Read Sports Geek’s argument and Loyal Homer’s arguments about the which team in the NFL has the most deceiving record.
It was not that long ago that many people (myself included) were discussing the fact that Marvin Lewis, head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, was in danger of losing his job. What a difference three weekends can make!
After losing to the Denver Broncos on a last-second play during the season opener, Lewis and the Bengals responded by defeating the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a result, the Bengals sit at 2-1 and are only one game behind the AFC North leading the Baltimore Ravens. It is safe to assume that fans in the Queen’s City are very excited about football again, and Lewis can sleep comfortably at night knowing that the temperature on his seat has been turned down (for the time being).
Leave it to Bleacher Fan to rain on the parade! Call it pessimism, cynicism, or any other kind of “ism” you can think of – I am not buying the hype.
It is fun to jump on a bandwagon, especially when those riding look like they are having fun! ESPN.com is on board, as they list the Bengals as the 11th best team in the NFL, moving them all the way up from 24th since their last power rankings. In similar fashion, CBSSports.com lists the Bengals as the 12th best team, and Sports Illustrated ranks them 13th.
As I was breaking down the Bengals’ performance over the first three weeks of the season I found the hype is the only thing the Bengals have going for them right now (well, that AND being fortunate enough to play in the SOUTHERN half of Ohio, not the NORTHERN half).
Week One – Cincinnati LOSES to the Denver Broncos by a score of 12-7
The only relevance from this game came in the final 11 seconds, when wide receiver Brandon Stokley caught a deflected ball to give the Broncos the win. It is true that the Bengals were leading in this game, and if not for that miraculous final play by Denver, it would be the Bengals – not the Broncos – sitting at 3-0 right now.
The fact remains, however, that the Bengals LOST this game. It does not matter how unlucky the team was, and it does not matter how competitive the team made the game. The Bengals allowed the Broncos the opportunity to win, and the Broncos capitalized. As for the caliber of Denver team that beat the Bengals three weeks ago, Cincinnati is still boasted as Denver’s most impressive win.
The Bengals LOST to the Denver Broncos.
Week Two – Cincinnati takes a page out of Denver’s book
The only difference between this game and the Denver game is that Green Bay was charged with a false-start penalty in the closing seconds. If not for that penalty, Green Bay was potentially on their way to attempt a game-tying touchdown that would have forced overtime. Instead, the Bengals were the beneficiaries of a lucky break, and BARELY won the game by a score of 31-24.
Week Three – Cincinnati BARELY beats a group of people dressed in Pittsburgh Steelers Uniforms
Pittsburgh deserves more blame for this game than the Bengals deserve credit.
The Steelers came into week one of their season buying a little TOO much into their own hype. They committed costly errors, and played a little too reckless and cocky. As a result, they NEARLY lost a game it SHOULD have had well in hand against the Tennessee Titans, and safety Troy Polamalu was injured in the process.
The Steelers have been paying for that overconfidence ever since. They lost to the Chicago Bears the following weekend, and allowed the Bengals to score a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game (sound like a pattern yet?) during the week three matchup.
I have news for Bengals fans… if Troy Polamalu was on the field, this game would not have been close! The mistake that football fans and analysts everywhere are making is that they are reacting as if the Bengals defeated the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers, not the 2009 version that is playing without one of their star players.
Stars have not performed, offensively
In three games this season, quarterback Carson Palmer has only thrown for 615 yards, and has thrown four touchdowns to four interceptions. His passer rating is a bleak 76.2!
Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is tied for 30th in the NFL with only 14 receptions on the year, and has only caught one touchdown pass.
Running back Cedric Benson ranks at 21st in the NFL in yards per carry, averaging only 4.4 yards each time he touches the ball. He has rushed for 293 yards on the season, but 141 of those yards came in a single game against the Packers, who are among the bottom-ten in the NFL in rushing defense.
The current formula does not equal long-term success
The Bengals have failed to convince me that they are a legitimate contender in the NFL. They have yet to establish a comfortable lead of any kind in a game, and their offensive playmakers have underperformed thus far in the season.
Although the Bengals will most likely defeat the Cleveland Browns this weekend – moving to 3-1 on the season – the Bengals have an upcoming schedule that includes two games against the Baltimore Ravens, another matchup against the Steelers (who should have Polamalu back), the New York Jets, and the Minnesota Vikings. Luck has gotten the Bengals this far, but they are going to need a lot more than luck to survive the 2009 season. I just do not see it!
Posted by Bleacher Fan 
