Tasher Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Boomer's article on NFL.com...http://nfl.com/news/story/9705063Palmer, Lewis will inspire wounded Bengals By Boomer EsiasonSpecial to NFL.com (Oct. 4, 2006) -- Call it a cold shower or call it a slap in the face, but that's exactly what the New England Patriots did to the Cincinnati Bengals. That game highlighted the raw, brute strength of the Patriots' defensive line and their offensive running game. The Patriots completely outclassed the Bengals in every facet and showed exactly what a hardened, professional football team needs to do to win on the road against an immature and not-ready-for-primetime opponent. Carson Palmer said it best in his postgame press conference: "Maybe this is good for us." I'm sure football fans around the country were scratching their heads with this quote, but if you delve deeper, you realize that quote symbolizes the frustration of Palmer and what the off-the-field antics of his teammates are doing to this team. The beating Carson Palmer and the Bengals took may help the team regain focus. I applauded head coach Marvin Lewis when he deactivated wide receiver Chris Henry and suspended linebacker Odell Thurman after the Week 3 victory at Pittsburgh. I know every team has its issues. I know that there are plenty of players around the league that have failed miserably at being solid citizens. I'm not saying that these players can't get it straightened out, but the character issue is not only a distraction for the team, but also a detriment to team unity. Do you think Marvin Lewis wants to ban Thurman and bench Henry? He knows these players better than anyone, and as a coach, what he wants the most is to have all hands on deck. The last thing any NFL coach wants to become is judge, jury and executioner. In a perfect world they would just show up, put a game plan together and coach the football team. But nowadays with all the scrutiny and exposure, along with the volatility of today's players, coaches find themselves preaching as opposed to coaching. It has to be an unbelievably frustrating and painful exercise to see a player in whom you've invested so much time and money basically throw it all away because of an addiction. The coach and the team will ultimately fracture or come closer together as they strive toward their goal, which is the Super Bowl. But on their quest, especially in Cincinnati, the distractions will be many and their character will be tested and it will be up to Palmer and Lewis to set the example of how it needs to get done. I believe these two strong-willed and competitive men will impose their will on the rest of the team and will ultimately show up in the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agreen_112 Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Good post. I hope he's right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I'm not real sure how the truth "hurts" but I'll take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShulaSteakhouse Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I remember Boomer predicting NE would win Sunday also before the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agreen_112 Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I remember Boomer predicting NE would win Sunday also before the game.NE is a tough team, everyone doubts them year to year but they're always back in the playoffs and a serious threat. I didn't see us coming out of that game with a win by the end of the first quarter. We have to get better as a team if we want to beat these playoff teams. We've lost everyway possible to playoff caliber teams and Palmer has learned a thing or two in each loss. He's still developing and these losses are only going to make him better in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buck3y3d Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I remember Boomer predicting NE would win Sunday also before the game.NE is a tough team, everyone doubts them year to year but they're always back in the playoffs and a serious threat. I didn't see us coming out of that game with a win by the end of the first quarter. We have to get better as a team if we want to beat these playoff teams. We've lost everyway possible to playoff caliber teams and Palmer has learned a thing or two in each loss. He's still developing and these losses are only going to make him better in the long run.I thought we would win after the 1st quarter. We had two field goals and were moving the ball well. The defense hadn't imploded yet, and Palmer looked solid. We punted from NE 38, and that is when I thought what the hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBenBlows Posted October 6, 2006 Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 Boomer is my all time favorite Bengal. I don't always agree with his stories or his views on NFL today but he usually makes the right calls. I hope he's right on this one and Palmer steps up and starts blowing away teams with his arm like last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2330 Posted October 6, 2006 Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 I like Boomer on the show because he is not biased toward the Bengals like Shannon is toward the Broncos. I swear every year Shannon picks the Broncos to win the damn Super Bowl. I can understand early on after playing for a team where you might have some extra loyalty toward them, but it's been ages since Shannon had anything to do with the Broncos, time to let it go. Also Shannon whatever it is you have stuffed in your mouth while your talking, spit it out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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