Cincy Jungle - NFL Week 13 2017: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati BengalsWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2017-12-10T07:00:02-05:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/164882752017-12-10T07:00:02-05:002017-12-10T07:00:02-05:00History is repeating itself for the Bengals and they’re not smart enough to stop it
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<img alt="Ickey Woods" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tsSdo606o0jzRXwqfpGoubK0_5w=/0x0:3072x2048/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57914213/72283495.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ickey Woods scored one of two Bengals’ touchdowns</figcaption>
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<p>28 years later, and the Bengals still have not learned to finish games.</p> <p id="bNRB9K">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> should pay better attention to the past. Because it is clear that they have not, and, as a result, are repeating their mistakes.</p>
<p id="c6L1mF">In 1988, Cincinnati lost in Super Bowl XXIII to the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> by a score of 20-16. The following year, the Bengals’ slogan read: “Finish Everything.”</p>
<p id="GOqMOA">Even though Cincinnati did not quite live up to that slogan that year (the Bengals’ finished the year with a record of 8-8 and ended up in fourth place in the AFC Central), it is a lesson that this year’s squad never learned, either. Witness the latest debacle, where Cincinnati led at the half against Pittsburgh by a score of 17-3 and wound up losing 23-20 on a last second-field goal.</p>
<p id="2bHEvQ">Perhaps it is fitting that the first team on the Bengals’ 1989 schedule was the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a>, and the game turned out to be one of the better contests in the brief history of the rivalry. In fact, the teams have played only 10 times, with Cincinnati holding a 6-4 edge. Chicago won the last meeting, in 2013, by a score of 24-12.</p>
<p id="L7ZpXf">Chicago comes into Cincinnati Sunday, with the Bengals’ reeling from their latest loss to the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> and the Bengals’ playoff hopes all but gone. In order the make the playoffs now, Cincinnati realistically would have to win all four of its remaining games and have Baltimore lose three of its last four games (the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a> have Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Cincinnati remaining). </p>
<p id="jPN0MR">Historic Soldier Field was the location for that 1989 game, and the Bengals actually had a chance at the end to turn defeat into victory.</p>
<p id="ExxXZx">The Bears had put together a long touchdown drive against a tired Bengals’ defense to grab a 17-14 lead, and were just trying to run out the clock when Cincinnati recovered a Chicago fumble at its own 36-yard line with 1:29 left. </p>
<p id="Zclymn">But, as has so often been the case in Cincinnati, the Bengals’ offense could not finish what their defense had started. The game was a reminder of Super Bowl XXIII, where the 49ers put together a 96-yard touchdown drive late to end the Bengals’ hopes for the first Super Bowl victory. </p>
<p id="GUiciP">''Yeah, I won't lie,'' said <span>Reggie Williams</span>, one of the Bengals' greatest linebackers ever. ''As the Bears were driving late for what proved to be the winning margin, I thought about the Super Bowl. I thought about how again we had played so well but leave with an empty feeling. But it's obvious that when a team goes 95 yards like they did to win the game that somebody on the defense has to make the play somewhere in that 95 yards to stop it.''</p>
<p id="6DeH7w">Monday night, Cincinnati allowed Pittsburgh to drive 80 yards in 10 plays for the touchdown that tied the score at 20-20 and set up the heartbreaking finish. Like in 1989, somebody had to make a play to stop it. And, like in 1989, nobody did.</p>
<p id="mayR13">And when the Bengals did get the ball back with an opportunity to put the game away, the offense was not up to the task. Then or now. </p>
<p id="lEuWHz">The Bengals moved the ball into Chicago territory at the 48-yard-line before turning the ball over on four straight Boomer Esiason incompletions.</p>
<p id="ZCmeGJ">''When we got the ball after the fumble, we were tired,” Esiason said. “We had been on the field most of the day and had pretty much manhandled them. We kept knocking on the door and we were close.''</p>
<p id="APAdZ1">Cincinnati took a 7-0 lead with just over five minutes gone in the first quarter on a 4-yard pass from Esiason to James Brooks. Mike Tomczak’s 12-yard scoring run capped an 80-yard drive that tied the score at seven with 10 seconds remaining in the half (sound familiar).</p>
<p id="FLrkJm">The Bengals upped the advantage to 14-7 after a 5-yard touchdown run by Ickey Woods midway through the third quarter before a Kevin Butler field goal cut the lead to 14-10. The Bears’ go-ahead drive started at their own 5-yard-line, and Chicago needed 14 plays and 4:54 of the clock to turn the deficit into a 17-14 advantage that it would not relinquish.</p>
<p id="B8S9gB">''They had their moments and we had our moments,'' said Sam Wyche, the Bengals' coach at the time. ''They had three points' more moments.''</p>
<p id="ca8K4J">It all sounds eerily familiar today. The more things change, the more they stay the same.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/10/16742920/history-is-repeating-itself-for-the-bengals-and-theyre-not-smart-enough-to-stop-itJohn Acree2017-12-08T09:00:04-05:002017-12-08T09:00:04-05:00OBI: Bears and tigers, oh my!
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<img alt="NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jyLnNqa_klQ1a5W9o1MoPDKgEsE=/0x0:3024x2016/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57901063/usa_today_10460668.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We're back at it again and we talked about John Ross, the loss to the Steelers, the upcoming matchup against the Bears and much more. Listen, watch or download this week’s podcast episode.</p> <p id="6W4Ao8">Everyone associated with the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> is trying to move on from another familiar loss to the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>. With the loss, the postseason now officially seems out of reach after the team clawed its way back into the picture from a terrible start to the season. </p>
<p id="ndLWTj">Scott Schulze and I broke down the loss and talked about a number of different items on the most recent episode of The Orange and Black Insider. Among them were the following:</p>
<ul>
<li id="HEPkVt">Are there any moral victories to take away from the Bengals’ heartbreaking loss to the Steelers on Monday night?</li>
<li id="6i2uN7">
<span>John Ross</span> was surprisingly sent to I.R., ending his rookie season before it really began. What’s going on there?</li>
<li id="5yTzAy">Based on the draft classes under <span>Marvin Lewis</span>, are we overrating his ability to get consistently productive players?</li>
<li id="hWxv0e">What are some of the most interesting facets of the upcoming game against the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a>. </li>
<li id="NR9TaH">We also took a couple of interesting listener questions to conclude the show. </li>
</ul>
<p id="EvtEPK">Thanks to those of you who tuned in live and submitted your questions! You can join us live when we record every episode here at Cincy Jungle, as well as on YouTube!</p>
<p id="SMRe5F"><small><em><strong>If you’re unable to join us live, all Orange and Black Insider content is here on Cincy Jungle, as well as on our </strong></em></small><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-608248362" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><small><em><strong>SoundCloud</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong> and </strong></em></small><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVaXlewzr5_f-iEhxa6ij_g"><small><em><strong>YouTube channels</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong>, and </strong></em></small><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-orange-and-black-insider%2Fid1142320492" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><small><em><strong>on iTunes</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong>! You can tweet us </strong></em></small><a href="https://twitter.com/BengalsOBI"><small><em><strong>@BengalsOBI</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong> or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!</strong></em></small></p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/8/16748614/the-orange-and-black-insider-bengals-podcast-bears-and-tigers-oh-myAnthony Cosenza2017-12-07T16:00:01-05:002017-12-07T16:00:01-05:00Mistakes and injuries cause defense to fall apart vs Steelers
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<img alt="NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h2ZTCc9fygJm3aWzTrSt6nDhUqc=/0x0:1912x1275/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57896419/usa_today_10460666.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Cincinnati put up a fight against the Steelers until they couldn’t any more. Painful mistakes and terrible injuries helped pave the way to yet another loss to Pittsburgh</p> <p id="JBK80y">Last week, after the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>’ win over the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a>, <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/1/16715322/bengals-film-room-notes-defensive-performance-against-cleveland">I came out with a few keys</a> about what Paul Guenther’s unit could do to stop the high-flying <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers’</a> offense. The Bengals’ defensive unit was impressive for almost the entire first half but after taking a 17-0 lead with just more than 30 seconds remaining in the first half, they struggled to find their footing again.</p>
<p id="Fxuylc">In a game Cincy needed to win to stay alive in the playoffs race, they looked as hungry and aggressive as ever before. Nobody could believe those were our Bengals, and <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/5/16738662/nfl-week-13-bengals-top-play-from-loss-against-steelers">a beautiful touchdown pass by Andy Dalton to A.J. Green on third down</a> to cap a thrilling drive at the end of the second quarter had fans and pundits believing Monday could be a Bengals win over the Steelers in primetime under Marvin Lewis. And if the offense was looking great despite losing running back <span>Joe Mixon</span> to a concussion, the defense was keeping <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> and company in check, with an interception and three straight punts in their first four drives of the game.</p>
<p id="K9Zs71">Then they surrendered a ton of yards in just 15 seconds. And if you thought that would be the worst sequence of plays for the Bengals defense on Monday night they made sure to top it when they gave up an embarrassing touchdown to Le’Veon Bell in their first drive of the second half. After a Bengals field goal Guenther’s unit responded with a good stand and forcing Pittsburgh to punt, but they would on to give up 13 straight points after that. They also lost their leader, <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>, which probably was way too much for a team that had seen a perfectly legal touchdown throw to Green being taken away on a bogus call by the always suspect referees. The Steelers had the edge mentally and ended up getting the win, again.</p>
<p id="WKUTtB">So how did the Bengals defense fare overall? Let’s go to to the tape.</p>
<h3 id="tC7mNO">They did a mix of things - and it worked</h3>
<p id="pt2a5i">Although it didn’t last, the Bengals came up firing with a beautifully designed blitz that caught Roethlisberger off guard and created an early turnover.</p>
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<p id="UNsUK3">And they actually did a pretty good job hiding their coverages for a while, including Burfict playing the Tampa 2 middle linebacker role off their favoured double A gap blitz look on second down. In a corps that has been decimated by injuries, the loss of Burfict late in the game was way too much for the Bengals’ defense.</p>
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<p id="b1RwKM">But there were other examples of this.</p>
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<p id="7tQetu">This also extended to the front four, that got its only sack of the game on a nice design that freed up Carlos Dunlap’s path to Roethlisberger on third down.</p>
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<aside id="F4RHEW"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"3 things we learned from the Bengals’ loss to the Steelers","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/6/16740320/3-things-we-learned-from-the-bengals-loss-to-the-steelers"},{"title":"Marvin Lewis reveals John Ross had been hiding a shoulder injury","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16746088/marvin-lewis-reveals-john-ross-hiding-shoulder-injury"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="6DJYW9">When and how things went South?</h3>
<p id="KmPUgd">Right after the Bengals made it 17-0 they had a huge chance to inflict even greater pain to the Steelers had <span>George Iloka</span> actually tried to make a play on the ball instead of trying to hit Antonio Brown. To me this play said a lot about why the Bengals ended up losing the game. They lost focus and the edge.</p>
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<p id="Ij2eKT">Of course they could have stopped Bell on the following play, but they didn’t, and that takes us to the next key.</p>
<h3 id="tyZMJp">
<span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> had an awful night</h3>
<p id="M9UPFN">It didn’t matter who he was matching up with, Pittsburgh went hard after him, play after play. It should’ve been worse.</p>
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<p id="jh1g3j">The Bengals have no interest in benching Kirkpatrick, no matter how fat his contract is, but when they get all their corners healthy they really have to play William Jackson III. I mean...</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">When you have something to prove , there's nothing better then a Challenge <a href="https://t.co/RUcPtXb8L4">pic.twitter.com/RUcPtXb8L4</a></p>— WJ lll (@fantastik_willo) <a href="https://twitter.com/fantastik_willo/status/938217991518474240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a>
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<p id="47Eplj">Sure he and fellow rookie <span>Jordan Evans</span> gave up the most embarrassing touchdown in recent history, but hopefully both will learn, with playing time.</p>
<p id="KyCVft">And it’s not only that Kirkpatrick gets burned by any wide receiver in man coverage, he doesn’t help against the run. Compare Darqueze Dennard and Kirkpatrick in consecutive plays that the Steelers ran to the same side and similar concept. (Dennard is in the first and Kirkpatrick the second play below.)</p>
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<p id="xmvwSX">This is an issue. Kirkpatrick has A LOT to work on this offseason and must (MUSSSSSTTTTTTTT) improve.</p>
<h3 id="6sUzNd">Burfict’s injury - and others, turned the defense vanilla again</h3>
<p id="KcKqF7">The writing was on the wall after <span>JuJu Smith-Schuster</span> violently ended Burfict’s game with a dirty hit. The Bengals had little to offer with <span>Kevin Minter</span> and Evans as only linebackers and a depleted secondary. As such, Pittsburgh thrived.</p>
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<p id="QDaVsb">And just as a reminder of Lewis’ hopefully-ending era, <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/5/16738116/bengals-snap-count-distribution-vs-steelers-injuries-toll">Pat Sims played three times as much as Andrew Billings</a> because... reasons.</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16742956/bengals-film-room-mistakes-and-injuries-cause-defense-to-fall-apart-vs-steelersmuertedeatenas2017-12-07T13:00:02-05:002017-12-07T13:00:02-05:00Flying Pigskin Podcast: Bengals’ playoff hopes dashed again
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<figcaption>Iloka suspended | Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>One of the highlights of this week’s episode was an exclusive interview of Hall-of-Famer and Tampa Bay legend Warren Sapp.</p> <p id="bCfVqZ">It’s over, people.</p>
<p id="ZFqclk">This was the main topic in this week’s version of The Flying Pigskin podcast, which was hosted by Tanya O’Rourke and featured panellist Keenan Singleton. The show also featured Mo Egger, the host of Sports Talk on 1530 AM. I was busy getting The Crete News ready to go to press and missed this week, but will be back next week.</p>
<p id="DXbeFn">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 <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a>. </p>
<div id="opvtyx"><iframe src="https://art19.com/shows/the-flying-pigskin-show/embed?primary_color=%23ea6a28&theme=light-gray-blue" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 505px;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>
<p id="HZ6GSE">Whatever else came out of the loss Monday night, most fans are washing their hands of hand coach <span>Marvin Lewis</span>, who has lost the trust of the fanbase. </p>
<p id="bFY0g5">Over the course of 15 years, Lewis has done some really good things. </p>
<p id="GNkcyP">But his days are numbered. </p>
<p id="K5KRuJ">It is time for an infusion of fresh blood, and a young, offensive-minded coach is just what the doctor ordered. </p>
<p id="mLPMp5">This team lacks discipline, which was abundantly clear after amassing the most penalties yards in franchise history Monday night. And the continued failure of the Bengals to make adjustments at halftime is a big part of the problem</p>
<aside id="s93YAp"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals \"Fire Marvin\" t-shirts","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/25/16547426/bengals-fire-marvin-lewis-tshirts"},{"title":"Marvin Lewis reveals John Ross had been hiding a shoulder injury","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16746088/marvin-lewis-reveals-john-ross-hiding-shoulder-injury"}]}'></div></aside><p id="hRtBYG">When the Bengals go into the locker room, nothing seems to happen. They just don’t adjust. Cincinnati went into halftime with a 17-3 lead (it should have been 17-0) and scored all of three points in the second half. Pittsburgh adjusted. Cincinnati did not.</p>
<p id="RvGUpc">There is something different about the way the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> responded to their head coach and the way the Bengals responded to their head coach. Which is more evidence of why it is past time for Lewis to go.</p>
<p id="YffHeg">Monday night’s game was probably one of the more violent ones in the long history of this rivalry, and had many calling for even more reforms. One-game suspensions were handed down to Juju Smith-Schuster for his blind-side hit on <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> and to <span>George Iloka</span> for his head shot to <span>Antonio Brown</span>. </p>
<p id="Qzrbhi">However, Iloka got his suspension reduced to a fine, while Smith-Schuster’s appeal was denied.</p>
<p id="3bv5rr">The bottom line is that these two teams genuinely do not like each other.</p>
<p id="0HI1SP">One of the highlights of the program came with an exclusive interview of Hall-of-Famer and Tampa Bay legend <span>Warren Sapp</span>, he did not necessarily agree that the game was as violent as many made it out to be. </p>
<p id="nl4UvL">Before all of the rules changes meant to protect players, this was just how football was played.</p>
<p id="rexB4v">“That was not a dirty game,” Sapp insisted. “People get caught up in all of the hoopla. I think people went a little overboard (they way they talked about it).”</p>
<p id="yxnggb">Sapp also addressed the Lewis issue, and noted that, “when you watch how efficient they were in building a 17-0 lead, and then letting it slip away, that all starts and stops with Lewis.”</p>
<p id="vlIO0P">He pointed out that a head coach has to be more than just a philosophy. He has to be able to change the culture of a team, like Jon Gruden did when he came to Tampa Bay.</p>
<p id="P9uppx">“Gruden walked in the door and he absolutely held us all accountable,” Sapp recalled. “He challenged us, not just to be good . . . .”</p>
<p id="peCpKK">Next up for the Bengals are the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a>. The schedule does not get any easier from there, with the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a>, <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> and <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a> all looming. Someone needs to challenge these Bengals to step it up and find a way to finish strong.</p>
<p id="q0R1U3">Please join us on twitter @flying_pigskin and let us know your thoughts on anything and everything Bengals.</p>
<p id="0DT7Us">You can also tweet Keenan directly @CKJMSingleton, or contact Tonya @TonyaORourke. In addition, you can now call in and leave a voicemail at 513-449-0716. </p>
<p id="IGcVkV">Some examples of voicemails we received this week were Steve, who was just dumbfounded how we let this team run over our emotions year after year, and called the loss “devastating.”</p>
<p id="fsABEa">Michelle pointed to consistency as the Bengals’ biggest problem, noting that they play good for three quarters, then get to the fourth quarter and it all falls apart, and that goes back to coaching.</p>
<p id="Iw30Bl">Be sure to tune in to The Flying Pigskin podcast this week and every week. You can find us anywhere podcasts are available, or go to Stitcher or Google Play. The show normally airs live every Monday afternoon, but will be heard on Tuesday this coming week after the Monday night game against the Steelers. </p>
<p id="pkRNO7">Who Dey! Who Dey All Day!</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16741270/flying-pigskin-podcast-bengals-playoff-hopes-dashed-againJohn Acree2017-12-07T10:15:01-05:002017-12-07T10:15:01-05:00NFL Week 13 Steelers at Bengals: The good, the bad and the ugly
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<img alt="NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ExW9xKL8UvNZktBqhbnDhogzOJc=/0x136:2256x1640/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57886539/usa_today_10460649.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Cincinnati Bengals collapsed at the end of the game to fall to 5-7 at the hands of their bitter rivals. What were the best and worst aspects of Cincinnati’s play?</p> <p id="WSVBSy">Well, another year and another two crushing losses at the hands of the Steelers. While the Bengals played well throughout most of the game, the team just has a way to tease a fan just enough before pulling the rug out from under them. </p>
<p id="7PjJKB">In truth, Cincinnati did a lot of things well that should have propelled them to a win. Other major aspects went against them, and they still haven’t found a way to beat “big brother” yet. </p>
<p id="gm6whm">Here are the best and worst from the Bengals in their 23-20 loss to the Steelers. </p>
<h3 id="k8cRBs">The good:</h3>
<p id="Y50EMM"><em><strong>The running backs and the line: </strong></em><span>Joe Mixon</span> was looking good early on with seven carries for 34 yards and an eight-yard reception, but he left with an injury. It would have appeared that the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>’ running game would have mightily suffered afterward, right? Nope. </p>
<p id="K6XWpT"><span>Giovani Bernard</span> may have had one of the best all-around games of his Bengals career on Monday night. Though he was tagged with a huge holding call that was ticky-tack at best, he also picked up a number of blitzers effectively all evening. He also had 77 yards on 13 carries, as well as two catches for 19 yards. </p>
<p id="5v34tH"><span><em><strong>Andy Dalton</strong></em></span><em><strong> and the offensive game plan: </strong></em>Running backs aside, Bill Lazor concocted a pretty solid game plan throughout most of the game. Dalton was getting the ball out quickly to negate the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a>’ pass rush and clearly looked comfortable throughout the game—even in the driving rain. </p>
<p id="N337T7">Yes, the offense only scored three points in the second half, but that’s not totally on Dalton and Lazor. Three big drops and a called back <span>A.J. Green</span> touchdown bomb on a phantom holding call would have easily changed things. Cincinnati led in time of possession, did a decent job on third down, while Dalton distributed passes to eight different receivers. </p>
<p id="G0jnCC"><em><strong>No turnovers: </strong></em>You play the Steelers’ defense and don’t give up a turnover? I don’t care how good your offense is, that’s a feat in itself. Again, kudos to Lazor, Dalton and the running backs for not giving free opportunities to the Steelers. </p>
<aside id="3f95hM"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals \"Fire Marvin\" t-shirts","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/25/16547426/bengals-fire-marvin-lewis-tshirts"},{"title":"Marvin Lewis reveals John Ross had been hiding a shoulder injury","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16746088/marvin-lewis-reveals-john-ross-hiding-shoulder-injury"}]}'></div></aside><p id="PAVLk9"><em><strong>Playing just as physical as Pittsburgh: </strong></em>Yes, Le’Veon Bell had a 100-yard rushing day, but this series has been marked with superior physicality shown by the Steelers over the Bengals. That wasn’t so much the case on Monday night. </p>
<p id="5pnWtx">Sure, the big image in everyone’s mid is <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> getting shellacked by <span>JuJu Smith-Schuster</span>, but he was dealing big hits of his own to Bell, while <span>Antonio Brown</span> took a couple of big (although one illegal) shots in the game. Cincinnati wasn’t backing down from a dogfight and that was at least a moral victory to take from this loss. </p>
<p id="4tEBvU"><em><strong>The guys with the big legs: </strong></em>It was a pretty good night from <span>Kevin Huber</span> and Randy Bullock. In bad elements, both guys did their jobs extremely well and it was a big reason the Bengals were in good shape for almost the entire game. </p>
<p id="NPBFNK">Bullock was 2-of-2 on field goals, including a 41-yard conversion, and was perfect on his two extra points. Of Huber’s five punts, three were inside the Steelers’ 20-yard line, as he boomed to a 47.8 yard per punt average. </p>
<p id="cLunyy"><em><strong>Third down efficiencies: </strong></em>When the defense holds Pittsburgh’s “Killer B’s” to just 4-of-12 attempts on third down (33%), while your offense converts 50% of their tries (7-of-14), that’s a big recipe towards a win. The scoreboard didn’t end up that way, but it was a big reason for Cincinnati’s success—particularly early in the match. </p>
<h3 id="ioWdEu">The bad:</h3>
<p id="Ul5YQF"><em><strong>Three critical drops by the top two wideouts in critical moments: </strong></em>A.J. Green had two great touchdown catches and five other critical grabs, but a couple of second-half drops cost the team as they were desperately looking to sustain drives. <span>Brandon LaFell</span> had another ugly one that appeared to be a “concentration drop”. These could have been major momentum-changers for the Bengals. </p>
<p id="M6jPTC"><em><strong>Dre Kirkpatrick’s play: </strong></em>Cincinnati often struggles with Ben Roethlisberger’s ad-lib style of play, as he can break free from linemen’s grasps (and did a couple of times on Monday), but Kirkpatrick was totally victimized on Monday night. It wasn’t just against the pass, either. </p>
<p id="lzwqlM">He had two egregious pass interference penalty and almost had a third, while also being on the coverage of Brown for the game-tying touchdown. We also saw Bell absolutely truck him as the momentum was swinging Pittsburgh’s way. Aside from having the most defensive penalties called against him since 2015 (when he first became a full-time starter), one could make the argument that he’s playing like the fourth or fifth-best corner on the Bengals’ roster right now. </p>
<div id="zJdWZl">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Safe to say Dre Kirkpatrick is happy to be done trying to tackle Le'Veon Bell this year. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Steelers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Steelers</a> <a href="https://t.co/XWOMYFtIwv">pic.twitter.com/XWOMYFtIwv</a></p>— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alex_Kozora/status/937926605229477888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a>
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<h3 id="6b1or1">The ugly: </h3>
<p id="f2OyvE"><em><strong>Penalties: </strong></em>While the Bengals tipped the statistical scales in their favor in a number of aspects, they had a franchise-worst night in penalties. Now, a couple of the calls were ones that were iffy, and you heard the old coach Jon Gruden get steamed about them in the booth, but you aren’t going to win when you give up almost two football field lengths of yards from yellow hankies. </p>
<p id="uQ7xfZ">Cincinnati was flagged 13 times for an franchise record 173 yards. Kirkpatrick accounted for a lot of the yardage on deep pass interference plays, but few players were immune to getting penalized. </p>
<p id="bF0mAA"><em><strong>The intangibles: </strong></em>One of the things that makes Roethlisberger and the Steelers great is their ability to find another gear, make plays in crunch time, just find ways to win, or whatever cliche you would like to use. They are well-coached, know their identity and don’t shrink whether they’re way ahead or way behind. </p>
<p id="ukydhc">Unfortunately for Bengals fans, this appears to be an organizational culture type of thing. Until the team can draft transcendent players, get a coach who can get the most out of their players and will them to gigantic wins, we will probably see this series continue down this route. </p>
<p id="2aOuPw"><em><strong>The injuries: </strong></em>Unfortunately, social media has a very ugly side to its platforms. Unfortunately, there were quite a few trolls celebrating the horrific-looking injuries to Burfict and <span>Ryan Shazier</span> (far more celebrated No.55 getting carried off of the field), but to those who actually have rational heads on their shoulders, they were both scary to witness.</p>
<p id="wSWafV">Aside from those, Mixon and Kirkpatrick were treated with concussions, while <span>Adam Jones</span> left with a groin issue right after his interception on the first drive. Pittsburgh dealt with Tyler Matekevich needing to leave the game, while Bell looked to have an in-game hand injury. </p>
<p id="DZEtbU"><em><strong>Second half adjustments: </strong></em>We lauded Lazor for his game plan throughout most of the night and while some of the factors leading to the offense generating just three points weren’t his fault, you still can’t deny the fact that the Steelers outscored the Bengals 20-3 in the final two quarters. </p>
<p id="jMYu0n"><span>Marvin Lewis</span> has publicly stated that he doesn’t believe in halftime adjustments, but the best coaches do and work tweaks in throughout the game. This has never been a strength of Lewis, as you can see a track record of good teams in huge games throttling Cincinnati because they’ve stuck to their original plans. The question is if Lewis is unwilling or incapable of making said adjustments to win games like the one this past Monday night. </p>
<p id="tFl7Lh"><em><strong>A season-ending loss and sticking to familiar narratives: </strong></em>This was it. This was the game that could change the Bengals’ season around and bring some sense of solace to the 2015 Wild Card loss. Cincinnati looked confident and in full control of the game for the first half and it appeared that the tide was changing, if just a little bit. </p>
<p id="bvcoxx">Lewis’ team couldn’t handle early success, did not make proper in-game changes and once again allowed their most-hated rival to squash their postseason hopes. One would hope that Cincinnati’s offseason goals are to not only grab quality players, but obsess over finding ways to beat the Steelers, as that’s often the path through the AFC North, but also for vengeance. </p>
<p id="Ey8t3l">Two seconds. That’s how long the Steelers held the lead for the entire game on Monday night and they were the most important ticks on the clock. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16741980/nfl-week-13-steelers-at-bengals-the-good-the-bad-and-the-uglyAnthony Cosenza2017-12-07T07:00:02-05:002017-12-07T07:00:02-05:00Bengals rookie report: Mixon exits early; Evans notches first start
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<img alt="Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vJRnhmjE3apetKNtaj5bDPmEol8=/0x0:3421x2281/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57883477/885737808.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A few Bengals rookies were involved in the many injuries that occurred on Monday night.</p> <p id="dxpea6">In another bloodbath under the lights between the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> and <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>, a number of Cincinnati players exited the game with injuries, leading to a blown-lead. One of those injuries was to the Bengals’ most played rookie, and another injury allowed a rookie to start his first game ever. Here’s our Bengals rookie report for the final installment of Bengals-Steelers in 2017:</p>
<p id="go0BQp"><strong>Active:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="qiCpYl">
<span>Joe Mixon</span> 17 snaps on offense</li>
<li id="AsWYoD">
<span>Jordan Willis</span> three snaps on defense; four snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="sIISn7">
<span>Carl Lawson</span> 24 snaps on defense; 11 snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="ow3YOS">
<span>Josh Malone</span> 33 snaps on offense; five snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="52vXKZ">
<span>Ryan Glasgow</span> 18 snaps on defense; 14 snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="n5TWfk">
<span>Jordan Evans</span> 66 snaps on defense; 11 snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="AJe2uR">
<span>Hardy Nickerson</span> 1 snaps on defense; 23 snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="3BZ5RW">
<span>Cethan Carter</span> 18 snaps on special teams</li>
<li id="6GqNDj">Brandon Wilson 17 snaps on special teams </li>
<li id="C4pSHm">
<span>Brian Hill</span> 18 snaps on special teams</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="WJ8oVI">Inactive:</h2>
<ul><li id="hQFT62">
<span>John Ross</span> (<a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/6/16743350/bengals-place-john-ross-on-injured-reserve">placed on IR on Wednesday</a>)</li></ul>
<h1 id="7JKm40">Joe Mixon</h1>
<p id="0sWfgW">Coming off his first 100 yard game against Cleveland last week, Mixon picked up right where he left off. His first four carries went for 27 yards and were part of the Bengals’ first touchdown drive in the first quarter, including this 10 yard zone read that ended up being his longest run of the day.</p>
<div id="GFwX0e">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/hRFUPjtPtX">pic.twitter.com/hRFUPjtPtX</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/938175678721286144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="nGxbeI">The Bengals offensive line was clearing paths for both Mixon and <span>Giovani Bernard</span> all night long, and both backs had productive outings because of it. </p>
<p id="239b2H">Halfway through the second quarter, on just his eighth touch of the night, Mixon took a play action screen back inside and charged up field. With linebackers <span>Bud Dupree</span> and Vincenzo Williams coming from behind and in front of him, the three collided just shy of the first-down marker:</p>
<div id="P7COAA">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/auVQYQZXgV">pic.twitter.com/auVQYQZXgV</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/938182776876040192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="jRVVZf">The collision between Williams’ shoulder and Mixon’s head sent Mixon to the ground, where he would stay for a little while. Mixon suffered a concussion and subsequently did not pass the concussion protocol to return to the action. Mixon was the first of three Bengals to suffer concussions along with <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> and, as you may’ve heard, <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>.</p>
<p id="WqHZRm">It’s too early to tell if Mixon will be ready to suit up next Sunday against the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a>, but Mixon had another solid performance against an admirable run defending unit.</p>
<h1 id="eZgnx9">Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson</h1>
<p id="LLZHpj">It was a quiet game for both of the Bengals rookie pass-rushers. Willis was on the field for special teams more than on defense, and Lawson saw his defensive snap percentage drop to the lowest since Week 9 against Jacksonville. Lawson’s lone official pressure came off a screen to Le’Veon Bell. He did record his first tackle for loss on Bell on the Steelers’ third-to-last play from scrimmage:</p>
<div id="4r89Us">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/KM8E5PW2k8">pic.twitter.com/KM8E5PW2k8</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/938187506209755137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="iwuek9">For as “physical” as this game was, not much pass rush from either team was really effective. For Lawson, at least, he gets a much more favorable matchup next Sunday as he faces a Bears offensive line that has given up 13 more sacks on 190 less drop backs. </p>
<h1 id="8rXkD8">Josh Malone</h1>
<p id="ORYL9P">Last week Malone was on the receiving end of the most controversial hit of the game. This week, he was on the receiving end of just the <em><strong>first </strong></em>controversial hit of the game:</p>
<div id="qr5d8W">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/IW5o8tmcMI">pic.twitter.com/IW5o8tmcMI</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/938191291371999233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
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<p id="msUZeU">Three minutes into the game, <span>Andy Dalton</span> found Malone over the middle on a simple drag route that would give the Bengals a third-and-short just inside the red zone. Malone was initially stopped by linebacker <span>Ryan Shazier</span>, who injured his back and was hospitalized immediately afterward. </p>
<p id="q2SS2q">Malone would get one more target later in the first quarter, and finished with those two catches for just nine yards. It was the third game of the year where Malone played more than 50 percent of the offense’s snaps.</p>
<h1 id="ufunsI">Ryan Glasgow</h1>
<p id="ZSHmAx">Like with Willis and Lawson, Glasgow also wasn’t on the field too much. <span>Pat Sims</span> played more than Glasgow and <span>Andrew Billings</span> combined, which is less than ideal. All three defensive tackles, and even <span>Geno Atkins</span> had impotent games against the Steelers’ tough interior line. </p>
<h1 id="8Q3TiA">Jordan Evans</h1>
<p id="PRQMyo">As the linebacking corps of the Bengals becomes thinner by the week, we’ve been progressively seeing more Evans, and he started the first game of his career on Monday and played every single snap. A common theme I’ve seen from Evans is that he’s still a raw player in coverage and has gotten picked on a few times, including on Monday night:</p>
<div id="daHIwG">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/b5udazTljt">pic.twitter.com/b5udazTljt</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/938197653032177670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a>
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<p id="wX0Pxi"><span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> and <span>Antonio Brown</span> have done this to much better players than Evans, it’s a good learning experience for the rookie. Evans finished the game with four tackles and has 17 on the season in five games, but only three have come with three yards of the line of scrimmage.</p>
<h1 id="vTInQK">The Rest</h1>
<h1 id="io5e3A">Hardy Nickerson, Cethan Carter, Brandon Wilson and Brian Hill</h1>
<p id="mPq0gu">Nickerson and Carter had solid special teams performances per usual. Wilson was the victim of the <span>J.J. Wilcox</span> holding penalty that negated a 96-yard <span>Martavis Bryant</span> kickoff return touchdown, and he was also injured during the game and his status is unknown for next week. Hill was active for the second time with the Bengals and was a Giovani Bernard injury from seeing the field with Mixon leaving the game in the second quarter. Hill never saw the field, but may have to depending on Mixon’s health.</p>
<h2 id="eVPqpJ">Coming up</h2>
<p id="400Pro">There’s a lot more questions than answers when it comes to the health of the Bengals as we enter the final quarter of the season. The inactive list may be completely filled with injured players next Sunday against the Bears.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/7/16739666/week-13-bengals-rookie-report-mixon-exits-early-evans-notches-first-startJohn Sheeran2017-12-06T20:00:02-05:002017-12-06T20:00:02-05:00WATCH: The Orange and Black Insider Bengals podcast, 12/6 live stream
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/w2R8foC4EokzuJc9gnHoCrCKf00=/0x0:3116x2077/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57883311/usa_today_10460630.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We're back at it again tonight on the Bengals podcast. We'll be talking about John Ross, the loss to the Steelers, the upcoming match vs the Bears & much more--including your questions and comments!</p> <p id="rQT0XW">Well, that Monday night loss felt like a classic rerun, didn’t it? As the third quarter began to melt away, a familiar sickening feeling had to start creeping into the Who Dey’s fan base. </p>
<p id="YwfFXN">Cincinnati fell to 5-7 this year, with the playoff hopes essentially dashed once again at the hands of the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>. On this week’s Orange and Black Insider, we look at the game and try to make sense of where the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> go from here and into a 2018 offseason that looks to be filled with change. </p>
<p id="FyJE5L">Unfortunately, instead of the team unchaining <span>John Ross</span> with their season almost lost, they put him on I.R., rendering his rookie year useless. What’s going on here? Have we been over-hyping the team’s ability to build through the NFL Draft?</p>
<p id="f8HGX3">Scott Schulze and I look at these topics, as well as preview the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a> game and taking your questions and comments throughout the show. Leave them in the comments below, hit us up on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BengalsOBI">@BengalsOBI</a>, or join other Bengals fans in the YouTube chat to commiserate on the state of the team. </p>
<p id="703lSo"><small><em><strong>If you’re unable to join us live, all Orange and Black Insider content is here on Cincy Jungle, as well as on our </strong></em></small><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-608248362" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><small><em><strong>SoundCloud</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong> and </strong></em></small><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVaXlewzr5_f-iEhxa6ij_g"><small><em><strong>YouTube channels</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong>, and </strong></em></small><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-orange-and-black-insider%2Fid1142320492" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><small><em><strong>on iTunes</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong>! You can tweet us </strong></em></small><a href="https://twitter.com/BengalsOBI"><small><em><strong>@BengalsOBI</strong></em></small></a><small><em><strong> or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!</strong></em></small></p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/6/16743642/watch-the-orange-and-black-insider-bengals-podcast-12-6-live-streamAnthony Cosenza2017-12-06T17:33:32-05:002017-12-06T17:33:32-05:00Mike Mitchell goes off on NFL and calls out Andy Dalton in the process
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<img alt="NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GS9uoJSWIH0o_tRcZr3Pp0Ph0nM=/0x0:4626x3084/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57882943/usa_today_8995062.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Steelers safety blamed the Bengals quarterback for a $50,000 fine he received two years ago. OK, Mike Mitchell.</p> <p id="TGoLUU"><a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> safety <span>Mike Mitchell</span> went off today during the team’s open media session.</p>
<p id="dq5rQf">“This is football. If you want to see flag football, let’s take our pads off,” the Steelers safety said. “I feel like I gotta ask I guy ‘hey, are you ready for me to hit you right now.’”</p>
<p id="z74WkG">His outburst was in regards to the NFL’s random dishing out of suspensions, such as one game for a clearly dirty and egregious hit from <span>Rob Gronkowski</span> far after the whistle and then one game for Juju Smith-Schuster, who also had a dirty hit (on <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> linebacker <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>) but while making a football play.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Mitchell absolutely killing it. Must watch. <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticPIT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthleticPIT</a> <a href="https://t.co/SwcvJMJyHy">pic.twitter.com/SwcvJMJyHy</a></p>— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkKaboly/status/938509336242020352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a>
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<p id="oINijr">Mitchell, who has been credited with more than a few dirty hits on NFL players, including Bengals, took aim at Cincinnati quarterback <span>Andy Dalton</span> during his speech.</p>
<p id="NqCAfL">“Andy Dalton threw a ball to <span>Tyler Eifert</span> two years ago. Tyler Eifert had to dive for it. I was aiming for his gut,” Mitchell said. “But if he don’t dive, he don’t get hit in the head. That’s $50 grand out of my pocket though because Andy throws a bad ball.”</p>
<p id="dlgyKc">Hate to break it to Mitchell, but Dalton did nothing wrong on this play and as a result of his carelessness, Eifert was concussed and missed game time. Yes, it wasn’t a perfect throw, but it was a throw that Eifert caught in a football game.</p>
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<p id="lN6LaK">Mitchell went on to call former NFL quarterback and current ESPN commentator <span>Matt Hasselbeck</span> an asshole for commenting on him being a dirty player. He also claims he donates more money to underprivileged kids in Cincinnati than Bengals players. </p>
<aside id="ejdtMd"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals place John Ross on Injured Reserve","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/6/16743350/bengals-place-john-ross-on-injured-reserve"},{"title":"Chris Boswell accuses Josh Shaw of attempting to hurt him before game-winning kick","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/6/16742340/chris-boswell-josh-shaw-hurt-him-game-winning-kick-bengals-steelers"}]}'></div></aside><p id="FF6KEe">OK, Mike, here’s where you’re officially OUT OF LINE. Bengals players go above and beyond in the Cincinnati community and bragging that you donate more than them (with ZERO evidence) is just sad and unnecessary.</p>
<p id="BTojDi">Definitely give his whole speech a listen. There are some small pieces of valuable information in there, such as the need for a better Collective Bargaining Agreement. But, there was no reason to call out Dalton for Mitchell’s dirty hit or to call out Bengals players, claiming he donates more money than them to Cincinnati-based charities.</p>
<p id="S1khVG">It’s not like Mitchell is someone with a clean record, but he does make some good points tangled between a lot of bad ones. If you need a list of dirty hits from Mitchell, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bengals/comments/59p9w7/fuck_mike_mitchell/">I’m always willing to provide it</a>.</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/12/6/16743580/steelers-safety-mike-mitchell-goes-off-nfl-calls-out-andy-daltonRebecca Toback