With all apologies to the upcoming Battle of Ohio, the biggest game left on the Bengals schedule has to be the season finale in South Florida versus the winless Miami Dolphins. Allow me to look ahead for one moment and predict two more losses for the Fins, a desperate loss to the hapless Ravens and a massacre in Foxboro to the juggernaut Patriots.
Assuming both those games, the Bengals will travel to South Beach for a December 30th game against the 0-15 Dolphins, trying to 'perfect' the first winless season since the 0-14 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As a Bengals fan, you've got to be worried.
Who's to say that the Bengals, having been out of the playoff picture since Thanksgiving, wont just punt the game away? Here's hoping that the Bengals play the game as their own SuperBowl, and make it their season goal to bury the Dolphins into football immortality.
6 comments:
Because the Bengals aren't making the playoffs, I wish they would lose every game they play. Not only will they get a better draft pick, but they get to play an easier schedule next year.
I'm surprised the NFL doesn't get pinned for the same tanking problems that the NBA does. Hell, in the NBA you only improve your chances at a draft position. In the NFL, you automatically get a draft position AND an easy schedule. I would operate an NFL team as playoffs or bust, literally.
Yeah but history has shown that a higher draft pick does not necessarily mean a better player, especially in the NFL (look at Geoff Hobson's e-mail response at bengals.com for the details http://bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6502 )
And the Bengals schedule is dependent on their finishing position in the division, not the overall league. and that position is pretty well set since we hold the tiebreakers on Baltimore and can't catch the Browns or Steelers. Besides histoy has shown that the difference between the 3rd and 4th teams in division are negligible.
Another reason for the Bengals to win out and salvage their season...
This week vs. the 49'ers--every Bengals fan should throw up a little in their mouth everytime they see the numbers "4" and "9" in consecutive placement from both the '82 and '89 Superbowls (moreso the latter).
Next week vs. the Browns--besides the fact that Tyler and I will be AT that game drunk off our bungholes...it's f@#%ing Cleveland!
Final week vs. the Fins--as we all know, it has been more than rough to root for our team over the last decade...but being the ONLY team to lose to the Dolphins this year would cement our legacy that will keep us on the losing end of offensive and defensive highlight reels for the next 10 years--and frankly I'm sick of seeing the same shots of Moss/Harrison/Willie Parker schooling orange and black jerseys for every video reel on ESPN!!!
We've got the team we just need the leadership (maybe some more defense) and losing to Miami would be a crushing way to sulk into the sunset of the '07 season.
I will root for the Bengals. If only for the fact that an 0-16 Dolphins team will take some of the attention from those stupid cheaters in New England. That's right...stupid cheaters. Not just cheaters...but, stupid cheaters.
Not that I'm bitter...
I gotta side with flipper and E-on on this one. I don't think I could ever live down the ignominy of being the team that gave up a loss to the 0-15 team on the last week of the season.
Flip,
I get what you are saying about history and draft position, but wouldn't you rather be in a higher position to take who you want, than to be lower and have to rely on what other teams do? In any case, this is probably pointless to debate with the Bengals b/c their scouting is non-existent. That's why they take bad character guys.
As for their division finish, the Bengals could lose out, get a top 7 pick, probably finish last in their division, and have a schedule that is ridiculously easy in 2008. In fact, if the Bengals could play a 4th place schedule next year, they could have the honor of having the best QB ever to play a 4th place schedule. Hell, Palmer could lead a 12-4 season next year no problem.
Lose out Bengals!!!!
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