Rival Report: Bengals imploding as players, fans react negatively
Things in Cincinnati just keep getting worse for the Bengals – and their fans. After dropping their first two games of the season, the most recent to the Houston Texans on Thursday night, members of the team were very vocal publicly about who is to blame and fans are ready to mutiny. It’s not the first time in team history that things have imploded, but the Bengals had been seeing better days with Andy Dalton at quarterback. That’s no longer the case. With change in the air, where do the Bengals go moving forward and can they recover the 2017 season before it’s lost?
Dalton’s hot seat just became a blast furnace
For two weeks in a row, Dalton has been unable to get the Bengals offense into the end zone. Granted, the starting veteran quarterback is a viable target for the ire of those watching this team play – he’s who everyone expects to be the offensive leader. Unfortunately, it isn’t just Dalton’s play alone that is woefully inadequate this season.
Former Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh imparted his wisdom in a video to TMZ Sports. In the video, Houshmandzadeh pointed out that there is plenty of blame, but added, “You have to look at Andy Dalton because yesterday Brandon LaFell was wide open on the play and he missed him.”
Houshmandzadeh also called out receiver Alex Erickson for not making himself a nice enough target for Dalton to find on a play that could have put the Bengals over the top. “Erickson did not create any separation. He didn’t give Andy Dalton a target. Andy Dalton had to make a perfect throw, and he didn’t …” This led Houshmandzadeh to ask if Dalton isn’t making “the plays” or is the problem that Dalton does not feel comfortable with the plays that are being called.
Interestingly, Erickson was one of the bright spots on the Bengals’ offensive side of the roster against the Texans. Tyler Boyd was a surprise 11th-hour scratch (hamstring) and after first-round pick John Ross coughed up the ball on his first and only touch of the game, Erickson picked up the slack for both receivers. Erickson had touches as a receiver, a rusher, a punt returner and kick returner, accounting for 197 all-purpose yards in the game.
Erickson, the former undrafted rookie free agent, rising to the top of the roster and doing well made the spotlight swing squarely back onto Dalton regardless of what Houshmandzadeh had to say about one play.
Lewis pressured, changed course before weekend
In his post-game press conference head coach Marvin Lewis was cornered by the media. Early in the presser, Lewis was asked what he saw in offensive coordinator Ken Zampese that made him believe he could turn things around. “He’s worked incredibly hard at this,” Lewis responded. “He has good command of the things we’ve done. But, we’re not getting the results we need to get.” Immediately, Lewis was asked if he was committed to Zampese and Lewis quipped that he’d already answered the question.
Lewis didn’t stick with Zampese, however. He fired him. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Lewis had little choice per unnamed sources. Certainly there were players on the team that were vocal and unabashed at sharing their opinion.
A.J. Green speaks to the media in the locker room after #HOUvsCIN pic.twitter.com/wKu7g8S3ia
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2017
Green’s on-field emotion certainly seemed to match his off-field sentiment; he wants the ball and he wants to make plays.
When in doubt, look for @ajgreen_18. #HOUvsCIN #Bengals50 pic.twitter.com/QwF7ECyx6G
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2017
The Bengals organization has long held on to a belief in valuing the continuity of its staff, and that may have led to Lewis, who is in a contract year, being placed in the proverbial rock and hard place to make the change that owner Mike Brown – a man who admittedly loathes change – approved: letting Zampese go and promoting quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor.
Ken Zampese has done a tremendous job for us for my 15 years here, and I have the utmost respect for Ken as a person and as a coach. But I feel it best for the football team to breathe new life into the offense, and that’s why I am making the change. – M. Lewis
Brown watched his team become the first in the league since 1939 to not score a single touchdown while opening a season with two home games. Both Brown and as a result, Lewis were in a situation where their fan base was ready to walk and the morale in the locker room was melting down.
Lazor is credited for helping restore a spread offense under Chip Kelly in 2013 with the Philadelphia Eagles, but as the heir apparent to a Bengals offense in full breakdown he is faced with a broken offensive line and a quarterback who’s lost his edge. Cincinnati is 8-14-1 since Dalton broke his thumb late in 2015, but it is a small factor in an offense that just is ineffective and inefficient.
Lazor said on Friday, after taking the job, “As a coordinator, two of the most important things that you have to do are to get the quarterback in rhythm and get the running back in rhythm.” Whether that means he’ll apply internal pressure to get Lewis to decide on who the number one running back will be or who should become the top wide receiver target remains to be seen.
New Bengals' OC Bill Lazor: "There is a lot of football ahead of us this season and we are excited to make this a productive year.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2017
What the Bengals want to put in the past
Cincinnati wants to move on. They’ve made that clear. And after a play like this…can you really blame them? They also want to improve the image they’ve garnered and the attitude players on their rosters have shared in utter frustration.
Jim Ross calls JJ Watt's game ending crushing of the Bengals' center
(Video via @Deadspin) #HOUvsCIN pic.twitter.com/edkjb2jsPR
— YourSports (@YourSports) September 15, 2017
The Bengals aren't sugarcoating it. pic.twitter.com/lKKOcOOGji
— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 15, 2017
Bengals still questionable moving forward
One area Cincinnati can put some positive spin on is their production on defense. They aren’t putting up the top numbers in the league, but are responding in a situation where they are being asked to give more than the offense can. Against the Texans George Iloka was once again joined by Shawn Williams and with the help of nice play by Carlos Dunlap and others, limited the Texans offense to just 266 yards.
I’m not going to over-analyze this game … As a defense, we played OK. But we didn’t play good enough to win. – G. Iloka
“It’s offense, defense, and special teams. This is the NFL; you have to win all three sides of the ball,” cornerback Adam Jones said in reaction. “There’s no sugarcoating that. That’s what happens in the NFL. It won’t happen overnight. You have to take it like a man and keep working.”
As for offense, there may be more changes as Lazor adjusts to his new position and responsibilities. Whether Dalton will be benched in favor for A.J. McCarron – as many fans have begged for on social media – is unclear. At this point, Dalton looks to be a better choice, regardless of the past two games, to face the Green Bay Packers in Week Three.
There is plenty of uncertainty, but the Bengals have little choice but to move forward.
Lazor: we all share burden of what has happened
— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) September 15, 2017
