Week 14 Preview: Possibilities In The Land Of Make-Believe

This train ride to nowhere makes a stop in Pittsburgh this week in what most expect will be a lop-sided and savage affair. These people will say there's no hope for the Bengals and that leaving Pittsburgh with their lives and most of their possessions is the best they should hope for. Why not fold up this lawn chair and call the whole season a rainy day at the beach, right? After all, here in the throws of winter, waking up to single-digit temperatures and win-totals have already become a depressing combination; taking a Steeler smack-down to the chops would excavate new morale lows for the team and its dwindling fans.

However, this entry's purpose is not to to drift you closer to football suicide, but rather the opposite. With the season mercifully wrapping up, and the impending labor doom darkening the horizon for next year, this game is Marvin's Last Stand, the Battle of Little Big Ben, the fight for Middle Earth! When a person knows their effort will not result in their desired goal—when they have undoubtedly failed—the fighter-types give it one last furious push to prove their nobility as opponents—the gunslinger who takes out a few more bad guys as he bleeds from his gut. That's what I wanna see from the Bengals this weekend. They have lost the season, presumably their head coach and any and all enthusiasm from their city. There is nothing left to lose. Do it for Marvin, do it for us, or do it because your professional football players and coaches. Make this your Super Bowl. Everybody hates the Steelers—they're like parking tickets or having gum on your shoes; do it in the name of good fighting evil!

Outside of rah-rah rhetoric and general ballyhoo, the Bengals could and should make this game at least competitive. They are extremely familiar with the ebb and flow of the Steelers' play-calling, the strengths and weaknesses of Ben Roethlisberger, the tomfoolery of Dick LaBeau and his scheme, and the difficulties of the Heinz field wind and turf. To Cincinnati, the Steelers are the bully big-brother whose familiarity makes them less scary.

Steelers offense vs. Bengals defense

The Steelers have dealt with their fair share of injuries this year, especially along their offensive line. Big Ben himself needed his nose straightened out after the Sunday night back-ally brawl with Baltimore, and, despite his size and strength, it's just a matter of time before all the hits he invites does some serious damage to more important parts of his noggin. On the flip side, the Bengals have actually manufactured an inkling of pass rush the past couple of weeks in the form of rookies Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. Dunlap is a physical specimen with nice individual pass-rush moves that have accumulated 3.5 sacks in two weeks. Atkins also has some moves and a strong motor and has disrupted more than the other defensive tackles when pressuring the quarterback so far in 2010. Mike Zimmer has prepared smart game-plans in the past against Roethlisberger; if his youngsters continue to progress and the Steeler's offensive line struggles protecting Big Ben, Pittsburgh may be surprised by their lack of production against this team.

Regardless of what kind of plays they run early on, Pittsburgh is always trying to set up the defense for a Mike Wallace deep ball. The Bengals have struggled against the big pass play all season, and had numerous breakdowns last week; it's better to allow the Steelers to inch their way down field rather than give up huge chunk plays to Wallace. The secondary must be mindful of where he roams at all times but especially when he goes deep. Since tight end Heath Miller is still recuperating from a gruesome hit that nearly removed his head in last week's game, the Steelers ball-control offense becomes even more predictable as it is likely to concentrate heavily on Hines Ward and third-down back, Mewelde Moore. If Cincinnati can keep these two men in front and make tackles when they catch passes, and keep Wallace covered deep, they can win on Sunday. Of course, limiting Rashad Mendenhall's explosive runs goes without saying, but these Bengals have a hard time not getting fried on the ground so perhaps we'd better say it after all: stop the big runs.

All in all, this offense is not as scary as its been in the past, and these Bengals have danced with these bozos plenty of times before.

Bengals offense vs. Steelers defense

Here's a news flash: The Steelers are exceptional against the run. The worst thing to do against them is attempt predictable stretch run plays on predictable running downs. The Bengals can't be forced into dangerous passing downs because they failed to move the ball running it on first and second downs. A little variety in the play-calling is absolutely necessary against the villainous mob that is the Pittsburgh defense. In their secondary lives a man with a lion's mane and a fox's instinct who can turn games around in a heartbeat. He guesses often, and often right and he will kill you if you're not careful. Troy Polomalu is a great player, and that term is not dished out lightly.

There are moments when the Bengals get into rhythm and look formidable. These moments are usually made possible thanks to a quality check-down pass to a secondary or even tertiary receiver. With the hall-of-fame threats on the outside, Cincinnati can run them deep, clear out the safeties and allow Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Shipley and Brian Leonard to work underneath on yards-after-catch conversions. On early downs, don't force the ball deep but rather dump it off to safety valves, and on third down, run routes that go past the first-down marker. This is not original thinking, but a reminder of the basics can't hurt with this team. They've been their own worst enemy all season; four quarters of a competitive offensive performance is within the realm of reasonable possibility. Limit turnovers and penalties, call plays that make more sense, and be more safe than sorry, and a game may be won. It's a bizarre take on the sport, but I think it could work.

Conclusion

There are select members of this team who know the end is near. The men gathered in the locker room next year will likely be a markedly different group and a new chapter will begin in the dark, dank annals of Bengals history. This game should mark the last great moment for a group who pulled off some unexpected highs and lows. The veterans that have been with the team throughout the Marvin Lewis-era, and even Marv himself, should lay it all out on the line for this clash against their rivals. For just one game, as fans, as players, as offensive coordinator, and as team owner, let's just pretend we're a good team and see what happens. Not a team made up of high-profile stars with big money bags and haughty reputations, but rather a team of calculated professionals hungry to turn in a hard day's work. Think it, live it, be it.

Bengals 27, Steelers 17

Mojokong—down to my last drop of optimism

Week 13 Recap: Just Oregano

Slowly we plummet through the Bengal universe.

In what has felt like a long come down from magic mushrooms, this season has been a total buzz-kill for me and my striped brethren for the past four months now. It seems the stuff we were sold last year just looks the same but has a much weaker effect on the system. We were just tricking ourselves into believing it was the same early on, but now we know that it's bogus and schwag and we want our money back, or so we say.

This past Sunday was just another bad batch of the stuff.

It started out okay, as a Bengals three and out was followed by a defensive stand that led to a Saints punt. Problem was, Cincinnati roughed the punter, and the five yards given to New Orleans was enough for field-goal range and got them a three point lead. Stupid.

Then, on their second possession, the Bengals throw to Brian Leonard on third and four, which isn't necessarily a bad idea, but the pass was thrown too far behind him and carried his momentum behind the line of scrimmage causing Leonard to end up with a five yard loss. Stupid.

On fourth and one on the Saints' five yard-line, Cedric Benson was given the hand-off, but instead of following the giant ponytail of Domata Peko to a first down, he tried bouncing it to the outside and was stuffed for a loss. El stupido.

And finally, Pat Sims. I don't even have to say it.

Though I think Pat has been blamed too much for this loss. Wanna real goat to this game? Check out Chinedum Ndukwe. The gambler was wrong on three huge pass plays; all of which led to points, including the last score of the game. Or how about Jonathan Wade who was absolutely roasted by the Saints' extra slot receiver, Robert Meachem, for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Or even Cedric Benson who has developed a case of happy feet that is preventing him from gaining the tough yards.

For a long time, I've been quite complimentary about Mr. Benson and his weekly contributions to the Bengals, but I think he's pressing too hard right now. Either he's overly worried about his upcoming free-agency, he doesn't trust his blockers, or he is being used in the wrong way. Regardless of the reason, I think he cuts back excessively, searches for holes rather than creates his own, and would rather wait for the big run than etch his way down field. Plus, he has fumbled at an alarming rate this season. Elite backs can average more than 3.5 yards-per-carry and not fumble six times in 12 games, and if your back is not elite, there's no reason to keep him. Running back is the most replaceable position on offense, and if the Bengals would simply open their eyes, they would see they already have a back that could be better on their very own roster.

Not only did Bernard Scott provide a bevy of quality kick-returns on Sunday, he also racked up 43 yards on six carries. The Bengals are in love with the stretch hand-off. Despite Carson's slow and clumsy feet, and despite their inability to get a consistent push on the outside, they refuse to give up on the stretch hand-off play. It's ridiculous, but it is less so when they run it with Scott. Benson has his moments getting the ball wide and following his sprinting line down field, but Scott changes direction much faster, has better overall field vision and is more designed for a play that takes longer to develop—like the stretch hand-off. What Scott is less effective doing is pounding the ball up the gut on straight hand-offs, but he is curiously often asked to do so anyway. If the Bengals insist on being a wide-play running team, why not give more carries to the man who does it better than anyone else on the team? Why? Because they are stupid, once again.

As for the nonsense that unfolded during the last Bengals possession, one need not look farther back than the end of the first half to find the recurring theme. With eight seconds left in the half and one time out remaining, the Bengals found themselves at mid-field with scoring aspirations on their brain. After a poorly-thrown pass to Chad Ochocinco on an out-pattern, Palmer was given no chance for a long heave to the end-zone because he was sacked. Following the botched time management at the end of the game (which is apparently too heavy for the quarterback to handle on his own), the offensive line once more failed to give enough time for a hail-mary pass. Again, this is an offense that insists on deep drops, long routes and a vertical attack. How is that possible when the quarterback never feels comfortable, especially on the last-gasp desperation throws? When the game comes down to the will of the participants and it's simply a matter of who wants it more, why is it that the other team keeps coming out on top? Why can't the Bengals muster their collective talents and efforts into just one winning performance? What in the hell is going on?

Perhaps historians will one day be able to intelligently answer these questions and more. Perhaps the answers are right before our noses but, due to our loyalty and emotional attachments, we are unable to currently admit what's really going on. Or, perhaps Mojokong is working on it in his laboratory and will soon enlighten the world with his analysis. Who knows? The fact is, close losses, dumb losses, irrelevant losses, all count as losses, and in sports, there's simply nothing worse—especially to the fan.

So, knowing me and knowing you and knowing there's only one dealer in town, I'd imagine we'll be out there again next week buying from the same dude and just hoping it gets better. Why? Because it's football and it's the Bengals, and goddammit we love them both.

Mojokong—I drink them and with them.

Week 13 Preview: Cover Your Faces

The last time the Who-Dats strolled into town to take on the Who-Deys, things were eerily similar to the present. The Saints were 9-5 and psyching themselves up for a playoff run. The Bengals were 1-13 and were left for dead on the side of the road. The weather was cold and the game was blacked out, as will be the case this Sunday too. The big story on that day in 2002 was that the Bengals were able to pull out their second win of the season, and, in the process, greatly contribute to the Saints missing the playoffs that year.

This time, the Saints are cruising once more having won their last four games and pressing hard for a playoff spot. The Bengals, of course, are suffering through an eight-game losing streak with very few bright spots anywhere on the team. The last I heard, the spread was more than a touchdown and even if Cincinnati does extend their misery streak to nine, no one seems to care much anyway.

Can they win? Of course they can; it's the NFL, anything can happen. Will they? No.

The Saints are a complete team, ranking in the top-10 in nearly every category imaginable. They do have trouble running the ball, but they throw it so well, it's hard to notice any deficiencies in their ground game. Their defense has been assembled with talented and neatly-fitting pieces, and they specialize in creating turnovers. If that weren't enough, they face a special-teams unit this Sunday who dug up strange and obscure ways to lose their game over a week ago on Thanksgiving.

There is no evidence available that leads any thinking person to conjure a reason as to why the Bengals can win, and so this week's preview is a dreary one.

Saints offense vs. Bengals defense

Drew Brees is great—everybody knows that. He has a complete handle on his offense, uses every weapon given to him, and just feels like a quality leader of men. In the limited games I've seen of the Saints this year, he still shows a very accurate passing ability, has good pocket presence and plays with a fiery, yet controlled, passion for the game. If all of that weren't enough, he gets to hear arguably the best play-caller in the game yammer into his helmet.

Head coach and offensive coordinator, Sean Payton, has a nice stable of play-makers at his helm. There are a host of receivers he can rely on to stretch the field and catch the ball. There are numerous running backs with unique abilities that compliment the offense as a whole, and a brash yet athletic tight end who seems like a Kid Rock roadie. With this kind of firepower loaded up on one team, it's no wonder they rank so high passing the ball.

The Bengals, on the other hand, are the walking wounded on defense. Thin in the secondary and up front on the line, Mike Zimmer is strapped with backups going up against such a speedy offensive assault. If his men are unable to get pressure on Brees, and the defensive backs have to chase multiple receivers around on every play, the Saints could score over 100 points in this game. Hopefully Carlos Dunlap continues to grow and gets another sack or two and limits New Orleans to more like 70 points. Despite the difficult schedule Cincinnati has struggled against this year, they haven't seen an offense of this caliber since perhaps the opening game against New England and are likely to get blown out early once more.

Bengals offense vs. Saints defense

Since I expect Cincinnati to play from behind, they probably won't have the luxury of establishing any kind of run. Carson Palmer will have to drop back to pass time and again and hope his protection holds up for his receivers to run all the way down field. Since this team seems incapable of playing a short, west-coast kind of offensive attack, they are likely to heave long bombs into coverage and hope for the best. This philosophy has not proven effective enough to win games this season, but still they persist at going about their business in the same useless style. I expect Terrell Owens to maybe pull down a long pass and pad his meaningless stats a bit more, but in general, I would count on at least two or more interceptions, a host of sacks, and an out-of-hand score by the third quarter.

The Bengals game plan doesn't change and neither does the outcome of their games. They're a team led by men who insist that their way of football is the only way to go and no one is going to convince them of anything different. If they had the ability to adjust, they would have by now, but it simply has not and will not happen with the same individuals in charge. I wish I could paint a more optimistic picture on the situation, but the facts speak for themselves.

Conclusion

Maybe the Bengals will show up, play their best game of the season and treat the less-than-capacity crowd to their third win, one better than 2002. Maybe the coaches will finally get it and try a new approach to the game, and maybe Paul Brown Stadium will transform into a spaceship and whisk its inhabitants to an underwater planet ruled by the Crab People.
If this happened, admit it, you'd buy tickets to Paul Brown Stadium

Anything is possible, I suppose. Still, I have to predict the future with reason and logic and that's why I see none of these things taking place this Sunday.

Saints 48, Bengals 3

Mojokong—what's it matter?

Week 12 Recap: Thanks For Nothing

The eighth loss in a row came about in predictable fashion. As a fan grizzled in frustration, it was disconcerting to simply wait for the fatal mistake to unfold like a movie everyone has seen before. Norman Bates edges to the shower, knife in hand, tears open the shower curtain and kills his victim with horrendous special-teams play. Oh the horror!

Really, it's what we all knew would happen. Tucked away behind huge rationalizations and justifications as to why the Bengals might beat the Jets, lived the truth. This was the worst record against the best—one team figures out new ways to win, while the other figures out the opposite. It was a no-brainer. This losing streak has been one long toilet flush that swirled its way gone for good on Thanksgiving night.

Even though the offense looked punked from the get-go, the defense played the kind of game that should have at least kept things close. That would have been the case had the special teams not decided that it was their turn to lose a game. Not only did the Bengals manage to miss a 28-yard field goal kicked by some schlepp off the street (I've seen Chad kick a better ball than that; give him a chance), and allow a kick-return touchdown ran by a man with one shoe, Andre Caldwell somehow fumbled by getting hit in the face by a punt without realizing it! What is happening here? Don't these people get paid?

I can go into how Carson Palmer is still throwing passes to hall-of-fame receivers when he should be throwing to lesser-known safety valves, or of how turnovers are notorious with losing teams, or of how the defense and offense can't put together a decent game between the two of them, but who cares? This team would rather “work harder” running the same practices and emphasizing the same things, then to switch up philosophy and approach to the game in the middle of the season. The brain-trust has failed us, yet they refuse to admit their mistakes. Watching them is like playing with a broken toy; it's predictably lame.

So instead, I would like to complain that the Bengals didn't wear their throwback uniforms. I don't expect the Wizard of Oz to ever pay for throwbacks—that would be lunacy!—but if ever a guy can hope for such a thing, it's when that guy's team is awarded a Thanksgiving game. Sadly, it wasn't to be. Instead, my hometown team comes out of the tunnel with the same garish ensemble they've been trotting out since 2004. I liked the predecessor of the current overdone ensemble; the Jon Kitna jersey of that era was just fine. Teams needn't all the stripes everywhere with accents and highlights throughout. They look ridiculous. The 70's Bengals gear is awesome. I don't care if it does looks like Cleveland. It's tough and it reminds me of slow-motion Bengal action shot in very cold weather. Maybe if Mike Brown dressed his team in more basic clothing, they would feel less like superstars and more like football players. It's been seven years of these trendy, bullshit uniforms. Like the personnel changes I long for to take place this offseason, let's go with an image change too—literally speaking.

So there you have it. A recap that's more spirited about the team's uniform than the team itself. If this group decides to do anything really worth taking note of, I will include it in these ramblings. Otherwise, I may have to go into detail about the team's mascot and cheerleaders next.


Mojokong—misses his team.

Week 12 Preview: The Divisional Impostor

In an shady warehouse along the Hudson River near New York City, Raven and Steeler sit on crates and smoke cigars under the only light in the joint. The door slams shut and in struts New York Jets himself. He pulls up his own crate and the three get down to business.

"We want you in our club," Steeler mumbles without looking up.
"Yeah, we like your style, kid," squeals Raven.
"Why me?" asks NYJ in his best raspy, fat-guy voice.
"Cause you're a big power team with a hardcore defense—we like that." says Steeler.
"Who would I replace?"
Raven and Steeler look at each other and smile.
"The Bengals," they say in unison.
"Oh yeah, didn't they beat you both last year...twice. And you, Raven, you got it again this season, right?" giggles Jets.
"Shut up, Jets! You want to be the Baltimore Ravens and you know it!"
"You can't prove that!" Jets screams.

And all three beat each other up to prevent the deal from getting done after all.

They have a point though. The Jets are more like an AFC North team than the Bengals are anymore. Last year, the Bengals trampled through the wrecked debris of a dominated division with their fists and their spirit, but all that might and power has evaporated now, yet the Jets grow stronger and even more difficult to beat. The venom toward that smelly, gangrenous Super Bowl contender in green that we Bengal fans had stored up for them last year, still exists. That's the only reason the Thanksgiving Game matters: because the Jets have become a hated team and beating a hated team feels extra-special.

Jets offense vs. Bengals defense

Continuing on the AFC North comparison, this year's Jets offense reminds me very much of the 2005 Steelers. They are resolutely committed to the run and want to limit the times Mark Sanchez needs to make plays, but they still like to go deep when they can and embrace the intangible chaos of the trick play.

The Bengals secondary is onion-paper thin and the front office is checking Monster.com for somebody to play in the nickel. With Braylon Edwards, now improved by catching one out of five passes thrown his way, and Santonio Holmes, arguably the hottest receiver in football right now, the holiday could be a long one for the Cincinnati pass-defense. I would like to think that the defensive brain-trust would play their corners deep to not allow passes over their heads against two explosive receivers, but obvious focal points like Roddy White and Steve Johnson seemed overlooked on the priority list, so don't be surprised to see them get fried by the expected culprit once more. Of course, a young and inexperienced secondary would be assisted by a decent pass rush but we all know that isn't likely to happen and there's no reason to beat up the defensive line anymore—they know who they are.

It's because of the deep attention Edwards and Holmes should receive that will allow Dustin Keller and LaDainian Tomlinson to find space underneath, and this is where I expect the Jets to find most of their first downs.

The linebackers so far are having a bad year. When they blitz, they are rarely effective, they take poor angles in the open field, and their lack of speed becomes a serious liability in coverage. There have been a few shining moments by each guy at some point over the past 10 games but nothing consistent enough to call adequate. Since they aren't fast, they must recognize plays quicker and react fast enough to make the play. It hasn't happened enough this season. If the Jets have watched their tape, they know they can find open areas in the flats where the linebackers struggle to get to on time. In fact, I can already see Sanchez faking the hand off on a stretch play, rolling out to his right, drawing the safeties back deep with a pump fake and finding Keller open on a crossing pattern for a big third and long conversion. The linebackers don't change direction well and this kind of fake draws them in nearly every time. To keep the Jets off of the field, the second-tier needs to cover the underneath receivers and make open-field plays. Missed tackles and slow recognition won't get it done.

Obviously, the whole passing game takes a back seat to the run in the Jets offense. LT looks like he's found a new spark in the Big Apple, and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has carved out a nice spot for him to fit into. Power-back Shonn Greene still gets a good amount of carries, but his explosiveness seems to have stabilized some compared to his play during the playoffs last year. They like to get their linemen out in the open field and run off-tackle, and even add a good amount of razzle-dazzle with their wildcat formations featuring Brad Smith.

Last week, the Bengals run defense looked tired and unwilling to tackle Fred Jackson as the game went on. Often times, defenders were just a tad too slow closing gaps in running lanes. This breakdown mightily contributed to the debacle that unfolded in the second half on Sunday. A repeat performance will almost certainly lead to another loss.

Bengals offense vs. Jets defense

The Jets aren't trying to trick anybody with their defense. Their going to blitz as much as they can get away with, and just because Jim Leonard is small, he can sack a much bigger quarterback with no problem. I've always felt that Leonard is an underrated pass-rusher. Sure he doesn't have the Freeney Spin move, or the Trent Cole up-and-under, but he finds clear paths to the QB whenever he's asked to blitz from his safety spot—which is often.

Plus, Carson Palmer has average pocket-presence...at best. They know they can rattle him with a few shots to the face-mask and if it means a penalty, so be it. The Bengal's offensive line also had a tough second half last week and a few of these guys have plummeted in value over the course of the year. The Steelers and Ravens are certainly tough, but the Jets are both unfamiliar (to some degree) and relentless with their blitzes. Carson is already beat up; his protection must be strong for him to survive.

If he does have time, he might have to look for the slot guys. The Jets have arguably the best corner tandem in the game and testing Darrelle Revis is bad for quarterback ratings. Antonio Cromartie is a larger corner who matches up well with Terrell Owens. Like I have continually promoted, get the ball to the rookies in clutch situations instead of forcing the ball to the high-paid receivers and drives will carry on. Instead of going deep and risking negative effects, check off and get a new set of downs. When to be patient and when to attack always seems backwards in this offense; hopefully that doesn't happen again on Thanksgiving.

When the Bengals do give it to Cedric Benson, he must secure the ball and keep from fumbling. Suddenly he has ball-security issues and his fumbles are quickly becoming a problem. Chris Perry was cut altogether because of a similar illness. Fumblitis: it can happen to the best of us. The problem is, Benson is a free-agent next year and every fumble costs him serious money. We could, of course, mix it up more with the other backs, but I say that every week and am beginning to sound like a parrot.

Pre-snap penalties, bad passes, dropped passes and turnovers are the things that are keeping this offense from winning more games. It's been an ugly display of self-flagellation and low self-esteem issues all season long and only they can help themselves.

Conclusion

So even if they are more AFC North than us and even if they are one of the premier teams in the conference, I want them to lose because I really dislike them and I would take joy in knowing that our team brought them anger and regret. I know that isn't really in the spirit of the holiday and that it kind of makes me a vindictive ass, but when your team is holding down the very bottom of the AFC, people can get ugly. Even on Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, I am a fan—not an idiot—so, for yet another week, I give you another reason to shake your head in despair at this team.

Jets 23, Bengals 14


Mojokong—eh, who's watching anyway. Most of us will be asleep by then.

Week 11 Recap: Crap Out

The collapse against the Buffalo Bills was a perfect microcosm for the Bengals' season as a whole. In the first half, Cincinnati showed off all of its artillery and star-power, as they racked up yardage, defensive plays and points. It was a harmonious collection of talent that, for one half, felt like the Bears game of last year.

However, the team reverted to form after halftime and let things get totally out of control. By the final whistle they had blown a 31-14 lead at halftime and lost by 18 points! A new low of the season was accomplished and the greater-Cincinnati area exhaled a familiar sigh.

For the record, here is how the second half went for the Bengals: allowed a Bills touchdown on the opening possession, fumbled the ball away for a touchdown return, threw an interception in the end-zone which led to a touchdown, went 3-and-out followed by a badly shanked punt (23 yards), missed a field goal, threw another interception that led to another touchdown, and finally, played the backup quarterback.

This team has either packed it in for the year, or they're simply awful, or both. Regardless, the loss to the now 2-8 Bills was the death-blow to the season and has forced the wounded and shaken Bengal fans to look ahead to the next draft and beyond—if there even is such a thing.

If you want to look at the positives in this game, think of how good the win was for Buffalo. They are now officially on a win-streak and have to be feeling good about the way their team is playing. The Bills are a competitive bunch who have a horrendous record but manage to stay competitive without tripping over their own feet. Like Cleveland, they play hard and seem like they genuinely care—that's more than we can say about our team.

Bill Walsh believed that one group can only be effective for so long before the dynamic wears off and the group becomes complacent. I think that's what has happened in Cincinnati. It is now abundantly apparent that a major overhaul is needed within this organization. Besides the few rookies and free agents the team acquired in the off-season, this was largely the exact same team as last year. People talked of making the damned Super Bowl!

Maybe their philosophical approach to the season was based on grandiose expectations. Maybe their adjustments (or lack thereof) were misguided. Or maybe the players simply didn't want it as badly as last year. I'm still not sure which reason it is, but I am sure that everything this season has gone to hell in a tiger-striped hand-basket and that if this were any other NFL team, heads would roll. As it is here, we, as fans and simple townspeople, are afraid of which path our local team's leadership will decide upon. The worse of those fears, it seems, is that no path will be chosen at all. What if Mike Brown comes to a fork in the road and just sits down? The same-old, same-old will not do!


Mojokong—put Marvin upstairs, remove Bratkowski, and trade Carson for a swashbuckler.

Week 11 Preview: Where The Buffalo Roam

Here come the Buffalo Bills! Two small market teams with old-guard owners will get together this weekend in Cincinnati and play a friendly game of football where one team is likely to improve on its dismal record while the other feels that much worse about itself. Bills fans are excited about the chance of winning in back-to-back weeks, while Bengals fans eye this game as their team's best chance at ending the current six-game losing streak. It could very well turn out to be an exciting game that comes down to the end between two quarterbacks who are close friends and former teammates. There are some quality story lines in the match-up this week, but the game is blacked out and there are so few of us who still care anyway. A game played in darkness—what a shame.

Rant About Television Blackouts (feel free to skip down)

Not that I blame anyone for not wanting to fork over $65 and up for a ticket to see two non-playoff caliber teams. Instead, I blame the blackout rules and the men who profit from them. Rather than preventing millions to watch because thousands won't attend, why don't teams partner with cable networks and offer the game as a pay-per-view program? If you have the NFL ticket, then you are paying for just that, but even that prevents the buyer from watching in-market blacked out games. Of course, I don't know the business ins-and-outs of the contract-law universe and I am sure that my ignorance prevents me from understanding why that wouldn't work, but going to an NFL game is overrated when you can watch it at home and get good replays with the company you prefer. I'd rather watch my team on television as they play in an empty stadium rather than not watch them at all. In fact, we can scale the stadiums down to nothing and watch the Bills and Bengals play a regular-season game at Georgetown, Kentucky, and pay to watch it on television instead of cramming into a huge, overpriced place for more than a full-day's work. If that could happen, owners couldn't screw cities with stadium taxes and threats to move elsewhere—move anywhere you want, just give me the option of seeing the games on television. After all, if everyone in Cincinnati is paying taxes on the team's stadium, they should be able to see home games on TV no matter what. Gimmie a break.

On to the game.

Bills offense vs. Bengals defense

We know Ryan Fitzpatrick; he's a rascally gunslinger with accuracy and arm-strength issues. He can be fun to watch when he's found an offensive rhythm and heartbreaking when he can't hit his target at all. He's not a pure passer but he's quick and gritty for a quarterback—a very poor man's Steve Young. I've always rooted for him because, despite his Ivy League history, he lacks that pretty-boy sheen that the QB fraternity embraces. It seemed to me that when the Bengals (finally) adjusted their offense toward his skill-set, they found out that they were a good ball-control and power-run team. That philosophical shift worked well from about Week 9, 2008 to Week 13, 2009 where it amassed a 13-6-1 record during that stretch. What it also showed was that Carson Palmer was more effective in the Fitzpatrick-mold of the Bengals offense rather than the Palmer-mold. Interesting.

Fitzpatrick's current offense is sort of a free-wheeling one where Fitzy has license to take shots down-field or use his legs to pick up first downs. The group is loaded with some explosive talent and has found a bit of a stride lately. There are two Buffalo players that I have noticed for the first time and one of them is receiver Steve Johnson. I don't know much about his past, but this year Johnson has found stardom with Fitzpatrick. He seems reliable around the sidelines, is fast and has some flashy open-field moves. His success has led to Lee Evens seeing less double teams and has also benefited the numbers of third-receiver Roscoe Parrish. The Bengals secondary will have to make Johnson their top-priority while staying mindful of Parrish on short crossing routes and bubble screens. As for Evens, I would be fine with keeping Johnathan Joseph on him in single coverage and live with the consequences.

The Bills also employ a nice running-back tandem of Fred Jackson and rookie C.J. Spiller. Jackson is not as fast as Spiller but is good at picking up at least some yards on every carry. He has nice cutback runs and reminds me a little of Chicago's Matt Forte. Buffalo doesn't run nearly as much as their opponents do, but that stat is likely skewed from a 1-8 team throwing more often on comeback attempts—Bengal fans know how that feels. Fitzpatrick himself racks up a good deal of rushing yards on his scrambles, and on third down, that is something the Bengals must be mindful of. Overall, I would think Zimmer might concern himself more with stopping the pass than worrying about the run, but if these guys start ripping off big chunks of yardage and Spiller busts loose for a big one, an adjustment should be made. Hopefully the linebackers keep up their tough play from last week and continue to look active and aggressive. Good play from that group could obscure the difficulties in other parts of the defense.

This Bills team is capable of putting up yards, but they can also be derailed quickly if Fitzpatrick's wild improvisation can be contained. The Bengals should have a handle of what their old backup can do; they should bait him and spring the trap once they know he can't resist.

Bengals offense vs. Bills defense

The other guy I have noticed this season in Buffalo is defensive tackle Kyle Williams. This is a hard-working individual who isn't the tallest or fattest in the league, but gets a good push into the pocket on passes and plays his running lanes very well by staying low. The good news for Cincinnati is that Williams missed practice time this week with a bothered hamstring and may not suit up on Sunday. Who becomes the next priority on that defensive line is hard to say—no one really grabs the eye, so this might be a team that the Bengals can pound with Benson up the middle.

Another good player for the Bills is Paul Posluszny who has put together a very nice four seasons and arguably has the squarest head in the league. In the limited Bills action I've seen this year, No. 51 is always on the screen making something happen. You will probably notice him this week too—oh, that's right, you won't. My bad.

And in their secondary, the Bills feature the hard-hitting Donte Whitner and good cover man, Leodis McKelvin. They also have the promising safety, Jairus Byrd, who had nine interceptions last year but has zero so far in 2010—funny how that works. Collectively, this group is good enough make the Bills the seventh-ranked pass defense and should be hungry for an errant throw by Palmer, or a pass allowed into coverage by Terrell Owens.

If Buffalo can at least slow the run and get a few picks, they should win the game. For the Bengals to reverse that outcome they should, a) get both running backs involved with not only runs but also screen plays and check-offs, b) use their possession-receiving rookies, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley on third downs, and c) not force the ball to their superstars if any part of the play breaks down.

Both TO and Chad make big plays—it's what has made their careers great—but when they're targeted and they can't pull it in, it always seems somewhat disastrous. I don't want to sound like I am not appreciative of the amazing things they do for their team, but when they are targeted and can't convert, the play rarely goes for a harmless incompletion that sets up second or third down. Instead, the ball is either intercepted, missed for a huge play, or leads to a fourth down. They are hall-of-fame caliber players, but despite their heavy statistical production, they have been unreliable and it's killing the team. That's why instead of going their way in crucial moments, I think they should look for the supporting cast more. Once TO, Chad and Palmer have proven they can consistently be on the same page, then you look for the great ones to make the important plays. Otherwise, they're wasting downs in crunch-time.

I know what some of you are saying. TO and Chad have combined for tons of yards and touchdowns, how can I blame them? Because sometimes doing it often is less important than doing it when it counts the most.

Special Teams

I include this segment this week because the Bengals will unveil a kicker I have never seen before. If they find themselves in a situation like 4th & 4 at the Bills 32, they may just want to go for it rather than try out this new, mysterious leg. The kick-coverage will also be worth monitoring. Chances are, this game will be a low-scoring one and that field position will matter perhaps a little more than usual. If Aaron Pettrey kicks short kickoffs or starts missing field goals, I say we let Chad give it a go.

Conclusion

Many of us will see the action of the game after the fact. It will be surreal watching a Bengals game for the first time and already knowing the outcome. If the Bengals lose this one, the entire organization may just emotionally check out and let the season rot—if that hasn't happened already. A win, however, could propel the men in stripes to an unfathomable stretch of seven wins in a row, a wild-card birth and an eventual Super Bowl championship! And it all starts this weekend! Here come the Buffalo Bills!

Bengals 14, Bills 9



Mojokong—covering my wagons.