Primetime Problems...Again

Awful. Terrible. Horrendous. Ugly. Brutal. Sick. Nauseating. These are just a few of the many words that can be used to describe the way the Cincinnati Bengals performed Thursday night.

Once again the Bengals were showcased in a high profile, high stakes, primetime football game that was seen across the nation, and once again the Bengals embarrassed themselves when the lights were shining brightest. The Cleveland Browns cruised to a 24-3 victory over the Bengals and ended the team’s home-unbeaten streak that dated back to 2012.

In my opinion, this was a must win game for the Bengals as a victory would have put some distance between them and the other teams in the division as well as keep the Bengals atop the AFC North Division rankings. Unfortunately, the loss caused the Bengals to tumble to third in the standings.

To me, this loss was worse than the beating the New England Patriots handed the Bengals during their Sunday night game back in week five. Sure the Patriots absolutely crushed the Bengals, but it appeared that the Bengals were completely outplayed and outcoached by a better team. In the game against the Browns, it felt like the Bengals did not even take the field. They played so bad that I was literally lost for words when trying to discuss how awful the team looked.

Now don’t get me wrong. The Browns proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that their winning record is no fluke and that they are a real contender this season. They earned the win on Thursday night. My beef with the game is that the Bengals turned in their worst performance of the 2014 season. The defense still resembled Swiss cheese, the running game was a joke, receivers like Mighty Mo Sanu and A.J. Green could not haul in the few passes that were on target, and Andy Dalton had quite possibly the worst performance from a Bengals quarterback that I have ever seen, and I watched the Bengals during the Akili Smith years.

Remember when the Bengals were being praised and were thought of as one of the NFL’s top teams this year? That was after three weeks. After 10 weeks, they have become a laughingstock and rightfully so as they have failed to deliver when it matters most.

However, as an optimist and a diehard fan of the Bengals, I have to think that his performance is a one and done deal for the team this season. In fact, if the Bengals want to have any hope of making the playoffs this year, it has to be a one and done deal. The team still has to play the New Orleans Saints, the Denver Broncos, the Browns again, and the Pittsburgh Steelers twice. All of which are good teams that will manhandle the Bengals if they morph into the Bungles again this season. Oh yeah, that game against the Broncos is a primetime contest on a Monday night. Let’s hope the Bengals don’t wilt under the lights when Peyton comes to town.

Who-Dey!