WhoDeyRevolution

No Dennis Or Big Breasted Women Around To Save The Bengals In Oakland

That Wasn't Just Laying An Egg At Home, That Was An Entire Milksteak And Jelly Bean Dinner (Served Raw)

More to come Monday morning from your comrades at WDR...

Should be 4-0 or a Soft 3-1?

So which team will we see today?  A team that left four points on the board and nearly lost to Cleveland last week?  Or a team that hung 31 points on the Packers at Lambeau Field and then knocked off the Steelers home?

The Ravens will be starting rookie left tackle Michael Oher, who will have the task of protecting Joe Flacco's blindside from Antwan Odom and the Bengals pass rush.  And if the Bengals can't generate a pass rush today, they will lose...and lose big. 

The Bengals head back to Baltimore, a place where they have enjoyed a small measure of success.  However, they haven't really won a game in Baltimore where the Ravens were 'good' since 2004, the game where Carson Palmer led a stirring comeback with 24 points in the fourth quarter. 

Regardless, it's going to be a tough, tough task to get out of M&T Bank Stadium with a win today.  The Ravens are still steaming over last week's loss to the Patriots (where they fought the refs as much as Tom Brady) and it's a division game on the road.  As the Bengals (and fans) found last week...it's never easy to win on the road period in the NFL, let alone inside the division.

St. Louis Nearly The Toast of Cleveland

Someone outside Brad St. Louis's immediate family and Special Teams coach Darrin Simmons knows his name.  If you are a long-snapper, that's a very, very bad thing.

For a veteran like St. Louis, this season has been an absolute nightmare.  First the botched field goal vs. Denver in Week 1.  Then, the moon shot of a snap after Jonathan Joseph's pick-six vs. Pittsburgh last week.  This week in Cleveland?  Just a couple more bad snaps, resulting in a blocked field goal on the opening drive and a blocked extra point after the Bengals stirring drive to tie the game at 20. 

St. Louis is one of the highest paid long-snappers in the league, and he has (generally) served this team well through thick and thin.  But enough is enough.  The Bengals will not survive in Baltimore and throughout the rest of the season without a confident kicking game.  Shayne Graham is gun shy, and new holder Kevin Huber doesn't know whether to catch the ball or duck for cover.  I fully expected the Bengals to go for the touchdown in overtime, no matter how close they got to the goal-line.  I had that little confidence in the kicking game.

Cut him, now.  Someone else on this planet besides the 31 current NFL long snappers can't do any worse.  Plus, if you want to bring St. Louis back someday...something tells me he will be available.

Where We Go From Here

It's been quite an active couple of days for comments on our site.  We appreciate everyone's viewpoint, and I think it is all a testament to how emotionally we are tied to this team...in one way or another. 

For those of you who were up in arms over the posting of the Blair Witch style video of the two crucial plays from the game on Sunday:  It was not my intention to celebrate those who were in the stadium as supporting Mike Brown, etc.  I just thought it captured what this city actually felt on Sunday, and how it could be like that all the time if the Bengals actually structured the organization like a real-live NFL team.  This team has a long way to go to even sniff the playoffs, and I sure as hell don't to think this team is going to a Super Bowl anytime soon.  If Brian Leonard doesn't get his hand down and leap for a first down, we are talking about another loss to Pittsburgh and a disappointing 1-2 start.  I as much as anyone understand that.  

The margin of winning and losing in the NFL is razor thin.  Much like playing blackjack at a casino...over the long run, you are going to lose.  In today's NFL if you are not hunting for and exploiting every single last advantage you can find, the other teams will consistently win more than you.  Without having a general manager, an extensive scouting department, or a clear long-range 'plan' (or system) for your football team, you will not be successful over the long run.  It just isn't possible.  We have a sample size of nearly twenty years in the Mike Brown/Salary Cap era.  I think that is enough to make a logical, realistic judgment.

Cool Video From PBS

Just some great stuff from the final moments of yesterday's win over Pittsburgh:

We Won The Mega Bowl!!!!

Looking For Something To Believe In

It has rained most of the week here in Cincinnati, but tomorrow is sun is finally supposed to break out in the early afternoon. 

Ever since that fateful day in January 2006 (and most of the time prior to 2005), rain clouds have hovered over the Bengals franchise and fan base...reducing us to be a nervous, silent mass during Steelers Week.

By the time 4:15 rolls around on Sunday, the 50,000 or so Bengals fans in attendance will have had enough time to fuel up, and should have enough passion, energy, and alcohol to account for the 10,000 or so fans in Black and Gold.  But what happens if Pittsburgh scores first.  What happens if they go up 10-0.  14-0?

For the first time in a long time, I'm excited about a Bengals game.  Here at WDR, we are all HUGE Bengals fans first.  That's the only way this site would be possible.  If we didn't truly have an unhealthy obsession about the Bengals and the city of Cincinnati, there is no way this site would be what it is today.  All of us would literally give body parts to see this team win a Super Bowl. 

But, you can't win a Super Bowl in Week 3.  You can win one game though, and this game would be a huge step.

Early Line for Next Sunday: Bengals -4

Vegas has released the early lines for next week's opening weekend, and the Bengals are the favorite at home, giving four points to the visiting Broncos. 

My guess is that the line will be at three by game-time...so if you think the Bengals can win by more than a field goal...hold your bets until later in the week to pick up the extra point. 

Jets Requested Bengals To End Season?

As we have talked about before here at WDR, the NFL will, at times, ask teams who they would like to play when opening or closing stadiums. 

Therefore, it's no surprise that the Bengals will end the season on the road at the Meadowlands to close down Giants Stadium against the Jets. 

Last season, the Cowboys requested the Ravens (rookie head coach and rookie QB, in theory) to play the final game at Texas Stadium.  The Cowboys lost 33-24 on a Saturday night NFL Network game, and subsequently went on to miss the playoffs.

You have to think that after taking into account who they would be playing in 2009, the Jets passed on New England, Indy, and Tennessee, only to request taking on a Bengals team who will likely be out of the playoff picture on January 3rd.