Week 8 Preview: The Bengals Swim With The Fishes

Despite their florid colors and friendly mascot, the Miami Dolphins are a pod of no-nonsense, jumbo-sized aquatic mammals who show up to bruise the other team and chortle about it later. They remind me of the Carolina Panthers, only bigger and better, and the Bengals toughness and physical strength will be tested, especially on defense.

For Cincinnati, this game is the last gasp of playoff aspirations. A loser of three in a row, Marvin Lewis has to get things back on track or else his team falls back into the "bad team" ranks once more. Injuries are beginning to mount in the secondary and the rest of the defense's performance has gone from underwhelming to flat out poor during that losing streak.

The only bright side left is that the offense finally seems to have found something that works with the no-huddle passing attack. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth said as much this week, and the proof is hard to argue against. In Atlanta, the Bengals passing game put up big points in a hurry and showcased the explosive potential this team has for at least the second half.

This week, I expect Cincinnati to push down on that gas pedal right away and try and get the same kind of rhythm again, only earlier in the game this time. If the defense can stop the run and put Miami in obvious passing situations, it will alleviate the increased pressure on a depleted secondary, and hopefully keep the score low enough to give the new-found offense a chance to play with a lead.

Dolphins offense vs. Bengals defense

The key to Miami's offense is their offensive line. They pass-protect well and run block well. They do a good job of getting outside on screens, they seal the edges nicely on off-tackle runs and sweeps and with the help of two heavy running backs, they wear out the opposing defensive line. Like the Bengals of 2009, the Fins are a grind-it-out offense that enjoys the bruising run game spiced with a dash of the exotic Wildcat formations the team is so comfortable running. Miami lulls defenses to sleep by pounding Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown on inside runs, pitch plays, delays, the wildcat, and all types of other rushing variations. Once defenses get tired of the run and commit to stopping it, out come the bubble screens and play-action passes to their very talented receiving corps.

Atlanta's Roddy White was dominant last week, showing off a large and diverse skill set, but somehow, it pales in comparison to the abilities of Brandon Marshall. Here is a receiver as big as Terrell Owens and as fast as White. There is no route Marshall cannot run and Miami uses him in any and every way they can. He demands attention, especially on deep crossing routes on play-action attempts. He will catch some passes—good luck trying to blank a guy like him—but it's imperative that he's tackled once he does. Missing tackles on a threat like Marshall will equate to more huge yardage and another high score against the Bengals defense.

The problem is that even if Marshall is double covered, Devone Bess is left to roam with only one man against him. Bess is the kind of player that earns an increasing amount of respect the more he plays. He reminds me a lot of Carolina's Steve Smith in the fact that for a little guy, he is surprisingly hard to tackle and plays with the same hard-nosed intensity that Smith possesses. The Dolphins like to clear a side of the field by sending Marshall deep and work Bess into that empty space on shorter routes. He is dangerous on screens and quick-hitters and is their main man on third down. Unlike Marshall who can kill you all at once, Bess aggravates defenses by chipping away on intermediate gains that mostly come from yards-after-catch. The Bengals have to limit the big-play ability of Marshall, but can't lose track of Bess either.

The tight end, Anthony Fasano, is pretty decent but he's no Tony Gonzalez. From what I've seen, Fasano gets most of his yardage when the defense forgets about him in the process of worrying about everyone else. He is a useful safety valve for Chad Henne once he moves from the pocket, and against Green Bay, Fasano was the beneficiary of a beautifully orchestrated screen pass to the opposite side of the field. Fasano scored on the play which put Miami in position to win in overtime. Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Brandon Marshall, and Devone Bess all come first on the defensive priority list, but Fasano and third receiver, Brian Hartline, are those supporting cast members that can become crucially important if disregarded.

As for the man under center, Henne is an average quarterback with a huge arm and accuracy issues. He takes risky chances and sometimes trusts his receivers too much, but he stands tall in the pocket, and like most NFL QB's, can be awfully damaging if given time. The Bengals, of course, have been non-existent when trying to put pass-rushing pressure on quarterbacks this season, and with the such a banged-up secondary they are dealing with this week, they could find themselves unable to get off the field on third downs if those troubles persist. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer must dial up safety and linebacker blitzes on passing downs because the line has proven they can't be trusted to do it themselves, and if rookie Brandon Ghee has to start at corner, more pressure is the only thing that can help the youngster. Obviously it would be nice if the linebackers or safeties could be even remotely effective in coverage to help that way, but they simply aren't, so they cannot be trusted with such a responsibility.

The points of emphasis, therefore, are to stop the run in order to set up passing downs, and blitz like mad when they do force such situations.

Bengals offense vs. Dolphins defense

What the Bengals should not do is try to first establish the running game. As much of a fan as I am of a power rushing attack, this is not the same team as last year, so new methods must be employed. Instead they should come out blazing by throwing and hurrying up to the line of scrimmage to throw again. Please, Bengals coaching staff, don't wait to use the no-huddle offense; it's the only thing your offense can do well. Feel free to mix in some runs once the passing attack has proven effective, but don't ease up because the defense isn't expecting a run. Nothing kills the rhythm more to this offense than no-gain rushing attempts; especially after just converting a third-down through the air.

This Miami secondary is not all that impressive. They lose containment easily—especially when quarterbacks move outside of the pocket, they aren't sure tacklers, and they aren't all that fast. The Bengal receivers have demonstrated a big-play ability, and there's no reason to get shy against this group. The front seven of the Dolphins are above average and traditional running attacks play into their hands, so throwing makes even more sense.

The main person Carson should worry most about once he drops back is a man named Cameron Wake. This speedy end found in the Canadian Football League has more sacks alone than the entire Bengal team. He is strong and very disruptive. In the games I've seen, Wake rushes from the right side meaning the perpetual project, Andre Smith, will face his toughest protection assignment yet this season. Expect the backs to help Goo out by staying in the pocket for an additional chip against Wake, but both the offensive line and Palmer need to mind the rising sack master on every pass attempt.

Conclusion

For the Bengals to win this game, they will have to score at least 27 points and hopefully more. If it comes down to a time-of-possession and field-position battle, than I would favor Miami but if the Bengals can get some touchdowns earlier in the game, the Dolphins may not be able to manufacture an outburst of points that are needed.

On offense, Cincinnati should stick with the only thing that has appeared capable of winning games, and on defense, they have to compensate for a poor pass rush with more blitzing on passing downs. Last game's loss put the Bengals in a hole they may not be able to escape from but the same this week would end that uncertainty altogether. Miracles don't need to happen, but avoiding more self-destruction certainly does. They have identified what kind of team they are; they should stick with that and see what happens. As Whitworth said, this isn't last year's team. Please fellas, be this year's team.

Bengals 31, Dolphins 24


Mojokong—stay with me.

Week 7 Recap: The Broken Bengal Seesaw

The Bengals had two weeks to cook up a game plan against the Falcons and discover a consistency on both sides of the ball, yet results varied again last week as a powerful throwing attack was wasted by a poor defensive showing—or non-showing—in another loss.

It now seems crystal clear that this offense is at its best in the no-huddle comeback mode. They appeared unstoppable during the third quarter and were on their way to a tie game in the fourth when they stopped themselves after Terrell Owens failed to bring in a catchable deep ball and Cedric Benson juked himself out and fumbled the ball away without being touched.

The encouraging thing is seeing how everyone goes about their tasks in a much better rhythm in the no-huddle offense. Atlanta's secondary was on their heels and for the first time in a while, this team set up the run with the pass. That is the identity of this season's offense; it's impossible to ignore, and it should be used before the Bengals need to come from behind. They have found something that works; keep doing that. It's caveman philosophy.

The down-side, of course, is the continuation of self-destruction that this sadomasochistic teenager of a team insists upon. It has identity issues, lacks ambition and can't focus on anything. It has plenty of potential in it, but instead of doing something with it, the Bengals just hang out in the basement with Cleveland doing who knows what.

The offense really showed some firepower that second half, but they also showed they have some more growing up to do—metaphorically speaking, of course.

The defense, however, didn't show us much of anything. Adam Jones and Leon Hall made big plays, but they also contributed to many opposing big plays allowed on that day. Even though this is the exact same cast as last year (plus some), they look slower, older, more injured, less inspired and somewhat disinterested. They certainly no longer reflect the grittiness of their coach. When it's time to dig deep and give Zim their best shit—as he likes to say himself—it's not been good enough. It's been inadequate shit.

Part of me wonders if playing such rugged defense last season took a toll on the players. This defense isn't necessarily young and many of these men seem far more replaceable individually than they did a year ago. That toughness I grew fond of has evaporated, replaced by indifferent lethargy. The undervalued-castaway mentality morphed into into an expectant and assumptive one; as if a fourth-ranked defensive mark was going to occur without the same effort. The defensive line is playing far below average, the linebackers have not played well, the safeties are frightfully bad right now, the corners have been downgraded from great to good. Things are not looking up for Zim's troop.

The other part of me wonders about the scheme and its focus. Loyal readers to this blog were informed last posting that limiting Roddy White was key in this match-up, but he went berserk against the Bengals anyway and inexplicably was not made a priority to stop. During one of his touchdown catches, White was covered by Rey Maualuga wile Chris Crocker and Johnathan Joseph surrounded Tony Gonzalez in the end zone. On another key third-down attempt, White converted with just Crocker there to cover. Why White wasn't doubled more will remain a mystery to me.

So if they weren't committed to stopping White, what was the commitment made toward disarming the Falcons? Tony Gonzalez perhaps? Gonzalez had a quiet day but if that comes at the expense of 400 other yards, Atlanta will take that every time. The Bengals certainly didn't do a good job against the run. Michael Turner has found room outside of the tackle box this year, but it didn't seem to matter what hole he decided to run through. If this defense can't stop the run, can't pressure the quarterback and can't cover most eligible receivers, how do they ever expect to win? If it's a matter of will and not about execution or scheme, this team is in trouble. They still need more players step up in the crunch and they need more big plays to go their way down the stretch. The Bengals will not survive in the long-run if they must shootout with other teams every week.

So if all phases of this team can come together even more than half of the time, life will seem better around these parts. No NFL team is going to be perfect all the time, and perfection is a ridiculous expectation in regards to the Cincinnati Bengals right now, but we can see their greatness through all the frustrating layers of mediocrity. It's like storing priceless antiques in a leaky old garage; all that value is just left to rot and spoil. Any chance for the playoffs this year is quickly being drug out to sea and if some semblance of control isn't developed soon, the undertow will become too strong and the 2010 season will be drowned with the other failed campaigns. Get a grip, men, you're bumming us out.

Mojokong—light years away.

Week 7 Preview: The Circling Of The Southern Buzzards

Only a smattering of pundits are giving the Bengals a chance this week. They haven't impressed enough people to form a large enough bandwagon to be picked to go on the road and beat an established quality team like Atlanta. The Bengals are just a bunch of big-named players with no glue holding them together, they say. Bums, they say.

Well, perhaps "they" are right. It's possible that our projections and expectations of this team went a little wild. They looked great on paper and pretty decent in the preseason, but under the big microscope of the regular season their audition as a contender has been paltry and underwhelming.

Nonetheless, I don't expect Atlanta will steamroll these castaways. Corner any wild animal where it feels trapped and it will become dangerous in a heartbeat, and the same holds true for the Bengals. The Falcons are a good enough team to take Cincinnati's best shot and still come out on top, but I bet that best shot will indeed present itself under the cascading metal roof of the Georgia Dome in Week 7.

For that to happen, the Bengals need not play the perfect game. Instead of desperately trying to live up to the Falcons' level, they should attempt to bring Atlanta down to theirs. The Dirty Birds know how to win games but with a few key efforts administered just right, they can become mighty pedestrian—and until we see otherwise, that's all we can expect from our striped friends.

Falcons offense vs. Bengals defense

Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez are all fine players, but the straw that stirs the drink for this offense is wide receiver Roddy White. It is my opinion that if a defense can take away White, it can force the Falcons to become predictable and easier to dictate.

The problem is, White just isn't going to sit back and allow that to happen. After watching the last three games of his, I feel this guy is vastly underrated and is as valuable to his team as any other receiver in the league. He is a legitimate deep threat, is good at finding open spaces in zones and has an excellent report with his quarterback. Often times, Ryan will look past his initial receiver underneath in hopes of scoring bigger yardage with White in the second level. The tandem doesn't want to settle for check downs; they're more aggressive than that.

With Johnathan Joseph hurting, Leon Hall will have to take White, which doesn't help. What does, though, is that Ryan doesn't appear to have the most cannon-like of arms. He is certainly capable of what most of us would define as a deep pass, but the ball simply doesn't boom from his hand and it often floats to receivers. I don't want to take much away from Ryan because he is a very solid young quarterback, but Hall plays with excellent fundamentals and technique and if it isn't a foot race to the end zone, I like his chances against a player like White. I would look for safety help when White does try and extend the field, but I would also expect Hall to play him in man coverage on short to medium routes.

Assuming White is somewhat contained, the next passing threat to worry about is the venerable Tony Gonzalez. This man could already be in the Hall-of-Fame had he retired five years ago, but like Ray Lewis, the guy simply doesn't know how to age properly. Every young aspiring tight end should watch lots and lots of tape of Tony Gonzalez, and would then be supplied with a thorough understanding of how the position should be played. I could keep going on about him, but I think you get the picture.

Gonzalez is Atlanta's quintessential safety valve. They can always rely on him getting at least a couple of yards every time they throw his way. He is most utilized in play-action stuff, particularly when Ryan rolls out of the pocket after the fake hand-off and hits Tony G. near the sideline. They love this play. They also use him as a decoy on underneath routes while White runs across the middle on short crossing routes. A few times in their games, I've seen two or more defenders drift Gonzalez' way and inexplicably leave White wide open in the process. Bengal linebackers are poor in coverage and these kinds of breakdowns will fillet them beyond repair if they occur. They must recognize play-actions, locate Gonzalez, and also somehow not lose sight of White. It's a difficult process, but it isn't asking too much from an NFL linebacker. If Gonzalez has close to 100 yards, and White doesn't, the Bengals defense is winning.

They have a few peripheral receivers who each have their own strength—Michael Jenkins is large, Brian Finneran is reliable and Harry Douglas is very fast with an old-school name—but the deep Bengal cornerback crew should be able to make these randoms an afterthought overall.

Even though Atlanta has what I would describe as an average offensive line, their tight ends and receivers do a good job of sealing the edges on outside run plays and are a big part of their offensive success. Their run game is centered around the tree-stub legs of one Michael Turner. At 5'10'' and 245 pounds, Turner is a nightmare for smallish defenders to take on and typically requires gang tackles to finally get him on the ground. The weird thing is, he seems most effective running off-tackle on stretch hand-offs and not as adept at grinding inside (though he did have a 55-yard run up the gut against Cleveland in Week 5). For the inside runs, they have another back named Jason Snelling who weighs 20 pounds less, but runs between the tackles like a much heavier man. Turner tops out around 18 carries a game or so, with Snelling closer to 8 or 9 attempts. This running game will almost always be too daunting of a challenge to shutdown completely, but if the Bengals are able to set the edge on off-tackle hand-offs and combine the pair for 120 yards or less, they will have succeeded overall against the run.

Bengals offense vs. Falcons defense

The Falcons defense is different than what the Bengals are used to. They aren't very big or brutish, they don't have a lot of star power, and they don't get super complicated in their scheme. They are light and fast, and should challenge Carson Palmer to throw on them.

Last week, Philadelphia manhandled Atlanta's front line in the first half. Not only did the Eagles win physically, they tricked the Falcons on a few key gadget plays that went for big scores. Once Andy Reid had fooled them a time or two, Atlanta was forced to bite on every fake thereafter, and suffered multiple long scoring drives against them as a consequence (along with three others that fizzled out in missed field goals). The Bengals offensive line looked tough for the first time all season last game; if these trends continue, Cincinnati's chances of a win increases exponentially.

Of course the main beneficiary of such a development would be Cedric Benson, and hopefully Bernard Scott too. In my last post, I discussed how I wanted Scott's touches to increase, but Benson is still the prize cattle around these parts and there's no reason not to show him off down South too. If the line is able to establish a push against the smallish defensive line of Atlanta, they should stick with it and not get cute by "being aggressive" in the passing game. If Cincinnati finds itself with the lead late in the game again, it stands to reason that the coaching staff should now protect their lead with a strong running campaign combined with their trust in a formidable defense. If Palmer turns it over one more time late in the game, I'm going to lose my shit. It's as simple as that.

When Palmer does need to throw, the execution has to improve. Routes need to be sharper, passes must be delivered more accurately, catches need to be made. No one said that the Bengals have to be a passing team, they just need to be better when they choose to do so. If Palmer only throws it 20 times or less, something has gone right. The higher the attempts, the worse the score. Allow this team to run the rock as much as possible, but demand they make the play that gets the first down when passing situations do arise. The leaders of this offense are sage veterans; they should know what it takes to get it done. Do it!

When they do "do it", they should try some quick hitters to their bigger receivers, Terrell Owens and Jermaine Gresham. The Falcons don't look like sure tacklers, especially in the flats. Atlanta does sniff out screens well, but quick throws to the sidelines could have some explosive potential in them. Within the depth-chart, after Dunta Robinson—out with car-collision symptoms—the Falcon secondary gets more and more vulnerable. As long as the play-calling does its best to not get out of hand with the pass attempts, this team is the perfect defense to have a modest but confident performance through the air against.

Conclusion

The self-imposed setbacks have to end here or else the season does too. The Atlanta Falcons are a Super-Bowl caliber team that has immense talent on offense. It's in their dome, with their fans who feel really good about their team. This is a major chapter in the story of the 2010 Bengals. The outcome to this game will dictate the futures of many men in the visitors locker room on Sunday. To keep the season alive they must stop Roddy White, contain the Atlanta run game, stick their own run and be sharper in limited passing downs. The Bengals must mature into a more technically sound group of veterans in order for this thing to work. I still think that they can, but at this point I need proof. So until I see some....



Falcons 27, Bengals 23



Mojokong—it stings like the dickens!

Bye-nary System: The Season's Other Half

Marvin Lewis has a lot of favorite catch phrases, but the only applicable one for the remainder of this season happens to be his favorite: moving forward.

For every team entering the season, the goal is to make the postseason and that normally translates into winning 10 games. Yes, nine and sometimes even eight can make that happen too, but almost always 10 gets you in. For that to happen to the Bengals, they must win eight of their next 11 games, and when you add a grueling schedule within that stretch, you're left with what Vegas would label as long-shot odds of it coming to fruition.

However, football coaches would point out that games are not played out on paper, and that the road may seem improbable but not impossible, and all the other locker-room rhetoric that keeps their men from feeling defeated and giving up early. The whole-wheat analyst side in me dismisses such hopes as all but futile, but the frosted side of the fan in me refuses to write off the season after just three losses. So to protect my interests, here goes another attempt to locate a silver lining to an increasingly graying storm cloud of a season.

First off, in a somewhat abstract sense, football seasons move in wavelengths. Only one team, the '73 Dolphins, prevented any valleys from appearing on their season's graph. The key for successful teams is to find a wave and ride that into January. Last season, the Bengals caught a big kahuna early on, watching it fizzle out down the stretch. The team they lost to in the Wild-Card game, the Jets, tread water in a very calm sea to begin the year, but crested late and wound up in the AFC title game. The bye week in a team's season can act as a reset button where everything that has taken place before it is reevaluated and new strategies are born fresh. How the Bengals as an organization handle this year's bye week, could have major repercussions to the team's future for years to come.

The good news is that all of the frustrating inconsistencies are in the past; there have been a lot of positives, but never have any coincided with one another. The result to such a Jekyll & Hyde showing has been two major letdowns along the schedule's "easy street" segment, and now the apex of the mountain top seems higher than ever. But again, that's all behind us and now, you've guessed it, we're moving forward.

In order for the Bengals to turn this thing around and pick up some momentum, a few things need to change.

One of those, is that someone on the defense needs to emerge as a bonafide play-maker. Last year, that role was handled by both corners. While the secondary has been solid this year, they haven't seemed their sterling selves.

The lack of pressure applied by the defensive line has been well documented, but fortunately the Bengals get their top pass-rusher back—Jonathan Fanene. One might consider that fact a sad commentary to the lack of decent players along Cincinnati's front four, but Fanene's effort is always apparent when he's on the field and that's more you can say about most of the other guys. As for Antwan Odom's four-game suspension, the NFL could have just watched tape of him this season to see that no performance-enhancement has taken place. Since returning from his achilles injury, along with a virus that dropped his weight 20 pounds, Odom has looked slow and hurt, joining the ranks of failed defensive end projects on this team. Had it not been for one good game against a bad backup offensive tackle, Odom would be considered a huge bust for the big free-agent contract he signed three seasons ago. If he can't contribute any more than what he's shown this season, that label will be concreted to his legacy regardless of that memorable five-sack performance of last year.

Robert Geathers is now officially nothing special, Michael Johnson looked great in the preseason but can't turn it on under the bright lights, and Carlos Dunlap is a mystery who every inactive week inches closer to a second-round letdown like that of Jerome Simpson. As undervalued as Frostee Rucker has been during his tenure in Cincinnati, he provides better snaps than his much higher-paid brethren, and has managed one of the team's four sacks in limited action. If Fanene and Rucker are your team's best pass rushers, you do have problems.

So, if the quintessential play-maker isn't going to rise from the ranks of the defensive line, perhaps one might from the linebacker corps. The most likely candidate from that spot is fan-favorite Rey Maualuga, but Rey has not blossomed the way his USC mates, Clay Mathews and Brian Cushing, have. While Maualuga hasn't been bad, he hasn't demonstrated a trade-mark skill yet. I had huge hopes for the young Samoan, and would have used my first-round pick on the guy, but he hasn't manifested the pro-bowl caliber type of play I projected him capable of. Keith Rivers is Brian Simmons reincarnated, and Dhani Jones is supremely limited thanks to age and slow feet. I still think that Brandon Johnson has the best play-making instincts among the linebackers, but his snaps remain less than those of the starters for reasons the coaching staff must feel are justifiable.

Therefore, with all that said, I remain convinced that the best play-maker on this defense is Chinedum Ndukwe—even though he too isn't a starter. I absolutely agree that he is a liability in coverage on play-actions and misdirections, but he has, as scouts say, a nose for the ball. He's a rangy gambler who is an impressive tackler. He gets low on run support, makes receivers think twice about running across the middle and is an effective pass-rusher on the blitz. He isn't all that fast, but runs better than Roy Williams or Chris Crocker, and still has value on special teams. He may occasionally give up a score, but he is also the most likely to create a turnover. Having him out there is a risk, but I feel that's one thing this defense doesn't do enough of: take risks.

Still, with Ndukwe as the team's best creator of havoc, it shows how the Bengals have only developed good but not great players. I don't know where else it can come from, but Marvin and Mike Zimmer need to find more guys to step up and make game-changing plays. We once had the best young talent I've ever seen in stripes do just that, but now he plays in the UFL and is all but banned from rejoining his old team. It's sad but true; the Bengals have yet to find another Odell.

On offense, all the talk is of the Bengals needing to establish their identity. Last season they were a running team who failed to pass well when they needed to late in the year. The obsession was of providing a more balanced approach. The team acquired more weapons, is now throwing more, and looks even worse offensively. Everyone, including myself, is all up-in-arms over Carson Palmer's inconsistent play, but the solution seems simple: run more, but also run smarter.

Last week, the offensive line pushed around the Tampa Bay defense and looked like their smash-mouth selves of last year for the first time in 2010. Cedric Benson broke loose for the big game he's sought all season, but, sadly, the team went away from him down the stretch when it mattered the most. Regardless, until the line proves they can open up running lanes week in and week out, it's imperative to run Bernard Scott more. In fact, I can't come up with any logical answer on why he hasn't been more involved this year.

Benson has some moves, but is still more of a power runner. Every Bengal fan appreciates the effort that Brian Leonard provides, but he is not what most would call "explosive". Scott, on the other hand, is a special talent that incorporates shifty moves, good straight-line speed, excellent field vision, and adequate hands. From scrimmage, Scott has touched the ball 20 times and that's not enough. Why make active a running back in the mold of Jamaal Charles, Felix Jones, or, dare I say, Chris Johnson, only to give him two or three chances a game? Look at how Kansas City utilizes both Charles and Thomas Jones and you can see a better model for the rushing attack. Not only does Scott bring an explosiveness to the table, he also provides a different style of running for the games where the line isn't getting the push that Benson needs.

Kansas City ranks first overall in rushing and isn't composed of the highest profile linemen in the league. While Cincinnati isn't going to run out of the shotgun as much as KC does, they can emulate their style with surprising similarities. Running Scott more beefs up the run game, which every lineman loves, and also takes the pressure of the beleaguered Carson Palmer. With a better receiving corps than last year, only throwing when you need to should provide better results, because throwing when you don't need to just doesn't seem to fit the mold of this team.

No matter what kind of organizational adjustments the Bengals make during this bye week, they must get tougher—physically and mentally. The coaching staff must somehow infuse discipline into the players and keep themselves from overthinking their own strategies. They need both lines to play stronger and get better surges after the snap. The receivers and the secondary must be sharper at the end of games than they are in the beginning. As a group, the whole team must compose their talents into becoming and elite team. Anything less misses the playoffs.

Mojokong—the last major climb.

Questioning The Bengal Food Chain

My optimism has faded, my apologies run dry, my hopes dashed. What was once a blooming plant of excitement and pride, is now wilted, browned and angrily tossed near the compost heap. I would set it atop the rest of the rotting vegetation, but following after it simply isn't worth the effort.

Marvin Lewis, in his recent press conference, has once more invoked the spirit of the metaphorical shovel—the layman's tool which represents a hardworking and unglamorous lifestyle for his players—but the only thing I can imagine worth using a shovel for these days is to fling out the bullshit stacked in and around Paul Brown Stadium. After carelessly handing away the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, there is no more defense for the various tiers of helpless leadership within the Bengals organization.

At the very top sits the head villain himself, Mike Brown. Here is a man that has made it clear he is unwavering in the way he runs his business even it persists to perform in unremarkable fashion. He has also proven he cares little to nothing about the Cincinnati community and eagerly awaits the day that he can once more threaten the townspeople into paying him even more of their tax money. He hides behind a shroud of redemption, pointing to the careers he's resuscitated as feel-good tales of second-chances and ultimately marginal more wins. Yet in reality, the people he has helped come at bargain prices and that is the real motivation behind all the signings of troubled young men. When it works—and admittedly it has in many cases—he is triumphed as some kind of humanitarian, but what is conveniently overlooked is that 31 other teams need not stoop to problem children in order to win.

I remain steadfast in my opinion that there will come a day when I can no longer root for a Mike Brown team with a good conscious knowing how unjustly he has served the city in which I reside. I expect that day to present itself once the current stadium lease ends, or once Brown sues Hamilton County for not paying him the promised money it simply doesn't have. He will not back down because he simply doesn't care. He is out for himself.

Next in the pecking order is the team's president and general manager...oh wait, there isn't one. This unorthodox approach saves Brown money and allows his ego to think he has lived up to his father's standard who was able to successfully work as both team owner and general manager simultaneously. If it's one thing Brown seems unable to get through his stubborn mind, it is that he does not have his father's football instincts and this delusion has kept the team from being serious contenders under his reign. The man is in his mid-seventies; without sounding threatening or overly morbid, one can only hope that that number is soon coming to an end.

Somewhere in the flowchart is his daughter and her husband, Katie and Troy Blackburn, who hammer out details over contracts with player agents and end up with either missing out on high-profile free agents (Warren Sapp) or prolonging rookie holdouts (seemingly everyone except Carson Palmer). The value of both of their positions remain something of a mystery and the likelihood of this tandem turning around the team for the better once Brown does finally die, seems, perhaps, overly optimistic. The fact they are younger is the only hope I can muster for a brighter Bengal future, but, considering the family lineage, sometimes you just have to call a scrooge a scrooge.

Next up is finally a person with some football sense, Mr. Marvin Lewis. During the Mike Brown era of this franchise, there has been two distinct time periods: before Marvin, and after Marvin. There's no point on rehashing the dark ages of Dave Shula, Bruce Coslet, and Dick LeBeau, but since Marvin has been in Cincinnati, the Bengals have gone from inept to competitive. That alone is a feat when examining the misery that came before him.

Yet that feat has a fairly quick expiration of satisfaction. Once a fan-base sees their team become competitive, they want more right away, and that is what Marvin Lewis has struggled attaining. For my money, I think Marvin has a good eye for talent and runs a pretty sound operation. He knows what an NFL team should look like and most of his men seem to buy into it as well. However, the man is an inadequate game manager on the sidelines and doesn't seem to have the ability to instruct players well enough individually to see much of an improvement in their development. Once a player joins the Bengals, he typically remains that kind of player until he leaves the team. They rarely get worse, but they also don't get better.

Putting Marvin upstairs next to Mike Brown and making him a general manager makes sense, but I don't think that will happen. Lewis wants more personnel decision-making power, and an indoor practice facility; that would mean Brown would have to concede some of his ego and more of his money. Putting it into that perspective makes that prospect look as dead as a doornail. With that said, I think this may be the last of Marvin Lewis in this town once the 2010 season wraps up and that seems like something of a shame.

Who's next then? Most Bengal fans point to Mike Zimmer. Not only is Zim a fan favorite thanks to his turning around a bad defense in a short time and also persevering through the unexpected death of his wife last year, he also has the undying loyalty of his men. That isn't as pervasive of a sentiment in the NFL as maybe it should be these days. With mediocre players performing at overachieving levels for him, it makes sense that fans would want that to translate into the whole team. The problem I have with it, though, is that it would mean removing him from what he's best at—coaching defense. Let us not forget the examples of Dick LeBeau and even Marvin of making a great coordinator into a poor or average head coach. With today's game, the head coach can be more of an overseeing cheer leader who manages the game and the clock well and need not worry about the X's and O's as much—that's what coordinators are for. Of course it isn't as simple as that, and in this discussion I feel safe in saying that I know little of what I speak of, but I do know that not every great position coach makes a good head coach, so therefore, caution when making such a crucial selection is needed.

The longest standing figure head with the Bengals of course is offensive coordinator, Bob Bratkowski, who has earned the title of least liked sports figure in Cincinnati behind the evil emperor himself. Between squandering loads of offensive talent and constant bewildered play-calling, Brat should be thankful he coaches here because in every other part of the world he would have been fired by now. The latest loss, and even in some of the wins this year, he has demonstrated further ineptitude in leading this offense to the heights it's capable of. Bashing this man has become old hat and, in the opinion of some, too easy, but somehow he keeps it from happening nearly each and every week. I'm sure he's kind enough of a person, but I literally hate him as the top offensive coach of the Bengals. If he ever becomes Marvin's replacement as head coach, I'm immediately bailing on this team.

His star pupil and gem of a talent for the past eight seasons has been the golden boy Carson Palmer. Despite convincing the world otherwise thanks to one great season, Palmer should be labeled as nothing more than average at best, and the parallels between he and Drew Bledsoe continue to hold up. Like no other athlete I have ever followed so closely, Carson has been insulated with numerous excuses as to why he hasn't performed the way he did in 2005. It seems that the majority of the world would rather find any other reason than to admit that maybe he just isn't that good. Yes, he has suffered some injuries, but other great quarterbacks have as well, only to return as greats. Yes, he at times has lacked explosive weapons, but the same response goes for the great ones again. There aren't better quarterbacks on the street right now that should supplant No. 9 this week or even this season, but if this franchise continues to pretend he is as good as it gets, they will fall farther and farther behind. Perhaps he has become complacent with no quarterback to compete for his job, perhaps he feels his average play still justifies his immense contract, but the fact is, he has slid each and every year away from that once heralded “elite” plateau and to think there is still room for improvement in his skills is naïve and plain old dumb.

Even though it may not sound like it, the Bengals are my favorite interest in the world. Over the years, I have tried to gain some perspective and tried to care less about the outcomes of their games, but I still can't. I want them to succeed, I want to know what it feels like to have my team win the Super Bowl. I want to feel satisfied for six whole months, but with these men currently in their places, I am dubious that will ever happen. I feel that this franchise has reached its critical mass, and unless a philosophical change within the power structure takes place, I think we will continue to feel the sting we suffered through this past week to Tampa Bay. The Bengals are only 2-3, but I can feel it all slipping away again.


Mojokong—somebody's got to say it, and since I don't get paid for this, allow me to be the one.

Week 5 Preview: Fighting Off Scurvy

The Bengals are angry and disappointed. They were outplayed last week by a competitor that most still believe is an inferior foe. To some degree, they should be humbled by the experience and, if nothing else, should have learned the lesson that mediocre performances simply will not do in the NFL. This week they are presented with good medicine in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Yes the Bucs won their first two games but it seemed to impress no one. In the games I've seen this year, it's clear that the talent level on this team is still far from where they want it. With very little game-changers on this team, the chances of many more wins are slim.

Still, the Bengals must play hungry to avoid an even greater disaster than what they experienced a week ago. As shabby as the Bucs appear to be, they are still a group of professionals, and if given the chance, can easily turn the game into another scary affair.

Bucs offense vs. Bengals defense

The best part for the Bucs—at least for their future—is their young quarterback, Josh Freeman. Here is a big strong lad with a big strong arm and two fast and active legs. The worst part is their porous offensive line that forces Freeman to use those legs more than he, or the franchise, would like.

Against Carolina, Freeman avoided multiple sacks and made enough plays scrambling out of the pocket to prolong drives and ultimately score enough points. The Panthers didn't blitz much in that game, but the front four did enough by themselves to keep Freeman from getting comfortable in the pocket. Against the Steelers, Freeman was never sure who was coming after him and settled for far too many check-downs to his backs on passing plays. Tampa Bay's pass protection is simply not good enough to stick with a game plan and any success the Bucs experience this season will come from Freeman's ability to improvise and make plays on his own.

That's why this game is a chance for the much maligned front four of the Bengals to pad their stats some. While Cleveland may have some glaring deficiencies elsewhere on their team, their offensive line is not particularly one of them and the lack of any decent pressure last week was a testament of that. Against this group on Sunday, however, should be a different story, and if Cincinnati can't force Freeman out of his rhythm, it may be a telling sign that they have not improved in that category from last year after all.

Of course Tampa Bay would like to run the ball and protect their young quarterback. Without many decent receiving threats, Cadillac Williams and LaGarret Blount, would like nothing more than to chew up yards and clock when they have the ball. If this offensive line has a strength, it's run blocking, but they aren't maulers per say, and Cincinnati, despite allowing 100 yards to Hillis, is a strong run defense.

The key for the Bengals is forcing the pass on third down and getting real pressure on those occasions. Freeman may very well become a star in this league someday; it's up to the Cincinnati defensive line to ensure that doesn't happen this Sunday.

Bengals offense vs. Buccaneers defense

Without a doubt, this is a defense that can be attacked through the air. There are no real pass-rushing threats along Tampa Bay's defensive line, and, outside of Barrett Ruud, the linebackers are average at best. After seeing Palmer throw accurately against Cleveland's secondary, there's no reason to think he can't do the same in this matchup. The ancient Ronde Barber has surpassed his glory days and is quickly becoming a very slow corner in this league. While the Bucs still show the classic Tampa-2 defensive scheme—a cover-two formation that has been a mainstay in the Bucs' defensive game plan—the speed on that side of the ball simply isn't what it was in the franchise's glory days. The weak spot against this defense is deep across the middle. The Bengals game plan should be focused around Jermaine Gresham as he can find lots of space between the hash marks 20 or so yards down the field. If Gresham isn't there or is doubled, Terrell Owens can use that part of the field and have another big day on similar routes like the ones he had against Cleveland. And if they dare leave Chad Ochocinco alone in single coverage, well, good luck with that.

Of course to make any of that possible, the line must hold up in their own pass protection and allow Carson Palmer to relax in the pocket. If they continue to sputter out on third downs and in the red zone, any team can stay in the game. Outside of X's and O's, of footwork and technique, this line needs to get angry and throw the Bucs defenders around the field. This was a unit that used to be a grizzly bunch of ugly warthogs that made Sundays a brutal affair for the opposition, but lately has been the ones leaving with bruised bodies and egos. The offensive line needs a good showing, and this is a team to regain their confidence against.

Sure, it also would be nice to run against Tampa Bay and maintain field position and time-of-possession, but this is a team that should be attacked with the pass—the deeper the better. Pittsburgh scored four touchdowns in the first half, and coasted the rest of the way to the win. It doesn't make sense to keep the score low and allow a bad team to hang tough and gain confidence heading into the fourth quarter. Against certain opponents, it isn't always logical to go for jugular and run out to a big lead, but it does this Sunday because the Bucs sometimes allow such a thing to happen. Let's end the suspense early this week and have the game wrapped up by the middle of the third quarter. I need an easy game to keep my blood pressure down. They don't all have to be so harrowing.

Conclusion

This is a good chance to send a message that the Bengals aren't just all talk and can blow out an inferior team. Doing so would help Cincinnati's confidence heading into their bye week. After this game, the schedule becomes a trail of thorn bushes and fire-breathing dragons. Marvin Lewis' team isn't exactly in a healthy state of mind these days; a big convincing win in Week 5 is just the elixir they need to clear out the cobwebs.


Bengals 27, Buccaneers 10


Mojokong—this town needs a break after what happened on Wednesday.

Week 4 Recap: The Quest For The Hokey Pokey

In my heart of hearts, I think many of us secretly saw this coming. The Bengals hadn't been at their best; the Browns had lost three close games. The two teams are as familiar as siblings and there is little, if anything, they haven't seen from each other before. Nearly every time Cincinnati travels to Cleveland the score ends up close. We all wanted this game to be as easy as a walk to the bank, but we should have known better.

To the Browns' credit, they played a great game. Seneca Wallace may not be a fantasy darling, but he is shifty, made some nice throws on the run, and managed the game much better than I expected of him. Peyton Hillis is a bruiser who picks up the tough yards on nearly every occasion. Their defensive line is fat and clogs running lanes well. I feel that Cleveland won this game more than Cincinnati lost it, and that the Browns are better than what we thought they were.

That being said, I thought the game came down to one pivotal moment. The Bengals had the ball at the Cleveland 31 yard-line on third-and-four, down by three points with 5:22 left in the game. They lined up in a single-back shotgun formation with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco on the right, and Andre Caldwell on the left. Then, when the ball was snapped, Carson Palmer and the entire offensive line rolled to the right while both TO and Ocho headed for the sideline. Carson threw on the run, and across his body to Chad who not only dropped the pass, but was also flagged for offensive pass-interference on the play.

This selection of the play call remains a mystery to me. Why intentionally force a quarterback—who has proven he isn't at his best when throwing on the run—throw on the run? Why design a play that ends up with two receivers running to the same spot of the field? Why risk working the sidelines at such a critical time in the game? Andre Caldwell apparently was also flummoxed on the play because before Palmer even threw it, Caldwell threw up his hands in disbelief—he was also open for a first down, by the way. This falls squarely on the shoulders of that awful man, Bob Bratkowski. The success rate of this play on third and four is likely around 17 percent and should never have been considered. Yes, the Browns were blitzing on the play, but they had blitzed most of the game and the passing offense still succeeded on more conventional passing plays. Why not run a slant to TO or a quick in-route to Gresham? Why force the ball to Chad on a play where he must incur a flag to get open? Why???

We shall never know, but it only adds to the already putrid opinion that I, and many many others, have on the one known as Brat. I realize that no coordinator will ever be fully accepted by the fans and media, and to his credit, Bratkowski called a decent game up to that point, but in a close game like that, it only takes one bone-headed decision to ruin a Sunday and the entire week leading up to that day.

Still, the team gave us fans a new conundrum and that is: what are we suppose to bitch about now? Sure, there's Bratkowski but I just did that and he's not going anywhere. Carson was everybody's favorite punching bag up to that point—and he still holds onto the ball too long—but he had a very good, if not great, game. What I was especially surprised to see was his ability to move out of the pocket and deliver accurate passes on the run—yes, I know how contradictory I sound right now. The defense, while not that bad, wasn't it's domineering self, and there were far too many special-teams breakdowns. The new thing to justifiably complain over, however, is the offensive line.

Let's face it, Andre Smith just isn't going to reach the levels he should. Even Mathis, Nate Livings and Dennis Roland now look like the undrafted free-agents they are, and I was never too sure that Bobby Williams was worth all that money he was given during the offseason. Andrew Whitworth isn't bad, but he's better at guard, and Kyle Cook seems pretty damn average himself. The real reason this team went to the playoffs last year was the overachieving effort these guys cashed in last year and now, it seems, they've come back down to earth.

Cedric Benson appears much more pedestrian without the offensive-line's maximum effort, and the Bengals haven't consistently won through the air in over five seasons. Of the four sacks against Cleveland, at least two of those fall on the big man's broad shoulders and Cleveland is not known for any viscous pass rush. I can't pinpoint the difference from 2009 to 2010 in regards to the play of the line, but whatever allowed them to be hungry, hungry hippos which mauled the opposition during a 10-win campaign a year ago, simply doesn't exist right now.

Yet, as the eternal optimist, I must be point out that all is not lost. Quick: who is the best team in the AFC right now? Pittsburgh? Well they lost to Baltimore and we beat them. New England? What does that mean about the Jets? The Colts? They have the same record as Cincinnati. The point is, Kansas City is the only undefeated team in the NFL and most would agree that they do not top the power rankings. The Bengals lost a game they should have won, but they gave an average performance while Cleveland gave it their best. Cincinnati is not good enough to escape with a win that way...yet.

There is still a long way to go and, outside of racking up a big rushing total, we've already seen this team show capabilities in a lot of different categories. If they can put it all together and turn themselves around, then they will have accomplished the hokey pokey and that's what it's all about—the hokey pokey. It's a big if, but here's to the hokey pokey.


Mojokong—put your whole self in.

Week 4 Preview: Seeing Red & Smelling Brown

The Cleveland Browns are like an in-law that is largely inconsequential to your everyday life but still irks you to no end with their constant bickering of your shortcomings. Typically, no matter what the records or rosters look like, they always give the Bengals a hard time and make life as difficult as possible in their presence. Cleveland is not important enough to hate, but they are bratty and obnoxious whenever they face Cincinnati, and I just hope we can get through three hours in that city without wanting to choke something.

Like most years of late, they should not be much of a challenge. The talent level on the Browns is very, very low. It seems like this is Year 12 in their rebuilding process. Outside of two offensive lineman, and a very fat defensive one, it is difficult to list off who exactly their players are. They have hired a capable figurehead in Mike Holmgren but his impact is still a few seasons away from being realistically felt. For now, the Cleveland Browns will have to dust off any potential diamonds in the rough and continue to scour the waiver wire for discernible talent. All that being said, this is still not a gimme.

Browns offense vs. Bengals defense

After last week, Browns fans feel they have found something in Peyton Hillis. The fullback-sized experiment at halfback racked up over 140 yards last week in a tough loss to the Ravens. Now Cleveland thinks it has scored that elusive "every-down back"; I remember hearing the same thing last year about Jerome Harrison who has gone gently into that dark night. Hillis is large and a load to bring down but does nothing remarkably well.

When he runs, he runs in one direction: forward. There is nothing tricky to the plays drawn up for him; they hand him the ball and he runs up the gut with it. He is hard to stop behind the line and he never stops churning those legs of his, but loading up the box to stop him shouldn't be a stretch of the imagination when predicting the Bengals' defensive game plan against him. This kind of running back plays right into the hands of the Cincinnati's defense, who is not fast but is big and strong. Yes, the Ravens thought the same thing, but what happened last week seems more of an anomaly rather than an expected outcome.

Therefore, if the Bengals do put bring their safeties up to stop the run, the Browns will have one-on-one match-ups on the outside—no worries. Marvin Lewis eluded to Cleveland's ability to convert "explosive plays" which he defines as a play that gains 20 or more yards. While Mr. Lewis is once again correct that Cleveland has exploded more often than his Bengals on offense, when you watch the tape of the Browns, it's easy to see why. When Cleveland passes, they go long. Seneca Wallace does not throw a great intermediate pass. He can either check off to the backs underneath or lob it high and deep downfield. When he does throw medium passes to the sidelines, they are intercepted and returned for the score (see Kansas City: Week 2). Wallace does have speedy feet, but when he scrambles, he doesn't give up on the play and often times ends up throwing it down field. While this occasionally does convert for positive yardage, better defenses can bait the inexperienced QB into making bad decisions this way, and the Bengals should be no different.

Remember, the Bengals secondary is arguably the best in football. If Wallace is determined to test them deep, he will lose more often than win. If Mike Zimmer sees it fit to bring up defenders to slow Hillis, they will likely also blitz on passing plays since they're so close to Wallace anyway. This should tempt Wallace to go for the home run which in turn, should give the Bengals the advantage. Of course, it's always risky leaving corners alone deep, but with the stockpile of talent Cincinnati enjoys in its secondary, it's a risk worth chancing.

Bengals offense vs. Browns defense

In the two games I've watched Cleveland play this year, I've seen that they don't get gashed by the run, but they rarely slow it down completely. When the running back is consistently picking up four or five yards, it not only tires out the defense, it also opens up play-action passing. Case in point was Anquan Boldin's big day last week against Cleveland corner Eric Wright. Most of Boldin's big yards came on play-action passes and Wright was simply outmatched in single coverage. Against Kansas City, Cleveland did do a nice job of covering deep, but sacrificed the middle of the field on passing routes and paid the price. The key to facing a defense that allows decent run gains on nearly every attempt is to win on third down.

The Bengals have been miserable on their third-down conversions and have made their field-goal kicker a busy man as a result. There is no need rehashing all the criticisms the Bengal offense has felt recently—we know what they are and why they are brought up—so it's up to them to curb all the negativity. If the offensive line can regularly get a push on running plays, and Carson Palmer can accurately deliver the ball after faking the hand off, good things should happen. If the Browns commit to stopping the deep ball like they did against the Chiefs, the rookies, Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham should find space open up for them in the middle. If Cleveland elects to make stopping the run its top priority, the high-profile wide receivers should come free on deeper routes. Of course, any success in the air depends on both the arm (and footwork) of Palmer and the pass protection allotted for him. If he continues to feel rushed and struggles, expect more field-position battles and more three-pointers from Mike Nugent.

Special Teams

Usually, this isn't a section in the weekly previews, but with these teams, the special-teams play may prove to be the decider. Cleveland's best scoring threat remains Josh Cribbs on kick and punt returns. Give this man a seam and he can change a game all by his lonesome. Not only is he fast, he is deceptively large, and simply has a knack for running free. All it takes is one missed tackle to allow him to do his damage, so the coverage team absolutely must stay in their lanes and bring him down when they get the chance.

We know that the Bengals have seemingly found an excellent kicker in Nugent, but the Browns have enjoyed the work of Phil Dawson for many years and are content with their own kicking situation. Dawson can miss an occasional big kick (see Kansas City: Week 2) but he is one of the more consistent players on the team and should be considered a rock when he lines up for three. If the game comes down to a Dawson field goal, I don't like those odds from a Bengal standpoint.

The Cincinnati return squad of Bernard Scott on kick-offs and Quan Cosby and Adam Jones on punts provide plenty of excitement themselves. Scott is worth watching anytime he gets the ball (I still don't know why he isn't used more on offense) and Cosby is safe fielding punts. Jones showed some pop in the preseason but has yet to bust one in the real games—though I think it's just a matter of time before he does. With two struggling offenses, special-teams play is heightened and it's important the Bengals continue to play well in that phase of the game to scratch out a win.

Conclusion

Until the Bengals offense lives up to its preseason hype, I won't predict a high point total on their behalf. The Browns have not played horrendous defense this year, and Cincinnati is not necessarily high-octane. Once Carson can succeed better on third down, I will feel better about all things, but for now, a conservative scoring forecast is appropriate.

I still expect the Bengals defense to carry the team on its back and frustrate the Browns and their fans all day. I can only imagine that this will be yet another contest that is deemed "ugly" and "unspectacular" and I don't think this will be the week that the peanut gallery quiets down and watches the game in quiet satisfaction. It will be closer than it should and any Bengal fan at the game will be worried on multiple occasions throughout the contest. Even when the Bengals win, they won't feel up to engaging in smack talk or fluttering their jerseys around much. It will simply go down in the books as the third win of the season and everyone in Cincinnati will immediately think ahead to the next week against Tampa Bay. But once more, the ugly duckling will have safely crossed the road.


Bengals 23, Browns 16



Mojokong—patience, grasshopper.