The Bengals won yesterday’s first battle of Ohio 34-27. Although they won, the Bengals will need some defensive changes to be relevant in December. After two weeks, the Bengals defense ranked 30th in the NFL.
Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints rank worse at 31 and 32. In two games, the Bengals defense has given up 71 points and allowed an average of 434.5 yards per game.
Bengals Defensive coach Mike Zimmer told the media that defensive changes will be made. In the past 4 seasons, Coach Zimmer has ranked in the top 15 defenses.
Although he is recovering from a knee injury, Linebacker Rey Maualuga has caught heat for his inability to stop opponents from running up the middle. On WLW 700, former Bengals player Artrell Hawkins and radio host Tracy Jones analyzed Maualuga’s performance.
Both thought Maualuga looked slow and may need extra rest. Hawkins also said the defense should try to fit speedster Adam Jones into the mix.
In two games, the Bengals have been unable to stop opposing running backs from punching through their middle. Trent Richardson of the Browns had an unchallenged 32 yard run against the Bengals defense yesterday. The Bengals haven’t been able to tackle or stop opponent rushing or passing attacks.
The Bengals defense will need an effective game plan this Sunday. They will play the Washington Redskins in the nation’s capitol. It will be a challenge to see how their defense handles first round draft pick rookie Robert Griffin III.
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