job and has a good pedigree; wonder if we'll try to PS him if he clears waivers.

Peko signed to PS today.

[Tned]

Just watched the condensed version of the game, man did we get bailed out on offense by some dodgy P.I. calls. You could take 2x FG's off the board if it wasn't for those calls. Scary with all things considered.

I thought there were several very weak PI calls against the Colts. When we benefit, I don't really mind, but I would be ticked if those same calls went against the Broncos.

[Joel]

Peko signed to PS today.
Yeah, saw that, but thanks for making sure. :)


I thought there were several very weak PI calls against the Colts. When we benefit, I don't really mind, but I would be ticked if those same calls went against the Broncos.
Yeah, but in a game like this just think of it as the classic, "blow one down there, blow one down here." There's a reason lots of phantom holding penalties are effectively and IMMEDIATELY nullified by equally mysterious holding penalties the other way. ;)