Yardbarker: Leon Hall

The one in which the Bengals' secondary is still awesome and the Bengals take a 4-0 division record...Bengals win 17-7

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:16:16 -0500

by Al Behrman - AP about 2 hours ago: Baltimore Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain (33) is gang-tackled by, left to right, Cincinnati Bengals defenders Domata Peko, Keith Rivers, Frostee Rucker, Dhani Jones and Leon Hall after a short gain in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman) View full size photo » Today was the first time in recent memory that I s...

Primer: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:03:08 -0500

Game: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) Series Leader: Baltimore, 15-12 Streak: Bengals have won four of the past six meetings Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 8-5. Harbaugh: 2-1. Broadcast: CBS (1:00 PM ET): Dick Enberg, Dan Fouts. Westwood One Radio: Kevin Kugler, Mark Malone. SIRIUS: 129 (Bal.), 123 (Cin.). XM: 105 (Cin.). SB Nation: Baltimore Beatdown NFL.com: Game Center Weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 64 degrees and light winds. [Weather.com] ...

Bengals, a joke no more, now amongst NFL's best

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:08:37 -0500

CINCINNATI — They are Bungles no more. In fact, it's easy to imagine the Bengals having the second-best record in the NFL. Throw out that fluke play from the season opener against Denver—cornerback Leon Hall deflected a Kyle Orton pass into the hands of Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley, who took it in for a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds—and the Bengals would be 6-1 going into their bye week. As it is, they are 5-2, tied with the Steelers for first place ...

Cincinnati Bengals Player Pick 'Em for Week 6

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:19:41 -0500

OK folks we're back now for week 4 of our Cincinnati Bengals player pick 'em contest. To see the full write-up of the original rules see here. Last week's scoring results are repeated below the jump. Here are the current score standings: 1 – Deisel2405 – 60 pts 2 – brandone – 44 pts3 – Vman in Germany – 38 pts4 (tie) – Richard L – 30 pts4 (tie) – FriarBob – 30 pts5 (tie) – The Dealio – 2...

Ravens Lose to Bengals Before Game Starts

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0500

How do you lose a game before the opening kickoff? The Ravens came into today's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals with an offensive game plan that aimed to stay away from Cincinnati's strength - cornerback Leon Hall, instead of playing to their own strengths. Derrick Mason was targeted zero times. The entire offensive consisted of delayed handoffs to Ray Rice and short passes to Rice and Heap. Other than a play made entirely by Rice, the offense was worthless all day, relying on Ed Reed's interception return for a touchdown.

The bottom line is that the Ravens should have respected that the Bengals had played four close games already. This is not a game they wanted in 13-10 or 17-14 range. They wanted this game in the 20s or 30s. By playing conservatively, the Ravens put their suspect secondary one breakdown away from losing for the entire game.

In fact, they want every game in the 20s and 30s this year. The Ravens have very good depth at every position except DB. In nickelback situations, the Ravens are forced to put Chris Carr and Frank Walker on the field. Carr contributed an illegal contact and Walker contributed a pass interference on Carson Palmer's last 80-yard game-winning drive.

Of course, the officiating was again atrocious. On the game-winning drive, Ochocinco literally tackled Dominique Foxworth on an overthrown ball. I mean he actually wrapped him up and took him down. In the second quarter, following a failed Cincinnati challenge, the officials inexplicably misspotted the ball at the 20 rather than the 25. The announcers were all over it, but no one on the Ravens sideline was jumping up and down.

It is possible the Ravens did not give the Bengals's front seven adequate respect in planning this game. Marvin Lewis has what he's been searching for since arriving in Cincinnati. He now has playmakers on all three levels of the defense, Maleuga on the line, Odom with the linebackers, and Leon Hall in the secondary. Every great defense either has one playmaker on each level, or three playmakers in one level. The Bengals have the formula, and a healthy Carson Palmer with a viable running game. They are a real threat to win 10-12 games this season, plus they've now beaten Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh let the officials and New England beat them twice. That cannot continue if they hope to go the places they expect to go this season.

Cincinnati Bengals Player Pick 'Em for Week 5

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:57:46 -0500

Sorry again for the delay in getting it set up, but as I mentioned earlier I'm out of town this week and my schedule's very odd from Ohio's perspective. But we're back now for week 3 of our player pick contest. To see the full write-up of the original rules see here. Last week's scoring results are repeated below the jump. Here are the current score standings: 1 – Deisel2405 – 60 pts 2 – brandone – 44 pts 3 – Vman ...

9/14: The day after

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:30:31 -0500

Leon Hall tried to avoid it, but he ended up seeing it at least 10 times on Sunday night. Much like watching “Titanic,” the ending was still the same. “Nothing really changed from yesterday to this point,” said Hall of Brandon Stokley’s grab of Hall’s tip and improbable 87-yard touchdown. “One big point (secondary) coach (Kevin) [...]

Get Back From the Ledge

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:33:57 -0500

It was a fluke. A lucky bounce. A play that could have been run a thousand times and never happen the exact same way. So don’t jump off the Bengals bandwagon just yet. Don’t start blasting the entire team or calling for the head of Coach Lewis. Don’t start attacking Leon Hall for doing exactly what [...]

Bengals CB Leon Hall Could Still Face Punsihment By The NFL

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:56:20 -0500

Cincinnati Bengals starting cornerback Leon Hall is not out of the woods just yet. Despite his drunken driving case being reduced this week to a...

Bengals Cornerback Leon Hall Avoids DUI Charge

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:02:03 -0500

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall, 24, pleaded guilty in Municipal Court this afternoon, to reckless operation of a motor vehicle, a...

Bengals CB Leon Hall Given Conditional Driving Privileges

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:18:34 -0500

Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is allowed behind the wheel of a car so he can get to and from work while facing a charge of drunken driving, a judge...

A Different Type of Tank Rolls Into Cincinnati

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:28:17 -0500

Fears of character issues among Bengal players resurfaced this week with the signing of Tank Johnson and Leon Hall’s DUI charge. Driving under the influence is going to happen to the best of us as long as people transport themselves to places where alcohol is served. No one (sober) would tell you that driving drunk is ever a good idea, but almost everyone who drinks and has a car has at one time has pushed their legal limits. Leon Hall may not have

Bengals CB Leon Hall Arrested On DUI Charges

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:20:02 -0500

Third-year cornerback Leon Hall was stopped Sunday at 3:11 a.m. on Mount Carmel-Tobasco Road in Union Township.The Ohio State Patrol said Hall's...

Unverified Voracity Owes Georgia A Beer

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:56:29 -0500

Wheat, wheat, chaff. The last couple days have been very good for Michigan's tourney chances:South Florida 70, Cinci 59 St. John's 59, Georgetown 56 Wake Forest 65, Maryland 63 North Carolina 86, Va Tech 78 Georgia 90, Kentucky 85 Mississippi State 80, Florida 71

Leon Hall Takes Home AFC Defensive Player Of The Week Award

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:34:41 -0500

Leon Hall earned the defensive award for the first time thanks to a career-best three-interception day in a 14-0 victory over Cleveland. He returned one of the picks 50 yards for a touchdown for the game