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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > September > 21 > Entry
Giants (3-0) find a way to win, while the Bengals (0-3) find ways to lose
FIELD GOALS DON’T BEAT
THE N.Y. GIANTS; TD’S DO
FOUR TRIPS INSIDE RED ZONE
YIELD 1 TD, 3 FIELD GOALS
The visiting Cincinnati Bengals learned a BRUTAL lesson in a 26-23 overtime loss to the New York Giants at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sunday, Sept. 21.
More than anything, they discovered that TDs are needed to beat the Giants — not field goals.
The Bengals had a chance to pull off the stunning upset, but couldn’t finish in the red zone.
They drove to the Giants’ 4-, 12-, 17- and 3-yard lines, but scored just one TD … quarterback Carson Palmer’s 17-yard pass to wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. It was Palmer’s first TD pass of 2008 and Houshmandzadeh’s first scoring reception of the season.
The Bengals had to settle for Shayne Graham field goals of 22, 30 and 21 yards.
That strategy kept them in the game, but stopped them from winning.
The Giants pressured Palmer relentlessly, sacking him six times — the same number of sacks they generated a week ago against Marc Bulger in a 41-13 victory at St. Louis.
New York’s secondary also did a great job of keeping the Bengals receivers in front of them, forcing Palmer to throw underneath.
Instead of gambling on the deep ball and risking interceptions, the Bengals were content to take what New York gave them. They played conservative, leaned on Graham’s field goals, and they weren’t enough.
Giants QB Eli Manning didn’t go down once. The Bengals have just one sack this year, courtesy of defensive end Antwan Odom.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin praised the Bengals’ pressure. But from my viewpoint in the press box high atop Giants Stadium, Giants QB Eli Manning had enough time to smoke a cigar and sip a cup of coffee.
“Give credit where credit is due to Cincinnati,” Coughlin said. “They played well. They came in here, they were 0-2, their coach said they were going to play hard, and they did play hard. They were physical. They hadn’t shown that kind of pressure in any of their previous games. They really did a nice job of that. We had our hands full and we found a way to win.”
And that’s the difference between the 3-0 Giants and the 0-3 Bengals.
Bottom line: Winners win and losers lose.
The Giants are winners. They find a way to win.
The Bengals are losers. They find a way to lose.
UNTIL NEXT TIME …
This is Chick Ludwig, signing off from New York with a message: “Make love, not war; give peace a chance; and strawberry fields forever.”
And thank you for reading “LUDWIG AT LARGE.”
Contact Chick Ludwig at cludwig@daytondailynews.com
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By bob
September 21, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this
My Lord… Ohio football sucks! When does Flyers season start?By bob2
September 22, 2008 5:39 AM | Link to this
Are you kidding me, Chick? You were there and you can’t remember the Chris Perry touchdown? Damn.By oldskool
September 22, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this
How bad was Levi Jones? It looked like it was the first game he ever played. He was totally dominated by a second string end. If he could have blocked his man every once in a while, the game might have ended differently.By Jim
September 22, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this
Hey chicken! Are you staying in NYC to hang with your bud, iran’s Ahmadinejad today? You both share a hatred of conservative American values that our great country was founded. Keep your looney liberal/socialist comments on the political webpages. The old liberal media like you continues to be exposed and wither.By Steven Ross
September 22, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
Giants QB Eli Manning had enough time to smoke a cigar and sip a cup of coffee. No kidding. Why can’t the Bengals generate a front four pass rush? I mean, we haven’t had one in over a decade. It’s a luxury sadly missing from being a good defensive football team. Peko might be okay against the run but he never moves the line. 2nd stringer on any other team. Yes, I know there are double teams but where’s Odom? Only Geathers showed moxy.By William
September 22, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
A respectable showing by the Bengals, but a loss nontheless. If this same team shows up against the Browns, they could be 1-3 next week.By cincyanon
September 22, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
My neighbors returned from a game party and said the game was a moral victory. I laughed. There are no moral victories when the system doesn’t change and the team is on the way to a 4-12 season. It was just like the Bengals to not go out and lose 42 to 6. That wouldn’t hurt as much because it was expected. Instead, they like twisting the knife. “Yes, we’re going to lose but first we want you to think there is hope.” There is no hope. And there is no confidence.By Chevelle67
September 22, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
A loss is still a loss BUT if we can get going against Cleveland with Chris Henry coming back, things could change for this team. I may be premature but I like the senerio IF we get a win at home this Sunday.By Chevelle67
September 22, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
A loss is still a loss BUT if we can get going against Cleveland with Chris Henry coming back, things could change for this team. I may be premature but I like the senerio IF we get a win at home this Sunday.By Chevelle67
September 22, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
A loss is still a loss BUT if we can get going against Cleveland with Chris Henry coming back the week after, things could change for this team. I may be premature but I like the senerio IF we get a win at home this Sunday.By Chevelle67
September 22, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this
A loss is still a loss BUT if we can get going against Cleveland with Chris Henry coming back the week after, things could change for this team. I may be premature but I like the senerio IF we get a win at home this Sunday.By Chevelle67
September 22, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
A loss is still a loss BUT if we can get going against Cleveland with Chris Henry coming back the week after, things could change for this team. I may be premature but I like the senerio IF we get a win at home this Sunday.By cchevelle
September 22, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this
A loss is still a loss BUT if we can get going against Cleveland with Chris Henry coming back the week after, things could change for this team. I may be premature and unpopular but I like the senerio IF we get a win at home this Sunday.By Robert Young
September 22, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this
Things are truly sad if you are pinning any hope you have left on the return of The Village Idiot.By Ryan
September 22, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
Bob2— Chris Perry’s TD was from outside of the Red Zone.