SB Nation User Blog: Mike Boyd

Bengals' Fans Make Your Plans - The Bandwagon Is On Its Way to Miami

Mike Boyd — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:29:05 -0000

I don't want to get carried away but...

Reserve your seats. Buy your sun block. After many years (remember Super Bowl XXIII), the Bengals' Bandwagon is headed back to Miami in February 2010. Get on board. Group rates are available.

After hitting a minor speed bump against the Broncos named Brandon Stokley (and I mean that with all due respect to the diminuitive Stokley who I would like to squash like a bug), the Bengals' Bandwagon is rolling as the Bengals have two impressive wins in a row. What was most impressive on Sunday was the team's intensity. The poise and resiliance shown when the Bengals were down 13-0 was impressive.

Before the season, I wrote a column where I dream the Bengals won the Super Bowl and looking at how they did it:

A healthy Carson Palmer - check. He looks good. Numbers are deceptive. He led two fourth quarter scoring drives yesterday against a "genius" (Steeler defensive coordinator and former Bengal head coach, Dick LeBeau).

A Physical Defense - check. See below.

Field Position - check. Kevin Huber is a game changer and, overall, special teams are much better

The O-line - check. A pleasant surprise.

Chad Becoming a Leader and Emergence of Andre Caldwell - check.

In sum, folks, we are living the dream. A victory over the World Champion Steelers can only mean one thing -- it is time to stop naysaying and complaining, it is time to jump on the Bengals Super Bowl Bandwagon.

In my pre-season "analysis" I should have emphasized a couple of additional points which are now clear:

First, Rey Maualuga is a beast. The addition of Maualuga has seemingly brought a whole new level of intensity to the defense. Moreover, the Bengals' newfound physicality puts them at the top of the division. Both the aged Ravens defense and the Steelers defense, which clearly has holes, are not as good. Could the defense play better? Sure. I know the Steelers ran all over the field in the first quarter, but the Bengals defense is keeping the scores down which is the key to winning in the NFC North. Also, a hard-hitting defense wears offenses out. The Steelers scored on their first three drives but faltered down the stretch.

Second, Carson has really become a leader. The final drive on Sunday was impressive. His off-season workouts with the receivers in LA have helped Caldwell and Henry become real threats every time they are on the field. TJ can talk all he wants about how nice it is to live amidst all those millionaires in Seattle, but we don't miss him.

Third, Cedric Benson really looks good. He is really hitting holes hard and wears down defenses.

Book it. February 7th in Miami.

By the way, when we are in Miami, Bengals owner Mike Brown will hopefully volunteer to be the hotel doorman so nobody pulls a "Stanley Wilson" on us on the eve of the Big Game. I want the Bengals to win this time.

I will acknowledge that the inspiration for the "Bandwagon" comes from another source. During the 1991 season, the Washington Post's (and now much more famous) Tony Kornheiser wrote a weekly series of articles about the Redskins' momentum, which culminated in a Super Bowl victory. At first, Kornheiser wrote them, in part, to have fun with the Skins' doom and gloom coach, Joe Gibbs. After several weeks, however, it was a weekly ritual of self affirmation as the Redskins were showing each week that, indeed, they were a very good team. I lived in DC at the time and am paying homage to TK as I enjoyed the series tremendously even though I didn't really like the Skins.

By the way, I apologize for not having written much lately. I am on an extended assignment in Football Hell...Europe. This is a land where people think that football is a game played with your feet. Can you imagine?

Bengals Win Super Bowl XLIV - A Look Back on How They Did It

Mike Boyd — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:33:21 -0000

February 2010 -- In one of the most surprising turnarounds in NFL history, the Cincinnati Bengals were crowned Super Bowl champions after defeating the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLIV. Here is how they did it.

1. Carson Palmer - Returning from an elbow injury that cost him nearly all of the previous season, Carson Palmer had a MVP-caliber season. He managed to stay health and was flawless throughout the year.

2. The Physicality of the Defense - It was obvious that the Bengals had turned the corner in terms of physicality on defense in their week 10 showdown with the Steelers in Pittsburgh, now known as "the Body Bag Game II." Seeing both Hines Ward and Ben Roethlesberger leave the field unconscious on stretchers made everyone realize that this defense is for real. Crocker's hit on Ward was one for the ages. Peko, Sims, and Tank Johnson did a good job all season stuffing the run, giving the defense a new dimension. LB Keith Rivers emerged as a beast, being named AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Rookie LB Rey Maualuga was always around the ball, becoming much more of a presence than the Bengals expected last April when he slid to pick #38.

3. Field Position - Rookie P Kevin Huber was named to start in the Pro Bowl for a reason. He is a game-changer.

4. The O-Line - The inexperienced line gelled during the pre-season and became the biggest surprise of the year. Not only did they protect Carson, they opened holes for Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott against some of the leagues toughest defenses. The Bengals were glad they ultimately signed 1st round pick OT Andre Smith when he filled in admirably at both RT and LT during the course of the regular season.

5. Chad's Leadership and the Emergence of Chris Henry and Andre Caldwell -- Coming off his worst year, Chad OchoCinco made the pro bowl again. More importantly, however, he became a team leader, rather than a distraction. Chris Henry led the league's wide receivers in touchdowns and Andre Caldwell filled in spectacularly when Laveranues Coles got nicked up. Caldwell made Bengals fans ask, "TJ who?"

Then I woke up, rubbed my eyes, and realized that all this was a dream. In fact, it is a dream I have every summer. 1988-89 seems so long ago. Was it a dream too?

Fan Rebellion -- Hockey Fans Hire Super Agent Drew Rosenhaus

Mike Boyd — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:55:59 -0000

Rosenhaus Sports announced Tuesday that NFL super agent Drew Rosenhaus has been hired by the fans of the Florida Panthers to renegotiate season-ticket pricing for the 2009-2010 season. Drew Rosenhaus also posted a message on his Twitter feed. Upon reading this, my heart started racing. Do you think Drew would be willing to come to Cincinnati to discuss fans' concerns with the Bengals and Mike Brown? Would he be willing to chat live on Cincy Jungle about the prospect of representing Bengal fans? This could be our big break.

I couldn't believe that hockey fans were actually smart enough to launch the first formal, class-action fan rebellion in professional sports history. Then, I looked for more information. It turns out that hockey fans are not smarter than football fans. In fact, they may be dumber if they fall for this scam. Rosenhaus was actually retained by the Panthers as part of a marketing campaign, hence the press release and the Twitter feed. Yahoo Sports is reporting that the team reached out to Rosenhaus and the team announced that it is indeed part of the team's new "viral" marketing strategy which includes tv and radio commercials.

This sham insults the intelligence of fans everywhere but Drew Rosenhaus has done that before.

Sporting News' Shallow Analysis Yields Prediction of Last Place

Mike Boyd — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:23:37 -0000

More photos » by Tom Uhlman - AP

Browse more photos »

The Sporting News Today ran a "Camp Countdown" story today on the Bengals that had multiple themes:

There is no such thing as a short leash with the Bengals; Marvin Lewis is safe.
Without Carson Palmer, opponents don't fear the passing game.
According to an opponent, Marvin Lewis prefers the 4-3 defense but keeps drafting linebackers better suited to the 3-4. The defense can't stop the run, can't rush the passer and has no identity.
Unless Carson can "energize" the offense, the Bengals will again finish last in the division.
There is not enough stability on defense to ensure success.

I am actually surprised by the shallow analysis by authors Gerry Dulac, Vinnie Iyer, and Chick Ludwig. Putting it all on Carson's back or a lack of stability on defense is so easy, but the article fails to cite any off-season upgrades or probe the implications of the lack of an established running back, the inexperience on the offensive line, etc.

On a positive note, the article includes a boxed quote from CBS analyst Phil Simms, who said, "I would be leery of this team. They stayed competitive last year, even though they didn't have a healthy Carson Palmer and their offense was dreadful. You look at how hard they played - and with passion. It's possible they surprise some people this season." I think that aside from Lapham, Phil may have just became my favorite analyst.

Unfortunately, I think Bengals fans see a last place finish in the cards. I see that the team is now running ads for ticket packages. I recently donated two season tickets to a charity for auction and the selling price was less than the price of one ticket alone. I guess I could blame the economy but it is so much more fun to blame Mike Brown.

Anyone can be a Draft Expert

Mike Boyd — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:44:30 -0000

I have a guilty pleasure -- mock drafts. I love the mock drafts. Thanks to all of our readers I know I am not alone. I know that beyond the first 15 picks, they are ridiculous speculation but I can't help myself.

Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. has now extended his mock draft to seven rounds which raises the bar in terms of its absurdity.

Nonetheless, let's take a look at McShay's projected Bengals picks:

Eugene Monroe, OT, UVA

Eric Wood, C, Louisville

Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina

Jeremiah Johnson, RB, Oregon

Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech

Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin

Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston State

George Hypolite, DT, Colorado

Quan Cosby, WR, Texas

Antonio Appleby, MLB, University of Virginia

Anthony Felder, OLB, Cal

McShay's first two picks are no-brainers.

Cook in the third makes some sense. Experts say he can add weight, ran fastest 40 among TEs, and won the weight-room award at South Carolina so has good work ethic. Sounds like a good pick.

After this, it gets more complicated. Keep in mind that the Bengals can stretch on a couple of picks because all 11 draft choices will not make the team.

McShay's next two picks are good football players but raise questions. In the late third round, McShay has Bengals picking Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson. I don't like this pick. Johnson can play football but has limited upside due to average speed, body type that won't allow him to add weight, and injury history (knee). In the fourth, Hokie CB Macho Harris has average speed, is a poor run tackler and reportedly has some character questions but he sure looked good against our beloved UC Bearcats in the Orange Bowl. Not sure about him either. In the AFC North, don't we need corners who can tackle?

Former Oklahoma QB Bomar is an interesting pick. Great athlete. Poor decision maker with character question. Very little risk for the Bengals in picking him late when they have 11 picks.

Draft Guru Mel Kiper has the Bengals taking Andre Smith, Cal C Alex Mack and Utah DE Paul Kruger in first three rounds, followed by Rashad Jennings, a RB from Liberty. Jennings had two brothers play in the NFL , has great work ethic, and played one season at Pitt before transfering. He reminds me of Rudy Johnson. Mel has the Bengals drafting LSU FB Quinn Johnson in the 4th Round. If Mel has it right, I am happy.

I have written that I want to see OT, C, DE or LB, RB in first four rounds so was glad to see Mel agreed with me. Great minds think alike.

Chad Johnson Traded to the Eagles -- Not Likely

Mike Boyd — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:50:52 -0000

I am somewhat incredulous at the trade buzz around Chad.

In February, I wrote that I didn't think it was worth it to trade Chad Johnson because, in my view, I didn't think he would command much in return.

Let's look at the facts.

While he was once the most feared wide receiver in the league, Chad is now 31. He has a torn labrum in his shoulder that should have been surgically repaired but wasn't. He is coming off his worst season. He continues to throw tantrums on the sideline and behave petulantly in the locker room. To further drive his stock down, last week he failed to report to the Bengals' off-season work out program.

In November, The Sporting News surveyed NFL scouts and published a list of the top 40 wide receivers. TJ was #11. Chad wasn't listed. I think it is clear that he is no longer regarded by those in the league as an elite wide receiver.

As Kirkendall wrote, ESPN's John Clayton has said the Bengals want a first and a third-round pick for Chad. No wonder Clayton says there is a 20% chance that Chad will be traded. If that is truly what the Bengals want for Chad, I think Clayton's guess is about 19% too high.

If the Bengals are lucky enough to get the Eagles or the Giants to give up a late pick in the first round, they should take it. At this point, I think a high second round pick, perhaps packaged with something in 4th round, is more than enough for Chad. Are you listening Oakland?

When he failed to have his shoulder repaired and did not report to off-season work outs last week, he breached the trust of his teammates and coaches.

Chad will get his due when he gets traded to a team with a sub-par QB and a coach that will punch his lights out if he tries to kiss him.

Note that I am joining Kirkendall's "juvenile" protest against a grown man changing his name to Ocho Cinco and will call him Chad Johnson as well.

Ben-Gals Tryouts Begin in April

Mike Boyd — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:12:14 -0000

The Ben-Gals will hold tryouts in April at PBS. On April 11th, at a cost of $35, there will be a clinic to familiarize participants with the tryout process. Participants must be 21 and be employed or a full-time student. There are two practices a week from June - December and three during the pre-season. Pay is $80.00 a game and outside paid appearances are possible. Team members will be expected to perform at a minimum of 10 outside charity functions supported by the Benals.

The registration materials put emphasis on the following quotes,

" Glamour is important and will contribute towards your score. Full complete hair style and make up is HIGHLY recommended."

"Flexibility and a good attitude is a Must!!"

$80 a week? NFL cheerleaders need to unionize and get a CBA. These hard-working ladies are seriously underpaid. Just think of all those sideline shots on tv as they go into commercials...all the jumbo-tron shots...the late-season cold games...and all the times the Bengals are going 3 and out, Kyle Larson is coming into to kick a 30-yard punt, you are bored and have the binoculars...I know you sneak a look -- everybody does it. I have even caught my sons sneaking a peak. The bottom line is that sometimes the Ben-Gals are the only smiling faces in the whole stadium and that, in and of itself, is worth a lot more than $80 a game.

Carson Palmer Talking Super Bowl and Other Notes

Mike Boyd — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:39:17 -0000

Carson called me last week. Seriously. He called me. It was tape-recorded but I am still sure the message was heartfelt. After he thanked me for keeping my season tickets, he said next year was going to be exciting. His voice bursting with optimism, he said will do anything he can to take the Bengals to the Super Bowl.

So, to all the naysayers, including my wife (who wasn't especially pleased that "we" renewed our tickets)," stuff it. Carson is talking Super Bowl. That's right. My man Carson is talking Super Bowl. How many days until training camp starts?

While we are on the topic of renewing my tickets, perhaps Carson could call my wife...personally... and thank her for her support and loyalty to the Bengals...that may help turn things around for me.

Regarding mock drafts, Steve Wyche of NFL.com now has the Bengals taking Eugene Monroe, the talented tackle from UVA. So does Todd McShay of Scouts Inc., while Mel Kiper Jr. has the Bengals drafting Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree. If Monroe is still there at 6, we should grab him. Mel's pick is solid though. Crabtree is not just a great receiver, he is an awesome football player.

Glenn Holt Reported Going to Vikings

Mike Boyd — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:20:20 -0000

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that WR Glenn Holt has signed a one-year contract with the Vikings.

If he didn't drop so many passes and regularly fumble kickoffs, I might care.

Bengals Injury Story in 2008 Brings Hope for 2009

Mike Boyd — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:49:17 -0000

In terms of geek stats, Football Outsiders can't be beat. The site now evaluates how teams' performance was affected by injuries in 2008. The good news is that the Bengals' poor performance had a lot to do with injury. The analysis shows that they were the team most impacted by injury in 2008.

"Adjusted Games Lost" or "AGL" uses the injury report, the status and relevance of a player to his team, and historical data regarding how likely a given player is to play to produce a measure of how dramatically a team is affected by injury. A team's shift in AGL from year-to-year bears a significant correlation with changes in their win-loss record.

Other teams that were most affected by injury were St. Louis, Baltimore and Detroit.

This should give us hope. The Bengals were bad last year, but injuries had a lot to do with it.