Random Thoughts On A Random Tuesday....
Can the Bengals beat the Broncos this Sunday? Why not? Did you see any of that Denver vs Oakland game last night? Kyle Orton looked clueless most of the night and the Oakland running attacked ripped the Denver defense to shreds. One very big concern about playing in Denver (and it has nothing to do with history. History in sports is the most over rated stat, period.) is weather. It will be hot in Denver. September is always one of the warmest months out there. And the air is thin. For players no accustomed to those conditions, it will be a big adjustment....
Cedric Benson had to be drooling on himself watching the Raiders run through the Denver defense. I don't believe that Benson drools, however...
Andrew Whitworth's sore foot is a bigger concern than Andy Dalton's sore arm. Whitworth protects Dalton's blind side. No Big Whit, no good...
Scott Rolen will probably finish the 2011 season on the shelf. Dusty Baker said today it's unlikely that Rolen will play again. He's been out since mid July with shoulder soreness and subsequent surgery. Just as well that Rolen doesn't play. The Reds need to see as much of Juan Francisco and Todd Frazier at third base for the balance of this season to determine their best option for 2012, backing up Rolen. But what makes this situation more infuriating is that the Reds waited until September 1st to call Francisco up from the minors and gave Miguel Cairo far too many starts at third base, while sitting Frazier.
Francisco was hurt at inopportune times in AAA and missed out on earlier call ups. But he certainly was healthy enough to join the team in early August. Cairo is a valued player, a super sub. But EVERYONE knew that LAST season. Why this team was reluctant to bring its young talent up from AAA earlier than it did is a complete mystery. But so was playing Jonny Gomes for two and a half months while Chris Heisey rode the bench. Very, very strange year for your Cincinnati Reds.
UC football coach Butch Jones says his defense will be more mature and more polished vs Akron Saturday. Considering Akron has been outscored 83-3 in two games, it better be......
Ochocinco caught just one passes for 14 yards in a game that Tom Brady threw for over 500 yards? Man should change his name to Ochouno...
Did TJ Houshmanzadeh's skill dimish that much since signing on with Seattle a few years back? Was it the Bengals system that made him the receiver he was? Or was he was simply Palmer's 'go to guy'? Just askin....
NHL camps have opened already? Really? What happened to summer?
What happens first: the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs or the opening night of the next NBA season?
This blog may not be reproduce, re-transmitted or repurposed in any manner, in whole or in part, without the written permission of Ken Broo.
THE BROO VIEW: Cincinnati's Legendary Sportscaster Offer His Thoughts On The Ever Changing World Of Sports
Thursday, September 08, 2011
I Want To Believe The Bengals Will Beat The Browns Sunday....
And I think they've got a legitimate shot to pull it off. But a lot of things have to go right for the Bengals. It starts by getting off the field on third down, defensively. The Bengals had trouble doing that last season. But in this year's pre-season games, the Bengals did a better job at third down defense. Cleveland will almost certainly try to pound Peyton Hillis. That's their game, or at least it was under Eric Mangini. New head coach, Pat Shurmer may have other ideas. But Hillis has been their horse. Last year, in the game played at Cleveland, Hillis ran for 102 yards on the Bengals defense. Just as important, he helped the Browns control the game clock. When the two teams played again in Cincinnati later in the year, Hillis wasn't so successful.
The Bengals will have to counter with Cedric Benson, for the same reasons as the Browns will try to run. Benson is the security blanket for rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton and new offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden. Benson can help manage the game for both. And, the Bengals offensive line is more adroit at run blocking than pass protection. So a lot of what will go down Sunday in Cleveland will come down to which team has the better defense against the run. That's where I think the Bengals have the edge. They demonstrated in this year's pre-season games they've tightened things up defending the run. If that was any indication of what the regular season may hold, advantage Bengals Sunday, and a real chance at winning their opener.
Here's another reason why the Bengals may have an edge: the Browns are 1-11 in season opening games, since returning to the NFL in 1999.
Other random thoughts on this random night.....
Great, and I mean great opening game for the 2011 NFL season. 76 points total and a game that went right down to the last play. And what a debut for former University of Kentucky star, Randall Cobb. The Packers' second round pick in this past April's draft caught a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. And then, Cobb returned a kickoff for a touchdown....108 yards! Kickoff returns may not hold the drama they have in seasons past, due to the new rule placing the ball on the 35 yard line for kicks. But Cobb's return may be an indication that every once in awhile, you get that kind of magic.....
I like the Steelers, Falcons, Bucs and Chiefs Sunday, for what that's worth....
Can UC pull of an upset at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville Saturday afternoon. UC senior running back Isaiah Pead said this week "we're going to shock the world". Tennessee isn't a top tier team in the SEC this season. But road teams not named Boise State traditionally have trouble in SEC stadia, any of them. Like to think it will happen. Tough to think it will....
I don't know about you, but I've had enough of Ramon Hernandez and Edgar Renteria this season. If I'm Dusty Baker, I was through playing each a long time ago. Nothing against either, particularly Hernandez who could, in a certain set of circumstances wind up back here next season. But there is no excuse for not playing the future now. That would be catcher Devin Meseraco, third baseman Juan Francisco, outfielder Yonder Alonso and short stop Chris Valaika. Honestly, no one other than the players involved cares about individual 'goals' like winning a league earned run average or scoring a set number of runs. To give the team it's best shot of contending again in 2012, we need to get beyond those kinds of things.
This blog may not be reproduced, re-transmitted or repurposed in any manner, in whole or in part without the written permission of Ken Broo.
And I think they've got a legitimate shot to pull it off. But a lot of things have to go right for the Bengals. It starts by getting off the field on third down, defensively. The Bengals had trouble doing that last season. But in this year's pre-season games, the Bengals did a better job at third down defense. Cleveland will almost certainly try to pound Peyton Hillis. That's their game, or at least it was under Eric Mangini. New head coach, Pat Shurmer may have other ideas. But Hillis has been their horse. Last year, in the game played at Cleveland, Hillis ran for 102 yards on the Bengals defense. Just as important, he helped the Browns control the game clock. When the two teams played again in Cincinnati later in the year, Hillis wasn't so successful.
The Bengals will have to counter with Cedric Benson, for the same reasons as the Browns will try to run. Benson is the security blanket for rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton and new offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden. Benson can help manage the game for both. And, the Bengals offensive line is more adroit at run blocking than pass protection. So a lot of what will go down Sunday in Cleveland will come down to which team has the better defense against the run. That's where I think the Bengals have the edge. They demonstrated in this year's pre-season games they've tightened things up defending the run. If that was any indication of what the regular season may hold, advantage Bengals Sunday, and a real chance at winning their opener.
Here's another reason why the Bengals may have an edge: the Browns are 1-11 in season opening games, since returning to the NFL in 1999.
Other random thoughts on this random night.....
Great, and I mean great opening game for the 2011 NFL season. 76 points total and a game that went right down to the last play. And what a debut for former University of Kentucky star, Randall Cobb. The Packers' second round pick in this past April's draft caught a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. And then, Cobb returned a kickoff for a touchdown....108 yards! Kickoff returns may not hold the drama they have in seasons past, due to the new rule placing the ball on the 35 yard line for kicks. But Cobb's return may be an indication that every once in awhile, you get that kind of magic.....
I like the Steelers, Falcons, Bucs and Chiefs Sunday, for what that's worth....
Can UC pull of an upset at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville Saturday afternoon. UC senior running back Isaiah Pead said this week "we're going to shock the world". Tennessee isn't a top tier team in the SEC this season. But road teams not named Boise State traditionally have trouble in SEC stadia, any of them. Like to think it will happen. Tough to think it will....
I don't know about you, but I've had enough of Ramon Hernandez and Edgar Renteria this season. If I'm Dusty Baker, I was through playing each a long time ago. Nothing against either, particularly Hernandez who could, in a certain set of circumstances wind up back here next season. But there is no excuse for not playing the future now. That would be catcher Devin Meseraco, third baseman Juan Francisco, outfielder Yonder Alonso and short stop Chris Valaika. Honestly, no one other than the players involved cares about individual 'goals' like winning a league earned run average or scoring a set number of runs. To give the team it's best shot of contending again in 2012, we need to get beyond those kinds of things.
This blog may not be reproduced, re-transmitted or repurposed in any manner, in whole or in part without the written permission of Ken Broo.
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