標題: a notable improvement over last season [打印本頁] 作者: elaine95 時間: 2019-11-26 09:22 標題: a notable improvement over last season
CINCINNATI (AP) — The desperation was evident when coach Marvin Lewis fired his defensive coordinator and installed himself in the role the rest of the way.Another season was slipping away. There was no more time to lose.“Game day will be different for me Color Rush Michael Jordan Jersey ,” Lewis said three weeks ago. “It will be a different approach, and it’ll be fun.”No fun. No victories. And now, virtually no hope.The Bengals (5-7) have unraveled the past three games, allowing more than 200 yards rushing twice while dropping all three and falling out of contention. A season that started with raised hopes at 4-1 has crashed with six losses in the past seven games. It’s their worst stretch of losing since they dropped 10 straight in 2010.And there’s no reason to think it’ll get much better in the final four games.The Bengals lost quarterback Andy Dalton to a torn ligament in his passing thumb a week ago. Receiver A.J. Green returned from a toe injury that sidelined him for three games, but aggravated it in the second quarter of a 24-10 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, likely ending his season.The offense is missing its best players and the defense is still getting flattened with Lewis and special assistant Hue Jackson calling the shots in place of fired coordinator Teryl Austin.The Broncos ran for 218 yards , the fourth time this season that Cincinnati has given up at least 200 yards rushing — a shocking statistic. The Bengals also gave up 198 yards rushing by Kansas City.It’s only the fourth time in franchise history that they’ve allowed four 200-yard games in the regular season. The club record is six allowed in 1969, their second season as an expansion team.Next up is a game on the West Coast against the Chargers (9-3), who rallied for a 33-30 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. The Bengals then host the Raiders (2-10). The finish with road games at Cleveland (4-7-1), which got four TD passes from Baker Mayfield in a 35-20 victory on Nov. 25 , and at Pittsburgh, which won 28-21 at Paul Brown Stadium on Oct. 14.The only intrigue left is how owner Mike Brown reacts to the latest debacle.The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of futility in NFL history.Lewis has gotten the Bengals into the playoffs seven times during his 16 seasons Cheap Michael Jordan Jersey , and has lost in the first round every time for the worst postseason coaching mark in league history.There were indications that Lewis’ stay in Cincinnati was ending last season when the Bengals got drubbed by the Bears and Vikings in successive weeks, dropping them to 5-9.Even Lewis was noncommittal at that point about whether he’d be back. The Bengals won their final two games, and Brown — who has a deep aversion to change — decided that was good enough reason to give Lewis a contract extension.This time, Brown could use the team’s injuries as cover for keeping Lewis in place if he wants to do so, although they still must find a defensive coordinator and figure out where special assistant Hue Jackson fits into next year’s plans.The Packers fired head coach Mike McCarthy after a 20-17 loss to Arizona on Sunday left them 4-7-1. Brown always waits until the end of the season to decide next year’s plans, so Lewis is safe until at least then. Lewis said Monday he’s had no discussion with Brown about the future.“The least of my worries,” he said.Players understand that all the talk about turning the season around has become irrelevant.“At some point, it’s not even about that,” receiver Alex Erickson said. “It’s up to you to perform. If you don’t, obviously there are going to be consequences.” CINCINNATI (AP) — Andy Dalton came to the line on fourth-and-12 from the Baltimore 49-yard line.He knew it could be the final play of the Bengals‘ losing season — and maybe of Marvin Lewis’ coaching career in Cincinnati, too.The 70,507 fans at M&T Bank Stadium were on their feet, cheering for one more defensive stop that would put the Ravens back in the playoffs.Instead Michael Jordan Jersey Womens , Dalton found Tyler Boyd open in the middle of a pack of defenders at the 23-yard line. Boyd caught the ball, slipped through the arms of two defenders and reached the end zone , completing a play that would redirect both franchises.The Ravens were out of the playoffs for the third straight year — Buffalo got its long-awaited chance instead.And when the Bengals returned to Cincinnati after a second straight losing season, owner Mike Brown decided to give Lewis a two-year extension based in part upon the Bengals’ 31-27 win that day.The Ravens (1-0) opened this season with a 47-3 win over the Bills and turned their focus to that one play from last December that lingers in the back of their minds.“If I were to say ‘no,’ I’d be lying,” Ravens cornerback Brandon Carr said. “We’ve still got that bitter taste in our mouths.”The Bengals (1-0) haven’t forgotten about it, either. The final game of a 7-9 finish became the start of an overhaul for their offense that finished last in the league. They changed four of their five starters on the line, and they looked better during a 34-23 win at Indianapolis on Sunday.For them, the last-minute touchdown in Baltimore became a starting point.“I think from last season, winning the last two games gave us momentum,” receiver A.J. Green said.Some things to watch Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium:TRIO OF TROUBLEThe Ravens retooled their receiving group during the offseason to give Joe Flacco a better chance to shine, and the results last week were profound. Flacco threw three touchdown passes, one to each of the newcomers: John Brown Michael Jordan Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead.Overall, Flacco completed 25 of 34 passes for 236 yards with three touchdowns in little more than a half. His passer rating of 121.7 was his highest since 2014. He’s fit in smoothly with the new trio of targets.“John is a different type of player, just with his speed and what he does to defenders,” Flacco said. “Crabtree has a special way of running routes and getting in position and making big catches. Willie is an easy guy to get on the same page with, from an early point, just because he does everything so much the right way.”PURPLE REIGNBaltimore held the Bills to just 33 yards and no first downs in the first half. The Ravens finished with six sacks and two interceptions. Last year in the season opener at Cincinnati, the Ravens picked off Dalton four times, matching his career high, and gave Cincinnati its first opening shutout in club history 20-0.DALTON RENEWEDDalton is coming off one of his worst seasons, tied largely to the offensive line’s failures. Working behind a revamped line, he completed 21 of 28 for 243 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 109.7 at Indianapolis, a notable improvement over last season.“Andy played unbelievable Carlos Dunlap Jersey ,” said Green, who caught a 38-yard touchdown pass.IN THE MIXAfter limiting LeSean McCoy to 22 yards on seven carries last week, the Ravens have turned their attention toward Joe Mixon, the Bengals’ second-year running back who is front-and-center in their overhauled offense. He ran for 96 yards against the Ravens in the final game last season, and ran for 95 against the Colts in addition to catching five passes for 54 yards.PRIME TIME PLAYERS?The Ravens are 7-2 on Thursday night with five straight wins. Overall, Baltimore is 28-25 in games played on Sunday, Monday or Thursday night. The Bengals are 18-45 in those games. They’re 5-14 in prime time games since 2011 — 0-5 on Sunday night, 2-5 on Monday night, 3-3 on Thursday night and 0-1 on Saturday night.作者: martina28043 時間: 2023-1-2 19:00