Bengals Early Bird Special

Good morning everyone. Time to roll out of bed, hop in the shower, grab a quick bite to eat, and rush off to work. 

We all know what the outcome of Sunday's game. And to say the least it was disappointing. For the first time this season Andy Dalton did indeed look like a rookie. But that's all part of the learning and development process. Rookies are going to go through their ups and downs. It was only a matter of time until Dalton made that "rookie mistake." And unfortunately for him and the Bengals it occurred during the Bengals two-minute offense in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. 

Another element of the game that hurt the Bengals chances was their inability to convert on third down situations. Last week against the Broncos converted only one of their 11 third downs. And on Sunday they only converted one of their ten third downs. If the Bengals intend to win some more games this season then they are going to have to improve their third down success rate. Otherwise who knows when we'll get to celebrate another victory. 

And finally, the final part of the game that hurt the Bengals was their nearly non-existent running game. Sure they had more yards on the ground compared to the 49ers, but the Niners running game came through when it mattered the most. Also Alex Smith was able to keep the chains moving for the Niners when they needed it. Dalton was unable to keep the opposing defense on the field, but that's all part of the learning curve. 

Hopefully this week the outcome will be better and the Bengals will march on to victory against the Buffalo Bills. Or if they lose, hopefully we'll witness the Bengals getting back on track and right the ship before it's too late. 

Alright here is a look at what you may have missed or overlooked from the weekend.

• After Sunday's loss Jermaine Gresham admitted that he felt as if he's "hurting the team."
• One factor that crippled the Bengals was their success, lack of success on third down situations. Their trouble on third down can be attributed to their failure to move the ball on first and second down.
• Cedric Benson has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the NFLPA after being suspended for three games.
• The Bengals pass rush efforts were wasted as the Bengals fell to the 49ers 13-8, but fear not, it's part of the game and it's a fact that the world isn't going to end with this loss. During the fourth quarter the Bengals fell apart and allowed the Niners to score ten points.
• During the Bengals comeback attempt, Andy Dalton threw his second interception of the day during the crucial two-minute drill.
• Jerome Simpson was active for Sunday's contest, however, Andre Caldwell got the start in place of Simpson.
• On Tuesday the Bengals will be hosting running back Larry Johnson for a workout.
• Mike Ditka has no respect for Forrest Gregg. And I have little respect for Ditka as it is.
• According to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, Adam Jones is going to be one of eight players to get suspended.
• According to the New York Post, substantial progress has been made between the NFL Network and Time Warner Cable.
• Three games into the season Andy Dalton has shown "passion," and his teammates, such as Andrew Whitworth are taking notice.
• During Paul Brown's time as the owner of the Bengals he made many decisions, but there is one decision that he made which defined two franchises in Cincinnati and San Francisco.
• On Friday there were rumors circulating around that there were more Bengals players involved in the drug conspiracy that allegedly involves Jerome Simpson. And there was some misinterpretation of that post, so here is our way of defending Cincy Jungle. One player who is also allegedly involved, Anthony Collins, released a statement regarding the situation and he believes that he will be cleared.
• Andy Dalton has already shown us his ability to be a difference-maker. However, his next test will be facing unrelenting adversity.
• And just when you thought we were done with Carson Palmer, there's something else you should know. Players around the league are calling him a "chump" among other things.