Week 17 Preview: Strangeness Abounds

The game of football is largely shapeless. The prolate spheroid that is the shape of the actual ball is but one of the many oddities of the sport. Throw in a league of 32 teams with 53 men on each roster and the strangeness is virtually limitless.

Over the years, we as an interested populace have found some comfortable parameters of expectation to work within. Now we can somewhat accurately predict the outcomes of games and seasons.

This game, though, seems to have no handle to grasp. It's the most slippery Bengals game I can remember. How do you call a game like this?

It's strange that the Bengals schedule is encased with Ravens bookends. That Monday Night game was so long ago it seems surreal and nightmarish. Perhaps is was the lateness of the hour or the looseness of the rye, but the whole event is blurry. I remember a deflating ass-kicking followed by waves of panic, but not much detail in general.

The good news is that I don't have to remember it. Things turned around for the Stripes and they're a different team than the one that crapped the bed in the opener. They didn't have Pat Sims then.

The Pat Sims effect is real. He isn't their best player—he's a damn fine run-stuffer—but once he rejoined the ranks, the defense snapped into place and the Zim Clan was once more. Now their back to the bare-knuckle brawling bunch we grew to love last year, led by the most fearsome front four in football. Baltimore faces a much stiffer opponent this time around and may need to think of the health of their quarterback during various stages of the game on Sunday. If Joe Flacco is getting roughed up, he may have an abbreviated outing.

The hard part is knowing the mind-state of these teams. The Bengals have won six out of seven but haven't exactly been blowing the barn doors off lately. The Ravens are pulling out of a nosedive and regained a dose of much-needed confidence with a nice win against the Giants last week. Both teams are going to the playoffs, yet neither want to lose momentum and back into the tournament. Players want to win but they don't want to get hurt. Coaches want to show as little strategy as possible to the following Wild-Card week opponent, yet still look respectable in their duties. It doesn't get weirder.

Marvin Lewis talked earlier in the week about how his young players need the reps more than the rest. A reporter reminded him of how he rested his starters the last two times his team had clinched a postseason birth, and Marv fired back, “Yeah, and how did that go?” This team is too young to know it's place in the league. It doesn't know that it should panic against the good teams. Doesn't know it's not supposed to make the playoffs. Marvin just tells them to do it and they do it.

The Bengals will play hard and probably win. I don't know about Baltimore. They're settling into a new playcaller, have a lot of guys hurt, and seem off kilter. If Cincinnati can contain Ray Rice, they should win. I expect sackos on Flacco and a couple of turnovers. I think BenJarvus Green-Ellis has a good enough game to give everybody confidence in him again, and I think Dalton doesn't have to do too much in the finale.

It would be fitting if the Bengals should have to play Baltimore again the following week to make things even weirder. Who knows where this strange rabbit hole will take us next? In football no one ever knows. Ever.

Bengals 22, Ravens 15

Mojokong—what's your surface area?

Not Quite Fantasy

A message was sent on Sunday, but what was it?

It had been a while since the Bengals beat the Steelers in a meaningful game—or at all, really—but not only did the Bengals win the big showdown that secured them another playoff birth, it felt like they had finally caught up to their long-time bullies. That's a good feeling for a Bengals fan, but the win lacked something truly satisfying.

That Steelers team that walked off the field—helmets lowered in shameful defeat—did not resemble the no-nonsense teams of the organization's proud past. That was a very mediocre group we witnessed four days ago, and the arrow on their future is pointing straight down and flashing red. Sunday felt like beating up an old man. Their defense is still top-ranking and they make it tough to move the ball as witnessed by the putrid offensive output generated by the Bengals, but even that side of the ball is fraying at the seams thanks to mileage and old age. There is a wide gap between veteran and young players in the Steelers locker room. For the first time in decades, they are visibly transitioning and unlike the successful patchwork of the past, this new chapter will be more of an abrupt change than what we're used to.

The Bengals, meanwhile, are building steam and are a team on the rise, evidenced by their second straight Wild-Card invitation, but their conquering in Pittsburgh was far from pronounced and hardly marked much of an arrival. I don't mean to downplay the accomplishment of the team and its coaching staff—the season they have put together has truly surpassed most expectations—but I always dreamed that the Bengals would gain divisional supremacy with an epic vanquishing of the mighty Steelers at the top of their game. A clear indicator to the football universe that a new champion had come to take its rightful throne atop the AFC North. Instead, Cincinnati squeaked out a missed field goal contest and shot a limping old dog out behind the tool shed.

All this being said, the Steelers will hardly go quietly into that gentle night. Their ownership, front office and coaching staff are too capable and too qualified to sink to the pits of despair like Cincinnati did in the 1990's and like the Cleveland Browns are still stuck in today. They will rebuild quickly and fill the gaps, but they do face an oldish roster, salary cap issues, and a spoiled yet disgruntled fan base. The time is ripe for the Bengals to rise up and be somebody when it comes to the annual playoff picture, and so far the youngsters are getting comfortable becoming regulars.

I know how pretentious it sounds to complain about the lack of style in which the Bengals achieved a playoff spot, but I had really braced myself for either a glorious victory or a heart-wrenching loss. Instead, I kind of shrugged and nodded. Perhaps when they win the division next year by knocking off another team firmly within their twilight years, the Ravens, I will get that signature win I crave so much. I just want an indelible image I can replay to the world over and over again that says “what you see before you is a good Bengals team winning a game that really matters, so suck it.” Until then, I will be happy for their successes, but still not quite satisfied.

Mojokong—whether a landform is called a mountain may depend on local usage.

Week 16 Preview: Shrink To FIt

Seeing is believing. Nothing sums up the game this weekend more than that. We can roll out the stats and look microscopically at footwork and play design, but how do you really feel about the game? It's all football psychology going into this one.

Andy Dalton feels a little shaky at the moment. His comfort in the pocket has become a fragile issue for him this season and last week's debacle can only add to his panic and maybe even turn his hair more orange. His best receiver, the all-everything godsend, A.J. Green, has slowed down. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is suddenly our best offensive player in large part to the improved run blocking. All of this spells out pass-protection. It's the most vital element to their success as a team. When Dalton has time, like any decent passer, he's fine. Get him comfortable and in rhythm and the Bengals can compete with anyone.

This week, though, is not just anyone.

There is little need to further espouse upon the cunning brilliance of Dick LeBeau and his defensive-strategic mastery within these pages of football lore. We, who know anything about anything, have lauded this sage wizard with the utmost of praise and he remains omitted from the seething hatred Bengal fans direct toward Pittsburgh and its football team. Most of that has to do with his strong Bengal ties as the defensive coordinator here in the good ol' days and later as the head coach in the darkest of days. He is perhaps the greatest defensive mind in the history of the league and has a mustard-yellow blazer in his closet for a reason. You simply cannot dislike Dick LeBeau.

He will certainly release the hounds against Dalton and test Andre Smith on the edge. Last week, Brandon Graham went through Goo like he was Slimer from Ghostbusters and I imagine Lamar Woodley is dreaming of doing the same. Keeping backs in to chip and help out on edge rushers might be imperative until Smith can prove he can hold up one-on-one. It only takes one bad read in protection to change the game and, at this point, the season.

As porous as the offensive line has been the past two games, their run blocking has really grown up right before our eyes over the course of the season. Green-Ellis has redeemed himself to some degree from his awful showings earlier in the year, but most times, any back could run through the giant running lanes this line has provided of late. Old men in rocking-chairs will tell you that good defense and a running game is what matters most in cold-weather games late in the year, and while I'm not sure that's entirely true, I do think it keeps games close.

At this point we all know the three goals Marvin Lewis wants to see accomplished in every game: win the turnover battle, win on third down, and limit explosive plays. His whole philosophy on the game seems founded upon these three factors and he has assembled his team accordingly. With the hopeful return of Cedric Peerman to the lineup, and knowing Marv like we do, I would expect them to lean on the running game for as long as they can afford to. Marvin wants to see caution above all else. It has prevented his better teams from being dominant but has also allowed some bad teams to finish with respectable records. Jay Gruden has helped shake things up as far as predictability and playing it safe goes, but in such a huge game, I think it's Marvin's instinct to limit the risks and play not-to-lose.

That isn't what Pittsburgh will do. Ben Roethlisberger is pure sandlot. He's bigger than the other kids so you can't tackle him, he scrambles around like he's evading cars on the interstate and he has proven that he can stand in the pocket and win games that way too. He does invite sacks with his willy-nilly style of play and the best a defense can hope for is to get him on the ground when they touch him. Defensive backs have the biggest challenge of the day as they will be asked to cover three very speedy receivers for longer than usual as Ben makes the majority of his big plays on the run and out of the pocket. I expect the Steelers to try a lot of quick outs, slants and shallow crosses in order to get the ball in the hands of their kick-return like receivers. Safety play becomes especially important against such speed.

Despite winning five of their last six games, it feels like the Bengals are experiencing some problems, but it's become obvious that nearly all of those problems stem from poor pass protection. The Steelers appear to be dealing with a much more systemic flaw. This is the second time this season the Bengals face a Pittsburgh team in the throes of a losing streak. One can sense a disconnect in the offense that hinders an otherwise very talented group. Injuries to the offensive line are partly to blame, but the vision that Big Ben and Todd Haley shared for the season hasn't at all shaped up to form. It seems there is a lot of frustration around the Steelers at the moment and that things are tense. Sometimes that can be motivating, but in sports it seems the looser and more easy-going team stands the better chance. Cincinnati is the underdog coming into this one, but I think the Steelers are the more dysfunctional team. I think it could be an ugly game that Pittsburgh gives away. Even though it would solidify a playoff birth for the second straight season, it still wouldn't be enough to convince most people that the Bengals are any good. And they might be right, but neither are the Steelers, and, for at least a week, that would be good enough for us.

Bengals 17, Steelers 13

Mojokong—not the average dragon to slay.

Week 15 Preview: Philly Phun

The Bengals want to write this game off and get on to Pittsburgh right away, but they know they can't. It seems like such an easy win on the surface.

This is an Eagles team made up of backups led by a coach who epitomizes the expression “lame duck” (lame walrus?), and have nothing at stake any longer in regards to a postseason birth. It's surrounded by an angry fan base who have soured on Andy Reid and there seem to be more Eagles on their way out the door than in. Nothing is certain that wears green and stalks the sideline in Philadelphia these days.

Yet despite all that negativity and uncertainty, the backup-team trotted out by Andy Reid and his mates aren't all that bad. Close observers of Nick Foles can see his progression take leaps and bounds each week. The guy has a strong arm, throws surprisingly well when rolling left, and is establishing a report with his receivers. He still doesn't sense pressure well enough, still telegraphs his passes with his eyes too much and still has a long way to go, but the kid's got talent. Philly has slowly expanded the playbook with Foles and while the wrinkles in the offense remain fairly basic, one can see the complexity growing as he becomes more comfortable within the offense.

Nonetheless, the current Bengals defense should devour a rookie quarterback with only four starts under his belt.

Tony Romo played like a veteran and let the game come to him last week. The Bengals couldn't close it out efficiently and allowed the savvy old swashbuckler to checkmate them as time ticked down. Nick Foles, unlike Tony Romo, hasn't seen a front four like he will on Thursday night though. The Zim Clan is back to its true identity, but now appears to rush the passer even better than before. Michael Johnson is doubtful yet that doesn't discourage my enthusiasm toward the Bengals pass rush in this matchup. Mix in the fact that the Eagle offensive line is patch-worked thanks to injury, and you have yourself a regular old sack attack. Of course, I think that every week, but lately it's been mostly true.

Reid and company would like to further showcase the explosive newbie running back, Bryce Brown, to take some of the pressure from Foles. Brown is an exciting young man. He runs hard, has really nice open-field speed and scores touchdowns. However, he does have a knack for fumbling. Coaches can put up with a lot, but they can't put up with fumbling—at least not for long. Brown holds the ball away from his body, looking more like a discuss carrier than a football carrier. Like Jon Gruden said during a recent Monday Night Football game, if he continues to hold the ball like that, he will continue to fumble. Even if he doesn't, Tampa Bay showed last week that if a defense “sets the edge” and takes the corner away, he becomes rather powerless. Running off-tackle is what he does well. Limit that and he becomes just another guy.

As for the Philly defense, they too are hurt and depleted. They haven't been a real force since the Jim Johnson days, and they are currently a shell of that proud time. They are not without some quality young talent to build upon with likes of Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and even DeMico Ryans, and of course us Cincinnati folk love Trent Cole, but you won't see many other notable names in this game on the Eagle defense. The safeties look especially bad—particularly without Kurt Coleman. The vastly overpaid Nnamdi Asumuagah still resides somewhere on the field, but he rarely makes plays anymore and he is nowhere near the shutdown corner he used to be. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is also no longer very good and either one of these guys should be roasted by A.J. Green on a regular basis. The Eagles secondary gives up chunk yards on blown coverages—mostly down the middle of the field—at least once a game. As long as there aren't any major pass-protection breakdowns, I don't see why the passing attack shouldn't have a great game.

There aren't many reasons why the Eagles should win this game but that isn't to say they can't. The young guys on their bench don't care about the misery Eagles fans feel in regards to all the injuries. They want to demonstrate to the next coach of the Philadelphia Eagles that they can play and should be one of the few pieces worth keeping when the rebuilding starts. They want to get paid too.

The Bengals have to take it very seriously. They need to come out as professionals and handle a lesser team on national television the way good teams do. They need to prove that they belong.

Bengals 35, Eagles 20

Mojokong—trepidation.

Week 14 Preview: All Blitz, No Glamor

Jerry Jones and Mike Brown represent opposite ends in the football-owner spectrum. Jones is all glamor, thrusting himself in front of the cameras and throwing vaults of money at every new problem. Brown is all miser, preferring to own a mom-and-pop operation and staying out of the limelight. Their organizations reflect their personality and also the way each build their team.

The Cowboys are sparkly with all of their expensive skill positions. Their offense was made to zing with all that speed and with Tony Romo behind the wheel, but the talent of the line was misread and hasn't lived up to its price tag. Now they find themselves winning again and keeping the season meaningful despite really not playing that well.

They face a Bengals team on a four game high, beating the crap out of teams and even overcoming the California Curse last week in San Diego. It certainly is nowhere near a perfect team, but it is one that is solidly built for the future, and even the present. Brown scrimps where he can and always will. He will not be remembered as a friend to the community. His general management skills will always be vilified, fairly or not. Yet this team is a highly talented group of really young guys and he should get some credit for putting it together. Throw in an additional second-rounder next year, an astounding amount of cap space and a collective bargaining agreement that forces him to use it up and you have yourself exciting things to come, my friend.

The Bengals have minimal excitement in their skill positions. Of course there is the crown jewel of the entire team, A.J. Green, and Jermaine Gresham has finally elevated his game this year, but outside of that, no one cares about the rest of the names on that list. We Bengal fans know the other guys and what they can do, but for the most part, they are an unknown commodity.

Especially Marvin Jones. What does he bring to the table? We know he's fast and that he's a deep threat, but that is one small dimension in being a receiver. Last week he dropped a ball on a crossing route that was intercepted and really never did much in his first real chance to make a difference in the game. Losing Mohamed Sanu hurts more than we would like to admit. The reason the offense became so effective after the bye week was both the consistency of Trevor Robinson at center and the emergence of Sanu in a variety of ways. With Sanu out, Jones has to make an impact. Armon Binns flamed out really early in the season. Brandon Tate hasn't looked like much of a wide receiver. They both missed their chance to become starters. Jones is the last unknown experiment and the pressure is on him to perform well this Sunday.

As for the aforementioned center position, there is a rather vital decision to be made there for Marvin Lewis. Robinson has brought stability to the line, and the results—especially in the run game—speak for themselves. Now Kyle Cook is healthy again, has practiced all week, and probably wants his job back. A lot is made of left tackle, but center is such an underrated position for the offensive line. Robinson didn't just keep things afloat during his time as starter, he made the team better. Jeff Faine showed what happens with poor play at the position. Kyle Cook is way, way better than Faine and is without a doubt starting material in this league, but why mess with success?

The Bengals take on a Cowboys defense riddled with injury. Beginning the year, they had maybe the fastest linebackers in the league. Now they play without Sean Lee or Bruce Carter and things have slowed down a bit as a result. They are also without Jay Ratliff or Orlando Scandrick this week and only have a few difference-makers left.

The main difference maker is DeMarcus Ware—nicknamed Shark Week for his prolonged intensity and violence (D.O.)—and he will somehow find Andy Dalton know matter how much the Bengals emphasize stopping him. The attention he draws usually leads to more space for Anthony Spencer and a player that has caught my attention of late, Jason Hatcher. These guys are going to get a sack or two, Cincinnati just has to minimize the damage.

The Bengals can throw on these guys, though. The Dallas safety play is vulnerable. The corners are good, but the youngster Morris Claiborne is prone to drawing flags. Gresham and Hawkins can beat the intermediate defenders and should be important on third and mediums. Green really isn't all that guardable and defenses will continue to give help to whomever has that unfortunate task of going up against him. As long as Dalton isn't being devoured by Shark Week and his shiver (a group of sharks), he should be able to move the ball in the air well enough to win.

Thing is, the Bengals offense may be immaterial. This Mike Zimmer defense is back to its bare knuckle brawling days, now leading the league in sacks. Geno Atkins is the best pass-rushing tackle in the league, Carlos Dunlap is a growing force of quarterback evil and when healthy is a top-ten NFL pass-rusher, Michael Johnson is playing for a new giant contract and even Wallace Gilberry has become an effective contributor. These guys quietly get it done and lately they have been the difference from a mediocre team to a playoff-caliber one. The underwhelming Cowboys protection should fold like a wet napkin against this fearsome foursome. While Romo is shifty and slippery in the pocket, unlike Ben Roethlisberger, he goes down when you touch him. The Boys offense want to go vertical and use their speed and explosion, so it's important for Zimmer's gang to disrupt the timing and not allow Dez Bryant and Miles Austin to go deep. Jason Whiten is going to get his catches and the Bengals will just have to live with that, but they cannot allow the long pass over their heads. Take that away, mixed with heavy doses of pressure, and Romo will have to dink and dunk his way downfield and settle for three instead of seven.

The scariest matchup of the day for Zimmer is stopping DeMarco Murray. This guy is strong, fast and runs hard. He can tear off large chunks of yardage regularly when he's in there. Staying healthy has proven difficult for the young man, inhibiting his production and ultimately his value, but he is plenty scary once suited up. Cincinnati has been terrific against the run of late. The are disciplined about staying in their run gaps and the secondary has tackled well of late. Rey Maualuga was thrashed earlier this year for his sloppy technique and a multitude of mistakes, but his lost weight has seemingly revived him into becoming a capable middle linebacker again and he deserves some love. Also coming back to life has been Manny Lawson. While Rey took a lot of the heat, Lawson practically disappeared from my television while watching the games in the first half of the season. Now he's getting after the quarterback again and he adds yet another element to the pass rush. Murray is going to run like a wild horse this weekend and the linebackers must continue their workmanlike approach to contain him.

Ultimately, the Bengals pass rush makes the difference in this game. Cowboys right tackle, Doug Free, seems extra weak in protection and I have a feeling he will be mauled by Dunlap all day. This forced chaos by the defensive line will be enough to get some turnovers and win the game.

Bengals 23, Cowboys 13

Mojokong—ignoring the pressures of a win streak.

Week 13 Preview: Traveling Tips

This week the Bengals travel to the football oasis of San Diego in December. There they will see palm trees, beaches and incredible women, but like Odysseus tied to the mast, they must do whatever it takes to stay the course.

The historical trends aren't encouraging when Cincinnati heads to the Pacific timezone. We fans can downplay those kinds of stats all we want, but the Vegas guys take them seriously for good reason. The weekly routine is different—Marvin Lewis flies his team out there on Friday—and teams find comfort in their routine. Any disruption from the norm can have larger negative consequences, especially for a team on a roll like the Bengals. They were able to overcome the West-Coast blues last year in Seattle, and clearly it can be done again, but it's just one more obstacle to overcome.

Last time they were at The Murph, Chris Henry had just died. The Bengals came up short on a valiant effort against a then high-powered Chargers offense. Later, the Jets would run roughshod over both teams, knocking each from the playoffs. It was a bummer all around.

These are much happier times. Every Bengal is playing well right now. Since the bye week, a switch was flipped and the production is cranking along at season high levels. For the first time in the Andy Dalton era, they feel like a playoff team. They are confident, healthy and extremely dangerous all of a sudden. A team that catches fire like this in December has proven to be a fearsome contender in January and beyond. It's exciting for now, but are they really ready to take that next step? Skepticism abounds.

Despite the pessimistic view of a larger, historical context surrounding the Bengals franchise, there are plenty of good football reasons why Cincinnati should win this week.

The Chargers offense is in a major rut. Their receivers struggle mightily getting open and most meaningful third-down conversions or touchdown passes require perfect throws coupled with spectacular catches. Nothing comes easy to this group. Their most dangerous play is probably a screen pass and they often kill their own drives with dumb penalties. The biggest problem facing San Diego this week, though, is their weak pass protection.

The Bengals front four is high-ranking. They stay in the face of pocket passers and knock them to the ground repeatedly. It's made a once lambasted secondary of slow has-beens into a polished group of savvy veterans. Even the linebackers have stepped it up. All the collective success, though, goes to the pass rushing abilities of the defensive line. It's allowed every other defender to do their jobs better. If the Chargers can't keep Philip Rivers upright in the pocket, then they will have to rely on screens and dump-offs to score touchdowns. Good luck with that.

They do work the sidelines pretty well on out routes and back-shoulder comeback routes, and their receivers are larger prototypes, so don't be surprised to see the taller Dre Kirkpatrick used more this week. He and Terence Newman are both bigger corners who tackle well and can match up well in man coverage against this group, but none of that will matter if Rivers is getting hit every time he drops back.

The San Diego defense is a different story, however. They play the run nicely by staying in their gaps and keeping the ball carrier from getting to the outside. The Bengals finally have their ground game up and running thanks to the stability of the offensive line, but against the Chargers, they may not have the success they've enjoyed the previous two weeks.

On passing downs, San Diego plays man on the outside with their corners, they drop the safeties deep and they zone off the middle with linebackers and nickels. They allow short passes underneath and try to make open-field tackles to prevent first downs. They did a very good job of doing just that last week against the Ravens for about 58 game minutes. Then they allowed Ray Rice to convert on 4th-and-29 on a dump off pass that set up the tying field goal. Charger fans will always be a scarred from that play.

The Bengals should be able to pressure the safeties in two-deep coverage with A.J. Green. If one of the safeties shades to his side, it could leave the middle open deep for someone else like Jermaine Gresham or Andrew Hawkins, and if they don't cheat to A.J.'s side, they're nuts. On the other side, Marvin Jones may finally have the chance to go deep on a somewhat slowish secondary. The Bengals clearly want to get him into matchups where he can win deep. They like his straight-line speed and the team could really excel with another deep threat opposite of Green. That leaves Mohamed Sanu as the other viable option; a man who has flourished in his expanded role since the bye week. Sanu looks to be a terrific possession receiver that becomes extremely valuable in the red-zone. His versatility and ability to take handoffs and even throw the ball makes him a wildcard player that crafty offensive coordinators can have a lot of fun with. Jay Gruden has unveiled Sanu in a variety of ways already this season and there should be more to come. Others can dismiss this receiving corps as random and unproven, but when they are playing to their potential like they have of late, they are as effective as any other group in the league.

This marks the fourth week in row where the Bengals opposition is coming off of a loss, and like last week with Oakland, there are questions about the psyche of the Chargers. Norv Turner sits in a boiling witches cauldron of hot water and could be fired at any minute, really. The scene in San Diego has soured over the years and the whole Turner, Rivers, Gates thing feels old and stale. The fans have given up on the team and it seems like only a matter of time before the team gives up on its coach. If the Bengals get an early lead, it may be too much for the Chargers to emotionally deal with and they might just pack it in for the season. Playing for a lame-duck coach can't be a good time for the players and eventually they will begin to ask themselves what the point is. It's a bad scene in San Diego, despite all of it's natural beauty and climate there.

Ultimately, I think the Bengals overcome the jet-lag and all the exotic temptations. I see them handling business over a team that is crumbling at the end of a coaching era. I don't think it will be a blowout, but it won't feel all that close either. The Bengals will continue to win the turnover battle which will keep the spread manageable for Cincinnati throughout. This is team in full momentum, steam-rolling along. A fourth consecutive win would speak volumes to me. Perhaps they're ready even if no one else is. We shall see.

Bengals 24, Chargers 16

Mojokng—with beeswax in my ears.

Week 12 Preview: Pride On The Line

The idea of quitting is an interesting one. Usually the act is pretty stark—either you quit or you didn't. We all quit something: little league, smoking, reading circles, the Bengals. Carson Palmer quit on the Bengals but not on football, so did he really quit at all? No one cares anymore, except for this week.

Even then, no one cares enough for a sellout or much national media coverage. The Bengal fan remains a kind of mystery to me. How do you not want to go to this game and see it unfold before your very eyes? There's no chance of rain, temperatures in the low 40s and the most notorious turncoat in franchise history makes his first trip back to Queen City. I circled this game on the schedule so vigorously that I poked a hole through it with my pencil. I hear you about the cost of an NFL ticket, but sometimes you have to remind yourself about only living once and collecting memories for later on, I think. Live football in meaningful games is a different level of sensory perception; one that cannot truly be captured on television. My point is not to guilt-trip anyone into selling out the stadium—I'm well versed in the arguments against ownership—I just want to know what game is big enough for Bengal fans to sell it out? Not Steelers fans nor Payton Manning fans nor Cowboys fans, but dare I say, The Jungle, a dying moniker for our fan base. I can't disguise my mild disappointment in the lack of enthusiasm for such this event. Those fans downplaying it as no big deal are not reveling in football enough. The drama is rich, enjoy it while you can.

Of course the players and coaches say they aren't making a big deal of it, and that's to be expected, but I don't think it's true. Even to the player who never played with Carson Palmer, they know what happened and how he left, and even they should want to show him that he quit on the wrong team. There's a lot of proving to be done on Sunday. A lot of pride at stake. When the Bengals take the field against Palmer, they are playing more for us than for Mike Brown. We are eager to beat our chest and yell our throats horse in victory. One giant “I told you so, motherfucker!” A visceral instinct to lash out against a person we harbored such high hopes for.

I think that's why Bengal fans will boo him. Not because they are simple hominids who are eager to hate, but because we all really believed in Carson Palmer and he walked away an ultimate failure. The disappointment is too great not to succumb to its ugliness. In that same spirit, though, a win would allow the Bengal fan to feel vindicated and ease up hating him so much. It would allow for acceptable closure on the matter and everyone can move on amicably.

Yet with all the stored up venom to be undoubtedly spewed in his direction, he too has reason to play at his best. This kind of revenge is a two-way street and if he pulls it off, he could ride off into the western sunset with a smirk on his face and a sack full of stolen Cincinnati pride. It's a chance for him to stand up for himself and show that he isn't a chump after all. A chance to remind us of what we're missing.

If the stage wasn't set enough, enter Hue Jackson, the seemingly double-agent for the Bengals, who orchestrated the trade for Palmer, gave up some prime Raider draft picks, and took a job with the Bengals the next year—the name Bob Bedinghaus comes to mind. Hue knows the Raiders like Palmer knows the Bengals—probably more so—and his input in the coaches room this week will be more valuable than usual.

There are many things we know about the playing ability of Carson Palmer without being an insider. We know he likes to throw it deep. The deep ball is a siren that lures him into trying it more often than he should. It was a major problem in his last year in Cincinnati and it still crops up often in Raider games. Denarious Moore and Darius Heyward-Bey are very fast, but neither are very reliable in both receiving and staying healthy. Nonetheless, CP3 will look for them streaking downfield. Safeties must play a true center field on Sunday and show the range necessary to stick with the burners on deep patterns.

We also know that while Carson can throw far, he doesn't throw particularly fast. I still see him throw a lot of incompletions on out patterns to the sideline simply because the ball takes too long to get there. Since 2010, Palmer has thrown 47 interceptions in 36 games and a lot of that is because he defensive backs get good breaks on Palmer's slow ball, While the Bengals corners aren't speed blazers, they do play with excellent technique and jump routes well, particularly Terence Newman. Look for the veterans to be chancy against Palmer and bait him into a pick or two.

The other thing we know about the California Golden Boy is that he panics easily under pressure. His maneuverability has become extremely limited over the years and he needs a good pocket to succeed. The Bengals pass rush is built to sack pocket passers. The scramblers and the improvisors tend to give this structured defense problems, but go against them with a standard drop back and throw and your quarterback will be hurried. The Raiders offensive line is not that impressive while the Bengals defensive line appears rejuvenated over the last two wins. Unlike the more mobile quarterbacks, if Palmer can't get comfortable in the pocket, he has no chance.

The Raiders best player is their fullback who was once a receiver and is now their starting tailback. His name is Marcel Reese and he has an impressive skill set. His ability to run routes and catch may be his best attribute, but he has shown himself to be an effective runner when taking hand offs and is good in the open field on screens and such too. I became a big fan of his last season before the Jason Campbell injury when he became a terrific compliment to Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Then Palmer wisely warmed up to him and now Reese is the focal point of their offense. There's no one way to stop a player like that; you just have to keep a person on him at all times. When he goes out for passes, it will probably be up to the linebackers to cover him since the safety help will likely focus more on the speed receivers on the outside. That means the Raiders have an advantage on third-and-short situations and it will be up to the Bengals defense to win on first and second downs to avoid those kind of scenarios.

The other man to watch within the Raiders offense is Brett Myers. Carson throws to this guy a lot and he seems like a fairly trustworthy safety valve, but he has dropped touchdowns in consecutive weeks. Between Myers and Reese, Mike Zimmer may have to use a nickel back to mark one of these bigger guys. If that's the case, open-field tackling becomes paramount for the secondary.

As for the Raiders defense, it's still about their front four. They are oversized guys who get a good push on the line of scrimmage, though Drew Breese showed them last week how good footwork in the pocket can lead to touchdowns. Andrew Whitworth is having an off year. He isn't playing all that poorly, but he's not currently one of the best at his position. The interior linemen seem to have stabilized to some degree thanks to the health of center Trevor Robinson. Since he became a steady starter, practicing every day with the number ones, the protection has become stronger, and Dalton appears way more comfortable than he did earlier in the year. Those inside guys will be challenged by Pro-Bowlers Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly, but those guys are getting older and don't have quite the bite they used to. With a terrible defensive backfield, giving Dalton time will allow him to score enough points to win.

It was lovely to see BenJarvus Green-Ellis eclipse the century mark for the first time in stripes, but the whole rushing offense needs to prove that wasn't an aberration by doing it some more. Cedric Peerman getting more carries is showing positive results, but any real improvement that might exist in the running game is, once again, the stability of the offensive line.

The Raiders aren't terrible, but they are close. The Bengals aren't a good team, but they are close. If Cincinnati strikes early again, Oakland may mentally pack it in for the season. Blitzing Palmer, knocking him down and sending the brutal crowd into a frenzy, should result in turnovers, which should result in points and should result in a win. With so much pride and drama on the line, I can't see the Bengals letting us down or quitting on us. I think they're strong on Sunday and really stick it the former No. 9.

Bengals 30, Raiders 17


Mojokong—big enough for me.

Week 11 Preview: Separate Directions

The Bengals face a Chiefs team limping on its last leg. After coming up short in a valiant Monday Night effort, and already feeling downtrodden due to a 1-8 record, it seems logical to assume that Kansas City has checked out on the season.

Last week in Pittsburgh, they found themselves in an ugly game. The Chiefs became the first team I can think of that actually knocked Ben Roethlisberger from the game, and then proceeded to blitz the crap out of backup Byron Leftwich but to no avail. They bumbled along in the rain with terrible penalties and a horrific passing game, but still managed to force overtime. They received the kickoff and then promptly threw a pick that sealed any chance to stick it to their former coach, Todd Haley.

On the flipside, the Bengals are coming off of their most complete game of the past three seasons. The beat down of the New York Giants earns a rousing applause. The secondary, labeled as too slow to guard NFL receivers, completely eliminated any threat of a Giants passing attack, blanketing the New York stars on offense. The linebackers flew around and made tackles and the defensive line put twenty hits on Eli Manning. Twenty! The offensive line blocked like the Great Wall of China, Andy Dalton was accurate, and the receivers showed muscle as they pulled in tough grabs in the end zone. In a word, it was perfect.

How can the Chiefs compete with all their strength and attention this week? They must be deflated in nearly every way after a late, cold, rainy, and oh-so-close loss last week. The 2012 campaign has been an epic bust. Prior to the season, I thought Kansas City would be strong after getting back so many crucial pieces that were injured the season before. Turns out their depth is nowhere near stable enough to win and the coaching staff has been flummoxed by an abundance of turnovers, penalties and bad luck. There are still seven games on the schedule, but these matches are merely formalities at this point. The Chiefs will win at least one more game before the end, but I feel they are too mortally wounded right now to come out on top. The players and coaches are probably wondering what the point of football is these days and who can blame them?

That being said, the Bengals have laid down against lame ducks like this before. The Cleveland loss in Week 5 stills stings like rubbing alcohol on an open sore, and hopefully the acute pain of that game still resonates in the psyche of the Bengal players. The euphoria they earned with the slaughtering of the Giants could be swiftly blown away in the breeze of a letdown in Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday. They must come out with energy and urgency to keep the torch of the season aflame.

If the Bengals defense can repeat even a fraction of their output from a week ago, they will win with relative ease. Matt Cassell has been deplorable this year. I don’t know if it is his backup-quarterback colors shining through or if he’s reached a premature end to his effectiveness in this league, but either way, he looks really bad. The Chiefs will desperately attempt to avoid throwing the ball. For all the negativity swirling around the Chiefs, they can sometimes run the ball well. Their line has been depressingly bad pass-protecting—free agent tackle Eric Winston has made more enemies than friends in KC due to his lackluster pass blocking—but they aren't bad run blockers. They like running to the right behind Winston and guard Jon Asamoah, but Asamoah is out this week and the Bengals defense is good at moving laterally and stopping the stretch handoff and other long-developing running plays.Jamaal Charles is shifty, fast, and elusive, but because he goes outside on most of his runs, I find him less of a threat against this defense. Instead, I find Peyton Hillis to be a larger threat, both literally and figuratively. The Bengals have struggled against straight-ahead runners this season. Jonathan Dwyer and Montario Hardesty both tore off big gains against Cincinnati, running straight ahead. Sometimes KC gets too cute with Hillis and asks him to make the same kind of runs that Charles excels at, but from what I've seen, these attempts result in very limited success. The Bengals must be stout up the middle, andwith a healthy Pat Sims in the fold, that seems to be a doable mission.

When the Chiefs are forced to pass, I expect them to be mauled by the Cincinnati front four. I've seen a couple of different men line up at left guard for the Chiefs and each one seems to pass protect poorly. If these guards play at their standard back-up level, Geno Atkins will feast upon their unfortunate souls. And if that isn't bad enough for KC,Carlos Dunlap appears to have awoken from his midseason slumber. The pass rush continues to be the most feared facet of this entire Bengals roster and they should really hit their stride against such a maligned group.

Offensively, I wouldn't expect a point explosion. There are still some quality defenders on the Chiefs roster, namely Tamba Hali. Derrick Johnson, Brandon Flowers and Eric Berry are also notable players, but Hali hustles his ass off and is truly a force to be reckoned with. The Bengals offensive line was sterling last week against what many consider one of the best pass-rushing groups in the league, but they cannot let up against Hali and his mates. We all saw what happen to Big Ben, and Andy Dalton surely is not as tough as Roethlisberger.

If they do keep Red clean, though, there’s no reason they shouldn't enjoy at least a moderate amount of success in the air. The Chiefs have been lousy containing opposing tight ends this year and Jermaine Gresham continues to progress in his career, albeit slowly. It’s the other tight end, Orson Charles, though, that I expect to garner some postgame praise for his play. Charles has quietly put together a pleasant rookie season, displaying the ability to be a viable pass catcher and he and Gresham should be able to find an advantage in double tight-end formations on Sunday. No one can contain A.J. Green, so there isn't concern there, and Mohamed Sanu appears increasingly comfortable in his role on the offense. In general, the Bengals passing attack is really their only real way to score points for this team, so I would expect more of the same, but it is vital that Dalton is protected well to really put up some larger point totals. The running game is still a mystery and there is no sign of improvement with the current personnel, so don’t expect much help on the ground this week. Knowing how Marvin Lewis goes about his business, however, against such a turnover-prone team like the Chiefs, look for the Bengals to play ultra-safely on offense and wait for KC to throw a pick or put the ball on the ground.

As it has been proven countless times, nothing ever makes total sense in this league, and nothing is ever that easy, so no one should go into this one feeling certain about anything. Still, this is a bad and worn out Chiefs team with nothing left to play for other than pride and money. The organization can say it isn't giving up, but it’s run by humans who are subject to emotion. They will come out flat and be physically handled by a cautious and focused Bengals team. I don’t expect many points, but I expect a win.

Bengals 17, Chiefs 6

Mojokong—climbing the rungs of the football ladder.

Week 10 Preview: Last Chance

At eight games into the season, things haven't gone according to plan for the Cincinnati Bengals. This last quarter was a nightmare, blowing two games against rookie quarterbacks and then two more against hall-of-famers. Not only can they not beat the playoff teams, they can't beat anyone. The Giants game marks the beginning of a new quarter, and the Bengals must start well, or that's it.

Epic Bengal collapses are nothing new to this town, and they seem to occur every other year. In 2008, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Carson Palmer teamed up to lose the first eight games right out of the gate. Then in 2010, Batman & Robin suffered through a 10-game string of losses, crushing the mega-hyped expectations of that year. Now the same Grim Reaper lurks around Paul Brown Stadium again, threatening to consume the season and all of its joys. The season is in a nosedive and looks to be out of control, but for silly reasons, I think they get it together this week.

The Super Bowl Champions are a bad-ass team. They can score a lot of points, having already scored 41 twice this year, or they can wrestle away road wins like the thumping they put on the 49ers in Candlestick. They have a renown pass rush and a no-nonsense coaching staff. They are better than the Bengals in nearly every way.

Yet maybe the Bengals are close to getting back on track offensively. The center position continues to be a problem with Jeff Faine and Trevor Robinson frequently subbing in and out due to either bad play or bad hamstrings, or both? Now there's talk about Clint Boling at center if necessary; the whole position is a quagmire right now. Kyle Cook's injury has proven to be somewhat catastrophic to this team, thrusting either too old or too young replacements into the mix. The whole thing reminds me of the Eric Ghiaciuc fiasco in 2006. If the Bengals can clean up the position by having one guy practice at center all week and make it through an entire game, things will improve.

The offensive line wasn't great against Denver, giving up five sacks and allowing Andy Dalton to panic more than he needed to. The quarterback has not felt comfortable in the pocket for the majority of the season. Individually, outside of the center position, the linemen have been graded respectably, but collectively they have rarely felt dominant, particularly when run-blocking. The line is a symbiotic entity that must work as a group and it's just not happening right now. Too many sacks and too many penalties last week drew attention to a group who prefers to work anonymously. I think the line will improve as the center spot solidifies.

At the midway point, even Andy Dalton has come up short. The organization relied on his incredible intangibles, namely pocket presence, leadership and general unflappability, yet the young ginger has faltered in his development in these areas, appearing to have regressed more than improve. While in the pocket, there is a trust issue somewhere in his thought processes. He either doesn't trust himself to make the throws, doesn't trust his receivers and their ability to get open, or doesn't trust his line to protect him. This trust breakdown, whatever it is, has led Dalton to appear, well, flappable. Once the line gets better, Dalton will progress as well. Dalton is better-than-average but it takes the right blend of factors to put him in the best situation.

A major part of that blend is a better running game. The Bengals rank in the bottom five in nearly every important rushing statistic. This offense is not one built for 50 passes a game. It simply doesn't have the firepower to compete that way. When Trevelle Wharton and Cook both went down in the preseason, coupled with letting Bobby Williams go in free agency and drafting Kevin Zeitler as his replacement, the front office went with younger, lighter and more athletic linemen who can pull and get out in space. Yet BenJarvus Green-Ellis has shown himself to be more of a power back, and the two styles have not coincided nicely. Now with Bernard Scott out too, there aren't many other players on the roster who can get out in space and let those sprightly young linemen roam free to find linebackers to block. Instead, they are asked to maul and shove fat defenders backward. It hasn't happened with much success at all. The combinations of injuries have hit the Bengals where it hurts in the run game. In order to find some success there, the coaching staff must try to use Green-Ellis and there other personnel in ways that have yet to be tried. At this point of the season, trends are obvious and real and if the Bengals are too slow to adjust—as has historically been the case under Marvin Lewis-led teams—then it will be too late and they will begin to build early for 2013. This week and beyond, I think we see some new wrinkles in the running game that hopefully include an expanded role to the other largely unused backs in Cedric Peerman and Boom Herron. Got to try something new and the time is now. Bold prediction: Bengals rush for 125 yards as a team this week, which is a big deal for a struggling unit.

Defensively, the rest of the year will be an uphill climb against the pass.

Things have really fallen apart within the linebacking group. I heard Dave Lapham say how important Thomas Howard was to this squad and I think he's dead on. Since he went down, coaches and fans alike have turned up the pressure on Rey Maualuga and Manny Lawson. Both have underperformed in their larger roles, especially Lawson who seems to have been removed from the scheme almost altogether. Only Vontaze Burfict has played on a level that I would describe as starter material, and even Emmanuel Lemur immediately elevated the position once activated from the practice squad. There is a lot of fixing to do with the linebackers and the position should be paramount on the team's priority list this offseason, but for now, they're going to have to rely on the younger guys to continue to make a difference because the veteran starters aren't getting it done.

The secondary continues to be filleted. I still think loading up on aged defensive backs was an organizational mistake this off-season. What was the plan? Perhaps they expected the pass-rush to be so dominant that they wouldn't need a bunch of fast guys back there. They wanted slow, tackling corners and that's what they got. Nothing can be done about it now. They have to wade through it. They aren't a good blitzing team. After all the preseason linebacker blitzes we saw, I thought they would be but that's not been the case. Because of that, they go zone a lot, and they're not so good at that either. The phrase I hear myself say while watching the Bengals play pass defense is “slow to react”. Changing directions, moving vertically, the swiveling of the hips, none of it is done quickly. I don't foresee a huge improvement in the second half of the season in pass coverage so the best we can realistically hope for is limiting other offenses to field goals.

The Giants have a real blazer on their team in Victor Cruz. The guy is ultra-explosive and is the perfect person to kill an old secondary like the Bengals. Even if they do somehow slow down Cruz, his counterpart, Hakim Nicks, can do the same thing. Nicks has Terrell Owens-like talents and could be a perennial monster, but he is always nagged by injury. Nonetheless, he's strapping them up tomorrow and that is threat enough for me. Like almost every week, I say the Bengals drop back into zone, allow passes underneath and come up to make the tackle. If that seems okay in the beginning and NYG are only scoring field goals, they then can ramp up the blitzes in the second half, but Cincinnati has to limit the early big plays. If Eli Manning and his mates storm down the field for a pair of quick touchdowns, it could easily zap all the enthusiasm and optimism that may still exist in Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals must make this an ugly, physical game. If it's a shootout, they lose.

The center position is the key. Improve that, and you improve your line. Improve your line and you improve Andy Dalton. Improve Andy Dalton and you improve the running game. Improve the running game and you get sustained drives that eat clock and rests old defenders. Rest old defenders and you limit enormous passing totals. Limit enormous passing totals and you keep the score within reason. Therefore, it's all up to Trevor Robinson this week and this season. Good luck, Trevor.

Bengals 20, Giants 19

Mojokong—for silly reasons.

Week 9 Preview: Show Me Your Mean Face

We learned this week that even Marvin Lewis can surprise us A man once seen as predictable as the sunrise, famously went off script this week and said he wants Andy Dalton to be more of a dick. A lot has been made of it, and I wonder if he now regrets saying it, but it remains a mind-blowing statement only because of its source.

In the past decade, Marvin has firmly demonstrated a rather Buddhist football philosophy that emphasizes balance and trust in ones self and ones teammates. They are never the worst team, never the best team, and have lingered in the middle for the duration of his tenure. He and his team stay the middle path.

Early in the Lewis administration, he was dealt handfuls of problem children who weren't mentally ready to be great despite their tremendous potential. Then his team became complacent and vanilla made up of boring football robots, primarily Carson Palmer. Now he says he wants a mean streak in his new robots. Villainous robots? Who is this man? I feel like I don't know even know him anymore.

Fact is, I never did and neither did you.

I haven't talked with Marvin Lewis outside of some standard questions at the 2009 Scouting Combine. Like everybody else on the outside, I just go by what I hear him say and closely follow his experiment. From that, we form a sketch of his personality and assume his team will reflect the same traits and characteristics, and for the most part, it has. Whether it's a fair assessment of Marvin's personality or not is immaterial. It's what we got to work with, so we go with it.

Now, though, he sees his team as too nice—has said so a few times already this season—yet is there anyone else to blame other than himself? He can say that Andy Dalton is a softy on his teammates, and it may just be Red's personality, but like anyone, Dalton can be toughened up. While Marvin's program is professional and on-par with most NFL standards, it is rarely if ever characterized as grueling or hard-nosed or intense. Instead you hear words like quiet, loose and relaxed when the culture of the current Bengals is described. The Marvin Lewis we've seen clapping on the sideline, smiling at everyone, whispering on the podium, is not a tough guy. Now he asks for more than just toughness from his troops, he asks for meanness. Especially from his quarterback and middle linebacker, he says.

I don't think this is a mean team, just like I don't think Marvin is the hard disciplinarian type of coach that can cultivate one. I don't think Dalton will ever get the “aw, shucks” out of him and become a raging maniac like Phillip Rivers, but I do like Marvin's new attempt. 

 Why not? We've seen the Bengals fall into horrific relapses and binge on losses like this before. The negatives compound on top of one another and the losing becomes all-consuming, crushing seasons and careers under its weight. While not quite circling the drain, the Bengals have positioned themselves at least on the rim of the sink itself. Marvin needed a new approach to salvage the season and he chose meanness this time. He even cussed in a press conference. It feels kind of desperate and forced, but I like it.  Funny thing is that it's true.

The Bengals do need to be meaner. They have been a go-through-the-motions team forever it seems. Sometimes the motions they go through work and translate into a quality defensive showing for the season like last year, but over time, a team needs more than just motions. They need some kind of presence to them. They shrink in the spotlight. They panic easily. They get punked by tougher teams. They have a few guys who wanna lay the wood on somebody every play, but by and large, there is simply not enough pushing around going on along Cincinnati's side of the ball. I thought the Andy Dalton comments were interesting, but I thought the mention of Rey Maualuga by position only was more of an indictment.

Rey has been under the microscope this year and has flat out looked bad. The man lining up next to him, Vontaze Burfict, looks far more capable to run this defense than does Maualuga. He loafs, takes awful angles, guesses wrong, is easily blocked and still doesn't wrap up enough. More than anything else, he doesn't want to stick his nose in the action. He's tentative. Perhaps he's worried about getting hurt, but he should ask himself what is more important: keeping a starting job in the NFL and racking up more injury, or fading out as a limited backup and remain healthier later in life. Either answer is a respectable one, but if it's the latter, the Bengals coaching staff needs to make the switch soon rather than watch the production from arguably the defense's most important position continue to decline. The next few weeks will be pivotal for Rey's future with the team. This is one of those defining moments for him.

As for Dalton, Marvin did mention another concern other than his meanness. He said that he wanted Andy, and the rest of his team, to make more unscripted plays. When asked to define an unscripted play, he explained that they were plays where improvisation is needed to make it better than they had planned. Like the meanness, this is a rather vague request, but again he's right. 

 Dalton's pocket presence has dulled since his rookie season. I still think the reason is because he has more responsibilities that include more reads and all this extra thought has led him to panic more often and has resulted in a host of breakdowns. While the offensive creativity that was so abundant earlier in the season has seemingly lulled of late, there is something programmed in the players to only get what the play calls for. That sort of programming can only come from coaching, but now the coaches are saying the players need to do more on their own. Go further than what we've taught you to do, they tell them. Override the shackles we've placed on you. Sprout wings and fly.

The fact that Marvin is talking to reporters about these ethereal elements of his football team tells me that he and the organization are convinced that their game planning is good enough and that he's out of ideas on how to get his team to execute it better. It's like a math equation that isn't producing the right answers or a pot-roast recipe that is still missing something once you've tasted it. The entire team knows that it should be at least one game better than the record states, and if they don't know why they are only 3-4, they are in trouble.

As for this week...

The offensive line has a big task taking on the Broncos. They have not one but two quarterback-sack extraordinaire in Von Miller and Elvis Dumerville. The offensive tackles, Andre Smith and Andrew Whitworth, have to keep these guys at bay if Dalton is going to be at all successful at executing unscripted plays. Also along the Denver defensive front are two burly lumberjack-like defensive tackles. Derrick Wolfe and Justin Bannan don't get a lot of credit but are disruptive, especially the rookie Wolfe. Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler have been graded well so far this year, but the center spot has had some rough patches. Pass-protection up the middle is almost as important as it is on the outside. Everyone has to hold up well for the Bengals offense to find any comfort and rhythm.  The needless panicking from Dalton must end now.

Also, more of a ground presence would be nice.  A 100-yard rushing day seems more remote than it should, but we say this every week and the results seem sadly the same. Fans and media have turned some attention to Cedric Peerman for an expanded role and increased amount of carries, but the coaching staff appears cautions when mixing him into the game plan. BenJarvus Green-Ellis desperately needs somebody on the Bengals roster to take some of the pressure off of his underwhelming production by showing the defense a change of pace with another back. The Law Firm has never before been used as heavily, and I think at this point we see why. The rushing attack must be more of a committee effort no matter who is on the roster. If we have to see some Boom Herron to get some variety, then that is what needs to happen. Handing the ball of to Sanu is interesting—reminds me of how Minnesota uses Percy Harvin—but I feel the team has to be serious about using their other backs to find any true success in the ground game. Until I see some sustained success when rushing the ball, I'm just going to assume they can't do it and focus on the pass.

Problem is, so do other defenses. Then they focus on A.J. Green. Defenses are going to double and eventually triple-cover Green until other offensive players can prove they're dangerous. The way to defend the Bengals is to drop the secondary back, dare them to run, let them make short catches and come up to tackle them. Shade a safety toward Green all game, leave the other wide out in single coverage, only rush four and watch Cincinnati limit their dimensions until they have only the desperation deep-passing game left. If Mohammed Sanu can come on and become a new viable weapon, great! If not, Armon Binns peaked and flamed out early, Brandon Tate has shown good hands but isn't a true receiver, and Marvin Jones blew a tire before getting to show his stuff against Pittsburgh. There is no one else left. The Bengals were relying on the collection of “other guys” to step up enough to allow the offense to get loose, but they haven't met the professional expectations of an NFL starter. Andrew Hawkins has flashed, but also faded as he deals with the grind of his first full season. Cincy Jungle's Joe Goodberry predicted Sanu taking over for Hawkins at the slot as the season progresses, citing his observation that Hawkins is wearing down. The angle makes sense, and I agree that his role will likely be lessened, but I don't think that Baby Hawk will vanish altogether. Regardless of who it is, one of these guys needs to do more with both scripted and unscripted plays.

On defense, the Bengals face Peyton Manning. The hype is immense right now surrounding Manning and the Broncos. They smashed New Orleans in Mile High, running the ball very well against the league's worst defense. Willis McGahee does well against Cincinnati, so does Peyton. The Bengals defense was gashed by Johnathan Dwyer two weeks ago as he simply ran straight ahead through running lanes (the same way Montario Hardesty did the week before). Denver runs more stretch plays that call for cutback and off-tackle runs, and Cincinnati is usually better at rallying to ball carriers to the outside rather than stop them up the middle, so I expect a lesser rushing total against them this week.

Problem is, defending the play-action off of the stretch play is a long-time Bengals weak spot . The Houston Texans do it masterfully and now the Broncos have the master of all masters running it the same way in Denver. Bengal linebackers are extra vulnerable to this kind of misdirection and if they aren't keen to who has the ball, they will be lit up in a hurry.

I expect Manning to add to the struggle Cincinnati has dealt with on third downs this season. Obviously a strong pass rush annoys any QB, but this is truly a bend-but-don't-break defense Mike Zimmer has to work with. The playmakers, the ones who change games single-handedly, are rare within the Bengals defensive ranks. Only Carlos Dunlap has that kind of prowess and lately it's been subdued to say the least. If Cincinnati can allow field goals rather than touchdowns, they can stay in the game, but big passing totals are coming like it or not. Limit the bleeding, and they might survive.

All in all, I don't love the Bengals chances. Both teams are moving in opposite directions and the best kind of motivation Cincinnati can muster for this weekend is desperation. The road is long and hard from here on out. Letdowns have occurred, mistakes were made. There is much ground to make up and according to the man in charge, the best ways to turn it around is to be meaner and more improvisational. Good luck with that, nice guy.

Broncos 31, Bengals 20

Mojokong—make or break.

Unashamed

It's been a tough stretch for Cincinnati sports. The Reds blew it, the Bengals blew it, and just for kicks, the Bearcats blew it too. It was the Steelers loss, though, that forced our attention to the agony of defeat. I walked around with it for a day or two. Nobody felt like talking about it, only they were dying to talk about it. Even the mere mention of the Bengals would cause typically mild-mannered people to become angry, surly drunks and launch into a rant of negativity and usually profanity. Yet as you watch them fall into the old trappings of the Bengals Suck textbook, you look down and notice they're wearing a Bengals jacket. Ask them why and they shrug and turn their palms up. Who else am I gonna root for, they say without saying.

I know there are those who think it's the mentality of the city itself that keeps the Bengals from succeeding. They claim other cities would put more pressure on the owner and would get their desired results through any (legal) means necessary. They think that by supporting Mike Brown and the Bengals, by buying tickets and swag, we the people should continue to expect more football losses. Losing is our own fault, they say, or at least insinuate. They work at the Enquirer and are named Paul Daugherty.

He's probably right, though. Good owners usually own good teams. There is no more space in the chapter of Mike Brown Sucks (Chapter 1: Bengals Suck) for me to go on about the man, but I have been carefully gracious to dole out my compliments to him regarding some smart recent personnel decisions. I still get my digs in, sure, it's too easy and too fun not to, but the sun even shines in Paul Brown Stadium once in a while and I make sure to point it out when I can.

But this isn't about Mike Brown, or Paul Daugherty, it's about Cincinnati. The people that make up this metropolis aren't good fans. They are either despicably naïve and think the Super Bowl is a near certainty, or they are total dooms-dayers who seem to cheer on defeat yet still call themselves Bengal fans. Of course, there are still countless reasonable people rooting for the Bengals, but they are atypical of the city and even they, even us, allow those off-putting mentalities into our own way of thinking—it just comes with the territory of being a Bengals fan. Nonetheless, the people of Cincinnati give a damn about its football team. Why the lack of sellouts then, you ask? It isn't because of boycotts or sticking it to the owner, it's because of the ticket cost mixed with the preconceived notion or hidden fear that the Bengals will lose.

Outsiders pull their hair out listening to such illogical drivel. “Why support the team if you expect them to lose?” they ask. Because I'm from here and it's the only pro football team to choose from. And someday, maybe, they will win, and win some more, and maybe even win a little more. And if we die without seeing that happen, guess what, we're dead and it was only a game anyway. It's so easy to criticize the Cincinnati fan for swallowing spoonfuls of hype and chest-thumping prematurely. The reason we get carried away is because it's the only way to have fun with the NFL. We know we look ridiculous at the end of most years, and by and large, it's embarrassing being a Bengals fan, but we're like teenagers buying clothes at a North Dakota strip mall, we work with what we got.

Downtown, I see all types of people wear their Bengals gear everyday, not because they are super proud of the team, but because it's their coat. The Bengals live in Cincinnati and so do we. We're neighbors, and we're used to them. We want them to do well, and we naturally get frustrated when they don't, but neither one of us are leaving any time soon, so what the hell?

I've had to distance myself every now and then, take a cooling off period after really tough seasons, but I come back around. Two years ago, there were a lot of fans on the brink. Some proverbial bags were packed, but the following year made everybody feel better about things. Now we're getting a little grizzly about the team again and times are feeling tough at the moment, but even if the season tailspins out of control again, Cincinnati will never completely turn its back on the team. We simply cannot help it.

The morning after losing last Sunday night, two surprisingly intelligent football discussions simultaneously took place on the Route 17 bus and both groups vehemently expressed their sadness and frustration to one another. Later, during my lunch break, I saw one brave bastard stroll down Vine Street wearing his Steelers hat past the Main Library and five or six teenaged gangstas erupted with Who Dey chants directed at him. The city cares, and its mood is effected by wins and losses. The rest of the nation can mock us for our simpleton nature and can dismiss us as fools for rooting for a perceived loser, but when they start guilt-tripping us into supporting our home team, they've gone too far. Yeah, I hate the fact that Mike Brown bleeds the county of its tax money, and yes, I get angry at lots of Marvin's time-management decisions, and it really bums me out to see the Steelers thump us at home, but it's not my fault that I was born in Cincinnati and that I like the NFL. I deserve to root for the Bengals, and I think it's a commitment to back your home team. Getting angry with them is okay. Abandoning them isn't.

Those fans who want Marvin Lewis fired have my respect because they want something better for the Bengals. Those who think Andy Dalton is an elite quarterback get a pat on the back because at least they're rooting for the right team. We Bengal fans can disagree until we're purple, but at the end of the day, we're all still Bengals fans and there is nothing wrong with that. Don't let other people tell you how to be a fan. Be a fan.

Mojokong—proud of you guys.

Week 7 Preview: When Sinking Ships Collide

Does a team ever truly deserve to win a game before it’s played?  Last week we ruminated on the question of karma in football.  Is it real?  Does it matter?  Browns fans will tell you no.  What happened last week was about execution, limiting mistakes and solid game-planning, not some flukey ripple in the space/time continuum.  Bengal fans might lean closer to admitting that there is some underlying unseen force that makes the league so hard to predict.  It’s what the old mantra of Any given Sunday is built upon.  The idea that you just never know what you’re going to get out of a team.  Otherwise, how did we lose to the Browns?

What is for sure is that the debate will not likely ever be completely settled.  After railing against any supernatural elements in the game last week, I feel prone to becoming a devout, born-again, spiritually-enlightened instrument of football karma, and write in these very same pages of how the Bengals deserve to win this Sunday night against the Steelers.  Their last win at home against the Black & Gold came in Week 3 of the 2009 season in a game that the Steelers let get away.  The year after, the Stripes just fell short on a valiant late-game comeback on Monday Night Football.  Then in 2011, Andy Dalton was introduced to the rivalry, only to be vanquished like so many other rookie quarterbacks before him, in a game that never felt all that close.

Now the big stage and bright lights find the Bengals once more along the banks of the Ohio River, and, despite the records, the vast majority of the universe still likes Pittsburgh.  And why not?  They’re one of the classiest organizations in sports, mollifying the blue-collared populace with their industrial home setting and with their tough colors and décor, while placating the band-wagoneers who take the easy road and flock to winners.  The Bengals have been an historical step-sibling to the Steelers, making noise on occasion but rarely submitting Pittsburgh into yelling "uncle".   In ’09 the Bengals got them twice—along with the rest of the division—and it seemed some ground had been made up between the two organizations.  Then the next year the ultra-hyped Bengals famously floundered their way to only four wins while the Steelers made it to another Super Bowl.   Logic says that there will be a time when Cincinnati truly positions itself to be better than the Steelers for an extended era of multiple seasons, not just a blip on the radar from time to time.  We Cincinnatians patiently await the natural process of aging to transform the Steelers into a group of has-beens who have lost a step and can’t remain healthy.   Pittsburgh laughs at such a sentiment as they plug in young strapping replacements who they expect to carry the torch of regional and divisional dominance for years to come.

The facts are that the veteran Steeler players finally are beginning to show some rust spots as they struggle to avoid injury and missed games.   The famous Hair, Troy Polumalu, is really beginning to deteriorate as his commando style of play has worn on his smallish Samoan frame.   Other longtime stalemates on the defense like Aaron Smithand James Farrior passed their expiration date already and are no longer on the team.  James Harrison and Larry Foote are nearing their finish line on a career faster than they’d like to admit.  Age is showing in the hardened face of the Steelers defense, but will it be enough to turn the tides?

The other facts are that the Steelers have lost more games than they’ve won and that they have yet to win on the road.  Does this prove that they are a less potent force in the AFC and that they are staring at a rebuilding stretch, or just that they have yet to truly get rolling and are angry with much to prove?

On the other side of that token, the Bengals are a hard team to figure out.  After blowing it to the winless Browns, Marvin Lewis publicly questioned his team toughness, calling them "too nice".  If that is the case, Marv has no one to blame but himself.  I love the Marvin Lewis Program, no secret there, but what I saw in training camp is what I’m seeing now: a team that goes through the motions without showing much emotion.  I wrote at the time that I felt the team had cultivated something of a golf culture over the summer— quiet, serene and often times pretty boring.  Some players took mild umbrage to their coach calling their toughness into question, defending their play as hard and physical.   I think both parties are correct.  They’re not mean people, but they do try hard.  Either way, I doubt that’s the problem. 

Take Jeff Faine, for example.  He’s got a kind of bad-boy persona but his play appears on the softer side of life.  Then there is Geno Atkins, a guy I mostly see smiling but was once dubbed the Tazmanian Devil for his high-energy and tight spin moves.  Sure it’s nice to see a mean-streak to these hulks, but go too far and you end up with a rash of arrests and other social ills.  If the personality of the team is a problem, it’s not because it’s too nice, if anything it’s because there is a certain inner-fragility on the team.  A team can be nice and still remain focused and headstrong.  Football is a game of mistakes that only discipline can overcome.  I don’t need my football team to be mean, but I do need it to be tough.

Pittsburgh is usually tough, but this year’s version is more bark than bite.  They’re still a respectable group with a few hall-of-fame names on the list, but dominant they are not.  Fifteen years ago, the Steelers would ground and pound with big backs and a monster offensive line. Today their offense is made up of speedy playmakers and a patchwork line.  One doesn't walk away with the bruises they used to suffer against the Steelers, but probably do walk away more winded. 

The guys going up against all this speed are not fast themselves.  They are either too old or too young to hang in man-to-man coverage.  I suspect a heavy dose of zone defenses demonstrated by Mike Zimmer and his defensive goons, and the underlying philosophy of the day will be based around strong open-field tackling.  Rather than try and match Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown stride for stride, why not keep the safeties deeper than the deepest, allow the check down throws and be sure to come up and make the tackle?  This will lend itself to more rushing yards to whoever the Steelers trot out there as their halfback, but as long as the Bengals defense forces third-downs and employ the bend-but-don’t-break style of play, Pittsburgh will be forced to kick field goals instead of touchdowns and Cincinnati will win.  Yes, Ben Roethlisberger is terrific on third down, and yes he typically finds ways to beat the Bengals, but he can’t do it all by himself.  If the Bengals can keep the speedsters in front of them, the gameplan should carry them through to a respectable outcome.  Allow the big play, however, and the hope will be vacuumed out of Paul Brown Stadium and blackouts for future home games will ensue.

On offense, the Bengals will try to run the ball, but there is no evidence to say that this time it will work.  Why would it?  Unless the Bengals offensive line can become noticeably stronger from last Sunday to this Sunday, getting yards on the ground will continue to be a struggle.  Cedric Peerman might get more looks—why not?—but the chances of stumbling upon another Rudi Johnson just waiting to be plucked from the bottom of the depth charts is unlikely.  If BenJarvus Green-Ellis continues to produce at such a meager rate, a midseason trade might become a sensible move.  The experiment of having BJGE as the premier back is officially a failure.  Either he must become someone else’s complimentary back or share equal time with one or even two other backs.  For all the good personnel moves Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis have enjoyed in the last few years, The Law Firm seems to be a swing and a miss.  Too bad DeDe Dorsey is no longer a Bengal.

If they can’t run, then they must throw and the whole world knows that A.J. Green will get the most attention in the passing game.  The man is great, and even when his opponents know it’s coming, he still gets big yards and a lot of touchdowns.  But he’s just one man.   The others are having a whale of a time carving out their own notch in the minds of defenders and Andy Dalton may be developing trust issues with his supporting cast.  If these secondary threats continue to peter out when targeted, defenses will tighten the noose around Green’s neck and eventually cut him off completely.  Viable weapons matter—we saw how a lack of them can kill a promising season like in 2009—and the chances of scoring a new legitimate player midseason seems remote, so then it’s becoming more vital every day that a current Bengals offensive player elevate his game to the point where defenses are worried about him.  Jay Gruden got by on some good playcalling to rack up three straight wins, but since then, his creativity has seemed tapped.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him pull a few tricks from his play-calling sleeve against the Steelers, but the Bengals need more than gimmicks and tricks to enjoy any sustained success.  They need better, more consistent execution from players other than A.J. Green. 

As for the flow of the game, I think it’s important to not fall behind too early.  I sense this team is on the brink of self-ruination brought on by a string of perplexing losses to seemingly bad teams mixed with a prolonged inability to defeat a team recognized as playoff-caliber.  If big mistakes happen early on, the Bengals may not have the heart to keep their spirit and wits about them.  So in that case, I would suspect that they will come out conservatively and allow the nerves and butterflies to dissipate before taking many chances.  If they get ahead, they will have to stay sharp throughout the dreaded third quarter to give them a shot in the end.   If it’s a shootout, I fear the Bengals lose, but grind it out with Pittsburgh and you never know how a close game will play out. 

To say it’s a pivotal game is an understatement.  It’s a huge road marker that will dictate this season and help define the career of Andy Dalton.  For Marvin Lewis it’s a measuring stick to gauge the progression of his overhauled team.  Marvin got to start over in 2011 and the results were pleasant, but a loss on Sunday might sour all the progression he and his fans have enjoyed up to this point.

I still think that to say the Bengals deserve to win is silly.  Nothing deserved, except for despair, frustration and heartbreak comes from losing a bunch of previous matches.  Luck, even bad luck, is still a superstition.   The only way that the Bengals win is if they play well and that is how the team and its fan base need to view this game.

In Cleveland a hole was dug.  If they aren't careful on Sunday, that hole will be filled up with dirt with the Bengals still inside.   Change must come now.

Bengals 17, Steelers 16

Mojokong—because they have to.