The Cincinnati Bengals: This Is Just The Beginning

by Josh Kirkendall on Jan 8, 2012 12:30 PM EST

After realizing that the season is over, a combination of emotions surface.

First and foremost is that the Cincinnati Bengals were embarrassed Saturday night, suffering an early exit from the postseason on national television. This isn't a means to disregard Houston's success and game-planning, which burnt Cincinnati in nearly every phase of the game. Rather the missed tackles, failure to secure turnovers with turnovers on offense or the combined yard/rush average (1.9) between Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott.

Maybe it's the seven incomplete passes when targeting A.J. Green, Rey Maualuga noticeably looking out of place just before he's being knocked around by the offensive line or Chris Crocker dropping an interception, or late in deep coverage against Andre Johnson or the unsettling attempt tackling Arian Foster down the right sidelines on his 42-yard touchdown run.

Strongest emotions are always fueled by most recent events. Then many hours later, after a night of uninterrupted sleep, you reexamine.

Before the season started, the Cincinnati Bengals, often considered the worst team in the NFL with their own fans projecting a four or five win season, were believed to be in rebuilding mode. Instead they qualified for the playoffs. They beat the teams that they were supposed to beat while failing to upset better teams, not entirely uncommon

They broke records with a rookie quarterback and rookie wide receiver, led by a rookie offensive coordinator. They beat the Buffalo Bills for the first time since 1988, won a game in Jacksonville for the first time since 1995. They beat the Seahawks for the first time in Seattle since 1994 and before the season started, the Bengals had never beaten the Rams in St. Louis; they won 20-13 in week 15.

Eleven years had passed since Cincinnati's last win over the Arizona Cardinals and the last time Cincinnati beat the Indianapolis Colts was 1997. The Bengals beat both teams.

Cincinnati's loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday wasn't the end. No. Far from it. It's just the beginning.

"I think we have a bright future. I mean, we’ve got a lot of young talent here and a lot of guys that work really hard and want to be good so, that’s what you need to make a good team, we’ve just got to put it all together."
- Andy Dalton

"Andy and I were rookies just scratching the surface," Green said in a subdued but stubborn locker room. "We’ve got a lot of veteran guys that are going to show us the way, but next year we’re not rookies anymore.
- A.J. Green

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Comments

disapointing loss to be sure...

but the future is bright, I think it might be good to have to rookies lose in the first round. Hopefully It’ll make them hungrier for next year! Here’s to a new beginning! WHO DEY!

"We will reach heights we thought we'd never see"

by Striped4life on Jan 8, 2012 12:38 PM EST reply actions

Who Dey!

by pemci on Jan 8, 2012 12:39 PM EST up reply actions

"the unsettling attempt tackling Arian Foster down the right sidelines on his 42-yard touchdown run."

Is that what Crocker was trying to do to Foster? Tackle him? I thought he was creating a convoy for Foster to score!

by pemci on Jan 8, 2012 12:39 PM EST reply actions 3 recs

Great article Josh

This is exactly it. We have an extremely bright future and the players know it. Two first round picks and a decent free agency, and we’ll be on our way. Oh, and GOODBYE CEDRIC.

Follow me on Twitter @BonnieBengal

by BonnieBengal on Jan 8, 2012 12:41 PM EST reply actions

it looked like Foster

was moving twice as fast as Benson. Our run game looked pathetic

Hi fans it Brandon Roy.
And ME.....LaMarcus Aldridge

by Derftron on Jan 8, 2012 12:46 PM EST reply actions

nice one

well put.

by indesignkat on Jan 8, 2012 12:50 PM EST reply actions

Great article...

but what is that face Whitworth is making? haha

by Luke on Jan 8, 2012 12:58 PM EST reply actions

AJ didn't do much the last 3 games

It disturbed me that Gruden was telling Dalton to throw him the ball on that 4th down play. The last half of the season we seemed to be forcing things to him rather than taking what was there.
Crocker is old and has bad knees. Rey was in his first year at Mike. Secondary was decimated. D- line was beat up. Shipley and Bobbie were out. I think the first 8 games were indicative of what this team can be. Not very many teams have the luxury of depth. The problems with holes that we have are a hell of a lot better than what most teams are dealing with. We have a top ten defense. We have weapons on offense. I fully expect Dalton and Green to become perennial pro-bowlers. All we have to do is fix the O-line and we can plug in anyone at tailback.

by D-Day77 on Jan 8, 2012 1:00 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

This should be framed and presented as :

The standard for fan excuses…….

"In a battle between patience and power, patience always wins"

by ticalcaldwell on Jan 8, 2012 1:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Nah

The standard is “If only we had made that interception; not dropped that TD pass; tackled that running back on his long run; not missed that field goal; not wasted our challenges; we’d have WON! WHO-DEY!”

by occams_tiger_teeth on Jan 8, 2012 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

that would be appendix A

"In a battle between patience and power, patience always wins"

by ticalcaldwell on Jan 8, 2012 1:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

quit whining...

If you are so smart then go apply for a job in the Bengals front office or quit your bitching. We all know what happened we fucking watched it. What do you want people to say? We suck, everything sucks, what’s the fucking point? Seriously? Why bother?

by D-Day77 on Jan 8, 2012 1:29 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

well said.....I think I'm gonna do a fanpost displaying some of the embarrassingly

immature comments that people make in the game open threads. The Bengals need to shape up but so do we as fans. Some of the things I saw from the fans in the threads this season just disgusted me and I know we are better than that.

by Toledoray7 on Jan 8, 2012 1:56 PM EST up reply actions

I understand that people get frustrated. I know I do. I wear my emotions on my sleave.

But if people are going to whine, cry, and bitch ALL of the time then take that buzz-kill somewhere else. We had a second round draft pick quarterback with no OTA’s who took us just as far as Heisman trophy golden boy Carson Palmer ever did. And he did it with less talent.
We have a top ten defense. We are in the top ten in sacks. Despite horrible O-Line play Dalton still managed to stay upright and that is a credit to him. Palmer would still be lying in the fetal position.
I am NOT a Marvin Lewis fan, but if anyone doesn’t think there is nothing to be optimistic about then there is something fucking wrong with you. Go root for the Patriots then.

by D-Day77 on Jan 8, 2012 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

We Probably Suck

yet i will withhold judgement until Houston plays Baltimore. If Houston can pass rush against Baltomore like they did against the Bengals, Baltimore will have its hands full. Giants beat Brady in the Super with their pass rush. Even the best team that year lost when their QB was on his heels all day. If Houston beats Baltimore, then i give the Bengals a break.

by Chili Dog on Jan 8, 2012 2:08 PM EST up reply actions

I think coaches told Green to stop going all out after Rams game. Didn’t go up and challenge ball since. Need two guards, a vet will be nice. I grab big back in free agency and James in 2nd rd. Take Jenkins and Barron in 1st. Rest of draft I build depth. And Moch and Mays should see bigger role next year. I think Shipley going make huge difference. If we can somehow grab James that a take us to ELITE LEVEL!!!

by pray4gm11 on Jan 8, 2012 3:15 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Good to see I'm not alone in my optimism

I"m 31 and have been a lifelong Bengal fan. I weathered the storm that was the 90’s and was happy to see success in the Marvin Lewis era. I’m legitimately excited for the future, more so than I have ever been. I have the feeling that the culture of being “Bengalized”, which can be used for so many things regarding this team is coming to an end.

WHO DEY!

by Manpaw on Jan 8, 2012 1:08 PM EST reply actions

Well...

Great season, poor finish! Really thought we should’ve and could’ve won that game, but anything can happen, and the Texans definently earned that win.
My only fear and concern is that, our team has a tendency to really faulter the season after a good one. There are several things that could really hurt us next year. Strong chance we lose one or both coordinators. Will Leon bounce back, and how true to his old form will he be? Do we put weapons in place on offense and defense, or stay content with what we have…
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. The off season is going to be very interesting, and at least we have an off season instead of a lock out!

by MCSubtext on Jan 8, 2012 1:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Until a minute from half time, the Bengals had Houston's number

Pick six changed everything. The Bengals panicked and Houston made sound changes at the break. Imagine how good Dalton would look with a running back that once in a while moves the chains.

On the big stage, if they didn’t know it already, the Bengals saw the last of Ced Benson, Chris Crocker, Mike McGlynn, probably Robert Geathers and maybe Nate Livings. I don’t know where you go with Rey either. Improve any way you can at those six positions and you can challenge in the AFC North. That’s the objective for the off-season and draft.

I’d give Simpson the benefit of the doubt and give him a training camp with Dalton to justify his time on the field.

Someone else on this board suggests extending Zimmer. His off-season and that of Gruden will determine a lot in 2012. Hopefully both stay, already having existing deals extended.

by wiseking on Jan 8, 2012 1:59 PM EST via mobile reply actions

That pick changed the game

I was catching so much shit from Texan fans untill we started to take it to them. The whole stadium got quit no one talked shit then the pick 6. That got that crowd out of control.

by Bigcatdaddy on Jan 8, 2012 3:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

What are chances;

That Marvin resigns (as in quits). His motivational skills are marginal at best IMO, never been in the locker room, but you can read it all over his face. Zimmer could step up and take his place, and we’ve seen what he can do to get his players on his side and fired up. This isn’t a bash Marvin post, b/c I believe the continuity of having him around so long is what made us competitive this year. I also don’t believe in switching staffs every year, but in the NFL you can’t use the same approach year in and year out like you can in NCAA.
If he stays I hope he realizes his own short comings and takes big steps to improve his approach first, then the teams, then the franchise. We can have a good season next year, but not with the same formula as this year (duh).

by MCSubtext on Jan 8, 2012 2:21 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Question

How many Coaches have made the playoffs 3 times since 2005? Then again, i would fire ML in a minute.

by Chili Dog on Jan 8, 2012 2:33 PM EST up reply actions

What coach would replace Lewis?

They aren’t beating the door down to get the job. Fisher and the other sought after HC are not coming to Cincy with out full control and that isn’t happening. It all really comes down to player execution. I give Marv one more year with some upgrades before I turn my back on him.

by Bigcatdaddy on Jan 8, 2012 3:11 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Extend Zimmer

Bengals have two draft picks in the first round. I would ike the Bengals to settle the backfeild once and for all. I would like to see the Bengals draft a Cornerback and Saftie in the first round. Then take a Running Back in the Second. Youth is the future. Benson and Crocker are aging.

by Chili Dog on Jan 8, 2012 2:23 PM EST reply actions

Some sort of DB and O-Guard in 1st

Rbs are dime a dozen. Arian Foster wasn’t even drafted. We need to improve the Oline and the worst Rbs will look like studs.

We nee to take either a corner or safety too. A good safety will help a corner look better and vice versa for a good corner for a subpar safety.

by Manpaw on Jan 8, 2012 2:39 PM EST up reply actions

Guard in Frist Round?

Maybe David DeCastro? Why not!

by Chili Dog on Jan 8, 2012 3:02 PM EST reply actions

I'm all for it, but I want a top tier RB too...I think both could be had if we trade up.

by bengals4eva on Jan 8, 2012 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

REALLY BEING OPTIMISTIC, BUT HERE IT GOES......

For once, I will be thrilled with everyone focusing on what the Colts do with the Manning drama..let that play out, let another team overpay in draft picks for Matt Flynn and then let’s cross our fingers that we step it up in free agency. I hope that we can fly under the radar and make sound moves. What you are about to see is the ideal moves we make towards making ourselves legitimate playoff contenders:

Let Benson, Scott, Crocker, Geathers, Livings, McGlynn, Lawson and Bobbie Williams find new homes. Trade Rivers, if that’s even an option. Bring in another kicker to challenge Nugent (you need to keep him on his toes… he started to fail towards the end of the season)
This will free up the cash to target quality replacements.

I’d like to see if Finnegan from the Titans on the other side of the field from Hall. Landry from the Redskins would be an upgrade over Crocker or maybe Finnegan’s teammate Griffin could be swayed to come play for coach Zimmer too. Both have the hitting, tackling and speed we need in our secondary.

The is zero chance that we land a receiving/speed threat of a running back in free agency. Rice will resign with the Ravens and I don’t see the Bears letting Forte go either. So, that being said, we make whatever move necessary to draft Richardson from Alabama. He’s the closest thing to Adrian Peterson available and he he can bust out those long runs. DeCastro from Stanford would also be on my radar since we’ll need a stud interior lineman. Use the remaining picks to find more depth for LB and if LaMichael James falls to us in the second round, nab him. A Richardson/James backfield would be brutal, and nearly unstoppable.

by bengals4eva on Jan 8, 2012 3:03 PM EST reply actions

It Depends

Do we want to win now or build like Pitt did! Do we sell tickets this year or do we sell out the door the next Decade! Bengals are two years away if they build for the future. Build for the NOW are the Bengals.Neglect in action. Bengals will only cover their Butts like the last 20 years. Year by Year is Hand To Mouth. Pitt gave up this notion . Pitt rebuilt for the decade. Bengals are are looking to fix a broken bow every year. Bengals want it now. I have some band aids. I will sent them to Mike Brown!

by Chili Dog on Jan 8, 2012 3:44 PM EST reply actions

Offense has weapons

We need O-line upgrade at right and left guard, use FA and 1st rd draft. Get rid of Benson and take best available RB in 2nd rd but keep everybody else. This unit deserves an entire off-season and season before making any major changes. Defensively, look for DB in 1st rd then give defense rds 3 on to take best available.

by BDFC on Jan 8, 2012 7:20 PM EST reply actions