Bengals Banter: 9-3 with a real team to play in 6 days for the first time in 3 weeks

by jsl413 on Dec 7, 2009 7:23 AM EST in News

I've been so bored of Bengals games lately. And I'm not complaining (well, maybe a little) because for the most part, we're winning games. I've voiced my opinion in a few threads about the current brand of offense, which has been excused because the Bengals defeated the Browns and Lions. I contend that the Oakland game is case in point as to why this sort of offense isn't the answer, but alas, I digress. Our boys are 9-3, potentially one week away from sealing the AFC North, and have a blue print to beat the Vikings after their drubbing at the hands of Kurt Warner and his second greatest show on turf. Anyhow, here are some cool stories that mention the Bengals.

Michael Johnson is a pretty nifty pass rusher, so says John Eradi, and that's just about all he's been asked to do so far this season. Many people have good things to say about the young third round defensive end, who should only become better with time, because he's phyiscally a freak of nature.
Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati's most famous and probably most decorated sports journalist, says that these Bengals are not the best kind of 9-3. I guess the best kind of 9-3 would be 11-1 and not 9-3, but never the less, Doc says the Bengals need to figure out how to score, or this fairy tale season will have an unhappy ending. I'm inclined to agree, because this rush attack is bad at scoring points even if it is good at chewing up time. Need moar rhythm, moar points, plz.
Joe Reedy recaps the game, and he includes a nifty little quote from our offensive coordinator, innovative genius, admitting that he may be running the ball on first and second down too predictably. WOW! The genius must be reading Cincy Jungle.
Cedric Benson ran the ball a whole lot of times considering it was his first game back from injury. I guess the coaches didn't think he deserved some rest, or forgot we had another bell cow in the stable, as Ced continued to take hits in the 4th quarter. Scott Priestle got Ced's take.
Priestle also reminds us that there aren't any polls in the NFL, so it doesn't really matter how we win as long as we win. I contend that while there are not polls, it matters how we win, because if we can't throw the ball and find BALANCE, we can't beat the Colts or Saints. Just my opinion.
CNati.com provides excellent photography at every Bengals game.
Not much coverage of the Bengals in national media. Here are post-game quotes, and that's about all I got.

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We need more cowbell

by jim0ijk on Dec 7, 2009 8:48 AM EST reply actions

One thng to remember is..........

We don’t just play down to lesser opponents. We also play up to the better opponents. We have been favored in 6 of the 12 games we have played this season. We lost 3 and played a bit sub par in the other 3 wins. We have been underdogs in the other 6 and won every one of them. It is just possible that the Vikings will have all they can handle next week and the Chargers as well as they will be favored. It is the game against the Chiefs as well as the Jets that concern me. Bill Cower, who knows a bit about winning football, said that the Bengals have not peaked yet and that he thinks that the Bengals best football is ahead of them.

" My enemy said "Love your enemy". I obeyed and loved myself." Gibran

by JUNGLEJOHN on Dec 7, 2009 9:20 AM EST reply actions

We're undefeated as dogs, and I'm clinging to that.

by jsl413 on Dec 7, 2009 10:01 AM EST up reply actions

On Cedric Benson

I think I know why Benson got all the carries. Marvin was trying to make a point to Benson and to the team that Larry Johnson was just insurance. So letting Cedric carry the ball all day long yesterday was more of a statement from Marvin and from Cedric rather than a tactical decision.

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on Dec 7, 2009 9:38 AM EST reply actions

And also Ced is a better overall RB at this point in time.

He deserves to be the feature back and not share the load.

If we actually did run the score up on the Lions yesterday then it would have been great to rest him, but we tend not to be able to do that these days. Why we didn’t score more TDs this game I don’t have a clue. Penalties were part of that. Poor protection for Carson. The need for more play action plays. Wait, I guess I DO HAVE A CLUE.

On a good note, I was at the sports bar, with the game on a large screen. I lounged in a big cushy leather seat in front of said screen, bitching about the miscues but overall enjoying my Sam Adam’s Winterlager drafts, and eating fried pickles and sweet potato fries. It was most relazing and enjoyable.

by UpStateMike on Dec 7, 2009 9:58 AM EST up reply actions

i would like to see more play-actions too.

if we’re going to run that much, might as well throw a couple wrinkles in there to keep the defense honest.

by GrooveLeg on Dec 7, 2009 10:34 AM EST up reply actions

i think we can beat the colts--6 of their wins have been by 4 pts or less and they were held to under 20 pts in 4 of their wins.

i wouldn’t guarantee victory like i would against the lions, browns, rams, bucs, etc… but the colts have gotten lucky in a few of their wins and it’s not like they’re the colts of old. that’s a team we can definitely beat.

i am not so sure about the saints, but they looked beatable yesterday. their defense relies on turnovers and the offense outscoring you. that works in a lot of regular season games but not so much in the playoffs. while their offense in number 1 in the NFL, their defense is around the bottom third in most categories.

if both teams go undefeated until we play them in the playoffs, then i think we would have the advantage since they’ll be statistically inclined to lose.

by GrooveLeg on Dec 7, 2009 10:16 AM EST reply actions

i think we can beat the colts—6 of their wins have been by 4 pts or less and they were held to under 20 pts in 4 of their wins.

I contend that while there are not polls, it matters how we win, because if we can’t throw the ball and find BALANCE, we can’t beat the Colts or Saints. Just my opinion.

I think you are BOTH part-right. We CAN beat the Colts/Saints/etc. But we will NOT actually do it if we don’t play fully up to our potential, in ALL four phases of the game — special teams, defense, run offense AND pass offense.

And if we “play up” to the competition I suppose that’s better than rolling over for them. Still I’d really like us to just totally crush one or two of the weaker teams we play somewhere along the line, you know?

by FriarBob on Dec 7, 2009 10:46 AM EST up reply actions

i'm not taking the philosophical "any given sunday" route though...

i’m simply saying, we may not NEED to fully play up to our potential in all four phases of the game to beat the colts, but we may against the saints.

by GrooveLeg on Dec 7, 2009 11:37 AM EST up reply actions

To me the keys to peaking

late would be named Andre Smith and Chase Coffman and Michael Johnson. Everybody else is who they are going to be, more or less. Maybe Mualaga can contribute more, he was sort of invisible the last few weeks. But that’s about it. They aren’t suddenly going to have a Chris Henry clone delivered by space aliens. Daniel Coats isn’t going to turn his hands back to flesh from stone.

I am still really stunned that they seem to be intent on letting Chase Coffman sit the whole year. He’d make a passable slot receiver, which they could use right now. Especially near the end zone.

by occams_tiger_teeth on Dec 7, 2009 11:29 AM EST reply actions

Coffman should replace Coles

Coles has had a couple of decent games, but nothing like the machine he was for the Jets.

The Trouble is they should have tried this out against the Browns and Lions. It’s not going to happen this week or next.

by UpStateMike on Dec 7, 2009 11:40 AM EST up reply actions

Why not?

What do they really have to lose benching Coats in favor of Coffman, even for this week and the next? Is Coats really that great a blocker? No. If they want more blocking they’re going to put an extra tackle into the game like they have been doing. Is Coats going to scare anyone as a surprise pass catching threat? Only Carson Palmer, as he drops yet another perfect pass. Is Coats a super valuable special teams player? Not that I’ve ever seen.

So I would argue there’s no reason to keep Coffman as a redshirt, other than Marvin’s being way too conservative and not realizing that the team needs extra juice if they’re to make a dent in the playoffs.

by occams_tiger_teeth on Dec 7, 2009 11:49 AM EST reply actions

Coats cant catch the ball

So the Defenses are able to double team an actual endzone threat.

Jiminy Christmas, get him out of the starting line up.

by UpStateMike on Dec 7, 2009 11:58 AM EST up reply actions

Who would you replace him with?

Coffman? Great. You line up a defensive end across from him, and Ced gets stopped in the backfield for a 3 yard loss everytime you run the ball (which is, don’t forget, how this team wins games.

"If it wasn't this, it'd be something else."

by ZJiff30 on Dec 7, 2009 1:34 PM EST up reply actions

He should line up in the slot

Nobody is fooled by Coffman blocking. Just like nobody is fooled by Coats catching. The difference is Coffman catching could get you a TD, if he’s as good a route runner and pass catcher as they said.

by occams_tiger_teeth on Dec 7, 2009 1:53 PM EST up reply actions