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AFC NORTH NOTES
Bengals need to play like they practice, coach says
COMMENT: Do you think trust really is the Bengals problem?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Head coach Marvin Lewis boiled the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive woes down to one word. It rhymes with rust.
"It really comes down to trust offensively," he said. "We have to make sure everybody gets things done the right way, with no compensation. Whether it's the quarterback, the upfront guys or the receivers, everybody has to trust that we're going to be in the right spots."
The offense can't get any worse. It's ranked 32nd and dead last in yards per game (225.6), 31st in rushing (73.9), 30th in passing (151.7) and 31st in scoring (14.0).
Players clearly aren't on the same page. Are they trying to do more than their assignment calls for?
"I wouldn't say more, but make sure that you're doing your part and allow it to work," Lewis added. "Don't compensate. Make sure that everybody's in the right spots, the way it was coached and the way it was practiced. That's the most important thing — the way it was practiced all week. Don't compensate and try to farm somebody else's crops."
Browns Cribbs in his 'crib'
Cleveland's all-purpose star Joshua Cribbs got the wind knocked out of him when he absorbed a helmet to the sternum. A blow to the head left him dazed.
But a 20-mule team couldn't drag him off the turf at FedEx Field, where the visiting Browns dropped a 14-11 thriller to the Washington Redskins.
"Playing there, that was a dream for me," said Cribbs, who played quarterback at Dunbar High School in Washington. "And to score a touchdown, you couldn't get better than that except if we would have come away with a win."
Cribbs scored on a 1-yard pass from Derek Anderson, who then completed the two-point conversion with a pass to Braylon Edwards with 2:44 to go.
"The fans were talking to me the whole game," Cribbs said. "They were yelling, 'We're not going to let you get one of your returns on us.' I really tried hard to break one for the home crowd and give my team that edge."
Ravens Time for Smith?
If starting quarterback Joe Flacco looks over his shoulder, he'll find Troy Smith gaining ground — fast.
Smith, the second-year pro and Ohio State Heisman Trophy winner, is listed as Baltimore's No. 2 quarterback, leaping over Todd Bouman.
Smith was a third-stringer until last week's victory over Miami because he had been battling a severe tonsil infection.
"He looks like he's just about to where he was before, if not 100 percent," head coach John Harbaugh said. "He's progressing as a quarterback, too. I think there's some makeup ground there from a timing standpoint — throwing the ball, footwork, those kinds of things — that he's getting closer to what we saw in training camp."
Steelers More of Moore
Pittsburgh fans likely will see more of tailback Mewelde Moore after his brilliant performance against the Bengals.
Signed in March as an unrestricted free agent from Minnesota, where he spent four seasons, Moore was awarded a game ball after he torched Cincinnati for 120 rushing yards and three TDs.
"He's become the locker-room favorite, and we make no bones about why we feel the way do about each other," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "It's based on deeds. This guy is delivering time and time again with his legs, with his hands. He's a pro. He prepares himself."
Sunday's Games
Oakland (2-4) at Baltimore (3-3), 1 p.m.
Cincinnati (0-7) at Houston (2-4), 4:05 p.m.
Cleveland (2-4) at Jacksonville (3-3), 4:05 p.m.
N.Y. Giants (5-1) at Pittsburgh (5-1), 4:15 p.m.
Week 7 Star — Steelers TB Mewelde Moore ran for 120 yards and scored 3 TDs (2 rushing) in a 38-10 win at Cincinnati.
Week 7 Goat — Browns QB Derek Anderson's completion percentage was 37.8 (14-of-37) in a 14-11 loss at Washington.
Quote of the Week
"We cherish all of our wins, and division games are extremely important. We have a lot of respect for what this (Bengals-Steelers) rivalry is and the support we get when we come down here and play. The guys did a nice job, and they were sensitive to that." — Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin after beating the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or
cludwig@coxohio.com.
Comments
By bobupankismyass
October 24, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
18 years mike brown has not tried to put a winning team on the field.. all he wants is butts in the seats.. so give up don’t go to the games .. i stop giving MIKEY BROWN my money when they lost to cleveland browns the frist game at paul brown stadium.. its his team so let him watch his time by his self.. MIKE SALE THE TEAM NOW…. THEN MOVE BACK WHERE U CAME FROM..
By ericdraven
October 22, 2008 9:43 PM | Link to this
i heard a rumor that the beloved owner of the worst nfl team in history, the cincinnati bungals, was going to move the team to los angeles. suddenly, it all makes perfect sense. carson played at and excelled at usc and has openly stated thats where he loves it, so its came as no suprise why the bungals are doing what their doing. i mean come on, a hurt elbow? for four weeks?! how dumb does mike brown and marvin lewis think we are?
By lbdl
October 22, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
Wake up CINCINNATI….go home and watch some real football on tv. MIKEY BROWN leave so we can support a better college team.
I…..
By DALE 78
October 22, 2008 5:40 PM | Link to this
THE Only thing Ican say is hurry up baseball season . Mikey is a joke and fans what little of them are left ,deserve what they get . If they are stupid enough to continue to send him money.They deserve what they get .
By Pete
October 22, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
A new coach is not the answere. Brown will just go out and find the cheapest coach on the market regardless of talent.
By William
October 22, 2008 3:26 PM | Link to this
Marvin Lewis’ comments are a total pantload. Everything rises and falls on leadership, and this club hasn’t had any since 06.
By paul
October 22, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this
Bungals problem is the front office. Mike Brown could care less if he ever puts a winning team on the again. He knows it cost him money to send his team to the playoffs and he isn’t going to spend any of his precious money. The NFL needs to pull his franchise for the good of the game. Name me one other sports franchise that has such a horrible record like the Bungals.
By Mike Hawksbig
October 22, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
All you Bangholes fans who bought into Choko Suckos antics and selfish attitude are the reason this team sucks. He completely destroyed all momentum and heart this team had in 2005 when he sucker punched one of his own players at halftime of the Steelers game where Kleenex Palmer got hurt and it turned into a free for all in the locker room. This turd is a cancer. Always has been and always will be.
By Demarrio
October 22, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
Hey the Bengals may suck now but give it time. I know you all waited years for them to get things fix out I understand that. Yeah I know their sucking which’s a shame but their people are hurt & the bengals morale is low its going to take awhile to get it together. I just hope next year will be the year for us remaining Bengals fans. A bright side to this if we keep losing on like this will have 1st pick 1st round overall. P.S. don’t blame ya if you hate them but I am giving them time,support.
By jesse
October 22, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
since the bengals are wasting away carson’s career they should trade him away for the sake of carson. The bengals are a worthless team that actually has fan support.
By marballa
October 22, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this
As Bengals fans we all know one thing, and that is Bengals will always be lovable losers. They will never be a force to deal with. They will never be a perennial playoff team. They are a joke in every sense of the word. We watch the Bengals every Sunday and hope to see a flash of brilliance, instead we see the worst franchise in all of sports. And yet, there we are the very next Sunday, still watching. A sad life of a Bengals fan.
By Bill
October 22, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
They need to pick up the pace and display more energy - break the huddle as a TEAM.
By kelly in da ville
October 22, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
Trust? Lower pad level? Gap maintenance? Poor Marvin, he hasn’t go a clue.
Hey Marvin: your players stink…and you helped pick them.
Hey Mike Brown: you’re a clown! Whatever made you think you could run a pro football team?
Hey Bengal Fans: Keep supporting Mike Brown and all you are doing is making him richer. Who is stupider: you or Mikey Boy?
By Jim
October 22, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
I think Johnny said it best, esp. about the Brown family removing itself completely from any ownership of this team. However as long as he can make some money I fear we are stuck. Hiring Chris Henry AGAIN seems to show the character involved with them. Think Collegiate!
By GO STEELERS!!!
October 22, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
Hilarious post by resident genius
By BMN
October 22, 2008 10:04 AM | Link to this
Fact: The Cincinnati Bearcats have played 75 less games than the Cincinnati Bengals since 1991. The Bearcats have 100 wins in that time, the Bengals have 97.
Fact: When/if the Bengals win 3 more games under Mike Brown, he will have taken more games to win 100 than any NFL owner ever.
Fact: Should Brown remain for 42 more games and the Bengals finish between 3-39 (.007) & 24-18 (.571), he will be slowest to 100 wins and the fastest to 200 losses of any NFL owner ever.
Let’s make history!
By sec 312
October 22, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
Trust me, trust is not the problem. Just another excuse for not being prepared. This is the coaches fault. How many times do we not have the right players on the field, or too many players on the field, or waste timeouts. Or not have the rookies ready to play. I could go on and on…but hey I have a job to do….maybe they should do theirs!
By Johnny
October 22, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
The Bengals main problem is their coaching staff. Starting with Marvin Lewis, get rid of every one of them. Then start fresh and hire people who know HOW to coach a professional football team and make the right play calling. On the other side of the coin, Mike Brown is a permanent cancer in that team. He needs to do Cincinnati a big favor and remove himself and the rest of his family from the team and sell it to someone who loves the game and wants to win football games not count their money.
By resident jenius
October 22, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
Of course the Bengals look better in practice than on Sunday! In practice they get to play the Bengals! Practicing against a bottom of the barrel opponent will make you look spectacular!
By Ridnaway
October 22, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
Does anyone else get the idea that maybe the Bengals are trying to wean the team off its over reliance on Carson Palmer? I think any team that is this reliant on any single player is bound to be a loser. Mybe these guys need to become a team, relying on each other rather one a superstar?
By Fred
October 22, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
Trust is not the problem.
Mike Brown and his family are the problem. The Bengals need a new owner!