The Cincinnati Bengals and UC Bearcats both have pressing needs for on the field improvements. Similar to the same situation the Bengals have been in for about twenty years now, they still need to stop the run on defense. Forget about the Bengals’ recent lack of ability to protect the golden boy Carson Palmer or the fact the offense has been somewhat lackluster and plain. When Corey Dillon and company returned to the site of his former employment and then proceeded to rush as a team for over 200 yards, the Bengals’ flaws were glaringly exposed.
They can ignore their defensive short comings against lesser teams, like the Browns, Chiefs, and Steelers (yes, I said Steelers), but when it comes to the top teams in the league, their inability to stop the run coincides with losing football games.
The addition of Sam Adams and Dexter Jackson were supposed to be the missing puzzle pieces to shore up a porous run defense. Through the first three games the Bengals were able to somewhat contain the opponents’ rushing attack because they held a lead that forced the opponent to pass more. Against New England that just wasn’t the case.
The good news in Bengal country is this: even with the injuries plaguing this team and the lackluster run defense, this team is still better than most. The Bengals’ remaining schedule isn’t particularly hard until the last few games of the season, which should give the men in stripes time to get players like Dexter Jackson, Antonio Chapman, Chris Henry and Richie Brahm back on the field.
The next few games for the Bengals are against the NFC, which the Bengals have dominated the last two years, going 8-0. The Bengals’ goal of the playoffs and a division championship are still sitting pretty, but their inability to stop the run in September could be magnified big time in January.
The UC Bearcats, on the other hand, have the exact opposite problem of the Bengals. The Bearcats can’t score. At 3-3 UC looks to be in good shape for a six-win season and bowl eligibility, but the record could easily be 4-2 or 5-1 if this team had an offense with any kind of potency. Sure the Bearcats ran up and down the field on Miami, but they still were held to beneath thirty points. Also let’s be honest: Miami stinks this year.
Coach Dantonio is playing to his strength, which is the running game. The Bearcats have succeeded in running the ball in their wins this year but have been held stagnant in that department in the three losses to Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech. Coach Dantonio comes from the Jim Tressel school of football: get a lead and hold on to it. While shortcomings at the quarterback position for the Cats explain some of this, perhaps Coach Dantonio needs to join the 20th Century and realize the forward pass was legalized almost 100 years ago.
The apparent lack of a passing game isn’t only on the coach’s shoulders. The Cats lack a pure passer. It is pretty sad, however, in a city that is largely considered one of the top high school football cities and one of the best breeding grounds for college talent, that UC, the home university, cannot find a local quarterback to open up this team.
The Cats still look to be on track for six wins and bowl eligibility with South Florida, Syracuse and UConn still on the schedule. They will have to win all three of these games because the rest of the schedule is pretty brutal, with away games at Louisville and West Virginia and a home date with Rutgers, all of whom are currently ranked in the top 25.