Back in 2005, when the Bengals last won their division and the team was rolling very well, I enjoyed being right. I'd talk about how well Carson Palmer was going to do, or how many touchdowns Chad Johnson was going to score--and I'd be right. Now, being 2007 and the fact the Cincinnati Bengals are in the tank, I hate being right.
But I was.
My last blog addressed the Bengals' bad situation in the running game. Saturday night, as the Bengals lost 20-13 to a terrible San Francisco team, behind a quarterback that had never started a game in the NFL, the rushing game proved to be the Bengals' Achilles' Heel once again.
The Cincinnati Bengals ran the ball a total of 19 times--by committee. Rudi Johnson rushed seven times for sixteen yards--an average of 2.3 yards per carry. Kenny Watson, who doesn't get nearly enough love, carried eight times for thirty-three yards--an average of 4.1 yards per touch. DeDe Dorsey, who continues to impress at an unbelievable rate, carried twice for eleven yards--an average of 5.5 yards per carry.
One question. Why would a running back who averages 5.5 yards per carry only get that opportunity twice?
The result? As is typical this season, the frustrated Bengals abandoned the running game early, causing the team to rely on an overly predictable, and tired passing game, anchored by a struggling quarterback and a disappointing star receiver.
Don't get me wrong. The offense didn't lose this game. They just didn't win it. The defense lost the game. They couldn't get off the field, allowing the 49ers to control the ball nearly twelve minutes longer than the Bengals. Struggling Frank Gore rushed for 138 yards, a season high. Shaun Hill, who had never started a game in seven seasons as a backup, looked like John Elway, completing 75 percent of his passes, throwing for one touchdown and running for another.
If the Bengals are looking for blame for Saturday's loss, there is plenty to go around. If they are looking for answers--well, those don't seem to be as easy to find.
Keywords: Bengals, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, DeDe Dorsey, Kenny Watson, Palmer, Rudi Johnson, running game, San Francisco 49ers
