Is it a bump in the road or did the axle fall the eff off?

[The PatternMaster]

Yesterday was pretty bad, although you have to admire the teams heart for not giving up, it should really never have gotten that bad for a team with championship ambitions.

My question to you is do you think we can recover and still play good football for the remaining 14 games on the schedule?

I think so, the rookie got baptized in the fire that was Braylon Edwards. Our lb's were non-existant vs. the run leaving D Jackson one on one vs. a 250 lb coming down hill with anger in his belly, keep in mind Jackson suffer a concussion in week 3 of the playoffs. The secondary is still giving up big plays but the front seven isn't giving them alot of help.

Everyone is blaming the coaches and they share a lion share of the blame but the players were the ones who didn't execute the scheme, which couldn't have changed that much from last week. The players must play better on a consistant basis or this team will be mediocore at best.

[membengal]

Problem with yesterday, pattern, is that I just don't think teams with true playoff hopes have defensive days like yesterday.

[agreen_112]

Not this year. We'll win some big games, but this team won't go far into the playoffs. New England's the team to beat this year, they won't be stopped.

[mgilgris]

You can only hide a bad defensive scheme for so long. Apparently we hid it for one game. Our offense is good, but our defense is worse than our offense can make up.

[COB]

In the last five regular season games, this team is 1-4. The losses were all pretty similar. Lack of defense, then with an opportunity to pull a win out of their backsides, the vaunted offense fails to produce the needed score at the end of the game. Also, special teams have been horrible in all the losses. The kicking game, the coverage, it's all been bad. Having said that, the Patriots are still going down in two weeks. They'll pull it together. Who Dey!!

[oldschooler]

I think it was a bump on the road to Phoenix.

Sure the Defense was embarrassing yesterday.

But other than the players drafted in 2004 (Madieu, Ratliff, Caleb Miller, Landon

Johnson and Geathers) there is only 1 player that was on the 2004 Defense,

Justin Smith. We were without 3 of our top draft picks in 2005 and 2006 (Pollack

Odell and Jonathan Joseph) yesterday. We were also without our starting

MLB yesterday (Ahmad Brooks).

The draft picks for the Offense have been to enhance the Pro Bowl

caliber players that were already in place.

The draft picks for the Defense was to rebuild.

You don`t lose high round draft picks that you were counting on to help

you rebuild, and not feel it.

Yesterday, we felt it.

[HoosierCat]

In the last five regular season games, this team is 1-4. The losses were all pretty similar. Lack of defense, then with an opportunity to pull a win out of their backsides, the vaunted offense fails to produce the needed score at the end of the game. Also, special teams have been horrible in all the losses. The kicking game, the coverage, it's all been bad.

Yup. The Bengals are just picking up where they left off last season. Which shouldn't be surprising, given that the O and D are in large part unchanged.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

The only hope for the defense is if Jeanty, Brooks and JJ can get healthy and stay that way the rest of the season.

Otherwise the LB talent here is so average/poor, with no depth, that I can't see it happening. Caleb Miller in particular is an absolute joke.

The coaching is just atrocious - Breshnahan gets out-coached routinely and his players are constantly lost and over-pursuing. Leon Hall looks like the new "toast." Only hope he can grow out of it - JJ needs to play better and get healthy, no idea what's wrong with his wrist - but he should be able to put a cast on it and play with it.

So, I hold out very little hope they can beat any of the best teams. Sure they'll get all emotional and play some good games at home, but, I suspect what we saw last December is pretty much what we have today.

The Bengals' just didn't go out and improve enough in the offseason, and spent WAY too much $ on players like Willie, Levi, Justin Smith and Geathers.

And hanging on to bums like Fanene and Rucker, who are taking up roster space and can't stay healthy, gets old. Let go Marvin, just let go and move on from some of these bums - Justin Smith, Caleb, Rucker, Fanene, Ratliff, Tab Perry, et al..., can't stay healthy, don't produce, just taking up valuable roster space. I'm about to throw the wuss Guy-chick in there also.

The defense and special teams are an absolute mess.

[The PatternMaster]

In the last five regular season games, this team is 1-4. The losses were all pretty similar. Lack of defense, then with an opportunity to pull a win out of their backsides, the vaunted offense fails to produce the needed score at the end of the game. Also, special teams have been horrible in all the losses. The kicking game, the coverage, it's all been bad. Having said that, the Patriots are still going down in two weeks. They'll pull it together. Who Dey!!

You reminded me of a something I wanted to post..

I would argue that the first two games and the last two of the season are the most important games of the season as they have alot influence on how a team starts and finishes a season. Well, if you look at the last two games from last year and the first two games from this year the one unit that has been consistantly bad would be special teams.

At Denver Brad St. Louis botches the snap, vs. Pitt Graham shanks a easy FG for the win, vs. the Ravens we give up a PR td to Ed Reed(not to mention 2 bad fg attempts due to a bad snap), and vs. the Browns we give up a KR return and it got so bad we had to pooch punt the whole 2nd half giving the Browns the ball at midfield. Simmons was supposed to be a up-and-coming st coach, but his unit has been less than stellar for more a four game stretch that has really hurt this team. Not trying to put the whole blame on them but they are hurting the teams chances of winning.

[oldschooler]

Caleb Miller in particular is an absolute joke.

Leon Hall looks like the new "toast." Only hope he can grow out of it

Caleb Miller indeed looked horrible yesterday.

He sure didn`t look like a 4th year player that

is playing in a contract year.

And Leon Hall did look like a rookie yesterday.

But he is a rookie and it was only his 2nd game in the NFL.

I have confidence that he will learn from yesterday and be a

better player for it.

[agreen_112]

Caleb Miller in particular is an absolute joke.

Leon Hall looks like the new "toast." Only hope he can grow out of it

Caleb Miller indeed looked horrible yesterday.

He sure didn`t look like a 4th year player that

is playing in a contract year.

And Leon Hall did look like a rookie yesterday.

But he is a rookie and it was only his 2nd game in the NFL.

I have confidence that he will learn from yesterday and be a

better player for it.

He definitely learned early that he's not getting any help over the top from the safeties.

[Tasher]

Based on the D played against the Ravens, and at various moments last year, we certainly CAN. The better question is WILL we?

[cincyhokie]

The problem with the D is that they are outschemed game to game, half to half, quarter to quarter. They are always a step behind in preparation.

Good game one. No foresight and preparation, the Browns exploited us and there you have it.

Justin Smith SAID they were playing a "base defense". WHY????????????

[The PatternMaster]

The problem with the D is that they are outschemed game to game, half to half, quarter to quarter. They are always a step behind in preparation.

Good game one. No foresight and preparation, the Browns exploited us and there you have it.

Justin Smith SAID they were playing a "base defense". WHY????????????

Good question, you would think with a qb making only his 4 NFL start they would try to confuse him and force him into mistakes, but all we got was the "base defense" which translated into no pass rush, blown coverages, open running lanes, and missed tackles.

The defense must learn that they have to play they did on MNF every game or they will get embaressed. As a unit they aren't good enough to show up and win the game, they have alot to prove.

[Dawg BpG]

"Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. PLayoffs?"

In all seriousness, the Steelers, while they have played some cupcake teams, including the Browns and Bills look for real. They have only given up 10 points in two games and are already 2-0. They look for real, and I think your going to have to sweep them to make the playoffs.

On a side note:

I told yall that Eric Wright was a better corner than Leon Hall, and most of you said I was crazy. He had 9 tackles and 2 pass defenses, against a better offense last sunday.Leon Hall had 4 tackles, zero pass defense.

[cincyhokie]

Comparing both games, I honestly think that the Browns will have a better offense than the Ravens this year. For some reason the Bengals defense matches up well with the Ravens offense and it did again last monday. The Browns have an improved line and skilled receivers plus J. Lewis.....

Now, with that being said, the Bengals defense as bad as it is.....is not as bad as it played Sunday. The Browns offense is not as good as it played Sunday either.