Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals stout vs. the run
By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted November 29, 2009 8:22 PM ET
Bengals defensive coaches and players spend a significant amount of time studying and scheming to stop the pass on third down. It is a privilege they have earned.
"We can do it because teams haven't been successful running the ball against us," safety Chris Crocker said.
The Bengals began the week with the second-best run defense in the NFL, allowing fewer than 85 yards per game. They held the Cleveland Browns to 58 yards on 18 carries Sunday, which gave them plenty of chances to get creative on second and third down.
Mike Zimmer
It erased some frustration over the teams' first meeting of the season, when the Browns ran for 146 yards on 33 carries. And it was a reminder to the league that the Cincinnati defense under coordinator Mike Zimmer is not the Cincinnati defense of the previous two decades.
"If we keep playing like this, man, the sky is the limit," defensive tackle Domata Peko said.
The evolution was apparent late last season, for those who were still paying attention.
The Bengals fell out of postseason contention in September and suffered a rash of injuries in October and November, but in Zimmer's first season they finished 12th in the NFL in yards allowed and tied for 10th in yards allowed per play. It was only the second time since 1990 that the Bengals ranked in the top half of the league in yards allowed.
They have held five consecutive opponents to fewer than 300 yards; the Browns managed only 169. Only two teams have topped 100 rushing yards in a game: the Steelers with 102 in week three and the Browns with 146 in week four.
The Bengals have not finished better than eighth in the NFL against the run since 1983, when they finished tied for second. They have never allowed fewer than 90 rushing yards per game in a season. They currently are allowing 81.9.
Domata Peko
"We have a great front four and our linebackers are playing well, and our perimeter run force has been doing good," Peko said. "The (defensive backs) have been coming up and making tackles. When everyone stays sound and plays their gaps, we can do good things, and we've been doing that. We've been holding our ground and nothing soft in the middle."
The Bengals had only one sack Sunday and did not force a turnover. But they held the Browns to an average of 2.6 yards per play on first down, which was a big reason why the Browns converted only four of 14 third-down plays into first downs.
The Browns tried a couple times to shift into the no-huddle offense that worked well a week earlier in Detroit, but their inability to sustain drives made it a moot point.
"We got a couple three-and-outs and got them out of their game plan," Peko said. "When you stuff 'em up on first down and get them in second-and-long, it helps you win on third down, and that's what we did today. We won a lot of third downs today."
Crocker called it "a very disciplined game."
"For the most part, we did what we wanted to defensively," he said. "We made them throw the ball where we wanted them to throw the ball, run the ball where we wanted them to run the ball, and we tackled well."
Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, News
Tags: Chris Crocker, Domata Peko, Mike Zimmer
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