The haters rear their ugly heads

[BengalszoneBilly]

Normally I quote articles here, but this HACK doesn't deserve it.

[Stripes]

I didn't really have a problem with that article until I read this:

Over his shoulder, while Johnson was preening for the cameras, the Bengals were missing the extra point. Kicker Shayne Graham had reinjured his hip earlier in the game, forcing punter Kyle Larson into action. Larson drilled a line drive into the line of scrimmage. Johnson had no idea. Nor did he care. He got his.

Why do some people still insist on needlessly attacking Chad's desire to win?

[HairOnFire]

I'd say there's a difference between giving a game away and having it ripped from your grasp.

Simply put, the number of Raven turnovers may have been staggering, but nearly all of them were the result of defenders deliberately stripping the ball from runners or remarkable diving interceptions. Granted, McNair and McGahee fumbled a hand-off, a gift the Bengals greedily accepted, but there were multiple Bengal defenders in the Ravens backfield awaiting a chance to recover before the ball bounced twice.

And for whatever it might be worth, the Ravens didn't get jobbed by the officials. The writer can complain forever for all I care, or until the Bengals sweep the series later in the year, but it won't change the fact that Ed Reed did indeed interfere on the 2-point conversion attempt thrown to Chad, and Todd Heap not only pushed off but he failed to catch the do over that Myers intercepted. At best, it can be said that Heaps interference wasn't as bad as it normally takes to draw a flag, but that's not going to keep any Bengal fan awake at night.

[TJJackson]

The writer is one of the two afternoon guys on 1530 HOMER

http://www.1530homer.com/pages/onair_greggdoyel.html

He's a Cincy guy......

??

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

And for whatever it might be worth, the Ravens didn't get jobbed by the officials. The writer can complain forever for all I care, or until the Bengals sweep the series later in the year, but it won't change the fact that Ed Reed did indeed interfere on the 2-point conversion attempt thrown to Chad, and Todd Heap not only pushed off but he failed to catch the do over that Myers intercepted. At best, it can be said that Heaps interference wasn't as bad as it normally takes to draw a flag, but that's not going to keep any Bengal fan awake at night.

I will say - if our offense had gotten called for that flag in the same situation (the flag on Heap), I'd be furious. In my opinion...it was a BS call, but they also got a freebie makeup penalty on the next play (there's no way that flag on poor old #40 was anything but) and had four more downs to put it in from the 5...or, as you say, 3 tries until they couldn't finish it.

It's not like I'm losing sleep over it given all the bad juju we had last year - including getting jobbed in a game against the Ravens - but still. I'd be pissed too if I were them. And in the end, as you say, with all those turnovers it's not like they can say their team played well enough to win, not by a longshot.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

dupe post, sorry

[skyline]

It was a terrible call, no question. Still, I don't peg this loss on the refs.

If you're going to peg it onto anybody, how about Billick? Just run the ball for crying out loud...

[James_Brooks21]

I'd say there's a difference between giving a game away and having it ripped from your grasp.

Simply put, the number of Raven turnovers may have been staggering, but nearly all of them were the result of defenders deliberately stripping the ball from runners or remarkable diving interceptions. Granted, McNair and McGahee fumbled a hand-off, a gift the Bengals greedily accepted, but there were multiple Bengal defenders in the Ravens backfield awaiting a chance to recover before the ball bounced twice.

And for whatever it might be worth, the Ravens didn't get jobbed by the officials. The writer can complain forever for all I care, or until the Bengals sweep the series later in the year, but it won't change the fact that Ed Reed did indeed interfere on the 2-point conversion attempt thrown to Chad, and Todd Heap not only pushed off but he failed to catch the do over that Myers intercepted. At best, it can be said that Heaps interference wasn't as bad as it normally takes to draw a flag, but that's not going to keep any Bengal fan awake at night.

Who cares what that guy thinks, I think he lives somewhere in the area because he also met Rich Franklin in West Chester to see what it feels like to get knocked out. The Bengals are 1-0 and came out of that game healthier then Baltimore, plus the next time we meet Chris Henry and Chris Perry. I will challenge the Ravens then to double cover Chad and TJ and Chris Henry will rip them up. The Ravens have it basically easy until they face Pittsburgh in week nine, same can be said for Pittsurgh early schedule. Let's go to Cleveland just as fired up and put a beating on them.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

It was a terrible call, no question. Still, I don't peg this loss on the refs.

If you're going to peg it onto anybody, how about Billick? Just run the ball for crying out loud...

Yup, the Ravens were running through the Bengals' in the 2nd half like s**t through a goose and abandoned it too often, ecspecially at the goal line, at the end of the game. I mean you put Kyle Boller in and have him through it 4 times down there?

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Let's go to Cleveland just as fired up and put a beating on them.

That's actually my biggest worry after a game like this, it's easy to have a letdown game against a terrible team. If it doesn't, then we should start the season 2-0 which would be fantastic with as many injuries as we have.

Like you say, if we can string it along until we get Henry, a healthy O-line, and possibly Perry...things could get interesting.

[kingwilly]

It was a terrible call, no question. Still, I don't peg this loss on the refs.

If you're going to peg it onto anybody, how about Billick? Just run the ball for crying out loud...

Billick is a straight fckstick...

I have only seen a couple of coaches make calls so consistently dumb. Maybe Martz and Schottinheimer.

[BengalszoneBilly]

It was a terrible call, no question. Still, I don't peg this loss on the refs.

If you're going to peg it onto anybody, how about Billick? Just run the ball for crying out loud...

You can't because he an offensive "genius", remember?

And just like the genius Einstein could sometimes not find his own house, nor could Billick find the end zone.

[cincy9275]

f**k them both and if so call master mind billick made those mistakes who cares that his problem. all i now at the end of the game he score board said ravens 20 bengals 27. and shula stop being so damn negitive dude they won be happy.

[TJJackson]

shula stop being so damn negitive dude

Shula is right about the run defense......not sure how you can object to him speaking the truth.....sure we won, but his point is that run defense like that will lose us games in the future, and we were also lucky that they didn't choose to run it more last night

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Shula is right about the run defense......not sure how you can object to him speaking the truth.....sure we won, but his point is that run defense like that will lose us games in the future, and we were also lucky that they didn't choose to run it more last night

4.4 YPC ain't great for D, but it isn't up there with their worst nights by any stretch of the imagination. It certainly doesn't justify being morose after a game in which the D played extremely well overall.

And I might contend that Chuck didn't commit extra help to the run *because* Billick clearly made a choice to force the pass. Had he pushed the run harder, that probably would have dropped the YPC.

I'm not saying our run D will be great this year, but of all games this one isn't giving me heartburn from a D perspective.

If you want something to complain about, how about 3/13 on third down by our offense? They need to get that straight.

[duus]

All I wanted to see is our defense taking chances ... attacking the line of scrimmage and gathering around the guy with the ball. I saw that. I saw some nice batted balls (both at the line and on the corners), plus a few good 'sticks'. Knowing what we have seen for the last many years, that is what I hoped for and is exactly what I saw, and then some. Let's keep this in perspective ... IT IS AN IMPROVEMENT. That is fine by me. I honestly DO NOT care if they get burned by some runs and a few long tosses as long as I continue to see a defense with some fire, some attack, taking chances down after down. "Meet me at the quarterback" ... even if a big play happens. I wouldn't normally take that approach, but I see such an approach as an improvement ... if only in attitude.

[HairOnFire]

You can't have it both ways. Any time you amp up the aggression like that you instantly become vulnerable to offensive playcalling that attempts to take advantage of that aggression...as we saw from BOTH teams last night.

[HairOnFire]

All I wanted to see is our defense taking chances ... attacking the line of scrimmage and gathering around the guy with the ball. I saw that. I saw some nice batted balls (both at the line and on the corners), plus a few good 'sticks'. Knowing what we have seen for the last many years, that is what I hoped for and is exactly what I saw, and then some. Let's keep this in perspective ... IT IS AN IMPROVEMENT. That is fine by me. I honestly DO NOT care if they get burned by some runs and a few long tosses as long as I continue to see a defense with some fire, some attack, taking chances down after down. "Meet me at the quarterback" ... even if a big play happens. I wouldn't normally take that approach, but I see such an approach as an improvement ... if only in attitude.

And there it is. Perfectly said.

[duus]

You can't have it both ways. Any time you amp up the aggression like that you instantly become vulnerable to offensive playcalling that attempts to take advantage of that aggression...as we saw from BOTH teams last night.

... and I personally will take that approach over the blah, blah, blah defense where we see teams roll off 8 minute after 8 minute drive ... our defense sits back and gets lazy, no fire, and ends up giving the score in the end. Give me the defense that might, just might, make the big play and shift the momentum. We saw that last night. It might bite them here and there, but I'll take the bad with the good. Just come back with the fire the next series, regardless of the outcome the last series. Again, I wouldn't suggest that for every team ... but I do for this team.

[membengal]

McGahee had only 77 yards on 19 carries. Just barely over 4 ypc. That's not great. At all. And, they stuck him in the red zone repeatedly.

I have no complaints with what they got done on D last night, none. Simply none. 314 yards total is a great effort, especially considering how stalled the O was in the 3rd quarter and how long the D ended up being on the field.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

... and I personally will take that approach over the blah, blah, blah defense where we see teams roll off 8 minute after 8 minute drive ... our defense sits back and gets lazy, no fire, and ends up giving the score in the end. Give me the defense that might, just might, make the big play and shift the momentum. We saw that last night. It might bite them here and there, but I'll take the bad with the good. Just come back with the fire the next series, regardless of the outcome the last series. Again, I wouldn't suggest that for every team ... but I do for this team.

Yup. The old prevent takes such a toll. Psychologically like you mention, they just lose the fire. But also, they end up out there so long - I'd rather roll the dice, and either get my D off the field or give up a bigger gain. That way maybe they're not dead by the 4th quarter.

[HoosierCat]

You can't have it both ways. Any time you amp up the aggression like that you instantly become vulnerable to offensive playcalling that attempts to take advantage of that aggression...as we saw from BOTH teams last night.

Exactly -- and that's all the more reason Billick ought to have leaned more heavily on the run game than he did. Not only was it working, but it would have forced the Bengals D to cool their jets. But happily, the Brain was sharing in the evening's cramp problems.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Exactly -- and that's all the more reason Billick ought to have leaned more heavily on the run game than he did. Not only was it working, but it would have forced the Bengals D to cool their jets. But happily, the Brain was sharing in the evening's cramp problems.

If the aggressiveness we saw is as pervasive as I hope, I think you'd have seen some run-blitzing. I still think that allowing a 4.5 YPC when you're in lockdown mode on the pass isn't that terrible. So I don't think it's just a matter of Billick switching to the run to solve their ills.

[Jet23]

The Bengals were beat in nearly every category, but I certainly will not apologize for the W. Over the past decade, how many of these types of games have the Bengals lost? Nearly all of them. Good teams find a way to win, when they have no business doing so.

This Gregg Doyel guy is an absolute clown. It is pathetic how he is trying to make a name for himself by pi$$ing people off. I can not listen to 2 seconds of this hack.

[skyline]

Exactly -- and that's all the more reason Billick ought to have leaned more heavily on the run game than he did. Not only was it working, but it would have forced the Bengals D to cool their jets. But happily, the Brain was sharing in the evening's cramp problems.

If the aggressiveness we saw is as pervasive as I hope, I think you'd have seen some run-blitzing. I still think that allowing a 4.5 YPC when you're in lockdown mode on the pass isn't that terrible. So I don't think it's just a matter of Billick switching to the run to solve their ills.

No, it's not even the general idea that Billick should have switched to the run. To me it's even moreso the specific instances where he didn't (3rd and 1, 4th and goal, etc.). In situations like that it really doesn't matter how well the run is or isn't working. If you knock down the guys in front of you, your team can always pick up a yard.

Now, if he didn't think his o-line was any match for our d-line, then I guess that would explain his calls. Having watched the Bengals for as long as I have, though, it's hard to imagine anyone giving the Bengals D quite that much credit regardless of how well they happened to be playing last night.