Bengals at Houston pregame Wild Card weekend chatter

[cincyhokie]

Yay! More inaccurate bitching about Mike Brown! Just what this board needed!

What?

The coaches wanted to practice outside?????!!!! Why, that Mike Brown! How savvy to Jedi-mind trick the coaches like that!

I don't think that it even has anything to do with Mike Brown.

You're playing the next game indoors, it's 22 degrees in Cincinnati, and you have players dinged up trying to play with bum hamstrings, etc, and you have access to a bubble 3 miles away. It just doesn't pass the common sense test.

[membengal]

Take it up with the coaches then. All the reporting is that the coaches chose to remain outside.

[ArmyBengal]

Coaches, owner, towel boy, whomever. I can't say as it passes the common sense test either, but whatever.

Dinged up muscles and cold weather don't go well together and I don't see a single benefit headed into THIS weekends game.

Bengals still win though...

[Sea Ray]

Take it up with the coaches then. All the reporting is that the coaches chose to remain outside.

Who gives a crap what the coaches say? You know how coaches are. When the day comes that we do build a practice bubble, you know the coaches will say what a great facility it is, how glad they are to have it and how it'll help them practice/prepare for games.

[membengal]

Um, I care if they said they wanted to be outside. It's their call.

[COB]

Take it up with the coaches then. All the reporting is that the coaches chose to remain outside.

Who gives a crap what the coaches say? You know how coaches are. When the day comes that we do build a practice bubble, you know the coaches will say what a great facility it is, how glad they are to have it and how it'll help them practice/prepare for games.

True. I'd have taken them indoors this week. We get no advantage practicing outdoors. If they ever get their own facility it will get used all the time.

[cincyhokie]

Well, the coaches aren't the ones that have the 5000 dollars to pay the rental from UC to use the facility. Plus, they're going to go with the flow and not dwell on their lack of options. Anyway, it's going to warmup today and tomorrow so it's a moot point now.

I'm actually more concerned about this potential flu bug that could strike the team. It's hit this area hard lately. I just had it and it's not plesant.

The Bengals get on that plane, breathe the same air for 3 hours, and a few of the guys are bound to get it on gameday. Please, make it be someone like Nate Livings or some of the weekly inactives.

[membengal]

The idea that this was a money thing is stupid. The Bengals just shelled out several hundred thousand dollars to move all those unsold tix to the Ravens game with the BOGO offer, so I don't see $2500.00 being what stopped this. I know everyone loves to find the Mike Brown bogeyman behind everything Bengals they don't like, but the simplest explanation is that Marvin and company wanted to work outdoors.

[HoosierCat]

Dalton back at practice today.

/>http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Thursday-update-De-bugged-Dalton-practices/db3ca390-333d-4754-90ee-36f1115971c6

[Sea Ray]

Um, I care if they said they wanted to be outside. It's their call.

You don't fear that they're just giving us the company line? That's my perception.

[Sea Ray]

Dalton back at practice today.

/>http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Thursday-update-De-bugged-Dalton-practices/db3ca390-333d-4754-90ee-36f1115971c6

One day bugs are not the flu, so this is good news. Generally speaking 24 hr "puke bugs" are usually food borne as in food positioning, thus not contagious

[HoosierCat]

Injury report for today per reedy:

Full: RB Benson (foot), C Cook (foot), S Crocker (knee)

Lim: Atkins (achilles), Dalton (illness), Rucker (shoulder)

DNP: Mays (hamstring), Fanene (NIR), Moch (illness)

[volcom69]

Listening to Sirus today the Texans fans think the bengals have no shot what so ever. They are saying there place will be rocking, and the bengals will be false starting left and right. Plus the bengals will give up alot of sacks, and Dalton will be throwing picks.

[membengal]

If only the bengals had a dry run this year at a hellaciously loud road venue....oh, wait. Seattle. Not worried about noise issues.

[volcom69]

If only the bengals had a dry run this year at a hellaciously loud road venue....oh, wait. Seattle. Not worried about noise issues.

Yep and they did pretty good with that! I wonder if they are pumping alot of noise in practice to help them get ready, because i do think its going to be very loud. Bengals need to score early and stop them from scoreing to take the crowd out.

[cincyhokie]

Listening to Sirus today the Texans fans think the bengals have no shot what so ever. They are saying there place will be rocking, and the bengals will be false starting left and right. Plus the bengals will give up alot of sacks, and Dalton will be throwing picks.

Yep. It's not just them the local sports radio hosts are delusional as well. It's not that the Texans don't have a chance either, because I actually feel they will win the game. But, it's like since Houston has never been in the playoffs it's viewed as some magical place where opposing teams automatically wilt to the will of the home team.

The Bengals know from 2005 and 2009 that playing at home helps, but the team that makes the most plays and plays the most physical wins. I hope the Bengals let Houston play into some mistakes early from all of that adrenaline they'll have in store.

After the 2nd or 3rd series, the Houston fans will learn that it's still a game, and the Texans are mortal.

[ToddGack]

Take it up with the coaches then. All the reporting is that the coaches chose to remain outside.

So what you're telling me is that if Mike Brown had built a practice stadium, the coaches wouldn't have used it? Is that what you're saying? Because they certainly could've used one this week for a day. . .or two and chose not to? I look at this a different way: If I'm going to 'lose' tens of thousands of dollars on tickets, why wouldn't I take a few hundreds out of my wallet and pay UC to use the practice bubble? I agree, it doesn't pass the common sense test.

[ratt617]

Listening to Sirus today the Texans fans think the bengals have no shot what so ever. They are saying there place will be rocking, and the bengals will be false starting left and right. Plus the bengals will give up alot of sacks, and Dalton will be throwing picks.

That's not true. I listen to Houston local sports talk all day long and our fans are split 50/50. We are all very unsure about what is going to happen in the game. We all know we were lucky to pull out the win at your field with 4 turnovers and we just don't know what this young team is going to do under the pressure of the playoffs. We are excited that we will have all of our players, except our 1st string QB, back to full strength for the first time all year.

The concensus is that we all think Andy is a good QB that will handle the pressure of the fans well. We know it is going to be CRAZY! Your offense gets rid of the ball early so it helps y'all against our pass rush. We have a weak link in the defensive chain in the form of Kareem Jackson at corner. He has hurt us for 2 years now. I have confidence in Jonathan Joseph and Manning, but we'll see.

On Offense we have Casey back to full strength for the first time since the first of the season. He is a big matchup problem from the FB position. He had almost 100 yards receiving last week with a full backup team on the field. Also, Daniels is 100% for the first time since we played y'all. He hurt his knee pretty bad a few weeks back. And ofcourse we all can't wait to see what Andre Johnson can do. His first healthy game back the first time, with Yates at QB, he had around 97 yards in 3 quarters before he pulled his other hamstring.

We know that y'all have a very good front 4 that shut down our running game better than any other team we have played this year. It was really frustrating to watch. And Jonathan had some trouble with Green last time.

It should be fun. We are all pumped and ready to go bring the roof down. It's anybodys game in the playoffs.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Listening to Sirus today the Texans fans think the bengals have no shot what so ever. They are saying there place will be rocking, and the bengals will be false starting left and right. Plus the bengals will give up alot of sacks, and Dalton will be throwing picks.

That's not true. I listen to Houston local sports talk all day long and our fans are split 50/50. We are all very unsure about what is going to happen in the game. We all know we were lucky to pull out the win at your field with 4 turnovers and we just don't know what this young team is going to do under the pressure of the playoffs. We are excited that we will have all of our players, except our 1st string QB, back to full strength for the first time all year.

The concensus is that we all think Andy is a good QB that will handle the pressure of the fans well. We know it is going to be CRAZY! Your offense gets rid of the ball early so it helps y'all against our pass rush. We have a weak link in the defensive chain in the form of Kareem Jackson at corner. He has hurt us for 2 years now. I have confidence in Jonathan Joseph and Manning, but we'll see.

On Offense we have Casey back to full strength for the first time since the first of the season. He is a big matchup problem from the FB position. He had almost 100 yards receiving last week with a full backup team on the field. Also, Daniels is 100% for the first time since we played y'all. He hurt his knee pretty bad a few weeks back. And ofcourse we all can't wait to see what Andre Johnson can do. His first healthy game back the first time, with Yates at QB, he had around 97 yards in 3 quarters before he pulled his other hamstring.

We know that y'all have a very good front 4 that shut down our running game better than any other team we have played this year. It was really frustrating to watch. And Jonathan had some trouble with Green last time.

It should be fun. We are all pumped and ready to go bring the roof down. It's anybodys game in the playoffs.

Sounds like the fans of both teams aren't too sure of which of theirs is going to show up.

[HoosierCat]

So I'm driving in to work today listening to Moron & Moron in the Morning on espn. I didn't tune in in time to hear them both pick Houston, but I did catch the segment with Marcellus Wiley rambling on about how the game speeds up between preseason and the regular season and again between the regular season and postseason, and how this will hamper Dalton because he's a rookie. (Unlike Yates who is apparently a seasoned veteran )

Everyone seems to forget that the Bengals were just in the postseason in 2009. Just for fun I did a quick roster check and here's how 2011 stacks up:

The bad news: 4 guys who started the 2009 playoff game versus the Jets are on IR -- Keith Rivers, Leon Hall, Andre Caldwell and Bobbie Williams.

The good news: the 2011 Bengals have 9 guys who started back in 2009 and another 7 who played (or were at least active).

Starters: Cedric Benson, Kyle Cook, Nate Livings, Andrew Whitworth, Jonathan Fanene, Robert Geathers, Domata Peko, Brandon Johnson, Chris Crocker

In: Kevin Huber, Bernard Scott, Brian Leonard, Dan Skuta, Frostee Rucker, Michael Johnson, Andre Smith

The thing that jumps out at me is that pretty much the whole o-line, the meat of the d-line and the core of the RB corps have all been there, done that. And those are exactly the three parts of this team the Bengals need to be on their game the most if they want to win.

[jjakq27]

From Lance's blog

Blackjack/Bust?

The Bengals allowed 20 points and lost to the Texans 20-19 on December 11.

That game was a rarity for the Bengals.

They have won 22 of their last 26 games when allowing 20 points or fewer.

The Bengals have lost 21 consecutive games when allowing more than 20 points.

Their last win when allowing more than 20 points was September 20, 2009 when they won at Green Bay 31-24.

Since that game:

Bengals are 22-4 when holding teams to 20 points points or less.

Bengals are 0-21 when allowing teams more than 20 points.

Read more: http://www.700wlw.com/pages/lancesBlog.html#ixzz1ii6WUKGW

[COB]

From Lance's blog

Bengals are 22-4 when holding teams to 20 points points or less.

Bengals are 0-21 when allowing teams more than 20 points.

Read more: http://www.700wlw.com/pages/lancesBlog.html#ixzz1ii6WUKGW

That is an amazing stat. Maybe our new offense can start reversing some of those losses when we allow more than twenty. That stat sure tells the tale on Bratkowski and his crappy offense.

[combatbengal]

I just watched our first game with them again and in that game they were able to drive on us the entire game. We gave to much cushion to their wide receivers, and they had huge holes to run through. They ate the clock up and drove down the field to score at the end of the 1st half and end of the game.

If we’re going to beat them we cannot settle for field goals and we cannot let them have long drives that eat the clock. We need to control the clock, keep their offense off the field and score touch downs! If we don’t do that, our season is over.

One last thought, we cannot let this be a close game because if it is, they will beat us at the end.

[jjakq27]

Local Channel 5 will be airing a Bengals playoff preview show at 7:30 tonite here in Cincinnati.

[volcom69]

I just watched our first game with them again and in that game they were able to drive on us the entire game. We gave to much cushion to their wide receivers, and they had huge holes to run through. They ate the clock up and drove down the field to score at the end of the 1st half and end of the game.

If we’re going to beat them we cannot settle for field goals and we cannot let them have long drives that eat the clock. We need to control the clock, keep their offense off the field and score touch downs! If we don’t do that, our season is over.

One last thought, we cannot let this be a close game because if it is, they will beat us at the end.

Thats what made me mad, they played not to lose the game! Zimmer in the second half i dont know if its because they had the lead, but started playing prevent defense, left the middle and the short stuff open all the time. Yates was able to dink and dunk all the way down the field, and he racked up 300 yards. I HOPE that Zimmer learned his lesson, and plays to win this game, and continue to put pressure on Yates, and play the WR tight and challenge them.