Bengals Run Over Hapless Browns

The Cincinnati Bengals played the ball control game as they ran down the Cleveland Browns throats in a 16-7 workman like victory. The Bengals held the ball for just over 38 minutes as they rushed for 210 yards on the ground.

The Browns were simply unable to stop the Bengals two-headed rushing attack of Larry Johnson and Bernard Scott. With Cedric Benson out for the second straight game with a hip injury, the team continued to impose its will in the running game. Johnson had 22 carries for 107 yards; Scott had 87 yards on 18 carries.

The stellar play of the Benglas defense continued Sunday. An overmatched Brady Quinn looked awful, going 15/34 for 100 yards. That’s a 51.3 QB rating. He threw behind several receivers. His passes too often were at the shoelaces. A couple of times, he threw downfield between two receivers—but the pass was so bad, that it was hard to know who the intended receiver was.

Quinn wasn’t even pressured much by the Bengals front four, but the pass coverage was once again top notch. The linebackers were all over the field, especially Brandon Johnson and his eight tackles. The Browns finished with only 58 yards on the ground and 169 total.

Overall the game plan was incredibly vanilla. The Bengals had zero trick plays and lots of runs between the tackles. No reason to empty the play book in a game like this.

"There are no tosses or loop-di-loop plays. It's basically, `Line up and go after it,' " Johnson said.

Punter Kevin Huber was able to keep the ball out of Josh Cribbs on punt returns and he barely touched the ball at all. Although he did throw an 18 yard bomb to Quinn that was the second biggest offense play all day for the Browns.

The Browns defense knew what was coming but simply couldn’t do anything about it. Carson Palmer had a pedestrian 110 yards, completing 13 of 24 passes with a touchdown. He didn’t have an exceptionally accurate day. He has gone 15 straight games without having a 300-yard passing day. He only has two TD tosses in the past four games.

Palmer has really adapted to the “game manger” role in this offense. He doesn’t have to do it all for the Bengals to have a chance. He continues to take care of the ball and be the leader on offense.

"It felt like a bad-weather game," said Palmer. "It was just a physical, run the ball, control the field position and feed off the defense game."

Past concerns did arise during the game. The team is averaging around 18 points a game minus the Bears 45 point explosion. The offense is settling for field goals and getting killed by penalties. An infuriating 10 penalties for 75 yards continually killed momentum on drives.

The main culprits were the offensive line—too many holding penalties. The pass protection was below average as well. As great as the run blocking was, the pass blocking was pretty awful. Palmer was sacked three times and hurried throughout the game.

Chad Ochocinco (three receptions for 38 yards) is still playing at a high level, but if teams take him away, Palmer is struggling find other receivers. Partly because they are not getting open, and also because he is getting hit before he can get to that second or third read.

So what does it all mean? Well 8-3 is 8-3. A perfect 6-0 divisional sweep for the first time in franchise history is a tremendous achievement. But there are still things that need to be cleaned up.

CBS Sports analyst Boomer Esiason said it perfectly after the game. Maybe it’s a good thing that the Bengals haven’t hit on all cylinders yet. They are doing what needs to be done in order to win the game. Maybe they’re saving the best for December and January.

"If we can run the football and play good defense, I can drive into the stadium pretty confident most days, and that's a good feeling," coach Marvin Lewis said. "I think we are at that point."

Ten Reasons Why the Bengals Lost to the Raiders

Talk about your classic "Don't let a bad team hang around" game. The Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t hold a 14-0 lead and let the Raiders slowly inch back into this ugly contest. The Raiders scored 10 unanswered points over the final minute to take a 20-17 win. How did this possibly happen?

1. The playcalling on offense. The Bengals abandoned the passing game in the second half. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski called way too many runs on second and third and long. Bernard Scott did rush for 119 yards on 19 carries but didn’t convert enough third downs to run out the clock.

Fullback Jermi Johnson had a key fourth quarter fumble with the Bengals inside the Raiders 15-yard line. He almost never gets a carry, why decide to give him one when Scott was running so well? For the day the Bengals had three fumbles and QB Carson Palmer’s last hail mary was picked off to make it four total turnovers.

2. The previously invincible offensive line couldn’t protect Palmer in the second half. The Raiders were getting consistent pressure which led to an antsy Palmer. He rushed numerous throws in addition to the strip-fumble

3. Shayne “franchise tag” Graham shanked a 37-yard field goal that ended up costing his team. This guy used to have the highest percentage of made field goals of all-time. He is now a below average kicker that will most likely not be a Bengal next year.

4. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer allowed rookie nickel cornerback Morgan Trent to “cover” Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy on the final drive.

Trent got twisted around when getting burned by Murphy’s game-tying, 29-yard TD with 33 seconds remaining. The rookie sixth-round draft pick has played well up to today, but QB Bruce Gradkowski kept throwing his way in the fourth quarter.

This was the first game the Bengals really could have used recently IR’ed safety Roy Williams.

5. With Bernard Scott (21 carries, 119 yards) promoted to starting tailback in the wake of Benson’s deactivation, the kickoff return job fell by default back to Andre Caldwell.

Caldwell fumbled Oakland’s kickoff with 0:27 on the clock, setting up Sebastian Janikowski’s game-winning, 33-yard field goal with 0:15 remaining. Caldwell shouldn’t have even returned it as he caught the ball mid-way in the end zone.

Scott had returned a kick to the house last week against Pittsburgh after a mediocre performance by Caldwell to start the season.

6. Their opening drive, which went for a touchdown, was more crappy magazine than textbook perfection. The drive covered 78 yards, but included six plays for negative yards. Three were penalties. Chad OchoCinco had two false starts and the team overall seemed to lack focus.

7. Cincinnati is 0-10 in Oakland, 1-14 on the road vs. the Raiders. Not sure what it means but that is not a good stat for the Bengals. The Oakland Coliseum was half empty and the crowd was a non-factor. Didn’t matter

8. The Bengals have scored less than 20 points six times in 10 games. Since putting up 45 against the Bears, the Bengals have combined to score 45 in the last three games.

9. The prevent D in the last two minutes. Soft coverage, shoddy tackling, and no pressure on the QB… sound like a recipe for success??

10. Jonathan Joseph lets a game-ending interception fly right through his hands. On one of the final plays on the game-tying TD drive, QB Bruce Gradkowski threw a rocket that Joseph jumped the route and simply didn’t catch.

“We didn’t play winning football long enough or consistently enough. When you don’t win we better learn a hell of a lesson because we paid a hell of a price.”

—Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game. Sounds about right.

The New York Knicks Needed Allen Iverson

The NBA is about winning, just like every other sport. It is also about entertainment. You must entertain the people that decide to dedicate three hours of their life to watch your product. The 2009-2010 New York Knicks are as exciting as a Joe Lieberman speech. That’s why they swung and missed with free agent Allen Iverson.

Team president, Donnie Walsh, confirmed the decision early Friday at the team’s training center.

The Knicks are not a very good team; the 2-9 start is not quite play-off material. The Knicks are already six and a half games back of the Celtics in the Atlantic standings. The Yankees have as many wins this month as the Knicks. The defense has been abysmal, giving up almost 110 points a game. I could go on but I’ll spare the Knick faithful.

In other words, the Knicks are going nowhere this season. It is painfully obvious that the front office is hoping to jump in a time machine and set the date to July 2010. They could also go the Austin Powers or Eric Cartman route and freeze Donnie Walsh till July. In other words, this is a complete throw away season.

So when a player like Iverson is coming off the scrap heap, eager to prove all the doubter wrong, you HAVE TO GET HIM.

The guy has been a top ten talent for the past decade plus in the league. His highlight reel is a mile long. A.I. plays with a fearlessness that anybody can admire. The Knicks are one of the only teams that could start him, something extremely important to Iverson.

Iverson would have been given only a one-year contract, probably for the veteran’s minimum of $1.3 million. His signing would have no direct impact on the Knicks plans to pursue a superstar free agent next summer.

But it’s more than that. The Knicks need a star, a recognizable name. It’s safe to say that most people could not name three players on the current squad.

The Knicks have few players on the team that excite the crowd. Maybe Nate Robinson, but that’s even a stretch. Putting a player like A.I. on the Knicks would insert some instant energy in the team and fans. If the Knicks didn’t play in Madison Square Garden, the team would be playing in front of half empty arenas on a nightly basis.

With Iverson drawing the attention of opposing defenses, there would be better scoring chances for Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and David Lee.

There would also be some short-term disruption. Either Chris Duhon or Toney Douglas would lose a starting job. Iverson would also cut into the playing time of Larry Hughes and Robinson. One of those players might fall out of the rotation entirely. Was this the reason they didn’t want to sign Iverson, so Hughes could continue to play? Garbage.

The team needed some sort of energy boost and declined.

“Our goal this year was to try to develop the young players and to see which of the young veterans we have could fit into what we want to do in the future,” Walsh said.

Way to waive the white flag in November Walsh, just remember that it’s going to be mighty hard to convince LeBron, D-Wade, or Bosh to come to a last place team that doesn’t even own a 2010 first round pick. It could get extremely ugly in the “Mecca of hoops” by the time Santa is making his rounds.

Larry Johnson Signed by Bengals for Stretch Run

The "redeemer" strikes again.

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Kansas City RB Larry Johnson.

After being released by the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, Johnson was left jobless. He cleared waivers, meaning every team had a chance to grab him and all declined.

From leading rusher to leading a rush to the unemployment line: a humbling experience for a guy that needed just that.

Bengals owner Mike Brown has been nicknamed the "redeemer" in Cincinnati for giving troubled players a second chance (or fifth, for Chris Henry) to be an NFL player. The theory is that a lot of these players have plenty of talent left in them, plus they are as cheap as can be.

Johnson's contract is prorated for the league minimum for the rest of the year. Not bad for a guy that was only 70 or so yards away from being the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher.

But if the Chiefs paid $2.1 million for Johnson to stay away, how much does he have left in the tank?

The Bengals got a steal when they scrapped Cedric Benson off the trash heap. Everybody passed on him till the Bengals signed him during Week Five of the 2008 season. This year he is in the top five in rushing yards with 859 to go along with six TDs.

So why would the Bengals need this guy if they have a top rusher like Benson?

It is nothing more than, in coach Marvin Lewis' words, "a insurance policy." Benson is at 205 carries and is on pace for the seventh most in league history. He is entering uncharted waters, as his career high is only 214. He suffered a hip flexor against the Steelers and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Oakland.

Lewis said during his Monday press conference that Johnson would be the fourth running back and that the role of the three backs on the roster would be the same.

“It would have zero affect on Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott, or Brian Leonard,” Lewis said. “I’m very happy right now with what they’re doing and their roles, and I want to see Bernard’s role continue to expand as it did yesterday (Sunday).”

Johnson will be limited in practice and evaluated throughout the week as the club prepares for its trip to Oakland.

Lewis said he will be expected to do all the things a fourth running back is supposed to do, such as special teams. Not sure if Johnson will be okay with that for more than a few weeks. But after eating an extra large piece of humble pie, maybe he has gained a new perspective.

In the end, it is a low risk, high reward move for the Bengals. The locker room is finally strong enough for Johnson to just slide in and do his job. The veterans will not allow him to pull any of the crap he did in Kansas City.

He might not have any gas left in the tank, but it's worth a shot. He had a few outstanding years in KC, and now the Bengals are extremely deep at running back.

He will also come in handy as the temperatures drops and his physical style of play and ball protection will be needed. The NFL is a long and grueling season, and I have no problem with the Bengals going out and making a move to ensure they don't sputter down the stretch.

Oh, and by the way...the Chiefs make a visit to Cincinnati on Dec. 27. I wonder if Johnson has already circled that one on the calendar. Maybe he can pull a Benson and destroy his former team and exact some sweet revenge.

The Cincinnati Bengals Physicality Punishes Pittsburgh Steelers

Are you a believer yet?

The bandwagon is filling up with fans at a feverish pace.

The Cincinnati Bengals went into Pittsburgh and came out with a hard fought, tough as nails 18-12 victory. Neither team scored an offensive touchdown in what turned out to be a battle of the trenches. Usually the Steelers win the physical match-up, but not against this Bengals team.

''That's probably the most grinding football game I ever experienced,'' Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game. The Bengals were able to punish the Ravens and Steelers on back-to-back weeks and beat them at their game.

The D was able to get consistent pressure on QB Ben Roethlisberger. He came into the game tied for first in the NFL with a completion rate of 70.6 percent, but he was 20/40 on Sunday with an INT. He rarely seemed comfortable in the pocket.

DE Jonathan Fanene had six tackles with two being for losses, two sacks, two QB hits and a pass deflection. DE Frostee Rucker was able to intercept a tipped pass that set up a field goal. For the game the Bengals were able to take down Big Ben four times.

Every time the Steelers got into the red-zone, the Bengals D got stingy. Pittsburgh could only muster four Jeff Reed field goals. Once again the stellar secondary led by Leon Hall, and Jonathan Joseph were able to shut down WR Hines Ward (26 yards) and rookie WR Mike Wallace (16 yards). That was big considering both had big games in the first match-up.

''They're clearly the best team in the division,'' Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark said. ''I'd give my left arm to play them again.''

Offensively the Bengals didn’t set any records by any stretch. It was a lot of short slant routes and runs up the gut. QB Carson Palmer was 18/30 for 178 yards and didn’t have a turnover. In fact the team was turnover free.

RB Bernard Scott came in to replace the injured Cedric Benson and finished with 33 yards. As a team the Cincinnati only gained 61 yards on the ground.

But Scott proved coach Lewis right when he inserted him as the new kick-off returner He took a first quarter kick 96 yards for the only TD of the game. What a way to start off in your new role.

The biggest issue facing Cincinnati now is the health of Benson, who left the game with a hip injury. If Benson's injury were serious, that would be a big loss for the Bengals. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that he is expected to play next week at Oakland. There have been rumors linking free agent Larry Johnson to the Bengals even before Bensons injury. This story will gain more steam as the week progresses.

The Steelers were without star safety Troy Polamalu for all but the opening series as he aggravated the left knee injury that previously sidelined him for four games. He underwent an MRI exam, but there was no immediate word about his status.

By sweeping the season series for the first time since 1998, the Bengals effectively lead Pittsburgh by two games because they own the tiebreaker and, for the first time in their history, a 5-0 division record.

''In the past, we would lose games like this,'' center Kyle Cook said.

Cincinnati ate up much of the clock in the final seven minutes, culminating in a 43 yard Shayne Graham field goal. The Steelers got the ball back with slightly less than two minutes to play, but Roethlisberger threw incomplete on four consecutive downs from the 33, and it was over.

"This was a statement game," Cincinnati safety Chris Crocker said. "Beat Pittsburgh two times. Beat Baltimore two times. Now everyone [in the AFC North] is looking at us from behind."

So what did we learn today class?

1.) The Bengals beat the Super Bowl champs without big days from their two biggest offensive weapons. Benson had 22 yards on seven carries before leaving the game and Chad OchoCinco only had two receptions for 29 yards.

2.) The Steelers offensive line struggled against the front four of the Bengals D. Rashard Mendenhall was held to 36 yards and the pressure on Ben was there all game long.

3.) Carson Palmer didn’t have a great game and his team still won. Usually the Bengals live and die by the play of the franchise QB. He was high on a multiple throws and put a little too much mustard on a few as well. But he played the game manger role and was able to keep the Steelers off balance even without a great effort in the running game.

4.) Willie Parker is done in black and gold. One carry for seven yards? No way he is a Steeler in 2010.

5.) The Bengals are for real, for real. Talking heads on T.V, and radio were all predicting a Pittsburgh win. Even Vegas still didn’t believe in them. After being favored to lose by three AT HOME against Baltimore, the Bengals were once again favored to lose, this time by seven.

6.) The Bengals are a perfect 4-0 on the road this season, with wins at Lambeau Field, Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium and the Big Ketchup Bottle in Pittsburgh.

7.) With a AFC North crown in clear view; the goal shifts to play-off positioning. This team has a real shot of finishing in the top two and earning a coveted bye in the play-offs. Who wudda thunk it after that week one miracle tip loss against Denver? The Cincinnati Bengals are 7-2 and the bandwagon is getting bigger by the day.

I’ll leave you with the quote of the game courtesy of LB Brandon Johnson, whom filled in nicely for injured starter Keith Rivers.

“I’m almost diabetic right now it’s so sweet. I’m so excited right now I can barely contain myself.”

Child Please: Chad OchoCinco Fined $20,000 For "Bribe"

The No Fun League strikes again.

On Friday, Cincinnati Bengals wide-out Chad Ochocinco was fined $20,000 for flashing a dollar bill at an official during a replay review in the third quarter of last Sunday’s 17-7 win against the Baltimore Ravens.

He had what appeared to be a first down catch over two Raven defenders before Baltimore threw the challenge flag. The play was overturned and the Bengals were forced to punt.

What urked the league office was his use of the word “bribe” during postgame remarks.

Ray Anderson imposed the fine on Ochocinco for violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (b), of the Playing Rules which prohibits use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures toward game officials.

He was also in violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (f) of the Playing Rules which prohibits possession or use of extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform during the game on the field or sideline.

In a letter to Ochocinco, Anderson said, “The very appearance of impropriety is not acceptable. Your conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming of an NFL Player.”

Earlier this season Ochocinco was fined $7,500 and $10,000 for chinstrap violations. Ochocinco is now up to $37,500 for the season in fines.

This is yet another example of the NFL thinking they are an "image conscious" league.

They fine players for the most ticky-tacky actions.

Meanwhile, the NFL off-season is plagued by off the field incidents that can include DUI's, drug usage, manslaughter, possession of unregistered fire arms, dog fighting, and even murder.

That's OK as long as it's not on a Sunday in the fall.

The NFL under Roger Goodell is a joke and something needs to be done, but at the same time, $20,000 is nothing for the "Mexican footballer" Estaban Ocho Cinco aka Chad Johnson.

But seriously, $20 G's for what was clearly a gag? Does the league office really think he is serious? Do they think the refs can be swayed by a George Washington? How much do the refs get paid? The NFL perplexes me.

Today, and for the past couple of years, the NFL gets a big "Child Please" from this writer.

Notre Dame Football Coach: Not So Great Of a Job Anymore

Notre Dame is a shell of its former self.

Sure they have a stud quarterback that can put points on the board with the best of them. But the tradition in South Bend is fading faster than the value of the dollar. It isn't prestigious to go to Notre Dame anymore.

As the Fighting Irish wrap up another disappointing season; the status of Charlie Weis continually is questioned. If he were to be fired, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly and ESPN's Jon Gruden have been mentioned as a successor (along with Urban Meyer, but he would be straight loony to leave the swamp).

My question is why?

Why would Kelly leave a program right as they are peaking? Kelly is quickly achieving a tremendous reputation in the Cincinnati area and the fans think the man turns everything into gold. He can do no wrong in the Queen City, turning into one of the biggest figures in the whole state of Ohio in 2009. Why leave the throne?

With quarterback Jimmy Clausen possibly leaving after this year, whomever takes over will have to enter the dreaded "rebuilding stage." The backup quarterback is saddled with an ACL injury that will keep him out of next year's spring practice.

It will be rocky for whomever takes over. So if you're Kelly, why piss off the same people that worship you and willingly be placed under a gigantic microscope of second guessing and criticism?

Jon Gruden has settled in nicely as an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst. He brings strong passion and valuable insight to the table every week.

Lots of swirling rumors report that a return to coaching in 2010 is eminent for Gruden. But will he have the patience to deal with college kids after being in the NFL for so long? Not to mention the lack of recruiting experience he brings to the table.

Think about football in the Fighting Irish's heyday under Lou Holtz, and think about it now. Back then, being on TV every game was a huge deal. Now every BCS conference team has games on T.V. The Big Ten even has its own channel.

The team hasn't won a championship in 21 years and hasn't had a Heisman winner in 22, yet the ridiculously high expectations from the fan base continue. The tradition of a school is a non-factor for kids today, that used to be a major selling point at Notre Dame.

It's not a great place to go to school in terms of hot girls or campus/town life either. That is a major reason why the Florida schools, Texas, and USC are flourishing. They have the "extras" that ND can't provide. The weather stinks, lots of rain and wind. Why deal with that when you can go to school next to a beach?

While everyone else is battling for conference titles, Notre Dame is on an island as an independent. As a player, if you lose three games, you have nothing to play for. And playing USC every year doesn't help.

So what is appealing about the Notre Dame job? Money. It's a fat pay check that can rarely be matched. And unfortunately in college football, the coaches follow the money. So even if Gruden or Kelly read this article, the endless money symbols will cloud their judgement. This is how Notre Dame stays relevant ... $$$.

As you listen to the never ending debates about Charlie Weis getting fired just remember that the same debates will continue to ring, regardless of the head coach. But when the $$ is right, most coaches can handle that juuuust fine.

Bengals D Show Flacco, Ravens How To Be Top Notch

How long does it take to earn respect? Even after jumping to a 5-2 start the Cincinnati Bengals were still not viewed as serious contenders.

Virtually all of the “experts” predicted the Baltimore Ravens defense would avenge the 17-14 loss of a month ago. Boy were they wrong on a gorgeous November afternoon. It turned out to be the Bengals defense that set the tone on a sunny side up 17-7 victory in front of a sold-out Paul Brown Stadium.

The Ravens were stymied by the excellent pass coverage of the Bengals secondary. The Ravens were a poultry 1-10 on third down conversions in the game while the Bengals converted 8-18. The one conversion for Baltimore came with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Bengals DB’s are quietly becoming one of the top tandems in the league. Leon Hall had an INT, three tackles and two pass deflections while Jonathan Joseph also had an INT to go along with four tackles and five pass deflections. In the two-game sweep the duo essential shutdown the Ravens receivers.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco and WR Derrick Mason connected on just three of 13 targets Sunday, and Flacco connected on just five of 18 receiver passes. Baltimore receivers in the two games against Cincy were thrown to 27 times and made just nine catches. A mind boggling stat that speaks volumes of the terrific coverage. For the game Flacco was 18/32 for 195 yards and two interceptions.

The Bengals offense came out firing much like in their last game against the Chicago Bears. After a hot start, QB Carson Palmer “cooled off” to finish 20/33 for 224 yards and one TD.

His favorite target on this day was WR Laveranues Coles whom caught six balls for 74 yards. Coles finally looked like the player the Bengals signed for $27.5 million. He broke multiple SS Ed Reed tackles (tough task) and converted a couple stick moving third downs.

It was another typical ’09 Palmer performance that featured slants, curls and a few more scrambles. The one deep ball thrown to Chad was forced into double coverage and broken up. Palmer’s new found scrambling ability bought him and his recievers more time and now defenses have to stay at home on coverage down the field. It does seem that the days of long bombs are over for the Bengals.

After a 73-yard opening drive that culminated in a TD to WR Andre Caldwell, the Bengals drove 80 yards on their second series. Two pass interference penalties on the Ravens covering Chad Ochocinco—one of which converted a fourth down— led to a Cedric Benson one-yard touchdown.

Shayne Graham's 23-yard field goal on Cincinnati's third possession increased the Bengals lead to a 17-0. At halftime, the Ravens were out-gained in total yards 235-44. At one point the Bengals had 12 first downs and the Ravens had run 11 total plays. Mid way through the third quarter the Bengals had 19 first downs to the Ravens five.

Once again RB Cedric Benson ran for over 100 yards against a cocky Ravens defense. A few Ravens (mostly Ray Lewis) considered last month’s 120 yards a fluke. Well, after another 117 yards and TD, maybe Lewis and company will take him seriously next time.

He was aided by another stellar performance by the O-line. Benson enjoyed a few gapping holes in a first quarter where he gained 45 yards. And for the first time all year…no false start penalties!

The multi-millionaire rookie RT Andre Smith could have played for the first time this season, but I think Marvin Lewis didn’t believe he was one of the best eight O-line players available. Not sure if that speaks to the terrific play of the line or the ridiculously slow progress of Smith. Either way it’s a luxury to have the overpriced BMW in the shop for as long as it needs to be.

Chad had a roller coaster ride of a game. He made several catches in double coverage while picking up first downs in the process. He made an unbelievable dive on a fade route that was a beauty to watch. He had 66 yards on five catches. BUT…

Once again he was stripped by Bengals killer Ed Reed and lost the fumble. It was a punishing drive that would have made the Ravens “kiss the baby”. Instead it gave the Ravens a little bit of life in the fourth quarter. He also had a second fumble that was nullified by an illegal contact penalty earlier in the game. Speaking of penalties…

The Ravens shot themselves in the foot time and time again. They had seven penalties for 80 yards on the day. The Bengals second TD drive was aided by multiple pass interference calls on the Ravens secondary. The Bengals knew what looks obvious to the rest of us now—the Ravens DB’s are unable to cover receivers one on one. This is a major issue for Baltimore and their alleged top-notch defense.

Hard Knocks hero RB Brian Leonard once again provided some huge third down plays. He converted three of em’ and came a foot short of another. He has been everything that RB DeDe Dorsey wasn’t, a tough, physical grinder that always knows where the first down marker is.

The injury bug chomped down on WR Chris Henry’s form-arm. Looks like he will be out for the year (terrible luck in a contract year). LB Keith Rivers also left the game with a calf injury, as did G Evan Mathis with an ankle. CB Fabian Washington of the Ravens also went out of the game on the same play Henry went down.

Bottom line for the Bengals: last year they lost to the Ravens 34-3 at Paul Brown while being swept in the process. This year it’s a 17-7 home win and a Bengals sweep. My oh my what a difference a year makes. With the win, Palmer improved to 8-3 in his career against the Ravens.

At 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the AFC North, the Bengals are forced to play yet another divisional game that could decide the final standings when they travel to Heinz field to battle the Steelers. I’m sure the talking heads will favor Pittsburgh, citing last year’s success. But clearly last year means nothing in the NFL and especially to the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals.

NFL Fans Suffer from Bye Week Blues

Without a doubt the longest stretch in the NFL season for a fan is the bye week.

The six days leading up to it crawl by as you read stories of players resting and taking a few days off.

The headlines on ESPN hype up the big matchups of the week and break down the upcoming games with no mention of your team.

Hearing of vacation destinations for bye week players makes me more nervous then interested in the off week (maybe because I'm a Bengals fan...but still).

Once Sunday arrives, your whole routine is thrown off. Who wants to watch the pregame shows when the team you root for will not even be mentioned? The Lions and Rams will get more coverage for this one week.

Once the games start, an odd feeling of indifference strikes. Most Sundays are filled with hype and a large dose of emotion. On bye week you are relegated to rooting for fantasy players and teams playing divisional foes.

By the end of the day nothing has changed much in the grand scheme of things. Maybe you gained or lost a half-game.

Then the highlights begin to roll in. There is no opportunity to see what the "expert" analysts think of your team's game. (One of the great feelings a fan has is when his or her team wins and you can watch the highlights and talking heads gush over them on ESPN, NBC, FOX, and CBS.)

No predictions about the upcoming games or updates on injuries. Nothing at all when it's bye week.

After it's all said and done, the bye is still not over. Now the team is subjected to minimal mention at the beginning of the week because they haven't played in a while. Rarely does a big story occur during a bye.

Dan Snyder and the Redskins had the perfect bye week because it allowed people to forget about their awful season for a week. The media pressure went down a notch (from boiling to simmering).

But for a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, the bye was ill-timed. Off a 45-10 pasting of the Chicago Bears, the momentum was strong for QB Carson Palmer and the offense. The team was relatively healthy and seemed extremely focused. Taking a week off doesn't do anything for this team.

Odd stat of the day: Marvin Lewis is 1-4-1 with the Bengals after a bye. Not sure how to interpret that one. Do the players get too much time off? Does Lewis fail to keep the squad focused on the task at hand? Or is the stat a complete coincidence? I wish I had the answer.

So while byes can be quite beneficial for teams that are banged-up or trying to release some of the steam from the pressure cooker, it doesn't always help every team—and it makes fans suffer through two painfully long weeks.

Sunday can't come soon enough.