As bad as the Bengals played in the first half, they could have folded in the second half. Instead, the Bengals defense returned an interception for a TD and second year WR Andre Caldwell came alive. Even Coles got into the act (something he hasn’t done yet this season) and made a key 3rd down catch.

RB Brian Leonard made a 4th down play and a 2 pt conversion.

It was like week 1 in reverse where the Bengals had let the Broncos stay in the game and never put them away when they had the chance, giving the Broncos an opening at the end. The Steelers couldn’t put the Bengals away.

Defense kept the Bengals in the game despite giving up some big plays. The interception returned for a TD by CB Jonathan Joseph and sacking Ben Roethlisberger on 3rd down to force the Steelers to punt, giving the ball back to the Bengals offense with 5 minutes left in the game. Steelers RB Willlie Parker was held to 91 yards after he had 71 at half time.

Next week it’s the Browns followed by the Ravens giving the Bengals an opportunity to take the lead in the AFC North, something they have not held since the end of the 2005 season.

Despite beating the Packers in week 2 and pulling out a come from behind win today against the Steelers, the Bengals have yet to come close to dominating a game. They’ve shown flashes of domination at time, only to turn around and look sloppy.

For the Bengals to make the playoffs, fewer mistakes are needed. This applies to all phases of the game.

The Bengals next game is against the Browns, who were hammered by the Ravens 34-3 earlier today, will be a good game for the Bengals come out and intend to dominate from the opening whisle to the end. They’ll likely be facing QB Derek Anderson, not QB Brady Quinn.

It’s a good game for some payback for the Bengals, who were beaten badly by Derek Anderson in his first career start.

Here’s some fuel for the Bengals. This was taken from the Brown’s website where Browns fans give the Bengals less chance to win the AFC North than the winless Browns.

Who’s your pick to win the AFC North Division?

Cleveland	12.61%
Cincinnati	3.50%
Baltimore	60.45%
Pittsburgh	23.44%

Total number of votes: 7965

Dropped passes, sacks, penalties and lapsed play have left the Bengals looking like a division II college team going against the Buckeyes. The Steelers have NO respect for the Bengals whatsoever. Mike Tomlin attempted a 4th and 4 while at the Bengals 35 yard line. Just no respect at all.

I don’t blame the Steeler’s coach for going for it, I blame the Bengals for playing like boys amongst men and earning no respect.

Half time statistics are:

Steelers 13 points, Gals 3

Total yards: Steelers 258, Gals 91

Passing yards: Steelers 180, Gals 71

Rushing yards: Steelers 78, Gals 20

Punts: Steelers 0, Gals 4

Time of Pos.” Steelers 18:27, Gals 11:33

Will the Bengals rebound in the second half?

Laveranues Coles has 0 catches with 2 drops in first half.

However, Laveranues Coles was signed to replace last year’s receiption leader.

To make things worst, Coles has more drops than catches.

In contrast, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the WR Coles replaced, has 10 receptions for 110 yards in 2 games.

Coles was given a four-year, $28 million deal, which included $9.75 million guaranteed.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh five-year, $40 million contract, which included $15 million guaranteed.

TJ had 112 receptions in 2008 to the lead the NFL, even with Carson Palmer sidelined for all but 4 games.

Just another bad, bad move by Bengals owner Mike Brown, who continues to refuse to step down from the GM position.

Instead, the Bengals snatched a 12-7 defeat, throwing away the victory with seconds left.

It wasn’t the fluke tipped pass that went 87 yards for the Denver victory that doomed the Bengals. It was the offense’s repeated failing to finish off drives. At half time the Bengals trailed 3-0, yet their offense had nearly double the yardage as the Broncos.

The offense was not well drilled and had too many dropped passes and miscues. Hardly fitting considering they were going against the Bronco’s defense.

On one drive Carson Palmer took 2 sacks in a row that moved the Bengals out of field goal range. Ugly.

Some people find a way to win, but the Bengals seem to have perfected the opposite and showed it with glaring brillance this afternoon.

Each year seems to start out the same for Bengal’s fans. They grasp for any “green shoots” they can find, no matter how tiny they might be. And why not, on paper, the Bengals have tons of healthy green blades of grass growing. On the field, however, the green blades of grass turn out to be weeds in the middle of 10 acres of thoroughly dead lawn.

Off season free agent acquisition WR Laveranues Coles (UFA-NYJ) replaced WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (UFA-Cin.), who owner Mike Brown expressed no interest in resigning all throughout last season. Coles ended the game with 0 catches for 0 yards. In Seattle, TJ has 6 catches for 48 yards and that game isn’t over yet and that’s not a typical TJ day, but those 48 yards would have been nice for the Bengals.

Coles replacing TJ is a signature move by the “all knowing” and “not to be questioned” Bengals owner Mike Brown. TJ, after all, led the Bengals in receptions and receiving yardage last year and led the NFL in receptions the year before. In contrast, the Jets showed little interest in resigning Coles and now we know why.

Bengals’ fans are faced with the likely scenario of an 0-5 start this year following last year’s 0-8 start. Ugly. The Bengals best chance for a victory in the first 5 weeks of this season was today. Their second best chance of a victory will come in week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately for the Bengals they have more losses to the expansion Browns than any other team in the NFL with 8.

Since the Bengal’s fell into the hands of Mike Brown, through inheritance, not work, he has managed to keep his team out of the playoffs for all but one season, 2005, a record unmatched by any other NFL team owner.

Mike Brown has shown a unique ability to keep his team losing year after year, while somehow doing just enough to keep the team’s fans from an all out boycott, which was threatened last year after the team’s 0-8 start.

What will this year’s team bring? If history gives us any indication, it will be another year of miscues, bobbles and weeds being mistaken for viable green shoots.