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The brutality is unbearable at times, causing us to turn away in sickened recoil. A man catches a football, turns and takes a helmet to the ribs. Or he hurls himself into another body. He collapses like a milk jug being readied for recycling. Usually he gets up. Slowly. Sometimes, like in Buffalo on Sunday, he does not. Tragic. It is a violent sport, a series of choreographed human collisions, but if a team expects to excel it cannot shy from the ferocity. It embraces the vicious and discards the frail. For too many seasons, particularly on defense, the Cincinnati Bengals have played like United Nations peacekeepers rather than gladiators welcoming the fight. Not last night. The Bengals welcomed into Paul Brown Stadium one of the bullies of the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens, and didn't back down, even as the bodies went down during a 27-20 win. Willie Anderson limped off like a Hummer with a blown tire. Eric Ghiaciuc hobbled off after taking a shot to the head. Dexter Jackson suffered dehydration, as did Chad Johnson and Deltha O'Neal. Even kicker Shayne Graham aggravated a hip injury.
Forget "Who Dey?" This was "Who's hurt now?" The easy answer was everybody, on both sides. Ravens tough guy Ray Lewis buried his face in his hands on the sideline after pulling a muscle in his right arm. Baltimore quarterback Steve McNair strained his groin. It wasn't pretty, but it was exactly the kind of statement game the Bengals needed. They couldn't afford to get pushed around this time, not if they expected to compete in the AFC North. Cincinnati needed to show it would not be bullied. Not by Baltimore. Not by Pittsburgh. Not by anybody who thinks Cincinnati is heavy on finesse and short on testosterone. Coach Marvin Lewis preached toughness all preseason, putting actions to his words by signing four tough guys, including former Ohio State linebacker Anthony Schlegel, after the final roster cuts. But tough talk means little if it doesn't translate into bloody fists on the field. In the NFL, it's not enough to be able to take a punch. You had better throw a few, too, or forget about making the playoffs. Proof that Cincinnati could match the Ravens' machismo was found in a most unlikely player. When Graham was injured trying to make a tackle, the official word was that he almost certainly would not return. Minutes later he limped out to convert a 23-yard field goal. "They were going to have to cut my leg off to keep me off the field," Graham said after the game. When the kicker doesn't let an injury keep him out, it's hard for linebackers and linemen to remain on the bench. "I think our defense answered every question tonight," Lewis said, adding that it was wonderful to hear the crowd crowing about the defense for a change. That defense forced six turnovers, including a late interception that sealed the win. But it wasn't just the defense that stuck a finger in Baltimore's eye. Early on, receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh took several nasty hits but bounced up as if he had just stepped from a refreshing shower. Housmandzadeh wasn't going to let Baltimore see him wince. In this league, in this sport, there is no place for weakness. Last night, the Bengals got beat up and knocked down but got back up. That's all that matters. Columbus Dispatch http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2007/09/11/oller11.ART_ART_09-11-07_C1_ON7SCBI.html?sid=101 |
