Baltimore Raven’s quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Bengals look like amateurs Sunday, says Herald sports writer Conrad Clowers. Photo provided
By Conrad Clowers
Herald Sports Writer
Hindsight is always 20/20. In other words, it’s easy to look back on what you should have done after you’ve done the wrong thing.
In the 2018 draft, the Bengals selected Billy Price as their number one draft pick. They passed on previous Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson. A year and a half later Price was barely able to crack the starting lineup, while Jackson has become the most exciting player in the NFL.
This past weekend the Bengals lost their ninth game in nine tries this season. Not only did they lose, it was one of the worst losses in the team’s history. The final score was a 36-point blowout by the Baltimore Ravens. Raven quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Bengals look like amateurs. Whatever the former Louisville star wanted to do, he did. If he wanted to pass, it was complete. If he wanted to run, it was a touchdown. If he wanted to fake, the Bengal defense took the bait. By the time the game was over, Jackson had convinced the city he was something more than human by completing 15 of 17 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball for 63 yard on seven carries. On one long touchdown run, the former Louisville Cardinal faked out Bengal defenders Shawn Williams and Nick Vigil so bad both of them fell to the right on the ground, while Jackson went left en route to a long touchdown run. “He’s got my vote for MVP,” said Bengals defensive back Williams after the game.
Sunday was not the first time Cincinnati helped a player make a case for MVP. Last season Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chief’s quarterback, came out of nowhere in his first season as a starter to earn an MVP. The Bengals played the Chiefs on a nationally televised game and were embarrassed. Kansas City destroyed Cincinnati 4 to10. Patrick Mahomes did anything he wanted on the Bengal defense. The 2018 MVP threw for 358 yards, while completing 28 of 39 passes and four touchdowns.
In the midst of possibly the worst Bengal season ever, it will not get any easier. The team wills still have to face legendary quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots along with two meetings with Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns.
Bengal fans have had very little to cheer about in 2019. Unable to get defensive stops or move the ball consistently on offense, the team is definitely in danger of going 0-16.
This coming weekend, Cincinnati will travel to Oakland to take on the Raiders. Oakland has become one of the biggest surprises in the league. Unless a drastic burse of energy comes from the stripes, expect Cincinnati to lose their tenth game in a row.
The Bengals have a famous chant. That chant is “Who-dey” … as in “Who dey think gonna beat them Bengals!”
We now know the answer to that. The answer is everybody that plays them.