I know how teams evaluate their early season schedules. I had firsthand knowledge of it during my initial season with the Oakland Raiders in 1973. That year, we opened in Minnesota against a very good Vikings team, had the defending Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins at home in second week action, and then caught the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in one of their down years in the third week.
We, the Raiders, opened with a loss in Minnesota and then ended the Dolphins two years without a loss streak in second week play. Now, headed to Kansas City as a point spread favorite, one of my favorite coaches on John Madden’s staff, Paul Roach, said on Thursday afternoon in the locker room, “Well, before we started this season, I would have been satisfied to win two of our first three games.”
His comment caught my attention. What he was assuming before we played the Chiefs, was that now that we had defeated Don Shula’s Dolphins, winning two of three games to open the season was nearly assured. Less than a hour after hearing that comment, I saw Al Davis in the Raiders office. When he asked me how the team looked, I threw caution on our chances in Kansas City because I could see we were still celebrating beating Csonka, Kiick and Warfield with little regard for our upcoming game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Our loss that third Sunday of the season was a huge day of disappointment for Davis and an acceleration of his and my relationship.
Don’t you know this year that when the schedule came out the Cincinnati Bengals saw they had home games in the first and third weeks against a couple of the perceived league patsies, the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders. No doubt what had their attention was a real challenge in second week action against the Chiefs in Kansas City.
With that as a motivational backdrop, the only game Cincinnati has played up to their potential this season was their narrow loss to the Chiefs in second week action. They were a pass interference call on fourth down away from beating the Chiefs, they lost by one point while getting a field goal on the point spread. At home they lost to both the Patriots and Commanders while favored by a touchdown in each game.
Now what?
On Sunday, the Bengals travel to Carolina to meet a Panthers team that won their first game of the season last Sunday over the Las Vegas Raiders. The victory for Carolina followed two embarrassing lopsided losses to the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers by scores of 47-10 and 26-3 respectively. Their win in Las Vegas coincided with the benching of last year’s first pick in the draft, quarterback Bryce Young, and the insertion of veteran Andy Dalton.
So, now what?
Do the Bengals play up to their potential and roll the Panthers out of their stadium? Or are the Panthers reborn under the direction of Dalton and poised for a second straight win?
I know what most people are thinking, that the Bengals will win easily in this spot … but there is a problem with that thinking, that is what they thought before they lost to New England and Washington on their home field.
What the Bengals need to snap out of their losing streak is a legitimate challenge. Oh and three creates need, but the Panthers don’t generate the more important edge of Cincinnati fearing failure. That comes next week, when they host the Baltimore Ravens.