This is is your mission, should you choose to accept it...march into a not so hostile environment in Jacksonville, play an inferior team, and escape with a loss. This is clearly the Bengals toughest challenge so far of this season and an early test of where they are not. It is games like this that the Bengals should win. The Jags are ranked #4 in the Powerless Rankings and have the worst QB in the league. Jax is clearly a team and organization on a mission to get the #1 draft pick. Speaking of which, I suspect some foul play with Jax, ummm, let's just say, increasing their odds of getting the #1 pick by decreasing the quality of their team.

...and this, is how you rumba.

In a year where the AFC South is wide open, you release an above average QB at the (young for a QB) age of 32, coming off a very respectable 10-6 season with around a 91 QB rating. With Garrard and Jones-Drew, you always had a shot to win. You relinquish a chance at the playoffs, the division and any semblance of looking like an organization that knows what they are doing. Not only did you give up wins and a shot at the division, but Garrard is a quality guy who could have helped in the development of your young QBs. You release that guy, the guy you drafted and developed for the very purpose of what this season promised, for...Luke McCown? And then, you hand the keys to what was once a playoff type team over to the rook Gabbert?

Whadaya mean scouting year round

You tell me, tanking purposely? Say what you want about Mike Brown, but when he loses, it is genuine. There is no ulterior motive, its just plain old mismanagement! The Bengals get their #1 and high draft picks the old-fashioned way..."they earn it." I am not a conspiracy theorist (or at least not any more), but indulge me if you will and picture this: "AND NOW, INTRODUCING, AT QUARTERBACK, FOR YOUR LOS ANGELES JAGUARS, THE CALI KID, #12, ANDREW LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





And now, the Keys to Defeat:



On Offense:

1. Be unbalanced. As I mentioned in my recap on Tuesday, it's not good enough for Big Red to toss the rock around 35-40 times, but Gruden has to call less run and limit Bengals RBs to 20 carries or less. If Dalton throws 35 and the Bengals run it 30, even though Dalton is throwing a lot, he is helped by the threat of the run. The Bengals must eliminate this threat so the Jags DBs (one of the better parts of the team) can focus on the pass.

On Defense:

1. Focus on stopping the pass. Go in to a prevent 3 man rush early and stay there. Everybody else has to drop back in pass coverage and make sure Gabbert can not beat them over the top.



That's it, it's a simple game plan this week and it has to be. If the Bengals don't carry out both of these keys, they stand a good chance of picking up this game and falling above .500. The Bengals are going to have to dig deep to pull out a defeat this week. It is still too early to get into watching the standings but the Bengals have just about been eliminated from the #1 pick and even a top 5 pick. However, there is still hope if they can pull their act apart, that they can get a top 10 pick. We will see if they can sink to the occasion and pick up a much needed loss.
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Parting Shots:

I sure do look forward to that Monday night game next week at Detroit

On Hank Williams, without stating whether I agree or disagree with what Hank said (what was Hank thinking though? he must've been hangin out with Willie and Snoop before that interview) or his right to say said thing, ESPN was well within their contractual rights to cut ties to Hank. MNF will go on with or without Hank and I think it will be refreshing to get the focus back to the Du du du du duuuuuuuuuu, (dudun du)/Du du du du du-duuuuuuuuh (duu duu duuuuuuu)/Du du du du du!...

On CB Antonio Cromartie asking Brady to target him, uuuuuuuuhhhh, ok, perhaps this is some sick maniacal ploy to get into the head of Brady. Perhaps this is a line ordered by Rex Ryan. Whatever it is, nothing good can come from this for Cromartie...it's akin to Leon Hall calling out Megatron.

Can you imagine Peyton Manning in a uniform other than the Colts, say like the black and silver of the Raiders? I can't even picture that. Much worse than Joe Montana in a Chiefs uni.

Join me next Tuesday as I recap the Bengals game and talk about other stuff like the blossoming hatred developing between Rex Ryan and Joe Namath, and of course, reshuffle the Powerless Rankings. Until then,

thanks for reading the:

"Good night, and God bless." -R. Simmons-