SB Nation - Cincinnati Bengals

Chinedum Ndukwe uninjured after limousine crashes into utility pole

Kirkendall — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:49:53 -0000

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

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How does one celebrate a win over the Baltimore Ravens and gets amped up to play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the division lead? Well, if you're Chinedum Ndukwe, you're in the limousine that crashes into a utility pole.

Defensive back Chinedum Ndukwe was not injured in the crash, which happened around 11:15 a.m. at McMillan Street and Highland Avenue.

A student at Ockerman Elementary School, in Florence, had won a visit from Ndukwe as part of the player's campaign, Fuel Up to Play 60, which encourages students to eat healthy and stay fit.

The child was given a ride in the limo but was not in the car at the time of the crash.

Police said a second vehicle might have been involved in the crash, and that car's driver was taken to University Hospital with a possibly broken arm.

Ndukwe was part of Take A Player to School, where kids meet NFL players who encourage them about school and "a commitment to physical fitness."

Bengals sign former draft pick Freddie Brown to the practice squad

Kirkendall — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:08:47 -0000

When the Bengals put Chris Henry on Injured Reserve, there was some speculation on what the team could do, which largely depended on what they wanted to do at wide receiver. Do they find a replacement? Do they restock the position after Andre Caldwell? Instead, they re-signed utility offensive lineman Scott Kooistra, giving the Bengals a full 53-man roster. Kooistra is expected to earn $620,000 in 2009.

However, with Henry out for the year, the Bengals felt there was enough of a shortage at the position that they signed former seventh round draft pick Freddie Brown to the practice squad. To make room, they released rookie tackle Gerald Cadogan. Here's a listing of the team's wide receivers under contract and not on IR (like Henry and Antonio Chatman):

Receiver	Roster	Notes
Chad Ochocinco	53-Man Roster	Bengals leading receiver with 44 receptions, 639 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
Laveranues Coles	53-Man Roster	Played in all eight games, caught 22 passes for 227 yards receiving. Tied for second on the team with three touchdowns receiving.
Andre Caldwell	53-Man Roster	Second on the team in most receiving categories. Caught two game winning touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens (first time) and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jerome Simpson	53-Man Roster	Yet to be activated in any game this season.
Quan Cosby	53-Man Roster	Primarily a punt returner. Average 12.4 yards-per-return ranks fifth in the NFL with ten punt returns or more.
Maurice Purify	Practice Squad	Caught four passes for 46 yards receiving during the 2009 preseason.
Freddie Brown	Practice Squad	Brown was the 11th pick by the Bengals in 2009 NFL draft, selected 43rd in the seventh round.

Cedric Benson nominated for FedEx Ground Player of the Week (again)

Kirkendall — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:19:07 -0000

For the second time in the last two games the Bengals have played, Cedric Benson is nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the game. He won it after the Bengals beat the Bears. In his last game, Benson recorded 117 yards rushing and a touchdown on 34 carries, becoming the first running back to record back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against the Baltimore Ravens defense since Ricky Williams did it in 2002-2003. Benson is also the first running back to record two 100-yard rushing efforts against the Ravens in the same season since Jerome Bettis did it in 1997. Note on the Bettis number: We're not 100% confident on that number. We ran through the history of Baltimore Ravens and could have easily missed something.

As a result, Benson is nominated with Titans running back Chris Johnson and Falcons running back Michael Turner for FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

Player	Opponent	Result	Att	Yards	TD
Cedric Benson	Baltimore	W, 17-7	34	117	1
Michael Turner	Redskins	W, 31-17	18	166	2
Chris Johnson	49ers	W, 34-27	25	135	2

Benson has won the award twice already this season. The first against the Baltimore Ravens the first time (27-120-1) and the second against the Chicago Bears (37-189-1).

Remember, it's a fan vote. So put get Benson the votes to win it again! Vote, vote, vote.

Steelers will have the privilege to host the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday

Kirkendall — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:08:34 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Evander Hood (96) and linebacker James Harrison (92) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Pittsburgh's win over the Denver Broncos tightened things in the AFC North. A dreamer's dream -- or is it a dreamer's fool, a foolish dream -- was concocted on the basis that the Steelers would lose to a rebounding Broncos who were annihilated by the Baltimore Ravens. What a let down that was. That's what we get when cheering for another team to take out the Steelers -- not that Pittsburgh would be so easily tempted to fall into a one-game disadvantage in the division heading into a critical divisional meeting.

So the showdown begins. The Bengals travel to Heinz field this Sunday. Two teams enter, one team leaves (or whatever corny catchphrase you want to use here). The division is at stake. Cincinnati is looking to capture the season sweep against another divisional powerhouse that could later serve them in tie-breaking scenarios (head-to-head record is the first tie-breaker). Even if the Bengals lose, the Steelers play Baltimore twice. The second tie-breaker is record in the division. If the Bengals beat the Browns, they'll finish at 5-1 in the division. Baltimore beats Pittsburgh, and the Bengals already win that tie-breaker.

Oddly enough, Cincinnati is in a good position right now. If they falter against the Steelers, they could still regroup. There's still eight games this season. There's also two notable things that the Bengals have to deal with this week that they didn't the last time both teams met.

Troy Polamalu didn't play during the Bengals 23-20 win on September 27.
Rashard Mendenhall didn't carry the football the last time the two teams met. Since then, he's recorded performances of 165 yards rushing against the Chargers and 155 yards rushing against Denver.

Are you ready for, what could be, the game of the year?

Sometimes it's nice to stand back for some perspective. Let's take a moment and reflect for a moment. This time last year, Cincinnati's bye week came in the tenth week of the season. They had just beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-19, thanks to Johnathan Joseph pass deflection on a two-point conversion with just over one minute left in the game. Since that point, the Bengals won nine of their next 15 games, including the 13-13 tie against the Philadelphia Eagles.

This time last year, we're supporting a team that's 1-8. This year, we're supporting a team that's 6-2, heading to Pittsburgh to challenge last year's Super Bowl champion. My, how quickly things change.

Mike Zimmer is never satisfied. C Trent Rosencrans writes about Mike Zimmer's "tough love" for his defense. The story takes an angle that's both interesting and exciting for Bengals fans.

Coming out of the bye week with a 5-2 record and on the heels of a dominating performance over the Bears, the Bengals felt pretty good about themselves. Their defensive coordinator wasn't going to let them feel like they'd accomplished much of anything.

From the first guy in the front row, to the last man in the back - which just happened to be Peko - Zimmer let everyone know just exactly what they needed to work on to be a better player. No player was immune; every single one got their moment under the heat lamp that the Bengals' second-year defensive coordinator.

Most of the players C Trent got ahold of had never gone through something like that. And every one of them respects the hell out of Zimmer. Domata Peko says “Zim’s up there right now in his laboratory getting it done. He’s still doing his thing.”

Time to man up boys. Marvin Lewis on the Division:

"It's one of our goals to win the division and in order to win the division you need to beat the division teams," Lewis said. "We take pride in this division. It didn't surprise me that Baltimore beat Denver. It wouldn't surprise me if Pittsburgh beats Denver. I expect them to be 6-2 when we go to Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"We expect the teams in this division to play well when they go outside the division. You have to man up when you come over here and that's the way it's going to be."

This might satisfy many (if not most... if not all). PFT writes that the league proposed a rookie wage scale. Do you mean there's a chance that first-round holdouts could have seen its last days? There's still another year left in the CBA, but I think the league and players union will do everything they can to prevent the CBA from hitting the final year. We'll see.

The Beatdown Knows The Problems

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:53:13 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

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A lot of frustrated people have been expressing their opinions on the poor play of the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend in losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 17-7. Looking lackluster and bland, the offense seemed to be in slow motion and the defense sat back on their heels once again. After looking like the old Ravens the week before, we seemed to regress and let a team that we were pretty sure was a pretender prove that perhaps we are the ones who are pretending this season.

The quotes from the fans seem to say it all. Here are some great thoughts and samples from some of the stories or FanPosts over the past two days that the Ravens would be pretty smart to take into consideration when re-assessing their personnel and future plans:

Playoffs

Playoffs? Dont talk about playoffs, are you kidding me? Playoffs?…I'm just hoping we can win a game….Jim Mora summed it up people.

by ShaneOmacDaddy on Nov 10, 2009 3:00 AM EST

I feel like we just gave up yesterday when we just started throwing the screen to Rice each and every play. We basically just gave up at that point and did not even care to look at the WR. We just wanted to get the hell out of Cinci and take our loss. I do not agree with that at all and it was a disgrace of a showing by Cam and the Offense.

You have to hate losing more than you love winning.

by Mr MaLoR on Nov 9, 2009 7:34 PM EST

I like what you’ve been writing. My thoughts as well. If you can’t stand toe to toe you better get creative. We did neither against just "decent" teams. If we simply dinked and dunked we’d have a better shot than Cams random deep balls when Mason rarely gets separation on deep balls. What was he thinking. Wasted downs.

by raven on Nov 9, 2009 9:25 PM EST

As Don Meredith would say...

Turn out the lights the party’s over – they say that all good things must end. That’s a wrap for the season folks. Who do you like in the draft next spring?

by Rayfan1 on Nov 8, 2009 4:37 PM EST

Penalties

What is up with all the pass interference calls? We are leading the league in getting called for interference. It is really starting to get ridiculous and it is killing us. I don’t know about you but I am tired of seeing our cornerbacks grabbing jerseys and getting burned in the process.

Don't forget to check out my blog at http://baltimoreravenschat.blogspot.com

Best regards,

Chris

by RavensBlogger on Nov 8, 2009 8:45 PM ES

PENALTIES, NOT REFS!!

Listen I could care less about talking about the refs.

it’s not the refs! it’s the penalties!!

Where Have You Gone Johnny U?

by The Exiler on Nov 9, 2009 11:36 AM EST

I was not a Kyle Boller fan but it just goes to show you that with no blocking any QB can look like Kyle Boller. There was one point where the Bengals had 12 first downs and we had 14 total plays from scrimmage! No one came to play. Is Gano still available? This is not our season. We can still hope to break even but don’t expect any post season for these guys. And even though the refs were not to blame for the game – there is clear bias. That would mean to me that you try even harder to not make penalties because you know they are watching us closely.

by Rayfan1 on Nov 9, 2009 9:28 AM EST

BENGALS ATOP

the AFC North, and deservedly so. Being a frustrated Ravens fan right now, you guys are making a strong statement. Personally speaking, I believe you’re the Top team in the Division right now, and possibly the entire AFC. With the Ravens hoping for, at best, a wild card, I sure as hell hope the Bengals take it to the Steelers this coming Sunday – you have the better team, now show it!

by ravens347 on Nov 9, 2009 9:52 AM EST

Oh, did the Ravens lose?

I turned off the debacle toward the end of the second quarter, never looked back and moved on to more meaningful things in my life. I just couldn’t watch the game any further. What a horrific game. I can’t express my disappointment enough. The Ravens were supposed to be a playoff-caliber team. They are not. I predicted a 9-7 record and they WILL NOT finish better than that. What more can be said? They were flat-footed all game, beaten off the ball on both sides, lethargic, way too deliberate and just didn’t show any sense of urgency! Geez, am I pissed!

by Smiley4660 on Nov 9, 2009 10:52 AM EST

Time to pack it in

C’mon guys…its over…it wasnt meant to be, this isnt the team to take us to the Super Bowl or even the playoffs. We will finish 8-8 with losses to the Colts, twice to Steelers and Green Bay…possibly even Bears to put us at 7-9. Hauschka needs to be released this week to send a message to the fans. Ray Rice even said yesterday "we came out and played slow", thats so nice to hear from the team I love and cheer for every Sunday, that they come out and play like a bunch of slouches and don’t really care. I am so fed up with this team and their attitude, it isn’t fair to the fans that pay their hard earned money in this economy to buy their jerseys and tickets to watch them play. I feel like I’ve been slapped in the face by this team and they should be ashamed of themselves.

by ShaneOmacDaddy on Nov 9, 2009 4:27 PM EST

this has been one of the most frustrating seasons

all around from getting our hopes up after each win, to failing just short, to not playing to our potential. I don’t understand it.

by ryantz on Nov 9, 2009 12:10 PM EST

The season, as far as playoffs and Superbowls, is probably over. We’re a distant third in our own division, and there’s several competitive wildcard teams in other divisions.

We still have to face Indy, Pittsburgh twice, Chicago at home, and Green Bay on the road.

We’ll also face Detroit, Cleveland, and Oakland.

7-9 to 10-6 is probably our range of records, and 10-6 probably won’t get us into the playoffs, so it’s better to sit back, relax and enjoy what we can, and hope for some of the young players to develop so that we can have a stronger season next year.

by math_geek on Nov 9, 2009 3:04 PM EST

Pitt won like Pitt wins…They let you stick around keeping the game under control and then explode on your tendencies. Their games always go to the 4th quarter. They just deep down know that they are closers. They are the furthest thing from what we are.

by raven on Nov 10, 2009 12:38 AM EST

Pour Some Sugar On Me - One More Year For Zorn Edition

Sugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:27 -0000

by John Amis - AP

A member of the Washington Redskins training staff whispers into Clinton Portis' earhole, "I don't know what you're doing after the game, but can we maybe go somewhere and get a cup of coffee? I can't be the only one feeling these feelings."

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We are now through Week 2 of the Sherm Lewis experiment. In two weeks, we have managed 17 points per game. Hmmmm...that strikes me as EERILY similar to our offensive output for the last few years. You guys mentioned it yesterday and it bears repeating--the adjustments that were made at halftime were reminiscent of the kind of adjustments that made previous teams in this town famous. Sherm Lewis put something together in the second half that resembled a legit offense. His play-calling skills are sharpening to be sure. Part of my problem with this setup though is that it adds yet another category on the Spin-the-Wheel of excuses that every TV analyst on ESPN and Fox is using for their explanation for why this team continues to struggle. So no matter how successful Sherm is, it becomes impossible to separate his role as "consultant" from the circus that is our front office. If we started winning, it would be easier to ignore that aspect. But that leads me into my other issue with this whole setup. At 2-6, is the Sherm Lewis experiment more about saving our season or saving Vinny Cerrato's job? Nobody wants this team to win more than me/us. But I am seriously conflicted with regard to my rooting for Sherm Lewis. The complexity of this soap opera is hilarious. One character in this thing though that I find myself more and more drawn to is Jim Zorn.

Partly because I believe that Jim Zorn is the kind of man that is worth giving every chance to and partly because I don't think a quality coach is going to come here with genuine intentions I just want to say that Jim Zorn should be our coach next year. First let's talk about...well, the first part. It is not Jim Zorn's fault that Dan Snyder hired a guy who may have been a little raw to be the head coach here. In fact, the one thing everyone knew was that Jim Zorn was raw. If Dan Snyder saw something in Jim Zorn that made him think Zorn could be a future successful head coach, then he simply has to be patient. You can't be right about something like that immediately every time. We have come to know since he was hired that Jim Zorn is a man of character and integrity. If Snyder learned anything from Joe Gibbs, it is that character and integrity are the most important things to build a team around. It is what a man does when things aren't going his way that you learn the most about him. To put it mildly, things aren't going his way these days. Zorn is not running from the challenge. Do any of us honestly blame Zorn for the offensive line problems? Cerrato rolled the dice big time and it cost Zorn any chance to get his offense going. Finally, we have fired coach after coach after coach. At some point it is not the coach (although at multiple points in our past...it was the coach...hehehe.)

As for my assertion that no good coach is going to come here with genuine intentions, I think what I mean is that with the amount of money it is going to cost Snyder, it will be very, very difficult to discern the true motives for anyone stepping into this situation. There are only 32 head coaching jobs in the league. One thing the Raiders have taught us is that even though there is a scarcity of opportunities, qualified candidates can and will decline to enter into a situation that seems problematic (is that putting it nicely enough?) So, here is a press conference I will not buy at all:

Mike Shanahan: "I am excited to work with Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder to put this franchise back on the map in the NFL. I think the way they do things here makes a lot of sense and I look forward to participating in the decision-making process."

So whether I am way off on this thing or not, one thing I think I would really like to see is Jim Zorn be given a chance to grow into his job...perhaps with a different guy pulling the strings on the personnel side.

Now on to our award-winning league notes:

Ten Yard Fight: 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

1) You don't go undefeated in this league without some close calls to some teams that have no business playing you tough. That is why you have to circle Sunday, December 6th on your calendars. The Saints travel to Washington, D.C that day, likely with a perfect record. You heard it here first: Skins over the Saints 28-27.

2) Something about Tom Brady that continues to bother me is his insistence on telling people that him and his teammates are motivated by comments made by their opponents leading up to a game. Really? You mean you otherwise wouldn't have done everything in your power to win? You mean you don't expect guys like Joey Porter to forever be running his mouth? In a game where if you give less than 100% for even a second you could end up in a hospital, I simply find it hard to believe that Tom Brady actually cares what guys like Joey Porter says. Just say what you mean...I would buy this:

Tom Brady: "Beating that son of a bitch is so satisfying, given the amount of trash that dude talks."

3) I am wrong about so much...really, I am simply wrong constantly. But not about the Bengals! I have taken so much heat from Steelers and Ravens fans in recent weeks for expressing my belief in Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer. This week I'd like to thank Brian Leonard for always seeming to know where the 1st down marker is and for playing the way you wish everyone on your favorite team played all the time.

4) Now on to my wrongness...fine, I made the Redskins 10-6 in my preseason predictions. I guess all I can really say now is...THE SKINS ARE GONNA RATTLE OFF 8 STRAIGHT WINS!

5) Who has a better shot at the playoffs? Chicago or Green Bay? I am going with Green Bay because like an idiot, I still think that defense will come around.

6) When Kris Brown missed that field goal against the Colts, I felt like this team might actually be destined to go undefeated. The loss of Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson should be too much for the Colts to overcome--from a "going undefeated" standpoint. But one thing you always know you can count on...Peyton Manning is capable of outscoring any opponent at any time. He doesn't even need a lot of time to do it. Remember the Dolphins game? Their defense was roundly beaten, but in the 15 minutes he had, Peyton put up enough points to win.

7) Is anyone more quietly in the playoff race than the Jacksonville Jaguars? At 4-4, they are in thick of the AFC playoff race. I just don't know if I buy into that offense fully, but the Garrard/Jones-Drew/Sims-Walker battery is winning me over.

8) Watching the Giants lose is normally so much fun. But when Norv Turner is on the other sideline, some of the joy is sucked out of the experience. Who would you rather have: Eli Manning or Philip Rivers?

9) Tough loss for Mike Singletary and the 49ers. A win would have gotten them to .500. That division was squarely in their sights but now at 3-5 (after starting 3-1), they have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season. They came in with one of the stingiest run defenses in the league. Chris Johnson got his though didn't he?

10) If Matthew Stafford would have thrown only 2 or 3 interceptions, they might have won. But FIVE? I have Stafford on my fantasy team and I had to play him because mark Sanchez was on a bye (yeah, my team sucks). Every time the Lions had the ball, I would think, "OK, a chance for some points." Then the graphic would come up that it was Seattle's ball. Really? No...another pickle? You're killing me dude.

Give Me The Numbers, Stat!

In case any of you missed it on the Monday Night Football telecast, here are the last 7 first round picks by the Pittsburgh Steelers:

2003 - SS Troy Polamalu
2004 - QB Ben Roehtlisberger
2005 - TE Heath Miller
2006 - WR Santonio Holmes
2007 - LB Lawrence Timmons
2008 - RB Rashard Mendenhall
2009 - DE Ziggy Hood

It should be noted that for the most part this team picks late in the 1st round, so maybe that explains the lack of a top offensive tackle selection. Their line is certainly in good shape though.

Last week's picks: 2-2

This week's picks:

49ers over Bears

Jets over Jacksonville

Colts over Patriots

Bengals over Steelers

Chad Ochocinco tries to bribe an official and fails

Kirkendall — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:58:57 -0000

Here's a question for you. How do you know that you've become absolutely comfortable with Chad Ochocinco? How do know when you've reached a point in which Chad does something and you either laugh, or shrug it off, whereas the rest of their world loses their mind? How do you know when you've reached a point that you've accepted Chad through the ups and downs of an eight-year marriage?

I'll tell you when.

When Chad holds onto a dollar bill to bribe the ref, after catching a 15-yard pass that was challenged and overturned, and you're actually disappointed that he didn't stuff the dollar bill in the ref's pocket. That's when.

(h/t to Shutdown Corner for screen cap)

Instead, he handed it back to someone and went about his business. And business is good. After catching five passes for 66 yards receiving, Ochocinco is on pace for 88 receptions, 1,278 yards receiving and a career-tying 10 touchdowns.

People will have a problem with this. Mostly those national media types that play off the Old School Football Religion where you have to sit boringly like a rock in the desert. Then again, I have to admit something to you, my friends, my support group. Chad has actually changed me. I was a believer of the old ways. I was a believer of someone throwing the football to the refs and jogging to the sidelines (ala Barry Sanders). And maybe that part of me will never die.

There are still things I hate. I hate it when a receiver acts tough and badass after picking up a first down. I hate it when anyone celebrates for any reason when they're losing by more than two touchdowns late in the game. I love it when an offensive lineman goes until the whistle, but hate it when the defensive player gets bent out of shape. Actually, I kind of like that too. I hate it when a defensive player makes a big tackle five yards after the offensive player gets the first down, then shouts, struts and clobbers his chest. I hate Ray Rice. Not really hatred, just glad he's out of our lives for a year.

But I've changed. I accept this Chad. He likes to have fun. Why not? The Bengals swept the Baltimore Ravens and my guess is that everyone in that lockerroom will see that tape and laugh about it. That's good team chemistry. That's Chad in 2009. Business is damn good.

Henry placed on IR after season-ending surgery; Kooistra to re-sign.

A Pragmatic Bengals Fan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:21:08 -0000

Chris Henry had season-ending surgery on his broken forearm today and was placed on Injured Reserve. Evan Mathis is considered week-to-week and Scott Kooistra is reportedly to be re-signed shortly.

Per the Bengals' official Twitter account, first reported by C. Trent Rosecrans of CNati.com. Rosecrans' Twitter account can be found here. @ctrent

Please continue to debate the merits of Chase Coffman vs. Jerome Simpson vs. Maurice Purify in the event that the discussion is once again relevant when Evan Mathis is fully healthy after getting shaken up yesterday, I don't expect Kooistra to be around for very long. This seems to be a stop-gap type of move to get the team through the next couple of weeks. I still hope to see either Purify, Simpson or Coffman soon.

Question of the Day: Who replaces Chris Henry as the number four receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals?

Kirkendall — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:03:27 -0000

Chris Henry, playing the final season of a two-year deal, caught a 20-yard pass early in the second quarter. He broke his forearm while falling to the turf. In one respect, it was sad to see Henry suffer a season-ending injury (likely) during a year in which he worked so hard to recast his image. Henry finished the season with 12 receptions (tied for fifth on the team) for 236 yards receiving (third) and two touchdowns. His 19.7 yard-per-reception average led the team.

With Chris Henry likely out for the year, the Bengals will likely look for someone to step up into that role. But what role? A fourth receiver? A deep threat? The Bengals have Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles and Andre Caldwell as their first three receivers, so there's no real desperation after Henry's injury. Furthermore the Bengals are a run-first offense, rushing the football on 47% of their offensive plays; their 245 attempts is seventh in the league and Cedric Benson leads the NFL with 198 rush attempts -- by 23 carries.

So is there really an urgency to implement a fourth receiver that's integrated into a game plan that requires more than ten snaps? Not likely. But the question remains. When the Bengals go four-wide, or need someone to replace one of the top three receivers either injured or needing a rest (I refuse to say "blow"), who do you go with?

While saying that Jerome Simpson is close, Carson Palmer says that the "guy who’s closer is Maurice Purify." Purify is on the team's practice squad. And if the Bengals elect to put Chris Henry on Injured Reserve (and there's no reason why they wouldn't), that opens a spot on the team's 53-man roster for Purify. Another alternative, especially if they want to use the open roster spot for another position, is Quan Cosby. But who knows how he's coming along as a wide receiver. This brings us back to Jerome Simpson, who is taking up room on the 53-man roster.

On August 1, I wrote a piece about Simpson asking if his time was already running out. Simply based on numbers and the talent ahead of him, I questioned if he'd even get any playing time. And if he's not ready to become the team's fourth receiver by now, with a Roy Williams destroying Maurice Purify waiting, one has to wonder if he'll ever make his own luck and become a contributor for this offense. The problem for Simpson is that he's lost every opportunity to improve his standing on the team's depth chart. It might even make more sense if the team makes a move to take Simpson off the 53-man roster if he's not the guy that replaces Henry in the lineup.

But he's young and needs time. How much time? And when will opportunity suddenly appear? I would expect the Bengals to bring Chris Henry back next season if they can. Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell are all signed. Where exactly would Simpson fit? He might still have an impressive NFL career. But with the Bengals? Where does he fit?

I even made the suggestion on Sunday that Chase Coffman could be an option, a hybrid tight end/wide receiver in the shape of Dallas Clark. Lines up outside on four wide receiver formations and becomes the second tight end in double tight end formations. Just a thought.

Who do you guys think should take the number four wide receiver spot?

Poll

Who is your pick to become the number four wide receiver?

Ravens Fall Flat: Now What?

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:03:14 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

2 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) heads upfield against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson (95) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

View full size photo »

When the Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Denver Broncos last week, most people, including the oddsmakers, thought the Ravens' defense from last year had returned and that we would put a revenge beating on the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday after losing so embarassingly in the teams' first meeting, won by the Bengals 17-14 a month ago.

However, neither the Ravens, their fans or the oddsmakers realized that the Bengals weren't buying any of that, proving that their first victory was no fluke by doing almost the same thing in dominating the Ravens yesterday at home 17-7. While Cincinnati had to pull out the victory in the first game in the final seconds, this one was pretty much over in the first quarter, when the Bengals scored on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead that blossomed to 17-0 by halftime.

The Ravens scored their only points of the game in the fourth quarter and even had a chance to cut the Bengals lead to one score late in the game, but placekicker Steven Hauschka missed another critical field goal attempt that now has his job in serious jeopardy. At the same time, there should now be a bunch of positions that players' jobs should be in jeopardy as well, as the Bengals once again beat the Ravens in just about every phase of the game, starting with the trenches on both sides of the ball.

On offense, Cincinnati pushed Baltimore's front wall three and four yards backwards on every rushing attempt. Fans can complain all they want that we missed the injured Haloti Ngata, but the exact same thing happened in the first game when Ngata was healthy. The Bengals offensive line protected QB Carson Palmer perfectly whether we blitzed or not. When we didn't blitz, he sat back and waited until one of his receivers got open and hit him in the numbers, including a couple of circus catches by the big mouthed 85 guy who certainly backed up his words. In the few times we did blitz, the Bengals picked it up enough and there was always a wide open receiver to bail Palmer out. How many times did you notice our cornerbacks falling and slipping while the receivers made cuts and caught the ball for key first downs on their first two TD drives?

Defensively, we couldn't open holes for RB Ray Rice nor protect Joe Flacco. When Cincinnati blitzed, the pocket collapsed and Flacco couldn't find the open receiver anyway, as the Bengals secondary blanketed our receivers all day. Both Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph played their best games of their seasons in our two meetings, effectively taking Derrick Mason out of the game and frustrating Flacco into throwing interceptions to take away any momentum that we might be on the verge of.

So now what? Looking at the remaining schedule and the way we've played with our backs against the wall, it appears two things are becoming clear. First of all, the Denver Broncos must have either played a terrible game in losing to us or they are merely pretenders and will get their clocks cleaned by a better Pittsburgh Steelers team tonight. Secondly, if we continue to lose the key games we need to win against the better teams in the league, we will finish no better than 8-8 this year. At this point, the games against Indianapolis, Pittsburgh (twice) and at Green Bay on MNF in the bitter cold all look like probable losses and if so, then the remaining games against Clevelnad, Chicago, Detroit and Oaklnad better be wins or a sub-.500 season is a very real possibility.

Time to see what is truly inside the Ravens hearts and heads and how, much less if, they can recover and salvage what is turning out to be such a disappointing season when there was so much promise.