Some Cornelius Bennett discussion

[BillsPride12]

I was pretty young in the glory days I remember watching the games but I wasn't into the real hardcore football talk like I am now, anyways I was just wondering if The Biscuit was considered a hard-hitter or someone teams were afraid of playing or if he was considered an intimidator. Now I ask this because people always refer to Talley and Bruce as the big-hitters and tough guys from those teams(which is rightfully so) and it seems people considered Bennett more of a finesse, playmaker type of player, but I was watching some old NFL films from those days and something I noticed was how many qb's Bennett knocked right out of games and he was a ferocious pass-rusher. There was this one play where he must've split like 3 lineman to get to the qb and he ended up knocking him out of the game. While watching those films it certainly looks like the Biscuit knew how to lay the wood, so how come he is never mentioned when the hardest-hitting Bill or toughest Bills threads come popping up?

[BoondckCL]

I was pretty young in the glory days I remember watching the games but I wasn't into the real hardcore football talk like I am now, anyways I was just wondering if The Biscuit was considered a hard-hitter or someone teams were afraid of playing or if he was considered an intimidator.  Now I ask this because people always refer to Talley and Bruce as the big-hitters and tough guys from those teams(which is rightfully so) and it seems people considered Bennett more of a finesse, playmaker type of player, but I was watching some old NFL films from those days and something I noticed was how many qb's Bennett knocked right out of games and he was a ferocious pass-rusher.  There was this one play where he must've split like 3 lineman to get to the qb and he ended up knocking him out of the game.  While watching those films it certainly looks like the Biscuit knew how to lay the wood, so how come he is never mentioned when the hardest-hitting Bill or toughest Bills threads come popping up?

794659[/snapback]

 

Did you see the Bryce Paup play where he lept over a Cowboys offensive linemen to sack Aikman. That is a classic.

[Pyrite Gal]

I don't think that folks saw Biscuit as a finesse player just because he was not considered as vicious a hitter as Bruce or even Nate Odomes who had the rep as tough customers and big hitters. Rather than as a finesse player, I think that folks simply viewed him as a gifted athlete whose big hits came as a result of his being so quick and mobile rather than having guile that most folks associate with finnesse.

 

A true finesse player may well remain good even when he gets older because though he might lose a step in speed, he gains half a step or more in learning to be more efficient in his moves or shortens the ditance he has to make-up by learning to be in the right position.

 

Biscuit on the other hand was not viewed so much as a smart player but as a gifed athlete who covered a lot of gound because he could.

 

Cornelius was viewd in my recollection as a big hitter, but it was because he had the speed and athleticism to take advantage of opponents mistakes not necessarily because he forced the other team into mistakes with his finesse or sneaky moves.

[Shamrock]

...smooth player and like Pyrite- a gifted athlete. Something like 37 sacks in his first 5 years- not a bad average (I think the late, great DT had 65 in his first 5 if that adds any perspective)

[Lori]

Bennett's first NFL game was against Denver, the defending AFC champions. First play he was in for, John Elway walks up to the line, sees Bennett gearing up to blitz, and IMMEDIATELY calls timeout. (Didn't help. On the play right after the timeout, Bennett pressured Elway into an incompletion.)

Later that year, Biscuit put up what still has to be one of the most amazing defensive stat lines ever -- 16 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles against Randall Cunningham and the Eagles. (Unfortunately, the offense didn't show that week, and the Bills lost...)

 

You're right, it is kind of odd that more of us - myself included - don't remember him as a stereotypical "big hitter" along the lines of Chris Spielman or Ray Lewis. But intimidating? Ooh my, yes.

[Buftex]

Funny you bring Biscuit up...this past summer, I got a DVD recorder, and spent an unhealthy amount of time transferring old Bills games from VHS to disc...watching those "golden era" Bills teams, I was a lot more impressed by Bennett than I remember being at the actual time. He was a great athlete, on par with Bruce Smith, IMO...I think, after further review, part of the reason he is not always mentioned up front as one of the great players on those teams, was that he was one tough SOB, and played injured, a lot...he spent a large part of one of those seasons (sorry it is all a blur again) unable to lift his arms over his shoulders, but he still played every week...and made lots of plays...

 

As far as Bennett being a "big hitter", I think he was. Those Bills defenses, fairly or not, were tagged as being finesse, bend and sometime break defenses, because they always got drilled in SB's (or at least the last three)...those 4 losses, sadly, did as much to label Bills players of that era, as all the great regular season and playoff performances did.

[HopsGuy]

Later that year, Biscuit put up what still has to be one of the most amazing defensive stat lines ever -- 16 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles against Randall Cunningham and the Eagles. (Unfortunately, the offense didn't show that week, and the Bills lost...)

794683[/snapback]

 

After the 2nd sack, Bennett was helping Randall Cunningham to his feet. He said, "You better get someone to block for you, or I'm gonna kill you today."

 

[HarkinBanks]

Bennett was absolutely sick: fast, strong and I would say a big hitter. At one point, they had to move him to middle linebacker due to injuries and he was unbelievable, just so fast and strong and killing people. His first game against Denver was like watching Lawrence Taylor or Bo Jackson on the original Tecmo Bowl, where one player is moving at a completely different speed than anyone else on the field.

[BillsPride12]

Another thing I noticed was Bennett's versatility he had an incredible season the year Bruce was out in 91, it said he lined up at 5 different positions throughout the year and I think he doesn't get enough credit for his role in those Super Bowl years, everyone always talks about the big 3 on offense and then Bruce, but I think Cornelius also played a HUGE role in that defense.

[RayFinkle]

I was pretty young in the glory days I remember watching the games but I wasn't into the real hardcore football talk like I am now, anyways I was just wondering if The Biscuit was considered a hard-hitter....

794659[/snapback]

Ask the poor lady he sodomized...

[Rubes]

The other interesting thing about his first game against Denver...he was just acquired from the big trade, and he really didn't have any time to practice with the defense, so Denver had nothing to go on.

 

I remember he applied heavy pressure on Elway his first two plays, and the following day Larry Felser wrote something like: "Then, on his third play from scrimmage as a pro, Cornelius Bennet was double-teamed."

[kgun]

back in, I think it was 1996, I met Joel Meyers {TV Announcer} at an LPGA event and I started asking him some questions about how good he thought the Bills teams were back in the early 90's. To my recollection all I can remember from this twenty minute conversation was at how stupid Biscuit was. He told me he couldn't interview him because he could not understand what he was saying. I wanted to hear him praise our offense; all he did was leave me with a bad memory of #97 that I can't get out of my head.

[Kelly the Dog]

IMO, Darryl Talley gets far more credit than Bennett for being so underrated. It makes him no longer underrated but in some ways overrated, because Bennett was simply phenomenal, and a much better player. Talley was awesome, and one of my favorite Bills. And was extremely consistent for a long, long time. Bennett, however, was one of the very best in the league at his position. He was definitely a hard hitter, and excelled at all aspects of the game.

[Dwight Drane]

IMO, Darryl Talley gets far more credit than Bennett for being so underrated. It makes him no longer underrated but in some ways overrated, because Bennett was simply phenomenal, and a much better player. Talley was awesome, and one of my favorite Bills. And was extremely consistent for a long, long time. Bennett, however, was one of the very best in the league at his position. He was definitely a hard hitter, and excelled at all aspects of the game.

795310[/snapback]

 

 

Finally someone says it!!!

 

I admired Talley for his work ethic and his honesty. If you put a microphone in front of Talley, he didn't know how to come up with BS, he would say it like it is. As far as his play goes....he was more of a consistant solid player...but nothing in terms of Bennett. I don't think there were many offensive tape sessions where the coach said "Holy Bejebus!, what are we ever going to do with that Talley fellow?"

 

But they sure did for Biscuit

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Too bad the Biscuit couldn't make a tackle on 3rd and long in the one game we needed him to.

[Buftex]

IMO, Darryl Talley gets far more credit than Bennett for being so underrated. It makes him no longer underrated but in some ways overrated, because Bennett was simply phenomenal, and a much better player. Talley was awesome, and one of my favorite Bills. And was extremely consistent for a long, long time. Bennett, however, was one of the very best in the league at his position. He was definitely a hard hitter, and excelled at all aspects of the game.

795310[/snapback]

 

 

That is really hilarious...in my origial response in this thread, I was going to say something very similar, but figured, like most things here, it would be taken wrong, that I was saying that Talley was no good...Talley was very good, but Bennett was every bit as good, and then some...dead on Kelly!

[Kelly the Dog]

That is really hilarious...in my origial response in this thread, I was going to say something very similar, but figured, like most things here, it would be taken wrong, that I was saying that Talley was no good...Talley was very good, but Bennett was every bit as good, and then some...dead on Kelly!

795333[/snapback]

I liked it more when we argued. I had been agreeing with you way too much over the years.