Week 4 recap

New England 34, Cincinnati 13

The Bengals played the roll of underdog well on Monday night. They looked overmatched, uninspired and outcoached to the mighty Patriots. The Bengals locker room continues to look like M*A*S*H and everybody’s yelling at someone else. But ask Marv what he’s going to do about it and he’ll tell you this, “We’re moving forward.”

That expression has become Marvin’s daily mantra. We hear it every press conference multiple times. It can fit into an answer for any question thrown at him. How are you going to fix this team? We’re going to get better and move forward. Will any linebackers be back for KC? They’re moving forward. Hey Marv, how was traffic this morning? Moving forward. It’s a little ridiculous.

The mentality of this team has been so delicate the past five years that it seems they could never become the model of professionalism that is New England. Cheating aside, the Patriots never panic. They too have had years when injuries press third and fourth stringers into action on defense but they still get it done thanks to exceptional game planning and an occasional hidden camera. Cincinnati on the other hand simply can’t handle the pressure of stepping up when the chips are down. The coaches don’t have an answer. The players are either penciling themselves into the Super Bowl or are convinced they’re a bad team without any grounded perspective after every game. The media overhype the players reactions because the coaches are always mum on any subject of importance. And it all results in a team who can’t be counted on when it matters most.

Before we move forward to the point where we miss the playoffs and fire Marvin, let’s step backward for a moment. When the schedule came out, pundits and fans all agreed we could easily be 1-3 at this point. The schedule really loosens up after the bye week. Can we go 9-3 the rest of the way? Probably not. Eight more wins seem at first overly optimistic, but look closer. On offense, Rudi, Chris Perry, Tab Perry, Chris Henry, and Eric Guicheck are all coming back soon. On defense there’s Ahmad Brooks, Landon Johnson, Rashad Jeanty, Caleb Miller and maybe someday Frostee Rucker. That’s a lot of help on the way and coupled with the easier second half schedule , you have yourself a legitimate bright side.

Sure we’re moving forward but in what direction?

Mojokong - The Orangutan of Optimism