Week Twelve

Owning Up

Head coach Marvin Lewis may be in hot water.
(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

I feel there is a lot of owning up to do, not for me but for my hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals. What went wrong? Last year was a terrific year for the Bengals as they went undefeated in the AFC North and made it to the playoffs. This year they did not lose too many players other than troubled field goal kicker Shayne Graham (which in all reality was probably for the best). Cincinnati was able to pick up multiple weapons on offense in Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley, and Jermaine Gresham. Seemingly, the Bengals should have done even better this year with a more high-powered offense to go with that stellar defense of last season. However, as most of us know, that is not how it has turned out.

Cincinnati now sits at 2-9 and the only real positives are the success of TO and the seemingly high draft pick the Bengals will have next April. Now the question for Cincinnati becomes: What do they fix? I think the biggest problems are the men behind the play-calling on offense: Head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has dealt with his fair share of bad luck this season with all of the trouble at the safety position (i.e. injury/age of Roy Williams and injuries Gibril Wilson, Chris Crocker, and Chinedum Ndukwe. Also, injuries to corners Adam Jones and Brandon Gee have not helped.

The trouble is more on the offensive side of the ball. The Bengals' play-calling has been absolutely horrendous this season. The offense has been attempting far too many runs in long-yardage situations. We all know of Carson Palmer's struggles at quarterback. His numbers are not terrible, but he will make just a few throws every game that put the team in a position to lose and leave Cincinnati fans shaking their heads. His play this year has some people thinking that it may be time for a change for the men in stripes, on the sideline and on the field.

Predictions


Those darn Cowboys are starting to play well with Wade Phillips out. I may have to start picking them...or not. Last week was a good one for me despite forgetting completely to pick the Monday Night Game. My record for Week Eleven was 10-4 which leaves my season record at 70-58. I do believe I will go with the same strategy as last week to see if I can build a sizable streak. Here are my winners for this week:

Packers, Steelers, Browns, Giants, Redskins, Texans, Raiders, Chiefs, Eagles, Rams, Ravens, Colts, 49ers


p.s. Be sure to listen in this Saturday as I get back on the mic for Ross High School basketball as the Rams take on the other Rams from Badin. I would tell you who I am announcing alongside, but I do not know yet. I will keep you posted. Catch all of the action on ross.localsportsradio.com.

p.p.s. My Ohio Bobcats lost the MAC East this weekend. 'Tis a sad day in Athens when we give up the conference title to Miami.

p.p.p.s. How do you like my new design? I am still working on it.

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks

Someone should light a fire under the Heat

Heat players look on from the bench in their 93-77 loss to the Pacers
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Miami Heat were supposed to run the table. They were supposed to be unbeatable this year after Pat Riley went out and snagged LeBron James and Chris Bosh this offseason to play alongside Dwayne Wade. However, things have not gone as swimmingly as a lot of people figured they would for the "New Big Three."

The Heat lost their opening game against, in my opinion, the real "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics. An 88-80 defeat at the hands of Eastern Conference powerhouse Boston was not what was expected of high-powered Miami. Now the Heat sit at 8-6 and play the Orlando Magic tonight and could perhaps be facing yet another loss.

Coming into tonight's matchup, the Heat are on a two-game losing streak after being slammed by the Pacers on Monday, a game in which Wade only had three points. Although Bosh has finally gotten his game going averaging 24.5 points and 10.25 rebounds in the last four games, Wade has fallen off the radar only averaging 10.3 points in the past three games he has played in. (Wade sat out the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.) That's more than 11 points lower than his season average of 21.4.

Now fingers are being pointed at head coach Erik Spoelstra. Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said in a phone interview that he thinks Wade, James, and Bosh should get Riley to coach. In theory, it is a good idea. However, I think that it may be a more complicated issue than Spoelstra being a run-of-the-mill coach.

The Miami Heat have a problem with their depth and a lack of extraordinary talent outside the New Big Three. This was plain for me to see at the beginning of the year. Yes, three superstars are intimidating, but if you look at the rest of the team, there is nothing to say that Miami is a big threat. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has had a very decent career in Cleveland, but coming into this year with the Heat he is 35 years old. Unlike 38-year-old Shaquille O'Neal of the Celtics, Ilgauskas has never had stellar athleticism. As a young buck a player can be a little slow and still have a sizable impact much like Ilgauskas did in his early days in Cleveland. But now slow becomes slower and a slow 35-year-old center cannot do much to stop quick young centers and forwards like Orlando's Dwight Howard and New York's Amar'e Stoudemire. The reason I make the comparison to Shaq is because he once had that quick step that Ilgauskas never had. Quick can become slow and still be effective (for example, Shaq), but slow becomes slower and becomes ineffective (for example, Ilgauskas).

Still, Big Z is not the only problem with the Heat bench. Pat Riley brought in Mike Miller who has yet to play this season as he is nursing an injury. Miller looks to return Christmas day to face the Lakers. Also, point guard Mario Chalmers has not produced this season with his lack of minutes. Chalmers is averaging just around seven minutes per game while a high ankle sprain suffered this summer still nags him.

With the lack of depth of the Miami Heat it is difficult to see much success in their future even with the incredible talent of the New Big Three. Carlos Arroyo and James Jones provide only small sparks to the Heat's flame and Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard are not exactly in their primes. Miami picked up veteran Eric Dampier with Udonis Haslem out for the season after having foot surgery. Things are not on the up for the self-proclaimed powerhouse of the NBA.

As the Heat head into Orlando tonight to face the Southeast Division-leading Magic and Dwight Howard, they may be in for a long night despite the court-wiping Miami performed in the duo's last matchup in which the Heat won by 26. In this game, as I mentioned earlier, the Heat have lost two straight and are not playing stellar basketball. They look to turn it around tonight, but if they do lose and lose badly, the Heat's flame may just die out.

p.s. I am picking the Magic to win tonight.

p.p.s. My Phoenix Suns play the Bulls tonight. Go Suns.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks

Week Eleven

Owning Up


The Lions and Bills had one of the best games of the day, including some late-game drama. It probably would have been a lot more dramatic had Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill not tossed the ball out of the back of the endzone instead of to a receiver, but we can't win them all. The Bills, on the other hand, can't lose them all now as they picked up their first win of the season. Cheers.

Apparently a victory over the Cardinals does not hold as much weight as I thought it did as the Vikings were trounced by Jay Cutler's Bears. Hats off.

Somehow the Dolphins got it done. I cannot explain it. With their quarterback woes, beating Tennessee was not an easy task, but they won easily. Applause.

The Texans are all of the sudden falling apart and the Jags have surged to become the surprise of the AFC South rather than Houston. Snaps.

The Broncos cannot decide whether they would like to prove me right or wrong. I claim them as my dark horse and they get blown out by Oakland. I take back my claim and they smash the Chiefs. Wish-wash.

Who really expected the Cowboys to win? Really? High five.

The Patriots and Steelers was really a tossup. Both teams are having incredible years and this game showed exactly why it was such a difficult game to pick. The Pats had the advantage though as it looks like, at least for now, Tom Brady is still a few notches above Ben Roethlisberger.

Predictions


Last week was rough. My picks are on a roller coaster right now. After a 9-4 week, I followed that up with a 6-7 stinker of a week. That puts my season record at 60-54. Although I am still above .500, it could be much better. This week due to me being home from school on break and my wanting to focus on picks rather than reasoning, I'm just going to give my teams and we'll see how it goes. Here are my teams:

Bengals, Lions, Redskins, Chiefs, Packers, Jets, Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Falcons, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Eagles


p.s. Keep those ears open as the dynamic duo of Colby Bowman and I will be back announcing high school basketball this season. Keep those computers locked on ross.localsportsradio.com for all of the exciting action. I am excited to get back to doing play-by-play.

p.p.s. Get well soon, Steve Nash.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks