Play Like s**t? Check. Start Talking s**t? Check.

[HairOnFire]

Now that it's over...it's on.

Ocho says bye to new Chad

By GEOFF HOBSON

We’ve heard it before and as he went into the bye week Wednesday Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said it again.

“When I do come back,” he said of next Monday, “I’m going to be the Chad of old.”

The Ocho, star of screen, cereal, and satellite, made a shocking admission. He’s not playing with confidence and he points to his numbers. After a 159-yard game in the opener, he’s caught 157 yards in the last four games. He's on pace for just 1,012 yards, 35 fewer than last year's career low for a full 16 games. And he says a perfect example is the ball he dropped over the middle with 25 seconds left last Sunday that would have put the Bengals in the field-goal range of Mike Nugent instead of what turned out to be a game-winning interception for Tampa Bay.

“Easy. Easy stuff like that,” The Ocho said. “I basically lost the game. Everybody would say, ‘Well, the game is within four quarters.’ But that’s a time when a superstar is supposed to make that play, and the field goal kicker comes on and kicks it and I miss it. That’s what I mean about the confidence. A confident Chad catches the ball 10 out of 10.”

He’s gone laid-back, low-profile before for a variety of reasons down through the years. This time, he said, it was because he’s 32 and he wanted to do something different. Now he says he’s going back to putting out bulletin-board material for the DBs. Respectful trash talking, he calls it.

“I haven’t been the Chad of old,” he said. “The Chad we’re all used to. The boisterous, sometimes little borderline cocky-arrogant. But that’s what everybody feeds off as a city and an organization.”

A preview? The Ocho and wide receiver Terrell Owens were screaming at each other after some one-on-one basketball Wednesday. The Ocho was furious that he ran around while Owens stood beyond the three-point line and apparently still beat him, accusing him of “just wanting to play Horse.” The Ocho tried to get TV cameras to record a game, but the gym is restricted to media. All in good fun, it seemed, as he yelled out to Owens leaving the locker room, “Have a good bye week.”

The Ocho isn’t talking about sending Pepto-Bismol to opposing secondaries (like he did in ’04), or donning an imitation Hall of Fame jacket to celebrate a touchdown (like he did in ’07), or demanding a new contract (like he did in ’08). He’s talking about something like another cornerbacks check list or some trash lite durong the weekly Wednesday media sessions he’s usually been silent.

“I was just trying something new, you know? You know, you’re 32, you’re trying to be a little bit more mature and try a different approach,” he said. “That (bleep) doesn’t work. It’s not working. Honestly, I’m going out there flat. Every game I’m going out there flat. I’m unsure of myself when the ball is coming…

“One step at a time,” he said of the celebrations. “The first thing I have to do is be true to who I am and go back to being what Chad has been the past few years and not try to be something that I’m not.”

On that last drop, The Ocho said he was not thinking about yards after catch. In fact, with so little time left he was thinking the exact opposite.

“It was catch it and get down,” he said. “I’m coming back revamped. I’ve tried something new and it’s not working. It’s not working, it’s not working at all. Honestly. Honestly. If you haven’t been able to figure it out, that I’m able to play my style of play by being boisterous, by talking, by giving other teams bulletin board material and in my mind I know I have no choice but to go out and perform at a high level. I feed off of that.”

The Ocho agrees that the bye came at the right time after two straight losses to teams they were supposed to beat. He says the New/Old Ocho will take care of that.

“The panic button is going to get hit. You go into a hole at 2-4 and that’s tough,” The Ocho said. “Especially with the schedule we have, that’s tough. We’ve got Atlanta, then we’ve got Miami and it doesn’t get no easier when you keep going down the schedule. You’ve got Indy, you’ve got Pittsburgh, oh my God, yeah. This is much needed, big time. Big time. So we’ll be fine, trust me. Trust me. Because once I start talking (bleep), it’s on.”

[hdo]

(sigh)

How many times have we heard this? Let your play do your talking.

[COB]

Same thing we hear all the time: I'm not being myself, now I'll start talking and you'll see a new Chad. Blah blah blah.

[volcom69]

I guess this is why Chad sucks so bad, because he forgot to talk trash.

Thats bull, maybe he sucks because he cares more about, dancing with the stars, basketball wives, talking with TO on versus tv about whats wrong with other players and team.

Seems to me that Chad just lost his love to play the game, and thats real sad. I just wonder how good Chad could have really been if stayed focused from his rookie season till now, instead of all this other crap he seems to care about. How sad!

[HairOnFire]

FWIW, the NFL trade deadline is coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 19.

I say we get the Rams on the phone, and regardless of their level of interest....we leak the news.

Set things in motion.

See where it goes.

[Stripes]

Is there really any better candidate among current players on the team for "least favorite Bengal"?

[BengalPimp]

Is there really any better candidate among current players on the team for "least favorite Bengal"?

Daniel Coats

[Horsemen]

Chad: Shut. The hell. UP.

Can't we offer this piece of trash and a 2nd or 3rd to the Pats for Logan Mankins?!

[HoosierCat]

Now that it's over...it's on.

In which case, there's nothing to lose, right?

My suggestion for Ocho's return: deck his locker space out in voodoo paraphernalia and start sacrificing buckets of KFC. Since they're all dead anyhow, may as well bust out of the grave and eat Mikey's brain.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfzIBlqf3TQ

[HairOnFire]

Now that it's over...it's on.

In which case, there's nothing to lose, right?

If there's no longer anything on the line then maybe the best thing a team can do is take off the clown shoes you've been wearing in the mistaken belief that you'd get something of value in return.

My suggestion for Ocho's return: deck his locker space out in voodoo paraphernalia and start sacrificing buckets of KFC.

The "Major League" example teaches many lessons.

In the first lesson, our hero, Pedro Cerrano, eventually rejects the god Jobu precisely because Jobu isn't hearing his prayers, thereby rendering Cerrano's extra crispy sacrifices pointless. Only by accepting full responsibility for his play, rather than leaving it to chance or divine intervention, can Cerrano take full credit for his own success. Only by rejecting the trappings of god can Cerrano become a better player and a better man.

Which brings us rather neatly to the second lesson, provided by the Corbin Bernson character of 3rd baseman Roger Dornan. Here you have the classic example of the fading star too interested in outside pursuits to realize that his own lack of focus is not only causing him to play poorly, but results in him being a far bigger liability to the team than any of the less talented players on the roster. Redemption comes only when Dornan casts off the distractions of endorsements and off-field douchebaggery and rededicates himself to the very thing that once made him a star in the first place. And he does so by making a physical sacrifice, taking ground ball after ground ball and bad hop after bad hop. The bruises on his arms are proof of a change of heart that goes far beyond words.

Next, a third lesson is provided by the storyline about a team owner who dreams of failure, and actively takes steps to make sure it happens. Those evil plans are thwarted by two important things. First, players working hard and accepting the roles assigned to them by coaches. And second, the players become inspired and motivated by female nudity.

Finally, there is the lesson "Major League" teaches us about fans. About how we can have fun regardless of how the team performs, but also how higher expectations often result in greater heartbreak. And there's the rub because every single Bengal fan can now easily understand what it means to look at the team they love and conclude..."On no, we suck again!"

And we do.

[ArmyBengal]

We just have to take one game at a time.

We have to go out there and execute the gameplan.

We have to minimize our mistakes.

We need to be more disciplined and go get'em.

I'm going to be the Chad of old.

All lame, all repeated to such a degree they make me sick, and all bullsh*t...

[HoosierCat]

Now that it's over...it's on.

In which case, there's nothing to lose, right?

If there's no longer anything on the line then maybe the best thing a team can do is take off the clown shoes you've been wearing in the mistaken belief that you'd get something of value in return.

Perhaps so, but that only plays into your nightmare scenario, in which they manage enough of a Dead Cat Bounce to generate a bunch of "crap stats" that say they aren't as bad as the really are -- and as a result the needed changes don't happen. So I'm just surprised you're bothered by the return of Ocho Bozo; I thought you'd be happy.

[HairOnFire]

Perhaps so, but that only plays into your nightmare scenario, in which they manage enough of a Dead Cat Bounce to generate a bunch of "crap stats" that say they aren't as bad as the really are -- and as a result the needed changes don't happen.

Due to our current plight I suggest Bengals fans refrain from calling the scenario described above as a Dead Cat Bounce. Rather, I suggest the more fitting and accurate tag of Dead Brat Bounce.

As for the matter of crap stats, I'm reminded how those stats could be offered as "proof" of the competence of the Bengal passing game. But we know better now, don't we?

[HoosierCat]

As for the matter of crap stats, I'm reminded how those stats could be offered as "proof" of the competence of the Bengal passing game. But we know better now, don't we?

All I know is that if last year's offense was good enough to win 10 games, so is this year's. Despite passing more and running less, nothing has changed. Points per game? The same. Time of possession? Virtually Identical. Penalties? Ditto. And despite throwing more, they've given up fewer sacks and Palmer hasn't thrown any more picks (or pick sixes) this year than in last year's first five games. In short, emphasizing the pass over the run has amounted to giving the Nash Rambler a new paint job. But it still can't get out of second gear.

[HairOnFire]

Despite passing more and running less, nothing has changed.

You might as well say that despite a massive change in formation, players used, game planning, and playcalling the offense still can't score any better than they did previously when they were a successful ball controling power squad.

Points per game? The same.

That's a major fail.

Time of possession? Virtually Identical.

Irrelevant. Did the switch to 3-Wide & Handsome with optional Mega TE with Kung-Fu Grip result in more points? No. And if a core change doesn't result in an improvement in scoring it's pointless....quite literally.

Now ask yourself if the strategy to use outside receivers as the primary means for moving the ball resulted in more or less mistakes? Have the Bengals comitted more turnovers, penalties, dropped passes, or blown routes? Have they improved on 3rd down? Do they appear to know what they're doing on 3rd and short? Are there more short-circuited drives this season? Can they execute in the Red Zone? Is there an overall feeling of competence? Does the offense seem in balance? Is the offense in rhythm? Does it consistently demonstrate competence in regards to timing and precision? Are finally, since swapping identities are there fewer coaching errors to overcome?

That's epic failure.

In short, emphasizing the pass over the run has amounted to giving the Nash Rambler a new paint job. But it still can't get out of second gear.

My take? We've just awakened at an ungodly early hour to find our car has been towed. Or if you prefer, stolen. And not only that, all of our best stuff was still in the car. Stuff like one of our two nuts, a cool porkpie hat we like to be seen in, sunglasses, a full tool box in the back, and a pair of playoff tickets in the glove box. And last but not least.....our mojo was in that car.

All gone, with 11 games left....because of a freakin' BSOPB mindset. All because a bunch of idiots thought it would be a good idea to put a quick change rear end in a Nash Ramber.

And here's the worst part. Now we've got to drag our sorry butts to the impound yard to retrieve our towed Rambler. That's right, now we have to pay money we don't have just to get our own car back. And there's more. Because the reason the car was towed in the first place was because it couldn't move. And it couldn't move because of a botched repair job that wasn't even needed. We just wanted to look cool as we drove around in our Nash Rambler.

And now our car is towed and we're going to be late for work and we'll probably lose our jobs.

[Stripes]

Is there really any better candidate among current players on the team for "least favorite Bengal"?

Daniel Coats

Maybe. At least Coats disappoints everyone with his mouth shut.

[HoosierCat]

Now ask yourself if the strategy to use outside receivers as the primary means for moving the ball resulted in more or less mistakes?

I did. And I expected to find the answer was yes. But it's not.

By my count, so far this year the offense has been flagged 19 times for 129 yards; last season, through the first five weeks last year, those numbers were 24-148. Again, not much daylight there.

However, if you want to see where penalties have risen alarmingly, check the defense. Through the first five games of 2009, the Bengals' defense was flagged just 6 times for 50 yards. 4-40 of that came in the Green Bay game; the rest of the time they were practically flawless. Not so this year: 12 penalties for 123 yards. And alarmingly, things appear to be rapidly deteriorating. 11 of those 12 flags, and 118 of those penalty yards, have come in the last three games.

In terms of ball security, same deal. Palmer has matched the 6 picks, and 2 pick-6's, he threw in the first five games last year this year. Fumble-wise, the Bengals have put the ball on the ground 7 times this year versus 8 times in the first five games last year. Unfortunately, they haven't had the same lucky bounces. Last year they only lost 2 of those 8 fumbles, but have lost 4 of 7 in 2010.

On third (and fourth) down tries this year, I have them making 32 out of 73, versus 37 of 70 last year. Again, not much daylight. Notably, they weren't running it much on 3rd or 4th down tries last year either: only 15 conversion attempts were runs in last year's first five games, compared to 12 this season.

None of this is to say the offense is good, but it's certainly no worse than what we had when we went 4-1 last season. But we haven't been as lucky with fumbles, the defense hasn't scored (last year Geathers had a TD fumble return vs. Cleveland) despite getting more turnovers and its play hasn't been as disciplined. So what would have been close wins last season have turned into close losses in 2010.