The Amnesia of '08

Well, it’s over. Can’t say it’s been a good ride, really; we never even got off of the ground. The team mustered the gumption to return itself to the hanger after stalling on the runway, and ‘round here, we see that as a step in the right direction. Sad but true.

But we should be happy, right? Finishing a respectable 4-3-1 in the season’s second half is picking ourselves up from the mat and finishing the fight. The city, the fans, the team can go around patting each other’s backs and drinking themselves into a New Year’s haze. We’re aren’t the worst team after all, eureka!!

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Dustin Dow struck a nerve in Marvin Lewis when he asked the coach if the meaningless success in a lost season masks the inefficiencies of the organization as a whole. Perhaps Dow had hit too close to home for Marvin. For a person in stubborn denial, the truth is often the last thing they want to hear. But the question was asked because we’ve all read this script before. Cincinnati has a knack for trumping up enthusiasm for the future, based on late-season improvements which only serve to keep us out of last place. How many years must I spend muttering the worn-out, old phrase, “Just wait til next year”?

Next year will be Marvin’s seventh with this team. It will be young and inexperienced, and likely immature and emotional. Half the players invited to training camp will be returning from injured reserve and plenty of the veterans will not be asked back for another go around. Expectations and optimism will be minimal heading into a what seems to be a permanent phase of mediocrity.

Carson’s elbow is the perfect built-in excuse for that expected mediocrity of ‘09. Unfortunately, he is the keystone to the entire Bengal operation which will not operate correctly, if at all, without him. Carson has proven that he can be magnificent when everything around him is exactly in order, but sprinkle even a dash of the unexpected in the mix, and the man panics. The team crumbles around his inability to improvise and seasons are lost. All those Eagle’s fans who scream for McNabb’s head don’t know how nice they have it with a guy like that. Carson would be torn limb-from-limb in Philly, and would probably have an emotional meltdown.

A common symptom of a failed season is when many of the younger players see more playing time than anyone expected. Thanks to a plague of injuries and generally miserable play, rookies like Pat Sims, Andre Caldwell, and Anthony Collins were able to showcase themselves as possible starters for next year. Chris Perry ran himself into the ground, which gave the misplaced Cedric Benson a chance at a career again. Benson showed he’s at least capable of carrying the load if called upon. A complimentary speed back – maybe DeDe Dorsey – would relieve some pressure from Benson and the offensive line.

Fitzpatrick proved that he is definitively a back-up quarterback, but not a bad one. He struggled at times, but unquestionably improved throughout the season. Some of his late success was aided by improved playcalling from Bratkowski and the gelling of the second-string offensive line, but the accuracy on his throws became more consistent and his pocket presence increased over the last four games or so. It will be interesting to see if another team lures him in free agency, promising him a chance to start.

As for the o-line (perhaps this blog’s most thoroughly discussed aspect of the Bengals), it seemed the back-ups were better than the starters. Collins had some difficulty against some elite pass-rushers, but held his own against others, Livings didn’t appear to make many mistakes and Roland played well in his only start against the Chiefs. This is still an area of major concern, but it’s nice to know that some depth with decent young players already exists within that unit. If the Bengals are able to add another tackle and a new center, this line could be at least decent again by next year. Paul Alexander(offensive line coach), the whole world is watching.

Mike Brown is poised to make a statement this off-season. The pressure by fans and media has been adquately applied for him to beef up the scouting and general management departments in the organization. If he complies, we will stand there, mouths agape, and applaud Mr. Brown’s commitment to winning . If he “stays the course”, turns his back on competitive business practice and spends his time counting our tax dollars and eating Burger King, then we will have no choice but to storm the river banks and burn Paul Brown Stadium to the ground. Which message will you send, Mr. Brown? Choose wisely.

Mojokong - Happy Frigin’ New Year!