Ten Things From Bengals-'Fins

Good win, not great

One of the smartest ideas ESPN has had was to roll out Overreaction Monday, in which its NFL writers pull all the overwrought conclusions from the weekend’s action. NFL fans are hyper and prone to street-dancing and bridge-jumping, often during the same game. Overreax Monday pokes good and justified fun at them, and at their brethren in the heathen media.

The NFL is a week-to-week business. Drawing conclusions after four weeks is pointless.

Which gets us to Thursday night’s Bengals win.

Far be it from TML to rain on the night’s parade, which was as festive and rowdy as anything I’ve ever seen at the former PBS. Combine HOF honors with a primetime game v. an unbeaten foe and this is what Cincinnati is capable of, when it comes to supporting one of its teams. Fantastic, enchanted evening.

But c’mon now.

We are ready, this Friday AM, to anoint the Bengals defense as the Second Coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears.

It is not.

Forget the fact that trying to pull any lasting meaning from four games of a 17-game NFL season is pointless. What if next Sunday in B-more, Joe Mixon goes for 150 and the defense can’t find Lamar Jackson? What’s that defining narrative?

Fact is, the Bengals D has successfully defended against Joe Flacco and Teddy Bridgewater. (Tua was concussed with about six minutes left in the first half.) The defense has had to cope with the scary presences of Cooper Rush and Mitch Trubisky.

Last night, it faced a Miami offense that ranked 31st in rushing yards with Tagovailoa running things. Without him, the Bengals jammed eight in the box and dared Bridgewater to beat single coverage. With one big exception — a deep ball to Tyreek Hill — Bridgewater couldn’t do it.

The goal line stand was nice. Vonn Bell’s two picks were fun. Generally, this defense looks like an asset. But can we hold off on the hype at least until after next Sunday?

Without further ado. . .

TEN THINGS FROM 27-15.

1. Tua’s well-being was being questioned before the game. Today? Skepticism as to the Dolphins’ following the concussion protocols is through the roof. Coach Mike McDaniel was adamant in saying Tua was not concussed last Sunday, barely five days before he started the game last night. McDaniel noted the protocols provide for independent medical assessments. I only know what my eyes tell me. It didn’t look like a back injury last week, when Tua’s head bounced on the turf. Last night’s calamity happened on a seemingly routine sack. Josh Tupou’s hit was clean and not at all vicious. Then on Amazon TV after the game, analyst Andrew Whitworth said players have way to cheat the sideline concussion test. Makes you say Hmmmm.

2. How ‘bout the unis? Thumbs up or down, Mr. Hilfiger? I liked them. Once. White tigers exist, but they are rare. The white-out get-ups looked a little too Halloween-ish for my taste. They were like New York City. Great place to visit, wouldn’t wanna live there.

3. What’s the alternative to Mixon? The Men can’t go 17 games slamming him into the center of the line for 2 yards a slam. They desperately wanted to get him going last night, almost to the detriment of the offense. Three runs from the Miami 6, then a field goal from inside the 1? Man finished 3rd in the league in rushing yards last year. He deserves a lot of rope. But not so much that it starts messing with the effectiveness of the passing game.

4. A record crowd at PayJoe shows what we can do around here, if the sports product merits it.

5. The noise caused Miami to burn two timeouts in the 1st quarter.

6. There is no longer any need to bother with the kickoff. Move the spot back 5 more yards, or just start the action on the receiving team’s 25-yard line.

7. Speaking of, if I’m Bengals special-teams coach Darrin Simmons, I ponder asking McPherson to kick the ball off to just inside the 5. Make the opponent return the kick. I don’t know, but I’m fairly certain returners rarely make it to the 25.

8. Pet Anthem Peeve: It’s not Pair-Oh-liss. It’s Pair-ill-Us. The word “perilous,’’ I mean. Pet Anthem Peeve No. 2: Unless you are Marvin Gaye — and you are not because Marvin Gaye is dead — please do not attempt to make the song your own. No excess trilling, no inventing syllables. The music itself is hard to master. Just work on taking what the defense gives you. OK?

9. The Men are good enough to beat a backup QB at home. Are they good enough to beat a very good starter on the road?

10. Yours, please.

Now, then. . .

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH. I was in the press box last night. It was weird, given I’m supposedly retired. If you’re retired, have you gone back to your office and just. . . hung out? Strange, yeah?

For the first time in 34 years, I had to check the chart on the wall, to see where I’d be sitting. I felt out of place. All these people thinking, what a loser Doc is. What’s he doing here?

I went because it promised to be a special night. It was. But also, if I’m going to sit here and judge these players and coaches, I want them to see me at the games. That’s important to me. Make sense?

TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . Apropos to the morning.