Hanging Out With Hall (Leon Hall Autograph Signing)

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone heads to the 11-18-14 edition of "Beyond the Stripes" in hopes of getting Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall's autograph.

A Win’s a Win

After easily handing the New Orleans Saints a defeat and attaining an ugly win over the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals headed into their showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a two game win streak and a bit of momentum. Their game against the Bucs was the final stop of a three game road trip. Considering how tough the final four games of the regular season will be, a victory in Tampa Bay was a must for the Bengals, and despite Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton throwing three interceptions in the first half and Marvin Lewis calling for an inexplicable onside kick in the third quarter which resulted in the Bucs scoring points, the Bengals managed to escape Tampa Bay with a hideous 14-13 win.

The game started off on a bad note when Dalton, who was battling some sort of illness, threw a pick on the very first offensive play of the day. Luckily, the defense stood tall, and the Bucs only came away with a field goal to lead the Bengals 3-0. The Bucs would later extend their lead to 10-0 when running back Doug Martin took it in from the seven-yard line for the score. The Bengals responded late in the second quarter when Dalton raced into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 10-7 in favor of the Bucs.

On the Bucs’ next offensive drive, Bengals cornerback Terrance Newman picked off a pass from Bucs quarterback Josh McCown, giving the Bengals a shot to at least tie the game before halftime. Unfortunately, Dalton threw another interception, his third pick of the day, and the Bucs held onto their 10-7 lead over the Bengals as the half ended.

Based on the first half, Dalton was having a horrible game, throwing three picks and leading the Bengals offense to only seven points. The second half was an improvement for the Red Rifle, however, as Dalton found his groove in the third quarter. After leading the offense down the field, he connected with Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green for a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Bengals a 14-10 lead over the Bucs.

All seemed good until the kickoff when, for some odd reason, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called for an onside kick despite the defense playing very well. The Bucs recovered the kick, but only managed to get a field goal as they closed the gap to make it 14-13 in favor of the Bengals. From this point on, it was an offensive struggle for both teams as the defenses of the Bengals and the Bucs were able to keep points off the board. However, the game was far from over, and the final two minutes proved to be the most exciting and terrifying moments of the entire contest.

After Bengals punter Mike Nugent’s punt went into the end zone for a touchback, the Bucs offense moved the ball down the field and eventually reached the 20-yard line of the Bengals with a little over 20 seconds left in the game. That’s when Marvin Lewis made the play of the day.

Lewis threw the red challenge flag and ran onto the filed in order to get the attention of one of the referees, telling him that there were 12 offensive players on the field. Since there was under two minutes left in the game, coach’s challenges are no longer in play and the Bengals were charged with a timeout. However, the replay official called for an official review. The review proved that Lewis was right which resulted in not only the play being overturned, but also a penalty against the Bucs that pushed them out of field goal range. The defense then forced a turnover on downs, and the Bengals escaped Tamp Bay with a victory.

The win was the team’s third consecutive victory on the road. Not only did that set a franchise record, but it also put some distance between the Bengals and the rest of the teams in the AFC North as the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Pittsburgh Steelers all lost their games.

While the win was the ugliest victory of the year for the men in the black and orange stripes, it was still a win, and at the end of the day, that is all that matters. Next for the Bengals is the first of four straight games in what will be the toughest stretch of the season as the hated Steelers come to Paul Brown Stadium next Sunday with divisional title implications on the line. Hopefully this Bengals win streak gets extended to four when it is all said and done week. Until then, enjoy these highlights of the Bengals win in Tamp Bay.

Who-Dey!

Survivor Series 2014 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Survivor Series 2014.

Holding on in Houston

While the Cincinnati Bengals cruised to a an easy 27-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints last week in the Superdome, their game this week was an entirely different story but with the same result as the Bengals paid a visit to the Houston Texans and came away with an ugly 22-13 win.

Even though the win was ugly, the entire game itself was not as the first half was comparable to the game against the Saints in that, for the most part, it was a thing of beauty. The Bengals grabbed a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when quarterback Andy Dalton connected with wide receiver mighty Mo Sanu for a six-yard touchdown. The defense later added a safety to make the score at the half 9-3 in favor of the Bengals.

The Bengals looked good at the start of the third quarter as Rey Maualuga picked off Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett during Houston’s first offensive drive of the second half. Bengals running back Jeremy Hill took into the end zone a few plays later to give the Bengals a 16-3 lead. Then things got ugly.

NRG Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Bengals in recent years. The Bengals played the Texans in the playoffs two years in a row in Houston, and both times, the Texans sent the Bengals home with a playoff loss. It appeared that the Texans were going to send the team packing with a third straight defeat at NRG Stadium.

The Texans’ comeback attempt started when former Cincinnati Bengals and current Houston Texans cornerback Jonathan Joseph picked off Dalton and took it to the end zone for a touchdown to bring the Texans within six of the Bengals. The Texans would later add a field goal to make it a 16-13 game. At this point, I was watching the game in shock, as I could not believe that the Texans easily scored 10 points in only one quarter to be within three points of the Bengals.

The game remained close into the fourth quarter as the Bengals offense seemed to sputter. They were, however, able to add to their total when Bengals kicker Mike Nugent’s field goal gave them a six-point cushion. Nugent also had a 49-yard field goal late in the quarter, which iced the game, as the Bengals were able to escape Houston’s house of horrors with a 22-13 win.

The defense was the brightest aspect of the Bengals this week as they limited the offense of the Texans to only six points, and they bailed out the offense when it struggled in the second half. A.J. Green was another bright spot for the team as he hauled in 12 catches for 121 yards. Mo Sanu had a strong performance as well, catching 5 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown.

While the Bengals’ offensive performance against the Texans was not as great as it was against the Saints, it was good enough to get the win and in the end, that is really all that matters as the victory allows the team to stay atop the tough AFC North for another week. The defense played really well today, and hopefully the offense is able to find the groove it had in the game against the Saints as the Bengals face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team next week that earlier this season defeated the hated Pittsburgh Steelers much to the delight of Bengals fans everywhere. So until next week, enjoy these highlights from the Bengals game as well as some turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving and Who-Dey!

Updated Photo Page

UPDATED PHOTO PAGE WITH #BEYONDTHESTRIPES PICS WITH LEON HALL at http://t.co/hkmCQl0Twv #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar pic.twitter.com/haHSYon7oO

— Cincy Fan Zone (@cincyfanzone) November 19, 2014

Johnny Bench Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the Forever Collectibles "Legends of the Park" Cincinnati Reds Johnny Bench bobblehead.

Who-Dey Hammers Who-Dat

Great. Incredible. Fantastic. Phenomenal. Awesome. Outstanding. Amazing. These are just a few of the many words that can be used to describe the way the Cincinnati Bengals performed Sunday afternoon.

After a horrendous and embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns in what was the worst outing the Bengals had in a game this entire season, the men in the black and orange stripes rebounded and had one of their best games this year as they beat the New Orleans Saints by a score of 27-10.

This was a huge victory for the Bengals, and after the Thursday Night Football debacle, many Bengals fans, including myself, thought of this as a must win game as a loss could have put in motion a downward spiral for the team. Fortunately that was not the case as the Bengals bounced back big and silenced the Saints and the Superdome.

The game did not start out ideally for the Bengals as a combination of sloppy defensive play, penalties, and good plays by the Saints allowed New Orleans to grab an early 3-0 lead. The Bengals responded with an incredible offensive drive that was capped off with a play that was both bizarre and scary as Jermaine Gresham caught a pass from Andy Dalton and tried to extend his arm across the goal line for the touchdown while simultaneously attempting to break a tackle. The ball was then knocked out of his hand as he fell to the ground. A mad scramble for the fumbled ball ensued. Gresham ended up kicking the ball into the end zone and recovered it for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 7-3 lead.

After that, the Bengals never looked back as the defense rebounded nicely and held the Saints scoreless for the rest of the half and the offense added a pair of field goals, including one to end the second quarter after Jeremy Hill reeled off a huge 62-yard run, to give the Bengals a 13-3 lead.

In the second half, the Bengals offense added 14 more points as Jermaine Gresham and A.J. Green hauled in passes from Dalton for touchdowns. The defense allowed just one touchdown to the Saints and essentially stifled Drew Brees and his arsenal of offensive weapons as well as the Superdome crowd. Fans of the Saints are known for making the Superdome not only loud but also difficult for visiting offenses to make play calls. That was not the case today as the great play by both the defense and the offense of the Bengals turned the home of the Saints into a literal home of saints as the stadium was as quiet as a church for most of the game.

Overall, this was one of the best performances turned in by the Bengals all year, and it was reminiscent of the way they played during the first three weeks of the season. The defense played well, and the offense was balanced with its attack as the running game produced 186 yards and the passing game produced 220 yards. Dalton had one of his best games of the season as he threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Green had 127 yards receiving and a touchdown catch, and Hill had 152 yards rushing off 27 attempts.

As a Bengals fan, this was a beautiful game to watch. Not only did the defense finally show up to play, but the offense was able to establish a running game which opened up the passing game which led to 27 points and a Bengals win. It seemed like the day couldn’t get any better…or so I thought. The Browns lost to the Texans, allowing the Bengals to reclaim the top spot in the AFC North.

While this was a great win for the Bengals, the team cannot rest on its laurels as it has a date with the Houston Texans next Sunday. NRG Stadium, formerly known as Reliant Stadium, has been a house of horrors for the Bengals as the Texans beat the Bengals there two years in a row in the playoffs. 

Hopefully the Bengals will play the way they did today not only next week but throughout the rest of the season and into the playoffs as their schedule only gets tougher. For now though Who-Dey Nation, let’s enjoy this win as well as the highlights from the game as we get pumped up for next week.

Who-Dey! 

George Foster Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the 2012 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum George Foster bobblehead.

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!

Gettin' Tricky with Ickey (Ickey Woods Autograph Signing)

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone goes to the 10-28-2014 edition of “Beyond the Stripes” and meets Ickey Woods, competes in an “Ickey Shuffle” competition, and gets an autograph!