A Rock

A few good series resulting in not nearly enough points.

Told myself the AFC championship would be thoroughly enjoyable no matter what, seeing as how I hate them both and all. Who was I kidding? I'm on the edge of my seat pulling for the Pats as my ingrained Steeler hatred has kicked in. The Falcons can handle the Pats, I need to see the Stealers lose in the worst way.

Disgusting, isn't it? What are they going to do next week? Offset flags all game and try to manipulate a tie so the two teams who get every meaningful, game changing call can both advance?

When is it going to cost the Stealers more than 15 yards for trying to end people's careers?

Beyond becoming a bad joke. Was screaming at the television ten years ago about Marvin's lack of adjustments. NOTHING will change this staff's approach. Put a good (though that's starting to wane now) team on the field with a particular plan, and stick with the plan come hell or high water. It works when the other team sucks, but it never works when they're equal or better than us and they have even decent savvy from their coaches. Will this era ever end? And yeah, we'll probably get worse before we get better, but that's a process we should have started the day after the Charger wild card loss.

So you're telling me there's a chance! Obviously this season's gone, but playing spoiler to the Stealers would be delicious. I'm a long time Bengal fan, so obviously I despise them. That being said, they own us on broken plays and flat out schoolyard football. You know, we've got them in a 3rd and long at a critical juncture. We bring the heat. Ben is seemingly in trouble, and like clockwork, finds Brown or Heyward Bey or somebody for a game changing completion. Whenever our initial routes are disrupted, like clockwork, Andy's running at a 45 degree angle away from the line of scrimmage toward the sideline to avoid a sack and throw it away. I'm not claiming to have answers or trying to assign blame, but I've watched this matchup for years, and I'm sick of this crap.

Not good like, one out of a hundred........?

I'm sticking with the Bengals. Going down with the ship. Yet again. Fan since 85. Gone down with the ship, ship has been rebuilt, gone down with a few ships. I'll never stop being disgusted about last year though. No one will ever convince me that Marvin Lewis stressed possession to Jeremy Hill or anyone on that offense after the Burfict pick. That game was won. That's all they had to do. Even a fourth down missed field goal doesn't lose that game. Stealers would've had no timeouts left. Only a turnover. I've always got whoever's playing the Stealers as a default second team. Just to play along, the Seahawks are alright. No real bad blood with the jungle cats and they're perennial winners lately. Kinda like the Vikings too.

The Marvin Lewis era Bengals are the kings of moral victories. Hey we didn't win, but we had great effort, improvement, execution, etc. As a fan, I'm furious with any loss and can't stand players or coaches who find silver linings ten minutes after yet another tough loss.

THE GOOD: Not feeling like I can't make other plans on Sundays. THE BAD: The realization of the suspicion that last year's ridiculous wild card meltdown cost more than just one season's hard work. THE UGLY: There's a natural ebb and flow to winning and losing in the NFL. This, of course, isn't written in stone, but does tend to play out with wise draft picks. When the pendulum swung our way, the entire Marvin Lewis era appears to have passed without a single postseason victory. A dismal record in big games, and these were our good years. I fear it will get worse before it gets better.

Marvin has always been good at everything except coaching. Good eye for talent, knowledge of the game, etc. He has never made good decisions during games though. He should have been gone four years ago. They kept making the playoffs because they were good. He's a terrible big game coach though regardless of the team being good or bad. He undoubtedly played a part in putting a good team on the field, but he couldn't manage clock, scheme, adjust, etc. He'd already proved it every which way possible by the Charger wild card loss. Everyone's calling for his head now that we REALLY suck, but I don't think he was a better coach during those consecutive wild card years. The team was just better.

Bad start. Every replay of successful Giants pass play shows initial Bengal defender blocking or dragging receiver than abruptly releasing him for backside help that's never there.

I agree with everything in your post. I began to strongly suspect he was a problem around 2010-2011. I would notice he just wouldn't make moves that even a novice football mind knew to do. Even today with 13 seconds left in regulation at midfield, HE PUNTS! What exactly is there left to lose by throwing a hail mary to the end zone? How is that any different than a punt with 13 seconds left, except there's at least a remote chance of winning the game with a catch? Won't even take a chance when there's absolutely nothing to lose. By the playoff loss to the Chargers in 2013 I was convinced. Everything I suspected, and that you clearly enunciated in your post, was being confirmed time after miserable time. Everytime I brought this stuff up on Bengal social media, which was basically the only thing I could talk about, I was instantly accused of wanting to go back to the 90's or blaming Marvin even though he didn't make that fumble, drop that pass, miss that kick, etc., etc., etc. Last year someone said I wanted him to fail so I could be right about him. Wrong. I was never so elated as when Green caught that pass against Pittsburgh in the wild card game last year. And I've never had my heart ripped out so badly as when against all odds they still found a way to lose. After Burfict's pick did Marvin calculate the possibilities in his head and coach? A first down wins the game, but you know what? Even a fourth down is a very likely field goal, and you know what else? Even a missed field goal gives Pittsburgh crummy field position and they'll be out of time outs. A turnover is just about the only way to lose! Yeah you want the first down, but with your back getting what he can behind a protect mode blocking scheme. Sorry to barf this out all at once, but it's just too exhausting to keep posting on the same subject for 5 years, and it's been building up again.

Seven shots at a playoff win.

Marvin Lewis has gone from playing not to lose, to playing not to lose by too much. He won't take a chance even when there's nothing left to lose.