BlackJesus

This was the right move. I'm surprised they actually did it. You couldn't get a better HC than Marvin mid season, but a ham sandwich will be a better OC than Zampese. Even choosing plays at random out of a hat would be better.

And he's gone !!!!

My observations from this Thursday night embarrassment: - It is obvious that Dalton has regressed. His accuracy is worse than it ever has been. He doesn’t audible, even his long completions wobble like wounded ducks, and when a big passing play is made, it’s in spite of him rather than because of him. He looks to throw it out of bounds way too fast, can’t figure out how to avoid pressure and throw on the run, can’t throw over the DL without passes getting tipped, shows no leadership in the huddle, and shows no remorse when he fails on the field. There is no way to sugarcoat it … Dalton now sucks. He got outplayed by a rookie making his first start ever with 3 WRs and no TE's. - Now did Dalton always suck? No. In fact he was an above average starter who could get you in the playoffs with a solid supporting cast and good coordinators, but he has never had the talent to carry this team or any team, and now with awful play calling, and a crappy OL, a new Dalton is showing, and it’s garbage. McCarron should be given a chance to see what he can do. Hell, I'd even prefer Driskel than Andy at this point. However, unless Zampese is also fired or demoted I doubt the results will be that much different, although I do think McCarron will at least make better decisions and show some moxie that Dalton doesn’t have. - The past 2 games have showcased the worst play calling that I have ever seen in the NFL. It is so bad it’s astounding. Zampese has reached a new level of suckage that Bratkowski couldn’t have even dreamed of. He makes Hue Jackson look like Vince Lombardi. The fact that he couldn’t get 1 TD in 8 quarters at home with all the weapons the Bengals have is an ‘accomplishment’ in a weird way, as it should be impossible to do. He barely targets Green, never allows his RB’s to build any kind of rhythm, ignores Eifert for entire quarters, calls the most absurd and predictable run plays, gives Ross one reverse which worked (pre fumble) and then never uses him again, and can’t design plays using a TE to give his OT’s any help. Zampese was out play called by a team with no TE’s using 7 OL. Monumental in its absolute suckery. - Some top flight talent is on this team and being wasted. Geno Atkins is an All Pro and one of the best players in the league along with AJ Green. This is a playoff roster with plenty of game breakers to put up points. However, without the right scheme and play calling many of those chess pieces are being wasted. - Everyone on here knows that I am as loyal to Marvin as anybody. But if he continues to let Andy start and Zampese call the plays, even I will lose faith in him. Unfortunately, the rest of the NFL has also poached the Bengals of all their best assistant coaches over the last few years (Gruden, Zimmer, Jackson, Joseph) and so the cupboard is dry. I don’t think the next coach of the Bengals is on the sideline right now from a deserving-it-based-on-talent perspective, but I am not sure if Mike Brown will hire a complete outsider, which means it may be an issue of waiting until he dies and his daughter makes that correct decision. - Props to PacMan for his play tonight. You can see how he is the emotional spirit of the defense. He played hurt, and was wincing with a gashed elbow, and went right back out there and was making plays with 1 arm dangling at his side. If this team had 22 Adam Jones’ they would win the Superbowl. I don’t care if he cusses out cops or not, he’s a football player, and I wish the team had more like him. I’d trade 1,000 Andy Dalton’s for 1 Adam Jones. I also can’t wait until Burfict gets back, as I think he’s the best defensive player in the league and it’s total bullshit he was even suspended to begin with. - Chris Smith played hard out there today and gave much more rush than Michael Johnson usually does. I think he’s earned the right to start or get highly increased playtime. My game balls from the loss would be: Atkins, Huber, & Pac. - Is the season over? Not yet. But the worst they can go into the bye at is 2-3, so they basically need to win 2 of their next 3 games versus the Packers, Browns, and Bills. But do I think the team can do that if something doesn’t drastically change? Hell no. In fact, at this rate, if the Andy and Zampese shitshow isn’t cancelled, the team may be looking at the #1 draft pick, where they will hopefully draft the Wyoming QB Josh Allen.

I wouldn't trade Burfict for any of those 3. If I had to design the perfect LB, he'd be Burfict.

Burfict shouldn't even be suspended, and he's also the BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER in the NFL. Not on the Bengals, but in the entire league.

Regarding Pac's edge that was missing ... the recent article on Bengals.com has a passage I think helps define how he changes the mindset ... http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Jones-returns-with-fire/d51f5f43-99c9-4ea3-8656-d849a5469f0d

Did he just write his own ominous epitaph?

Not sure yet. "Cincyfuckinjacksonville!"

- It’s clear that Burfict and Pac are the heart and soul of this defense, without both of them out there the D played with low passion and heart. For all those that want a team of well-behaved boy scouts and have been calling for one or both to be cut, this is what you get. Defense needs nastiness, and the Bengals D had little of it today. They were bullied and pushed around. - The team needs to decide on Mixon or Hill and roll with it. On an early run Hill looked good, then would dud for 2 runs and Mixon would come in and look good for one run, but after 1 or two stuffs would be pulled again. RB’s need time to build up a rhythm and to get that 4-5 yd avg, you need to feed them and let them get stuffed before they pop one and get stuffed again some more. I’m not a fan of RB by committee, and think the indecision could be costly. By talent I think Mixon is clearly the better of the two and would roll with him full time with Gio as the 3rd down back. - Cedric is not ready for primetime at LT and maybe they should move Fisher over to LT and put Andre Smith to RT. Yes Andy was to blame for a range of poor decisions, but he’s also not used to being run down from behind with DE’s having a clear path to him in that way. I think Cedric is more of a G at this point and should be brought along that way. - The secondary looked disorganized without Shawn Williams back there. Not that it’s ‘White Chocolate’s’ fault as it was his first start, but you could tell that many times they didn’t know who they were supposed to be covering. This is also related to Burfict’s bullshit absence I believe as he’s the play caller and field general of the defense. - Time to let the young DE’s play more and get some speed off the edge. The DL looks like it’s built to stop the run on 3rd down on first and 10, but not rush the passer (with the exception of Atkins and Dunlap on some plays). Get Smith and Willis in there more. Also, why a vanilla 4 man rush on every play? I see very few stunts or switches in the scheme or look for a QB to have to deal with. Use some double A gap blitzes or a corner blitz every now and then … bring a SS down in the box … the Bengals defensive scheme seems very basic. - Zampese is not a good play caller and the plays are so predictable that I can usually guess most of the time what they are going to do. He follows certain patterns too that leaves the opposing defense able to cheat up. Run up middle, run up middle, pass, scramble, fumble. Do some gadgetry … switch it up … run some wildcat, do a flea flicker, throw deep on 2nd and 1 instead of getting stuffed on 2 runs up the middle and punting. He is unimaginative and I think got a free pass last year because of all the injuries. But really, when have you seen a game and thought, man, what a brilliant play caller? Never. When they win it’s in spite of him not because of it. - Dalton has way too many passes batted down compared to other QB's. He's the same height as Aaron Rodgers but somehow can't figure out how to throw around the DL. For the record Driskel is 2 inches taller and can do a 360 dunk in basketball. (only half ninja) - Dalton’s demeanor is not inspiring and he needs a fire lit up under his ass. With McCarron you can feel his energy when he plays … hell with Driskel you even can. But Andy’s “cool” demeanor seems aloof sometimes and like a guy just going through the motions. Smack someone’s helmet, yell at a guy, get in a scuffle with a defender, show some life for fucks sake! In the huddle he seems to show little facial expressions and I’d rather have a QB that had more of a gun slinger mentality. That way you can live with interceptions better … but not a boring accountant who throws one and then walks back to the sideline with a blank stare. - Is the season over? Of course not. This could still be a playoff team and a squad that sucks one week can look great the next. The Texans might be a good opponent to rebound on this Thursday. So it’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but a few more games like this and the PBS crowd will really turn on Dalton and be chanting for McCarron in there. Would that help? Who knows. I even think Driskel has some ‘sizzle’ and potential to start in this league and love his mobility and athleticism, but it’s hard to let him get the reps needed to be successful when Andy has proven he can at least get you in the playoffs almost every year. But one thing is certain, is that the team shit the bed today and the fans deserve better.

Marvin Lewis on proposed race: Ross 'not a circus act' by Jeremy Bergman NFL.com Published: May 5, 2017 Marvin Lewis is calling the race early. The Bengals coach quickly put the kibosh on a proposed 40-yard dash-off between his first-round pick John Ross and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton, telling Cincinnati reporters Friday, "John is not a circus act." Shame. Hamilton first suggested the race between the 40-yard dash champion and himself, saying that the two could test each other's speed "for a charity event" or something of the kind. Ross responded Friday, saying he's up to it, but not right now. "It would be awesome to do that and we could probably work out something later," Ross told ESPN's Katherine Terrell on Friday. "Right now I'm just focused on being a Bengal. I don't know what the future holds, but if he wants to do something for the community later or for charity, that would be awesome. Right now I'm just focused on being a football player." Double shame. We're sure Lewis and Ross are objectively in the right here, choosing to prevent the first-round wideout from potentially aggravating an injury rather than racing a Red. But where's the fun in that? On top of supporting charities, a 40-yard dash between Mr. 4.22 and baseball's best base-stealer would promote a very worthy cause: Keeping us football die-hards entertained during the pigskin-poor summer doldrums. Do it for the fans. That's charitable enough. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000806800/article/marvin-lewis-on-proposed-race-ross-not-a-circus-act

Stephen Shuck-and-Jive Smith is an insufferable jackass. A total fucking clown. With a straight face he said Robert Kraft wouldn't even touch someone like Mixon ... um, dipshit ... the Patriots gave Aaron Hernandez over 40 million dollars !!!! Murder victims killed in the last 10 years Bengals - 0 Patriots - 2 Player Suicides in Prison Bengals - 0 Patriots - 1

Bengals president explains in letter why team drafted Joe Mixon By Austin Knoblauch NFL.com May 5, 2017 at 07:13 p.m. In a letter published Friday in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bengals owner and president Mike Brown addressed why the team drafted Joe Mixon, writing the "risk has an upside as well as a downside" despite the "terrible thing" Mixon did in college. The controversial running back, who was the subject of national attention after he was shown punching and knocking out a woman on camera, was drafted by the Bengals at No. 48 overall in the second round of the NFL draft last week. Mixon was pegged by many draft analysts to be a Day 2 pick despite questions about his character following the incident, which occurred in July 2014 prior to his freshman season at Oklahoma. Brown's letter comes three days after a Cincinnati-based advocacy group called on the Bengals to take a stand against domestic violence and sexual assault. "We expect businesses in our great city, and this includes sports teams, to place a high value on speaking out against both domestic violence and sexual assault," Kristin Smith-Shrimplin, president and CEO of Women Helping Women, told The Associated Press. Prior to his first rookie minicamp session with the Bengals on Friday, Mixon said he appreciated Brown's support. "I've been just trying to get in here and be with my teammates and move forward with the situation," Mixon said, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. "Thank you Mike Brown for that, but I'm just trying to move on and come out here and compete and learn this playbook and get our team the win." Oklahoma suspended Mixon for a season for punching Amelia Molitor, a fellow Oklahoma student, after a brief confrontation at a restaurant. Molitor suffered fractured bones in her face, according to The Associated Press. Video of the incident wasn't made public until after a judge ordered the release of security videos in December 2016. Mixon, 20, completed one year of probation, 100 hours of community service and behavioral counseling as part of a plea agreement to a misdemeanor assault charge, according to court records. Last week, a settlement was reached in the civil lawsuit Molitor filed against Mixon, according to the Associated Press. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. "This is definitely going to be attached to my name the rest of my life and the end of the day I'm going to do whatever I can to move forward and move past it," Mixon told NFL Network's Judy Battista last week after being drafted. "Just keep playing and I look forward to having a great career here and being the best teammate and person possible." Here is Brown's complete letter: In the NFL draft last Friday, the Cincinnati Bengals selected a very talented football player who did a terrible thing his freshman year at college. The player -- Joe Mixon -- is a top level football player by everyone's account. Joe's regrettable deed was that he struck a young woman, another student, shortly after arriving on campus in Norman, Oklahoma, three years ago. Joe and this young woman recently met in person, came to terms with the incident, and they agreed to resolve their differences so they could move forward with their lives. While the circumstances that led up to the incident are unclear -- what is clear is that it is unacceptable for a man to strike a woman. Since the incident three years ago, Joe was suspended by the football team, pleaded guilty in court, and accepted the consequences of his actions. He later went on to become a good citizen in Norman, a popular teammate, a player respected by his coaches, and one of the most talented players in college football. The Bengals take pride in our hometown and want to provide winning football on the field and successful players off the field. That is the reason we drafted Joe -- he is a rare football talent, and his conduct over the past three years leads us to believe he can help us win football games and also become a productive member of this community. In making our decision, we took a risk. In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside. We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen. Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps -- if given a chance -- Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of. Thank you. Sincerely, Mike Brown, President http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000806641/article/bengals-president-explains-in-letter-why-team-drafted-joe-mixon

I do love a 350 lb DT.

A Hardy throwback Posted 23 hours ago by Geoff Hobson The Hardy Nickersons: The Elder as a Buc in the '90s (left), The Younger with Illinois last year. Marvin Lewis can now officially be called an NFL senior statesman and not because he convenes his 15th rookie minicamp Friday as Bengals head coach. It’s because one of the guys in that camp, undrafted Illinois linebacker Hardy Nickerson, is the son of a guy Lewis coached in his first season in the NFL as the Steelers linebackers coach. Lewis had Hardy Otto Nickerson for one season before he moved on in free agency, a vehicle he helped move as a plaintiff in the case that sued the NFL for free agency. One of the most highly regarded players of his era on and off the field, Nickerson’s impact on Lewis helped form a coach. The 1998 winner of the Whizzer White Award as the NFL’s Man of the Year. A member of the All-Decade team for the ‘90s. He also may be the only man to play for both Marvin Lewis and Sam Wyche. “Smart as a whip,” Lewis recalled this week. “All business. Sudden. Very sudden. Never wasted a step. Tough as hell. Couldn’t ask for a better person to break you in. Every day they did. Every day. All those guys. Hardy. Greg Lloyd. David Little. Jerrol Williams. Jerry Olsavsky. They were very demanding.” Nickerson was a six-year veteran that year ascending to the elite when Lewis arrived as strictly a college coach who had to grow up fast in quirky room full of veterans. “Very detailed and demanding,” is how Nickerson remembered Lewis that first year. “He has a way of getting the best out of players. It was one of my best years. That season kind of set the stage for me in terms of becoming a free agent in that first class … That year made me highly sought after. I probably owe a lot of that to Coach Lewis getting me coached up.” Hardy The Younger has never met Marvin Lewis, but you get the idea he’s going look pretty familiar to the head coach. He was nine years old when his father retired so on those slow days of off-days or walk-throughs or maybe a family day in training camp, he was used to being in an NFL locker room. From the time can remember he was clopping around in cleats or wrapping himself in a gargantuan jersey, or trying to pull on his helmet without it going over his eyes. Now this week at Paul Brown Stadium he’s going to wake up in a dream when they’re giving him his own NFL jersey for a full work day. “It’s something I always wanted to do. I looked up to him and always wanted to do what he did,” The Younger said as he prepared to fly to Cincinnati. “I was exposed to the locker room. That created that love for the game. I always wanted to play. You can just go out there and let it loose. Especially at my position. You have to be a guy that’s passionate, physical, and loves to play the game.” The cleats don’t walk far from the helmet. So it wasn’t very surprising to Lewis when Nickerson himself became an NFL linebackers coach under Lovie Smith in Chicago and Tampa Bay after his 16-year journey through three decades, four franchises, and five Pro Bowls. Lewis hasn’t talked to Nickerson since he took the defensive coordinator job at Illinois last season when he followed Smith to Champaign, but he could hear him on tape. Marvin Lewis coached Nickerson The Elder in 1992. During the draft process just completed Lewis was watching an offensive player work against Illinois when he was struck at how well the defense responded and reacted. “I’m thinking, ‘Gee, these guys are well-coached,’” Lewis said. “Then it clicked. Look who’s coaching them. So I sent Lovie a text.” In the middle of it was Hardy William Lindsay Nickerson, a 5-11 chip off the old 6-2 block racing sideline-to-sideline as the Illini middle backer, getting his dad’s defense lined up, and racking up 107 tackles, much like Hardy Otto Nickerson did for Lewis’ linebackers when he led the Steelers with 114 tackles in 1992. “Smart. Physical. Captain. Plays like a coach’s son. Great to get him,” said Bengals linebackers coach Jim Haslett. “I just hope he doesn’t come in here telling me I’m doing it wrong.” Haslett was laughing, of course. He coached against Otto Nickerson as a player and coach and, like Lewis, has known him a long time. When he was scouting the kid he would smile because the body language was oddly familiar. Bill Tobin, the Bengals Midwest scout, was also part of a mix that gave The Younger a draftable grade. “Coach Haslett was really big getting Hardy there,” The Elder said. “He talked to Hardy at the combine. He communicated with Hardy right away after the draft was over and that went a long way.” Back in the day, when the draft was shoe-horned into 12 rounds weekend mornings and afternoons, 1987 to be exact, the 6-2, 230-pound Nickerson was a fifth-round draft pick out of Cal by the Steelers. Thirty years later he was there for his 5-11, 232-pound son after the draft when the call didn’t come. He and his wife were on one phone and Hardy was on the other. The advice was old school. “You want to make sure you get to a place where you have a chance. Where you’re wanted first,” The Elder said. “And the scheme is something you’re familiar with and you have an opportunity to make the team … I think Cincinnati is the best fit for him.” He says The Younger grew up in schemes like the Bengals’ 4-3 defense, like what The Elder used at Illinois and what the Younger played in the East-West Shrine Game after the season. And he’s been able to adjust, too. He thinks he can play all three spots, but figures the Bengals are going to put him in the middle. Look, here’s a kid who has his degree in legal studies from Berkley and has already started his master’s in sports administration after playing three seasons at Cal. Smart? When his dad got the call to Illinois, he couldn’t resist. He had already played under him in high school when The Elder was the head coach at Bishop O’Dowd in Oakland. Nickerson The Younger has been watching another undrafted backer for years; Vontaze Burfict. But … “He wasn’t able to make a lot our games because of the schedule when he was with Tampa,” The Younger said. “I just wanted to spend my senior year close to family.” And that’s how he made the Bengals’ decision, too. There was plenty of interest. The Bucs, for whom The Elder went to four Pro Bowls and became a Tampa icon, called every day leading up to the draft. And there were others. But, in the end, it came down to a linebacker corps where the best player, Vontaze Burfict, and the best backup, Vincent Rey, came out of the ranks of the undrafted. “You want an opportunity,” The Elder says. Those last two backer spots are always there to be claimed. And with the help of Nickerson the competition at Bengals linebacker has just amped up to warp speed with the drafting of Oklahoma speedster Jordan Evans in the sixth round and the signing of the undrafted Big Ten tackling machines Nickerson and Brandon Bell of Penn State. The core looks set with starters Burfict, Kevin Minter, Nick Vigil, and the backup Rey. Now the rookies are in a pitched battle with incumbents Marquis Flowers (last season’s third-leading tackler on special teams), P.J. Dawson (a third-round pick in 2015 working his way back from spending last year on the practice squad), as well as a first-year player in Bryson Albright trying to catch on as a pass rusher after playing one game for the Bills last season as a rookie. Plus, fourth-rounder Carl Lawson, a pass rusher from Auburn, is listed as a linebacker but there’s a good chance he’ll end up counting as a defensive lineman. Whatever, the linebacker positon is now a mad dash after a season it was viewed as a celebrity walk. Nickerson isn’t a burner, but his 4.78 is a nice 40 and along with Bell’s 4.68, and Evans’ ridiculous 4.51, they’re faster than last year. “It’s a good group,” Haslett said. Hardy William’s favorite linebacker has always been Hardy Otto. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t watching others. “I loved watching Ray Lewis growing up,’ he said. “(Derrick) Brooks. Nowadays I like watching (Luke) Kuechly.” He also loves watching No. 55 and he’s been doing it a long time as a fellow West Coast guy. “He brings that physicality,” Nickerson said of Burfict. “I’ve been watching him since Arizona State. I saw a lot of Pac 12 games. I see him out there bringing the wood. I’m excited to play with him. He’s physical. He flies around.” Here’s another reason The Younger likes him. Burfict also got a late call. “He’s another guy that came out undrafted showing everybody. Sideline-to-sideline. Making plays in the run game and the pass game,’ he said. “A guy that’s going to change the game whether it’s a big hit or a takeaway.” It’s a different game than when The Elder came out of the fifth round, of course, in 1987. Chuck Noll and Tom Landry were still coaching. Bill Walsh and Joe Montana were still seeking that third Super Bowl title to cap a dynasty. Bill Belichick was the defensive coordinator for the Giants, Marvin Lewis was coaching the linebackers at New Mexico, and A.J. Green wasn’t born yet. “I think I’ve got a shot,” The Younger said. “I’m just going in ready to work. That’s the biggest thing. I’m thankful for the Bengals giving me a shot. I’m just going to take it day by day. The effort is going to be there. I’m excited to go out and make the best of it.” Maybe it’s not all that different. http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/A-Hardy-throwback/575a53ac-bb34-47a5-a396-ef4972f21db6