June 19, 2013

Bengals’ Maualuga: Trent Richardson “Didn’t do nothing spectacular”

September 13, 2012 by 29 Comments

Unintended double negatives aside, the Cincinnati Bengals LB Rey Maualuga is not concerned about facing Trent Richardson this Sunday when the Cleveland Browns and Bengals square off in Cincinnati.

According to ESPN’s AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley, the Bengals LB wasn’t too shy about making his unimpressed opinions of the Browns’ rookie RB known:

Middle linebacker Rey Maualuga didn’t come away impressed after watching tape of Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson. “He can run you over and you can miss a tackle, at the same time, from what we’ve seen he didn’t do nothing spectacular,” Maualuga told CBSSports.com. “From running screens, missing passes, trying to find a hole when he’s running the ball. He just didn’t do anything spectacular from what I’ve seen.” I double-checked and made sure this was Maulauga and not Jim Brown talking. This is funny because Maualuga “didn’t do nothing spectacular” in the season opener against the Ravens. He managed five tackles in a game where he got continually blocked by Ravens fullback Vonta Leach.

Outside of running over defenders and making people miss, I’m not sure what else a RB needs to do to impress Maualuga. Of course, presumably, averaging more than 2.1 yards per carry would be a good start.

Either way, I believe the first verbal shots have been fired. We’ll see how the Richardson and the Browns respond. A victory over the Bengals would be this author’s preferred response.

[Related: Browns Offer a ‘Taste of the Browns’ for the Cleveland Foodbank]

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  • http://twitter.com/bbo13 B-bo

    To be fair, he’s correct in his assessment. However, Maualuga didn’t exactly set the world on fire as the Ravens lit him and his defensive mates up like a Christmas tree in their contest, so he may want to hold off on critiquing the performances of others just yet.

  • Harv 21

    After 13 years of beating us like a drum, every division opponent’s mediocre players does and should feel free to talk smack. As a Steelers fan smirked at me a few years ago, we’re their extra bye-week.

    Step 1: shock them with an upset when they still believe they can beat us without full effort.
    Step 2: beat them at home even when they need that game and are playing hard.
    Step 3: every game, home or away, will be a dog fight, like the Steelers v. Ravens now.

    Until Step 2, until we build our own team to a competitive level, nothing on the bulletin board means anything. It’s just fun stuff for bored sportswriters.

  • TSR3000

    Trent simply looked a little rusty. I can’t wait for his breakout game. I hope it is this week.

  • joe schmo

    “didnt do anything spectacular”

    just like maualuga’s whole career

  • mgbode

    yep, and Rey’s been in the league for 4 years now and is still a 2-down LBer who has only once topped 50 tackles (54 last year). so, Rey, we are not impressed with you either.

  • Natedawg86

    Dalton will not play the whole game…he got a pounding last week and it was not all in the backfield. Guy does not know how to protect himself in traffic.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    All of the comments about Maualuga’s career and yet he’d have been the best LB this team had outside of DQ Jackson. Interesting, very interesting.

  • JK

    “Didn’t” do “nothing” is a double negative Rey…..

  • tsm

    truly damning with faint praise.

  • mgbode

    I liked Rey-M at USC, but his NFL career has proven that Caroll was able to mask his deficiencies there with Clay & Cushing.

    He’s a 2down LBer and even if you think Gocong is as well (which he probably should be) he is still better than Rey-M. And, I’ll take our youngsters promise over ReyM’s known mediocreness anyday.

  • de

    do something on the field first, and then you can run your mouth kid !!!!!

  • Dee P

    The Browns playing the Bengals is usually a double-negative too.

  • http://www.facebook.com/andy.stoneburner Andy Stoneburner

    it was richardsons first game since alabama won the championship and he was out of practice most of the offseason besides the eagles defense is very good he will get better in time

  • MrCleaveland

    I’m guessing Maualuga didn’t major in English at USC.

    On the other hand, he might have majored in Logic, because he’s absolutely right. Richardson didn’t do nuttin’ spectacular from what I seen either.

  • http://www.facebook.com/andy.stoneburner Andy Stoneburner

    rey maualuga is on the bengals not the browns so how is he second to DQ jackson? DQ is the best linebacker in the league when healthy and he has proven that rey has not proved he can be good or let alone be as good as jon beason or patrick willis or even james lauranitis of the rams is better than him

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    Gocong was so good that after one game you don’t even realize he’s missing. That’s how good he was. Fort and Robertson show promise but it’s one game I’m not ready to boast and bluster after one game. A game in which the defense surrendered over 400 yards.

    Don’t remind me that this team could have had another one of those USC backers in CM2.

  • BuckeyeDawg

    Here’s hoping that Trent can lay a “Kurt Coleman” on Maualuga this Sunday…

  • Team Brady

    I don’t think Maualuga summoned reporters to his house so he can volunteer his assessment of Richardson week 1 performance. He was asked a question by a reporter, he answered it – and his answer is accurate. His own career stats have nothing to do with it, unless you think players that are asked questions should decline to answer unless they’re pro-bowlers.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    He was more then rusty and how could he not be which is why the fact he ran the ball 19x is so questionable. I don’t know if you should expect a “breakout” game based on the way the OL blocks but anything to keep the Bengals honest would be a start. Actually the passing game needs to do something first to illicit some response from the defense thereby lessening their key on Richardson. Just a thought.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    He was more then rusty and how could he not be which is why the fact he ran the ball 19x is so questionable. I don’t know if you should expect a “breakout” game based on the way the OL blocks but anything to keep the Bengals honest would be a start. Actually the passing game needs to do something first to illicit some response from the defense thereby lessening their key on Richardson. Just a thought.

  • cmm13

    Wha wha what? Did you seriously just say DQ “when healthy” is the best LB in the league?

  • Hypno_Toad

    Ray Lewis
    Rolando McClain
    Patrick Willis
    Jon Beason
    Brian Urlacher

    If you’re talking straight MLB then I’d put these guys ahead of DQ. Obviously Lewis is old, so I’d rather have DQ in the long run since he’ll be around longer. But if you’re talking about right now, one game, give me Ray Lewis.I love DQ as much as the next guy but calling him “the best linebacker in the league” is ridiculous. And I didn’t even mention outside linebackers…

  • JK

    Asinine. Being a fan is one things, but take off those orange and brown glasses for minute.

  • JK

    I wanna get a logic degree

  • cmm13

    I’d throw Clay Matthews hat in that ring as well

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    Glad someone asked that question.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    Lewis and Willis definitely.

  • Hypno_Toad

    Urlacher and Beason too for sure. Beason is a monster when he’s healthy. I could say DQ is ahead of McClain though.

  • Hypno_Toad

    Well I was really only talking about middle linebackers. If you throw in the outside guys you have to throw in Harrison, Matthews, Ware, ect…. and then DQ really gets buried behind some guys. It was just the whole “best linebacker in the league” thing was a joke.