46 pass attempts / 19 runs

He's been like that before the surgeries. He doesn't have breakaway speed. What he did on the first drive; route running, catching, and running. Still the best back in the league imo.

 

That's exactly how my house reacted too. It's a sign of a terrible defense when you know 40 seconds are too much and it actually turns out that way.

 

The people blaming Bell need to re-think their logic. The O-line is not blocking well. I'm not sure why. I really like our O-line coach. We saw instant improvement when he came to town, but we have seen real regression from our O-line this year. I'd like to know why. There has to be a reason or two why we've seen our O-line struggle. When Bell has a hole he hits it. Usually he's trying to sneak through a crowd. That might be better for a guy like Tomlinson if you need a RB to push the defenders back. Bell is going to make them miss. Think Sanders vs Bettis. Both are great but end of the day I'd rather have the greatest RB ever in Sanders. Not saying Bell is Sanders but he has the same style.

 

Down to under .300, in fact.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-worst-quarterbacks-over-40-passes-1420137165

 

The missed 2 point conversions really set our defense up for failure. Defending a FG in 42 seconds is completely different then just trying to prevent a 75 yard TD drive. If we knew they needed a TD we would have won IMO. I don't think they would have been running the ball at all with the clock as their #1 enemy.

 

He is the best route runner, and catcher, but best runner I question that.

 

I was shocked when Bell used the same tactic on the long pass/run near the end of the game and almost came to a complete stop (when he had all the forward momentum and 3 defenders back on their heels) and juked left and right and gained what....2 more yards? All he needed to do was change direction at full speed and he either gains 10-15 more yds or goes all the way. Otherwise Bell played his heart out and showed his multi talents throughout. His receiving skills are almost AB-esque.

 

I still see him hesitating too much.. Perhaps you are right but he seems to be slow to find holes when the are available and sometimes it looks like he is taking the wrong lane.

 

3 run plays of 3 1/2 yards is a first down should be 50/50 run and pass or close to it.

 

lol
Bell is not a big bruiser
Our zone scheme that slowly develops is PERFECT for Bell. Bell's primary elite trait is his feet and patience.

 

I thought I read that along time ago, how true it is.

 

What you fail to realize is we have to throw in order to keep up. Face it, long drives running don't happen, not with how the o-line is playing. Then throw in the fact the defense can't get a stop, and when you factor in how bad we struggle to run for a first down on 3rd and 1 then its a no brainer to throw. I'd like to see more run but when the defense allows a score on 4 out of 5 possessions it just goes out the window, the only way this team can win is to score on every possession and hope for the other team to drop a 3rd down pass.

 

This isn't about getting long running drives all the time. As someone else mentioned, three 3.5 runs is a first down, and it tires the defense, which is the point.

 

Cuz or not. TH pisses me off. BA did too at times. when Bettis was near the goal line he would slant off to the right or left. He also had better runs doing that. Seems now we try to send Bell up the middle more than anything. Make their D work to stop him. Change directions once in a while dang!

 

we cant run the ball or stop the run...or pass.. hence 4-5.

 

That speaks volumes about our defense. You take the TD when you need it. IF you leave 40 seconds on the clock, it should be ok. Last night, the Bengals had 1 minute left in the half with 2 or 3 T.O. and they didn't even reach the 50 yard line. Look at the goaline stand from the Seahawks vs Patriots, or the Seahawks vs Bills with 3 sacks in the final Bills drive. I'm sorry, but this game is ALL on the defense.

 

I don't care about balance. What I do care about is taking advantage of what the defense is allowing. Execution in the beginning was our down fall

 

I wonder how many run plays Ben audibles out of.

 

You are correct, 3 runs of 3.5 yards is a first down. The problem is that it never turns out that way, you get one run for 5 yards then another for no gain and you now have a 3rd and 5, do you try to run on a 3rd and 5? I've watched Bell get 8 yards on first down and then 1 yard on the next carry and then stuffed on 3rd and 1. The oline play has regressed, and you see what happens as it hurts the passing game too, teams get pressure with 4 guys and have 7 in coverage and then you see bad passes. If you could get 3.5 on every play it would work but the reality is teams with better secondary players can cover man to man and stack the box making it tough to run on consecutive downs.

 

OBVIOUSLY NONE!!

or he audibles into a run play

either or 8 men in the box does not appear to dictate anything

 

Which is why it's good to have a more even mix of runs and passes.