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08-02-2009, 12:21 AM
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#1 | ||
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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From Mewing Bungles to Roaring Bengals: 1992 On (FOF Historical)
The NFL's Top 10 Snakebitten Franchises thread in OT and a sudden craving for FOF again led me to ask which year/teams were in the worst scenarios.
Out of those ColtCrazy suggested, I decided to go with the 1992 Bengals. Why? Because I like the AFC and I always thought the Bengals had a cool logo and uniforms. Plus, I think we have quite a few Bengals fans on FOFC. I don't remember what difficulty setting I used for my Dolphins dynasty, but I'm going Wall Street to make certain this is as tough a challenge as possible. While I prefer to have 0 to 1 salary increases, I'm going with 10% increases until 1998 because of how ridiculous some contracts are and I'd like teams to avoid cap hell. Now time to look at the roster... Code:
Ahh yes. The year of the infamous Klingler selection. I remember being quite stunned at the pick, as everyone was. Boomer's still one of the top QBs in the game, so we have that going for us at least. Unfortunately, he's also in the last year of his contract and not willing to entertain a long-term negotiation. Wilhelm not only looks better than Klingler, he has double affinities, making his selection as the backup a no-brainer. Code:
A slew of rookies at RB, none of whom excite me. We're in great FB shape with Fenner the starter and Green the backup, though. I'm so underwhelmed with our runners, though, that I'll probably grab some old guy off the free agent pile. Code:
TE has never played a big role in my offenses, so this is a big shrug. Holman's the much better WR, but Thomason has terrific blocking potential. Too bad the would-be stopping beast has the endurance of Kathy Griffin when faced off against Pumpy Tudors. This group will need an upgrade, but it's not worth investing a ton in. Code:
There's a ton of teams in love with Pickens so we'll probably trade him. I don't much like this WR corps as everyone's drop-prone and there's nothing that makes me madder than a butterfingers receiving set. 9 team with 90+ interest, in fact. Unfortunately, when I try to hunt for deals, teams either complain that they'd have too much dead cap or Pickens wouldn't have as big an impact on their team as they're looking for. I hate this aspect of the NFL culture, especially having been busy with DDS:PB for so long where trading is an essential part of my gameplan. Then again, I'd be eating about $2.5 million in cap space myself next season if I dealt away Pickens, so I'll stick with this group I guess. Man, what an ugly outfit. In fact, that's one thing I hate about FOF in general. You're basically left groping in the dark as far as trades go and have no real measure for if a trade is fair value or not. Oh well, moving right along. Code:
Munoz-Melander-Arthur-Rayam-Walter just like it says. At least we're in excellent shape on the right side, as I feel very comfortable having Scrafford as Walter's heir apparent. But holy moly are we in trouble with a lot of the rest of the line. Wonder how Walter would feel about moving to the left said once the immortal Munoz finally hangs it up. Code:
Uh, yeah. 7 years for a Punter? At least he comes cheap. Note to self: Draft Breech's replacement next year. Code:
It'll be Stubbs-Krumrie and uh, I have yet to determine. Probably Nix, but I'll do a further analysis when I'm sober. I'll also do rest of roster. I'm tempted to trade Boomer's low loyalty ass too.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-02-2009, 01:02 PM
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#2 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Okay, back in sober action!
The question of 4-3 vs 3-4 is, of course, dependent upon D-Line vs. LB corps. I've never had a dynasty where I've run 3-4 before, even if the defensive schemes are largely cosmetic in difference in FOF. The D-line's pretty bad inside. How about the LBs? Code:
Kirk's a hell of a run-stopper. McDonald's contract is just ugly. Do I keep Francis at the weak side or do I move him inside? On the other hand, Gordon looks like a perfect candidate to move inside. The truth is, we've got a bunch of average to decent looking LBs and my head's hurting trying to figure out a 3-4. My brain keeps defaulting to a 4-3 D. Move along, move along. Code:
Williams is the future of maintaining a strong safety duo, so he'll start over the older and more developed Bussey at FS. Our CB situation is a total train wreck. I see myself cutting guys and going after street free agents here, too. We're 11th in power ratings, 6th in the AFC and 2nd in the North behind the cross-state rival Browns. So the question is, do we give it a shot with Boomer and then see what happens in the offseason? Or do we deal his disloyal iconic ass now rather than risk letting him walk in free agency and go into rebuilding mode? I'm starting to really appreciate just how precarious a situation the '92 Bengals were in. They really are/were at a crossroads.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-03-2009, 10:45 AM
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#3 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Eh, I say deal his ass. He's really all you've got, so yo'ure not going to go far with him. Might as well lay some building blocks instead.
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08-03-2009, 10:43 PM
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#4 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Very tempting if I can get something for him. Unfortunately the trade AI is so damn anal, nobody's going to give even so much as a single first rounder for him.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-05-2009, 12:18 PM
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#5 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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So after a few days of thought, I've decided that as much as I'd -like- to try the 3-4 and as much as I used it during the early days of Madden, I just can't leave my old 4-3 habits just yet.
The Boomer problem is growing. His contract is so damned big, it makes matching up salaries a hassle and on top of it, teams bitch about dead cap space or favorite players, etc. Nobody will offer me a first, which is effing retarded. "Not enough talent in return" my ass. And then we finally strike a deal. Boomer To Give Bolts A Jolt  Legendary Bengals QB Boomer Esiason was traded to the San Diego Chargers today.  Chargers rookie safety Marquez Pope, San Diego's 2nd round selection in the most recent draft, is coming to Cincinnati along with the Chargers' 1993 6th round pick And just like that, Boomer was gone. New Bengals GM Izulde Jestor clashed with longtime star quarterback Boomer Esiason from the moment he took command, leading to speculation that Esiason would be traded. And traded he has been, after weeks of media speculation and frenzied negotiation on all sides. The San Diego Chargers were the winners of the Boomer sweepstakes, offering up rookie defensive back Marquez Pope, taken 33rd overall in the draft and the Chargers' 1993 6th round pick. It could end up being a one year rental for San Diego, as Esiason's out of contract after this season and is no guarantee to re-sign. But with Boomer under center, the Chargers go from non-descript to a possible playoff team. For the Bengals, losing Boomer means not only closing the book on arguably the greatest quarterback in team history, but it almost certainly means the death of any playoff aspirations in what could be Hall of Fame bound LT Anthony Munoz's last season. The addition of Pope, too, seems strange, as Cincinnati's set at safety with David Fulcher and rookie Darryl Williams. However, the Bengals coaching staff says they plan to move Pope to right cornerback and make him the starter, a move that will significantly strengthen an anemic CB group. The biggest hole, of course, is now at quarterback, where the battle falls to first round pick David Klingler and 4th year pro Erik Wilhelm. Wilhelm's expected to have the inside track on the starting job, but many within the organization still believe in Klingler as the team's future. In other news, the Bengals announced the release of rookie running back Mo Taijeron and the signing of veteran RB Napoleon McCallum. McCallum adds experience to an all-rookie cast of runners and is expected to compete for the starting job. ***End Article*** So I switched Pope to RCB and he goes from 24/63 as a SS to 30/66 (+6/+3) as a CB. Very, very cool. Makes me feel better about the trade already. Wilhelm is definitely the smarter play at starting QB, but part of me has the urge to see what Klingler can do as a rookie. McCallum's not a mentor, but for some reason, I don't know why, I always liked watching him play. Maybe it's just the idea of Napoleon playing for the Raiders that made me grin. In any case, he's a good fit for us. Absolutely no hole recognition, but his elusiveness is sky high and he's a power back, something none of the rookies can bring. Still a lot to think about, but at least I'm getting a better handle on this team as we prepare to head into preseason.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-05-2009, 07:49 PM
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#6 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason Rundown - Games 1 and 2
Game #1: @ Green Bay Good contest that saw us take the lead early on a first quarter 2 yard TD run by Napoleon McCallum and occasionally be tied, but we were never behind and gutted out the win. Starting QB Battle Erik Wilhem - 6 of 7 for 97 yards, a long of 30 David Klingler - 8 of 14 for 63 yards and a TD, long of 19 Thus far Wilhelm seems to hold the edge, but Klingler will continue to get PT. Starting RB Battle Ostell Miles - 16 carries, 69 yards, 4.31 YPC, 9 long Napoleon McCallum - 15 carries, 40 yards, 2.67 YPC, 1 TD, 10 long, 1 catch for 6 yards Miles was the more consistent runner, but McCallum had a couple nice gains and, more importantly, was a key part of the Special Teams Play of the Day (more on that later). I'm still intent on making McCallum the #2 back, but I'll give other rookies their shot at #1. Defensive Play of the Day CB Marquez Pope made his mark felt immediately, popping a scrambling Brett Favre so hard, Favre fumbled, allowing starting RDT Hugh Giovannelli to scoop it up and rumble 17 yards for a second quarter score, changing a 10-7 game into a 17-7 one. Special Teams Play of the Day McCallum laid out a monster hit on Robert Brooks on a punt return with 12:17 left in the game. Brooks fumbled, backup G Ken Moyer recovered and we got a Jim Breech 29 yard FG for the game's final margin. Notable Performances - Bengals None Notable Performances - Packers QB Marcus Williams - 16 of 27 for 216 yards and a TD, 5 carries for 29 yards DE Shawn Patterson 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 hurry Cincinnati 27 Green Bay 20 Injury Report WR Carl Pickens bruises his sternum and is probable for 3 weeks. I'm not about to let our star rookie WR risk further injury so he'll go on the inactive list. Jeff Query steps in as the starting flanker in his place. Game 2: vs. Detroit Barry Sanders is always a scary factor, but we hold him to 16 rushes for 42 yards and a TD, a pathetic 2.63 YPC. And if Barry doesn't go, the Lions don't go and so we win in a laugher. Starting QB Battle Erik Wilhelm - 5 of 6 for 59 yards, 22 long David Klingler - 17 of 26 for 194 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 24 long, 3 rushes for 8 yards Although he has yet to get a TD in the preseason, Wilhelm's looking more and more like the starter. Starting RB Battle Lester Hellestrae - 13 carries for 32 yards, 2.46 average, 2 TDs, 1 fumble, long 12, 2 catches for 12 yards, 1 TD Ostell Miles - 12 carries for 57 yards, 4.75 average, a fumble, long 19, 3 catches for 15 yards, 1 forced fumble Miles, like Wilhelm, is putting away the competition despite not crossing the goal line. He's still got a couple more games to go, though. Drive of the Game David Klingler, of all people, went 8 for 9 for 98 yards and the capstone TD near the end of the third quarter. Maybe there's something to him after all? Notable Performances - Bengals DE Alonzo Mitz - 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 hurry, 1 forced fumble - Player of the Game CB Marquez Pope - 3 tackles, an assist, 2 interceptions, 15 yards returned SS David Fulcher - 9 tackles, 3 assists, 1 pass defense DE Elston Ridgle - 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 1 hurry Great game by our defense. I'm loving Pope more and more and nice to see Fulcher playing to his talent level. Notable Performances - Lions None Injury Report C Mike Arthur - Strained Hamstring - Questionable - Return Unknown DE Danny Stubbs - Strained Hamstring - Questionable - Return Unknown Well that's just swell. I'll keep Arthur in there because he's a rookie and needs the PT to develop. We've also got Bruce Kozerski as capable backup in case Arthur gets hurt more. Stubbs, however, is sitting. If he gets hurt worse, our defensive line goes down in flames. Roosevelt Nix has a strong affinity with our defensive front captain and has the highest upside at 15/44, so he'll get the start to see how he shakes out. Lot of rookies we're starting it seems.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-05-2009, 11:35 PM
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#7 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason Rundown - Part 2
Game #3: vs. New Orleans This, my friends, is what we call an epic fail. We just flat-out got our asses kicked. No Play or Drive of Game notes here; we don't deserve them. Starting QB Battle Erik Wilhelm - 5 of 7 for 85 yards David Klingler - 13 of 28 for 124 yards, 2 INTs Forget it. Battle's over. Wilhelm's the winner. Starting RB Battle Dwight Morton - 8 carries, 19 yards, 2.38 YPC, 1 TD, 10 long, 1 catch, 4 yards Ostell Miles - 8 carries, 35 yards, 4.38 YPC, 14 long, 2 catches, 11 yards Call this one over, too. Miles has had 3 straight games of 4.3+ yards per carry. That's more than enough to make him the starter, especially against such shoddy competition. Notable Performances - Bengals TE Rodney Holman - 4 catches, 67 yards SLB Randy Kirk - 9 tackles, 4 assists, 1 pass defense Notable Performances - Saints RB Dalton Hilliard - 25 carries, 124 yards, 4.96 YPC, 1 TD, 17 long, 6 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD CB Cedric Mack - 6 tackles, 2 pass defenses S Gene Atkins - 1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 hurry, 2 pass defenses, 1 INT New Orleans 37 Cincinnati 10 Injury Report FS Darryl Williams - Broken Ankle - Out 5 Weeks ...Just frigging great. I'll have David Fulcher slide over to SS out of position, since he's experienced there, while fan favorite Barney Bussey takes on the starting FS job. Good thing we were stacked at safety. I still don't regret moving Marquez Pope to CB, though. Then, as I'm trolling through the free agent list, I notice a steal. 6th year CB Kirby Jackson, just released by the Buffalo Bills, may have cruddy endurance, but he's a perfect fit for our nickel spot. I also spy 4th year S Johnnie Jackson, recently cut by the San Francisco 49ers, who also looks like an upgrade for our defensive backfield. Johnnie signs right away, but Kirby, in addition to causing a chemistry conflict, wants a bonus. Sorry, but you're not worth it, Kirby. I see the Bills went on a cutting spree, as return demon 8th year WR Steve Tasker is on the market. He'd fill a huge hole for us, so I sign him too. DE Lamar Rodgers and LG Richard Stephens are given their pink slips to make room for Jackson and Tasker. Jackson takes over both backup safety spots, the nickel corner slot and the dime safety role, while Tasker turns 5th WR and top PR and KR. Game 4: @ Indianapolis A 21-10 halftime lead falls apart as we get blanked 23-0 in the second half to lose 33-21. Granted, we were both stretching our third string QBs, but it's still an awful result. Our season, preposterous as it sounds, rests on the arm of Erik Wilhelm. ...Scarier words were never written. Defensive Play of the Game Johnnie Jackson makes one hell of a play in his debut game. At the two minute warning before halftime, he strips the ball away from Reggie Langhorne and proceeds to grab it and run 61 yards downfield for a touchdown and the 21-10 halftime lead! Talk about an immediate impact! Notable Performances - Bengals TE Rodney Holman - 8 catches, 127 yards, 1 TD MLB Alex Gordon - 7 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack, 1 INT S David Fulcher - 11 tackles, 2 assists, 2 pass defenses, 1 INT Great to see Fulcher have no problems at all manning FS. Notable Performances - Colts CB Ashley Ambrose - 5 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack, 2 pass defenses Injury Report No new injuries, thankfully. Better yet, Carl Pickens is back to full health for the regular season opener.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-07-2009, 09:18 AM
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#8 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Cutdown Day
We say goodbye to the following players: RB Dwight Morton RDE Mike Frier RCB Antoine Bennett SS Fernandus Vinson SE Reggie Rembert FS Rickey Dixon SILB Kevin Walker We also scoure the free agents list, but we're among the first to cut down our players, so we'll have to check again after Week 1. Cincinnati Bengals 1992 Season Preview  Safety David Fulcher is expected to headline a strong Bengals secondary in the 1992 season Training camp and a 2-2 preseason out of the way, the Cincinnati Bengals are set to go on the prowl in the 1992 season. Many fans are still reeling from the shock of the Boomer Esiason trade and most are projecting that the team's gone from likely playoff appearance to also-rans as a result of the deal. But maybe there's reason to hope after all. Here's a position-by-position breakdown of how the team stacks up going into the Week 1 Opener at Baltimore against the expansion Ravens. Quarterback Fourth year man Erik Wilhelm won a preseason battle with first round pick David Klingler for the starting job. Wilhelm finished with 0 TDs and 0 INTs during the exhibition games and as an opposing scout says, "He's not going to be a guy who lights the world afire. Certainly not a Boomer. But he does have above-average timing and appears to fit in well in the clubhouse. They could do worse, like Klingler." Indeed, it appears the drafting of Klingler was the primary motivation for bringing in Izulde Jestor as GM. The surprise pick struggled in preseason, though did show occassional flashes of respectable play. But if Wilhelm goes down, Cincinnati's season is over. Donald Hollas is there to hold a clipboard. Running Backs Ostell Miles beat out a host of fellow rookies for the starting spot and has average straightaway speed. Working on his elusiveness will make him a more effective back. Veteran Napoleon McCallum is the #2 man and change of pace RB, a bruising power runner who's hard to bring down... if he can find the hole. Not much else here, though. Fullbacks Derrick Fenner and Harold Green are the best 1-2 punch at FB in the league. Both are very good receivers out of the backfield, but Fenner's the much better blocker, so he gets the starting nod. Wide Receivers The future of the franchise rests on Carl Pickens, the Bengals' 2nd round draft pick. The former Volunteer is an explosive, high-endurance workhorse steps in as the team's #1 receiver, opposite drop-prone veteran Tim McGee. Jeff Query makes for a very good #3 man, while recent free agent pickup Steve Tasker is the return specialist. TE Rodney Holman is one of the NFL's best receiving tight ends, but there's nothing behind him. Offensive Line Legendary LT Anthony Munoz may be in his last season, but he's still among the best. RT Joe Walter is good too and the interior of the line is young and promising with C Mike Arthur, LG Jon Melander and RG Thomas Rayam. Special Teams K Jim Breech and P Lee Johnson are among the league's best at their respective positions and Tasker's addition means the Bengals don't have to gamble with Pickens as a return man, a huge benefit. Defensive Line The decision to switch to a 4-3 was interesting, considering the team's strength lies in its linebacking corps, but it's what they're going with. Star DE Danny Stubbs has a strained hamstring, and it appears the coaching staff will keep him inactive for the game against the Ravens. That leaves rookie Roosevelt Nix and veteran Alonzo Mitz as thoroughly unimpressive starters. It's going to be interesting seeing how DT Tim Krumrie adapts to a 4-3 after having been a 3-4 NT for most of his career. It's another rookie at the other DT spot in Hugh Cavennelli. This is just one lackluster line. Linebackers Kevin Walker was a surprise cut in terms of talent, but $1 million and change was too much for a backup. SLB Randy Kirk, MLB Alex Gordon (a recent mover to the inside) and WLB James Francis should form a solid, if unspectacular starting group. Expect to see opposing teams run at Francis, as Kirk and Gordon are deadly run-stoppers who will make up for the porous D-Line. Secondary This is arguably the team's strongest group, with the exception perhaps of the offensive line. David Fulcher and Barney Bussey form one of the top safety tandems in the AFC, if not the NFL. Rookie Darryl Williams is currently out with a broken ankle, but when he returns, he and Johnnie Jackson, a recent FA pickup, will make a capable pair of reserve safeties. Eric Thomas is serviceable at LCB, but the one that has the coaching staff really raving is recently converted rookie safety Marquez Pope, the Chargers' 2nd round pick who was the centerpiece in the Esiason deal. Pope looked terrific in preseason and appears to, in the words of one AFC scout, "have the kind of upside that could make him an All-Pro someday". Divisional Outlook The AFC North is Baltimore and the Three Contenders. The Ravens are an expansion squad, so they're out. With Esiason's exit, Cleveland's Bernie Kosar becomes the division's best QB, the Browns the North's top offense. But Cleveland also has a pretty bad defense, whereas the Pittsburgh Steelers have a good defense, but a bad offense. It's simply too close to call who will win the North out of the Browns, Bengals and Steelers, but our gut instinct says Cleveland's offense will win out and be the lone team in the division to make the postseason.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-07-2009, 12:47 PM
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#9 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Kirk Rescues Bengals In 34-20 Season Opening Victory
 A timely fourth quarter interception by SLB Randy Kirk preserved the Bengals' lead for good Road games are always an uncertainty in the NFL, even against a first year franchise. Especially for a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, who are searching for an identity after trading long-time QB Boomer Esiason to the San Diego Chargers in the offseason. After the Bengals' 34-20 win in Baltimore over the Ravens, they just may have found something of an answer in SLB Randy Kirk, the omnipresent Player of the Game. Kirk had a stellar outing in Cincinnati's new 4-3 defense, with 5 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, a pass defense and a forced fumble, but no play was bigger than his fourth quarter interception of Ravens QB Darion Meeks with the Bengals hanging on to a narrow 27-20 lead. That pick, and the ensuing 11 yard return, set up QB Erik Wilhelm's third TD pass of the day, a 4 yard toss to FB Derrick Fenner for the game's final scoreline. The Ravens had a rude welcome to the NFL as the Bengals limited them to just 211 yards on offense, including a meager 52 rushing yards and sacked Meek 5 times. It didn't get any easier on defense, as Cincinnati rang up 422 yards on offense, led by Erik Wilhelm's adequate first game as a starter: 27/33 for 284 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Wilhelm distributed the ball among his receivers, with the highest catch total going to FB Derrick Fenner with 6 and the top yardage to 4th WR Ryan Burns with 70. RB Ostell Miles had an excellent NFL debut, just missing the century mark in rushing 18 times for 95 yards and a TD, including an electrifying opening drive 41 yard run to set up a Jim Breech field goal, and 4 catches for 23 yards. RT Joe Walter was a force on the offensive line, amassing 5 key run blocks and a pancake block, while P Lee Johnson showed off his booming leg in averaging 54.5 yards over 2 punts with one touchback. Other AFC North Scores Dallas 26 Cleveland 29 Houston 7 Pittsburgh 37 Injury Report S Barney Bussey is Probable with a bruised heel and will play through it.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-07-2009, 01:16 PM
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#10 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Wow, good start. The hardest working team in the NFL I'd say.
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08-07-2009, 06:03 PM
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#11 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
I wouldn't put too much stock in our win. The Ravens are awful and we only got out of the danger territory when Kirk nabbed that INT.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-08-2009, 04:19 AM
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#12 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 2 Pre-Game Notes
All in all, not a terrible debut. Then again, it was only against the Ravens. We'll need to strengthen things if we can, so it's time to hit the free agent market for those post-preseason cuts. CB Don Griffin, a 49er cut, looks good enough to sign, so we snag him, move him to the left side and name him the new starter over Eric Thomas, who gets his role cut all the way down to dime corner. Good thing too, since he's Tired. CB Mitchell Price is cut. We've got a home game against the Warren Moon-led Tennessee Titans, making their move from Houston quite early. But it's not the offense that worries me, though Haywood Jeffries and Ernest Givins are a scary set of WRs. It's a defense that has no real weaknesses. Easy to see why they're favored by 4. Defense, Wilhelm Power Bengals' 27-17 Titanic Upset  Although QB Erik Wilhelm won Player of the Game, it was reserve S Johnnie Jackson (shown here in his high school days), who keyed a stalwart defense with 7 tackles, 3 assists, 2 pass defenses and an interception Opportunistic. That's a word that's quickly becoming applicable to this Bengals defense. After SLB Randy Kirk had a game-saving interception in the opener against the Ravens, he inspired the defense to intercept Titans QB Warren Moon 4 times in this contest, including 2 picks by MLB Alex Gordon. The tone for the game was set early, as the second and third plays were sacks of Moon by DE Alonzo Mitz and DT Tim Krumrie. Krumrie later added 2 blocks and a hurry to be another of Cincinnati's stalwart defenders on the day. Although Moon had some success through the air after that initial hiccup and RB Lorenzo White gained some ground yardage en route to a 10-7 lead in the second quarter, it all came tumbling down at the 2 minute warning. That's when reserve S Johnnie Jackson intercepted the ball in double-coverage, setting up Rodney Holman's capping 21 yard TD reception, Holman's second of the day, to give the Bengals a 17-10 halftime lead. The second half was all Bengals D, as Cincinnati shut Tennessee down, allowing only a meaningless late fourth quarter TD from Titans second string QB Cody Carlson on a 4 yard pass to White. Bengals QB Erik Wilhelm won Player of the Game, thanks to an excellent game of 21/31 for 275 yards and 2 TDs. Both scores went to Holman, who had 4 catches for 38 yards, but it was rookie WR Carl Pickens who amassed the most receiving yardage, totaling 84 yards on 5 catches. Backup RB Napoleon McCallum showed off his power form, leading all rushers with 15 carries for 68 yards, including 3 carries over 10 yards and a 6 yard TD run. Rookie CB Marquez Pope tied with Jackson for the team in solo tackles with 7 and also tacked on a sack and a pass defense. Although the offensive line had no standout individual performances, they collectively kept Wilhelm upright and pressure-free, suffering only 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns all afternoon long. Other AFC North Scores Pittsburgh 30 Cleveland 6 -A brutal Steelers defense and RB Albert Bentley as a 23 carry, 145 yard, 1 rushing TD and 1 receiving TD battering ram sunk the Browns in this important early-season showdown. Injury Report C Mike Arthur, who's been playing through his strained hamstring, is now healed up. Meanwhile, DE Danny Stubbs is still hobbled. S Darryl Williams is upgraded to Doubtful, but it's looking increasingly doubtful he'll get back on the field any time soon, given how well Jackson's been playing.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-08-2009, 01:14 PM
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#13 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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I told you. These guys are playing smashmouth on defense. And Wilhelm's doing surprisingly well.
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08-08-2009, 04:44 PM
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#14 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Well, we haven't played any truly awesome offensive players, either IMO, especially at QB. Next game won't get much more difficult with creaky 14 year men Phil Simms and Ottis Anderson at QB and RB. Man, 1992 was sure a different year. The Raiders are actually 2-0 and the Patriots are 0-2. Of course, Oakland's riding ageless RBs Marcus Allen and Eric Dickerson, while New England is starting Doug Flutie at QB. Crazy, man, just crazy.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-08-2009, 10:42 PM
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#15 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Ah nice, those Giants were my favorite back then, creaky knees and all. And yeah, totally different time Have you looked at the draft comingup at all? I dont' remember who's in it.
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08-09-2009, 05:53 PM
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#16 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Nope I haven't, but I imagine Bledsoe should be coming up either next draft or draft after.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-09-2009, 07:56 PM
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#17 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 3 Pre-Game Notes
-A team starts off 2-0 and you get some fans saying stuff like "Boomer who?" and saying that Erik Wilhelm is awesome, our D's the best since the '85 Bears, crap like that. Sure, Wilhelm's doing better than Boomer right now and yeah our defense is doing great, but the season's young yet and we've yet to play any top-shelf QBs. Moon's on his last legs, after all. -Got a couple guys complaining about PT. RB Lester Hellestrae can sit down and shut up. He had his shot, but I'll make him a Gunner anyway. SILB Ray Bentley has a better argument, but I'm not messing with what works. -Going to New York will be tough. Should be a good, close game. Giants favored by 2, thanks largely to a certain Lawrence Taylor. Taylor vs. our o-line. Great matchup. Defense, Kicking Carry Bengals to 9-6 Victory Over Giants  It was K Jim Breech who came through Sunday afternoon, connecting on all 3 of his FG tries, including a 46 yarder, to get all 9 of the Bengals' points It was the ugliest game the Bengals have played all year. But in the end, thanks to Jim Breech's leg, another timely linebacker interception and an undisciplined Giants team, Cincinnati's off to an unexpected 3-0 start on the year. Breech battled Giants K Matt Bahr all afternoon and though both were perfect, including Bahr's breathtaking 59 yarder shortly before halftime, Breech got one more chance and made the most of it. The crucial pick came as the Giants were driving deep in Bengals territory late in the second quarter. MLB Alex Gordon stepped in front of a Phil Simms pass intended for TE Howard Cross at the Cincinnati 17 for his third interception of the season. Although Cross tackled him immediately, Gordon stopped the Giants' threat in a big way. New York had problems with penalties all game long, flagged 8 times for a difference-making 74 yards, including a series of penalties that killed another drive into the Bengal half of the field. In addition to Breech and Gordon's heroics, the Bengals also got stellar games from new starting CB Don Griffin (4 tackles, 1 assist, 2 pass defenses), S Barney Bussey (4 tackles, 1 assist, 3 pass defenses) and SLB Randy Kirk (4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 hurries, 2 pass defenses). The offense, such as it was, was led by alleged Player of the Game QB Erik Wilhelm, who completed 31 of 45 passes for 183 yards. WR Tim McGee was the main beneficiary of all those pass attempts, catching 6 balls for 50 yards. RB Napoleon McCallum and RB Ostell Miles tied for the team lead in rushing yardage with 42, but Miles did his on 3 less attempts and had 2 runs of 10+ yards, versus McCallum's one. RG Thomas Rayam punched out 4 key run blocks, while LT Anthony Munoz picked up 3 key run blocks and a pancake block. Other AFC North Scores Cleveland 28 Baltimore 17 Pittsburgh 13 Philadelphia 16 With the Steelers' shocking loss to the Eagles, despite 3 fumbles by Philadelphia starting QB Jim McMahon, the Cincinnati Bengals have temporarily taken possession of first place in the division and are one of four remaining undefeated teams (3-0 Oakland, 3-0 Chicago, 3-0 San Francisco). Injury Report S Darryl Williams is upgraded to Probable and will likely see time next week. WR Ryan Burns broke his finger, but is Probable. RT Joe Walter sprained his ankle and will be Probable for the next couple weeks.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-13-2009, 03:27 PM
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#18 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 4 Pre-Game Notes
-It sure feels weird to be 3-0, especially without Boomer Esiason, who does have the Chargers at 2-1, by the way. So much for the Mewing Bungles start of this dynasty. -We finally get a real QB challenge this week, when Bernie Kosar and the 2-1 Cleveland Browns come to town. Big, big game for a lot of reasons. First truly good opposing QB, the Battle for Ohio with our archrivals, and, unless I miss my guess, whoever wins this game has tiebreaker for division at the moment. I'm nervous going against them. -Rain scheduled for Sunday in Cincinnati and Vegas can't decide who's favored. It's an even line. Last Second Drive Falls Just Short  Browns QB Bernie Kosar was nearly flawless in the Ohio Showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals RB Ostell Miles crossed the goaline with 15 seconds left in the first half to make it a 21-10 game and keep his Cincinnati Bengals alive. FB Harold Green couldn't do the same with 2 seconds left in the game and Cincinnati on the Browns' 11 yard line. And so the final score on this rainy Sunday afternoon read Cleveland 24 Cincinnati 19. That's not to say the Bengals didn't have their chances. Any one of Jim Breech's four field goals turned to TDs would have helped and so would have getting pressure on Browns QB Bernie Kosar, who wasn't hurried, knocked down, sacked or pressured once all game long. Kosar finished 21 of 30 for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns. So the red zone offense failed and the defensive line failed. So, too, did QB Erik Wilhelm, despite going 26 of 47 for 302 yards, as the rain caused him to fumble the ball 3 times, 2 of which were lost, one deep in Browns territory in the first quarter. The offensive line, with the exception of Anthony Munoz of the 4 key run blocks and 2 pancake blocks (and 1 sack allowed), failed as well, for Wilhelm was sacked 4 times on the day. On the bright side of this frustrating, gloomy rainy day loss, WR Jeff Query had 6 catches for 113 yards and Ostell Miles broke the century mark for the first time in his career with 17 carries for 124 yards and a TD, including 3 runs of 10+ yards, longest of which was a 24 yarder. On the defensive end, SLB Randy Kirk was the lone standout with 4 tackles, 2 assists and 3 pass defenses. Other AFC North Scores Baltimore 3 Pittsburgh 30 There is now a 3-way tie for the AFC North at 3-1, with Pittsburgh owning the tiebreaker edge. Oakland, Chicago and San Francisco all stay unbeaten at 4-0. Injury Report A few guys healed up, but no new injuries and Danny Stubbs remains Questionable.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-14-2009, 02:27 AM
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#19 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 5 Pre-Game Notes
-After that zero pressure on Kosar last game, I'm hitting the FA pool. Sad thing is, there's not much there. Still, I sign DE Mike Fox, a former Giant, and hand DE Elston Ridgle, who was Disgruntled and a had a conflict with our defensive front leader besides, his pink slip. Fox's endurance is low enough that I leave Roosevelt Nix the starter, but insert Fox in all our special packages. -We're headed to the Lone Star State to play Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek, etc. Can you say Slaughter in the Big D? And yet the 3-1 Cowboys are preposterously only favored by 1. Fat chance they don't cover -that- spread. Turnovers Declaw Bengals in 23-10 Loss  Star RB Emmitt Smith was everywhere running and catching for the Cowboys in Dallas's 23-10 romp over the Bengals. QB Erik Wilhelm had his worst day ever as a Bengals starter and it cost Cincinnati any chance it had at victory. While Wilhelm completed over 50% of his passes at 21 of 36, he totaled just 164 yards and 1 TD and threw 3 interceptions besides. On top of that, he was sacked 4 times for the second straight game in a row, twice by Dallas DE Charles Haley. Cincinnati's offense had trouble getting going this game and when it did, Wilhelm would throw a drive-killing pick. There were also 3 Bengals fumbles on the day, two of which were lost, one a Steve Tasker return tumble that set the Cowboys up at the Cincinnati 7 yard line. Facing those stacked odds, 365 yards allowed by the defense wasn't terrible, but no one could stop RB Emmitt Smith, who made clutch play after clutch play and had the most complete outing of the afternoon. 26 carries for 105 yards and a TD and 7 catches for 57 yards. In contrast, the best Bengals runner was Ostell Miles with 10 carries for 56 yards, most of it on a 20 yard second quarter burst and the top Cincinnati receiver was Carl Pickens with 6 catches for 63 yards. Miles also fumbled the ball for the first time this season. S David Fulcher led the defense with 10 tackles and 4 assists and while the Bengals were able to get some pressure on QB Troy Aikman, including a SLB Randy Kirk sack, it wasn't near enough as the Bengals never really threatened to go ahead. Other AFC North Scores Pittsburgh 24 Jacksonville 8 Tennessee 35 Baltimore 28 Injury Update S Johnnie Jackson - Knee Bursitis - Probable - 2 Weeks
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-14-2009, 03:46 PM
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#20 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 6 Pre-Game Notes
-On the one hand, we could be 4-1 if we'd just finished that last drive. On the other hand, we could be 1-4 if it hadn't been for Randy Kirk's game-saving INT in Week 1 and Jim Breech's leg vs. the Giants. So we'll take 3-2, because the truth is, we've only had one solid victory all year and that's against the Titans. -The Bears lost 13-3 to the Lions, so it's 4-0 Oakland and 5-0 San Francisco as the last unbeatens. There's 6 teams at 4-1 though, so it's not like this is a case of have and have-nots yet. Winless teams: 0-4 Baltimore, 0-4 Houston (the Texans variety), 0-5 Carolina and 0-5 Arizona. Jacksonville beat their fellow expansion scrub Texans 17-13, when the awesomely named Glen Glenn had 6 catches for 120 yards. -We seem to be going to the New York/New Jersey area a lot, as we've got a road game against the 2-2 Jets. And as it turns out, we're in luck. QB Ken O'Brien tore his wrist tendon in Week 2 and is out 6 more weeks. That means we get to bust a move on rookie QB Jeff Blake, who hasn't done terribly, but isn't good either. Honestly I think QB Browning Nagle has done better with limited time, but the Jets are flying with Blake. Winnable game, but one that projects to be low-scoring. We're favored by 2. Napoleon Marshals Narrow Bengals Victory  #2 RB Napoleon McCallum (shown here during his Raiders days), bailed out the Bengals in Cincinnati's 24-17 win over the Jets It looked like more of the same as the last two games after QB Erik Wilhelm, sitting on the Jets' 2 yard line, threw an interception into the endzone on the Bengals' promising opening drive. And when New York Jets rookie QB Jeff Blake connected with WR Rob Moore for a 7 yard TD with 1:55 in the first quarter of an already bitterly-fought game, things looked grimmer still. But then second string RB Napoleon McCallum came through with two hard, gritty, banging second quarter touchdown runs to give the Bengals a 14-7 halftime lead. The Jets responded in the third quarter with 10 unanswered points to seize a 17-14 advantage going into the final quarter of play. And then it was McCallum again, ripping off a 20 yard run to set up Wilhelm's 7 yard TD pass to WR Jeff Query for the 21-17 lead Cincinnati would never relinquish en route to a 24-17 win. McCallum was named Player of the Game with 16 carries for 92 yards and 2 TDs, including a wasted 27 yard run on Cincinnati's opening drive. He also caught a 5 yard pass. "It's great, you know", said McCallum with a smile after the game, "Yeah, it'd be nice to still be in Oakland where they're undefeated, but here we're not only winning, I'm getting a chance to play and be a real contributor to this team." It was yet another murky day for Wilhelm, as he posted 16 of 32 for 142 yards, a TD and a pick. Query not only caught the only TD pass, he was the top receiver overall with 3 catches for 45 yards. Although Wilhelm didn't fumble, his uninspired play over the last couple games has some calling for rookie David Klingler to get a shot. The offensive line also kept Wilhelm upright and LT Anthony Munoz delivered 4 key run blocks. SS Barney Bussey came up with a key fourth quarter interception that turned into the game's final points, a Jim Breech field goal, and finished with 4 tackles and a pass defense as well. The best Bengals defender on the day, however, might have once again been SLB Randy Kirk, who tallied 5 tackles, 4 assists and 2 pass defenses. Other AFC North Scores N.Y. Giants 16 Cleveland 13 Baltimore 10 Indianapolis 16 The Philadelphia Eagles upset the San Francisco 49ers 31-17 at Candlestick, so the only undefeated team is now the Oakland Raiders, who flattened the New Orleans Saints 27-10 in Louisiana. Injury Report S Johnnie Jackson - Broken Clavicle - Out - 6 weeks That's a rough injury to take, especially with the AFC North leading Pittsburgh Steelers on tap next week. But who knows? 4-2 is damn good for us at this point in the season.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-15-2009, 11:56 PM
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#21 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 7 Pre-Game Notes
-All this chatter about David Klinger starting at QB is driving me crazy. Yes, Erik Wilhelm's struggled a bit the last couple games, has shown an irritatingly developing trend to throw inopportune interceptions and has almost no leadership ability, but he's intelligent and he gets on well with two of our team captains. AND WE'RE 4-2! DO YOU PEOPLE NOT REALIZE THIS?! Sheesh! -Now we'll really see what Darryl Williams is made of. With Johnnie Jackson's injury, Williams becomes the primary backup at both safety spots and the nickel and dime back, while Eric Thomas gets back in on the dime package, which should help his Disgruntled state. -Big, big game this week. 4-1 Pittsburgh, the AFC North leaders, come to town. If we can knock the Steelers off, we move back into first place by half a game and gain an edge on them besides. Great defense, though. CB Rod Woodson of the 6 INTs, 1 for a TD and the 94.4% PD, scares the crap out of me and gives me endless nightmares. And yet, somehow we're 5 point favorites. Go figure. I say it'll be closer than that. More like a 3 point game, unless it goes to OT or something. -Oh, one more thing. Near-freezing rain (38 degrees) with 14 MPH winds forecast for Sunday's game. It's gonna be hell out there. Wrong Foot Forward Slips Up Bengals  The normally dependable Jim Breech missed a shocking 3 of 4 FGs to doom Cincinnati to a 20-17 loss. It started off so well. QB Erik Wilhelm shook off growing criticism to march the Bengals right down the field on the opening drive for a quick 7-0 score. And just as quickly, Jeff Graham ruined it with a highlight reel 90 yard kickoff return for a TD. 7-7 tie, all in the time it takes to breathe. The two teams slugged it out the rest of the game, in chilly rain and gusting winds. Time after time, the Bengals drove to within scoring position, only to watch in frustration as K Jim Breech missed. And missed. And missed. 3 misses in 4 tries and that was the difference in a heartbreaking 20-17 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. An opportunity to regain the AFC North lead vanished in the mist with each miss. This on a cold, stormy day, when the Cincinnati defense did enough to win, holding Steelers QB Bubby Brister to 133 yards on 11 of 21 passing and RB Albert Bentley to a season-low 86 yards on 24 carries (though Bentley did have a 14 yard run to daylight for Pittsburgh's lone offensive TD). And on a day when Wilhelm silenced his critics with a magnificent 26 of 38 for 348 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception, including 5 throws to WR Tim McGee for 94 yards and 5 more tosses to TE Rodney Holman for 77 yards. But the Bengals' run game sputtered, RB Ostell Miles the leading rusher with 55 yards and a TD on 17 carries, the bulk of it a 20 yard second quarter scamper and LT Anthony Munoz, despite his 4 key run blocks, allowed a shocking 2 sacks. S David Fulcher led the defense with 10 tackles, 2 assists and a pass defense, but Cincinnati continued to struggle with generating much of a pass rush, clearly missing DE Danny Stubbs, who's still rehabilitating a strained hamstring and, for the first time this season, the Bengal secondary failed to come away with an interception. Other AFC North Scores Baltimore 17 Miami 41 Cleveland 20 Washington 21 Heartbreaking loss for the Browns, too. Steelers have to be thrilled right about now. Oakland squashed the Jets 42-7 to stay unbeaten at 6-0. Injury Report DE Mike Fox - Torn Knee Cartilage - Out - 5 Weeks ...Great. As if our pass rush wasn't sickly enough. That's it, I don't care how bad his hamstring's hurting him. We have to start Stubbs. That's all there is to it. And if he gets hurt and is lost for the season or something, well, it's not like he was doing us any good anyway.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 08-15-2009 at 11:57 PM. |
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08-16-2009, 07:44 PM
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#22 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 8 Pre-Game Notes
-I really feel sorry for QB Bernie Kosar. Had Marinoesque luck IRL and his Browns are motoring along at .500 in this one when they should be challenging for the division. Maybe my next historical dynasty project will be to take the Browns during Kosar's rookie year and try to get him a Super Bowl. -Should be an easy draw this week with the expansion Houston Texans, who are 0-6. Then again, we're on the road so anything can happen, even if we are favored by 11. Romperstomped In Houston! Bengals Embarassed 34-14  Bad Erik Wilhelm showed up today as he threw 4 interceptions in the shocking blowout loss to the winless expansion Houston Texans Anything can happen any given Sunday and today's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the expansion Houston Texans was living proof of that as the expansion Texans won their first game in franchise history by the astonishing blowout of 34-14. On this particular Sunday, nothing the Bengals did went right. QB Erik Wilhelm had his worst game of the season - 22 of 36 for 215 yards, 2 TDs and 4 INTs. The pass defense broke down completely, allowing Texans QB Akili Marsh to look splendid at 19 of 27 for 208 yards and 3 TDs. Houston RB Marc Logan and Ron Wong each ran for 70+ yards, with Wong catching 3 passes for 74 yards besides as the leading Texan receiver. Cincinnati never led at any point, in part because K Jim Breech missed both field goal attempts for his second straight dismal outing. RB Ostell Miles ran well at 16 carries for 73 yards and WR Tim McGee did catch 7 passes for 89 yards and 2 TDs for his most productive game of the season, but the lone defensive standout was MLB Alex Gordon, who had 12 tackles and a pass defense. Bengals first round pick QB David Klingler saw his first action late in the game, completing his only pass attempt for 10 yards to WR Jeff Query on the game's final play. Other AFC North Scores Cleveland 31 Jacksonville 8 New York Giants 3 Pittsburgh 26 Oakland 37 Baltimore 10 Injury Update Nothing New ***End Article*** So, halfway through the season and we're 4-4. That's a pretty fair assessment of where we're at talent-wise in my opinion. Of course, we should be 5-3, possibly 6-2 at this point (Cleveland and Pittsburgh, we're looking at you). On the other hand, getting our asses kicked to hand Houston its first ever franchise win and become a piece of ignominious trivia is most definitely not cool. In fact, I'm so mad about it, I'm tempted to give Klingler his first start next week against the Jaguars. Anyway, here's the halfway tale of the tape: Code:
We're just a very bland team overall, looking at the numbers. SLB Randy Kirk is our best player in terms of performance. I'm actually also okay with RB Ostell Miles. He's not a gamebreaker by any means, but one fumble in 8 games is acceptable, as is his YPC. RB Napoleon McCallum's YPC may not be sexy, but he's a good power back who doesn't fumble. We could do wors than that for a #2 back. Our pass defense is much worse than I thought, which is strange, considering our secondary was supposed to be the strongest part of our team. Of course, conventional wisdom says it all starts with the front seven and our defensive line is atrocious. That's going to be our #1 priority this offseason. Even DE Danny Stubbs is only an average pass-rusher. Special Teams WR Steve Tasker - 11.4 PR average, 24.4 KR average - 2 fumbles P Lee Johnson - 35 punts - 47.4 raw - 41.0 net - 13 inside 20 K Jim Breech - 14/21 (66.7%) - 4/11 40+ (36.4%) - 0/2 50+ (0%) - 16/16 XP Tasker's a little fumble-prone for my tastes, but Johnson's still solid. Breech has earned himself a spot in the doghouse and we might be bringing in a kicker off the street to challenge him. In any case, he certainly won't be back next season. There's a lot of work to be on this team yet and I expect I'll be making some changes to the roster as soon as this week. But someday, we'll finally be hoisting that Super Bowl trophy. It'll just take time.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-17-2009, 09:43 AM
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#23 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Yeha, forget Klingler. You gotta show Breech the door. Klingler could probably kick better than him, try sliding him over.
It's hard to get a good pass D started, it's got so many important parts. I think yo'ure right that you'll have to start with the line. |
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08-17-2009, 02:59 PM
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#24 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Buffalo, NY
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Can't really complain about being .500 with Whilhelm at QB. Think where you might be if you'd kept Boomer though? Always interesting to see where others take this team. All those crap seasons the Bengals had really weren't that far from being solid or playoff seaons, they just never got teh breaks or were a couple playmakers short of making those moves.
Makes we Bengals fans rather frustrated  |
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08-17-2009, 04:24 PM
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#25 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2002
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I recently started a dynasty with the same team and switched Green to RB where he had a decent season.
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08-18-2009, 04:57 PM
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#26 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Autumn: Now that'd be funny.
 But yeah, I still think our secondary is underperforming relative to what it's capable of. Then again, our corners really aren't all that great, so maybe we're where we should be.RendeR: Oh, we'd probably have a strong shot at winning the division. But the team is too weak to make a title run IMO and Boomer's out of contract after this season, plus he's getting up there in years, so I decided to go the rebuild route. I'm a little surprised Pope's been posting such low PD % numbers. But then again, he's a rookie and still developing. I still have a feeling that he'll end up being one of the better corners in the league once he's developed, but we'll see what happens.  cubboyroy1826: Awesome. I'm always hesitant to switch FBs over to RB, because as I recall, it didn't work too well in my Dolphins historical dynasty, but I'm glad it worked for you. I'm fine with Miles and McCallum as the #1 and #2 for this season, though.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-22-2009, 06:36 PM
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#27 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 9 Pre-Game Notes
-Maybe it's because we're hosting Jacksonville or maybe it's because I'm annoyed with Erik Wilhelm's play. Could be I'm a masochist or it could be that I've got Scorpions "Winds of Change" playing on YouTube right now, but David Klingler will get the start. Heh, would be funny if he took off. -LB Ray Bentley and CB Eric Thomas are Unhappy and C Bruce Kozerski is Angry. Too bad boys. I'm sticking with what we got. -I will be very ticked if we lose to the Jaguars. They beat the Texans, who murdered us, but we're 11 point favorites, damn it. Klingler Throws For 314 Yards In Pro Debut; Bengals Claw Jaguars 31-14  Rookie QB David Klingler showed why he was a first round pick in leading the Bengals to a 31-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Score one for the previous regime. The former GM was ousted in large part because of his unpopular selection of QB David Klingler in the first round, but today, the former University of Houston Cougar was sensational for the Cincinnati Bengals. In his first ever pro start, Klingler was near-flawless, going 26/31 for 314 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs, including a dazzling 25 yard TD strike to WR Tim McGee with 36 seconds left in the second half to put the Bengals up 17-14 at halftime over the Jacksonville Jaguars. That play proved to be the turning point of the game, as the second half was all Cincinnati. The Bengals D pitched a shutout and the offense scored 2 more TDs, both on Klingler passes, for a 31-14 final. Prior to that last-gasp score, the Jaguars had a TD inside the 2 minute warning of their own, a 6 yard RB Terrence Linn TD run with 1:42 left in the half. That touchdown capped off a drive started by CB Scott Montalbo's recovery of an RB Ostell Miles fumble just inside Jaguar territory. It was Jacksonville's only lead of the game and held up for just over a minute of play thanks to the speedy drive of 4 plays - A 10 yard pass to FB Derrick Fenner, a 20 yard throw to McGee, a sack by OLB Timm Ruether and the aforementioned 25 yard rainbow for 6 points. WR Tim McGee had a career day, catching all 9 passes thrown his way for 124 yards and 3 TDs. RB Ostell Miles, despite the fumble, rushed 18 times for 70 yards as the third main yard-gainer for the Bengals offense along with Klingler and McGee. The defense was led by the secondary, who picked Jaguars QB Ralph Hubbard off 3 times, including CB Marquez Pope's first career interception. S Barney Bussey was a force, racking up 8 tackles, a sack and 2 pass defenses. Other AFC North Scores Baltimore 7 Cleveland 42 Pittsburgh 0 Washington 19 The Atlanta Falcons upset the Oakland Raiders 17-14 to fell the last undefeated team this season. Injury Report SS Johnnie Jackson - Upgraded to Doubtful DE Danny Stubbs - Was bothered by the hamstring strain frequently during the game Bye Week AFC North Scores Denver 19 Cleveland 20 Indianapolis 17 Pittsburgh 38 Baltimore 12 Houston 34 Bye Week Injury Report SS Johnnie Jackson - Upgraded to Questionable
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 08-22-2009 at 06:36 PM. |
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08-23-2009, 07:24 PM
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#28 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Nothing like a good QB controversy. I imagine you'll have one before the season's out.
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08-30-2009, 04:43 PM
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#29 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
We certainly have the makings of one right now.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-30-2009, 05:04 PM
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#30 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Houston, or there about
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More football!!!!
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2011 Golden Scribes winner for best Interactive Dynasty |
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08-30-2009, 08:01 PM
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#31 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 11 Pre-Game Notes
-After that performance, David Klingler's earned the right to a second straight start. Even if he did throw 2 interceptions. -Chicago, Dallas and Oakland are all 8-1 and enjoy substantial leads over 5-4 teams in their divisions. Pittsburgh and Buffalo are 7-2, but chased by 6-3 Cleveland and Miami, while Tampa Bay and San Francisco are 7-2 teams enjoying leads on 5-4 teams. -How are the Buccaneers 7-2? +15 in TO Margin, tops in the league. Plus QB Steve DeBerg is 70.6% completion rate for 1,969 yards, 14 TDs and 4 picks. Yeah, I'm shocked too. Then there's RB Gary Anderson's 732 yards rushing and 8 TDs, with 2 fumbles. He also leads the team in catches with 42. -We've got a good shot against the Eagles, who are out QB Randall Cunningham (Turf Toe) and MLB Byron Evans (MCL Knee Damage). QB Jim McMahon doesn't impress me and RB Herschel Walker is old and showing it, with just one 100+ rushing game this year. Of course, there's still DE Reggie White to worry about, but we're at home. Oddsmakers favor Phlly by 2, though. Dominant D Clips Eagles 20-0  DE Alonzo Mitz ignited a heretofore weak Bengals pass rush and was instrumental in Cincinnati's win. If you wanted to know the final score, you could have left at halftime. The 20-0 margin held firm throughout the second half, as both teams pitched shutouts. But the Philadelphia Eagles' defense failed to stop Bengals QB David Klingler in the first half and that made all the difference. On a day when 38 Cincinnati rush attempts yielded just 69 yards, it was Klingler who provided all the points needed when he went 3/3 for 36 yards on the Bengals' second drive, including the 3 yard pass to WR Carl Pickens for the TD. Klingler finished the day 19/30 for 207 yards, a TD and an INT to improve to 2-0 in his rookie campaign. Pickens had the most exciting rush of the day, a 7 yard reverse that scored the Bengals' 2nd and last touchdown with 3:22 left in the first. As you might expect from the scoreline, it was Cincinnati's defense that ruled the game, holding the Randall Cunningham-less Eagles to just 136 net yards, 105 through the air. Player of the Game DE Alonzo Mitz was the primary player of record with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 hurries and a forced fumble. Fellow DE Danny Stubbs also made his presence felt with a tackle, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks and 3 hurries. CB Don Griffin headlined the secondary with 3 tackles, an assist, a pass defense and an interception. WR Tim McGee continued to show great rapport with Klingler, the game-high receiver for both sides with 8 catches for 88 yards. Other AFC North Scores Baltimore 13 New York 17 Cleveland 31 Buffalo 28 San Diego 9 Pittsburgh 19 Injury Update DE Danny Stubbs - 100% Health SS Johnnie Jackson - Upgraded to Probable DE Mike Fox - Upgraded to Doubtful
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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08-30-2009, 08:03 PM
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#32 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
It took me a bit, but you've got more football in previous post.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-06-2009, 02:03 PM
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#33 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 12 Pre-Game Notes
-Nobody's going to confuse David Klingler for Boomer Esiason, but damned if he isn't surprising a lot of people right now with his 2-0 record. Then again, Erik Wilhelm started off hot too. -You might as well just give the Oakland Raiders the AFC West right now. They're 9-1 and the Broncos and Chargers are well behind at 5-5. Boomer Esiasion's 12 TDs to 11 INTs is looking pretty ugly and it's justifying my trading him. -We're headed to Pittsburgh to take on the division leading Steelers. That 20-17 loss earlier in the year because of Jim Breech's accuracy disappearing still galls me. They're missing DE Donald Evans and FS Larry Griffin, which gives us a shot, but the 6 point underdog role is about right for us, even with those two defensive starters out. Steamrolled in Steeltown - Bengals Fall 31-6  Steelers #2 RB Warren Williams had 2 of Pittsburgh's TDs on the day. The Cincinnati Bengals held to a 3-0 lead for a little over a quarter. And then Pittsburgh C Dermontti Dawson flattened Bengals WLB James Francis to open up a hole for Barry Foster's 13 yard TD run to give the Steelers a lead they would never relinquish. Although Steelers QB Bubby Brister was named Player of the Game for his 16 of 20 for 190 yards and 2 TDs performance, including two key consecutive completions for 11 and 39 yards respectively to Albert Bentley and Yancey Thigpen on a drive that set up the Steelers' second touchdown of the day, it was the running game that powered the Pittsburgh attack. RB Albert Bentley ran 27 times for 113 yards, while second string RB Warren Williams rushed 17 times for 88 yards and scored 2 TDs, one rushing and one receiving. Williams' rushing TD was a thing of a beauty, a 45 yard old race all the way down the field that made it 21-3 early in the third quarter. All told, the Steelers racked up 216 net rushing yards, almost as many yards as the Bengals had total on offense (282). With such a major deficit to overcome, the Bengals had to turn to the air and rookie QB David Klingler proved unequal to the task - 20 of 36 for 179 yards and 2 interceptions. Rookie WR Carl Pickens was the top receiver with 5 catches for 49 yards, RB Napoleon McCallum Cincinnati's lead rusher with 9 carries for 59 yards. DE Danny Stubbs was the best all-around performer for a disappinting defense, posting 7 tackles, 3 assists and a sack. Other AFC North Scores Houston 24 Cleveland 27 Philadelphia 19 Baltimore 16 The loss drops the Bengals to 6-5 and ensures that they have an uphill climb to try and steal a wild card spot, especially with the Browns' narrow escape from an upset at the hands of the Texans. Cleveland is now 8-3, with the other wild card spot currently held by 7-4 Miami. Injury Update SS Johnnie Jackson - 100% DE Mike Fox - Upgraded to Probable
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-14-2009, 11:20 AM
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#34 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 13 Pre-Game Notes
-So David Klingler had his first truly bad game last week. He was up against a great Steelers D, though, so he gets the start again. -I'll let Mike Fox sit until he's fully healed. -We're going up against the still-winless Baltimore Ravens, who have come close to winning a game multiple times. Good thing we've got them in Cincinnati and are favored by 11. I still smell a classic trap game, though. Bengals Survive Ravens By 34-28 Whisker  Bengals DE Danny Stubbs had a Bengals season high 2.5 sacks in Cincinnati's narrow 34-28 victory over the Baltimore Ravens 55,000 hearts froze when QB David Klingler's first pass of the game was intercepted by Ravens CB Christopher Simons. They sank as QB Darion Meeks connected with WR Bob Adams on a 25 yard TD strike three and a half minutes later to give the winless expansion Baltimore Ravens a 7-0 lead. But Klingler and the Bengals responded with a game-tying drive in which the rookie QB went 4/5 for 42 yards, including the 4 yard TD pass to FB Harold Green. That 7-7 score held until the second quarter, when DE Alonzo Mitz forced Ravens QB Darion Meeks to fumble the ball on a sack and DT Hugh Giovannelli picked up the ball for a 12 yard return, finally tackled at the Baltimore 30. That turnover set up a grinding, running drive capped off by a 1 yard Ostell Miles TD run to make it 14-7 with 4:02 left in the first half. Cincinnati's 17-7 halftime lead was quickly erased as the Ravens scored on both of their first two second half drives on Darion Meeks TD throws, setting up a 21-17 Baltimore lead with 3:44 left in the third. The Bengals finally responded midway through the fourth when a sustained drive, keyed by a 23 yard pass from David Klingler to WR Tim McGee, resulted in a 7 yard TD run by FB Derrick Fenner to put Cincinnati up 24-21. Just under 3 minutes later, RB Napoleon McCallum scored on a 1 yard plunge across the goal-line on a drive highlighted by a 47 yard rainbow from Klingler to TE Rodney Holman. But Baltimore wasn't done yet. Down 34-21 after a Jim Breech FG, Darion Meeks/ threw for his 4th TD pass of the day for 16 yards to Bob Adams making it 34-28 with 1:07 left in the game. The Ravens recovered the onside kick and were near midfield when Bengals S David Fulcher intercepted Meeks and returned the ball 36 yards to snuff out the threat and secure the win. That turnover ruined a great day for Darion Meeks, who was 23 of 37 for 243 yards, 4 TDs and a pick, despite being sacked 7 times. WR Bob Adams, Meeks' main target, broke the century mark with 7 catches for 103 yards and 3 TDs. Both players outshined anyone on the Bengals' offense, though RB Napoleon McCallum did have 14 carries for 66 yards and a TD and QB David Klingler was remarkably accurate at 20 of 26 for 228 yards, a TD and an INT. WR Tim McGee led the Bengals in receiving with 5 catches for 67 yards. It was DE Danny Stubbs who was the dominant one on the day, winning Player of the Game thanks to his 2 tackle, 2 assist, 2.5 sack, block, hurry and 3 knockdowns, a rare boost for a lackluster Bengals pass rush. RT Joe Walter was impressive on the line with 3 key run blocks and a pancake block. Other AFC North Scores Indianapolis 13 Cleveland 24 Pittsburgh 28 New England 31 That upset of the Steelers is just the third win of the year for the Patriots and now Pittsburgh and Cleveland are tied atop the AFC North at 9-3. Injury Report DE Mike Fox - 100% MLB Ricardo McDonald - Sprained Ankle - Probable - 2 Weeks
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 09-14-2009 at 11:21 AM. |
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09-15-2009, 09:41 AM
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#35 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 14 Pre-Game Notes
-DE Mike Fox is activated and becomes the backup DE on both sides. -We're up against the 6-6 Colts in Indy. Key game for both of us. We need to win to stay in the playoff hunt, while SS John Baylor and his boys are chasing the 7-5 Titans for the AFC South lead. This game makes me nervous, especially with WR Reggie Langhorne as a deadly scoring threat. We're favored by a field goal, but we're on the road, so it's going to be tough to win. A Feast Of Interceptions In Heart-pounding 17-10 Bengals Win  It was S David Fulcher who saved the game for the Bengals with two timely interceptions Once again, Bengals QB David Klingler was intercepted on Cincinnati's opening drive. Only this time, it didn't cost the Bengals first blood. Instead, it was Klingler's second interception with just under 10 minutes left in the first half that turned into 7 Colts points, as Indianapolis QB Mark Hermann hit TE Jamie Williams for an 11 yard TD reception and the 7-0 lead. Klingler redeemed himself on the next drive with three straight pass completions, including passes of 26 and 19 yards to WR Jeff Query and TE Rodney Holman and a whole lot of running by Ostell Miles was capped off by a 7 yard scamper for the equalizing score. The 7-7 stalemate held until late in the third, when Klingler struck with another huge pass for 36 yards to WR Carl Pickens on a drive ending on a five yard dump to WR Tim McGee for the go-ahead 14-7 TD. Indianapolis added a FG to cut the lead to 14-10 and had the ball with 2:14 left in the game when S David Fulcher grabbed his second interception of the day deep in Colts territory, resulting in a Bengals insurance field goal. Ashley Ambrose had a nice 33 yard return after that field goal to set the Colts up on their own 36 with 1:19 left, but Bengals CB Don Griffin ended the threat with Cincinnati's third interception of the night on the drive's first play, securing the win. All told, 6 interceptions were thrown in the early afternoon game, 3 by QB David Klingler and 3 by QB Mark Hermann, though Klingler had the slightly better game at 18 of 26 for 205 yards and a TD to go with those picks. RB Ostell Miles only had a gain of 10+ yards, but the speedster rookie racked up the yardage with his second 100+ rushing game of the season, netting 112 yards and a TD on 22 carries. He also had his fourth fumble of the year. WR Carl Pickens continued to show flashes of big play ability with 5 catches for 79 yards, a game high. But it was the defense who really sparkled in this one, headlined by Player of the Game S David Fulcher, who had 7 tackles, 3 assists and 2 interceptions. DE Danny Stubbs stayed hot in the pass-rush game, picking up 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and 2 hurries. Rookie CB Marquez Pope also had a good game with 4 tackles, 2 assists and 2 pass defenses. CB Ashley Ambrose was the star for the Colts, matching Fulcher's 2 interceptions. Other AFC North Scores Cleveland 6 Tennessee 20 Dallas 20 Pittsburgh 7 Washington 17 Baltimore 3 The losses by the Browns and Steelers put the Bengals back in striking distance, but more importantly, both the Dolphins and the Jets lost, meaning that if the playoffs were held today, the tiebreaker-holding Bengals would be in as the #2 wildcard. Injury Update No changes
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-16-2009, 11:01 AM
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#36 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 15 Pre-Game Notes
-QB David Klingler's interceptions are increasing the calls for Erik Wilhelm to be renamed the starter. But for whatever reason, it seems like Klingler can make the throws Wilhelm can't and has more moxie. Maybe it's the higher leadership? Unfortunately, there's no mentor QBs available in FA to help speed Klingler's development and we're long past the trade deadline. -We're hosting the Redskins next. There's no way Washington should be just 7-6, as their team is really good on both sides of the ball, but QB Mark Rypien has 16 picks this year, ranking him 5th in the league. The line has it Bengals by 1, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see us lose here. Oh and it's our first ever Monday night game. All eyes will be on us. Four Interceptions Key 13-3 Monday Night Bengals Victory It was S Johnnie Jackson's late second quarter interception and return that turned the tide of the game for the Bengals Before the season started, we said that the secondary would be the Bengals' team strength. After a 3 interception game against the Colts and 4 pickoffs against Redskins QB Mark Rypien before a nationally televised Monday night audience, we're looking pretty smart. The game was locked 0-0, until, with 4:36 left in the first half, reserve S Johnnie Jackson grabbed a pass intended for TE Don Warren at midfield and ran it back an electrifying 45 yards to the Redskins 5. Three players later, QB David Klingler hit WR Jeff Query for the 7-0 lead and first score of the game. Then, with 26 seconds left in the first half, it was the other reserve safety, Darryl Williams's turn to pick off Rypien. The interception came on the Redskins' 29 and although WR Desmond Howard immediately dropped Williams to prevent a return, Bengals K Jim Breech hit on an ensuing field goal for a 10-0 Cincinnati halftime lead. Defense dominated the second half, as both teams allowed only a field goal. Bengals P Lee Johnson was an unsung hero of the night, punting 12 times for a 49.3 yard average, including 6 nailing the Redskins inside their own 15 yard line. QB Mark Rypien tried a couple of late desperation drives, but was intercepted by S David Fulcher and then S Barney Bussey to snuff out any last-minute heroics. Hard luck for Washington WR Ricky Sanders, who looked magnificent on a night when the rest of the Redskins looked awful, catching 8 passes for 123 yards. But with Rypien constantly throwing into double coverage all night long, it's no wonder the Redskins turned the ball over 4 times to the Bengals' 0. S David Fulcher won his second straight Player of the Game award, recording 6 tackles, 2 assists, a sack, a pass defense and an interception. CB Don Griffin recorded 2 pass defenses and DE Danny Stubbs maintained his consecutive games with a sack streak, stretching it to 5 games by getting Rypien in the fourth quarter for a 6 yard loss. The Bengals racked up just 211 yards on offense, compared to the Redskins' 333. RB Ostell Miles was blocked all game, save for one 17 yard run that made a too-significant portion of his 47 yards on 22 carries. QB David Klingler had a mixed game. On the one hand, his 13 of 30 for 134 yards and a TD were the worst totals of his career. On the other hand, he didn't throw a single interception and made the throws he had to. And on a day when Cincinnati's defense was in full opportunistic form, turnover-free ball was enough. Other AFC North Scores Cleveland 3 Philadelphia 27 Pittsburgh 30 Baltimore 0 The Browns' loss drops them into a tie with the Bengals for second place in the AFC North. AFC Playoff Picture Division Leaders North: 10-4 Pittsburgh South: 9-5 Tennessee East: 11-3 Buffalo West: 11-3 Oakland Playoff Hopefuls 9-5 Cleveland 9-5 Cincinnati 8-6 Miami 8-6 New York Jets 8-6 Denver Broncos 8-6 San Diego Chargers 7-7 Indianapolis Colts NFC Playoff Picture Division Leaders North: 10-4 Chicago South: 10-4 Tampa Bay East: 11-3 Dallas West: 11-3 San Francisco Playoff Hopefuls 9-5 Minnesota 8-6 Atlanta 7-7 Washington 7-7 Philadelphia 7-7 Seattle 7-7 St. Louis Injury Update CB Don Griffin - 100% MLB Ricardo McDonald - 100% RG Thomas Rayam - Sprained Lateral Knee Ligament - Questionable - Full Strength 1993 Well that's just not good news at all. Rayam's our starting RG and the depth behind him is, unfortunately, ghastly. That's going to take some thought to decide what to do.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 09-16-2009 at 11:03 AM. |
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09-17-2009, 08:32 PM
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#37 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 16 Pre-Game Notes
-So after a lot of thought, I've decided to go with RG Ken Moyer as the starter and just put Thomas Rayam on the Inactive List in hopes he can recover in time for the postseason. -Speaking of which, our biggest game of the season is coming. The Cleveland Browns game would normally be huge because of our archrivalry, but it's even bigger this time because we're both 9-5 and whoever wins this game clinches a playoff spot and the likely #1 wild card. QB Bernie Kosar is Probable with a Hyperextended Knee, so my guess is we'll see him. If not, it'll be the 0-2 backup QB Mike Tomczak. Be a stupid move on the Browns' part to roll with Tomczak in my opinion with how crucial this game is, but we'll see. The game's in the Dawg Pound and Cleveland's favored by 1. We damn near beat them in Cincinnati with a fully healthy Kosar, but the hostile environment has me thinking the Browns win the playoff spot here. Mauled In The Pound: Browns Roll Bengals 27-0  Browns QB Bernie Kosar's return to the lineup gave Cleveland a colossal boost. The rabid fans of the Dawg Pound made for an excellent 12th man and the Cleveland Browns made big plays on both sides of the ball, shutting out the hated Cincinnati Bengals 27-0 in the season's most important game. It all started on the first drive when Browns QB Bernie Kosar, coming off a two-game layoff from a hyperextended knee, threw a 34 yard pass to TE Mark Bavaro and RB Leroy Hoard followed it up with a 28 yard touchdown run to give Cleveland the only points they'd need on the day. From there, the dominance continued, as Cleveland's D forced the Bengals to a 3 and out and scored on the ensuing drive to make it 14-0. In fact, the Browns offense was so dominant, they scored on 5 of their first 6 possessions, with 3 TDs and 2 FGs. Cincinnati tried to slow the pace of the game down by turning to RB Ostell Miles (20 carries, 88 yards) and using high accuracy passes from QB David Klingler. Unfortunately, the gameplan failed spectacularly, as Klingler's 17 of 19 for 126 yards was undone by an interception and a lost fumble, and by the time QB Erik Wilhelm took the field and showed a stronger arm (4 of 5, 57 yards), it was too little, too late. The Bengals defense didn't perform badly as a whole; they just simply gave up too many big plays at the wrong time. S David Fulcher was again the top man with 8 tackles, 2 assists and a pass defense. Other AFC North Scores Pittsburgh 16 Tennessee 17 Baltimore 13 Dallas 55 The Steelers and Browns are now tied atop the AFC North at 10-5. Clinched Divisions AFC South - Tennessee Titans AFC East - Buffalo Bills AFC West - Oakland Raiders NFC East - Chicago Bears NFC South - Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC East - Dallas Cowboys NFC West - San Francisco 49ers AFC Playoff Race Cleveland Browns and/or Pittsburgh Steelers - Clinched #1 wildcard Cincinnati Bengals - 9-6 Miami Dolphins - 9-6 New York Jets - 8-7 Denver Broncos - 8-7 San Diego Chargers - 8-7 NFC Playoff Race Minnesota Vikings - 9-6 Atlanta Falcons - 9-6 Washington Redskins - 8-7 Seattle Seahawks - 8-7 Injury Update TE Craig Thompson - 100%
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-18-2009, 11:01 AM
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#38 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week 17 Pre-Game Notes
-Last week of the regular season. It all comes down to this. We're up against the 4-11 Kansas City Chiefs here in Cincinnati, while my ironically beloved Miami Dolphins are on the road against faint playoff hopeful New York Jets. We and the Dolphins are favored by 5 and 2 respectively. -What a time to have a QB controversy. Erik Wilhelm looked sharp in relief of David Klingler last week, but Klingler's been the unexpected guy to lead us to this point. Much as I love what Klingler's done this season, I have to go with Wilhelm's experience and hunger for redemption. -I'm also elevating DE Mike Fox to a starting spot over Alonzo Mitz. Mitz hasn't shown much at all this year and Fox has improved to the point where he rightfully deserves the spot. Plus, he has upside and is Unhappy. I'll be starting Fox on the left side, where he has more experience, and shift Danny Stubbs to the right side. -All of this switching is dangerous, I know, but the Chiefs have no offense to speak of and while KC's got a very good defense, I'm not scared enough to stick to the status quo. -Oh and Cleveland and Pittsburgh are playing in arguably the week's biggest game, the one that determines the AFC North division championship and may well decide who gets a first round bye in the playoffs. 16-3 Victory Not Enough K Jim Breech connected on 3 of 4 FG attempts to get the win for the Bengals It started off so exciting. DE Mike Fox celebrated his start with a sack on the game's opening drive and forcing a fumble. And then, on the next Kansas City drive, reserve S Johnnie Jackson stripped the ball away from TE Jonathan Hayes, allowing MLB Alex Gordon to pick it up and race back 10 yards for the score. 7-0 Bengals midway through the first and the defense was fired up. And it stayed that way throughout the game, as QB Erik Wilhelm's rusty inaccuracy (15/29, 149 yards, 1 INT) was more than made up for an impassioned defense and eventual Player of the Game K Jim Breech, who blasted 3 of 4 field goals through the uprights, including a 52 yarder. But in the end, the scrappy 16-3 triumph in a game dominated by Bengals defense, wasn't enough. The Miami Dolphins overpowered the Jets 33-17 and punched their ticket to the playoffs, leaving the 10-6 Cincinnati Bengals to sit at home this postseason. In fact, the Bengals are the only 10-6 team staying at home. But perhaps it's better this way. S David Fulcher, who had an interception, was hurt and so was S Johnnie Jackson, one of the great heroes of this year's secondary. Losing both players would have made for an ignoble playoff ending in any case. Instead, Cincinnati will have to content itself with a winning season and the joy of having watched Chiefs QB Dave Krieg struggle through a 29 of 50 day for 238 yards and an interception. S Barney Bussey was the man of the afternoon, frustrating Kansas City with 3 tackles, 2 assists and a team season-high 3 pass defenses. And Bengals fans can still smile at this end note: Boomer Esiason's San Diego Chargers were worse at a mediocre 8-8 and failed to fill their own playoff dreams. Other AFC North Scores Cleveland 5 Pittsburgh 30 Jacksonville 14 Baltimore 24 The Steelers crushed the Browns to win the AFC North and the Ravens -just- avoided becoming the first 0-16 team in NFL history. Bengals season recap to come later.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-18-2009, 12:25 PM
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#39 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
What We Learned This 1992 Season QB Pretty much what we expected. Neither Erik Wilhelm nor David Klingler is the answer. We'll be shopping for a new QB this offseason, though I may still pick up a mentor, because Klingler -did- show flashes of something this season. Unfortunately, Wilhelm's signed to a nasty contract, but we've got so much cap space, I may just bite the bullet and cut his sorry ass. RB 1,000 yard season from a lightly regarded rookie in Ostell Miles is pretty good. I love what Napoleon McCallum did for us and, as I may have mentioned before, I've fallen in love with speed back/power back combo, especially if both have high elusiveness. We'll look for upgrades obviously, but I wouldn't have problem going with these two again next year. WR/TE Pretty good, but we need help here. Rodney Holman is getting old and I hate drops-prone WRs as much as I hate finesse centers in basketball. Tim McGee, our leading WR this season, is a free agent and we'll probably let him walk. Jeff Query was a decent surprise. Steve Tasker averaged 8.8 yards on PRs, 23.7 yards on KRs. OL The offensive line didn't do as well as I'd hoped this year. They were particularly terrible at run-blocking, wasting a lot of opportunities. This unit's in for some major reconstructive surgery, in my opinion, so this 10-6 season may be the best we get for a few years. K/P Lee Johnson saved our asses time and time again this season. 42 of 85 punts were inside the opposing 20. Yeah, I'll take his lengthy, pretty cheap contract for those kinds of results. Jim Breech's final numbers: 27/37 (73%), 9/10 from 40+ (47.4%), 2/4 from 50+ (50%). It's okay, but not good enough, so we'll be looking for his replacement. DL Our pass rush was much better than I thought it'd be, especially since Danny Stubbs' 8.5 sacks came in just 9 games. Alonzo Mitz was better than I thought, but I still don't like him. We need new DTs, too. Tim Krumrie will retire sooner than not. LB We got almost no rush from our linebacking corps. Alex Gordon was a huge disappointment at MLB, I think, so what you'll likely see next year is James Francis moving to the strong side and possibly Randy Kirk moving inside or over to the weak side. We've got the horses; we just need to use them better. DB As expected, the strength of the team. I'd love to have the same exact group back next year. Marquez Pope was a bit of a weak link, but he'll be greatly improved next season, I think. Impending Free Agents RB Napoleon McCallum RB Lester Hellestrae TE Rodney Holman* SE Tim McGee* SE Ryan Burns C Mike Arthur* LG Jon Melander* LG Mike Withycombe LT Anthony Munoz* RT Kirk Scrafford K Jim Breech* LDE Mike Fox* RDE Alonzo Mitz LDT Jay Saylor LDT Randal McIntyre RDT Hugh Giovannelli* SILB Ray Bentley WILB Gary Reasons LCB Don Griffin* LCB Eric Thomas SS Barney Bussey* SS David Fulcher* SS Johnnie Jackson * - Starter House Rule #1 Can not re-sign any player who is Disgruntled or worse. Ineligible Re-Signs Due to HR #1 Ray Bentley Mike Fox* Eric Thomas Lot of decisions to be made, fo' sho. Wild Card Results Atlanta 34 Tampa Bay 10 Cleveland 24 Tennessee 31 Miami 27 Pittsburgh 10 Minnesota 27 Chicago 20 Huge upset by the Vikings there. Minnesota K Fuad Reveiz was 4/4 including 2/2 from 50+ range, nailing a 55 yard long. Hmm, wonder if he's a FA. Dan Marino and the Dolphins definitely showed they deserve their playoff spot in knocking off the Steelers. Divisional Results Atlanta 0 Dallas 31 Miami 30 Oakland 17 Minnesota 20 San Francisco 17 Tennessee 24 Buffalo 30 Want to know how the Dolphins continued their run? Code:
Yeah. I don't believe it either. The Vikings had no business upsetting the 49ers. Not when Steve Young throws for over 300 yards, Ricky Watters rushes for over 100 yards and Jerry Rice had over 100 yards receiving. But K Mike Cofer blew 2 field goals, whereas Fuad Reveiz stayed a steady leg to deliver Minnesota another stunner, nailing a 46 yarder with 26 seconds left on the clock. Now the Dolphins have the archrival Bills in Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game. Sound familiar, guys? Yeah, I'm scared the memories hitting Sim Week is going to bring up. Conference Championships Miami 7 Buffalo 41 Minnesota 23 Dallas 21 ....Screw you, FOF. In the other game, K Fuad Reveiz delivered again, hitting all 3 of his field goals to open scoring before the Vikings tacked on a TD to make it 16-0. The Cowboys bounced back with two second half TDs, including one -just- before halftime, but a scoreless third quarter left it 16-14 until Brad Johnson hit Anthony Carter for an 8 yard TD early in the fourth to demoralize the 'Boys. 33 rushes for 112 yards from Darrin Nelson and 3 Vikings QBs appearing in the game - rookie Brad Johnson, Rich Gannon and Sean Salisbury, all throwing at least 5 passes combined with Player of the Game DE Chris Doleman's 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 hurries, knockdown and 2 forced fumbles to shock the Dallas faithful and have an improbable Super Bowl appearance. Super Bowl I (of this universe) Buffalo 24 Minnesota 0 And so the Vikings' magic finally runs out. Thurman Thomas blows up for 144 yards and a TD on 24 carries to win Super Bowl MVP, Bruce Smith goes apeshit with 9 tackles and 2 sacks and the Vikings trot out Brad Johnson and Fred Coster?! at QB to promptly get blown off the field. Fuad Reveiz doesn't get a chance to kick. Oh, here's what happened. In the NFC Championship game, starter Rich Gannon went out with a strained calf muscle with 2:03 left in the first quarter. Then, #2 QB Sean Salisbury completes 3 straight passes and gets hurt, but it's just a minor injury and he shrugs it off. But then, with 10:21 to go in the first half, Salisbury goes down with a ruptured elbow tendon, forcing the rookie Brad Johnson to step in the middle of a dogfight for the rest of the game. The kid did okay, all things considered - 12/22 for 123 yards, a TD and an INT. And then on the big stage, the Vikings made the switch just to try and get something going. So congratulations to the Bills for getting Jim Kelly and the gang the ring they didn't get in real life. Shoulda been Dan the Man, though. *mutters*.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-18-2009, 07:22 PM
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#40 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Wow, pretty amazing playoffs there. The Vikings were a great story, almost the '90 Giants to the Bills. But not quite.
It will be interesting to see if you can build up from here, this was a surprise season. |
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09-20-2009, 11:10 AM
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#41 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Yeah that Vikings' run was just like  Talk about a Cinderella team and a half. As for if we can improve on this year, I"m thinking probably not. We'll get worse before we get better. The 10-6 record was an out and out fluke and of course, I'm sure the Bengals fans will be moaning about how, typical Bengals, they go 10-6 and can't even make the playoffs, damn the luck and all that. But stranger things have happened. I mean, the Vikes just made the Super Bowl appearance and David Klingler of all people went 5-2.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-20-2009, 08:05 PM
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#42 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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So my scout and head coach are out of contract. They're both pretty decent, so I hire them back. 10-6 with this team invokes the house rule of not being able to fire my defensive coordinator, much as I'd love to.
CB Marquez Pope gets assigned to the Summer League, as he's technically undrafted. My future house rule will be that no 1st or 2nd round picks can get sent to France. Oh, yeah. Awards. 1992 Cincinnati Bengals Awards RB Ostell Miles - Offensive Rookie of the Year Wow. Yeah, he was the surprise of our surprise season in some respects, but I totally didn't think he'd get this award. Congratulations, Ostell! This will probably be the highlight of your career. ...Of course, now I feel obligated to re-sign him. LT Anthony Munoz - All-Pro 1st Team OT Sensational player. His loss (he retired) is going to be crippling to our offensive line. You won't see 1,000 yards from Miles next year without Munoz there. I'm depressed to see him go. TE Rodney Holman - All-Pro 2nd Team TE A great security blanket for our quarterbacks this year. Unfortunately, he also retired, leaving another gaping hole in our starting lineup. I'm starting to really appreciate the challenges the Bengals faced here on a historical level. P Lee Johnson - All-Pro 2nd Team P Thankfully he didn't retire and his ass will stay the Bengals punter until his leg falls off. Just a major saving grace. I now hold punter in higher esteem than I did before because of him. Other Major Awards MVP QB Jim Kelly - Buffalo Bills Super Bowl MVP RB Thurman Thomas - Buffalo Bills Coach of the Year Pete Jones - Dallas Cowboys Offensive Player of the Year QB Jim Kelly - Buffalo Bills Defensive Player of the Year DE Richard Dent - Chicago Bears Defensive Rookie of the Year DE Courtney Newton - Chicago Bears Free Agency Under House Rule #4, I guess we're up to, I can only rework one contract or re-sign one RFA. I'm tempted to re-sign T Kirk Scrafford, but I notice T Kevin Sargent has an absurd contract, so I change his to a more cap-friendly, albeit bonus-heavy contract. Kind of dumb, I know, but oh well. Too late now. By the Numbers RB, WR, C, G, T, K, DE, DT x 2, S x 2 Quote:
Week 1 Signings C Mike Arthur - 1 year, $350k (Re-signing) -Our starting C last year and a key to our future o-line. Only wanted one year, but that's okay. LG Jon Melander - 4 years, $4.85 mill. (Re-signing) -He'll be around for a long time as a fixture at guard for us. RT Kirk Scrafford - 2 years, $1.79 mill. (Re-signing) -Could switch over to LT after Anthony Munoz's retirement. Week 2 Signings RB David Meggett - 1 year, $370k (Miami Dolphins) -No, that's not a misprint. Meggett was cut by the Giants after pre-season and signed by the Dolphins. After my disappointment with Steve Tasker last year, Meggett was the obvious choice. DE Pierce Holt - 3 years, $2.38 mil. (San Francisco 49ers) -Best pass-rush DE available under house rules. Had 5.5 sacks last year in 12 starts. Probably means I'm shifting Danny Stubbs over to the right side. S David Fulcher - 4 years, $15.5 mil. (Re-signing) -Had to pay out the nose to bring him back, but he's worth every penny. Week 2 Losses WR Tim McGee - 3 years, $5.07 mil. (Carolina Panthers) -Yeah, he was our leading receiver last year, but I didn't feel like bringing him back at the kind of money he was looking for. Be interesting to see how he does with the Panthers. ILB Gary Reasons - 1 year, $430k (Oakland Raiders) -*shrug*. Didn't even know this guy was on our team last year. K Jim Breech - 2 years, $1.26 mil. (Carolina Panthers) -Evidently the Panthers have a real hard-on for our semi-decent guys. Yeah, okay, knock yourselves out. Week 4 Signings S Barney Bussey - 3 years, $4.23 mil (Re-signing) -Had to wait a while, but I finally reeled him back in to guarantee my starting safety duo returns next year. Week 5 Signings DT Mike Golic - 3 years, $4.55 mil (Philadelphia Eagles) -Probably paid too much for him, but he'll start and he's a great chemistry guy to boot. Week 5 Losses RB Marcus Allen - 2 years, $6.37 mil. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) (Oakland Raiders) -I offered Marcus 2 years, $7.43 mil and he takes less money to sign with the Buccaneers just because Tampa Bay won the NFC South last year. Hello? Old ass Steve DeBerg is the QB! Week 6 Signings CB Don Griffin - 1 year, $490k (Re-signing) -Great free agent find for us last year and I'm hoping he'll deliver more of the same this year. Week 7 Signings WR Don Beebe - 1 year, $470k (Buffalo Bills) -Won a ring as a scrub WR on the Bills. Comes to Cincinnati where he'll get much more PT, probably even start. S Johnnie Jackson - 1 year, $420k (Re-signing) -Comes back to reprise his killer nickelback role from last season. Definitely a front office favorite. ILB Ray Bentley - 1 year, $400k (Detroit Lions) -Never played last year and happily goes somewhere where he'll see the field. No surprise that's it the Lions. Born in Grand Rapids, went to Central Michigan... it's like a dream come true for him. Week 9 Signings QB Wade Wilson - 1 year, $400k* (Atlanta Falcons) -Has a cannon for an arm, is a fantastic kick holder and a mentor. The perfect fit on a veteran's min-sal. Did well in limited duty last year too. OLB Kevin Greene - 2 years, $1.19 mil. (St. Louis Rams) -I'll move him over to the strong side and watch him pulverize opponents once he adjusts to the system. This also means Randy Kirk moves back inside. And then I cut a deal. McDonald, Query Shipped to San Francisco for Walls, 2nd Round Pick  WR Jeff Query figures to start opposite the legendary Jerry Rice  TE Wesley Walls fills the hole left by retired All-Pro 2nd Teamer Rodney Holman The Cincinnati Bengals had an extra young middle linebacker with upside after Randy Kirk was moved back to the middle following the Bengals' signing of Kevin Greene. The San Francisco 49ers already had Brent Jones at TE. And so the basis of trade was formed. After several hours of negotiation, the Bengals and 49ers struck a deal that sent second year MLB Ricardo McDonald and fifth year WR Jeff Query to San Francisco in exchange for fifth year TE Wesley Walls and the 49ers' 2nd round pick in the upcoming draft. Walls provides an instant replacement for retired All-Pro TE Rodney Holman and immediately steps in as the starter and the 2nd round pick, while late (29th in the round) gives the Bengals another high pick to shore up an anemic offense. Meanwhile, the 49ers find an answer for a starting WR opposite Jerry Rice in Query and also acquire a young inside linebacker with considerable upside in McDonald, who could get a starting spot in the San Francisco 3-4 defense. "This is the perfect opportunity to continue the legacy of great receiving tight ends that Rodney Holman started", Bengals GM Jestor noted at the press conference announcing the trade. "We also get a good draft pick to build our roster with. We're sad to lose Jeff, who performed well for us last year, but this gives him the opportunity to be a starter he wouldn't have with us after the signing of Don Beebe. Ricardo also gets a chance to play in San Franciso, a chance he wouldn't have here with our commitment to Randy Kirk and last year's starter, Alex Gordon at middle linebacker. We wish thm both the best of luck." That second round pick could be used to find Query's replacement or fill some of the Bengals' other needs, such as offensive tackle, running back, quarterback, or defensive tackle. ***End Article*** I feel great about the trade. It fills holes on both teams and keeps a terrific safety valve for whoever throws the ball for us next year. We also get rid of a starting WR controversy between Query and Beebe. We cut QB Donald Hollas to give him a chance to hook on with another team in free agency. Week 10 Signings RB Napoleon McCallum - 1 year, $350k* (Re-signing) -It turns out we have Ostell Miles under contract for another year, so might as well bring back Napoleon in case we decide to run with those two again. Nothing else to report from first half of free agency, so it's draft time next.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-21-2009, 01:30 AM
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#43 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Despite going 10-6 last year and despite the trade that replaced our retired TE admirably, we've got quite a few holes to fill. This, by the way, is the Drew Bledsoe draft and he, T Willie Roaf, CB Ray Buchanan and DT Gilbert Brown are the most talked about players. I'm very, -very- tempted to do what I did in the Dolphins draft to grab Dan Marino, because I loved Bledsoe's career (even though he played for the Patriots), but that would violate...
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I reserve the right to change that at a future date, as I do with all house rules, but for now, it works. 1993 NFL Draft 1st Round The Baltimore Ravens pick first and I'm just praying please don't pick Bledsoe please don't pick Bledsoe. It's bad enough facing Bernie Kosar twice a year. 1. QB Drew Bledsoe - Baltimore Ravens ...shit. 2. CB Ray Buchanan - Jacksonville Jaguars 3. S John Lynch - Houston Texans 4. RB Natrone Means - Carolina Panthers ...Wow. I didn't see that one coming at all, even if he is a UNC grad. 5. QB Jason Garrett - Arizona Cardinals Classic boneheaded Cards move. 6. QB Trent Green - Kansas City Chiefs How perfect is that? I love it when RL players and teams match up. 7. DE Michael Strahan - New England Patriots 8. T Willie Roaf - Green Bay Packers Just how the hell Roaf lasted this long, I'll never know. Huge steal here by the Pack, though I would've loved seeing Gilbert Brown get drafted by Green Bay instead. 9. G Lester Holmes - New York Giants 10. OLB Jessie Armstead - Detroit Lions 11. DT Gilbert Brown - New Orleans Saints Saints got a huge present here. Brown falling out of the Top 10 is a joke and they'll be celebrating in N'Awlins tonight. 12. G Mike Compton - St. Louis Rams 13. WR James Jett - Washington Redskins. 14. RB Garrison Hearst - Seattle Seahawks 15. T Brad Hopkins - Philadelphia Eagles 16. S Brock Marion - San Diego Chargers I can't resist the temptation... Must.trade.up. Cincinnati Bengals receive 1.17 5.13 New York Jets receive 1.20 3.23 17. RB Jerome Bettis - Cincinnati Bengals The trade and pick draws commentary. Chris Berman can't believe it. "Wow. The Cincinnati Bengals, the team that already had the Offensive Rookie of the Year in Ostell Miles at running back, move up to take Jerome Bettis out of Notre Dame. A bit like the David Klingler pick last year, don't you think? New regime, same old tricks?" Mel Kiper and his hair are shockingly quick to defend me. "Entirely different situation, Chris. I take a look at this Cincinnati Bengals team and I see a franchise that needed an upgrade at running back. So what if Miles won Rookie of the Year? This was a line that had Anthony Munoz and any run of the mill running back could gain 1,000 yards behind that. Now Munoz is retired and that huge advantage is gone. You also have to remember that last year's class was the worst for impact offensive skill players in a long time. Not a lot of immediate help there, so a guy like Miles, who was drafted in the 9th round last year, who would be undrafted this year, could break out. If Cincinnati doesn't draft Bettis here, Miles gets exposed next season for what he really is, a mediocre running back in a lucky situation. This a smart decision, especially with how good that Bengals defense is looking." Always nice to have support. 18. DE Shawn Price - Indianapolis Colts 19. T Earl Dotson - Denver Broncos 20. G Ron Stone - New Jersey Jets 21. DE Dan Williams (Carolina Panthers through Cleveland Browns) Carolina Panthers receive 1.21 Cleveland Browns receive 2.3 5.3 6.2 Evidently our archrivals didn't see anyone they liked at the 21st pick. To be honest, we really wouldn't have either, which is one of the reasons why I revved up for The Bus, who I guarantee you would've been taken by the Jets, because they were looking for RB help. Incidentally, Bettis's selection also means we've got some roster dilemmas ahead of us. I want to get a mentor for him, which would make 5 RBs on our roster. The smart move is to cut McCallum or Miles, but I don't know that I can bring myself to do either one. But we'll see when the time comes. 22. CB Doug Evans - Tennessee Titans 23. RB Robert Smith - Atlanta Falcons 24. DT Dana Stubblefield - Miami Dolphins Great value pick for the 'Phins. Stubblefield probably would've been my pick had I kept 20 and missed on The Bus. 25. WR O.J. McDuffie - Pittsburgh Steelers Just one away from being a Dolphin in this universe, too. Funny how that works. 26. WR Raghib Ismail - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27. OLB Devon McDonald - Chicago Bears 28. G Chris Gray - Dallas Cowboys 29. ILB Chad Brown - Oakland Raiders 30. CB Carlton Gray - San Francisco 49ers 31. G Todd Rucci - Minnesota Vikings 32. S Victor Green - Buffalo Bills I wanted G Will Shields with our first second round pick, but the Titans snapped him up 3 picks before it. I know we've got a pretty stacked secondary, but CB Emanuel Martin's good looking bars and Very Underrated are too much for me to pass up. Good thing, too, as corners fly off the board over the next few picks. Not a lot of guys I like at 2.29. There's two very raw, but intriguing players left on the board. Both are likely to be gone by the time we pick again in the 4th and so I select QB Elvis Grbac, who reminds me a lot of Martin in his intriguing qualities. There's a run on kickers in the third and fourth rounds and only one QB gets taken in between there. T Lincoln Kennedy, the other player I had my eye on, goes 8 spots before our 4th round pick, to the Jets. I decide to stop screwing around and grab K Doug Pelfrey while there's still someone halfway decent left. With our first 5th round pick, I roll the dice on WR Curtis Conway, just for the hell of it and take DT Alphonso Taylor with our second 5th round selection. Our first pick in the 6th sees us taking FB Roosevelt Potts, simply because I seem to remember him having a semi-decent career. The second one, I take WR Eric Guliford because of big blue bars in returning. Our final pick is G Greg Bishop, who was a combine no-show, so maybe he has something there. Late Free Agency I grab a few mentors and that's it. CB Eric Thomas takes a vet's min-sal to go to, of all teams, the Miami Dolphins. The Buffalo Bills offer me an interesting trade of a 2nd round pick for G Jon Melander. I think about it for a few minutes. Code:
...Ouch. Not a very good looking draft at all for us.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-21-2009, 11:29 PM
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#44 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Maybe I can work off some of my rage at the crappy result of tonight's game by reviewing the roster.
Code:
Sad thing is, you could make a case for Grbac being our best option at QB. He did show some increases in camp and he and Wilson both show leadership qualities that Klingler and Wilhelm don't have. In fact, although there's no FOF evidence of this that I'm aware of, I'm going on the theory that higher leadership is better for QBs. Wilson and Grbac will each get 2 preseason starts and duke it out for the job. There's no way I'm letting Wilhelm ever start another game. Code:
Bettis and Fenner are the obvious starters, although to be honest, The Bus doesn't excite me as a runner. It's his receiving skills that are top-notch. I'll probably go with McCallum as the #2 back as Bettis isn't a power runner in this universe, it seems. Meggett's our #1 returner. Code:
So yeah, definite downgrade for our WR corps. I'm going to get Walls the ball as much as humanly possible as he's actually our best receiver in my opinion. Pickens and Beebe the obvious starters. Guliford was a nice pickup, I think. Phenomenal punt returner and great special teams player, with upside as a kick returner. Not bad for a late 6th round pick. Code:
I'm going to bite the bullet and move Walter to the left side. He drops to 66/66, not as bad as I feared. So Walter-Melander-Arthur-Rayam-Scrafford. Our tackle situation's in serious trouble if one of our starters goes down. And except for perpetually pissed Kozerski, I'm not liking our reserve situation anywhere on the line. Code:
Pelfrey can't do much worse than Breech last year. Johnson's a mainstay. Code:
I shift Golic over to RDT and Holt to RDE with no change. So we've got Stubbs-?-Golic-Holt as our project front 4. My guess is Krumrie will keep his starting spot, though Taylor is going to get a chance to play. Nix is the obvious DE reserve. Code:
I love our LB corps. Greene-Kirk-Francis is a 3 LB set that's going to cause a lot of problems for people and Williams and Gordon should be decent backups. Age is going to start being a problem soon, though. Code:
Now this is a tough call. Pope at RCB, Bussey at SS and Fulcher, officially moved to FS, are the obvious starting. but what do about LCB, where we have Griffin, who played great for us last year and Martin, the hotshot 2nd round pick Griffin, actually. Martin's got 15 endurance and is a special teams demon, making the choice easy. That said, Martin could see time in our goal line package, as nickel and dime back spots are reserved for Jackson and Williams. We have exactly 53 players, but we'll keep an eye out as preseason rolls along, especially at WR and backup offensive line. We're ranked 20th in the power ratings, which seems accurate. We're a middle of the pack team this year, fo' sho.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-22-2009, 12:05 AM
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#45 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Still mad, so here we go with a quick preseason rundown.
Preseason Game #1 New Orleans 27 Cincinnati 14 Pin this ugly loss on terrible run defense as RB Dalton Hilliard shredded us for 103 yards and a TD on 16 carries. RB Jerome Bettis had an ugly debut - 14 carries for 41 yards and a fumble. We also had almost no pass rush. Starting QB Battle Wade Wilson - 8 of 13, 104 yards, a TD, sacked 3 times for 16 yards and a fumble. Elvis Grbac - 15 of 28, 209 yards, sacked 1 time for 5 yards, 1 INT, 1 fumble Still too close to call. Game #2 Cincinnati 20 Philadelphia 10 Much better game today. Beautiful 67 yard TD run by Napoleon McCallum and Jerome Bettis grabbed 74 yards and a TD on 16 carries. He also fumbled, though. Great game by our secondary. All four starters had 2 pass defenses. Starting QB Battle Wade Wilson - 7 of 12 - 67 yards Elvis Grbac - 11 of 18 - 105 yards - sacked 3 times for 15 yards - 1 INT - 1 fumble - 4 carries, 3 yards Still close, but I'm leaning towards Grbac, turnover prone though he may be. Injury Report MLB Randy Kirk - Separated Shoulder - Out - 5 Weeks ...Well that's inconvenient. TE Craig Thompson gets a pink slip, Alex Gordon steps back into his old starting role and MLB Richard Brown, freshly cut from the Colts, takes over as the reserve MLB. Game #3 Cincinnati 5 Tampa Bay 14 Cool safety by DT Mike Golic, but RB Marcus Allen pours salt in the wounds by carrying the ball 27 times for 136 yards. Way to waste the gas left in your high-priced old FA, Bucs. Man I hope they don't repeat the playoffs. Terrific 3 sack game from DE Danny Stubbs and I'm just going to ride rookie QB Elvis Grbac. We suck anyway. Injury Report SLB Kevin Greene - Pulled Calf Muscle - Out - 4 Weeks DT Tim Krumrie - Strained Triceps Muscle - Questionable - 4 Weeks ...3 defensive starters hurt, 2 of our LBs out. Just fucking wonderful. As if my day hasn't been shit enough. WR Milt Stegall and 7th round pick G Greg Bishop get cut for veteran WR Fred Banks and youngster pass-rush OLB Terry Crews. Rookie DT Alphonso Taylor slides in as starting DT and Alfred Williams is the new starting SLB. Banks takes over the 4th WR spot. Game #4 Dallas 20 Cincinnati 23 Despite Jerome Bettis fumbling twice, we win because Wade Wilson goes 13/16 for 161 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. OLB James Francis got 1.5 sacks and CB Marquez Pope, who's having a terrific preseason, broke up 2 passes. Injury Report RG Ken Moyer - Broken Tibia - Out - 6 Weeks Heh. At least it was a backup this time. I just go ahead and put him on the IR. His replacement is G Joe Stasyniak, a 4th year man who started for the Chiefs last year, and who sucked horribly. I'm getting tired now, so I should probably stop here for the night.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-22-2009, 10:27 AM
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#46 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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For some reason Nelly "Ride Wit Me" seems appropriate on this gloomy Tuesday morning. Maybe it's because it's the Bengals. All I know is, it's been gloomier and more rainy in Seattle here lately and that's even more depressing than the state of this '93 Bengals squad.
Week 1 Pre-Game Notes -Three defensive starters out? Check. Rookie QB making his first start? Check. On the road against our archrivals and QB Bernie Kosar to open the season? Doublecheck and mating up the ass. It'll be a bigger assreaming than the 6 points the Browns are favored by. I'd so take that bet if I were a gambling man. Mistake-Marred Opener Sees Bengals Blown Out 34-7 QB Bernie Kosar's stats weren't eye-popping, but he still won Player of the Game The Cincinnati Bengals are now 0-3 against the Cleveland Browns in the Jestor era. Worse, they had their poorest showing in the season opener, whistled for a staggering 15 penalties and 89 yards along with 4 turnovers that gave QB Bernie Kosar and the Browns consistently short field position to work with. Hence, Kosar was Player of the Game despite a rather pedestrian 18 of 26 for 198 yards and a TD. But even though he didn't break the 200 yards passing mark, he was still far more impressive than Bengals QB Elvis Grbac, who looked very much a rookie, if an accurate one at 15/18 for 149 yards, a TD and an INT. Although Grbac showed flashes, including a beautiful 44 yard second quarter pass to WR Don Beebe to set up the ensuing 16 yard TD throw to WR Carl Pickens to make it 14-7, too often he made the short throw and failed to break the first down line. Bengals #2 QB Wade Wilson fared little better, throwing 2 interceptions in just 14 pass attempts and recording just 49 yards on 9 completions. Rookie RB Jerome Bettis had an uneven debut, carrying the ball 14 times for 60 yards and showing some good gains, but also fumbling once. MLB Alex Gordon led the Bengals defense with 11 tackles, 3 assists and a hurry, but the team was clearly missing starters DT Tim Krumrie, MLB Randy Kirk and SLB Kevin Greene, all of whom were out with injuries. One can only hope the Bengals regroup, because things are looking grim if this week's game is any indication. Other AFC North Scores Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 27 Unbelievable. The Ravens equal their win total of all of last year in Week 1 in a huge upset of the Steelers. QB Drew Bledsoe had an electric debut - 23/29 for 214 yards and 2 TDs. Pittsburgh really misses RB Albert Bentley, who went to the Houston Texans, of all teams, in free agency. Injury Update FS David Fulcher - Knee Bursitis - Probable - 1 week SLB Kevin Greene - Upgraded to Doubtful MLB Randy Kirk - Upgraded to Questionable DT Tim Krumrie - Upgraded to Probable Sheesh. Now Fulcher's hurt? Still, it could've been a lot worse. It's gonna be an ugly season, fo' sho.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-22-2009, 01:28 PM
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#47 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Great read. I have a dynasty i started that i think began a year after yours and i am 2 years into. My Bengals are off to a good start in the third year.
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09-22-2009, 06:39 PM
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#48 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Thanks. Once we get everybody back off injuries, our defense is certainly good enough to win games. It's our offense that needs help.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-22-2009, 07:29 PM
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#49 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Week [2 Pre-Game Notes
-DT Tim Krumrie will start again, as we need all the help on defense we can get at this point. -If RB Jerome Bettis continues to have fumble problems, I'll trade his ass. There's nothing I hate more than a fumble-prone RB. Well, almost. -We've got a home game against the Green Bay Packers on tap. I look for the Packers to have a good season this year. QB Brett Favre should be coming into his own and he's got decent help in 8th overall pick LT Willie Roaf, who looks like a star when he's done developing. Green Bay's favored by 2 since we're hosting, but I predict an 0-2 start because of our defensive injury troubles. Favre's Fourth Quarter Drives Propel 20-13 Comeback Win Over Bengals  Green Bay QB Brett Favre celebrates after throwing the game-winning touchdown with 1:18 left in the game For the second week in a row, the Cincinnati Bengals were undone by turnovers and a failure to execute on third down. Only this time, they added an inability to capitalize on turnovers. But it didn't appear that way at first, as it was the Packers who were infected by turnoveritis. QB Brett Favre threw an interception on the game's opening drive and RB Sammie Smith, a free agent pickup, fumbled the ball on Green Bay's second possession. Unfortunately, all the Bengals could manage out of it was a lone 41 field goal midway through the first quarter. Then it was the Bengals to cough it up, as rookie RB Jerome Bettis was drilled by S Leroy Butler and the Packers gobbled up the fumble. On the very next play, however, Bengals MLB Alex Gordon sacked Favre to force a fumble and DE Danny Stubbs returned it 17 yards to the Packer 21. Finally a Cincinnati touchdown came as QB Elvis Grbac hit Bettis on a 4 yard throw for a 10-0 lead. Packers WR Robert Brooks fumbled the kickoff return and MLB Richard Brown recovered, but K Doug Pelfrey's 48 yard try was just short to waste yet another golden opportunity. Green Bay finally got on the scoreboard with a mid-2nd quarter Chris Jacke field goal and they added a second one just before halftime to cancel out Pelfrey's answering field goal and make it 13-6 Bengals. The Packers tied it up at 13 shortly after the start of the fourth quarter with a 12 yard Favre to Brooks connection. Another opportunity arose for the Bengals with a S Barney Bussey recovery of a FB Craig Heyward fumble, but Elvis Grbac was sacked by DE Shawn Patterson to put Cincinnati out of field goal range and again net 0 points off a turnover. And then it was Brett Favre time. He completed 4 of 5 straight passes for 81 yards to march the Packers right down the field. A few downs later, he found Sammie Smith in the end zone on a 1 yard throw for the 20-13 lead with 1:18 left in the game. CB Corey Harris intercepted the ball on the following drive to snuff out any faint comeback hopes and send the Bengals to a frustrating loss. All told, QB Brett Favre was 28 of 41 for 315 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs, but it was WR Sterling Sharpe who won Player of the Game, catching 8 balls for 123 yards. QB Elvis Grbac again showed great accuracy at 20/29 for 170 yards, a TD and an INT, but checked down to rookie RB Jerome Bettis far too often. Bettis finished with 72 rushing yards on 21 carries and 7 catches for 37 yards and a TD. He also fumbled twice. MLB Alex Gordon's heroic defensive effort of 10 tackles, a sack and 2 forced fumbles was wasted, as was the solid performance by the Bengals' opportunistic defense as a whole. Other AFC North Scores Baltimore 17 Chicago 20 Detroit 13 Pittsburgh 31 Cleveland 30 Minnesota 17 Injury Update SLB Kevin Greene - Upgraded to Questionable ..I'm done with the Bus. He's screwing with our passing universe and is too fumble prone. Only problem is, nobody wants a freshly signed rookie. Great. Guess I'll trade him in the offseason.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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09-23-2009, 10:21 AM
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#50 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Bettis Benched; Miles Back In
 Jerome Bettis, the 17th overall pick in the draft, is being benched for last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Ostell Miles Cincinnati Bengals GM Jestor's trade up three spots in the draft to grab Notre Dame RB Jerome Bettis was met with the same surprise and skepticism that greeted previous management's decision to draft QB David Klingler in the first round a year ago. And now that doubt is being given validity, as Bengals head coach Brad Hinchliffe announced today that Bettis will be benched for this week's game in favor of last season's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Ostell Miles. "When you're 0-2 and you have a rookie quarterback who keeps checking down to your rookie running back who keeps fumbling, that's a problem. So we're making the change and we'll see what happens", Hinchcliffe said. Bettis has gotten off to a rough start in the NFL, with 3 fumbles in 2 games and a pedestrian 3.77 yards per carry. More significantly, he's become a too oft-used security blanket for rookie QB Elvis Grbac, which has resulted in short throws, many coming on failed third down conversion attempts. Miles has yet to see the field this year, so it's expected he'll be rusty for the upcoming tilt against former Bengals' legend QB Boomer Esiason and the San Diego Chargers in San Diego. Bettis will continue to be the third down back and be replaced in passing situations by RB Napoleon McCallum, who, as the team's best blocking tailback, should help generate more pass protection for Grbac. The Chargers are off to a 1-1 start and are favored by 5 points. Same Old Story In 27-3 Trouncing  Chargers S Darren Carrington set the tone early with an interception return for a TD No Bus, same breakdowns. That was the story of the Bengals' 27-3 embarassment in San Diego. Things got off to a bad start when QB Elvis Grbac was intercepted by Chargers S Darren Carrington on the first drive. Carrington ran it back 29 yards for a TD and a fast 7-0 lead. Next drive, it was Carrington again, jarring Grbac and forcing a fumble recovered by OLB Junior Seau on the Bengal 20. Four plays later, QB Boomer Esiason to TE Alfred Pupunu for 10 yards and an electric 14-0 lead a little over 5 minutes into the game. Cincinnati finally scored on a Doug Pelfrey field goal just before halftime to make it 17-3 at the break. A breath of hope sprung when CB Don Griffin picked off Esiason on the first drive of the second half, but G Joe Staysniak was an open door, allowing the Chargers to get repeated pressure on Grbac and end the dim hopes of a momentum-changing score. Former Bengals QB Boomer Esiason added insult to injury with a 42 yard bomb to WR Anthony Miller for a TD and 24-3 lead and another Grbac interception later, San Diego made it 27-3. From there, San Diego literally ran out the clock while backup Bengals QB Wade Wilson went about on a 2 for 14 inefficiency. As expected, Chargers S Darren Carrington was Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 3 pass defenses, an interception, a forced fumble and a touchdown. QB Elvis Grbac had his worst day as a pro - 13 of 28 for 139 yards and 2 interceptions. He looked extremely uncomfortable without having RB Jerome Bettis as his security blanket and faced continual pressure from the Chargers' defense. On the bright side, WR Carl Pickens had the best day of the year for a Bengals receiver, with 6 catches for 71 yards and MLB Alex Gordon was a machine on defense, with 12 tackles and 7 assists. RB Ostell Miles looked somewhat rusty in his season debut, gaining just 42 yards on 11 carries. Other AFC North Scores Miami 31 Cleveland 35 New England 30 Baltimore 12 Pittsburgh 48 Oakland 17 Injury Update S David Fulcher - 100% SLB Kevin Greene - 100% DT Tim Krumrie - 100% MLB Randy Kirk - Upgraded to Probable Getting all of our defensive starters back is huge. Now let's hope we can start getting this thing turned around.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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