Bengals Game Grades

Here is an article on game grades for the Bengals game.

Quarterback: B

Bruce Gradkowski is now 4-9 in his career while starting and 1-0 at the helm of the Silver & Black. His decisiveness, inspiring play and ability to diversify the offense with his accuracy helped the Raider offense churn out yardage when they needed it most and it got them their first second half touchdown in seven games. Gradkowski managed the game well with his feet, evading sacks and getting rid of the ball quickly when all his options were covered and pressure was coming. On the game tying drive, his quick release on a blitz was able to gain 19-yards on 2nd and 4. Then on 4th and 10, he hit an open Chaz Schilens to give the Raiders life. The 29-yard toss to his rookie target was one of the most clutch plays this season.

 

Running backs: C-

After a solid performance last week, Michael Bush could have been a goat today with his fumble in the 3rd quarter. That turnover led to a 25-yard Shayne Graham field goal, which extended the Bengals lead to 17-10. He did average 6.8 yards per carry on his 4 attempts. Darren McFadden played a physical game. He had 9 touches for 25-yards, many of them on earlier downs that helped Gradkowski into manageable down and distances in key drives. Fargas went 8 for 32.

 

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: B-

Louis Murphy’s lone catch of the game was a 29-yard strike that tied the game with 33 seconds remaining in the game. He worked the cornerback well and was able to adjust to make the reception and bolt into the end zone. Miller went 5 for 65 and a TD. His back-to-back catches; on 2nd and 4 for 19-yards and on 1st and 10 for 9-yards in the game tying drive helped move the chains. Chaz Schilens hauled in a stellar 25-yard pass to start a drive, jumping to snag the football with a cornerback draped on him and a 16-yard catch on 4th and 10 with the game on the line. DHB dropped a crucial 3rd and 2nd, but snagged a 7-yard pass on a 3rd and 3. In the 3rd quarter, the speedy rookie did draw a 19-yard pass interference flag on Leon Hall.

 

O-Line: B

This group played well at times, others they got mixed up in trying to block the varying Bengal blitzes. Gradkowski’s mobility and instant decision making kept Cincinnati from tallying a sack. Robert Gallery mauled the interior of the defensive line during Bush’s 10-yard gain on 3rd and 2 in the 3rd quarter. Cornell Green was mistake free.

 

Defense: B-

The run defense allowed way too many yards (177). But many times, the front-four was able to pressure Carson Palmer.

 

Linebackers: A

Probably the best game the linebackers played all season. Thomas Howard was very active, firing through the line of scrimmage on many stops and covering tailback Brian Leonard on a deep pattern to force an incompletion. Kirk Morrison had his best game of the year with 4-tackles – two behind the line of scrimmage. Sam Williams was in on a turnover that Desmond Bryant facilitated.

 

Secondary: B

This was a Jekyll and Hide game for this unit. Tyvon Branch tallied 12-tackles. He was routinely making stops around the line of scrimmage and in the backfield. On a 3rd and 6 in the 2nd quarter, Branch blitzed, sacked Palmer and forced a fumble when Cincinnati was at the OAK 27-yard line. He did get burned on an Andre Caldwell 17-yard reception in the 1st quarter, but he dove in the end-zone to break up a potential score on a 2nd and goal in the 3rd quarter – a key play as Graham missed a 37-yarder five plays later.

 

Special Teams: A

Rookie tight end Brandon Myers had the play of the game; stripping Caldwell on the game’s final kickoff with seconds remaining and recovering the loose ball at the Bengals 17-yard line. A few plays later, Sebastian Janikowski nailed his second field goal of the game from 37-yards out with 15 seconds remaining, giving Oakland the late victory.

 

Coaching: B

The play calling was significantly different with Gradkowski at quarterback. Oakland tossed the ball 34-times and the offense was pass happy on many drives. Tom Cable’s club looked impressive out of the gate in the 2nd half, putting together a 10-play drive and cutting the Bengals lead to 14-10 after intermission. The blitzing defense was a similar attack they installed against the Eagles, and it kept the often-stationary Palmer moving in the pocket. The team played motivated even after falling behind and they came from behind in front of an empty building.

 

GAME NOTES

• Ochocinco was flagged twice for false starts, playing anxiously in trying to get an edge by releasing early off the line against Oakland’s top-flight cornerback. He finished the game with 4-receptions for 67-yards.
• Gradkowski induced am encroachment penalty with his cadence in the first quarter. In total, the Bengals compiled 8-penalties for 59-yards. The Raiders’ passer facilitated another offside infraction later in the game, but the penalty was declined due to a McFadden 9-yard gain. Gradkowski finished 17 for 34 for 183 yards with an INT and two touchdowns.

Rookie Bernard Scott ran for a season-high 119 yards in place of the injured Cedric Benson. Former Chief Larry Johnson had two carries for 5 yards in his first game as a Bengal.