Rare collector's item:
A good gameBengals need better effort to convince fans Monday, August 17, 1998
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- One day after the Reds distributed Beanie Babies at Cinergy Field, the Bengals must offer something less tangible to please their fans: A positive impression.
O'Donnell
ManningTODAY'S GAME Bengals vs. Colts
• When: 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Cinergy Field
• Radio: WBOB-AM (1160)
• TV: Tape-dalayed at 11:35 on Ch. 12, 2
If the mood of callers to radio talk shows is any indication, the Bengals have generated much more skepticism than excitement with their four-headed quarterback competition and a still-unsettled defense. Cincinnati didn't earn more allegiance with its 24-17 loss to the New York Giants in its Aug. 8 preseason opener, either. So though tonight's date with the Indianapolis Colts is another preseason affair, the Bengals realize a strong effort can improve their standing with fans as well as on the field.
"There's going to be people debating whether they want to come out during the year," Bengals cornerback Ashley Ambrose said Sunday. "I think this would be a good chance, if we can have a good showing, to give them a reason to come out."
Right tackle Willie Anderson also understood the fans' hesitance to commit themselves.
"They're waiting to see what kind of team they're going to have," Anderson said. "If we can give them something to cheer for right now, it'll carry over to the first home game of the season (Tennessee, Sept. 6). . . . Late in the season, we're going to need those fans." The Bengals are just as curious as the general public to learn how they'll evolve. Few definitive answers will develop tonight. "You have to remember: We've played one game," Bengals coach Bruce Coslet said.
The quarterbacks will again command attention. Reversing the order of play from the previous week, Neil O'Donnell will start, followed by Jeff Blake for approximately a quarter and a half and Paul Justin for the rest of the game. Eric Kresser, despite his stellar performance against the Giants, won't play.
"We have to put some points on the board early," Anderson said. "We don't want this preseason to be like last year's, where there really wasn't a whole lot of scoring."
The Bengals scored a respectable 108 points in last year's four preseason games, but just 13 came in the first quarter, when the starters were on the field. Against New York, Cincinnati scored all but three of its points in the fourth quarter.
Indianapolis' No. 1 quarterback also will be the subject of intense scrutiny: Peyton Manning, this year's top overall draft pick who signed a six-year, $48 million contract. He's expected to play the first half.
Defensively, the Bengals want to improve upon what they saw as a hollow effort against New York. They allowed just 252 yards but failed to prevent New York from capitalizing on each of Cincinnati's four turnovers.
"We have to set the tone for what type of defense we're going to be," cornerback Corey Sawyer said. "It doesn't matter if it's the second game of the preseason. We have to get in our minds that we're going to be a dominating defense."
Getting tougher on third down would help the Bengals. Though they allowed New York to convert six of 16 third-down plays into first downs -- roughly equaling last year's NFL average -- the Giants succeeded on three of their first five chances against Cincinnati's starters. "We didn't do as well as we could have with our first defense," Coslet said.
In a way, comparing these back-to-back days at Cinergy is unfair. Sunday, kids got a finished product in little red Rover, the Beanie Baby. Tonight, the fans will get a look at pro football in August, which is never a finished product, whether the Bengals or a perennial contender is playing.
As Coslet said, "We'll identify more problem areas this week after this game. That's what happens."
