A Depressing Conundrum

This is a free-falling nightmare that will not end. We’ve moved from terms like bad and laughing-stock to dubious distinctions and worst-coaching-job-ever-in-the-history-of-professional-sports. The pounding of the last two games has steam-rolled the fleeting spirit that remained in this team, and we’re only halfway through the season.

The descent back into the quagmire of the NFL pits didn't happen overnight. Those reading closely watched this hurricane slowly descend upon the horizon. It was forewarned.

The curious direction the Bengals have taken under Marvin Lewis has been critiqued since a disappointing 2006 season, which resulted in Lewis’ third 8-8 season. The excuse that year revolved around Carson and his knee. “He isn’t 100 percent; he’s gun shy in the pocket; he wasn’t on the same page with his receivers.”

In 2007, the excuse for the first losing season under Lewis (7-9) emerged as that old song and dance: injuries. “Not enough healthy linebackers; too many secondary guys out; lots of younger players filling in.”

And now we’re here. In the ninth and final circle of Marvin’s Inferno. Where not even light escapes, and first downs suffer mightily. Looking up at everyone else, banished to the kids’ table ..once again.

The worst part about the whole disaster is that Carson is hurt, and that will be the excuse again this season which will preserve Mr. Lewis’ position as head coach. Scarier yet, Bratkowski may be also spared on the same grounds.

Only an 0-16 season will prompt real change. And do you, as a Bengals fan, want that included on our already staggering list of dubious distinctions? At least the 1976 Buccaneers were an expansion team with some of the most random players ever. (There is some great NFL Films footage of that winless Bucs team.)



I guess when it comes down to it, I still want the Bengals to win. I can’t root against them. That would be like turning against your special-needs sibling. I’d rather them pull out two, maybe three wins in the second half of the season, not have the first pick in the draft, and still take Ray Maluaga with the third pick overall. That said, I’m not picking them to win in any of the remaining weeks.

Jaguars 28, Bengals 10

Mojokong - the portal of faith.

Lead the Team in Something

Bengals mosey into Texas to face a team they’ve never lost to, and have enough confidence in prolonging that streak as stock brokers have in the economy right now: nada. When the chips are down, leaders emerge. Strong-minded, willful people who will pull their comrades from the muck and mire of defeat. Too bad the team’s leadership resembles a grade-school theatrical rendition of Lord of the Flies. I guess that makes Ghaicuic Piggy.

The best ones, lead by example. Unfortunately, the example our team provides could be sold as instructional videos on what poor execution and mindless clock management looks like.

John Thornton was brought in what seems like eons ago, partly because of his locker room presence and positive leadership, but when asked for his perspective on an 0-7 team, Thornton said, “I’m all out of perspective. Perspective out.” Yikes.

Look around the Bengal locker room after a loss and you’ll find a lot of shaking heads and shrugging shoulders. No need for finger pointing when the entire organization appears bush-league. Carson is more of a yes-man than a leader. He toes the company line and says things like ‘we can win the next nine games and still make the playoffs’, which is nice enthusiasm, but after a while it becomes nauseating, like Kenneth from 30 Rock.

What’s worse is that Marvin cut the only natural leader on the team. The only ray of sunlight in a very dark place: Willie Anderson. Once he was shown out, the team went into the mind set of a funeral, and collectively mourned a loss the week before their first game. That decision will never make sense to me.

On to the game.

When Fitzpatrick drops back to pass, he either: A) runs for his life, B) stays in the pocket for too long and gets mauled by the pass rush, or C) completes a short pass on a timing route. Given those options, it only makes sense that we make the short pass the focus of the offense.

The running game may be improving, but its doing so at a glacier’s pace, the offensive line still is too in touch with their sensitive side to be able to block anyone, and the defense finally collapsed of exhaustion due to being on the field the vast majority of the season.

If it’s the short pass that prolongs drives, than let’s do it three-fourths of the time. If we have to boil our play book down to under 10 plays to give the defense a break, than that’s what happens. Sure, we wanna see the deep ball, what NFL fan doesn’t? But we would really like to see us score occasionally, even if it happens in a more conventional form. Short passes are the only thing the offense seems capable of achieving right now. West Coast offense time. Let’s go.

Texans 26, Bengals 23


Mojokong - Two men enter, one man leaves.

Bailing Out

For most, a recession means getting by with less. Domestic beer is purchased, public transit is ridden, and spaghetti is served. A new routine is set in order to improve upon, or at least maintain the situation around us. If this is also true for the Bengals, then it couldn’t have happened at a better time.

For starters, the offense - hell, the world - could use a lot less of Chris Perry. Marvin and Brat should be economic with his carries, to put it politely. Although he hasn’t shown much of the pass-catching ability his reputation hinged upon, I still think he could be a serviceable third-down back. I’d like to see him get six to eight chances not to fumble this Sunday, in addition to any check-offs he’s a part of. That leaves Cedric Benson to channel the anger he runs with on the Steelers linebackers upwards of 20 times, but only if the offense can afford to run the ball. Even if Benson gets stopped for no gain every time, I guarantee you that it hurts more to tackle him than it does Perry. Besides, the running game needs help anywhere it can get it, and Benson still hasn’t had a decent sample size to gauge how effective of a runner he can be.

We could also afford to cut back on running the ball on first down. There are stretches of play-calling where the pigeons in the rafters know what’s coming. The next time the Bengals line up in an I-formation on first down and they send a tight end in motion, turn down your TV set and listen to the Cincinnati area say in unison, “They’re running it”. It’s that bad.

It seems we can cut out Glenn Holt altogether. His injury should hopefully make that more visible to the personnel department in Marvin Lewis’ head. In an NFL where the return man is more noticeable than ever, keeping a mediocre one and a mediocre receiver to boot, isn’t being fiscally responsible. Both the second and third-round picks were apparently squandered on useless receivers in Marvin’s last draft. Check out some other second round receivers like Eddie Royal of the Broncos or DeSean Jackson with the Eagles and notice how much they’re contributing to their already successful team. Now look at our second round receiver Jerome Simpson who was drafted before both of those guys and hasn’t had a play of statistical record yet. Draft picks are a precious resource, and a bad team can’t waste them on the distant future. We need help now.

Finally, we need to balance the time of possession battle so that the defense doesn’t die of fatigue.

Look for Dick Lebeau to bully the offensive line, by throwing the kitchen sink at Fitzpatrick. Steeler outside linebacker Lamar Woodley could wreak havoc against our soft, cushiony offensive line and Polamalu stalks the secondary like a storm cloud ready to burst. It could be a long, miserable afternoon for the Bengal offense, but I do see Chad breaking out a bit this game. Fitzy seems to look his way first and their going to throw it deep a few times, even if they have to force it. I wouldn't expect any touchdowns, however.

The only good news going into it is that Willie Parker re-aggravated an injury this week in practice and is a long shot to play Sunday. The Bengals have had a hard time stopping the run in some key stretches, but this week they go against the weakest stable of running backs we’ve seen this year. A smart team would blitz Ben like we’re wild dogs and he’s made of bacon. Their line also has had issues this season and Big Ben has taken a beating early on. The defense should have a good day against a wounded Pittsburgh offense.

Perhaps the great depression version of the Bengals can show us a glimpse of a productive future. All we can evaluate at this point are, what areas are worth keeping and what fat can we trim. If it’s planned out wisely, maybe we’ll taste the good life again someday. Not this Sunday though.

Steelers 20, Bengals 6

Mojokong - Mmmmm bacon.

Cheer Up, Dammit.

Desperate for a silver-lining? More bad news continues to rain upon our battle-scarred domes here in the wasteland of the NFL. Once learning that Carson’s trip to the elbow specialist in New York resulted in a thumbs down, Fitzpatrick was immediately named as the starter against the mighty Steelers this week. With all the deserving criticism and negativity blowing around this city on Sundays, it’s hard to find positives to focus on, but I’m gonna give it a try.

Fitzpatrick played pretty well last week. His numbers were far from staggering, but it’s important to remember that he is a young backup quarterback. He made some accurate throws, found a way to get the high profile receiver tandem involved, and even showed some arm strength when he overshot number eighty-five on a deep ball. The offense established some rhythm on a few drives last week thanks to Fitzy converting some key third downs when it seemed impossible to gain positive yards. He still relies on his scrambling ability a bit too much, but at least he’s good at it. Think of how many times Carson has just sat back in the pocket and allowed himself to be sacked. Fitzpatrick is no Steve Young, but I believe with some more starts under his belt, he could become a capable starter someday. Not even Dan Marino could win many games without a decent running game. There’s no reason for Carson to come back this season and risk long-term injury. I look forward to watching Ryan Fitzpatrick’s progression in the lost season of ‘08.

Ndukwe anchors a secondary that ranks fourth overall in pass defense and could become one of the league’s best by the end of this season. Free safety Marvin White has blossomed into a solid starter, and the first-round draft picks, Joseph and Hall, can tackle and cover with the best of them. But it’s Ndukwe that has created a presence that’s reminiscent of the great ones. Not only can he hit people, he has that certain ball-hawking nature which has produced three recovered fumbles for touchdowns and four picks in just eight starts. When Week 17 mercifully comes to a close, Chinedum will be in those hallowed ranks with Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. Mark those words.

First-rounder Keith Rivers hasn’t been eye-popping, but he’s shown some real talent and is definitely a long-term fixture in Zimmer’s plans. Dhani Jones and Jeanty are too slow to be game-changers which magnifies the importance to have a linebacker with nice speed like Rivers.

Pat Sims, third-round defensive tackle from Auburn, played last week for the first time this season and made some nice plays. Marvin was impressed enough to credit him in the press-conference after the game. Phasing out John Thornton with Sims sounds like a good idea.

The hope in the press box is that the Bengals end up with Rivers’ college teammate, Ray Maualuga in the ‘09 draft. The pair would be a great push in the right direction to establish an imposing defense, particularly against the run. It isn’t that far off, folks. When you consider how long they’ve been on the field (31st in T.O.P./ 30th in plays from scrimmage), it’s hard to believe that they rank 16th overall.

How’s that for optimism?

Mojokong - Play 32, not 23.

Could you expound on that?

Today's press conference should go something like this:

Marvin, can you explain why you opted to play Perry instead of Cedric Benson late in the game?
Anticipated answer: “we thought Chris gave us the best chance to win.”

Is that why Perry was involved in 12 plays in the second half, none of which went for more than three yards?
Anticipated answer: (sarcastic smile) “that’s right.”

Will you adjust your strategies at all to help the anemic run game in the remaining games this season?
“We’re going to move forward and work to get better. Whatever that takes, that’s what we’ll do.”

How about Utecht? Are you disappointed that he’s dropped so many passes?
“Ben’s a fine player, and he’s going to do better next time.”

Is the offensive line really as bad as it appears (25th in sacks allowed/30th in rushing, before the week!)?
“There’s a lot that goes into giving up sacks. All 11 guys have to work to keep sacks from happening.”

Thanks, Marv.

MK: October 12, 2008 4:46 pm.

Bledsoe Redux

The Bengals offense still sits second to last in yardage with no help on the way. Carson and his inflamed elbow will watch from the sidelines again this week while the Whirling Dervish, Ryan Fitzpatrick gives it another go.

Number nine seems to be on the same career path as Drew Bledsoe. They’re the exact same size, both have cannon arms and both we’re first overall picks. Each golden boy struggled a bit their first season as starters, and both peaked around their fourth years as pros. They stay too long in the pocket, they try to force throws into small places and neither have much scrambling ability. Palmer is fading fast into mediocrity the way Bledsoe did in his last couple years with New England. Bledsoe revived his career some when he moved to Buffalo and I’m beginning to think a change of scenery is the only way Carson is ever going to be great again.

Why bring him back at all in ’08? His elbow is swollen, painful and apparently limiting the throws he can make. I think Fitzpatrick is a capable back-up, but why not begin to show Jordan Palmer some attention. It seems we only get about four quality years out of the Palmers, so let’s groom the next one. I honestly don’t know if Jordan has what it takes to be a decent QB, but the season is lost and we can afford a few zany experiments.

Expect to see Chris Perry relegated to the third-down back role. Cedric Benson showed me enough last week to become the every down back by gaining positive yards and not fumbling. The Chris Perry experiment should be officially considered a failure and completely terminated after the season.

The defense is ranked 31st in sacks so far this season. Robert Geathers has done little to earn his contract extension, and Odom has made a modest impact at best on the defensive line thus far. Zimmer has called plenty of blitzes this year – especially safety blitzes, but most times it becomes neutralized by effective pass protection from opposing running backs and tight ends. The Bengals are tied for 27th in the league with a –4 turnover differential. The defense has been on the field far too long this season and lack of turnovers coupled with a missing running game are the reasons why.

Marvin needs something good to happen to the Bengals, which can only mean a win. The team, the fans and the city aren’t swallowing the respectable loss placebo any longer. Coach Lewis talks about how slim the margin of error is for his players, but after almost winning four games (the Tennessee loss was really never that close) the real difference is the coaching.

Finally players are beginning to raise the issue about the play calling:

“You can say the play calling isn't where it needs to be. But if we're executing the simple stuff, they'd be comfortable calling the big stuff. We're not executing the little stuff and it puts (Bratkowski) in a bind upstairs. When we were rolling, Coach Brat called whatever he wanted,” said Chad.

“With Slim (Henry) playing, it opens up the offense and it gets the coaches to open it up more, which is strange to me," wondered Housh.

“I'm not sure. I know (offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski) was definitely conscious of it. He knew the situation, what was going on.” said Carson of the lack of the deep ball. “But not too many teams have been successful throwing the ball from nine yards deep, with seven-step drops, and really holding onto it long.”

Enough said.

Jets 22, Bengals 13

* Willie Anderson played great last week for Baltimore.

Mojokong – Meadowlands Massacre Part 2: Fitzpatrick In Flames!

That's Heat You're Sitting In

Marvin comes off as a dictator leading a struggling nation-state into the ground. He won’t explain anything about how the team is ran or explain their outlook on any issue. He laughs mockingly when asked for insight, and tries to convince outsiders that his job cannot be understood by mere mortals. He locks himself and his team away while he apparently squanders precious resources like proven offensive lineman and defensive backs, draft picks, and particularly time. Our only window of what’s really going on with the Bengals is on game days, and that’s been far from a show of might.

After last season I wrote that Marvin had this year and next to turn things around before he’s actually led to the chopping block. Now I’m ready to move that time frame up to this off-season. What kind of coach is this guy? Can’t say he’s a players coach. Can’t say he’s a disciplinarian either. He came into the job as a defensive brain, yet here we are in year six and we’re only beginning to show signs of development on that side of the ball (and that has very little to do with any of Marvin’s doing). We’ve watched a once formidable offense crumble into a smoldering pile of useless debris. What does he bring to the table? Why should we show patience to the man?

I believe that Marvin has shown us the leadership ineptitude of Kim Jong Il. I don’t expect to be led onto the practice field or the locker rooms. I understand that some things, even most things on an NFL team, must be kept secret. But what I want to know is, are the Bengals working to improve? An admission of failure would be a step in that direction. A simple statement that modestly acknowledges our past mistakes, and a commitment to a new direction. That doesn’t mean “going forward” as Supreme Chancellor Lewis enjoys saying. It means making a right or a left. I don’t care which way, just turn.

*The on-side kick last week must be pointed out as the best Marvin decision, maybe ever.

Mojokong - It’s Time for Real Change: Jason Garret in ‘09.

A Soft Plummet

If the Bengal season is a plane ride, then the pilots are unaware that the jet is out of fuel. Once they realize, if they do at all, the only thing that can be done is to slowly descend into a cornfield somewhere.

While we, the passengers, wait for our emergency landing, we can at least check out our new offensive toys we picked up this week.

First off, we have the returned and allegedly repaired, Chris Henry. Our offense has the flu and Henry could be something like an Advil – helpful, but makes little of an actual difference. We know what Henry can and can’t do. He can jump well on deep balls and break tackles on smaller corners. He can’t take a hit very well and sometimes tends to lose focus (a common Bengal symptom).

Then there’s running back Cedric Benson who this week became the newest addition to the NFL’s Home for Wayward Boys, headquartered at PBS. Benson is an emotional guy who carries the ball with an angry running style similar to that of Corey Dillon. Here is a guy who broke down in tears when the Bears drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft. Chicago cut him when he was arrested for drunken driving and drunken boating charges in Texas, both have since been dropped. Now it looks as if he’ll be the starter Sunday against the league’s most talented team – the Cowboys.

I like the Benson acquisition. When it became clear that Perry wasn’t going to immediately improve our running game, I began to wonder if Mike Brown would pick Benson off the second-chance-tree that he keeps in his garden at home. It would be a ballsy move for most franchises, but here in Cincinnati, we have neither our season nor our reputation to worry about.

Let's talk about something positive and credit the defense. Mike Zimmer has an overworked unit which ranks 19th in overall defense. Not bad. The guy did come in with a nice resume and some legitimate accolades and is now putting his troops to work as expected. He blitzes at the right times, and his young corners have looked most professional in the first quarter of this season. Zimmer and his squad give us some fleeting hope to our current bleak outlook of the season. Whatever you do, Mike Brown, don’t lose this guy.

The captain notices the fuel light blinking now, and there’s some perspiration gathering on his top lip. He doesn’t want to inform us - the passengers - just yet. While there’s plenty of reason to panic, he doesn’t have the heart to tell anybody. Not until he either absolutely has to, or until we figure it out for ourselves. In the meantime, take in the scenes outside your window. Notice the little islands getting bigger? See how we’ve dipped below the clouds now? See how we’re crashing?

Mojokong – The Paper Tiger