Sunday, September 22, 2002
Bengals see chance to shed 'Bungles' image
Playoff chance, reputation on the line against Falcons
By Mark Curnutte mcurnutte@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ATLANTA - Tonight's game against the Falcons is especially important to the Bengals for two reasons. At 0-2, the Bengals would significantly damage their already fleeting playoff hopes with a loss. Also, they're playing their first prime-time TV game in four years, and they can begin to dispel the notion that these are the same old Bengals.
Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN and Channel 9 (WCPO-TV).
“This is an opportunity for us to show our football team, and we're looking forward to it,” Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said.
It's as close to a must-win game as Game3 can be.
Only one team - the 1998 Arizona Cardinals - has gone from 0-3 to the playoffs in the last five years. That's one in 28, or 3.6 percent.
Getting to the playoffs from 0-2 is getting more difficult in recent years, but that journey is much easier than the one from 0-3.
Since 1990, 14 teams went from 0-2 to the playoffs.
But since 1999, 26 teams have opened 0-2 and only one - New England last season - qualified for the postseason. That's 3.8 percent in three years.
The Bengals have opened 0-2 three times in the past four years. In 2001, they were 2-0 before finishing 6-10.
“We had time to undo the 2-0 start, so we've got time to get it done after going 0-2,” Bengals middle linebacker Brian Simmons said. “The time is now to start.”
The Bengals were last featured in a prime-time game in Simmons' rookie year, 1998. Since losing 31-24 to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, Sept.27, the Bengals are 16-46, and prime-time invitations didn't come.
Until tonight.
A victory against the Falcons wouldn't eliminate the stigma, but it would be a start.
“This right here could be a snowball effect,” said Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes, a Georgia native who makes his offseason home in Atlanta. “It could lead us to something good for the next upcoming games.”
Spikes' thought then turned to an ESPN sports personality.
“And then I know one week Chris Berman won't say nothing bad about us,” Spikes said.
Spikes is one of the Bengals players who haven't received serious Pro Bowl consideration because they've played for losing teams and haven't had national exposure.
Left tackle Richmond Webb, who made seven Pro Bowl teams with the Dolphins, said one big game on national TV could make a big difference.
“We have some of those Pro Bowl-caliber players on this team, and those prime-time games are where a remark from a broadcaster, "Hey, this guy here looked pretty good,' could get you over the hump,” Webb said. “The announcers can take care of you.”
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Bengals see chance to shed 'Bungles' image
