Bengals Steelers post game

[gregcook68]

Here's another thing I want to throw out there that I've seen time and time again, in both baseball and football.

Countless times I've seen teams score a bunch of runs or points and really blow out a team, and the very next game come out flat as a pancake. It's definitely a subconscious mental thing, but it happens more than not.

When the Seahawks blasted the Saints and looked unbeatable, I told my son, don't be surprised if they come out flat and lose to the 49ers, and that's exactly what happened.

I thought that would happen to the Bengals after the Jets game and it did in Miami.

I also thought it might happen after they manhandled the Colts but didn't want to be negative.

For those of you that have coached for any length of time, on any level, in either baseball or football, you should know exactly what I'm talking about as you have experienced this personally.

It doesn't ALWAYS happen, of course, but more times than not.

Same thing happened in Game 1 of the WS this year with Boston. My son's a big Boston Red Sox fan, (the Red Sox spring train here in Fort Myers). After they pounded the Cardinals in game 1, I told my son not to be surprised if they come out flat in Game 2 and that's exactly what happened.

[ArmyBengal]

Well, it's not every week, you get the kind of miscues the Steelers were recipients of last night.

Them not being able to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter will make the look different.

[gregcook68]

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Well, it's not every week, you get the kind of miscues the Steelers were recipients of last night.

Them not being able to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter will make the look different.

As I said above Army, it doesn't always happen but I've seen it hundreds of times in my 60 years in both sports.

Yes, take away the bad snap and the no-call hit on Huber and things could have been very different.

[ArmyBengal]

Things like that change everything in a game.

When you have a QB like Ben that is next to impossible to bring down, it changes how they do business.

Not only that, you see a shift in play calling from a balanced game to one that focuses on the pass in the attempt to get back into the game.

My point to all of that ??

If the Steelers come out flat, it shouldn't surprise anyone.

They simply benefitted from Bengals mistakes and that won't happen each week.

Good for them, enjoy the playoffs.

From home.

[jjakq27]

Here are some random thoughts after giving this one a day off.

Thoroughly bothered by their inability to get that first down on their first drive. Everything went to s**t after that.

It looked like Brandon Thompson was on skates. He was getting pushed around a lot.

I would have liked to see one of the Bengals taken some form of action after the hit on Huber. I think Marvin's mild mannered demeanor saps this team of any kind of anger. Something needed to be done even f it meant 15 yds.

Gruden's playcalling is very peculiar at times. At some point in the first qtr of every game I would like to see them throw the bomb. Even if it's overthrown by ten yards. Teams are sitting on everything outside the numbers because they know we never go deep.

I saw an awful lot of yellow seats in attendance again at Heinz Field. Thought that was Steeler weather on Sunday night.

Mike Tomlin seems like a little kid in a grown up world.

I was glad to see Eifert get in the flow a little after Gresham went down. Gresham isn't really a game changer and could cost this team a bunch if they resign him. I think addition by subtraction might not be a bad thing there.

It's all still there for the taking. Take care of business and atone for this one during the next two weeks. If you're going to be somebody, you gotta beat somebody.

[gregcook68]

Here are some random thoughts after giving this one a day off.

Thoroughly bothered by their inability to get that first down on their first drive. Everything went to s**t after that.

It looked like Brandon Thompson was on skates. He was getting pushed around a lot.

I would have liked to see one of the Bengals taken some form of action after the hit on Huber. I think Marvin's mild mannered demeanor saps this team of any kind of anger. Something needed to be done even f it meant 15 yds.

Gruden's playcalling is very peculiar at times. At some point in the first qtr of every game I would like to see them throw the bomb. Even if it's overthrown by ten yards. Teams are sitting on everything outside the numbers because they know we never go deep.

I saw an awful lot of yellow seats in attendance again at Heinz Field. Thought that was Steeler weather on Sunday night.

Mike Tomlin seems like a little kid in a grown up world.

I was glad to see Eifert get in the flow a little after Gresham went down. Gresham isn't really a game changer and could cost this team a bunch if they resign him. I think addition by subtraction might not be a bad thing there.

It's all still there for the taking. Take care of business and atone for this one during the next two weeks. If you're going to be somebody, you gotta beat somebody.

I posted an IR list thread which nobody has commented on yet, but the deal is every AFC playoff team has double digit players on the IR except the Chiefs-2, Ravens-6, and Dolphins-7.

I have no clue out of those which, if any are key players or not, but the bottom line is this.

We have to start beating, (worse case splitting) with the Steelers and Ravens! The more I think about this the more I am in favor of rooting for Baltimore Sunday and bringing on the showdown in week 17, provided we beat the Vikings!

IF the Bengals lose to the Vikings, and the Ravens beat the Pats, the fat lady is warming up, IMHO!

[ArmyBengal]

IF the Bengals lose Sunday and the Ravens and Dolphins win, the Bengals will already be on the outside looking in.

Both the Ravens and Dolphins have us in the head to head tiebreaker.

[HoosierCat]

It looked like Brandon Thompson was on skates. He was getting pushed around a lot.

Hobson wrote after the game that Peko was playing with whatever stomach virus hit a bunch of guys in practice and "was dealing with it in the locker room after the game," which I took to mean crapping and/or barfing his guts out. Still only played 24 snaps (versus 49 for Peko and 40 for Thompson) and as noted last week they had been including Harrison in the DT rotation, but he left early with a concussion. Given all that I'm not surprised Thompson was overmatched.

I really wonder how much the stomach bug played into things Sunday night. Crocker was another guy Hobs mentioned who came down with it Fri/Sat but played. I suspect a lot of what fans are complaining about in terms of "playing like p*ssies" was really just a bunch of guys who ought to have been home in bed.

[jjakq27]

IF the Bengals lose Sunday and the Ravens and Dolphins win, the Bengals will already be on the outside looking in.

Both the Ravens and Dolphins have us in the head to head tiebreaker.

It's amazing that they could finish anywhere between the 2nd seed and being out completely.

It looked like Brandon Thompson was on skates. He was getting pushed around a lot.

Hobson wrote after the game that Peko was playing with whatever stomach virus hit a bunch of guys in practice and "was dealing with it in the locker room after the game," which I took to mean crapping and/or barfing his guts out. Still only played 24 snaps (versus 49 for Peko and 40 for Thompson) and as noted last week they had been including Harrison in the DT rotation, but he left early with a concussion. Given all that I'm not surprised Thompson was overmatched.

I really wonder how much the stomach bug played into things Sunday night. Crocker was another guy Hobs mentioned who came down with it Fri/Sat but played. I suspect a lot of what fans are complaining about in terms of "playing like p*ssies" was really just a bunch of guys who ought to have been home in bed.

You are probably right. I doubt that any of them would use it as an excuse though.

I think Harrison's departure was significant manpower-wise and maybe even from a psychological standpoint although the game was pretty much gone at that point.

My only regret is that we don't get another shot a these guys this year. I truly want them to miss the playoffs for the second straight year but a small part of me wants to see them come here on the first weekend in January for a little payback.

[kingwilly]

Here are some random thoughts after giving this one a day off.

Thoroughly bothered by their inability to get that first down on their first drive. Everything went to s**t after that.

It looked like Brandon Thompson was on skates. He was getting pushed around a lot.

I would have liked to see one of the Bengals taken some form of action after the hit on Huber. I think Marvin's mild mannered demeanor saps this team of any kind of anger. Something needed to be done even f it meant 15 yds.

Gruden's playcalling is very peculiar at times. At some point in the first qtr of every game I would like to see them throw the bomb. Even if it's overthrown by ten yards. Teams are sitting on everything outside the numbers because they know we never go deep.

I saw an awful lot of yellow seats in attendance again at Heinz Field. Thought that was Steeler weather on Sunday night.

Mike Tomlin seems like a little kid in a grown up world.

I was glad to see Eifert get in the flow a little after Gresham went down. Gresham isn't really a game changer and could cost this team a bunch if they resign him. I think addition by subtraction might not be a bad thing there.

It's all still there for the taking. Take care of business and atone for this one during the next two weeks. If you're going to be somebody, you gotta beat somebody.

agree regarding the deep ball. also for Gresham. This draft class is deep with TE's. and we do have Orson Charles stashed away, maybe he can earn an honest paycheck some time soon.

[kingwilly]

I can tell you this, if this team ends up out of the playoffs, I will be the first calling for Marvin's head on a stake. Depending on how Dalton plays, maybe his too.

This is the time for Dalton to pick up the offense and carry his portion of it. If he can't, then he's not the right guy. They need to be able to win because of his play, not in spite of it.

[ArmyBengal]

I hate to put everything that happens to a team moving forward on two games, but THESE two games are huge.

I still don't know how much you put on a coaching staff that has had the injuries to the starters that this team has.

I know it won't be a welcomed thought, but how Zimmer has kept this defense afloat should be praised.

[Sea Ray]

I want the 2nd seed but I want to secure the playoffs too. Maybe the best scenario would be a loss by Miami and a Ravens win. Then if we take care of business vs Minny, we'd at least have a playoff spot secured and a chance to get the #2 seed with a win in the final week. Of course even with a Pats win we still have a shot at the #2 seed if NE loses in week 17. Buffalo could help us out a lot in the last two games

[cincyhokie]

I dug this up while talking to a Steeler fan that was accusing Bengal fans of "crying" about the illegal hit.

The irony in this is too good not to take another look at!!!

/>http://forums.steelersfever.com/archive/index.php/t-2890.html

[gregcook68]

I dug this up while talking to a Steeler fan that was accusing Bengal fans of "crying" about the illegal hit.

The irony in this is too good not to take another look at!!!

/>http://forums.steelersfever.com/archive/index.php/t-2890.html

They're thugs! They've always been thugs. Win at any cost thugs!

I'll say it again, if and when Marvin leaves and his replacement comes in and turns to that type of play, I'm done!

I'll stick to college football and the Reds!

The football and baseball strikes already soured me and I do not follow either NFL sport like I used to.

This type of foolishness will be enough is enough!

[jjakq27]

One last comment on this game and we're done.

Shortly after the missed 3rd-and-1 to start the game, I thought to myself, would we have gotten that first down if we had kept John Conner? I think I had the same thoughts a couple of times during the first Ravens game this year too.

With Orson Charles being a non-factor all season and the superfecta of Hawkins-Sanzenbacher-Whalen-Sanu not making a major impact, I have to think they could have let one of those guys go and kept Conner for these types of games or specific situations. Get a first down on that first drive and maybe things are different in the game. Get a first down late in a game and keep the ball rather than punt. Having Peko at the goal-line package is as much a psychological move as it is a physical one. But as we have seen, it's not a given that they will score when he is in there. Sometimes there is too much traffic at the line and the outside edge guys make the tackle behind the line.

I just keep thinking that we just overthought ourselves in an attempt to have all of these weapons on-hand. Maybe they thought Chris Pressley would come back at some point but that didn't ever happen.

Going forward, I hope they realistically address this position for next year. This year's Orson Charles is last decades Dan Coats. Been there done that. I doesn't really work.

[ArmyBengal]

I said it many times. They simply got to cute with that decision.

You needed to look no further than them showing Charles tape on how to be a FB by watching they guy they just cut.

Say all you want about the FB not being used as much, but a true FB would have had far more of an impact than a guy like Whalen has this season.

Peko ?? Yeah, I still don't care about that happening either.

[HoosierCat]

Agreed. Notably Charles wasn't even active for the game.

This team is not committed to the run. It never has been committed to the run. It will run only when forced to and will abandon the run at first opportunity. This has been the case through multiple RBs, QBs, OCs, olines. Hair, gawd bless him, was right about one thing. These are the bastard stepchildren of Paul Brown and they WILL throw the ball no matter what.

[kingwilly]

Just reading that Steelers forum thread makes me recall my very strong dislike for that douchenozzle Hines Ward. f**k him.

[jjakq27]

Listened to Lap and Lance tonight and they said to their knowledge no one from the steelers has called huber Simmons Marvin or anyone else regarding the play and huber himself while hearing from many others in the league. Their main point was that that wouldn't happen if it was the other way around.

[cincyhokie]

Listened to Lap and Lance tonight and they said to their knowledge no one from the steelers has called huber Simmons Marvin or anyone else regarding the play and huber himself while hearing from many others in the league. Their main point was that that wouldn't happen if it was the other way around.

Heard that too. This one is going to stick in their minds. Two games against them next year.

Had to see this coming to some extent. Sunday night game against a prideful team. Even Ryan Clark was making comments about the Steelers being disrespected sounding like a jilted girlfriend. Of course he came off founding like a little bitch to the media. But that's par for the course with the Steelers. Tomlin, lil Ben, etc.