A FEW MO' THINGS, 11/19/12
Forget, for just a second, the playoff race. For just a few minutes, stop staring at the standings, quit comparing schedules, and for the love of God, please cut anyone off who begins a sentence with "If the playoffs began today...."
With two straight wins, the Bengals are back in the postseason hunt. That's good. But the important part of what we've seen the last couple of weeks is the effect is has on goals greater than out-averaging the rest of the AFC's very expansive mid-section and grabbing a playoff spot. Even if this team is still playing in January, they're still not a championship-caliber squad. And even if they were to actually win a postseason game, they've still got some work to do to eventually play for the big money and prizes.
Maybe, just maybe, the Bengals took some steps in that direction during these last two games.
Let's be real, the Kansas City Chiefs are an awful football team. In roughly 25 years of following the NFL, they may be one of the five worst teams I've watched. UC's basketball team has faced more difficult opponents this past week than the Bengals did yesterday. But yesterday the Bengals did what even some of their best teams have struggled to do: They thoroughly whipped an overmatched opponent, leaving no doubt about the final outcome, and in the process the Bengals jumped right back into the AFC Wild Card race.
But what I like most about what the Bengals did against New York, KC, and to an extent Denver, is what it might mean for the development of Andy Dalton, and the progression of this offense. I like what it says about the way this staff and these players self-scouted during the bye. 2012, more than anything, was supposed to be a season where Andy Dalton made progress toward being the kind of quarterback who can take the Bengals to new and different places. During the first half of the season, that wasn't happening. Maybe it is early in the second half.
This year is supposed to be about the evolution of the offense, with the Dalton-to-Green connection becoming both more lethal and reliable, and consistent threats emerging within the passing game. It was supposed to be the year where a different type of offensive line became the group that would be keeping Andy upright in the coming years. We often didn't see what we wanted in the first eight games. We're seeing it now.
It was supposed to be about changes at running back, perhaps not for the longterm, but immediate enough for the offense to establish some balance and identity. Neither happened early, both are happening late.
And it was supposed to be the year where a star or two emerged defensively. That unit still has its holes, and should still be turned over in many areas this coming offseason, but Geno Atkins is turning into a star right in front of us, and the defensive line is morphing into one of the best in the league.
They're making progress. They're getting better. How much it holds up for them to get to the playoffs for a second straight year is debatable, but you can't convince me that what the Bengals have done since the bye won't help them both short term and long term.
-What was not to like about yesterday? We had the return of some trickery, with Peerman's direct snap run. We had the the return of the run game, with BJGE and Ced Peerman both productive. We had the return of aggressiveness, with the Bengals going for it on fourth down three times. We had the continuing use of the Dalton-to-Green connection, we had the continuing emergence of Gresham, we had Sanu making plays for a second straight week, and we had a second straight week with Andy Dalton limiting his completions to his teammates.
The Bengals are 2-0 this season when Andy doesn't throw a pick. That's no coincidence.
Oh, and AJ Green made this catch...
The D did their part. KC was held to just one third down conversion in 11 tries. Geno Atkins was a terror, and the defense as a whole applied pressure to both crappy Chiefs QBs. As bad as the Chiefs are, and as hopeless as their situation seems, holding an NFL team without a TD isn't easy. The Bengals are this close to having done exactly that in consecutive weeks.
It wasn't all gumdrops, lollipops, and unicorns
What's most to like, is the position they've put themselves in. The Bengals are an average team, such designation dictated by their very average record. But they have company. Right now, eight teams are within two games of each other, and the two AFC Wild Card spots. The Bengals are ahead of five of them, and the two they trail have some looming issues. Pittsburgh has no Roethlisberger for at least two more games, and Indy still has two games with Houston among their final six, to go along with a rookie quarterback and some other games against some tough, if underachieving opponents.
Meanwhile the Bengals have a winnable game against the Oakland Palmers this week, another winnable one in San Diego against the unpredictable Chargers, and games still on their schedule against total unknowns like Dallas and Philly. There's a good chance they'll still need a win in Pittsburgh, and depending on how things play out with the Ravens, they may have to beat Baltimore at home. Neither of those propositions are all that enticing, but two weeks ago the very thought of this team playing meaningful football in December seemed as improbable as Marvin Lewis winning a replay challenge. Now, it's at least worth talking about.
I'll take it. At least we're not this guy.
-I picked UC to beat Rutgers on Friday's blog, mainly because I didn't think Rutgers could score and because I liked UC's chances at home. But I never really felt good about either my pick or the Bearcats' chances on Saturday.
Turns out, Rutgers didn't score that much. Amazingly, UC scored less.
The Bearcats, in eight quarters against the Scarlet Knights in 2009 and 2010, scored 116 points. In eight quarters against them in 2011 and 2012, they've scored six. And for a second straight year, the inability to produce any kind of offense against Rutgers has torpedoed their BCS Bowl chances.
Rutgers has a very, very good defense, and they're particularly good against the run. But in a game that was within one possession most of the afternoon, George Winn should've had more than 11 carries.
And three years into Butch Jones' tenure at UC, the Bearcats should have more stability at quarterback.
Brendon Kay turned into a pumpkin on Saturday, and that was inevitable. There's a reason a fifth year senior had to wait until November of his senior year to start a game. The main reason might have been named "Collaros" but the sheer timing of his first college start should've told you that at some point, quarterback play was going to catch up to the Bearcats.
That's not his fault.
Was frustrating though is that heading into the 2010 season, we knew that the Bearcats would essentially be starting over at QB this season. Munchie Legaux wasn't the answer. Brendon Kay probably isn't. And it feels like an opportunity for a special season was kicked away because there simply were no good options behind center this season.
UC still has a chance for a ten-win season, and for this program to hit that mark five times in six seasons would be a nice achievement, even if typing that sentence feels a little hollow right now. In one respect, for this team to be sitting at 7-3 with a chance for ten wins in remarkable given how shaky their play at QB has been this season. (It's also reflective of their easy schedule) But you can't help but wonder what if the Bearcats had a legit college QB this season. And you can't help but wonder why the last few years couldn't yield better options for this year at that position.
-We spend so much time working up outrage at a system that's going to screw one college football team or the other....then they actually play the games. Two Saturdays, three upsets. Alabama goes down, but because the SEC is like herpes, they're back in the hunt after Kansas State lays an egg and Oregon folds at home. Sometimes shutting up and watching the games works best.
-I hope Ohio State goes undefeated. Then I hope the players publicly thank both their school's administration and their former coach for allowing the Buckeyes to becomes nothing more than a 2012 college football footnote.
-I'm ready for UC basketball to play a school I can point to on a map. The opportunity to call play-by-play for their two wins over Tennessee-Martin and North Carolina A&T was awesome.
-More later, including a look at today's #MoHawkMonday. Follow me on Twitter and listen to the radio show at 3:04 on ESPN1530. It won't be as entertaining as this.
