Nuff Ced

• Cedric Benson is so goddamn slow. Leonard, who is a white guy, is as fast as him at this point. Put Bernie Scott in the game. You ever notice that watching Benson trying to turn the corner to the outside is like watching an obstinate mule pull a cart behind it.
• Dunlap and the d line are the only above average thing about this team.
• While Jay Gruden is obviously an upgrade over Bratkowski, that doesn't mean he's the next Sam Wyche. I hear Bratkowski took over playcalling duties for his grandson's pop warner team and now they're only scoring 9 points a game.
• Reggie Nelson continues to BRING THE PHYSICALITY.
• I still think Gresham is being underutilized. Why can't they throw the guy a couple seam routes a game?
• I noticed Livings is still getting playing time. Someone should have been fired long ago for that. I hope they aren't grooming Bolling for the "Mathis Memorial Backup Center Is More Important Than Starting LG" spot on the team.
• Fuck Mike Brown.

Comments

[guttersnake]

WHAT??!? Reggie Nelson beings an asshole to this squad. He hasn't had a legitate tackle this season. He throws himself at players, becoming a physical example of poor defensive secondaries. I'm bringing my notebook to the bar on Sunday and will mark specific examples. Please feel free to follow the bouncing shitbag...

Totally disagree with your analysis of Benson. Agree Leonard should play more. There is ZERO data to support Scott getting more snaps... unless your part of the tea party movement that got Tebow a starting job he didn't earn. Your assement of Livings has more impact on Cedric than I think we care to admit.

Too early to judge Gruden. He has us winning. He is bringing the offense up in incriments, which is the way to go. I don't think we've seen his A game yet, because Dalton, Green and Gresham (who is under-utilized, I agree) are still coming up with him. If we don't see fireworks by this time next year, then I'll drop the hammer.

PS, our opponent list for next season has been published. Looks rough...

Fuck Mike Brown.

[Tyler from Cincy]

I still think that the guard play on this team is horrendous. Especially seeing LIvings false start or hold on 1 out of every 5 plays and get pancaked by the DT on the other 4. He is terrible. Dalton better hope he doesnt get Kimo Van Olhoffened because of this guard play. I would still like to either pickup or draft a stud LT and move Whitworth to guard, solving some of these issues.

[guttersnake]

Matt Kalil, LT, USC. My vote for our first draft pick.

[JM]

Was in Cincy the last few days attending a funeral. Some people that I haven't seen in a very long time brought up the Bengals, knowing that I have always been a fan. So I gave them my opinion. They were shocked. We have the number 1 defense and the best rookie QB/WR combo ever and blah blah blah.

I was kind of shocked. They just didn't see a problem. They had never heard of WDR. Little scary because the homers don't seem to be too terribly tired of Mike "the problem" Brown.

Btw, anybody catch his gem of a interview with the enquirer. You really can think he's more of an asshole than you do right now after reading it.

[JM]

@guttersnake, I cant believe I'm arguing to not draft a lineman next year, but have you watched Trent Richardson play for Alabama?

Add him to that offense and I might watch a game. He's a beast and would let them dump Benson. That kid is a stud.

[GetRidofMikeBrown]

@JM: There's enough orange koolaid to go around. Mike Brown is banking on it.

[wch]

Funny, I see Benson being bigger than your posterboy for being blown down in a strong wind (BTW, it is supposed to be windy tomorrow?). Bigger player looks slower but that is a funtion of your eye (or lack of them) We REALLY need an idoor practice facility to be really thought of as a first class franchise...btw....

Leonard, when a hole is opened big enough to drive a MACK truck through... he gets it. However, he is not bad for a pass over the middle. Trouble is, that most of the time, when he's in there, one better KEY on him getting a pass -- or at lease he will be a checkdown somewhere along the line. That other guy? Scott? He's good for two yards on his best play. A leaf could knock him over.

I am not saying that Benson is 'all that'. He isn't. His day, IMHO, is done. However, you don't really have an option out there -- either on the team or available through FA -- which MMBB won't do -- to begin with. So why bitch about it?

[guttersnake]

Oh, wch... your comma usage is awesome. The only thing that would make your ravings a little bit more understandable would be if you were an immigrant for whom English is a second language.

@ JM - I'll check it out, but try to catch a USC game at some point. I have a weird feeling that at least two players from that squad will be Bengals.

[MikeIsABrownStainOnHisFathersLegacy]

Well, this year's soft-as-cake schedule allows some of the Orange KKKKKKoolaid Drinkers to keep on WhoDeying for a few more weeks. And the attendance numbers will creep back up because people in Cincinnati seem to have the attention span of a fly. Squirrel!

Looked like crap today against a horrid Indy team, but for the second straight week the soft-as-cake opponent provided KKKKKKeystone Kops moments to end the game with a gift TD for the Bengals Defense.

[WhoDeyFans]

"Cedric Benson is so goddamn slow. Leonard, who is a white guy, is as fast as him at this point. Put Bernie Scott in the game. You ever notice that watching Benson trying to turn the corner to the outside is like watching an obstinate mule pull a cart behind it."

This is the commentary here now?

Your boy Scott on Sunday had 11 carries for 29 yds. Stellar.

Benson, his numbers were down but still averaged over 3.5 yds a carry.

[WhoDeyFans]

What is happening here? The site has always had a fair share of the whiny commenters, but used to have some strong arguments in the post. It has slowly turned into a post based on non facts about the Bengals or the players, and then a bitch session about the sheep fans and kool aid drinkers.

I guess I should know better by now. When I come here for my daily check, I should see if the article is written by SWB. If not, I should just click on the little x in the top right of the browser.

By the way, for the ones who are about to comment and say terrible things about me. Know this, I had a great time attending the game yesterday.

[guttersnake]

It's the day after the Bengals go up 4-2, which, despite a cake schedule thus far, is still more wins that most people predicted we'd get all season. Where is the commentary? And don't give me the "it's all shit" routine, because it's not. Is it all roses? No, but therein lays the discussion…

So, to kick it off, I'll eat a little crow, say a little "I told you so", and then stick to my guns for another week… here we go:

First, I'm going to be humbled a little bit on my sandblasting of Brandon Tate. A couple of 20+ yard returns left me penniless and humble at the bar on Sunday (for those of you taking the Guttersnake Challenge, see earlier posts). I did notice that they had Clements in for one punt return, and I also noticed that on one occasion, Tate chose not to field a very catchable punt, which bounced all the way back to around our own ten, making it a 70+ yard Indy punt… but hey, I'd say he broke just above even performance-wise this weekend, and for that, I'll give him a stay of lambastedment for the bye week.

Second, @ WhoDeyFans - I agree. On a couple of plays Scott rushed for handful, but on the vast majority, a single DT was able to wrap him up and stop him cold. On the drives he was in for full series, all resulted in 3rd and 7. And as it was pointed out, Benson was 3.5 average.

Now, did anyone notice the official starting line-up? Brian Leonard was listed as one of two starting RBs. While, Benson did get it going when he turned it outside, Leonard continues to show the instincts to hit the big holes that Benson and Scott both seems to miss. A Houston fan asked me why the Bengals don't consider moving Benson to full back and starting Leonard as our running back, again as a two back formation… I actually thought that could work… thoughts from the Revolution?

Third, I'm still not sold on Reggie Nelson. Yes, he was in on both fumbles, but the first because he was grabbing Dallas Clark's foot and the second because he was (again) throwing his body at the ball carrier. This week, it happened to work out of him, but these are not solid defensive traits. Nonetheless, it's hard for me to be too critical after a win. All I'm saying is upgrades should be considered. Heavily.

[Dan R.]

Guttersnake, re: Tate, I feel better about our tit-for-tat in the comments earlier this week about Tate. But I also remember that punt you mentioned that he let bounce. That cost us at least 20 yards. He's good when he catches it, but makes some very dumb decisions.

On Benson, I think he's average. He's definitely getting on in years and NFL mileage, but the guard play on this team has a lot more to do with his struggles than anything else. If you doubt that, just look at Scott's numbers. No better.

I'd like to know when we're going to see Taylor Mays get some snaps on defense. He had a nice block yesterday on one of Tate's longer returns, which is evidence that he at least knows where to be and what to do when he gets there. That's the problem with Nelson. He's athletically capable, but often seems to be in the wrong place (see 70 yard TD from Gabbert to Hill), and on the rare occasion he is in the right place he misses tackles and has butterfingers. Mays might be terrible, but give him a shot.

Finally, I was glad to see Simpson properly utilized this week. One bad drop, but other than that, a great day. If he's going to get arrested, bench him and start grooming someone (other than Caldwell), but if not, practice him, play him, and use him. He's got talent.

Now, let's all see what Hugh Jackson can put together to try and dupe MB out of giving away Carson Palmer for 30 cents on the dollar. Of course, that's more than what we're getting now...

[Wyatt]

I still can't believe the Bengals didn't bite on that Curry/Baldwin/conditional 1-3 pick deal from Seattle. Now Curry's a Raider, so maybe he's part of the package? Curry/Bush/conditional pick for Palmer? Probably a pipe dream, and I'd still prefer Baldwin, but Bush makes sense for Benson's likely suspension and the fact that McFadden is finally looking like he belongs in the upper echelon of NFL running backs.

I, too, will eat crow, as I predicted these Bengals to be a three-win team, AT BEST, and here we are at the end of week 6 and they've already surpassed that.

@Dan R. - I'm thinking Mays isn't seeing more playing time because he's still learning the system, having come in so late in the preseason. Hopefully he'll get more opportunities after the bye week, which *should* give him extra time with Zim and the secondary coaches to get acclimated.

Can they just draft linemen in rounds 1-3 this year? At this rate, Richardson will be gone long before they pick (even if they collapse and finish 8-8 or worse), so there's no point in getting a second-tier running back when the line obviously needs help.

[Dan R.]

Before anyone eats anything, the general consensus is that this team would win five games, give or take one. Even at 4-2, I haven't seen enough to pull me off that prediction. This is a team that lost to Denver, and struggled (i.e. game was in doubt late in the 4th) against Cleveland, Jacksonville, and now, Indianapolis. San Fran is the only good team we've played, and our offense was unwatchable in that one. I don't see us getting a game from Pittsburgh or Baltimore. Seattle, Cleveland, Arizona, and St. Louis are the remaining cupcakes, and half those games are on the road.

If/when we take all four of those games, and/or split with Baltimore and Pittsburgh, I'll take the crow. Until then, I still think 6 wins is the ceiling. Seven wins would be a nice surprise, and I'll have a bite, but I'll eat the whole thing if we make it to .500.

[Wyatt]

I'm saying that I personally said they would win three games at most. Clearly, I've been proven wrong, so my personal crow-eating is necessitated.

Also, bear in mind that no matter how bad the Bengals have been in the Marvin era, they generally take at least one from the Ratbirds.

[Dan R.]

One correction. Buffalo is also good, at least so far, and that was a nice win for us.

[guttersnake]

@ Dan R. Right On! I agree completely with your earlier assessment. Couldn't have said it better on all topics.

...but I'll be shocked if we beat the Ravens. I think we have a much better 'chance' at splitting games with the Steelers. Also, maybe we beat the Titans, maybe we don't. I could see that one going either way. We 'should' beat the aforementioned cupcakes in a walk, but we'll drop an easy one... that's just our style, and I don't expect it to change. Where does that leave us?

8-8. maybe...

[Cincinnati Bengals Jersey]

Much in line with the thinking of the people behind such a bill very happy to read your blog.