The Cincinnati Bengals made everyone believe in them; finally. They were “for real” a couple weeks ago. Then the New England Patriots disaster happened. And now they’re the Bungles again. As of now, they’re headed to overtime versus a pretty good Carolina Panthers team, so we’ll see how this all plays out. But the Bengals and their ginger quarterback were a punchline on all networks this Sunday morning.
(Jim Rome, The NFL Today on the Cincinnati Bengals)
“Start the clock on the ‘Nati. T-minus 13 weeks until the Bengals’ annual Wild Card loss. After seeing them get waxed by the worst Patriots team in years, nothing has changed with them. And no, that was not just a bad game. It was a big game, and it was after a two-week break, and they still got boat raced. But, it did answer a very important question – ‘Who dey think gonna to beat them Bengals?’ – anybody at the big boy table. That’s who. Nice players, good coach, and a glass jaw.”
BOOMER ESIASON: “Wait and see what you see today from the Cincinnati Bengals. That will validate who they are. They will be ready to go and they will go deep into the playoffs this year.”
That’s what you would expect from a man who is one of the most iconic Cincinnati Bengals in history. A more measured approach. ESPN NFL Countdown had a much more even-keeled outlook as well.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2