The Bengals' Super Bowl moment

 I stopped watching the Cincinnati Bengals game against the Baltimore Ravens when it looked like the Ravens were going to take the lead.  Typical Bengals heartbreaking loss.  Then something happened with less than a minute to play and the Bengals down 27-24.

The Bengals were down to their last play.  4th and 12.  The Ravens needed the win to make the playoffs.  The Buffalo Bills needed the Ravens to lose to make the playoffs.  It looks grim if you're a Bills' fan.  But Andy "The Red Rifle" Dalton hit an open Tyler Boyd in the seam. He shot through the defenders for a touchdown.    Hey , no calling Dalton "Opie" today.  For one brief shining moment,  the  Cincinnati Bengals had their miraculous Super Bowl play.  Bengals win 31-27.   The Bills send love and chicken wings to the Bengals.   Check out the play below.  And Happy New Year Bengals Nation and the people of Buffalo, New York. 

The Bengals' season is over

Is it too early to call the 2017 Cincinnati Bengals season over? After last week's game where the Bengals couldn't score a touchdown against the Houston Texans who had their two starting cornerbacks injured and now the Bengals drop a game to the Green Bay Packers after leading them 21-7, this long suffering Bengals fans has had it.

Yesterday's game against the Packers had all the hallmarks of your typical Bengals epic meltdown. After leading the Packers at halftime by 21-7, the Bengals scored just 3 points the remainder of the game. It's time to sit Bengals cornerback Adam "Packman" Jones down. His new nickname should be "Toast." Because he got toasted on a 72 yard pass play to set up the Packers winning field goal. Not only has he lost a step, he's an embarrassment off the field and do you all remember his meltdown against the Steelers in that 2016 Playoff game? His temper in that game caused a unsportsmanlike penalty which gave the Steelers a chip shot field goal. (Check out this News Record op-ed piece on Jones.)

Yesterday, the Bengals lost in the usual heartbreaking way. I've seen this movie before. Time to call the season. Not really interested in writing about the Bengals until they do something sustainable in a positive way. Time to think about the draft. Here's Lance McAlister's report.

Bungle in the Jungle: Bengals lose opener

The Cincinnati Bengals started the day by introducing its greatest players for the fiftieth anniversary.  They should have stopped there and not play their opening and first home game with the Baltimore Ravens.  You knew the day was going to be bad when Bengals quarterback Andy "Opie" Dalton threw a red zone interception.  Doh.  Bengals humiliated,  20-0.  If you want the depressing details, read Lance McAlister's summary. 

Bengals bungle with second round pick

I've previously wrote that the Cincinnati Bengals gambled by picking wide receiver John Ross in the first round of the NFL draft because of his ACL injury. But then came the second round and the Bengals became the Bungles again. They used a high pick and selected Oklahoma running back, Joe Mixon.

In case you didn't know, Joe Mixon as an eighteen year old got into a fight with a young lady and decked her. It was such a vicious punch that the woman suffered a broken jaw. (Bengals Introductory Press Conference with Mixon. ESPN) What makes it worse, is the video of the incident has been on the internet.

Now the Bengals have a long history of drafting and or signing "bad hombres" as Trump would put it. Stanley Wilson. Chris Henry. And who can forget the epic meltdown in that 2016 playoff game with the Pittsburgh Steelers by Vontaze Burfict and Adam "Pacman" Jones? Bad behavior off the field translates to bad behavior on the field. But the Bengals have not learned the lesson.

So, what about the player? Joe Mixon is first round talent. He's arguably the best running back in the draft. He's got great vision and bursts through the hole. Excellent speed. Good hands. He will break tackles. See video below. Looking at both the negative and the positive, I would not have wasted the second round pick on him. Too risky. Pick this guy in the late rounds, perhaps even in the seventh. Let's face it, he had few callers. Reports indicated that only four teams were interested. CBS Sports.

The question for all of us is whether Mr. Mixon can stay on the straight and narrow. I would suggest that Joe Mixon show the world some humility. No matter how great he can be, he should devote his free time to charity. Show the Cincinnati community that he's a different man from his youth.

Bengals gamble in picking John Ross

With their first draft pick and ninth overall, the Cincinnati Bengals gambled big time by selecting Washington wide receiver John Ross. The weaknesses are his size. 5' 11". 190 pounds. It's a little small for the NFL. The bigger problem is that he missed 2015 with an ACL injury. The upside is that he has blazing speed. He broke the 40 yard dash record for the NFL combine. He runs good routes. He's played defensive back so he knows how to exploit defenders. That should translate to an ability to outrun defensive backs and get open. But with that injury, I judge this to be a high risk-high reward draft pick. The grade is C Plus because of the risk. Check out his video highlights from last year below.

Don Meredith's signature song appropriate for Rubio, Kasich and Cruz

Super rich guy Donald Trump just took the Republican primaries for President in Michigan, and Mississippi. Oh, little Marco Rubio. John Kasich. Lyin' Ted Cruz. Remember Don Meredith from Monday Night Football? Here's what he would be singing, "Turn out the lights.... the party's over..."

The A.J. McCarron era starts

Wow, the usual Cincinnati Bengals' tragedy came early. Remember Quarterback Carson Palmer getting his knee shredded in the 2006 playoffs, Defensive tackle Tim Krumrie breaking his leg in the 1988 Super Bowl and fullback Stanley Wilson high on cocaine before that game? Now, star quarterback Andy Dalton broke his thumb yesterday on a tackle during an interception. To add insult to injury, the hated Pittsburgh Steelers thumped our men in orange and black, 33-20. Is the Bengals' season over?

Maybe not. Playing backup for Dalton is A.J. McCarron, the former Alabama quarterback and two time national champion. And already, he's cocky. He's already compared himself to the Patriots' Tom Brady.

"I guess Tom Brady was in the same situation when he had the opportunity, so I gotta make the most of it, do my job each week, know we have an unbelievable defense, don't turn the ball over and we have a chance to win. I promised the guys I'll work my tail off and be ready to go."

Yahoo's Ben Rohrbach writes McCarron is better off than Brady when he took over!

Let's face it. He's not Tom Brady. Well, he is a two time national champion quarterback. And before you say, I'm a fan and it's not possible for the Bengals to win the Super Bowl, need I remind you that Ohio State won the 2015 college national championship with a third string quarterback. McCarron has been in the national spotlight and will not wilt under pressure. So, Bengals nation, believe. Here are some scouting reports on McCarron. Let the A.J. to A.J. (Green) era begin.

Check out these videos on McCarron's weaknesses and strengths.



NFL interview and report.

Bengals make history

Let's face it Cincinnati Bengals fans. You thought when quarterback Andy Dalton threw that interception in the end zone with a little over nine minutes left in the game that this would be the Bengals first loss. But great teams overcome their mistakes and find ways to win. And the Bengals have all the markings of being a great team. Because the Bengals' defense held. They picked off Steeler quarterback Benji... er Ben Rothelisberger. twice in the quarter to stop drives. That gave the Bengals the opportunity to put together two drives to score ten points. The result was the Bengals won, 16-10.

With the victory, the Bengals climb to 7-0. No Bengals team has won its first seven games. It's a first for the franchise. Let's hope there's more winning to come. Maybe even a Super Bowl victory. Here are the highlights.

The Cincinnati Bengals 2014 Draft Grade

Fist, maybe you should call me "The Draft Guru." Yep, I predicted correctly that the Bengals would pick Darqueze Dennard. (CB, Michigan State) I thought that other teams would find other cornerbacks more attractive as better athletes thereby letting Dennard fall to the Bengals at the twenty fourth pick. But what about the rest of the Bengals draft?

Here's the list.

1. Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State)
2. Jeremy Hill (RB, LSU)
3. Will Clarke (DE, WVU)
4. Russell Bodine (C, North Carolina)
5. A.J. McCarron (QB, Alabama)
6. Marquis Flowers (OLB, Arizona)
7. James Wright (WR, LSU)
7. Lavelle Westbrooks (CB, Georgia Southern)

First let's talk about the Bengals trading up to get Russell Bodine. The Bengals traded with the Seattle Seahawks by giving up their fourth round and an extra sixth round pick so no big loss here. I've said the Bengals need to address the center situation. And Bodine does that. He's mean and strong but not fast or agile. He may not need the last two. He can also play center.

But the big elephant in the room is the second round pick of Jeremy Hill. If the Bengals wanted a bruising back, Ohio State's Carlos Hyde was there. So what's the problem with Hill? Character. A trait that doesn't matter with the Bengals According to Lindy's Sports Pro Football Draft (pg. 22) , Hill has a conviction for sex with a minor from 2010. (2011) Then while on probation for that offense he committed an assault in 2013. If you're a Bengals fan, the story of Stanley Wilson should come to mind. Wilson was found high from cocaine the night before Super Bowl XXIII and left off the team. Oh, then there's WR Chris Henry who had a ton of talent but his personal demons led to his death. Character matters to me. Off field problems are embarrassing to the city, set a bad example for kids and can lead a player to not contribute to the team due to suspensions.

What about Hill's talent? Well at LSU, he played behind a good run blocking line. Look at the tape, some of those holes he ran through, you could drive a truck through. On the upside, he's big and fast. Will break arm tacles. Let's hope he'll run through defenses. It would help if Hill would come out and address the character issue with the Cincinnati media. Second, I hope he says this. "When I run with the ball, I will do so feeling the pain of the Bengals fans. I will try to outrun and over all that pain."



Of other interest is A.J. McCarron. Yes, he's led Alabama to two national titles. He's a Heisman Trophy runner-up for 2013. But there are reasons why so many teams passed up on him. Not a big time arm. Worry about the fatigue of his throwing arm. At times, he floats the ball. Don't expect him to replace Bengals QB Andy Dalton. McCarron may not even make the team.

So, what's the grade for the 2014 Bengals draft? The Bengals are taking a big gamble with Hill. He's high risk, high reward. Still, they addressed every need. For the most part, the Bengals let the draft come to them. There were no major trade ups, mortgaging the future. The grade is B.

Cincinnati Bengals 2014 Draft Preview

Okay, let me get this out of the way. The Bengals should not and will not draft Lousiville QB Teddy Bridgewater with the twenty fourth pick. His stock seems to be dropping and he could be there for the Bengals. But picking him would mean he's better than your quarterback right now who is Pro Bowler (2011) Andy Dalton. Drafting quarterbacks can be a hit or miss. Remember Ryan Leaf? I didn't think so. There's no consensus that Bridgewater is a sure thing. The Bengals should skip him. If he's there in the third round, maybe. The Bengals have a good back up in Jason Campell, a former first round draft pick.

The Bengals Needs.

1. Cornerback.

With cornerback Leon Hall coming back from an Achilles injury and Terence Newman and Adam "Pacman" Jones getting older, the Bengals are a little thin here. Granted former first round pick Dre Kirkpatrick was injured his first year so we have not seen much from him. That being said, Kirkpatrick had a great game against the Baltimore Ravens last year on Dec. 29. He had nine tackles and 2 interceptions with one for a pick six.

Top corners in the draft. Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State, Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State. Marcus Roberson, Florida.

2. Offensive Line. The Bengals lost left tackle Anthony Collins to free agency. It's important to note that the left tackle protects Dalton's blind side. Will the Bengals move Andrew Whitworth back to left tackle after moving him to guard? The Bengals also cut starting center Kyle Cook. I think the Bengals will address the tackle situation before center unless a top rated center drops to them in the second round.

Top offensive tackles. Jake Matthews, Texas A & M. Greg Robinson, Auburn. Zack Martin, Notre Dame.

Top centers. Travis Swanson, Arkansas. Weston Richburg, Colorado State. Bryan Stork, Florida State.

3. Outside Linebacker. The Bengals got the deal of the decade when they signed undrafted Vontaze Burfict. He made the Pro Bowl last year. But he's more of an inside linebacker and the Bengals need more from the outside linebackers.

Top outside linebackers. Anthony Barr, UCLA. Ryan Shazier, Ohio State. Khalil Mack, Buffalo.

Prediction for the Bengals 2014 First Pick.

Defense wins championships. Ask the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals will pick a cornerback since the best ones are usually picked in the high rounds. I believe Darqueze Dennard falls down to the Bengals.

Here's the scouting report for Dennard.

Draft Day review

There's a reason why the Cleveland Browns stink. In the movie, Draft Day, Browns General Manager Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) trades three consecutive first round draft picks for the number one over all pick in this year's draft. Such a move will mortgage the future of the team. Okay, it's fictional but it's this kind of bonehead decision that makes the Browns such a NFL disaster.

Draft Day's plot revolves around Weaver's desperate maneuver. It's assumed he will pick the can't miss quarterback prospect, Bo Callahan. But something bothers Weaver about him. If Weaver picks him and he's a bust then he has wrecked the Browns for years to come. Okay, in the movie and in real life they are a mess but a mistake of this magnitude may cement the future of the Browns as a doormat for other NFL teams. During the momentous draft day, Weaver must deal with the passing of his late father a week earlier and the decision to fire him as coach of the Browns. He also has the weight of the demands of the owner, Anthony Molina, (Frank Langella) who wants a "splash" on draft day to excite the fans, a head coach, Vince Penn (Denis Leary) who feels left out of the process, and his girlfriend Ali Parker (Jennifer Garner) who just happens to be the Browns salary cap specialist.

There are some good things about this movie. It's exciting as Weaver must juggle all he information about Callahan and later try to wheel and deal during the day with his other picks. I like director Ivan Reitman's use of split screen to place competing general managers negotiating on the screen. The performance by Costner is top notch. He's under a lot of pressure.

But there are some real problems with this movie that will keep it from being a great movie. And I'm not talking about the discussion of Joe Montana's winning drive against the Cincinnati Bengals mentioned in the film. I'm a Bengals fan. But I digress. First, if you know nothing about the NFL draft, you may be lost. A little exposition would have been helpful. Then there are the unbelievable plot twists and melodrama. You have a plot where Weaver's father died a week before; he's he guy that fired him. Then throw in the girlfriend who happens to work in the office. Way too much melodrama. And there is the unbelievable plot twist in the last third of the movie dealing with the Jacksonville Jaguars GM. You've got to suspend disbelief that Jaguars GM would act like that. All of this is wrapped up in a Hollywood ending. I laughed out loud at one of the plot points dealing with Ali at the end of the movie. It was like a fairy tale.

Draft Day is a thrilling but flawed movie about decision made during the NFL draft day. If they had just gone for less Hollywood type of resolutions, it could have been a much better film. The grade is B.

The Andy Dalton App

Tung N. Cheek reporting.

FAUX NEWS

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has a new app just like Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. In Wilson's app, you can ask him about his football dreams. Here's some feelings and football dreams from Andy Dalton.

"I want to be able to throw the ball to A.J. Green in his stride rather than him waiting twenty minutes for the ball."

"When I grow up, I want to be just like Tom Brady."

"I want to stop throwing the ball to the other team."



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Stephen Colbert on uneducated college football players and Peyton Manning's shout out to Bud Light

Stephen Colbert did another "Sports Report" last night. It's his second in two nights. He took on uneducated college football players and Peyton Manning's shout out to Bud Light. Check it out below.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Video Archive

Bengals choke again

If I were a TV network executive, I would never put the Cincinnati Bengals on national television. They can't play when the spotlight is on them. They get mauled by the Pittsburgh Steelers three weeks ago. And now today in the Wild Card game at home, the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the San Diego Chargers, 27-10. Here's the story if you want the gruesome details.

What a disaster. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton let the bad side of himself show up. Two interceptions and one fumble. Bengals running back Giovanni Bernard also fumbled the ball into Chargers end zone. Overall, that's four turnovers. Can't do that in the playoffs. The Bengals may have some of the best talent in the league but they choke when the national spotlight is on them. There's no point to all that talent when you can't win a single playoff game. Might as well go 0 and 16. Don't waste our time, Bengals. Now spring is coming and the baseball season with the Cincinnati Reds. Oh yeah forgot about their playoff record also. Right now, there's a cold rain coming down here in Cincinnati.

Bengals survive and thrive against the Ravens

Today's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens was the epitome of Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton's season. There was bad Andy Dalton. Four interceptions. Not all were his fault. There's the good Andy Dalton. Two touchdown passes and he ran one in. By doing so, he holds the team record for throwing touchdown passes in a season. Can Andy Dalton lead the Bengals to victory in the Super Bowl? Yes. He's not the A Plus Tom Brady type of quarterback. But I would grade him at B Plus.

And speaking of championships, defense wins championships. Today the Bengals defense was all over Ravens quarterback Joe Flaccid, er... Joe Flacco. He threw three interceptions including one pick six. The Bengals have an A Plus defense. They kept the team in the game until the Bengals offense recovered and overcame its errors.

The result of the Bengals defense and good offensive plays led the Bengals to a big victory. Bengals win 34-17. Here's the story from the Bengals with video. Bengals go 8 and 0 at home. The finish at 11-5. It's on to the playoffs and a world championship at the Super Bowl. I dream big, guys.

What?!! The Cincinnati Bengals make the playoffs three years in a row

With today's victory by the Cincinnati Bengals over the Minnesota Vikings, the Bengals have made the playoffs for three years in a row. The question would become would they go in as a Wild Card or AFC North Division champs. That question was answered when the Baltimore Ravens lost to the New England Patriots. The Bengals are AFC North Division champs.

Today's game was not close. The Bengals offense could do anything they wanted against the Vikings. The defense was stellar too. The score? The Bengals walloped the Vikings 42-14. Here is the story from the Cincinnati Bengals with video.

Now the Bengals need to win in the playoffs. And ... win the Super Bowl.

Steelers humiliate Bengals on national TV

I was going to watch the Cincinnati Bengals battle the Pittsburgh Steelers at a pub the other night. But i was delayed by playing Grand Theft Auto V. As I was ready to leave, our men in stripes were down 21-0. So I decided to stay and play move Grand Theft Auto. That turned out to be a good choice.

The Steelers beat the Bengals in all phases of the game. And to make matters worse, a Steeler broke the jaw of another Bengal. Remember Keith Rivers broken jaw? This time it was a vicious hit on Bengals punter Kevin Huber who was defenseless. He is also suffering from a cracked vertebrae. Folks, that's Steelers football. Dirty. Think I'm being a homer? Remember Kimo Von Oelhoffen rolling his shoulder into Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer's knee?

Bengals lose 30-20. Anyway here's the story from the Bengals. And with last night's Baltimore Ravens win, the Bengals now lead the division by only one game.

The Cincinnati Bengals freeze the Indianapolis Colts

In Cincinnati, cold weather and Bengals football go together like chili and spaghetti. So when the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) came to town to play the Bengals, I was hopeful. You see the Colts play inside a dome during the winter months. And the Bengals play outside the way football is meant to be played. Maybe the Colts would have trouble adjusting.

Today, the Bengals offense took over while the defense had some trouble tackling. The result was a solid Cincinnati Bengals win over the playoff bound Colts, 42-28. The Bengals offense was working in all phases; running and passing. Solid victory for our men in stripes. Here's the story from the Cincinnati Bengals with video.

Bengals beat the Chargers

Let's see if I can describe the Cincinnati Bengals defeat of the San Diego Chargers in one sentence. The Bengals' defense hold off the Chargers until the rushing attack takes control. Anyway, the Bengals won 17-10 at Sand Diego. Here's the story.

Bengals choke in second straight overtime loss

For the second straight time the Cincinnati Bengals lost in overtime. This time it was to the Baltimore Ravens, 20-17. The Bengals offense was putrid. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is beginning to remind me of Jon Kitna. He threw three picks. I gave up on the the third one. Here's the story from the Cincinnati Bengals. Here's Lance McAlister's point of view.