Bengals Recap 2018

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2018 season of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Cincinnati Bengals 2017 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

A Controversial Pick

With the 2017 NFL Draft now officially in the past, hundreds of former collegiate football players realized their dream of playing for an NFL team. My beloved Cincinnati Bengals selected numerous players from various colleges from across the country. There is one player, however, that generated more buzz than all of their draft picks combined. That player is former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.

For those of you who are unaware, Mixon was caught on video punching a woman in the face in the midst of an altercation. He hit her with such force that she was knocked off her feet and suffered broken bones in her face. The incident occurred in 2014, and Mixon was suspended for one season at Oklahoma. Mixon also had to serve 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling. The woman filed a suit against Mixon in 2016 that ended in a settlement. Mixon has since apologized to the woman, and both parties have expressed their desire to move on from the incident.

Almost every team in the league said they would not select Mixon. I was hoping the Bengals would follow suit as I found what he did in 2014 absolutely disgusting. Despite the immense baggage that Mixon would bring, the Bengals still decided to draft him in the second round. When NFL hall of famer and Bengals legend Anthony Munoz announced the pick, the entire NFL draft crowd erupted in deafening boos. A Bengals fan was shown on camera giving a thumb down to the decision. Despite the obvious backlash, the Bengals decided to welcome Mixon into the fold.

Who Dey Nation can do nothing about it. Mixon is in the Queen City and will help make up the offensive backfield alongside Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill. Despite Mixon’s presence, I am still going to root for the Bengals no matter what. I have been and will always be a diehard fan of the team. Mixon being on the roster does not change that. Media outlets have already criticized the Bengals for drafting the former Oklahoma Sooner. Let them. They need to realize that it was not Mike Brown or Marvin Lewis or anybody else on the team that punched that woman in 2014. It was one player. It was Joe Mixon. The Bengals are merely offering him a chance to play football. What Mixon does with it is up to him. It is his responsibility to change how people perceive him. The Bengals gave him the ball. Let’s see if he runs with it.

Bengals Recap 2016

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2016 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengal Graphs 2016 Part 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten from the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2016 NFL season.

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOD1kG With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #WASvsCIN #TNF #MNF #WorldSeries #mlb pic.twitter.com/GCAu3yS8oc

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 26, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #WASvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/1pcO8mdpcG

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 26, 2016

Cincinnati Bengals 2016 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2016 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Autograph Page Update

#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH #BENGALS SIGNATURES #WhoDey #LetsRoar #Reds #SuperBowl #NFL pic.twitter.com/90pPc7LvSC

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 30, 2016

PO’ed: Poorly Officiated

January 9, 2016, is a date that I and many other fans of the Cincinnati Bengals would like to forget. After trailing the entire game, my beloved Bengals fought and clawed their way back into the game and took a 16-15 lead over their biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a little under two minutes left in the game. It looked like the Bengals would finally win in the playoffs and end a 25 year postseason victory draught that dates all the way back to the 1990 NFL season. Unfortunately, the Steelers escaped with an 18-15 win over the Bengals after two stupid penalties cost the Bengals 30 yards. While the Bengals ultimately cost themselves the game, the officiating definitely played a role. Now I am not saying that the officials are the reason why the Bengals lost the game. I am saying that the officiating was so bad that the game essentially turned into a fight, and the lack of control by the referees played a key role into how violent the game became.

The head referee for this game was the same referee who officiated the second Steelers versus Bengals game. In that contest, the two teams got in a fight before the game even started. During the game, Steelers player Mike Mitchell laid a hard shot into Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert that resulted in Eifert leaving the game with a concussion. The tension only escalated from there and the officiating crew was heavily criticized for how they handled the game.

Fast forward to the playoff game for Steelers versus Bengals part three. For some stupid reason, the NFL has the same head official from the previous Steelers versus Bengals game referee the playoff game. Apparently the NFL told both teams before the game that they would not tolerate the same kind of violent play that characterized their previous meeting and at first, it looked like the officials had control of the game. Both teams were playing hard and other than an incident involving one of the Steelers coaches and Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, the game was going on without a hitch although it was a hard-hitting matchup. The officiating took a nosedive after an incident involving Ryan Shazier of the Steelers and Giovani Bernard of the Bengals.

Bernard caught a pass and took two steps before being knocked out by Ryan Shazier’s helmet-to-helmet shot that was horrific to watch. Bernard was motionless on the ground for a few minutes. Apparently the play was legal, but it was no doubt a dirty and vicious hit that could have seriously injured both players. To make matters worse, Shazier, in a display of the poorest of sportsmanship, celebrated the hit on the sideline. Things escalated quickly.

Both teams appeared to be hitting each other harder and the fans even started throwing trash onto the field. Toward the end of the game, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict laid out Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown with a shot to the head from his shoulder that floored Brown. It was reminiscent of the hit Shazier placed on Bernard. That was called a penalty. However, the play also led to another scrummage between the two teams. This time though, Steelers coach Joey Porter was on the field and jawing with Bengals cornerback Adam Jones. There was absolutely no reason for Porter to be on the field. He is a coach and should have stayed on the sideline. Had that play in which Shazier knocked out Bernard been handled better, then perhaps Brown would not have suffered that hit and the game would have not turned into a fight with fans throwing debris onto the field. The game was poorly officiated as the referees lost control. In my opinion, the NFL has a lot of explaining to do. 

I could go on and on about how bad the officiating was, but I am still disgusted with how the game ended. It was a poor display of sportsmanship from a few coaches and players on the field and an embarrassment for the NFL.

Bengal Graphs 2015

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the Cincinnati Bengals autographs he has gotten through the first four weeks of the 2015 NFL season.

RD Cards Care Package Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a care package from RD Cards. 

Give RD Cards a sub:  https://www.youtube.com/user/junkie4football

Autograph Page Update

#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH NEW #BENGALS SIGNATURE #WhoDey #LetsRoar #SEAvsCIN #NFL #MLB pic.twitter.com/2VM7bnYEGK

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 7, 2015

Photo Page Update

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS & #BEYONDTHESTRIPES PICS #WhoDey #LetsRoar #SEAvsCIN #NFL pic.twitter.com/WZfCXXWdhX

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 7, 2015

Happy but Cautious

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “it's like déjà vu all over again.” My Cincinnati Bengals have once again started the season in hot fashion. After easily beating the Oakland Raiders in week 1 of the 2015 National Football League regular season, the home opener of the Bengals in which they hosted the San Diego Chargers in week 2 was a tight game as a late interception by Vincent Rey sealed the second win of the season for the men in the black and orange stripes. Week 3 saw the Bengals blow a 14-0 lead to the Baltimore Ravens only to recapture it with a few minutes left in the game in route to a thrilling 28-24 victory that sent myself and the rest of Who Dey Nation on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The win was the team’s third of the season, and their current record is 3-0. Déjà vu. This time last year, the Bengals had the same record and were considered to be one of the best teams in the NFL. Then it all went south.

After riding a wave of momentum to three straight victories to begin last season, the New England Patriots stomped the Bengals into the ground on a nationally televised primetime Sunday night game. The swagger the Bengals had during the first three games of the 2014 season vanished and was never seen again that year. They finished the regular season with a record of 10-5-1 and limped into the playoffs where they faced the Indianapolis Colts who handed them a fourth straight first round playoff loss to extend the postseason victory draught of the Bengals to 24 years. It was a depressing end to a season that started out fantastic.

So here we are in 2015 and my beloved Bengals have once again started the season with a 3-0 record. Last year at this time, I was thrilled. This year, I am happy but cautious. I am cautious because three games are not enough to punch a team’s ticket to playoff success. The Bengals still have 13 regular season games left to play, and in the NFL, teams who are winners one week can be losers the next. I have seen my Bengals look like a powerhouse team one week only to collapse the following week in route to a loss. It is demoralizing for not only the team but for fans of the Bengals. Who Dey Nation desperately wants this team to succeed, and if the 2015 Bengals collapse like last year’s squad did, the city of Cincinnati will once again feel that unwelcomed but all too familiar emotion of heartbreak. That is why I am cautious.

However, I believe in my Bengals, and I am happy that they have won their first three games of the season. They have played really good football so far, but there is definitely room for improvement. The game against the Ravens easily pointed out that fact. I am not going to dwell on that though. Instead I am going to get pumped for the Bengals’ next two home games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks in which they hopefully extend their wining streak to five games in a row. As a Bengals fan, I am happy right now. Happy but cautious.

Who Dey! 

Autograph Page Update

#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE WITH JEREMY HILL AUTOS @ http://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr #Bengals #BeyondTheStripes #whodey #LetsRoar pic.twitter.com/tb5OM9bjcA

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 9, 2015

Photo Page Update

PIC PAGE UPDATE WITH #BEYONDTHESTRIPES PICS FEAT. JEREMY HILL @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar pic.twitter.com/tAFKd0s5Iv

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 9, 2015

Bengals 2015 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2015 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Andy or AJ

Please note that this was created and posted before the final preseason game of the year, and as a result, the final preseason game was not taken into consideration when this post was written.

Quarterbacks are considered to be the most important players on football teams. Not only do they manage the offense and are responsible for making sure that an offensive drive ends with points being put on the scoreboard, but they also are the centerpieces of their respective franchises as teams often attempt to build a successful dynasty around the quarterback position.

The Cincinnati Bengals believe that they have in fact created a successful team with Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback. However, Dalton’s erratic style of play that has defined his career with the Bengals has many fans in Cincinnati calling for a change in leadership. Many members of Who Dey Nation have pointed to backup quarterback AJ McCarron as the savior of the Bengals offense, citing his success as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide as to why he should start over Dalton.

More fuel to this argument was added when Dalton left the third game of the preseason against the Chicago Bears with an apparent neck injury. Dalton had snuck the ball into the end zone for a touchdown that capped off an impressive Bengals drive before leaving the game. After his first drive ended with a three and out, McCarron came back on the second drive with the entire first team offense, the same offense that Dalton had commanded two drives ago, and successfully stormed down the field before throwing a laser to wide receiver Marvin Jones who scampered into the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown.

The following offensive possession of the Bengals resulted in another touchdown after McCarron dropped in a 25-yard pass to tight end Tyler Eifert that set up a Jeremy Hill touchdown run from the one-yard line. It was a very impressive outing for McCarton who finished the first half with a passer rating of 158.3. So does he deserve the chance to become the starting quarterback for the Bengals?

Absolutely not. At least not yet. As much as half of the city of Cincinnati wants McCarron to get the nod over Dalton, the fact of the matter is that this was only McCarron’s second NFL game of his career. The Bengals, who signed Dalton to a massive contract last season, are not going to make the man they tagged as the face of the franchise a backup to a guy who has only played in two NFL preseason games. However, should Dalton get hurt or play horribly, then McCarron will get his chance to shine when the games matter during the regular season. Until that happens, expect to see McCarron on the sideline rather than the playing field.

I’m not going to lie. The thought of McCarron being the starting quarterback for the Bengals entered my mind as he continued to throw accurate passes on a consistent basis throughout the game. It was an entertaining thought, but as I said earlier, the job is Dalton’s unless he gets hurt or just flat out stinks. Based on the game though, it looks like the Bengals should be in good shape with either Dalton or McCarron leading the offense.

Who Dey!

Celebrity Softball Challenge

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about his experience at the Celebrity Softball Challenge during MLB All-Star Week 2015.