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Are reeling Bengals now in crisis mode?


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Are reeling Bengals now in crisis mode?
October, 19, 2014
Oct 19
9:00
PM ET
By Coley Harvey | ESPN.com
 
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Cincinnati Bengals now find themselves at a crossroads.

This is the time when a group like theirs is at its most fragile. It's when fingers might start getting pointed as answers are sought and sources of blame desired.

Dark days like the ones the Bengals are in also could be when players start mentally checking out, focusing instead on ways they can just get through what has started shaping up to be a more difficult season than any of them could have anticipated.

[+] Enlargenfl_u_dalton_a_300x200.jpg
Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY SportsThe Bengals' offense had a tough time finding a rhythm in Sunday's loss to the Colts.

 

This is the time when a team can begin fracturing and completely break apart.

But according to the few Bengals who spoke to reporters following Sunday afternoon's 27-0 road shutout at the hands of the Colts, there is no disaster in Cincinnati. There are no reasons to believe the team will start to fold, they said.

"I wouldn't say 'crisis,'" defensive end Carlos Dunlap said when asked if the team was beginning to feel that way following three straight winless performances. "We still can be on top of our division if we beat Baltimore. That's the biggest goal in mind right now, beside playing the way we had been playing."

If the Ravens lose next week, they'll fall to 2-2 in the division, while the Bengals would be 2-0.

Until recently, the Bengals had been playing well.

Cincinnati went 3-0 to start the year and looked like a true Super Bowl contender. It had weathered the storm of a few injuries, but seemed poised to still go on a long run.

And then came the bye.

Since the Bengals' Week 4 bye, they haven't been the same. They've gone 0-2-1 and have been outplayed both offensively and defensively. They haven't looked remotely close to being in the rhythm they were in when the season began. Instead, they look disjointed. The injuries that have amassed in recent weeks appear to be having a very real impact, regardless of what some players may say.

Despite all that, though, the Bengals contend their focus -- even on a day when a loss like this "hurts," as coach Marvin Lewis said -- is on next Sunday's game at home against Baltimore. It's only the Bengals' second division game of the year, and their last against the Ravens following the season-opening 23-16 win in the first week of September.

"We've got to circle the wagons, that's the thing," Lewis said. "We are who we are. We've got what we've got. We've got to get together and we've got to figure out a way to continue to ride and go back and be a fundamentally sound, attacking football team again and get on it and go. This one's over, we've got to put it behind us. We'll learn a lot from this football game and it will be something that will be something that will help us grow."

Quarterback Andy Dalton said it's on the leaders of the team to ensure the team's focus remains on the end goals: a division championship and a Super Bowl trophy.

"We are definitely going to do whatever it takes to get that point across," Dalton said. "This team is too talented and we have so much going for us. We can't waste any opportunities. It will be talked about this week. There will be plenty of room for improvement, so we just have to watch the tape and do whatever we can to correct it and move on."

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/12386/are-reeling-bengals-now-in-crisis-mode

 

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Oh look there's a pile! Let Coley jump on it again this week.

It is a completely valid observation and you know it. There's no piling on. The Bengals have played REALLY bad football for three straight weeks after playing pretty GOOD football after the first three.

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On the defensive side mos def, but can you honestly say that if AJ was out there they would have shut us out? Let alone AJ MJ and Tyler? You have your entire 2nd string LB corp out there...it's a case of our 2nd team not being able to play with their first team in their building! Last week this team racked up 513yards!
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On the defensive side mos def, but can you honestly say that if AJ was out there they would have shut us out? Let alone AJ MJ and Tyler? You have your entire 2nd string LB corp out there...it's a case of our 2nd team not being able to play with their first team in their building! Last week this team racked up 513yards!

At home, against a very questionable but formerly highly rated defense in Carolina, whom got destroyed today. In the last two games on the road with the skill positions in limp mode we haven't managed shit. Third downs have been ATROCIOUS.

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What we have to do is learn from this and move on. I saw some pouting from Cincinnati today and that's unacceptable.

The Bengals can't wallow in this. Next Sunday's game is huge. Win that and the season is back on track.

True, but will they? How will we do that exactly? How will we learn with the same HC? What will we learn? We already have learned how to lose in a thousand different ways. Will the coordinators learn how not to call a shitty game with extremely limited options, especially at skill positions on offense?

 

I am not wallowing, but we are facing the Ravens next Sunday and they are resurgent while we are regressing. I am not envisioning a "get back on track" attitude from this team. We have three home games in a row against the Rats, Jags and Browns...and then three road games against the Saints, Texans and Buccaneers, followed by a home game against the Steelers. We have ten games left. Theoretically speaking, we really need to win 7 of those to finish 10-5-1 and make the playoffs.

 

I am not optimistic. Our last home game is against Manning, whom we have NEVER managed to beat, on December 22 and then our finale is against Rapistburger in the gay Steel Mill on the 29th.

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It is a completely valid observation and you know it. There's no piling on. The Bengals have played REALLY bad football for three straight weeks after playing pretty GOOD football after the first three.


Like the innocent question like they were avoiding Gresh? He's trolling with these questions every week.
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What we have to do is learn from this and move on. I saw some pouting from Cincinnati today and that's unacceptable.

The Bengals can't wallow in this. Next Sunday's game is huge. Win that and the season is back on track.

 

I want to lean towards this way of thinking, but I need another day to recover.

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I want to lean towards this way of thinking, but I need another day to recover.

 

The upcoming Ravens game will tell us all we need to know about where this team is headed. If they battle and pull at W, we will be right back in the mix. If we get beat around and embarrassed, the season will likely be over. As fans we are told each year how this team is different and how they are fighting for one another, but the track record says otherwise. The track record tell us the Bengals are not a resilient  group.  

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The upcoming Ravens game will tell us all we need to know about where this team is headed. If they battle and pull at W, we will be right back in the mix. If we get beat around and embarrassed, the season will likely be over. As fans we are told each year how this team is different and how they are fighting for one another, but the track record says otherwise. The track record tell us the Bengals are not a resilient  group.  


^^^ this fo sho
This years team get one more Sunday from me. If they lose, I will find another way to spend my Sunday afternoon. And they wonder why the stadium won't sell out- they can't be trusted.
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The upcoming Ravens game will tell us all we need to know about where this team is headed.

 

I thought the same thing about the Patriots game.

 

And then,

 

I thought the same thing about the Carolina game.

 

And then,

 

I thought the same thing about the Indy game.

 

The fact is that this team has a terrible head coach and unmotivated players. They'll probably finish last in the division and none of them will give a shit about it. The players will go on tropical vacations in January or relax in their mansions without a care in the world while fans burn for 8 more months per usual. Marvin Lewis will sign another contract and we will repeat the nightmare for years to come. Thats where this team is headed.

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Are reeling Bengals now in crisis mode?
October, 19, 2014
Oct 19
9:00
PM ET
By Coley Harvey | ESPN.com
 

"We've got to circle the wagons, that's the thing," Lewis said. "We are who we are. We've got what we've got. We've got to get together and we've got to figure out a way to continue to ride and go back and be a fundamentally sound, attacking football team again and get on it and go. This one's over, we've got to put it behind us. We'll learn a lot from this football game and it will be something that will be something that will help us grow."
 

 

You just knew it was coming...

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All the Marvin bashers ae WRONG!    It's two sides to this so don't take my comments as being OK with what happened on Sunday.

 

However,  it was a game many thought they were being led to the slaughter before the game.   Is that true or not?   Why?  Injuries.  

 

 

Are they any lower than 3-5 in 2012?   Any lower than when losing to shit-hole Cleveland last season?   No.     Keep in mind when mocking Marvin about circling the wagons etc.  just keep in mind he has done it the past 2 seasons. 

 

I wish we could skate to a division title in October as well.   I wish we could win a playoff game in October as well.   Crush a team on primetime as well.      But those frustrations don't change what this team has done and the FACT they are a hardened playoff veteran group.

 

Big game this week.   

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All the Marvin bashers ae WRONG!    It's two sides to this so don't take my comments as being OK with what happened on Sunday.

 

However,  it was a game many thought they were being led to the slaughter before the game.   Is that true or not?   Why?  Injuries.  

 

 

Are they any lower than 3-5 in 2012?   Any lower than when losing to shit-hole Cleveland last season?   No.     Keep in mind when mocking Marvin about circling the wagons etc.  just keep in mind he has done it the past 2 seasons. 

 

I wish we could skate to a division title in October as well.   I wish we could win a playoff game in October as well.   Crush a team on primetime as well.      But those frustrations don't change what this team has done and the FACT they are a hardened playoff veteran group.

 

Big game this week.   

 

Problem with that line of thinking is that it isn't just one game. It's three straight shitty games by our defense and and two by our offense. Defense has gotten steadily worse all year. Even the Titans ran with success against them. That's not an aberration. It's a trend.

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Problem with that line of thinking is that it isn't just one game. It's three straight shitty games by our defense and and two by our offense. Defense has gotten steadily worse all year. Even the Titans ran with success against them. That's not an aberration. It's a trend.

 

Any lower than the Dolphins loss or Raven loss?   4 Ls  before Thanksgiving last season? 

 

I wish we could cruise to a No. 1 seed but we are bleeding players and also losing to good teams on the road.     

 

Win this week and you have the tie breaker against the current first place North team. 

 

I'm not saying they rally but this coach and team have proven it before.      Quite frankly considering the type of Bengal fans we have on this board they've earned the benefit of the doubt when rallying to earn a playoff spot.   Quit acting like a bunch of fans that everyone expects you to  act like.

 

Man up you bunch of pussies.   (Edit for new GoBengals culture:  That's typed in a joking tone not fighting tone, we don't need any secret invitations going out to posters to join another board (again that's joking too.)) 

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