Rant Media Network Featured Columnist/NBA Network Manager , Follow me on Twitter, @RobertCobb_76
CINCINNATI – Listless. Flat. And too much Aaron Rodgers.
That just about sums it up in how badly the 14th-ranked Cincinnati Bengals played in a 27-13 loss to the AP Pro32 top-ranked Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers, the 2011 NFL Most Valuable Player would rush for 52 yards on six carries, score two touchdowns and former Bengal running back Cedric Benson would add another 38 yards on the ground.
Benson, who would sign as a free agent with Green Bay—would help his former team look more like the last-place team in the AFC North, instead of the AFC wildcard team from one year ago.
Second year quarterback Andy Dalton would go 5 of 17 for 40 yards, be sacked twice and rush for 36 yards. The way the Bengals played, they could have used Benson in the backfield.
While the Bengals would rest their top two running backs in BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Benard Scott, Cincinnati looked like a mere shell of itself against a Packers team that was beaten at home by the up-state rival Cleveland Browns, 35-10.
Wide receiver A.J. Green would have one catch for three yards on six targets.
Second-string quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski would replace Dalton in the third quarter and go 7 of 12 for 61 yards.
As a whole, Cincinnati would accumulate nine first downs for the game(seven passing, two rushing) and a total of 195 yards.
If the Bengals hope to contend in the brutal AFC North with heavyweights in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, they must do a much better job on containment of opposing mobile quarterbacks such as Rodgers and improve on their run defense in a division that has playmakers such as Ray Rice, Trent Richardson, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco and Joshua Cribbs.
Robert D. Cobb is the NBA Network Manager for Rant Media Network, Featured Writer of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Featured Columnist for the Cleveland Browns and Arsenal Gunners.
In addition to covering the NBA, I also cover MLB, NFL, NHL and Champions League soccer news, rumors and opinions, please follow me on Twitter at @RobertCobb_76
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