McAdow
Well, if you start each season 0-2, you’re eventually going to find yourself 0-3. What a letdown to begin the season and an embarrassment to the city of Cincinnati. Only 6 teams since 1979 have made the playoffs after starting 0-3 and just one team since 2000. With a tough AFC North, this season is likely over before we even get to October, woof. With a matchup against Andy Dalton upcoming, if the Bengals manage to lose to Carolina, I’m not sure how jobs aren’t lost. Dalton, who I am sure still has hard feelings for how things ended for him in Cincinnati, would love nothing more than to put a dagger to Zac Taylor and his former team. Let’s hope 0-3 doesn’t turn into 0-4.
Negatives from Monday Night Football/Beyond
2nd & 21, 3rd & 13, 4th & 4, and this team couldn’t get a stop? The defense was horrific all game, allowing Washington to expose our weaknesses for all four quarters.
When you let players like Bates and Reader walk, this is what you end up with without good drafting. Ja’Marr, Tee, and Joe can only do much.
In 2021 and 2022, Cincinnati drafted Ossai, Carman, Cam Sample, Shelvin, Smith, Trey Hill, Wyatt Hubert, Zach Carter, Cordell Volson, and Jeff Gunter. Want to place blame, look at that.
38 points to the Commanders, no turnovers or punts (first time since 1940 that has happened in a game), giving up 33 minutes in time of possession, and allowing Daniels to go 21/23, I don’t even know what to say.
Is it time to have a talk about Sam Hubbard? I’ve barely seen his name for a season and a half.
Another missed field goal from Evan McPherson. I feel like I am watching a replay each week of the same game.
Zac Taylor has to find a way to get Jermaine Burton snaps in this offense. He simply is too fast to not have out there with #1 and #5.
Cam Taylor-Britt talked a lot, as he usually does. I love CTB, but he got burnt on multiple plays in this one.
Out of the half, momentum swinging a little bit Cincinnati’s way, and we do a squib quick? Is that me playing Madden or did that really just happen?
Cincinnati failed to capitalize in the red zone, unlike Washington. Washington had 3 touchdowns in the red zone on Monday.
Trent Brown got injured and it is likely a bad injury that will sideline him for a long time. Amarius Mims looked like a rookie filling his spot, as he gave up a sack, a few pressures, and a false start.
Positives
It felt great to watch Tee and Ja’Marr out on the field again. The offense, outside of red zone failures, was pretty solid. Hard to win when your defense can’t get you the ball in your hands.
324 yards, 3 touchdowns, 29/38 for Joe Burrow. What else can you ask for?
Cincinnati average 6.2 rush yards per carry for 124 yards. This was the best the run game has looked all season.
Corey Dillon joins Matt’s Take
I was kindly joined this week by Bengals legend and new inductee into the Bengals Ring of Honor, Corey Dillon. Corey, as you already know, is one of the greatest running backs in the history of Bengals football. He played from 97-03 with Cincinnati before becoming a Patriot and a Super Bowl Champion. Dillon is a 4X Pro Bowler, holds several franchise records with Cincinnati, and retired with over 11,000 rushing yards (20th most in NFL History). He set an NFL record that has since been broken, with 278 rush yards in a single game. He is still the Bengals all-time leading rusher, has the top three rush yards ever recorded in a game for Cincinnati, and is more than deserving to be placed in the Ring of Honor in Cincinnati for all of eternity. Corey Dillon, congratulations my friend, you deserve it!
Q: What is your favorite memory during your playing days in Cincinnati?
A: “Running for 278 and getting the first win of the season in Paul Brown Stadium.”
Q: What do you believe has changed from when you played and the game today?
A: “Social media has given players power and a platform to control their own narrative.”
Q: Do you believe this Bengals team will be in the playoffs this season?
A: “I definitely believe the Bengals will be a playoff team and a threat during the playoffs.”
Q: When you broke Walter Payton’s record for the most rush yards in a game (278), what was going through your mind?
A: “My thoughts on breaking the records was man, I just broke the great Walter Payton’s record, unbelievable. Every time I watch that game, it still gives me chills to this day.”
Q: What are your thoughts on the contract negotiations between Ja’Marr and ownership?
A: “I truly believe Ja’Marr will get what he deserves and soon. He’s one of the best wide receivers in the game today. I’m rooting for the young man.”
Q: If you could add any player to this Bengals roster, who would you choose and why?
A: “I would definitely add myself to this roster, we would be unstoppable on offense (LOL). But seriously, on adding a current player, I would keep it as is and roll with what we already have. I believe they have a team that can go to the Super Bowl.”
Red Rifle
The Red Rifle, Andrew Gregory Dalton! Man, I thought I would never be able to type those words again. That felt good. Andy Dalton was the quarterback of the Bengals era that I enjoyed from high school and into my mid-twenties. I’ve defended that guy more than the average Bengals fan and I appreciate everything he did both on the field and off the field for the city of Cincinnati. After a horrendous start to the season from Bryce Young, Carolina benched their starter and let Andy take the reigns of the offense, and boy was that fun to watch as a Bengals fan. He absolutely torched the Raiders and assistant coach Marvin Lewis (how wild is that) for 319 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a win over Las Vegas. I’ll never forget the look on his face when they benched him on his birthday and gave him zero time to try and find a new home before the deadline. I love Cincinnati and I’ve always been a Dalton fan as well. I hope to see #14 continue to thrive in Carolina, but just not next week, as the last thing I want to watch is an Andy Dalton revenge game against Cincinnati. Cincinnati, you better not take this game lightly, as I am sure you can imagine how badly Andy wants to dice up Zac Taylor and his former team.
David Bell gets Fired
David is probably laughing all the way to the bank at this point, as he was fired over the weekend as the Reds manager after just receiving a 3-year extension last season. Of course, I am sure he didn’t want it to end this way, but he managed to get an extension right before the most frustrating season of my lifetime. He will now get paid to not manage this team, while Cincinnati “looks” for a new manager. I can’t tell you with confidence who Cincinnati will choose, but I can certainly promise you that Cincinnati knew who they were choosing before they made this decision. Ignore the news on their national search, as they wouldn’t have fired Bell without a plan in place. Will it be Larkin? Will it be Skip Schumaker? Will it be David Ross or Terry Francona? I have no clue, but I can tell you that it was time for Bell to be dismissed. However, he is the scapegoat for the many poor acquisitions and injuries that this team has went through over his tenure with the Reds.
No manager was winning with the teams that have been assembled in recent years, but he still wasn’t the right type of manager that this city needs to turn the culture around. The fans are tired of losing and the Castellini family is listening. While I don’t agree with everything they do, the Castellinis seem to be pointed out more often than I believe they should. Why do very little people point fingers at Krall or Healy? Ownership has spent money each year and you can see that through each off-season. So is the problem with who we have acquired? Akiyama, Moustakas, Candelario, Donovan Solano, Wil Myers, Zach Duke, Hunter Strickland, Sean Doolittle – those names and contracts ring a bell? Maybe it’s bad luck, but maybe the finger pointing at ownership needs to lessen and possibly look at players acquired and those in charge of finding good talent. Of course ownership has a hand in it, but there are people in jobs that scout and decide that each of these players listed above would be good signings. You can point fingers at whoever you’d like, but with Greene, Lodolo, Lowder, Abbott, Burns, Elly, McLain, Marte, and Steer, I’m simply hoping to see a new manager come in who is less monotone, has a feel for the game, and wants to change whatever this culture is in Cincinnati we have around. It is and always will be a baseball town and it’s time for things to change.
There is no denying that David Bell has a ton of baseball knowledge and has a family history in the game. He contributed as both a player and manager to the sport, and there was no denying that he loved his players. While it was time, I certainly respect the nearly no-win situation he was placed in and how he stood up for the dugout. Good luck in your new endeavors, Skipper!
This column appears in several newspapers in southwest Ohio
