Their Time Will Come

          The Cincinnati Bengals came into the 2011 season with very low expectations. Their franchise quarterback retired and they went in to opening weekend starting three rookies at key positions on offense. The expectations began to change as the young and competitive Bengals started the season 6-2, which included a five game winning streak. Since their hot start, the Bengals have lost four of five and are on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff berth. Their latest loss came at home to the Houston Texans. The Texans were starting their third string quarterback T.J. Yates, who led them downfield for the go ahead score with two seconds remaining in the game. The Bengals had the lead the whole game up until that point. Since the heartbreaking loss all I am hearing from fans in the area is that it is “the same old Bengals” or that “Marvin needs to go.”

          Well, I think that Bengal fans need to calm down and realize that the Bengals probably aren’t a playoff team. That may be hard to grasp considering their hot start, but it’s the truth. In fact, this team still has a decent shot to make the playoffs if they win their final three games, which is very possible. What if they don’t win out and they do not make the postseason for the third time since 1990? Are Bengals fans going to say the same lines I mentioned above? If so, I have two questions for them: How? And why? How is this 2011 team like all of the others? When have the Bengals had two rookies bust on the scene and show that they are budding NFL superstars? Why does Marvin need to go? Wasn’t this team supposed to go winless? Rick Reilly predicted that the Bengals would go 0-16. Now, Bengal fans want to moan and grown when the Bengals fall to 7-6? I was disappointed after the loss and I will never accept losing, but I am not going to let it spoil this season. I am not going to say Marvin needs to go or that these Bengals are just like the Bengal teams of past years. I am going to have perspective. Why? Because these young Cats can play. A.J. Green is already one of the best wide receivers in the game and he is just a rookie. Andy Dalton has been compared to Tom Brady this season. The potential for this team is sky high, but they just need time to grow and address a few weak spots.

          The Bengals are probably going to finish 8-8 or 9-7 this season. Any fan that wants to complain should ask an Indianapolis fan how they feel about their season. There is no way that I am going to complain about what the Bengals have done this year. This team feels like it is close to breaking out and that break out could be in the next three games to lead to a playoff run or it could be next season. Either way, relax Bengals fans and be patient because a winning team is forming in Cincinnati.

Andy Dalton (left) and A.J. Green (right) are young players who have
 the talent to lead this team to great things for years to come.
(Photo Courtesy of Cincinnati.com)

Week 9 Picks

Week 9 already? Wasn't this season supposed to be cancelled? Or was that the NBA? The NFL season has been very exciting and the Bengals are surprising a lot of people. If they get a win this week I might go all in on the young team from Cincinnati. Right now, they are a feel good story that comes back down to earth this week.

I'll take the NY Jets over Buffalo, Houston over Cleveland, Atlanta over Indy, New Orleans over Tampa, San Francisco over Washington, St. Louis over Arizona, Tennesee over Cincinnati (I hope I'm wrong), Green Bay over San Diego and New England over the NY Giants.

Intriguing game of the Week: Oakland over Denver- Carson Palmer makes his first start as a Raider against the immortal Tim Tebow. The fact is, Oakland has a better running game and defense even with their star running back out. Tim Tebow will keep his team in the game, but Oakland wins by a FG.
Oakland: 24    Denver: 21

Upset Special- Miami over Kansas City- Miami played well last week and almost got their first win. Now, they face a Kansas City team who has won four games in a row. Kansas City seems like a lock right? Wrong. Miami's run defense will hold Jackie Battle and co. in check and the Miami Dolphins will get their first win of the season.  Miami:17    Kansas City: 14

Lock of the Week- Dallas over Seattle- The Cowboys are at home and need a win this week. I think Cowboys' QB Tony Romo leads his team to a much needed victory. Dallas is a very good survivor pool play this week.
Dallas: 31   Seattle:17

Game of the Week: Pittsburgh over Baltimore- The Steelers were dominated bythe Ravens in week one. Well, since then Pittsburgh has went 6-1 and is fresh off of a big win over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. I think Pittsburgh gets their revenge.
Pittsburgh: 20    Baltimore: 17

I think Big Ben and the Steelers will come out and get revenge
on Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL Picks Week 4

How great is it to have football back? Sundays are entertaining and on Mondays there's always something to talk about. The baseball playoffs started, who knew? Well, last week I had a solid record with my NFL picks. I was 11-5. I got my two locks right (Pittsburgh and San Diego) and hope to one up myself this week with a better performance. My overall record is 25-7 (didn't make picks the first week). Well, there's no reason to keep you waiting any longer. Here are my NFL picks for week 4: Buffalo over Cincinnati, Cleveland over Tennessee, Detroit over Dallas, Philadelphia over San Francisco, Minnesota over Kansas City, NY Giants over Arizona, Atlanta over Seattle, Green Bay over Denver, New England over Oakland, San Diego over Miami and Tampa over Indy.


Lock of the week is: New Orleans over Jacksonville.

Upset Special: St. Louis over Washington 

My Survivor Pool Pick this week: Chicago over Carolina. Also considered Buffalo over Cincinnati.
Use one of those if your in a survivor pool and you should make it one more week.

Must watch games of the Week: Pittsburgh vs Houston and NY Jets vs Baltimore.

I'll take Pittsburgh and Baltimore in those games.

Sam Bradford can't let his Rams fall to 0-4. They won 7 games
last year and were my pick to win the NFC West this year.
I think they knock off Washington this week.

Bengals Fans Just Don't Get it

         During the NFL lockout there were plenty of fans that weren't excited about the football season. I heard more than one person say "they hoped there wasn't a season, so the Bengals didn't embarrass themselves." Well, a week 1 victory and a solid week 2 from rookie QB Andy Dalton has suddenly raised expectations. The Bengals lost their home opener on Sunday. Andy Dalton didn't play well and looked like a rookie all afternoon.  Last night on Twitter someone asked the Bengals' beat Writer Joe Reedy if he thought we would win another game this season. I do not get how you could ask that question. The Bengals will win another game. They will win a few more, but they won't be the 8-10 win team that fans were dreaming about. They also won't be the 1 win team that is in the running for the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Stop getting too high and too low Bengals fans. Isn't that bad for your health?

          Before the season started, I said I was excited. I was excited to start a season without having high hopes. I was interested in seeing this young team play. I said that they would entertain us and be competitive. I also predicted they'd win four games. The Bengals have potential, but they won't touch their true potential this season. That is okay with me (and should be okay with all Bengals fans), because going into this year I knew they would be average or below average most of the time. I knew they would show flashes of very good play and follow it with horrid play. That's what young players do and that's what we can expect from the 2011 Bengals. They had no business beating Cleveland in season opener, but they also had no business losing to Denver when the Broncos were missing 40% of their starters.

          This is a young team and we need to give them time to work out all of the kinks. Becoming great at anything takes time, and the Bengals just aren't there yet. Stop jumping on or off the bandwagon because there isn't one this year. This season is an interview for next year. We don’t have a horrible record (1-2) and as long as we grow each week I can’t be mad at them. Watch the games and make a decision on whether or not you'll be on the band wagon next year. Next year they may have a shot to be 10-6, but for now let's realize that this is just the beginning and with a little luck we might just have a shot to be very good in a few short years.

AJ Green (above) and the Bengals have potential, they just need time to grow as players.

Let's Try This Again

          Last season when the University of Cincinnati Bearcats played N.C. State they got beat up. The Bearcats were physically and mentally weaker than the Wolfpack. UC was on the road, had a new head coach and was missing their starting running back. Not to mention that the team was very young. This season, they are at home, have veteran leaders and are hoping for a better outcome than they received last season.

          They have to turn to guys like J.K. Schaffer to help the defense really hold its’ own against North Carolina State. The Bearcats are 2-1 and if they want to re-establish their relevance in college football, this is a game they have to win. The game is being nationally televised on ESPN. The win would give them a 3-1 record and give them momentum heading into their conference schedule.

          I think their offense is going to need to score. Defense has been a problem in Bearcat country for years and with young defensive backs it will be hard for the defense to contain the Wolfpack. The key to the offense is the offensive line and Senior QB Zach Collaros. If the line can open up holes for Isiah Pead like they have the first three games and give Collaros time to throw the ball our offense should be in good shape. Zach needs to be able to feel when he is being pressured and make good decisions in and out of the pocket. One way to hide a defense is to keep them off of the field. Third down conversions will play a major role in deciding this game. It would be huge if the UC defense can get off of the field and get the ball back for its’ offense. If we can run the ball effectively and have long 10-12 play scoring drives it will keep our defense rested for a big stop late in the game. I think the defense will have to make a play late to bring home a win.



Bottom Line: For UC to win this football game they need to do a few things:


1.Establish the run. After that they need to run, run and run some more.


2. Give Collaros time to throw: If Zach gets time, he is very effective. I would like to see him use his feet some tonight to get positive yards in pressure situations.


3. Get the ball to the playmakers: Isiah Pead, D.J. Woods, Anthony McClung.


4. Get off of the field on Third down: If the UC defense can step up and get off of the field on third downs, it will really give the Bearcats a good shot at winning.



Prediction: I think that the defense who can slow the others offense down (just a little) will win. I think it will be a high scoring game and one in which the Bearcats win in a very tight contest. The team with the last defensive stop will win and that will be UC.


Final Score: UC: 38 N.C. State: 31

Isiah Pead (above) didn't play in the loss at N.C. State last
season. He should be a difference maker in
a game that UC needs to win.

NFL Picks Week 2

Well, after such a pass heavy opening week to the NFL, I expect things to settle down some. There are some great games scheduled though and with that said, here are my picks for week 2:


Buffalo vs Oakland- 1pm game time and Oakland is coming east to play this game in Buffalo. Oakland doesn’t seem to beat anyone outside of the AFC West. That, the time change and the fact that Buffalo is a pretty solid football team lead to the Raiders losing to the Bills.


Final Score: Buffalo: 31 Oakland: 21


Green Bay vs Carolina- I know that Carolina is at home and Cam Newton had a great rookie debut, but they lost last week. That Arizona team they lost to is nowhere near as good as tthe defending Super Bowl Champs. Packers cruise.


Final Score: Green Bay: 38 Carolina: 17


Detroit vs Kansas City- Kansas City was embarrassed last week and a lot of people think that this game will be no different. They are on the road against an up and coming Lions team. I think Kansas City is better than people think, but Detroit is at home and they win by two scores.



Final Score: Detroit: 30 Kansas City: 17


Cleveland vs Indianapolis- In my opinion, this is the hardest game to predict. Cleveland did not look good at all lost week. They seem over hyped and before Peyton Manning went down the Colts were definitely the favorite. I think this game will be a battle. Kerry Collins doesn’t want to be a bust and Indy has a few playmakers to keep it close. However, Peyton Hillis is going to run wild on this Indy team and he will lead his Browns to a win.



Final Score: Cleveland: 24 Indianapolis: 16


Chicago vs New Orleans- New Orleans came up short last week at Lambeau field, but have a shot to redeem themselves at home to a Chicago team that beat up on Atlanta last week. Before the season I said Chicago would be better than Detroit in their conference and compete for a playoff spot. After last week, my prediction looked right. The problem is, I just can’t see New Orleans starting 0-2.


Final Score: New Orleans: 31 Chicago: 28


Jacksonville vs New York: Jacksonville beat a very weak Tennessee team by two and I have a feeling they won’t be so lucky this week. The Jets escaped the Cowboys and now will destroy the Jaguars.


Final Score: New York: 28 Jacksonville: 7


Baltimore vs Tennessee: Baltimore is coming into this game very confident. They just dismantled their division rival at home and I expect them to beat up on the Titans the same way. They are going to be too physical for Chris Johnson and the Titans.



Final Score: Baltimore: 24   Tennessee: 10


Cincinnati vs Denver: The Bengals come off a very grind it out win against Cleveland. They are going up against a beat up Denver team, but for some reason I am leaning toward the Broncos here. Whoever runs the ball best will have the advantage (Cincinnati), but I think the Broncos use their home crowd and deny the Bengals their first win in Denver since 1975 (I hope I'm WRONG).


Final Score: Denver: 23   Cincinnati: 20



Washington vs Arizona: This is a very interesting matchup. Tim Hightower goes against his former team. Two quarterbacks that won in their first week of being the official starter of their respective teams. Arizona's pass defense worries me and it will really hurt them on the road in this game.



Final Score: Washington: 28  Arizona: 21


Dallas vs San Francisco: Dallas choked last week in the meadowlands and the 49ers got two big plays on special teams that helped them get by Seattle. I think Tony Romo and the Cowboys are going to be all business and win this game by two possessions.



Final Score: Dallas: 27   San Francisco: 16


Miami vs Houston- Houston is coming off of a big win and is extremely confident. Miami gave up the most passing yards in Monday Night Football history. I think Miami will perform better defensively than they did last week, but they still come up short and Houston becomes 2-0. Arian Foster also looks to return to the Texans after being out last week with a hamstring injury.



Final Score: Houston: 31  Miami: 17


St. Louis vs New York Giants- Here we have two teams that missed the playoffs by a game last year and opened this season with a week 1 loss. St. Louis would normally be my pick here, but they are just too banged up. Sam Bradford is hurt, but expected to play. I think the Giants D line is going to get after him. Their workhouse Steven Jackson is also banged up and is not playing. I think being on the road, banged up against a Giants team that would be facing a lot of heat if they lost this game is too much to overcome for Bradford and the young Rams.



Final Score: New York: 24   St. Louis: 17


Lock of the Week:
Seattle vs Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh is coming off a beating. Baltimore destroyed the Steelers. Well, this week the Steelers are going to take their anger and rage out on the poor Seahawks. This one is going to get ugly.


Final Score: Pittsburgh: 35 Seattle: 3


Upset Special:


Tampa Bay vs Minnesota- Both teams are 0-1 and are desperate for a win. Mcnabb struggled in his Vikings debut and will look to rebound. Tampa Bay is the better team and lost at home to the Lions last week. In this case, I am going to go with the veteran Quarterback at home, with the best running back in the NFL. This is my upset special; Vikes win on a last second field goal.



Final Score: Minnesota: 27 Tampa Bay: 24


Intriguing Matchup of the Week


Atlanta vs Philadelphia- Mike Vick comes back to where it all started. He's never played in the Georgia dome as a starter for anyone but the Falcons. It will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to him, but a lot of reports i have read said Atlanta still loves Vick. Froma football standpoint Atlanta plays very well at home. They need to run the ball and keep Michael Vick on the sidelines. Atlanta secondary is concerning and is something that needs to be addressed. However, Matt Ryan is 20-2 on his home turf and he wants to show his own Atlanta fans that he is the man for the job and not Vick.



Final Score: Atlanta: 35   Philadelphia: 31

Matt Ryan looks to mark his territory against
 former Atlanta QB Michael Vick.

Game of the Week


New England vs San Diego- This is going to be a fun game to watch. Brady and Rivers are two of the best quarterbacks in the league. However, Brady has more weapons, a better coach and he is at home. New England takes this game.

Final Score: New England: 34   San Diego: 28

Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers square off in what
should be a great game.

Bill Belichick at His Finest

I absolutely love this video. Rare to see Belichick like this.


Usually he's focused like this