WhoDeyRevolution

Bob Bratkowski must love Tecmo Bowl

So while at the Bengals-Browns disaster (which double as "season-killing game" and "the most boring football game in the history of man"), I watched the high-flying, high-powered Bengals offense take the field. 

And, was it me?  Or did the high-flying, high-powered Bengals offense run the same four plays the whole game? 

Chris Perry running slightly to the right.
Chris Perry running slightly to the left.
Screen to Chris Perry.
Dump pass to TJ Houshmandzadeh. 

Every drive seemed to go run, run, pass, punt (that's what the the first two drives were exactly like). 

2nd Half Live Blog

So far the Bengals have played 30 minutes of football like a "Professional Football Organization."  The 2nd half will be decided by the battle in the trenches and one big play on special teams/defense.  I have been pleased with the play of the Bengals O line.  Not great, but not terrible.  The defense has been capitalizing on the Browns inability to throw the ball, and need to come up with a turnover in the 2nd half.  My prediction, Bengals 13 Browns 10.

2:35: And the Browns come up with that special teams play I am talking about.  The D needs a stop.

2:40: Geathers with a great play.  He needs to do that more often.  Time to bring some pressure and make a play.

2:41: CHINNEDUNDUMMDNNDMD NDUKWE!!!!!!!!!!!!  WDR's favorite Bengal continues his great game. 

2:43: Time for the Bengals to get nasty and grind out a drive.  If I am Marvin, I tell this O line, the game is on you.  We are going to run right, run left, and run up the middle. 

Week 4 Semi Live Blog 1st Half

Here is my Semi Live Blog.  Meaning, I probably will not be updating as frequently as other live blogs.  Things I am looking forward to, that pizza I just ordered.  Things I am scared of  "J Joseph Out, D Jones to Start."  Here we go.

1:05: Great first series for our new staring QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. He is married to the former captain of the Harvard Women's Soccer team, and is rumored to have scored a 49 (out of 50) on the Wonderlick test.

1:07: Dear god. 

1:08: As I predicted, this team as already given up.  The D line is getting pushed around and no one is flying to the ball.  One guy making every tackle. 

Carson Out

Carson out, Fitzpatrick in.  I will say it right now, losing your starting QB is no reason to lose.  It happens, teams deal with it.  The other 52 guys need to pick up their game, and that is what they should be expected to do.

Chris Perry is now the centerpiece of our offense, and the o line needs to step it up.  If the Bengals lose, WDR will not tolerate any "We didn't have Carson" excuses.  We are a NFL football team and are bigger than any one player.

What I Am Looking For

I always like to pick a couple of positions or situations and pay special attention to them.  I try to avoid the obvious talking point of the week and bring a fresh perspective.  This week, Levi Jones seems to be the guy everyone is blaming, but I noticed that two weeks ago.  Here is what I will be watching this week:

Is the defense playing to the whistle?  It is easy for this team to let up and start packing it in, and the easiest way to see is watching if the defensive players play through the whistle.  After a 12 yard pass, are the D linemen turning around and trying to get in on the tackle.  Are the safeties flying up and cleaning up tackles around the line of scrimmage.  If you do not see 11 guys (maybe 10, if one guy has backside contain), you know this team has given up.

G/C/G - Can our interior linemen get any movement.  In the Browns 3-4 D, the most important thing is to get movement on the NT (Shaun Rogers, if he plays) and get your interior linemen to the next level.  If Rogers can stand his ground, take doubleteams, and keep his inside linebackers running free, It will be a long afternoon.

Keith Rivers - He is a stud, watch him make plays.

This Will Never, EVER, Get Old...

College Football Open Thread-week 5

Wow what a start to the college football week! I tuned in for the second half only to see mighty USC down 21-0 to a team that got destroyed by Penn State.  I guess this year just maybe could be as crazy as last, I just know that its going to take Ohio State being the only one loss team in a BCS conference for them to make it back to the title game and get walloped by a two loss SEC team.  The games on TV this week and my top ten are after the jump.

Week 4 NFL Picks

Last week, my picks were bad. Real bad. I went 4-11, got both my double down picks wrong, and my moneyline pick. Not only was I wrong, but I was way off. If you add up the points I was off (for example, I picked NE -12.5 and they lost by 25, so I was 37.5 points off), I was wrong by 111.5 points. That includes my 4 wins. In addition, I forgot to pick the Sunday night game, which I would have picked wrong, so I guess this is a good thing. This week, I will be drinking Natty Light instead of this delicious seasonal brew. I need a big comeback, and here is step one. Again, use this information at your own risk (for entertainment only), lines are form Sportsbook and home team is in CAPS.

Reading the Signs To a Bengal's Victory

As I woke up this morning, I realized that I was less than 24 hours away from returning to my beloved Cincinnati.  (I can taste the Skyline and Greaters now.)  I try and come back a few times a year and this weekend, besides coming back to see my family and friends...I get to see my beloved Bengals, live in action.

This week, I tried to turn my brain off from thinking about the game, as much as possible...mainly due to the goose egg in the wins column and the un-sexy football being played by the orange and black...but as I woke up today...thoughts began racing through my head.  What was going to happen?  Which team was going to show up?  What am i having for breakfast?  Is a jean's day at work today...I think so...or is that next week...no no, its definitely today...niiiiiice...Will Chad get his first TD?  Will Carson have another solid performance???

Some people would wonder how these thoughts could pop into my head so early in the morning.  Let me paint you a picture (it might be a little scary, so if you are pregnant or have a heart condition, I suggest you skip to the next paragraph)...in my bedroom, hanging directly over my bed is a large Cincinnati Bengals flag, to the right of my bed are my orange curtains, and on the wall opposite the flag is my orange modern art painting.  To the left of my bed is my bookcase which holds my prized possession, my 2005 autographed Cincinnati Bengals helmet, signed by the entire team.  Also on the bookshelf is a 6-pack of Hu-Dey beer, old SI articles of Chad and Carson, and a plethora of other Bengals merchandise.  My name is Fielding...and I have a problem (this is where you go "hiiii Fielding"...)...I am addicted...to the Cincinnati Bengals (break down in tears).

As I walk to my bathroom to take a shower I have to pass the life size Tiger Suit that hangs up on the wall in my hallway.  (I give it a high five...grrrrrraarrr). As I stand in my bathroom brushing my teeth, again I think to myself...what is going to happen on Sunday?...my first trip back to PBS since 2005.  Is there anyway to tell???  No, no there is not...or is there?

The Curse Of The Mikey

Our resident comma guru and frequent commenter, Chase F, noted after WhoDey NYC's batch of Haterade today that Mike Brown was probably raised in Cleveland for a large portion of his childhood (I would guess that Mikey was probably in diapers and suckling at his mom's tit until he was at least 16). This stinging endorsement of the awfulness that can emerge from near those flammible Cuyahoga waters is the worst in the long string of problems I have with Cleveland.

Photo Caption: Sorry, but Santa vowed never to come back to your town after he was mugged outside Tim Horton's several years ago.