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Preseason Game 4 Recap: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts

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We’re not sure which was harder to come by in the Cincinnati Bengals’s final preseason game – starters or points.

But either way, Cincy’s 7-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was just the Bengals’ final warm-up act before the week 1 match-up with Baltimore.

The first teamers sat on both sides. Bengal backup QB AJ McCarron took the reigns and went 20/30 for 216 yards. The defense was pitching a shutout until Colts quarterback Phillip Walker lobbed a 29-yard TD pass to Justice Liggins in the fourth quarter to give the horsies the win.

It wouldn’t have been a win, though, if the Cincinnati Bengals’ kickers hadn’t done their best Mike Nugent impression. Jake Elliott and Randy Bullock each made field goals (50 and 31 yards, respectively), but combined to miss three. Any one of which would have won the game. That may get a hall pass in the preseason, but against a divisional rival with a playoff spot on the line? Mmmm, not so much.

The Cincinnati Bengals did have bright spots. Jordan Willis notched his fourth sack in four games. Jordan Evans played with a Danielle-Steel-book-collection level of passion. Rookie jet engine John Ross took a sweep 25 yards, although he left with a non-serious knee injury. Running back Jarveon Williams rushed for 117 yards and added 42 more on five receptions.

Cincinnati Bengals Player of the Game

We’ll split this one between Williams and Evans. The final preseason game is where the rookies have to make their last good impression, and both of them did. Williams can provide good depth at running back, while Evans (six total tackles, two passes defended, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit) would be great to have while Vontaze “Category 4” Burfict is serving a three-game suspension.

What This Means Going Forward

We were having some PTSD flashbacks to last season while watching the kickers perform. They could (and most likely did) just have an off night. But Cincinnati must find a reliable kicker. Coach Marvin Lewis likely won’t keep two of them on the roster, which is about to be trimmed to 53 men. Will the person who is picked be consistent throughout the season? Time will tell.

Curtain’s about to go up on the 2017 season, ladies and germs. We’re ready. Are you?

Preseason Game 2 Recap: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs

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Oooookay, Cincinnati Bengals fans – let’s just pump those brakes a little bit.

Yeah, we know, we’ve been hyping up the 2017 Cincinnati Bengals as much as anyone. Still, you can’t argue with the fact that Saturday night’s 30-12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs showed that this team has some work to do if it’s going to get back to the playoffs for the seventh time in nine years.

How Things Went

The story of the night was the defense … or lack thereof. The Cincy D couldn’t stop the Kansas City QBs. They couldn’t stop the Chiefs from gaining 228 yards on the ground. Heck, they couldn’t stop in the name of love on Saturday. Kansas City signal-callers Patrick Mahomes II, Alex Smith, and Tyler Bray combined to go 20/28 for 182 yards, four touchdowns, and a 130.1 QB rating. Each quarterback threw at least one score. The Chiefs got all of their points in the first three quarters of play.

To add to the misery, Bengals starting safety Shawn Williams went down with a gnarly elbow injury early in the game. Slo-mo replay shows his right arm bending very awkwardly. Sort of like when Steven Seagal would snap an armlock on one of Screwface’s evil henchmen. We certainly pray for his recovery, but don’t expect him back any time soon.

On the other side of the ball, Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Andy Dalton went 7/13 for 98 yards, but he never looked comfortable. AJ McCarron also appeared to be off-target. Even AJ Green dropped a pass, which happens about as often as a Cleveland Browns victory.

One bit of good news is the Bengal kickers once again showed their accuracy. Randy Bullock and Jake Elliott each went two for two and accounted for all of Cincy’s points. If the Bengals are in a close game this season, they’ll be in good hands (er, feet). Also, there were solid individual performances by linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Nick Vigil (who had eight tackles). Youngster defensive ends Jordan Willis and Chris Smith each nabbed a sack. Being able to attack the QB from the edge was an offseason concern for the defense that seems to be easing by the week.

 

Cincinnati Bengals Player of the Game

If you think it was unusual last week for the kickers to be selected as PotG, how about two weeks in a row? Bullock and Elliott accounted for Cincinnati’s entire score again. Bullock booted a 47-yarder and one from 26, and Elliott connected from 32 and 39 yards.

 

What This Means Going Forward

We’re not sure if the Bengals’ defense just had an off-night or if Kansas City exposed some glaring weaknesses. But defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has some serious tape-reviewing to do in the next few days.

Cincinnati will need to find a replacement for Shawn Williams quickly. They have depth in George Iloka, Clayton Fejedelem, Derron Smith and Josh Shaw, but the only thing that hurts more than losing Williams is Shawn’s arm after that play.

The Cincinnati Bengals will take the field next on Sunday, August 27th on the road against the Washington Redskins.

 

5 Toughest Games for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017

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Just like any Cincinnati Bengals fans, Nate and Chris are growing more excited about the 2017 season each day. It’s a chance to atone for last year’s 6-9-1 faceplant and advance to the postseason for the seventh time in 9 years.

If Cincy is going to make it back to the playoffs though, they need to be able to win the tough games. They can’t just claim the gimme contests and then hope that someone else upsets Pittsburgh, Baltimore and whoever is leading the wild card race. The Bengals have the weapons this year to pull out wins against their best opponents. Time to make it happen.

Let’s hear the calls from the Bengal boys about which games will be toughest on the schedule.

Chris’ 5 Toughest Cincinnati Bengals Games

5. Houston Texans (9/14 @ Cincinnati): The Texans won the AFC South last year (albeit with only a 9-7 record). This game is also being played just four days after the Bengals’ opener against Baltimore. A reasonably tough opponent combined with a short turnaround is why I have this as my number five.

4. Green Bay Packers (9/24 @ Green Bay): Of all the games on my list, this one offers Cincinnati the greatest margin for error. It’s a non-con game against a tough opponent with an All-Pro quarterback. Here’s my biggest concern, though. If Cincy drops this game along with the Texans’ game from 10 days earlier, what kind of tone will that set for their season? It will do wonders for their confidence if they can put up a W against GB. But a 1-2 start is likely and could mean trouble.

3. Tennessee Titans (11/12 @ Tennessee): I was going back and forth between the Titans and Broncos for my No. 3 pick. I went with Tennessee because they are turning things around with superstars in the making in QB Marcus Mariota, first-round draft pick WR Corey Davis, and a cagey run defense that was second in the NFL last year (88.3 yards per game).

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (12/4 @ Cincinnati): Hopefully, rookies John Ross and Jake Elliott will have come into their own by early December and can make an impact on the passing and kicking games, respectively. An October win in Pittsburgh (see next entry) and this game looks more and more like a win for Cincinnati. But it will be tough either way.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (10/22 @ Pittsburgh): The Cincinnati Bengals need to at least split the games with Pittsburgh. If they don’t win here (which is likely), that puts enormous pressure on the December 4th game. (raises glass) Here’s to the offense and defense playing great in the toughest game of the season, pulling out a victory, and giving themselves the mental and divisional edge going forward.

Nate’s 5 Toughest Cincinnati Bengals Games

5. Houston Texans (9/14 @ Cincinnati): It’s a prime-time game under the lights at home in Week 2 against an AFC division champ that the Bengals have struggled against historically, especially in big games (remember the playoffs in 2011 & 2012). Houston had an elite defense last year without J.J. Watt, add Watt back in to the mix and this won’t be an easy game. Winning this game during a short week would be a huge confidence booster for this team and provide early momentum, especially if they beat the Ravens at home in Week 1 (which I think they will).

4. Baltimore Ravens (9/10 @ Cincinnati): It’s the first game of the season and the 1st home opener in the Dalton/Green era. This will actually be the first time the Bengals have opened at home since 2009, crazy right!? I think it will be important to get off to a fast start and the Bengals will be motivated to start the season strong, there will be a lot of excitement and emotion for this game and I think Cincy will come out with a victory in this important division game.

3. Baltimore Ravens (12/31 @ Baltimore): You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters.” We believe that. Our hopes are high that the Bengals will be in playoff contention late in the season and if they are this division game could have playoff implications.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10/22 @ Pittsburgh): I’ll make no bones about it, I hate the Steelers. They are the division champs from last season and the favorite to win this division again, winning at their place would be huge as it would most likely affect the division race and it would be oh so satisfying to leave Pittsburgh with W.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (12/4 @ Cincinnati): I agree with Chris that the Bengals need to at least split games with Pittsburgh this year, but I think this game will be the toughest since it is a December game involving the 2 teams who I think will be at the top of the division come the home stretch. You never know what may happen when these two teams play each other but one thing I do know, sparks will fly and emotions will surely run high!

3 Impact Rookies for Cincinnati in 2017

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It’s only natural to look at your team’s NFL draft picks and think about which ones will ‘wow’ you. At this point, no rookies will be a bust or a flameout. The future is bright. Your team has the guy who will shock the league and give everyone else fits. If a newbie contributes an extra touchdown, a well-timed sack, or a field goal, it can flip the team’s momentum. And its season.

With as many close games as the Cincinnati Bengals had last year, it makes us that much more excited to see what impact the rookies will make.  The crop of college kids that Cincy selected in April can put us on track for the playoffs this season. And if they do that as rookies, just imagine what will happen in the next few years!

So, which newbies will ‘wow’ Cincinnati Bengals fans and make the biggest impact in 2017? Here are our top three picks.

3 Rookies Who Will Make an Impact for the Cincinnati Bengals This Year

1. John Ross – We’ve mentioned this guy before, haven’t we? Ross’ 4.22 speed can’t be ignored. He will naturally be a threat with go routes and force defenses to give him more of a cushion. That alone is dangerous, since he’s a proven pass catcher (81 of them in 2016 for the Washington Huskies). It will be fun to watch opposing secondaries pick their poison between Ross, Tyler Eifert, and AJ Green.

2. Jake Elliott – This was a close one, but we gave the silver medal spot to Memphis kicker Elliott because he touches the ball more. He’s accurate on his kicks which was a trait that was maddeningly absent last year. The past two years, he went 18 of 21 from 40-49 yards. His leg is strong, accurate, and – if he makes the team – a game-changer. Heck, a season-changer.

3. Joe Mixon – JM gets the ball out of the backfield one way or another. In addition to rushing for 1,274 yards for Oklahoma last season, he also caught 37 passes, which was good for 17th among running backs in the FBS.  We’ve got him listed third because of how much his fate depends on a subpar offensive line. If the OL can’t gel, Mixon won’t have the impact we’re hoping for – yet.

Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Ups and 3 Downs from the 2017 NFL Draft

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The 2017 NFL Draft was kind to the Cincinnati Bengals. Very kind. In fact, we’re almost giddy at the thought of what the team will look like this fall. They addressed their needs at running back, receiver, and defensive end … and impressively so. The team took advantage of their 11 picks to improve depth. Quality players were selected early and often. While it wasn’t a perfect draft (like that even exists), you can’t ask for much better from the Bengals.

So why are we excited, and where could the team brass have done even better? Check out our 3 ups and 3 downs from the draft to find the answers.

Cincinnati’s 3 Ups

1. John Ross: You’ve heard us say over and over about how badly the Cincinnati Bengals need a wide receiver who can make AJ Green’s life easier. With John Ross, they’ve found him. In 2016 as a Washington Husky, Ross caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards. He’s so fast (4.22 in the 40), you’re not sure if he has a heart or a Hemi underneath his jersey. Ross’s biggest asset is that he expands the field and draws attention away from Green and tight end Tyler Eifert. That alone would increase the point production of the Bengals’ offense. But Ross is talented enough to be his own TD threat (17 of them last fall at UW). The O is about to O-pen up in Cincinnati.

2. A steal at running back: Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon has all the physical tools to have been a first-round draft choice. But off-the-field issues (more on that later) caused his stock to fall. Remarkably, he was still on the board when the Bengals were up to bat with their second-round pick. Mixon averaged 6.8 yards per carry last year and scored 10 times. If the line can open up some holes for him, the running game will do some impressive things.

3. The Bengals got their kicks: Nowhere in the NFL would a reliable kicker have made a bigger difference than in Cincy in 2016. The 6-9-1 Bengals could have been a playoff team had a few of their closer games turned out different. They lost five games last year by five points or less, along with their Week 8 tie to the Redskins. Drafting Jake Elliott out of Memphis could have as big an offensive impact as taking John Ross. Multiple NFL scouts anonymously called him the best kicker in this year’s draft. The days of Bengals’ fans cringing when the FG unit comes on the field may be over.

Cincinnati’s 3 Downs

1. Mixon’s potential baggage: The controversy stemming from Mixon’s punching a woman in an Oklahoma restaurant in 2014 is a cause for concern on multiple fronts. Someone got hurt. That kind of behavior shouldn’t be tolerated, and those repercussions can be a distraction to the player and the team. Hopefully Mixon will learn from it and keep his nose clean.

2. No big name on the O-line: After losing Kevin Zeitler to Cleveland and Andrew Whitworth to the LA Rams, the Bengals need to replace their two best linemen in a hurry. The team had to spend its draft picks on skill players. Thus, they didn’t land a big ugly worth bragging about.

3. Not enough down points to have a full “down” list: This is a good problem to have. There were not enough shortcomings from the draft to make a full list of “downs”, so we had to make the lack of a down point into its own down point. Because we said we would deliver three down points, and dang it, we’re gonna do it!