Damn the Browns.

[korme]

What a disappointment. :(

[IMetTrentGreen]

it was funny watching you guys all season. thanks

[cthomer5000]

If they couldn't win that game against a horrible run defense, there is no way they even deserve a shot at the playoffs.

maybe next decade.

[korme]

Yeah right, how about next year, definately. We got ran on sure, but the two worst offensive pass interference calls I've seen in a long time on Chad Johnson killed us. But we got beat, nothing can do about it now. This just adds more to my hate for Cleveland. Next year, improve the defense and we can do it. All in all not a bad season.

[damnMikeBrown]

I was at the game today. . .in the middle of the Browns section at that.

It was an awfull game. The Bengals pulled a, well Bengals move. They came out to play for the first series of the first half, and then shut it down.

We almost pulled something out in the end of the first half, but not one, but TWO phantom OFFENSIVE interferance calls kept us out of the end zone. It was the craziest bit of flag throwing (sorry Ruben Brown) I've ever seen. Same insane official each time. It was ridiculous. Then on the 2nd interferance call, with the clock stopped, Johnson was injured. The bottom half of his body was still on the field, so, boom, last time out is charged. We get sacked, and the half ends.

Oh, not that that lost the game for us. Suggs was generally 3 yards past the line of scrimmage before he got touched. Touched mind you, not tackled. Speaking of tackling, the Bengals secondary has absolutely no clue what it is. They think breaking down slightly to the side of their target, and then sticking their arms out towards him, is tackling. That, or diving head first roughly 18 inches to either side of their target. The Bengals secondary's tackling was inept as the line judge calling the interferance penalties.

Oh, could Clevland fans be any more annoying?

To top is off, an idiot was trying to make the people in front of me move. Kept telling them they were in his seats, that they were in the wrong section. I let it go for a couple exchanges, until he had this couple they were in the wrong place. He was very bombastic. I spoke up and said that it was 343, not 342, that they were in the right place. He asked if I was a season ticket holder. I said no, and he said "Then you're a shit." He started to walk away, I shouted out "Did you just curse me?". As he turned back, I suppose to shout more obscenitites at me, he almost fell down the stairs. He regained his balance, and just left. All the people around me were just dying laughing. So, at least there was that. . .

Did I mention the Bengals played like ass?

[korme]

Was at the game too.. heartbreaker. For cthomer to say the Bengals 'still suck' indicates he has no clue how much improved we were this season.

At the end of the game Dillon took off his helmet and jersey and threw them in the stands and said something like "Goodbye". So sad, Dillon will be gone next year and Kitna won't be our QB all season, I just know it. I am so afraid Palmer is going to be a bust, or not be able to find Johnson the way Kitna does, or something.. And people got on the Rudi bandwagon too quickly, Dillon is still the better back..

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
Was at the game too.. heartbreaker. For cthomer to say the Bengals 'still suck' indicates he has no clue how much improved we were this season.

Did they improve? yes.

Would they have had a shot to make the playoffs in any other division? no.

Was everything there for the taking against a horrible opponent? yes.

Did they just run, run, run the ball against an atrocious run defense? no.


Disappointing win, and an improved season. Still, don't fool yourself into thinking this team is above average. If you want to celebrate getting to the middle of the pack, feel free to do so.

And remember that you've seen "breakthrough" seasons turn to complete shit the next season before.


I see more of the same next year as they try to break in a young QB.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
At the end of the game Dillon took off his helmet and jersey and threw them in the stands and said something like "Goodbye".

So how many yards is it until Corey breaks the all-time rushing record?

[korme]

8,665 yards to go. I don't know why you think it is so neat to try and pick on me.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
8,665 yards to go. I don't know why you think it is so neat to try and pick on me.

I'm not trying to. I just think a lot of people haven't gotten caught up in the Bengals improvement this year, and gone a bit overboard. The defense is in the bottom 5 in the league, you have an impending transition at QB, and your formerly "franchise" running back is likely on his way out. I think this could be a situation where they take a step back next year. They overachieved this year, and the fact that they could not beat Cleveland when everything was on the line shows how flawed the team is. Frankly, I don't think you could have hand-picked a better opponent for the Bengals in week 17... they just simply didn't get it done.

I didn't see much of the game, but it seems as if the Bengals threw the ball too much. They were never down by more than 8, yet threw the ball 35 times, and only got Johnson/Dillon 22 carries combined. Those two should have had the ball 40 times, and the Bengals would be sitting at home hoping for a Steeler win tonight.

I wanted to see the Bengals make the playoffs more than anyone (and I hate the fucking Ravens), so it's not as if I'm a Bengal hater.

[Kodos]

Since I am usually the first to mock the Bengals, I would like to take this chance to compliment them on a fine turnaround season. You've got yourself a good coach (and I know all too well how much it sucks to have a bad coach), and some good reasons to be optimistic about the future. Obviously, the team still is a work in progress, but at least they seem to be headed in the right direction after years of wallowing in suckiness.

:) Hang in there, Shorty.

And cthomer - lay off the kid. Your team is no prize either. ;)

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Kodos
And cthomer - lay off the kid. Your team is no prize either. ;)

You're telling me! Don't even get me started on the coaching staff and front office... I would blow up almost everything if I was in charge.

[ISiddiqui]

Agree with Kodos. The Bengals had a great season, and I don't see this as a fluke. They have a great coach, a nice young recieving corp, a great young RB (so you can get rid of the problem star RB and not falter). Kitna has played well this year, so Palmer can be eased into the job (kinda like McNair was).

They'll definetly be in the hunt next year.

[Butter]

Originally posted by cthomer5000
Would they have had a shot to make the playoffs in any other division? no.

Are you high? Most years 9-7 is good enough to get in as a wildcard, regardless of what division you're in. They beat some good teams this year, too, so the argument that they only had a shot because they got to play the Steelers and Browns twice is out the window.

And remember that you've seen "breakthrough" seasons turn to complete shit the next season before.

I agree with this. I don't think that this year's success in any way guarantees that a corner has been turned with this team. They need to string together a few good seasons before the Bengals can be officially removed as a laughing-stock.

Those 2 pass interference calls against Chad Johnson were utterly ridiculous.

[gstelmack]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
but the two worst offensive pass interference calls I've seen in a long time on Chad Johnson killed us.

First one was very ticky-tack and should never have been called. Second (in the endzone) was a clear push-off, which should be called far more often than it is. The legitimate beef here is that they don't call that one 9 times out of 10.

[Butter]

Second was a push-off? They both had their hands on each other, then Johnson released to raise his hands to catch the ball. How is that a push?

[scooper]

Actually, he was being held on the second one. He had to push to get out of the hold. The DB clearly had a hand full of jersey.

Oh well, 8-8. Mediocre again. I'm happy for the turnaround, but this team stumbled to 8-8. It was a fun season, but yesterday left a bad taste in my mouth. With a better run defense we are buying playoff tickets right now. That has the be the #1 priority this offseason. A run stuffing DT and a true MLB (allowing Hardy to move back outside.)

As for Kitna, his strength this year was running the offense efficiently and not making mistakes. The last few weeks, he has gone back to making mistakes. If mistakes will be made, it may be time to get the more gifted passer on the field. I would not turn the reigns over to Palmer, but I'd open the competition. I hope if Palmer wins out, that Kitna sticks it out. He's a smart player to have around and a leader.

Oh, and Bob Bratkowski can draw up some great plays, but he can't call a game for s#@t. Too often this season, when the run was working, he abandoned it. At a minimum, a committment to running would have won against Cleveland and Arizona.

[gstelmack]

Originally posted by Butter_of_69
Second was a push-off? They both had their hands on each other, then Johnson released to raise his hands to catch the ball. How is that a push?

His arms were bent, he straightened them, then he went for the ball. That was a push. It looked to me like the traditional WR "run into the back, shove him, then turn and catch the ball" push off you see all the time in the NFL. Half the time it gets valled on the DB, half the time it doesn't get called, and every now and then they choose to call it on the WR.

[TroyF]

Lay off Shorty guys. I was happy about the Bengal run and think that this is a sign of things to come. I didn't think they'd reach the Super Bowl, but I did like their chances of a playoff run.

So they didn't make it? Who cares? They have a solid core on offense and should make more runs in the years to come.

I'm going through the same thing as a Nugget fan right now. Are the Nuggets going to make the playoffs? Maybe, maybe not. Gun to my head, I'd say yes, but they could easily go on a 10 game losing streak tomorrow and prove me wrong.

Yet I'm going to enjoy this run with everything I have. It's good to win once a decade!!! :) Hope you enjoyed the run Shorty, I expect you'll have many more to follow.