(12-05-2023, 10:01 AM)Caldrac Wrote:

(12-05-2023, 06:13 AM)surfon Wrote: How ya feel now?  Big letdown.  We got out coached on this one.

Yeah. It looked like they were running a lot of the same things the 49ers did. A ton of pre snap motion, misdirection screens, counter runs, quick and easy stuff early in the game to attack the soft zone coverages and then when they felt like they had the time they would let it rip downfield. 

This defense continues to show weaknesses in the interior though. It's not easy going for 32 out of 37, but, it's REALLY easy when you have no pockets collapsing and you can step up into every throw you need to make 90% of the time. Which is exactly what happened. 

Caldwell was out coached by Zach Taylor last night. For sure. I think every time he sent five or six after Browning? They had the perfect blitz beater called or a screen called going in the opposite direction to punish them for it. 

They weren't on the same page last night. Hell, even Doug said something stupid at halftime. He was asked what they needed to do to stop Browning, and his answer was, "We need to stop the run". They had 62 yards of rushing offense at halftime, Doug. 62. It wasn't the running game that was moving the football up and down the field, coach.

It was Browning having a perfect night, not being moved off the pocket enough, not being forced into any errant passes. Mixon was effective in the redzone after Browning nickeled and dimed your secondary to death.

To the bolded, I've rewatched the first half this evening and saw Doug's comment and Joe Buck said 67 yards rushing actually for the Bengals at the half I believe.  Here's the thing, we've been averaging giving up like 72 yards on the ground per game not including QB scrambles, so it was kind of already obvious and a big deal to Doug that they were gashing us on the ground which was by extension providing better down and distance situations for them in the passing game.

Also, earlier in the broadcast it was mentioned that the hallmark of Caldwell's defense is to make the opposing team one dimensional.  We weren't making them one dimensional which is a big problem for a bend don't break defense.  

I think Doug was right on point with his comment.  Unfortunately, knowing is only half the battle.

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