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10 Bengals thoughts from Super Bowl week in SF

Paul Dehner Jr.
pdehnerjr@enquirer.com
Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict argues in the face of head coach Marvin Lewis after a costly fourth quarter penalty against the Steelers.

From the time you land at San Francisco International Airport on the Monday of Super Bowl week until the moment the confetti cannons dumped gold all over the grass at Levi’s Stadium, one primary theme carried every day of 50 week: the NFL does big better than anybody.

The league has never been more powerful, more desired, more broadcast, more streamed, more global. Concerns about the future of the game as the concussion issue grows are very real, but it's unrealistic to think those can truly take down this monster in the near future. Not as long as the championship continues to produce a thirst, scene and ratings like that which engulfed the Bay Area this weekend.

On that note, here are my 10 mostly Bengals-related observations following a week inside the NFL foxhole.

1. No matter where you went, people were talking about Vontaze Burfict. Perhaps much of that comes with my position covering the Bengals often drawing out those opinions, but he currently holds the title of Public Enemy No. 1. Couldn’t help but look at the discussion of maturation from a player like Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, who was as fined as any player on the Broncos was as a rookie, but matured into a leader on that defense. Such growth, even if minimal, could go a long way to refining Burfict’s game so the plays that propel his team further overshadow those which drown it.

2. I do believe the NFL has vilified Burfict, though the linebacker does enough harm to give them a platform to stand on. His role as the symbol of what’s wrong with the league was blown out of proportion following his hit. That’s what happens, though. The closer you get to the Super Bowl media monster, the more sensationalized the reaction. That goes for good and bad.

One question that repeatedly goes unanswered and caught the attention of many I talked with who hadn’t considered it, also surrounded Burfict. He was handed a three-game suspension by the league for repeated violations of player-safety rules. Fine. He had three incidents in the second Steelers game then received a $50K fine for an unnecessary hit against Maxx Williams in Week 17. After his hit concussing Antonio Brown in the playoff game he drew a three-game suspension from the league.

If this was truly for repeated violations and not a single incident, why was his suspension worth three games after one hit, but not worth one game following the Ravens incident? That type of jump for one play is unprecedented. The argument of three games due to accrued violations does not hold water if they refused to suspend him following the Williams hit.

Why would they immediately pop the three on him then? Think about it. What was the No. 1 issue for the NFL all season? Officiating. Dropping the immediate and over-the-top hammer on Burfict took attention off a game in which officials allowed a playoff game to grow wildly out of control, leaving a black eye on the league. Also, a league which assigned the same head official, John Parry, who let the Dec. 13 game against Pittsburgh go out of control to the point of $147K in fines.

Instead, the narrative was Burfict’s a bad guy. Call it a conspiracy theory or not, but I didn’t hear many people discounting the idea as the concept entered conversations.

Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) sacks St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday  November 29,  2015.

3. Coit Tower in San Francisco. If you vacation in the Bay Area and it’s a clear day, the tower built in 1933 might be the best kept secret destination in town. That neighborhood in San Francisco might be my new favorite, as well. The essence of the vibe expected when you visit.

4. One quote from John Elway stuck out to me this week. When asked about the firing of John Fox last year around this time, the Broncos president said, “this is why we made that decision.” He referred to the aggressive play to find a coach who he believed could do more than produce great regular seasons and make a postseason run.

This took me back to the press conference following the playoff loss to Indianapolis concluding the 2014 season. There, Marvin Lewis was asked if he felt fortunate to have an owner who shows patience with him despite not winning a playoff game. Lewis blew off the concept and said, “do you think people are releasing people that put a team in the playoffs four years in a row?”

A few days later, Elway did just that to Fox. Now, the coach of the Bears, Fox lost in the postseason every year from 2011-14, though he did reach the Super Bowl in 2013.

Now, the Broncos are Super Bowl champs under Gary Kubiak and stating this playoff run as the reason for Elway’s decision.

Now, I’m not saying the Bengals were right or wrong in retaining Lewis. This season was a truly special one until the final meltdown. The questions only grow louder, however, when the Bengals not only lose but watch assistants leave and enjoy success elsewhere. Whether Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, Jay Gruden in Washington or now Hue Jackson in Cleveland, the Bengals had the opportunity to take the risk Denver did. They opted for a conservative approach and what was working. If Andy Dalton doesn’t break his thumb or Jeremy Hill doesn’t fumble we may be praising Brown for the move. We may do the same should Lewis and Dalton break through next season.

As for this moment, however, hard not to wonder what could have been if Zimmer stayed as head coach following 2013 or Jackson took over last year. Maybe then it would be Brown instead of Elway saying “this is why we made that decision.”

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis watches over his players during warmups prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.

5. This offseason will be an important one for Jeremy Hill. Enduring the ugly moment of his fumble to top off a year he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry will be his first major hurdle as a pro. Those types of seasons and those types of plays can break you. A number of prominent former running backs confirmed just that to me this week (more on that later this week). He needs to find a way through it.

The most important element of his road back will be the support of teammates. Confidence is a trait which defined his rise as a rookie. Would be easy to point fingers, but he needs to know this team has his back in every way going forward to help rebuild it.

6. I think Ken Anderson makes the Hall of Fame in the next five years. He’s the next quarterback in line after Kenny Stabler was elected on Saturday. The senior committee set this inevitable move in motion in August when they recommended him. When the committee feels comfortable pushing another quarterback through will be the question for how long until Anderson finally receives his just due. Doubt that will be next year, but after that a swell of support should grow.

7. I’m in the minority in this, but as the league further embraces regular season games outside of the United States and continues to struggle finding facilities for teams relocating here, might be time to truly start the push for putting a team in the UK. The game is global as are the brands of these players. I know players don’t like the idea of one (or I’d put two) teams in England, but the amount of money to be made not only by the league but the stars within it by tapping into a market like the one overseas would be groundbreaking. Every year, as these overseas games are more successful, the reality of this as the eventual outcome becomes clearer.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins has been a force for the top scoring defense in football.

8. Defenses still win championships. As much as the growth of Andy Dalton ascended the Bengals to a true Super Bowl contender, the defense taking another step under Paul Guenther probably will end the real difference-maker to whether the Bengals can break through. Take a look at the last three champs: 2013 Seahawks (yards per game 1st/points per game 1st), 2014 Patriots (13/8), 2015 Broncos (1/4). And remember, the Seahawks also led the league in both defensive categories when Malcolm Butler and the Patriots stole the Super Bowl title from them. As much as the league does fight a parity problem due to a limited number of elite quarterbacks, this trend keeps hope alive for teams without one.

9. Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones circled Radio Row, letting everyone know he wants to test the free agent market and won’t be accepting a hometown discount. Nor should he. It may inevitably be in his best interest to stay in Cincinnati, but in a league where players almost never own a sliver of leverage, no part of his best interest is to re-sign without investigating his true market value. That’s accomplished by testing the market.

The Bengals believe they can win a playoff game with quarterback AJ McCarron.

10. Looking back on it, the best quarter of offensive football the Bengals played all year was probably the first quarter in Denver under AJ McCarron. That was when this championship Broncos defense meticulously sliced for an 80-yard touchdown drive and 90-yard touchdown drive by the Bengals backup. Their inability to hold onto the momentum started on that Monday night ends up as much the reason for falling short this year as Jeremy Hill’s fumble or the Burfict/Adam Jones meltdown.

Finally, as we officially tie up the 2015-16 season, I want to say a final thank you to all who read, watch, listen, follow, interact or attend events surrounding our coverage of the Bengals. You make this job fun and we couldn’t do it without you. Thanks again.