Cincinnati Bengals Week 12 Stock Report
At face value, the Cincinnati Bengals feature dwindling stock with the team now on a two-game skid.
Analysis beyond simplistic results says otherwise, though, as a Sunday Night Football loss to the Arizona Cardinals by all of three points is perhaps more encouraging than a loss should be.
After all, the Bengals still control the AFC North at 8-2, and a loss to a Super Bowl hopeful on the road while down big names in the secondary such as Adam Jones isn't the end of a season.
If anything, it's a nice reality check so the team best understands where improvement needs to come from to ensure similar hiccups don't occur in the postseason.
Within, let's take a look at Cincinnati's most notable stock movers going into Week 12.
Stock Up: Andy Dalton
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So much for Andy Dalton struggling with the national spotlight watching him.
Dalton has now looked great in two consecutive prime-time games. Just 197 yards and an interception in a 10-6 loss to the Houston Texans doesn't tell the whole story, as Dalton made great plays to put his team in a position to win, but drops and fumbles skewed his numbers.
The loss to Arizona saw the box score match Dalton's actual great execution no matter what, as he threw for 315 yards and two scores with no picks.
Under pressure more often than usual over the past few weeks, it's becoming clearer each time out that it won't be Dalton holding the team back in close games. He's composed no matter the situation, something some would have guessed was an issue he could have never fixed.
He has, and the Bengals are better as a result.
Stock Down: Offensive Line
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Speaking of the offensive line, Andrew Whitworth's unit has struggled over the past three weeks.
After starting the season as one of the league's best, the unit let up two sacks of Dalton against the Cleveland Browns three games ago. It was the beginning of a trend, too, as Dalton suffered four more apiece in the games against Houston and Arizona.
The only major change along the line in that span has been the in-and-out nature of right tackle Andre Smith as he dealt with a concussion. Offensively, the Bengals had continued to employ the quick-hitting attack to make the line's job easier, too.
It seems, though, that teams have figured out how to best pressure the Bengals and when. While it's been a tough slate against J.J. Watt and others, the line in front of Dalton just hasn't lived up to expectations and the struggles are something the team needs to clean up before more opponents take advantage.
Stock Up: Marvin Jones
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Folks will naturally gravitate toward A. J. Green and Tyler Eifert in the passing game, but it's wideout Marvin Jones who deserves praise as a player with booming stock.
In games against teams with solid No. 1 corners capable of swallowing up Green, Jones has come up big and now sits second on the team in receiving by way of 39 catches for 515 yards and three scores. After the game against the Cardinals, Jones now sits in front of Eifert in terms of targets thanks to his 67.
Jones has now put together two games with nine targets apiece as he continues to carve out a bigger role for himself while exploiting single coverage. Dalton loves looking this way, and it's usually a rather explosive connection when the two hook up considering Jones averages 13.2 yards per catch.
Thanks to stepping in where the team was weakest one season ago, Jones' stock continues to soar.
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Stock Down: Offensive Play-Calling
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By now, most familiar with the Bengals know about the controversial decision offensive coordinator Hue Jackson made late against the Cardinals.
There, Jackson decided to let his offense gun for paydirt on third down. It came up short, and Cincinnati had to kick the field goal, which in turn gave the Cardinals plenty of time to march down the field and knock through the game-winning kick.
Jackson understands the criticism.
"What if we didn't make it?" Jackson said, according to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. "You're going to have to kick it anyway. But maybe the clock would've kept running. I can see the logic in that. I do get that, and I respect that."
It might be better to direct criticism to defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Regardless of whether he was missing secondary members, his unit allowed the Cardinals to bully their way down the field.
Alas, that's now two consecutive games with controversy surrounding the offensive approach and two losses to go with it. If there's blame to go around, it rests with the coaching staff after an awkward few outings.
Stock Up: Jeremy Hill
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Was Sunday's performance in Arizona a sign of what's to come for running back Jeremy Hill?ย
While the game had yet to become a shootout, Cincinnati showed a bigger commitment to the run to great success in Arizona. By game's end, Hill amassed 45 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Granted, it was another sub-4.0 yards-per-carry performance for the LSU product, but it might have been enough to restore a bit of his confidence and that of the staff to lean on him more often.ย
Hill's stock is up for the simple fact he showed life against one of the league's better run defenses. Now it's a wait-and-see approach to see if the improving stock will mean a further uptick in performance on the field.ย
Stats courtesy ofย NFL.comย and are accurateย as of November 24. All advanced metrics courtesy ofย Pro Football Focus.
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