An Ugly Sports Weekend in Cincinnati
It was a game the Bengals had to win with the season on the line, it was a game they should've have won with ease, it was a game they had all but wrapped up, but in typical Cincinnati Bengals fashion, they found a way to lose.
What I saw, and so did the rest of the fans who were there, was maybe the best first half of Bengals football all season, followed by an abysmal second half.
The Bengals could not be stopped in the first half. S Reggie Nelson had an interception and LB Rey Maualuga forced a fumble inside the 10-yard line that resulted in a 97-yd touchdown drive. The Texans had no answer for Cedric Benson, who ran for 92-yds in the first half, as the Bengals scored 16 straight points and took a 16-3 lead into halftime. It was downhill from there, however.
The Bengals managed to not even gain a positive yard rushing in the second half as a team and Cedric Benson had 8 carries for minus one yard. The offense managed just 81-yards of total offense and an Andy Dalton fumble early in the second half lead to a Houston touchdown that got them right back into the game.
Throughout the second half, it looked like the Bengals were playing not to lose. They could not run the ball at all, they failed to get the ball to A.J. Green consistently, there was no creativity on offense, why Brandon Tate continues to return kicks is baffling to fans, and the lack of execution on defense was troubling. The defense did record five sacks, but they had no pass rush on the final drive in which, rookie QB T.J. Yates lead the Texans on a 13 play, 81-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to a wide open Kevin Walter with two seconds left.
I was one of the 41,202 in attendance, the second lowest for a Bengals game in the history of Paul Brown Stadium, who showed up to watch two teams with a combined record of 16-8 play a very exciting football game Sunday afternoon. The UC Bearcats played at Paul Brown Stadium earlier this year and they drew 48,152 for their game against West Virginia, so for the Bengals noting being able to draw at least 50,000 is sad. Whether it's people's dislike of Mike Brown or the high price of attending the game, fans just aren't coming to games this season and it's a shame.
After the game I was listening to "Bengals Group Therapy" on the radio and a guy called in who had a great analogy for the Bengals attendance woes. He said it's like the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, your not for the war, but you still support the troops. Fans don't like Mike Brown and the Bengals organization, but they still want to support the players. Until something is done, Mike Brown's teams will be playing in front of half empty stadiums, which is a shame, because the young Bengals have a very bright future and could make the playoffs this year.
However, with the loss on Sunday, the Bengals fell out of the playoff picture and at 7-6, they almost certainly have to win their remaining three games against St. Louis, Arizona, and Baltimore if they are going to make the playoffs. And even then, it may not be enough.
"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS
QB Joe Webb, Vikings: Could he have played his way into the starting lineup? After coming in for the benched Christian Ponder, Webb threw for 84-yds on 12/23 passing with a touchdown and he also ran for 109-yds and a score.
DE Jared Allen, Vikings: Will somebody please block Jared Allen. The guy had three more sacks on Sunday bringing his season sack total to 17.5. Allen will certainly be going to the Pro Bowl and he is making a serious case for Defensive Player of the Year.
QB Drew Brees and WR Marques Colston, Saints: The Saints offense was electric again on Sunday with 437-yds of offense, 337-yds and 2 TD from QB Drew Brees, and 7 receptions for 105-yds and 2 TD from WR Marques Colston.
Philadelphia Eagles Defense: A dominating performance from the Eagles defense in Miami, as they held the Dolphins to 10 points and 204-yds of offense. They also forced three turnovers and recorded nine, count'em, nine sacks. Jason Babin and Trent Cole each had three, while Brian Rolle, Phillip Hunt, Casey Matthews each had one sack.
RB Shonn Greene, Jets: The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, strengthen their playoff chances with a 37-10 blowout of the Chiefs at home, in which Shonn Greene rushed for 129-yds and a touchdown on 24 carries.
TE Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: It is quickly becoming the best season a tight end has ever had in the NFL. Gronkowski had 6 receptions for 160-yds and 2 TD, setting the single season record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end in NFL history. Gronkowski is also only four touchdown receptions away from tying Bill Gorman's record of most touchdown receptions in a player's first two seasons with 29.
QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones, Falcons: The Falcons were down 23-7 with three minutes to go in the second quarter, but Ryan and Jones led an Atlanta second half surge, in which they scored 24 unanswered points. Matt Ryan threw for 320-yds on 22/38 passing with 4 TD passes, two of which went to Julio Jones, who had 3 receptions for 104-yds on the day.
LB James Anderson, Panthers: Quite an impressive day for James Anderson who recorded 17 total tackles, 10 of them solo, a half of sack, and a pass defended against the Falcons.
RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: MDJ did it all again for the Jaguars on Sunday with 27 carries for 85-yds and 2 TD on the ground, and 6 receptions for 51-yds and 2 TD threw the air.
LB Terrell Suggs, Ravens: Teams are not only having a hard time blocking Jared Allen, but Terrell Suggs as well. Suggs have five total tackles and three sacks in a win over Indianapolis on Sunday and he has now recorded seven sacks in Baltimore's last three games.
RB Ray Rice, Ravens: Rice carried the load again for the Ravens rushing for 103-yds and a touchdown, while also catching 6 balls for 46-yds.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: Fitzgerald played a big role for the Cardinals, who knocked off the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers, with 7 receptions for 149-yds and a touchdown.
QB Philip Rivers, Chargers: The Chargers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 37-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, in which Philip Rivers was 24/33 for 240-yds and 3 TD. TE Antonio Gates also had a good game with 7 receptions for 68-yds and 2 TD.
QB Tony Romo and WR Laurent Robinson, Cowboys: Romo had a good game for the Cowboys Sunday night against the Giants with 321-yds passing and 4 TD, but overthrowing an open Miles Austin late in the fourth quarter, might have cost the Cowboys the game. Robinson continued his breakout season on Sunday with 4 receptions for 137-yds and a touchdown.
QB Eli Manning, Giants: Eli is having an MVP caliber season with over 4,000-yds passing and he now has 6 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime this season, which is the more than any other player in the league. Eli led the Giants to a comebcak vicotry against the Cowboys going 27/47 for 400-yds, 2 TD, and an Int.
WR Hakeem Nicks, Giants: Nicks was Eli's favorite target on Sunday with 7 receptions for 154-yds.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants: JPP became the first player this season with a blocked kick, sack, and forced fumble in the same game. Pierre-Paul blocked Dan Bailey's kick with six seconds to go in the game, giving the Giants a 37-34 win over the rival Cowboys. JPP recorded 8 total tackles and two sacks for the game.
RB Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks: The guy is a Skittle eating beast, who is one of the hardest guys to bring down. The Rams did not have much luck stopping him Monday night, as he rushed for 115-yds and a touchdown.
WR Doug Baldwin, Seahawks: Not only did the undrafted rookie out of Stanford have 7 receptions for 93-yds and a touchdown, but he also blocked a punt in the first half that was returned 17-yds for a score.
"Holy Crap" Performance of the Week
Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow and the Broncos did it again. The first three quarters were awful for Tebow and the Denver offense as usual. Tebow was 3/16 for 45-yds, an Int, and a fumble lost in the first three quarters, but he turned it on once again in the fourth quarter. Tebow led the Broncos on a touchdown drive with just over two minutes left and then ran a successful two minute drill to tie the game up. Tebow finished 21/40 for 236-yds, a TD and an Int on the day, plus 49-yds on the ground. Tim Tebow now has six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first 11 starts. That is the most such drives in a player's first 11 career starts of any player to debut since the merger.
Next week, Tom Brady and the 10-3 New England Patriots come to Denver for a Mile High Showdown against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. Who would have thought that when the season started, Patriots/Broncos would be the marquee game in Week 15? "Holy Crap."
"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES
QB Christian Ponder, Vikings: Not a good day for Ponder who was 11/21 for 115-yds, with 2 TD, 3 Int, and a fumble lost before getting bench on Sunday in Detroit. Two of Ponder's four turnovers were returned for touchdowns as the Vikings came up short, 34-28, and fell to 2-11 on the season.
RB Chris Johnson, Titans: One week, Chris Johnson runs for 153-yds and the next week he rushes for 23-yds on 11 carries. "C'mon Man." Where's the consistency? Tennessee's 22-17 loss to the Saints dropped them to 7-6, possibly ending their playoff chances.
Miami Dolphins Offensive Line: Philadelphia's pass rush could not be stopped, especially after T Jake Long left with a back injury, as the Dolphins o-line gave up nine sacks in a 26-10 loss to the Eagles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It's going to be hard to stop a seven game losing streak when you give up 41 unanswered points, commit 12 penalties for 97-yds, and turn the ball over seven times. Two of their four fumbles were returned for touchdowns, as the Buccaneers were embarrassed in Jacksonville, 41-14.
RB Marion Barber, Bears: Statistically, Barber had a good game rushing for 108-yds on 27 carries and a touchdown, but it's what else he did on Sunday that earned him a "C'mon Man." With less than two minutes to go and Denver out of timeouts, Barber ran the ball to the left and went out of bounds. So, instead of wiping off 40 more seconds of clock, the Bears had to punt, and Denver got the ball back in time to kick a game tying 59-yard field goal.
Then in overtime, with the ball on Denver's 39-yd line, Barber fumbled the football, when he could have had an easy touchdown, and the Broncos recovered. They would go on to kick a game winning 51-yard field goal, as the Bears fell even farther back in the NFC playoff race.
QB Carson Palmer and the Oakland Raiders: The Raiders got the snot kicked out of them Sunday at Lambeau Field by the Packers, falling behind 34-0 shortly after halftime, and then lost the game by 30 points. Carson Palmer did not help the Raiders cause going 24/42 for 245-yds, TD and 4 Int. With Denver's win, Oakland now finds themselves a game back in the AFC West race.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills: Ever since signing an extension with Buffalo, Fitzpatrick and the Bills have struggled big time. They lost their sixth straight game and Fitzpatrick did not help matters going 13/34 for 176-yds, and 2 Int.
"C'mon Man" Performance of the Week
Cincinnati/Xavier Brawl: The Crosstown Shootout between the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the city of Cincinnati every year, but after the brawl that ensued with 9.4 seconds left in the game on Saturday, fans may have to wait a long time before they see another Crosstown Shootout. There was trash talk, pushing, shoving, stomping, even punches being thrown, resulting in a bench clearly brawl that forced the referee's to call the game.
Both UC and Xavier are fine institutions and both have great basketball program, but the brawl seriously hurt their reputations. UC head coach Mick Cronin said it best in his press conference saying that there was no room for that kind of behavior in collegiate athletics. And he's right. If I want to see guys throwing punches, I'll go to a WWE fight, not a college basketball game. I know UC and Xavier players don't like each other and there was going to be trash talk, but you don't see Duke and North Carolina fighting during one of their games. These guys need to grow up and realize that their are much more important things, like getting an education, than fighting during a basketball game.
I'm a student at the University of Cincinnati and I know some people in the UC community are blaming Xavier for starting the whole thing, and I'm sure Xavier fans are blaming UC. The bottom line though, is both schools are at fault and the players involved have to be responsible for their actions.
It was just an ugly scene and multiple suspensions were handed out on Sunday as a result. Cincinnati's Yancy Gates, who punched Xavier's Kenny Freese in the face, and Cheikh Mbodji each received six game suspensions for their actions and Ge'Lawn Guyn was suspended one game. For Xavier, Dez Wells and Landen Amos were suspended four games, Mark Lyons was suspended two games, and Tu Holloway got one game.
Cronin also made his players apologize to the University, the community, and the kids that were in attendance Saturday, in a press conference on Monday. My buddy Cris Freese, who is a much better writer than I will ever be and before you even ask is not related to Xavier center Kenny Freese, writes for Musketeer Madness, Xavier's basketball website, and he has a great article about the brawl that's worth taking a look at.
We have been friends since grade school and we argued about who started the fight, who was at fault, and why certain players didn't received longer suspensions, but we agreed to disagree. Arguing over a childish brawl between your school's basketball teams, is no reason to jeopardize a decade long friendship.
Between the Bengals last second loss and the brawl at the Crosstown Shootout, it was another ugly weekend of sports in the city of Cincinnati. C'mon Cincinnati.
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| Whether it's fans dislike for owner Mike Brown, or the high cost of going to a game, the crowds at Paul Brown Stadium this year have been pathetic. (Photo Courtesy of my iPhone) |
The Bengals could not be stopped in the first half. S Reggie Nelson had an interception and LB Rey Maualuga forced a fumble inside the 10-yard line that resulted in a 97-yd touchdown drive. The Texans had no answer for Cedric Benson, who ran for 92-yds in the first half, as the Bengals scored 16 straight points and took a 16-3 lead into halftime. It was downhill from there, however.
The Bengals managed to not even gain a positive yard rushing in the second half as a team and Cedric Benson had 8 carries for minus one yard. The offense managed just 81-yards of total offense and an Andy Dalton fumble early in the second half lead to a Houston touchdown that got them right back into the game.
Throughout the second half, it looked like the Bengals were playing not to lose. They could not run the ball at all, they failed to get the ball to A.J. Green consistently, there was no creativity on offense, why Brandon Tate continues to return kicks is baffling to fans, and the lack of execution on defense was troubling. The defense did record five sacks, but they had no pass rush on the final drive in which, rookie QB T.J. Yates lead the Texans on a 13 play, 81-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to a wide open Kevin Walter with two seconds left.
| Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer needs to make some changes to his defense that has struggled late in ball games. (The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger) |
After the game I was listening to "Bengals Group Therapy" on the radio and a guy called in who had a great analogy for the Bengals attendance woes. He said it's like the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, your not for the war, but you still support the troops. Fans don't like Mike Brown and the Bengals organization, but they still want to support the players. Until something is done, Mike Brown's teams will be playing in front of half empty stadiums, which is a shame, because the young Bengals have a very bright future and could make the playoffs this year.
However, with the loss on Sunday, the Bengals fell out of the playoff picture and at 7-6, they almost certainly have to win their remaining three games against St. Louis, Arizona, and Baltimore if they are going to make the playoffs. And even then, it may not be enough.
"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS
QB Joe Webb, Vikings: Could he have played his way into the starting lineup? After coming in for the benched Christian Ponder, Webb threw for 84-yds on 12/23 passing with a touchdown and he also ran for 109-yds and a score.
DE Jared Allen, Vikings: Will somebody please block Jared Allen. The guy had three more sacks on Sunday bringing his season sack total to 17.5. Allen will certainly be going to the Pro Bowl and he is making a serious case for Defensive Player of the Year.
QB Drew Brees and WR Marques Colston, Saints: The Saints offense was electric again on Sunday with 437-yds of offense, 337-yds and 2 TD from QB Drew Brees, and 7 receptions for 105-yds and 2 TD from WR Marques Colston.
Philadelphia Eagles Defense: A dominating performance from the Eagles defense in Miami, as they held the Dolphins to 10 points and 204-yds of offense. They also forced three turnovers and recorded nine, count'em, nine sacks. Jason Babin and Trent Cole each had three, while Brian Rolle, Phillip Hunt, Casey Matthews each had one sack.
RB Shonn Greene, Jets: The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, strengthen their playoff chances with a 37-10 blowout of the Chiefs at home, in which Shonn Greene rushed for 129-yds and a touchdown on 24 carries.
TE Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: It is quickly becoming the best season a tight end has ever had in the NFL. Gronkowski had 6 receptions for 160-yds and 2 TD, setting the single season record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end in NFL history. Gronkowski is also only four touchdown receptions away from tying Bill Gorman's record of most touchdown receptions in a player's first two seasons with 29.
QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones, Falcons: The Falcons were down 23-7 with three minutes to go in the second quarter, but Ryan and Jones led an Atlanta second half surge, in which they scored 24 unanswered points. Matt Ryan threw for 320-yds on 22/38 passing with 4 TD passes, two of which went to Julio Jones, who had 3 receptions for 104-yds on the day.
LB James Anderson, Panthers: Quite an impressive day for James Anderson who recorded 17 total tackles, 10 of them solo, a half of sack, and a pass defended against the Falcons.
RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: MDJ did it all again for the Jaguars on Sunday with 27 carries for 85-yds and 2 TD on the ground, and 6 receptions for 51-yds and 2 TD threw the air.
LB Terrell Suggs, Ravens: Teams are not only having a hard time blocking Jared Allen, but Terrell Suggs as well. Suggs have five total tackles and three sacks in a win over Indianapolis on Sunday and he has now recorded seven sacks in Baltimore's last three games.
RB Ray Rice, Ravens: Rice carried the load again for the Ravens rushing for 103-yds and a touchdown, while also catching 6 balls for 46-yds.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: Fitzgerald played a big role for the Cardinals, who knocked off the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers, with 7 receptions for 149-yds and a touchdown.
QB Philip Rivers, Chargers: The Chargers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 37-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, in which Philip Rivers was 24/33 for 240-yds and 3 TD. TE Antonio Gates also had a good game with 7 receptions for 68-yds and 2 TD.
QB Tony Romo and WR Laurent Robinson, Cowboys: Romo had a good game for the Cowboys Sunday night against the Giants with 321-yds passing and 4 TD, but overthrowing an open Miles Austin late in the fourth quarter, might have cost the Cowboys the game. Robinson continued his breakout season on Sunday with 4 receptions for 137-yds and a touchdown.
QB Eli Manning, Giants: Eli is having an MVP caliber season with over 4,000-yds passing and he now has 6 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime this season, which is the more than any other player in the league. Eli led the Giants to a comebcak vicotry against the Cowboys going 27/47 for 400-yds, 2 TD, and an Int.
WR Hakeem Nicks, Giants: Nicks was Eli's favorite target on Sunday with 7 receptions for 154-yds.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants: JPP became the first player this season with a blocked kick, sack, and forced fumble in the same game. Pierre-Paul blocked Dan Bailey's kick with six seconds to go in the game, giving the Giants a 37-34 win over the rival Cowboys. JPP recorded 8 total tackles and two sacks for the game.
RB Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks: The guy is a Skittle eating beast, who is one of the hardest guys to bring down. The Rams did not have much luck stopping him Monday night, as he rushed for 115-yds and a touchdown.
WR Doug Baldwin, Seahawks: Not only did the undrafted rookie out of Stanford have 7 receptions for 93-yds and a touchdown, but he also blocked a punt in the first half that was returned 17-yds for a score.
"Holy Crap" Performance of the Week
Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow and the Broncos did it again. The first three quarters were awful for Tebow and the Denver offense as usual. Tebow was 3/16 for 45-yds, an Int, and a fumble lost in the first three quarters, but he turned it on once again in the fourth quarter. Tebow led the Broncos on a touchdown drive with just over two minutes left and then ran a successful two minute drill to tie the game up. Tebow finished 21/40 for 236-yds, a TD and an Int on the day, plus 49-yds on the ground. Tim Tebow now has six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first 11 starts. That is the most such drives in a player's first 11 career starts of any player to debut since the merger.
Next week, Tom Brady and the 10-3 New England Patriots come to Denver for a Mile High Showdown against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. Who would have thought that when the season started, Patriots/Broncos would be the marquee game in Week 15? "Holy Crap."
"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES
QB Christian Ponder, Vikings: Not a good day for Ponder who was 11/21 for 115-yds, with 2 TD, 3 Int, and a fumble lost before getting bench on Sunday in Detroit. Two of Ponder's four turnovers were returned for touchdowns as the Vikings came up short, 34-28, and fell to 2-11 on the season.
RB Chris Johnson, Titans: One week, Chris Johnson runs for 153-yds and the next week he rushes for 23-yds on 11 carries. "C'mon Man." Where's the consistency? Tennessee's 22-17 loss to the Saints dropped them to 7-6, possibly ending their playoff chances.
Miami Dolphins Offensive Line: Philadelphia's pass rush could not be stopped, especially after T Jake Long left with a back injury, as the Dolphins o-line gave up nine sacks in a 26-10 loss to the Eagles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It's going to be hard to stop a seven game losing streak when you give up 41 unanswered points, commit 12 penalties for 97-yds, and turn the ball over seven times. Two of their four fumbles were returned for touchdowns, as the Buccaneers were embarrassed in Jacksonville, 41-14.
RB Marion Barber, Bears: Statistically, Barber had a good game rushing for 108-yds on 27 carries and a touchdown, but it's what else he did on Sunday that earned him a "C'mon Man." With less than two minutes to go and Denver out of timeouts, Barber ran the ball to the left and went out of bounds. So, instead of wiping off 40 more seconds of clock, the Bears had to punt, and Denver got the ball back in time to kick a game tying 59-yard field goal.
Then in overtime, with the ball on Denver's 39-yd line, Barber fumbled the football, when he could have had an easy touchdown, and the Broncos recovered. They would go on to kick a game winning 51-yard field goal, as the Bears fell even farther back in the NFC playoff race.
QB Carson Palmer and the Oakland Raiders: The Raiders got the snot kicked out of them Sunday at Lambeau Field by the Packers, falling behind 34-0 shortly after halftime, and then lost the game by 30 points. Carson Palmer did not help the Raiders cause going 24/42 for 245-yds, TD and 4 Int. With Denver's win, Oakland now finds themselves a game back in the AFC West race.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills: Ever since signing an extension with Buffalo, Fitzpatrick and the Bills have struggled big time. They lost their sixth straight game and Fitzpatrick did not help matters going 13/34 for 176-yds, and 2 Int.
"C'mon Man" Performance of the Week
Cincinnati/Xavier Brawl: The Crosstown Shootout between the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the city of Cincinnati every year, but after the brawl that ensued with 9.4 seconds left in the game on Saturday, fans may have to wait a long time before they see another Crosstown Shootout. There was trash talk, pushing, shoving, stomping, even punches being thrown, resulting in a bench clearly brawl that forced the referee's to call the game.
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| Saturday's brawl sure put a black eye on Xavier/UC rivalry. (Frank Victores/US Presswire) |
I'm a student at the University of Cincinnati and I know some people in the UC community are blaming Xavier for starting the whole thing, and I'm sure Xavier fans are blaming UC. The bottom line though, is both schools are at fault and the players involved have to be responsible for their actions.
It was just an ugly scene and multiple suspensions were handed out on Sunday as a result. Cincinnati's Yancy Gates, who punched Xavier's Kenny Freese in the face, and Cheikh Mbodji each received six game suspensions for their actions and Ge'Lawn Guyn was suspended one game. For Xavier, Dez Wells and Landen Amos were suspended four games, Mark Lyons was suspended two games, and Tu Holloway got one game.
| Yancy Gates apologized for his actions in Saturday's brawl saying, "I just have to show I'm a better person than I was Saturday." (The Enquirer/Cara Owsley) |
We have been friends since grade school and we argued about who started the fight, who was at fault, and why certain players didn't received longer suspensions, but we agreed to disagree. Arguing over a childish brawl between your school's basketball teams, is no reason to jeopardize a decade long friendship.
Between the Bengals last second loss and the brawl at the Crosstown Shootout, it was another ugly weekend of sports in the city of Cincinnati. C'mon Cincinnati.
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