Commentary

Scouts Buzz: Bengals find a pass rush

Originally Published: September 21, 2009
By Matt Williamson | Scouts Inc.
After watching the Week 2 matchups, Scouts Inc. shares 10 key observations:

1. The Cincinnati Bengals discovered a pass rush: The Bengals were among the worst pass-rushing teams in the league last year, but they constantly harassed QB Aaron Rodgers this week. The Packers' protection is now officially a problem. But Cincinnati deserves credit here, as well, particularly DE Antwan Odom, who played a monster game. Another massive difference this year is that the Bengals' defense is actually getting help from its offensive counterpart. In 2008, without QB Carson Palmer, Cincinnati was consistently three-and-out, putting the defense in compromising situations time and time again. The running game was also a huge help in Green Bay. Don't underestimate the job that Mike Zimmer is doing with the Bengals' defense. There is an awful lot of young developing talent here, and this is a unit on the rise.

2. The sky's the limit for Adrian Peterson: It has been only two games -- against the Browns and Lions -- but if RB Adrian Peterson plays all 16 games this year, he will threaten the single-season rushing yardage record. He is the perfect running machine. This will sound extreme, but after a few more years of doing what he is doing, it will not be a stretch to compare him to Walter Payton or Jim Brown. The violence that he runs with is unmatched, and human beings with his combination of size and strength should not be able to run away from a field full of defenders who have the kind of speed that NFL defenders have. Of course, defenses key on him and, to some degree, can take him away for stretches -- but at any time, Peterson can rip a defense apart.

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Matt Williamson

ESPN.com
  • Joined ESPN in 2005
  • Was an NFL and college scout for the Cleveland Browns

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