Time to call it quits...Bengals, you're fired!

Don’t worry, I’ve not gone over to the dark side and you won’t find me twirling a tiny yellow towel over my head in an over-hyped three-sided stadium any time soon.

I’m stuck with the Bengals for life, for better or worse but for the purpose of this blog I think a trial seperation may be best for all concerned.

It’s not you Cincinnati, it’s me, well, no, actually, it is you.

This season has been a crushing disappointment and has now slumped into a seemingly endless cycle of woe and it has become more and more difficult to find new angles from which to write.

Things have gotten really boring, really quickly. There are only so many times you can question why Bob Bratkowski is still in employment, why Carson Palmer makes such stupid throws or why the team has so many pre-snap penalties before you start going round the twist. And as I don’t get paid for writing this (I’m not complaining btw, it must be hell at the minute to actually HAVE to cover the Bengals) I think it’s best for my sanity if we start to focus on other things.

So, from next week this blog will revert to covering the big talking points around the NFL, with the built in caveat that we will return to Cincinnati should something unexpected or, dont laugh, exciting actually happen.

Now, speaking of the unexpected (and in one swoop contradicting the previous sentence), I didn’t expect the Bengals to lose to the Colts in the manner they did on Sunday.

The loss was fine, when was the last time Peyton Manning was beaten by a 2-6 side? But holding arguably the greatest quarterback of all time to under 200 yards? No touchdowns? Surely any competent team would snatch this rare chance of victory?

Not the Bengals offense, who contrived for five turnovers to kill hopes of the win, even after the rare recovery of an onside kick.

Mr Palmer had a Mr Palmer kind of game. He looked very good in patches but made the obligatory nonsensical throws which were duly picked off and proved costly. Cedric Benson increasingly looks like a man devoid of any confidence, which meant even Bernard Scott (who must have dropped a real faux pax somewhere behind the scenes given his criminal lack of playing time) saw some action.

On the plus side, Chad Ochocinco actually decided to turn up, which was a real shame as may others didn’t. Infact, with the exception of Jermain Gresham and possibly Jordan Shipley, you got the impression much of the Bengals offense didn’t really care too much. They seemed so unhurried, even when down by a distance, where was the urgency, the desire?

I suppose they all got paid, so what does it matter?

Next up is Buffalo, who aren’t very good and who we will actually be favourites to beat.

But for any learned Bengals fan, the alarm bells are ringing.

Given the general ineptitude of the Bengals over the previous two decades its difficult to lay claim to a bogey side but if we have one, the Bills are it, having won the last nine matchups.

And while the Bills may be struggling they have pushed a number of good sides close this season and only some appalling calls by the officials (including a ludicrous video review) cost them a win in Baltimore.

More than that, Sunday marks the return to Cincinnati of former Bengals quarterback Ryan “Crazy Legs” Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick, or Fitz for short, started 11 forgettable games for the Bengals during the 2008 season. His play was generally dire but somewhere on his journey to upstate New York he learned to throw further than 20 yards and has been impressive at times this season.

It’s a general rule in Bengal-land that we struggle against rookie quarterbacks and that also goes for previously incompetent players who are heading back to the Queen City with something to prove.

That said, there’s always a pick or two in Fitz and if D-line can keep him under pressure, messrs Hall, Joseph and Williams could have a fruitful day.

But this is Bengal-land and I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.

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