AFC North: Brad St. Louis
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Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6:
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| Scott Boehm/Getty Images | |
| Pittsburgh expects to have a healthy Troy Polamalu for the first time since Week 1. |
Browns out: Is this the final game for key members of the Browns? Cleveland has been at the center of trade rumors with the deadline to move players approaching on Oct. 20. Trade talk involving return specialist Joshua Cribbs, tailback Jamal Lewis and quarterback Brady Quinn, who recently put his house on the market, have all made the rounds, but any major trade appears unlikely.
Containing Johnson: One reason the Cincinnati Bengals have won four in a row is because of the team’s ability to shut down top receivers. In back-to-back wins, Baltimore Ravens No. 1 receiver Derrick Mason and Cleveland's Edwards were both held to zero receptions. The Bengals have arguably the NFL’s most underrated secondary, and they will get another test in Houston Texans star receiver Andre Johnson, who had eight catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s a snap: Keep an eye on special teams this week as long-snapper Clark Harris makes his debut for the Bengals. The past 10 seasons, Brad St. Louis handled those duties but got into a major funk this season that included bad snaps in four of the team’s five games. Cincinnati tried to remain patient but finally moved on after St. Louis had two bad snaps (one called back via penalty) in last week’s win over the Ravens.
Balance in Baltimore: Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron says he has no regrets for the team’s astounding pass-to-run ratio of 84-to-35 in consecutive losses to the New England Patriots and Cincinnati. Starting tailback Ray Rice is averaging 5.8 yards per carry and deserves more opportunities. Backup Willis McGahee also got just one carry against the Bengals. Running this week will be a tall task against the front seven of the undefeated Minnesota Vikings (5-0), who have three Pro Bowl caliber defensive linemen in Jared Allen and Pat and Kevin Williams.
Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker
The Cincinnati Bengals cut long snapper Brad St. Louis Tuesday after bad snaps in four of five games this season. The Bengals signed free-agent long snapper Clark Harris. Harris played four games in 2008 with the Houston Texans.
The move to cut St. Louis was not a surprise, despite nine solid seasons in Cincinnati. He was a seventh-round pick of the Bengals in 2000 and rarely had issues snapping the ball until this season.
How I See It: AFC North Stock Watch
October, 13, 2009
10/13/09
11:00
AM ET
By
James Walker | ESPN.com
» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
Falling
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Despite being a first place team after Sunday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens, don’t be surprised if the Cincinnati Bengals change long-snappers this week.
St. Louis has had bad snaps in four games this season. There were two against Baltimore, but one was called back during an extra point due to a penalty by the Ravens. The Bengals reportedly worked out long-snappers last week. Look for Cincinnati to intensify its search this week in an effort to clean up one of the few disappointing aspects of the team’s 4-1 start.
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2. Derek Anderson, Browns quarterback
The Browns are going to have to live with good and bad days from Anderson, and in Week 5 it was certainly a bad one for Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
Anderson completed just 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards and a 15.1 passer rating against the Buffalo Bills. But perhaps the most surprising part was the Browns won the game 6-3. Drops were an issue and the wind was swirling in Buffalo. But Bills quarterback Trent Edwards managed to complete more than 50 percent of his passes and throw for 151 yards under the same conditions.
The fact that the Browns won will hold off another quarterback controversy in the short-term. Anderson is 1-1 as a starter this season.
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3. Joe Flacco, Ravens quarterback
Flacco wasn’t terrible. But in a big game for first place in the division, he was average for the first time this season. The second-year quarterback threw for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Baltimore’s loss to the Bengals.
The Ravens only put up seven points offensively, which receiver Derrick Mason called embarrassing for a unit that ran roughshod through the league during the first month of the season. Flacco made some throws he would certainly like to have back. He will have to play better if the Ravens plan to upset the undefeated Minnesota Vikings next week.
Rising
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1. Mike Zimmer, Bengals defensive coordinator
Of the many superb performances on the field for the Bengals, none took more strength and courage than Zimmer, who traveled with the team to call the game just a few days after the passing of his wife, Vikki.
The Bengals' defensive coordinator somehow remained focus through a very trying time and called a masterful game that held the Ravens in check. Cincinnati didn’t give up an offensive touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter. The Bengals dedicated the win to Zimmer and his family, and it was well deserved.
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2. Cedric Benson, Bengals running back
Benson accomplished something that no player had been able to do in 39 consecutive games. The Cincinnati running back rushed for more than 100 yards against Baltimore’s rugged defense.
Benson stayed patient and continued to run downhill to the tune of 120 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. His performance kept the Ravens off balance as the Bengals put up 403 total yards of offense. Since the final month of last season, Benson has been one of the NFL's most consistent running backs.
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3. James Harrison, Steelers linebacker
After a relatively slow start, Harrison is starting to heat up for the Steelers. The reigning NFL defensive player of the year registered a three-sack performance in a win over the Detroit Lions and now has five sacks in the past two games.
Harrison has fought through double teams all season, and the absence of Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu also hasn’t helped. But with Harrison turning the corner and Polamalu’s return upcoming, the Steelers could be getting back to their dominant ways defensively as they get closer to midseason.
Walker's weekend mailbag: Browns woes
October, 3, 2009
10/03/09
1:00
PM ET
By
James Walker | ESPN.com
Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
A ton of Cleveland Browns fans are angry, confused and frustrated this week with the direction of their team.
With that said, let’s dig into weekend mailbag and answer some of their questions.
Greg from Cleveland writes: James, what does this mean for the Cleveland Browns the rest of the season now that Eric Mangini went to Derek Anderson?
James Walker: Greg, the only person who knows for sure what this means is Mangini. He said this summer that he would stick to his quarterback decision then reneged after three games. So it's hard to say what the plan is in Cleveland moving forward. It’s pretty safe to assume both quarterbacks have a short leash. Anderson can earn more starts by playing well, but if he doesn't this could be a week-to-week quandary.
Mark from Cary, N.C., wants to know what’s the deal with Browns rookie receiver Brian Robiskie.
James Walker: Robiskie has been inactive so far because he hasn’t wowed the coaching staff in practice and doesn’t play on any special teams. This is one of the bigger mysteries in Cleveland, because Robiskie was considered polished and the Browns’ offense couldn’t do much worse. But for some reason Robiskie hasn't done enough to earn his way on the field.
Craig from Akron wonders at what point do the Browns stop looking at the QB as the problem and examine the play calling and other personnel.
James Walker: This is a good point, Craig. The play calling has been just as bad as the quarterback play, and I think both are closely tied together. It’s hard to explain a quarterback sneak on 1st-and-10, for instance. The Browns also are very predictable and it’s made it easy for defenses to stop them. The move to Anderson was made, in part, with the assumption Cleveland will challenge the Bengals vertically on Sunday. So it will be interesting to see if the Browns suddenly go wild with the play calling.
Greg from Cleveland writes: James, I see you picked the Bengals to beat the Browns 24-14. What makes you think the Browns will actually score 14 points?
James Walker: There’s a couple reasons I think the Cleveland’s offense could marginally improve Sunday, Greg. First, the Browns are playing at home, and players often say crowd noise on the road can impact communication and execution offensively. If you look at all three games, Cleveland’s execution was at its worst on the road in Denver and Baltimore. I think it will be a little better in a quiet stadium. Second, the Browns are going to take more shots downfield with Anderson as I mentioned earlier. So I expect more passing yards but also a larger risk for turnovers. But would Browns fans really be happy with 14 points?
Joe in Cincinnati wants to know if Cincinnati Bengals fans should be concerned with long-snapper Brad St. Louis.
James Walker: Good question, Joe. You know AFC North fans are paying attention when they care about their team’s long-snapper. St. Louis has been consistent for a long time in Cincinnati but had issues in two of the team’s three games so far. According to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, St. Louis has been fine in practice. But the snap last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers was one of the worst I’ve seen in person for an extra point. Cincinnati is doing the right thing by letting St. Louis work his way through this funk. He deserves a pass for now due to his years of quality play.
James from Washington, D.C., (Stand up!) wants to know what effect will trading Prescott Burgess to the New England Patriots have on Sunday’s game.
James Walker: The Patriots cut Burgess this week but certainly not before they took information from him on Baltimore’s defense. It will help New England to a degree, but teams watch so much film that opponents have a pretty good feel for schemes already. Baltimore may have to change some of its signals and audibles that Burgess was privy to. But in the end, it really comes down to execution and calling the right plays at the right time.
Mani from Houston, Texas, wants to know which is a more troubling trend: The Pittsburgh Steelers not putting teams away late or their defensive struggles?
James Walker: Both concerns are related, but if I had to pick one I would say not putting opponents away late in games. A majority of NFL games are decided in the fourth quarter. Last year Pittsburgh made most of those clutch plays down the stretch. This year the team is not, and that’s a major concern for the Steelers. As far as the defensive struggles, I think safety Troy Polamalu’s return will help in a lot of areas.
Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
CINCINNATI -- Now it’s getting very interesting between the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cincinnati’s defense made a big play to start the second half, which has narrowed Pittsburgh’s lead to 13-9. Bengals starting cornerback Johnathan Joseph recorded a pick off Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and took it back for a 30-yard touchdown.
Long snapper Brad St. Louis had a high snap that thwarted the extra point attempt. He also had a bad snap in the season opener against the Denver Broncos.
The Steelers began the second half sloppy. Receiver Limas Sweed was unable to hold onto a potential touchdown catch, and kicker Jeff Reed missed a 52-yard field goal attempt wide left.
After Pittsburgh jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the second quarter, the Bengals are showing a lot of fight to answer with nine straight points at home.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Jamison Hensley
Hensley joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun for 11 years. A graduate of the University of Maryland, he lives in the Baltimore area with his wife.
