OK folks we're back now for week #5 of our Cincinnati Bengals player pick 'em contest.  (We didn't start until week 3 for those of you curious about the mismatched numbers.)  To see the full write-up of the original rules see here.  Last week's scoring results are repeated below the jump.  Here are the current score standings:

1 – Deisel2405 – 60 pts
2 – FriarBob – 50 pts
3 (tie) – brandone – 44 pts
3 (tie) – The Dealio – 44 pts
4 – Carsonorbust – 43 pts
5 (tie) – CincyMike56 – 39 pts
5 (tie) – Mr. X – 39 pts
6 – Vman in Germany – 38 pts
7 – Richard L – 30 pts
8 – Bengals FTW – 21 pts
9 (tie) – ZJiff30 – 20 pts
9 (tie) – Greener’s eyes – 20 pts
10 (tie) – IFChris – 19 pts
10 (tie) – featherman – 19 pts

Last week the Texans unfortunately ripped us a new one, both on the field and on the IR list.  Well it happens.  Sucks tho.  Oh well.  This week we get the Bears, who I still think have a good chance going to the playoffs not because they deserve to but because they have such a butter-soft schedule.  But a few teams on that schedule (such as us) have made enough improvement that hopefully we can have something to say about that.  This again is a game we CAN win, but will we step up enough to pull it off?  If our D can harass Jay "Farve" Cutler enough to get him throwing INTs like his fellow QB (who also made a spectacle of himself in the process of going to the NFC North) used to do when he got careless then we've got a very good chance.  Or if we can get Forte another pair of butter-covered gloves, that would help too.  And if Brat decides to actually call an intelligent game plan that also improves our chances, because their D isn't remotely as good as it was in some other years.

The scoring recap post from last week is repeated here as well:

Well it really sucks trying to do this after a loss, but oh well. Might as well get it over with and hope for better next week. With 24 participants the maximum points for "uniqueness" is 23.

Cedric Benson and Laveranues Coles scored offensive points by the rules of the game, Chris Crocker (x2), Brandon Johnson (x2), and Robert Geathers (x1) scored defensive points by the rules of the game. Leon Hall gets robbed this week, IMO, because I think the fumble was a fumble, but also because he forced another but our guys couldn’t recover it. The big question comes with what to do with the blocked kick. That is a turnover, but unfortunately the rules did not explicitly state what happens in that case. I’ve decided that the spirit of the rules as previously written seems to fit best with calling that points for Antwan Odom (x1) and Dhani Jones (x2) and I’ll make appropriate adjustments to the summary rules at the bottom of next week’s post. Unfortunately nobody picked Geathers, Johnson, Crocker, or Jones so their points don’t help anybody out.

So here is our weekly scoring only:
The Dealio – 23 points (Antwan Odom)
carsonorbust – 23 points (Laveranues Coles)
Mr. X – 20 points (Cedric Benson)
CincyMike56 – 20 points (Cedric Benson)
FriarBob – 20 points (Cedric Benson)
Greener’s eyes – 20 points (Cedric Benson)

This leaves us with a four week leader board of:
1 – Deisel2405 – 60 pts
2 – FriarBob – 50 pts
3 (tie) – brandone – 44 pts
3 (tie) – The Dealio – 44 pts
4 – Carsonorbust – 43 pts
5 (tie) – CincyMike56 – 39 pts
5 (tie) – Mr. X – 39 pts
6 – Vman in Germany – 38 pts
7 – Richard L – 30 pts
8 – Bengals FTW – 21 pts
9 (tie) – ZJiff30 – 20 pts
9 (tie) – Greener’s eyes – 20 pts
10 (tie) – IFChris – 19 pts
10 (tie) – featherman – 19 pts

If you see any problem with the scoring above please speak up ASAP.

 

If you haven't played yet, here is a brief recap of the rules:

1) Pick one player (Make it easy on me, make him the title of your post.  Both first and last name please.) who is NOT officially listed as a QB, P, or PK on the roster.
2) An offensive score is worth one point per participant who did not pick your player.
3) A defensive player is worth 3/2/1 point per participant who did not pick your player based on if he 3) actually scored, 2) gained possession of the ball for the team but didn't actually score, or 1) allowed the Bengals to gain possession by causing a fumble (or blocking a kick) that another Bengals player recovered.  Sacks or tackles behind the line of and by themselves are not worth anything unless they are a strip-sack (1 point if we recover) or they are also a safety (3 points).
4) You score the maximum possible points for your player but only one time.  So a defensive player who forces an opponent's fumble that Cincinnati recovers and recovers another opponent's fumble at a different point in the game is worth 2x points (not 3x cumulative).
5) Keep commentary to the bare minimum please.
6) Predictions on how they will score are not required, and if you provide one they don't net you any bonus if you are right nor do they detract if you are wrong (so long as they do actually score by game rules).
7) Try to be original yet still pick somebody you think has a realistic chance to score or cause a turnover.
8) Only ONE (1) player entry per contestant, per week is allowed.
9) Deadline for player entries each week is THIRTY (30) minutes prior to kickoff.