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A brutal truth is sinking in: Bengals likely to miss playoffs
Injuries, suspensions, sloppy play on offense, defense, special teams lead to downfall.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
CINCINNATI — As the losses mount for the Cincinnati Bengals, reality is setting in.
They will be watching the NFL playoffs on their flat-screen televisions at home in January — for the 16th time in 17 years.
Extras
"It's not rocket science to figure it out," wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "It doesn't look good for us."
The domino effect is in full throttle for the 3-7 Bengals, whose season-opening victory over Baltimore was just a mirage. Sloppy play on offense, defense and special teams — coupled with injuries and suspensions — have triggered the club's downfall.
The Bengals have rushed for more than 100 yards just twice this season. Quarterback Carson Palmer has thrown more interceptions (14) than all of 2006 (13). And the club ranks 30th in defense and 31st in points allowed.
Now that the team's inflated self-image has been battered, maybe it's time the players stop insisting they're better than the teams that beat them.
"Guys have been built up to think they were up to this level of player," head coach Marvin Lewis said about their high expectations. "Well, they're finding out that maybe you're not. Maybe you need to get back to work and figure out a way to get it done, and rely on the rest of the football team to help you.
"You go do your part. Don't look any further than the end of your nose about what you have to do to fix it."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDaily
News.com.
Bengals 2007 timeline:
Anatomy of a disaster
April 10 — Wide receiver Chris Henry is suspended without pay for the first eight games of the regular season for violating the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. The offense loses its No. 3 receiver, an explosive complement to Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
July 26 — Middle linebacker Odell Thurman's petition for reinstatement is denied. He's forced to sit out a second straight season for violating the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy. Leaves the defense with no impact players.
July 26 — Left tackle Levi Jones (right knee) and four-time Pro Bowl right tackle Willie Anderson (right foot) arrive at Georgetown College unable to practice because of injuries. Both miss all of training camp, hindering the offensive line's chemistry.
July 28 — Safety Ethan Kilmer injures his left knee, hamstring and quadriceps, and eventually gets placed on injured reserve on Oct. 18 without playing a down in '07. The club desperately misses his kamikaze tackling on special teams.
Aug. 9 — Rookie tailback Kenny Irons, the club's second-round draft pick, suffers a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the preseason opener at Detroit. Of all the team's running backs, he drew the most "oohs and ahhs" at training camp.
Sept. 1 — Linebacker Ed Hartwell, a free-agent acquisition from Atlanta, is waived. Expected to bolster the linebacker corps, Hartwell showed he had lost a step and couldn't be effective in the defensive scheme.
Sept. 16 — Middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks suffers severe groin pull in 51-45 loss at Cleveland. He admits he didn't do enough stretching exercises before the game, and gets hurt in kickoff coverage in the first quarter. Brooks' injury triggers a revolving door at the most important position on defense.
Sept. 18 — Linebacker Andre Frazier — the scapegoat for Jamal Lewis' 66-yard touchdown run in Cleveland — is waived and immediately claimed by Pittsburgh. Frazier is good enough for the first-place Steelers, but not good enough for the last-place Bengals.
Sept. 23 — Tailback Rudi Johnson sustains a pulled hamstring in a 24-21 loss at Seattle, and he's been ineffective since his return to the starting lineup at Buffalo on Nov. 4.
Oct. 21 — NFL insider Chris Mortensen sparks controversy on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" when he raises the possibility that wide receiver Chad Johnson could be traded in the offseason. Except for his weekly "Chad's Corner" interview for WXIX Channel 19, the local FOX affiliate, Johnson hasn't addressed the Bengals media since Oct. 22 when he proclaimed, "I cannot and I will not change."
Next game | Who: Titans (6-4) at Bengals (3-7) | When: 1 p.m., Sunday | TV: CBS | Radio: WONE-AM (980), WTUE-FM (104.7)
