I imagine the difficulty in changing your entire offense in one week is the biggest reason. The offense was built with Christian Ponder, and not Joe Webb. Having just one week (and not even all of that) to change to an entirely new offense that is better suited to fit a running QB isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s not simply a matter of changing the plays you call, but involves changing blocking schemes, timing, and a host of other details.
Yeah I hear you. And it’s not that I care who wins this game (I really couldn’t care less, my team plays tomorrow), it’s just that watching bad football pisses me off, and the Vikings were playing bad football tonight.
Already a 9.5 pt line on NE to beat Houston Sunday.
Just announced that Bruce Arians was taken from the team hotel to a hospital in Baltimore. No details yet other than earlier he wasn’t feeling well with flu-like symptoms.
Clearly the Colts are hewing to the “We win when our coach is hospitalized” game plan.
If the Colts win today, Jim Irsay is going to give defensive coordinator Greg Manusky the bubonic plague this week.
Now that I have calmed down (and am no longer blitzkrieged-drunk), here are my post game thoughts on the Cincinnati v Houston game:
Once again (Dallas game) in a close game, we have a guy in BGE that was averaging almost SEVEN YARDS A CARRY and we fail to use him in the second half of the game. It is absolutely inexcusable the way this offense has been ran (natch) these last few weeks. It’s like they try a run, get stuffed and are like “oh well…enough of that, we tried” and failing to remember that in total the run game WAS actually productive.
Not figuring out a way to get AJ Green the ball for an entire half is just criminal. Dalton was throwing into a lot of tight and double coverage to Marvin Jones and Jermaine Gresham…if you’re going to be throwing into those kinds of situations, why not then throw it to the guy that gives you the best chance at a reception?
Rey Maualuga has to go. Dude seriously looks like shit on the field. I actually found myself being glad when he got hurt, hoping he wouldn’t come back out to suck more life out of the defense. I was also kinda bummed they put Dan Skuta in there because he’s not much better. I was hoping they’d slide Vontaze Burfict over to the middle (his natural spot) and trot out someone like Emmanuel Lamur to play in place of Burfict.
I think it’s also time to start discussing the end of the Marvin Lewis era. I really believe that the Bengals need some fresh blood in the HC job, someone with a greater sense of urgency, a different perspective, etc. And just about ANYONE the Bengals bring in isn’t going to be uncertainly holding that challenge flag on the sideline with that lost little kid look in his eyes. Or that would burn all our timeouts in the third quarter of a tight game. Marvin Lewis is probably the absolute worst in game manager in the NFL. Make him the GM…he has an eye for talent, I 'll give him that much.
Andy Dalton is just an average NFL QB. His overthrows were awful. He HAD AJ Green dead to rights in the endzone towards the end of the game…a TD there and the Bengals win. Instead, he overthrows him. Our offensive line isn’t all that great despite having 2 1st round picks and a 2nd rounder manning RT, RG and LT. The defense couldn’t generate ANY pressure on Schaub. NONE. Where was that vaunted defensive front four?
So the Bengals still haven’t won a playoff game since 1991. Jesus. I am tired of “next year”.
Zzzzzzzzzz. I could swear there was supposed to be playoff football on today.
There is; it just doesn’t start until 4:30. 
FoisGras: I don’t blame you for being angry. I’m a Texans fan and watched the game at a Texans party. We all pretty much were saying the same things you just said about the Bengals game plan. BJGE was breaking open a huge run about every 3rd carry, and suddenly they just stopped running it. It was wierd. There is a time to panic and just start slinging it, but the Texans were never that far ahead, and they weren’t playing that much better than the Bengals. Bad coaching.
Completely agree.
Does someone know the reason Boldin left AZ? Was it money, cap issues, personalities, play for a contender? I hope they didn’t think he was too past his prime.
Answered in the other thread.
ETA: I guess that doesn’t answer the “why” question. I suspect the Cardinals weren’t going to be in a position to pay him #1 WR money after the 2010 season, so they took what they could get before the draft.
Luck may be the best QB in the league at running down DBs after he’s been intercepted. He’s fast and can tackle. Not something he works on I’m sure but a point saving quality for a rookie.
I see, many thanks, Enginerd. Couldn’t remember what the circumstances were with Fitzgerald et al.
It’s the same thing they did in their loss to Dallas that should have been a win about four games ago. In that game they were actually UP NINE POINTS with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter (albeit with no timeouts, again thanks to Marvin Lewis’ dumbassery). BJGE was averaging almost 7 YPC in that game as well. So you figure in that scenario, the best move for the Bengals is to run the football, get some time off the clock, force the Cowboys to start using their timeouts. Right? Guess how many times the Bengals ran the football in those TWO fourth quarter possessions with a two score lead? NONE! NONE!!! It literally makes me want to cry it’s such stupid football game management.
Anyway, nice win for the Texans. Both teams looked pretty shitty in my eyes aside from Arian Foster, BJGE (when he was used), Leon Hall, Owen Daniels or whatever tight end that had the fortune to have Rey Maualuga “covering” him, and JJ Watt.
As an aside, I have never in my life heard a more annoying radio call of a football game than whoever the idiots who do the Redskins games. They’re useless for understanding what is going on, they’re wildly biased, and they’re simply annoying as fuck. Thank God I never have to listen to them again.
I’m still a little buzzed from the game, but I’m only 23 and Ray Lewis has been all I’ve known. That game was special. I wish he would’ve gotten that int though. I think the Ravens could make a push but Peyton Manning is kryptonite.
I’m sure it’ll even up a bit over the course of the game, but the first quarter has seemed almost unfair. 
Really nice to see him in the victory formation for the final snap of his final home game.
“Prior to the snap, delay of game.” - Actual ref quote, just now.
I wonder how you have a delay of game after the snap.