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Commentary: Bengals need to hit higher notes

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By Tom Archdeacon, Staff Writer 12:04 AM Monday, December 7, 2009

CINCINNATI — His team is “not playing playoff football for sure right now,” Chad Ochocinco said as he sat at his dressing stall afterward, but there’s no denying the Cincinnati Bengals already are into the Christmas spirit.

They topped the floundering Detroit Lions, 23-13, at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 6. While there were a couple of Bengals plays that stood out — defensive end Jonathan Fanene returning an interception 45 yards for a score, Ochocinco sliding through the end zone to snag a 36-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer — the thing everybody at the game will remember was the video that popped up on the stadium’s jumbo video screen during the final two-minute warning.

It featured Cincinnati’s seven linebackers doing a rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” that would have made the Jackson Five proud.

The star was back-up middle linebacker Abdul Hodge, whose falsetto solos reminded you of Michael Jackson at about age 12. Keith Rivers provided the bass or, as fellow linebacker Brandon Johnson put it, “he’s got that deep moaning, groaning sound.”

Everybody in the stadium watched it: Fans, the entire press box, even the players on the field.

“We just wanted to bring a little Christmas cheer to this town,” Johnson said.

Rivers laughed: “And I think we showed we’re pretty versatile. We can sing and we can tackle.”

It’s because of the latter that this team is 9-3 and guaranteed of just its second winning season in 19 years. The Bengals defense — for years the Achilles heel here — is ranked No. 1 in the NFL in scoring, and Sunday it provided the game’s pivotal play: Fanene’s TD return.

“The Lions were ahead, our offense was down, and that play brought the momentum back to us,” Fanene said.

The Bengals will make the playoffs and could even get a first round bye if, as Ochocinco stressed, they play better than they did Sunday.

“We got that ‘playing to the level of our opposition’ speech at halftime,” he admitted. “We’re not playing good football yet. Our offense has to step it up the next two weeks at Minnesota and San Diego.”

Once again, the Bengals were stymied by penalties, and Palmer didn’t look like the same quarterback he was earlier this season. He lost a fumble, threw two interceptions and had a dismal 65 quarterback rating against the NFL’s worst pass defense.

Overthrowing and underthrowing receivers, he makes you wonder if — coming off last year’s injury — he’s fatigued this deep into the season.

He claimed he was fine, saying simply, “We have to fight through and be mentally and physically ready to play our best football.”

After Sunday’s game — as the two teams mingled at midfield — the most popular player was Hodge.

“Everybody watched that video,” he laughed. “Guys were giving me all kinds of stuff,” he said with a laugh. “Some were saying. ‘How do you get that voice?’

“And a few of their guys said, ‘Man, you guys are pretty good.’ ”

Unfortunately, they were talking about their musical talents.

To become a bona fide playoff team, the Bengals need to hit those same notes on the football field.

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I see other teams have a lot of success throwing a quick pass to a RB in the flat. I like that a lot better than the short pass to a WR on the sideline - the kind that often gets picked for six. Hopefully Brat-o-matic will come up with a way to confuse the defense and better utilize the RBs in the passing game - also the WRs for that matter.

Derrick
3:45 PM, 12/9/2009

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I dont care how they do it - just keep winning. Grind it out - that how big games are won.

Der Bengal
6:46 PM, 12/7/2009

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Bengals it is time to step up and play like it's the playoffs. Minnesota is next and this week you have to be ready to put points on the board stop the penalties and turnovers. The need eeverybody on the deph chart to be ready to step up and play NFL style football. The fans have you back "WHO DEY"

Ernie
5:10 PM, 12/7/2009

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Offensively, theres been a letdown after the 4 Raven/Steelers Wars. Palmer's arm angle is down and his passes are drifting and sailing high. Ochocinco was constantly reaching up and away only to see 4 or 5 passes get away or he would of had 200 Yds Sunday. The O-line has been spotty when pass blocking. The Vikings may be what the doctor ordered to get that focus back, but San Diego is the big one for the No 2 playoff seed

FlipTheSwitch
3:21 PM, 12/7/2009

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I don't see many problems with Palmer. For one, he doesn't have Chris Henry. If you are running the ball and running it well, why would you pass? As long as your defense is forcing turnovers and holding teams, then there is no reason to pass. Why force something, the last 2 super bowl winners, run first, play great, hard-nosed defense. We have an fast, aggressive, ****** off defense on our hands. KEEP ZIMMER.

whodeywho?
10:50 AM, 12/7/2009

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