out of control, you must maintain

NFL Week 6: Best matchups between Bengals and Steelers There’s bad blood when the Bengals play the Steelers Carl Lawson Jersey , anyone could tell you this, but there’s more beef and friendship within the rivalry than you would think there is. Amidst all the animosity lies a couple worthy matchups who’s significance predates recent events between the two franchises. The importance of these individual face-offs are significant in determining the outcome of the game, but the relationships between the players make them all the more interesting. Let’s start with the most notable one:WR A.J. Green vs. CB Joe HadenLong before the Steelers had Haden lead their secondary, the rivalry between Green and him raged on even in college. When Green’s Georgia Bulldogs played Haden’s Florida Gators, it was always must see SEC-action. Haden was actually a teammate of two other players mentioned in this article. When they began meeting in the NFL in 2011, it was Haden that routinely got the best of Green with his masterful work as a press-man corner. It took Green years to perfect his release against press coverage, and now he possesses one of the most effective releases at the line of scrimmage.Last year, Haden never got the chance to go up against Green in the one game they played each other. Later in the year, Haden missed the Steelers second game against the Bengals and Green scored twice along with accumulating 77 yards receiving. The Steelers also generally play a lot of zone coverage, similar to the Bengals, so the number of times these two go man-to-man may be limited. But when they do, there will be an extensive history behind each route.RT Bobby Hart vs. LOLB T.J. WattI was going to include Hart in last week’s matchups piece because he was supposed to face Dolphins left defensive end Cameron Wake all game. As it turns out, Wake missed the game with injury and Hart had a solid day against a more inferior pass rusher Charles Harris. Hart will have a much more nuanced adversary on Sunday.Last week against the Falcons, Watt doubled his sack total to six after sacking quarterback Matt Ryan three times, beating right tackle Ryan Schraeder multiple times in doing so. Watt’s ability to drop his hips and bend around the arc is very dangerous when he can get to the edge quickly. He obviously has the genetics of a dangerous pass rusher Cheap Jonah Williams Jersey , and last week’s performance against a regularly stout pass protector could be his breaking-out point. Hart will have his hands full once again protecting Andy Dalton’s front side.LDE Carlos Dunlap vs. RT Marcus GilbertInjuries and a suspension on Gilbert’s end prohibited these two former Florida Gators from facing each other last year, but Gilbert has reclaimed his starting spot at right tackle this year with a solid first five weeks. Dunlap and Gilbert won a Sugar Bowl together for Urban Meyer’s 2009 Gators squad, and have been rivals ever since Gilbert entered the league in 2011, a year after Dunlap broke the Bengals single-season rookie sack record.Gilbert has been a solid pass protector and his matchup against his former teammate with four sacks on the season will be critical. What’s also notable is how successful the Steelers are running off the right edge of their offensive line. 67% of their attempts when running right behind Gilbert have been successful, and they’re averaging 7.5 yards per carry when doing so. Dunlap will have to have a complete game against Gilbert.NCB Darqueze Dennard vs. SWR JuJu Smith-Schuster Cornerback William Jackson could very well be sitting out for this game, so his rematch with wide receiver Antonio Brown is in doubt. But that’s not the only matchup worth paying attention to when the Steelers have the ball. Many fans on both sides would like to see Smith-Schuster and linebacker Vontaze Burfict meet again in some manner, but Burfict won’t be the one facing off with the Steelers young receiver in the slot multiple times during the game, Dennard will. The vast majority of Smith-Schuster’s production has come from the slot this season, much like it was during his phenomenal rookie campaign. The Bengals will try and operate out of their nickel defense as much as possible to best defend their passing attack, and Dennard will have to try and limit the separation Smith-Schuster gets down the field, who happens to lead all Steelers in average separation this year. Maybe the public address announcer at NFL stadiums is a job for Michael Buffer these days.You know: “Let’s get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”Unfortunately, what goes on inside the boxing ring might be safer than what we saw the last few weeks on the football field.Brawls. Dirty hits.Malicious moves . Targeting. Launching .Nauseating.“The unnecessary stuff is over the top,” says Broncos linebacker Shaq Barrett, who was not involved in any of the incidents and, presumably Drew Sample Jersey Limited , is a neutral observer. “We should try to get that out of the game.”Leagues at all levels have spent more than a decade seeking enhanced player safety. Most of the time, those initiatives involved rules changes.In the NFL, mostly they have worked. Not so much lately.Troy Vincent, a terrific defensive back in his playing days and now the overseer of football operations for the league, promises that the NFL will look at any adjustments that will diminish the awfulness seen in recent weeks.“We have had clear directives from the competition committee,” Vincent says. “They asked us and the players to remove some of the helmet-to-helmet hits that we have seen, as well of some of the blindside blocks and other types of disparaging techniques and behaviors on the field. We have clear directive that this is not something that should be progressive, but that we strongly consider removing a player that is using these techniques that we want out of our game immediately.”Yet the prohibited keeps happening and, it seems, to a higher degree.“You’re always talking about keeping the poise and understanding the big picture is winning the game,” Saints coach Sean Payton says. “Part of that is mental toughness. You don’t have to respond and be macho. So many times I hear, `I’m not going to be punked,’ and I get that. And yet, listen, there’s a discipline element that you’re preaching as coaches. You’re trying to make them understand the big picture Cheap Tyler Eifert Jersey , which is winning, and all these side things that can take you down a path contrary to the goal.”While fans of specific teams will take umbrage at one of their guys getting suspended — that’s a basic principle of fandom, that your team can’t be wrong — more objective observers recognize the danger zone these incidents occur in.Two of the most insightful voices in this area, former NFL executive Pat Kirwan and former pro quarterback Jim Miller, discussed the ugliness of what we just saw during their SiriusXM NFL Radio program this week. They brought up a point worth pondering: Why aren’t players being tossed when they go so far across the line of fair play?Miller: “When are the officials going to be willing to eject players?”Kirwan: “They should have by now. They think throwing flags is going to stop it. I quote Ray Lewis, we are talking about a receiver coming over the middle and he did a number on the guy. I asked Ray: `What was going through your mind?’`Look, I’ve got the middle in our zone drop. Anyone who is coming in there, here comes the receiver, at no time in my life did I ever think of the rule book and let him in there with the ball.'”Miller: “I go back to that (2015 Steelers-Bengals) playoff game, that’s what lit the fuse, that’s what got the party started. And it was payback (Monday night). The Bengals felt they were wronged by the officials. (They think) if they are not going to police it, boys, we are going to police it. They got one of ours, we’re going to get one of theirs.“At what point will the officials eject?Kirwan: “As soon as the head of officials tells them if you don’t eject, we are going to suspend (an official). You’ve got to get this under control. Or the league office stops the game like they should Cheap Cordy Glenn Jersey , and say `He’s out now.’ Why can’t they eject from New York?’“You’ve got to control it.”Kirwan makes an excellent point that rules on paper mean nothing unless they are enforced, and there are consequences — not only for rules breakers, but for those charged with upholding the rules.“Stop writing rules and start throwing guys out that you, in your mind, ref, you know intentionally tried to hurt someone,” he says. “Just throw him out of the game.”Vincent notes that players, fans, coaches, general managers and owners don’t want to see ejections.“There are only 17 weeks and the philosophy is, if it gets out of control, we ask the referees to maintain control of the game, give them that flexibility,” Vincent says. “They have that flexibility, but we really emphasize let the players play Trayveon Williams Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , but if things begin to get out of control, you must maintain control of the game during that window.”In an odd way, maybe pro players need to look back at the grass roots of the game, where USA Football’s initiatives are designed to promote safety and proper tackling techniques — and are working.“My sense of it as coaches and maybe parents and players see those things,” says USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck, “they’re fully aware of Heads Up Football and shoulder tackling. The common denominator is, this is the right way to teach it and it is happening across the board.“In the past, a kid might be taught differently at the youth level than at the high school level, now it is consistent. The majorities of youth and high school football now follow shoulder tackling. It’s been really comprehensive, we are seeing a great improvement, and coaches are telling us they are seeing a great improvement in overall tackling.”Too bad it’s not always apparent in the NFL.