Final Analysis - ESPN Style

What did ESPN have to say about yesterday's win in Baltimore?

Benson Excells

Cedric Benson said it could be done, and he went out and proved it when he ran for 120 yards, becoming the first player in 40 games to eclipse 100 yards against the Ravens. The Ravens take great pride in holding other team's running games down, and it had been awhile since the Bengals had been able to run on the Ravens, and in the first half they did a fairly decent job, but Benson turned it on in the second half, including a 28-yard TD run in the third quarter. In all Benson rushed 27 times for 120 yards and a touchdown to help the Bengals improve to 3-0 on the road this season.



I think its safe to say that the Bengals running game is back after three seasons where they failed to average four yards per carry. It has been a big problem for the team, and one they kept saying they were going to fix, and finally it looks like they have.

Not only do we have a runner in Benson who can get tough yards, or sprint for the end zone, but we have an offensive line that has stood tall against both Pittsburg and Baltimore. The Raven's top rated run defense had been giving up just 2.6 yards per carry through the first four games, the Bengals however were able to grind out 4.2 yards. Benson was able to hit Baltimore for the longest runs given up this season. Runs of 17 and 28 yards, the last for a touch down.



Someone on the Bengals must have been watching the movie "The Express", because they unveiled a “super unbalanced” offensive line formation about a half dozen times. At times, guard Evan Mathis and a wide receiver were the only players to the left of center Kyle Cook. On the right were right guard Bobbie Williams, both tackles and both tight ends. This formation really seemed to take the Ravens by surprise.



Coach Lewis on his team's running game, “This is a team [Baltimore] that doesn’t give up 100-yard rushers. Believe me, I know that. It’s a tradition, and it’s prideful. What our offensive group and Cedric did today has been unmatched for a long time. It was a big game.”



UPDATE: Who is the NFL’s leading rusher? Cincinnati Bengals tailback Cedric Benson!

That's right Benson is leading the NFL in rushing with 487 yards, ahead of such elite rushers as Adrian Peterson (481) and Chris Johnson (468) through the first five games. Benson has two 100-yard+ games this season, including Sunday’s 120 rushing yards.

ESPN Interviews Chad After the Game

Here is a really good take by ESPN after the Bengal's victory.



It was great that the Bengal's defense could put such effort on the field for Mike Zimmer, who worked through the tragedy of losing his wife.

Amazing Cardiac Cats

It's amazing to say but the surprising Cincinnati Bengals now stand alone atop the AFC North after beating each of their division rivals over the last three weeks. What adds to the amazing story is that the Bengals beat each of these teams by three points, with each winning score coming in the last 30 seconds of the game.

In a game I did not see much to hope for, Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Mike Zimmer, Marvin Lewis, and Chad Ochocinco marched their team into Baltimore to play one of the best teams in the NFL and won. They defeated a very good Ravens. Not only did they beat the Ravens, but in many ways they dominated the game. Yes the 17-14 win was a come-from-behind victory, but watching the game you same the Bengals were running the ball, throwing the ball, and stopping the Ravens. If not for an amazing play by Raven's running back Rice and a pick 6 by Reed, the Ravens were shut down.

Check out some numbers that tell some of the story about the Bengal's victory this week:

* Time of possession - Bengals: 34:19, Ravens: 25:41.
* Rushing yards - Bengals: 142 yards, Ravens: 82 yards.
* Passing yards - Bengals: 261 yards, Ravens: 175 yards.
* Total yards - Bengals: 403 yards, Ravens: 257 yards.

This is what the Bengals defense and offense did against what had been the top-ranked defense and top ranked offense of the 2009 NFL.

And now this win over the Baltimore Ravens put the Bengals in first place in the AFC North.

What Does ESPN think?

What does ESPN think about the Bengal's chances this week?
Not much.
Watch this quick compilation and you get the feeling they are expecting a complete blow-out.


Mike and Mike in the morning both think the Bengals will lose, though Greeny at least believes the Bengals will keep it close.


The Bengals are definitely getting the reputation as cardiac kids, taking every game down to the wire.


Let's hope they are all wrong and the Bengals can continue what they have done the last three weeks and get a win.

Bengal Highlights from the First Battle of Ohio 2009

Here is a pretty good compilation of highlights from the Bengals vs. Browns.

Time To Roar

This is a great video for any Bengals fan. This is a highlight video created by another fan just prior to the the 2009 NFL season, with a little creative twist. It will totally get you pumped!

The Drive

It will be interesting to see if this drive was the beginning of something great, or just a momentary ray of sun light. Will this be a chapter in the book of Bengals Lore, or a footnote.



Time will only tell.

Welcome

This is a Blog about my favorite sports team, the Cincinnati Bengals. Yes there are a few of us out there. We are the ones who go through years of heartache and despair, all in the hope that one year we will see our team succeed.

It's easy for people to be fans of Pittsburgh and Dallas, it takes real heart to be a fan of Cincinnati.