Bengals Circling The Drain?

[CantStop85]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

I agree after the Browns game the defense had nowhere to go but up, but it was a good second half perfomance not just in comparison to the week before, at least until the last drive that gave up the winning TD (that probably would have died if the "incomplete" pass Hassslebeck caught would have been ruled either a catch with a 10 yard loss or a fumble).

FWIW Shawn Alexander is exhibiting the dangers of signing a RB in his late 20s to a big contract - he looks beat up 3 games into the season.

I agree the Pats-Bengals game next week will further confirm how great this Pats team may be - the Jets and Bills are no world beaters and the Chargers thrashing may not be teh feat it initially appeared to be. Pats are playing very well but the talk of going undeferated is a bit early.

The main reason the Bengals lost this game was special teams...the seahawks first touchdown was set up by a 72 yard kickoff return...on the seahawks game winning drive, shayne graham kicks the kickoff out of bounds...glenn holt fumbles the kickoff return with one minute and 3 timeouts left for the bengals to get a field goal to tie the game.

The defense actually played pretty well, considering that our linebackers consisted of Dhani Jones, Lemar Marshall, Landon Johnson, and Anthony Schlegel. I would've liked to have seen more pressure on Matt Hasselbeck, but the defense was definitely much improved over last week. I'm not even gonna go into the call on Hasselbeck's -10 yard catch.

Rudi Johnson was horrible...something like 9 yards on 17 carries...Carson Palmer is great, but he needs some kind of support from the running game. Chad and TJ look great...Chad is leading the NFL in receiving yards and TJ's leading in receptions.

I think the major downfall of the Bengals right now is all of the missing or injured players. We've got players starting on defense right now who should be on special teams. As a result we're giving up big plays on defense and special teams.

The Bengals have their backs against the wall right now...expect them to play with a sense of urgency against the patriots. It remind me of the game in 2003 against the chiefs. Obviously the patriots are overwhelming favorites, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Palmer and co. outgun Brady and co. Should be interesting to see the two best receivers up to this point in the season (Moss and Chad) go head-to-head.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by Livinginthe past

Outside of Pittsburgh, and their weak opening schedule, who should we be looking at to truly test the Patriots - or will every team that gets beaten be written of as no-hopers?

Ask me in February

Lots of favorites to win the conference never make it to the SB (I know you may hate to hear it but Exhibit A is the 1976 Steelers) and you need only go back to the 2005 season to see a "Super Team" that was going to outdo the 1972 Dolphins that crashed & burned. That is all I am saying at this point.

The Pats are the most impressive team so far, but beating a Jets team with QB issues, a Chargers team that has coaching issues (even though I recall someone said they were going to beat Green Bay by 20), and a Bills team that has now been stomped by the Steelers and Pats is not much of a read on their greatness.

Given their lousy division the Pats certainly have the inside track on homefield, but in the AFC that often has not been worth a whole lot.

As I have said repeatedly, this ain't the BCS - the championship will be decided on the field, not by compring the relative merit of beatdowns.

[MasterOfPuppets]

its way to early in the season to crown a champ ,or right off most teams.one or two injuryies to key players can sink a potential playoff team , or some of these not so impressive teams can turn it around in a matter of a week !

[revefsreleets]

The Bengals have a major problem on their hands next week. Unless they score on every possession (and they won't come close), they are going to get blown out. You can't play only one of three facets of the game well and expect to win in the NFL, especially against tier one teams. The bigger problem is that this team has a history of quitting when the going gets tough, and they are only a few years removed from bottomfeeder status. I think they lose bad next week and collapse, maybe only winning 6 games this season. I also want the Steelers to embarrass them bad this year.

[TackleMeBen]

just hope that the pats dont try and take out palmer like they did losman... then we will hear about how the bengals could have won if palmer hadnt got hurt. i hope his oline can protect him against the pats.. they play dirty

[Haiku_Dirtt]

Originally Posted by fansince'76

I actually wouldn't mind seeing the Bengals win that game. I'm getting a little tired of the "invincible" talk, and a Bengals win next week would go a long way towards shutting it up.

Part of me would agree but let them keep talking. I'd rather oversimplify our playoff aspirations with a two horse race with the Ravens and only the Ravens.

Could it be possible that Bellicheat and the New England Astericks might be peaking early? Not unlike the Steelers their first opponents don't meet the litmus test since who knows who the Chargers are - even they don't know.

[Livinginthe past]

Originally Posted by TackleMeBen

just hope that the pats dont try and take out palmer like they did losman... then we will hear about how the bengals could have won if palmer hadnt got hurt. i hope his oline can protect him against the pats.. they play dirty

Whereas the Steelers have never had any issues with taking out Palmer with a cheap low shot to the knee, then say, had a whole new rule named in honor of it.

Lucky none of that ever happened.

[Haiku_Dirtt]

[QUOTE=Livinginthe past;299044]Rather than look at the Chargers loss to the Patriots as simply further confirmation of a team on a downward spiral - it could be looked at as the game that caused the downward spiral.QUOTE]

I can't buy into that. If losing in WEEK TWO to one of the two pre-season favorites to take the AFC causes a "downward spiral"...

And say it did? Then I guess the Chargers are all thunder and no lightning.

[Livinginthe past]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Ask me in February

Lots of favorites to win the conference never make it to the SB (I know you may hate to hear it but Exhibit A is the 1976 Steelers) and you need only go back to the 2005 season to see a "Super Team" that was going to outdo the 1972 Dolphins that crashed & burned. That is all I am saying at this point..

Sure. You know im not one for making rash guarantees for the SB based upon the first few games - the NFL and the media that srves it specialises in the knee jerk reaction.

Believe me, there are plenty of potential stories just waiting to be broken out should the Patriots lose to Cincy - Belichick 'distracted', Patriots 'getting away from their non-star roots' - that tpe of nonsense - hopefully I wont have the opportunity to be proved correct though!

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

The Pats are the most impressive team so far, but beating a Jets team with QB issues, a Chargers team that has coaching issues (even though I recall someone said they were going to beat Green Bay by 20), and a Bills team that has now been stomped by the Steelers and Pats is not much of a read on their greatness..

Yah, I really thought Green Bay were rated way too high and the opposite of San Diego - turns out I was wrong...it'll happen again, no doubt (unless im wrong about that)

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Given their lousy division the Pats certainly have the inside track on homefield, but in the AFC that often has not been worth a whole lot.

As I have said repeatedly, this ain't the BCS - the championship will be decided on the field, not by compring the relative merit of beatdowns.

Yes, admittedly the AFCE is shaping up to be poor this year - I take exception to those who intimate its been a cake walk since 2001 - but this year, for sure, it looks to be one of the weaker divisions in football..not just the AFC.

I believe useful information can be extracetd from this regular season games, but as you say, its not simply transferrable into postseason success - but it does give indicators of future performance.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by Livinginthe past

Whereas the Steelers have never had any issues with taking out Palmer with a cheap low shot to the knee, then say, had a whole new rule named in honor of it.

Lucky none of that ever happened.

The rule was changed after the hit LITP, which you are an experienced enough student of the game to know. It is not as if the Commmissioner put out a memo the week before the game saying that activity specifically was prohibited after Kimo had been caught doing the same thing in Green Bay. Of course I suppose Kimo could then have said his interpretation of the rule was simply different from that of the league office and apologized to the Steelers organization and their fans (but not to Palmer)

But I recognize the Pats and their fans own the moral high ground when it comes to any issue concerning fair play within both the letter and spirit of the rules.