(09-25-2018, 09:20 AM)BengalsBong Wrote: Maybe you all should of not ran Adam Jones out of town so fast. He could of been a solid depth as the 4th or 5th CB and a returner.

That being said Erickson was a college QB  he would best be used at WR finding holes in defenses. He made the team thru special teams returning kicks but that should not define his whole career on the Bengals the way Tate was. Erickson has earned a real shot at WR by taking big hits and holding onto the ball and catching everything that comes his way. On any other team he would be given more time and targets.


We have a lot better options at returning punts and kicks then a converted college QB I would hope so anyway.

(09-25-2018, 12:00 PM)Sled21 Wrote: You do realize the other 10 guys have to block for the returner, right? If seen very few kicks where he catches it and opposing players are not already on him. As for Kermit being better than Erickson, you just lost any credibility...... (and I like Kermit)

(09-25-2018, 12:42 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Ive lost my credibility.Im ashamed of myself.
Im fully aware that it takes 10 to block.
but guess what good punt returners have to be able to actually make would be tacklers miss once in awhile.
if Erickson needs "perfect" blocking everytime we are in trouble.
I watched Adam Jones call for 1 fair catch in his tenure as a Bengal. you think.he hsd perfect blocking every punt he fielded??
Erickson has 0 Tds in returns in 3 years.
very telling stat.

(09-25-2018, 12:42 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Ive lost my credibility.Im ashamed of myself.
Im fully aware that it takes 10 to block.
but guess what good punt returners have to be able to actually make would be tacklers miss once in awhile.
if Erickson needs "perfect" blocking everytime we are in trouble.
I watched Adam Jones call for 1 fair catch in his tenure as a Bengal. you think.he hsd perfect blocking every punt he fielded??
Erickson has 0 Tds in returns in 3 years.
very telling stat.

(09-25-2018, 01:25 PM)J.Moore Wrote: Yea, I'm a new member so my opinion won't matter much to most. Old enough to remember when the Bengals were first formed, remember them playing first scrimmage game against UC I think, Greg Cook, Paul Brown, I remember when Bill Johnson was picked over Bill Walsh and then sportscaster Phil Samp said "Bill Johnson is the right man for the job." Little did everyone know.

I remember watching Pete Johnson fail to get across the goal line in the 82 SB loss with SF having only 10 men on the field, and the famous missed game winning SB interception by Lewis Billups against SF again. I've watched some football in my day.

But this Alex Erickson bashing is a bit much don't you think? He is one guy I would like to see on the field more as slot receiver. He has great hands and usually always moves the chains. Just because he doesn't run every punt and kickoff back for a TD he isn't getting it done? Give me a break please.

Sundays loss and "not getting it done," how about:
Our all world defensive front getting little pressure on Newton (other than Dunlap)  
Our defense giving up 240 some yards rushing.
Our defense getting 0 turnovers.
4 intercepts, 1 actually on AD.
Bullocks missed FG. His range is 40-45 yards max.

BTW, did anybody watch the clock management clinic Ben and the Steelers put on last night just before the half? They moved the ball 75 yards and scored a TD in less than a minute.  I hope our coaching staff watched that display.

(09-25-2018, 10:29 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: The job of Kick Returner is kind of a charade at this point, since it's so hard to get past the 25 yard line that the touchback is taken basically whenever you're given the chance. Looking at stats, Cincinnati is actually averaging the 4th most yards per kick return this season...at 28.7.

That's 3.7 more yards than a touch back yields. And that may not even be correct because those return numbers take the number of yards into the end zone the receiver is. So, realistically, that's probably closer to an average starting position on those returns as a 26 or 27 yard line.

Over the course of the entire 2017 NFL season, the league leader in yards per return was Atlanta...with 26.2 yards per return. So the kick return in the NFL is essentially dead.

As for his job of Punt Returner, he's only had 2 returns so far this year because punters are kicking it shorter now to prevent returns. Especially since the main goal is to just get it inside the 20 yard line. So if you're punting it from your own 40, you only need that ball to go about 45 yards (which, coincidentally, is right around the average for punters nowadays). Nearly every punt the two gunners get to the return man before the ball does. If he tries to return those, all he'll do is get blown up as soon as the ball touches his hands. That risks fumbles and turnovers and we don't need that.

Now, there will be the occasion where a kick does not reach the end zone or a punter is pinned and just needs to kick that thing as far as he can. Those are the only cases where a return man is even really relevant.

If your return man fields the ball cleanly and doesn't allow the ball to bounce unnecessarily (like Tate used to always attempt to let the ball bounce into the end zone, and a guy would stop it at the 5, rather than just catching it at the 10), you're doing just fine at the position.

It's like the long snapper. It isn't a hard job, but it's just nuanced enough that it's worth a roster slot to ensure its done properly.

There are much bigger things to worry about with this team than Erickson. He's doing his job.