(Sorry...forgot to do this last week.)

 

Summary:

After Week Three’s loss to the similarly offensive-challenged 49ers, as the Bengals were redefining futility on that side of the ball, I was questioning if the first two performances by Andy Dalton were actually an aberration. I guess maybe he really didn’t have a big enough arm to make the downfield throws, he wasn’t tall enough to accurately read Linebackers drops over the line of scrimmage, and would suffer from significant rookie growing pains. Through the first half on Sunday, there wasn’t a whole lot to change my mind – though in Dalton’s defense, that Caldwell kick-pass can’t be pinned on the QB. Yet in the second half, the D stepped it up another notch, Jay Gruden was apparently informed Cedric Benson’s suspension was actually on hold pending an appeal, and Dalton remembered to stop throwing to receivers whose last names don’t start with G.

 

Goals Accomplished (In The Second Half):

• Win two games. At this rate, the Bengals are trending toward a better record than three division winners from last year (KC, Indy, & Seattle). See Brad, parody. Let’s hope they don’t do too much damage to their draft position (like an 8-8 wild card, first round loss), right?
  
• Win a home game. Reward the 41,000+ fools and Bills fans who bought tickets.
  
• Throw it to Green and Gresham. Thank you.
  
• Don’t turn the ball over. Amazing how simple football is when a team plays good Defense, and every offensive possession ends with a kick (punt, FG att, or PAT.)
  
• No stupid penalties. In week three, they were their more typical undisciplined selves with 7 penalties, and had three in the first half this week (2 illegal motions, and a holding.) No penalties in the second half certainly helped the cause.
  
• No stupid challenges. Amazing. 3 challenges, and they all went the Bengals’ way. Having not watched the game on TV, I have no idea whether any of them were stupid or not. The completely objective Bengals radio broadcast team - including Dave Lapham - seemed to think they were all good calls, so I’ll take their word for it.
  

 

 

Non Goal-Related Comments:

• I stand by my comment from two weeks ago that AJ Green is the most talented WR the Bengals have had since I’ve been watching. (circa 1986) The passing game should be Green and Gresham on the same side of the field with a slot receiver in between. If they choose not to double Green, throw it to him, if they do, throw it to whomever is covered by the outside linebacker. (your welcome, Jay Gruden. Make check payable to…)
  
• Sunday was the lowest paid attendance in PBS history. I attended the previous low attendance game. 2002 vs. the Jaguars. -8° F. Peter Warrick ran back a punt for a TD, and my beer froze solid in the bottle neck. I thawed it under the hand dryer in the bathroom, and enjoyed my subsequent brews at a much quicker rate to avoid the same mistake.
  
• Malaluga is very good stuffing the run between the tackles. Put him in pass coverage, and it’s a different story. I don’t think the Bills figured that out.
  

 

Two things on this, the Bengals already do what you say alot with putting gresham, slot, and green on the same side. They run the 13 tight look a lot, and Simpson on the backside by himself. Also about Rey since he is at middle linebacker now, he doesn't have to go in pass coverage as much, at least not having to guard a man by himself.

Bengals defense was #3 in the league coming into the Buffalo game. They held Fitzpatrick under 200 yards throwing and held the Bills to 83 total yards rushing.

 

I heard this stat before the game. Going into last week, the longest losing streak by one team versus another in the NFL was the Bills losing 15 straight to the Patriots. The Bills ended that streak last week. That win made the longest losing streak .... the Bengals versus the Bills at 10 straight. That streak ended yesterday.

 

No doubt that's the best defense Buffalo has faced this season.