Cincy Jungle - NFL Week 14: Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh SteelersWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2015-12-18T17:34:08-05:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/96378792015-12-18T17:34:08-05:002015-12-18T17:34:08-05:00Green among Bengals/Steelers fined, totaling $138K
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<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This game did a lot of good for charity.</p> <p><span>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> have both been hit hard in the wallets as a result of Sunday's clash between the two AFC North rivals.</span></p>
<p><span>However, Bengals receiver <span>A.J. Green</span> was fined for something that wasn't a cheap or dirty hit like most players from Sunday's bloodbath were. Instead, Green was fined for punting a ball into the stands, the same ball that was the 66-yard touchdown pass he hauled in from quarterback <span>AJ McCarron</span>.</span></p>
<p>Green has been fined $11,576 for the punt as the NFL thinks punting or throwing a ball into the stands is an unsafe act and could injure a fan (I guess they've never been to a baseball game?). This is actually the second fine Green has received this season for throwing or punting a ball into the stands.</p>
<p>Here is the touchdown play in which Green gets behind the Steelers defense before breaking a pair of tackles en route to the end zone:</p>
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<p>And here is Green punting the ball into the stands:</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, that was a ball that McCarron would have liked to have had. After all, it's not often you throw your first touchdown pass in the NFL, and that would have been nice souvenir for him, regardless of whether he throws another touchdown pass or tosses 500 more.</p>
<p><span>"We got to the sideline and I was like, ‘Hey, you got that ball?’ " McCarron said of the play, </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Notes-Dalton-week-to-week-with-no-surgery-Vet-QB-hunt-Screen-saver-Lewis-calls-Tomlin/ca0f0932-d993-4991-ac5d-2123d101a92a">via Bengals.com</a>.<span> "He said, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I asked what happened. He was like: ‘I punted it.’ "</span></p>
<p>McCarron didn't even get to keep the second score he threw to running back <span>Rex Burkhead</span> in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p><span>"I didn’t get the second one either," McCarron said. "The referee chunked it over to another one. I was like, that’s gone."</span></p>
<p>Oh well.</p>
<p>The good news is plenty of Steelers were fined for various acts on Sunday. Cornerbacks Brandon Boykin and <span>William Gay</span> were each fined $8,681 for unsportsmanlike conduct via a group demonstration after a touchdown. The celebration in question came after Gay intercepted McCarron in the third quarter and took it the other way for a pick-six.</p>
<p>After the score, Gay and Boykin made sure to celebrate the play for as long as possible, including after the flag had been thrown. Oh, and a Steelers coach got involved, too.</p>
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<p>So to recap:</p>
<p>1. Green, Gay and Boykin were fined for excessive celebration.</p>
<p>2. Steelers guard <span>David DeCastro</span> was <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/17/10435296/david-decastro-fined-for-grabbing-facemask-of-wallace-gilberry" target="_blank">fined for grabbing the facemask</a> of Bengals defensive end <span>Wallace Gilberry</span>.</p>
<p>3. Bengals linebacker <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> was<a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/fines-suspensions/2015/12/17/10468182/after-further-review-bengals-linebacker-vontaze-burfict-will-be-fined" target="_blank"> fined for illegal hits</a> on Steelers quarterback <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> and fullback <span>Roosevelt Nix</span>.</p>
<p>4. Steelers safety <span>Mike Mitchell</span> was <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/18/10621900/steelers-safety-mike-mitchell-fined-23000-for-hit-on-bengals-tight" target="_blank">fined for his hit</a> on Bengals tight end <span>Tyler Eifert</span>.</p>
<p>5. And last but certainly not least, Steelers safety <span>Antonio Brown</span> was fined $8,681 for an illegal crackback block on Bengals safety <span>Reggie Nelson</span>.</p>
<p><span>That makes nine fines totalling $138,906.</span></p>
<p>The bright side: This game did do a lot of good for charity as all of this money is donated to charity by the NFL at the end of the season.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/18/10622892/a-j-green-among-fined-players-from-bengals-vs-steelers-game-finesJason Marcum2015-12-18T15:37:49-05:002015-12-18T15:37:49-05:00Mike Mitchell fined $23k for hit on Tyler Eifert
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<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The news Bengals fans have been waiting for is here. Mike Mitchell will be fined for his hit on Tyler Eifert from the Bengals vs Steelers game.</p> <p><a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Steelers</a> safety <span>Mike Mitchell</span> has been fined $23,000 for his hit on <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> tight end <span>Tyler Eifert</span>, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/rayfitt1/status/677914790652747776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a>. The hit resulted in Eifert leaving the game with a concussion and now, being ruled out for this week's game in San Francisco.</p>
<p>Mitchell did get flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play and has now been fined for hitting a defenseless player. This is the second time in 2015 that Mitchell has been fined, the first time was fot a late hit on <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers" class="sbn-auto-link">Chargers</a> tight end <span>Antonio Gates</span>.</p>
<p>Mitchell also gave a hard hit to <span>Marvin Jones</span> in the Bengals and Steelers' first game of 2015, which caused Jones to miss a few plays after having the wind knocked out of him. Mitchell then approached <span>A.J. Green</span> and said, "you're next." Luckily, he wasn't able to injure Green in the game.</p>
<p>Here is the play that took Eifert out of the game, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/12/report-mike-mitchell-fined-for-eifert-hit">via Steelers Depot</a>.</p>
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<p>And, if you need a clear shot of the hit to Eifert's head, this provides all the evidence you need.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Why M.Mitchell was flagged for the hit on Eifert, who left concussed 4 plays later. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash">#Bengals</a> h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/ElgazzarBLVD">@ElgazzarBLVD</a> <a href="https://t.co/FIYGl9tkLI">pic.twitter.com/FIYGl9tkLI</a></p>
— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski/status/676206123913998337">December 14, 2015</a>
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<p>Mitchell is one of many Bengals and Steelers players who have been fined as a result of a play in Sunday's game. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/fines-suspensions/2015/12/17/10468182/after-further-review-bengals-linebacker-vontaze-burfict-will-be-fined">Vontaze Burfict was fined</a> about $70,000 for three plays in the game. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/17/10435296/david-decastro-fined-for-grabbing-facemask-of-wallace-gilberry">David DeCastro of the Steelers was also fined</a> for grabbing Wallace Gilberry's facemask. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MarkKaboly_Trib/status/677146888060207104">Antonio Brown was also fined</a> for a crack back block, not his slapping match with <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> as previously thought.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/18/10621900/steelers-safety-mike-mitchell-fined-23000-for-hit-on-bengals-tightRebecca Toback2015-12-17T21:05:36-05:002015-12-17T21:05:36-05:00Vontaze Burfict fined for 3 plays in Sunday's game
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<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>There has been a lot of hubbub surrounding a hit the Pro Bowl linebacker made on the Steelers quarterback last Sunday, with initial reports stating he wasn't going to get fined. A later report on Thursday evening said otherwise. </p> <p>To say the rematch between the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> and <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Steelers</a> last Sunday was chippy, would be an understatement. A pre-game shoving match spring-boarded from a month-long war of words between the teams, with other big hits and after-the-whistle antics littered the game film.</p>
<p>In the middle of all the issues was Bengals linebacker <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>. Whether it was the receiving of a Twitter threat and following it up with some jawing to help instigate the initial on-field argument, returning some big hits or diving at the lower extremities of <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span>, Burfict made sure he wasn't going to back down from anything Pittsburgh was giving him.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, Burfict's agent, publicly stated that the former Pro Bowl linebacker <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/16/10311156/vontaze-burfict-not-fined-for-hit-on-ben-roethlisberger">was not going to be fined</a> by the NFL for a particular hit on Big Ben. The issue was pressed to the league by Roethlisberger, who didn't buy Burfict's excuse that he was pushed, forcing the questionable hit. One source with the Steelers team said: "Dirty play, dirty player."</p>
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<p>Some might say the intent was there given the bad blood between the teams, while others will note at the end of the clip Burfict's gesture to Roethlisberger almost showing immediate concern. Propelling the whole issue was Burfict being the tackler on Le'Veon Ball in the first match-up in a hit that ended the star running back's season.</p>
<p>As it turns out, Burfict will be fined for a currently-undisclosed amount, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. He got the inside information from Burfict's agent, Audie Attar. Burfict is appealing the decision.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">As it turns out, NFL fined Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict today for hit on Ben Roethlisberger, per agent Audie Attar. Burfict appealing fine.</p>
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/677646413157834753">December 18, 2015</a>
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<p>But, he wasn't only fined for that one hit, he was fined for three plays from Sunday's game.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict actually fined for Three plays Sunday, per source: Two unnecessary roughnesses and one hit on Ben Roethlisberger.</p>
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/677656290273984513">December 18, 2015</a>
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<p>Given the league getting a little bit of heat for not properly controlling the angry situation between the teams by not clamping down on some of the verbal shots fired by Steelers players before the Week 14 game, it seems unlikely they'll grant Burfict's appeal as a too-late effort to get a grasp on the rivalry. Of course, it's yet to be determined. Another issue standing in the way of Burfict winning the appeal is a track record of being accused for more hits like these, including an infamous ankle twist of <span>Cam Newton</span> last season.</p>
<p>It's just another chapter in a long-storied rivalry that has been fueled over the past decade. It's possible the two teams will meet again in this year's playoffs, so it will be interesting to see if the antics continue should a third showdown comes to pass. For now, Burfict will be dealing with this situation, while the team heals up and preps itself for solid postseason seeding.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/fines-suspensions/2015/12/17/10468182/after-further-review-bengals-linebacker-vontaze-burfict-will-be-finedAnthony Cosenza2015-12-17T14:55:13-05:002015-12-17T14:55:13-05:00DeCastro fined for grabbing Gilberry's facemask
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<figcaption>Joe Sargent/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>As expected, at least one fine has come out of this past Sunday's matchup between the Bengals and Steelers.</p> <p>In a bit of a twist, a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> player is the first to reportedly be fined from the team's matchup with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> in Week 14.</p>
<p>According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Steelers guard <span>David DeCastro</span> has been fined $8,000 for grabbing the facemask of Bengals defensive end <span>Wallace Gilberry</span> during Sunday's game.</p>
<p>The play in question happened in the fourth quarter after DeCastro went to the ground with Gilberry on a <span>DeAngelo Williams</span> run, and DeCastro grabbed on to Gilberry's facemask and wouldn't let go.</p>
<p>DeCastro is on the ground after lunging to hit linebacker <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>, who had just gotten a late push on fullback <span>Roosevelt Nix</span> after the whistle and was flagged for a 15-yard personal foul facemask penalty. Gilberry then appeared to go after DeCastro at the bottom of the pile, and the two scuffled for about a few more seconds before players and referees broke it up:</p>
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<p>And here's a close-up look at DeCastro grabbing Gilberry's facemask:</p>
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<p>The play resulted in Gilberry needing to briefly enter the locker room before returning to finish out the game.</p>
<p>Burfict received a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness on the play, and the ball was moved from the 3-yard line to the 1-yard line. Two plays later, the Steelers would punch it in for essentially the game-clinching score as they went up 33-13. Looking at DeCastro's obvious grabbing of Gilberry's facemask, there should have been offsetting penalties that would have made this a 2nd-and-goal play at the 3-yard line.</p>
<p>That would have given the Bengals a chance to force a field goal and potentially tie the game with two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions.</p>
<p>It's not realistic to think Cincinnati would have actually managed to do that with <span>AJ McCarron</span> playing quarterback and taking the first meaningful snaps in his NFL career, but at least the Bengals would have still had some sliver of hope for a miracle rally. Instead, DeCastro wasn't flagged, the ball went to the 1-yard line and the rest is history.</p>
<p>So far, this is the only reported fine to come out of this game. The Steelers have been clamouring for Burfict to be punished for his low hit on quarterback <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> during the first quarter. However, <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/16/10311156/vontaze-burfict-not-fined-for-hit-on-ben-roethlisberger" target="_blank">Burfict reportedly will not be fined for that hit</a>.</p>
<p>It's not clear if Steelers safety <span>Mike Mitchell</span> will be fined for his first quarter hit on Bengals tight end <span>Tyler Eifert</span>, which sent him into the NFL's concussion protocol and likely out this week vs the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>. Mitchell was actually flagged on that play for a personal foul blow to the head penalty, so he should be getting a fine sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>According to Fowler, DeCastro will appeal the fine.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/17/10435296/david-decastro-fined-for-grabbing-facemask-of-wallace-gilberryJason Marcum2015-12-16T15:23:43-05:002015-12-16T15:23:43-05:00Burfict won't be fined for hit on Roethlisberger
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<figcaption>Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Big Ben has made it clear he thinks this hit was cheap, but Tez isn't getting fined for it. </p> <p>There may be several fines coming out of this past Sunday's game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, but <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> will not be among those getting hit in the wallet.</p>
<p>According to Burfict's agent (<a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/677212871604989952" target="_blank">via ESPN's Adam Schefter</a>), Burfict will not be fined for his low hit on Steelers quarterback <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> during Sunday's 33-20 loss. The NFL reviewed the play in question, which came during Pittsburgh's first offensive possession, but determined the hit was not worthy of a fine.</p>
<p>Here is the play in question:</p>
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<p>You could make a good argument for that being the kind of low hit the NFL is trying to prevent from happening to quarterbacks. You could also make an argument that, when viewing the play at actual game speed, Burfict is already launching himself toward Roethlisberger as the ball is being released while having to go low to avoid a collision right into defensive tackle <span>Pat Sims</span> who's bearing down on Roethlisberger as well.</p>
<p><a href="http://es.pn/1ZcCiOC" target="_blank">According to Coley Harvey</a>, that is the reason Burfict won't be fined.</p>
<p>Either way, given Burfict's history, it was fair to think the NFL would air on the side of not giving Burfict he benefit of the doubt here. Burfict has been fined four times for $77,000 during his career with two of those fines being the result of hitting a defenseless receiver and spearing. Burfict was fined $25,000 for twisting the ankles of Carolina <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" data-ref-index="16">Panthers</a> tight end <span>Greg Olsen</span> and quarterback Cam Newton last season. He was fined $10,000 for hitting Green Bay Packers tight end Ryan Taylor in the groin in 2013.</p>
<p>The league obviously didn't think there was enough evidence in this particular case to warrant a fine for Tez. However, Roethlisberger has made it clear he thought the play was a cheap shot, <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14373347/pittsburgh-steelers-qb-ben-roethlisberger-buy-excuse-cincinnati-bengals-vontaze-burfict" style="background-color: #ffffff;">via ESPN</a>:</p>
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<p><span>During his weekly appearance with Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan, Roethlisberger recalled Burfict telling him on the field that he got pushed into him. He said Burfict, who was not penalized on the play but could be disciplined by the league, told him, "My bad."</span></p>
<p><span>Roethlisberger watched the clip after the game.</span></p>
<p><span>"I don't buy he was pushed," Roethlisberger said. "I think he was definitely diving low for my legs."</span></p>
<p><span>A Steelers source told ESPN that Roethlisberger's claim is validated based on film review.</span></p>
<p><span>"Dirty play, dirty player,'' the source said. "Tape doesn't lie. We're fortunate we didn't lose Ben for good."</span></p>
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<p>Burfict also told Coley Harvey that "<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ColeyHarvey/status/677173190997639168">it's football</a>" when asked about the hit. It's also hard to give Burfict, or any NFL player for that matter, too much grief for a low hit when today's NFL dictates you hit players low rather than hit them high. You see far more penalties called for hitting a quarterback high near the head then you do for hitting them low. That's in part because of the league trying to lower the amount of blows to the head and possible concussions that follow.</p>
<p>Burfict's history makes it hard to defend him anytime a questionable hit or play comes up, but it looks like the NFL sided with him on this occasion.</p>
<p>This also adds to the Steelers vs Bengals rivalry that's easily become one of, if not the NFL's best. It's crazy to think a possible third matchup between these two AFC North rivals could come in the playoffs with both teams inching closer toward postseason berths. With the blood already boiling between these two teams, combined with the high stakes of a do-or-die playoff game, it could be as fierce of a matchup as we've seen among these hated rivals in recent memory.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/16/10311156/vontaze-burfict-not-fined-for-hit-on-ben-roethlisbergerJason Marcum2015-12-16T10:00:02-05:002015-12-16T10:00:02-05:00What We Learned about Bengals in Week 14
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<figcaption>Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A week after all went right for the Bengals in Cleveland, the team's fortunes did a complete 180 against their biggest AFC North rival. Is all lost? Definitely not. But the road to the Super Bowl just got a whole lot tougher. </p> <p>"If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy's Law. I doubt Captain Edward Murphy ever thought his law would be applied to a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> football game, but on Sunday, few things could describe that game more accurately from a Bengals perspective. It was ugly. It could not have gone worse. But, luckily for the Bengals, all is not lost in the 2015 season.</p>
<p><b>Hue Jackson got cute in the redzone...again, and may have cost the Bengals <span>Andy Dalton</span> and a bye. </b></p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I am not excusing Dalton's decision to make that throw on his interception, it was an incredible play by Stephon Tuitt. However, my problem was not as much with Dalton's pass, as much as it was with the play call. How many times this year have we talked about how cute Hue Jackson has tried to get inside the five (i.e. passes to <span>Jake Fisher</span>). To this point, it hadn't hurt the Bengals, but we always said...what if. Well, the what if occurred - and it reared its ugly head with the worst possible scenario - an injury to the team's MVP caliber quarterback. On second and four, why not run? Or throw or normal pass? Or a normal screen for that matter? Why is Jackson trying to run an inside screen inside the five? In my opinion, he tried to out think the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> and instead, may have outthought himself and cost the Bengals their shot at a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>.</p>
<p><b>The Bengals' Super Bowl hopes took a huge hit.</b></p>
<p>The Bengals are still on the cusp of clinching the division and thanks to the Denver loss, still have the inside track and control their destiny for a first round bye. But, with their leader and MVP caliber quarterback on the sideline with a fractured thumb on his throwing hand, their chances of a real Super Bowl run have taken a huge blow. Even if Dalton makes it back for the playoffs, you would have to wonder how effective he could be. For a quarterback, the thumb is key to velocity, accuracy and the ability to secure the football when getting hit. Not to mention, even if Dalton's thumb is 100% for the first playoff game, his timing with his receivers won't be nearly where it is currently. Six months ago all the talk (a lot from Bengals fans themselves) was "how can the Bengals ever win in the playoffs with Dalton?" Isn't it amazing how quickly that has turned into "how can the Bengals win in the playoffs without Dalton?"</p>
<p><b>The fans of Cincinnati sports cannot get a break on big season injuries. </b></p>
<p>I have been rooting for Cincinnati sports for 34 years now, and nearly every great season I can remember, was blown up by a big injury. For the Bengals: 1988 had Tim Krumrie in the Super Bowl; 2005 had <span>Carson Palmer</span> and <span>Chris Henry</span> on the first game of the Wild Card matchup; 2015 now has Andy Dalton in Week 14. For the Bearcats: 2000 saw the No. 1 rated Bearcats lose the best player in college basketball (Kenyon Martin) in the conference tournament. For the Reds: 2012 saw Johnny Cueto leave with an injury early in Game 1 of the first round; heck, 1990 even saw Eric Davis lacerate a kidney - though luckily this occurred late enough in the series that it did not cost them. It just seems that when a Cincinnati team is doing well, a season ending injury to their star player is just around the corner. I will go knock on wood now.</p>
<p><b>The officials never had control of that game.</b></p>
<p>Some games, you just know will be chippy. Given all the talk and history coming into this game, it is safe to say the officials should have been on high alert from warmups through the final whistle. That is what makes it even more inexcusable that the officials did not do more to reign in the early nonsense. By enforcing the rules, the officials could have gained the attention of both coaches and both teams right off the bat and saved us from all the extracurricular BS that went on.</p>
<p><b>Speaking of terrible, how about the announcers (Greg Gumbel and <span>Trent Green</span>)?</b></p>
<p>During the broadcast, I heard the following: Trevor Burfict (Greg Gumbel); "the Steelers stayed more composed despite doubling the personal fouls of the Bengals" (Trent Green); and best of all, Gumbel mumbled something about how Dalton and Eifert's presence wouldn't have altered the game??? Where do they find these guys?</p>
<p><b><span>AJ McCarron</span> should be able to keep the ship afloat. </b></p>
<p>Sure, he had some bad moments, the two brutal interceptions come to mind (particularly the pick six), but he also had some flashes. The deep touchdown to <span>A.J. Green</span> was a beautiful ball, as was his back shoulder touchdown pass to Rex Burkhead. In my opinion, McCarron played very well given the circumstances - four NFL passes, zero practice reps and being forced into a heated rivalry.</p>
<p><b>The Bengals banged up secondary played unbelievable - in my opinion.</b></p>
<p>Given the explosiveness of the Steelers offense and the players the Bengals were missing in their secondary, I thought <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> and the Steelers might have a 4+ passing touchdowns and 400+ yards. Much to my surprise, they held Ben to 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, an 85.6 rating and less than 300 yards. They also held <span>Antonio Brown</span> to just 87 yards on 7 catches and didn't allow a single receiver to surpass 90 yards. The only other team to keep Roethlisberger from throwing a touchdown pass this season was the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a>. In my opinion, that performance by the secondary was nothing short of amazing.</p>
<p><b>The Steelers were an unofficial 800 for 800 on third down conversions.</b></p>
<p>Coming into the game, I talked about how the key to the game would be the pressure the Bengals line could get on Roethlisberger. Geno Atkins never really made his presence known and just two sacks and four quarterback hits on 40+ called passes was not enough from the Bengals. Although the secondary held their own, Roethlisberger had too much time in the pocket and nowhere was that more evident than on third down conversions (57.1%). Roethlisberger completed his first seven third down passes and the Steelers converted their first five third down conversions, leading to a quick 10-0 lead. While the Bengals improved as the game went on, it is tough to win letting your opponent convert nearly 60% of their third downs.</p>
<p><b><span>Andrew Whitworth</span> is 100% right on another social issue...and the NFL will ignore it...again.</b></p>
<p>Back in October, when the NFL Network showed many Bengals partially naked on TVs across America, I wrote a scathing <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/10/23/9601974/times-have-changed-its-about-time-nfl-policies-do-the-same">article</a> about the NFL's locker room policy and the need for a change. A large portion of that article was anchored around the statements made by Andrew Whitworth - statements that were 100% from Whitworth's heart, rue and the type of statements most players (or employee) are reluctant to verbalize. Not Whitworth. Unlike many in today's world, Whitworth stands for something and when something is wrong he isn't afraid to say it - that is what leaders do, and that is exactly what Whitworth is.</p>
<p>That leads us to this past Sunday. Prior to the game there was a confrontation between <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> and <span>Vince Williams</span> - who is "Vince Williams" you ask? Don't be embarrassed, only his position coach probably knows his name. After the Steelers and Bengals first matchup, Williams, like many of his Steelers brethren were upset about what they perceived as Burfict celebrating Le'Veon Bell's knee injury ( a clean hit by the way). Williams, like a number of the Steelers, decided to take to twitter to voice his displeasure. Unlike the other players, however, Williams tweet was regarding "painting that boi..." which in slang terms I am unfamiliar with, apparently means killing or shooting someone.</p>
<p>Yes, Vince Williams essentially made a death threat via social media...and the NFL did nothing about it. I get it, emotions run high after a game. But hell, emotions run high everywhere in life. In a day an age where every threat, no matter how unrealistic, is, and <i>must</i> be investigated, this threat went away with a simple click of a delete button. With that, the NFL (and the media) pretended as though it never happened. Heck, many in the media are acting like this is the first they ever heard of it. I said it at the time, how does the NFL not act on this?</p>
<p>Whitworth stated that it was this Tweet that lead to the pre-game skirmish and ultimately, a game that was full of extracurricular nonsense all day. And, to Whitworth's credit, he laid blame exactly where it belonged, on the NFL and Roger Goodell. You can say Whitworth's statement is ridiculous, and that is fine, you are entitled to your opinion, but, let me ask you this: how do you know whether this was or was not a serious death threat? Who makes that determination? What if it were <span>Greg Hardy</span> that sent that tweet? Would that make the reaction different? What if the Tweet were regarding violence toward women? Would that be unacceptable? Imagine if a student at your child's school Tweeted something similar. Would it have gone without investigation? Without punishment? And if so, how would you react to the non-action of said school and authorities? God forbid anything did happen, what would the reaction to the NFL's non-action be then? Today, no threat can be overlooked. Andrew Whitworth is right again. Thank you again Mr. Whitworth for being a voice of reason and common sense; we could use more like you in leadership roles.</p>
<p><b><span>Marcus Gilbert</span> is an idiot. </b></p>
<p>Speaking of social media and its ability to expose stupidity, we learned that Marcus Gilbert is an idiot. Gilbert sent a Tweet saying, ""All I want for Christmas is the Bengals. Would love to see them in the playoffs where they choke."</p>
<p>Apparently, Mr. Gilbert is unaware of his own history in the playoffs. Gilbert was drafted in 2011, the same year as Andy Dalton. Dalton and the Bengals have four playoff appearances during that span, losing all four. Mr. Gilbert and his Steelers have have only been to the playoffs twice in that span. In both games, the Steelers were the favorites. In both games, they lost. In one of those games (2011), Gilbert's amazing team lost to Tim Tebow. That is right, Tebow has one playoff win in his career, and it came in a 316 yard, 2 touchdown effort against you and your Steelers, Mr. Gilbert.</p>
<p><b>The Bengals are still in control of their own destiny to win the division and get a bye. </b></p>
<p>As much as Sunday felt like "Doom and Gloom," the Bengals still control their own destiny for not just the division, but the number two seed as well. Dalton or no Dalton, the Bengals don't have a single game left on their schedule that is not winnable and two of those games (San Francisco and Baltimore) are very winnable. As long as the Bengals continue to play defense and protect the ball, they shouldn't have a problem getting to the playoffs with a favorable seed.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/16/10163804/what-we-learned-about-the-bengals-in-week-14Scott Bantel2015-12-15T21:00:02-05:002015-12-15T21:00:02-05:00Bengals Goat of Week: Too many 'what ifs' to count
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<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After the Bengals failed to put away their hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, we take a look at who deserves the most blame for the poor effort.</p> <p id="paragraph0">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> picked up their third loss of the season at the hands of the hated <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Steelers</a> this week, getting banged up pretty badly in the process and casting doubt on their potential to finish the season strong. Perhaps the biggest storyline coming out of this game was <span>Andy Dalton's</span> injury and <span>AJ McCarron's</span> subsequent entrance into his first important regular season game action.</p>
<p>This week's goat of the week is a weird one, because no single person really had a significant enough negative impact in this game to blame them for the loss. That's typically the case in a team sport, like football. The team lost 33-20, including a garbage time touchdown, so there were plenty of negatives about the game. That said, the biggest issue seemed to be injuries and lack of experience from the backup players. It's hard to blame them for being backups, but at the same time, their job is to be prepared to be go into the game at any time. One of the strongest qualities of any championship team is the depth of the roster and the ability for the "next man up" to be prepared to play at a high level.</p>
<p>So, without further ado, here are your Week 14 goat of the week candidates. Leave your vote for the "award" at the bottom in the poll, and don't forget to chime in in the comments!</p>
<h5><b><span>Josh Shaw</span></b></h5>
<p id="paragraph3"><b></b>To kick off the list of backups who performed below the expectations of a starter, <span>Josh Shaw</span> really struggled while trying to give the Bengals' banged up starters some rest. He was targeted on seven passes, but in the process he allowed a combined five catches to <span>Martavis Bryant</span> and Antonio Brown. To make it worse, he allowed approximately 15 yards per catch. He was the least effective cornerback in the game this week. Luckily his number of snaps were limited. Sure he's a rookie who doesn't expect to play much, but he's going to need to make a significant improvement if he wants to see more playing time in the future.</p>
<h5><b>AJ McCarron</b></h5>
<p id="paragraph5"><b></b>Maybe it's not fair to blame McCarron for the loss. After all, he had a decent game after the iron man, Andy Dalton, went down with the first serious injury of his career. The problem is, McCarron was wildly up and down and the screams from fans who have been waiting to yell "AJ TO A.J.!!!" were seen and heard across Bengaldom when he threw that beautiful touchdown pass to Green, but there was plenty of less exciting material for him to improve on throughout the game.</p>
<p>The main issue is the interceptions. Yes, he threw for that fantastic touchdown and another one in garbage time to Rex Burkhead. But, he essentially negated those touchdowns with a rookie mistake pick-six thrown to <span>William Gay</span> and another one thrown to <span>Robert Golden</span> that set up a Steelers touchdown drive that ended almost all faint hopes of a Bengals comeback. Granted, it was his first real game action of his career and it would have been a MUCH bigger surprise if he had gone out there and lit it up, but he needs to improve on his decision making and awareness if the Bengals are to beat the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">49ers</a> this week.</p>
<h5><b style="font-size: 1em;"><span>Andrew Whitworth</span></b></h5>
<p id="paragraph7">Both quarterbacks were dealing with pressure all day. Dalton wasn't in long enough to be sacked, but you could tell that he was having to make some hasty decisions with the ball that are uncharacteristic of a quarterback with plenty of time to throw. McCarron, on the other hand, was sacked three times. That might have led to his problem with throwing interceptions at the worst possible time.</p>
<p>Andrew Whitworth is almost always one of the best players on the team, regardless of position. But, he really dropped the ball this week in a game in which a win would clinch the division. Whitworth gave up two QB hurries, two QB hits, and a sack on the game, which ranks as his worst game since Week 10 of 2013. Big Whit has been so steady that you can forgive a bad game here and there, but this may have been one of the absolute worst times to turn in a bad game.</p>
<h5><b>Andy Dalton</b></h5>
<p id="paragraph9"><b></b>To answer the question that I feel like you're probably asking, no it's not fair at all to accuse Dalton of blowing the game when he was only in the game for one offensive series. Dalton has been one of the most steady and exciting players on the team this season so, like Whitworth, you can't be mad at the guy for one bad drive that just happened to be the only drive he had during the day. If there is one thing Dalton has done really well this year, that's bounce back from a not-so-great start.</p>
<p>The issue is, that he didn't have a chance to bounce back and left McCarron with a 10 point hole to dig the team out of. In his lone drive of the game, Dalton only completed three of his five pass attempts for 59 yards and an interception. It was also probably the worst interception of his life, because it was an incredibly poorly timed shovel pass to <span>Giovani Bernard</span> up the middle among a sea of defenders. <span>Stephon Tuitt</span> had the awareness to get in front of the pass and pick it off. Dalton had enough presence of mind to quickly get to the defender to make the tackle, but not enough presence of mind to protect himself. In the process, he fractured his thumb and left McCarron to clean up his mess as well as finish out the season with virtually no experience at leading an NFL team.</p>
<p>Luckily, Dalton has a possibility to be back for the playoffs, but we can't have any more mistakes like this one. It's not often that one single play can dictate the entire direction of the game, as well as influence the direction of the rest of the season.</p>
<p>No one player is particularly more responsible for this loss than any other, but my vote for goat of the week would probably go to Dalton.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/12/15/10175894/bengals-week-14-goat-of-week-too-many-what-ifs-to-countKyle Phelps2015-12-15T20:00:02-05:002015-12-15T20:00:02-05:00Whose effort was under-appreciated in Cincy's loss
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<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We give pats on the back to some of the Bengals players who stood in the background, but contributed heavily in the team's 33-20 loss to the Steelers. Cast your vote and sound off on your selection!</p> <p>We at Cincy Jungle, as well as <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> fans everywhere, are eager to turn the page on the nightmare at Paul Brown Stadium that was Week 14 against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Steelers</a>. Still, to do the team and our readers proper justice, we are running through our weekly award features, with this one focusing on some of the background contributors.</p>
<p>Cast your vote for the Week 14 "Unsung Hero of the Week" and sound off on your selection in the comments below!</p>
<p><i><b>RB Giovani Bernard:</b></i> The versatile back contributed in multiple facets as he has done all season long. He only had six carries, but recorded 40 rushing yards on the afternoon, pushing seven yards per carry. He added another nine yards per reception with 27 receiving yards on three catches, but those two facets weren't his only contributions. Even though the pass protection wasn't stellar on Sunday, Bernard chipped in with taking on blockers--another area he's continuously excelled at in 2015.</p>
<p><i><b>WR Marvin Jones: </b></i>The unfortunate thing about being a receiver on the Cincinnati Bengals is that your counterpart is <span>A.J. Green</span>. That being the case, Jones seems to be a weekly "Unsung Hero" nominee, while Green continuously gets the MVP nod. Even with the quarterback issues, Jones had six catches for 61 yards, including a 23-yarder.</p>
<p><i><b>TE Tyler Kroft: </b></i>Part of the criteria for this award is being a player who steps up in the wake of injury. While Tyler Eifert has been outstanding this season, his injury history has begun to rear its ugly head once again in 2015. Kroft stepped in and grabbed two catches for 31 yards, with another 12-yarder nullified by a holding penalty. He also blocked when asked, which falls into the "dirty work" category--another one of the criteria we look at with the Unsung Heroes.</p>
<p><i><b>DE Michael Johnson: </b></i>Though he signed a big contract to return to the Bengals this offseason, one could argue Johnson is the least-talked about lineman of the four regular starters. He hasn't put up the big stats, but MJ90 has quietly been a staple holding the defensive front together. He had a sack of <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> and three total tackles.</p>
<p><i><b>LB Rey Maualuga: </b></i><span>Vontaze Burfict</span> got the lion's share of the attention going into the 2015 rematch, but Maualuga had a pretty solid game himself. Sure he wasn't covering players often and there were the Rey-standard over-pursuits at times, but Maualuga helped to take away <span>DeAngelo Williams</span> as a threat on the ground. He had seven total tackles, tying <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> as second-highest on the afternoon to Burfict.</p>
<p><i><b>S <span>Reggie Nelson</span>: </b></i>Had the Bengals' pass defense not struggled so much on third downs, Nelson might have received one of our MVP nominations. Cincinnati kept Ben Roethlisberger out of the end zone, partially stopping a hot streak from the future Hall of Fame quarterback. He had yet another interception of Roethlisberger, his eighth interception of the year, and four total tackles.</p>
<p><i><b>K <span>Mike Nugent</span>: </b></i>Though his miss was bad, it wasn't so much about him missing a kick, but the morale lowering that ensued after it. Even with the miss, Nugent had eight of the Bengals' 20 points, kicking both 46 and 27-yard field goals.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/awards/2015/12/15/10179020/steelers-vs-bengals-whose-effort-was-most-under-appreciated-inAnthony Cosenza