The players weren’t the only ones that needed a bye week. As fans, we needed a week to catch our breath and bury our frustrations. For the second straight season, the year hasn’t turned out as planned. Not that that is a bad thing. I guess we all thought that the Bengals could dance its way into the playoffs, but hardly do things ever go right in Cincinnati. It’s back to the drawing board for Cincinnati with its NFL roster looking more like the size of an MLB roster. Luckily, the talent severely drops in this game compared to last.
Kansas City has plenty of trouble of its own. “They only have three good players,” sayeth my buddy Craig yesterday. That may be true, and it probably is true, but don’t forget we’re playing at Arrowhead. This game seems reminiscent of the Seattle game. The good news, besides saving a bunch of money on car insurance, is that Damon Huard, if he plays, is not Matt Hasselbeck, nor are the Chiefs’ receivers anywhere near as talented as the Seahawks’. But maybe the loss of Jonathan Joseph evens the odds here.
How about some more doomsday talk? The Bengals were supposed to get some injured players back after the bye. The extra week clearly didn’t do much for some of the injuries to players like Brooks, Jeanty, and Miller. The biggest story is that Willie Anderson’s career is likely over. After fighting through years of pain, Big Willie’s body just can’t do it anymore.
We’ll all stand up and clap when Willie receives his plaque at the end of the year for all his service to the Bengals, just like we did for Rich Braham. And maybe one day I’ll write a Willie Anderson tribute, but not today. The Anderson injury is one of the least troubling because he really hasn’t been there all year. Willie tried to play in the early games only to realize that he’s a liability. So we go back to square one, and it takes a few drives to get the O-line in sync again. If the line can hold up as it will read in the starting lineup this week, the Bengals will be better served due to the all important concept of consistency. The offense will benefit from the consistency that comes from an offense line that is not being constantly shifted.
As for a prediction? I’m done with that. This year has been a unique one. Some people see it as a return to the dark ages. I see it as I did when Marvin first came. This team has great potential and is underachieving at the moment. And though this isn’t something to smile about, at least it’s not like watching Akili Smith take the snaps.
I laugh right along with Mike Brown when there is talk of firing Coach Lewis, and until he shows a reason for deserving otherwise, Coach Lewis will have a job here as long as Coach Lewis wants a job here. As for other coaches on the staff, let’s wait and see what happens.
Here’s to the hope that we can pull to an even .500 soon!
That’s all I’ve got for now. WHO DEY!
