Sorry for the week off last week, but who wants to talk about a loss anyways? No real drama against the Texans, the Bengals just flat out got outplayed, and it showed. But, that’s last week, and this week we can revel in a 45-10 victory! So, why not talk about positives first!
Watching the game against the Bears provided something that my team of choice has not been able to enjoy since 2007 at a minimum: a relaxing, dominant performance in a game that actually meant something. Everything went beyond just clicking, it rolled without any resistance at all. Palmer’s passes were on the mark, Ochocinco was finding holes in the Cover 2 all afternoon, and Benson did run like the man possessed one would have hoped for considering his detest for his former franchise. Sure, Jay Cutler’s “riverboat gambling” style of passing helped with three picks (one of which was tipped), but the defense played a strong enough game that I don’t know if they even would have needed this.
Nonetheless, a 35-point win is a huge confidence builder going into the bye week, and then into what I believe to be the two most critical games on the schedule against Baltimore and against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Sweep these games, and you have your virtual two-game advantage back, a 7-2 record and beyond a safe look at 11 wins. Lose them, and you’re 5-4 and facing an uphill road to get to 10 wins. Split, and you’re somewhere inbetween strongly favoring a Wild Card trip. One win is necessary (especially if it’s against Pittsburgh), two wins is optimal. The schedule after that has four “for sure” wins, a great test against Minnesota, and a “who knows” kind of game against the Jets.
Other Bengals thoughts:
* A sign of great consistency? If you go to the Bengals web site and look at the team leaders each week in passing, rushing, and receiving, it’s the same six out of seven weeks. Palmer, Benson, and Ochocinco. The anomaly was the win against the Browns where it shows J.P. Foschi as the leading receiver. Keeping this up all year can only help ensure a playoff berth for this team.
* Coincidence, or something more, that the last good Bengals season in 2005, was also played against NFC Central teams? That’s also thier last 5-2 start (which was actually 5-1 and got all the way to 11-3)
* Andre Caldwell emerging as the second WR on this team has been a pleasant surprise. You’d think that you would be disappointed when you then look and realize that Laverneus Coles has 16 catches and is making a boatload of cash, but I’m not concerned about that. He had a shaky first week, but has made good critical catches since then and is providing a veteran leadership to go along with the mad talent of Chad and Chris Henry. It’s a nice mix, makes the Bengals seem very strong four deep at WR now.
* Start calling your congressman, your senator, your neighborhood Gus Johnson impersonator, Dick Eversole, whoever. Wouldn’t the Bengals-Vikings game make for a great NBC Sunday Night Flex game? Look, if the Browns can get multiple night games, surely the Bengals can get ONE.
* The retro jersey thing is in with the 50th Anniversary of the AFL this year. Yes, the Bengals original NFL jerseys were not the best but I’d still love to see them brought out once this year just for the heck of it.
Other NFL notes:
* If Jamarcus Russell ended the season now, his completion percentage would be 46.5%, and Derek Anderson is sitting at 43.7%. When was the last time that two starters in the NFL had a completion percentage less than 50%? The pass has become so big that you rarely ever see such a low percentage anymore, and even when you see this with a rookie or someone a team is breaking in, how often do you see it with two non-rookies, one of which has a Pro Bowl berth to his name?
* In my opinion, I’m ready to crown the Dolphins as the most underrated by record (3-4). Even a little bit more of a passing game and they have the potential to be a very very good team. In the same sense, the Raiders at 2-5 may actually be overrated by record. If you put them against the Bucs or the Rams, would be “first to 7″ to win?! (Poor Jon Gruden. The “Gruden Bowl”, if they played it this year, would have two teams combined with what, 4 wins by the end of the season? Don’t you guys wish he wasn’t a commentator now?)
Fantasy Football notes from Scott’s leagues:
* Never let your fantasy football fate come down to how well the Washington Redskins perform! Yes, Jim Zorn isn’t calling plays, and he got a vote of confidence, but that doesn’t shut down the death watch, it only makes it bigger! Anyways, my fate was sealed when their defense gave up 27 points in the first half. I almost pulled out another game when McNabb had a very pedestrian night, but he scored 12 points, and I needed 10 or less. So, as a result, it’s 1-2 for me this week. Still having good seasons (4-3, 4-2-1, and 4-2-1), so it’s not all that bad.
Scott’s Week 5 (and before) Thoughts [2009 NFL]
I hate the Ravens, I hate Jeff Triplette. You put them together and it doesn’t exactly bode for a good day for me as a Bengals fan, especially when this day is in Baltimore, MD, not at the home field. But as it turned out, both of these parties had a bad day, and it led to a great Bengals win!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure the Bengals deserved this win based on their offensive and special teams mistakes, but as they have done in their three wins (and even in their loss), it was Carson Palmer leading them down the field on their final drive to winning scores (or what should have been). I have not fully watched the final drive yet, but with the key penalty being Ray Lewis trying to take Chad Ochocinci’s head off, he should be commended for one thing … after his totally correct rant last week against rinky-dink personal fouls for kinda sorta roughing the passer, he showed the kind of aggression that really is of the 15 yard variety. I’m sure Chad didn’t appreciate the demonstration, Bengals fans now certainly do.
Other thoughts about the successes and failures:
* Brad St. Louis should be given a plane ticket back to Cincinnati with the team, and the dignity to leave through the back door of the facility with no press around for 10 good years of team service, but at this point, we need a new long snapper in the worst way. We’re 4-1 with half of our special teams not working at all, and if it was working, 5-0 would be more than realistic right now.
* Cedric Benson having a 100-yard day is nothing short of sensational. There are so many good running backs out there, and Benson is not the league leader in yards, although he is darn close, but is there any thought to giving him or Palmer some MVP love this early on?
* Take a trip back to 2008. If your starter these five weeks is Ryan Fitzpatrick, don’t you think we’d be 0-5? Nothing against him, he was decent but he doesn’t have the big play and comeback flair that Palmer does.
* My condolences go out to Mike Zimmer and his family on their loss, and I could not be happier to see the team’s success even in a time of great need for him for things much more important. Sometimes work helps you get through the worst things in life, and I’m sure this weekend was a fine tribute.
* The way they are playing right now, 11-5 is beyond reasonable. I could see one division loss at home, and tough games against the Vikings, Chargers, and Jets at the end of the year. 11-5 would definitely get this team into the playoffs, and would have them contending for a division crown, and really, because a lot of the big games are at the end of the season, they would set up to be 10-2! That kind of record would put them in the driver’s seat in a big way.
Other thoughts from the NFL world:
* In what kind of alternate universe do I live that the Broncos are 5-0?! Of course, I don’t mind this right now, their defeating the Patriots helps the cause of the Bengals by allowing them to leapfrog another team in the standings. I would chalk them up to win the division, but let’s not forget last year’s four game collapse at the end.
* If the season ended today (if my calculations are right), three teams from the AFC Central would be in the playoffs.
* I don’t care who does it, be it Roger Goddell with a suspension, or Al Davis with the jumpsuit, or anyone with a brain. Someone, please tell Tom Cable to go away! No, it won’t fix the Raiders, but it can’t hurt any more than they do right now.
* The same thing needs to be said to Jim Zorn. The entire world knows he is going to get fired, someone, for his sake, end the misery!
And selfishly:
* It could be another 3-0 week for me in Fantasy Football! That would make my teams 3-1-1, 3-2, and 4-1 respectively. 10-4-1 is the kind of start I can get used to! It isn’t a given yet, all of the games have something riding on the outcome tonight, but it does admittedly look pretty good.