As the Cincinnati Bengals prepared for the Houston Texans today for Saturday's matchup in the Wild Card round, their first playoff matchup since 2009, they were without rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is likely on his way to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, to go along with being selected as a Pro Bowl alternate and becomine the first rookie quarterback to start every game and take his team to the playoffs. Andy Dalton was out with the flu today and is expected to be back on the practice field tomorrow. And note that I said the practice field, not their indoor facility because, in fact, the Cincinnati Bengals don't have one. Cincinnati practiced outside for the second straight day in temperatures that hovered in the mid-20's. Temperature is one of the rare scenarios where someone can complain about something or someone being in their twenties. The wind chill was brutal but the Bengals decided there was no reason to practice indoors.
However, two things are incredibly wrong with that statement: (1) Mike Brown needs to provide greater personal and financial support of the team and build an indoor practice facility. The Bengals finally found a franchise quarterback in Dalton who, in his rookie season, would have made everyone in Cincinnati forget who Carson Palmer was if it weren't for all the Oakland highlights each week that featured about three Palmer interceptions. You want to know the biggest difference between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The owners. Dan Rooney has already been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has made numerous significant contributions to the game such as the "Rooney Rule," which requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority coach for every vacant position. Oh, did I mention in his free time he is the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland? He and the rest of the Rooney family provide the Steelers with all of the support they need, which is a major reason why Pittsburgh has made it to the Super Bowl three times in the last six years. I don't see Mike Brown making a name for himself in the football or international world, other than being stingy with his money. The Bengals have to
overcome Brown to win the games that they do and make it to the playoffs. Seriously, Mike Brown, your gesture to have a buy one, get one free deal was uncharacteristically generous to the city of Cincinnati and is hopefully a sign for what is to come in the future. Let's double the number of good things you have done for the Bengals recently by paying for an indoor practice facility out of your own pocket this offseason. (2) Who knows what caused Red's illness, but playing in freezing temperatures definitely didn't help, if it wasn't the main cause. I'm not sure what the line is on the Bengals-Texans matchup but it has to be seven points or less. The Bengals only lost by one point, 20-19, at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 14. Cincinnati has a legitimate shot to pull off the upset this week, that's assuming that Andy Dalton is healthy and plays four quarters against Houston. How perfect would that be for the reputation of Mike Brown--the Cincinnati Bengals make it to the playoffs, led by a rookie quarterback, but their lack of outdoor stadium causes him to catch the flu and the Bengals lose a winnable game as a result. You need to take every precaution to keep your star players healthy. Check that.
You need to take every precaution to keep all of your players healthy.
Even though the Bengals do not have an indoor practice facility, the University of Cincinnati has a bubble field only a few miles away. Oh wait, that would Mike Brown and the Cincinnati Bengals would have to pay $5,000 per day to use it.
Nevermind, a playoff win isn't worth $15,000. Remember, we're just happy to be in the playoffs no matter what.
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