Cincinnati Bengals 2017 Season Recap
Many fan bases have legitimate gripes about the state of their object of affection, be it the on field performance of the team or its identity within the community. But how frustrating, how enraging is it when the owner and de facto general manager is content with the status quo of living in the shadow of their rivals?
Cincinnati Bengals
2017 Record: 7-9
2016 Record: 6-9-1
Win Differential: -0.5
What Happened: Looking to rebound from a disappointing 2016 campaign, the Bengals entered the year with a new offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor. What would develop would be a moribund offense that was amongst the worst in the league when he was replaced by Ken Zampese, their quarterbacks coach. The effectiveness of the unit would improve some, but Cincy would end up in the bottom quarter of most offensive statistical categories. The continued decay of the roster due to free agency deletions, age and salary cap considerations, plus the exodus of talented coaches in coordinator positions have left the Bengals in the precarious position of having enough talent on the field to remain competitive, but not enough to win consistently to be a playoff contender. And that is a very troubling spot, since they have yet to win a playoff game during the 15 year(!) tenure of head coach Marvin Lewis, where the Bengals were far richer in talent a scant two years ago.
What Happens Now: Unless there is a diamond in the rough that owner/GM Mike Brown has unearthed in the draft, then expect more middling football from the Queen City Kitties. Brown is not known for big free agency splurges, the most recognizable name acquired being DT Chris Baker, who will help the defensive line in run support and pass pressure, but that's about the size of it. But there was no response to the free agent loss of RB Jeremy Hill to the Patriots, who was a good player for them. The Bengals could be a challenger to the AFC North opposite the Pittsburgh Steelers. But really, unless the injury bug sets up shop in the Steel City, does anyone believe that Cincinnati will actually win their division? And so the narrative goes in Cincy: always a step behind the likes of Pittsburgh and Baltimore. And this will more than likely to continue until control of the Bengals officially transfers over from Brown to his daughter, Katie Blackburn. The zenith for this franchise happened on January 22, 1989, when the Bengals led the San Francisco 49ers 16-13 in Super Bowl XXIII with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. We all know what happened. Niners QB Joe Montana would build his legacy as unflappable in the clutch by leading the 49ers on a 92 yard game winning drive, WR Jerry Rice would earn his Super Bowl MVP honors, and receiving bookend John Taylor would become immortalized as a Super Bowl legend with his game winning touchdown catch. That moment was 30 years ago. Since then, the Bengals have been mediocre at best and an embarrassing laughingstock at worst. All the while, Brown has been content to be whatever his team will be, rain or shine. Which means, dear reader, if you are a faithful follower of this ball club, then it is highly recommended that you should keep your expectations low. Hope for the best, yes. But brace for the worst.
