Flying Pigskin Podcast: Bengals are exactly who you think they are

Sunday’s uninspired loss at Jacksonville was virtually unwatchable, but it was a replay of three of the four other losses the Bengals have suffered this year. Cincinnati is just not a very good football team.

But it’s not just a Cincinnati problem, it is an NFL problem. There just are not many great teams any more. It is getting harder and harder to watch an NFL game right now and say that you are watching anything interesting.

This was just one of the may topics discussed in this week’s version of The Flying Pigskin podcast, which is hosted by Tanya O’Rourke and this week featured panellist Scott Kyser, along with guest Mo Egger, the host of Sports Talk on 1530 AM. I will be a weekly feature on the program, as well.

You can listen to this week’s show at any time, and be sure to tune in to get all of the latest news and commentary on your Cincinnati Bengals.

Of course, everyone wants to know what caused A.J. Green to step out of character and throw punches at Jalen Ramsey Sunday. Of course, Ramsey was giving Green an earful all day, and had thrown a couple of cheap shots his way. But it was nothing Green had not seen before.

What made Green snap? What is going on behind the scenes of the Cincinnati Bengals that is causing their star receiver to be so frustrated? Whatever it is, it needs to be resolved, and soon, before Green becomes the next Carson Palmer story.

Speaking of frustration, the Bengals missed out on a perfect opportunity to score a couple of high draft picks when the Browns failed to turn in the paperwork on time to complete a trade that would have sent A.J. McCarron to Cleveland in exchange for a second and third rounder next year. It sounds like someone in the Browns’ front office just did not want to see the deal go through.

Steve Layman from News Channel 5 in Nashville joined the program to talk about the Bengals’ upcoming opponent, the Tennessee Titans. With a record of 5-3, the Titans have proven to be the antithesis of the Bengals. When it comes down to winning time, when there is a play to be made, Tennessee makes them. Cincinnati does not.

And the Titans feature one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and are rated in the top 5 in pass protection. The Bengals’ offensive line woes are well-chronicled. End of story.

Tennessee is confident that it can and will pull out a victory at home. After all, this is the type of game (against an inferior opponent) that they should win, if they don’t make any critical mistakes.

How far the Bengals have fallen. Just two short years ago, Cincinnati was working on its fifth straight postseason berth and was routinely considered among the league’s top teams. Now, we are one of those teams (an inferior opponent) that the home team should beat, if it does not make any critical mistakes.

At this point, we have to ask ourselves whether Dre Kirkpatrick was right two weeks ago when he proclaimed after the loss to the Texans – “We suck!”

The good news is that there are currently 12 teams in the AFC with records between 3-5 and 5-3. So a strong finish can still put the Bengals right where they want to be – in the playoff hunt. So far, though, Cincinnati has not shown any indication that it is capable of such a finish.

As Adam Jones put it, “That’s my question to some of these guys. How much do you want to win? And I ain’t saying everybody gotta make every play. That’s not what I’m saying. But I’m talking about heart and playing with a passion.”

Unless and until these players find that passion, this season is a wrap.

Check out the latest poll on twitter @flying_pigskin and let us what you think are the biggest problems for the Bengals. In addition, you can now call in and leave a voicemail at 513-449-0716.

Be sure to tune in to The Flying Pigskin podcast this week and every week. The show airs live every Monday afternoon. Who Dey! Who Dey All Day!