Bengals humiliated

I used to say there's a reason why the Cincinnati Bengals don't get national television games. They tend to stink. Now, I could be wrong. Maybe the Bengals are good with nationally televised football games but it seems they are usually not ready for prime time. Anyway, the Bengals lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 44-13. I left when the score was 41-13 in the fourth quarter. Here's a quick summary of the game.

The Good. Nothing. I was going to say the Bengals offensive line played well. But forget about that. Towards the end of the game, the Ravens got good pressure on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.

The Bad. The Bengals defense. Ravens quarterback Joe Flaccid, er, Joe Flacco ran Baltimore's offense up and down the field. The defense was overmatched. Absolutely miserable.

The Ugly. The officiating. I saw a Bengal DB get called for interference for blocking a pass without touching the receiver. Then a Ravens defender ran over the top of a Bengals receiver. No call. Brutal. The NFL has to do something with the striking referees. That means settle. The replacement referees are terrible. The product is suffering.

Listen up Bengals Nation. The NFL season is a sprint. But the first game does not make a season. Neither does the second game. But next week, the Bengals face the Cleveland Browns. I believe things will be different.

Jon Stewart nails Fox News

Last week , Jon Stewart of the Daily Show slammed Fox News for its hypocrisy in its coverage of both political conventions. It seems that Fox News favored the Republicans over the Democrats. Surprise. Surprise. Anyway, here's his excellent piece.

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Cincinnati Bengals 2012 Preview

Are you ready for some football? Yes, Cincinnati Bengals fans, it's time to preview the upcoming season. So let's get to it.

1. The Offense.

The Offensive Line. Last year, quarterback Andy Dalton received too much pressure from the middle of the offensive line. To cure this, the Bengals drafted guard Kevin Zeitler in the first round. They also signed free agent guard Travelle Wharton but he was lost for the season due to a knee injury. Center Kyle Cook was also hurt and won't be back until week eight. That means talented second year guard Clint Bolling will start at the left guard. It means that the Bengals will start free agent center Jeff Faine. Am I worried? Yep. But there's still talent there. Zeitler and Faine were first round draft picks.

Less concern are the tackle positions. Andre Smith is beginning to look like the talent at right tackle the Bengals were hoping for when they picked him in the first round of 2009. Andrew Whitworth is the foundation of the line and does an exemplary job of protecting Dalton's blind side.

Receivers and tight ends. Your top receiver is A.J. Green. Fast. Great hands. He's one of the best in the league. But who's Dalton's second guy to go to? The Bengals have two cast offs. Brandon Tate and Armon Binns. Let's hope he's as good as he was when he played for the University of Cincinnati. (Footage from the Louisville game.)



The Bengals are pretty good at tight end. Expect Jermaine Gresham to split the seams and make some big receptions. Look for veteran Donald Lee and rookie Orson Charles to make contributions.

Running back. This could be a problem. The Bengals don't have a home run threat. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is solid and won't fumble. That's about it. Bernard Scott has speed but is untested as a starter. Brian Leonard will make clutch plays as the third down back.

Quarterback. Quarterback Andy Dalton made the Pro Bowl last year as a rookie. He's accurate as passer and has moxy. He'll only get better this year. Bruce Gradkowski is a solid back-up.

Conclusion. There are questions at the line and at running back. But I look for the offense to take a step up. The grade is B.

2. The Defense.

The defensive line. Defensive ends Robert Geathers and Carlos Dunlap are the starters. Dunlap is a stud. Period. Unfortunately, he's hurt for the first game with a knee injury. Michale Johnson is big and tall. Could wreck havoc.

Finally, the Bengals have some good talent at the defensive tackle position. Domata Peko is a solid run stopper. But it's Geno Atkins who will again shine. He'll put pressure on the quarterback. Look for contributions from talented rookies Devon Still and Brandon Thompson.

Linebackers. While Thomas Howard led the team in tackles last year, this group is nothing to write home about. Rey Maualuga needs to bring his game up a level. Manny Lawson needs to make an impact in blitz situations. Don't expect much from the rookie Vontaze Burfict. Though one hopes he will surprise us.

Secondary. Cornerback Leon Hall looks as if he has recovered from last year's Achilles injury. The interesting thing here is that four of the other corners were first round draft picks. They are Jason Allen, Adam Jones, Terence Newman and Nate Clements. Yeah, they're a little long in the tooth but hopefully their expereince will make up for lost steps. Don't look for first round pick Dre Kirkpatrick anytime soon since he was injured during the training camp.

Safety. The Bengals have Reggie Nelson doing yeoman's work at safety. And let's hope that Taylor Mays is in the right places in coverage. His athleticism makes him a force in the center.

Conclusion. The excellent pass rush should help the secondary. But the linebacking corp needs to step it up. The grade is B.

3. Special teams. The Bengals have a clutch kicker in Mike Nugent. Punter Kevin Huber also does an excellent job. The issue for the Bengals are the return specialists. Brandon Tate is okay for kickoffs. But the Bengals need more from the punt returners. Andrew Hawkins and Adam "Pac-Man" Jones look to be the candidates for returning punts. The grade is C+.

4. Management. I can't believe I'm saying this, but owner and de facto GM Mike Brown has made some excellent draft picks for the last three years. Those drafts plus the excellent draft of 2012 will set the Bengals for success for many years to come.

The Coaches. Head coach Marvin Lewis has the respect of the team. He knows how to motivate his men. Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is more creative than his predecessor. That's a welcome development. Players want to play for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. He knows how to get his players to perform at their apex.

5. The Prediction.

Look, I would like to say the Bengals will win the Super Bowl. But I have to be realistic. The schedule is tougher than last year. I predict the Bengals will go 7-9. I just hope I'm as wrong as I was last year. Maybe the Bengals win the Super Bowl. One can dream.

Bill Clinton commands the room

If you asked me that a person could make a point about tax policy into an inspiring moment of a speech, I would have said you're crazy. But Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton kicked ass at the Democratic National Convention with a hell of a speech endorsing President Barack Obama. With passion, and charm he commanded the room. Whereas the Republicans didn't use details, Clinton used numbers and details. This could have been deadly, but Clinton's sincerity shined through. Check out his speech below. As a bonus, here's Chris Matthews from Hardball.

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Colbert on the Democrats diversity

Stephen Colbert points out the diversity at the Democratic National Convention. You didn't see this at the Republican convention. Funny stuff.

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No bounce for Romney

If you follow presidential politics, you probably know that candidates get a bounce upwards in support after their party's national convention. For Republicans, it should be about a 5 point bounce in the polls. That's according to Ed Schultz, who used Gallup Poll numbers. (September 3, 2012 "The Ed Show."

According to the same show, the Gallup Poll showed no bounce at all for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Look you've got to start trending up if you want to win. I recall how Republican George H. W. Bush started to move up after the Republican convention in 1988. He went from seven points down to four points ahead. Romney didn't get a bounce or much of any movement. That's a sign of a weak candidate. Here's Ed Schulz's video piece.

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We're better off than we were four years ago

Republicans are touting an old tatic from the past to attack President Barack Obama. The are using St. Reagan's (Bill Maher's name for President Ronald Reagan) attack on President Jimmy Carter which asked voters, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Really? Do the Republicans want to make this argument? Yeah, times are not good. But four years ago, we were looking at the Great Depression, Part Two. We are not in that abyss. If I can paraphrase Vice President Joe Biden. Bin Laden is dead. GM is alive. Listen up Sarah Palin and you right-wingers. You betcha, we're better off than we were four years ago. Ed Schultz did an excellent piece on it yesterday. Check out his video.

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