Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. The Late. The Lengthy. And the End.


Wow. I thought this year was different. This team was built to win in the playoffs, and despite Marvin and Dalton’s playoff track record, I thought this year would be different. I did not expect to be writing this article after this week.
 
The Good
BJGE – One of just two Bengals players that played well on Sunday was BJGE (8 carries for 42 yards; 5.3 YPC), which begs the question of why Gruden did not use him more…especially on 3rd and 1 on their second drive of the game.
 
Marvin Jones – When no one seemed willing to step up, the Bengals second year #2 receiver did. With 8 catches for 130 yards, Jones now has 11 catches for 164 yards and one 100+ yard receiving day in 2 playoff games… that is 2 less catches, 33 more yards and 1 more 100+ yard day than Green has in 3 playoff tries. Most notably was his 49 yard catch down the sideline on a nice throw by Dalton. Jones has turned into a very nice #2 receiver this year.
 
 
The Bad
This game was so bad that most things that went wrong were too terrible to just be considered “Bad” and ended up in the laundry list of “Ugly.”
 
The Invisible Playoff WR Named AJ Green – Maybe it’s the game plan. Maybe it’s Dalton. Maybe it’s what the defense did. But, no matter what, when you are an elite receiver like Green, you have to find a way to make an impact. Part of that is on the quarterback, a large part is the OC, but down 20-10, Dalton threw a great pass down the sidelines that Green should have caught and would have put the Bengals inside the 10 with a chance to make a late comeback. In 3 playoff games, Green now has 13 catches for 161 yards and 0 TDs. In 2 of those games, Green had less than 50 yards (47 and 34), and in none of those games did he have more than 80 yards. That is disappointing.
 
Jermaine Gresham  I know he had a TD catch and a few other good catches, but he continues to hurt the team more than he helps the team. Gresham had yet another holding penalty and he nearly cost the Bengals a scoring chance at the end of the half by using the football to brace his fall…who the hell uses the football to brace their fall? Honestly, have you ever seen a player do that? Does he not recall the game tying TD that was taken away from him 2 years ago in Baltimore? Everyone else does. These are the type of things Gresham does that would never cross the mind of a football player of normal intelligence. Unfortunately, Gresham does not fit the “football player of normal intelligence” mold. Unfortunately, Gresham has one more year on his contract, but the Bengals can’t resign Gresham after 2014. Doing so would simply be a waste of good money. With Eifert as their #1 tight end, they can go with Alex Smith, Orson Charles or hell, anyone not named Gresham. As long as the guy doesn’t fumble 3-5 times a year and rank in the top 5 in the NFL in penalties, it is an improvement. If the Bengals could trade Gresham in the offseason, I would do so…especially if they don’t intend to keep him after 2014. If any team in the NFL wants Gresham, I am offering to drive him to their stadium.
 
Zoltan Mesko – For the most part, the guy did ok, but in the first drive out of the half, the Bengals are forced to punt from their own 50 and Mesko puts it 50 yards into the endzone for a Net punt of 30 yards. As a guy that spends all day practicing the art of punting, how can you not punt the ball to land within the 20 yard line from the 50? That is 20 yards of leeway. From the 50, any punter should be able to put it high in the air and either force a fair catch or give his coverage team a chance to down the punt. It was as if it was a preview of what was to come. San Diego took the touch back and went 80 yards for a 14-10 lead and never looked back.
 
Jeff Triplette and His Crew – How the hell did this guy get a playoff game? On the Gresham sideline catch, Gresham got knocked out of bounds with about 15 seconds left and then the Bengals spiked the ball. After the review, the clocked should have either been stopped at 2 seconds (because of the spike) or about 10-12 seconds should have been placed back on the clock. It ended up not mattering, but just one more example of how bad Triplette is.  
 
The Ugly
“Bad” Andy the Quarterback – There are two Andy Daltons’ 1) “Good” Andy and “Bad” Andy and I said it in my What to Look For article before the game:
“[the Bengals] are ranked 25th in turnovers (30). 24 of those 30 turnovers (80%) have come via Andy Dalton (20 INTs, 4 Fumbles). The Bengals will sink and swim with Dalton and his ability to protect the ball. If the 20 interception Dalton shows up in the playoffs like he did the last 2 years (0 TDs, 4 INTs), the Bengals will have a quick stay in the playoffs again. If the 33 touchdown Dalton shows up, this could be your AFC Champion, and possibly, your Super Bowl Champion.”
Well, unfortunately for the Bengals, their fans and the city of Cincinnati, “Bad” Andy showed up for the 3rd year in a row (29-51, 56.8% comp, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 1 fumble lost, 14.2 QBR and 67.0 rating…and 2 botched snaps!). The Bengals can overcome “Bad” Andy against non-playoff teams. They cannot overcome him in the playoffs. While Dalton did get his first playoff TD in his career, does it matter? Dalton now has 1 TD to 7 turnovers (6 INTs and 1 fumble lost) in 3 playoff games. I don’t care how good your defense is, they cannot overcome those turnovers. Thanks to amazing stands by the defense, Dalton’s fumble and 1st interception lead only to 2 FGs (6pts). His 2nd INT did not lead to San Diego points, but likely cost the Bengals a FG or possibly a TD. By my simple math, his turnovers alone cost the Benglas 9-13 points in a game that was within 10 points for most of the day. If you count his failed 3rd and 1 pass to Bernard, that is another 3-7 points. I have supported Dalton a lot this year and you have to give him credit. He overtook a 2-14 team and has lead them to the playoffs in all 3 of his seasons. He has three 20+ TD seasons, a 4,000+ yard season and a 30-18 regular season. As amazing as it has been that he has lead the team to 3 straight playoff appearances, it is equally amazing how brutal he has played once in the playoffs (56.9% comp, 1 TD, 6 INTs 1 fumble lost, a 5.84 YPA and a 56.2 rating). A team cannot win with their quarterback playing that way. The sad part is, this Bengals team has the most talent on offense in the NFL - Green, Jones, Sanu, Hawkins, Bernard, BJGE, Eifert and Gresham – and a defense that is championship caliber. How much longer can they give Dalton? At this point, nothing he does in the regular season matters or answers any questions. The Bengals have a Super Bowl caliber team except at the quarterback position. I hate the term “Game Manager,” but if Dalton could just be a “Game Manager” and not hurt his team, this team could win a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Dalton has proven he cannot be a “Game Manager” nor can he be a “Game Changer” when the lights are brightest. Tom Jackson of ESPN said it best when he said at some point, people inside the locker room and inside the organization will start losing trust in the quarter back and start to doubt him and when that happens, that is tough (if not impossible) to overcome. Dalton has reached that level of distrust with the fans. I believe he may be getting there with his teammates.
 
“Bad” Andy the Leader – We all know it, quarterbacks get too much of praise when things go well and too much of the blame when things go bad. That being said, Andy Dalton is the leader of this team and good leaders take blame…especially when it was their own play and their own mistakes that lost the game. There were plenty of reasons why the Bengals lost that game and while Dalton didn’t have much help from his mates, the glaring reason for the Bengals going home early (yet again) were Dalton’s 3 turnovers. A good leader needs to own that. When the leader is one of the glaring reasons for a loss, as good leader says “I” didn’t play well, not we. Andy didn’t play well. In fact, he played terrible. He was the glaring reason for the loss. Yet he made a conscious effort, time and time again, to use the word “we” when talking about not playing well, “we” when talking about mistakes. There was no “we” on that fumble Andy. There was no “we” on either interception. Those were “you,” not we. The only thing worse than Andy’s play on Sunday was his avoidance of owning it.
 
Jay Gruden – According to reports, Jay Gruden is a candidate for at least 4 NFL head coaching jobs (Tennessee, Washington, Minnesota and Detroit) and considered a leading candidate for the Redskins job. I am not sure these teams have watched the film on the Bengals or not, but if they would like to hire him, I would thank him on his way out the door. While you have to give Gruden credit for taking Dalton as a rookie and getting him prepared to the point that Dalton led the Bengals to 3 straight playoff appearances, you also have to objectively look at how the offense has, or hasn’t, performed in the playoffs. Dalton is 0-3 with 1 TD, 7 turnovers and 2 botched snaps in the playoffs. AJ Green has never been a factor in any of the games – 13 receptions for 161 yards, 1 game over 50 yards (80), 0 100+ yard games, and exactly 0 TDs. How can Gruden, with the plethora of weapons the defense has to focus on, not find a way to get Green involved. Meanwhile, in Indy, where T Y Hilton is the only weapon they have and the only player the defense focuses on, the OC finds a way to get him 13 receptions, 224 yards an 2 TDs in one game…or as many receptions, 63 more yards and 2 more TDs that what Gruden has been able to get Green in 3 playoff games combined. In those 3 playoff games, Gruden’s offense has scored a total of 26 points (2 TDs and 4 FGs).  I hate to say it, but in his 2 playoff games, Bratkowksi generated 17 and 14 points respectively – or 2 more TDs than Gruden in 1 less game and with far less weapons. Gruden may be a great interview, but as an OC, Gruden is your classic “over thinker” and for the 3rd year in a row, Gruden called a head scratcher of a playoff game. My issues with Gruden on Sunday (in no particular order) were: 1) Green being targeted on just 5 of the Bengals 12 drives – how does that happen?; 2) BJGE getting 8 carries to Bernard’s 12 when BJGE was averaging 5.3 YPC to Bernard’s 3.8; 3) speaking of BJGE, I would love to hear Gruden’s explanation for not running on 3rd and 1 from the SD 45 and electing instead to go with a swing pass to Bernard – sure he was open and Dalton threw a terrible pass, but why make it harder than it needs to be? 4) down 20-10 with 5 minutes to play, the ball at the SD 41, the game still not out of reach and the Bengals facing 4th and 3, he goes with the lowest percentage play call, a deep ball to Jones? Incomplete. Game over. Drive safely.; 5) lack of urgency – in the 4th quarter and down 10, the Bengals seemed to have no urgency, still huddling, running the ball, not calling timeouts. I think everyone was screaming at their TV to “hurry up,” but not Gruden; 6) where was Eifert? Maybe he wasn’t healthy, but with him being dressed we have to assume he was, why did we not see him until the 4th quarter? 7) not getting Dalton comfortable early – Dalton’s day is dependent on how he starts. Get him comfortable early, he plays well. Don’t get him comfortable early and things oftentimes spiral out of control; 8) on Sunday, the Bengals punted 3 times inside SD territory and had 2 other drives end in downs in SD territory – if they simply get FGs out of just 3 of those drives, it is an entirely different game.  
 
Mike Zimmer – We all love Zimmer, but at times we give him a pass. Since joining the Bengals as DC in 2008, Zimmer has made the defensive calls in 4 playoffs games (2009, 2011-2013). All 4 years Zimmer had a top 10 defense. And though the offense has put the defense in bad positions, Zimmer’s defense: gave up 171, 188, 158 and 196 yards rushing; they have surrendered an average of 25.3 PPG; they lost to two rookie QBs (Mark Sanchez and TJ Yates) – neither of which still start; they gave up ratings of 139.4 (Sanchez), 97.7 (Yates), 83.4 (Schaub) and 118.8 (Rivers); they have given up 3 TD passes to just 1 INT (Schaub); have just 4 sacks (including 0 sacks twice); allowed 5 TD drives of 75+ yards (2 of 80+ on Sunday); forced just 1 turnover in 4 games; and have surrendered a lead in all 4 games (twice surrendered a halftime lead). Those numbers are every bit as bad as Gruden’s and Bratkowski’s offenses have been in the playoffs. If his name wasn’t Zimmer, we would be hammering him – and it is only fair that we do.
 
 
Defense – The offense put the defense in some terrible situations and the defense responded. But, it was as if they needed the adversity to perform. In 3 drives which started in Cincinnati territory (including one at the 3), the defense surrendered just 2 FGs and a punt. In the 5 drives that started at or inside the San Diego 20, the defense gave up 2 TDs (86 and 80 yards). While the defense kept the Bengals in the game late, they did not play to the level they played all year.
a)      Run Defense – How does a defense ranked 5th against the rush, giving up just 96.5 YPG in the regular season all the sudden get gashed for 196 yards and bring Ronnie Brown back to life? That was an embarrassing performance and would have to rank as reason #2 for why the Bengals lost.
 
b)      Tackling – For all but 2 games this year, the Bengals were a very sound tackling team. Make that 3 now. The defense was missing tackles as often as Dalton was missing receivers and neither is a winning formula.
 
c)       Rivers Completion Percentage – He only threw 16 passes for 128 yards, but he completed 75% of those passes (12) had 0 INTs, 1 TD and a 118.8 rating, 57.8 better than their PBS average opponent rating.
 
d)      0 Turnovers – Despite the offense donating the ball to San Diego 4 times, the game was still within reach and could have been turned with a turnover by the defense and they just couldn’t get it. For a defense that averaged nearly 2 takeaways a game, they got 0 in the most important game of the year.
 
Offensive Line – Like they did in San Diego, the Bengals line dominated the Chargers in the run game to the tune of 113 yards on 25 carries (4.5 YPC). Unfortunately, despite the game being within range until the 2:17 mark, Jay Gruden felt the need to run just 25 times to 51 passes (32.9%). On a cold day with questionable weather and a QB with a poor playoff track record, one of the most balanced offenses found the need to pass 67% of their plays – or 11% above their season average. Oh yeah, and they did so despite the pass blocking being terrible, allowing 3 sacks and 6 QB hits to a defense ranked 23rd in team sacks. We all know Dalton’s efficiency drops significantly when he is pressured and Sunday it proved to be true again.                                                                                                                                                          
 
Giovani Bernard – Bernard had a great year and adds a dynamic element to this offense that I love. But, as bad as Dalton played, I believe it was Bernard’s fumble just before the half that turned this game. If he goes down with ball in hand, the Bengals have 1st and goal from about the 2 with about 1:30 left on the clock. Chances are they punch it in and take a 14-7 lead into the half, the crowd behind them and coming out at half getting the ball with a chance to go up 21-7. Instead, the Chargers make a huge play, bring some doubt into the minds of the Bengals (and certainly the fans) and take some momentum and confidence into half. Despite rallying for an end of half FG, the Bengals never seemed to regain their composure after that and unraveled with 3 more turnovers in the 3rd quarter. Krumrie’s leg, Billups’ drop, Carson’s knee and Bernard’s fumble. Add this to the list of Bengals history of playoff “what ifs.”
 
Marvin Lewis – He has brought a stability and long term competitiveness that this franchise has never seen, but at 0-5 in the playoffs (1 loss shy of Jim Mora’s record for most playoff games coached without a win), can he take the Bengals the next step? I don’t think he can. He is 0-5 in the playoffs despite having a lead in every game (3 times having a lead at half). 0-5 in the playoffs despite 3 of the 5 being at home. He is 0-5 in the playoffs despite playing 2 rookie quarter backs (neither of which starts any more). He is 0-5 in the playoffs and has been outscored a total of 132-64. He is 0-5 in the playoffs and been outcoached/out prepared in all 5 games (twice by a coach fired this year – Kubiak). And he is 0-5 in the playoffs and has had only 1 game where the final margin was within 1 possession (2012 vs Houston – 19-13).
 
The 2013 Season – Most would see an 11-5 record and division championship as a good season. But this team’s goals were bigger. They said so themselves before and after the season. Marvin Lewis, to his credit, has raised the expectations of this team where making the playoffs is no longer the goal. This was a team that had Super Bowl aspirations, and they were legitimate aspirations. At the beginning of the year, if I were to tell you this team would not win a playoff game, you would tell me that would be a failure of a season. They didn’t. And it was.  
 
Trying to Sell Out Games in 2014 – Can you imagine being the Bengals ticket office next year? They had problems selling out a playoff game for a good team that had a lot of excitement behind it…only to smash the fans hopes yet again. This is a very fragile and frugal fan base to begin with, and now they are going to try and sell us the idea of purchasing tickets to watch a coach that is not only arrogant and smug, but is 0-5 in the playoffs along with a QB that is 0-3 in the playoffs and looks to freeze in the lights? Good luck. It is almost identical to the situation the Reds faced. The Reds fired the manager. Don’t expect the Bengals to do the same.

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