What a spanking

[walzav29]

I mean that was really a "beat it punk" kind of statement from Pittsburgh. Now it's gloom and doom. With Houston staring at us it's getting dire. The Jets are kicking into high gear and we have a bit of history at late season flops. Hopefully, Dalton will be the difference.

[bwillycuse]

My pessimism imbedded in me says that we wont finish the season well. We are fortunate to have the record we have.

Fortunate to have beaten Cleveland both games. Fortunate to pull out some of the other games as well. I've been waiting for that one full well played game and I am not sure it will happen this year. Too young and undisciplined. Might be getting tired as well.

I hope I am wrong. Houston will be a very pivotal game. I think a lot of us are writing off the Arizona and ST Louis games as wins as well.

This team is somewhat refreshing from teams past, but still big room for improvement.

One think I know is that even though we are hurt on D - The early stats were deceiving. We aren't a dominating defense. I would call them a middle of the pack D.

Good young players to build on. Glad we have the extra draft picks for Palmer.

[semiotter]

There is still hope. But the Jets are making that late season push again like they have bEen doing these last few years.

[walzav29]

Yeah. The biggest thing they've done is beat the bad teams. Which is easier said than done. Arz and St. Lou are no gimmes, but it's been a fun season. We're still in it with 4 to go. 3-1 Hmmmmmmm That SHOULD do it.

[UK Bengal]

That wasent a spanking from pitsburg that was a team taking advantage of mistakes and referee f**kups.

1. Touchdown called back for false start

2. FG retaken due to delay of game

3. Said FG blocked

4. Fumble by Tate ( cut this useless garbage please )

5. Block in the back clear as day no call on punt rtn no doubt players stopped and didn't play to the whistle bad error

6. Facemask penalty on nelson extending drive ( what facemask his hands were nowhere near the facemask)

2 Div opp both times f**ked by bad refereeing calls guess that's what happens when u the small dog in yard.

These refs should have their pay docked and fined for how they have performed.

I expect us to right the ship against Houston with 3rd string QB and Johnson out that is unless the refs have their texans underwear on.

[derekshank]

Yeah. The biggest thing they've done is beat the bad teams. Which is easier said than done. Arz and St. Lou are no gimmes, but it's been a fun season. We're still in it with 4 to go. 3-1 Hmmmmmmm That SHOULD do it.

We'll see. 3-1 would get them to 10-6... but if the Jets and Raiders also finish 10-6, the Bengals need to beat Houston and Baltimore to win tie breakers.

If the Bengals want the playoffs, they probably need to win out. I know they played poorly yesterday... but they are capable. Time to grow up and play like big boys.

[HoosierCat]

As disappointing as yesterday was, even good teams are going to lay an egg once in a while, and we hadn't really seen one from the Bengals all year. So they were due.

I agree that the officiating was terrible, but I don't think it made the difference in the end. It just served to turn a Pitt victory into a rout. Receivers were dropping balls and the offensive line had serious problems dealing with Pitt's stunts and blitzes. Defensively they did some good things early on, and then in true Bratkowskian fashion, promptly quit doing them and got burned.

The injury pileup is depressingly familiar. The only solace I can take is that injuries aren't just a Cincy issue; teams all around the league are getting pounded. I'm in Bears country and Chicago fans are practically in mourning today.

[skyline]

My pessimism imbedded in me says that we wont finish the season well. We are fortunate to have the record we have.

Fortunate to have beaten Cleveland both games. Fortunate to pull out some of the other games as well. I've been waiting for that one full well played game and I am not sure it will happen this year. Too young and undisciplined. Might be getting tired as well.

I hope I am wrong. Houston will be a very pivotal game. I think a lot of us are writing off the Arizona and ST Louis games as wins as well.

This team is somewhat refreshing from teams past, but still big room for improvement.

One think I know is that even though we are hurt on D - The early stats were deceiving. We aren't a dominating defense. I would call them a middle of the pack D.

Good young players to build on. Glad we have the extra draft picks for Palmer.

I agree with pretty much all of this, but the funny thing is that I'm also amazingly fine with pretty much all of it. It's a lot better than I expected before the season began!

I'm still holding out hope that we pull a playoff appearance out somehow, but either way I'm already feeling a bit giddy when I think about April and the seasons to come.

[semiotter]

OMG UK you nailed it right on the dot with your post. There were some really F**ked up calls in that game and non calls to that really hurt them Sunday.

[walzav29]

A blowout to Pittsburgh may help focus them for Houston.I'm not sure if Andre Johnson is playing, but we need some guys back.

[cincyhokie]

The defense late in the year is reminding me of the 2009 defense late in the year. Playing undisciplined and sluggish. Injuries, depth?

I don't know but the defense is the key to this team. If they can't find a way to stop the Texans and their 3rd string QB, don't look for the offense to bail them out against the number 1 ranked defense.

Again, we're seemingly looking at a Marvin Lewis team faaaaaaaaaaade. Just like 2005, 2006, 2009...

[ShulaSteakhouse]

They didn't lose the game because of the refs.

I would say this was a stinker you could write-off, but its not as if this team has looked much better most of the season offensively, and the defense has lost 4 starters, where the poor depth everywhere except the d-line just kills them (and I said as much pre-season).

These guys really struggled just to beat Cleveland at home.

I don't care if they get to the playoffs or not, because they'll just get embarrassed like they did today again. They are not a playoff quality team at all.

Until they REALLY decide to make some changes on their 0-line, including firing sorry a$$ Paul Alexander, they're not going to be able to keep their defense off the field and score more points consistently, let alone have a running game that can take the pressure off Dalton.

The defensive depth and talent problems are fixable, but when you combine that with an o-line that needs to be drastically over-hauled, I just don't know how they can ever become anything more than what they were under Marvin most of this decade (a playoff pretender or an 8-8 mediocre team).

They HAVE to step-up in FA and have 2 more great drafts to keep the momentum going.

If they finish above .500 this year I'd be fine. I don't think they're good enough, injuries or not, to even win a playoff game - no different than 2009 really.

[jjakq27]

The defense late in the year is reminding me of the 2009 defense late in the year. Playing undisciplined and sluggish. Injuries, depth?

I don't know but the defense is the key to this team. If they can't find a way to stop the Texans and their 3rd string QB, don't look for the offense to bail them out against the number 1 ranked defense.

Again, we're seemingly looking at a Marvin Lewis team faaaaaaaaaaade. Just like 2005, 2006, 2009...

Can't argue with any of it. It's amazing what one play can do to a team. The false start seemed to blow any momentum they had on that drive.

Pittsburgh took advantage of the mistakes and put it away early. But that is the largest margin in a loss since early December of last year vs the Steelers. Every week one of these so called elite teams play like crap and seem to bounce back. See the Giants, Cowboys and Bears this year for examples. But because of their name recognition they seem to get a free pass. I think the Steelers are in the top three or four teams in the NFL, so losing to them on the road shouldn't be such a big deal.

Also, how many other divisions can boast three teams with at least 7 wins? Just one, the NFC North. We'd be tied for first in two other divisions. With the exception of two games, we have played the same schedule as the Ravens and Steelers too, so having some bad competition has benefited all three teams and is not an excuse for belittling the Bengals record..

I am frustrated with some of the injuries and bad calls but we lost to a much better team. Frankly I think we got outcoached offensively too. You would think that Alexander would know every trick that LeBeau has going but apparently not. I thought the recent game would work in the Bengals favor but I think Pittsburgh seemed to benefit from it. They took Simpson and Caldwell away and beat down our o-line which to me was the worst thing about the day.

But now it's time to move on. If you told me a month ago that we would go 1-3 and still have the 6th seed, I 'd have taken it.

[Stripes]

Pittsburgh lost in week 1 by the same score.

[volcom69]

We all knew coming in to the year that if they wanted to win the defense would have to do that. The start of the season they did just that, the defense put this team on there back, and they were winning games. They started out #1, and well they have slowley kept falling backwards. Injuries of course are a big part of it, but wow these guys cant tackle. They have showed that now for a couple weeks, they have not been very disaplined. Guys not in there gaps, guys getting pushed back, they are not very physical, in fact they have been playing soft. Rey is supposed to anchor the middle, but everytime i see him he is getting pushed backwards! I dont know if these guys are now just tired, but something has changed from the start till now, and yes i know injuries, but its alot more, they have become soft, and they dont like to tackle!

So in order to get where they want this is the group in my mind that needs to step it up big time. Of course the whole team needs to play better, but i really think its starts with the defense, just like we all thought it was going to have too.

[walzav29]

I rememember hearing about the rotation, but with Sims and Dunlap out. It's probably suffering.

[jonahdsage]

You can't blame gettIng beat that badly on the refs. Would the game have been much closer if you bring the punt return back?

That being said, it seems to me that all the problems yesterday are both uncharecteristic and fixable. Special teams has been solid all year and so has the D. I think it's good for these guys to get popped in the mouth like this. I'm excited for next week and predict we come out strong.

[HoosierCat]

They are not a playoff quality team at all.

Shrug. There's a lot of that going around.

The NFL right now has about four or five elite teams. Green Bay, obviously. Probably Pitt. New Orleans, maybe Baltimore and SF, too.

Then there are four or so real stinkers: Indy, Jax, Minnesota and St. Louis.

The other 23 or 24 teams are all in the muck. Anyone really believe in Dallas, Chicago or Atlanta? Cincinnati just made a strong "pretender" argument. Houston is on QB No. 3 and their best receiver can't stay on the field. NE's defense is a sieve, Baltimore is consistently inconsistent and Tebow's magic will run out eventually. And there are a bunch of other teams just outside the postseason picture who could replace any of these squads: Tennessee, Oakland, either New York team and the Detroit Lions.

Yet that mess is going to produce seven or eight playoff teams. The Bengals might as well be one of them. And who knows? Maybe the light bulb goes on for a couple guys, the team gets hot and makes a run. I wouldn't bet on it, but stranger things have happened.

[cincyhokie]

You can't blame gettIng beat that badly on the refs. Would the game have been much closer if you bring the punt return back?

That being said, it seems to me that all the problems yesterday are both uncharecteristic and fixable. Special teams has been solid all year and so has the D. I think it's good for these guys to get popped in the mouth like this. I'm excited for next week and predict we come out strong.

A few things need to happen. This team HAS to find a way to win against Houston. I don't care how they do it or how pretty it is. Then they need to get completely healthy in the weeks playing St. Louis and Arizona...and beat them. If they can do that then healthy and with confidence they can play with Baltimore.

Unfortunately, what my gut is telling me is that the perfect storm of no injuries and playing weak offenses has caught up to them. This isn't the same defense, therefore it's not the same team.

[HoosierCat]

I'm still holding out hope that we pull a playoff appearance out somehow, but either way I'm already feeling a bit giddy when I think about April and the seasons to come.

Me too, on both counts.

And on that note, the 2012 schedule is coming into final focus. The AFCN plays the AFC West and NFC East, both of which are pretty blah, especially the NFCE, which has just 1 team with a winning record going in December and 2 teams that can't do better than .500.

As for the two mystery teams, it seems pretty likely that the Bengals will now finish 3rd in the division. So a trip back to Jax looks like a lock right now. The AFCE opponent at PBS looks like it will be either Buffalo or Miami.

[Sea Ray]

I'm still holding out hope that we pull a playoff appearance out somehow, but either way I'm already feeling a bit giddy when I think about April and the seasons to come.

Me too, on both counts.

And on that note, the 2012 schedule is coming into final focus. The AFCN plays the AFC West and NFC North, both of which are pretty blah, especially the NFCE, which has just 1 team with a winning record going in December and 2 teams that can't do better than .500.

As for the two mystery teams, it seems pretty likely that the Bengals will now finish 3rd in the division. So a trip back to Jax looks like a lock right now. The AFCE opponent at PBS looks like it will be either Buffalo or Miami.

So do we play the NFC East or the NFC North? Why'd you mention both?

[HoosierCat]

Sorry. Typo. It's East. Fixed now.

[Sea Ray]

Sorry. Typo. It's East. Fixed now.

I think the East is a pretty tough draw. You saw what the Giants almost did yesterday and the Eagles and Cowboys are loaded with talent. As for the AFC West, we never seem to play well on the west coast. It'd be nice to win one of those two away games. All in all a tougher schedule than this yr but not as rough as last yr

[HoosierCat]

Nice thing about the AFC West next year is that the Bengals draw both Oakland and Denver at home. They travel to KC -- the closest of the division's team's -- so their only real west coast trip is SD.

I agree that Dallas and NYG are the top teams in the AFC East, but they draw them at home, too And heaven knows what Philly will look like in a year.

[jjakq27]

Interesting comment by Artrell Hawkins on the Mo Egger show this afternoon. He said that he believes that some of the guys may not have put the time and effort and had the proper attention to detail last week after playing the Steelers tough three weeks ago.