Another disappointing Sunday has the Bengals down-right reeling.  After losing at home to the 1-3 Dolphins, (and a week of talk about how “angry” they were about it), the Bengals proceeded to go to Cleveland and lose to an 0-5 team (on an 11-game losing streak) by 10 points.

And it was ugly. Not San Diego ugly, but pretty close.

The Bengals had a 7 point halftime lead, and pretty much dominated the half aside from one completely boneheaded play in the secondary.  Had they managed to get the safeties to play with discipline, and got one second on the clock they were entitled to, they could have headed into the locker room up 17-0, but as it was 14-7 wasn’t bad.

Then the roof caved in.  Despite longer time of possession, more yards by over 100, and a better-quality football team, the Bengals lost thanks to a comedy of errors that rivaled some of those Dave Shula teams of the early 1990’s.

And now they must get ready for an equally-desperate Steelers team, coming off a loss themselves, with 4 extra days to prepare.  It makes me shudder.

We’ll examine the mental state of the team, Marvin Lewis, and Who Dey Nation later.  In the meantime, here’s this week’s Hit List:

Goats—These Guys Let Us Down

• Andy Dalton:  381 yards is a career high, but a lot of that came in garbage time after Cleveland got up by 17 points in the fourth quarter.  3 touchdown passes is also nice, but the 3 picks were bad—particularly the pick-six to Sheldon Brown.  Andy also held the ball too long generating a fumble in the red zone that ultimately doomed the comeback.  Look, I like the kid.  I still have high hopes for him, but he clearly has some growing left to do.
• BJGE:  I’m sure he’s a great guy in the locker room, and a real pal in the huddle.  I’ll even concede that he has a fantastic work ethic, is coach-able, and has a ton of heart.  That’s all fantastic in the Rudy Ruettiger kind of way, but it doesn’t gain four yards against apparently ANY defense.  We need to try something else.
• Brandon Tate:  Not only does this receiver not come back to the football, allowing things like pick sixes, but he’s also an underwhelming return man.  Twice on Sunday he took the kick-off out from deep in the end zone.  Both times he was stopped well short of the 20 yard line.  I honestly don’t see the fascination with the guy as a returner or receiver.  He runs too high, seems careless with the football, and just looks tentative out there.  How about Adam Jones returning kick-offs?  How about Marvin Jones taking more of Tate’s snaps at receiver?  Who’s with me?

Heroes—These Guys Went Down Swinging

• A.J. Green:  135 yards on 7 catches, and two touchdowns.  The second one was almost Jordan-esque.  He seemed to say, “Just throw it deep and let’s get back in this thing.”  He beat double coverage on the 57-yard touchdown that, momentarily at least, breathed new life into the team.  I’m convinced at this point that he cannot be covered—even when opponents scheme to take him away with double or cloud coverage.  Even with no one else catching passes.  The dude is money.
• Michael Johnson:  The Bengals need to get his agent on the phone about an extension before he hits the market.  Johnson added an interception to his 2012 resume, while again playing nearly all the snaps at DE.  The Bengal defense was bad to start the game, and Johnson’s pick helped calm the Bengals down and set up their first score—a 55-yard pass from Dalton to Jermaine Gresham.
• Cedric Peerman:  After spending the last two years as a special teams contributor, Peerman was forced into action with Brian Leonard getting injured (again).  The former Virginia Cavalier responded with 76 yards receiving on 8 catches.  He also had one carry for 8-yards, but proved he could be the guy to spell BJGE going forward.  His speed is deceptive, his hands are good, and his pass protection is solid.  I think Sunday he made the statement that he’s earned more PT on offense, and he just might get it.

MVP:  A.J. Green.

Green now leads the entire NFL in receiving yards with 628, and is second in receiving touchdowns with 6.  This, despite being a one-man gang out there against double and triple coverage.  He’s playing better than guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson,  and Calvin Johnson.

Random Observations—No Haikus

• Maualuga didn’t suck quite as bad this week.  Vontaze Burfict still outplayed him though.
• Where’s the Carlos Dunlap effect? Despite leading the NFL in sacks, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a pass rush going on.
• Is it just me, or should the next 2 WR’s after A.J. be Baby Hawk and Marvin Jones?
• After being solid as a rock on coverage teams, and a history of containing Josh Cribbs, they let him bite them Sunday.  That being said, I agree with Jeromy Miles that it looks like Cribbs called fair catch.
• For all the preaching Marvin Lewis does in every press conference about 3^rd downs, his team is terrible at them–on offense and defense.  They converted 5 of 14 on offense (35%) which was actually better than the last few games, but still vomit-worthy.  Defensively, despite a stretch of forcing 4 3-and-outs, the Browns finished with a 41% 3^rd down conversion rate for the game.
• With all the above being true, this stat above all proved to be the difference:  Turnovers:  Bengals 4, Browns  1.

The Bengals lost a game they couldn’t afford to lose.  I know that we as fans can sometimes overreact to a loss.  The Bengals made the playoffs last year at 9-7 after all, and the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants also finished the regular season with some head-scratching losses and a 9-7 mark.  The bottom line is, anything can happen in the postseason, but you need to get a ticket to the dance first.

Cincy’s chances of getting a golden ticket took a blow with a loss to an inferior AFC opponent at home.  With team like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh (twice), Baltimore, Denver, Dallas, and the aforementioned Giants still on the menu, the Bengals could ill afford a pooch screw like Sunday’s.

Nonetheless, it happened.  The only thing they can do now is avoid another similarly defecated bed this week in Cleveland.

So without further ado, here’s this week’s muted and unenthusiastic hit list.

Goats—These Bengals simply didn’t get it done.

• Andy Dalton:  The Red Rifle was off on Sunday.  His accuracy wasn’t where it usually is,      with a few overthrows and two costly interceptions.  It was troubling to see the passing game      fail to click, and it seemed Dalton was the primary reason.  I maintain full confidence in “Roadhouse”      to respond this week, however.
• BJGE:  14 yards on 9 carries doesn’t get it      done.  We can blame the offensive      line, predictable play-calling, or Kevin Coyle’s familiarity with the      Bengals, but none of that holds water for me.  It was clear that Coyle was playing      2-deep and cloud coverage most of the game which should have allowed for      more room to run, and Bernard Scott performed much better against the same      fronts and personnel.  After an      impressive first game in Baltimore, the Law Firm has had fumble problems      and a poor per-carry average.  I see      more Leonard and Peerman in the future, and the team should be kicking      tires on Joseph Addai and Steve Slaton if things don’t get better soon.
• Rey Maualuga:  Because I just hate him now.  Nothing particularly stood out aside from one coverage he admitted to blowing.       He had one nice stop on 3^rd-and-one, but he needs to  improve.
• Manny Lawson:  He struggled in coverage.
• Mike Nugent:  42-yard miss hurt.  Bad. We need to rely those as automatic at that distance.  Especially with the wind at his back.

Heroes—These Bengals held up well in the loss

• Michael Johnson:  Another good game from the emerging  DE.   4 tackles and a sack.
• Geno Atkins:  Another sack and regular pressure up the  middle.
• Jermaine Gresham:  Solid game with 5 catches for 60 yards,      including a big fourth-down completion.       He’s having his best season yet, and might finally be getting used      enough.

• A.J. Green:  9 catches and 65 yards, plus a touchdown      despite constant double and triple coverage.  His two fumbles are a bit troubling, but      they neither hurt the team, and both were the result of him working for      extra yards.  I’m confident he’ll      get that cleaned up.
• Vontaze Burfict:  Another solid game.  Seven total tackles and the big fumble      recovery of the muffed punt in the first quarter.

MVP:  Bernard Scott

For one precious possession, he should us that these Bengals can in fact run the football—even on a vaunted run defense.  I give him the MVP because I wonder what would have happened down the line had he not gotten hurt—not just Sunday but for the year.  In think it’s safe to say he’d be starting this week if not for his injury.

B-Scott just can’t catch a break, and it’s yet another fallen warrior to add to the ever-growing IR list.

Random Observations:  No Haikus

1. Dalton needs to adjust his      strike zone to Andrew Hawkins.  He      may be too used to throwing to tall guys like Green and Gresham.  Hawk needs the ball in his hands, and if      Tom Brady can hit both Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker, Red can too.
2. Speaking of Hawkins, why      no bubble screens or reverses to him on Sunday?  I liked the little inside pitch play,      but Gruden needs to find more ways to get him the ball in space.  Rich Gannon called Hawkins “Slippery” in      the open field.  Truth.
3. Big ups to the Defense for      continuing to get better.  They held      MJD in Jacksonville and Reggie Bush last week.  Both guys are top running backs and it      was good to see the team getting back to sound run defense.  Trent Richardson had his way with them      in week two, so here’s hoping he’ll find a harder slog this week.
4. I agree with Coach Lewis’s      decision to kick the 42-yard field goal with 3 minutes to go.  I know others have been very critical of      the call, but it was the right one.       The Bengals had only found the end zone once all game, and it      seemed clear to me that they’d get the ball back one more time if they      went ahead and kicked. Two field goals would have won the game just as one      touchdown would, and to me two field goals was the higher percentage      move.
5. Third down conversions are      a problem.  For a solution, see #2      above.
6. Congrats to A.J. Green for becoming the first man in NFL history to record 100 receptions, 1500 yards, and 11 touchdowns in his first 20 games.  Think about that. It is a feat that current superstars like Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss never achieved, let alone Hall-of-Famers like  Steve Largent, Tim Brown, and Jerry Rice.  That’s impressive.

Sunday’s win in Jacksonville was the most convincing yet for the Bengals, and to me it showed a great deal of growth for the club.  Despite being down four cornerbacks and facing perhaps the best running back in football, the Bengals completely shut down the Jaguars in Jacksonville.  3-1 sure feels good.

Let’s see how the Bengals did with the five keys this week:

1.  Stop MJD:  Happened!

This one seems obvious, and judging by the fact that 73.3% of you agreed, it must have been high on Mike Zimmer’s priority list.  Despite the Bengal defensive front being shredded by Ray Rice, Trent Richardson, and RG3, they held Maurice Jones-Drew to just 38 yards on 13 carries (a 2.9 average).  It looked like the rush defense of early 2011 out there, with Vontaze Burfict looking particularly stout up front.   This was by far the most important aspect of the defensive game plan, and the players responded well.

2.  Pressure Gabbert:  Happened!

The Jags had to know the Bengals would look to stop the run and dare second-year QB Blaine Gabbert to throw it.  Bob Bratkowski’s offense attempted to do just that but found very little success.  The Bengals generated a whopping 6 sacks for the second week in a row, and they now lead the NFL with 17 through 4 games.  Domata Peko sacked Gabbert on Jacksonville’s first offensive snap, and Geno Atkins did so on their last.  Burfict got his first NFL sack, and the great pressure from the front seven should only improve with the return of Dontay Moch off his 4-game suspension this week.  Our readers saw this as the second most important key at 13.3% of the vote.

3.  Steady as she goes, offense:  Happened!

The Bengal offense generated 27 points on Sunday with A.J. Green having another stellar outing.  In truth, the Bengals could’ve scored even more, but had issues on 3^rd down (2 for 11), and a turnover on the goal line stopped a few drives.   Andy Dalton had 244 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air (plus a rushing score), and A.J. had 117 yards and a touchdown.  BJGE got 82 yards rushing, Jermaine Gresham had a solid game, and Baby Hawk bailed them out again.  No catches for Binns and Tate was an unpleasant surprise, but there isn’t much to complain about here overall.  We got one vote for this one from the readers.

4.  Limit Mistakes:  Didn’t Happen

Andy Dalton threw an interception on his first pass of the game, and BJGE fumbled on the goal line.  Luckily for the Bengals, those mistakes didn’t hurt them, as Kyle Bosworth fumbled the interception right back to the Bengals, and the 27 points put up by the offense were more than enough.  The Law Firm is going to have to work on ball security.  That was a touchdown wiped off the board.  Dalton’s pick can be partially excused as it was tipped off of Pressley’s hands, but the game ended with the Bengals having a -1 turnover differential.  Against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and the AFC elite, a -1 differential will usually mean defeat.  This key did not receive any votes—perhaps you felt the Bengals could overcome mistakes against this team—just as they did.

4.  Finish Strong:  Happened!

To me, this one was the most underrated key of the week, getting just one vote.  I was surprised considering how the Bengals failed to finish strong in Washington, allowing the Skins to come back from 24-10 and 38-24.  This week, the Bengals did much better.  Once Dalton hit Chris Pressley for the 10-7 advantage, the Bengals shut the door on the Jags, and never let up.  It was a great effort overall by the defense that will hopefully continue.  The game ended the way you like to see it:  With the Bengals having a comfortable lead, running out the clock inside the opponent’s red zone.

 Overall, a great week.  Who Dey!

I hope you will forgive me as I know I’m a little late with this week’s hit list (by 3 days).  My “regular” job sometimes requires me to travel to far-off exotic lands where people speak in strange tongues and practice odd customs. 

This week it was New Jersey. 

Anyway, the Bengals won a very strange affair last Sunday in Washington, and “survived” several scares along the way.  The defense is still a real concern and ongoing injury issues continue to compound the problem.  However, the offense was brilliant, and Jay Gruden had a masterful game play-calling.  His stint as a coordinator may come to an end as he may find too many suitors for his services as a head coach come the offseason.

Overall, you have to come away from last week’s victory impressed.  The Bengals were underdogs in the game, and most pundits predicted a close victory for the Skins.  The reality is that Marvin Lewis’s team went into Washington and dominated the Redskins for the entire first half.  They never trailed in the game, and led by as much as 17.  They took a Redskin flurry in the third quarter, but then quickly re-established themselves in command before holding off the late rally.

38 points scored will win most games, even with the defense the way it is. With that, let’s look at the week three hit list.  Since its another one in the win column, we’ll start with the heroes:

Heroes—These Bengals shined in the victory

• Andy Dalton:  Career-high passer rating, second straight 300+ yard outing, second straight 3 TD game.  Dalton is looking more and more like money in the bank.  Remember when he was drafted some people were calling him a poor man’s Drew Brees?  They may have been on to something.
• A.J. Green:  Green leads the AFC in receiving yards with 311, and had a career-high 183 on Sunday, leading all NFL receivers for the week.  He torched DeAngelo Hall all day and continues to show that he is a rare talent.
• Michael Johnson:  Johnson got 3 sacks and a forced fumble to go with 7 total tackles.  He abused both starting LT Trent Williams, and his replacement Jordan Black.  His efforts won Johnson this week’s AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.  He’s been a warrior all year, playing almost every snap.  Look out, Katie and Mike, he’s in a contract year.  Things might get expensive soon.
• Carlos Dunlap:  The Bengal pass rush is clearly better all across the line when Dunlap is in the game.  Despite Johnson’s 3 sacks, Dunlap is the best pass rusher on the team, and it could be argued that Johnson doesn’t get those sacks without the attention Dunlap draws.  The oft-injured former Gator is a full-fledged defensive playmaker, and his sack/fumble/recovery  (when he was supposedly out of position), led to a Bengals touchdown.
• Mo Sanu:  One throw, one touchdown.  A pretty nice ball for a wide receiver.  His pass set the tone for the game and immediately put the Skins on their heels.

Goats—These Bengals need to play better

• Rey Maualuga:  I don’t know how else to phrase what’s already been written.  The guy is playing slow, shooting the wrong gaps, and missing tackles.  I would not be surprised to see the team look at giving Dan Skuta or Rodrick Muckelroy some snaps in the middle, particularly if the Bengals get a lead Sunday.  With Vontaze Burfict now seemingly entrenched at Will, they probably won’t move him.  It’s clear that Maualuga needs to step up if he plans to keep his starting job.
• BJGE:  I really love what BenJarvus has brought to this team.  He’s about as effective as Cedric Benson was, but he’s got a much better attitude and can actually block and catch a little bit.  Despite my admiration for the guy, he has to get a goat award for Sunday.  He averaged only 2.2 yards per carry, and fumbled for the first time in his NFL career.  The Redskins recovered.  I know this will not be a weekly thing, but facts are facts.  Sorry, Law-dog.
• Andrew Whitworth:  Again, like BJGE, Whit is one of my favorite Bengals, and is underrated in league circles.  Nonetheless he was called for holding three times, and seemed to struggle a bit out there.  He needs to play better, particularly with teams like the Steelers, Baltimore, the Giants, and Denver still on the docket.  Those pass rushers are scary, and Whit has to protect Andy’s blind side better.

Bengals Game MVP:  Jay Gruden

I know he’s not a player, so he really can’t be MVP, but he did a phenomenal job calling plays.  Sunday might have just been the culmination of his work since being hired, but it shows just how brilliant a coach he is.  If what he was able to accomplish last year, in a strike-shortened offseason and a rookie QB and WR weren’t enough, seeing what he’s been putting together this year should convince you.  And according to him, they are still just scratching the surface of what’s possible.  The move back to the “West Coast Offense” (which originated in Cincy) has been great so far.  We could talk about Dalton’s numbers, or A.J. Green’s career day, or Armon Binns or my man Baby Hawk, but its Gruden that is taking these moving parts and turning them into a special offense.

Random Observations:  No Haikus

• They ran a little no-huddle.  That’s a good thing.  I’d like to see more of it in the weeks ahead, and I think we will.
• That fake field goal attempt was terrible.  I know that if it had worked I’d be saying it was brilliant, but I didn’t agree with the call at the time.  If Nugent would have kicked the field goal there, the final score would have been 41-31, and the nail-biting at the end wouldn’t have bee necessary.  Take away that Dalton interception, and it could have been 41-24.
• As bad as the defense looked, they only surrendered 24 points (7 was a pick-six on the offense), and 7 of the 24 were scored as time was winding down and the Bengals were largely playing a prevent defense.  Here’s hoping this is a sign of improvement.
• Carlos Dunlap’s impact on this team cannot be overstated.  He needs to stay healthy.
• Baby Hawk does nothing but impress. Every. Single. Play.
• I’m starting to wonder what the value is, exactly, to Bernard Scott being on the team.  He can’t seem to stay healthy, and didn’t do anything impressive Sunday.  Brian Leonard acquitted himself well with his opportunities, and frankly, I think he’s a better option to spell BJGE right now.
• I still hate Brandon Tate as a kick returner.  I cringe every time he catches a kick or a punt.  Here’s an idea, maybe Scott can go back to returning kick-offs if he ever gets healthy.  Let Scott handle the kick-offs and Adam Jones do the punts.  Tate can be relegated to back-up duty on both.  Please.
• RG3 is immensely talented, a phenomenal athlete, a natural leader, and a seemingly good person.  I like him a lot.  But he’s not going to survive 3 seasons if Mike Shanahan and his knucklehead son keep running the option with him.  He took some real shots from our guys Sunday.

RGIII had a tougher time than expected with the Bengal front seven

No matter how it may be achieved, victory in the NFL is hard to come by, and each one is sweet.  Such was the case last Sunday as our Queen City Cats, 3.5 point underdogs, went into FedEx field with its 80,000 screaming RGIII fanatics.  The 38-31 triumph was a heck of a game to watch, and it showed some exception growth for the team, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Let’s review my five keys and see how we did.

1. Score Early/Get Ahead:  Happened!

This was needed in my view to keep those 80,000 fans at bay.  Having personally been to FedEx field, I can tell you it gets very loud.  They love their Skins in DC, and it’s a challenging place to play.  Add to that it was their home opener, and the success Robert Griffin III has had so far, it could have gotten downright electric, and the Bengals proved in week one that they aren’t ready for that kind of environment. The Bengals needed to get up early and take the crowd out quickly, and they succeeded as Mohammed Sanu hooked up with A.J. Green on the first play from scrimmage for a 73-yard touchdown.  It immediately put the fans on notice. An ugly interception in the end zone tied the game right back up, but by the end of the second quarter, the Bengals were in command and dominating at 24-10 in front of quiet bleachers.  Of course, the Redskins made a huge push to get back into the game (twice) in the second half, and the crowd certainly rallied, but the Bengals were the better team and the fans knew it and sat on their hands a lot.

In our poll, 15% of readers felt this was the most important key to the game.

2.  Contain RGIII:  Happened!

The young Heisman-winner from Baylor is a dynamic talent, and may ultimately be even more of a double-threat than Michael Vick or Cam Newton, so determining if he was, in fact, “contained” may be a relative term to say the least.  Griffin III finished with 221 yards passing and a passing touchdown, plus 85 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown.  Those are outstanding numbers for any quarterback.  In addition, he led two comebacks from 14 or more points down, showing poise and leadership.  The guy is a playmaker and another next generation star at QB.  Nonetheless, I think we can give the Bengals defense a purple heart for a gutty performance.  Griffin III averaged only 7 yards per carry, which is good considering what he’s been doing so far this year, and he was sacked a whopping five times with even more pressures and hits.  Some of the hits were pretty brutal looking too. He had 3 fumbles, one of which was recovered by Carlos Dunlap that set up a Bengals touchdown.  While its clear the defense is still struggling in many areas, I think they handled the RGIII onslaught fairly well overall.

In our poll, 50% of readers felt this was the most important key to the game.

3.  Stop the Run:  Didn’t Happen.

Besides RGIII’s 85 rushing yards, Alfred Morris got 78 yards on 17 carries (4.58 yards per pop), scatback Brandon Backs got 29 on three carries, and Evan Royster got 21 yards on just 2 carries.  Add that up and it’s a whopping 213 yards on just 34 carries, a 6.26 YPC average.  Not good.  We knew the Skins were going to want to run it after they saw the Baltimore and Cleveland tape, and they seemed to have little difficulty getting yards.  Rey Maualuga continues to struggle in the middle.  It’s a real problem that needs immediate attention.  Maurice Jones-Drew, our next challenge, has to be liking what he’s seeing.

In our poll, 15% of readers felt this would be the most important key to the game.

4.  Unleash the Passing Game:  Happened!

Boy did it ever!  The Bengals were outstanding through the air this week, and Jay Gruden’s game plan was a masterpiece of creativity.  It started with Sanu’s beautiful bomb to A.J. Green on the first snap, and finished with a career day from Andy Dalton.  The Red Rifle matched his career high for TD’s with 3, (to three different receivers) plus 328 yards and another career high in passer rating at 132.9.  A.J. Green had a career best in receiving yards with 189 (leading all NFL receivers for the week), and Baby Hawk got another long touchdown.  Jermaine Gresham and Armon Binns got scores, and even rookie Orson Charles had a big catch.  The Washington secondary was torched by these guys all day.  Dalton continues to prove he’s for real, and no one seems to care about the #2 receiver position anymore, because we have lots of solid contributors.

In our poll, 50% of our readers saw this as the most important key of the game.

5.  Take Advantage of Redskin Injuries:  Didn’t Happen

I wouldn’t say the Bengals really took advantage here.  The offensive line gave up two sacks, which is not spectacular, but better than the previous two weeks so a case could be made that they benefited, but the running game was ineffective despite Washington missing front seven starters Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker.  The Redskins are missing Pierre Garcon in the passing game, but again that wasn’t something the Bengals could really exploit—just benefit from. The running game continues to be an issue on offense, though as more teams adjust to our new-look passing game, the backs may find more room to run.

In our poll, no one thought this would be the most important key to the game.  Good call guys!

My Prediction:  Bengals 30, Redskins 27

Actual Score:  Bengals 38, Redskins 31

The offense continues to progress and impress, and the special teams are solid.  The defense may have taken a slight step forward, but that’s debatable.  They are still this team’s Achilles Heel.  To be fair, they only surrendered 24 points (7 of their 31 came on a pick six), and they did generate 6 QB sacks.  Having Dunlap back certainly helped, and Michael Johnson stepped up.  The weakness of the defense remains with Rey Maualuga in the middle, and in the secondary.

That breeze that blew through Bengaldom this week wasn’t a tornado, but a collective sigh of relief as the team managed to—just barely—beat an outmanned and outgunned Browns squad at PBS in the home opener.  The Bengals were able to win the game while allowing rookie Brandon Weeden to put up 322 yards passing, and making rookie running back Trent Richardson look like Jim Brown.  In short, it got the job done, but wasn’t nearly what we hoped.

Through two games, we see some trends emerging:

1.  The offense is coming along.

2.  The special teams are solid to say the least, and sometimes superlative.

3.  The defense, thought to be the team’s strength, has been putrid.

Putrid might be too nice a word.  Pathetic is more like it.  Both Ray Rice and Trent Richardson have shredded the front seven, and the secondary has scorch marks on their backs.

As good as this offense can become, they can’t win shoot-outs every week.  Mike Zimmer needs to pop the hood and get to work—and fast.  RGIII is the next challenge du jour.

But winning still felt good, and with that, I’ll pass along this week’s hit list:

Since we got a “W” we’ll start with the heroes:

Heroes—These Bengals shined in Sunday’s win:

• Adam Jones:  Jones got the Bengals on the board early after first Browns possession ended with a punt.  He fielded the booming kick at the 19-yard line, juked the initial rush, then darted down the left side to pay dirt.  The touchdown on special teams was ultimately the difference in the football game (as sad as that sounds).  He had two other solid punt returns, as well as a 31-yard kick-off return.  All that earned him AFC Special Teams player of the week honors. The former Pacman seems to have his head on straight and is staying healthy.  If that trend continues, he’ll be extremely helpful for field position and continue to serve as a capable nickel back.
• Andy Dalton:  Despite taking some sacks he shouldn’t have, the Rifle played a very solid overall game.  He finished with 318 yards and 3 touchdown passes to three different receivers.  He also showed poise in the pocket, and versatility outside of it. He got all of his receivers involved and displayed plenty of arm strength on the deep throws, including a 44-yard bomb to Brandon Tate.  Dalton’s up for FedEx Air player of the week.
• Andrew Hawkins:  Baby Hawk continues to impress.  The guys is a gamer and came through in a big way again on Sunday.  With Dalton flushed to his right, Hawkins shook free of his man, squatted in a passing lane, caught the short laser from Dalton, then used incredible short-area quickness and agility to maneuver around a half dozen would-be tacklers on his way to the end zone.  Big ups to Brian Leonard for a heck of a block on the play as well.  The touchdown early in the fourth quarter made it a two-score game and gave the Bengals some breathing room.  Hawk only had one other catch on the day, so I think there’s still lots of juice yet to squeeze out of this playmaker.
• Armon Binns:  Tate had the touchdown catch, but Binns was the starter and played a strong game as the second receiver with 5 catches for 66 yards.  He did a great job beating the press on one play for a first down, and showed some good athleticism out there.  He also earned some tough guy points after taking a hellacious shot to the head on a crossing route over the middle that should result in a fine.  Of course there was no penalty called, even though it was more egregious than even a Taylor Mays shot.
• Michael Johnson:  The undersized end from Georgia Tech was a warrior Sunday and the only defensive player worthy of recognition.  With Carlos Dunlap deactivated and Jamaal Anderson hurt, Johnson played an incredible 90% of the snaps on defense, and recorded a sack and a big fumble recovery when the Browns were driving into Bengal territory.

 Goats—These Bengals need to play better

• Rey Maualuga:  This dude is just not getting it done.  I don’t know if he’s overthinking, or not getting the right coaching, or if he’s just overrated and not ready to be the leader of the defense.  The bottom line is he needs to get better fast, or its time for the Burfit Regime to take over.
• Jeff Faine:  Our new center had problems all day with the Cleveland DT’s, resulting in at least 2 sacks/pressures on Dalton.  As Center, he’s responsible for calling the blocking, and when your QB takes six sacks, it’s safe to say it wasn’t tight enough (though Dalton shares some blame).
• Jermaine Gresham:  4 catches for 37 yards.  Not good enough for a first round pick and the first TE picked in a draft with Gronkowski, Hernandez and Graham.  He did make a big third down conversion at the end of the game, but juggled it and could have very nearly been incomplete.  While the young receivers are stepping up, Gresham isn’t doing enough out there.
• The Secondary:  It’s hard to single out any individual player.  No one looked particularly good.  I saw wide open Browns receivers, blown coverages, and poor tackling all day from this group.

 Game MVP:  Andy Dalton

Over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, a 77.4% completion percentage, 10.3 yards per attempt and a whopping 128.2 passer rating.  Good stuff.  His one interception was on a tipped ball.  A great bounce-back game after the Monday Night debacle.

 Random Observations:  No haikus

• As nice as Brandon Tate’s 44-yard catch was, he continues to frustrate me as a kick returner.  He seems oblivious to the odds of returning a kick from 8 or 9 yards deep, and just isn’t very fast or quick.  The way he carries the ball makes me cringe too.
• With Jamaal Anderson now down for the year, the injuries keep piling up.  We’ve lost his contribution on the defensive line, along with two expected starters on the offensive line in Travelle Wharton and Kyle Cook, plus our best linebacker in Thomas Howard.   It’s tough to replace all of those key contributors so early in the season. 
• Meanwhile, defensive stalwarts Carlos Dunlap, Pat Sims, and Jason Allen have yet to play a down, and our top draft choice, Dre Kirkpatrick is still sidelined.  It looks like all but Kirkpatrick and Sims (who’s on PUP) will be ready for Washington, which is huge.
• Lastly, the replacement referees continue to struggle.  They did a terrible job again on Sunday throughout the league.  They should get better over time, but they look completely in over their heads.

Well, despite the ongoing defensive deficiencies (and boy are there), the Bengals did manage to win the game on Sunday, and that feels a heck of a lot better than last week.

Still, there are glaring problems on the defense.  Ironically, the defense was supposed to carry the offense, but Sunday it was the offense staying working hard to stay one step ahead because the defense was Swiss cheese. 

Next up is the Redskins and RGIII, who can make any defense look foolish.  Coach Zimmer’s got his work cut out.

In the meantime, let’s review the five keys to victory from last week, and see how our Queen City Cats did:

1.  Contain Richardson:  Didn’t Happen

The rookie running back out of Alabama had his coming out party, with 109 yards rushing on 19 carries (5.73 average) with a 32-yard scoring run in which he outran the entire defense to the edge. He also picked up 4 catches for 36 yards, including another brilliant touchdown in which he juked or bowled over 4 Bengal defenders on his way to pay dirt.  The Bengals were fairly good at bottling him up on the straight, off-tackle runs, but breakdowns and poor tackling haunted the defense.  Richardson is the real deal and will be a player to reckon with in the battle of Ohio.  More importantly for now, Zimmer needs to find out how to fix this fast.

2.  Contain Cribbs:  Happened!

The Bengals special team coverage units were solid all game.  Cribbs never got a return past the 37 yard line despite multiple returns.  There still isn’t a lot of depth to Mike Nugent’s kick-offs, but the coverage teams were filling the lanes and tackling well.  Cribbs never got an opportunity to give the Browns a score or a short field.  Unfortunately, they didn’t really need it most of the game.

3.  Pressure Weeden:  Didn’t Happen

Despite the rookie QB’s ugly performance in week one, the Bengal secondary was loose in coverage, and the front seven barely got to Weeden, even when blitzing.  The defense registered just two sacks (one each for Michael Johnson and Vincent Rey).  For most of the game Weeden had a pretty clean pocket and was able to find open receivers before the rush got to him.  The Bengals clearly miss Carlos Dunlap and Dontay Moch.  The problem just got even worse thanks to an apparent season-ending injury to DE Jamaal Anderson.  The Bengals will be working out free agent DE’s today.

4.  Call the Law:  Happened! (sort of)

The Bengals did get BJGE plenty of opportunities with the ball, and he acquitted himself well overall.  His 3.5 yard per carry average is very Benson-like, but he didn’t have the same number of negative plays we’ve been accustomed to from Cedric.  Aside from a few carries where the Browns ran a run-blitz, he was able to get 4 yards or more on the ground, and he was again able to pick up a big 3^rd-and-short off the right side.  He also did well in blitz pick-up and had 3 catches for 30 yards.  I was hoping for a bigger day from BJGE, but it was solid and workmanlike nonetheless.

5.  Exploit Haden’s Absence:  Happened!

Both Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown were down for the Browns, and Andy Dalton certainly took advantage.  Dalton finished 24 of 31 (77%) for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 10-yarder to A.J. Green, a 44-yarder to Brandon Tate, and a 50 yarder to Andrew Hawkins.  Armon Binns also had a solid game with 5 catches for 66 yards, and Jermaine Gresham had a big 3^rd down completion at the end of the game.  There was also a big P.I. Call Marvin Jones collected that helped set up a scoring drive. Throughout the contest, the overmatched back-up Cleveland DB’s gave plenty of cushion to Cincy receivers, and it paid off for Dalton. 

Scenario Review:  The game played out pretty much as I anticipated.  It was no blow out, and the Browns couldn’t pull off the upset. The Bengals looked like the better team, but thanks to defensive breakdowns and boneheaded plays, Cleveland was right in it until the end–just enough to keep you nervous.   One thing I didn’t anticipate was another putrid performance by the defense.  Right now, it’s straight-up fugly.

My Prediction:  Bengals 23, Browns 13

Actual Score:  Bengals 34, Browns 27

Ultimately, the offense did their job, and the special teams more than did theirs (Adam Jones’s punt return TD was the difference).  The defense is holding this team back.

After holding leads of 7-0 and 10-7, the Bengals let the Texans score 24 unanswered points.

In the end, the Bengals unfortunately proved what many had said:  They weren’t quite ready for this.  The Texans were, and won going away, 31-10.

The Bengals proved they couldn’t stop the Texans running game, and they proved their offense couldn’t put up points in a loud, hostile playoff environment.

The defense that had been first in the league and stout against the run in the first half of the year, withered in the face of a stellar running back for the second week in a row.  Their tackling was lazy and weak and their gap discipline wasn’t what it had been in the early part of the year.

On offense, Andy Dalton picked a bad time to finally look like a rookie, throwing 3 interceptions with one taken back for a touchdown.

The Texans succeeded in shutting down A.J. Green, kept Cedric Benson bottled up (to the tune of just 14 yards), and took a very close game in the first half, and blew it open in the second.

All three phases failed.  The offense committed 3 turnovers and looked confused and uncertain for the entire second half.  They didn’t score a point in the final 34 minutes of the game. The defense let Arian Foster run wild, got no appreciable push on the pass rush, and forced no turnovers, despite the Texans putting the ball on the turf multiple times.  Allowing 153 yards to Arian Foster was inexcusable. Their tackling was abysmal. Special teams failed with a missed field goal, and could not win the field position battle.

Worst of all, the coaching staff failed miserably.  Marvin Lewis’ two first half challenges were bone-headed. Maybe now that Lewis is 0-3 in the postseason he’ll re-evaluate how he approaches these things.  Something needs to change.

In all three games, the Bengals got the match-up they wanted yet wilted like a tulip in the snow. They were better than the Steelers in 2005, better than the Jets in 2009, and better than these Texans today, but simply couldn’t get it done. At least  they didn’t do it in front of the home crowd this time.

Of course, the future is certainly bright for the Bengals.  Despite today’s performance, Andy Dalton looks to be the franchise quarterback that can replace Carson Palmer.  A.J. Green is a future star in the league, and the defense has a strong foundation for the future.  They have a king’s ransom of draft picks for April, and will be a more desirable locale for top free agents.

But none of that matters right now.  Right now, the Bengals must face the reality that their season is over, and that they did not answer the bell.  Twenty one years and counting.

The Bengals fell to the Ravens, 24-16 today, in a game they needed to win to secure a playoff spot. With their playoff future on the line, they were unable to stop Ray Rice, and fell to 1-7 against teams with a winning record. It was a big game failure that’s all too familiar for the Marvin Lewis era.

Luckily, the Bengals are in the playoffs anyway thanks to similar choke jobs by the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Oakland Raiders.  Cincinnati needed the Jets to lose to the Dolphins in the 1:00 game, then needed either Denver to lose to the Chiefs, or for Oakland to fall to San Diego to punch their postseason ticket with a loss.  It turns out that they got all three.

Even before Andy Dalton’s desperation Hail Mary pass fell incomplete, the game became an afterthought as fans at a sold-out Paul Brown Stadium were celebrating the team’s second playoff berth in three years as the scoreboard showed Kansas City’s 7-3 win over Tim Tebow’s Denver Broncos.

A 38-26 Oakland loss to the Chargers minutes after the game just provided good measure.

As for the game in Cincy, the Bengals fell victim to a monster game from RB Ray Rice.  Sadly, the defense held him largely in check except for two giant runs, but it was those two runs that killed the Cats. His 70-yard dash down the right sideline in the first quarter put the Ravens ahead to start the game, and his 51-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter all but sealed the win, making it a two possession game with under 6 minutes to play. Both runs came on 3^rd-and-one. 

Rice finished with 191 yards on 24 carries.  Without the two scoring runs, he averaged just 3.18 yards per carry. 

Turnovers kill, and that old adage was proven again as Rice’s second score was set up after Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham fumbled at midfield.  It was the only turnover of the game for either team, and occurred with the Bengals down 17-13 and driving.

After the score, the Bengals immediately moved downfield down 24-13 and got into the red zone, but failed to convert.  They settled for Mike Nugent’s chip shot field goal and a 24-16 lead with 2:40 seconds left.  Nugent hit from 23, 46, and 46 and missed from 36.

They forced a Ravens punt, and with no timeouts and a little over a minute to go, the Bengals were able to get inside the Ravens 40 yard line, but simply ran out of time again. Andy Dalton’s two desperation heaves to the end zone fell incomplete, though A.J. Green got his hands on both of them.

The win for Baltimore locks up the AFC North for the Ravens, and as the second seed they’ll enjoy a first round bye. Pittsburgh is thus relegated to the first wildcard, and will travel to Denver in the first round.  The Bengals will visit 3^rd-seeded Houston, who lost their finale to the Titans 23-22. 

The match-up with the Texans is an appealing one for the Bengals, who can exact revenge for a last-second loss to Houston a few weeks ago in a game they led the whole way. However, Mike Zimmer has to be concerned about his run defense after giving up 221 yards on the ground and facing Houston’s dynamic duo of Ben Tate and Arian Foster.

The Bengals leap back into the playoff picture with a 23-16 win

Thank God for Early Doucet’s two left feet.

The Cardinals wide-out was mystifyingly left uncovered on fourth down with 1:11 left in the game and dashed into the end zone where QB John Skelton had lofted a perfect pass, but Doucet tripped over his own feet at the goal line, and the pass fell incomplete, virtually assuring Cincinnati of the 23-16 escape.

Of course, it should never have been that close.

The Bengals played a near perfect first half to secure a 20-0 advantage.  The defense suffocated Skelton, RB Beanie Wells, and WR Larry Fitzgerald, collecting two interceptions and 3 sacks in shutting out the Cardinal offense through the first stanza. The Bengal offense meanwhile was superb, with 6 scoring opportunities in 6 first half possessions.  If it wasn’t for Mike Nugent’s two missed field goals, the score could have easily been 26-0 at the break.

But teams have tendencies.  Cincinnati’s tendency is to squandered second half leads with overly-conservative play and poorly-timed gaffes, and the Cardinals had won 4 straight thanks to late game heroics.  Not a good mix.

After the Cardinals finally got on the board at 23-7, the Bengals started to get sloppy.   First, a Cedric Benson fumble set up Arizona at the Bengals 39 with 9:19 to go. It took Skelton all of 4 plays and 1:34 to score with a 2-yard pass to TE Jeff King and a 23-13 score.  The Cards went for two and failed.

After a squibbed kickoff, the Bengals got the ball back with  7:39 left and could only burn off a minute and 17 seconds before punting.  The Cardinals quickly moved from their own 21-yard line all the way to the Cincinnati one, thanks in large part to some blown coverages in the Cincinnati secondary, but after a John Skelton fumble, the defense was able to force Jay Feely’s 29-yard field goal and a 23-16 Cincy advantage.

With 3:16 left in the game, the Bengals looked to run out the clock, but Cedric Benson’s first down carry resulted in his second lost fumble of the game, and 5th fumble in 2 games. I mentioned during the week that Benson’s ball security was a concern, and it proved almost fatal. Kerry Rhodes pounced on his second fumble recovery of the game, and the Cards were in great shape to force the tie. 

But Early Doucet bailed the Bengals out.

The win, terrifyingly ugly as it was, nonetheless was exactly what the Bengals needed.  They were able to beat a good team at home to keep their playoff hopes alive.  It was something the Jets could not do, as they fell at home to the Giants 29-14. 

Now, the Bengals playoff dreams, at one point fading fast and statistically shown to be at a mere 13%, are now within their grasp.  The Bengals again control their own destiny.  Beat Baltimore at home next Sunday, and the Bengals are in as the second wild card in the AFC.  Unfortunately, thanks to the Steelers win over St. Louis, the Ravens will still have very much to play for on Sunday.  The Ravens will need to beat the Bengals to win the AFC North and secure a first-round bye. A Ravens loss coupled with a Steelers win over Cleveland makes Pittsburgh AFC North champs and the Ravens the 5th seed.

If the Bengals are to punch their post-season ticket, they’ll get no kid gloves from the Ravens.  Nonetheless, for the second time in 2 weeks the games fell the way Cincinnati needed them to.  Now, with one game to play, this young and hungry Bengals team has their preseason goal right in front of them for the taking.

Sure would be nice to see a sold out PBS for that one.

Who Dey!

A.J. Green has only played the Browns twice, but he's killed them both times

The Bengals won today 23-20 after being down 17-7 at the half.  How?

A.J. Green is a Browns killer.  He did it in week one when his touchdown catch in the last minutes of the fourth quarter proved to be the deciding points in an opening game defeat of Cleveland.  He did it again today, in spectacular fashion.  The Georgia rookie finished with just three catches, but for 110 yards and a dramatic game winning grab when he snatched a high 3^rd-and-8 pass from Andy Dalton and raced 51 yards to the Browns 2-yard line with 48 seconds left to give the Bengals the advantage in a deadlocked 20-20 game.

It was the culmination of a survival game for the Bengals, who were precariously close to dropping their third division game in a row for more than 59 minutes.  Indeed, Mike Nugent’s chip shot field goal provided the Bengals with their first lead of the game. 

It was a rough day.

Down by 10 with five minutes left in the 3^rd quarter, the Bengals were on the ropes.  Defensively, the Bengals were having trouble containing Peyton Hillis and the Browns passing game. They were lucky Greg Little dropped numerous passes, as that seemed to be their best defensive play. On offense, the team that shredded Baltimore last week, could not find nearly as much success against a very game Browns defense.  The Cleveland defensive line, in particular, played well, harassing Dalton for much of the game.

At times, they looked downright bad.  But as we’ve learned so often this year, with Andy Dalton under center, this team can never be counted out. 

Down 17-7 at the half, the Bengals knew they would need another second half comeback from Dalton, and he delivered—once again—after failing the last 2 weeks.  And again this time, it took until the Bengals’ last offensive possession to decide the game.

It started with the score knotted at 20 with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game.  Cleveland had put together a solid drive to get inside the Bengals 35 yard line at the 2:00 warning.  After failing to convert 3^rd-and-long, Browns Coach Pat Shurmur sent Kicker Phil Dawson out for a 55-yard field goal attempt into the wind.  Dawson had connected from 52 with the wind in the first half, and it had plenty of distance left.  Luckily for the Bengals, the snap was low, skipping across the turf, which caused a bad hold and a missed kick.

The Bengals took over at midfield with a chance to win with a scoring drive with 1:51 left.  After an incompletion to Jerome Simpson and a 2-yard gain on a delayed hand-off to Brian Leonard, Dalton lined up in a shotgun formation on 3^rd-and-8 at their own 47.  Dalton dropped back, and a split second before getting drilled by defensive tackle Ahtaya Rubin, he lofted a pass down the center of the field. Green elevated above DB Joe Haden, pulled in the ball, and then dashed down the right sideline before being knocked out at the 2 with 58 seconds left.

The Bengals proceeded to run 3 times, forcing the Browns to use all of their time-outs before Mike Nugent booted a 23-yard field goal for the lead. With only 38 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, the Browns couldn’t manage any threat, turning the ball over on downs.

Despite playing perhaps their worst team game in weeks, the Bengals pulled out the win, moving to 7-4 on the season, keeping pace in the division and holding onto the final wildcard spot.

The Browns drop to 4-7, now 4 games out of the lead in the AFC North.

Next week, the Bengals travel to Heinz Field for the second match-up with Pittsburgh.  The Steelers play the Chiefs  in Kansas City Sunday night.

Notes:

• The Bengals had only 143 total yards at halftime and 7 points.  They finished the game with 23 points and 389 total yards.
• Cedric Benson had his 3rd 100-yard day of the season, and his second this year against Cleveland.  Benson finished with 106 yards on 21 carries.
• The Bengals special teams were able to contain Joshua Cribbs.  Cribbs averaged just 21 yards on 5 kick-off returns, and 6 yards on 3 punt returns.
• DT Pat Sims was taken to the locker room in the second half on a cart with an apparent leg or knee injury.

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t beat the Bengals Sunday.  They survived, holding on to dear life to win the game by seven despite enjoying a 17-point cushion in the fourth quarter.  Despite most prognosticators giving the Bengals no chance, the game wasn’t decided until Andy Dalton was sacked of fourth-and-goal with 33 seconds remaining. 

The topic garnering most of the post-game reflection isn’t the performance of the rookie (which was spectacular notwithstanding his 3 interceptions), or how well the Ravens played.  For most Bengal fans, the game was lost due to an official replay review.  For anyone who was under a rock, in a bomb shelter, or otherwise unawares, let me set the stage for you:

The score is Baltimore 31, Cincinnati 21, and there are 5:35 seconds left in the fourth quarter.  The Bengals line up for a 3rd-and-2 play at the Ravens 9-yard line.  Andy Dalton takes the snap, and throws a dart to TE Jermaine Gresham at about the 2 yard line, near the left sideline.  Gresham bobbles the pass, then obtains possession, then gets both feet in bounds, and crosses the plane of the goal line before falling out of bounds.  Upon hitting the ground, the ball–secured in Gresham’s right hand–moves a bit.  However, his hand never leaves the football.  The official nearest the play throws his arms in the air.  Touchdown, Bengals–31-27.

As a scoring play, it is automatically reviewed.  After much deliberation, Referee Ron Winter announces that due to the ball moving, the pass is incomplete.  The Bengals settle for Mike Nugent’s chip shot field goal, making the score 31-24.   The Bengals would get the ball back and make it all the way to the Ravens 17 yard line before they ran out of downs.  Had the score been 31-28, they would have kicked a game tying field goal instead of attempting a 4th-and-goal from the 17.

Winter’s call is in reference to the now infamous “Calvin Johnson rule” which is still as confusing as ever.  Winter argued that Gresham had to maintain control through the catch, and since the ball moved upon his contact with the ground, he did not fulfill that obligation.  However, the argument from the Bengal perspective is that:

1.  He caught the ball

2.  He got two feet inbounds

3.  He crossed the plane of the end zone with the ball in his possession.

Therefore, it’s a touchdown.  In my interpretation of the rule and looking at the replay, it seems clear that Gresham has absolute control of the ball all the way through the act of getting both feet in bounds and over the pylon.  At that point, even if the ball dislodged upon his contact with the ground (out of bounds), it’s a simple “ground can’t cause a fumble” ruling. Indeed, Dan Dierdorf and Greg Gumbel, who were calling the game for CBS seemed to agree. At a minimum, it didn’t appear to be enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field of touchdown.  Unfortunately, Winter’s opinion is the only one that mattered. 

The Monday aftermath is suggesting that Bengals might have gotten hosed.  Take this point-of-view from former NFL head of officiating, Mike Periera:

Gresham was going to the ground to complete the catch, but he had complete control of the ball in his right hand before the ball hit the ground,” Pereira wrote. “I do agree that the ball moves slightly when it hits the ground, but in this case Gresham kept his right hand on the ball the entire time. The ball will always move, which is why referees are told never to use that terminology. You either maintain possession or you lose possession, which means your hands come off the ball.In the end, it’s all about judgment. But you need absolutely indisputable evidence to overturn a ruling on the field.”

Marvin Lewis’ reaction after the game was this:

“I was told because he went to the ground, once he had the ball that he had to maintain it through the catch. But he broke the plane with the ball outside the end zone and then crossed the end zone with the ball and possession, so I would think it would be a touchdown. But obviously [referee] Ron [Winter] called what he called.”

Then there’s this commentary from Mike Florio over at PFT:

10.  Catching up with what’s a catch.

It had been five weeks since the last time the Calvin Johnson rule reared its head in a game situation.  On Sunday, the Bengals lost a touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham via the application of a rule that routinely defies with the expectations of the reasonable fan.

Gresham bobbled the ball near the end zone, got possession of it in the vicinity of the goal line, took two steps, fell to the ground with the ball in one hand, and lost the ball when the hand holding it struck the ground.

This year, the league has emphasized the element of time, treating such plays as valid receptions if the receiver who, while going to the ground, had enough time to make a football move, regardless of whether a football move was actually made.  And that seems to be what Gresham did.  Or at least could have done.

Perhaps more importantly, the fact the officials in real-time called it a catch (and thus a touchdown) would require conclusive 100-drunks-in-a-bar evidence to overturn the play.  With the question of whether Gresham had enough time to make a football move a topic that strays into the realm of professional judgment, referee Ron Winter should have deferred to the ruling on the field that Gresham had possession long enough to make a football move.

The outcome reconfirms that the league needs to clean up the rule book once and for all regarding what is and what isn’t a catch when a receiver hits the ground.  The “football move” exception is a twist on the uncodified “second act” rule, which allowed the requirement of maintaining possession through the ground to be disregarded when the receiver manages to break the plane of the goal line while falling.

The NFL needs to just start over, crafting a simple rule that the officials can consistently apply — and that meshes with what a reasonable person would regard to be a catch, or not a catch.

As always, the proper interpretation as a fan is to realize that one play does not win or lose a game.  There were dozens of other plays and calls that had equal influence on the final outcome.  Nonetheless, the Bengals have a legitimate gripe, and the NFL needs to address this rule and the application of it this offseason. 

Robbed by Refs?

The Bengals withstood 3 turnovers, and 14 Raven points off those turnovers, plus several ugly defensive breakdowns and a horrendous call by the officials to make the game very interesting.  But in the end, these steel-belted Bengals couldn’t pull the raven out of the hat in Baltimore, finally succumbing with just 33 ticks left on the clock, 31-24.

It looked like the Ravens had scored a knockout when they scored 14 points in less than 2 minutes between the end of the 3^rd and the beginning of the 4^th quarters.  Baltimore capitalized on two Andy Dalton interceptions (and some poor secondary work by the Bengal safeties and corners) to pull to a comfortable 31-14 lead.

The first interception gave the Ravens the ball at the Cincinnati 2-yard line.  Ray Rice darted into the end zone and the Ravens secured the 10-point advantage, 24-14.  After the Bengals got the kickoff and picked up one first down, Dalton’s pass for Andre Caldwell went just passed his outstretched arms and into the diving grasp of Raven corner Ladarius Webb.  The Ravens went for the jugular on their first play from there at the Bengal 38-yard line.  Joe Flacco hit rookie WR Torrey Smith in stride in the end zone.  Smith had ran right past Chris Crocker to pay dirt.

But these Bengals don’t give up quite that easily.

With a real sense of urgency, and without any hesitation,  Dalton engineered a quick tempo, no-huddle attack, culminating in a 49-yard strike to Andre Caldwell. 

Boom.  31-21.

The Bengal defense stiffened, and forced a Ravens punt with 9:06 to play.  Red Dalton quickly got the Bengals downfield again, quickly getting inside the 10.

And then the Refs got involved.

On 3^rd-and-2 from the Baltimore 9, Dalton hit TE Jermaine Gresham at the 2.  Gresham bobbled the pass, but appeared to catch it, get both feet in bounds, and cross the plane of the goal line.  The official at the play called it a touchdown, but after the review, Referee Ron Winter indicated that Gresham’s hand lost control of the ball after he landed out of bounds, making the pass incomplete.

This one will be debated all week. 

If it was a touchdown, the Bengals would have been down only 3 with over 5 minutes left to play.  Instead, they settled for Mike Nugent’s chip shot field goal and a 7-point deficit at 31-24.

After the kickoff, the Ravens were able to secure one first down, but had to eventually punt from their own 46 with 2:39 left.  The Bengals had two time-outs and 86 yards to go. 

Dalton, who would tie Dan Marino and Peyton Manning on this day for most touchdown passes for a rookie through 10-games since the 1970 merger, came through.  The Red Rifle uncorked a 43-yard bomb to Jerome Simpson, setting up the Bengals at the Raven 7-yard line with 50 seconds left.

The wheels then came off of the comeback bid.  Dalton’s pass to Andrew Hawkins on first down fell incomplete.  On second-and-goal, Dalton was flagged for intentional grounding as he heaved the ball out of bounds to avoid a sack from Terrelle Suggs.  On the resulting 3^rd-and goal from the 17, Dalton was again pressured and his pass to Simpson fell incomplete.  On fourth-and goal, he was sacked, ending the game.

Once again, this Bengal team has shown us that they are slow starters, but fast finishers.  Throughout much of the season, that’s been enough to beat teams like Cleveland, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Indy, Seattle, and Tennessee.  However, early-game mistakes and late game heroics aren’t enough to beat the better teams like San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore.  The fact that the Bengals put up nearly 500 yards of offense on the Ravens defense is impressive.  The fact that they did that and only lost by 7 despite spotting the Ravens a 17 point lead in the second half and 14 points off turnovers is equally impressive.

As impressive as that was, it will still be viewed as a lost opportunity.  The Bengals had a chance to snag first place in the AFC North.  Instead, they are a game behind both the Ravens and the idle Steelers, and they’ve lost the head-to-head with them both.  After starting the season 6-2, the Bengals have dropped 2 straight games to start the second half of the year.

The Bengals will host Cleveland next Sunday.  The Browns beat Jacksonville today 14-10.  The Bengals will need to get into the left-hand column to keep pace with their divisional foes and maintain position for a playoff spot.

Nick Seuberling and Timm Bates recap the Bengals 34-12 victory over the Seattle Seahawks! It’s the Bengals first win on the road following a bye week in the Marvin Lewis era. Speaking of Marvin, with Sunday’s win he surpassed Sam Wyche for the all time lead in wins with 65.

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Nick Seuberling and Timm Bates recap the Bengals 30-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Nick Seuberling recaps the Bengals 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos.

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Nick Seuberling and Timm Bates recap the Bengals 27-17 win over the Cleveland Browns.

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Who-Dey Postgame will debut this Sunday and will start 30 minutes after the game ends here at WhoDeyFans.com/postgame. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Bengals will not allow callers during the 90 minute postgame show hosted by Alan Cutler. Even more reason for you to tune in to Who-Dey Postgame. Our phone lines will be open 15 minutes prior to the show starting, call 1-724-444-7444 and use call code 97893.

You can also email the show at podcast@whodeyfans.com, or send us your tweets @whodeyweekly.

Looking forward to hearing from Bengals fans across the world! WHODEY!