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Improbable Ride Ends For 2011 Bengals

The bus ride from the stadium to the airport felt like a funeral procession.  The players and coaches were clearly wondering what had just happened and appeared to be both depressed and stunned.

But I’m not talking about the bus ride following Saturday’s playoff loss to the Texans.  I’m talking about the ride to the Detroit airport after the preseason opener against the Lions.

Remember Detroit 34 Cincinnati 3?  Were you thinking 9-7 and a playoff berth?

Me either.

Let’s face it:  The 2011 Bengals topped everybody’s exceptions but their own.

“I don’t see this as exceeding expectations,” said Andy Dalton.  “I felt like we could get here and we have to do the same thing going into next year.  There’s a lot of motivation and a lot of good things to take away from the season.  We just have to keep getting better.”

Saturday’s 31-10 loss in Houston was bitterly disappointing because the Bengals proved four weeks ago that they are capable of beating the Texans.  Cincinnati led the rematch for much of the first half before defensive end J.J. Watt’s interception and 29 yard touchdown return gave Houston its first lead.

“I’m sure he was just trying to bat it down,” said Chris Crocker.  “It was one of those plays where you just say, ‘Wow.’  You can’t plan something like that.”

“That interception and touchdown was a big play,” said Rey Maualuga.  “That hurt us, but you’re supposed to be able to come back in the second half and stop them.”

The Bengals forced a punt on Houston’s first drive of the third quarter, and Crocker nearly had an interception on the Texans’ second drive.  But two plays after that missed opportunity, T.J. Yates threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson that gave the Texans a commanding14-point lead.

“I know it’s a different ball game if I catch that pass right there,” said Crocker.  “I had a huge opportunity and I just didn’t make the play.  I’ll still hold my head up and my teammates will.  We played a lot of good football this year, but you remember what you did last, and I’ll think about this for the rest of the off-season.”

It’s an off-season that promises to be eventful for Cincinnati.  With an extra first round draft pick and salary cap flexibility, the Bengals have a unique opportunity to add to their talented young nucleus.

“I’m excited about the upside of this team,” said Nate Clements.  “I’m hurting right now, but looking at the big picture, I’m excited about what’s to come.”

“There’s a lot of promise on this team and a lot to look forward to,” said Crocker.  “Now you move forward.  You figure out what you’re going to do in the off-season and get better.  The future does look bright.”

“Hopefully we can build off of this year – I know we will,” said Maualuga.  “We’re going to get back to the playoffs and we’re going to win some games.”

But much like that preseason bus ride in Detroit, the Bengals were not savoring their promising future after Saturday’s loss.  They were lamenting that this season’s surprising playoff run is over.

“We made the playoffs and that was our first team goal, but we didn’t get over the hump this year,” said A.J. Green.  “We had an OK season, but we have a lot of work to do.”

“The anticipation leading up to the game was such an emotional high and to not pull it out stings right now,” said Clements.  “It’s definitely a learning experience.”

“That’s the hardest thing about losing a playoff game – the season is done,” said Crocker.  “You go from preparing for your next opponent each week and we all had plans to keep moving on.  That didn’t happen.  It’s not easy to get to the playoffs and I realize that.  This isn’t guaranteed.  It’s tough to get here so you want to make the most of it.”

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

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And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

Hawkins Savors First Anniversary

On January 5, 2011 – one year ago today – Andrew Hawkins took a big step toward realizing a dream when he had his first NFL tryout with the Cincinnati Bengals.

What does Hawkins remember about that day?

“It was cold,” the rookie receiver told me.  “I remember thinking, ‘I hope I can run a good 40 out here in the snow.’  I was just excited about the opportunity.  I remember being surprised that Coach Lewis was out there, and the owner was out there, and the offensive coordinator was out there…I didn’t know that everybody was going to be out there for the workout.  I was a little nervous, but here we are today and everything worked out.”

Hawkins is one of the best feel-good stories in the NFL this year.  The former factory worker (cleaned engines), caddy (all-time best tip $50), and reality TV show participant (4^th and Long hosted by Michael Irvin), not only made the Bengals roster, but ranks 5^th on the team with 23 receptions.

“I’m not surprised,” said quarterback Bruce Gradkowski who played with Hawkins at the University of Toledo.  “Hawk is such a competitor and handles his business the way a professional should.  He was like that in college and he’s like that to this day.  You know he is going to work his tail off and know what to do.  His athletic ability sure puts him above the rest.”

Although he is an NFL rookie, Hawkins has playoff experience.  He earned a pair of championship rings as a member of Montreal’s Grey Cup-winning teams in the Canadian Football League in each of the last two seasons.

“I have one ring with me here in Cincinnati and the other one is back home where I’m from,” said Hawkins.  “I might wear it occasionally on the road.  They’re pretty big and gaudy so I can’t wear ‘em both at the same time, but I like to show them off a little bit.”

Hawkins has every right to be proud of his championship rings and the fact that he’s overcome long odds to become a key contributor on a playoff-bound NFL team.

“If you tell him, ‘Hey, you’re never going to play in the NFL,’ he’s like, ‘What?  I will play in the NFL,’ said Gradkowski.  “If I said to him, ‘You’re never going to be a movie star,’ he might try to do that.”

He’s already done a reality TV show, and while it helped him get exposure, it has also had its drawbacks.

“My girlfriend hates watching reality shows with me because I break down all the secrets about what’s going on behind the scenes.  She’s like, ‘Shut up and let me enjoy the Kardashians.’”

Anybody Remember the 2008 Arizona Cardinals?

In 2008, the Arizona Cardinals finished 9-7.  Four of their losses were by at least three touchdowns, including a 40-point loss in the next-to-last game of the regular season.

That year, the Cardinals came within 35 seconds of winning the Super Bowl.

Last season, the Seattle Seahawks finished 7-9 but snuck into the playoffs as the champion of the NFC West.  All nine losses were by at least 15 points.

In their playoff opener, the Seahawks dethroned the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints 41-36.

Look, I’m not saying that the Bengals are headed to the Super Bowl or even that they are going to win next Saturday in Houston.

But they have a chance.

“Exactly,” said Nate Clements after making the playoffs for the first time in his 11-year NFL career.  “That’s what we’ve been playing for the whole season.  If you ask any team, the mindset is to win the trophy.”

“We put ourselves in position where we didn’t necessarily have to win (against Baltimore) and that’s all that matters right now,” said offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.  “We’re the sixth seed and all of our goals are still attainable.”

“We played 16 games and had to do something right to even have a chance,” said Bernard Scott.  “It’s like a fresh start now.”

While Sunday’s game vs. Baltimore was billed as a “win or you’re in” showdown, the game that truly decided the Bengals playoff fate was played 56 days earlier when Cincinnati rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to win at Tennessee 24-17.  That gave Cincinnati the head-to-head tiebreaker for the AFC’s final playoff spot when each team finished the season 9-7.

“You never know,” said Andrew Whitworth.  “You look back at that game – we were down big at halftime and came back to win it.  What a special win that was and we didn’t know quite how special it was at the time.  Now it’s really special.”

“I always talk to the players when we play AFC teams about how important those games are going to be,” said head coach Marvin Lewis.  “Every win counts.”

The Bengals open the playoffs against a Houston team that ended the regular season with consecutive losses to Carolina (6-10), Indianapolis (2-14), and Tennessee (9-7).  The Texans haven’t won since stealing a 20-19 victory at Cincinnati on a touchdown pass with :02 remaining.  Houston did not have star WR Andre Johnson in that game, but it’s an opponent that the Bengals feel they are capable of beating.

“That we do,” said Lawson.  “They know us and how we play and we know how they play.  It’s going to be a good game and I’m looking forward to it.”

“We shouldn’t have let it come down to them having the ball with a chance to win it at the end,” said Andy Dalton.  “They’re a good team, but we’re going to give them our best shot.”

“They have their receiver back so it will be a little bit different team than we saw last time,” said Coach Lewis.  “We have to go to work.  It’s our chance now to go be World Champions.”

For a team that was widely expected to be among the NFL’s worst squads going into the season, and began the year with the youngest roster in the AFC, being one of the 12 teams that are still playing is a remarkable accomplishment.

“This team is young, it’s talented, and I have a feeling we’re going to have a lot of chances like this,” said Whitworth.  “But we’re in the dance and we have an opportunity to do what we want.  Every team that gets in there has a chance.”

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

Boomer Is Happy That Bengals Are Out Of Luck…Sweepstakes

When the Bengals drafted Carson Palmer with the NFL’s first overall pick in 2003, Boomer Esiason handed him a helmet and said, “Welcome to our dysfunctional family.”

This past September, the former Bengals quarterback used the line again.

“I’m going to remind everybody exactly what I said on the ‘NFL Today’ at the start of the season,” said Esiason.  “I welcomed (likely 2012 top pick) Andrew Luck to the dysfunctional family and the season hadn’t even started.  That’s how wrong I was.”

Boomer was obviously not alone in underestimating the Bengals this season.  It was widely assumed that a team with a rookie starting quarterback and a new offensive coordinator was bound to struggle — especially considering the limited practice time coming out of the lockout.

“All I can do is go back to when I was a rookie,” said Esiason.  “If Bengals fans remember those days – boy, I’ll tell you what – they were probably wondering what the heck the Bengals were thinking when they drafted me.  I was clearly in over my head mentally.  Physically I knew I could do it, but mentally, I was nowhere to be found.  I remember Cris Collinsworth saying to somebody, ‘Are they kidding me with this guy?’  That’s not what they are saying about Andy.

“If it weren’t for Cam Newton he would be the Offensive Rookie of the Year.  I can’t say enough good things about him, and I can’t say enough good things about what Jay Gruden has done for him.  I can’t think of anybody at the beginning of the season – me included – that thought that the Bengals would be where they are today and they’re being led by a rookie quarterback which is even more astounding.  And if Andy Dalton and Cam Newton weren’t playing, than A.J. Green has to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year.  What that tells me is that the immediate future for the Cincinnati Bengals and their fan base looks to be extremely bright.”

With a win over Baltimore on Sunday, the Bengals would earn a playoff berth for the third time in the last seven years.  There are only 10 teams that have made more playoff trips in that span (11 if the Cowboys beat the Giants on Sunday).

“I think this is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Esiason.  “This is one of those opportunity games that don’t come along for young players very often, and I know that Andy and A.J. and the rest of them are going to take it very seriously, and they shouldn’t expect anything other than to go out there and win.  It shouldn’t be, ‘Hey, it’s great to be here and nobody expected us to be here.’  They should be saying, ‘Hey wait a minute.  We can win this game, and possibly go on the road and play Houston with their rookie quarterback, and maybe get to the second round of the playoffs.’  Those are the things that I would be talking about in that locker room.”

Win or lose on Sunday, the Bengals have no shot at drafting Andrew Luck and Esiason is happy to have been so wrong.

“I think we should all sit back and take a breath and applaud what these kids have done – especially with very little training camp and no OTAs in the off-season.  For them to step on the field and do this for a franchise that has been downtrodden and has gone through the Carson Palmer stuff, the T.O. stuff, the Ochocinco stuff, the Chris Henry death and everything that has happened there over the last 10 years and you see how they have come out of it.  I tell you what, there’s a lot to be happy about and thankful for, and we have something to really look forward to.”

Boomer joined Dave Lapham and me on “Bengals Gameplan” on Wednesday.  Click here to listen to the entire interview.  Boomer’s segment begins at the 23 minute mark.

*****

We were also joined on Wednesday’s show by Sam Monson, one of the top analysts for the website ProFootballFocus.com where the staff grades every NFL player on every play.

According to their research, one of this year’s biggest Pro Bowl snubs was Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins.

“Geno Atkins, at the moment, is our top-rated defensive tackle on the season and by far and away, he’s our top-rated pass rushing defensive tackle,” said Monson.  “Only Justin Smith, who plays end but then kicks inside to tackle, generates anything like the amount of pressure that Geno Atkins generates from the inside.  It’s just ludicrous that he hasn’t been picked as a Pro Bowl defensive tackle this season.”

According to ProFootballFocus.com, Geno’s statistics compare favorably to the numbers Ndamukong Suh posted last year when he was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

“At this time last year, Suh had 10 sacks, 6 knockdowns of the quarterback, and 24 more pressures,” said Monson.  “Atkins is a little behind on the sacks, but he has significantly more knockdowns – he has 14 of those – and he has more pressure overall.  The only difference is that the hype train ran away with Suh early and he was always deemed as this superstar defensive tackle, whereas Atkins has had to do it the hard way.  This season he is flying under the radar and people just haven’t noticed, but his numbers are as good if not better than Suh’s were last year.  And Atkins has been playing the run pretty well this season which I actually thought he might struggle with, but he’s been doing well and is actually pretty highly-rated as a run defender as well.  Suh is still a liability against certain run plays and trap blocks and that kind of thing.”

I told Atkins on Thursday that a website had him rated as the top defensive tackle in the NFL.

“I don’t know what to say,” Geno told me.  “I just don’t believe that, but if they say so…I guess it’s better than being called the worst defensive lineman in the NFL.”

*****

I’ll be heading to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl on Friday, but I hope you’ll join Artrell Hawkins and Wayne “Box” Miller for “Bengals Pep Rally” from 3 to 6 at the Firehouse Grill in Blue Ash.

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

It’s a Bird…it’s a Plane…it’s Jerome Simpson

Jerome Simpson came out of the tunnel and ran on to the field wearing a Santa hat on Saturday.

Then he showed that he doesn’t need reindeer to fly.

Go ahead and give him his ESPY for “Play of the Year” right now, because nobody is going to top the Simpson Somersault.

(You can watch the play by clicking here)

With the Bengals leading 10-0 late in the second quarter, Simpson caught a pass from Andy Dalton on a crossing route at the 17 yard line and sprinted for the end zone.  When Jerome reached the two yard line, Dalton’s former college teammate Daryl Washington was waiting, so Simpson did a forward-flip over him and landed on both feet.

“To tell you the truth, it was just instinct,” said Simpson.  “I saw the guy and it seemed like he was going to try to hit me and I really didn’t want to get hit, so I used my athletic ability and my jumping ability that my mom, dad, and family blessed me with.  I’ve jumped over a guy before, but I never done a flip like that and landed it.  I just wanted to do anything possible to win games for this team”

Simpson’s freakish athletic ability helps explain why the Bengals drafted him in the second round out of tiny Coastal Carolina in 2008.  In addition to scoring 44 touchdowns in 45 college games, Jerome set school records in the high jump at 6’8.75” (since broken) and long jump at 24’7.25”.

But to vault over a 6’2” linebacker while wearing football pads?

“It was unbelievable,” said Adam Jones.  “I mean head first?  I was like, ‘There’s no way he’s going to try that.’”

“It might be one of the most athletic plays I’ve ever seen in my life man,” said Jeromy Miles.  “I didn’t think he was going to land on his feet, but when he did, it just summed up the day for us – spectacular plays, spectacular moments.”

“I give him a 10 out of 10,” said Andre Smith.  “I liked the landing – that was pretty neat.”

“I stuck the landing like a gymnast, and a lot of guys said that they gave me a 10 on it,” said Simpson.  “I think it was a 9 because I touched the ground a little bit.  I just wanted to make plays for my team and have a great Merry Christmas.”

Of course, the person who had the best view of “Jumpin’ Jerome” was the player that he hurdled.  So what did Daryl Washington have to say about the play?

“He said, ‘Don’t jump over me like that again.’” said Simpson with a smile.  “But like I said before, I just want to do anything possible to help my team win.”

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

Go Bengals…and Giants

I love the New York Giants.  At least for the next six days.

If the Bengals beat Arizona on Sunday and the Jets lose at home to the Giants, Cincinnati will have a one game lead in the Wild Card race going into the final Sunday of the season.

So for the moment, forget about the 11 penalties, 3 fumbles, and inability to move the ball in short yardage situations in Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Rams and enjoy the fact that the Bengals playoff hopes are very much alive.

“Amen brother,” said Andrew Whitworth.  “When it’s December in the NFL — a win is a win.  We’re trying to get into the playoffs and we have two games at home.  Those are going to be exciting games.”

“We started the season with two on the road and the fact that we end with two at home is awesome,” said head coach Marvin Lewis.

And speaking of awesome, there’s A.J. Green.

On a day where Cedric Benson put the ball on the ground three times, Jermaine Gresham had as many false starts as catches, and Andy Dalton had more tackles than touchdown passes, the rookie wide receiver from Georgia finished with six catches for 115 yards to go over 1000 receiving yards for the season.

“I’m just going to continue to get better,” said Green.  “I’m just trying to lead this team to the playoffs and potentially to a Super Bowl.”

Green suffered a Grade 3 shoulder sprain in the second quarter and had his right arm in a sling on the flight home, but A.J. left little doubt that he’ll be able to play on Saturday.

“It’s just an AC joint sprain – I’ve had it before and it’s nothing serious,” said Green.  “I’m not going to miss these last two games for nothing.  You would have to break my leg or something for me to miss these last two games.  I’m just ready to get back out there and stay in the playoff hunt.”

“I bet Bengals Nation collectively took a big gulp when A.J. went down – I know I did,” said my broadcasting partner Dave Lapham.  “They’re a different team without A.J. on the field.  The trickle-down effect on an A.J. Green injury would be dramatic.”

Even with Green, the Bengals are not likely to beat the Cardinals – winners of six of their last seven – if they keep going backward on offense due to penalties.

It’s interesting to note that the Bengals are actually averaging more penalties in their wins (6.6 for 58.6 yards) than in their losses (6 for 53.8 yards).  But in the St. Louis game, three drives began with penalties.

“Too many first down penalties,” said offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.  “If we want to go where we want to go, we have to play better on first down.  We had two or three false starts and two or three holding calls that really set us back.  In this league, when you’re first-and-15 or first-and-20, it’s going to be difficult.”

“We’ve got to clean it up if we want to win these last two,” said Whitworth.  “It’s not about being good enough – it’s about not shooting yourself in the foot.  That’s what the good teams do down the stretch.  They don’t hurt themselves.”

The Bengals also have to do a better job in short yardage situations.  They failed to move the chains twice on third-and-one and once on fourth-and-one.

“Our short yardage offense was putrid,” said Gruden.

“You have to come off of the line of scrimmage with low pads and they’re not doing that right now,” said Lapham.  “They’re not even getting stalemates – they’re getting knocked backwards.

That won’t cut it against a Cardinals team that still has long-shot hopes of going to the playoffs.  An overtime win over Cleveland on Sunday evened Arizona’s record at 7-7.

So what’s Marvin’s message this week?

“Just do your job,” said Coach Lewis.  “Just make sure you’re being consistent in doing your job all of the time.”

Here’s hoping the Giants do the same thing.

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

A Staggering Stat and Green Gives Grade

We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the NFL’s most successful teams don’t settle for field goals when they drive into the red zone right?

Uh…maybe not.  The 10-3 San Francisco 49ers rank dead last in that category this year, scoring touchdowns a mere 33.6% of the time.

But the Niners have overcome their anemic red zone performance by allowing the fewest points in the NFL.  You can settle for field goals when your defense only gives up 14 points a game.  The Bengals don’t have that luxury.

Andy Dalton

Cincinnati currently ranks 20^th in the NFL in touchdown percentage inside the red zone at 48.7%, scoring 19 TDs in 39 trips.  But those numbers only tell part of the story.

Here’s a stat that will floor you:  The last six times the Bengals have had a “first-and-goal” they have failed to score a touchdown.

Here’s the breakdown:

Nov. 20 at Baltimore:  1^st-goal-at-7 (end of the game needing TD to tie) – 0 points.

Nov. 27 vs. Cleveland:  1^st-goal-at-2 – Settled for FG after false start.  1^st-goal-at-9 – Stopped on 4^th down at one yard line.

Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh:  1^st-goal-at-8 – TD nullified by penalty and field goal blocked.

Dec. 11 vs. Houston:  1^st-goal-at-1 – Settled for FG after false start.  1^st-goal-at-9 – Kicked FG.

That means the Bengals have scored 9 of a possible 42 points in those situations.  It’s enough to make an offensive coordinator…

“Jump off a bridge,” said Jay Gruden.  “It’s just a nightmare.  We just have to get back to the drawing board and fix what ails us.  You don’t get down there very often and you have to take advantage.”

The Bengals have scored on 87.2% of their red zone trips (19 TD, 15 FG in 34 trips) to rank 12^th in the NFL, but the lack of touchdowns last week proved costly against Houston.

“On the first down run that we called, our tight ends didn’t go to the safety and they let the guy run right through the gap and make a tackle for a loss of two,” said Gruden.  “You can’t have that happen in pro football.  The false start on first-and-goal at the one was probably 90% my fault for getting the play in a little late, and then Andy should have taken a time out because we were running against the clock.  So we tried to hurry and we jumped.  You can’t have those kinds of mistakes and that falls on me.  I have to do a better job of getting the plays out there early and calling better plays that work.”

*****

Here’s another stat that might floor you:  Since the start of training camp, the St. Louis Rams have placed 10 cornerbacks on injured reserve including their top three going into the season.

“They make up for it with a great pass rush,” said Gruden.  “They play really hard on the defensive front and their linebackers are playing well.  Unfortunately for them, their offense has struggled quite a bit, so they’ve been on the field so much that they’ve given up chunks of yards at the end of games.  But for the most part, their defense has played pretty well.”

Still, is A.J. Green licking his chops to face the injury-ravaged Rams secondary this Sunday?

“This is the NFL man,” said Green.  “There are no slackers out there – they’re all great corners.  I’m going to approach it like I do in every other game with the mindset of trying to make a play whenever my number is called.”

A.J. Green

Last week, Green was matched up with Houston’s Johnathan Joseph and finished with 5 catches for 59 yards.

“He’s getting the best corner every week,” said Gruden.  “Last week it was J-Jo and he’s going to get that every week.  They’ll going to roll coverage toward him and cloud him and he just has to figure out zone coverages and find holes.  He has a great feel right now, but he can get even better in that regard.”

“I like that,” said Green when asked about drawing the opponent’s best corner.  “That’s when you know that you’re making plays and I’m trying to be that great receiver.”

Despite missing a game and a half with a knee injury, A.J. leads NFL rookies in receptions (55), receiving yards (891), and TD catches (7).  He’s on a pace to finish with 67 catches for 1096 yards.

I asked the rookie from Georgia to rate his performance on a scale from 1 to 10.

“I’d give myself about a six,” said Green.  “I still have a lot of room for improvement, but I’m doing OK.  It’s been a great experience.  A lot of success has come my way and I’m blessed to be in this situation.”

*****

I’ll be on the road with the UC basketball team on Wednesday night, but I hope you’ll join Dave Lapham and Wayne “Box” Miller for “Bengals Gameplan” from 6 to 8.  On Friday, I’ll join Artrell Hawkins for “Bengals Pep Rally” from 3 to 6 at the Firehouse Grill in Blue Ash.  The tentative guest list includes Mike Nugent (4:00), Michael Johnson (4:30), Andre Smith (5:00), and Andy Dalton (5:30).  Both shows can be heard on ESPN 1530.

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

The Playoff Picture With 4 To Go

Did you feel lousy after watching Sunday’s rout in Pittsburgh?

Well imagine how it felt if you had been on the receiving end of that pounding and had to watch every mistake all over again on Monday morning.

“It’s a disgusting feeling,” said receiver Andre Caldwell.  “It hurts, but we have to get over it because we have another big game to get ready for this week.”

“It’s a horrible pill to swallow, but we have to have short-term memory, put it behind us, and move on,” said linebacker Manny Lawson.

Lousy performances happen – just ask the Steelers who lost by the exact same 35-7 score in week one to Baltimore.  Despite the blowout, the Bengals are still the final playoff seed in the AFC and play three of their last four games at home.    

“The way we lost hurts, but in the grand scheme of things, a loss is a loss,” said receiver Andrew Hawkins.  “That loss is no different than when we lost close games to Denver and San Fran.”

“The biggest thing is that this game only counts one,” said quarterback Andy Dalton.  “We can’t let it affect us for the rest of the season because we still have four games to go.”

Here’s a look at how the Bengals remaining schedule compares to the other four AFC teams with 7-5 records (along with their conference records for tie-breaker purposes).  Keep in mind that Denver or Oakland is likely to win the AFC West.

Denver (7-5, 6-3 AFC):  Chicago, New England, at Buffalo, Kansas City (combined record = 26-22)

Cincinnati (7-5, 6-4 AFC):  Houston, at St. Louis, Arizona, Baltimore (combined record = 25-23)

Tennessee (7-5, 5-4 AFC):  New Orleans, at Indianapolis, Jacksonville, at Houston (combined record = 21-26)

Oakland (7-5, 5-5 AFC):  at Green Bay, Detroit, at Kansas City, San Diego (combined record = 28-19)

New York Jets (7-5, 5-5 AFC):  Kansas City, at Philadelphia, New York Giants, at Miami (combined record = 19-29)

If you go by combined record, the Raiders have the toughest remaining schedule, the Jets have the easiest, and the Bengals are right in the middle.  While the loss in Pittsburgh virtually eliminated them from winning the AFC North, the Bengals are still playing for playoff position – not draft position.

“We’re still a good team – we have to eliminate big plays and tackle better,” said Lawson.  “You have to watch film, learn from your mistakes, and it has to be like water off of a duck’s bath.  You have to just wipe it off.” 

“We’re all disappointed,” said Hawkins.  “We thought we would go in there and win and we lost.  What we’re doing now is looking at the tape, we’re making corrections, and we’re trying to move past it.  We have six days to get ready for Houston and that’s the most important thing right now.”

If the Bengals win on Sunday, they’ll be 8-5 with three games to go.  Last year, that was Green Bay’s record through 13 games and the Packers lost the following week to fall to 8-6.

They haven’t lost since.

Feel any better?

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I hope you’ll join Dave Lapham and me for “Bengals Gameplan” on Wednesday night from 6 to 8 on Fox Sports 1360-AM.  On Friday, I’ll join Artrell Hawkins for “Bengals Pep Rally” from 3 to 6 at the Firehouse Grill in Blue Ash on ESPN 1530-AM.  Andrew Whitworth is scheduled to join us in the final hour.

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

A.J. Green Deserves His Own Stat

The NFL keeps track of game-winning 4th quarter comebacks by quarterbacks — Andy Dalton has 4 in his first 11 NFL games.

The league also keeps track of game-winning field goals in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime — Mike Nugent has 5 in his career, including Sunday’s FG with :38 seconds left to beat Cleveland 23-20.

But one number that isn’t kept is “gigantic 4th quarter catches” that help make the other two stats possible.

If they did, A.J. Green would be 2-for-2 against the Cleveland Browns.

In the season opener in Cleveland, Green’s only catch was a game-winning 41-yard TD from Bruce Gradkowski with 4:28 remaining. On Sunday, A.J.’s third and final catch was a Lynn Swann-like balletic leaping grab of a Dalton heave that went for 51 yards with 1:08 on the clock, setting up Nugent’s 26-yard game-winner.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think I hit that game-winning field goal,” Nugent told me. “I mean A.J. Green…what was it, third-and-eight? The fact that he got the ball down the field like that. I had to go up to him and tell him how impressed I was with that. That was, without a doubt, the game-winner right there.”

“We needed a big play and I stood in there as long as I could and got the ball out,” said Dalton. “A.J. made a great catch, although I don’t really know what happened because I was on the ground.”

Dalton couldn’t see it because he got drilled by Cleveland’s Ahtyba Rubin after releasing the ball, but you can watch three replays of the catch by clicking this link.

Green’s extraordinary timing and leaping ability were on full display, but A.J. described the catch as if it were no big deal.

“I was the first option there,” Green told me. “It was a nice little dig route right across the middle and Andy threw a perfect ball and I went up and got it. I knew some people were around me so I went up and got it before anybody else had a chance.”

Ho-hum.

After missing six quarters with a bone bruise on his knee, Green had three critical catches against Cleveland: A 24-yard grab that led to a Cedric Benson touchdown run on the next play in the first quarter. A 35-yard haul that led to a Jermaine Gresham touchdown catch on the next play in the third quarter. And the 51-yard grab that set up the game-winning field goal.

“It was a great feeling just to get back out there and make some plays,” said Green. “Just to get back in that huddle man — it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

“He’s the Rookie of the Year by far,” said safety Chris Crocker. “He’s just a good guy that’s able to make plays and the kid does it every week in practice. This is not something that he does every couple of Sundays. He does these kinds of things a practice and it translates to the games. That’s what good professional football players do.”

A.J. Green is 23 years old. Andy Dalton is 24. They are two of 23 players on the Bengals roster that are 25-or-younger.

“They’re the spirit of this team,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “Our young guys are very, very talented and when they get in position, they make plays.”

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I hope you’ll join Dave Lapham and me for “Bengals Gameplan” on Wednesday night from 6 to 8.  I’ll be on the road with the UC basketball team on Friday, but I hope you’ll join Wayne “Box” Miller and Artrell Hawkins for “Bengals Pep Rally” from 3 to 6 at the Firehouse Grill in Blue Ash.  Both shows can be heard on ESPN 1530-AM.

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

What About Rookie QBs vs. Baltimore?

The big storyline last week was “Rookie QB vs. Dick LeBeau-coached defense.”

Can you even name the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator?

For the record, it’s Chuck Pagano, but if you didn’t know that, I’m fairly certain that you can identify Baltimore’s best linebacker, safety, and pass rusher.

Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs.

The Ravens defensive strategy might not be quite as difficult for a quarterback to decipher as what LeBeau does in Pittsburgh, but since 2008, Baltimore has given up the fewest points per game (16.3) of any team in the NFL. Pittsburgh ranks second at 16.5, and no other NFL team has allowed fewer than 19.

“Every week is a challenge, but Baltimore and Pittsburgh are in their own category,” said offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.  “They have very experienced players and have been dominant on defense for a lot of years for a reason.  They have great players and a very good scheme.”

The heart and soul of Baltimore’s defense is 36-year-old Ray Lewis who is the only player in NFL history to record 40 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career.  The 12-time Pro Bowler is still playing at a high level in his 16^th NFL season.

“He’s such a great student of the game,” said head coach Marvin Lewis.  “He uses his knowledge of the game and what you do to his advantage.  And he’s still very, very sudden.” 

Then there’s safety Ed Reed – the NFL’s active leader in career interceptions (56) and defensive touchdowns (8).

Earlier this year, NFL Network ran a behind-the-scenes special about Patriots coach Bill Belichick that included a segment that showed him and Tom Brady studying tape of Reed (you can watch it here).  Belichick and Brady marveled at Reed’s knack for reading the quarterback and ignoring his own defensive responsibilities in order to make big plays.

“I’ve been a big Ed Reed fan for a lot of years,” said Gruden.  “He’s one of my favorite defensive players ever.  He’s got incredible ball skills and a feel for the game and makes big plays at critical moments.  He’s done that year-in and year-out for a long time, even going back to theUniversity of Miami.  As a quarterback, you have to know where he is at all times.  If you’re going to throw a deep ball, you had better know where he is before you throw it because he makes up so much ground.”   

“He has great instincts,” said Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.  “He plays the eyes really well and has a really good feel for the game.  You definitely have to know where he is.” 

The rookie quarterback also has to keep his eyes on four-time Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs – the Ravens all-time leader in sacks (74.5) and forced fumbles (24). Dalton was not sacked in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh and has only been sacked 13 times this season – tied for third-fewest in the NFL.

“We try to avoid negative plays,” said Dalton.  “I’m trying to do whatever I can to either get the ball out of my hands or move around a little bit so I’m not getting sacked.”

“Sometimes he sees things a little too quickly and wants to get it out of his hands instead of letting plays develop,” said Gruden.  “(Ben) Roethlisberger takes a lot of sacks, but makes up for it by buying a lot of time and finding open receivers down the field for huge plays.  That’s something we’re lacking right now.  Sometimes, you want him to hang in there just a little bit longer, but he does go through his progressions very fast and makes good decisions most of the time.”

Following the Steelers win over the Bengals last week, rookie quarterbacks fell to 1-13 vs. Pittsburgh since LeBeau became the defensive coordinator in 2004.  In case you’re wondering, rookie QBs are 1-0 vs. Baltimore since Pagano became the defensive coordinator this year.  Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert went 9-for-20 for 93 yards with 0 TD and 0 INT in the Jaguars’ 12-7 win in Week 6.

“The Ravens are blitzing a lot,” said Gruden.  “They pose a problem for you and you had better not get into third-and-long very often or it’s going to be a long day for you.  It’s going to be very important for us to maintain the line of scrimmage, run the ball, and get into third down and ‘makeable’ where we have a chance to run or throw.”

“We’re facing another good defense so it comes down to preparation,” said Dalton.  “We feel like we put in a good game plan – now it’s a matter of going out and executing.” 

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I hope you’ll join Dave Lapham and Wayne“Box” Miller for “Bengals Gameplan” on Wednesday night from 6 to 8.  I’ll be on the road with the UC football team on Friday, but I hope you’ll join Miller and Artrell Hawkins for “Bengals Pep Rally” from 3 to 6 at the Firehouse Grill in Blue Ash.  Both shows can be heard on ESPN 1530-AM.

I’d love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I’m on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.