Offensive penalties

[skyline]

Well, here it is. I'd say that after 4 games we can pretty much say this is our biggest weakness.

Take away some of those penalties today, we have 20+ points, and the game isn't even close.

Hats off to the D for showing that they don't need the offense to still get the job done. No INTs, but 6 sacks, including the game winner...

[HoosierCat]

Penalties beat the crap out of us today. Two thoughts: first, as I said all week, this had trap game written all over it and it turned out to be just that. I'm sure this will be a wake-up call for the team, and if they don't pick up the phone on the first ring then Marvin will shove it up their a**es.

Second, you have to give them some slack due to all the o-line injuries. Anytime you are forced to shuffle your o-line like that you will get pre-snap BS. Frankly, the fact their penalties weren't worse is a testament to their depth.

Finally...paging Eric Guichiac...Guichiac to the starting lineup...

[kingwilly]

The mental mistakes continue.

Some are expected,as you point out, with the line shuffling due to injuries. BUT, more than half were very costly mental errors.

ML better get the yellow laundry situation under control or it will finally cost us.

As Eddie Murphy points out to the cops on the steps of a Philly police station in "Trading Places"...."May I suggest you use the night stick, officer."

[Jonboat]

I couldn't agree more the Defense & back ups really stepped up. I think Levi had more penalties than the back ups. We've got to clean it up the last stat I seen & that was with time left in the 4th quarter was like 11 penalties for 101 yrds.

[Stripes]

I agree. As of yet, the only team to really stop the Cincinnati Bengals has been the Cincinnati Bengals.

[alleycat]

seems like steinbach and levi together count for more than half of our penalties this season so far.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I agree. As of yet, the only team to really stop the Cincinnati Bengals has been the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati is so tough even we can't completely shut us down! Every week I hear screaming and wailing about the penalties...yet theres still a big fat goose egg in the Bengals "L" column. Like has been said in weeks past, if this is the worst we have to complain about in week 4...

[buck3y3d]

Penalties are the biggest problem (can we please return a kick without seeing the orange laundry), but the run defense is still porous. Especially on the outside. Keasvihearn (spelling) lost contain on nearly every play and the line was sucked in. When Delta Oneal and Tory are the first guy to touch your rb your in trouble. I think Texas shows what happens when the Bengals don't get turnovers. They are forced to play a grind it out game. I am glad we won, but i think this game showed some weakness that were always there but had never been seen.

Turnovers mask a lot of problems. However, i think if Madieu was healthy, the D may have played a little better.

[redsfan2]

I agree. As of yet, the only team to really stop the Cincinnati Bengals has been the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati is so tough even we can't completely shut us down! Every week I hear screaming and wailing about the penalties...yet theres still a big fat goose egg in the Bengals "L" column. Like has been said in weeks past, if this is the worst we have to complain about in week 4...

Kinda go with the 'Meister on this one. Let's keep things in perspective. The Bengals are 4 and 0 ...... That's HUGE no matter how you get there.

Last year at this point we were 1 and 3. We had given up 98 points while only scoring 63. Most of you had beaten your wives ...... several had gotten off rib breaking kicks on the dog .... and more than one was contemplating suicide. All of this only a quarter of the way into the season. Now .... remember back to then and truthfully answer this question. If at that time I had said to you guys ... Allrighty now .... next year we can start the season at 4 and 0, BUT ( there's always a but ) BUT ..... you'll have to take a franchise record number of penalties ..... they're going to cost you points, and make the games closer than they would have been. You'll still win, but sometimes it won't be pretty and you won't ALWAYS get to destroy the opponent.

Those are the conditions under which yo get to start 4 and 0 .... Now let's put it to a vote.

Now this is a guess ... I'll admit. But I think we would have gotten about 450 some odd yeas, and a big fat zero nays.

I coulda probably snuck in a couple of deals with the devil and still got the same results.

Would I like to see the pentaly problem fixed ???? Sure ... same with injuries and anything else you can think of. Bottom line tho is that just like Billy ..... I am hypnotized by that 0 under the L column.

Beers for everybody .....enjoy another perfect week.

[Stripes]

I agree. As of yet, the only team to really stop the Cincinnati Bengals has been the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati is so tough even we can't completely shut us down! Every week I hear screaming and wailing about the penalties...yet theres still a big fat goose egg in the Bengals "L" column. Like has been said in weeks past, if this is the worst we have to complain about in week 4...

Kinda go with the 'Meister on this one. Let's keep things in perspective. The Bengals are 4 and 0 ...... That's HUGE no matter how you get there.

Oh, I agree, don't get me wrong. I don't give a flying monkey's arse how many penalties we have commited. We've won four games and lost zero games. That's the statistic that means something. I'm only saying that penalties are our only glaring weakness for future games, but I'm not overly worried about it.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Turnovers mask a lot of problems. However, i think if Madieu was healthy, the D may have played a little better.

You're most likely correct to some degree there about turnovers masking problems, but WHY do people people here constantly think it's the safetys job to stop the run!?! IT isn't. It begins and ends with the linemen and linebackers. The defensive secondary can also contribute as long as their pass defense doesn't begin to suffer for it.

Remember the first play in the preseason game with the Eagles? What happened? The saftey was playing run first, pass defense second and T.O. made them pay the price. F**k that. It's not that positions job. Like Marvin says just do your job.

That being said, I do fully expect the people who's job it is to stop the run, being the linemen and line backers, to improve as the season progresses.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I just don't want to hear Marvin shrug off the penalties again as if they're no big deal. They almost cost that team what should've otherwise been an easy win today.

If the season were 4 games long I wouldn't have a complaint in the world.

Good start = accomplished

Now comes the hard part.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Good start = accomplished

Now comes the hard part.

NOW comes the "hard part?" Jesus H Christ!! There's just no letting this Bengals team down off the proverbial cross for some folks is there? C'mon Shula. What about all the talk about avoiding the dreaded 1-4 or worse starts of past Cincinnati teams that been a bane for way too long? Aren't you going to give credit where credit is due?

IMHO the hard part has been accomplished. Kudo's to Marvin and his coaching staff. Now just let them find their groove, and hit their stride. I'm thinking it'll be right around the time of the 1st Pittsburgh game.

[derekshank]

Two things. Firstly, being at the game, I was surprized when I saw how many rushing yards the Texans had. They may have gotten a lot of yards, but it wasn't as if they were consistently beating the Bengals rushing defense. I thought the D held it's own very well. Carr had a couple big runs, and Davis had one big run. Other than those 4 plays, I thought we contained them very well.

In regards to the penalties. If I were Marvin, I would start giving out $1000 fines for blocks in the back. Every time we get a decent return, we lose it.

The holding penalties (specifically 2 against Reggie Kelly) killed some big plays. False starts are more annoying than anyting... especailly on thrd downs, but the special teams penalties, and offenseive holdings have got to stop.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Good start = accomplished

Now comes the hard part.

NOW comes the "hard part?" Jesus H Christ!! There's just no letting this Bengals team down off the proverbial cross for some folks is there? C'mon Shula. What about all the talk about avoiding the dreaded 1-4 or worse starts of past Cincinnati teams that been a bane for way too long? Aren't you going to give credit where credit is due?

IMHO the hard part has been accomplished. Kudo's to Marvin and his coaching staff. Now just let them find their groove, and hit their stride. I'm thinking it'll be right around the time of the 1st Pittsburgh game.

Great that you had a nice season and we'll see you next year then!

[BengalszoneBilly]

Good start = accomplished

Now comes the hard part.

NOW comes the "hard part?" Jesus H Christ!! There's just no letting this Bengals team down off the proverbial cross for some folks is there? C'mon Shula. What about all the talk about avoiding the dreaded 1-4 or worse starts of past Cincinnati teams that been a bane for way too long? Aren't you going to give credit where credit is due?

IMHO the hard part has been accomplished. Kudo's to Marvin and his coaching staff. Now just let them find their groove, and hit their stride. I'm thinking it'll be right around the time of the 1st Pittsburgh game.

Great that you had a nice season and we'll see you next year then!

Yeah...WHEW!! It was a tough 4-gamer, but I survived. You know what I mean about the "tough part" steakboy.

[andybren]

I'm surprised how many here are willing to overlook such a glaring problem as penalties. Yes, we're 4-0 and should be happy. But I, for one, want to continue winning, and see these highly avoidable, highly self-destructive plays as a very obminous warning of what could happen in the future when we're playing better teams. Teams that don't give you second and third chances to make plays.

Doesn't everybody want to beat the Steelers and the Colts?

Does anybody think we'll be able to beat these teams while continuing to make these numerous, bone-headed mistakes?

4-0 is great, but it's not enough.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I'm surprised how many here are willing to overlook such a glaring problem as penalties.

I'm not "overlooking" them. I see them in their proper "Not Getting My Panties Wadded Up In A Knot Over Them" perspective.

Does anybody think we'll be able to beat these teams while continuing to make these numerous, bone-headed mistakes?

I the Bengals will continue to win by whatever means nesassary, regardless of the penalties. Those Super Bowl winning Oakland Raider and Pittsburgh Steeler teams of years past weren't exactly your model citizens either when it came to penalties. It didn't overshadow the pure ability of those teams.

4-0 is great, but it's not enough.

Dang, some people are sure tough to please. You'd probably kick Jessica Simpson outa bed for eating crackers wouldn't ya!

[HoosierCat]

The penalties that concern me are specifically the pre-snap penalties -- false starts, illegal formations, delay of game. This is basic discipline and focus stuff. There's no excuse for it. IMHO Marvin needs to make a point of stopping it this week.

[andybren]

4-0 is great, but it's not enough.

Dang, some people are sure tough to please. You'd probably kick Jessica Simpson outa bed for eating crackers wouldn't ya!

I wouldn't kick her out of bed, but if she thinks she's going to eat my crackers, she's got another thing coming.

[Jonboat]

I'm surprised how many here are willing to overlook such a glaring problem as penalties. Yes, we're 4-0 and should be happy. But I, for one, want to continue winning, and see these highly avoidable, highly self-destructive plays as a very obminous warning of what could happen in the future when we're playing better teams. Teams that don't give you second and third chances to make plays.

Doesn't everybody want to beat the Steelers and the Colts?

Does anybody think we'll be able to beat these teams while continuing to make these numerous, bone-headed mistakes?

4-0 is great, but it's not enough.

I'm surprised too . Penalties are drive killers & as we seen today take points off the board & after setting a team record for the most amount of penalties we come out today & have 14, although having to shuffle the O-line certainly didn't help & the refs made a couple of cheesy calls.

Next week we go on the road to play a tough JAX. team & if we have the penalties we did today & leave points on the field we'll come home 4-1. I don't want to see us lose before this becomes a problem. I betcha ML knows it has been a problem & will work on getting it corrected this week .

I'm as stoked about being 4-0 as anybody right now , I'm just concerned not whining or panicked

[bengalindian]

Penalties bad? Yes, of course. 4-0 bad? No, it's AWESOME. However, it's just soooo annoying to see the Bengals have 2nd and long, and 3rd and long because of a false start or holding, and it seemed as though there was atleast one on every freakin' drive. Now, I'm not complaining that the Bengals are screwed, because they're not. But realistically, better teams, namely Colts, and by Colts I mean Peyton Manning, will NOT let the Bengals off the hook, because they actually have the skill to move the ball without sucking.

P.S. Jessica Simpson is probably the ugliest person ever. And by ugly I mean amazingly beautiful.

[jonf45uk]

i agree that the penalties almost beat us, but i thought the defence really stepped up in the second half.

it was also nice to win a close game, as that was a big question going in.

hope to get madieu back, cos he was missed along with what seemed like the entire o line!!!

carson looked sharp too( apart from his odd idea of scrambling backwards!!)

anyway, 4-0