It is my favorite post to do every week because I don't have to do a damn thing. It is time to cross enemy lines with the Cincinnati Bengals. Joining me to dish the dirt is Joe Goodberry, who is a freelance Bengals writer. Enjoy and tell a friend!
1) How do you generally feel about the Bengals thus far this year?
It's been an up-and-down start to the year. Beating Pittsburgh, Green Bay and New England would normally ignite a fan base, but the way Andy Dalton, Jay Gruden and the offense has performed leaves everybody worried about the rest of the season. Expectations are raised after reaching the playoffs back-to-back years, but we're expecting more.
2) If you were the opposing offensive and defensive coordinator, how would you attack the Bengals?
When the Bengals have the ball, I would double A.J. Green on EVERY snap with a safety. The one play you don't, is the one time they'll go to him. On the other side, I would play off-coverage and allow Dalton to keep throwing those 5-7 yard underneath routes; he'll eventually make a mistake. Focus on stopping Gio Bernard when he's in the game, but that's only half of the game.
When Buffalo has the ball, I would stay in packages with only two wide receivers on the field. Cincinnati is at best in their Nickel package on defense and keeping them on defense exposes their linebackers and pass rush. From there, I'm using misdirection, play-action, read-options, screens and other plays to make the middle of their defense think before reacting.
3) Offensively, you guys seem to have a lot of weapons at the skill position, but you've struggled to put up points, why is that?
First, the coaching staff is notoriously slow at trusting rookies to play big roles. Giovani Bernard and Tyler Eifert should be the second and third options on offense behind Green, but instead, they're on the bench for half of the game. Jay Gruden needs to get creative in finding ways to get his play-makers involved.
Secondly, they haven't gotten consistently good play from their Quarterback since week 1. Dalton needs to see the field, make the correct reads and be more accurate before this offense can operate at full speed.
4) How has Tyler Eifert looked for you guys?
Eifert has been a pleasant surprise. We knew he had great hands and rare ball-skills, but he's been a willing and efficient blocker. It's time for him to take a bigger role in this offense and that's funny to say for a rookie on pace to catch 50+ passes.
5) I'm a huge Mike Zimmer fan. I actually wanted the Bills to interview him last year when they were looking for a coach. Why is he "The Man"?
He is The Man and it's because he doesn't take crap from anybody, respects everyone and gets results. He's a hard-ass with a soft side behind the curtain. You'll often hear players call him a father figure or he's the reason they've turned their NFL careers around. He's probably the most respected man wearing Bengals stripes.
6) Outside of guys like Dalton and AJ Green, which unknown players should Bills fans look for on Sunday?
— The casual fan may have heard about Geno Atkins without watching him play. He's the key to the entire defense at 3-tech defensive tackle.
— Leon Hall is their glue in the secondary and he'll cover Stevie Johnson in the slot. (Johnson beat him for a TD in 2011.)
— And RB Giovani Bernard is potentially the answer to the offensive woes. Whenever he's featured in a drive, the Bengals move the ball and Andy Dalton looks better. If they start leaning on him, look out.
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