SB Nation - Johnathan Joseph

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

2 days ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, right, talks to quarterback Kyle Orton during a break in the action during the third quarter of of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Denver on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. I am writing this lead-in on Black Monday, and I'm still not in a very good mood, as you can imagine. I'm going to try to make the best of it, and drop a good column despite the bad feelings. We'll see, because I still haven't watched this infuriating game a second time yet. No guarantees. For now, let's get on with it. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. So, I am not too thrilled, as you might imagine. I don't think anybody particularly is, but this game solidified a thought in my mind about the Broncos, that I've been close to, but never fully there this season. It kind of makes me feel like a fool actually, because way back, when I was the only credible analyst in the world predicting 11-5 for the Broncos, my main reason for thinking it is what I had wrong.

The Broncos offensive line is the weakness of the team, and I thought it was the strength. When I envisioned beating Baltimore and Pittsburgh, it was because I thought the Broncos would be able to block them. I've frequently observed the struggles of one guy or another, but the real conclusion we need to reach is that this group leaves a lot to be desired. Nice Thing to Say About Jay Cutler Alert: I think we all underestimated how much his quick release, mobility, and pocket awareness helped prevent sacks last year.

This year, they've given up sacks at key times, often when it's been obvious that they had to throw the ball. That has been the minor part of the problem. The major part is that they've struggled to drive-block all season, and lately, they've struggled to effectively zone-block, too. Russ Hochstein is terrible, and really hasn't been any kind of improvement over Ben Hamilton. Casey Wiegmann has regressed this year from his previously high standard and gets pushed backward too much. I haven't been too thrilled with the play of Chris Kuper over the last month either, and Tyler Polumbus has proven to be just a backup and special teams player.

I think this season turned when Ryan Harris got hurt. He's one of the best RTs in the NFL, and between he, Kuper, and often Daniel Graham, the Broncos had a good ability to open holes in the running game to the right, outside. Now, the Broncos get pushed backward too much, and are very susceptible to run blitzing against their zone schemes. In the short term, they can help themselves with plays like backside smoke screens off outside play action, inviting/exploiting the run blitzing. In the long term, though, they interior of the line badly needs to be upgraded, because the Broncos will always struggle against physical fronts if it doesn't.

Now, the Broncos do still control their own destiny, even after losing two in a row. They can beat Philadelphia too, if they can protect Kyle Orton, and run the ball effectively. I really think that the Eagles' tendencies toward throwing the ball a lot play to the Broncos' strength on defense. Like Kima Greggs said, sometime things gotta play hard. The Broncos wiped the field with the Giants, who are very similar to the Eagles, so let's not lose hope that they can do it again. Remember, every game is an independent event, and what happened last week is irrelevant to what may happen this week. Go Broncos!

2. Information From My Eyes, Raiders at Broncos-

a. This is kind of information from my ears, but I can't stand Gus Johnson. I know a lot of people like him, but to me, he sounds like he learned his technique from the WWE's Jim Ross (whose name I had to look up, in case you're wondering). Can't you just picture Gus wearing a cowboy hat and yelling "He hit him with a steel chair?!"

b. While I am dogging CBS announcer team guys, Steve Tasker sucks pretty bad, too. He lacks a command of the rules, and it just doesn't seem like he prepares very hard. He makes blanket statements like, "The Broncos have lost 5 of 7 since Kyle Orton's finger got healthy, and they started throwing more." No reasonable person in the world would blame those losses on Kyle Orton, but there goes Tasker, joining the Peter King train.

PK: In six of the past eight weeks, Kyle Orton hasn't put up more than 17 points on the board. Yikes.

It's like the rest of the team is just McNulty's breathing machine. Tasker played the game for a long time, as a spunky, high-effort, overrated special-teams gunner. He should know that a lot is going on on the field that has nothing to do with the QB, and he should be the first person making that point. Hell, there are people who think he belongs in the Hall of Fame (PK evidently being among them, unlike his take on Floyd Little). Tasker should be the "look at the little things" guy, and instead, just mostly stays quiet as Gus Johnson announces the next elbow drop from the top rope, only opening his mouth to mention correlations where there's no causation.

c. Mitch Berger's punt at the end of the first quarter may have been the ugliest in NFL history. It was just atrocious, for those who didn't see the game.

d. Casey Wiegmann had his worst game as a Bronco on Sunday, in my opinion. He was on roller skates all day, going backward. I appeciate the guy's durability and smarts, but I don't think the coaching staff will want to go into next season with him as the starter.

e. The officials let Chris Johnson get away with a clear pass-interference penalty on a key 3rd down in the 3rd quarter. He facegaurded Jabar Gaffney downfield, and rode him out of bounds with his body. Let Tasker tell it, it was a perfectly legal play. He didn't remember the 5-yard chuck rule, I guess. This play was egregious.

f. Andra Davis played great on Sunday, especially on the goal-line stand. He was all over the field all day, and made a bunch of plays.

g. Mario Henderson played better than I've ever seen him play for the Raiders, especially in the running game. He was downfield driving Broncos defenders backward. He also held up very well in pass protection, but was helped by Charlie Frye's focus on getting the ball out quickly.

h. Vonnie Holliday was very good in the pass-rushing game for the Broncos, and Robert Ayers had good moments, too. The only really good rush Elvis Dumervil had, he got called for roughing the passer.

i. Don't let me see anybody blaming Alphonso Smith for the winning TD. He was picked, clear as day, by #86 for the Raiders. In a poorly officiated game, it was another obvious penalty that wasn't called. It was offensive pass interference all the way, and he was out of position for the tackle, making it very difficult. It's true that Smith has struggled as the season has gone on, but that play wasn't his fault.

j. Finally, a word about JaMarcus Russell. He can make every throw a QB ever has to make. When he came into the game Sunday, I was actually worried about it, because he has much more physical ability than Charlie Frye. I'm not ready to say he turned a corner, but I'm sure he engendered some additional belief in his coaches and teammates than he'd been previously seeing. He got it done, given the circumstances, so all you can do is tip your hat to the guy.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games-

a. I continue not to care whether the Colts go 16-0, and I didn't get to see much of the game, due to a 10:30 PM ET conference call with some guys who work for me in Pune, India on Thursday. Ho hum, the Colts won.

I was all over the Cowboys beating the Saints, though, and I did watch that game. The Cowboys had to be tired of hearing all this stuff about how they can't win in December, and the Saints had been trying to give away a game for about a month. The Saints had a really hard time protecting Drew Brees, especially LT Jermon Bushrod. For the guy who shares a hometown with him, the jury is in for me. He's an RTO playing out of position on the left side. I think the Saints were too greedy, and didn't do enough to help him with DeMarcus Ware.

b. I made some Cowboys fan mad back in October when I proclaimed Anthony Spencer to be just a guy. Cowboys fans need to be told when their players aren't as good as the hype around them - because the hype is so strong, most of them believe it. Anyway, Spencer was fantastic on Saturday night. He was setting the edge in the running game, and he got Drew Brees 3 times, losing one to a questionable penalty in the secondary. It was the best I'd ever seen Spencer play in the NFL, and if he can keep playing like that, the Cowboys are suddenly really difficult to handle in the playoffs.

c. I was very impressed with Tony Romo's play Saturday, and it's nothing new lately. He's been playing terrific football, with 8 TDs and 0 interceptions in his last 4 games. Lazy, uninsightful MSM idiots who fixate on meaningless trends were falling over themselves to say that Romo couldn't win in December. To most of these people, the other 52 guys on a team are like garnish on the side of the plate. It's obscene how stupid that all is.

d. The Cowboys did the right thing, cutting the cord with Nick Folk. He's been terrible this season, and when you can't count on your kicker to make a 27-yard field goal, you have big problems. Of course, the guy they replaced him with, Shaun Suisham, lost his last job for missing a 20-something-yard FG against New Orleans, to put the game away, too. Kicker seems to be an issue for Dallas every year, and they really need to address it on a going-forward basis.

e. The Lions are still playing hard, I'm sure try to secure jobs for next season. They really gave Arizona a run for their money on Sunday, but came up short, to the disappointment of my buddy Chris Dillon, who was in attendance. I was pretty impressed with the play of Maurice Morris, but I've seen him flash like this a lot of times in his career, and then do nothing a week later. The guy I always like the look of is Drew Stanton, who was a second-round pick, but never got a chance to play for some reason. He had some good moments Sunday, and looked more useful than Daunte Culpepper.

f. The Cardinals can't be blowing double-figure leads if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. I was telling my brother the other day that I thought the NFC Champion would once again come down to Arizona against Philadelphia, but the Cardinals lacked crispness for a second week in a row. They'd do well to get their act together.

g. There were a lot of interesting things to see in the Cleveland-Kansas City game, which was surprising. I had no intention of paying any attention to it this weekend, but it ended up being the first game I watched when I got home Monday evening. First things, first. I've never been a big Jerome Harrison fan, but he obviously played out of his mind on Sunday for the Browns. I have seen a lot of him over the last few years, so I remain skeptical of him. Prior to Sunday, if I had to describe Harrison in a sentence this would have been it: "He's a third-down back who lacks much power, speed, or explosiveness, and shouldn't particularly scare anybody." I think his career day was equal parts the best day of his life and the significant inflation factor that comes from running against the Chiefs.

h. The Chiefs had to feel pretty good about most of their offense's performance Sunday. Matt Cassel looked outstanding, and was hurt by about 10 drops by his receivers. Dwayne Bowe was particularly feeling in touch with his inner dropsies. Maybe it was rust from his steroid vacation? Anyway, Cassel was a positive sign again, after a couple bad weeks, and the good things he did had the look of things that would work against good teams, too.

i. If you'd asked me six weeks ago about Jamaal Charles, I'd have questioned his size and power, and also his running instincts. I always saw him as a guy who missed creases and ran into tackles. The coaching he's presumably been getting seems to have clicked lately, because he's making tacklers miss more than I've ever seen. He looks really good running out of the shotgun, which he did a lot of in college at the University of Texas. He's not a bell-cow RB, but teams aren't looking for those so much anymore. He can be a very effective 50-50 tandem guy, especially if the Chiefs could find a Michael Bush-type player to complement him.

j. You know how you can look at somebody and tell when they seem to be physically uncomfortable? That's how Mark Sanchez looked to me on Sunday, in the cold of New York, kind of like a woman looks when she's constipated. I thought his ball traveled a bit better through the wind than it did a month or so ago, when he played in his first bad weather, but his clear lack of physical comfort worries me, and should worry the Jets. Sometimes, a guy who grew up in warm weather embraces the cold, and has success in it. Brett Favre immediately comes to mind. If Sanchez goes back to SoCal in the offseason to chill out, that will be a bad sign in my mind. He ought to stay in New York, and get used to the weather. You may think I am overstating this, but he's going to have to play a ton of games in the cold throughout his career if he's going to be a 10-year Jet.

k. The Shallow Thoughts fantasy team continues to save its best work for the playoffs in the Official MHR League, and was dominant Sunday, led by Aaron Rodgers' huge day. I'm now one game from a championship. Not bad for a guy who doesn't like fantasy football, and a team which was counting on Larry Johnson and Derrick Ward to be stud RBs. I've gotten solid work from both Laurence Maroney and Jason Snelling at times, which has helped. I thought of Snelling, because I have really come to like his game on the real field. He runs hard, catches the ball well, and picks up the blitz. He's a good backup to Michael Turner, and when they're both healthy, they can really alternate physically pounding a defense.

l. I'll tell you right now, Falcons FS Thomas DeCoud is going to be on the All-ST&NO Favorites team I'll be releasing next week. He ought to be in the Pro Bowl for the NFC, but that's almost certainly not going to happen. He's very mobile and smart, and he always is in great position. What sets him apart from other good safeties, though, is that he can catch the football, and he did once again on Sunday, with his third interception of the season. I like matchup safeties, and I'm a big fan of DeCoud, going back to the 2008 Draft.

m. Kerry Rhodes got benched recently, and he looks to me like he's playing with a lot more ferocity and toughness lately. Rex Ryan had him coming on a bunch of blitzes Sunday, and the Jets did a great job all day against the Atlanta offense. If they had gotten better play from Sanchez this season, the Jets would have run away with the AFC East, because that defense is real. Assuming Sanchez improves in the future, this is going to be a team to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

n. I said something nice about Jay Cutler earlier, and now I'm going to go into semi-apologist mode for him, ever so briefly. Neither of the first two interceptions he threw Sunday were really his fault. On the first, Devin Aromashadu failed to get across the face of Domonique Foxworth on a slant route, which is his job. That's 100% on the WR to execute, especially when the play called for Cutler to look right first, and come back left on time, semi-blindly. On the second pick, the RT failed to cut Jarret Johnson on a 3-step drop, and Johnson jumped up in the passing lane and made a play. I've made this point before recently, but on a 3-step drop, the DE must be cut to the ground to clear the passing lane, and the player (I think it was Kevin Shaffer, but couldn't tell for 100% sure) failed to execute. Cutler's third pick was on him, but it was a tough throw moving to his left. He threw that one right to Foxworth. If the Bears want to do a smart thing, they'll try to hire Jeremy Bates away from USC. I don't necessarily think Bates can coach Cutler out of his well-established bad habits, but he at least knows how to put him in position to be most successful.

o. It's so difficult to deal with the height of the Chargers WRs and Antonio Gates. I don't know if I really know the right answer for stopping them. I think you need to play physical with them, and try to cover them man-to-man, but that's easier said than done. It's got to be better than letting them run the sideline against cover-2 with no re-route from a CB, though. I think Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall did pretty well Sunday, and the Chargers still got the win when it counted. San Diego is overrated in some areas, but they're underrated at WR.

p. I'd be shocked if LaDainian Tomlinson is back with San Diego next season. He was obviously a great player for a long time, but he's noticeably not the same guy he used to be. When a RB starts to lose it, you can see it in his leg drive when somebody hits him. LDT is going down a lot easier than he ever did in the past. He's like Arizona Cardinals-era Emmitt Smith right now, despite having a much shorter career than Emmitt.

q. I really liked Mike Tomlin's reasoning behind his onside kick strategy Sunday. I'm taking this from Peter King's MMQB, as I'm not sure if these comments were said exclusively to him, or were something he picked up from the team's PR people.

"I'll be very bluntly honest with you, based on the way the game was going in the second half, first of all I thought with the element of surprise we had a chance to get it, but if we didn't get it and they were to score, then we would have necessary time on the clock to score or match their score. Plan A didn't work, we got the ball but we were illegal, that was the correct call, but it kind of unfolded the way you envisioned it.

"We had 30 minutes of evidence that we could drive the ball on them, we also conversely had 30 minutes of evidence to show they could also drive the ball on us. That's why we took the risk when we did. We were just trying to win the football game. There was time left in that game that had we kicked that ball away and the half had gone the way that it'd gone, they were converting third downs. They would have moved the ball down the field on us, we wouldn't have had necessary time to respond. I'm just being honest, but it starts with feeling pretty good about the element of surprise and having a good chance to get that ball, but that part of it didn't work out.''

That makes sense, right? Even if you don't get the ball, you're cutting down the amount of time the Packers will take to score, and leave your own team enough time to answer. I generally can't stand the Steelers or their highly-ignorant fan base, but I have Tomlin's back on this one. After all, it played out exactly like he thought it would, if they didn't recover the kick. Nothing proves you right like being right, right?

But then PK chimes in with his commentary:

How the mighty defense has fallen. Wow. Mike Tomlin throwing his D to the wolves.

Sigh. Like they say on ESPN, C'MON MAN! You know what you are if you trust a defense that hasn't gotten it done all day? You're a moron who deserves to lose. I really think that this is the most idiotic conventional wisdom in football, that you have to trust your defense, no matter what. The Steelers got sliced up all game, and didn't deserve to be trusted. Tomlin had the pulse of the game exactly right. Hell, if I am him, I want my defense to know that I don't trust them in that moment, and step it the hell up in practice, and in the next game. Trust is earned, not freely given.

r. Here's a news flash for Peter King. Bryant McKinnie is not a very good player, especially in pass protection. You should never judge the quality of an offensive lineman on whether they get voted to the Pro Bowl, or were picked in the first round of the draft. McKinnie is solid against the run, but he's slow-footed, and he struggles to protect against good pass rushers. Julius Peppers did dominate McKinnie Sunday night, but it's less of a special feat than PK would have you believe.

s. I think the Panthers might have something with Matt Moore. He's not the most polished player, but you can tell he has some real talent. I'm not basing that on his results, per se, but more on the way the ball leaves his hand and flies through the air. If I were John Fox, Jake Delhomme wouldn't see the field again this season unless Moore got hurt.

t. Don't worry about Brett Favre arguing with Brad Childress on the sidelines. It doesn't matter, and these things happen all the time. I don't think the Vikings quite have what it takes to win a championship, but it has nothing to do with Favre and Childress not seeing eye-to-eye in one game. I think the only good player on their offensive line is Steve Hutchinson, and the rest of them are average to below-average. I also think Adrian Peterson isn't playing very well lately, and I wonder if he's banged up, because I don't see the suddenness and power I am used to from him lately.

u. The Giants really got their defensive line going Monday night. I guess it helps to play the Redskins, who can't block anybody. I was pretty surprised by the bad play of the Redskins defense, which has been tough all year. This game was so lousy, I barely paid attention to it after the first half.

v. Why couldn't the Redskins have run THAT variation of the Hunter Smith pass against the Broncos? That was a charlie foxtrot from the start.

4. For a straight single man, I'm a pretty good dresser. I figure I'm average looking, and I could stand to drop a few pounds, so I try to help myself by making smart wardrobe decisions. I have some common sense rules, I favor versatility and have a good feel for matching, and I never, ever wear trendy, overpriced crap like Ed Hardy. I'd give myself a B-plus to an A-minus.

So I am watching the NFL Network pregame show Sunday, and I can't help but notice the gear of the well-known sartorialist Michael Irvin. He had a pretty bad suit, and I remembered a draft a few years ago, maybe 2006 or 2007, when Irvin was working for ESPN. My ex-wife walked in, and saw him, and she was all about fashion. He was wearing a brown suit, with a brown shirt, and Christine says, "He looks like a big piece of poop." I couldn't help but agree.

So, horrible suit back then, pretty bad suit Sunday, funny memory. Then, the crew took off their jackets to do a technique demonstration, and I saw the worst part of Mike's gear. His shirt had epaulets!!! (I generally hate multiple exclamation points, but epaulets make it appropriate.) If you were in the military, chances are you know what epaulets are - if not, check it out here, where they spell it differently than how I learned in the Navy.

Okay, Mike? Unless you're going to a Troop Meeting, and making Eagle Scout, no epaulets, okay? There's no good reason in the world for a normal man's shirt to have them. Just say no to pretentious clothing. I wouldn't be surprised if Ed Hardy toolbag-in-chief Christian Audigier designed Irvin's shirt, too. The orange oompa loompa spray tan would look weird on Irvin, so it would be hard to carry the complete look.

I bet those guys' shirts have epaulets. By the way, I got that pic from the coolest Facebook fan page ever.

5. So there's big news that I have to share. I am retiring ST&NO. Next week, on December 29^th, 2009 I will post my last one ever, at least as far as I am planning now. New Year, new ideas, new LASIK eye surgery on January 15^th, so I won't be nearsighted anymore. The title just wouldn't make sense anymore, and like Russell Jones, I keeps it real. I plan to move my work in a bit of a different direction in the next year, and beyond.

Since I started writing ST&NO last January, I've tried to make it league-wide. Some MHR people have expressed appreciation for that, and I think some would like my work better if it was all Broncos, all the time. It's gotten more and more league-wide in nature during the course of this regular season - at first, kind of by accident. Later, I started to realize that I wanted to position myself for a more national platform, and I've gone with it more intentionally. I thank John Bena for always letting me write whatever I want, as I've been able to drop stuff that makes me happy.

In the marketplace of ideas, there's been a lot of evolution in how fans get football information. It used to be, you could watch your local market game, the Cowboys (America's Team), and a West Coast game, and then whatever was on Monday night. Now, you can watch any game you want, if you're willing to pay $400 a season for the privilege. Twenty years ago, you had your local rag newspaper, picking up some AP reporting, and having a couple Woody Paige-style columnists. I remember sitting in the front hall of my mom's house every Monday morning, reading the recaps and poring through the box scores. Now, you can go on the internet and read whoever you want. It's a brave new world, that continues to change all the time, and a guy like me has to continually evaluate my best positioning in it.

When there were just the rags, the strong written content was at the micro (team) level, mostly because it was the only particular written content, outside of a multi-sport skimmer like Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News. With the wide proliferation of the internet in the mid-90s, your average Len Pasquarelli and John Clayton emerged at ESPN.com, and the Worldwide Leader threw a ton of resources at football, taking the quality back to the macro level. In the early to mid 00s, it became much easier for people with no access to players and coaches to get information, and also to self-publish. Web 2.0 gave some people with real talent the chance to take the quality back to the micro level, where it really belongs, to a large degree.

Well, I'm a macro kind of guy who has been working at a micro level. I actually have personal friends who've told me explicitly that they won't read ST&NO because it appears on a Broncos site. It's just too much for some people to get past. You'll remember the story about the "repugnant" guy/girl from a couple weeks ago. The person's biggest burn was:

If you were as brilliant and talented as you think you are you'd be doing something other than running a niche website no one other than diehard Broncos fans gives a damn about.

As I told the critic in my response, I am very, very proud of MHR. It's the best Broncos site in the world, and I'm really proud to have been part of its rise, and call myself a member/alumnus of the site. From John, to the staff, to the community, it's really incredible what we have here, and I will always support and promote it. I'm struggling a bit to cut to the chase, which is unlike me, but you can probably tell by now that I am announcing my departure from the MHR staff.

I've decided to launch my own football site, with a stated goal of bringing MHR-style quality to the macro level. I looked at trying to convince a lousy MSM site like CBSSports.com to pay me for running my content on their site, and even went so far as to ask a friend to make an inquiry on my behalf. I've backed away from this idea, however, as I read about Bill Simmons' frustrations with ESPN's penchant for censoring his work. Everybody knows that wouldn't work for me. I'm taking the Oprah approach, instead, and owning my own outlet. I'm pretty close to being ready to launch, but not quite close enough to share details yet. Tune into next week's triumphant ST&NO finale, and you can get all the information about it.

There's such widespread suckitude at the national level, that I feel like I have to step directly into their arena, loudly and with both feet, if I really want to go after them. I'm here to tell you, I've got something for Peter King, Mike Florio, Clayton, Pasquarelli, Don Banks, Pete Prisco, and all the rest of them. Let there be no ambiguity. I am in it to win it at the national level, and I'll be applying everything I learned here at MHR, and every other resource I can muster to help make it happen. Sound the horns, because it is most definitely on.

It's Tuesday morning as I write this last part, time to post ST&NO, head to the office, and do another call with Kuldeep and Suresh in India. Have a great week, friends, and I'll see you next Tuesday for the final edition of this column. The ST&NO concept will definitely live on at my new site, but I'll be excited to have each of you with me next week, as we close this chapter of the story, and start writing the next one. Thanks for being MHR community members, and for reading my work every week. This site is going to continue to be great, and I'm just hoping to expand the universe a little faster than the reputation of the Most Interesting Man in The World, for a change. Thanks in advance for your support. :)

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

2 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.

Post-game Open Thread: Cincinnati Bengals after game-winning field goal by San Diego

Kirkendall — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:32:50 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

2 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco, right, hugs teammate Jerome Simpson 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/Denis Poroy)

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Cincinnati played their first game after the untimely death of their fallen teammate, Chris Henry. If you're a fan of the Bengals, you have to appreciate their effort and spirit. They played their guts out. Palmer passed for over 300 yards for the first time since week 17 in 2007. Laveranues Coles showed up after losing his starting spot, catching four passes after unquestionably disappearing several weeks before. J.P. Foschi had a great game, catching seven passes for 82 yards receiving, showing up when the team needed a tight end to catch passes underneath. Keith Rivers had an interception that brought Cincinnati back into the game, being down 24-10 and a sack. Chinedum Ndukwe had over ten tackles and half a sack. Johnathan Joseph recorded six tackles and an interception and Dhani Jones made several stops behind the line of scrimmage. Quan Cosby joined the offense against the Chargers catching three passes for 47 yards and Brian Leonard had another impressive third down pickup. Shayne Graham had two kickoffs out of the back of the endzone and never kicked the football out of bounds. That's progress.

But in the end, it just wasn't enough. Tied at 24 with 54 seconds left in the game, Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense marched down the field, picking up 46 yards through the air setting up Nate Kaeding's 52-yard game winning field goal.

As a football fan, this was a great game, full of it's exciting moments. True, it was another game of frustration with the Bengals committing nine penalties -- three of which were consecutive in the third quarter setting up first-and-25 before the first snap of the possession. It was frustrating that the Bengals were forced into second-and-36 after Andre Caldwell's fumble while driving for a late game drive in which a touchdown wins the game. Instead, they're forced to pick up as many yards as possible to kick the game-tying field goal.

Cincinnati has the Chiefs and Jets left on their schedule. It will be the third straight week next week that the Bengals will be able to clinch the AFC North. They fall to 9-5 on the season and while it appears that the Bengals might be losing momentum, they played well Sunday. They just didn't win.

Primer: Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) at San Diego Chargers (10-3)

Kirkendall — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:03:09 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

23 days ago: San Diego Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson, left, and Antonio Gates celebrate after Gates' 19-yard touchdown-reception during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday Nov. 29, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Game: Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) at San Diego Chargers (10-3)
Series Leader: Chargers, 18-10
Streak: Chargers have won four of the past five
Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 1-1. Turner: 0-0
Broadcast: CBS (1:05 PM PT): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms. SIRIUS: 158 (Cin.), 123 (SD). XM: 112 (SD).
SB Nation: Bolts from the Blue
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Partly cloud with a high of 67 degrees [Weather.com]
Uniform: White
Television Coverage: Parts of Ohio, Arizona, California, Nevada, Pennsylvania and different spots around the nation. [506]

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati, 4-2 on the road in 2009, can clinch the AFC North with a win.
With a win, Marvin Lewis will surpass Paul Brown for second-most wins in franchise history.
In his only meeting against the San Diego Chargers, Carson Palmer completed 31 of 42 passes for 440 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 131.1 passer rating.
Cedric Benson has over 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career.
On the road, Benson averages 90.6 yards rushing per game.
In his past two games, Chad Ochocinco has 21 receptions for 367 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
Chad needs 63 yards to record his seventh 1,000-yard season in his career.
Jonathan Fanene has a career-best six sacks in 2009.
Leon Hall needs one interception to surpass a career-high five picks in 2007.
Hall and Johnathan Joseph are tied for second in the NFL with 19 passes defensed.

San Diego Chargers

Chargers are looking to record their ninth straight win and look to extend an NFL record 16 straight wins in the month of December.
Quarterback Phillip Rivers is 16-0 as a starter in December with 3,498 yards passing, 28 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 99.3 passer rating.
In his only meeting against the Bengals, Rivers recorded 338 yards passing, three touchdowns, no interceptions and 124.5 passer rating.
During the eight-game winning streak, Rivers has 15 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 113.5 passer rating.
Since 2000, running back LaDainian Tomlinson leads the NFL with 3,938 yards rushing and 37 rushing touchdowns.
Tomlinson (136) needs one rushing touchdown to surpass Emmitt Smith for most rushing touchdowns in a single decade.
In four games against the Bengals, Tomlinson has recorded 100 yards rushing or more in three games; averages 105 yards rushing against Cincinnati.
Antonio Gates (1,038) needs 64 yards receiving to surpass a career-high of 1,101 yards in 2005.
Vincent Jackson recorded his fifth 100-yard receiving game last week and needs only 11 yards to become first Chargers receiver since Tony Martin (1995-1996) to reach 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
Linebacker Stephen Cooper leads the Chargers with 90 tackles.

TEAM RANKINGS

Offense	Bengals	Chargers
Total	322.5 (20th)	354.3 (13th)
Scoring	20.3 (19th)	27.8 (4th)
Third Downs	42% (13th)	42% (9th)
Rushing	132.8 (6th)	87.5 (31st)
Rushing TDs	9 (19th)	13 (t-11th)
Passing	189.8 (23rd)	266.8 (5th)
Passing TDs	17 (t-17th)	22 (t-10th)
Sacks Allowed	23 (t-7th)	22 (t-5th)
20-yard Passes	31 (t-23rd)	52 (2nd)

Defense	Bengals	Chargers
Total	295.5 (5th)	324.2 (12th)
Scoring	16.7 (t-2nd)	19.9 (14th)
3rd Downs Allowed	35 (7th)	40 (22nd)
Rushing	86.4 (3rd)	117.1 (21nd)
Rushing TDs	8 (t-9th)	8 (t-9th)
Passing	209.1 (12th)	207.1 (10th)
Passing TDs	14 (t-8th)	19 (t-18th)
Sacks	31 (t-10th)	31 (t-10th)
QB Rating	73.7 (6th)	84.9 (t-17th)
20-Yard Passes Allowed	35 (t-11th)	29 (t-3rd)
Interceptions	15 (t-8th)	11 (t-18th)

Special Teams	Bengals	Chargers
Kickoff Return	21.3 (26th)	23.2 (12th)
Punt Return	11.3 (5th)	8.2 (17th)
Punting (Net)	36.9 (23rd)	39.9 (t-7th)
Punts Inside the 20	20 (t-16th)	20 (t-16th)

2009 STATISTICAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Carson Palmer	Stat	Ranking
Quarterback Rating	84.8	18th
Yards Passing	2,641	18th
Touchdowns	17	t-14th
First Downs	136	15th
Average Yards/Att	6.8	19th
Completions	237	17th
Interceptions	10	t-15th
Times Sacked	23	t-17th

Cedric Benson	Stat	Ranking
Yards Rushing	1,065	8th
Attempts / Game	23.4	1st
Touchdowns	6	t-17th
First Downs	48	8th

Chad Ochocinco	Stat	Ranking
Receptions	65	t-19th
Yards Receiving	937	15th
Touchdowns	7	t-13th
20-yard receptions	14	t-10th
First Downs	50	t-7th

CAREER AGAINST THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Carson Palmer

Date	Result	Comp.	Att.	Yards	TDs	Int
11.12.2006	L, 41-49	31	42	440	3	0

Chad Johnson

Date	Result	Rec	Yards	TDs
11.12.2006	L, 41-49	11	260	2
11.23.2003	W, 34-27	10	107	3
9.30.2001	L, 14-28	2	28	1

Cedric Benson

Date	Rushes	Yards	TDs
9.9.2007	19	42	0

Six-Pack of Hu-Dey: Time for a new contract extension for Marvin Lewis?

Kirkendall — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:11:27 -0000

Welcome to this week's Six-Pack of Hu-Dey. Today Jay McDonnell joins us. I (Josh Kirkendall, the Alpha Male) discusses why the Bengals should give Marvin Lewis a contract extension, why Leon Hall should be grouped with the league's elite cornerbacks and I ask whether the team's three-tackle rotation at right tackle should be changed.

Jay says that it's time to cut Daniel Coats, that it's time for Bob Bratkowski to become less predictable and that fans of our divisional foes (ah hum, the Steelers) should give a little respect to the Bengals this season.

Let's get to it.

The Bengals give Marvin Lewis another contract extension after this season. I believe in two things. If the moon had never existed, the complex living organisms that exist today simply don't exist either. I also believe that Marvin Lewis has developed a talent rebuilding teams. Theoretically, it would be nice that rebuilding projects were spaced out more with the Bengals and that the train keeps rolling year, after year, after year. Realistically, even organizations that pump out winners like the Patriots or the St... St... St... Steelers need periods to rebuild themselves. Marvin Lewis is now in his seventh season, finishing his second rebuilding project. This, just perhaps, could be his masterpiece.

After going 1-11-1 in 2008, the Bengals have remarkably won 13 of their next 16 games. These changes include, but are far from being limited to, a deep understanding of the team's personnel. Most notably, Lewis revised the team's entire philosophy to a powerful rush offense and a tremendously performing defense. This will be his second rebuilding project after taking on a team that was 2-12 in 2002 and delivering four straight non-losing seasons and a playoff appearance in 2005.

I really believe that Lewis, like any NFL player, is getting better every season. I'm not just talking about his record either. Controversy is being handled with ease. Adversity is a distant thing of the bitter past with this team. Even his draft picks are improving. And when the team is down and out (ala, 2008), they unified and matured like we've never seen, into this group that we're damned proud of in 2009.

Lewis' existing contract expires after the 2010 season -- the same time the CBA expires, which may be a factor in NOT giving him an extension. The Bengals' biggest mistake would be letting two people leave Cincinnati, namely Mike Zimmer and Marvin Lewis. Lewis could arguably be the most important of the two. After all, he's the face of this franchise.

Is it time to for Andre Smith to get his first start or is the three-tackle rotation working? Okay, I get it. Why mess with chemistry? Let's read into the facts. The Bengals are 9-3, sport the league's sixth best rushing offense and have allowed only 22 sacks (which is tied for eight-best in the league). Quite honestly, the Bengals offensive line is the most improved unit, of any unit, on this team. They deserve tremendous credit for the team's transition into one of the best AFC teams that's dismantled both teams that played in the 2008 AFC Championship game. Personal note: I still like writing that.

One of those success stories on the line is Dennis Roland, who has come from undrafted free agent, to starting right tackle, to the biggest guy in human history to go into motion causing safeties and outside linebackers to say under their breath, "oh f**k." Also, in truth, Roland is an accomplished run blocker, if not one of the better run blockers on this team.

But where he's strong with the rushing offense, he's weak in pass protection. At times he appears slow against defensive ends with a quick inside step. This also leads to the lack of communication or awareness when a stunt brings an outside linebacker or safety on a blitz. Slowly Anthony Collins has quietly won more playing time, especially on passing downs.

From our understanding, Andre Smith's playing time is growing. They started him slowly with basic packages and plays. As they expand the playbook for Smith, he'll keep experiencing an increase in playing time. Cincinnati's use of the jumbo packages (putting three, sometimes four offensive tackles on the line) has led to Cedric Benson's best rushing this year. Whatever the Bengals are doing with the offensive line, it's working.

So the question is should the Bengals keep doing what they're doing, or should they give Andre Smith his first NFL start soon?

Should the national media put Leon Hall in the same class as Darrelle Revis? The other day I had a healthy helping of Hamburger Helper that did a Flozell Adams on my stomach. With an older copy of ESPN shouting "hey, I'll help you kill some time," I flipped to an NFL report. Like it was destiny, I kid you not. One of those reports called Leon Hall "the irreplaceable cornerback". Look at the numbers of the receivers that he's shutdown.

Week	Receiver	Att	Comp	Yrds	TD	YPA
1	Brandon Marshall	2	0	0	0	0
2	Greg Jennings	4	0	0	0	0
3	Santonio Holmes	3	1	18	0	6.0
4	Braylon Edwards	1	0	0	0	0
5/9	Derrick Mason	4	1	12	0	3.0
6	Andre Johnson	6	4	39	0	6.5
7	Devin Hester	3	2	28	0	9.3

As I said, it was an older copy so that's where the list ends. We could go on and presume that Hall is strictly covering the opposing team's best wide receiver, but that would be factually incorrect. Leon Hall mostly lines up on the left and the opposing offenses can shift wide receivers anywhere on the field. Furthermore, when the Bengals call zone, he's not always covering a receiver; rather a specific area on the field. However, we do know that in the past four games against the Steelers, Raiders, Browns and Lions, only two receivers gained 80 yards receiving or more (Santonio Holmes with 88 yards and Calvin Johnson with 123 yards).

The Jets' Darrelle Revis is widely considered the best cover cornerback in the league. He leads everyone with 28 passes defensed with five interceptions. Hall is second with 22 passes defensed and four interceptions. At the rate that Leon Hall is shutting down opposing wide receivers he should without a doubt be considered in the elite group of cornerbacks in the league.

Want to know the most scary part? Johnathan Joseph could theoretically be in the same elite group. Third in the league with 21 passes defensed and five interceptions, Joseph is developing a nasty habit of being one hell of a tackling cornerback -- kind of in the league of Charles Woodson. Well, close to it at least.

Would it be a stretch to say that the Bengals have the league's best cornerback duo?

A decision needs to be made about Daniel Coats. At the start of the season the kicking game struggled, which cost the Bengals valuable points, putting the game in doubt and forcing us to constantly check our blood pressure. When executing an extra point or a field goal, the snap was either too high or mishandled due to a bad snap causing Shayne Graham to get out of sync. This led to missed field goals or extra points, weighing heavily on the outcome of the game. So to solve the problem the Bengals released Brad St. Louis and brought in little known long snapper Clark Harris to take over these duties. This seems to have largely solved the problem with the kicking game.

At the same time another problem exists with Tight Ends not being able to catch the ball, specifically Dan Coats who has dropped more passes in the end zone than any other receiver on the team. When he does catch it, the ball is prone to squirting out only to see it recovered by the opposition. These drops and fumbles have cost the Bengals as much as Brad St. Louis ever did.

The Bengals set the standard by releasing the usually reliable St. Louis, sending a statement that poor play is not acceptable. But somehow, they see fit to hang onto a tight end that cannot catch a ball that hits him in his hands over and over again. Yes, the tight end position is thin with Ben Utecht being released and Reggie Kelly out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. That however is no excuse for hanging onto a player that is extremely inconsistent and costing the team valuable points. J.P. Foschi seems to have taken on the opportunity and showed that he is not only able to block, but able to catch and hang onto passes. The precedent was set with the release of St. Louis; with Foschi showing his worth I think it is time for the Bengals to continue their message that mediocrity is not acceptable. Cut Dan Coats.

It is time for the predictable Bratkowski to become unpredictable. Despite the Bengals 9-3 record and mostly the same ingredients of an offense that once established a reputation as being an explosive offense in the past, the Bengals have only one game this season where they routed a team by more than 20 points. The defense has been the unit doing the heavy lifting while the offense seems to only do what is necessary to win the game. To some extent that is fine, until they run into an offense that is able to put up points and quickly (read: the Minnesota Vikings). There appears however to be a reason the offense has not been as explosive as first thought.

In this article published on Cincinnati.com, Bob Bratkowski acknowledges that he is “getting a little too ‘run on first down, run on second” in his play calling. Really? When did he find this out? How many of us see his play calling develop a pattern that causes teams to load eight in the box on a weekly basis? Does he not see this and want to make some kind of adjustment?

This kind of play calling makes the Bengals offense predictable allowing the opposing defense to load up the box, trying to force the Bengals to be one dimensional. But so far, teams have been unable to accomplish this on a regular basis. There is a thought process that you keep calling the same play until the defense stops it. I am not saying this should continue, but I am sure Brat does this because it works and he will probably continue to do this until someone stops it. However, since Brat has recognized this problem I hope he is able to adjust and open up the passing game showing opposing defenses that predictability is no longer an issue.

How about a little respect from our division foes? My wife and I live in an area that somehow seems to have more Pittsburgh Steeler fans then those who support the local team, the Washington Redskins. We work with several Steeler fans as well. These fans are as loyal as any. They will defend their team no matter the record and performance. But when the discussion turns to how the Bengals have surged ahead of the Steelers, they immediately run behind the 6 Super Bowl Championships and how they won two of the past four. They even cite how they qualified as a wild card team in 2005 and went on to win the Super Bowl, never mind the fact that Carson Palmer had his knee torn up by the Steelers.

The results of this season are not new to those fans; they have suffered through tough seasons following Super Bowl appearances dating back to 1996 against the Dallas Cowboys. Now that the Steelers are struggling and their fans are watching their playoff hopes fade, those fans seem to refuse to accept the fact the Bengals are the better team this season. The Steeler fans my wife and I have come across have shown a bit of arrogance and seem to expect to make the playoffs despite the heavy odds against them. With their current record of 6-6, a playoff appearance seems slim.

The Bengals have the AFC North pretty much sewn up with the magic number being one. Ask any Steeler fan though, and they will tell you how they are going to make the playoffs because of the soft schedule remaining. Well, I have some bad news for those Steeler fans that visit our fair web blog to read what we may have to say. The Steelers are not going to make the playoffs. After losing four straight games and giving up 4th quarter leads in three of those games, the vaunted defense has proved itself unable to protect a lead. This, of course, does not bode well for the defending Super Bowl Champs any chance their fans insist they still have to enter the playoff club in 2009.

Primer: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:00:31 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

27 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford throws during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Game: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)
Series Leader: Bengals 6-3
Streak: Bengals have won three straight and six of the past seven
Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 1-0. Schwartz: 0-0
Broadcast: FOX (1:00 PM ET): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 155 (Det.), 91 (Cin.). XM: 108 (Cin.).
SB Nation: Pride of Detroit
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Partly cloudy with a high around 39. [Weather.com]
Uniform: Black
Television Coverage: State of Ohio, most of Kentucky, West Virginia, eastern Pennsylvania, Michigan and northern Wisconsin. [506]

LAST GAME: The last time the Bengals played the Lions was December 18, 2005. The Bengals beat the Lions 41-17 in Detroit on their way to sweeping the entire NFC North that season. Palmer recorded three touchdown passes and outgained the Lions 426-270 in total yards. This was the game that the Bengals clinched their first division title in 15 years.

LAST GAME IN CINCINNATI: The last time the Lions played the Bengals in Cincinnati, the Lions beat the Bengals 19-13 behind a 151-yard day by Barry Sanders.

ONE NOTABLE: Cincinnati's own Thom Brennaman is scheduled to broadcast Sunday's game.

Cincinnati Bengals

With a win, Marvin Lewis (54-53-1) will tie the legendary Paul Brown (55-59-1) for the second most wins in franchise history. Sam Wyche has 64 wins.
Bengals look to recorded their fourth straight win when playing the Lions.
Against the NFC North this season, the Bengals are 2-0 and Carson Palmer has completed 35 of 47 passes for 418 yards and eight touchdowns for a 123.0 passer rating.
In his only meeting against Detroit, Palmer recorded three touchdown passes and a 95.5 passer rating.
Cedric Benson only needs 141 yards rushing to record his first 1,000-yard season in his career.
In his past two games, Bernard Scott is averaging 103 yards-per-game.
Chad Ochocinco is averaging 104.5 yards receiving against the NFC this year.
Defense is ranked 1st in the NFL, allowing only 15.8 points-per-game. Rushing defense ranks third, allowing 81.9 yards rushing per game.
Leon Hall ranks second with 17 passes defensed and Johnathan Joseph is tied for fourth with 15 passes defensed.

Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford leads all NFL rookies with 2,124 yards passing and 12 touchdowns.
Running back Kevin Smith has recorded 970 yards from scrimmage and needs 30 yards to reach 1,000 in back-to-back seasons.
In his past three games against the AFC, Smith is averaging 123 yards from scrimmage per game.
Calvin Johnson looks to record a touchdown in three straight games. Johnson also has four 100-yard receiving games against the AFC, including two of the past three games.
Tight End Will Heller has a touchdown in two of his past three games.
Linebacker Julian Peterson recorded a sack and forced fumble last week and has 29 quarterback sacks since 2006.
Safety Louis Delmas recorded a safety last week (irony!)
Cornerback Anthony Henry has an interception in two of his past three games against the Bengals.

TEAM RANKINGS

Offense	Bengals	Lions
Total	332.9 (17th)	308.2 (26th)
Scoring	21.0 (16th)	17.5 (25th)
Third Downs	42% (11th)	39% (16th)
Rushing	135.3 (7th)	96.2 (25th)
Rushing TDs	9 (t-15th)	6 (23rd)
Passing	197.6 (21st)	212.0 (19th)
Passing TDs	15 (t-16th)	13 (t-20th)
Sacks Allowed	20 (t-7th)	33 (t-28th)
20-yard Passes	28 (20th)	31 (t-16th)

Defense	Bengals	Lions
Total	297.6 (6th)	394.3 (32nd)
Scoring	15.8 (1st)	30.5 (32nd)
3rd Downs Allowed	34% (5th)	42% (27th)
Rushing	81.9 (3rd)	112.9 (19th)
Rushing TDs	5 (6th)	9 (t-16th)
Passing	215.7 (16th)	281.4 (32nd)
Passing TDs	12 (t-9th)	27 (32nd)
Sacks	26 (t-10th)	19 (t-27th)
QB Rating	75.5 (6th)	111.8 (32nd)
20-Yard Passes Allowed	31 (t-15th)	38 (27th)
Interceptions	12 (t-7th)	6 (t-31st)

Special Teams	Bengals	Lions
Kickoff Return	22.2 (t-22nd)	20.8 (27th)
Punt Return	11.2 (5th)	9.2 (14th)
Punting (Net)	37.7 (t-19th)	37.6 (t-22nd)
Punts Inside the 20	18 (t-12th)	16 (t-20th)

2009 STATISTICAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Carson Palmer	Stat	Ranking
Quarterback Rating	86.7	15th
Yards Passing	2,327	17th
Touchdowns	15	t-14th
First Downs	119	t-16th
Average Yards/Att	6.9	t-17th
Completions	205	18th
Interceptions	8	t-16th
Times Sacked	20	t-16th

Cedric Benson	Stat	Ranking
Yards Rushing	859	9th
Attempts / Game	22.8	1st
Touchdowns	6	t-12th
First Downs	36	12th

Chad Ochocinco	Stat	Ranking
Receptions	53	t-24th
Yards Receiving	773	16th
Touchdowns	5	t-15th
20-yard receptions	11	t-12th
First Downs	42	t-9th

CAREER AGAINST THE DETROIT LIONS

Carson Palmer

Date	Result	Comp.	Att.	Yards	TDs	Int
12.18.2005	W 41-17	28	39	274	3	2

Chad Johnson

Date	Result	Rec	Yards	TDs
12.18.2005	W 41-17	11	99	1

Cedric Benson

Date	Rushes	Yards	TDs
10.28.2007	13	50	0
9.30.2007	15	50	0
12.24.2006	15	49	0
9.17.2006	10	25	0
10.30.2005	3	35	0
9.18.2005	16	49	0

Laveranues Coles

Date	Rec	Yards	TDs
10.22.2006	4	29	0
11.7.2004	4	46	1
11.17.2002	7	114	0

Larry Johnson

Date	Rushes	Yards	TDs
12.14.2003	4	26	0

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.

Final Injury/Practice Report: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)

Kirkendall — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:31:49 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DE Robert Geathers (hip)
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DT Tank Johnson (knee)
DT Domata Peko (knee)	CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	G Evan Mathis (ankle)
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LB Rey Maualuga (foot)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LB David Bowens (knee)
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	TE Michael Gaines (back)
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	C Alex Mack (thumb)
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DNP	DNP	LP
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DNP	DNP	LP
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	DNP	LP	LP
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	LP
DE Robert Geathers (hip)	LP	LP	FP
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP	LP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP	FP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	LP	LP	LP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP	LP
G Evan Mathis (ankle)	--	FP	FP

CLEVELAND	WED	THUR	FRI
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	DNP	LP	LP
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	DNP	DNP	LP
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DNP	DNP	LP
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	DNP	DNP	LP
LB David Bowens (knee)	LP	LP	LP
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP
RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	LP	LP	LP
TE Michael Gaines (back)	FP	FP	FP
C Alex Mack (thumb)	FP	FP	FP
DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)	FP	FP	FP
WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	FP	FP	FP

Practice Report: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)

Kirkendall — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:16 -0000

Untitled Document

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
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DNP	DNP
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	DNP	LP
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP
DE Robert Geathers (hip)	LP	LP
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	LP	LP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP

CLEVELAND	WED	THUR	FRI
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	DNP	LP
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	DNP	DNP
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DNP	DNP
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	DNP	DNP
LB David Bowens (knee)	LP	LP
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LP	LP
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	LP	LP
RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	LP	LP
TE Michael Gaines (back)	FP	FP
C Alex Mack (thumb)	FP	FP
DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)	FP	FP
WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	FP	FP

Primer: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3). Part II

Kirkendall — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:36:34 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, left, catches a five-yard touchdown pass in front of Cleveland Browns cornerback Eric Wright (24) in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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Game: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)
Series Leader: Bengals 37-35
Streak: Bengals have won eight of the past 10 meetings
Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 9-4. Mangini: 1-2
Broadcast: CBS (1:00 PM ET): Ian Eagle, Rich Gannon. SIRIUS: 129 (Cle.), 122 (Cin.). XM: 106 (Cin.).
SB Nation: Dawgs by Nature
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Mostly cloudy with a high of 54. [Weather.com]
Uniform: Orange
Television Coverage: State of Ohio, eastern Kentucky, Western West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. [506]

Cincinnati Bengals

With a win the Bengals will go undefeated against the division for the first time in franchise history.
Bengals have won four of the past five games against Cleveland
Quarterback Carson Palmer is 7-2 against the Cleveland Browns, completing 197 of 313 passes for 2,145 yards passing, 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for an 87.9 passer rating.
Palmer has a touchdown in all nine career games against Cleveland.
With four touchdowns, Palmer will become the third quarterback in franchise history to record 125 passing touchdowns (any wild guesses on the other two?)
Cedric Benson is averaging 122.5 yards rushing in previous two games against Cleveland.
Benson averages 106.2 yards rushing in games where he records 20 rushes or more -- his teams are 11-1-1.
Rookie running back Bernard Scott recorded his first career 100-yard game with 119 yards rushing against the Oakland Raiders.
Chad Ochocinco has three touchdowns in his previous two games against the Browns and looks to record a touchdown in his third straight game against the Browns.
Bengals defense has 10 interceptions in their past six games.
Johnathan Joseph looks to record an interception in three straight against the Browns.
Joseph has an interception in four of five divisional games this year.
Dhani Jones leads the Bengals with 68 tackles.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns look to record back-to-back wins in Cincinnati for the first time since the 2002-2003 seasons.
Brady Quinn, who recorded career highs in passing (304), touchdowns (4) and passer rating (133.1) last week, will make his first career start against the Bengals.
In 15 career games against the Bengals, Jamal Lewis is averaging 113.7 yards per game, which includes nine 100-yard rushing games.
In his only career game against the Bengals, rookie receiver Mohamed Massaquoi recorded a career high in receptions (8) and yards receiving (148).
Massaquoi recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game last week.
Receiver Chansi Stuckey posted his first touchdown reception with the Browns last week against the Lions.
Linebacker David Bowens looks to record a sack in three straight games.
Safety Brodney Pool has two interceptions in his past three games and looks to record a pick in two straight against the Bengals.

TEAM RANKINGS

Offense	Bengals	Browns
Total	335.6 (17th)	236.8 (31st)
Scoring	21.5 (16th)	11.5 (30th)
Third Downs	41% (14th)	29% (29th)
Rushing	127.8 (9th)	101.4 (22nd)
Rushing TDs	9 (t-12th)	2 (t-30th)
Passing	207.8 (20th)	135.4 (31st)
Passing TDs	14 (t-15th)	7 (31st)
Sacks Allowed	17 (t-7th)	24 (t-21st)
20-yard Passes	28 (t-16th)	18 (29th)

Defense	Bengals	Browns
Total	310.5 (10th)	402.0 (32nd)
Scoring	16.7 (3rd)	26.3 (28th)
3rd Downs Allowed	35% (8th)	39% (20th)
Rushing	84.3 (2nd)	154.9 (29th)
Rushing TDs	4 (t-5th)	13 (t-27th)
Passing	226.2 (19th)	247.1 (26th)
Passing TDs	12 (t-12th)	15 (t-19th)
Sacks	24 (t-8th)	19 (t-21st)
QB Rating	77.5 (t-7th)	93.7 (26th)
20-Yard Passes Allowed	30 (t-19th)	37 (30th)
Interceptions	12 (t-6th)	6 (t-30th)

Special Teams	Bengals	Browns
Kickoff Return	22.1 (23rd)	22.8 (18th)
Punt Return	11.4 (4th)	13.2 (2nd)
Punting (Net)	37.5 (19th)	38.8 (12th)
Punts Inside the 20	14 (t-22nd)	32 (1st)

2009 STATISTICAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Carson Palmer	Stat	Ranking
Quarterback Rating	87.2	15th
Yards Passing	2,217	16th
Touchdowns	14	t-14th
First Downs	112	t-15th
Average Yards/Att	7.1	16th
Completions	192	t-16th
Interceptions	8	t-17th
Times Sacked	17	t-15th

Cedric Benson	Stat	Ranking
Yards Rushing	859	7th
Attempts / Game	22.8	1st
Touchdowns	6	t-10th
First Downs	36	t-9th

Chad Ochocinco	Stat	Ranking
Receptions	50	t-21st
Yards Receiving	735	12th
Touchdowns	5	t-14th
20-yard receptions	11	t-9th
First Downs	39	t-7th

CAREER AGAINST THE BROWNS

Carson Palmer

Date	Result	Comp.	Att.	Yards	TDs	Int
10.4.09	W, 23-20	23	44	230	2	1
12.23.07	W, 19-14	11	21	115	1	2
9.16.07	L, 45-51	33	50	401	6	2
11.26.06	W, 30-0	25	32	275	3	1
9.17.06	W, 34-17	24	40	352	2	2
12.11.05	W, 23-20	13	27	93	1	1
9.11.05	W, 27-13	26	34	280	2	1
11.28.04	W, 58-48	22	29	251	4	3
10.17.04	L, 17-34	20	36	148	1	1

Chad Johnson

Date	Result	Rec	Yards	TDs
10.4.09	W, 23-20	3	24	2
9.28.08	L, 12-20	3	28	1
12.23.07	W, 19-14	4	44	0
9.16.07	L, 45-51	11	209	2
11.26.06	W, 30-0	7	123	0
9.17.06	W, 34-17	6	78	1
12.11.05	W, 23-20	2	22	0
9.11.05	W, 27-13	9	91	0
11.28.04	W, 58-48	10	117	1
10.17.04	L, 17-34	3	37	0
12.28.03	L, 14-22	4	29	0
9.28.03	L, 16-22	3	67	2
11.17.02	L, 20-27	4	103	1
9.15.02	L, 7-20	4	58	1
11.25.01	L, 0-18	1	7	0
10.14.01	W, 24-14	5	68	0

Cedric Benson

Date	Rushes	Yards	TDs
10.4.09	18	74
12.21.08	38	171	0
10.9.05	5	6	0

Laveranues Coles

Date	Rec	Yards	TDs
10.4.09	2	24	0
12.9.07	7	48	0
10.29.06	4	40	0
10.3.04	7	122	0
10.27.02	5	61	1