Men in Stripes: Bengals Picking Up or Putting Down

After another great episode of our podcast Men in Stripes, we have to preview how awesome this weeks episode is for you, right?

This week Matthew and I discuss Antonio Brown’s comments on Vontaze Burfict, Marvin Jones Free Agency talk, both the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl and we debut our new segment called “Picking Up or Putting Down”

As a gift, We will also give you the transcription of our first “Picking Up or Putting Down” segment:

Topic #1: Rumors are circulating that DeMarco Murray will be back with the Dallas Cowboys next season:

Matthew: The only reason I am putting this down is because of how it went down last off season and the disappointment from both sides. I do fully believe he is out of Philadelphia, I will buy that 99 out of 100 times with how things went, however I don’t think DeMarco Murray trusts the Dallas Cowboys, and unless they are paying him a pretty penny, I do not see him in Dallas.

Tim: I’m picking up. I’m picking up because it’s the perfect marraige. I see your points and there may be some bad blood. I look at it similar to Michael Johnson and the Bengals where he sees he fits perfectly there. I think DeMarco Murray returns to Dallas and becomes a 1000 yard rusher again and we discuss Murray & Darren McFadden as one of the top running back duos next season.

Topic #2: Mike Nugent will be kicking for the Cincinnati Bengals next season:

Matthew: I’m picking that up. You may disagree with this but I think the loyalty of Mike Brown may be a little at fault here. But I’m picking up because unless they already have someone else in mind he(Nugent) didn’t miss too much this season in terms of Field Goals and Extra Points.

Tim: i’m picking it up also. The Loyalty is there, but what does concern me is a lot of big misses. You’re right, he didn’t miss a lot this year but his misses we’re in big situations (Pittsburgh home regular season game, Denver Monday Night Game with the chance to put the game away, last season against Carolina.) There are major concerns in regards to Nugent, I appreciate everything he has done in his time with the Bengals, but I am picking this up majorly concerned.

Topic #3: The Cincinnati Bengals will select Ohio St. Wide Receiver Braxton Miller with the 24th pick:

Matthew: I’m putting it down, because to use the Allen Iverson reference… It’s Practice. If you watch the senior bowl, he had one catch for 3 yards and a drop. I would wanna see him in a more competitve setting and the combine. That could change by the end of the Combine.

Tim: I’m picking it up. He certainly showed the athletic ability, he is a very good Football player, to make the position transition he made in a difficult Urban Meyer offense showed a lot of his abilities. I think Miller has all the abilities to be a slot WR in this league, he is saying all the right things, he has the body size of an Antonio Brown (not comparing their talents). I think Miller can come into Cincinnati and be a huge part of this team If the Bengals do in fact lose Mohamed Sanu, I think you can plug Braxton Miller perfectly into that third WR or Slot WR position.

Topic #4: Vontaze Burfict’s appeal of his Three game suspension will be a success:

Tim: I’m putting this one down. This may sound like the NFL is being a little bias, but if Vontaze Burfict were a Steeler or a Patriot I do feel his appeal would be approved. But the fact that he isn’t on a majorly successful NFL team in a high market, though the Bengals have shown they are a very good, highly competitive team.

Even when the suspension rumors came up, no one had even thought about the hit on Maxx Williams in the week 17 game vs the Baltimore Ravens and that all of a sudden comes out of nowhere. So I’m putting down because I don’t believe the NFL will let him slide, but if for some reason they do decide to overrule the decision, his first questionable hit will get him right back in trouble.

Matthew: I am not fully picking up because I don’t think all three games stand. I think it goes one game less making it two games and I think the precedence is because of who is backing him in this circumstance and that is (Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman) Eric Winston. He was there for that game, he saw it with his own eyes. He knows the instant reaction of Vontaze Burfict and he knows the reaction of the locker room to Vontaze Burfict.

Because of that, I feel Vontaze has a very strong representative on his side who can plead his case. I don’t think it’s all three games, I do believe it’s reduced by one just to kind of make the situation go away in a lot of ways. In my opinion, after the game Vontaze did everything right. He didn’t talk about it, he wasn’t closed about it he said a couple words but he wasn’t jumping out of his chair or cursing the NFL and challenging the NFL and has been quiet about it. To this day he has said a few things here and there but none of it was over the top media jumping down his throat style so he has done it right. We saw a similar situation with James Harrison when he got in his issues with the NFL and it took a little sympathy on him from the league.

Topic #5: We see Jeremy Hill return to his rookie year form:

Matthew: You got me on that one. I’m going to put it down for one reason and that is I think the NFL has somewhat caught up to him and I don’t think he has adjusted. I also believe that new offensive coordinator Ken Zampese is going to throw the ball quite a bit and use Andy Dalton’s strengths to propel this offense. With that said I don’t think Hill has the transition ability to overcome the NFL catching up to him. Maybe as the season goes on he will catch his stride.

You can say I’m picking up for the second half of the season, but only because I’m not for sure what Ken Zampese is going to do and what everything tells me is that right off the bat Zampese is going to be a pass first coach because he is a former Quarterback coach and he will look to his Quarterback to lead that style of offense.

Tim: I am picking up and here’s why. If you look going back to the St. Louis Rams game, Hill only had two rough performances. The Steelers regular season home game (seven carries for 16 yards 2.1 avg.) and the San Fransisco 49ers game (19 carries, 31 yards, 2 Touchdowns.)

The week 17 Baltimore game he has that huge run where he looked like young Jeremy Hill and looked to be getting back in the groove. You kind of saw it a bit in the playoff game before the fumble as well.

I think it might of been a sophomore slump and I think the Fumble from the playoff game will motivate him a lot. Marhsall Faulk said this week he had text Hill and told him that Fumble “will either define you or motivate you, and it is up to you to decide.” This is a very critical off season for Hill and talent wise I still believe he could end up being one of the top 3 or 4 Running backs in the NFL, I really do feel he is that good.