Final 2013 NFL Power Rankings

12 oz Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Record	Comment	Prev. Week
1	Denver Broncos	13-3	Their defense may suck, but the guy that sticks his hands under their center's butt has thrown for an NFL record 55 TDs, an NFL record 5,477 yards and led the offense to an NFL record 606 points.	1
2	Seattle Seahawks	13-3	13-3, but I am not completely sold on the Seahawks. They lost to the Cardinals in Seattle despite 4 INTS by Palmer and they are 2-2 in their last 4, averaging just 21.5 PPG.	3
3	Cincinnati Bengals	11-5	Call it a homer pick, but only 2 teams in the playoffs are in the top 10 in Offensive and Defensive PPG and YPG…the Bengals and the Saints. Def YPG: 3, Def PPG t-5, Off YPG: 10, Off PPG: 6.	5
4	Carolina Panthers	12-4	The Panthers are a tough one to get a grip on. They got the #2 seed in the NFC and have won 11 of their last 12, but in the last 2 weeks, they are a GW drive and a Matt Ryan pick 6 from missing the playoffs. Without Steve Smith, I don't think they are a SB contender.	2
5	New England Patriots	12-4	Speaking of #2 seeds that are not impressing me at the moment, in the last 7 weeks, the Patriots have lost to the Panthers and the Dolphins and struggled against the Texans, Browns and Bills and got down 24-0 to the Broncos. The Patriots are not a SB contender.	4
6	San Francisco 49ers	12-4	2-4 against playoff teams and 0-2 against playoff teams on the road. They beat GB in week 1 by 6, but September in SF is going to be a bit more friendly than January in GB.	6
7	Kansas City Chiefs	11-5	After a 9-0 start, the Chiefs have gone 2-5 since, 1-5 against playoff teams (beat Philly in week 3) and have seen their defense drop to 24 in YPG. I like them against the Colts, but not after that.	7
8	New Orleans Saints	11-5	Surprising, NO is the other team in the playoffs that is ranked in the top 10 in Offensive and Defensive PPG and YPG. Def YPG: 4, Def PPG 4, Off YPG: 4, Off PPG: 10. However, on the road they are not the same team.	8
9	Indianapolis Colts	11-5	After 6 weeks of sleep walking, the Colst have seemingly woke up the last 3 weeks. I legit contender to advance in the Wild Card weekend, but I can't see the Colts going past that.	10
10	Philadelphia Eagles	10-6	The Eagles offense can win any game. I just don't see their defense being able to keep them afloat in the playoffs. The defense will be tested by NO.	11
11	Green Bay Packers	8-7-1	The record is deceiving. With Rodgers, this is an 11-12 win team and getting the 49ers in GB in January is a lot different than the picture perfect weather they saw in their week 1 6 point defeat in SF.	17
12	Arizona Cardinals	10-6	Likely a top 10 team and clearly the best team to not make the playoffs, but fell victim to playing in the tough NFC West. If the playoffs allowed the 12 best teams, the Cardinals would be in.	9
13	San Diego Chargers	9-7	They finished the season on a 4 game win streak, but it took a 14 pt comeback, a missed FG, a missed penalty on said FG, a fake punt and a TD taken back just for SD to beat the Chiefs backups.	12
14	Pittsburgh Steelers	8-8	Of all the potential 6 seeds, the Steelers were playing the best football at the end of the year and likely would have been in the playoffs had KC played their starters. But, you can't start 0-4 and expect to make the playoffs.	14
15	Baltimore Ravens	8-8	The Ravens were overrated from the get go in 2013 and did not deserve to make the playoffs. Take a look at their games and they were an eyelash from being 4-12.	15
16	Chicago Bears	8-8	I bet management would like Lovie Smith's ugly 10-6 this year. I believe the franchise would be better off to part ways with Cutler. If they could find a sign and trade partner, that would be ideal.	16
17	Miami Dolphins	8-8	At 8-6, facing the Bills on the road and the Jets at home, needing just 1 win…and they came away 0-2 with one shutout and 7 total points scored. This was never a playoff team.	13
18	New York Jets	8-8	Give Rex Ryan credit, like many, I had the Jets pegged for 2-3 wins in 2013. 8-8 is nearly a miracle worked by Rex. It also was bad for the organization in the long run - with Sanchez and Smith, this organization is still years (and a QB) from being a contender.	20
19	Saint Louis Rams	7-9	I would consider the Rams a pleasant surprise in 2013, however, with Bradford coming back from an ACL tear and the #2 and #13 pick, what do the Rams do at QB?	19
20	Tennessee Titans	7-9	I believe 7-9 was a pretty good year for Titans, but I doubt the Titans management agrees.	21
21	New York Giants	7-9	Over their last 10 games, the Giants were 7-3 - same as the Den, Phi, NE and Cin. By week 17, the Giants were likely the best team in the NFC East.	23
22	Dallas Cowboys	8-8	A yearly underachieving team. In 1996, the Cowboys went 10-6, won a playoff game and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. In the 17 years since, they are 136-136 with 6 trips to the playoffs and 1 playoff win. Now wonder why they get so much prime time coverage.	18
23	Buffalo Bills	6-10	6-10 with EJ Manuel and Thad Lewis is way better than I thought the Bills would do.	22
24	Minnesota Vikings	5-10-1	The Vikings were much better in the 2nd half. In the last 8 games, the Vikings were 4-3-1. The question now is who is their QB?	25
25	Detroit Lions	7-9	Like I said all year, never trust anything coached by Jim Schwartz (29-51). After starting 6-3, the finished 1-7. That is bad for any team. For a team with CJ, Stafford, Bush, Suh and Fairley, that is unacceptable…though Schwartz wouldn't deem the season a failure.	24
26	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-12	The Bucs were one of the most competitive 4-12 teams I can recall. I certainly can't recall a team that started 0-8, then went 4-1 only to finish 0-3.	26
27	Atlanta Falcons	4-12	Injuries were not unique to the Falcons. Crumbling under the injuries was. This was a miserable season for the Falcons and in 2014, their defense is still going to be bad, Gonzalez is still going to be retired, and Steven Jackson is still going to be old. Unless Julio Jones can play TE, RB, WR and defense the Falcons are still in trouble when he returns.	28
28	Jacksonville Jaguars	4-12	The Jaguars competed all year long for their coach and that is a good thing. Unfortunately, when that is all you can say about a team, that is a bad thing.	27
29	Cleveland Browns	4-12	The Browns are bad, their QB situation is a mess and their management is dillusional. In the 14 years since coming back in 1999, the Browns have had 7 different coaches and 20 different starting QBs. 2014 will bring the 8th coach and likely the 21st staring QB.	30
30	Oakland Raiders	4-12	Speaking of organizations and QB situations that are a mess, the Raiders fit that bill as well. Should the Raiders fire Allen, they will be working on their 8th coach in the last 11 seasons. Oh yeah, and their QBs are Scott McGloin and Terrelle Prior	29
31	Washington Redskins	3-13	Yet another disfunctional franchise - see a trend here at the bottom? RG3 and Shanahan were never a good chemistry mix, but now the Redskins have a 3-13 team with no 1st round pick. If that doesn't discourage a good coaching candidate, Snyder sure does.	31
32	Houston Texans	2-14	Can you ever remember a popular Super Bowl pick going 2-14? The Texans ended the year on a 14 game losing streak and if not for 2 improbable wins to start the season, they would have been 0-16. However, this is likely the best open coaching opportunity.	32

Bengals vs Ravens: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

The Good

A Win – Even in blow outs, the Bengals are a team that rarely offers a pretty win. Sunday was no different. At times, the play was down right ugly, but beating the Ravens by 17 points and knocking them out of the playoffs is a drink I like served warm, cold or anything in between. Drink it in Bengals fans!

 

The “Good” Dalton – He may never have been clinically diagnosed with a split personality, Dalton has one. The “Good” Dalton set the franchise record for touchdown passes (33) and passing yards (4,296). The “Good” Dalton is 3^rd in the NFL with 33 TDs, has improved in wins every year and has made the playoffs every year in the league. The “Good” Dalton had nice TD passes to Green and Jones and some nice runs (including a TD of his own). And, I am a firm believer that the “Good” Dalton can lead this team to the Super Bowl…as long as the “Good” Dalton is the one that comes to play in January.

 

Offensive Line – In a 2 game span back in October/November (Miami and Baltimore), Dalton was sacked 10 times, threw just 2 TDs to 6 INTs and the Bengals went 0-2. In the 6 games since, the Bengals line has allowed a total of just 3 sacks and held the opponent to 0 sacks in 4 of those 6 games. Not surprising, the Bengals are 5-1 in those games and Dalton has a 15/9 TD/INT ratio.  In their first matchup, Dalton was sacked 5 times and hit a total of 13 times. Sunday, Bengals line, even while switching out lineman, surrendered 0 sacks and exactly 0 QB hits.

a)      Versatility – Is there a deeper and more versatile O-Line in the NFL? On Sunday, the Bengals: lost their starting center on the second series of the game; lost their LT around halftime; brought in their backup RG to play LG and moved their LG to LT…and still they managed to give up 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, and run for their most yards (111) and best YPC average (3.7) since their 155 yard and 4.4 YPC game against the Colts.

 

b)      Trevor Robinson – I never understood why Cook got the starting center job back over Robinson last year. The line seemed to play better with Robinson in there. After back-to-back games of struggling to run the ball against poor run defenses (Pittsburgh and Minnesota), Cook exits with a foot injury, Robinson steps in and the Bengals run for 111 yards against the 9^th rank run defense. Coincidence? I think not.

 

Defense – This defense is good. On Sunday, thanks to interceptions and laughable punts, the Ravens had great field position all game long. The Ravens average drive started at the Baltimore 35. Their 4 scoring drives had an average start at the Bengals 43 and covered a total of just 133 yards – meaning their average scoring drive covered just 33 yards. The Ravens started 4 drives in Cincinnati territory and in those drive, the Bengals surrendered just 2 FGs, 1 TD and 1 INT. 3 of the Ravens scoring drives were compliments of a Dalton INT and the last was compliments of a 10 yard punt. The Ravens had only 2 drives longer than 40 yards (61 and 71) – also there only 2 drives of more than 7 plays (12 and 13) - and those drives resulted in a FG and a turnover on downs. On the day, the Bengals gave up just 222 yards on 14 drives (15.9 yards per drive). That makes 3 straight games that the defense has held the opponent to under 300 total yards (209-Min, 279-Pitt)…and to think, this has all been done without their 2 starting CBs and without the best DT in the NFL.

a)      Dre Kirkpatrick – Last week I said he was becoming awfully close to being labeled a “bust,’ and while he had a few bad plays Sunday, he also had some big ones. 9 tackles, 3 passes defensed, 2 INTs and the game sealing pick 6. He could still be a bust, but he played very well in a big game on Sunday.

 

b)      Chris Crocker – After the 2011 playoff loss, I never wanted to see Chris Crocker again. But, where would the Bengals be the last two years without Crocker’s contributions? Crocker’s versatility and veteran savviness has allowed this defense to absorb the losses of Mays, Hall and Newman and still play at such a high level. Against the Ravens, Crocker added another sack and another INT to a solid (even if abbreviated) 2013 campaign.

 

Marvin Jones – Jones had some big and tough catches on Sunday and none bigger or tougher than the diving one-handed touchdown catch he had to put the Bengals up 17-6. In my predictions, I said the Ravens were going to have a tough time covering the Bengals secondary passing options. On Sunday, 8 guys not named Green caught 17 balls for 221 yards and 1 TD – most notably the 5 for 61 and 1 TD contributed by Jones.

 

BJGE – For the most part, BJGE has had a 2013 to forget, but on Sunday, he was solid. 11 carries for 66 yards (6.0 YPC) against a tough Ravens defense, including a tough 11 yard run that saw BJGE carry Ravens defenders to the 1 yard line. He should have been rewarded with an opportunity to finish the drive with a 1 yard TD run (but apparently Gruden and Dalton thought otherwise).

 

Hawkins and Bernard in Space – It is amazing what these two can bring to the offense and even though Hawkins isn’t a huge part of the offense, his ability to take short throws and turn them into big games (like Bernard) brings a whole other level to the offense and makes this offense so hard to cover. Hawkins - the Bengals #4 receiver - led the Bengals with 74 receiving yards on 3 catches, all of which were short throws that Hawkins turned into gains of 22, 14 and 38. And, what seems like a weekly occurrence, Bernard took another short pass for a big gain (27 yards) on Sunday to set up what would turn out to be the game winning touchdown.

 

QB Pressure – The Bengals only had 2 sacks, but they had 7 QB hits and Flacco never looked comfortable in the pocket – to the tune of 1 TD, 3 INTs and a 13.2 QBR.

 

Ability to Over Come Adversity – 6 minutes into the game the Bengals had already thrown 2 interceptions, but the defense held the Ravens to just 2 FGs and the offense, specifically Dalton, never looked shaken. They came right back with 17 unanswered points and never seemed to lose confidence. You would likely have to go back to 1988 to find a Bengals team mentally tough enough to overcome 4 interceptions and a 10 yard punt and still win by 17.  

 

Play-Calling…at Times – At times on Sunday, I thought Gruden did a really good job with play calls. He utilized all of his weapons in the passing game - 8 players caught passes, his #4 receiver (Hawkins) was the leading receiver and he even found ways to get contributions from guys like Sanzenbacher and Charles. Even BJGE was running effectively. Unfortunately he also got a bit too cute at times as well.

 

A Matchup with the Chargers – The Chargers are certainly no pushovers, but, the Steelers were clearly the most dangerous possible 6 seed going into week 17. The Chargers have an experienced QB, some good offensive weapons and have won 4 in a row after their week 13 loss to the Bengals, but they are not playing as well as the Steelers were. Plus, the Chargers are a warm weather opponent that has to come 3 time zones over to play in cold weather. I’ll take that.  

 

The Jungle – 66 years ago Paul Brown brought pro football to Cincinnati. Prior to 2013, only once had the Bengals gone 8-0 at home. Sunday, they made it a twice. The last time the Bengals went 8-0 at home? 1988. The last time the Bengals went to the Super Bowl. The Jungle is back and the Bengals have at least one more game in the Jungle.

 

 

The Bad

Slow Start – The Bengals (especially Dalton) have a tendency to come out slow and sloppy. If they want to finally win a game in the playoffs, they can come out of the gate the way they have 2 of their last 3 games. Good teams won’t fail to capitalize on 2 early interceptions like the Ravens did.  

 

Ball Security of Jermaine Gresham and Tight Ends Who Play in Place of Jermaine Gresham – Even when Gresham doesn’t start, the guy that takes his place at tight end apparently feels the need to put the ball on the carpet just like Jermaine. Eifert and Charles have combined for 40 catches and 0 fumbles. Gresham and Smith now have 50 catches and 4 fumbles.

 

Bernard Running  – I love Bernard and what he brings in the passing and running game, but he has been struggling running the ball the past few games. On Sunday, Bernard had just 22 yards on 13 carries (1.7 YPC). In week 14, Bernard had 99 yards on 12 carries (8.3 YPC). In the 3 games since, he has just 75 yards on 39 carries (1.9 YPC). The Bengals could really benefit from Bernard giving them more in the run game.

 

AJ Green Breaking up Interceptions – 3 of Dalton’s 4 interceptions on Sunday were on passes to Green. That makes 12 on the year, more than any other QB-WR duo. I may be nit picking here, but Green has to give a better effort on breaking up interceptions. The INT thrown by Dalton in the end zone was a poor pass and even poorer decision by Dalton, but with a little effort, Green knocks that ball down and the Bengals run a 2^nd and 1 play. I am not excusing Dalton’s bad throws to AJ (he has plenty), but when AJ has to give the same effort to break up an INT as he does to catch a pass.  

 

Injuries – While it looks like the only significant injury the Bengals suffered was the dislocated wrist of Alex Smith, you don’t like to see 3 of your starting offensive lineman leaving the game with foot/ankle injuries. Hopefully the injuries to Whitworth and Collins (and maybe Cook?) are minor.  

 

 

The Ugly

The “Bad” Dalton – As I said before, Dalton may never have been clinically diagnosed with a split personality, but I am convinced he has one (at least on the football field). I laid out the “Good” Dalton above. The “Bad” Dalton is the guy that threw 4 INTs to the Ravens and 20 interceptions on the year. If Dalton has a game like Sunday in the playoffs, that will likely be the last playoff game the Bengals will partake in this year. Every INT that Dalton throws in the playoffs decreases the Bengals chances of winning exponentially. They can likely overcome 1 INT. They may be able to overcome 2 INTs. They are not likely to overcome 4 INTS against a playoff team. Dalton has to start coming out faster and more accurate than he has at times this year and 20 interceptions cannot be acceptable for a QB.

 

Shawn Powell – Powell had 3 punts on Sunday. 2 of those 3 averaged 49.0 yards, landed inside the 20 and 1 was downed at the 1. That is good. The problem is that the other punt traveled 10 yards and gave the Ravens the ball at the Bengals 40 yard line and set up the game tying touchdown. Until Sunday, I had managed to make it 32 years without seeing a punt land in the stands on the side of an NFL stadium. I can no longer say that…and that is not a good thing. Sunday showed how important a punter like Huber can be.

 

Situational Play-Calling – 2 play calls on Sunday really irked me and both had an opportunity to cost the Bengals the game. 1) With 8:30 left in the game and the Bengals up 27-17, the Bengals had a chance to end the game with a 1^st and goal at the Ravens .5 yard line and Dalton gets picked on a back shoulder pass attempt to Green. BJGE just had his most impressive run of the year, an 11 yard bruising run carrying Ravens defenders to the half yard line, you reward him with the TD. I don’t care that Gruden says they had a run/pass call where Dalton could choose, when you have 1^st and goal inside the 1, with a 10 point lead in the 4^th quarter, you run the ball 3 times. No passes. No run/pass option. Worst case scenario, you get stopped 3 times, run 2 minutes off the clock and kick a field goal to go up 13. Even if the ball wasn’t picked, it would have stopped the clock – something the Bengals didn’t want to have happen. 2) Again, still up 27-17 and this time at their own 45 with 4:30 to play and facing a 3^rd and 1, the Bengals had a chance to essentially ice the game with a first down. A first down would force Baltimore to use their last 2 timeouts and the Bengals could then take the clock down to at least the 2 minute warning before giving the ball back to Baltimore. With less than 2 to play and no timeouts, the game would have been all but over. So Gruden calls for a run up the middle right? Nope! He surprises the Ravens with a stretch run…and the Ravens surprise Gruden by stopping said run for -3 yards, calling a timeout and getting the ball back, down 10 with more than 4:00 to play. Kirkpatrick sealed the game with a pick 6 on the next play, but that does not let Gruden off the hook for a stupid play call – both in design and in situation.

 

Penalties – Recipes for losing in the playoffs include turnovers and penalties. On Sunday, the Bengals had 4 of the former and 10 of the latter for 76 yards. They were able to overcome the 10 penalties for 76 yards against the Ravens. They can’t overcome that sort of discipline lapse in Foxboro or Mile High.  

 

 

Week 16: Bengals vs Vikings - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

For the first time in franchise history, the Bengals are going to the playoffs 3 straight years, and this year, they sealed it with some authority – albeit against a very bad Minnesota team.

 

With a 42-14 whooping in the Jungle, here’s the Week 16 Good, Bad and Mostly Ugly…

 

The Good

Andy Dalton – Where is this Dalton more consistently? 27/38, 71.1% completion, 366 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 92.0 QBR and a 136.5 rating. This is the Dalton that I love and believe can lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl. If this Dalton shows up in the playoffs, the Bengals have a chance against anyone. When Dalton has time (like he did Sunday), he looks like a completely different quarter back. For all the hell Dalton has received this year (some of it valid), think about this: with 117 yards and 2 TDs next week, Dalton would set the franchise record for single season yards and TD passes.

 

Pass Protection – All quarter backs are better when they have a clean pocket. Few quarter backs seem to have the drop off that Dalton does when the pocket collapses. In the last 5 games, the Bengals line has allowed just 3 sacks and held the opponent to 0 sacks 3 times in the last 5. While Minnesota got 2 on Sunday, they were harmless sacks. If the line can keep Dalton clean, Dalton can win some big games over these next few weeks.

 

Defense – The defense did not play bad in Pittsburgh, but they never made a play either. They made lots of plays on Sunday, starting with the first series of the game when the Bengals had a strip sack of Cassel and returned it inside the 5. With 3 interceptions, 1 fumble, 4 sacks, 6 QB hits, 10 passes defensed and only 209 yards surrendered, the Bengals defense may have had their best game of the year. The Vikings ran 48 plays on Sunday. Two of those plays covered 71 yards (both TDs). The other 46 yards covered just 138 yards (3.0 yards per play).

 

Vinny Rey – Why does he not start? Every time the guy plays, he produces. In limited playing time, Rey had 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed  and 1 INT…which he returned for a TD.

 

Reggie Nelson – Nelson seemed to be everywhere on Sunday. His stats don’t accurately portray the impact he had on that game (5 tackles, 1 pass defensed) – Nelson helped getting pressure on Cassel and had a huge (and clean) hit on Simpson on the sideline.

 

Turnovers – Going into Sunday, the Bengals only had 1 turnover in their last 2 games – and that was a toss-up by Roethlisberger last week that was intercepted at their own 1 yard line and proved useless. On Sunday, the Bengals got the ball out early and often. The short fields the defense can create make this offense all the more dangerous.

 

QB Pressure – Cassel may not be a playoff caliber quarter back, but all quarter backs become very beatable when you get pressure on them. The Bengals had 4 sacks, 6 QB hits, 1 strip and forced 3 interceptions out of Cassel. The pressure was a welcomed sight after struggling the last few weeks to get pressure on the QB.

 

Team Preparation – I pounded Marvin for how the team came out last week and looked unprepared and unmotivated. That means I have to give him credit for the way they came out on Sunday. This Sunday, suffice it to say the Bengals looked ready from the time the coin hit the field turf. Forcing a turnover and a 3 and out in their first two defensive series and scoring a TD on their first offensive drive. A fast start sets the tone for the game and can bury a team before the game really starts. The Bengals saw this last week in Pittsburgh and they returned the favor this week to the Vikings.

 

Play-Calling (Offense and Defense) – Rarely does Zimmer call back-to-back bad (or less than stellar) games. After a questionable week in Pittsburgh, Zimmer came back strong against the Vikings. Even Gruden came out pretty good. If not for Gresham’s hands and inability to play within the rules of the game, the Bengals may not have been stopped on Sunday.

 

Brandon Tate – His one kick return was not pretty, but he had 2 punt returns for 27 yards (13.5 avg) and helped keep the offense rolling with his good punt returns.

 

Shawn Powell – 4 punts for 160 yards (40.0) is not great, but it also isn’t terrible, especially for a guy that has spent the last 2 months sitting on his couch watching football rather than playing it. The one long return the punt team gave up was a result of poor tackling (again) and not the result of a poor punt. Plus, Powell made it through the game without getting nearly decapitate…that is an improvement from last week.

 

Management – Rarely will you see praise heaped upon the Bengals front office, but they deserve it. That doesn’t mean we have to forget the 15 years from 1990-2004, but let’s recognize the changes they have made and the results they are getting. There are 5 teams in the NFL that have a current streak going of 3+ years in the playoffs – Ravens, Patriots, Packers, Broncos and your Cincinnati Bengals. If Baltimore and Green Bay fall short this week, the Bengals will be 1 of 3 teams with 3 straight years in the playoffs. I know, they are the only team on that list that has not won a game in the playoffs, but that isn’t my point. My point is, this management team has changed their philosophy. They have become one of the best drafting teams in the NFL, they work the cap wisely, and as a result, they have built a really good team with young talent and they haven’t compromised their future in doing so. Not many teams can say that. How do you feel about the Bengals 5 year outlook compared to teams like Denver, New England, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, etc? I feel pretty good. So, while I don’t do it often, here is my praise to the Brown family and their turning of a new leaf.

 

 

The Bad

Unlike last week, the “Bad” and the “Ugly” was very limited. I guess that is to be expected in 42-14 victories.

Dre Kirkpatrick – I have to keep reminding myself he is basically a rookie with just a few games under his belt, but he is starting to feel like a bust. There is a transition to the NFL speed and schemes, etc, but covering and tackling is the same at all levels and right now, Kirkpatrick looks bad at both. On Sunday he was abused on a double move by the lethal combo of Jarius Wright and Matt Cassel, and later in the game, he was beaten badly by the Pro Bowler Jerome Simpson – if not for a poor throw by Cassel, that would have been the second deep TD of the game given up by Dre. Regardless, he should have been called for PI because he assaulted Simpson before the ball got there. I will give him a bit more time, but Newman can’t get back soon enough.

 

Explosive Plays – While the defense played well as a whole, I didn’t like seeing them give up two touchdowns of 30+ yards (36 and 35). If not for the back of the endzone, Wright and Patterson may still be running. The Bengals have been great at limiting big plays this year, but 2 by the Vikings is concerning because against good teams, an entire game of good defense can be wiped out by 1 explosive play like that. Concerning when entering the playoffs.

 

The Run Game – I predicted we would see our first 100 yard rusher yesterday against the Vikings 20^th ranked run defense…I couldn’t have been more wrong. BJGE combined for 25 carries and just 44 yards (1.76 ypc). That is brutal against a good run team, let alone a bad one. After all my excitement about the improvement in the Bengals run game with Whitworth at guard, the last two games have brought me back down to earth. I believe the issue with the run game is more a product of the play calls than the line and the running backs. I don’t think Gruden calls solid run plays.

 

Injuries – How many more injuries can this team withstand? They are already without their best defensive lineman for the year (Atkins), their best DB for the year (Hall), their other starting DB is out with a knee injury (Newman), Harrison is still out with a concussion, and now on Sunday, they lose Burfict and Eifert for the rest of the game with injuries. This is a deep team (further proof of the job management has done), but at some point, a team cannot take any more injuries without a significant drop in play. The Bengals, I feel, are getting dangerously close to that point.

 

 

The Ugly

Jermaine Gresham – The Bengals continue to use Gresham, they need to have a “Gresham Rule”: if he catches the ball, he must give himself up prior to contact or get out of bounds. If he fails to do either, he is removed from the game. If he gets a penalty, he is also removed from the game. I have never, in my life, seen a guy so careless with the ball. Most of that is on Gresham for not being smart enough to secure the ball and part of that is on coaching for not addressing the issue. Gresham now has 3 lost fumbles on 49 catches…or 1 every 16 catches. However, 4 of those catches are for touchdowns and likely 15+ have seen Gresham run out of bounds, meaning Gresham probably fumbles once for every 10 touches (and this doesn’t count his near fumbles/those overturned for being down). Yes, he caught a TD pass Sunday, but it does it really matter? His fumble likely cost the Bengals at least a FG and directly lead to the Vikings game tying TD which let the Vikings back into the game (at least for a moment). If the fumble wasn’t bad enough, he added 2 more penalties to his resume. That gives him 9 penalties on the year (plus 1 that was declined), 4 pre snap penalties and an average of 5 penalty yards per game. Only 6 players in the NFL have more penalties that Jermaine Gresham. Can his free agency start effective today please?

 

Kick and Punt Coverage – The coverage itself wasn’t terrible, but the tackling was. Sherels’ 22 yard punt return was solely the result of missed tackles and Patterson had a field day running through arm tackles. Not a comforting sight the week after the special teams disaster in Pittsburgh. P.S. Can someone teach Nugent to kick the ball out of the endzone or hire a kicker that can?

 

Lack of FB – Orson Charles finally played Sunday. Not at fullback of course, but on special teams. The only reason I know that is not because he made a good play, rather because he got a penalty. Probably the first time he has had an announcer call his name all year. Probably was the highlight of his illustrious career so far – not saying much for a guy who is a professional football player that spends more Sundays keeping Hue Jackson’s car temperature at 71 degrees exactly than he does running plays – not too hot, not too cold Orson.  As the temperature dips, he becomes more and more irreplaceable…to Hue at least.

 

The Announcers – Could Dick Stockton and Ronde Barbe have seemed any less interested? On the opening drive of the game, when the Bengals sacked Cassel, stripped the ball and ran it back to the 4 yard line, I thought the play had been called dead because of the lack of enthusiasm from Stockton. It was like he was announcing two 4-10 teams…or a funeral. Apparently Dick Stockton has one tone of voice…really $%@ing boring! FOX must not care how they spend their money, because for the money they pay Stockton and Barber, you would think they could find two guys more interested in the game.