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DraftAnalysisBreaking down the Bengals¡¯ selection of Michael
JordanNew
Boomer
Esiason Jersey ,12commentsThe Bengals invest in an Ohio State offensive
lineman in back-to-back drafts.EDTShareTweetShareShareBreaking down the Bengals¡¯
selection of Michael JordanAaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsThe Bengals traded up
not once, but twice in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Both times they
sacrificed one of their sixth-round picks. Both times they invested in the
future of their offense.With their third fourth-round pick, the Bengals selected
Ohio State offensive lineman Michael Jordan. Jordan joins Jonah Williams as the
second offensive lineman the Bengals have drafted this weekend and is now
entrenched in the Bengals¡¯ latest overhaul at the position group. What Jordan
brings to the BengalsSize and athleticism: If anything, Jordan definitely looks
the part. Standing at nearly 6-6 and 312 pounds with 34¡± arms, Jordan tested
with great explosion and flexibility at the NFL combine. On tape, that
athleticism translates well. He plays with balance in pass protection and
explodes off of the ball in run blocking. Combine that with his youth (he turned
21 in January) and Jordan enters the league with immense upside.Tenacity: A
clich¨¦ perhaps, but Jordan is an angry blocker, often plowing his assignment to
the ground. Some players have the athleticism to mirror and climb to their man
but not the strength to drive them out of the gap. Jordan does.Positional
versatility: With the Buckeyes, Jordan started at left guard as a true freshman
and stayed there for his sophomore season. He then was moved inside to center
last year. With his aforementioned size and length, he could also play tackle if
needed.Why the Bengals picked JordanFuture stability: The three guards that
played for the Bengals last year are all entering contract years in 2019. Left
guard Clint Boling has been with the team for eight years but may be entering
his last season in Cincinnati. Jordan provides the Bengals a long-term
replacement for one of their best players.Competition: Behind Boling and
newly-signed John Miller, Jordan joins Christian Westerman and Alex Redmond as
the potential backups at the guard position. All three won¡¯t be on the final
roster, so this should scare both Westerman and Redmond.Familiarity: Like Sam
Hubbard last year, Jordan was a Buckeye that grew up a Bengals fan. Like most of
us
Renell Wren
Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , he grew up watching the early Marvin Lewis
days and had his own favorite players when he was first getting into the
game.Jordan wanted to be here, and so did his former teammate Billy Price.
Jordan and Price spent two years together starting on the same offensive line.
In 2016, both manned the guard spots. In 2017, they played next to each other
with Price at center. In 2018, when Price was blocking for the Bengals, Jordan
followed Price¡¯s footsteps and took over at center.It¡¯s safe to say Price is
going to enjoy playing with Jordan once more. Elite name: Only slightly kidding.
CARSON, Calif. (AP) ¡ª Jeff Driskel ran away from Chargers star Joey Bosa,
scrambled past a linebacker and dived into the end zone to cap a thrilling
effort by the Cincinnati Bengals¡® young quarterback.Except the officials took
the touchdown off the board after video review in accordance with this season's
NFL rule that equates a quarterback's dive with a slide to protect
passers.Driskel didn't realize the rule had changed, and he didn't want the
protection. "No, I was not giving myself up," Driskel said.The Bengals (5-8)
aren't giving up on their tumultuous season either, and their effort reflected
it during their fifth consecutive loss, 26-21 to Los Angeles on
Sunday.Cincinnati held the Chargers' powerful offense to 288 yards and two
touchdowns
Cheap
C.J. Uzomah Jersey , keeping it out of the end zone entirely after Los
Angeles' first two drives. The Bengals never led, yet they outgained the Bolts
and had two chances to tie the game with 2-point conversions, including a final
shot with 1:54 to play.But Cincinnati still had just enough mishaps ¡ª some with
the rulebook, others with its headsets, still others with aggressive play
calling that didn't quite work out ¡ª to fall just short of knocking off one of
the NFL's top teams on the road.Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was sweaty and
frustrated after watching his players barely miss out on a win that could have
energized them down the stretch. Instead, Cincinnati fell into last place in the
AFC North with its seventh loss in eight games, and Lewis' crew must win out
just to finish at .500 after a 4-1 start."Well, the team needs to win, so that's
the only progress that really counts, is winning," said Lewis, whose team is on
its third losing streak of five games or more during his 16 seasons in charge.
"We've got guys playing big-time football, and we've got to make sure we're
playing it all the time."Lewis shrugged off the notion of a moral victory with
14 players on injured
reserve
Jeff
Driskel Jersey , but Cincinnati hung with the Chargers without quarterback
Andy Dalton, receiver A.J. Green and linebacker Vontaze Burfict, among
others.After going 17 of 28 for 170 yards in his second career start, Driskel
was frustrated to be denied his third rushing touchdown. On the ensuing
fourth-and-inches, guard Alex Redmond committed a false start, forcing
Cincinnati to kick a field goal."The whole philosophy behind it is to continue
to give (the quarterback) protection as he slides forward, just like he used to
do when he slid feet-first," referee John Hussey said.Driskel was disappointed
with the ruling, even after a game in which Lewis called his overall play
"career changing.""Obviously that's within the rulebook, and however that's
interpreted," Driskel said. "But if that's how it's interpreted, I've got to
find a way to get in there some other way."Driskel hit John Ross with a TD pass
with 20 seconds left in the first half to make it 14-12, and Lewis aggressively
called for a 2-point conversion ¡ª but it failed when Driskel couldn't hit
Giovani Bernard. That point would have been handy late in the fourth quarter
when the Bengals could have trailed by seven instead of eight.The Chargers got
the ball to midfield with 1 second left in the first half to attempt a Hail
Mary
Nick
Vigil Jersey Limited , but Jordan Willis inexplicably jumped offside,
allowing Michael Badgley to kick a 59-yard field goal at the gun."It's very
frustrating," Bengals safety Jessie Bates said. "It's as simple as staying
onside. It's what we learned since the first time we played football. It's
disappointing that we keep having the same thing come up. It costs us points as
well."Cincinnati went on fourth-and-1 from its 35 on the opening drive of the
second half, but Joe Mixon got stuffed and the Bolts kicked another field goal.
Center Billy Price then committed a false start on fourth down in Chargers
territory later in the third quarter.Driskel drove the Bengals 79 yards in the
waning minutes for Mixon's TD. They went for two again, and Driskel had time to
make a throw ¡ª but everyone was covered, and Los Angeles' Darius Philon sacked
him.Cincinnati then botched an onside kick that didn't even go the required 10
yards, and the Bengals headed home to regroup for their final home game of the
season against Oakland.The Bengals even had problems with their communication
headsets in the first half. The offense managed to get its plays in by hand, but
the defense sometimes had to wing it, according to linebacker Nick Vigil."That
led a little bit to some of our demise, I think," Lewis said. "The first half
was ridiculous. I've not been in an NFL game where that's been an issue like it
was today."