Keys To The Game -- Holiday Edition
Friday, November 23, 2007
The holidays are a tough time for a lot of people, and this year it is especially tough for Bengals fans as this week it finally hit us that the Bengals are going to do nothing in the 2007 season. 
For a quick recap of last week's Cardinals game, we predicted that the difference between the Cards and Bengals offenses is that one team has consistently strong QB play. Little did we know that Kurt Warner would be throwing the ball behind his back left handed to receivers while Carson Palmer would have one of his worst games as a pro. In Palmer's defense, the running game and line play was atrocious, and there were dropped passes and turnovers that changed the outlook of the game. But INTs are INTs, and those turnovers are what put the game in the Cards' teeth. The Cardinals used a defensive strategy that the Bengals had not seen this season. The Cards had a 5 DB bubble and kept running coverage games letting LBs and the extra DB run free in coverage which confused Palmer and the Bengals. With so many people dropping away from the line playing coverage games, the Bengals should have had a field day running the ball. Instead, the Cardinals were able to get a strong pass rush and stop the run using only their defensive line. Worst of all, Eric Ghiacuic was dominated all day and spent most of the day getting physically thrown into the ball carrier or Palmer's face. Everyone is entitled to a bad game here or there, but it does not look good for the Bengals the way the Ghiacuic and the line were dominated on Sunday. Mental mistakes can be corrected, physical limitations cannot. The Bengals may have one of the biggest lines in the NFL, but they have been pushed around by opposing defenses the past few weeks. Whatever happened to their big boy pads?
And now some cheerleaders give us reason to be thankful:
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For a quick recap of last week's Cardinals game, we predicted that the difference between the Cards and Bengals offenses is that one team has consistently strong QB play. Little did we know that Kurt Warner would be throwing the ball behind his back left handed to receivers while Carson Palmer would have one of his worst games as a pro. In Palmer's defense, the running game and line play was atrocious, and there were dropped passes and turnovers that changed the outlook of the game. But INTs are INTs, and those turnovers are what put the game in the Cards' teeth. The Cardinals used a defensive strategy that the Bengals had not seen this season. The Cards had a 5 DB bubble and kept running coverage games letting LBs and the extra DB run free in coverage which confused Palmer and the Bengals. With so many people dropping away from the line playing coverage games, the Bengals should have had a field day running the ball. Instead, the Cardinals were able to get a strong pass rush and stop the run using only their defensive line. Worst of all, Eric Ghiacuic was dominated all day and spent most of the day getting physically thrown into the ball carrier or Palmer's face. Everyone is entitled to a bad game here or there, but it does not look good for the Bengals the way the Ghiacuic and the line were dominated on Sunday. Mental mistakes can be corrected, physical limitations cannot. The Bengals may have one of the biggest lines in the NFL, but they have been pushed around by opposing defenses the past few weeks. Whatever happened to their big boy pads? Keys To The Game
The Bengals play the Tennessee Titans this week and the Titans are still alive in the playoff race. The Titans and Bengals operate on different ends of the NFL philosophy spectrum, and they prove old NFL cliches are true. The Titans offense has been terrible this season, their passing game is 30th in the NFL, yet they can win games with the talent of their defensive front seven. The Bengals, as we know, have an offense loaded with talent, but a defensive front seven that acts as a turnstile for opposing runners. "Defense wins championships," might be a little much, but it looks like defense wins games. The Titans are favored by 1.5 which proves the bettors still cannot look past the Bengals' talent to see how they have actually been playing this season.
When the Titans have the ball: As said before, the Titans win games with their defense. Teams looking to win with their defense look to limit turnovers on offense, which means they will run the ball; Not good news for the Bengals. The Titans have run a 3 man rotation at running back, currently led by LenDale White, which stands 4th in NFL rushing offense. The Titans also try to keep top draft choice Vince Young under control in the passing game by allowing him to throw the ball only 13 times per game. So far this season, VY has been responsible for 8 TDs passing and rushing, and responsible for 13 turnovers. So fans in the stands will be in for a long day of watching the Titans run their RBs and VY up and down the field with an occasional pass. The Bengals will need to capitalize on the few times when VY drops back.
When the Bengals have the ball: More bad news for the Bengals, the strength of the Titans defense is their front seven. Their line led by Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth is one of the best in the NFL. After watching the film of last week's game, the Titans will probably run a very similar defense knowing their D-line does not need any help to stop the run and disrupt the pass. If Haynesworth is healthy, he will be lined up over Ghiacuic all day pretty much guaranteeing that crazy motherf---er will spend most of the day in the Bengals backfield. Haynesworth is most well known for this incident last season:
Sunday, Ghiacuic might hope that happens to him as it will give him an excuse to leave early and avoid playing against Haynesworth.
What you do want to see: Big Albert not play
What you don't want to see: Sadly the NFL is not feeling the holiday spirit and did not reinstate Pacman Jones for this game. Therefore, he and college friend and teammate Chris Henry will not be able to spend the holiday weekend together. A Henry-Pacman holiday celebration might be too much for Cincinnati to handle. We know who they are, and they would make it rain all over this piece.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM JEFF ROWE!!!
And now some cheerleaders give us reason to be thankful:
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A Fatty on the Ground
Monday, November 19, 2007
I am as disappointed as everyone else with this season, losing to the Cardinals might be a new low that could only be surpassed by a potential loss to the Rams on December 9th.
My friends say I look at the world through rose colored glasses, and the pinkish sight of the Steelers losing to the Jets made my day. Roethlisberger got sacked 7 times; he hasn’t spent that much time on his back with a dude on top of him since college.
You do have to give him a little credit though; he is the only wigger that ever graduated from Miami U. in their storied 198 year tradition of producing preppy douche bags.
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My friends say I look at the world through rose colored glasses, and the pinkish sight of the Steelers losing to the Jets made my day. Roethlisberger got sacked 7 times; he hasn’t spent that much time on his back with a dude on top of him since college.
You do have to give him a little credit though; he is the only wigger that ever graduated from Miami U. in their storied 198 year tradition of producing preppy douche bags.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe we just stink
I first off would like to say welcome back to the "Bungles". I really thought we shook that terrible nickname but by definition they are back and looking to stay for a while.
The Bengals to me are a team that finds a way to lose. You can't really point at any particular player or side of the ball because they switch it up. So that creates a huge problem when trying to diagnose or fix the problem.
If you had a defense that was terrible you could make some player changes and change some schemes. If it was your offense you would draft a franchise QB or RB or WR.
These Bengals don't want to win. Penalties that kill drives, QB's that throw terrible passes, RB's that run scared. When the Defense that has been roasted all season steps up to play tough, the offense decides to turn over the ball 5 times and give up 14 points itself.
Carson was making terrible decisions all day, blatantly forcing the ball in to double and triple coverage. Even the best wide receivers in the league can't help him there. Chad Johnson needs to forget about talking or not talking and worry about football. The fumble he had without getting hit at all was inexcusable.
I know I am lost in a rant but these are the things that are making it a terrible day and season to be a Bengals fan.
However, I don't boo and I never root for my team to lose. I think it is up to you and me to tailgate a little harder, at least in that, we are all still professionals.
Who Dey
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