German_Force » assistant remaining in Brian Belich

The Green Bay Packers gave up 34 points in Sunday night’s loss at Atlanta.The Cincinnati Bengals have scored nine points while starting the season 0-2.One of these struggling units should be feeling better about things after Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.More Packers coverageBucks’ Wes Matthews loves Wisconsin Rob Gronkowski Jerseys Stitched , is a Vikings fanPreview: Packers look to slow Vikings’ revitalized run gameTop Tweets: Yelich thanks fans for support after season-ending injuryAmos sparks rebuilt Packers defense in debutPackers to be tested again by familiar foe in Zimmer, VikingsThe Bengals haven’t scored a touchdown in losses to Baltimore and Houston at home. A day after the 13-9 loss to the Texans, longtime coach Marvin Lewis fired offensive coordinator Ken Zampese and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor.“We have to have a direction of execution and things have to fit together and we’ve got to provide opportunity to attack the defense,” Lewis said. “We’ve got to do a great job attacking what is our perceived weakness of the defense and get the ball to our guys who can make plays.”That starts with getting quarterback Andy Dalton back on track. Dalton, who is coming off his two best seasons, with a career-high passer rating of 106.2 in 2015 and a career-high completion rate of 64.7 percent in 2016, owns the worst passer rating in the league at 47.2 and the next-to-worst completion rate at 54.5 percent.Dalton has thrown four interceptions and been sacked eight times behind a shaky offensive line that has struggled to replace left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right guard Kevin Zeitler, who left in free agency.Green Bay’s defense got off to an impressive start vs. Seattle in a 17-9 win to open the season but got exposed, again, in a 34-23 loss at Atlanta. The Packers couldn’t stop Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (252 passing yards, 108.0 rating), receiver Julio Jones (five catches, 108 yards) or the running game (5.2-yard average).Early in that game, Green Bay inserted cornerback Kevin King, a first-round draft pick, into the lineup and he gave up only one catch.With Lewis looking to get the ball more to his playmakers, King and fellow cornerback Davon House will be tested by star Bengals receiver A.J. Green. Green had 1,000-yard receiving years in each of his first five seasons and would have done it again last year if not for missing six games because of injury. He has caught 10 passes for 141 yards to start this year.While Cincinnati’s offense has been horrible, the defense has played well enough to win both games. The Bengals have given up 20 points or fewer in eight of their last nine, including both games this season.In the opener against Baltimore, Cincinnati lost 20-0 due, in large part, to five giveaways. Last week against Houston, the Bengals gave up only 266 yards Color Rush Damien Harris Jersey , including 98 net passing yards, but lost 13-9.Lewis knows his defense will face a much bigger challenge against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers than it did last week against rookie Deshaun Watson. Lewis has had some success vs. Rodgers, though. In matchups in 2009 and 2013, Cincinnati won both games and held Rodgers to a passer rating of 73.5.“He’s an outstanding player,” Lewis said of Rodgers. “He has a great command of their offense and what Mike wants done. He knows the system inside and out, knows where everybody belongs (and gets) everybody to the right spots. And then he’s able to just do a great job of delivering the football. And then he extends them with his arms, his legs.“I think the thing we just impress upon our players is this is an all-day sucker, man. We’ve got to play the run, we’ve got to tackle and then, when we get in coverage and rush, we’ve got to be consistent and we’ve got to play tenacious and stay after it.”Injuries again will be a factor for the Packers. Seven starters were out by the end of the Atlanta game. Offensive tackles David Bakhtiari (hamstring) and Bryan Bulaga (ankle) were inactive, and receivers Jordy Nelson (quad) and Randall Cobb (chest), House (quad), safety Kentrell Brice (groin) and defensive tackle Mike Daniels (hip) dropped out during the game. Nelson and Bulaga were full participants on Wednesday, but Bakhtiari, Brice, Cobb, Daniels, House and outside linebacker Nick Perry (hand) were among eight players who did not practice.“We expect to play well every time we’re out there,” Rodgers said. “No matter who’s out there, they’re all professionals. There’s an expectation of a style of play and a performance that we all have for ourselves and for each other. So whoever’s out there lining up is going to be expected to play well.”For Cincinnati, tight end Tyler Eifert (back) and right guard Trey Hopkins (knee) were the only starters who did not practice.CINCINNATI (0-2) at GREEN BAY (1-1)Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBSOPENING LINE — Packers by 10RECORD VS. SPREAD — Cincinnati 0-2 Youth Damien Harris Jersey , Green Bay 1-1SERIES RECORD — Bengals lead 7-5LAST MEETING — Bengals beat Packers 34-30, Sept. 22, 2013LAST WEEK — Bengals lost to Texans 13-9; Packers lost to Falcons 34-23AP PRO32 RANKING — Bengals No. 27, Packers No. 7BENGALS OFFENSE — OVERALL (27), RUSH (22), PASS (22)BENGALS DEFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (31), PASS (1)PACKERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (7), RUSH (27), PASS (4)PACKERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (8), RUSH (t-20), PASS (9)STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Bengals have won last three meetings. … Each team had four turnovers in last meeting in 2013, including fumble returned for touchdown for each side. … Bengals trying to avoid first 0-3 start since 2008, when they went 4-11-1. They’ve gone 0-3 13 times in club history, failed to have winning record any of those seasons. … Bengals first team since 1939 Eagles to open season with two home games and fail to score TD. They haven’t reached end zone in 25 possessions, settling for three FGs. … Last team to open season with two home games and so few points was 1949 Packers. … Bengals fired Ken Zampese after 13-9 loss to Texans on Thursday and elevated QBs coach Bill Lazor to offensive coordinator. … QB Andy Dalton’s 28.4 passer rating in opening 20-0 loss to Ravens was second lowest of career. He’s thrown four INTs, lost fumble. … Dalton’s 47.2 passer rating is worst in NFL. Browns rookie DeShone Kizer is second lowest at 55.6. Dalton led AFC in passer rating in 2015 at 106.3 … DT Geno Atkins had two sacks vs. Texans. He’s been involved in sack in six straight games, tied for longest streak in Bengals history. It’s longest active streak in NFL. … Packers started week with several key players on injury report, including starting OTs David Bakhtiari (hamstring) and Bryan Bulaga (ankle), WRs Jordy Nelson (quad) and Randall Cobb (shoulder), and DL Mike Daniels (hamstring). … QB Aaron Rodgers reached 300 career TD passes in fewest attempts (4,742) in NFL history. With 73 career interceptions, Rodgers also first to reach 300 passing TDs before throwing 100 interceptions. He passed Tom Brady (115) for fewest at time of reaching 300 passing TDs. … LB Clay Matthews (74 sacks) one sack from passing Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (74.5) for most in franchise history since 1982. … Fantasy Tip: PPR alert! WR-turned-RB Ty Montgomery has been just as effective in short passing game as on ground Womens Damien Harris Jersey , including six catches for 75 yards and short shovel pass turned into touchdown last week against Atlanta. He could be more involved in passing game if Packers have more injury-related protection issues. Who will watch the players?"The New England Patriots are finishing up their first week of conditioning for the 2019 season, but there remains a big gap on the roster. Who the heck are the coaches? When you look at the Patriots website, there is still just one defensive coach listed: safeties coach Steve Belichick, who is entering his fourth season in the role and eighth season as a defensive coach.The offensive side isn’t much better, with old timers offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, and running backs coach Ivan Fears- all of whom were with the Patriots back in 2001- and youngster tight ends coach Nick Caley.So who is coaching these players? Apparently the players themselves, according to Gilmore.The Patriots experienced a mass exodus of their coaching staff this offseason with wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea, assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, and cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer joining linebackers coach Brian Flores with the Miami Dolphins. Additionally, defensive line coach Brendan Daly left for the Kansas City Chiefs and recently-hired defensive coordinator Greg Schiano already resigned. And coaching assistant Atif Austin returned to the college ranks of Northern Illinois.Outside of the special teams unit, with Joe Judge and Cameron Achord working together again, and the weight room, with Moses Cabrera and Deron Mayo, there are plenty of questions. But there’s one definitive answer at the most important position of head coach.So let’s take a look at the vacancies and barring the Patriots spending one of their draft picks on a coach (I’m kidding), let’s make some projections.Offensive vacanciesWide receivers coachShockingly, the Patriots don’t appear to have anyone on the coaching roster prepared to take over for the position. But one of the benefits of having consistency in the top ranks means that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be a little more involved in the role, as could director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who was wide receiver coach for the Patriots for a pretty good season in 2007.A dark horse candidate would be DeMarcus Covington, who played wide receiver in college, but he’s spent far more time coaching on the defensive side of the ball.Assistant quarterbacks coachThe Patriots hired Mick Lombardi, son of former team executive Michael Lombardi, to the coaching staff this offseason and he makes sense in this role. Lombardi previously worked as an assistant in 2011-12 before joining the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, ultimately serving as an assistant quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons. He makes plenty of sense in this role.Assistant offensive line coachThis position is interesting because there isn’t a current vacancy Authentic Damien Harris Jersey , but the Patriots have to be prepared for Dante Scarnecchia’s eventual retirement. The team hired Carmen Bricillo from Youngstown State this offseason to be the assistant offensive line coach, so there isn’t a major question mark for the job itself.The real question is what the team decides to do with assistant coach Cole Popovich, who is entering his 5th year with the team and who has spent the majority of his time learning from Scarnecchia. Will the team have two offensive line assistants? Will Scarnecchia retire soon? Or will Popovich, the lifetime offensive lineman and line coach have to find a new job?Defensive vacanciesDefensive coordinatorWill the Patriots even have one? New England didn’t have an official defensive coordinator last season, although Brian Flores owned the responsibilities. There are only three real options at this point: 1) Bret Bielema, the former head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers and Arkansas Razorbacks who is entering his second season with the team. He expected to be the Patriots defensive coordinator prior to the hiring of Greg Schiano, and perhaps now he’ll actually get the title. More on him in a bit.2) Bob Fraser was hired as a Schiano assistant roughly one day before Schiano resigned. Still, Fraser has experience as a defensive coordinator and could lead the same defense that the Patriots planned on having under Schiano.3) Belichick will do it himself. I’m leaning towards this options.Defensive line coachI expect Bret Bielema to be the defensive line coach with Joe Kim as his assistant, even without an official title. I would also expect DeMarcus Covington, who is entering his third season with the team, to help out with the entire defensive front seven because he has prior experience coaching defensive linemen and linebackers.Bielema could ultimately call the defensive plays from this position, just like how Flores did it as a linebackers coach. In this scenario, I would expect Bielema to hold this job for 2019 and get promoted to official defensive coordinator in 2020, with Covington becoming the defensive line coach in 2020.Linebackers coachFormer linebacker Jerod Mayo joined the team and reportedly has the position, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see him with a defensive coaching assistant title at least for a season. Fraser, who has many years of experience as a linebackers coach, could hold an advisory and mentorship role for Mayo as Mayo learns his footing as a coach.Covington could also chip in for this role, too, as he helped coach the position for the Patriots in 2019 as Flores was focusing more on the full defense.Cornerbacks coachThere is only one real option for this vacancy, with Mike Pellegrino entering his fifth season coaching with the Patriots. Pellegrino helped coach the cornerbacks last season and is a natural fit to take over the job.This leaves just one coaching assistant remaining in Brian Belichick, who is entering his third year as a coach and fourth with the team. His older brother Steve had to serve as an assistant for four seasons prior to getting a promotion and I would expect Brian to follow the same trajectory.I would also be curious to see if Brian flips to the offensive side of the ball to help out with the wide receivers, setting up an opportunity for him to become the wide receivers coach in 2020. That would make some sense and would allow Bill Belichick to have a son on both sides of the ball.All of this remains to be seen. We might not find out until offseason training activities begin in May.