SB Nation - Chris Crocker

Practice Report: Cincinnati Bengals (9-3) at Minnesota Vikings (10-2)

Kirkendall — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:42:32 -0000

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
TE Chase Coffman (ankle)	OUT			IR
DT Domata Peko (knee)	OUT			OUT
RB Bernard Scott (foot)	OUT			OUT
S Chris Crocker (ankle)	DNP
S Kyries Hebert (knee)	DNP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	DNP


VIKINGS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
WR Percy Harvin (illness)	DNP
S Tyrell Johnson (concussion)	DNP
T Phil Loadholt (shoulder)	DNP
RB Adrian Peterson (foot, ankle)	DNP
WR Bernard Berrian (hamstring)	LP
CB Cedric Griffin (neck)	LP
G Anthony Herrera (concussion)	LP
G Steve Hutchinson (shoulder)	LP
T Bryant McKinnie (ankle)	LP
CB Karl Paymah (knee)	LP
TE Visanthe Shiancoe (ribs)	LP
DT Pat Williams (foot)	LP
CB Antoine Winfield (foot)	LP

Don't expect Brady Quinn to have another career day against the Cincinnati Bengals secondary

Kirkendall — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall (29) returns an interception as cornerback Morgan Trent (25) blocks Chicago Bears receiver Johnny Knox (13) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn had a big game against the Detroit Lions last week, throwing for 304 yards passing, four touchdowns and no interceptions. His 133.1 passer rating is a career high, second to the 104.3 he recorded against the Broncos in the third week of the 2008 season. Was Quinn's performance against the Lions a precursor towards a greater NFL career than he was on pace for? Was his performance benefited by passing against the league's worst passing defense? Or was it just a matter of fluke plays?

Regardless, don't expect the same performance against the Bengals this Sunday. In the past three games, Cincinnati's passing defense has allowed only an average 163 yards passing, a 52% completion percentage, four interceptions against two touchdowns and eight sacks (they were shutout against the Raiders).

With potential Pro Bowl cornerbacks in Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, the Bengals have a good nickel corner in Trent Morgan, who failed to prevent the game-tying touchdown against the Raiders. Even so, Morgan has a good body of work over the course of the entire season. Rounded out with solid safety play with Chinedum Ndukwe and Chris Crocker, this secondary is a group that doesn't easily allow receivers to run free.

Aside from sacks, the Bengals passing defense has played as well in the last three games as they've played all season. Their yards allowed is down to season lows, their completion percentage allowed is down, as is first downs allowed.

Passing Defense broken down into three segments on the season
	First Four	Middle Three	Final Three
Yards	263.3	268.0	163.0
Comp. %	59%	70%	52%
Interceptions	2	6	4
Touchdowns	4	6	2
Sacks/Game	3.0	1.7	2.7
First D/Game	11	13.3	9.3

With Brady expected to start, all I can say is, thank god. Derek Anderson has a career 2-2 record starting against the Bengals in his career.

Date	Result	Yards	TDs	INTs	Rating
9.16.2007	W, 51-45	328	5	1	121.0
12.23.2007	L, 14-19	251	2	4	53.4
9.28.2008	W, 20-12	138	1	1	74.7
10.14.2009	L, 20-23	269	1	1	68.8

His numbers aren't mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination. But in each of his four starts, Anderson was always a threat, keeping Cleveland close enough in the end that their losses were within a five points or less. This year, when the Bengals barely beat Cleveland 23-20, Anderson recorded career highs in yards passing (269), completions (26), passer rating (68.8) and yards per attempted pass (5.60).

With Quinn starting, and the Bengals secondary playing as well as they have all season, don't expect Cleveland's passing offense to do much. In fact, if I were a homer Bengals fan, I'd say that the Bengals defense will play their best game of the season. If I were a homer.

Bengals Banter: Because Guitar Hero just doesn't imitate real life.

Kirkendall — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:00:17 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals safety Chris Crocker (42) returns an interception against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Cincinnati. Chinedum Ndukwe (41) follows. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Thanksgiving came and went. Football. Food. Family. Even friends later in the day. It's always a great holiday. You get to reflect on things you're thankful for. Health for my family is always most important. Thankful that I live in the greatest country on the planet. I am thankful for this site and for all of you, who make this site great. I'm also thankful for my team of writers bringing different perspectives to the table, and sometimes, giving me a spell to deal with real life issues. I'm thankful for a lot of things I take for granted.

I spent most of my Thanksgiving playing Guitar Hero III with my brother and sister. I started on easy. Then went to Medium difficulty; using the blue note on a four-button harmony of total rock. I pumped my arm into the air a few times when I recorded 95% accuracy scores. I even did a Gene Simmons tongue roll. I tried Expert. I rocked for all about five seconds before I was booed off stage. Here's the thing. I've been playing guitar, real guitar, since before I was ten years old. I used to know every Metallica song by heart. Now, I know every Dave Matthews song (trust me, the ladies love it). But Guitar Hero? I looked foolish. Everytime I missed a note, everyone in the room heard it. I nervously laughed my embarrassment. I tried playing Metallica's One. I did good. Until the song went into ultrafast mode at the end. I got booed again. Feeling bad for me, my sister and I teamed up. She played guitar, I played bass. I was better. But it was a bit boring. Until you get to the end of Santana's Black Magic Woman. We had to play that three times before I nailed it.

Either way, it was a great Thanksgiving and I hope you all enjoyed it as well.

Now, let's talk Bengals football.

Domata Peko invited to Jonathan Fanene to Thanksgiving dinner. "The invitation soon spread to all of the Polynesian players on the roster, their families, and any other player without a place to go." Other teammates are joining others. Kyle Cook hosted Tom Nelson and Jonathan Luigs, "where they'll deep-fry a turkey." Chris Crocker visited with Kyries Hebert and Leon Hall. Pat Sims hosted a dinner at a homeless shelter earlier in the week, while Frostee Rucker "sponsored families for a Thanksgiving Shopping spree at the Hyde Park Kroger in Cincinnati."

So if one more person questions this team character, then we'll officially nominate them for Ass-Clown of the Week. Agreed?

Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rodgers has missed two practices this week. So has Cedric Benson, Laveranues Coles and Domata Peko. As for Benson, he was on the field doing rehab work this week, and is expected to practice on Friday.

The Bengals haven't allowed any team to rush for 100 yards in six straight games in 2009. That's a franchise record for one season.

WDR says offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski sucks because the Bengals run the football 59% of the time on first down (to correct TMQ, the Bengals run 57.7% of the time on first downs). The Bengals average 4.04 yards per rush on first downs. When they pass the football, Cincinnati averages 7.24 yards. On second down, Cincinnati rushes 54% of the time averaging 4.3 yards-per-rush, which is one yard more than the 5.4-yard passing average. More importantly, on what down do the Cincinnati Bengals convert their first downs?

Down	Plays	First Downs	Conversion
First Down	281	55	20%
Second Down	212	63	30%
Third Down	141	58	41%
Fourth Down	10	7	70%

Stats from NFL Game Statistics and Game Information.

But we have to go back to January, when Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said that this offense was going to be a different offense. At the time, we didn't know what that meant. A week later, Bob Bratkowski elaberated on what Marvin Lewis wanted, saying that the head coach wanted "to be a more physical team that runs the ball better."

"From my conversations with him, we're not throwing everything out. It's more adding in some new things," Bratkowski said. "When you're talking about a system, you're talking terminology, protections, run scheme and those things that can be adjusted. We've discussed it and we still haven't finalized it. I know what direction he wants to go: run it so we can play-action it and throw the ball down field. That's the direction he wants to go."

Pat Kirwin has his own take, saying that success follows teams that run the football. Whatever you think of Bratkowski, it's Lewis that wants this team to pound the football more and more.

Joe Reedy talks about Chinedum Ndukwe's relationship with Brady Quinn, who have been great friends since the seventh grade. They'll face each other for the first time in their respective NFL careers.

I haven't always agreed with James Walker's assessments. But I'm behind this 100%. "...it is time for the Caldwell experiment on kickoff returns to end." Again. Love Caldwell. He's the future of this team. But not as a kick returner.

Bengals are still the number two seed in the conference by way of strength of schedule.

Practice Report: Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) at Oakland Raiders (2-7)

Kirkendall — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:15:48 -0000

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll (TRY TO) update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DNP	DNP
S Chris Crocker (calf)	DNP	DNP
G Evan Mathis (ankle)	DNP	LP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	DNP	DNP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP
RB Jeremi Johnson (chest)	FP	FP
WR Laveranues Coles (head)	--	LP

OAKLAND	WED	THUR	FRI
LB Ricky Brown (ankle)	DNP
S Hiram Eugene (shoulder)	DNP
WR Nick Miller (shin)	DNP
WR Javon Walker (hamstring)	DNP
DE Greg Ellis (knee, shoulder)	LP
LB Isaiah Ekejiuba (ankle)	FP

Oakland's practice hadn't ended by the time the injury report was released.

Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with unsung heroes and a beautiful red zone defense

Kirkendall — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:51 -0000

by Gene J. Puskar - AP

25 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Bobbie Williams (63) leaves Heinz Field after a 18-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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It was a bar in Dayton that an odd fellow, let's call him William, struck up a conversation with me that began with typical fantasy football musings. He drafted Adrian Peterson. His reaction was like anyone else's when drafting a great fantasy football player -- telling EVERYONE. Confident of his chances, not requiring the debate of the rest of his fantasy football draft, the conversation took an expected turn. Everyone that knows me personally, knows that I could chit-chat Bengals all day long. But it's not just about Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco. Those are the superstars that everyone else knows. What's more to say about them? Carson just wins. Chad just finds dollar bills laying around, hoping that the ref can find the owner who lost the money. We'll talk how hard Abdul Hodge will smack you in the face on kickoffs. We'll reminisce how the monstrous Ahmad Brooks had every tool to become a super-stud linebacker. We'll agree that Rashad Jeanty is perhaps the most unknown contributor on this defense, since 2006.

It was never about who was right. That's never the way conversations go. It's just about talking about the thing that we both love. William was old enough to remember both Super Bowls as if watching it live. I was too young for Super Bowl XVI. Not Super Bowl XXIII. I've told the story of breaking my mother's lamp when John Taylor scored the winning touchdown more times than I can remember.

But William's mind was sore. Last season left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. That angry feeling we had before Marvin Lewis' era had resurfaced. Our last conversations didn't detail the exponential growth we saw from the defense last year. It wasn't about Carson Palmer returning. It wasn't about Cedric Benson, who had the best three-game stretch of any running back in the final three games. It wasn't about the veteran free agents, nor the NFL draft in which many observers praised the Bengals selections.

He was mad. And he should be mad. This team was terrible in 2008. Few things could be said about them that actually made us feel good. And that anger carried over to 2009.

William suggested firing Marvin Lewis. I gave the people's eyebrow for good measure, showing my uncertainty while questioning the validity of the source. How could you? Why would you? Who would you replace him with? It really took me aback. His argument is that great coaches could deal with the amount of injuries this team suffered, and still go undefeated... if they were great. Alright. Who would you replace him with? Bill Cowher, he instantly says. Yep. Bill Cowher. He's proven to put great teams together with a core philosophy that lasted most of his tenure, he argues. Yea, but. Well, he's a former Steelers coach. He lowers his head. He knows the point I just made. He knows that level of crazy-talk, while fun at times, has no place here. Are you drinking again, William, I asked. No, he laughed. It wasn't Bill Cowher he was suggesting; but Cowher being a model of stability that this team needed. Understandable.

At this point, I've recovered enough to make sure my adult beverage had a one-way ticket in, assuring that the mist that exhaled from my nose during that conversation had no escape. My composure, solid. I told him, have patience. They did a lot during the offseason, and excuse or not, Palmer's injury last year was a big contributor for their struggles. Even so, they were a solid football team in the second half of the season. They sported a winning recorded in the final eight games in 2008, I argued. That momentum would continue. How can you be so sure, he asked. Well, I can't be. But there are positive things. There is momentum. We won't repeat 2008. I promise.

William thoroughly enjoyed Cincy Jungle. We talked about the Bengals a lot. But we also talked just about football. The Buckeyes. The Bearcats. High School. We even shared our own football war stories.

About two months ago, William died of cancer. I'm going to miss talking to him about football. About the Bengals. But what really makes me sad, is that we won't be able to tell him that the Cincinnati Bengals swept the Steelers and Ravens, have a two-game lead in the AFC North with a 7-2 record. It would have been sweet to watch the pessimistic Bengals fan morph back into an bouncing anxious Bengals fan honestly optimistic that they could win any game on the schedule.

Hey William. We just swept the Steelers. You'd be proud.

The award for Offensive and Special Teams player of the game specifically designed to award Bernard Scott. We wrote briefly about Bernard Scott's ventures yesterday. He not only returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, but several runs late in the game moved the ball forward and helped Cincinnati kill 4:20 off the clock, setting up Shayne Graham's third field goal of the game. Scott also recorded a 21-yard reception.

Think that's it? Scott recorded 206 yards on kickoff returns, giving him 260 yards total on offense and special teams. Bernard Scott isn't the powerful between the tackles runner that Benson is right now, but Scott's speed and acceleration is impressive. With 3:05 left in the game at the Pittsburgh 35-yard line, Cincinnati lined up on second-and-five, Scott accelerated around the right edge, picked up five yards and the first down. This forced the Steelers to use two timeouts, and took another minute off the clock.

Carson Palmer didn't struggle. He did what the Steelers allowed. It was true. Most of Palmer's passes were off target, mostly high. There were some plays that Palmer felt rushed and threw the football early. In the second quarter alone, Palmer completed only two of seven passes for 30 yards. But Palmer's struggles didn't last. In the second half, Palmer's efficiency returned. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 98 yards passing. In the fourth quarter alone, Palmer completed six of seven passes for 54 yards -- including a big third-down 17-yard pass to Brian Leonard. This guy puts it together when it matters the most.

More importantly, Palmer didn't take more than what the Steelers gave him. He didn't commit a turnover. He threw passes that weren't risky. If he was getting sacked, he allowed it, not trying to do the impossible and threw the football up. No, he didn't win this football game. That's not how we beat the Steelers and I doubt that will be true next year, or the year after that. Nor did he lose the game. To me, Palmer didn't struggle. He did only what he could.

Including the big 17-yard pass to Brian Leonard that converted a third-and-five, Palmer completed a deep 16-yard pass to Laveranues Coles down the left sidelines that pushed the Bengals to Pittsburgh's 24-yard line. Palmer completed back-to-back passes for eight yards after a Brian Leonard one-yard run, setting up an easy 32-yard field goal for Shayne Graham to give Cincinnati a 15-12 lead with 7:29 left in the game. Cincinnati largely went into kill-the-clock mode with six minutes left in the game. Scott shined here. Palmer attempted only one pass -- an eight-yard pass to Laveranues Coles with 3:53 left in the game that gave the Bengals their third first down. Thanks to Bernard Scott and a scramble by Palmer where he totally forgot how to slide gracefully, Shayne Graham converted a 43-yard field goal to give the Bengals an 18-12 lead.

No. This wasn't the Palmer we saw against the Bears. Or early against the Ravens. But this isn't the same Bengals either. If Palmer only throws for 178 yards passing, doesn't record a touchdown and the Bengals win, you'll take that.

The Bengals won because they have a defense that wins games. With all of the talk about an inconsistent offense with star-power players, the truth of the matter is the Bengals defense is the biggest reason the Bengals have swept the Steelers and Ravens, own the tie-breaker against both teams and sit in first place at 7-2. It's the defense. Sure the offense has helped. But nothing with the consistency and confidence this defense has right now.

With 1:49 left in the game, the Bengals have an 18-12 lead. Pittsburgh has one timeout left and plenty of time to pick up 67 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Ever since we lost to the Denver Broncos, that little place in the back of my mind that anything could happen, gets really big. Most defenses in this situation tend to go into prevent, with one goal in mind of not allowing the game-winning touchdown. Not Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. He blitzed. He had his guys in coverage smothering route runners. Roethlisberger didn't have time for deep routes to develop, though he tried to wait. Brandon Johnson pressured Roethlisberger on first down, forcing the incomplete. Chris Crocker and Johnathan Joseph shutdown their guys on respective plays. On fourth down, Roethlisberger was assaulted by Frostee Rucker and Michael Johnson, who forced the quarterback to make a desperate throw that landed several yards away in the middle of nowhere.

Bengals football. Three knees. Bengals win!

Even though this sealed the win, I don't believe this is where the Bengals won the football game. Aside from the final score, here's the most important stat of the game. Four times the Steelers entered the red zone. Four times, the Steelers settled for field goals.

Pittsburgh looked to score a touchdown on their opening possession. They recorded three first downs, including a third-and-13 conversion on a 15-yard scramble by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Bengals this year have struggled defensively when the game starts. And trust me, struggle is a relative term. They're simply not forcing three-and-outs on the opening possession of the game. A little greedy? So. On the first drive, the Steelers recorded three plays of 11 yards or more, reaching Cincinnati's 15-yard line. After that, the bend-but-dont-break defense, stood their ground.

On first down, Johnathan Joseph broke from his cornerback spot to close a rushing lane on the right edge, preventing what could have been a touchdown run for Mendenhall. Instead, two-yard gain. On second-and-eight at the Bengals 13-yard line, Roethlisberger spread out the offense in shotgun, he rolled out left and threw a shovel passed to Heath Miller for another three-yard gain. Third-and-five with 4:50 left in the first quarter, Chinedum Ndukwe sprinted to the line of scrimmage as Roethlisberger received the snap. Ndukwe found a wide open lane on the right, threw his arms up and knocked down the pass. Steelers drive stalls and Pittsburgh takes a 3-0 lead on a Jeff Reed 28-yard field goal.

Pittsburgh would go on to punt on the following two possessions -- including a three-and-out. With eight minutes left in the first half, the Steelers began their second red zone assault. After a 10-yard run by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger throws two incomplete passes. On third-and-10 at the Bengals 36-yard line, Roethlisberger, under pressure rolls left and finds a crossing Santonio Holmes for a 21-yard gain. He follows that up with another 10-yard gain. Three of the Steelers first five plays on this drive picked up 10 yards or more. They were picking up chunks again.

But not for long. With their backs to the endzone, the defense foams at the mouth. First-and-ten at the Bengals five-yard line. Mendenhall gets the carry, shifts to the right, where Chris Crocker shot through the line of scrimmage, taking out Mendenhall for a three-yard loss. On second-and-eight, Morgan Trent ran step-for-step with Santonio Holmes on an out-route towards the back left pylon, easily knocking the pass down. After a timeout that must have conjured up some crazy magical touchdown play, Jonathan Fanene sacks Roethlisberger, forcing Jeff Reed to convert a 33-yard field goal. That's two red zones appearances by Pittsburgh. That's two forced field goals.

Cincinnati's offense went three-and-out.

Pittsburgh gets the ball back with 2:52 left in the first half. The Steelers move until Heath Miller was called for offensive holding. After an incomplete pass to Mike Wallace, the Steelers line up second-and-twenty at the Steelers 24-yard line. Roethlisberger watches Wallace run a deep seam route and lightly presses the "B" button, floating a rainbow pass. A millisecond before the pass arrives, Ndukwe hooked Wallace's left arm, forcing another incomplete. Flag. Defensive pass interference and a 46-yard penalty. Ndukwe knew it. He didn't bother complaining.

After an 11-yard pass to Moore, the Steelers enter the red zone. The Bengals defense foams at the mouth. With :59 seconds remaining, the Steelers line up first-and-goal at the Bengals eight-yard line. After Geathers recorded the team's fourth sack in the half, Roethlisberger was forced to pick up 17 yards for the touchdown. On the first pass, Roethlisberger overthrew everyone in the end zone. On the second pass to Santonio Holmes at the back right pylon, Johnathan Joseph grazed the floating football with a fingernail, causing football enough redirection that Holmes couldn't adjust. Jeff Reed converts the 35-yard field goal.

Bengals force a third field goal on Pittsburgh's third red zone appearance.

Pittsburgh would be shutout of the red zone until there was 2:51 left in the third quarter. After five plays in which the Steelers started at midfield, Pittsburgh lines up at the Bengals 13-yard line. The score is tied at 12. This is big. After Hines Ward's eight-yard reception, the Steelers run three times, including a quarterback sneak, to pick up the first down at the Bengals 11-yard line.

On the ensuing play, the Steelers are flagged for offensive holding. After that, it was the same script that had been played all day. Five-yard dump pass to Mendenhall. Incomplete pass batted down by Jonathan Fanene, who came unblocked and would have sacked the quarterback, at the line of scrimmage. On third-and-15 at the Bengals 16-yard line, Roethlisberger, overthrows the football to Mike Wallace, running towards the left sidelines in the endzone.

Bengals force a fourth field goal on Pittsburgh's fourth, and final, red zone appearance.

Say hello to Morgan Trent. The story of a great day for the team's third best cornerback. When we talked about Morgan Trent after the NFL draft, I wasn't encouraged. It wasn't so much what I've seen -- I really don't remember him playing at Michigan much. It was Wolverine fans who weren't giving us glowing reviews. Then again, what did you expect from a guy who was drafted in the sixth round, for a position that we believed was set, save for building solid depth.

To describe Trent this year would be to say that he's as solid as they come. And against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made plays. While the Steelers were driving on their first possession of the game, Pittsburgh lined up second-and-eight at the Bengals eight-yard line, threatening to score. Morgan Trent, lined up over Santonio Holmes, sat in the wide receivers hip, following his break towards the back left pylon. Just as it seemed that Holmes created enough space for the touchdown reception, Trent accelerated just in time to knock down the its-not-a-touchdown pass. Jonathan Fanene ended Pittsburgh's threat a play later with a quarterback sack.

On the Steelers opening drive in the second half, Ben Roethlisberger targets Hines Ward on third-and-two at their own 40-yard line. Roethlisberger, in shotgun, throws over the middle. Morgan Trent, trailing Ward on a crossing pattern, flipped his hand up at the inaccurate pass and knocked the football back towards the line of scrimmage where Frostee Rucker intercepted the pass and returned it to the 14-yard line. The Bengals would tie the game soon after.

With 7:15 left in the game, Bengals leading 15-12, Pittsburgh lines up first-and-10 at their own 27-yard line. Roethlisberger throws a deep pass over the middle. Morgan Trent outran Holmes on the deep pass and "got in the way", slowing Holmes progress. On the following play, Roethlisberger throws a quick pass to Holmes on the right. After the reception, he only picks up seven yards, thanks to Trent's great open field tackle. The significance is that the Steelers had three yards to go for the first down and Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass on third down, forcing the Steelers to punt.

If you weren't encouraged by Morgan Trent's play before Sunday's win, you should be now.

They always say it's difficult to sack Ben Roethlisberger. The situation is second-and-eight at the Cincinnati 25-yard line with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Ben Roethlisberger lines up in double-tight end formation with a single-back. He fakes the handoff to Rashard Mendenhall, who targets the gap between center and left guard. Bengals defensive end Jonathan Fanene, lining up at right defensive end, remains at the line of scrimmage playing the run. Once he figures it's a pass, he breaks outside, actually losing his balance. Tight end Matt Spaeth uses Fanene's momentum and pushes him into the ground. Fanene, roughly a yard from Roethlisberger, lunged and twisted the quarterback's left leg to record the game's first sack.

Bernard Scott had just given the Bengals a 6-3 lead on a 96-yard touchdown return on kickoff. On the ensuing drive, with 3:36 left in the first quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers lined up second-and-seven at their own 35 yard-line. Roethlisberger motioned Mendenhall out, leaving an empty backfield. After a three-step drop, Roethlisberger pump faked right, looked left, when Dhani Jones delayed a blitz. The Bengals had covered all of the Steelers offensive linemen, allowing Jones to come unblocked, sacking Roethlisberger for a seven-yard loss. On the following play, Santonio Holmes caught a 14-yard pass for the first down. Marvin Lewis said, "bull crap." He threw the challenge. The officials determined the spot was two yards too generous, forcing the Steelers into fourth-and-two. Pittsburgh punts.

Pittsburgh lines up third-and-goal at the Cincinnati eight-yard line with 4:54 left in the first half, threatening again. The Steelers had just called a timeout and were working up some crazy play that guaranteed a touchdown -- that's what teams do during offensive timeouts I think. Roethlisberger sets up in shotgun. Fanene lined up at the right defensive tackle spot. At first, Fanene was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The Bengals secondary forced Roethlisberger to hold onto the football. After a few seconds, Fanene found a way around the guard, sacking Roethlisberger for a seven-yard loss.

Under a minute left in the first half, the Steelers were driving to the Bengals eight-yard line. Roethlisberger lines up in shotgun and empty backfield. He looks left, pump fakes, braces for Robert Geathers, who nailed the quarterback without even being touched by any blockers. Roethlisberger threw two incomplete passes after that and the Steelers are forced to kick a field goal.

Rushing defense comes up big again. Cincinnati came into Sunday's game with the league's second ranked defense, allowing an average of 83.9 yards per game. Cincinnati limited Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker to 80 yards rushing on 18 attempts.

Rushing offense was effective in spots, but they were always persistent. Not a bad annoying either. The Bengals rushing offense was stuffed and stifled throughout much of the game. They made some plays, but as a unit, they only recorded 61 yards rushing. The thing is, they didn't stop running the football, rushing 29 times. That's commitment to the run.

Driving nowhere. The Bengals defense forced the Steelers offense into four three-and-outs. More importantly, the Bengals defense in the second half forced an interception, three punts, a turnover on downs and a field goal.

Third down domination. The Bengals defense has only allowed four conversions in the past 25 third down situations (16%).

Points allowed domination . The Bengals came into Sunday only allowed 16.9 points per game, ranked fifth in the NFL. They've not allowed a point in the third quarter for three straight games. During that same three-game stretch, Cincinnati has only allowed 12 points in the first half and 17 points in the second half.

What we know. The Bengals win over the Steelers is huge. You know that. Everyone knows that. It's a mark in the division and an introduction to the league that this team is legit. Now, the Bengals enter a stretch of potential trap games. Knowing the maturity of this team, I like our chances. Still, as William would quickly remind all of us, we've seen them fall in games they should have won too many times before. Aye.

Here's a Rumor I Do NOT Support

IFChris — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:54:57 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE -- This is a Sept. 20, 2009, file photo showing Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, in Kansas City, Mo. The Kansas City Chiefs have released troubled running back Larry Johnson. A two-paragraph statement from the team Monday, Nov. 9, 2009, simply listed Johnson's statistics and announced his release. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

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OK, Cedric Benson, I understand, but if this particular rumor comes to fruition, you'll never hear the end of it from me. Apparently, Mike Brown is interested in disgraced Kansas City Chief running back, Larry Johnson. Let me be clear here, in no way is this a good idea. Absolutely zero. If you want to give Cedric Benson a breather -- and folks, the team has been riding him a great deal -- Brian Leonard or Bernard Scott are quite capable, and aren't nearly the headache Johnson has shown to be.

Sure, folks are allowed second chances in life, but as a resident of Kansas City, and therefore front and center for much of Johnson's shenanigans, he's already had them. Trust me. There's nothing else he brings to the table that justifies signing he and his 2.7 yards per carry to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Johnson is not a positive influence on the locker room.

Johnson is not a positive role model for the community.

Johnson's paltry performance does not merit signing him. In no way.

Josh and I have already written about Johnson for another publication, and he's a little more forgiving than I am. Don't get me wrong, as a single NFL running back who's supposed to be King Ding-a-Ling in KC, I'd probably get pissed if this lady turned me down -- but I don't think I'd spit a drink in her face as a response. Oh, and for those of you wondering, I'd feel the same if this was the 1700-yards/double-digit-touchdowns Larry Johnson we were talking about.

Cincinnati has a wonderful thing going. Furthermore, they struck gold with Cedric Benson (and Dhani Jones, Roy Williams, Chris Crocker, etc) but at some point, that well -- or mine, if you will -- is going to dry up and the returns could be less than desired. Judging by experience, Johnson represents one too many chances of trying to spin straw into gold.

The Bengals have plenty of depth at running back. Adding Johnson to the mix is not worth jeopardizing the precious chemistry the team has established this far.

Primer: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

Kirkendall — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:03:08 -0000

Game: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
Series Leader: Baltimore, 15-12
Streak: Bengals have won four of the past six meetings
Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 8-5. Harbaugh: 2-1.
Broadcast: CBS (1:00 PM ET): Dick Enberg, Dan Fouts. Westwood One Radio: Kevin Kugler, Mark Malone. SIRIUS: 129 (Bal.), 123 (Cin.). XM: 105 (Cin.).
SB Nation: Baltimore Beatdown
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 64 degrees and light winds. [Weather.com]
Uniform: Black
Television Coverage: Ohio, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, most of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado [506] Note: Since the game isn't sold out yet, the Bengals could be blacked out in the Cincinnati market.

Cincinnati Bengals

Dating back to December 14, 2008, the Cincinnati Bengals have won eight of their past ten games.
When a Bengals running back rushes 25 times or more, the Bengals are 25-1 (.961) under head coach Marvin Lewis er
Against the Chicago Bears, quarterback Carson Palmer had the best touchdown to interception ratio in his career (+5) tying Boomer Esiason for a franchise record.
Palmer is 7-3 when starting against the Ravens.
Dating back to December 21, 2008, running back Cedric Benson leads the AFC (second in the NFL) with 1,002 yards rushing on 227 attempts (4.4 yards-per-rush).
When Benson rushes 20 times or more in a game, he averages 105.3 yards rushing per game (his teams are 10-1-1).
Benson also looks to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing performance against the Ravens (recorded 120 yards rushing in first meeting).
Since 2002, Chad Ochocinco ranks second in the NFL with 9,149 yards receiving -- Torry Holt has 9,298 yards receiving.
Chad is looking to record a third straight 100-yard receiving game -- averaging 105 yards receiving per game in the past three games.
The Bengals defense has recorded six interceptions in the past three games.
Leon Hall has three picks in his past three games and Chris Crocker is looking to record an interception for a third consecutive game.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens offense averages 28.4 points per game. They are on pace to break the franchise scoring record they set in 2003 (24.7 points per game).
Joe Flacco is 2-1 as a starter against the Cincinnati Bengals with a career 84.2 passer rating against Cincinnati (completed 56 of 89 passes for 595 yards receiving, three touchdowns and two interceptions).
With a touchdown against Cincinnati, Flacco will have a passing touchdown in eight straight games.
Ray Rice is averaging 100.7 yards rushing in games that he records 20 rushing attempts or more.
In his past four games, Rice is averaging 149.3 yards from scrimmage (333 rushing, 264 receiving).
Willie McGahee is tied for fourth in the NFL with seven touchdowns (five rushing, two receiving).
Derrick Mason is averaging 85.7 yards receiving per game in his past three games against the Bengals.
Ed Reed is tied for second most career touchdown returns (12) among active players.
Reed has six interceptions against the Bengals, second most against any opponent.

TEAM RANKINGS

Offense	Bengals	Ravens
Total	345.9 (13th)	378.7 (7th)
Scoring	23.3 (15th)	28.4 (4th)
Third Downs	42 (t-12th)	48 (3rd)
Passing	218.1 (18th)	253.9 (10th)
Passing TDs	13 (t-8th)	12(t-10th)
Rushing	127.7 (9th)	124.9 (10th)
Rushing TDs	6 (t-14th)	10 (t-5th)
Sacks Allowed	11 (t-6th)	12 (9th)
20-yard Passes	18 (t-17th)	24 (t-9th)

Defense	Bengals	Ravens
Total	341.3 (21st)	313.7 (13th)
Scoring	18.3 (6th)	19.6 (11th)
Passing	253.3 (30th)	226.1 (19th)
Passing TDs	10 (t-16th)	9 (t-9th)
Rushing	88.0 (5th)	87.6 (4th)
Rushing TDs	3 (t-4th)	4 (t-9th)
Sacks	17 (t-11th)	16 (t-18th)
QB Rating	85.8 (t-17th)	86.1 (19th)
20-Yard Passes Allowed	26 (27th)	23 (t-23rd)
Interceptions	8 (t-5th)	7 (t-9th)

Special Teams	Bengals	Ravens
Kickoff Return	20.0 (29th)	26.4 (5th)
Punt Return	13.1 (5th)	4.3 (30th)
Punting (Net)	37.3 (t-19th)	37.9 (17th)
Punts Inside the 20	12 (t-15th)	10 (t-19th)

2009 STATISTICAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Carson Palmer	Stat	Ranking
Quarterback Rating	89.2	13th
Yards Passing	1,608	16th
Touchdowns	13	t-7th
First Downs	81	t-14th
Average Yards/Att	7.1	t-14th
Completions	140	t-14th
Interceptions	7	t-21
Times Sacked	11	t-11th

Cedric Benson	Stat	Ranking
Yards Rushing	720	4th
Attempts / Game	23.4	1st
Touchdowns	5	t-6th
First Downs	31	t-4th

Chad Ochocinco	Stat	Ranking
Receptions	39	t-11th
Yards Receiving	573	8th
Touchdowns	5	t-7th
20-yard receptions	9	t-5th
First Downs	31	t-4th

CAREER AGAINST THE RAVENS

Carson Palmer

Game	Date	Loc.	Comp	Att	Yards	TDs	Int
10	10.11.2009	Away	18	31	271	1	1
9	9.7.2008	Away	9	24	94	0	1
8	11.11.2007	Away	23	34	271	0	0
7	9.10.2007	Home	20	32	194	2	0
6	11.30.2006	Home	21	32	234	1	0
5	11.5.2006	Away	12	26	194	1	2
4	11.27.2005	Home	22	30	302	3	1
3	11.6.2005	Away	19	26	248	2	0
2	12.5.2004	Away	29	36	382	3	1
1	9.26.2004	Home	25	52	316	0	3
			198	323	2,506	13	9

Chad Johnson

Game	Date	Loc.	Rec.	Yards	TDs
16	10.11.2009	Away	7	94	0
15	11.30.2008	Home	4	45	0
14	9.7.2008	Away	1	22	0
13	11.11.2007	Away	4	73	0
12	9.10.2007	Home	5	95	1
11	11.30.2006	Home	8	91	0
10	11.5.2006	Away	4	31	0
9	11.27.2005	Home	5	88	1
8	11.6.2005	Away	5	91	0
7	12.5.2004	Away	10	161	2
6	9.26.2004	Home	8	99	0
5	12.7.2003	Away	2	15	0
4	10.19.2003	Home	5	130	1
3	12.1.2002	Home	4	78	1
2	11.10.2002	Away	7	110	1
1	12.23.2001	Away	3	28	0
			82	1,251	7

Cedric Benson

Game	Date	Rush	Yards	TDs
3	10.11.2009	27	120	1
2	11.30.08	10	17	0
1	10.23.05	2	6	0

Laveranues Coles

Game	Date	Rec.	Yards	TDs
5	10.11.2009	--	--	--
4	9.16.07	6	57	0
3	10.2.05	1	16	0
2	10.10.04	3	25	0
1	12.24.00	0	0	0

ALL-TIME SERIES

Date	Location	Result
10.11.2009	Baltimore	W, 17-14
11.30.2008	Cincinnati	L, 3-34
9.7.2008	Baltimore	L, 10-17
11.11.2007	Baltimore	W, 21-7
9.10.2007	Cincinnati	W, 27-20
11.30.2006	Cincinnati	W, 13-7
11.5.2006	Baltimore	L, 20-26
11.27.2005	Cincinnati	W, 42-29
11.6.2005	Baltimore	W, 21-9
12.5.2004	Baltimore	W, 27-26
9.26.2004	Cincinnati	L, 9-23
12.7.2003	Baltimore	L, 13-31
10.19.2003	Cincinnati	W, 34-26
12.1.2002	Cincinnati	L, 23-27
11.10.2002	Baltimore	L, 27-38
12.23.2001	Baltimore	L, 0-16
9.23.2001	Cincinnati	W, 21-10
11.5.2000	Cincinnati	L, 7-27
9.24.2000	Baltimore	L, 0-37
12.26.1999	Baltimore	L, 0-22
11.21.1999	Cincinnati	L, 31-34
11.22.1998	Cincinnati	L, 13-20
9.27.1998	Baltimore	L, 24-31
12.21.1997	Cincinnati	W, 16-14
9.7.1997	Baltimore	L, 10-23
12.8.1996	Cincinnati	W, 21-14
11.3.1996	Baltimore	W, 24-21

Bengals beat the Bears 45-10: Finding the perfect angle; why a changed Sunday Morning isn't a cause for superstition

Kirkendall — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:11:56 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) flexes his muscles after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Cincinnati. Kyle Cook, left, and Anthony Collins, top, join in. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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When I woke up Sunday morning, I had an unexplained urge to change my Sunday morning routine. Instead of making coffee, taking a shower and cracking my knuckles anticipating the day's challenges, I left the house as soon as I hooked the sleepy crud out of my radish-shaded eyes. I stopped at a gas station and picked up a cappuccino. I love French Vanilla. It was fat free, meeting the requirement for my new healthy regiment that was burdened on me by something other than self preservation. But I decided to gamble. I was ready to take the bumps. My bruises always heal quickly. I picked up some Krispy Kreme donuts and it made -- almost -- everyone happy. I don't care for Krispy Kreme, but I did throw a chocolate glaze into the microwave for 15 seconds. I'm still rubbing my arm.

It was all in part to change my Sunday morning routine. I didn't think that way at the time, of course. It's occurring to me now, while the October cold forced a violent closure of our over-sized sliding glass window. Come to think of it, I've been involved in football for a long time. As coaches say, if you're going to foul someone, foul 'em big. I should have went all-out and bought a buffet-style order at McDonalds. But hindsight is a meaningless human act, and thus I moved on.

However, in my world, this doesn't equate to some acquisition of superstitious behavior, like Wade Boggs and his fried chicken, just because one action led to another. Admittedly, the day turned out completely different. I was allowed to watch several early football games. My ass imprint on the couch went un-fluffed for nearly seven hours. I ate a salad with French and bacon dressing. I had Sloppy Joe's in a bowl, with sour cream and shredded cheese. Crazy. Right? That's a damn fine meal. If I were any crazier, I would have went out and bought my Merit Fitness 725T Treadmill. Then there's the Bengals, who were obviously affected by my changed Sunday morning routine. I'm not superstitious; nor narcissistic for that matter.

Some called it a must-win. Others weren't so urgent. Here's the thinking. If the Bengals lose, they'll go into the bye week with a two-game losing streak, no momentum (at least positive momentum) and two tough division games against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers afterward. If the Bengals win, they'll go 5-2 heading into back-to-back series finales against the two powerhouses of the division after the bye week. Even if they lose both games, they'll still have a winning record and the Bengals hit the easiest stretch on their 2009 schedule to rebound. After losing to the Houston Texans last week, the question this week was: can the Bengals find their focus? We've been saying for weeks that we're still waiting for the perfect game. Perhaps saying the game least flawed would be more realistic. So, why not lower the expectation and just hope that the Bengals get their kind of unimpressive through three quarters to pull out the win in the fourth quarter mojo back?

And the irony of many complex questions in life, it takes time for a complete answer to materialize. The Bengals have always played that way. The original question: who are these guys? The follow-up question: can they sustain this? The current question: will they put together the complete game? They wait, wait, and wait until it's time for them to strike. They have yet to take a game into their own hands, not playing down, or up, to their competition. They have yet to play to their capabilities. We've felt that way all season. We know this offense can, and will, explode. But when? In classic Jack Bauer, "we're running out of time."

So how do you angle a story that accurately describes how the Bengals played against the Bears on Sunday?

Maybe the word is owning, or pwning. An example of that would be the Bengals 45-10 win over the Chicago Bears Sunday. In the first half, the Bengals offense accumulated 292 yards of total offense. Cedric Benson hit the 100-yard rushing marker before half time -- then he lost three yards bringing his total down to 98 yards. Chad Ochocinco, with five minutes left in the first half, caught eight passes for 103 yards receiving. Carson Palmer completed 15 of 17 passes for 183 yards passing and four touchdowns -- all to different receivers. Psst. You and I know the truth. Everything today changed after I bought a cappuccino as soon as I woke up this morning. I still don't believe in superstitions though.

Yet, it wasn't just the offense. The defense held the Bears to 71 yards of total offense before Chicago recorded a field goal on a nine-play, 70-yard drive to close the first half. Leon Hall picked off two passes. Chris Crocker tipped a few passes and intercepted the team's third interception. Morgan Trent is a hitter. Michael Johnson is everywhere, from defensive line to outside linebacker in coverage. Dhani Jones and Rey Maualuga were as amped as I've seen them all season. Tank Johnson was noticeable inside. Then there was Frostee Rucker, who sacked Jay Cutler and recorded another stuff on the quarterback that wasn't officially a sack.

No, I have a better way of describing Sunday's win.

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the holy shit out of the Chicago Bears. There. Simple. Descriptive. Easy to remember.

Remember this date? September 16, 2007.

On Sunday, Carson Palmer recorded touchdown passes. The last time he recorded that many touchdowns as a six-touchdown performance against the Cleveland Browns on September 16, 2007. That was also the last time the Bengals scored 40 points or more.

Stat of the Game: Bengals only committed three penalties for 20 yards lost. Both are season lows.

They called it Benson Bowl 2009. They should have called it "Benson will run through you because he's a pissed off maniac bowl". Cedric Benson played against his old team, the Chicago Bears. Did you know that? There's some animosity there; mostly, it seemed, from Benson. There's definitely motivation. How does Benson say hello to his old mates, who he claimed wasn't a revenge game? Does he take Lovie Smith out to dinner, or have orange juice during bible studies with Lance Briggs? No. Benson, not thinking revenge, followed his lanes, rolled over people, side-stepped potential tacklers like Lance Briggs who tried a kung-fu leg sweep while he was laying on the ground. In all, Benson records a career-high 189 yards rushing (5.1 yards-per-rush) and a touchdown -- the third straight game with a rushing touchdown. Benson's 37 rush attempts fell one short of a career high 38 against the Cleveland Browns on December 21, 2008.

Breakdown of Benson's rushing per quarter
	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter
Yards Rushing	70	28	54	37
Rushing Attempts	8	12	8	9
Yards/Rush	8.8	2.3	6.8	4.1
Long	23	14	26	14
Touchdowns	0	0	0	1

Benson was nasty good during the team's first two possessions, which set the tempo for the Bengals offense. On the team's first possession, Benson picked up 32 yards on four carries. Bengals scored a touchdown. On the team's second possession, Benson picked up 38 yards on four carries. Bengals scored a touchdown. If such a thing existed, you could seriously consider giving Benson the first quarter game ball.

And thus, a controversial, yet meaningless award. I believe that giving the game ball to Cedric Benson is a good choice. Not only for the emotional factor of playing against his old team, Benson had a career game. He's just not my choice for player of the game.

I'm giving my player of the game award to the guy that's responsible for five touchdowns. Five. Touchdowns. In the first half, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer completed 15 of 17 passes for 183 yards passing. For the first time in the historic Chicago Bears franchise, someone threw four touchdowns in the first half. Palmer actually only made throws in the first three quarters, taking a break in the closing minutes of the game. In each of the quarters he played in, Palmer recorded a passer rating of 130 or better -- and it was 150 or better through the first two quarters.

Furthermore, Carson Palmer's passing on third downs was flawless. He completed all seven passes (which went for first downs), threw for 81 yards passing and recorded three touchdowns. Making it happen on third down is critical. And Palmer was perfect. Well, next to it. His quarterback rating on third down was 154.5. And of those third downs, only one was shorter than five yards to go. So the Bears defense knew that the Bengals were passing. And yet, Palmer and the passing offense came through.

	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter
Yards Passing	76	107	50	--
Touchdowns	2	2	1	--
Completions	6	9	5	--
Attempts	7	10	7	--
Passer Rating	151.5	150.8	131.0	--

Like I said, Benson is a worthy choice. But my choice for Player of the Game goes to Carson Palmer.

Marvin Lewis versus the NFC North: 6-0

Bengals Drives				Bears Drives
Drive	Plays	Yards	Result	Plays	Yards	Result
1	8	77	Touchdown	8	26	Punt
2	8	80	Touchdown	3	-2	Punt
3	7	63	Touchdown	5	35	Fumble
4	12	66	Touchdown	2	12	Interception
5	4	6	Field Goal	9	70	Field Goal
6	9	61	Touchdown	10	33	Interception
7	7	53	Touchdown	4	21	Interception
8	12	49	Downs	8	60	Touchdown
9	3	7	Punt	3	7	Punt
Bears had two drives that went one-play while the first half and the game concluded.

Stat of the Game II : Bengals converted 67% (8/12) of their third downs.

If you say trends are meaningless, the Bengals offense says you're meaningless. On the first play of the game, Carson Palmer fakes the handoff to Benson, with Dennis Roland lined up at tight end, and hits Chad Ochocinco for a 19-yard gain. On the following play, the Bengals lined up with two fullbacks in the backfield, Jeremi Johnson and Daniel Coats, and handed off to Benson for a seven-yard gain. After an incomplete pass, Carson Palmer threw over the middle to Chris Henry for another 17 yards. Palmer hands off to Benson, who turns the right edge, runs down the right sidelines for a big 23-yard gain. The Bengals tried Wild Cat with Carson Palmer lined up wide left, and Cedric Benson taking the snap and gaining only three yards over the middle. Note: They never run the Wild Cat again. On third-and-eight at the Chicago Bears nine-yard line, Carson Palmer looks left, rolls out right and throws a floater to Chris Henry at the back of the endzone. Touchdown. And thus the slaughtering begins.

Stat of the Game III: Bengals had seven Red Zone trips. They scored six touchdowns.

Even special teams was special. A sad look at corny headlines: Johnny Knox came into Sunday's game averaging 33.7 yards per kickoff return. Against the Bengals, Knox averaged 21 yards per return with a long of 28 yards, which was five yards below his average. In fact, Knox didn't equal his kick return average once, returning kickoffs for 25, 23, 20, 12, 25, 18 and 28 yards. Also of note, Clark Harris didn't fumble a long-snap and Shayne Graham didn't miss a kick. How special is that?

Stat of the Game IV: The Bengals came into Sunday's game having given up a league-worst 25 passing plays of 20-yards or more. Against the Bears, the Bengals gave up one -- a 26-yard pass to Earl Bennett.

When Frostee Rucker warms up, he just chills your ass. With 1:02 left in the first quarter, the Bears lined up first-and-ten at their own 29-yard line. Jay Cutler dropped back, looked over the middle, rolled out right when Frostee Rucker sacked the quarterback for a ten-yard loss. After a quick six-yard pass to Matt Forte, Cutler fumbled the snap and Rucker tackled the quarterback soon after recovery for a limited gain. Technically, it's not a sack. Technically, Frostee Rucker will find you and technically he will tackle you.

Because the snap was fumbled and because Cutler never made an attempt to appear like anything more than a quarterback freaking out, finding yardage with his legs, Rucker was credited with a stuff rather than a quarterback sack. For the entire game, Rucker nailed Cutler at least three times, which doesn't include the quarterback sack.

Models and cheerleaders should go after offensive linemen. Because they're awesome. I've never hidden that watching the trenches is my favorite part of any NFL game. That's where football is, and forever will be, at its purest form. And if you don't think that the Bengals offensive line didn't play their best game of the season, you're nuts. That's right. You're nuts.

The Bears defense came into Sunday's game sporting the league's sixth best rush defense, allowing only 88.4 yards rushing per game. After rushing for only 46 yards against the Houston Texans, the Bengals offense recorded 215 yards rushing and a 4.8 yard-per-rush average. When you have deeper routes developing that the Bengals called on Sunday, you need quality, and sometimes extended, pass protection for those routes to develop. Not only did Palmer have all day to throw the football, he was only knocked down twice.

The Bengals offensive line should get as much, if not a majority, of the credit for the Bengals 448 yards of total offense.

Stat of the Game V: Bengals recorded 30 first downs (11 rushing, 16 passing and three via penalty).

Who do they think they are? When the Bengals win a big game, I get irritated at the ballsy nerve ESPN and NBC have by talking about other teams. When the Bengals lose a game, any game, I take a nap.

Remember when Chad Ochocinco used to be called Chad Johnson? It was reported heading into last year's regular season that Chad Johnson legally changed his last name to Ochocinco. All he got was a career low, both on the field and all of the bravado off the field. In 2008, Chad never recorded a 100-yard game and only four touchdowns. In fact, he went 18 straight games without a 100-yard game before recording 103 yards receiving against the Houston Texans last week.

Chad Ochocinco caught ten passes for 118 yards receiving and two touchdowns the following week against the Chicago Bears. In fact, he caught ten of the 11 passes thrown his way. The last time he caught ten passes or more was November 25, 2007 during a 35-6 win over the Tennessee Titans. Even more significant, Chad recorded his first back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since early 2007 when he recorded 209 yards against the Browns and 138 against the Seahawks.

So maybe the curse of changing last name to wacky catch-phrase of Spanish numerical system is finally dissolving.

And thus, Chad Ochocinco gets an award for himself. Outside the high school and college sob stories about making it into the NFL, rarely do sports figures prove everyone wrong. I'm talking about having already made it, doing things to make us conclude that he's worth too much trouble, only to have our minds changed about them later. Chris Henry would apply. Of all the things that we said in the offseason and last year about Chad Ochocinco, there's no one more deserving of a fanbase-wide apology than Chad. Maybe not an apology. After all, he forced us to conclude those things. Maybe forgiveness. In five of the seven games this season, Chad has recorded 89 yards receiving or more. His five touchdowns receiving leads the teams, as does his receptions (39) and yards receiving (573). In fact, Chad leads nearly every statistical receiving category. Except for drops. We know who that is.

So maybe in two weeks, when the Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens, I'll go out for another cappuccino in the morning. French Vanilla. Fat Free. I like it. It's not like I'm getting all superstitious or something. Maybe I should get the donuts too.

That sound you're hearing is a million cups receving a healthy pour of Orange Kool-Aid. Bengals destroy Bears, 45-10

A Pragmatic Bengals Fan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:23:02 -0000

Decisive. From the beginning bell, there was nary a doubt that the Bengals were going to win this game today. They drove 77 yards on the opening drive to score on the Arm of the God of Golden Arms.

Oh, by the way. Carson Palmer, who many have doubted of late, had twenty completions out of twenty-four attempts. He threw for five touchdowns on only 233 yards passing.

I'd say that's pretty efficient, wouldn't you? Perhaps even...elite?

Hit the jump.

Oh, you may have heard at some point during this past week that Cedric Benson used to play for the Chicago Bears as well. No? Well I understand, it was kind of swept under the rug. Swept under the rug about as much as Jerome Bettis hailing from Detroit was swept under the rug, that is.

Regardless of how many tweets I saw come through my feed about the Bears blackballing Benson over the past three days, I'd like to raise a question that was posed by a commenter here in one of the live game threads.

Is there some way we can brainwash Cedric Benson to think he's playing the Bears every week? Holy cow.

The man carried the ball thirty-seven times. Thirty. Seven. Times. He amassed a total of 189 yards with a long of 26 and a touchdown against his former team. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a different man than the Cedric Benson drafted fourth overall in 2005 by those Chicago Bears. Benson was a man possessed today, and it was a thing of beauty.

Oh, and picture this. You're a linebacker for the Bears, lining up for a feeble attempt to stop the Bengals from scoring from your one-yard line. You're trying to psych yourself up, knowing you're going to hit the hole and bring that no-good former teammate Benson down...and you see Domata Peko lining up in the I formation as the blocking fullback. I absolutely love the idea of lining Peko up as a fullback from time to time, I think that seeing Domata running full bore at you would loosen the bowels of any linebacker from Ray Lewis to Lawrence Taylor. I loved it.

And hey, let's not forsake the defense, shall we? Two interceptions by Leon Hall, a pick and a forced fumble by Chris Crocker and they held Matt Forte to 24 yards on six attempts (which admittedly falls back to the offense and their quick start, god bless 'em!).

The good guys held the ball for nearly thirteen minutes longer than the Bad News Bears today and absolutely dominated the field in every phase.

Solid special teams.

Solid defense.

An offense that couldn't have been stopped by the 1985 iteration of the Bears' defense...the 2009 version didn't stand a snowball's chance.

All that said, the bye comes at a good time for some of our nicked up boys in Orange to get right and get ready for the Ravens when they come to town in two weeks.

Bravo, boys. You did us proud today. Very, very proud.

As always I remain (and very happily so on such a beautiful day to be...)

A Pragmatic Bengals Fan

Houston Texans 28, Cincinnati Bengals 17: When the protagonist still has two options

Kirkendall — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:00:57 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels (81) is pursued by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall (29) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Cincinnati. Daniels caught two touchdown passes. Houston won 28-17. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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In every story there's a protagonist. And while on some quest, the protagonist hits a point in which everything falls apart. In Lord of the Rings, Frodo was finally consumed by the ring. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker lost his hand, learned that the galaxy's terror was his own father and Han Solo had just been frozen in carbonite. Apply your favorite story. The protagonist always loses hope at some point. Whatever could go wrong, goes wrong. Most of the time it's unexpectedly. Perhaps it was when they weren't focused on the bigger objective. Maybe that's what happened with the Bengals. Maybe they lost focus. Maybe the picture was bright with the grand prize that was deceptively within reach. "We got caught up in whether we were going to challenge or not challenge and a lot of other things that didn’t really matter, instead of just playing football," head coach Marvin Lewis said after the game. "Not focusing got us out of the game, particularly in the second half. We had guys running onto the field looking over their shoulder at me instead of playing football."

So maybe the Bengals lost focus. Were they looking forward? Were they thinking of what they accomplished, believing that they'd beat Houston no matter what? The Texans played a great game. The Bengals were soundly beaten. When Matt Schaub threw the football, he threw good passes to wide open receivers. When the Texans offensive line fired off the football, they were driving the front seven. Instead of playing like boulders, the Bengals defense stood like feathers, catching blockers, rushers and receivers. The offense? Please. They drove a little bit. Mother would be proud. But they were \ shut out in three of the four quarters. In the third quarter, the Bengals offense ran nine plays and averaged 2/3rds of a single yard per play. We had receivers dropping passes. We had tight ends dropping passes and fumbling the football. We have veteran leaders on the offensive line committing drive killing penalties.

How can you not say the Bengals loss was a matter of just losing focus?

Is that an excuse? No. Of course not. You lose, you lose. Find a reason for it other than not repeating your mistakes is a fools way of making an excuse. Holding. Tripping. Fumble. Fumble. Drops. Incomplete passes. Missing that one block. Whatever it was, the Bengals committed it. You're more than welcome to say the problem is play calling. But until I actually get past the point of saying the Bengals players aren't shooting themselves in their own foot, I can't go there yet. You could have the God of Football calling plays. He's only as good as his players. When they fumble, trip, hold, drop then exactly what could the God of Football do? Bob Bratkowski is hardly the God of Football. But he's dealing with the same smelly crap.

Another indirect consequence is that the Bengals nearly didn't sell out. And perhaps they technically didn't. It wasn't just the fans that bought the remaining tickets. It was Chad Ochocinco and Motorola. So what do the people think that paid the money they were hesitant to pay? Additionally, what about those that received a free ticket through the promotional efforts, think about the Bengals after this. Think if they didn't want to pay before would pay for tickets now?

In an effort to not underscore the Texans win, Houston does match up well against the Bengals. The only way to defend Andre Johnson is hoping he loses focus. Their receivers so wide open, that it was almost like they knew our coverages. Our zone coverages tends to back pedal so much that running backs like Steve Slaton records 100 yards receiving.

Should the Bengals have beaten the Texans? Do the Bengals look better than the Texans on paper? Does even bothering to answer those questions really matter?

Here's what we do know. The Bengals share first place now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have the Chicago Bears, the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers on tap. The season could very well be lost as it could be won in the next month.

Bengals defense put good defense description on lay-away. It didn't take long for the Houston Texans to fire out against the Bengals defense. On the first offensive play for the Texans, Matt Schaub looked to the right on a play-action wide receiver screen. Andre Johnson caught the football and completed a 59-yard pass play to the Bengals 29-yard line. Four plays later, the Houston Texans attempted to kick a field goal when Antwan Odom penetrated Houston's line and blocked the attempt. Dodged a bullet there. Right? Problem with guns is that there's more bullets.

On the Texans first two drives, Houston ran 17 plays for 145 yards total. Matt Schaub completed seven of his first 10 passes of the game for 119 yards passing, including a touchdown pass to Owen Daniels to finalize Houston's second drive that went 11 plays and 68 yards. The Texans passing game found several opportunities for big plays, wide open receivers and a tight end that killed the Bengals -- especially when the defense blitzed. Steve Slaton caught a bubble screen to the left on the Texans third drive of the game. Following several blocks, the running back ran 38 yards untouched into the endzone to give the Texans a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Through the first three drives, the Texans ran 24 plays for 220 yards total.

On third down, Michael Johnson, playing defensive tackle, penetrated the middle to knock down a pass intended for Andre Johnson with 4:51 left in the second quarter, forcing a three-and-out. On the ensuing possession, pressure forced Schaub to throw the football away with 2:30 left in the first half on third-and-two.

After the first three drives of the game, the Texans went three-and-out twice and Matt Schaub threw an interception. In the second half, the Texans scored a touchdown on their first three possessions, with three punts and a fumble during the rest of the half.

Houston Texans in the first half.
First Three Drives: 24 plays, 220 yards total and two touchdowns (and a blocked field goal)
Last Three Drives: 10 plays, 18 yards, two punts and an interception

When we learn that penalties are bad, mmmkay? The Bengals offense was cursed, plagued or whatever you want to call it, by a series of penalties on their first two drives which killed several big plays. More importantly, penalties killed drives in which the offense was moving the football. It was Andrew Whitworth's holding that stalled the Bengals first drive that negated a 15-yard bubble screen to Laveranues Coles as the Bengals threatened at mid-field to start the game. It was the Bobbie Williams (tripping) and J.P. Foschi (holding) that put the Bengals in second-and-21. The Bengals were unable to overcome the yardage deficit. Before the penalties, the Bengals offense was approaching or at mid-field. In both instances, the Bengals were forced to punt.

Thanks to Chad Ochocinco, Cedric Benson, and the absence of drive killing penalties, the Bengals offense completed a drive with a 10-yard touchdown by Cedric Benson. The offensive line buried the cutback lane and Benson, being patient, cutback behind the offensive line where a gapping tunnel led to daylight and a tie ball game.

What is it with the two-minute offenses? When there's less than two minutes left in a half, we can be certain of one thing. The Bengals offense will move the football. After an eight-yard and one-yard run by Benson, Carson Palmer picked up the first down on a quarterback sneak. With 1:35 left in the half, Chad Ochocinco runs down the left hash mark and Palmer throws a deep pass, hitting Chad in stride for a big 50-yard pass to the eight-yard line. After an incomplete pass to Chris Henry, Laveranues Coles runs down the back of the endzone to the right. Carson Palmer rolls out to the left, finds Coles redirecting to the left, tip toeing the back of the endzone, catching Carson Palmer's pass giving the Bengals a 14-14 tie with 0:48 left in the first half.

What is it with the two-minute defense? The Texans worked to pick up chunks of yards with less than a minute left in the half to record points at half time to take the lead. With :18 left in the half, Matt Schaub throws a tall pass to intended for Kevin Walter. The problem is, Walter is short and the pass fell into the stomach of Chris Crocker, who returned the football to the Houston 41-yard line. With nine seconds left in the half, Carson Palmer completed a nine-yard pass to Daniel Coats. With three seconds left in the first half, Shayne Graham connected on a 50-yard field goal to take 17-14 lead into half time.

Other than that, the offense simply didn't perform. The Bengals punted on four of their first five possessions in the first half. The Bengals offense did explode for ten points with 2:19 left in the first half. However, that was, as we say, all she wrote for the offense.

Quarter	Plays	Yards	Result
1	7	30	Punt
1	4	39	Punt
2	8	64	Touchdown
2	3	3	Punt
2	3	4	Punt
2	6	69	Touchdown
2	2	9	Field Goal
3	3	14	Fumble
3	3	-3	Punt
3	3	-5	Punt
4	3	6	Punt
4	2	12	Fumble
4	7	54	Interception

When a clever defensive play turns into a embarrassing defensive play. Steve Slaton ran off the left edge with 14:19 left in the third quarter. Leon Hall wrapped Slaton, twisted him around so the running back fell on Hall. Of course, this was planned. Because the football was stripped and Hall recovered the fumble. Hall planned it this way, that tricky cornerback. However, Houston challenged the play and Slaton's right knee hit the ground before the football came out. Texans keep the football.

Later on the drive, with 11:31 left in the third quarter, Matt Schaub play-fakes right, rolls out left and finds Jacoby Jones wide open in the endzone. Chris Crocker, who was trailing the wide receiver by a good seven yards, became a suspect in the question, "who the hell's fault was that?" It appeared that Johnathan Joseph handed Jones over to Crocker and Crocker never bothered to follow Jones until he realized that Joseph was sitting in a zone. It was already over.

Coats' mistake scorecard.
Drops: 1
Fumble: 1

While the Bengals are driving in the second quarter, at Houston's 22-yard line with 12:27 left in the second quarter, Palmer tosses the football to Daniel Coats crossing the field. A sure-catch typically means an embarrassing miss for Coats. The football rattled in Coats' hands momentarily before falling incomplete. Early in the third quarter, Palmer finds Coats who picks up five yards on the pass. As he's falling down, the football comes lose and the Texans have the football at mid-field. Is Coats a liability at this point?

Thankfully, in both situations, Coats mistakes didn't cost the football team. After his dropped pass, the Bengals eventually scored on Cedric Benson's 10-yard touchdown run. After his fumble and a 13-yard pass to Kevin Walter, the Texans didn't pick up another first down and punted. However, it didn't worked out for the Bengals offensively on the ensuing drive. Conner Barwin sped-rush off the edge, beating Dennis Roland and sacking Carson Palmer for a nine-yard loss, forcing the Bengals to punt after going three-and-out.

A story about a screen pass that led to an 11-point deficit. Steve Slaton caught six passes for 102 yards receiving, most of them on screen passes. With 3:51 left in the third quarter, Matt Schaub throws over the middle to running back Steve Slaton on a called screen pass on third-and-nine. Slaton picked up 27 yards and a first down. After Chris Browns' four-yard run, Schaub completes a seven-yard touchdown pass to Owen Daniels giving the Texans an 11-point lead, 28-17.

Laveranues Coles drops the pass and team's chances. With 13:34 left in the fourth quarter, down by eleven points, needing to put together a drive that, at the very least, lowers the deficit to within a possession, the Bengals lined up at the Cincinnati 25-yard line with four yards to go on third down. Palmer, for some misguided reason, throws to Laveranues Coles, on the right running a slant. Coles drops it. The Bengals punt and time is running out.

The Bengals six drives of the second half: Three three-and-outs, two fumbles and an interception.

When tired turns to anxiety to anger. With 13:18 left in the game, the Houston Texans started a drive that consumed nearly seven minutes off the clock. Tick, tock. I laid on the couch, started feeling sleepy. Should I take a nap? If the Texans score a touchdown on this drive, they take an 18-point lead. If the Bengals hold the Texans to a field goal, Cincinnati will still need to score two touchdowns and hold the Texans to a quick three-and-out. Either way, I'm not feeling it. I'm tired. I was up all night and I woke up early.

Tick, tock. Sleepy. Steve Slaton takes the hand off on second-and-18, has the football stripped by Robert Geathers and after the football bounces around for a bit, Brandon Johnson recovers. Bengals football. There's a chance. A touchdown, two point conversion and a field goal. Tie ball game. Not necessarily in that order. After a quick six-yard pass to Cedric Benson, J.P. Foschi catches a second-down pass, gets turned around and tackled. When the pile didn't break immediately, you knew there was trouble. Foschi fumbled the football and the Houston Texans recovered. Three emotions within a minute, and all that changed is that I'm laying on the couch again... pissed.

Whatever we think, all that matters is that must Bengals march on. What usually happens when we, you and I in our daily lives, are kicked to the ground, refuse to stand up and pout about it? Absolutely nothing. The Bengals were punched in the mouth Sunday. Now we'll now how "mature" the Bengals are. Will they rebound, fight twice as hard? Or will they bitch and moan about how they were beaten by a 2-3 team after beating the Packers, Steelers and Ravens? Now, we'll see what this team is made of. Now we'll see if this team can find their focus again.