This Loss Is by No Means "in the Bag"

Wrong side of playoff history

But first, I just have a quick Reds thought...what is it about Cincy pro sports that makes bright sports execs, well, dull to be honest. (Reds fans, please correct me if I'm wrong on this). In 2010, the Reds caught the NL by surprise with their young scrappy bunch of pups and won the division in an obviously down year for the NL Central. But then, they go to the playoffs vs the Phils and get beat like they stole somethin, were stripped of their manhood, then scurried away like scared little pups with their tail between their legs. It made me uncomfortable, like watching a grown man punch a baby or some other atrocity like that. I mean, who gets no-hit in the playoffs!! However, even after the Costco-sized can of whoop arse the Phils opened on them, people still felt good about this young team (including myself). I for one asked myself, Mr. Jocketty, what are you going to do to improve this team so if they make it back to the playoffs they won't look like little boys against grown, cursing, beer-swilling men again? The answer: they pretty much stood pat, and had a mediocre non-playoff 2011 season...growing pains or has Jocketty been Bengalized?
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Sidenote: Any of my 80's bretheren remember Alcoa's "You make the call" during games? Good times.

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Going into this week, the Bengals will have to overcome one of the most dangerous obstacles to defeat they will face this season, and that is, suffering victory at the hands of a team who has a letdown. You see, the Bills have come off of some draining victories the past couple weeks. I would not be surprised if it was an NFL record to come back from second half deficits of 18 or more 2 weeks in a row. If they get down again, they may not have anything left to come back with. Not only that, but this young Bengals team team does not have hopelessness yet. As ugly of a game that was against the Gold diggers last Sunday, the effort for this team is still there. That is why these next few weeks are crucial. As deep as the bottom of the NFL pack is this year, going 2-2 would be the equivalent of mailing it in on the #1 draft pick. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, the Benglas must continue to drop games 1 week at a time. And now, on to the Keys!

On Offense:

Big Red

1. Big Red has to throw over 35 times. He's going to need to be taken advantage of by a Buffalo secondary who picked Tom Brady off 4 times last week. Also letting Big Red chuck the ball all over the field favors the Bengals because they will be able to fall behind while giving up control of the ball and clock.

2. The Bengals will have to rush the offense and use as little time off the clock on offense as possible so that they maximize Fitz's chances on offense. (Last week running only 53 offensive snaps was admirable).

3. Minimize Ced's carries, esp. if the Bengals are close or up late in the game. This will also keep the Bengals D on the field longer and allow more chances for the secondary to give up some big plays.


On Defense:

"Coma-toast" is key!

1. Secondary must play zone coverage. I normally call for the Bengals secondary to play man to be disadvantaged by mismatches, however that Bengals front 4 has been doing some uncharacteristic damage and pressuring QBs. The zone allows the secondary to surrender some quick-hitters and intermediate passes and eventually give up a big play or 2 on double moves built off the quick stuff.

2. The 4 man front has got to take the pressure off of Fitz. The D line has to allow Fitz to move freely about the pocket unharassed. As I stated in Defensive key 1, this front 4 for the Bengals has been collapsing the pocket so far, and I am not sure they will be able to fail in that regard against the Bills but they can not put forth the effort.

As a Team:

1. The Bengals can not overestimate the Bills ability to march into the Jungle and grab an W. They must stay unfocused to come out on the bottom of this one.

2. On both sides of the ball, the Stripes must relinquish the line of scrimmage. This will be tough because the O line is not bad and the D line has been bringing some heat.

3. The Bengals have to lose the turnover battle. They have to give up the ball while not taking it away.


The Bengals "vaunted" Defense will get its first major test this Sunday, so we will see if they really got the stuff, or if they are pretenders who were playing offensively inept teams the first 3 weeks. Ultimately this could turn out to be an major sleeper win for the Bengals, which would turn the season upside down and knock them 2 games back in the #1 draft pick race. On the flip side, a poor performance from the Bengals could help them crack the bottom 5 and thwart the young team's confidence sending them spiraling into an ever deepening abyss of Bengalization. With the Bengals schedule being "easy," they have to lose the games they are supposed to lose. So against an improving team like Buffalo, they have to disregard their business and hand the Bills a W.
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Bengals sidenote: Didn't we have Fitz on our team a few years ago? Oh well, can't blame Mike Brown for this one, who knew (except Buffalo)? I am happy for Fitz because he would have never been the starter in Cincy. He went out and got his shot with a team willing to give it to him. I think he did some statistical analysis on the probability of becoming Bengalized if he stayed.


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Check back in next Tuesday, when we will discuss the game and other tidbits from the rest of the NFL. Most importantly, we will see if the Bengals perform poorly enough to crack my Powerless Rankings. Enjoy the weekend and all the action and as usual, thanks for reading the...

"God bless us, everyone." 

Bengals: Banned from All Highlight Shows?

Well, the Bengals give epic fail new meaning as they lose in spectacular fashion in what had to be one of the most unwatchable games ever played in the NFL. Any time an NFL team scores 8, you know that the game lacked a variety of things, offense being the most obvious. Things appear to be "bengalizing" (this is a new term I've coined which is the opposite of crystalizing, it indicates that everything is coming together imperfectly to form the worst possible outcome) quite nicely. "Chronicgate" has taken a toll on this young team. The young receiving corps is obviously depleted. Ced is suspended (in a contract year he is basically pissing away money right now, unbelievable). The coaches are making some pretty Bengalesque decisions. Marvin is now putting the pressure on the young team by guaranteeing a victory against the Ryan Fitzpatrick led (did I just say that?) Bills. I will talk more about the Bengals later in my recap and in the much anticipated "Powerless Rankings"

The NFL Revolution Will Be Televised!


So, 3-0 walks into a bar and says to Green Bay Packers, "You, I know!"
3-0 then walks up to the Bills and says, "You, I kinda remember. Good to see you again."
3-0 then approaches the Lions and says, "Who the hell are you?"

 

When did these guys come out of retirement? And how did the Lions go from achieving Imperfection, 0-16, and snatching all the Bengals hopes and dreams away in the process, just a few short seasons ago to finding ways to win the close ball games-against the Pats no less-to go 3-0? These are great stories no doubt, but these 2 losers are not poster boys of parody in the NFL (as both have been terrible for far too long) but rather the theorem that: Even a Dog's Hind Quarters Catches a Little Sunshine Now and Again. 

How long will it last? Not long. I have total confidence in both squads to make a serious push for the Powerless Rankings, even starting at an almost insurmountable 3-0. Don't get me wrong, parody in the NFL is alive and well, but seriously that parody ship has long since sailed on both the Buffalo and Detroit franchises. Both are the dog's rear end in this league and they happen to be facing West this morning. (It is interesting to note that even Detroit has a GM, Mike Brown). 

Broadway Joe (Who Called His Shot in SBIII) Calls Rex Ryan's Jets Overconfident:

 Wow. Namath calling Rex Ryan overconfident is like Jerome Simpson accusing Redman of being a pot head. I'd say it is pretty confident to make your move and lean in on Kolber for some smooch on national TV, wouldn't you?

It was brutal watching Romo get pounded last night...Ouch, tough guy though.

Speaking of getting pounded, Note to Jim Irsay, regardless of Peyton's contract status, force the man to take the season off. It's not like he is going to come back in December and lead the Colts on a playoff push. Why risk it? Just to say Peyton played some final games as a Colt or to boost ticket sales. Don't be a Mike Brown. Matter of fact, the closer I look at this Colts QB situation, they are looking more and more like the Bengals in that front office. You're MVP QB is not ready to play and you bring in the 76 year old Collin. Meanwhile, Garrard is sitting around playing Uno somewhere. You don't even look for your QB of the future in the draft? How long do you expect Manning to play. What happened to the perennial clipboarder Sorgi? Colts are going from being a powerhouse to an outhouse quickly. 

Remember Keyshawn Johnson's book, "Just Give Me the Damn Ball"? Well, turns out that someone has a legitimate right to demand that him and the rock spend more quality time together and that is non other than one of the best RBs in the game today, Adrian Peterson. His father has come out and pondered about his boy's lack of carries, but I think everybody is pondering that. C'mon Leslie, (of former Bengals fame). Is the stench of Bengaldom blowing in the northwesterly direction and affecting your game planning...Who is the QB in Minnesota? Tavaris Jackson? You are trusting your team success (or failure), your career and reputation on Tavaris, or whoever the QB for the Vikes is? C'mon Leslie, get it together and just give AP the daggone ball!!!!

Marv's blank gaze indicates Bungilization

Bengals Analysis:

I couldn't find highlights of this game on NFL Mobile...Announcers everywhere rose in angry protest to their producers not to have to show highlights of this game...they even threatened walking out...It is being reported on the street that NFL Films is taking the footage of this game and is burning it...High school teams all over will watch this tape as a tutorial on what not to do...just awful!

This won't take long...I am ready for the Powerless Rankings, and so are you. The Bengals had a "marv"elous loss yesterday. They seem to finally be keying in on what they need to do to drop games. The Bengals did what they needed to do to overcome the 49ers who could win the NFC West this year with a 6-10 record. The offense played imperfectly! and the defense let just enough of the Alex Smith aerial assault to shine to drop the game. Here are some keys to the Bengals big loss:

-The Bengals finally turned the ball over

-They only got off 53 plays on offense...

-They continue to post a dim 3rd down conversion rate

-They only ran a paltry 20 times...in a "tight" game thus, letting SF control the clock...Classic Lewis and the new guy, what's his name seems to be catching on quickly on how to call screwy games.

-They did not cover Vernon Davis...Bengals fans have complained for years about how they can't defend a tight end, Zimmer is supposed to be some defensive guru (and so was Marvin). Ha! Or maybe Vernon is a beast and can't be stopped by anybody...who knows? Could Zimmer be Bengalized (to be worn down spiritually, mentally, and physically by the utter incompetence and seeming apathy of the front office to the point where as a coach, you may walk around with a blank stare on your face or a confused daze, much like the Marvin Lewis photo above) already? I mean they did let one of his young defensive studs go in Jonathan Joseph...

The Bengals tried their best to play their way into the Powerless Rankings, but they still might not have done enough...the bottom of the league is thick this year and it is clogged, which is making me think I should have waited another couple of weeks before pulling out the rankings. The dregs of the league are deep so far this year. Without further adieu, here are your 

POWERLESS RANKINGS:

Note: I assure you these rankings are objective and I will not show the Bengals any impartial treatment here.

1. Kansas City - Even with a decent effort shown against the Bolts, they are still locked in this week at the 1 spot.

2. St. Louis - Funny thing is they can still come back and win the NFC West...and still make the 5 most Powerless teams in the league.

3. Indy - Apparently Peyton Manning should've been paid billions.

4. Miami - They need Lebron at tight end.

5. Seattle - You've heard of Seattle's Best, well try Seattle's Worst

Dishonorable mention: Jacksonville, Minnesota

Yep, your Bengals have to do even less if they are going to get a sniff (pun intended) of these rankings. As bad as they are, they will have to decline at an alarming rate to keep up with this bunch...I can't remember the bottom being so deep in the NFL...And yes, I only do the bottom 5 because this list is exclusive and reserved for only the worst!

Thanks for reading the... 

God bless!

Mental Weakness Will Be Crucial This Week

In every Bengals losing season (all but 2 under the Mike Brown regime-where is President Bush?), there is a watershed moment where the season is defined, and the players rally around the goal of earning the #1 draft pick. For the 2011 Bengals, that moment may have come with “Chronicgate.” Surely by now you all know the story, so I won’t re-hash (pun intended) the details, but suffice it to say, that this could be the turning point for the young team as they realize they have what it takes to get the #1 draft pick.

Further “Chronicgate” Thoughts:

You know, I wasn’t always a saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled, and fire baptized Christian man. I too used to regularly partake in the herbal arts and am quite familiar with the business and industry side of the cannabis sativa plant.

A Few Questions That Need Answers:

My first question for Simpson and his soon to be named cohorts, is why the weed? Of all illicit drugs, it has the lowest profit margins for small wholesalers and retailers, it is labor intensive, hard to conceal, hard to get rid of in a pinch.

Even Red and Meth wouldn't keep 8 lbs lying around to smoke

We all know Mike Brown is the cheapest professional sports franchise owner ever, but if the money is the motive, and what else could it  be…why not distribute cocaine? Instead of trying to distribute (and let’s make no mistake, I could draft a team of all time classic tokers like Clinton, Red and Meth, Cheech and Chong and it would take them at least 2 months, keeping a nearly impossible pace, to burn 8.5 lbs of the high-grade tree), why not just smoke recreationally like other Bengals? Finally, why did you not put some of the sticky substance from the aptly nick-named (by Snoop) “sticky icky icky” onto those stone mits to hang on to a few more passes from Big Red?

NOW...back to football. So, the Bengals once again have an extremely tough challenge with the NFC West Gold Diggers in what could be a match up of teams who could be in the thick of the race for the #1 draft pick for a good portion of the season. This weakness of schedule for the Bengals is going to play a major role in whether or not the Bengals can stay behind in the standings. And now, on to your Bengals Keys to Defeat…

On Offense:

1. Give the rock to Ced…40 times. The Bengals have to attack the strength of the 49ers D and that is the front 7. Ced needs to grind it out and run right into the teeth of the Niner D and the Bengals have to be persistent and show some sticktotiveness in this plan of attack. They can’t get caught up in effectiveness and just have to commit to the run.

2. The Bengals have to overcome the loss of Jerome Simpson who quite honestly seemed like he was the only one who cared about nabbing that #1 draft pick, as he dropped passes left and right. Those dropped passes will be missed, but the other members of the WR corps are going to have to step down and get the job undone. (Oh, you didn't know? You think the Sheriff is going to let this kid play this weekend? Did you forget the Sheriff crafted his get tough policy for the Bengals and visited the team before rolling it out to the rest of the league).

3. On passing downs, use minimum protection. Go with an empty backfield and send 4 receivers downfield on long developing pass plays. Allow the Niners pass rush to disrupt Dalton’s rhythm.

    

On Defense:

1. Play the pass. Drop an extra LB or 2 into pass coverage to defend the non-existent aerial assault of Alex Smith. Bring in the Nickel (pun intended) Back or the Dime (pun intended) Back in on 1st and second down. With the Niners looking to lean on Gore this week it will be crucial for the Bengals to play unaggressive up front.

2. Keep the pressure off of Alex Smith. Allow the pocket to form and stay on the blocks. Do not do anything to disrupt Smith by rushing 4 all day long, no schemes, no stunts, just 4 bull rushing up the gut.

3. Don’t cover Vernon Davis going up the middle.

4. Put "Coma-toast" (L. Hall) on Crabtree in single coverage the entire game. That ought to open Crabtree up.

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The Bengals face a tough challenge in what may prove to be a pivotal week. If they win this week, the #1 pick becomes questionable, but if they lose, they can solidify an early spot at the back of the pack…

Last week, while the Bengals were uncharacteristically mounting a 4^th qtr comeback, the Gold Diggers were choking a lead away. But ultimately, as in all football games, the outcome will be decided by who can relinquish the line of scrimmage and the Bengals have a good chance of losing that battle. Hopefully, "chronicgate" will remind these young Bengals of who they are and that they can find a way to drop a game they should win, regardless of the odds that favor them!

Be sure to check back on Tuesday for the recap and analysis of the Bengals and the league at large. I will also be debuting my Powerless Rankings where I will rank the 5 worst teams in the league.

Congratulations to the University of Cincinnati Bearcats on an impressive win against NC State to go 3-1. Hopefully they crack the top 25 next week. Enjoy all the action this weekend and thank you for reading the…

Zeem zeema, whose got the keys to defeat?

It Wasn't That Ugly, but a Loss Is a Loss

NFL Week 2 Thoughts:

The Bengals so far have been very very disappointing. I mean, a 1-1 record (and 1 big play short of sitting atop the AFC Norse). The Bengals had to overcome some key injuries that Denver was faced with, but the Broncs were not expecting the brawl they got. Luckily the Bengals followed one of my big keys to grab the loss:

-Dalton passed 41 times, and Ced rushed only 16 times. This was key because Ced averaged 3.7 yards per carry, and although that is not blistering, it is good enough to keep control of the ball more, eat more clock, and keep the Bengals secondary off the field. Give the Bengals a little more of that time of possession and they would have blown that loss.

-Again, the Bengals can not expect to stack up losses winning the turnover battle and minimizing mistakes, esp. on the road!

The Bengals not only are not the worst team in the NFL, not only do they have serious competition for the #1 pick, they are not even front runners any longer. Somehow this scrappy bunch of youngsters do not know what it means to be a Bengal. They are not supposed to be out there hustling and busting their hump in the 4th qtr, or winning turnover battles, or even competing in hostile environments. It's still too early to check the standings, but there are several teams looking like they want that pick worse than the Bengals right now.

The Bengals have a lot of work to do to get back into the lower echelon of this league. This just goes to show you how beautiful NFL parody is, even a dog's hind parts catches a glimpse of sunshine now and again!

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Hey, wait a minute experts, I'm a freaking winner!

Cam, week 1 you could call it a fluke or whatever you want, week 2 throwing against defending SB champs the Lombardis for 400 plus yds...Wait, wait, wait, wait! Wasn't all the prognostication concerning Cam was how he was not ready to compete on this level, that he lacked accuracy, he lacked the inability to run a "pro-style" offense, that he relied on his legs too much...and on and on and on ad nauseum.  Here's the problem, success has just as much to do with mindset and heart as it does with any technical tools. It also speaks volumes as to how little prognosticators know. Remember guys, as we watch NFL Net and ESPN and Fox Sports, these guys are paid to give their OPINIONS. Although they are presumed experts and they do dedicate a lot of time to film study, and do know what they are talking about, to a degree, they still don't know much. Cam will have his hiccups as a rookie (like the 3 interceptions that probably cost his team a chance to upset GB), but my goodness can he throw the cripes out of a football!

Is Buffalo foreal?

I will reiterate, NFL secondaries simply do not want to see Brady right now. This is peeved off Tom Brady that is upset his Pats haven't won the Big Dance in a few years. He is throwing the ball around like at the school yard and just for kicks likes to hit all his receivers and get them in the stat column. The Pats for some reason, even with all their success, know how to rally together and get mad at the world, and just start crushing opponents for no apparent reason. This is a developing story, but keep an eye on records for points scored and passing yards.

NFL Math? So week 1 Chicago stomps Atlanta, The Lombardis defeat the Saints, Baltimore pan-seared Pitt...go to week 2 and the Saints kick the stew out of Chicago, but Atlanta beats a strong contender in Philly, Baltimore gets crushed by Tennessee...as an aside GB is feeling blessed to have escaped North Cackalack with a victory.

Tune back in Friday as we take a look at what the Bengals need to do to drop their home opener against an improved 49ers bunch. Also, next Tuesday, I will begin my Powerless Rankings where I rank the 5 worst NFL teams weekly...Let's see if the Bengals can have a terrible week and pull back in the hunt...until then...God bless us, everyone!

Thanks for reading the

Broncos' Injuries Casting Doubt on Bengals Inability to Win

      I, unlike many of my more optimistic bretheren (and sisteren) of the Who-Dey Nation, have seen the Bengals organisation at their peak, and have also witnessed over 20 years of  futility. That's why I don't come away from last weekend's setback panicked or nervous in any way. I know the Bengals can bounce back and find a way to lose. Hopefully they don't continue to think about last week and can move on and grab a loss this weekend in Denver. 


To come out of Denver with a loss will not be as easy as I suspected last Tuesday. The Broncos have key injuries in many of their positions of strength. Elvis has left the building, Champ may not play, Knowshon may be a Knowsho, #1 WR Lloyd may get scratched...and to make matters worse, Orton seems to be regressing. Meanwhile, the Bengals are riding high after a solid win on the road in Cleveland. (I do get some delight out of Cleveland being the up and coming team getting a little piece of comeuppance from the Bengals). The Bengals are going to have to dig deep to flounder this week but here's how they can do it:


On Offense:

Not much of this last week...

1. Increase Dalton's (interchangeable with Gradkowski) pass attempts. Dalton needs at least 35 attempts to ensure that he makes a mistake or 2 or 4. The Broncos early weakness (against the Raiders at least) was against the run, so the Bengals have to unleash an aerial assault to stay noncompetitive.

1a. Let Dalton call his own audibles. The crowd will be rockin and rollin and what better way to send them into a stark raving mad frenzy then to check out of a run into a pass. Take control of this ship already kid!

1b. Gruden should break out much more of the playbook, much more. Also let Dalton play from the shotgun with an empty backfield.

2. On the flip side, the Bengals will need to lighten the load on Ced. They simply can not use their ground game if they expect to stay out of this game. To say this bunch in the mile high city is going to be loud is an understatement. If the Bengals start pounding the ball with any success and stack up yards and 1st downs, that will take the crowd out of it early, keep the crowd engaged and lively. Andrew Luck is at stake!!!

3. The O Line has to blast off the ball a little slower.


4. The offense is going to have to turn the ball over this week. Their performance last week in taking care of the ball can not be repeated if they expect to lose.

On Defense:

Stay on your blocks

Let me just say, the Defense may become a real problem in the quest for the #1 draft pick. They have got to lose focus and not carry any of that momentum from the 2nd half of last week's game to this week. Here are the keys...

1. The D line has to take some pressure off of Orton. Who ever heard of the Bengals having an effective 4 man rush? Well this week I say blitz, get after it early and often and telegraph the direction the blitz is coming from.

The D line also has to stay on their blocks, stay right there in the face of the offender. Stick with him! Don't be afraid to dance with the big fellas in the trenches!

2. The secondary should play man and bump and run coverage to coincide with the blitz strategy. There are bound to be some matchup problems if Orton can recognize the blitz and get the right play called (thus the necessity of the D line to reveal the blitz). It is clear that the pass D has the biggest potential on D to let something big happen.

Special Teams:


Simple, kick line drives to Decker, I mean, right at him, between the numbers and take a few of these plays off, nobody is paying attention.

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All in all, this may prove to be another tough game for the Bengals to drop, but there are a few things we can hang our hats on. It is highly likely that the Bengals won't win 2 straight on the road to open the season. Denver is sickened, mortified, perishing the thought, dreading (insert whatever stressed out verb you want here) of losing 2 at home to start the season. I wish I had a stat man, but I'd be willing to bet the farm it has been  many decades since that happened, if ever. The fans will be raucous and loud and all sorts of things unfriendly to rookie QBs. They are leaving that house with blood, either of the Bengals or their own team. The Broncos just have too much experience to sleep on the Bengals and have probably put in more work this week than they did last week for their hated division rival "da Raidas". I'll see you on Tuesday for a recap of the week that at that point would be...

THANKS FOR READING THE KEYS!

Browns too Little for the Bengals to Surrender to!

What a strange opening week to the season...

It was bizarro NFL on display this past week. Just look at the headlines:

-Bengals win!
-B-More blows out Pitt (after 6 straight games decided by 4 points or less)
-Bears trounce the Falcons (Bears that good or Falcons not capable of playing outside on grass?)
-Houston beat Indy like a drum (they really must miss Manning on D and special teams)
-Buffalo beat the stew out of KC, in KC? (This would not have happened when Thurman, Bruce and Jim   donned the blue and red).
-Detroit starts the season with a road win (against a young, hungry, decent team in TB)
-Cam Can (throws for over 400 yds. The upside on this kid is...WOW)
-Brady throws for over 500 yards to 36 different receivers-except Chad (against a 2010 top D who returned all but one starter and upgraded)
   Quick Note: Brady looks peeved to say the least, this is the Brady no D wants to face. NY Jets and rest of the NFL, you have been warned!
-Brady and Henne combined for over 900 passing yards in an aerial display rarely seen in the NFL.
-Hue Jackson gets win in 1st game as NFL head coach (with Oakland and in Denver no less, congrats Hue. For those who forgot in a classic Mike Brown blunder Hue was former WR coach in Cincy during glory days of Bengal offensive power, coaching up TJ and Chad. Also Hue is reported to have brawled with Chad at the half of the 2005 playoff game vs. Pitt. Hue was takin crap from nobody including 85! A few years ago instead of firing Brat after the Bengals offense began declining and promoting Hue to the spot, the Bengals lost him to the Raiders. Hue is a clear leader and I wish him nothing but the best in his head coaching career.)



Bengals Analysis:

The Browns are clearly not there yet. This was supposed to be a coming out party for the young hungry Browns, the return of Browns Pride and a Dog Pound with Teeth...instead, the spirit of the Bengals took possession of the Browns.

Having said that, the Bengals must not have read my blog on how to attain a loss:

They limited the QB tosses to under 30, when I clearly stated they needed to throw around 40 times to be ineffective. With the limited tosses between Dalton and Gradkowski, they were very efficient and both played within themselves which limited the mistakes.

As an aside, that Gresham is going to be a real distraction as the Bengals try to get back on track for the #1 draft pick...watch out for that young kid.

They pounded Ced 25 times for a buck twenty-one (121 yds). This performance took a lot of pressure off the QBs. But a reason to hope is that I doubt Ced can maintain carrying the rock 25 times per (game) the entire season. A bonus key is that if the Bengals can play from behind, the pressure on Dalton increases and chances for the loss increase.

The Bengals D came to play as well and held everybody in check.

The special teams contributed to the win by keeping Cribbs in check...one busted TD could have swung the momentum (for a loss) back to the Bengals...

Lastly, how is a young team on the road supposed to lose without a single turnover?!?!


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It was the Browns who must have gotten hold to my blog cause they capitalized on some of the things I thought the Bengals could take advantage of in a losing effort.

Well, hopes of the IMPERFECT season have quickly vanished, but believe me, the Bengals are still in the thick of the hunt for the 1st round pick, even though they have fallen a game back. Next week should be an easy loss for the Bengals as they head out west to take on an extremely peeved Broncos squad who dropped their home opener to their hated rival.

Perhaps next week, the NFL universe will be restored to order...tune in Friday for the Bengals Keys to Defeat!

Browns Provide a Huge Test

Fraidy Cat

Well, here we are, at the doorstep of the 2011 NFL season and once again the Bengals are the preseason favorites to...get the 1st pick of the draft! (They actually have an outside shot at running the table in reverse and going DEFEATED-the imperfect 0-16, but in keeping with tradition this will be the last time I mention that until about Week 12). In order to get that 1st pick, the Bengals will not only have to NOT play to their full potential, they will also have to get some unlucky breaks. 


The Browns are the perfect measuring stick to see just how bad this Bengals squad is. The Browns are an improving team with a lot of potential, but also a lot of young players. They are decent, but not quite there yet. If the Bengals handily defeat the Browns, prepare for Armageddon. If the Bengals are competitive, I don't think anyone will know what to make of that. If the Bengals struggle, we can expect them to stay in the hunt for the #1 pick all season long. So here it is, your Week 1 Keys to Defeat:

On Offense:


1. Throw the ball! If they let Dalton throw 40 times, the defeat is theirs. The Bengals need to put the ball in the hands of their rookie signal caller right away. Take the reins off Dalton and let him hurl the ball around the entire field early and often! Take Dalton off the leash and let him loose because now is the time!

2. Run outside the hash marks. Forget running off tackle and pounding the Browns D Line. Do not exploit their OLBs from the inside, but instead, send Benson and Scott on the edges and get Big Whit out there to do some pulling and open field blocking. Slow-developing end around plays can't hurt the cause either.

3. Use Benson in all 3rd and long situations. Quite often the Bengals offense will find itself in 3rd and long situations. I know I said let Dalton throw 40 times in the opener, but not on 3rd and long. I know I said run outside the hash marks, but not on 3rd and long. On 3rd and long, run Benson off tackle.

3. Keep the game plan complex. Open up the playbook for Dalton to explore. I mean you have to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Cleveland to secure the loss. I call it baptism by fire!

4. Overcome the loss of key coaching. With Brat gone, the Bengals have lost one of their greatest keys to defeat, and I am not sure how they can overcome this. It is an obstacle to be sure, but the Bengals must find a way not to shine under the new play calling of Gruden.

On Defense:

Hall's official new nickname: "Coma-toast"

1. Let the secondary play man coverage. Let Leon Hall lead the way and get right in the face of Josh Cribbs. They need to be aggressive back there and keep their backs to McCoy. The DB's also need to cover their men down field even if a run play crosses the line of scrimmage, just be persistent and stick to your man.

2. The D Line needs to keep the pressure off McCoy. The Bengals are magnificent at not getting pressure on the QB. They have to let McCoy get comfortable in the pocket and feel at ease back there. Keep the passing lanes clear for the 2nd year McCoy and do not mix the blitz packages. Predictability here will be crucial.

3. Get out of the pursuit lanes. On running plays, when pursuing up-field, the front 7 needs to stay undisciplined, get out of their lanes, and not contain. If Cribbs gets the ball in a reverse, all 11 need to run on a straight line right to him and forget about containment.

Special Teams:


Whether on punts or kick returns, kick line drives directly to Cribbs and as we discussed in the D Line keys, stay out of lanes and be undisciplined by running up the field in clusters.
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The Browns will not be an easy loss for the Bengals, but if they can follow some of these keys they should be assured a lousy start to a disillusioning and yet strangely interesting season.