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Home > Blogs > Big C's NFL Blitz > Archives > 2009 > August > 16 > Entry
Scouting Bengals vs. Saints
O-line showing cohesion
The Bengals offensive line receives an A-minus for a job well done manhandling the stout defensive front of the Saints in their first preseason outing. The unit kept the quarterbacks upright and clean for the most part allowing only one sack. Pass protection was outstanding and starting quarterback Carson Palmer had all day to throw the ball.
Right tackle Anthony Collins did a fine job against defensive end Charles Grant, but did have a penalty called against him during the team’s opening drive. Collins settled down after that and performed well throughout the game. The coaching staff will be faced with a tough decision if Collins continues to play well and Andre Smith decides to sign.
On the downside, run blocking in the middle of the line was rather subdued. Too many times did I see runs designed to go inside bounce outside by the runner after seeing no inside running lanes. I thought the team had limited success running the ball up the middle.
The other thing that smeared the offensive line’s near perfect performance were a few penalties.
Note: The-O-Meter will be used to rate the offensive line’s performance throughout the season.
Red zone efficiency
I posted this before the game on Friday, August 14, at 12:47 p.m.: “Starting quarterback Carson Palmer is coming back after missing 12 games last season due to an elbow injury and has looked pretty good in camp. However, I do have some concerns with his efficiency in the red zone. I watched Palmer throw a few picks and a number of incomplete passes in the red zone during my time in Bengals camp. I attribute the interceptions to bad reads and miscommunication between quarterback and receiver. As for the incompletions, Palmer knocking off some rust and dropped passes, Chris Henry and Jerome Simpson.
At some point this team needs to capitalize on long sustaining drives by putting six points on the board rather than settling for three. The offense must give the defense a chance. That’s what separates the contenders from the pretenders.”
Although Palmer threw a pick in the game against New Orleans it wasn’t in the redzone, it was at the Saints’ 30-yard-line instead. I ask you, is this a developing trend or no cause for concern?
Henry could be a force
Chris Henry is a big talented receiver who is expected to see a lot a passes thrown his way, especially in the redzone. It will be tough for opposing defenses to match up against him due his size and speed. Henry led all Bengal receivers with seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
There’s no denying that Henry has all the physical tools and ability to become one of the league’s elite receivers. The question is how bad does he want it?
Henry must first focus on becoming a complete receiver. There are two areas in which I feel there is room for improvement where the receiver is concerned. That is being more physical in general and blocking downfield. Henry tries too hard to absorb initial contact after the catch rather than powering through a would-be tackle. I would also like to see him be more aggressive and make plays on the field when the ball is not in his hands.
Henry worked hard over the course of the offseason to improve his upper and lower-body strength. Now is the time to show it. However, I do look for Henry to elevate his game as the season progress and love his big league swagger.
Draft day gem
Rookie sixth-round pick running back Bernard Scott was very impressive in his preseason debut. He carried the ball six times for 30 yards and was pretty electrifying doing so. Scott has a rather unique running style being able to maneuver and find holes while maintaining his speed, as he so demonstrated during the game.
Here’s what I learned about Scott from talking to coaches and scouts. Scott is a fierce competitor, hard worker, coachable, quiet guy in the locker room but boisterous on the field and team player. I had one of Scott’s college coaches tell me that when the lights come on and the ball is in his hands it’s definitely show time.
I will be joining 1410 WING ESPN Radio Host Mark Neal on the highest rated sports talk show in Dayton and Dayton Sports Scene, Monday, August 17, at 5:40 p.m. to discuss the latest from Bengals training camp. We will also look ahead to the Bengals 2009 season. I will be joining Mark periodically throughout the season, so stay tuned for that.
When you think sports talk radio think 1410 ESPN.
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Comments
By jon
August 17, 2009 1:05 AM | Link to this
B. Scott keeps playin the way he did vs. Saints he will be the starter in no time. Hopefully he will turn out to be a hidden gem in this past years draft. The Bengals haven’t had a find like him in years. Every other team in the NFL gets there lucky pick and we got broken necks and DUI’s. Pretty excited about Scott lets hope they use him correctly.Bratkowski has now got his perfect player when the Bengals run the “Were going to trick’em Shuffle pass” on 3 and 12. Kind of worried about Brat’s play calling, it just had a feel of predictability.
By Mike
August 17, 2009 1:21 AM | Link to this
Jon, you are aware that we never fancy plays in the preseason right? If you watched Bengals media, you would have seen Bob Bratkkoski say the playcalling was going to be vanilla.
By David
August 17, 2009 8:47 AM | Link to this
You?re right about Henry. I believe he’s the X-factor for the Bengals on offense but has shown in the past to be a bit timid in traffic. With T.J. in Seattle, Henry will be asked to catch more passes underneath so he had better get use to the contact. I do love him as our outside deep threat. Rock on Big C!
By shane
August 17, 2009 8:59 AM | Link to this
6-10
By Bruce
August 17, 2009 12:27 PM | Link to this
Big C, what do you think about Corey Lynch and his chances with the team. He seems to have a nose for the football.