If I own the Bengals, the coach is fired today.

[Melancer46]

Dalton has been terrible in the playoffs, hes not Tom Brady, its time for the Bengals to move on.

True, but he had never been an MVP candidate in those past seasons either. He was playing by far the best football of his career before he got hurt and this team looked like arguably the best in the AFC. After his injury, they were just another team in the awful AFC playoffs.

 

[Melancer46]

What about that "Touchdown" by Bryant. No way in heel was that a catch.

Based on the NFL's weird definition of what is and isn't a catch, I think it's a legit catch. I believe the rule that applies here is:

ARTICLE 3

COMPLETED OR INTERCEPTED PASS.
A player who makes a catch may advance the ball. A forward pass is
complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds:
(a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and
(b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and
(c) maintains control of the ball after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled,
until he has clearly become a runner (see 3-2-7 Item 2).
Note: If a player has control of the ball, a slight movement of the ball will not be considered a loss of possession. He must
lose control of the ball in order to rule that there has been a loss of possession.

The bolded part makes it tough to say whether or not it's a catch. To me, since a slight movement is NOT considered losing control of the ball, I would say that losing control of the ball requires the ball actually leaving your hands for a moment (bobbling the ball). Looking at the Bryant catch, I don't think that ever happened. It moved around in his right hand a bit, but he always had his right hand on the ball and had it pinned against his left hand or his leg at all times. So since he never lost control of the ball, the three steps that he took in bounds count and it's a touchdown. Even if you consider the part where the ball moves from his two hands to his leg as him losing possession, he pins the ball against his leg with his right foot on the ground, gets his left foot down, and then does the flip.

 

[CousCuse]

Based on the NFL's weird definition of what is and isn't a catch, I think it's a legit catch. I believe the rule that applies here is:



The bolded part makes it tough to say whether or not it's a catch. To me, since a slight movement is NOT considered losing control of the ball, I would say that losing control of the ball requires the ball actually leaving your hands for a moment (bobbling the ball). Looking at the Bryant catch, I don't think that ever happened. It moved around in his right hand a bit, but he always had his right hand on the ball and had it pinned against his left hand or his leg at all times. So since he never lost control of the ball, the three steps that he took in bounds count and it's a touchdown. Even if you consider the part where the ball moves from his two hands to his leg as him losing possession, he pins the ball against his leg with his right foot on the ground, gets his left foot down, and then does the flip.

There are only a few teams that would get that call , like Dallas , New England , Denver , Pitt , Green Bay maybe G-Men.

 

[Briancuse]

True, but he had never been an MVP candidate in those past seasons either. He was playing by far the best football of his career before he got hurt and this team looked like arguably the best in the AFC. After his injury, they were just another team in the awful AFC playoffs.

He had a good year last year and spit the bit in the playoffs, McCarron put the Bengals in position to win the game.

 

[Melancer46]

He had a good year last year and spit the bit in the playoffs, McCarron put the Bengals in position to win the game.

There is no comparison between last year's Dalton and this year's Dalton. It's night and day. He went from being a guy that Cinci couldn't ask to do too much to basically carrying the team for long stretches.

And McCarron was nothing special this weekend. The Bengals offense couldn't do anything for 90% of the game. He came through at the end, but if Dalton played the way he did in the regular season, it's probably a blow-out (granted Dalton's worst game of this season was probably against the Steelers, but overall, he was elite this year).

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Burfict might be an idiot, but without him, they arent in position to win the game in the first place. If they cut him, there will be a line of teams drooling to sign him. He's a very talented player who happens to be an idiot. But the NFL isnt a league full of nobel laureate types, especially on defense. His interception should have won them the game if the RB doesnt chode it away.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

There are only a few teams that would get that call , like Dallas , New England , Denver , Pitt , Green Bay maybe G-Men.

Dallas didn't get the call

 

[Briancuse]

Burfict might be an idiot, but without him, they arent in position to win the game in the first place. If they cut him, there will be a line of teams drooling to sign him. He's a very talented player who happens to be an idiot. But the NFL isnt a league full of nobel laureate types, especially on defense. His interception should have won them the game if the RB doesnt chode it away.

Sure there would, and then he will get cut a year later. Burfict is going to be the guy that winds up playing for 7 different teams.

 

[OrangeDW]

Some perspective...the Bengals just had their best record in 27 seasons. The Bengals had made the playoffs 7 times in their 35 history before Marvin Lewis was hired as coach. They have made it 7 times in 13 seasons with Marvin Lewis, including the last 5 seasons. This is the most consistent good run of football in franchise history, and it's not close.

They'd be nuts to fire him on some knee-jerk angry fan reaction stuff.

 

[orangeinohio]

Mike Brown is paying Marvin Lewis $4.5M/year. That's 19th out of 32 in terms of salary rankings. (http://coacheshotseat.com/NFLCoachesSalaries.htm)

Mike Brown is such an incredible cheapskate that he probably won't fire Marvin simply because he might have to pay the next guy more.

 

[bpo57]

What about that "Touchdown" by Bryant. No way in heel was that a catch.

Agreed but how was Burfict not penalized for running off the field into the tunnel after his pick? How was that not unsportsmanlike or delay of game.? And would it ever occurred to Lewis to try to reign his players in? There were probably 8-10 incidents prior to the last sequence. His arse should be fired. Problem is there are very few attractive HC candidates out there.

 

[Briancuse]

Agreed but how was Burfict not penalized for running off the field into the tunnel after his pick? How was that not unsportsmanlike or delay of game.? And would it ever occurred to Lewis to try to reign his players in? There were probably 8-10 incidents prior to the last sequence. His arse should be fired. Problem is there are very few attractive HC candidates out there.

It should have been a delay of game penalty, shocked nobody brought it up before.