SB Nation - Chad Ochocinco

Over 3,000 tickets remain for home finale against the Kansas City Chiefs

Kirkendall — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:15:41 -0000

This is it. The final home game of the regular season. How quickly has this season come and gone? Seems like yesterday that we were talking about how concerned we were with the team's offensive line. Seems like yesterday we were treading lightly on the amusing question on how Chad Ochocinco would return. This Sunday the Bengals will host the Kansas City Chiefs.

That also means something else.

That's right. An old story updated. How many tickets remain for Cincinnati's home finale of the season?

So far this season, the team has had to ask for extensions four times to avoid a blackout, but each a combination of the team, the TV station airing the game and a corporate sponsor has come in to save the day.

C Trent Rosencrans writes that there "are still more than 3,000 tickets available." In an effort to sell more tickets for this weekend, the Bengals are offering fans that purchase those tickets the chance to lock in tickets for the playoffs.

After this weekend, we can finally crumble up this season-long story line and throw it in the trash. Because next year the economy will improve and this team can only build on what they've done this year. Oh, and plus we'll be coming off a playoff season, so we'll be the in-thing in Cincinnati.

Bengals Banter: Breaking News. Bengals are one win away from clinching the division. A look at the human Psyche and sarcasm

Kirkendall — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:27:33 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

Bobbie Williams excited that search teams found Laveranues Coles on Sunday. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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Remember you can follow us on Twitter @CincyJungle.

Breaking playoff note: Cincinnati can clinch the AFC North with a win this weekend. Also, Cincinnati can clinch a playoff spot if Jacksonville AND New York Jets AND the Texans and Dolphins ending in a tie. Hummm... OK, so the Bengals can clinch the North this weekend.

Chad Ochocinco Johnson chose not to wear Chris Henry's number on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. He said that he didn't want that to be a distraction during the game. I think, in the end, it was probably the wise choice. As much as we'd like to see Henry honored by Chad, the best thing that Chad can do now is keep hauling in those 50-yard touchdown passes.

However, we were asked by the Washington Post if the Chad wore Henry's jersey, should the NFL fine him or let him be. Of course, I'm going to stick up for our boy, saying "Where's the harm."

Cincy Jungle gets recognition . In news regarding Cincy Jungle, Sports Media Challenge ranked Cincy Jungle as the sixth blog overall in the NFL blogosphere. Sports Media Challenge ranks blogs based on content, the community and the influence on the overall impact within the sports blogosphere. They wrote about us:

This blog is one that didn't particularly dominate any of our criteria, but was consistently strong across the board. They don't really have a lot of special features aside from Kirkendall's Bengals' Banter, but they do the expected (previews, recaps, etc.) very well. A model of consistency, they're rewarded with a top 10 spot.

So thank you, the readers, all of whom that greatly interact with each other. We couldn't do it without you guys. Now we're going to be obsessed with improving our rankings until 2012.

Random thoughts about the Bengals and Sunday's loss.

On Leon Hall: It appeared that there was confusion on Vincent Jackson's 33-yard touchdown reception. After Hall bumped Jackson, it appeared that Hall was passing Jackson onto a safety. Problem was that there was on safety covering Jackson.

However, it's the 15-yard reception by Malcolm Floyd that set up Nate Kaeding's game winning field goal. Hall said, "I was playing the inside. I know when I look back on the film I should have had a better break and I've got to contest the ball." Fine, contest it. But why aren't the Bengals calling a defense that prevents the use of the sidelines anyway? I'm more willing to let Hall of the hook -- he's had a great year and deserves the benefit even through a bad performance. I want to ask Mike Zimmer why the team isn't blocking the hell out of the sidelines.

On Carson Palmer.

First 300-yard passing game since December 30, 2007.
First game with 40 attempted throws since throwing 44 times against Cleveland on October 4.
First game with multiple touchdown receptions since throwing five touchdowns against the Chicago Bears on October 25.

On Cedric Benson. It didn't seem like Benson was himself Sunday. He had a few really good runs, but one in particular stood out to me. With 9:21 left in the third quarter, Benson took a second down handoff from the San Diego 48-yard line and kicked it to the outside. Approaching the first down marker, he elected to go out of bounds instead of turning upfield. It was very uncharacteristic of him. As a result (or as a result of the play-call), Carson Palmer tried to squeeze a pass to Jeremi Johnson on the sidelines which fell incomplete. Bengals punt. Granted, one play doesn't summarize the performance of any player and Benson did pick up a first down on third-and-one earlier in the quarter. Still, it was uncharacteristic move for him.

Benson stat: Benson rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries. This year, Benson has rushed for over 100 yards in five games (a record to be broken? read below). The Bengals are 5-0. When Benson doesn't rush for over 100 yards and carries the football 10 times or more, the Bengals are 2-4.

Chad Ochocinco stat: Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco had three receptions for 79 yards receiving and a touchdown. This puts Chad over 1,000 yards receiving with eight touchdowns on the season. Two more touchdowns and he'll tie his career-high (10) he set in 2003.

Points broken down by quarter.
Offense	Points Scored	Defense	Points Allowed
1st Q	61	1st Q	48
2nd Q	115	2nd Q	73
3rd Q	42	3rd Q	58
4th Q	67	4th Q	65
Three points scored in overtime against the Cleveland Browns

Don Banks details the list of tragedies that's faced the Bengals this season.

Clark Judge believes that the Bengals deserve praise. Then, in a separate piece, Clark Judge writes on something totally not related to the Bengals: "Suddenly, it's beginning to look like 2006 all over again in Denver." I shuttered.

Peter King has a nice piece about the Bengals and Henry, concluding "if ever a team won by losing, it was Cincinnati on Sunday.

Andrew Sharp takes a deeper examination into sports tragedies in general.

Paul Daugherty gives the Bengals praise for a loss.

Benson fell short of breaking the team record for most 100-yard games in a season. He has two chances left.

Another former Bengals player died this weekend. Clem Turner died in an accident in West Prince Hill.

Turner, a running back, went to Woodward High School. According to the Bengals' Web site, he was the first Cincinnati prep player taken by the team -- a fourth-round choice in 1969. He played for Denver from 1970-1972.

Chad has been showing his emotions with the loss of his teammate.

Who Dey Fans believed that the Bengals can play with any team in the NFL after seeing Sunday's performance against the Chargers.

Cincinnati tries to overcome adversity for an encore as the Cardiac Cats

Kirkendall — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:29:39 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

3 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals players, wearing a number 15 decal on their helmets, clasps hands just before the opening kickoff of the NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers Sunday Dec. 20, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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You have to acknowledge, even appreciate, how the Bengals played their guts out after Chris Henry's death, who was a friend and a teammate, just days before. Nevertheless, you don't have to like the result. During the final series, the Bengals secondary left the sidelines undefended, saying to San Diego's offense that it's open for you to stop the clock... after catching the pass, of course. A defensive unit that's largely been the strength of this football team, uncharacteristically faltered during the game's final, and very critical, drive. With 12 seconds left during a tie game, Chargers wide receiver Malcolm Floyd ran a 15-yard out route. Right there, the sidelines, wide open, run out to stop the clock. Please, take it. Philip Rivers hit Floyd in stride, stopping the clock and picking up enough yardage so Nate Kaeding could kick the game-winning 52-yard field goal.

But as much as much as I want to criticize the Bengals for losing their second straight game, their third loss in their past five games and inching closer to a Baltimore Ravens team that's won exactly one game less than Cincinnati, I can't. I simply can't. Cincinnati gave it their all. They faced enormous adversity throughout the day. Hell, throughout the week. With 6:21 left in the third quarter, the Bengals offense committed three consecutive presnap fouls, penalizing themselves into a first-and-25 scenario on their own seven-yard line. Cincinnati then called a timeout. A timeout? Now? What else could you do but laugh hysterically? They couldn't recover and went three and out. After Nate Kaeding kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Chargers an 11-point lead, Cincinnati made their run, right? No. After back-to-back runs by Cedric Benson to gain four yards rushing, Carson Palmer throws an incomplete third down pass. Punt.

At this point it appeared like Cincinnati was drained. I'm not saying that they were giving up. Just drained. Emotionally. Physically. Everything. Like no matter how hard you ran, you couldn't pick up speed. A dream, where you keep falling while being chased by an evil witch. Or my ex-girlfriend. We've all been there when we've had days at work in which we're exhausted, having lost all patience and motivations. Then Keith Rivers intercepts a pass intended for Antonio Gates. Then Chad hauls in a backwards pass out of the backfield and picks up 26 yards. Then Carson Palmer found and nailed Laveranues Coles in the endzone for a touchdown. Then Carson Palmer converted the two points on a called quarterback sneak.

Suddenly Cincinnati scored a game-tying field goal with 57 seconds left in the game after driving from their own three-yard line. But in the end, it wasn't meant to be. They're still the cardiac cats and they played the tune they've played all year. So acknowledge and appreciate your Bengals for their efforts. As for the result, that's another matter.

It didn't start like it was supposed to start. Darren Sproles returns the game opening kickoff 45 yards to the Chargers 45-yard line. Why is this important aside for field position? Quite simply, we had no idea how the Bengals would react Sunday after Henry's death. San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson was left uncovered out of the backfield through the first drive, catching two passes for 19 yards without a defender in the area. Tomlinson picked up another 15 yards on the ground on a drive that went 55 yards on 11 plays, ending with a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates. That was the first touchdown allowed by the Bengals on an opening drive since October 19, 2008 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The age of passing is back, Bengals score their first points of the game. Carson Palmer and the Bengals responded by converting two third downs longer than eight yards to go; a 12-yard pass to Andre Caldwell, a 14-yard pass to Chad Ochocinco. Palmer and the Bengals passing game looked vastly improved, very much in synch and evidently comfortable. However, their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone continued, leaving four points on the field after Shayne Graham converted a 26-yard field goal.

Bengals take a 10-7 lead with an emotional 49-yard touchdown by Chad Ochocinco. Cincinnati's offense returns to the field, after scoring a field goal on their first possession, followed by an outstanding defensive effort allowing only one first down. After Cedric Benson picked up seven yards behind the hulking body of Andrew Whitworth, Palmer was sacked by Kevin Ellison, who blitzed off the right edge. A millisecond before a delay of game was called, Marvin Lewis called a timeout to prevent a third-and-18. Instead, Palmer, on third-and-13, found an uncovered J.P. Foschi over the middle who conquered all and picked up 14 yards and a first down. How does did Foschi look? Benson picked up five yards on the ground on back-to-back runs, which set up third-and-five at the Bengals 39-yard line. Brian Leonard, lined up in the slot on the left, ran a short out, caught the pass and thanks to his godlike field awareness, dove for the first down. On second-and-four at the San Diego 49-yard line, Chad Ochocinco lines up wide left, scorches the defense with a that-looks-really-easy sprint down the left sidelines, hauling in a perfectly placed pass by Carson Palmer for a 49-yard touchdown reception.

Johnathan Joseph gives the Bengals their first turnover of the game. On third-and-nine at the Chargers 46-yard line with 10:42 left in the first half, the Bengals defense brings seven rushers, one of whom is Chinedum Ndukwe. Breaking free, Ndukwe drills Rivers just as the quarterback made a deep throw. Johnathan Joseph located the rainbow pass before Chargers receiver Malcolm Floyd and intercepted the pass. Cincinnati would go on to give up a sack, run on second-21 at their own 15-yard line, then later punt.

Vincent Jackson and the Chargers take the lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass. With 7:25 left in the second quarter, Antonio Gates catches a dinky short pass. With nimble stalwarts tasked with challenging Gates, the tight end changed directions forcing Jonathan Fanene, who sat in zone coverage, and Rey Maualuga to overshoot, picking 13 yards and the first down. On the next play, Gates ran a crossing pattern from left to right, caught the pass, shifted, spun, juked and nimbly forced Morgan Trent to miss another tackle, picking up 12 yards and another first down. Several plays later, Vincent Jackson got separation from Leon Hall, faked a post, which caused Hall to break in. Instead Jackson broke out and ran towards the left side of the endzone, catching a touchdown pass on a dive.

Redzone issues continue; Bengals score a field goal to reduce Charger's lead before half time.With three minutes left in the first half, the Bengals called Larry Johnson's number three times on four plays, picking up 38 yards rushing in the process. Palmer threw a needle to Laveranues Coles with 1:14 left in the half over the middle on a slant, picking up another 21 yards. Cincinnati's offense picked up 67 yards on seven plays in two and a half minutes. After that, it was the same story we've seen in the second half of the season. The inability to score touchdowns in the redzone. After spiking the football to stop the clock, Palmer threw back-to-back incomplete passes to J.P. Foschi forcing Shayne Graham to convert a 25-yard field goal.

A bit of advice: Stop going into the redzone!

Mental mistakes on offense returns to start the second half. Thanks to Shawne Merriman's jump offsides, the Bengals were left with a third-and-one at their own 34-yard line with 13:14 left in the third quarter. Benson pounded the point of attack, picking up the first down. However, Cincinnati's offense broke down with mental mistakes after Laveranues Coles made caught a 17-yard pass. Illegal formation. Pass deflected at the line of scrimmage. Delay of game. Bengals are forced with a third-and-21 at their own 46-yard line. Palmer finds Foschi over the middle for an 11 yard gain. Bengals punt.

Big defensive stand; preventing Rivers from picking up the first down. After two runs picking up nine yards midway through the third quarter, the Chargers line up big formation at their own 29-yard line. Philip Rivers takes the snap and sneaks up the middle. Cincinnati's defense stacked the line, expecting the trickery of a sneaky quarterback, holding Rivers from converting the first. Chargers punt.

Bengals: Momentum.
Josh: Is a bitch.

Palmer's interception and blown coverage by the Bengals secondary leads to a 34-yard touchdown by Vincent Jackson. Chad Ochocinco lined up on the right, ran 10 yards and broke in. Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer anticipated the route, stretched his arms and picked off the pass. On second down, Rivers found Vincent Jackson running free down the left sidelines. The Bengals secondary blew the coverage, with Leon Hall allowing Jackson to release upfield without safety help. Jackson easily scored the touchdown, taking a 21-13 lead.

Bengals offense has an epic breakdown -- before their first snap. Here is a list of items by the Bengals with 6:21 left in the third quarter.

False start by Dennis Roland
Illegal substitution
Delay of Game

Then the Bengals take a timeout. The epitome of how this team loses focus is showcased here in a way we haven't seen before. Before their first snap on their third offensive possession in the second half leads to 15 lost yards before taking their first snap.

Cedric Benson misses the handoff when Palmer decides to check down to a draw in shotgun formation.

Palmer dumped off a surrender-pass to J.P. Foschi on third-and-19. Bengals punt. Mercifully.

Tomlinson picks up 36 yards on a screen; Chargers take a 24-13 lead. With 4:27 left in the third quarter at their own 27-yard line, Rivers fakes the handoff to Tomlinson who sits to the left waiting for the screen pass. After the catch, Tomlinson sprints. And sprints. He's still sprinting. Hell, I'm parched with all of the sprinting. He's still running. Finally Tomlinson is tackled at the Cincinnati 37-yard line, picking up 36 yards. After a no-gain by Sproles, Rivers finds Jackson over the middle, catching his first non-touchdown reception of the game. On third-and-six at the Bengals 15-yard line, Rivers throws a rainbow pass to Vincent Jackson near the front left pylon. Leon Hall jumped with Jackson, separating the ball from the receiver causing an incomplete pass. The Chargers' Nate Kaeding converts the 33-yard field goal and the Chargers take a 24-13 lead. Leon Hall may have struggled throughout most of the game, but he made a play that saved four points; a deficit that makes the Bengals comeback all but impossible later.

And then the Bengals write the story about how comebacks after epic breakdowns happen. With 14:11 left in the game, Rivers lobs a pass to Antonio Gates. The football bounced around a jiffy and Keith Rivers hauls down the pass for the interception. On the first play, Palmer fakes the end around to Chad Ochocinco and then flips the pass to Chad out of the backfield, who runs left, right, forward, backward, diagonally, and picks up 26 yards down the left sidelines. Bengals at the Chargers seven-yard line. Oh, no. Redzone. After a five-yard pass to Jeremi Johnson, Palmer throws the football to Laveranues Coles towards the right side of the endzone. Coles catches the touchdown and the Bengals cut the score to 24-19. Bengals elect to go for the two-point conversion. Quarterback draw. Palmer scores. Just as we expected. Bengals down by three points.

The bookend of the Dhani. After Dhani Jones dropped Tomlinson for a one-yard loss with 12:32 left in the game, Rivers finds Jackson for a 15-yard gain on second down. After Keith Rivers sacked Rivers for an eight-yard loss, Chinedum Ndukwe was called for illegal contact and an automatic first down. After Maualuga stopped Tomlinson for a three-yard gain, Philip Rivers finds Malcolm Floyd running down the middle for a 20-yard gain. After Rivers completes two dinky two-yard passes for four yards, Dhani Jones slams into Floyd, who caught the pass out of bounds. Chargers punt. Dhani. The man that a lot of people want to run out of town so Rey Maualuga can start at middle linebacker.

And this time the game wasn't decided by another Andre Caldwell fumble... somewhat. Benson picks up ten yards down the left sidelines. J.P. Foschi is called for holding, bringing the Bengals back to their own three-yard line with 6:49 left in the game. Foschi says, "my bad boys, I'll make it up." On first-and-12, Palmer hits Foschi over the middle picking up 21 yards. On third-and-four at their own 30-yard line, Palmer hits Quan Cosby for five yards and the first down. Bengals moving. They're motivated again. They're the cardiac cats again. Palmer hits Foschi on a first down pass at their own 35-yard line, running across the field, picking up 15 yards. First down. Palmer is forced to rollout to the right with 4:39 left in the game, finds Cedric Benson, who picks up another 11 yards. He finds Benson on the next down for another eight yards.

Bengals driving... awesomely. The AFC North and possibly the second seed on the line. Benson gets the hand off and picks up 12 yards on second-and-two with 3:14 left in the game. Man, oh man. I can feel it. They're going to take it.

Then...

False start on Foschi. Palmer throws a quick pass to Andre Caldwell on the left. Tim Dobbins nails Caldwell, who losses the football. No, not just loses the football. The football shoots out of a canon about 20 yards backwards. Palmer dove on the fumble.

Cincinnati is stuck with second-and-36 at the Chargers 45-yard line. Palmer takes the shotgun snap, looks deep. Finds no one and hits Foschi on the left sidelines for a limited six-yard gain, leaving third-and-30. Cosby, lined up third wide receiver in from the right, crosses the field and picks up 22 yards, setting up game-tying field goal by Shayne Graham. I opened my eyes after the attempted kick and the field goal was made.

Bengals tied the game on a 12-play, 79 yard field goal drive. Granted, the Bengals tied the game. But how much easier would it have been to sustain the drive and picked up the first down if not for Caldwell's fumble? We still like the guy. But c'mon.

But Rivers and the Chargers offense set up Nate Kaeding's 52-yard game winner. With :54 seconds left in the game, starting at their own 20-yard line, the Bengals defense played soft coverage, especially considering the edges. Rivers completed four of five passes (the fifth being a spike) for 46 yards setting up a Nate Kaeding 52-yard field goal, that he nailed.

If you were not a fan of either team, this football game was very entertaining. If you're a fan of the Bengals, you have to appreciate how tough they played. But the same things bit Cincinnati as they have all year. Penalties. Turnovers. Lack of redzone production. Mistakes. Mistakes. Mistakes.

Cincinnati takes on the Kansas City Chiefs next week, who gave up 351 yards rushing to the Cleveland Browns.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/21/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:02:47 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and some daily distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Adnams Spindrift, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

It's Christmas week and most of us are recovering from the weekend snow. Football practice started up again and both basketball teams won over the weekend. The women did it in convincing fashion and the men blew a 17 point lead to win with an improbably easy layup with a second to spare. Your tips, suggestions and requests are always helpful. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

WVU Edges Vikings - MSNsportsNET.Com
80-78

West Virginia Defeats Fresno State - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women take care of business 72-52, after being delayed overnight by the snow.

Gold and Blue Report for Monday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Video of Interest:

Here's an interview with Coach Beatty, courtesy of WVIllustrated.

Random Link of Hilarity:

These are awesome!

The top 10 unintentionally worst company URLs - Independent Sources

Christmas Gallery of the Day:

via www.gunaxin.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is one of the tabloid stars in the UK. Say hello to the lovely Michelle Marsh. God bless the UK. The gallery is just....wow.

via girls.gunaxin.com

And because it's the Christmas season, and I like to give, here are two more with Michelle frolicking around with pal and fellow Miss Throwdown, Lucy Pinder.

Adnams Spindrift image via www.thepublican.com

Bolts & Dolts: Bengals at Chargers

John (obviousman) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:21:04 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

3 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is caught by San Diego Chargers safety Kevin Ellison for a ten yard loss in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

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Alright, we're doing it a little different this week. I'm doing Bolts & Dolts without re-watching the game, because this is a team/game/post driven by emotion, and after re-watching I may come back and add or change something. S'alright? S'alright.

First, the game. This game ranks up there with the Giants game for me. It's an opponent of equal talent, and a lot of times in the past the Chargers have lost to teams that are just as good as them by not doing the little things. This season, through plenty of adversity (namely, injuries), the team has continued to do the little things that keep you in the game and give you a chance to win the game at the end. Because of that, today's first Bolt might be the most well-deserved one ever.

Bolts

Norv Turner. There's this recurring conversation I seem to have with my friends and family every year about Norv Turner. In a nutshell, the conversation is "The team just doesn't seem ready to play at the beginning of the season or at the beginning of games. That's coaching." Sure, fine, although the team has been much better this season at starting off games strong.

However, that's negative thinking. Three straight division titles, nine straight wins and seventeen straight wins in December (not all of thus under Turner, but still). That's coaching too. Three straight seasons where the team has started slow and could've quit on him but never did, that takes coaching. No coach is unblemished, and with Norv the good certainly outweighs the bad. I'm not ready to declare Norv the greatest Chargers coach ever, but if you look at where he is now it's hard to argue that he's not on his way to getting there.

Offense

Philip Rivers - 24/38, 308 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs. Only Philip would be able to manage a 92.9 QB Rating in a game in which he was picked off twice. This is why he's the active leader in QB Rating. It wasn't the best game for him, but he sporadically had some perfect throws and (as usual) came alive to save the day in the fourth quarter. His MVP resume is getting stronger while Brett Favre's is getting weaker.

LaDainian Tomlinson - 117 all-purpose yds, 3.7 YPC. It was a very efficient day for LT. He was used in the passing game when the Bengals were focused too much on the receivers, and he looked strong in the running game (as did the offensive line) nearly all game. It wasn't dominating, but it was efficient. By the way, has LT ever smiled this much in one season? He looks like he's having a ball this year.

Vincent Jackson - 5 catches, 108 yds, 2 TDs. First it was VJ that was free because of Antonio Gates, then it was Gates that was open because of VJ. Now, and credit Norv Turner for this, the team has found a perfect balance of both. Defenses have to find a way to cover both guys on every play otherwise there's going to be a big play. Credit Vincent for fighting through the little bit of adversity he's faced this year and coming back alive right when the team needed him most.

Antonio Gates - 4 catches, 33 yds, TD. Simply put, the best receiving TE in football. He cannot be covered by a CB, LB or most NFL Safeties. Unless you have somebody like Troy Polamalu or Tyvon Branch, be prepared to double-team Gates on just about every play. Gates almost lost his Bolt when he dropped the ball into Keith Rivers hands, but that ball was thrown behind him.

Malcom Floyd - 4 catches, 63 yds. I originally had Floyd down in the "Almost Bolts" and then realized that he had a better game than Gates (or at least close to it). I love how Malcom has become Philip's new favorite 3rd down target, and I love how there's never any doubt that he caught the ball if he's gotten his hands on it.

Floyd is a free-agent after this season, and a few days ago somebody said they thought another team would spend too much money on him and he wouldn't be back next season. I hope, for the sake of Philip Rivers and Malcom Floyd, that's inaccurate. These guys have been together since the start of their careers, creating chemistry on the 2nd string team in practice, and bring out the best in each other.

Defense

Tim Dobbins - 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble. Yes, yes, that was me saying "Dobbins sucks" in the first half. The truth is, the Chargers played Dobbins a lot because he's great against the run. The Bengals did the right thing in calling pass plays that would force him into coverage, where he's not-so-good. His tackle numbers are half because he was very good against the run and half because he was tackling his receiver after giving the guy an easy catch. What earned him a Bolt was getting the closest thing to a turnover on the most important play of the game.

Eric Weddle - 8 tackles. Great to see Weddle hasn't lost anything in his two weeks off. He was still in the middle of every play, and providing great downfield coverage.

Kevin Ellison - 6 tackles, 1 sack. I love Ellison's size. When the Bengals put a TE/RB out wide, Ellison always lined up with him in man coverage. He has the speed to stay with them, and the strength to give them a big bump on the line. I haven't seen him playing a lot of zone coverage (that seems to be Oliver's specialty), but in man he's stellar. I think he's earned the starting SS spot for 2010.

Defensive Line. Okay, none of them were really demanding a double-team (which is why the pass-rush was non-existent) so they weren't a huge help in rushing the QB. However, they were stellar at stopping the run. Alfonso Boone, Travis Johnson and Vaughn Martin each had periods of the game where they dominated their section of the line. If you take away the two "cut-back" runs (27 yards for Larry Johnson, 26 yards for Chad Ochocinco), the rushing numbers look significantly better. Holding Cedric Benson to just 53 yards (and no TDs) is something to be congratulated for.

Special Teams

Nate Kaeding - 2/2 FGs, 3/3 XPs. Was there even any doubt? There wasn't for me. The second Malcom Floyd caught that ball and put the Chargers on the 35 yard line, I knew they had won the game. Just as Gates is the best receiving TE in football (and arguably the best overall), Kaeding is the most accurate kicker in football (and arguably the best overall). Lucky for the Chargers, both guys are having career years at the same time.

Dolts

Offense

There were no offensive Dolts this week.

Defense

There were no defensive Dolts this week.]

Almost Bolts

Mike Scifres - The Bengals had time for one more drive to win or tie the game. Scifres punts, his gunners are blocked, and the ball still goes out of bounds on it's own at the Cincinnati 5 yard line. Any time you can force a team to go 95 yards to score the winning TD, you're making it very difficult for them. He would've been the hero of the game if the Bengals didn't go down the field and tie it.

Quentin Jammer - Jammer is one of the first plays that could've been a Bolt or a Dolt. His interception against Chad Ochocinco was beautiful, but overshadowed in my mind by the numerous times he was beaten on out routes. His goal-line play against the Bengals TE at the end of the game was a big reason why the Chargers won, but what will stick out to people is the easy interception that went through his hands on the previous play. It certainly wasn't Jammer's best game, but he responded well to being thrown at (which doesn't happen often).

Kris Wilson - Jeff will be able to better point this out in his post later this week, but I thought the team really came alive on Wilson's catch. For those that didn't see it, Kris has his helmet torn off and kept fighting for the extra yard. It got to the point where the defender literally pulled Wilson down by the back of his head (it looked like a for-sure neck injury), and Kris popped right back up with an angry stare. This all happened about a foot in front of the Chargers sideline, which went bananas after the play.

I like Wilson's toughness, blocking and soft hands. This is probably way too early, but I could see him replacing Brandon Manumaleuna next season as the team's backup TE/FB.

Kassim Osgood - Not just the best special team player in the league, but quite possibly the smartest. Nobody knows special teams better than him, and nobody works harder at it. I know it's not possible, but I really hope he's wearing a bolt on his helmet next season.

Almost Dolts

Steve Gregory - Just like Tim Dobbins, Gregory was targeted and thrown at all day. The Bengals were smart enough to not throw short-passes at his receivers, because that's Steve's specialty, and instead hit the receiver at the point where they've gotten past Gregory but before they've gotten to the safeties. It was a good gameplan that the Bolts are sure to see more of going forward. Unlike Dobbins, Gregory wasn't able to stand out with any big plays.

Pass Rush - I've been over this, but I'll go over it again. 2 sacks is not enough, but this is not the fault of Shawne Merriman, Shaun Phillips or Larry English. The defensive line needs to cause more of a disturbance for the QB when he's sliding up in the pocket. I think we may see more of Vaughn Martin in the next couple of weeks because, even though he's still not great or very consistent, there were times where he was pushing around offensive linemen like they were children. If he can force offenses to pay attention to him, you'll see the OLBs racking up the sacks in droves once again.

Chris Henry's funeral will be held on Tuesday

Kirkendall — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:41:25 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

3 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco looks to the sky after his 49-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Dec. 20, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

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With the Bengals playing with heavy hearts against the San Diego Chargers, Chad Ochocinco hauled in a 49-yard pass by Carson Palmer to take a 10-7 lead in the second quarter. Chad momentarily dropped to a knee in the endzone for a moment after scoring, clearly breaking down at losing his friend and teammate. Chad would jogged off the field and hug his mates on the sidelines.

However, the Bengals came up short after Nate Kaeding converted a 52-yard field goal, taking a 27-24 lead with three seconds left in the game.

After the game, Peter King of NBC's Football Night in America reported that Chris Henry's funeral will be held Tuesday in New Orleans. He said that at least half of the team, players and coaches, will be down for both the wake and the funeral.

NFLPA would cover fine if Chad Ochocinco wears #15 against San Diego

Kirkendall — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:51:46 -0000

After Chris Henry's untimely passing, Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco wanted to wear Henry's number 15 in tribute. The league said no. The penalty for something like this would likely result in a fine.

The NFL Players Association said that if Chad is fined, then the NFLPA will cover it. George Atallah tweets:

NFLPA will cover any fine levied on @OGOchoCinco imposed by the league and match it with a gift to our Chris Henry memorial fund

PFT writes about the potential problems that the NFLPA could face, due to the appearance that the "union is desperate to find a way to get the public on its side as 2011 approaches" when the existing collective bargaining agreement expires and the league could face a work stoppage.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are caught in the middle of this. The team has full control over the locker room and its contents, and the team can either refuse to give a player a certain jersey or instruct him not to leave the locker room in something other than his assigned uniform.

Likewise, it's possible that the league would prohibit Ochocinco from entering the game wearing anything other than his own jersey.

I get that rules are rules. But sometimes people should just pull their head out of their collective asses and just let one player honor his fallen teammate. There is no harm here and if one believes it sets a precedence, then perhaps people running the show aren't qualified enough to actually apply the exemptions that actually exists in life.

Game Preview: Bengals at Chargers

John (obviousman) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:44:16 -0000

Before I get to the game preview, let me take a minute to mourn Chris Henry. From everything I've read and seen since his accident, Chris had turned his life around and was a model citizen for the Bengals this season. As a football player, Chris was always a threat to make a big play. He was Malcom Floyd, possibly with more speed. As long as he kept his head on straight, he had a successful career and life ahead of him.

Even when Chris wasn't able to stay out of trouble, the one thing that I always noticed was that his teammates were behind him 100%. They loved him, and didn't consider him a trouble-maker in the least. They seemed to think of him as more of a wide-eyed kid who had his heart in the right place and would eventually learn who and what to stay away from.

So this isn't a Cincinnati team that's lost a player who was signed this year, or one that nobody particularly liked until this season. Chris Henry was a part of the Bengals family, and how the players are able to react on Sunday will be the true determining factor of who wins the game. Everything below is stats and info about how the team performed without this emotional burden. It says nothing about the team that will take the field against the Chargers.

When the Bengals Have the Ball

Overall Offense

Contrary to what you may think, this is not the explosive offense the Bengals had with Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh a few seasons ago. The Bengals rank 20th in offensive yards per game and 19th in points scored per game.
Being 23rd in yards per play means the Chargers have to worry less about giving up the big play against the Bengals than if they were playing the 49ers, Redskins or Jaguars.
The stats above are no big surprise for a team that focuses it's energy on running the football. The proof that they do it well is in their 13th ranked 3rd down conversion percentage. Cedric Benson has helped Cincy get a lot more 3rd and shorts than 3rd and longs.
As many of us saw in their game against the Vikings, the Bengals have a penchant for shooting themselves in the foot. They have racked up the 9th most penalty yardage in the league, and their turnover margin is a fairly mediocre +1. This is exactly why they lost to Oakland, and why they haven't been able to get sound victories over the Browns (twice) or Lions.

Passing Offense

The Bengals, who throw about 1 less pass per game than the Chargers, rank 23rd in passing yards per game. Being 18th in yards per play means that, despite having a big-armed QB in Palmer, the Bengals' passing game does not get many big plays.
Carson Palmer has been less careful with the ball this season as had Philip Rivers, throwing 17 TDs against 10 interceptions. His QB rating for the season is 84.8, or just about average.
Confirming my suspicions, the Bengals rank 23rd in pass plays of 20+ yards and 24th in pass plays of 40+ yards.
One thing the Bengals' passing offense does well is protect Palmer. He has been sacked just 23 times this season, making the Bengals the 7th best in that category.

Rushing Offense

The Bengals rushing attack, mostly carried by Cedric Benson, is averaging 132.8 yards per game. That's good for 6th in the league.
Being 19th in the league for rushing TDs shows that the Bengals struggle to pound the ball the ball into the endzone to finish drives. That fits right in with the Bolts' "bend but don't break" run defense.
The Cowboys are tied for 8th in the league in running play of 20+ yards. With Eric Weddle coming back this week, I'm much less concerned about big plays out of the Bengals' run game. Also, the Bengals are more of an inside running team, whereas the Chargers have struggled the most with runs to the outside.

via i.a.cnn.net

Overall Defense

The Chargers allow the 12th least yards per game, and rank 12th in lowest yards allowed per play. They are ranked 14th in least points allowed per game.
The Bolts' problem on D continue to stopping 3rd down conversions, but they did a very good job against Dallas and have moved up to 22nd best in the league.

Passing Defense

The Chargers rank 10th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, and are tied for 10th in yards allowed per pass attempt.
The Bolts' 11 interceptions ties them for 18th best in the league. Their 31 sacks ties them for 11th.
TThe Chargers are tied for 3rd in the least amount of passing plays of 20+ yards allowed. All season this has been a defense that does not give up big plays, and that has been the key in victories against the Cowboys and Eagles.

Rushing Defense

In terms of rushing yards allowed per game, the Chargers are 21st in the league. Their 4.3 Yards Per Carry allowed ties them with the Falcons for 18th in the league for that stat as well.
The 8 rushing touchdowns allowed by the Bolts ties them with the Bengals for 9th best in the league.
The Chargers are tied for 4th best in the league at stopping/preventing running plays of 20+ yards. They have allowed only 5 against them all season. They still have not given up a run of 40+ yards.
Those stats above are amazing. Even though the Chargers are very poor at stopping 5 yard runs, they are one of the league's best in preventing big runs and are really good at preventing rushing TDs as well. No wonder the lack of run D hasn't killed San Diego.

When the Chargers Have the Ball

via prod.static.chargers.clubs.nfl.com

Overall Offense

The Bolts are 13th in the league in offensive yards per game, but are still very efficient. They are 6th in terms of yards per play and 3rd in terms of points per game.
The Chargers' offense has gotten steadily better at converting 3rd downs all season. They've worked themselves up the ranks and are now the 9th best team in the league on 3rd down.
The Chargers are still the least penalized team in the league. Their turnover margin is +8, after forcing zero turnovers against the Cowboys. This team's identity continues to be one that does not shoot themselves in the foot, and takes advantage of the mistakes of their opponents.

Passing Offense

After throwing for one touchdown and one (dumb) interception in Dallas, Rivers now has 22 TD throws against 7 picks. That's a 3-to-1 TD/INT ratio, which is impressive when you see that Carson Palmer isn't even at 2-to-1 this season.
The Chargers rank 3rd in pass plays of 20+ yards, having 3 less than the undefeated Saints.
We've seen the offensive line get better at protecting Philip, and at the same time we've seen #17 get even better at avoiding defenders in the pocket. He did a lot of it against the Cowboys, and was only sacked once. Currently, the Chargers are 5th best in the league at protecting their QB.

Rushing Offense

The Chargers ground game, which was stifled for 3.5 quarters in Dallas, is averaging just 87.5 yards per game. That's good for 30th best in the league, or two slots better than the undefeated Colts. Their 3.2 Yards Per Carry makes them the least efficient running team in the league (two slots below Indy).
Being ineffective over the course of a game does not mean the Chargers aren't able to punch it in when they need to. Their "league worst" rushing attack is tied for 11th with 13 TDs.
The Chargers are tied for 24th in the league in running play of 20+ yards, and it still surprises me that they're that not worst in the league.

Overall Defense

The Bengals allow the 5th least yards per game, and rank 6th in lowest yards allowed per play. They are ranked 2nd in least points allowed per game. I think we just found out why they're a playoff team.
The Bengals are one of the best defenses on 3rd down, where they have the 7th lowest 3rd down conversion percentage against them.

Passing Defense

Cincy ranks 12th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, but are 6th in yards allowed per pass attempt.
The Bengals 15 interceptions ties them for 9th best in the league. Their 31 sacks ties them for 11th. So this team gets to the QB with the same frequency the Chargers do, but they get more picks and allow less TDs.
Although their defense is sound, there should be some opportunities downfield for Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd. The Bengals rank 11th in 20+ yard pass plays allowed, and their Safeties aren't great.

Rushing Defense

In terms of rushing yards allowed per game, the Bengals are 3rd in the league. Their 3.7 Yards Per Carry allowed ties them with the Eagles for 5th in the league. This is one of the strongest run defenses in the league, so don't expect a big game from LaDainian Tomlinson.
The 8 rushing touchdowns allowed by Cincinnati ties them with San Diego for 9th best in that category.
The Bengals are tied with the Colts for best in the league at stopping big running plays. They have allowed only 3 runs for 20+ yards all season.

Conclusion

This is a game of strength versus weakness. A strong Cincinnati running game against a weak San Diego run defense. A weak SD run offense against a strong Cincy run defense. This game will come down to a few things. One, as usual Philip Rivers will have to play at an MVP level. Luckily, that never seems to be a problem for him. Two, the Bengals will have to make mistakes with playcalling, penalties or turnovers. Three, the Bengals' adrenaline (and how long it can last) will determine what they can and cannot do on offense.

I'd say I'm not picking a winner for this game because there's too many unknown variables, but at this point I'd feel stupid betting against the team who never loses in December and is at home trying to clinch a playoff spot. Chargers win.

I Am Freaking Out Man

PSTIM1 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:01:13 -0000

Tristan Cockroft - I just wanted to say his name somewhere in this post.

View full size photo »

So the fantasy playoffs have officially begun and I am going against Dallass Clark so I am already getting killed. I am already down 21 points, and as it stands today I am not sure if my QB is actually gonna play (Brady) and I am starting Maurice "who the fuck?" Morris due to Kevin Smith's exploded knee. I have had a good fantasy year (10-4) and I have never won a ring, and at this point I'd trade my first born child for a taste of fantasy glory. I have provided my fantasy matchup for ya'll to look at - please tell me I have a chance! And should I actually start Maurice Morris or should I go with Rim Thighpower (Tim Hightower)? Detroit fan's have you heard about how they are gonna use Morris and Aaron Brown? Please guys I need this...I need this.

Me: Team Name: PenisCopter (dont ask)

Tom Brady

Larry Fitzgerald

Chad Ochocinco

Frank Gore

Maurice Morris

Vernon Davis

Jets D

Nick Folk

My Opponent: Team Name: Cock Poon Moan

Matt 'Slob a Knob" Schaub

Randy "I give boss" Moss

Anquan Blowin Dudes (Boldin)

LT "licks taint"

Cedric Bendoverson (Benson - that one's not funny)

Dal "takes it up the" ass Clark

Cardinals D (I got nothing)

"Nasty" Nate Kaeding (he looks like such a pussy)

PS my scoring is rb's/wr's/te's get a point every ten yards rushing and receiving and 6 points for a td. QB's get 1 point for every 20 yards passing and 5 points for passing td's. Kickers get a point for fg's 2 points for fg's over 50 yds - nothing for xp's.

Poll

Will I Win or Lose?

Chris Henry - Rest In Peace

PSTIM1 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:12:29 -0000

We at Project Franchise are saddened to learn of the death of Chris Henry, from everything we've heard he had been working hard in the last couple of years to make positive changes in his life. Does anybody have the inside scoop on what actually happened - was he pushed out of the truck? Did he jump or slip? We all know this story is far from over, however or whatever happened we wish his family, friends and Bengal Nation the best at this tragic time.

SB Nation - Chad Ochocinco

Over 3,000 tickets remain for home finale against the Kansas City Chiefs

Bengals Banter: Breaking News. Bengals are one win away from clinching the division. A look at the human Psyche and sarcasm

Cincinnati tries to overcome adversity for an encore as the Cardiac Cats

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/21/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note (FB):

News of Note (BB):

Recruiting:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Chris Henry:

Video of Interest:

Random Link of Hilarity:

Christmas Gallery of the Day:

Miss Throwdown:

Bolts & Dolts: Bengals at Chargers

Bolts

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

Dolts

Offense

Defense

Almost Bolts

Almost Dolts

Chris Henry's funeral will be held on Tuesday

NFLPA would cover fine if Chad Ochocinco wears #15 against San Diego

Game Preview: Bengals at Chargers

When the Bengals Have the Ball

When the Chargers Have the Ball

I Am Freaking Out Man

Will I Win or Lose?

Chris Henry - Rest In Peace