Have the Bengals turned the corner?
Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 5:10 pm
By Davis
Cincinnati is once again buzzing about one of the city’s sports teams. No, it’s not the Reds, who were eliminated from post season play 6 months ago. The city finally has something to cheer about because the Bengals are 4-0 and looking like a Championship contender. Before we get to carried away, the Bengals have looked good for the past 4 seasons but the quarterback play of Andy Dalton has yet to produce any playoff fruit for the farmers markets and fans in the Queen City. Why is this year different? Or is it different at all?
4-0 in the National Football League is an incredible feat with each team possessing elite talent and having multiple ways of beating you but the Bengals are 1 of 6 remaining unbeatens along with Atlanta, Carolina, Denver, Green Bay, and New England. The Bengals defense has stepped up behind Defensive Coordinators scheming and Marvin Lewis has his offense humming along averaging 24 points per game. AJ Green has evolved into one of the best receivers in the AFC North along side the aging Steve Smith Sr, in large part due to the historically inconsistent Andy Dalton. Dalton has become one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC North along side Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger. Sorry Browns fans, you’re too irrelevant to talk about. The difference between Dalton and the two hall of famers is that they have won the big one multiple times and Dalton hasn’t won a playoff game. Which brings me to this next key stat.
The Bengals have beat the Raiders, Chargers, Ravens, and Chiefs who have a combined record of 6-10. Bengals fans may not want to hear this as they tweet away about how this team looks like the real deal. Cincinnati has not played a team above .500 and struggled with the Ravens and Chargers. Are we confident that they are ready to go to Foxborough in January? I completely acknowledge the fact that the Bengals may potentially go at best 13-3, worst 11-5 but the schedule does Cincinnati no favors. The Cardinals suddenly look human and a matchup with Denver on the road isn’t as scary as it was the past two years. The Denver running game is virtually nonexistent despite all the talk of Gary Kubiak and his running prowess. News just broke that CJ Anderson would be splitting carries 50/50 with Ronnie Hillman, bad news if you own one or both of those guys in Fantasy. But I digress.
The Bengals lack of challenges on the schedule will do long term damage to this team and will create a false sense of achievement or a false positive, if you will. Bengal fans do not want the first challenge of the season to come in week 18 against Tom Brady in the snow. We’ve read that story a thousand times and the ending never changes.
The trouble for Cincinnati is the schedule was set up for the Bengals to fail once again in the post season and it’s no fault of their own. Roger Goodell makes the schedules and we know he’s awfully chummy with his old friend in New England. Perhaps that is why the Patriots always seem ready for prime time. I don’t want to burst your bubble Bengal fans, you have a nice team but this feels all to familiar. At least you can enjoy the Reds in the post season…
oh wait.
Cincinnati is once again buzzing about one of the city’s sports teams. No, it’s not the Reds, who were eliminated from post season play 6 months ago. The city finally has something to cheer about because the Bengals are 4-0 and looking like a Championship contender. Before we get to carried away, the Bengals have looked good for the past 4 seasons but the quarterback play of Andy Dalton has yet to produce any playoff fruit for the farmers markets and fans in the Queen City. Why is this year different? Or is it different at all?
4-0 in the National Football League is an incredible feat with each team possessing elite talent and having multiple ways of beating you but the Bengals are 1 of 6 remaining unbeatens along with Atlanta, Carolina, Denver, Green Bay, and New England. The Bengals defense has stepped up behind Defensive Coordinators scheming and Marvin Lewis has his offense humming along averaging 24 points per game. AJ Green has evolved into one of the best receivers in the AFC North along side the aging Steve Smith Sr, in large part due to the historically inconsistent Andy Dalton. Dalton has become one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC North along side Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger. Sorry Browns fans, you’re too irrelevant to talk about. The difference between Dalton and the two hall of famers is that they have won the big one multiple times and Dalton hasn’t won a playoff game. Which brings me to this next key stat.
The Bengals have beat the Raiders, Chargers, Ravens, and Chiefs who have a combined record of 6-10. Bengals fans may not want to hear this as they tweet away about how this team looks like the real deal. Cincinnati has not played a team above .500 and struggled with the Ravens and Chargers. Are we confident that they are ready to go to Foxborough in January? I completely acknowledge the fact that the Bengals may potentially go at best 13-3, worst 11-5 but the schedule does Cincinnati no favors. The Cardinals suddenly look human and a matchup with Denver on the road isn’t as scary as it was the past two years. The Denver running game is virtually nonexistent despite all the talk of Gary Kubiak and his running prowess. News just broke that CJ Anderson would be splitting carries 50/50 with Ronnie Hillman, bad news if you own one or both of those guys in Fantasy. But I digress.
The Bengals lack of challenges on the schedule will do long term damage to this team and will create a false sense of achievement or a false positive, if you will. Bengal fans do not want the first challenge of the season to come in week 18 against Tom Brady in the snow. We’ve read that story a thousand times and the ending never changes.
The trouble for Cincinnati is the schedule was set up for the Bengals to fail once again in the post season and it’s no fault of their own. Roger Goodell makes the schedules and we know he’s awfully chummy with his old friend in New England. Perhaps that is why the Patriots always seem ready for prime time. I don’t want to burst your bubble Bengal fans, you have a nice team but this feels all to familiar. At least you can enjoy the Reds in the post season…
oh wait.
