Archive for November, 2010

According to Joe Reedy, the Bengals lost game No. 200 of the Mike Brown era Monday night. More notably, Brown reached the milestone faster than any other owner in NFL history. For those people who have been dissatisfied with the Mike Brown Bengals – myself  included – that statistic is a pretty good display of his ineptitude. On a more pleasant note, the Bengals waived tight end J.P. Foschi and promoted Chase Coffman, a third-round pick two years ago who was plagued by injuries in his rookie campaign and ultimately cut before the season began. I’ve been thinking all year [...]

If only the special teams unit didn’t decide to spot the Steelers 10 points to start the game… If only Bratkowski didn’t call his first passing play on THIRD-AND-ONE, when the four running plays before all went for gains (oh, my head hurts)… If only Bratkowski had more than blank pages in the section of his play book tabbed “Play Action” to bait defenses into selling out on defending the run on a pass play… If only the Bengals knew how to sniff out a gadget play… If only the offense played a full 60 minutes with as much intensity [...]

In a game that was eerily similar to last year’s stirring comeback win over Pittsburgh (except for the end result), Cincinnati stormed back from a 20-point deficit to get a few yards from victory. But a fourth down pass from Carson Palmer to Jordan Shipley was dislodged by James Harrison, ruining any chance for a repeat this year. Hardened fans will look at the 27-21 loss as another defeat, plain and simple, and an exit from the playoffs. Optimists will see a team that kept fighting until the bitter end. I suppose I am somewhere in the middle, encouraged by [...]

Bengals wideout Chad Ochocinco is known for his endzone antics. He’s danced a jig, donned a yellow blazer, and performed CPR on the football in some of his more notable celebrations. Until now, he’s never incorporated nutrition into his theatrics. Here’s his latest celebration, with an assist from Wonderful Pistachios. No word yet on whether the celebration will receive a fine from the NFL.

I’ve endured the blunt trauma of Bengals fandom for more than 20 years. I’ve watched David Klingler, Paul Justin, Gus Frerotte, Akili Smith (oh please, make it stop) and a whole bunch of others take snaps for Cincinnati. And only now, do I need help. Along with Beeker and myself, we’re looking to add a few more writers for StripeHype. The job is unpaid, but you’ll get a public forum for your Bengals musings and the chance to vent frequently. Don’t we all need that? If you’re interested, leave a comment with your e-mail address attached or contact me via [...]

Another question about the opponent and my answer heading into tomorrow’s game. Is the team doing better or worse than expected? Most everyone in Pittsburgh was thrilled with the 3-1 start during Ben Roethlisberger’s absence, but there is some concern after a key injury to defensive end Aaron Smith and a loss to New Orleans. The Steelers expect to get back in the groove with a win over Cincinnati, but a loss would be concerning – especially with New England coming to town next week. So Cincinnati, in a must-win game itself, will face a team that is in dire [...]

Who is playing well? On defense, the Steelers’ rush defense is back to old form, currently first in the entire league. Safety Troy Polamalu and linebackers Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison provide some serious speed and nastiness on the defensive side of the ball. On offense, the team has been pleasantly surprised with rookie Maurkice Pouncey, who has been starting at center since the beginning of the season. Cincinnati’s best chance to keep the game close – and maybe win it – will be to control the clock by running the ball and converting third downs. The team hasn’t been [...]

Another question regarding the Bengals opponent and my own answer… Where are Pittsburgh’s weak spots? Pittsburgh is first in rush defense and 25th against the pass so he answer is pretty obvious. I think most everyone agrees the weak spots are in the secondary. Even though defensive lineman Aaron Smith is injured, Pittsburgh’s run defense is still stout with Casey Hampton in the middle and a great group of linebackers behind him (not to mention instinctive safety Troy Polamalu). If you can get rid of the ball quickly, Pittsburgh’s cornerbacks are vulnerable. And Polamalu, although he covers tremendous ground in [...]

Since I’m embedded with the enemy here in Pittsburgh, I thought it made some sense to share the local pulse of the present AFC North Division Leaders. Here’s the first question in a series. How is Ben Roethlisberger being received? Maybe people aren’t cheering as loudly for Big Ben, but they’re still cheering. And they’ll continue to do so as long as he’s winning. Most people feel that Roethlisberger has served his time – some think it was unjust anyway – so the majority of Steeler Nation is back on the Big Ben bandwagon. The good news for Bengals fans [...]

A few Thursday links to peruse… Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco square off in cyberspace. Here’s my extended argument for more Bernard Scott. And finally, a little Loverboy to help you through your Friday. I’d like to see someone wear the lead singer’s orange outfit for Monday night’s game. Wow-Wee.