Bengals tidbits

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals notebook
Steelers unlikely to alter strategy

Saturday, October 27, 2007 3:47 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Bengals have become accustomed to opponents gearing their defense to limiting the damage done by receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
Houshmandzadeh anticipates that changing Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Asked whether he expects Steelers defensive coordinator (and former Bengals coach) Dick LeBeau to have him and Johnson double-teamed, Houshmandzadeh shook his head.
"No, coach LeBeau has more pride than that," he said. "Knowing coach LeBeau, he's not that type of guy. He's going to stick to his guns, and he's got confidence in the defense he's calling. When you do that kind of stuff, you leave yourself vulnerable in other areas."

Continued.......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals may be as close to do or die as team can get
Win puts Cincinnati in race; loss wipes out hope for future
Sunday, October 28, 2007 4:06 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

• Closing window
  
• Fourteen players on the Bengals roster will be at least 30 by the start of next season. (Players' ages listed will be as of September 2008.)
• DE Bryan Robinson, 34
• OT Willie Anderson, 33
• DT Michael Myers, 32
• LS Brad St. Louis, 32
• OG Bobbie Williams, 31
• DT John Thornton, 31
• CB Deltha O?€™Neal, 31
• TE Reggie Kelly, 31
• S Dexter Jackson, 31
• WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, 30
• K Shayne Graham, 30
• WR Chad Johnson, 30
• LB Dhani Jones, 30
• RB Kenny Watson, 30

They're all big games. Ask any NFL player and he will act as if that Sunday's game holds the key to the season, and perhaps Western civilization.
Usually, it's baloney. Almost every team loses at least a handful of games. They can't all be life or death.
Today's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers may be the exception for the Cincinnati Bengals. The outcome could shape not only the rest of the season but the team's future.

Continued...

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

The fact that Lewis has enough confidence in this defense to forego 4th and short in favor of punt/fg tells me all I need to know. This is not a Jim Tressel team. Punt and play defense is NOT going to work. The offense better be scoring touchdowns every single possession. Show a little desperation here, you sissies. At least pretend like you have some pride.

It's 2:55 PM and Leon Hall still sucks.


EDIT - Damn. Had it paused so I could bitch and they pick one off just to make me look stupid(er). Thanks, guys.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Big Ben too elusive for Bengals

Monday, October 29, 2007 3:30 AM
By Scott Priestle


The Columbus Dispatch
CINCINNATI -- Ben Roethlisberger took another step yesterday toward becoming an elite NFL quarterback. A two-step, between two defenders, around another, then a half-twist and a throw across his body to an open receiver.

Roethlisberger danced around the Cincinnati Bengals for most of four quarters, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 24-13 win that left a record Paul Brown Stadium crowd simmering.
No play summarized the day better than a third-and-6 from near midfield in the fourth quarter, as the Bengals clung to the last strands of hope. Roethlisberger stepped up in the pocket to avoid two defenders, slid to his left to avoid another, then flipped a pass to his right to receiver Santonio Holmes, who picked up 12 hope-killing yards. The Steelers kicked a field goal moments later to account for the final margin.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals: Kicking themselves
Lewis' decision to settle for field goal deflates players
Monday, October 29, 2007 3:43 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Tom Uhlman Associated Press
T.J. Houshmandzadeh falls into the end zone for a touchdown reception against the Steelers' Deshea Townsend, left, and James Farrior.



CINCINNATI -- Marvin Lewis didn't need a Monday morning quarterback to tell him he had blown it.
The Cincinnati Bengals coach knew by late yesterday afternoon, if not sooner.
With its season in danger of unraveling, Cincinnati needed to make a statement against the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, Lewis chose to kick. Literally.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals notebook: Offense effective, except in red zone

Monday, October 29, 2007 3:29 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Al BehrmanAssociated Press
Bengals running back Kenny Watson fumbles while being hit by Steelers safety Tyrone Carter.



CINCINNATI -- The Bengals did many things well offensively.
Kenny Watson ran effectively, gaining 88 yards on 19 carries. Carson Palmer didn't throw an interception and wasn't sacked. Cincinnati committed only two penalties, both false starts.
None of that mattered yesterday in a 24-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals moved the ball consistently, but they couldn't convert yards into enough points.
Four times the Bengals got inside the Pittsburgh 20-yard line. They managed only one touchdown and two field goals.

Continued....

 

[CCI]

My bengal Stripes are over this year is going down the tubes. I hear Cleveland Brown calling CCI

 

[GoBucks89]

The fact that Lewis has enough confidence in this defense to forego 4th and short in favor of punt/fg tells me all I need to know. This is not a Jim Tressel team. Punt and play defense is NOT going to work. The offense better be scoring touchdowns every single possession. Show a little desperation here, you sissies. At least pretend like you have some pride.

It's 2:55 PM and Leon Hall still sucks.


EDIT - Damn. Had it paused so I could bitch and they pick one off just to make me look stupid(er). Thanks, guys.

BK, you still have plenty of room to bitch. On that play where Hall got beat for the TD, the bengals had only 10 men on the field. Nice. Add to that the moronic decision to kick the field goal when you have 4th and 1 at the 2 and that makes for a serious lack of attention to detail and coaching. This team's problems start from the top.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Former Bengals draft pick trying to jump-start career

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:36 AM
By Kristie Rieken


ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pat Sullivan Associated Press
Peter Warrick performs at an invitation-only evaluation session for the new All American Football League last week in Houston.



HOUSTON -- The multicarat diamond studs adorning Peter Warrick's ears are a reminder of the life he once led.
Two seasons removed from his last NFL game, the fourth pick in the 2000 draft is far from fame and riches. Now he's at a place he never thought he'd be: trying out for the fledgling All American Football League.
The two-time All-America selection at Florida State is 30 years old and still looking for a path back to the NFL. Released after five lackluster seasons in Cincinnati, he was cut last year by the Seahawks after one year there.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals: Lewis backpedals, stands by kick

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:34 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

CINCINNATI -- In hindsight, Marvin Lewis would change his original hindsight.
In his news conference Sunday afternoon after his Bengals' 24-13 loss to the Steelers, Lewis said he should have gone for it on fourth-and-1 from the Pittsburgh 2-yard line late in the second quarter trailing by 11 points.
Instead, the Bengals kicked a field goal, only to have the Steelers drive 70 yards for a touchdown just before halftime, putting Cincinnati in a giant hole it couldn't escape.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Healed Rudi eager to carry load

Thursday, November 1, 2007 3:51 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

CINCINNATI -- Bengals running back Rudi Johnson doesn't pay attention to the whispers. Never has. Never will.
All he cares about is that his hamstring is finally healed, and he's ready to resume his role the team's workhorse running back.
Whether that happens is another issue. Kenny Watson ran well in Johnson's absence. Watson is averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Johnson's average is 3.0.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

T.J.'s big season tempered by Bengals' poor record

Friday, November 2, 2007 3:32 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ed Zurga Associated Press
T.J. Houshmandzadeh has nine touchdown catches this season.



CINCINNATI -- T.J. Houshmandzadeh isn't one for false modesty.
He's not going to say he derives no personal satisfaction from his gaudy statistics. But the Cincinnati Bengals receiver says he would enjoy them a lot more if his team weren't 2-5.
"I'm not going to lie to you," Houshmandzadeh said. "When you do well individually, it's cool. To be honest, it really is. But at the end of the day, we're losing. So it's kind of like you're not doing enough.

Continued...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

Bengals notebook
Is Rudi starting? It's a game-time decision
BY MARK CURNUTTE | [email protected]


Whether Rudi Johnson will start at Buffalo - the sight of his first NFL start in 2003 - won't be known until Sunday morning.
Johnson, coming back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three of the past four games, completed a strong week of practice Friday, head coach Marvin Lewis said.
Johnson and Kenny Watson, who started the past four games, are expected to split the workload.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals need special work on special teams

Sunday, November 4, 2007 3:55 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

At the time, it seemed like merely a blip in a magical season. Only in hindsight can the play's significance be appreciated.
The last time the Bengals played the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati was riding high. It was Christmas Eve 2005 and the Bengals had clinched the AFC North a week earlier in Detroit.
The Bengals played the 4-10 Bills in Paul Brown Stadium with the hope of securing a playoff bye. But leading 17-13 in the third quarter, Cincinnati allowed Terrence McGee to return a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. That sparked Buffalo to a 37-27 upset.

Continued........

 

[sandgk]

Recap of the game in Buffalo

Highlights -

Another poor defensive showing.

Chad Johnson may be lost for a game or more. Carted off the field as a precautionary measure. Movement in his extremities, but a big hit lead to to this.

As for the prospects for the rest of the season.

After the Patriots game I hoped for this.

Which is now subject to downward revision.
Where do those 5 wins come from?

at Kansas City (ACTUAL) L
NY Jets (ACTUAL) W
Pittsburgh (ACTUAL) Loss
at Buffalo [strike]probable Win[/strike] - ACTUAL LOSS
at Baltimore Loss
Arizona Probable Loss
Tennessee Loss
at Pittsburgh Loss
St. Louis Probable Win
at San Francisco [strike]Loss[/strike] - Possible Win
Cleveland Probable (though not definite) Win
at Miami Probable Win

Which STILL leaves them at 6-10 end of season.

Now 2-6 at the mid-point of the season.

How much will Henry be able to help once he returns?