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.
