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5 Infamous Moments from the Cincinnati Bengals/PS Rivalry

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OK, Cincinnati Bengals fans – the week is here.

The Metal People are coming to town. Even better, they’ve looked as soft as melting gold so far this year. Those from the “pit” are ripe for the picking.

Notice how we haven’t named them yet? That’s because, with some teams, you just dislike them so much that you want to say their name less than Voldemort. And there’s a reason for that hatred. In fact, there are several.

Cincinnati and the pit town have had more than their fair share of run-ins over the last few years. That has mushroomed into a pretty fierce rivalry – one that would give Da Bears!-Packers historic rivalry a run for its money.

Here are five moments/games that have really brought this thing to a head. And made us want to rip someone’s head off.

5 Big Moments in the Cincinnati Bengals Rivalry with “Them”

5. Time to Shine
Some might say this was more shallow than an episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but it was still fun. Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh had a great game in a 38-31 victory at Heinz field in 2005. To top it off, he used a Terrible Towel to shine his cleats in the tunnel. We can think of only one better use for the Terrible Towel. Hint: It wouldn’t be the shoes that you wipe …

4. Refereegate
The sting of this one is still fresh. It’s December 2017 and the Cincinnati Bengals are still hoping for a playoff bid. But the black and gold team stopped them cold, with some help from the black-and-white striped team. The Bengals were flagged 13 times for 173 yards (a team record). Many of those were the result of poor officiating. The worst was a BS holding call against Giovani Bernard in the second half that wiped out an Andy Dalton touchdown pass. It was such a phantom call that you half-expected to see an opera along with it. The TD – and the momentum – was officially lost. Along with a 17-point lead, the game, and the postseason.

3. Taking a Knee
The first playoff meeting between the two teams was in 2005. The stakes were high, the tension higher. Said tension reached a fever pitch when Bengals’ QB Carson Palmer was drilled on the second offensive play (in what many people thought was a late, dirty hit) and left the game with a knee injury. Cincy still managed to take a 17-7 lead, but the bottom fell out after that. The Other Team scored 24 straight and won 31-17, paving their way to a Super Bowl title.

2. You’re Late … Again and Again and Again. If you thought one late hit was a doozie, how about a second half full of them? That’s what we witnessed in the 2015 Wild Card Playoff game. Things seemed reasonably calm in the first half. Then the rain started falling … and the bodies. Assistant coach Mike Munchak pulled Reggie Nelson’s hair. Giovani Bernard was on the receiving end of a Ryan Shazier helmet-to-helmet tackle. Vontaze Burfict and Pacman Jones donated 30 yards in penalties to the Make-a-Field-Goal foundation. Even Ben Roth ….Roethles …. Roethlis … Big Ben was pelted with garbage as he was carted off the field after being sacked by Burfict. Where were the WWE superstars to make it a complete circus?

1. You Want Somma This? Well sorry, it’s ours! The 2009 Iron Workers football team allllmost qualified for the playoffs at 9-7. How sweet was it then, that two of those losses were to the eventual AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals? Because, ya know, without those two losses, Pitt would have made the postseason. Claiming a playoff spot with one hand and shoving your heated rival away from it with the other hand? Ummmm, yes please!

Run Gio

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How will the Bengals react with Joe Mixon out for 2-4 weeks?

When news of Joe Mixon’s surgery broke you could hear Bengals fans everywhere start to worry about what this means for the season. While we learned slightly optimistic news that the surgery could sideline him as little as one game, the news still stung. Mixon, who was on pace to rush for over 1,400 yards this year, has been a key piece to the Bengals offense. He has been the Bengals three down back. Now, suddenly, all eyes turn to a familiar face, Giovani Bernard.

Gio is no stranger, now in his sixth NFL season, all with the Bengals. Gio has never been a typical three down between the tackle runner, but instead has found his success doing both running and receiving. In his first three seasons as a pro, Gio totalled over 1,000 scrimmage yards per season, as well as a combined 17 touchdowns from 2013 through 2015. Production dipped in 2016 and 2017, due to Gio seeing less touches, but he has remained just as effective when given the chance. Now with Mixon out, Gio will again prove his worth and show just why the Bengals have kept him around.

In his six seasons, Gio has averaged over four yards a carry and around nine yards per catch. At just 5’9”, Gio is electric and very elusive. Last year through a four game stretch when Mixon was injured, we saw four games in which Gio had at least 10 carries. In those 4 games he averaged over 70 rushing yards per game, which would put him on pace for over 1,140 yards rushing over a 16 game season. He also added 18 receptions in those 4 games. Gio is one of the most underrated backs in the league and has proven he can carry the load for an offense. The offense will no doubt be a different team with Gio in versus Mixon, however, this is not to say that they will regress. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor will have had 10 days to prepare for an offense featuring Bernard when the Bengals take the field on Sunday in Carolina. Joe Mixon will be missed no doubt, but we will again see what ole’ reliable can do for this new look 2018 offense.

Run Gio, Run!

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF, Who Dey!

Pacing Bengals Stats After 4 Games

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The Bengals have finished the first quarter of the regular season with a 1-3 record after struggling offensively during the first few games against the Ravens and Texans, but after making a change at offensive coordinator from Ken Zampese to Bill Lazor, the offense has played much better the past 2 games against the Packers and Browns.

Below are player stats after 4 games and the pace they are currently on for the season.

Andy Dalton has currently thrown for 892 yards, 6 TD’s and 4 INT’s while completing over 66% of his passes, he has also been sacked 14 times through 4 games. Dalton is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,568 yards, 24 TD’s and 16 INT’s. Let’s hope the Bengals offensive line shows improvement with regards to pass protection as they are on pace to give up 56 sacks this season, that would be 15 more than they allowed in 2016.

The Bengals have 3 running backs with more than 80 yards rushing. Joe Mixon leads the team with 136 yards rushing on 52 carries, Giovani Bernard has 89 yards on 18 carries and Jeremy Hill rounds out the trio with 82 yards on 25 attempts. Mixon is on pace to finish the season with 544 yards rushing on 208 carries but I expect to see improvement on his current average of 2.6 yards per carry. Bernard is on pace to finish with 356 yards on 72 carries and Hill is on pace to finish with 332 yards on 100 attempts. Bernard also has 8 receptions for 134 yards along with 2 receiving TD’s and Mixon has 11 receptions for another 78 yards.

The best offensive player on the team is without a doubt WR A.J. Green. Green currently leads the team 25 receptions for 315 yards receiving and 2 TD’s which would put him on pace to finish the season with 100 receptions, 1,260 yards and 8 TD’s. Bernard and Mixon are the 2nd and 4th leading receivers on the team at the moment but TE Tyler Kroft has displayed a Tyler Eifert-like presence at times and has 10 receptions, 101 yards and 2 TD’s. Brandon Lafell has also had 10 catches for 76 yards.

When it comes to the defense 2nd year LB Nick Vigil is currently leading the Bengals with 34 tackles, he also has 1 sack and 1 INT. The Bengals pass rush has shown improvement this season so far and veteran DT Geno Atkins has 3 of the teams 12 sacks so far. Rookie LB Carl Lawson has 2.5 sacks and has shown the ability to provide consistent pressure on opposing QB’s when on the field. CB Darqueze Dennard also has 2 sacks and backup DE Chris Smith who the Bengals traded for in the offseason from the Jacksonville Jaguars has 1.5 QB sacks.

3 Things We’re Excited About for Bengals Training Camp

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We’re less than a week away from the start of the Cincinnati Bengals training camp. This is a golden time for any football fan. The hope for a new season. Arguing with your buddies about who should start, or which player will have the biggest season. A chance to get revenge on your fiercest rivals. The time is here, and it is GLORIOUS!

But that’s not the only reason to get excited.

The Bengals have plenty of reasons to think they’ll be back in the playoffs in 2017. From the offense that should blow up like a bottle of shaken-up soda to seeing what a bunch of motivated players will do to get last year’s sour taste out of their mouths, 2017 will be a year to remember. Here are the top three things that get us jazzed ahead of Bengals training camp.

Bengals Training Camp: 3 Reasons to be Revved Up

1. Offensive weapons. The Bengals are loaded this year. Armed to the teeth. Remember that scene in the movie Commando when Schwarzenegger paddles to the beach and then spends the next couple of minutes gearing up for the big gun battle? That’s how fans should feel when reading Cincinnati’s offensive depth chart.

Andy Dalton is ready to follow up on his 4,206-yard performance from last year. And for the first time in what seems like forever, he’ll have to make up his mind about who to chuck the pigskin to. All-Pro wide receiver AJ Green returns after being painfully close to a 1,000-yard receiving season despite only starting 10 games. Tyler Boyd, Brandon LaFell, Cody Core, rookies John Ross and Josh Malone … the WR list goes on. Don’t forget about tight end Tyler Eifert (more on him in a minute).

With defenses being so busy trying to stop Dalton and Co., it will open up the running game. If the O-line can gel – and that’s a big if – then Jeremy Hill should build upon his 839-yard campaign from last year. Giovani Bernard collected 673 yards from scrimmage. Draft pick Joe Mixon gained 1,812 total yards and scored 15 touchdowns last year at Oklahoma. The firepower’s there.

2. Jordan Willis. Cincy averaged 2.1 sacks per game last year. That tied them for 19th in the NFL. They need a boost, and third-round draft pick Jordan Willis could be the one that gives it to them. He racked up 11.5 sacks for the Wildcats in 2016 and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the year. He has good burst and plays at a position of need. The Bengals had plenty of close games last season. If Willis’ rush can stop even one 3rd-and-long, it could flip the game in the Bengals’ favor. We say he’ll stop a lot more than one.

3. Contract years for Burfict and Eifert. It’s the perfect storm for these two players. Eifert and linebacker Vontaze Burfict spent big chunks of last season banged up and suspended, respectively. Now they are healthy, ready to prove something, and in the final year of their contracts. If that doesn’t motivate you to hit, catch, tackle and score, what will?

Bengals’ Biggest 2017 NFL Draft Needs, Part II: Running Backs

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Before you see our analysis of the running backs, make sure you catch our recent post on the top 3 choices for Cincinnati at defensive end. Check it out here!

There’s more buzz surrounding the running backs than any other position in the 2017 NFL Draft. The number of quality guys is so impressive, it’s like reading the name of a law firm with an irritatingly long list of partners. The Cincinnati Bengals could use some of those fresh legs in the backfield to take pressure off QB Andy Dalton.

Cedric Peerman sustained an arm injury in the preseason that basically wiped out his 2016. Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard led a rushing attack that averaged 4.0 yards per carry, good (or bad) for 23rd in the league. Now’s the time for the Bengals to cash in and get a franchise-caliber RB.

 

TOP RUNNING BACKS FOR THE CINCINNATI BENGALS

1. Leonard Fournette – Fournette came to LSU with ridiculous expectations and did not disappoint. His junior campaign was limited by an ankle injury, but Fournette showed as a sophomore what he can do when healthy. In 2015, he rushed for 1,953 yards, scored 22 TDs (in the SEC, mind you), and was a unanimous All-American. It’s tough to catch the 4.51 speedster. It’s even tougher to bring him down. He weighs 240 pounds, plays with low pads, and has little fear of defensive backs.

2. Dalvin Cook – Florida State couldn’t get enough of Cook’s performance over the last few years. Cook put up three straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Seminoles. He finished off his college career by rushing for 1,765 yards and 19 touchdowns. This two-time All-American used his sub-4.5 speed to earn Orange Bowl MVP honors (207 total yards) in a 33-32 win over Michigan. He tends to fumble too much, though (13 career cough-ups) and has had some run-ins with the law. That could make him a distraction in the locker room.

3. Joe Mixon – This Oklahoma back caught the eyes of college football fans everywhere when he gained 1,812 yards from scrimmage in 2016. He caught the eyes of NFL coaches by displaying his burst of speed and quick feet at the NFL Combine. He caught the eyes of the rest of America when a video surfaced of him punching a lady in a Norman, OK cafe in July 2014. Mixon has the physical tools to be a first-rounder, but the off-the-field behavior may have cost him. He could still be a steal if he slides in the draft and it will be interesting to see if Cincy is willing to take a risk.