[ I Am Bengal II – Bengal Harder (Page
5) ]
Bye-week, then, a time for reflection on what’s passed, and contemplation of what’s still to come. Let’s start with the division standings, because they make pretty reading:
BENGALS 7-1 (Div. 2-1)
Steelers 5-3 (Div. 2-1)
Ravens 5-3 (Div. 1-2)
Sort-Of-Dirty-Oranges 3-5 (Div. 1-2)
Not bad, eh?
Admittedly, it’s about this point where our schedule really starts to bite – in the second half of the season we’ve got to play the Steelers (twice), the Jets, the Bucs and the return game with the Oranges, who’re like as not going to be a little bit peeved with the whole game-winning-kickoff-return-in-the-final-second deal in our last matchup. All this, plus next week’s Rightuous-Vengeance Bowl at the RCA Dome... Tough, tough, tough.
Let’s take a tiptoe through the stat-sheet, then, and see how we’ve gotten here...
PASSING
Akili Smith – Rtg. 106.8*, 101 from 171 (59%), 1681 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INT.
* = Leads NFL
Akili’s on course for a career year – admittedly, that’s not saying an awful lot given how his career was going before I took over the team, and considering he missed three games last season with injury, but all the same. He’s shown that he’s a decently strong arm when he’s had to use it, but even so we remain a run-first team that asks our quarterback not to lose games much more than we ask him to go and win them. With that in mind, Smith’s posting up an average of 210 yards, 2 TDs and less than 1 INT per game is pretty close to ideal.
RECEIVING
Peter Warrick, 23 catches for 489 yards (21.2 yds per catch*), 5 TDs.
Chad Johnson, 21 catches for 432 yards (20.5 yds per catch), 5 TDs.
Daniel Graham, 25 catches for 332 yards (13.2 yds per catch), 3 TDs.
Jim Kleinsasser, 14 catches for 207 yards (14.7 yds per catch), 1 TD.
Corey Dillon, 15 catches for 205 yards (13.6 yds per catch), 2 TDs.
* = Leads NFL
It took until Week 7 for any Bengal to have a 100-yard receiving day... then we had three in two games (Johnson and Warrick in Wk 7, Johnson in Wk 8). Both our starting wideouts have been playmakers, as can be seen by their total scores and yards-per-catch averages, and both look set to post career highs in yardage and TD catches. Daniel Graham’s numbers have fallen off from his 1200-yard rookie season, not because he’s having a bad year – far from it – but simply because other players have emerged as reliable targets, allowing Akili Smith more flexibility in spreading the ball about. In all, 12 Bengals have caught passes this season.
RUSHING
Corey Dillon, 170 carries for 925 yards* (5.4 yards per carry), 12 TDs*.
Akili Smith, 27 carries for 147 yards (5.4 yards per carry), 2 TDs.
Adam Smith, 34 carries for 132 yards (3.8 yards per carry), 2 TDs.
* = Leads NFL
Well. What can you say? Corey Dillon on course to get close to the 2000-yard mark by season’s end, assuming he stays fit, at nearly 5-and-a-half yards a carry. Brutal. Currently heading the voting for League MVP for a second season in succession, Dillon is still what makes this offence tick. Some teams have slowed him down this year, but no-one has managed to stop him completely. In support are the two Smiths – Akili still a threat that teams have to respect, and Adam, who’s done well when given the chance, but has not got as many carries as I’d like simply because we’ve not had as many 4th-quarter leads as I’d like... ;) Lorenzo Neal has not been as much of a factor as last year in terms of ball-handling, but his blocking remains a vital component in Dillon’s success.
DEFENCE
Tackles
Lamont Thompson (FS) 34, Takeo Spikes (ROLB) & Jonathon Crane (rookie, CB) 29
Tackles For Loss
Takeo Spikes (ROLB) 6, Brian Simmons (MLB) & Jonathon Crane (rookie, CB) 4
Sacks
Justin Smith (RE) 3, Sam Adams (DT) 2
Interceptions
Willie Middlebrooks (CB) & Lamont Thompson (FS) 2, Aric Morris (SS) & Jonathon Crane (rookie, CB) 1
This is where the 6-minute quarters bite me, of course. ;)
Most of these numbers are pretty comparable to last year, indicating that our front 7 have maintained the high level they were playing at in 2002. The big difference comes in turnovers – in 8 games, we’ve already picked off as many balls as we did in the entirety of last season (6). The only area in which I’m disappointed is our sack total – as a team, we’ve managed just 11 all season, and that’s simply not good enough. Nonetheless, the stats in no way tell the whole story - our defence simply isn’t the pushover it was last year, no matter what the numbers say. It has held its own against some of the more potent offences that the NFL has to offer, it has never lets its collective head go down no matter what the score might be, and, most importantly, when the chips are down, when a game has come down to our D absolutely having to make a stop or make a play, more often than not they’ve found a way of making it happen.
In short, this is a defence with guts. And I love them for it.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PR - Jonathon Crane, 10 returns for 116 yards (11.6 yard average).
KR - Jonathon Crane, 23 returns for 642 yards (27.9 yard average), 3 TD*.
KR – Marquise Reeves, 12 returns for 288 yards (24.0 yard average).
* = Leads NFL.
Stability. That’s been the big upgrade in our punt return unit. Jon Crane is less explosive than Chad Johnson, who filled the role last year, but Crane, touch wood, has been far more reliable in terms of hanging onto the football. In addition, on kickoff returns he has been the living, sensational embodiment of “big-play-potential” – already being personally responsible for 1 of the ticks in our win-column. At this stage, he looks likely to go to the Pro Bowl as the AFC’s kick return specialist. Not too shabby at all.
Just a few team stats to round things off...
OFFENCE
Rush - 1st (154 yds/game)
Pass - 3rd (224 yds/game)
Total - 1st (378 yds/game)
PPG - 1st (35.1)
Yeah. That's pretty much the size of it. If you stop us on the ground, we'll kill you through the air - and no-one stops us on the ground. ;) A measure of the balance between the phases of our game is that our third down conversion rate - 56% - is the best in the league. With only 10 giveaways, too, we've not often handed the other team "free" points, and have forced them to work hard to try and beat us.
DEFENCE
Rush - 1st (50 yds/game)
Pass - 31st (247 yds/game)
Total - 24th (297 yds/game)
PPG - 25th (24)
The figures here are a bit skewed, because we've gotten waaaay ahead in several games this year and so have had teams in the position that they have to abandon the run. As mentioned before, the numbers don't really tell the story of how well our defence has played...
...
This game is brought to you in association with “Mars, The Bringer Of War”,
from Gustav Holst’s “Planets” suite. Do you all have your CD players ready? Then
here we go...
Duddly-dum, dum, da-da-dum, duddly-dum, dum, da-da-dum...
Last year’s Wildcard game at the RCA Dome redefined the word “epic”. Also the
word “tenacity”, the word “shootout”, as well as the words “brown” and
“trousers”. Ending 42-45 in favour of Indianapolis two minutes before the end of
the first overtime period after a fumble by punt-returner Chad Johnson gave the
Colts field position they couldn’t fail to score from...
Duddly-dum, dum, da-da-dum, duddly-dum, dum, da-da-dum...
Now. Now. Thanks to the whims of the league schedule-computer, we’re back. Back
in Indianapolis, back in the RCA Dome, back with a chance for redemption, back
for what the Cincinnati Media are already calling “Rightuous Vengeance Bowl
I”...
Duuuuuuuuuuh... duuuuh duuuuuuuh...
It’s Peyton against Akili, it’s Corey against Edge, it’s Marvellous Marvin
against Pretty Good Peter, it’s Takeo against... against... no, it’s no good,
try as I might I can’t think of a single Colt defensive player. No, give me a
minute, it’ll come to me. Um...
(Duddly-dum, dum, da-da-dum... duddly-dum, dum, da-da-dum...)
It’s Set-The-Record-Straight time. It’s the Ponies against the Tigers, and baby
we’re ready to roar!
Duuuuuuuuuuh... duuuuh duuuuuuuh... duh-duuuh, duh-duuuh, duh-duuuh, duh-DUUUUUUH!
“Have you quite finished?”
Sorry, I get carried away.
“By Greys, with any luck. Do you want this scouting report or don’t you?”
Hit me.
“Don’t tempt. Is there a lot of point in giving you the rundown on the
offence? What you see is what you get - there’s Manning, there’s Edge, there’s
Harrison, there’s Pollard, there’s a great offensive line... it’d take an act of
God to stop this lot putting a bunch of points on you.”
You said that last week, too.
“Think you’re going to get lucky two games on the bounce? The defence – well,
it’s the same old story, and there’s still no sign that Tony Dungy is any closer
to getting this unit in a respectable state. They’ve a grand total of 3 good
players – free safety Idrees Bashir, right linebacker Mike Peterson and right
end Dwight Freeny. Run at their left side if you can, and punish them through
the air – Leon Avery, their second corner, is a big, slow, physical type of
player, and so matches up particularly badly with Chad Johnson. If you get
single-coverage there, exploit it for all it’s worth. The Colts are 4-4 this
season, shipping points freely on both sides of the ball. This could be another
game where the last team with possession wins it. Oh, and you might want to
avoid turnovers...”
Hardy-flippin’-har-har.
-
I’m worried about rust in the opening drive following a week off, so we try
to get all our most pivotal players involved as quickly as possible – Dillon
starts to establish the run game, Akili Smith finds Peter Warrick on one side,
then Chad Johnson on the other, pulling Indianapolis’ shaky defence, stretching
it... then opening it up for tight-end Daniel Graham to slide behind the short
zone, take a floated pass in plenty of space and glide into the endzone to
become the first player to bother the scoreboard operators today. CIN 7-0 IND.
Indianapolis start ominously well, with two quick first-downs that look just too
easy. But then he loses Edgerrin James, the big girl’s blouse having to go out
of the game because he’s had “the wind knocked out of him”. Honestly. What a
wuss. Not having to worry so much about Edge’s break-seventeen-tacklesness, we
key on Peyton Manning and get our just reward – Manning’s hurried, Harrison is
covered by about half my secondary, the Colts have to punt it. Advantage –
Bengals.
Or maybe not, as this shooting-match between two of the most potent offences in
the league this year devolves into a game of field-possession. Suddenly, it
seems as if neither team can move the ball reliably – they can’t get going on
the ground, and we’re not quite executing in the passing game. It needs a
playmaker to step up and make something happen, and one team has pretty much the
ultimate playmaker – Marvin Harrison beats double-coverage to bring down a high
ball, steps out of a tackle and races off downfield for a 61-yard score to a
rapturous reception from the Colt fans. Yeah, yeah. I’ve a nasty feeling that
I’ll be seeing more of Mr. Harrison before the end of this. CIN 7-7 IND, just
over two minutes left in the half.
Our offence is prodded awake, and sets about restoring our advantage. Akili
Smith sees pressure coming from his left and rolls out away from it, hitting his
fourth wide-receiver, rookie Jason Harris, in-stride. Harris is by no means the
quickest player in our receiving corps, but that’s okay, because the Colts’
secondary still sucks, eventually pushing him out of bounds after a 33-yard
gain. Lorenzo Neal takes a fullback screen to the Indianapolis 12, and from
there it’s choose-your-poison time – there’s no way they can cover the pass
and the run, and they guess wrong, loading up in the middle and allowing
Peter Warrick single coverage on his quick-out. Heh heh heh. There’s a bit of a
throwback to the bad old days as the Colts go 60 yards in 30 seconds and kick a
field-goal to end the half, but we’ve got our noses in front... Half-time CIN
14-10 IND.
-
Out we come for the second half, and the talk in the locker-room has been all
“more of the same, lads”. The dome is thick with sound, but the noise soon dies
away as Indianapolis, after a strong start, stall around halfway. The punt is
shortish, and Crane weaves through traffic all the way to our 45. And hey –
we’re still good given a short field. Dillon crashes, Akili dances, Warrick
skips through a defence that looks like they’ve got a collective note from their
mothers excusing them from tackling, and it’s back to Corey again for another
smash over the line from short-range. CIN 21-10 IND.
The Colts are nothing if not dangerous when coming from behind, though, and
Peyton Manning doesn’t need much encouragement to air it out. We throw a
zone-blitz into the mix, and Manning’s forced to launch it a fraction before he
wants to. He puts the ball up, deep toward Reggie Wayne, and we’re literally
queuing up to pick it off. Lamont Thompson’s eyes have lit up at the prospect of
his third interception in three games, but at the last moment Willie
Middlebrooks nips in front of him and pulls it down – it’s our fourth straight
game with at least one pick – and if we’re good with a short field, we’re
really good given a really short field. From the 17, Chad Johnson
beats his man all-ends-up on a hitch-and-go, makes the simple catch, and strolls
in for the score. CIN 28-10 IND.
Indianapolis finally put together a drive worthy of the name, but we don’t give
up the big play and force them to fight for every step. Eventually they force
their way over the line, Marcus Pollard (who else?) taking the catch, but we’re
all over Edgerrin James on the 2-point attempt, the game’s in the fourth quarter
and time’s running out for the Colts... CIN 28-16 IND.
Sorry, did I say running out? With the game at crunch-time, we put the ball in
Dillon’s hands and let him carry us to 8-1. The drive is loooooong. The drive is
sloooooow. We mix in a couple of play-passes just for yuks, but by and large
it’s all Corey, all the time, and when he slices over from 5 yards out, can the
last person out of Indianapolis’ play-off aspirations switch the lights off when
he goes? Final score CIN 35-16 IND. It’s not been a thriller, it’s not been a
spectacular game, but it’s been a game that’ll do very nicely, thanks...
...
Week 11.
Paul Brown Stadium.
Pittsburgh Steelers.
Need I say more?
“Well, you probably better. Unless you’re planning on posting a row of dots
then the score, or something.”
S’pose so.
“This is probably the best team we’ve played all season.”
So we can expect to blow them out, just like the last two best teams we’d played
all season?
“You wish. Lest we forget, this team was the AFC’s representatives in the
Super Bowl last year, and every significant player who took them there is back
for more. It’s an offence that doesn’t have many surprises, but then it doesn’t
really need them. Kordell Stewart has a much better arm than people give him
credit for, and he’s throwing to Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress, who’re probably
the best 1-2 punch playing for any team whose name doesn’t begin with the letter
R. Mark Bruener isn’t over-blessed with speed and has iffy hands, but since we
tend to roll over and play dead for opposing tight-ends, he’ll probably get his
fair share of passes. Every single member of their offensive line is Pro-Bowl
calibre, and I haven’t even mentioned their running-game yet.”
Why not?
“Because you come over all weird when people mention
him... You know. The Unspeakable One.
The Prince Of Darkness. He Who Is Not To Be Named...”
We hates him, my Precious, stole the games
from us he did, nasty little Bettises... Okay, point taken. Carry on.
“The Steeler offence is great. The defence is just scary. Their line is built
to stop the run – there’s no pass-rushing ends, they’re all just big lumps
who’ll tackle anything that gets close. The speed of the front 7 is in the
linebackers – Jason Gildon, Kendrell Bell, John Fiana and Joey Porter, all of
whom can run with most of our wide receivers. They can tackle, too. Scott and
Washington, the corners, are fantastic, and strong safety Lee Flowers is among
the NFL’s elite. There’s no obvious weaknesses anywhere. This team will give
anyone a game.”
So how come they’re 5-4?
“I’ve no explanation. I can only assume that money changed hands somewhere,
or that they’re lulling the rest of the league into a false sense of
security...”
Hmmm...
-
The Steelers need a win to stay off the basement of the division. We need a
win... well, because it’s the Steelers. It’s fair to say that the Bengalville
fans are up for this one – looking up into the stands of the Paul Brown as we
trot out, I can see effigies of Bill Cowher being burned in the crowd. We lose
the toss, usually a bad omen, and have to kick the ball away.
Our defence comes out fired-up and in ferocious form – Pittsburgh try to run
Bettis outside twice for a total of -6 yards, linebackers Aaron Hall and Brian
Simmons getting to the Prince Of Darkness before he can get his motor running.
Stewart misses Mark Bruener in traffic, and the Steelers have to punt it away,
the crowd howling their approval.
We haven’t really understood just how quick those Pittburgh linebackers are,
though. On 1st down, Kendrell Bell slices through our line to bring Corey Dillon
down in the backfield. On 2nd down, Akili tries to float a pass over a defender
to Peter Warrick, but Joey Porter gets back so quickly he’s in position to swat
it down. Smith hits Jason Harris for the 1st down... but the rookie’s hit so
hard by Lee Flowers he spills the ball, and we’ve gone 3-and-out too. It’s going
to be a tough one today, this much is obvious.
Stopping Bettis for one series is one thing, though – stopping him all game,
well, that’s something else again. He gets rolling, and the Steelers grind out
hard, sapping yards. On a 3rd and 4 at our 25, Stewart feels a pass-rush coming
up the gut and puts some touch on the ball, trying to drift it in to Hines Ward
on a corner-route – but succeeds only in finding strong safety Aric Morris
lurking in the lane to take the interception.
Dillon’s fired up by his lack of success in the previous drive, and comes out
all guns blazing. He takes the ball on a toss left, waits for his blockers to
engage then weaves through the crowd-scene ahead of him for 19 yards. Then Akili
takes over... he rolls right, sidesteps an oncoming defensive end and launches
it, Lorenzo Neal taking the catch downfield for a gain of 20... he rolls right
again, everyone, friend or foe, coming with him – then throws back across his
body, finding Daniel Graham right over on the left sideline for a gain of 17, to
the Steeler 12. Peter Warrick steals half a step and pulls the ball in for 7,
before Dillon goes back to work, 2 rushes enough to get us on the board – 0-7.
Pittsburgh have rested and re-grouped, though, and they drive again, twice using
Burress’ height advantage over Jon Crane to pick up big gains, mixed in with
more punishing running by You-Know-Who. They run out of steam at our 27, just in
time for their rookie kicker to hook the field-goal wide left. You don’t want to
do that too often with Bill Cowher on the sidelines, sunshine...
We just can’t get it going, though, and have to punt the ball away. Job’s a good
‘un, a steepling kick all the way to the Steeler 26... where Antwaan Randle-El
takes the catch, sidesteps Takeo Spikes and has no-one else in front of him all
the way home. For crying out loud. 7-7.
Out we come again, two and a half minutes to play, and this time we’re not ready
to be denied. Akili hits his tight end on a quick-slant, Dan Graham stiffarms
Jason Gildon and breaks away, finally being dragged down for a pickup of 33. We
grind out some more yards with the run, bleeding the clock, then terrific
coverage downfield sees Chad Johnson reach the end of his in-route and
improvise, wandering back out again in a yard of space... the pass-protection is
fantastic, and Smith fires it in for a 14-yard TD and the lead with 23 seconds
to go in the first half... but Johnson, my balls-out stretch-the-field
speed-receiver is down, clutching at his leg, and that really doesn’t look
good...
23 seconds to play, and we sit back in the prevent waiting to suck it up. I’m
willing, even, to give away a field goal, so long as... so long as... can
someone explain how a receiver, even Hines Ward, is capable of taking a 61-yard
catch-and-run when our defence is set up in the softest of soft prevent
defences? Someone? Anyone? It’s the very last play of the half, there being just
one second left on the clock as Stewart put up his prayer. The crowd are
stunned, I’m stunned, and it’s a long walk back to the locker room – half-time,
PIT 14-14 CIN.
-
“Nothing!” I yell. “This team have done nothing! We’ve given them two
touchdowns! What the hell is going on out there? If I see one more missed
tackle, the person responsible had better pray to God for mercy, because he
won’t be getting any from me...”
We make an edgy start to the second half. The news comes through from the
medical team that Chad Johnson has strained a quadricep, so we’ll be playing the
rest of this game, and the next 4 weeks, without our leading touchdown receiver
and the fastest player on our offence. God damn. Veteran Willie Jackson takes
his spot, but we almost immediately bog down... on 3rd and 14 at our own 37,
things don’t look promising, but rookie Jason Harris makes a lovely leaping grab
to beat double-coverage, picking us up 15 yards and a 1st down, and our offence
slowly lumbers into life. Following a long, drawn-out drive, we make it to the
20, where Akili looks for Willie Jackson over the middle... and Jason Gildon
gets in front for the interception. God damn, part deux.
There’s nothing that motivates a defence like fearing for their lives should
they fail, though, and Pittsburgh begin this half like they did the first –
going 3 and out, Takeo Spikes meeting Bettis 3 yards shy of the marker on 3rd
down. Jon Crane brings the punt back to halfway, and we go again – Peter Warrick
finally finds a yard of space for himself having been covered tighter than a
drum all afternoon, and Akili Smith pitches him the pigskin for 25 yards. We’re
still taking it slow, getting it done on the ground, and we creep in a little
closer... then Akili looks for Warrick again, open at the back of the endzone,
the ball’s brought in... and there’s Lee Flowers again, hitting Peter hard
enough to make him swallow his fillings, the ball hits the deck and the crowd,
who’ve risen as one, sink sheepishly back to their seats. A sack on 3rd down
gives us 4th and 12 at the 25... I debate internally, and reluctantly decide to
send the kicker in... Lawrence Stills, the rookie, lines up, swings his leg...
it’s up, it’s long... it’s GOOD! A 43-yard field-goal, and our noses are back in
front again, 14-17, in the 4th quarter.
No way are the Steelers going to take that lying down, and they come out
breathing fire. We think we’ve got them stopped in their own territory when
Brian Simmons, having another exemplary day, gets Amos Zereoue a yard shy on 3rd
down, but Cowher just goes for it, The Unspeakable One bullies up the middle for
10 carying half my front 7, and the momentum turns. For the first time all game
– all season, really - we look inadequate against the run, the Lord Of All
Foulness running past, over, around and through us, picking up five yards a
carry, every carry. It’s Hines Ward who gets the score, a sneaky out from 2
yards, but it’s obvious who’s done the damage. PIT 21-17 CIN, 3 minutes to play.
Game on!
In we come then, with enthusiastic if anxious backing from the fans, to try and
put one last drive together to win this one at the death. 1st and 10 at our 30,
and Smith gets a ball batted down trying to find Corey Dillon in the flat...
when Peter Warrick was wide open deep down the sideline. Realising his mistake,
Smith tries to make up for it on the next down, forces a pass to Warrick in very
tight coverage... and gets picked off. Game over.
...or then again, maybe not. Our defence steps up in a big way, we hold Bettis
to just 7 yards in 3 carries, burn our last timeout and cackle evilly as the
Steelers miss another field-goal... 1:52 to go, then, still only 4 points down,
ball at our 37. Game on!
This time Warrick gets open deep and Smith sees him, a beautiful flat
pass that’s easy to bring down, a pickup of 25, clock ticking. We hurry to the
line, and go again... this time the coverage is tighter and Akili’s got to take
off... and he does, finding a gap, darting through the line, then meeting Joey
Porter. Meeting him in a big and painful way. Meeting him in a big, painful,
knock-the-ball-loose way. The Steelers dive on the fumble, and this time,
definitely, it’s game over. Final score PIT 21-17 CIN, we fall to 8-2, and I
can't help but think that missing Chad Johnson, one of our main playmakers, down
the stretch has cost us. We scored just 3 points after he left the field, which
really doesn't bode well for the month in which he's missing...
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(c) daniel roe 2003
