Rebuilding Year? Or Insanity?
by goffchile on Oct 2, 2008 6:54 PM EDT
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PrintI was cautiously optimistic going into this season. Once again, on paper, the Bengals seem to have a reasonably talented team. There were a few weak points—the defense was young and thin upfront, the running game was suspect---but I believed the Bengals did the things they needed to do to improve the situation. I liked the Odom signing, drafting Rivers and Sims, and was willing to gamble on the RBBC of Johnson, Perry, and Watson. I also thought that drafting Ocho Cinco’s and Housh’s replacements made a lot of sense (it was nice to see the Bengals front office actually thinking ahead).
But it has become patently obvious that the Bengals problems are much deeper than I thought. For reasons which aren’t totally clear to me (I understand what the weak points are, but I don’t understand the failure to address them), the Bengals offensive line has been in a state of decline for three years. The running game and the passing game have suffered accordingly. The Bengals failed to draft a RB last year, much to my chagrin, and it appears that this decision is a costly one. Then, they release Johnson right before the start of the season, making Chris Perry, an injury prone player that hasn’t played a complete NFL season as the premier back. The team continues to suffer from injuries to key players (bad luck? Or bad drafting?) and a lack of veteran leadership. The team is in more disarray now than it was last year (bad coaching? bad front office?). It honestly boggles my mind how a franchise can make so many questionable decisions which, not surprisingly, they pay for later. Last year we ran out of linebackers, this year running backs. How does that happen?
Is it too early to start calling this a rebuilding year and looking forward to next season? Clearly, the Bengals need a running back and need to shore up the offensive line. The former can come from the draft, the latter from a combination of signings of Andrews, developing Collins and continuing to draft O-linemen. I have hopes that Simpson and Caldwell will be the replacements for Housh and Ocho Cinco, as I believe that neither will be with the team past this year (Housh to the FA, Ocho traded). It is imperative that they begin to work these two into the offense over the course of the season so they develop a rapport with Palmer. Defensively the Bengals just need playmakers—maybe we can trade for one (see Ocho above) or maybe we keep drafting. There seems to be a strong crop of ILBs coming out next year, so I hope we use our top ten pick to grab one. Ironically, I am more hopeful about short term improvement on the defense than on the offense, simply because we have more young blood on the D.
Again the optimist in me says we aren’t that far away from being competitive---as long as Palmer is vertical, has targets, and the defense can keep us close, we have a chance. But isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors.
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Insanity Definition
Yes…that’s the definition. Quit being optimistic. I have advice: When watching Sunday’s, legitimately tell yourself the Bengals are going to lose…and sell yourself that this is the case (no matter how many ways your mnd tell you that they COULD potentially win). Trust me, this will help with the heartache.
Another trick I’ve pulled out of the hat this year that helps ease my frustration: ALWAYS lay a bet AGAINST the Bengals. This way, when they inevitably puke all over themselves, the pain again is lessened by the fact that you justw on a few bucks. (I did this against the NYG’s and the Clowns — and shockingly I wasn’t mad)
Hope this helps…and oh yeah, keep holding out hope. See you in the psyche ward sometime in the future.
ummmm
If you bet the Bengals against the Giants then you lost your bet. The Bengals covered the spread in that game.
Perspective
I disagree that any Bengals fan is fair weather. If you’re a fan of the Bengals, then there’s reasons much more personal than simply rooting for an NFL team. Especially if you rooted through 2007 up until now.
Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.
How will the Bengals win?
Just like before the 2005 season fans were fed up with the Brown family antics and stopped going to the games after that Brown comes back with putting together a good team. Why did the Bengals cut Willie, Johnson and O’Neal? To save money. The only thing to do is to stop going to the games and stop buying the Bengals junk.
Chances of that are slim to none. Bengals fans are loyal and they don’t want to throw there tickets away. Brown does just enough to give hope but nothing more.
You have to feel bad for players who could be much more on other teams who have front offices who want to win… Willie, Palmer, TJ and now maybe Rivers.
Not that this is going to happen...
…but I have had fantasies that Brown sells the Bengals to some other city, changes the name (a la Modell) and after a few years we get a new team and start from scratch. Pure fantasy—but its okay to dream isn’t it?
Really hope not
Frankly I’m not sure that we would get another team if the Bengals were to move. Cincy is largely perceived in the national media to be a “baseball town” since the Reds have such a long and rich history. Even though the Bengals had good years under Paul Brown, they have been so bad for so long that I think people underestimate how much Cincinnatians love their football. We do have a nice new facility and have proven it will sell out when the team is even decent, but we don’t have nearly the history of cities like Cleveland or Baltimore that would create a lot of sentiment for a new team in Cincy. Who knows for sure – I just think it’s a big risk to lose one of our only two pro teams since there is zero guarantee that we’ll get another.
That said, I do realize your post was just fantasy! I’ve just heard similar sentiments and fear for the result. I guess my own fantasy is for Mike Brown to somehow see the light and sell the team to a Mark Cuban-type (at least someone who understands you can have a winner and make a profit) or hire a bonafide GM and fade into obscurity.
"Typical Bengals Fair weather Fan?"
I share the disgust and frustration of most fans with this organization. I’ve been following the Bengals since their beginning and if it’s one thing I do know about those “fair weather fans,” they’re entitled to their stance and opinions. They’ve earned it! If they still follow Cincy after all this organization has taken them thru, then I say they aren’t “fair weather” at all but rather what a true fan is all about. Loyal to a fault!
"Typical Bengals Fair weather Fan?"
guess you can call me that as well. been a fan of the Bengals since I was a little kid. Been to the games in the good years and the bad. I remember what it was like during Homer Rices confused time at the helm. I wear my orange and black regardless of the win/loss record.
I could see this season’s trainwreck coming early and fast. Mike has made this mess and will continue to make this mess. it has little to do with a rebuilding year. mike made moves to cut bucks and save dollars during the past 12 months. the team shows it. as it will as long as mike acts as the bengals GM. thats just the facts in cincy.
I don't have a problem with making cuts to save money...
…because they are absolutely necessary in a cap driven league when playing in a market which will never generate deep pockets for the owner. Cutting Anderson didn’t surprise me—the timing did, but not the move—and I don’t disagree with it. Cutting Johnson did surprise me simply because the official line was Rudi was going to be back up until the day he was released.
Maybe it isn’t a fair comparison, but I think it is—look at the Steelers, they cut expensive players when they aren’t worth it anymore, the Rooney’s are not “sentimental” in the least, and they build on the draft and the Pittsburgh market is roughly the same size as Cincy. The difference is the Rooney’s find a way to win. They do it through scouting, recruitment, retention and creating a culture of winning. A down year for the Steelers is 7-9.
I simply don’t think the Bengals front office does a good job of balancing the short term needs of the team with a long term plan to produce a winner. We gamble a lot on injury prone or “character risk” players and when we do invest in long term contracts, they often blow up in our face. Bad luck simply just doesn’t describe it.
Every team has "bad luck"
…but the Bengals’ rare, exotic blend of “bad luck” is magnified by the bad decisions that they make on a regular basis in that front office!
Oh, and by the way…my fantasy for the demise of the Brown Regime in Cincinnati is somewhat different…it’s where a bunch of us get together and stage a coup where we actually petition the league to let us put together a bunch of investors, start The Thirty-Third Team right there in Cincinnati, and just say to Mike Brown, “You can do whatever you want with this pile of losing-season-generating ridiculousness, but we’re going to play football!” Completely impossible, I know…but I guess it was borne of the idea that the only way we can get Mike Brown out of there is to stop giving him money!
by TheWalrus1971 on Oct 3, 2008 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
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