Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals: Studs, Duds & Reaction

Duds (Part 1)

Aug 17, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert (85) talks to quarterback Andy Dalton (14) during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Bernard Pollard
It was a rough night for Bernard Pollard. Pollard was missing tackles and not getting to his receiver. From what I read about him from other fan bases, these are liabilities that are often overlooked because people are so focused on his big-hit ability. Maybe coaches will start using more of George Wilson on third-and-longs?

Rest of Defense
Defense surrendered 429 total yards. They couldn’t stop any running back—or quarterback—as they combined for 193 yards rushing. Dan Herron had nine carries for 81 yards. Even on a third-and-21, third-string quarterback Josh Johnson almost got the first down with his legs. He was stopped three yards short.

Second-team and third-team defenses have shown nothing. One thing that kept standing out was Scott Solomon and how slow he was. Solomon appeared like he was running at NFL Quarterback Club 98 speed while everyone else was on Madden. He doesn’t look serviceable at outside linebacker.

How much of it is talent and how much of it is scheme?