The Big Cat

HOWEVER--I don't think K-9 is sitting here telling us that defeat is a foregone conclusion heading into the fourth quarter if TT is the QB. And that's a sentiment I'd share. And that's the difference between him and EJ, right now.

Admittedly, I did expect a lot. Then he proved he still sucks. It's only a double standard if I let Tyrod Taylor off the hook for the same stuff. I don't.

I provide zero critique of what he said. I thought I was pretty clear about that: it's time.

Sure, so then continue to ignore the reality we did witness: four straight three and outs in the first half. There's a thing called opportunity cost, but it requires you to imagine what might have happened, a thousand apologies if that lift is too heavy.

It was first and 20 from the 25. Third and 11 from the 34, hardly heels on the endzone. But, again, if they do ANYTHING in the first half, they're not in this hole to begin with. You've provided zero evidence that the fourth quarter scrambled couldn't have been avoided.

Why wonder? https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/656506137081085952

I haven't switched a damn thing in my entire time on this board, save for a brief spell last week when I misguidedly threw a bone to some of the people who saw things differently than I did last year. If you want to comb through my post history and find a single instance of me saying our EJ has been good enough to win us games if only it has been for XX, by all means. But you'll be wasting your time. Some people think it comes down to X's and O's and some people think it comes down to Jimmy's and Joe's and I have been STAUNCHLY in the latter camp for all time.

If it was so critical then why did our quarterback throw six yards short of the sticks on 3 and 11?

Because you didn't read anything I've written in the past 40 minutes.

When a fully healthy offense loaded with weapons that have been playing in the same scheme with the same quarterback for four years keep getting handed opportunities to score, there's no defense in Christendom that will stop them in the 2015 NFL. And it was our offense, through the bulk of the first half, that was handing over those opportunities.

I think it's time for the franchise to turn the page on the golden oldies who lost four straight super bowls 25 years ago. So I think it's time for fans to stop glomming on to everything Jimbo says. I know that's an unpopular opinion, but it has to happen at some point. And each year that falls off the calendar puts us further and further away from when they were...actually...relevant.

The Bengals had two plays that put this one away: the questionable circus catch down the middle of the field when the Duke Williams was guarding god-knows-who and the 3rd and 7 when Dalton took four and a half minutes off the clock to find AJ Green working one on one with Darby while the Bills rushed three. Those were the two plays that put the game away. But again, they're not back breakers if the offense finds away to do ANYTHING from midway through the first until the last drive of the second. Sorry, but just like in the Patriots game, just like in the Giants game and just like the near-loss in Nasvhille, when the offense goes long stretches without being able to do diddly ****, I think it's woefully disingenuous to say it was a "total team loss." Yes, special teams sucked. But, I don't know, may be if we didn't have to punt so much. And yes, the defense let up 17 first half points. But the Bengals offense (WHICH WE ALREADY KNEW WAS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE) never had to go more than 55 yards to reach the endzone. Why? Because the offense started inside their own 20 and didn't get a first down...on four consecutive drives.

I was wrong to trust Watkins' locker room quote. EJ stunk last year when he missed wide open receivers in Hackett's scheme and he stunk Sunday when he was trying to aim the ball throwing awkwardly off one foot. He stunk when Marrone supposedly hewt his feewings and he stunk when Shady was standing in the flat and he still missed him. He stunk when he was afraid to let it rip and he stunk when he spiked one off the turf rather than lead Clay into the endzone on the opening drive. Psyche, double takeback. I was right last year just like I'm right this year. What about when he got the ball up 7-0 nothing in the first quarter? Then got it twice with the score 7-7? Then got it again when the score was 14-7? I think we're being awfully choosy about the opportunities EJ and the offense had to keep this game close/put it away.

I keep reading about how a holding penalty on the first drive of the second half is what lost us the game. Okay. Well, there was more than one half of football played prior to that. And, in spite of four consecutive three and outs and consistently gracious field position for the Bengals throughout the first half, we were still only trailing by three points to one of the most potent offenses in the league. The game was not lost on the first three drives of the second half. The game was lost when the Bengals were sufficiently slowed in the FIRST half but our offense had no ability to provide a buffer. Touchdown on the opening drive followed by a three and out for the Bengals, that's when the boot heal should go into the throat. Instead, four straight three and outs, and the Bengals have the opportunity to claw their way back in with the help of gift-wrapped opportunities. Sorry, but we lost this game because EJ Manuel couldn't effectively move the ball with a seven point lead. Once our lead was surrendered, it was hopeless. We lost this game because EJ was lousy. Period.

Very glad to hear he's on the mend!! How soon until we let break the news that the Bills are likely to go safety in round one next year?

. Hahahahahahaha here we go with the play calling horse ****. If we were playing Tecmo Bowl and doing the equivalent of guessing the offense's play on every down, EJ still would have found a way to pat the ball pat the ball pat the ball then spike one into the turf 14 yards down field.

Um well, because they went three and out on four consecutive possessions, basically gift rapping the field position that made half of those points for Cincy much simpler...?

I'm genuinely curious how one 'heals' from a concussion and how time off impacts that.

This guy gets it.

One way or the other.

...with losses to the Bucs and Colts on his team's way to a 1-4 record. Remind us all again which QB the present regime that made those moves was in a position to draft?

I've been requesting one for years.

I'm in first. It's through Yahoo, which drops your worst week. I got mine out of way early, dropping a 5 burger in week two. So I'm in first with 45 points.