Hey Bengal Lovers,

There has been a lot of talk about our offensive "woes" which I think is largely legit.  But check this scoring trend out against teams we're favored to beat...

Scoring by half

Week 2: First- 21, Second- 10

Week 4: First- 14, Second- 9 (including OT)

Week 6: First - 17, Second - 0 (granted we lost this big but we were up in the first half)

Week 7: First - 31, Second - 14

Week 9: First - 17, Second - 0

Week 11: First - 14. Second - 3

Week 12: First - 13, Second - 3

Week 13: First - 17, Second - 6

Anyone else notice a little trend?  We're slowing down more than a skinny kid on seconds.  While I do think our "O" is missing Hoosh and Henry, I'm going to re shift the blame for our sluggish offense to our second favorite whipping boy Bratowski (M. Brown being the first) away from Purify, Coats, and Coles (though clearly these guys have not produced to par).  Our game plan is pretty obvious, once we get a two, maybe three score lead we go all Rush Limbaugh conservative and run the clock to zero.  Thus I think that we are a better offensive team than perhaps we let on.  As for the other games, they were trend changers mostly  because we still needed to score in the second half, something we accomplished numerous times when necessary.

Anyways Bengaldom, do you have any thoughts?  Do you agree and/or disagree that most of our "problems" stem from game planning rather than personell?

Who Dey Baby?

Hey Bengals Fans:  Chill!  It was one game.  Our team is 4-2 on the season.  We've beat the Steelers, Ravens, Browns, and Packers (and should have beat the 5-0 Broncos).  I know we are jumpy fans... years and years of losing will do that to you, but this is a very good team.  Its like we're lab rats who have been shocked over and over by a piece of cheese thats attached to a battery... we just don't know how to enjoy cheese when its not hooked up. Remember how the Bills almost beat the Patriots in the beginning of the year  (or how the Jets did)?  How are those teams doing lately?  The fact is the Texans are Very Good Offensively and have had our number the past two years.  Sure, losing Odom stings me like a fissure in my ass, but isn't that exactly why we drafted Michael Johnson, to get pressure on the QB?  And yes, Carson and our offense have not been as sharp as they have in years past, but look at Peyton Manning last year.  How did his team start and how did they finish?  As you may recall, Peyton, with his knee injury, and the Colts stumbled out of the gates.

Carson is not Manning but what I'm saying is the offense needs time to get into rhythm.  Also, Johnson brings a whole new element of speed, as opposed to power, to our D line. Who knows, that could make it better. 

My point is that you can't take one game and draw broad conclusions.  Our body of work this year tells us that this is a very good team that has room for improvement in certain areas (TE... cough cough put in Coffman).  So yes, the next three games are all tough and will be another test of where we are at as a team.  But based on what I've seen, I'm confidant we'll get back on track and play some good football.

Who Dey?  We Dey Baby!

Hey Who Dey Fans,

While running through the hallways of my apartment complex with my shirt off this afternoon screaming "who dey baby, WHOOOOOOAAAAA!!!!" and chest-bumping my brother, I thought, "maybe we're being a bit too enthusiastic here."

This Sunday the Bengals played awful football through three.  We were smoked up and down the field both on O and D.  Palmer was missing throws and the D line was getting dominated by Willie Parker and Co.  We got torched by some guy named Mike Wallace and some other guy named Hines Ward.  We couldn't touch Big Ben for pretty much the entire game... and this is our "Super Bowl Team?"  After a sensational pick return (which can really be attributed to Santonio Holmes) our long snapper for the second time this year sailed one over Kevin Hubers Head keep it at 20-9.

And make no mistake, its not just the "Behind the Steel Curtain" blog that is calling the Cincinnati Bengals mediocre.  Writers everywhere will be chalking this one up to a Steelers loss, not a Bengals win.  But here's the thing, it was a Bengals win... wasn't it?

The Bengals dominated the fourth quarter, totally turning the game around.  Cedric Benson was amazing on those two touchdown drives.  Palmer was nearly perfect.  And  who dominated the Steelers D line in the fourth?  The Bengals O line.  And while Pittsburgh is pissing and moaning about getting two field goals in the red zone... who was it that held them to two field goals?  Oh yea, that was our D.

My point is this.  While this team could easily be 3-0 and this point, we could also easily be 1-2, or even 0-3 after the near debacle at the end of the packers game.  This team is good, but can't focus on Super Bowl aspirations after a week 3 win.  We have to get better every week and for now, lets just concentrate on beating the Browns.

Who Dey?  Dey da Bengals!!!

I went to the zoo today (true story) and I saw a Bengal Tiger pacing back and forth in its cage.  My first thought when seeing a Tiger like that all locked up is, "thats sad, that tiger has had a bad string of luck, if only he'd been able to escape into the jungle with Baloo or something." Then I looked that Tiger straight in the eye... and you know what i saw?  I saw a wild animal, not some mopey defeated creature.

I guarantee you given the opportunity that Bengal Tiger would bust out of that cage first chance and eat every single man woman, child, and mini donut there. Then afterwards he would do 500 push ups with an American flag bandanna around his head while listening to Neil Diamond sing a song about freedom on his ipod. (thats what I'm talking bout!)

My point is that as Bengals fans, we spend a lot of time boo hooing about having terrible luck, having the worst owner in the NFL, and losing for almost 20 straight years.  I won't argue the point.  I've commiserated about this as well.  But is that what a Bengal tiger would do?  Clearly, as illustrated above, it is not.  In the past, we've had our fair share of excuses for why we couldn't win.  But thats the past.  No more excuses.

But hey, its a free country.  If you want to jump onto some Steelers or Cardinals bandwagon be my guest.  Me, I am going to take the Road of the Tiger (aka the Whitworth Road) and focus what can happen today. 

Can I get a hell yea?

Who Dey!?

Amidst all the hype over Hard Knocks, I think the Jungle  has overlooked one very important piece... Football starts today!  Thats right, jaw crunching hits, long bombs, and the entire pre-pre-season anticipation and work is finally coming together for some "real" football games.  And while the pre-season tends to be overlooked, I thought it would be fair to put together a list of all the things to watch for in our pre-season debut against the Saints.

A) Offense Line work.  While the saints "D" has been slightly worse than mediocre the past few years (Otherwise known as the Michael Bay ratio) l I think we all know that it is CRUCIAL to see how the O line holds up this year.  Last year's group was the worst in the league, maybe even little league, but Anthony Collins has shown some promise as has Witworth.  If this group can keep Carson upright and pop open a few holes for Cedric then I have to assusme in the next few weeks we'll all think Andre the Giant is referring to that big guy in the Princess Bride

B) Getting to the QB -  Unlike the Saints "D" their "O" line is perhaps the best in the game.  Opposing teams had a grand total of 13 sacks against a pass happy team. With all the talk about our improved "D" the Bengals got to the QB as often as the shy kid gets the hot girl at prom.  If our line can put pressure on Brees (maybe one or two sacks) and slow the running game in the first half, then our "D" will have gone a long way towards reaching legitimacy.

C) Life after Hoosh - I know we are all missing Hoosh, but I am excited to see if Chris Henry and L. Coles can fill the void.  Cason hooking up with those guys for one or two deep passes would be a great sign for our offense

Again, to most, pre-season doesn't mean anything.  But for a Bengals fan, I'm excited to see sings of life after a dismal 08 campaign.  With Carson back, a revamped O line and an up and coming "D" I'm more excited to shout "Who Dey Baby?" than I have been in years.

Hello Fellow Bloggers, as i sit here writing a football blog at the end of June, I realize that real football fans are very single minded.  We eat, breathe and sleep football.  If you are like me, (and I honestly hope you're not)  your break from work during the middle of the day is to go onto ESPN.com to see if The Ocho has made any further Super Bowl predictions.  This somewhat sad existence is replicated by true fans across the league and is made worse by the fact that between OTA's and training camp, their is essentially nothing going on.  Football fans are in some strange stage of limbo while the NFL goes into hibernation.  Every fan copes with this down time differently and fills in the gaps.  For example, we all know that during this time of year Patriots fans burn incense and candles to a likeness of Tom Brady's butt stashed away in a closet or attic somewhere.  Lions fans spend a lot of time throwing garbage at Matt Millen's old house (so do Vikings fans in the form of Daunte Culpepper). And Steelers fans mostly stay at home because Troy Palamalu  wanders Pittsburgh nailing random pedestrians as they cross the street.

So I was wondering what you, the true Bengals fan, do during the offseason?  Also, may I suggest throwing out a few suggestions as to what other team's fans are doing this time of year.

Regardless of what you're doing right now, I know for sure we are all doing one thing... ROOTIN' for Dem Bengals!  Who dey baby?

Bengals fans are eternal optimists... every year looks better than the last (how could it not?) and almost every year, like the poor kid at Christmas wishing for a new bicycle, we wind up feeling a little bit disappointed when we end up with a used car tire and a dead possum. (but hey, we make the best of it right?)  With that said, I am a die-hard Bengals fan, and perhaps because its the offseason... I can be optimistic once again! I've decided to look backwards when things started to go bad and try to shine a light of optimism on some of our bad luck the last few years.

2006

Offense: 8th

Defense: 30th

Important Draftees: Jonathon Joseph, Andrew Witworth, Domata Peko

The Bright Side: 2006 was a painful year as we started out 8-5, and then proceeded to lose our last three games, driving us out of the playoffs.  But we learned something about ourselves that will prove critical, Our defense was a train wreck... except train wrecks hit hard.   We would never have been legit contenders without a legit "d."  We needed to rebuild.  Enter Jonathon Joseph and Domata Peko.  Witworth should now sound familiar as well.

2007

Offense: 10th

Defense: 27th

Important Draftees:  Leon Hall

The Bright Side:  Correct me if I'm wrong, but this season was the one where every single linebacker we had on the team got hurt and we were picking up guys on the street.  (I even heard rumors that we made a move for John Madden to linebacker for us... though it went unsubstantiated).  This is also the year that caused OchoCinco to whine, complain, and demand to be traded so that he can further pursue his career as a Diva.  The brightside?  A soft and pudgy 08 Ocho has apparently led to a determined turnaround in 09.... also led to the drafting of Keith Rivers.  Nice.

2008

Offense: 32nd

Defense: 12th

Important Draftees: Keith Rivers, Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell,

The Bright Side:  This is the year that seemingly everything fell apart.  But I want you to notice something about last season.  Teams we played last year: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, New York Giants, Tennessee, Dallas, and Indianapolis.  Not only is a list of teams we played, but its also a list of the top 1,2,3,4,5, 7, 8, and 11 defenses in the league.  That accounts for 10 of our games played last year.  Its no wonder our offense was ranked 32nd in the league with no Carson. 

Also, don't make the conclusion that our poor "O" made our D look better than it really was because teams got up huge and then slowed down the game.  Take a look at KC (O-24, D-31), Detroit (O-30 D-32), Oakland (O-29, D-27) Cleveland (O-31, D-26) St. Louis (O-27, D-28) and others. All of their offenses were bad last year, yet none of their defenses excelled by any standard.  May I also keep in mind we played the giants into OT, tied the eagles, beat the redskins with a beat up Carson Palmer.  Granted we looked pitiful at times against the likes of Houston, The Jets, Indy, and so on, but there were some bright spots even through all of that.  Cedric emerged as a reliable back, the D carried us to three wins at the end of the season.  Now this year, with a healthy Carson Palmer, and emergent back, a host of new defense aces added to last years cure (hopefully... ) I think we're looking again at a bright Bengals future.

2009

Offense: ? Where do you think the O will be at the end of next season

1-10, 11-20, or 21-32

Defense? Where do you tink the D will be at the end of next season

1-10, 11-20, or 21-32

Important Draftees/pickups:  Rey Mauluga, Bernard Scott, Andre Smith, Tank Johnson, A revived OchoCinco, Michael Johnson, & Roy Williams,

Bright Side:  My question for you guys is, whats your bright side?

Who Dey Baby!?