Bengals Chiefs Wrap Up

Where was this team all year? The team we have seen the last two weeks would have beaten (at minimum) Cleveland, Miami, and Pittsburgh. They would be 8-2 overall, 3-1 in the division, have a playoff spot all but clinched, and be battling for the division title and possible bye. However, that team has not shown up every week, so they are where they are (currently the 7^th seed), but playing well and looking like they have life and playoff aspirations yet again. At 5-5, Bengals fans should feel optimistic. 9-7 should get you into the AFC playoffs, 10-6 will for sure. The Bengals are playing about as well and complete as any team in the NFL right now and have: 3 games left on their schedule which they should win (Oak, SD, Phi), 1 winnable game (Dal), and then games against Pittsburgh and home against Baltimore. Pittsburgh and Indy are 1 game ahead of the Bengals for the 5^th and 6^th playoff seeds and Indy just gave up 59 points and Pittsburgh is down to their 3^rd string QB … and don’t forget, the Bengals play the Ravens the last week of the season in Cincy – the Ravens may not have anything to play for at that point. Winning 4 or 5 of the last 6, with this schedule and the way this team is playing, is definitely doable.

What I Did Like

Playing the Chiefs

The Chiefs are a brutal football team. Worse than I thought going into the game. At times, it was comical. Jamaal Charles, Derrick Johnson, and Tambi Hali are studs. The rest of this team is rough…and not in a good way.

Matt Cassel/Brady Quinn

Wow. That’s pretty much all I can say about that.

AJ Green

It gets to the point where you begin to expect the amazing from him. His one-handed TD catch around the defender and toe tap was one of the best catches I have ever seen. The scary part (for opponents) is that Green made it look effortless. Green is on pace for 102 catches, 1,458 yards, and 16 TDs and now has 9 straight games with a TD, longest stretch since Jerry Rice (’87)

Jermaine Gresham

The last few weeks, Gresham has started to convert potential into production. As he does so, the Bengals look like a much more formidable opponent. For this offense to be dangerous, Gresham needs to be effective, not dominant. 6 catches for 69 yards is very effective and his near TD (carrying 3-4 players into the end zone) showed what kind of beast Gresham can be. Maybe Marvin needs to piss him off before each game off like Eric Berry did.

0 Turnovers

It is cliché. It is easier said than done. It is true. When you turn the ball over, it is difficult to win. When you don’t turn the ball over, you win more than you lose. Two games in a row with 0 INTs by Dalton = 18 point and 22 point victories.

Aggressive Playcalling

I pound Marvin when he plays conservatively. Sunday was very unMarvin-like and the team seemed to respond well. The fake punt was perfectly executed and set the tone early, as did going for it on 4^th and 7. Both were ballsy calls. Both were very unlike Marvin. Both were huge and set the tone. And, the 4^th and goal naked bootleg call was brilliant and executed to perfection by Dalton.

Cedric Peerman

I would like to see him get the ball more. 21 carries for 179 yards on the season. Sure, 80 of his yards come from 2 faked punts, but, take those away and he is 19 for 119, still very good. On top of his numbers, I just like his effort, whether it be on a run, on special teams, a fake punt, etc, the guy just seems to ‘want it.’

Andy Dalton

Last two games 0 INTs. Both wins. That is not a coincidence. Along with the 0 picks, Dalton is 39-59 (66%), 429 yards, and 6 TDs over the last 2 games. Those are numbers that will win (or at least not lose) many games.

DL

This D-Line is a good group and the strength of this team. The rotation helps by keeping guys fresh, but don’t be fooled, Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins, and Domato Peko by themselves would be a top 5 line. Atkins, the leader, had another sack, a batted ball, and another tackle for a loss. Most at ESPN and the other networks couldn’t tell you who he is, but he is likely the best DT in the game (8 sacks in 10 games).

BJGE

BJGE has been a disappointing signing this year. On Sunday, he was not disappointing. Sunday was his first 100 yard game as a Bengal. More importantly, he seemed to be running and hard and confident for the first time since the Washington game (his first fumble). When the Bengals can run the ball, it makes the air attack much more dangerous.

Linebackers

Surprised? So am I. For the second game in a row, the LBs seemed to play much better. While some of that can be attributable to playing the Chiefs, not all of it is. Rey (according to reports) has lost 20 pounds over the past few weeks. While I cannot confirm, nor deny that, he does appear to be moving better and missing less tackles. What I do know, is that the 265 lbs he was reportedly playing at is way to heavy for an effective MLB. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, please push away from the table Rey!

Mohammed Sanu

Maybe the Bengals have found their #2. While his stats were nothing spectacular (2 catches for 22 yards), he seems to get open and have good hands, and for the second game in a row, he had a TD. Then there is his ability to throw 70+ yard TD passes, so he does have that going on as well.

Tate Catch

While I still do not believe Brandon Tate provides any real value to this team, he did have one hell of a catch Sunday. 

4^th Down Conversions

Maybe the Bengals can just skip 3^rd downs and go straight to 4^th downs. They are now 11-14 on 4^th down conversions for the season, compared to their assuredly poor 3^rd down conversion stats (4-13 on Sunday).

What I Did Not Like

Not much to complain about in this game, but there are always areas for improvement.

3^rd Down Conversions

Continue to be a problem. On Sunday the Bengals were 4-13 on 3^rd down conversions. If they want to beat good teams, this needs to improve.

Consistency

Again, where was this team a few weeks ago? How does the team we saw the last 2 weeks lose to Cleveland and at home to Miami? The Bengals have 4 very winnable games left, but their penchant for laying the proverbial egg concerns me.

Penalties

9 penalties on Sunday. That is too many. You don’t beat many good teams with 9 penalties.

Long Ball

While Dalton and Green have hooked up on a bunch this year, think of how many they have missed? Green is consistently open deep, and if Dalton can improve his accuracy on these deep balls, watch out.

All-in-all, a very good all around game and not much to complain about. This week the Bengals get a weak Oakland team and the opportunity to go against Carson Palmer. If the Bengals defense is available in your fantasy league, do what Loyd and Harry would do:“Pick ‘em up!”