Doc's TML: 10 thoughts about Bengals' win over Chiefs

The Men made another deposit in the confidence bank Sunday and A. Dalton continues to climb Mt. Elite. How high can they go? We might be about to find out.

Without further ado. . .

1.The transformation of Big Red has been so swift and obvious, it makes you suspicious. Other than the INT in the end zone last week, has he done anything glaringly wrong? Anything? Yesterday, he eludes the rush, rolls right, keeps poise, uncorks 55-yard TD to B. Tate. Earlier, he does the same and fires 27 yards to R. Burkhead. Postgame, he actually made a joke, about actually showing some emotion after a play. Where is Andy Dalton and what have you done with him? 

Doc: Bengals making it look easy

2.Players won't confess to it publicly, but facts is facts, as Bobby Bowden might say: If this offense does what it's supposed to do, defenses simply don't have enough pieces to account for all of it. I mean, B. Tate?

3.That theory will be tested this week, when Seattle comes knocking. The Seahawks do have a rookie D-coordinator and a still-rusty Kam Chancellor, but their D remains top shelf.

4.Speaking of the schedule, the next 3 will be interesting. . . Seattle, at Buffalo, at Stillers, possibly in Ben's first game back. Are the opening four Ws deceptive, given the quality (or lack of) of the opponents? None at the moment is better than 2-2; two are 1-3.

5.From the Dalton quote machine. On his signaling first down after he scrambled for one, in the 4th quarter: "It felt right to help the refs out.'' That's a knee-slapper coming from the QB. Really.

More telling: Dalton said The Men are "confident and comfortable with whatever we're doing. The game's fun.''

6.We need a name for Domata Peko's rub of his prodigious belly. The Samoan Stroke? The Jelly Roll? Gimme yours. That was awesome.

7.When guys like Tate make big plays, that's team building. Everyone in the locker room was happy for him, because they know how hard he works and that he works behind AJ Green. Green called him "the ultimate pro.'' When you get everyone worried about winning instead of PT, better things happen.

8.More than ever, The Men sound like their leader. M. Lewis mentioned that his defense "didn't panic'' and was "patient'' as KC went on yet another of its FG drives. In the locker room, "we didn't panic'' was a popular refrain among defenders.

9.Speaking of the Chiefs: Of what use was their going for two FGs in the last 9 minutes? They're down 11 and 18. I mean, at least try to win the game.

Analysis: Why the Bengals beat the Chiefs

10.Complaints are slight: So-so tackling, too many penalties, 461 yds allowed.

11.Attendance was 57,498, almost 10K short of a sellout. That's weak. Or at least points up the NF of L's ongoing problem: It has made the TV experience too good. That shouldn't fully explain yesterday, though. No elements to deal with.

Now, then. . .

B. PRICE IS BACK. . . How do you feel about that? From a selfish perspective, it's great. I root for me, and Price has been good to me: Candid, fair, quotable, interesting, pleasant.

The larger point is, the Club was not going to do any better than Price in 2016. It's going to be a rebuilding season, and that's being kind. What veteran, accomplished manager wants to walk into that?

Doc: How will Reds sell keeping Bryan Price?

What newbie could make a difference? A rookie leading rookies? No, B. Larkin was not the answer.

You can bet your house that Jeff Pico will be gone, if he isn't already, along with Jay Bell. Billy Hatcher should stay. After that, who knows?

Price will tell you he didn't really get through to his players this year, and that the notion of "changing the culture'' didn't exactly pan out. Ending the year with 13 wins in seven weeks – and 1-14 in their last 15 – lent ample credence to that.

So, how is it different next year? B. Castellini told me Saturday that a reason Price was retained is his relationship with the young pitchers around whom the Reds will try to rebuild. OK. But if the culture didn't get changed this year, what makes anyone think next year will be different?

Reds final game a perfect microcosm of season

Trades could help. I'm not suggesting Bruce, Chappy and DDBP are bad guys; they're absolutely not. But they've been part of the culture for a long time. It is time to shake it up.

The problem Price and the Reds continue to face is they haven't produced quality players the way Looie, Pittsburgh and the Cubs have. For all this ballyhooed young pitching they've acquired and/or developed, they still have an organization bereft of MLB-ready hitters. Instead of losing 6-1 in '16, they'll lose 3-1?

Can they market potential? Are you buying or selling?

RUFUS ALERT. . . We saw Black Mass Saturday, J. Depp starring as Boston mobster Whitey Bulger. Interesting, almost documentary-like. I give it a B, Roger.

Anyone seen Everest? Or The Walk? They're on my list.

SPEAKING OF J. DEPP. . . What is the female species fascination with this guy? He always looks a little, I dunno, dirty to me. My wife loves him. Not that I look or anything, but if I were an OG woman and had eyes for celebs, I'd go with Kevin Costner. Especially when he's playing jocks. No guy ever looked more like a guy than Costner in Bull Durham. Or maybe Josh Brolin.

But Depp? I don't think so.

THE UC QC. . . After the electric W over Miami Thursday night, Tubs said G. Kiel would not lose his job because of injury. He also said Kiel and Hayden Moore would "compete'' for the job.

Isn't it overly Old School to suggest a guy can't lose his job because he gets hurt? Moore has been very good, and he's more mobile than Kiel. He's also less experienced.

What might you do?

Too bad this team can't start the season over. The coaching staff's decision to go with athleticism on D, over experience, is paying off. Regardless, Ol' Lady Nip was electric Thursday. I didn't even mind that it took me more than 90 minutes to get from the palatial East Side estate to my press box seat. I mean, even in the BK Era, that was no more than a 45-minute trek.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLKS . . . at Our Daily Bread, the wonderfully efficient soup kitchen downtown at 17th and Race. It's an amazing place, where they serve 400-500 mid-day meals every weekday, without a penny of tax money. All the food is donated, and it is very good. I emceed their annual fundraising gala for the 2nd year in a row Saturday night; I worked the food line Friday, serving up fruit salad. To my left, a volunteer dished out green salad. To her left, another volunteer dished out shaved lamb.

Lamb?

To my right, dessert was doughnuts as big as my head. All donated.

ODB has been in OTR for 30 years, and never turns away anyone in need of a hot meal. Fabulous place, a true stitch in the local fabric.

A BIT O' POLITICS. SORRY, BUT IT CAN'T BE HELPED. . . People get slaughtered in Oregon, Jeb Bush says, "Things happen.'' The Bushes have said lots of dumb things over the years, especially the sons of G. Herbert Walker. That's quite possibly the prize-winner. Here's hoping no one Jeb-mo knows is ever slain by a person packing six guns, with seven more at home. Wonder how he'd do with that explanation.

Abridged TML today, sans Tune O' the Day. I spent the evening here at the Adams County homeplace, without Internet. Because I love youse, I'm hopping in the midlife-crisis red Solara presently, to drive to the library, where they have the 'net.

Perhaps the "producers'' at the Enquirer will sub in a tune they like. Have at it, Jordan/Alex/anyone.

From Jason H: In honor of The Men being flawless at the quarter pole, here's a bit about winning: