Stillers-Bungals Postgame Analysis and Grades

Stillers 31, Bungals 17 ���. Jan. 8, 2006�� Wild Card Game�

Stillers-Bungals Postgame Analysis and Grades

The Stillers used a plethora of Cinci bungling and injury to overcome two 10-point deficits, en route to a 31-17 victory at Paul Brown Stadium.��

Play o� the game:� Cinci, up by 3, took the 2H KO and marched down the field in 10 plays to set up a chippie FG.� But the snap by snapper Brad St. Louis was high, and the FG was aborted.� The Stillers then marched 9 plays for a TD and their 1st lead of the game.� The game was, for all intents and purpose, over at that point.�

Grades:

QB:� Benji had a solid overall game.� He crisply completed the TD pass to Ward with a deft look-off, and also made the easy passes that resulted in the Parker screen-play TD and the razzle dazzle lob to a wide-open Wilson for the other TD,� I thought perhaps his best play of the game, was the scramble on 3rd & 5 on the final play of the 1Q.� The Stillers were staggering at this point, down 10-0 and the Cinci crowd in a frenzy after the Rudi TD run.� A punt here would have fed the crowd even more.� Instead, Benji felt the pressure and scooted away for a 6-yard gain on this critical 3d & 5.� 5 plays later, Parker took the screen to the house, and the Stillers were back in the game and the Cinci crowd immediately became subdued a bit.� There were 2 extremely poor passes � the wounded quail to Ward near the GL on the play prior to the Parker TD screen, and a thoroughly ill-advised screen attempt that Geathers should have INT�d were he not a ham-handed lineman.� Overall, this was vastly improved QB play when compared to the screeches and lurches of last January.� He�ll need to play even better next week.�� B+.�

RB:� Parker started and did okay.� His numbers were small, gaining 38 yards on 16 carries.� He had some good runs and ran tough.� He actually contributed more in the passing game, gaining 41 yards on 3 catches.� His big play was the screen early in the 2Q, which he took untouched for a 19-yard TD play.� The Tubby Tailback had a rare good playoff game, gaining 52 yards on 10 carries, and rumbling for a 5-yard TD.� Bettis botched a HB Option play in the 2Q, bobbling the pitchout, which then threw off his rhythm entirely and caused an off-target pass to a wide-open Miller in the EZ.� Haynesie tore up the Bungals in garbage time, gashing them for runs of 16 and 26 yards, and also gained 14 yards on 1 catch.�� A-.�

FB: Kreider threw some solid lead blocks, including paving the way on Bettis� 25-yard romp.� B+.�

WR:� The WR corps had a solid all-around game.� Cedric Wilson, of all people, led the way with 3 grabs for 104 yards and 1 TD.� Of course, his big TD was off the trick play in which he was wide open behind the Cinci defense and basically fair-caught the ball for the easy TD.� But he also had a deep bomb in which he burned Kaesviharn for a 54-yard strike that set up the Ward TD a few plays later.� Ward had just 2 grabs for 10 yards, but had the clutch TD catch on a play that wasn�t as easy as it initially looked.� El had some good contributions.� He made the trick play TD work with a superb throwback to Ben over a leaping defender.� He had a clutch fingertip grab on a deep out in the 2Q for 15 yards.� He also gained 5 yards on the ground.�� He did fail to hold onto a TD pass in the EZ, in which he was interfered with but firmly had 2 hands around the ball, but allowed it to pop loose when he hit the turf.� Morgan hurt his ankle returning a 1H kick and did not return.� The major down note was the back-to-back false starts by Ward and El in the 1Q.� B+.�

TE:� Miller was rarely used in the passing game, grabbing 2 balls for 15 yards.� His blocking was solid.� Tuman caught a dumpoff for 9 yards.�� B.�

OL: The O-line had a very solid game, albeit against a marginal front 7.� Benji faced little harassment, and the ground game averaged 4.2 yards per crack.� Faneca had a good pull and lead block on Bettis� long romp.� Smith had the only false start among the linemen, and he gave up the corner on Pollack�s wide rush that dropped Ben for his only sack.� The line will have its hands significantly more full next week, particularly in the pass-blocking department.�� A.�

DL:� The D-line had a half-decent game.� Rudi had the 20-yard TD gallop and an 18-yard jaunt, but that aside was held in check.� Hampton was quite active, helping to stop some wide runs with good lateral effort.� Smith was solid, and Hoke and Kirschke saw time in relief.� In a bizarre irony, Kimo von Oelhoffen was held off the stat sheet, but he�ll long be remembered as the guy who accidentally took out star QB Carson Palmer on Cinci�s 2d play of the game.�� The pass pressure from this crew was non-existent.� B+.�

LB:� The ever-critical LB corps had an okay, humdrum game.� Farrior led the way, making some key stops and grabbing a clutch INT early in the 4Q.� He was tooled in pass coverage in the 2Q, committing an illegal contact penalty on 3d & goal from the 16 that allowed the Bungals to cash in for a TD a few plays later.� He also grossly over pursued on Rudi�s 18-yard run on the 1st play of the 3Q.� Foote did little, and was stiff-armed in the 1Q by Rudi after a short dumpoff that enabled Rudi to gain several more yards in RAC.� Haggans left the game for a bit with an injury, but returned and chipped in some.� Joey Porter did his usual pre-game woofing and growling at the opposing team, and then followed it up with a feeble, lackluster performance.� Big Joey finished with a gaudy 0 solos and 3 assists, including a half-sack on a Dong Sack.� This crew will have to play, oh, about 4 times better if the Stillers have any prayer of winning next week.�� C.�

DB:� Leading the way here was backup DB Ty Carter, who had an amazingly strong game with plenty of hitting and crisp tackling.� For a benchwarmer to get this much PT in a playoff game, and then respond with such a strong effort, is mind boggling and most impressive.� Pola had a very strong game in run support, flashing up several time in run-blitz mode and snaring or bottling Rudi.� Pola took an asinine penalty, jamming the football at a Bungal and getting assessed a costly 15-yard penalty, which enabled the Bungals to sustain their drive and score a TD. Troy also appeared to botch coverage on TJ Housemanad�s TD, and he took a poor angle on Rudi�s TD run.� And, lest I forget, Pola did an asinine lateral after an INT, akin to Reggie Bush�s Rose Bowl stupidity, which could have given the Bengals the ball back, and new life, in the 4Q.� Townsend had a long day/evening.� He was thoroughly torched by Henry on the long bomb on Cinci�s 2nd play, good for 66 yards.� He was also beaten by TJ on a deep ball in the EZ in the 3Q, and got away with a mugging that should have unquestionably been flagged for pass interference.� Chris the Dope actually helped break up a deep post late in the 2Q, his first bust-up in months.� Hope was feeble as shit on Rudi�s TD gallop, meekly grabbing at Rudi and getting shoved aside like a lil� toddler.� Ike did a decent job on Chad, though he allowed a deep ball to go right through his hands in the 2Q.� McFadden saw a good amount of work.� Overall, this crew did the job, but they were helped immensely when the starting QB and the very capable #3 WR both went down on Cinic�s 2nd offensive play of the game.�� B.�

Spec teams:� Overall, not shabby.�� There weren�t any fiascos, which, in the playoffs, is always a relief for a Cowher-coached team.� The KO coverage had some spottiness, and Gardocki had a shit-laden pooch punt that was launched into the EZ.� Frazier was very strong in coverage, making a couple of good stick n� stops.� Ike replaced the injured Morgan on KO returns and had a nice return to give the Stillers good FP.� B.�

OC:� The game plan was typically Neanderthal at the start, but fortunately WiseHunt opened it up some.� The trick play for a TD was well designed and rehearsed.� I wasn�t that fond of the HB option call inside the Cinci 10, which Bettis bobbled, nor the trickeration with El later in the game.� Trick plays are nice, but too much of a supposedly good thing typically isn�t good.� The screen pass to Parker for a TD was cleverly designed, with an illegal -- but never called in that region of the field so close to the LOS -- pick of ILB Odell Thurman.� Getting Parker involved in the passing game was brilliant -- and about 14 weeks late -- but Heath Miller absolutely must be involved more than just valve dumpoffs if the Stillers are to beat Indy.��� A-.�

DC:� Dick should probably rush out and purchase hundreds of lottery tickets, as well as toss several wagers at on-line gambling sites.� After all, with the luck that LeBeau stumbled into on Sunday, why not strike while the iron is hot??�� In the entire history of the NFL, a DC has probably never had the outrageous luck as Dick had today, with the opposing offense losing the NFL�s TD pass leader and the capable, dangerous #3 WR on the SAME play -- the 2nd play on offense, no less.� After that, with Kitna�s nickel-dime passes and pocket unawareness, Dick was stealing candy from a baby.� It�s easy as pie to defend a QB that won�t take stabs further than 18 yards downfield and has no pocket presence whatsoever.� Dick�s task will be at least 9 times more difficult next week. �B.�

HC:� Only Billy Cowhard could face an underdog opponent � an opponent that loses both its star QB and a quality #3 WR on the 2nd play on offense � and play fiddle faddle with a plethora of early timidity, overt slop, moronic penalties, a Neanderthal game plan early on, and big-play give-ups.�� Cowhard, ever the arrogant, pompous ass, will puff his chest and gloat, but given the outrageous good fortune of Cinci injury and bungling, the gloating should be kept to a bare minimum.�� C.�

Synopsis:� A win in the playoffs is something to rejoice, but this win most certainly needs to be kept in perspective.� Cinci helped hand this game over on a silver platter with a plethora of unforced mistakes, including a botched snap that aborted a chippie FG & a multitude of dropped passes, as well as the devastating injuries to Palmer and Henry.� Rarely ever -- if ever -- does a team lose its starting QB this early in a playoff game, along with a dangerous WR.� As I�ve long commented about the wild card round, the teams that emerge from this round aren�t quite as good as they appear, based on the relatively weak competition that they just beat.� There�s a reason a team has a 1st round bye -- it was talented enough, productive enough, and effective enough to obtain the bye, and obviously more productive and effective than the wild card teams.� Just keep that thought in mind before you book airline tickets and a hotel room for Detroit.� Stay tuned later in the week for a pregame analysis of the Stillers-Dolts matchup.