Post by Back to being Cenanuff on Oct 27, 2008 13:06:17 GMT -5
I was born and raised in Cincinnati. I grew up a Bengals fan, and I really miss the days when the Bengals went to the Super Bowl...both times. Nowadays, I find it increasingly hard to watch. Sure, this year Carson Palmer's out with injury, so it's going to be tough to make the playoffs. It's even tougher when you haven't won a game all year, and we're going into Week 9. So, what the heck is wrong with this team? We had it so good in 2005, when we made the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. From there, it was an increasing downward slide. Let's look at some things:
Offense: In a year when the pass defense is playing solid ball, the offense just isn't playing. Some would attribute it to a lack of Carson Palmer, but they didn't play well when Carson was under center, so I'm going to look in a different direction...
The Offensive Coordinator: Why in God's name are you not running the no-huddle offense, when that's what got you to the playoffs in 05? I've heard that they're trying to "commit to running the ball". You can do that from a no-huddle just fine. Carson can run a no-huddle better than just about anyone in the league, and the longer you run it, the more it wears down the defense...SO RUN IT!!!! But, the OC is only part of the problem...
Owner/GM Mike Brown: Mike Brown was blessed to learn from one of the best owner/GMs in the game at the time, his father Paul Brown. The problem is, Mike took over the team in the late 80s, and the game has changed drastically since then, and he has apparently learned nothing from 20 years of failure, bad draft picks, "do not trade to Cincinnati" clauses in top players' contracts, and hardly any free agency attempts. But, hey, at least they're under the salary cap. The bottom line is, he needs to hire someone to be the GM of the team. Someone who knows the NFL as it is today, and can make personnel decisions.
Head Coach Marvin Lewis: Sadly, I think it's time to make the change here. He did a good job bringing them from nothing to something in 2005, but now he's associated with the losing teams that have shown up since. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's all his fault, but just as Lewis changed the culture in Cincinnati to a team that wants to win, the culture needs to be changed again, and I don't think he's the guy to do it.
And would people please quit kissing Ben Roethlisberger's ass? A trained chimp could throw the ball 4 yards to Hines Ward and have him get you 7 more. But, no, I heard him mentioned as an MVP candidate this year.
Offense: In a year when the pass defense is playing solid ball, the offense just isn't playing. Some would attribute it to a lack of Carson Palmer, but they didn't play well when Carson was under center, so I'm going to look in a different direction...
The Offensive Coordinator: Why in God's name are you not running the no-huddle offense, when that's what got you to the playoffs in 05? I've heard that they're trying to "commit to running the ball". You can do that from a no-huddle just fine. Carson can run a no-huddle better than just about anyone in the league, and the longer you run it, the more it wears down the defense...SO RUN IT!!!! But, the OC is only part of the problem...
Owner/GM Mike Brown: Mike Brown was blessed to learn from one of the best owner/GMs in the game at the time, his father Paul Brown. The problem is, Mike took over the team in the late 80s, and the game has changed drastically since then, and he has apparently learned nothing from 20 years of failure, bad draft picks, "do not trade to Cincinnati" clauses in top players' contracts, and hardly any free agency attempts. But, hey, at least they're under the salary cap. The bottom line is, he needs to hire someone to be the GM of the team. Someone who knows the NFL as it is today, and can make personnel decisions.
Head Coach Marvin Lewis: Sadly, I think it's time to make the change here. He did a good job bringing them from nothing to something in 2005, but now he's associated with the losing teams that have shown up since. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's all his fault, but just as Lewis changed the culture in Cincinnati to a team that wants to win, the culture needs to be changed again, and I don't think he's the guy to do it.
And would people please quit kissing Ben Roethlisberger's ass? A trained chimp could throw the ball 4 yards to Hines Ward and have him get you 7 more. But, no, I heard him mentioned as an MVP candidate this year.
