This season didn’t get off to any better of a start as the Bengals didn’t sack Baltimore’s Joe Flacco once and were credited with just one hit on the rookie quarterback in last week’s 17-10 loss.
The Ravens totaled 358 yards in total offense. Flacco was a modest 15 of 29 for 129 yards passing and, while he didn’t throw any touchdown passes, neither did he turn the ball over by throwing to the wrong player. The Ravens weren’t going to let Flacco take a lot of punishment and to that end often times deployed additional blockers in to keep him protected while sending just two or three receivers into patterns.
“I think we got pretty good pressure on him,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “I thought we did a nice job, a not bad job, but they had seven or eight guys in protection for most of the day, which makes a big difference. So they weren't going to allow him to be hit. We were able to get the ball out of his hand a couple of times and he made a couple of throws.”
However they did it, the Ravens protected Flacco very well and that’s something the Bengals want to change against Tennessee this Sunday. Veteran Kerry Collins will start in place of Vince Young after Young suffered a knee injury in the Titans’ 17-10 win against Jacksonville.
Collins is a more traditional pocket passer than Young, which on the surface would seem to be an advantage for the Bengals. When it comes to getting pressure on the quarterback, the Bengals can use any advantage afforded them.
“We’ve got go out and beat the one-on-one blocks and on third downs pin our ears back and go,” said defensive end Antwan Odom. “It’s time to go on third down. (The Ravens) were doing some different kind of blocking but I think it will all work out in the end.”
Odom will be playing against his former team Sunday. The Bengals signed him as a free agent in the offseason after he garnered eight sacks and starting all 16 games for the Titans last season. A foot injury suffered on the first day of training camp forced him to miss all four preseason games and he was used in a limited rotation at Baltimore. Frostee Rucker has been slowed in practice this week with a foot injury suffered against the Ravens which could lead to more time for Odom.
“Collins is going to sit in the pocket and he likes to get rid of the ball whereas Vince likes to get outside of the pocket and get rid of the ball or run it,” said Odom. “It makes it easier because Vince can fly. I practiced against him every day and it was hard to contain him sometimes.”
Tennessee’s game plan will not be to come out throwing; the Titans are built around their rushing attack with Chris Johnson and LenDale White. Johnson had 93 yards on 15 carries against the Jaguars, while White rushed 15 times for 40 yards and scored on a 1-yard run. Young and Collins combined to attempt just 24 passes and Jacksonville got to Young for just one 3-yard sack. Young completed just 12 of his 22 attempts for 110 yards, one touchdown (to Johnson) and two interceptions.
Collins completed his only two pass attempts for gains of 44 and 21 yards to lead the Titans to their final score – White’s touchdown run – with 3:47 remaining in the game after Young had been injured early in the drive.
When the Bengals beat Tennessee, 35-6, last season they got just one sack on Young but they forced out of the pocket – as opposed to him doing so on his own by design – and didn’t give up any big plays to the Titans. They also held the Titans to 61 yards rushing on 18 carries.
None of that matters when it comes to this Sunday’s game. If Collins is going to throw the ball and sit in the pocket, the Bengals have to figure out a way to get pressure on him.
“We just have to make plays,” said outside linebacker Rashad Jeanty. “Max protection doesn’t mean we can’t get to the quarterback. It just makes it a little harder. But whoever it might be, we’ve got to give that extra effort to get to the quarterback.”