The Power of Name

There was once a man who loved football. He lived in northern Ohio with his family and soon became a legendary coach there. The problem with him, and like many other great men, was that he figured he knew best, but a richer and more powerful man fired him and took away the thing he loved.

Our man was not a timid soul-probably wasn't even a nice guy-and he would not go quietly into that gentle night, so he strengthened behind the curtains of unemployment and negotiated shrewdly enough to obtain his own team; a new team; a team he would go on to name: The Bengals.

The man is of course Paul Brown, a name we still say in Cincinnati every Sunday in the fall and winter. It is believed that he named his team the Bengals to pay tribute to history. Another Cincinnati Bengals played in the fledgling football leagues of the late 1930s and early 40s and Paul certainly had his finger on the pulse of pro football then. He also seemed determined to match the uniforms of his former team, the Cleveland Browns, so a tiger of some kind makes an easier leap in that direction. Some may think such a jealous move would be too petty for a person like Paul Brown, but he was often known to be, if not petty, transparently vindictive. Then there is also the claim of the local zoo, keeping some Bengal tigers there-which they still do-but how much of a zoo eunthusiast (zoonthusiast?) Mr. Brown was is not well known.

What he probably didn't realize was exactly how much tribute he was paying to history. The word Bengal is an ancient one. The etymology is unknown.  It has been spoken for perhaps 3,000 years and has had many variations from Bongo to Vanga. Vanga is the name of a people that dwelt in the mountainous regions of northeast India and western Bangladesh and were originally a separate race from the Indo-Aryans of the West. The Vanga traded well with neighboring nations and grew strong enough to rid off Alexander the Great at one point. It was an old province of Hindustan, now India, and is still called Bengal today, only it's West Bengal now. It's home to 91 million people, probably almost all of whom aren't aware that an American football team is named after their region.

I don't think anyone in the Bengals organization or in Cincinnati or possibly the world thinks that Paul Brown named his team after an ancient race of proto-Indians, and not even the place that has a famous bay named after it. It was the animal, the tiger, where his real tribute lay.

It too is old and majestic. The Panthera tigris arrived in India 12,000 years ago and has been weighed in at over 600 lbs.. There are only 2,500 of these bad boys left and the future looks grim for the species. As noted, Brown was not likely concerned with extinction or zoology, but he liked Tigers because of his old days at Massillon High School who are nicknamed the Tigers. He had to have known how bad ass the animal looks and acts and his imagination didn't need to wander farther than that in the decision, but the fact he chose Bengals and not Tigers seems like an interesting quirk when you think about the history.

Bengal is such an exotic word. This 60's expansion team with it's daring striped helmets and foreign sounding name was somehow matched up with a hard-nosed curmudgeon who owned a sports team in a humble Appalachian river valley. How do thousands of years pass with this name ringing out time and again in a whole continent's history while we on the other side of the Earth only know it as football related?

I'll tell you why. Because we are like that man from northern Ohio who loved football and not much else. We too keep our fingers firmly on the pulse of the sport and we know everything there is about our team which are the Bengals. And now you know one more thing which is the origin of the word itself and not many others can claim that. Thanks for tuning in.

Mojokong-the celebrator of roots in all fashions.

To the Ones Who Weren't

This one goes out to the guys in sweat pants. Most of the roster performed admirably, some underwhelmed, and yet a handful never had a chance at all. They cheered from the benches throughout the season, pacing the sidelines and looking relaxed in their sock hats and gym shoes. These men lead a conflicting lifestyle, pining for more playing time yet living comfortably and out of harms way. They were paid the same despite not playing and they of course had a bevy of sweatpants at their disposal. They lived in luxury and, in a sense, had Sundays off.

Some of this was due to sheer injury. Bengals fans have no idea how good Travelle Wharton is. The guy seemed to blow his knee up before he even put his pads on. I honestly forgot he existed. He returns next year as a ghost that will haunt Clint Boling around until he gets his job back. The only thing we can be sure about is that his presence adds depth, which is always important along the offensive line, but other than that, the jury is out.

Thomas Howard was another guy that had a ruined 2012. He's been a lovely fit in Mike Zimmer's scheme since coming over from Oakland, and his torn ACL ripped a hole in the Zim Clan fabric that took time to stabilize. He is now a 30-year old free-agent coming off of a major injury. The Bengals soldiered on nicely without him and he appears to have little leverage with the team at the moment. Many draft wizards are pointing toward outside linebacker for the Stripes this year as high as first-round. Vontaze Burfict showed tremendous NFL readiness in his rookie year and gives the Bengals options there. I would assume Howard's days are numbered here in Cincinnati and that we should all thank him for his efforts.

Not everyone who wore sweats, however, was dressed that way because they were hurt. Some of these hooded lurkers simply were not needed on game days. In fact, a few were actually called upon once or twice, but largely ignored and buried within the depth chart. Of these were two robust rookie defensive tackles, drafted high and brimming with potential. Whether they were truly in the Bengals immediate plans or not is unknowable, but once Pat Sims returned from his injury, their already limited opportunities dried up altogether. They were rendered useless and team managers ordered extremely large sweats for the two of them. In their brief appearances, only Devon Still comes to mind getting a half sack on Monday Night Football against the Steelers. Brandon Thompson was an ever rarer whale to behold, only surfacing three times last year.

Their future may still be bright, but as of now, they find themselves stuck behind Big Geno, Peko and The Pat Sims Stop-the-Run Foundation. The Bengals also liked shifting Wallace Gilberry and Robert Geathers inside on occasion, making it even more difficult for the rookie pair to fit into the short-term plans of the defense. Marvin Lewis has given them generic praises like "very good football players" and we know that Still is the pass rusher and Thompson the run stuffer, but at what point does this beef become a viable commodity and not just a future investment? If they are only depth, they are of the most valuable kind. So valuable in fact, one might even call it a waste.

Within that same vein, another premium backup struggling to get a chance is one Mr. Anthony Collins. I've always been high on Collins and I think he is of starting pedigree, but he finds himself displaced by such pros as Andre Smith andAndrew Whitworth. Collins can play either tackle spot, has accumulated 18 starts in his career and has remained pretty healthy. Smith is a free agent and was a dominant run blocker for long stretches of the season in 2012. He will command a healthy contract to match his healthy appetite and if the Bengals are thinking that dinner with Andre is too pricey of an affair, the name of Anthony Collins will be heavy on the collective mind of their fans.

These men in sweats will wear pads again soon enough. They will don a helmet too and crash themselves into another person wearing the same. They are eager to earn their money in a more worthwhile way-to show that they are football players and not mere spectators. Which way the future will take the Bengals is anyone's guess, but I have a feeling that these men in grey jersey-knit material will play a big part in the team's decision making at some key positions. Proof once more that every person along that sideline matters. Every person.

Mojokong-the unturner of stones.

The Quiet Law Firm

It is understood that reputable law firms do not advertise. The same could be said for BenJarvus Green-Ellis. He is a quiet workhorse that goes about his business stoically and steadily. One is not meant to be amazed at his talents-he is without flare and gusto-but he is as steady as boulder and at the end of the day, the job has been done. He does not seek out the approval of others nor draw attention to his craft. If you need his labor, you give him the ball and see the thing through. Otherwise, you forget he is even on the team.

That isn't to say that no one doubted the move to bring him in early on. Most knew of his reputation as a reliable back with physical limitations. The idea of the Bengals management was that he was safe: a sentiment valued by both the head coach and the owner. A year earlier, Cedric Benson developed a bad case of the fumbles and allowed his attitude and public opinions to become overtly grizzled, rankling the men who signed his checks. He was cold-shouldered by Cincinnati during free agency and was effectively replaced by Green-Ellis. The thinking by most observers outside of the organization was that he was to be a compliment to the team's other backs and that his load would be lighter than his predecessor's. The Bengals had other horses in their stable and Bennie-as he came to be known by his comrades-was only there for certain situations.

Once the season began, though, it became evident that he would be used more than most of us thought. Then, once Bernard Scott was lost for the year thanks to an injured knee, his abilities became the cornerstone of the running game and the team hitched their playoff hopes upon his thick legs.

In the first quarter of the season, his production was dreadful. It appeared that he was blind to running holes and he showed a disappointing propensity to break tackles. Worse yet, is that he experienced a rare rash of fumbles, coughing it up three times in two games after never having fumbled in his career previously. Once the ball began hitting the turf, we fans worried that his best attribute as a supreme caretaker of the football was a myth and that we'd been duped into buying a useless back. The team started to lose games and the yards-per-carry were precariously low.

Then, after the bye week, a change was made to the offensive line, installing the young and unproven Trevor Robinson at center, in for the old and useless veteran Jeff Faine. This switch breathed fresh air into the running attack and suddenly not only was Green-Ellis effective, he became explosive. Never before had teams needed to worry about the Law Firm ripping off huge yardage on the ground, but there it was happening seemingly once a game. The offense purred during this stretch of the season and the wins came free and easy.

Bennie returned to Earth against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, but the poor performance was deemed permissible against the league's top-ranked defense. He, like the other starters, was used sparingly in the season finale in order to rest up for the first round of the playoffs. In that Wild-Card game, the Texans dressed two backup middle linebackers who struggled stopping Green-Ellis when he got his chances. Sadly for Bennie and his team, the running attack was abandoned throughout the course of the game, and despite gaining more than five yards per carry, his impact on the game was minimalized by his own play-caller.

The season was a strange ride for Green-Ellis. Fans weren't all that excited to hear he had signed. Then they (and myself) wrote off his acquisition as a failed experiment after a half season of underwhelming results. Then the line improved, and Green-Ellis showed us things we didn't think possible of him. Once he could relax in his arm chair and rest his weary legs upon the season's conclusion, he could be proud that he'd set new personal highs in carries and yardage. He'd fumbled three times, but got that act together before nasty labels were applied to him. He converted all but one third-down attempt when he was given the chance. In the end, he'd been the back that the Bengals had paid for and no one could feel they'd been cheated.

There are some things Green-Ellis will never be. He will never break any speed records, and his size is fixed at "moderate". He will not learn the arts of the juke move or learn to be a great receiver. But what he does well-and has done well since entering the league-will not change. There are no surprises to this man. His potential has been reached. What you see is what you get.

The only surprise about him is the regularity of his carries. In New England, he was the feature back, but that feature was never all that prominent compared to that team's other offensive facets. They had Tom Brady behind center who could make magic with his arm all by himself, and they never needed Bennie to do much more than not fumble and run clock.

Many figured a similar role would be used by Cincinnati, but a very different philosophy is enacted within the Bengals organization. No matter what the team's brain trust says aloud about splitting carries and getting their youngsters more of a chance, they remain a one-horse team. Bernard Scott faced a critical "contract year" in 2012 and had hoped to up his value and responsibility to the team by seeing more carries. The coaches said they were on board to get him more involved, but never committed to that sentiment. Scott's chances were brief, and against Miami when he finally started to show some life, he hurt his knee and was lost for the year. Now he is a jobless backup running back that hasn't proven anything to anyone. He will always have the big play lurking somewhere in his arsenal, but his inability to stay healthy has frustrated too many important men who decide his fate. I would imagine that his days in Cincinnati are over and that he will be viewed as an embodiment of unfulfilled greatness.

Without Scott, the Bengals were down to two complimentary backs in Cedric Peerman and Brian Leonard.

Like Scott, Peerman had youth and promise swirling about his scouting report and had shown flashes of brilliance in the past. But also like Scott, he chances were like crumbs on the plate and no one got a true sense of his role on the team. Peerman has serviceable football instincts and shows value on special teams. I have always felt that if given more opportunity, Peerman could demonstrate a richer skill-set to the world. There seems to be a trust issue working against Peerman. Perhaps he fumbles in practice-who knows?-but it feels more like the offensive coaches would like to use him more but can't allow themselves to trust him enough to pull that trigger. He has shown the team enough on special teams to remain on the roster for the foreseeable future, but one can only wonder what more he has to do to be a more viable piece to the offense.

Brian Leonard on the other hand, may be out of chances. It was clear that he was the true backup to Green-Ellis by midseason, despite never showing off his big-play ability we've seen in the past. Perhaps it is a matter of age. Leonard, who is not that old even in football standards, for whatever reason feels too old. He used to video-game his way around the field, hurdling defenders here and spin moving there, but now he runs straight ahead until someone tackles him easily. A three-yard gain became a good play of Leonard, which means we severely lowered our expectations of the man. His moments in subsequent years had been positively glorious, coming through in the clutch unlike any other Bengal, but 2012 produced nothing but the mundane and mediocre. His place on the team should be endangered after such a blasé season.

Finally Dan "Boom" Herron was the fourth back used this year, and really only made a name for himself as a kick-blocker. In the one carry I can remember him getting, he appeared very quick and rather explosive hitting the hole. Boom is not a large man which may have affected his draft position, but he certainly plays with spirit and may someday become serviceable in the running game.

Until the Bengals acquire new legs at the position, one can only assume to see more heavy doses of the Law Firm next season. We've learned how much Marvin Lewis craves safety, consistency and reliability when handling the football, and no one embodies these traits more than Green-Ellis. He has not proven himself to be an injury concern. He takes on the same mileage other backs do without the apparent wear-and-tear of his body. Still, the team needs something more than the ho-hum if they want their offense to really turn heads. Offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden, has admitted he wants the home-run hitting speed back seen on other teams in order to jazz up the attack and add a new element to the rush. I would suspect that Peerman returns to add to the position's depth chart, but the others future with the team is very much in doubt. I think most would agree with Gruden about the need for a more effective compliment to Green-Ellis, and I think the team could stand with a bit more pizazz when running the ball. So while the Law Firm may continue to work steadily and quietly, an Advertisement Firm may be needed to make the right kind of noise for a Super Bowl run.

Mojokong-the horse whisperer.

The Super Bowl Kaeper

Many years ago, the San Francisco 49ers were dealing with a quarterback problem. They had too many good ones. Steve Young eventually took over for Joe Montana and won a Super Bowl. The same is true today to a less legendary degree. Alex Smith was doing very little wrong for the Niners this season, leading them to wins, not turning the ball over and completing his passes at a high percentage. The problem for Jim Harbaugh and his staff was that they felt they needed more explosive plays and that Smith couldn't bring that to the table.

Enter Colin Kaepernick, a razzle-dazzle kid that lopes around and flings passes on the run. He is a tattooed dynamo, often grinning foolishly and turning the corner faster than defenders. While not officially a rookie, Kaepernick is still very fresh to the league and not fully understood by his competitors or by his spectators. What isthis guy? What can he do? There are moments where I wonder if even he knows.

The San Francisco defense needs no introduction. As far as elite defenses go, they are the last of the Mohicans. Their linebacker corps ranks with the historical greats and the safeties are cagey hit men-both of whom have been named Pro-Bowl starters. They face one of the most lethal aerial assaults in football with the Green Bay Packers, but they are confident in their ability to slow Aaron Rodgers down enough to win.

The game comes down to Kaepernick. We football people have decided the term "game manager" is an insult to the quarterback position. Alex Smith is widely viewed as the quintessential example of this. Kaepernick is a little of the opposite, though. He has all the physical characteristics that limited QBs yearn for, but due to the lack of gameplay wisdom, he struggles at times managing the game. His biggest test under these conditions was in Seattle where the whole team melted in the rain.

Mauling the Packers in the run game would go a long way for young Colin and his mates. Harbaugh and his brain trust are more creative than most offenses when scheming together their running game. They can run the read-option, the standard option, the quarterback draw and a thousand others, or they can simply maul straight ahead behind their tremendous line highlighted by my favorite lineman in football, Mike Iupati.

Green Bay's defense has gotten by on turnovers and reputation for a couple of years now. The offense is so potent it overshadows the defensive deficiencies except when they get bounced in the playoffs. Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson are certainly notable player makers, but they aren't all that scary. If they struggle stopping the 49ers running attack, Kaepernick can coast his offense to enough points to win by the Bay.

I felt last year that the 49ers were the most cohesive team in football a season ago and again in the earlier part of this year. Then the quarterback switch was made and suddenly a crack of uncertainty could be seen in their façade. While things have still come up largely roses for the Niners in 2012, Kaepernick's performance on this kind of stage will be closely examined. If he pulls of his Road Runner routine and run the Packers out of town, the hype machine will crank back up to full blast in San Francisco. If he lets the pressure consume him, though, then Harbaugh will be accused of midseason meddling.

Harbaugh and Kaepernick should be okay, and I'm sticking with them as my preseason pick for the Super Bowl. Defenses like this don't come around too often and the offense is good enough to get them to that promised land.

49ers 25, Packers 24

Mojokong-the butcher, the baker, the Candlestick quaker!

When Legends Collide

High atop a mountain in the dead of winter, Peyton Manning quietly herds his goats and awaits a group of legends to come and attack him. He's done this a thousand times before but never in the mountaintops. He headed west from the prairies of Indiana to seek a new chance at glory and ride off into sunsets unseen in quarterback lore. The purple wraiths on their way have been sent there to snatch away his orange ring and keep it for their own. The setting is an NFL comic book.

While it's true that the names involved in the Divisional Round game in Denver read like a Hall-of-Fame ballot, they are all closer to that mustard jacket than they are from their primes. The Ravens "big four" are like the current Rolling Stones, dragging themselves around and still performing despite all the aches and pains. Ray Lewis is hanging it up after the season and plays with what looks like a robotic arm at the moment. Ed Reed is always the gamy pirate, but the scurvy and the neck/shoulder problems are getting the best of him. Terrell Suggs came back from a ruptured achilles only to tear a biceps muscle. Things fall apart.

For Manning, however, he still looks like a Jedi to me. Arguably the greatest offensive mind in the NFL today, he runs his show with surgical precision and is rarely ever surprised anymore. He is devastating on third down and sees everything before it happens. The pass protection has help up remarkably this season and the unit as a whole has put up astounding numbers.

The Ravens also have a quarterback that knows his way around the playoffs. Joe Flacco is always in the postseason and was one drop away from making the Super Bowl. He is certainly not of legendary status and is criticized more than praised, but he will always be a big guy with a strong arm and that alone can take you places in this league. Sadly for Joe, though, he is susceptible to pressure and Denver had more sacks than the Bengals this season. Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller are going to bring the heat from the outside, and Justin Bannan and Derrick Wolfe are strong interior guys. If Flacco can step up in the pocket and make clean throws, Baltimore would have a great chance to escape with a win, but the Broncos have too much along that front line to allow that to happen. I suspect the Ravens will become frustrated and resort to throwing dangerous deep balls in an attempt to get the passing game going.

If that becomes true, it goes back to the Stones and their last hurrah. The Ravens corners are weak, and Denver's wide outs are big and fast. It will be vital for Baltimore to limit the Denver running game to make third-down conversions more difficult. When Manning can operate with third-and-medium, he is nearly unbeatable. There is talk that Willis McGahee could return next week, but for now it's the Knowshon Moreno show. Moreno has been up and down in his career, but he has the physical skills needed for success and he gouged the Ravens in Week 15 earlier this season. If they can't stop him, they really can't win.

Even though it seems crazy that John Harbaugh should feel pressure regarding his job after making it to five straight postseason trips, one can sense his seat warming a little bit. This game is fairly critical to his career in Baltimore. I'm not suggesting he will be fired, but if he loses this game and has a hard time again next year, the patience will be short.

Baltimore is a solid team that is always built in a steady fashion, but they've lost some teeth over the years and they find themselves in an awkward transitional phase of a franchise. Denver is riding high in a dream season, lapping up the euphoria Manning has brought them. They are perhaps oblivious to even the possibility of a loss, and maybe that helps the Ravens, but I can't see Manning the goat herder going out like that.

Broncos 30, Ravens 17

Mojokong-mile-high milieu.

The Wild-Card that Wasn't

Disappointed?  Of course.  Surprised?  Only a little.

When you look back on the year as a whole, what happened on Saturday makes perfect sense.  The Bengals entered this year with tepid expectations.  There were some talented pieces in place for sure, but there were still holes abound and a first-round playoff exit seemed to be the max potential this group could muster.

 In a season where the defense did all of the heavy lifting to actually get them into the postseason, the Wild-Card game unfolded into one where the offense need only the bare minimum of output to advance.  They had a chance to put a dreadful performance behind them and sneak out with a win, but a lofty toss to an open A.J. Green in the endzone with under three minutes left drifted 12 inches out of reach and doomed the hopes of a Bengals Super Bowl run.  With the game lost, and the blame squarely on the offense, some mental unpacking is in order to fully gain closure on the year.

Understandably, a lot of backlash has come upon the red crown of Andy Dalton’s head for such a lousy showing in his second chance at some franchise glory.  He was positively rotten against the Texans, freaking out nearly every time he dropped back to throw.  The confidence of the passing game looked shot after Jermaine Gresham dropped the first toss by Dalton.  A nightmare ensued where the team’s best player became invisible and the offensive brain-trust invested their future upon the abilities of unproven complimentary receivers that flamed out under the pressure.  Sure, Dalton is the man that makes the throws, but there is a chain-of-command in place with every offense, and when things break down as thoroughly as they did over the weekend, the whole chain needs examined.

First off are the guys up front.  Offensive line coach, Paul Alexander, was dealt two huge blows in the preseason when Trevelle Wharton and Kyle Cook went down with significant injuries.   Replacements Clint Boling and Trevor Robinson filled in admirably and really appeared to be a cohesive unit after the bye week.  Then Cook came back and regained his starting spot and the line was never as effective again.  I’m a believer in the center position.  When it is stable, the offense flows rather seamlessly, when it isn’t, its production suffers.  I was against bringing Cook back into the starting spot.  I know the old maxim about not losing a starting spot to injury, and I realize the expertise the Cook brings when making calls at the line, but the production speaks for itself.  With Robinson making the snaps, Dalton got in a groove, BenJarvus Green-Ellis became suddenly relevant, and the wins started stacking up.  Then against Dallas, they eased Cook back in to the rotation, ultimately making him a starter again, and the offensive output became increasingly less.  The tailspin continued until it culminated into one of the worst offensive showings in playoff history.  I’m not blaming Cook entirely, but the switch at center allowed for a disconnection along the offensive line that was never adequately repaired.

The line didn’t protect well at all against the Texans, baffled and helpless to counter the stunts by the Houston pass rush.  This breakdown added to the already alarmingly pronounced anxiety Dalton has demonstrated in the pocket this season—bafflingly opposite of what he showed in his rookie year—and kept that elusive rhythm we hear so much about from ever fully developing.   What they were doing well, though, was creating running lanes for Green-Ellis, but strangely enough, Jay Gruden turned his back on this style of attack.

Gruden has allowed this offense to overachieve for two straight seasons with his sensible scheme and play-calling sequence, but his ideas got the best of him in this past game.  I felt he got too cute.  I heard Brian Billick say that defenses can take away any threat they want to, but they do so at a cost.  Cover one player too much and you run the risk of leaving someone else open.  This is what Gruden saw.  Houston decided it wasn’t going to get beat by A.J. Green in the first half, so they shaded him and took him away.  This, in theory, meant the other receivers had more room to operate, especially Gresham.   The Texans were down to their fourth-string inside linebackers and Gruden probably assumed they couldn’t cover.  He may have been right, too, but Gresham’s pervasive lack of focus haunted him again and he was unable to convert on his targets at all in the first half. 

So, with Green eliminated and Gresham too zoned out, it was either up to Marvin Jones, Andrew Hawkins and Ryan Whalen, or go back to the running game.  When Green-Ellis got his chances, he tore off yardage, and those backup middle linebackers showed their vulnerability.  The line looked ready to maul and even John Conner was getting his hat on the right guys.  Gruden, though, convinced the Bengals weren’t a running team, persisted to try and throw it, especially on second down.  This trend proved disastrous as incompletions and sacks got the offense “off-schedule” and set up desperation third-down conversion attempts. 

Prior to the game, I advocated that the Bengals should have spread out their formations and throw to as many different receivers as possible coming out of the gate.  I wanted to see them pressure the questionable back end of the Texans defense early to set the tone and score early.  Once that became painfully obvious that it wasn’t working and that the run was, pounding Green-Ellis more on second down became the logical move.  Logic, however, never worked its way into the equation and The Law Firm ended with a 5.7 yards-per-carry average on only 11 attempts.   Had the Bengals chose to grind it out a bit more, the time-of-possession battle would have been closer, the defense would be less worn out, the offensive line could get in rhythm and a field goal or two would have had an effect on the closing minutes of the game.  Bumbled screen attempts, bad passing reads and an insistence to keep trying to move the ball through the air, killed any semblance of a balanced attack.  I think Jay Gruden is quality coordinator with a lot of good football ideas, but he got away from the basics and I think it lost the game.

Dalton himself will hear the grumblings about his inabilities, but there isn’t much he or the organization can do to radically change the quarterback position.  We fans (and media) assume that every franchise relentlessly search for the next “franchise quarterback”.  We had the Golden Boy with the Golden Arm in Carson Palmer, the exact prototype that scouts drool over.  He was big, sort of mobile, had a cannon arm and was intelligent.  It didn’t work out.  Then they drafted Dalton, physically meh, and not coming from a collegiate power house, the front office were satisfied with their guy even if the pundits and draft wizards weren’t.  He exceeded all expectations by taking a bad Bengals team to the playoffs his rookie year, and then followed it up by doing the same the next year with a marginally improved group.  After losing both times in the first round, though, folks are up in arms about what he can’t do.

Dalton will never have a great arm; he isn’t that kind of guy.  You’re not getting Jeff George when you draft Andy Dalton.  Instead you have the quintessential “game-manager” filled with interesting intangibles that only exist from the neck up.  The team likes him because he is emotionally unflappable.  Not too high, not too low.  Even Steven.   His first year, he flashed an uncanny pocket presence, but since the middle of that year, the ability has strangely subsided and now looks to have vanished altogether.  I don’t know how one improves on such a thing—Zen Buddhism perhaps—but unless he can figure out how to get back to playing loose, this offense may never be up to snuff.

What we should remind ourselves, though, is how hard it is finding a better replacement.  Those calling for his head now, would have to kick themselves if they got their wish only to end up seeing Kyle Orton or someone of similar ilk taking the ball under center.  The “franchise guys” don’t grow on trees, and if you think you’ve found one, you may just end up with Carson Palmer or Drew Bledsoe.  There are no guarantees.   I don’t think Andy Dalton is a premier player at his position, but I don’t think it’s realistic to ask the organization to always have one of those waiting in the wings of their roster.  There have been other examples of mediocre quarterbacks making it and even winning the Super Bowl.  To say Dalton can never take the Bengals that far seems fatalistic.

In essence, these Bengals made it as far as they should have.  No underdog won in the playoff round.  The postseason is a harsh reminder of a team’s true identity.  The Bengals’ identity is made up of a tremendous defense that plays with passion and pride and an offense still learning itself and the league.  To say the Bengals should have made it further by now has some truth to it, but if they return to the playoffs next year and arrive at the AFC Championship game, will it matter then?  Sometimes babies fall when they’re learning to walk, but that isn’t to say they will never walk at all. 

Mojokong—disappointed but not disheartened.  

Wild-Card Preview: Moving Past

Imagine the Bengals arriving in Houston and piling out of a relieved tour bus. With bags in hand, they bypass Reliant Stadium and head straight for NASA where they blast off into outer space and put their past behind them. Funny thing about outer space is the further you travel into it, the further into the past you go, so really they aren't putting anything behind them, and nor should they need to.

This Bengals team is growing up fast and the rematch against the Texans is an enormous litmus test to the Marvin Lewis Program. They seem ready, the fans seem ready, the media seems ready. Are we ready? We obsess with the team's past. These young Bengals have to haul all those dubious stats around with them like chains on a ghost, even though the vast majority of them are used to winning. Now when asked about their upcoming game, they can say, "this ain't my first rodeo," and actually mean it! I hope those that can are growing out some tough cowboy mustaches for the showdown. Why not?

Why not indeed. The Texans are ripe for the pluckin'. Comments about them of late typically include phrases that start with eitherout of, or off. Out of sorts. Out of rhythm. Out of gas? Off kilter. Off balance. Off.

That begs the question then: are they a good team due to turn things around, or are they a team unraveling as we speak? I think their swoon is a bit overblown. I agree that they are not at their best at the moment, but honestly, neither are the Bengals. Houston is still a solid team built from the ground up. They have great players in key positions and their collective talent always makes them dangerous. That being said, the Texans were never quite the same on defense once Brian Cushing went down and now it appears that they are struggling mightily to stop spread formations.

Jay Gruden should go to the jugular and have Andy Dalton come out firing. Use every player that can catch a pass within the first few possessions and sprinkle in the run once a two-score lead is in place. The foot should be firmly applied to the gas pedal on offense and get an early lead or die trying. I don't see the point of easing into this game. They did this exact thing one year ago; they know what to expect. Having early success in the spread and throwing to a variety of players would allow for a lot of operating space for the running game and the underneath stuff, but getting comfortable right away and putting up points would jolt this team's psyche and allow them to have fun playing. The offensive line has a big test against the wild banshees that are the Texans pass rush, and moving Andy Dalton out of the pocket to find better passing lanes might be a good idea against the indomitable J.J. Watt and his pass-swatting skills. I think the initial style of play demonstrated by the Bengals offense will determine how the whole game is played. If they come out conservative, it will be another slug-em-out game where Josh Brownbecomes uncomfortably important. Come out blazing, though, and I think there will be some shots of Andy Dalton joking around on the sideline in the fourth quarter.

On defense, the Bengals must stay at home. The Texans do so many screens and play-action roll-out passes that an over pursuit by just one player could become a touchdown. Arian Foster is a master at following zone blocking and misdirections and draw plays could also be killers if Cincinnati isn't careful. They must stay at home and be patient.

That may lead to slightly less pressure on Matt Schaub than what would normally be the case, but it's necessary in order to stifle the dreadful explosive play. That might be a problem for the typical defense, but not for the Zim Clan. This is a sharpened bunch, fueled by their confidence and by their undying loyalty to Mike Zimmer. These men will do what it takes to make it happen and that won't change on Saturday. The pass rush will be good enough, the coverage will give up some yards but not a ton of points and everyone will tackle this year, especially Chris Crocker. If they stay at home and disrupt Houston's screen and play-action game, they can control the game on defense alone. As long as Pat Sims (founder of the Pat Sims Stop-The-Run Foundation) is in there on Saturday, we have little to worry about.

I honestly don't even feel that nervous about the game. The fact that they traveled to the same place at the same time of year for the same game last year only helps the Bengals' situation. There are seldom unknowns left in this match up. They are healthy, hungry and fairly experienced already. In the end, they will rocket out of Houston with their first playoff road win and give a giant middle finger to their dubious past.

Bengals 31, Texans 20

Mojokong—never been to a rodeo.