Bledsoe Redux

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enough said.

Jets 22, Bengals 13

* Willie Anderson played great last week for Baltimore.

Mojokong – Meadowlands Massacre Part 2: Fitzpatrick In Flames!

That's Heat You're Sitting In

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

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

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

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

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

A Soft Plummet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mojokong – The Paper Tiger

Browns vs. Abel

That stench wafting in from the North is our divisional equal, the Cleveland Browns, as they make their way to Paul Brown Stadium this weekend for the Battle of the Beaten. With each unable to get a win so far, both teams will see this game as attainable, and ultimately, feel more pressured to turn their respective ship around now. This is a desperation game for both sides, as we move along to the second, and more daunting phase of the schedule.

There are many old-timers who have a special soft spot for the Brownies. After all, they were the team that was broadcasted on those old floor-model televisions our fathers watched before the Bengals existed. The mighty Paul Brown, coach, general manager, and owner of both Ohio franchises, was the common denominator each city could agree was great. Younger fans have no nostalgia for the Browns, and therefore have no respect for them. Both cities despise Pittsburgh too, but each fear and respect the Steelers due to their historical dominance of the division. Earning a spot to the playoffs after beating them in Pittsburgh, felt like we as Bengals fans had finally tasted what the real NFL was like. A win over the Browns is like beating your younger brother at arm wrestling; no big deal.

This time shouldn't be all that monumental either. The likelihood of Sunday’s game having any meaningful repercussions later on in the season is remote at best. Many will likely bypass watching the game altogether, writing it off as the lower rungs of what the NFL has to offer. Sure it’s a beautiful Sunday with plenty to do other than watch football, but the Bengals are going to win and that is a scarce thing to witness this season.

Cleveland’s defense isn’t much better than ours. Their attempts to improve the front line in the off-season by acquiring gigantic run-stuffers Cory Williams and Shawn Rodgers, seem to have no impact as they still rank 25th against the run and 23rd overall this season. The Brown’s secondary is particularly weak and Carson has traditionally thrown well against them.

The Brownies have struggled mightily on offense too, ranking dead last in yards-per-game. Like Week 2 of last year, Derek Anderson is one bad throw away from being benched. But unlike last year, Leon Hall will not get repeatedly roasted by receiver Braylon Edwards. Hall has looked good this year, while Edwards certainly has not (eight catches for 73 yards in three games).

Running back Jamal Lewis has been a Bengal-killer throughout his long AFC North career, but the Cincinnati defense last week shut down a back who is similar but better in Brandon Jacobs of the Giants. Lewis is averaging a pedestrian 52 yards rushing, while the team has only been good for 71 a game.

Bengal coaches say they’ve emphasized sacks and turnovers this week in practice. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has dialed up blitzes on some appropriate times during the games, but the extra pass-rushers simply aren’t finding ways to get to the quarterback. I think Zimmer and Co. will unleash the hounds against Anderson and hope he throws a pick or two.

Health continues to be an advantage for Cincinnati with only Joseph and Dexter Jackson out this week. Look for Cleveland to go after rookies David Jones and Simeon Castille, along with freshly acquired journeyman Jamar Fletcher, similar to how New York did last week.

Cleveland was listed as a dark horse to make a Super Bowl run. Many in this area felt that claim was a bit ambitious and now it’s become downright hilarious. The bitterness the dawg pound is undoubtedly spewing to the players via radio shows and message boards, appears to be getting through to them. Last week, numerous news sources reported that while piled up in a tackle, Browns’ linebackers tried to gouge Willis McGahee’s eyes out!

A loss would be the most shameful yet this season. All the naysaying you hear being murmured throughout the tri-state area would become deafening if we allow our bratty little brother to come in and take us down. No way that’s gonna happen.

Bengals 30, Browns 18


Mojokong - We love Paul Brown more than you do, Cleveland. Take that!

Marvin Meets the Giant

Week 3 preview

I know, I know. You don’t really care that much anymore. But the Mojokong doesn’t rest, so here we go.

The NYG are a complete team. Their offense is explosive and strong, and their pass rush is probably the best in football. They’re coached well (remember when we were all so glad that the Bengals hired Marvin and not Coughlin?), and they consistently seem to have backups rise up out of nowhere.

Offensively, they’re the best we’ve seen since the Patriots rolled into town on MNF, Week 4 of last season. This a match up where blitzing all the time is simply too dangerous to try (not that do we that much of it anyway - but it is better than before). Their big-play ability will have the Bengal D in soft zone more than usual. I expect the Giants to move the ball methodically down the field, converting short third downs and eating up the clock.

Plaxico is tall and dangerous, and if early reports of Jonathan Joseph being out for this week hold true, Leon Hall might be in for an impossible day against him. David Jones would start at the other corner, and he has shown me very little football instinct so far in his career. Look for Plax to draw lots of attention from safeties playing deep on passing downs, which will open up short crossing routes to Amani Toomer and Kevin Boss.

They also have three capable running backs, headlined by 260-pound running back Brandon Jacobs. He’s a fierce runner who reminds me of a younger Jamal Lewis. Bradshaw and Ward spell Jacobs on third downs and running plays to the outside. Expect all three to get carries on their way to a combined 160 yards or so.

Like Tennessee, the Giants rely on their front four defensive lineman to put consistent pressure on the quarterback and allow the linebackers and safeties to stay with their man. Last week, we saw Carson check off to Reggie Kelly and Daniel Coates in the flat when he felt pressure, and the linebackers were always there to take them down as soon as they caught the pass. Assuming Brat won’t adjust to quicker routes and three-step-drops until the protection can prove its consistent, it would make sense to keep tight ends into block and maybe buy more time to allow receivers to get open. A big part of why this offense smells like raw sewage right now is because Reggie Kelly and Ben Coates are getting the ball more than Chad and TJ. I like a good pass-catching tight end too, but if the five fat guys on the line aren’t buying the QB enough time, then it becomes a luxury you can’t afford. Besides, Ben Utecht was supposed to be that guy and he wasn’t doing much actual catching before he bruised his sternum.

If I had to nitpick on New York’s defense, I’d point to a young secondary who benefits greatly from a tremendous defensive line. If the combination of defensive ends Strahan and Umenyora were an A+ last year, replacements Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are an A- this season. Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce is a mean vet who provides crucial leadership to a fairly young defense. Due to retirement, injury and free agency, this defense is without four starters from last year’s championship squad, and doesn’t look any different on the field so far in ‘08.

The Giants have had an easy schedule so far, comfortably taking care of Washington and St. Louis. My expectations for this week are like everybody else’s: another convincing win over another bad team.

Giants 31, Bengals 14

Mojokong - Meadowlands Massacre Part One: Hoffa is Raised!

For This Long

Remember?

I had to bring this back to remind everyone how long we've complained about the same thing. Check the date.

MK

The Winds of No Change

On December 4, 2005, Rudi Johnson ran 14 yards for a fourth quarter touchdown against the Steelers, giving the Bengals a 38-24 lead. That moment was the peak of this regime. Since then, Marvin Lewis has watched his team tailspin back into oblivion.

Ah, the good ol’ days, when Sundays were a blast. When our offense purred like a Maserati and turnovers seemed to fall from the sky. The future seemed golden back then. We had all the ingredients to become the Colts. What could go wrong?

Lots went wrong. We lost some players to “the streets”, lost some to injury, lost control of egos and eventually lost games. The way the team has gone about their business since that treasured season has been curious at best. While the rest of the league has adjusted to trends and patterns, it seems that the Bengals are stuck in 2005. They don’t understand how the NFL is an amoeba that is constantly redefining itself. The formula that caught most teams off-guard three seasons ago, doesn’t produce the same results these days. You can’t rob the same bank twice.

Want statistical proof? The Bengals are 5 for 26 (19 percent) on third downs so far, as opposed to 84 for 196 (42 percent) in 2005. They average 3.5 yards a play now, compared to 5.6 then. Carson averaged 7.3 yards a pass when things were clicking. This year, a pathetic 4.5. There's more, but you get the point.

The stubborn nature of this organization has ruined any hope of a successful immediate future. A young team who knows its in a rebuilding phase is far more respectable than a veteran team who won’t admit that it sucks.

“I think the best way to look at our situation is that we're 0-2, we're by no means out of the playoffs, and we've got a definite uphill battle ahead of us. Who better to get your mind set back than going into the defending world champion's home and getting a win?” said an optimistic Carson Palmer after another embarrassing thrashing Sunday.

“We go out and practice every day. We bust our ass, run hard, complete everything ... and then in the game, for some reason, it just doesn't go down that way. I don't know why.” said confused Bengal receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh following an anaemic performance.

Here’s a hint: RUN NEW PLAYS!!!

Mojokong - troubling, disheartening, dubious, irksome, underwhelming, disappointing, uninteresting. Blagh!