SB Nation - Brian Leonard

The Ten Worst Draft Picks of the 2000's

ram_rod — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:04:44 -0000

With 2010 fast approaching, it was thought to be a good idea and take a look back at some of the things the Rams have and haven't done for us in this decade that has a mere 23 days left. What better way to kick it off then with a look at the ten worst picks the Rams have made in the last ten years. Obviously, this is subjective, but feel free to bash or praise the picks in the comments, or add your own!

I personally take no credit for these picks, that goes to Jay Zygmunt and John Shaw. Feel free to let them know how you feel! Onto the picks:

10: Dominique Byrd, 2006, 93rd Overall Selection

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

It was tough to put these in order and even though Dominique was barely on the team...well, that's the point. Selected at the bottom of the third round by the deposed fiefdom of Scott Linehan, Dominique went on to see action 14 games while he was here between 06 and 07, and notched a grand total of 6 receptions for 83 yards and a score. Not incredibly bad considering the fetish Scott Linehan had with tight ends, but considering that Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels (who was selected a mere 5 spots after Byrd) was available during the draft hurts.

9: Anthony Hargrove, 2004, 91st Overall Selection

Picture via content.clearchannel.com

This was a tough one for me. I remember being optimistic about Anthony after his promising 51 tackle, 6.5 sack season. But as with a slew of other picks, the Rams made huge gambles with players who had personal problems (why do you think 'four pillars' was implemented). While he wasn't a necessarily a bad player, his later substance abuse and personal problems made him a bust on the field. The irony is that another player with personal problems, one Jared Allen, could have been selected instead.

8: Joe Klopfenstein, 2006, 46th Overall Selection

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

What do ya' know? It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he's on here, or that most of the 2006 draft is on here as well. While he made more of an impact then Byrd did with 33 receptions, 469 yards and two scores (he made it an extra year) he never quite had the impact many (or few, depending on what you thought of him) expected him to make. It even harder to swallow knowing that Pro Bowl OT Marcus McNiell (someone who could replace another player that is on this list) was selected just four spots back. Scott Linehan, damn your tight end fetish!

7: Brian Leonard, 2007, 52nd Overall Selection

via images.tsn.ca

Yeah, spending a second round pick on a small running fullback never made sense to me either. Neither did letting Madison Hedgecock go, but hey, that's why the football executives make the big bucks, right? Leonard didn't last long as he never quite fit in, and his two year stay resulted in 88 rushes for 310 yards (that's about 3.5 a pop). Not exactly great numbers as a backup, but hey, was it him or Mr. Vanilla's playbook? No one will ever know. Instead of selected him, the Rams could have picked the one and only Laurent Robinson.

6: Tye Hill, 2006, 15th Overall Selection

Picture via www.sawf.org

Oh how I begged the Rams to pick Antonie Cromartie. They obviously couldn't hear me, and they went on to select their first (among many) busts of the 2006 draft. He started out playing well for a rookie, but he started to succumb to injuries and could never quite regain his mojo. The new coaching staff thought so much of him that they traded him for a 7th round pick this last offseason (probably because they thought so much of Bradley Fletcher). In typical "defensive-players-the-Rams-let-go" fashion, he had a pick six against the Redskins this year. That doesn't excuse his erratic play and frequent injuries. Here's hoping Fletch doesn't go down the same road.

Hit the jump to see the top 5 busts.

5: Robert Thomas, 2002, 31st Overall Selection

Picture via www.seattlepi.com

Yet another failed first round pick. Thomas, like quite a few other first round draft picks the Rams have made this decade, only lasted on the team for a few seasons. His best season came in 2003, when he notched 62 solo tackles and 2 sacks- not exactly noteworthy. The Rams dumped him the next year and he never quite produced anything near that peak. Too bad the Rams didn't scout out some players a bit more; both James Harrison and Bart Scott went drafted. They could have also selected Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode, who selected six spots below.

4: Adam Carriker, 2007, 13th overall selection

Picture via images.stltoday.com

The image above pretty much sums up Adam Carriker's time with the Rams. He played well for a rookie, snagging 2 sacks and 30 tackles and then notched another 23 tackles the next year, with no sacks. He's oft injured, and never even saw time this year as he was put on the IR before the season started. Whether it be because he never quite adjusted to the DT position, or he never quite had enough time since they kept changing how they wanted him to line up, the result is obvious; he has not lived up to expectations. The Rams could have selected Darrelle Revis, Robert Meachem, Dwayne Bowe or Brandon Meriweather instead.

3: Trung Candidate, 2000, 31st Overall Selection

Picture via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Oh Trung, we barely knew you. After being picked with the Rams first round pick (a mere year after signing Marshall Faulk, mind you), he had a no-show for a rookie campaign. Quite a high pick for a backup RB if you ask me, as the Rams had some defensive trouble that year. He had a good sophomore campaign, but was traded for a fourth round selection not long after. First rounder for a fourth a mere two years later, well, you can do the math. While plenty of players were available at that time during the draft, the real kicker is that the Rams were the last time to pass on the QB that eventually beat them in the Superbowl one year later.

2: Alex Barron, 2005, 19th Overall Selection

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

First round draft pick? Check. High probability of drive killing penalties while on the field? Check. Questionable dedication to the game? Check. Bust? You bet. Why the Rams have kept this drive-killing enigma on the team is probably because they drafted so bad in the previous years. They had no one to move up on the depth chart at OT and the Saints clearly made the better pick with Jammal Brown. The Rams whiffed when they had a second chance to get Brown, only to shun a trade because of their apparent man-love for Chris Long. Say what you want about Barron, he hasn't lived up to what he was supposed to be. What happens when an unstoppable force meets Alex Barron? Holding.

1: Jimmy Kennedy

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

How could I forget you Jimmy? You know you're a bust when you singlehandedly scare the entire Rams fan base into freaking every time the Rams draft a defensive tackle. Jimmy had a total of 4 sacks, 90 solo tackles and one forced fumble in the four years he played with the Rams. He never quite made expectations and like Tye Hill, the Rams thought so much of their former first rounder that they dumped him off to the Redskins for a 6th round pick. They then dumped him onto the street before the season even started. The Bears picked him up at the end of that season, only to decide he wasn't worth it when the Jaguars snagged him from the Bears. He didn't last a season in Jacksonville and ended up riding the pine in Minnesota ever since.

So there you have it. 10 picks, including six first rounders. Do you still wonder why the Rams have issues?

Bengals Banter: Cincinnati isn't the only good team dealing with sellout issues

Kirkendall — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:29:16 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

11 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals guard Bobbie Williams (63) greets fans after his team defeated the Cleveland Browns 16-7 in an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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First things first. We at Cincy Jungle will be supporting our great University of Cincinnati Bearcats Saturday as they take on -- and take it to -- the Pitt Panthers for the Big East championship as well as a BCS game and, if the planets align, a national championship. We'll have an open thread today a few minutes before the game starts. Join us. Won't you?

This week we wrote things about the team's passing game, pointing out Palmer's struggles, especially under pressure. Here's the thing. We're not criticizing Palmer. We're pointing out facts. And if anything, we're pointing out, sometimes a lot more than we'd like, that the Bengals offense has taken such a dramatic change from a finesse passing team to a power rushing offense. If you haven't noticed that by now, then keep coming to Cincy Jungle. Even though veteran readers groan, we mention it at least once a week.

That's not to say we believe that Palmer is losing anything. Nor do we think he's a detriment to the team. And for the love of god, we don't hate him either. Far from it. Palmer was Cincy Jungle's MVP of the Midseason. He's not putting up gaudy passing statistics, compared to his 16-game averages from 2005-2007. No. But he's doing things he hasn't done before. He's picking up first downs any way he can, most notably, his legs. Under the most pressure when the Bengals have to score to win, Palmer takes charge and leads the offense to a game winning score. He just wins games. I still believe Palmer is the MVP of this offense, if not the team, for his leadership and late-game heroics.

So when we criticize Palmer, don't think we're hating on the guy. We're just merely pointing out things we've observed at that moment. The general overview of the God of Golden Arms is a suffocating man-crush on the guy. Does that clear the air?

+ Lineup Changes against the Lions. While listed as doubtful, the Bengals will be without Domata ">Peko, Bernard Scott and Jonathan Luigs against the Lions, writes Joe Reedy. Pat Sims will make his fourth start this season for Peko, while Larry Johnson is expected to take on the backup role with Scott being out. Brian Leonard is still expected to do what he does on third downs. Sims previous three starts came against the Browns, Ravens and Texans during a stretch in which Tank Johnson had to sit because of a foot injury.

+ Bengals aren't the only good team dealing with sellout issues. We've always assumed that the Bengals struggle to sell tickets this season has a lot to do with the economy. I still suspect that that is mostly true. However, "14 of the league’s 176 games have been blacked out" this year. Most of the teams that have been hit by blackouts, like the Lions, Rams, Raiders are having horrible seasons. Why would anyone want to spend the amount of money to watch an NFL team if you expect them to lose every week? That makes sense, right?

It's not just bad teams being hit by the threat of blackouts every week. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 6-5 and fighting for a wildcard spot in the AFC. They've been blacked out six times and owner Wayne Weaver "doesn't anticipate selling out any home games in 2009." The San Diego Chargers are 8-3, fighting the Bengals for the second seed in the conference, and have run the risk of not selling out for the first time since November 7, 2004. Last week, the Chargers were granted two extensions to sellout a home game against the Chiefs.

Joe Reedy writes that the league has granted 17 extensions this year. Four of them have been granted to the Arizona Cardinals, who are 7-4 and, you know, last year's Super Bowl participants.

More, more, more

Pat Sims and Frostee Rucker are going to give away tickets to Sunday's game, writes John Thornton. "Each player wants to get two families of four, with two children, to the game. If you are a single parent with three kids, that will work as well. And please reserve the tickets for people who have never been to a Bengals game."

Did you know: The Detroit Lions are the last team in the NFL to play a regular season game at Paul Brown Stadium?

CNati's Scott Priestle writes that defensive end Michael Johnson will face quarterback Matthew Stafford for the fourth straight year. Last year, Johnson was at Georgia Tech and Stafford in Georgia. Johnson "had only one sack and batted down one pass in three games against Stafford and Georgia."

Marvin Lewis will be on the Bengals sidelines. Jim Schwartz will be on the Lions sidelines. Both coaches coached for the Baltimore Ravens at the same time while Brian Billick, the head coach at the time, will serve as the game analyst for Fox.

Report: Bernard Scott on crutches and boot. Not looking good for Detroit

Kirkendall — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:08:56 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Bernard Scott runs for a first down in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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Let's see. Cedric Benson is returning. Larry Johnson just rushed for over 100 yards against the Cleveland Browns. Bernard Scott had 100 yards rushing against the Oakland Raiders. Brian Leonard is probably the team's best third down back. What do you do? Previously, Marvin Lewis had said that if Benson, Leonard and Scott are healthy, they'd play and Johnson would be inactive.

The problem is that not all three are healthy. It was reported that Bernard Scott suffered a turf toe injury against the Browns, which gave Johnson a significant amount of carries.

The Bengals official twitter account writes that "Bscott on crutches and in boot does not look good for sunday." So Lewis won't have to make the tough decision on which running backs go, or if they'll activate all four. It looks like the decision is already being made for him. Benson, Johnson and Leonard. Whatever will the Bengals do?

Lewis: Cedric Benson will start for the Bengals against the Detroit Lions

Kirkendall — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:34:40 -0000

So you're the Bengals head coach and you think to yourself, "how will we follow up back-to-back games in which we averaged 193.5 yards rushing?" Oh, I know, said the bright-eyed coach.

On Wednesday, Marvin Lewis said that Cedric Benson will start Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

“He should be ready to go and start the football game,” said Lewis of Benson. “I think that’s good to be in a good spot where we are with our running back situation, that’ll be good.”

That's a good thing. Because I wasn't sure what we'd be able to do with two 100-yard backs on the roster. All kidding aside, if Benson plays -- all due respect to the head coach who is well schooled in the art of NFL head coaches at press conferences -- it'll be his first regular season action since the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 15.

Now, Joe Reedy writes, the "more interesting dilemma remains if the Bengals will have three or four backs on the 45-man game day roster." Brian Leonard, Reedy continues, plays "on three of the four punt and kickoff units." Scott's turf-toe injury may allow the reason needed to reduce the difficulty in making the decision. However, the head coach has firmly said when Johnson signed that if all three backs are healthy, they're playing and Johnson will sit.

Riiiight.

Bengals are playing winning brand of football with powerful rushing offense and dominant defense

Kirkendall — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:45:57 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

11 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga holds up a sign to fans after his team defeated the Cleveland Browns 16-7 in their NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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While watching Sunday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, I had this feeling I've never felt before. By the second half I felt so confident that the Bengals were going to win this football game, that I stopped moaning about failed pass protection schemes or the play-calling. Oh, we're going to punt it so our defense can play? The same defense that hasn't allowed any team to gain 100 yards rushing in seven straight games? The same defense that's allowed a third down conversion rate of 22% in the three games leading up to Sunday? The same defense that's only allowed two touchdowns once in a game since losing to the Houston Texans?

Please, bring it.

There's no doubt that the offense is struggling to put up points. Since scoring 45 against the Chicago Bears, the Bengals offense has scored an average of 16.8 points per game. The ten points scored in the second quarter against the Browns is the first time the Bengals have scored double-digit points in any quarter since the 14 points in the first quarter against the Ravens on November 8. Carson Palmer went 12 quarters without throwing a touchdown pass before completing a four-yard pass to tight end J.P. Foschi in the second quarter against the Browns. Palmer's on pace to record 3,384 yards passing, which is only 500 yards more than his career low his first season as the team's starter (not including injury-filled 2008). Even then, he missed three games. His efficiency is down. His touchdowns are down. His yards-per-attempt is down (6.9).

And yet, the belief has always been that the Bengals have to rely on Palmer's arm to win. My cousin called me Sunday night and asked me, do we rely on Palmer anymore? If Palmer were to go down to injury for the season, how much would this team lose? We saw what happened last year. But as he observed, the team was built around Palmer and the passing game. It wasn't until late in the season that a Palmer-less offense started to become efficient by successfully rushing the football with a rising defense.

What if Palmer would go down this year? It would hurt, because defenses still gameplan the Bengals passing game; always a threat, always able to score from anywhere on the field. The truth is, this Bengals team is built to succeed without Palmer. This team is built to run the football. You can see that with the talent they have at running back. You can see that with an offensive line that's built to rush block first. How many Jumbo formations have we seen with at least one extra lineman? Did you see Dennis Roland going into motion against the Browns?

My point, as some may irrationally conclude, isn't anticipating an injury to Palmer. My point is that this team can win any football game, no matter who's playing. Carson Palmer is off? Well, the Bengals only have three running backs with 100-yard rushing games under their belt (how many teams can claim that?). The offense has no rhythm and can't pick up a first down? Oh, there's that defense again, who since allowing 28 points in the loss to the Houston Texans, have only allowed 11.2 points per game and, check this out, only 232.8 yards-per game.

As of this posting, the Bengals have the best scoring defense in the NFL.

I just checked that again.

The Bengals have the best scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 15.8 points per game. There's a chance that New England takes that lead after Monday Night Football. However, the Patriots will have to hold the Saints to ten points or less. Fat chance.

If this isn't the most complete team that the Bengals have fielded since the Sam Wyche era, then I'm afraid I'll never know what a complete team is. More people stand up on this team, contributing towards a winning brand of football than we've seen in ages. This team isn't built or about a single person. This isn't about how well Palmer does, or how he's supposed to put up 30 points a game. Sure, it would be nice if the offense exploded every week. What fan in this world in any sport wouldn't love that? But that's not the reality right now. They're not an explosive offense. They are an efficient offense that consumes the clock, converts third downs and wins field position.

And then there's the defense, whose scoring defense still ranks first in the NFL. I just checked again.

What do most people say about championship football? You win by running the football and stopping the run. Again, this defense hasn't allowed any team to gain 100 yards or more in seven straight games. The Bengals offense has rushed for 100 yards or more in eight of the season's 11 games. Furthermore, the Bengals rushing offense has recorded 150 yards or more five times and 200 yards or more twice.

Powerful rushing offense. Dominant defense. Isn't that championship football? If you're still not convinced, or have a Christmas list of concerns, let's go quickly gloss over some reminders. The Bengals are 8-3. The Bengals are 6-0 in the division. The Bengals have won 11 of the past 14 games. The Bengals have a three-game lead with five games left. The Bengals, as of now, would have the second seed in the playoffs, which means a bye during wild card weekend and hosting at least one home game. Furthermore, the Bengals are a fluke pass and a fumble away from being 10-1. It's that close.

Now, that is what we've been begging for for 20 years. Soak it in. Enjoy it.

Wait. You want Carson Palmer to throw more? With five games remaining, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is on pace to record 489 passing attempts. As disbelieving as this may sound, that's only 20 less pass attempts than he had during the 2005 season where the Bengals made the playoffs.

	2005	2009 *
Attempts	509	489
Completions	345	298
Completion %	67.8	61.0
Yards	3,836	3,384
Yards/Att	7.5	6.9
Touchdowns	32	22
Interceptions	12	11
* Projected

Admittedly, the issue isn't just Palmer, if one can even make that assessment. No. It's all the parts. It's the offensive line struggling on stunts and blitzes on the outside. It's receivers not catching passes, or penalties that negate 15-20 yard passing plays because someone was flagged for offensive holding.

Take Sunday's game. On the Bengals first play of the game, the situation is first-and-ten at their own 20-yard line. The offense lines up off-set I with Daniel Coats motioning right. Cleveland brings their front three with eight sitting in coverage. Andrew Whitworth latched onto Robaire Smith, who took an outside step while the left tackle was clipped by Bernard Scott going into his route, knocking Smith free. Palmer, barely completing a five-yard pass to Laveranues Coles, was knocked down by Smith. A few Bernard Scott runs and a first down later, the offense lines up off-set I, strong side left. Kamerion Wimbley lines up at left outside linebacker over Dennis Roland. Wimbley took an inside slant on Roland who clearly lost the battle within the first two steps. Bernard Scott tried to help, but in his mind, he had his own blitzer to worry about in Mike Adams. Wimbley tackled Palmer as the quarterback released the pass to Jeremi Johnson for a for a five-yard gain. Furthermore, Browns cornerback Eric Wright was called for defensive holding. First down.

Two drop backs. Twice Carson Palmer is on the ground. It wasn't that Palmer was on the ground all game -- NFL's Game Center shows he was knocked down six times. However, it shows that Palmer was pressured all game long, most of the time making throws he didn't want to make.

After Larry Johnson's consecutive first down runs (more on that later), Palmer takes the snap under center. Matt Roth sprinted from the outside linebacker spot and sacked Palmer for a four-yard loss. The problem here is miscommunication by the offensive line. Defensive end Kenyon Coleman slanted in, which caused Dennis Roland to move inward with the end. Typically, Roland should have handed Coleman off to Bobbie Williams and picked up Roth, the blitzing linebacker on the outside. Williams saw the problem and pulled out as quickly as he could from his guard position take out Roth on the edge. It was a split-second too late, as Roth sped rushed far enough that there was nothing Williams could do.

Sometimes the issue was miscommunication between Palmer and the receivers. On first-and-15 at Cleveland's 29 yard line, Palmer dropped back threw it to the right with no Bengals receiver in the picture frame. Coles' route went in while Palmer looked for Coles to go out.

But mostly, it was pressure -- whether it was really there or not.

On third-and-17 at the Browns 31-yard line, Palmer takes the shotgun snap, feels pressured on the edges and scrambles up the middle. The Browns only rushed three guys. Wimbley took a wide angle around Roland, who locked up with the defensive end six yards behind the line of scrimmage. Wimbley used his upper body strength to make continued progress -- it was like Roland really wasn't there -- showing up in Palmer's peripheral vision. That was enough for Palmer, who ran for 12 yards, finished with a terribly uncomfortable dive into the turf, setting up the game's first score of the day.

And sometimes you can only say, it was a bad throw.On third-and-five at Cleveland's 47-yard line with 14:02 left in the second quarter, Palmer takes the shotgun snap. With a great pocket, Palmer overthrows Coles, nearly picked by Brodney Poole. Bengals punt. On first-and-ten at the Bengals 34-yard line, Palmer drops back and feels pressure that wasn't there. He rushed the throw to Coles running a crossing pattern, which also fell incomplete.

And sometimes you just take the hit. With 9:12 left in the first half, the Bengals lined up first-and-ten at Cleveland's 42-yard line. Palmer faked the handoff to Larry Johnson. Dennis Roland locked up with Matt Roth, who bull-rushed Roland into the pocket. Palmer saw the pressure, moved up and sidestepped behind Roland. Kamerion Wimbley lined up at the right outside linebacker spot, latched onto Daniel Coats. Once he saw the play-action, Wimbley shrugged off Coats, readjusted to Palmer stepping up and leveled him. Palmer tried to make a throw to the left in an area without any Bengals receivers -- except for Chad Ochocinco about eight yards away. Intentional grounding. On the next play, Palmer watched defensive back Mike Adams come off the edge, unblocked. Palmer let go of the football well before he was ready, forcing a terribly underthrown football to skip to a waiting Laveranues Coles. On third-and-20, Palmer drops back. Protection was very good. He had time. However, being knocked around that much that early in the game causes one to have alarm bells violently ringing in ones head well before they should. Palmer takes off, reaching the line of scrimmage and throwing across the field to Coles in the middle of the field. Incomplete. Drive comes to a merciful end. Thank the lord. Bengals punt.

And sometimes there's nothing left to do. With 11:43 left in the third quarter, Palmer completed a third-and-six pass to Chad Ochocinco for a 15-yard gain. Wimbley came off the right side, using his speed to put Whitworth in a predicament. Either hold the hell out of the defensive end, or let him crush Carson Palmer. Whitworth held, negating a 15-yard pass and a first down. Cincinnati would punt after a six-yard screen pass to Brian Leonard.

As mostly everyone else, I would love for this offense to explode. However, sometimes you have to take what you're given. And the Bengals have been given a powerful rushing offense that's working nearly every week, whereas the passing offense is struggling mightily. So the question shouldn't be why aren't the Bengals throwing the football more. We already know why. It's because it's just not working right now and forcing it to work would be -- in the great words of Mr. Mackey -- "bad, mmmkay?"

Carson Palmer said it best after the game.

“We came in with the game plan that we wanted to take some shots, but they were going to play a certain way and against two shells and have two high safeties. We had a couple plays where we were going to take some shots, but on one of them I scrambled on for seven or eight yards, and the other we took a check-down. They weren’t going to come out of what they were doing defensively. They weren’t going to give us single high looks and let us throw the ball over their heads. They let us run for 200 yards. We stuck with the game plan once we figured out what their game plan was and kept pushing the ball.”

Where the passing offense struggles, the rushing offense flourishes. Let's realize a few things. Cedric Benson has missed back-to-back games and the last 10 quarters. He's still in the top ten with 859 yards rushing. Benson's getting healthy again and when he returns, he's going to run with very, very fresh legs. If that's not scary exciting, then I don't know what scary exciting means. Actually, I don't know what scary exciting means anyway.

Benson has missed the previous two games. What have the Bengals done in Benson's absence? They've averaged 193.5 yards rushing -- which is the best two-game stretch all season. Let me put that further perspective. Before Oakland, the Bengals had the league's 11th best rushing offense, averaging 122.3 yards-per-game. With a Monday Night Football game left, the Bengals are now ranked seventh, averaging 135.3 yards-per-game. They've jumped four points in the rankings, and added 13 yards to their average.

All without Cedric Benson. In the great words of Cleveland, "that's nasty."

But as impressive as Bernard Scott was last week, Larry Johnson's performance against the Cleveland Browns was great. And guess what? It wouldn't have happened with the great effort by the Bengals offensive line.

On third-and-one at the Bengals 44-yard line with 8:34 left in the first quarter, Cincinnati lines up double tight end single back formation. Palmer does his funky right-handed exchange to Larry Johnson. Within the first frame after the ball is snapped, the Bengals offensive line had opened a hole at the point of attack. Daniel Coats and Andrew Whitworth sealed the right side. Bobbie Williams turned Shaun Rogers. Kyle Cook neutralized Cleveland's inside linebacker and the left side of the offensive line eliminated any trailing defenders protecting cutback lanes. Johnson squeezed through the hole between Williams and Whitworth on the right, dodged a tackle by Abram Elam and fell forward for a ten-yard gain and the first down.

On the next play, Johnson gets the handoff. Andrew Whitworth sealed the inside linebacker. Bobbie Williams and Kyle Cook slowed the defensive end and tackle respectively while Jeremi Johnson punishes the outside linebacker for the gull of trying to make a play in the backfield. Johnson sidestepped behind Jeremi, cut back to the right behind Williams' block and ran down the right hashmark for another 12 yard gain.

On second-and-ten at the Bengals 34-yard line with 10:59 left in the second quarter, Palmer hands the football off to Johnson. Cincinnati lined up big-formation with Andrew Whitworth outside of Dennis Roland at right tackle and Anthony Collins at left tackle. Every offensive lineman had a hat on a defensive player. The secondary made first contact on Johnson about eight yards past the line of scrimmage. On the next play, Johnson picked up another seven yards thanks to a kick out block on Wimbley by fullback Jeremi Johnson.

Even Bernard Scott had his moments. After Nate Livings was called for offensive holding, the Bengals were pushed back to their own 27-yard line with first-and-twenty. Every offensive linemen had a hat on a Browns defender. Not just that, the line was pushing back the Browns defense and not allowing the defender to shrug off the block. And it was Jeremi Johnson, once again, who made the initial block that kicked out an outside linebacker looking for glory on a stop in the backfield. Scott fought off a Mike Adams attempted tackle for ten yards, picking up 21 yards and a first down in the process.

When stargazing, you finally find the star named Andre Smith. The problem with watching the offensive line during a live game, is that you don't always know who is in the game before the snap. More than any team, the Bengals employ a rotation with their offensive tackles that no two plays will have the same personnel on the line. On the first play of the second quarter, the Bengals lined up at Cincinnati's 48 yard-line on first down. Andre Smith made his first appearance (that we could tell) at right tackle with Andrew Whitworth on Smith's outside shoulder. Kenyon Coleman was Smith's guy. At the snap, Smith rose and sat in pass protection, ready to receive Coleman, who was very slow off the ball. Smith allowed Coleman an outside move, keeping pace with the defensive end, who even resorted to a spin move. Good job, ol' rook. The play, however, did break down after outside linebacker David Bowens blitzed up the middle. Bobbie Williams did pick him up, but Bowens had already won the battle simply with a quicker step to the outside. Palmer sprinted down the right sidelines for a five-yard gain.

Smith would make sporadic appearances throughout the game. While not noticeable, he made quality blocks.

On first-and-ten at Cleveland's 32 yard-line, Smith lined up at right tackle with Whitworth on his outside shoulder. Smith attacked Robaire Smith with Bernard Scott coming from behind. While Andre didn't move Robaire, the Browns defender wasn't able to make a move on the runner either. Scott picked up 11 yards on the play. On the next play, the Bengals called a sweep to the left away from Andre Smith, who slowed Robaire's progress down the line of scrimmage, looking at the second level for any unsuspecting linebacker to break in half. Good day, ol' rook.

It's my firm belief that this is the most complete Bengals squad that Marvin Lewis has ever put together. It might be the best squad in 20 years of Bengals football. They are winning with a strong rushing offense and a powerful defense. There's things to fix. There always is. But I believe that this Bengals squad can beat any team in the NFL this year because their strengths always dictates championship football. Perhaps I'm banging the homer drum. I've done that before and I'm not afraid to show how proud I am of this squad. So I'm enjoying it. It hasn't happened a lot in my lifetime.

GOT NUMBERS? Analyzing the Bengals vs. the Browns

Ryan Kelsey — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:44:50 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We can only hope the Bengals keep feeding the ball to the overrated Cedric Benson. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke, File)

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Well, the Browns have shown a little competence throwing the football for the first time in about 20 games. Granted, it was against one of the worst defenses I can remember in the NFL, but at this point, we'll take it. Now the Browns take on a team fighting for a Division title and playoff positioning. I'm still waiting for the Bengals to self-destruct, and perhaps that started to happen last week, when the Raiders knocked them off in Oakland. Taking the season as a whole, however, the Bengals look like a pretty strong team.

This isn't your slightly-older-brother-in-law's Bengals. Cincinnati has scored 24 or more only twice in ten games. Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry still are capable of putting up points through the passing game, but the strengths of this year's Bengals is purportedly their defense and the running of Cedric Benson. Let's see if the numbers agree.

Once again, the stats I use are from Football Outsiders:

A quick note about the stats I'm going to use in this regular column. The full explanation can be found here. Basically, Football Outsiders uses the data from every play and finds the league average (adjusting for yards gained in the redzone, touchdowns scored, and the down and distance- so a 3 yard TD run on 3rd-and-1 from the 3 means a lot more than a 3 yard run on 3rd-and-15 from your own 20.) Then it rates players and teams based on their relation to this league average. The result is meaningful rate stats. They are akin to league adjusted stats in baseball, like OPS+ and ERA+. DVOA is the most common stat they use and 0.0 is exactly league average. A 10.0% DVOA for a QB means a QB that is 10.0% better than average. -15.0% DVOA means 15% below average for a QB. For defensive numbers they are reversed, so negative numbers are better.

Got all that? No? Well, then trust me when I say, higher positive numbers are good for offensive players and lower or negative numbers are good for defenses. 0.0% is always average.

And my personal caveat using these numbers in football: here.

Going into the Raiders game, the Bengals ranked 7th in offensive efficiency, but after struggling against a bad Oakland team, they fell all the way to 17th! That is a huge fall this late in the season. Their offensive DVOA is an average-y 12.0%. Despite what you may hear, they are still much more efficient passing than running. They rank 7th in the league in passing efficiency at 38.6%, but just 13th in running efficiency at 1.4%. The Browns defense seems to rotate games from actually good (Buffalo, Baltimore at home) to bad, but promising (Chicago, Pittsburgh on the road), to just bad (Detroit, Green Bay). It really is hard to say which Browns D will show up, but in total the numbers are ugly, now 30th in Defensive efficiency (down from 29th).

After a quick look at the stats, I'd argue the Bengals are running more than they should. Carson Palmer is a top 5 talent and should be in his prime. While his DVOA ranks 8th in the league (24.9%), he has only dropped back to pass 336 times. In fact, the Bengals are 23rd in pass attempts per game. It isn't because they have been up big in games or have struggled with time of possession. They are simply over committed to the run. More on that in a bit. When they do throw, WR Chad Ochocinco is their number 1 target with 85 passes thrown his way. He is back to Pro Bowl caliber: his DYAR (total value) is 185, good for 12th in the league among WRs and on a per play/efficiency basis he is 21st in the league with a DVOA of 13.8%. Laveranues Coles has been a bit of a disappointment (DVOA 3.1%) and Andre Caldwell is more of a threat in the return game than the passing game. The other big weapon in the passing game is Brian Leonard. The FB/RB has a DVOA of 28.4% (7th in the league among pass catching RBs). The Browns have been bad against the pass overall- 30th in the league with a 31.9% DVOA. Most of the damage has been done by #1 WRs (25.4% DVOA, 30th in the NFL), while holding #2 WRs in check (-12.5%, 13th). So, look for Ochocinco to have a good day and Coles to continue to struggle. However:

I've felt that over the last several seasons the biggest part of the Bengals offense is WR Chris Henry. When he plays and Palmer looks his way, the Bengals offense seems unstoppable. This year is no exception. While only getting 23 passes thrown his way, his DVOA on those plays is a good great 24.3%- which would be top 10 if he had enough passes thrown his way to qualify.

In protecting the QB, the Bengals had fared pretty well before the Raider game- 6th in the league in sack rate at 4.4% (Football Outsiders has yet to update their offensive line stats from last week and the Raiders were able to get to Palmer 3 times in just 25 drop backs). The Browns (not counting the Lions game) have got to the QB a league average 6.6% of the times their opponents have dropped back.

If you have followed the Bengals or the NFL at all through the main stream sources this year, you have heard about the great comeback season of RB Cedric Benson. He is having the type of season that is constantly overrated by these espn-types. He is a "feature back", an "every-down back", a "workhorse". Which sounds nice, but the reason most teams don't have one of these isn't because they are hard to find. It is because most teams realize the more effective way to score is through the passing game and mixing several fresh running backs, usually of different styles. (The exception is if you have a truly great back like Steven Jackson or Adrian Peterson.) So while Benson has racked up a lot of rushing yards (859 in 9 games- good for 6th in the league), he has only done so because he has received a ton of carries (205- 2nd most in the league). Given all those carries, the yards and his 6 TDs aren't too impressive. In fact, his DVOA is just 5.8%, good for just 18th among 37 qualified RBs. And his success rate is just 43%, just 25th among those 37 RBs. The Browns defense is 30th in the league against the run with a DVOA of 11.3%. So even if the Bengals remain stubborn with the run, it will be tough for the Browns to make them pay.

The Browns had an offensive explosion last week, scoring 37 points, thrashing the Lions through the air. But the Browns offense didn't move in the offensive efficiency standings: 31st in the league at -28.7%. DVOA just wasn't impressed with the success against a terrible defense (Detroit did fall from 30th to 32nd in defensive efficiency because of the Browns' efforts- now that's embarrassing!). Still, the Browns showed some flashes of brilliance, especially QB Brady Quinn. Hopefully, they can build on that against a league average defense.

And when I say league average, I mean it. The Bengals are as close to league average on D as you can get: 17th in the league overall with a DVOA of 1.6%, 16th in Pass defense at 6.6%, 16th in run defense at -5.2%. They do have some clear strengths and weaknesses though. CB Johnathan Joseph and Co. have shut down #1 WRs to the tune of -42% DVOA, good for 3rd in the league. So Massaquoi will likely have a tough time Sunday. But CB Leon Hall and Co. have contained #2 WRs too (-14.5% DVOA, 11th in the league). AND they are 7th against TEs. Where they struggle is "other" WRs and RBs. Brady will have to look for WR Mike Furrey, WR Josh Cribbs, RB Jamal Lewis, RB Chris Jennings if he is going to have success. This will likely lead to frustrating checkdowns and short routes, but if these players can break a couple tackles after the catch, it will go a long way to us scoring some points. Also, I'd love to see another play like the one Jennings dropped against Detroit. Or a slot receiver running a skinny post to challenge the deep middle of the Bengals defense, exploiting the young and undisciplined Cincinnati LBs in pass coverage.

In protecting the QBs, the Browns' line ranks 22nd giving up a sack on 7% of drop backs. The Bengals get to the QB 6.5% of the time, good for 19th in the league. (again, these numbers were before last week).

Like the Bengals, the Browns run way too much for my taste. But at least the Browns are more creative about it. Running out of the Wildcat (both Cribbs and handoffs to other RBs), mixing in end around plays, and other RBs with Lewis (be it Harrison or Jennings). Despite the "creativity" the running game finds itself in the bottom quarter of the league, at 25th in the league (-8.0% DVOA). That's close enough to league average to expect a little success Sunday against the Bengals league average run D.

The Browns remain 2nd in the league overall in special teams DVOA (8.8%). They are still lead by a Josh Cribbs' punt return unit (1st in the league at 11.9% DVOA) and a Cribbs' kick return unit that ranks 6th in the league (7.7%). The Browns coverage units are also very good. The kick blocking ability of Shaun Rogers is unfairly discounted by Football Outsiders (it is factored in, but they consider opposition FG and XPs out of a team's control and weight their numbers accordingly), and that is yet another strength of the team. The Bengals special teams are ranked 26th at -3%. They have a decent punt return team lead by Caldwell. But they really struggle in the FG and XP units. They are second-to- last in the league, mainly because of problems with their long snapper (they are on their 2nd of the season, and he hasn't been perfect either) and getting the ball down for Shane Graham.

Besides a couple very, very good young corners and a very good QB, I don't think the Bengals are very good. They have pulled out some close divisional games and destroyed the Bears. Other than that, they have lost to an average Denver team, an average Houston team, and a terrible Raiders team. They seem to play down to their competition (probably because they stubbornly run the ball, keeping their opponents in the game). I don't see this changing this week. The Browns are coming off their best game of the season offensively, the Bengals are coming off their worst. The Browns offense isn't good enough to score a lot of points like they did against the terrible Lions, but their are weaknesses to be exploited. Three big questions that will determine the winner:

1. Can Daboll, Mangini, and Carl Smith come up with two good offensive game plans in a row (i.e. forcing their LBs to cover our RBs in pass coverage and testing their safetys with deep down the middle passes to Furrey)?

2. Which version of the Browns defense will show up, the one that shut down the Ravens or the one that slept through the Lions game?

3. Will the Bengals continue to stubbornly give the ball to the average Cedric Benson more than the very good Carson Palmer?

Prediction: Browns 23 Bengals 24

Marvin Lewis: Benson will be a game-time decision against Cleveland

Kirkendall — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:00:27 -0000

by Nick Wass - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2009 file photo, Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson carries the ball during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. When Benson was with the Chicago Bears they envisioned him emerging as one of the NFL's rushing leaders and taking his place alongside Gale Sayers and Walter Payton. A bust in Chicago, Benson is finally living up to the hype with the Bengals. Benson will face his former team Sunday, Oct. 18, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

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When we handed out midseason awards a few weeks ago, we named Carson Palmer the team MVP and Cedric Benson the team's Offensive Player of the Midseason. In half of the first eight games of the season, Benson recorded over 100 yards rushing. Against the once dominating Ravens defense, Benson recorded 237 yards rushing and two touchdowns. When facing his old team, where some bitter resentment remains, Benson rushed for 189 yards against the Chicago Bears. He was kicking ass and didn't give two craps about taking any names.

Then, Benson reportedly suffered a hip flexor injury late against the Baltimore Ravens. He gave it a go against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he wasn't nearly at full strength. After that, Bernard Scott became the team's feature back and promptly rushed for over 100 yards against the Oakland Raiders. Not bad for a sixth-round rookie running back that no one in the world wanted to give a chance to in the NFL. You go, Mr. Redeemer and Bengals scouting department!

But the story of Benson has been the headline. He's dominated once good defensive rushing teams. He's remained in the top-five in major statistical categories until injury sidelined him against Pittsburgh. He's still the great comeback story of the season for both the Bengals and the league. He's the poster child of how to hit rock bottom, man-up, take responsibility and capitalize on your second opportunities.

Even though Scott did a fine job against the Raiders, the Bengals still need Benson back for the Browns. In his past two meetings against Cleveland, Benson has rushed for 245 yards rushing and a 4.38 yards-per-rush average.

The argument, which I think is a justified one, is to let Benson rest this week, if not next week too, readying himself for the stretch run into the playoffs. Scott has done well in two games, and the team has Brian Leonard and Larry Johnson to rotate in.

Here's where I think the argument could be faulty. Already having lost a game in which Benson didn't start, the Bengals are, right now, in the middle of their stretch run for the playoffs. They can ill afford to struggle against the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions with the Pittsburgh Steelers riding the Bengals in second place. The Steelers are also a team that's angry after losing to a 2-7 Kansas City team. I still believe that the loss to Oakland was a mulligan because no one else in the division made up any ground. However, you only get one.

The good news is that Benson did limited work on Friday after doing rehab work on Thursday. Marvin Lewis said that "I think Ced is in a good spot right now and we’ll make that decision on Sunday."

The next question, Joe Reedy writes, is "whether Larry Johnson will be inactive." Previously, Lewis has said that Johnson will be the fourth running back. He'll only go if one of the other three backs are injured and can't play. However, if Benson does play, but the injury limits his carries, would the wise decision be to keep Johnson on the active roster? Would they carry four running backs rather than three?

In the end, do we really care? As I told a friend of mine last night, "I just want the Bengals to beat the motherf***ing sh*t out of Cleveland."

Six-Pack of Hu-Dey: Bengals rookies, offensive line and beating the rest of the schedule

Kirkendall — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:41:04 -0000

Chase Coffman's debut is more than just about being a receiving tight end.
All things considered, this year's rookie class has been a solid group of contributors to this football team. Players like Michael Johnson, Morgan Trent and Bernard Scott have improved the team's depth as backup and role players while Rey Maualuga and Kevin Huber already have a handful of starts underneath their belts. However, one high profile player who's being demanded by fans, and questioned by the media, is growing in urgency after an inconsistent run of critical errors by the Bengals tight ends in the past month.

With the Browns and Lions coming up, it makes sense to throw Chase Coffman into the fold. We're not talking as starters. We're not really talking about guys that will play half of the offensive snaps. We've read that Coffman is still struggling with his blocking technique. And if Coffman isn't going to be playing the bulk of the offensive snaps, then he'd at least have to contribute on special teams. Marvin Lewis has already said that he has to do one or the other. Block. Contribute on special teams. While the demand for Coffman is justified, loud and unified, he's going to have to do more than just catch passes in this offense.

Could Andre Smith's debut be coming after Scott Kooistra was released?
The idea is that the team's offensive line has performed far better than expectations. And quite bluntly, Smith isn't needed right now. With Anthony Collins and Dennis Roland playing right tackle, they've managed to do their job well enough to give Smith time to grow at his own rate. They did the same thing with Carson Palmer in 2003.

Here's food for thought. The Bengals released Scott Kooistra on Tuesday. He was active on game day. This could mean that Smith makes his NFL debut against the Browns in jumbo formations as the third offensive tackle?

It's the offensive line's performance that deserves the award for best team turn-around in 2009.
One of the biggest concerns coming into this season is how well would the offensive line improve. Last year's offense averaged 4.0 yards-per-play and 3.6 yards-per-rush. Bengals quarterbacks were sacked, on average, 3.2 times per game. Many, including me, criticized the offensive line. The demand to draft an offensive tackle in the first round was answered with Andre Smith.

They also promoted Kyle Cook as the starting center while electing not to sign Eric Ghiaciuc (best offseason move). After starting the final six games last year, Anthony Collins and Nate Livings impressed the coaches enough to keep them on as starters -- ironically, they've both been demoted as the year went on by Dennis Roland and Evan Mathis respectively. Andrew Whitworth moved back to his natural position at left offensive tackle.

What's the result?

They've cut the sacks allowed per game by half (1.7). Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott are averaging 4.2 and 4.3 yards-per-rush respectively and the offense's overall yards-per-play improved by 1.2 yards.

I think the defense is a great argument for best turnaround by a unit, but we had already known that they were improving at the end of last season. We had no idea what to expect with the offensive line heading into the season.

If Cedric Benson is out against the Browns, Larry Johnson's role should be expanded.
Bernard Scott has proven that once he builds endurance as a feature back, he could have even more potential; especially if he builds his strength to run between the tackles. Brian Leonard can fight for that extra yard as well as any running back on this roster. But Larry Johnson should have an expanded role against the Browns.

I understand the points that he shouldn't even be on the team. The reality is, he's here and the team should have enough confidence in his knowledge of the playbook to give him more than the two carries for five yards he rushed for against the Raiders.

Without Benson, the Bengals don't have a workhorse. And between Johnson, Scott and Leonard, the Bengals could have a three-headed beast, all of whom have different abilities and fresh legs. The stretch run is appearing to shape up nicely for the Bengals rushing offense -- especially when Benson makes his return.

The Bengals can beat the Minnesota Vikings... but the San Diego Chargers?
First things first. The Bengals have to beat teams that they should beat. If they don't, then don't be surprised if they miss the playoffs after a 7-2 start. With that thought in mind, the Bengals could be assured four wins at least, with tough games in Minnesota and in San Diego. This alone would give them double-digit wins for the first time since 2005. Provided they don't do what they did against Oakland, the Lions, Browns, Chiefs and Jets are games that the Bengals should win.

And I think Cincinnati will be tough as nails against the Vikings or Chargers. We might play down to the competition this year (like the Browns or Raiders). But we also play up to the competition. I think the Bengals chances of beating the Vikings are very good. We're a tough rush defense that can pressure the quarterback with tremendous cover cornerbacks. Offensively, we can wear down any defense, provided we do it unpredictably.

And it's not like I put the Chargers on a pedestal that I don't think they'll beat them. But we know how the Bengals do in the state of California. So I'm going on a limb. Bengals beat Vikings, but struggle against the Chargers.

The Bengals and Shayne Graham should move on after this next season.
Let me preface this. Shayne Graham has been a great person for this community. His charity has raised a lot of money and "resources to under served children and other charitable initiatives. Our mission is to lend assistance to those in need and be an organization that makes a lasting impression, empower those who want to make a difference, and strengthen communities."

And for six straight seasons with the Bengals, Graham has converted at least 83.3% of his attempted field goals.

Until this year.

This year Graham is on pace to record a career-low 70.6% of his field goals. Has already more blocks in one season (3) than he did his entire career coming into the season (2). However, it hasn't been entirely his fault. Brad St. Louis was in large part the problem with Graham's lack of success, making terrible snaps that, at the very best, caused Graham to stutter on his approach to the football.

Regardless, Graham has missed a field goal in five of ten games this season, including a missed 37-yard attempt that would have given Cincinnati a 7-point lead with 5:41 left in the third quarter. Furthermore, after Robert Geathers recovered a fumble and returned it 38 yards, Graham did convert a 25-yard attempt. However, if the missed field goal was converted, that's a 10-point lead.

I think Graham has done a lot of great things for this city and this team. But after season, with Graham hitting the free agency market, I think the Bengals should say farewell.

Week 11 Recap: Grendel Awakes

Mojokong — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:48:40 -0000

Somewhere hidden within the game of football lurks a sleeping beast: the mistake. The most ancient of football sages once accurately observed that football is a game of mistakes and the team that overcomes the most will win the game. It sounds simple and rudimentary, but like Aesop's fables, the moral never changes.

The Bengals fell victim to an earthquake of mistakes near the San Andreas fault line on Sunday, and panic didn't set in until it was too late.

For most of the game, everything went as planned.

Cincinnati ran out to a two touchdown lead and then went conservative in their play-calling. Running the ball, using clock and avoiding risky shots down-field make sense with the lead against an opponent like the Raiders. The Bengals were satisfied with sporadic rushing yards from Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard; Carson Palmer was on his way to throwing under 20 passing attempts---exactly how the Bengals wanted the day to unfold. Events that don't normally happen, however, sprang out at the most inopportune time and Cincinnati was unable to overcome “the mistake.”

If it's blame for which you thirst, then allow me to move the microscope over to our very own franchise-player, kicker Shayne Graham. While Graham's statistics have been hampered by some bizarre special-teams play from his teammates this season, he continues to struggle at living up to his contract. His miss from 37 yards in the third quarter is less acceptable than the fumbles later in the game. Fumbles, by nature, are freak occurrences, but missed field goals, barring a poor snap or hold, are just bad plays.

The Bengals are now a grind-house team that runs the ball, controls the clock, plays good defense and wins with field goals. I'm willing to cut Shuga Shayne some slack on the attempts from 50-yards or more, but anything inside the 40 is a must for a man getting paid the average of the top-5 wealthiest kickers.

Graham had a solid game in Pittsburgh, and he was a major reason that Cincinnati came out of there with a win, but he needs to be the consistent component to an otherwise unpredictable place-kicking unit if the Bengals are to win more of these close games. I know it's a lot of pressure and that it damn sure ain't easy, but it has to happen; it simply must.

Graham however is safe for now, because Cincinnati has its own default scape-goat for times like these. It's been scientifically proven that after any loss, Bengal fans whip themselves into a frenzy and rally a witch-hunt to wherever Bob Bratkowski is hiding; he is always to blame in the Queen City. Often times, especially this season, the scorn has been unfair, and the Oakland game is no different.

Bratkowski has been instructed to play-call under a new philosophy and he has done just that. No longer does this team wait for the few opportunities to go deep on offense. Carson's role has shifted from play-maker to game-manager, and oddly enough, makes more plays as a result. The offensive line looks comfortable devouring defensive front-sevens in the running game and Cincinnati is collecting running-backs like bobble-head dolls. We play power football now and everyone might as well get used to it.

In Oakland, the play-calling followed the new rubric of the offense. Even a first-down hand off to Jeremi Johnson inside the red-zone during the fourth quarter, with the lead, is the right thing to do these days. Sure, the day had its moments of curious strategy---none more so than the fade to Leonard on third & four on the Raider 48-yard line with 2:25 to go---but the theory was sound and would have worked were it not for the Whammy of mistakes late in the game.

Three times this season, the Bengals have followed a tough divisional win with an underwhelming performance against inferior competition (at Cleveland, Houston, and at Oakland). It appears that adrenaline dump is the biggest weakness for this team so far.

The NFL is designed for its teams to fail. It wants to cast away contenders as soon as possible. The further a team gets within such a gruesome maze, the more prevalent their mistakes become. There are difficult opponents along the way, but the most dangerous enemy for the Bengals is likely themselves. Marvin Lewis and his staff have already solved a lot of problems this season; learning the lesson of the Oakland game could put them over the top when it matters the most -- in February.

Mojokong---”Big money, big money. No whammies, no whammies.”

If you're going to blame the coaches for loss to Oakland, then blame the players too.

Kirkendall — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:13:31 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

7 months ago: Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis looks on during football minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium, Friday, May 1, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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This is how it works. When the Bengals win, everyone celebrates because everyone was a big part of that win. When the Bengals lose, giving up over 100 yards in the fourth quarter and 10 points in the final minute of the game, we blame Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. That's just how it is. Morgan Trent was covering Louis Murphy, who scored the game-tying touchdown. We blame Bob. The Bengals defense put no pressure on the Raiders quarterback. Blame Bob. Carson Palmer fumbled twice. Andre Caldwell fumbled twice, Jeremi Johnson fumbled once, all combined for three lost fumbles. Blame Bob. The Bengals committed eight penalties -- including two false starts on Chad Ochocinco, a false start on Nate Livings, encroachment on Tank Johnson, neutral zone infraction on Jonathan Fanene. We blame Bob.

Sure. There are things you could scratch your head about with Bratkowski. You could point to a Brian Leonard sweep to the right with 43 seconds left in the first half which forced the Raiders to take their last timeout. They got the ball back with 26 seconds left, at their own 36-yard line. While blaming Bob, Gradkowski completes a 19-yard pass to Zach Miller, and a short six-yard pass to Darren McFadden. Luckily Sebastian Janikowski missed a 57-yard field goal attempt to close out the first half.

I'm not defending Bratkowski here. I've never done that. But I'm not excusing the fact that the Bengals players lacked execution. I'm not letting them off the hook. A botched center to quarterback exchange should be the most natural act in football. A wide receiver should never false start. And the Bengals should have protected the goalline with the entire secondary, not just Morgan Trent covering a taller receiver, that allowed the game-tying touchdown. Three sacks allowed on third down and three lost fumbles tend to help you lose games too!

Some will claim the imbalanced rushing to passing ratio. That might be a fair argument. But the Raiders came into Sunday's game sporting the league's 29th best rushing defense. The Raiders 14 allowed rushing touchdowns was tied for 31st. They were ranked 14th against the pass. It makes sense to attack the defense's weakness. Some also claim that the rushing offense wasn't working and that Bernard Scott's rushing numbers were no good because of a 61-yard rushing play inflated his numbers. Since we believe in fairness, let's should take away Laveranues Coles' 40-yard reception and Chad Ochocinco's 30-yard reception because they inflated Carson Palmer's numbers. Now, Palmer has 137 yards passing.

Last I checked, blaming Bratkowski for bad play from the offense, defense and special teams will only get you so far. At some point the players are the ones that execute. So instead of taking the easy way out, let's just acknowledge that players and coaches were to blame for Sunday's loss. This is a team. A collection of people with a bigger picture in mind. Or give the Raiders credit. They played their butts off and took it to us. Either way, a loss is a loss. The best part? Taking it out on Cleveland.

I know that my opinion will be in the minority on this one, so go to town.