CINCINNATI (AP) – When Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens get together for the NFL’s weekly reality show, they’re a collective dud on the most important down.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ season is all but finished because their talented passing game and their once-dependable running game go sideways – back to the bench – when it’s time to either pick up a few more yards or punt.
The Bengals are 2-5 heading into their Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in large measure because they can’t string first downs together. Palmer is the AFC’s lowest-rated passer on third down, completing fewer than half his throws.
Overall, the Bengals convert only 37.3 percent of their third down chances, which ranks 20th in the league.
The most frustrating part: No common thread among all the third-down failures.
“Whatever the case may be, they’re just tiny things but when you can’t get over that hump and can’t get that next third down, everything is magnified,” offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said Wednesday. “And it keeps you from running your offense.”
The last loss is the best example of this often-lost offense.
The Bengals got the opening kickoff and went 86 yards in 15 plays against the Dolphins, converting all four of their third-down plays in one of the most impressive drives of the season. Palmer threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Owens on a third-down play.
After that, the Bengals converted only 2 of 12 third downs the rest of the game. They went three-and-out on five straight possessions, feeling the boos that accompanied each punt on their way to a 22-14 loss.
“Particularly when you haven’t converted two or three in a row, then there’s a little more pressure there on that,” Bratkowski said. “’C’mon, we’ve got to get one,’ and that’s when people start to press and get frustrated and force the issue, which is not a good thing.”
A quite unexpected thing, too.
The Bengals kept the offense moving last season by running the ball. The passing game finished 26th in the league, prompting the decision to sign Owens and draft tight end Jermaine Gresham and slot receiver Jordan Shipley. The passing game is much better, ranking sixth in the league. But the running game is down, third downs have become a nightmare, and the defending AFC North champs are virtually out of the race at the season’s midpoint.
It’s got them puzzled and frustrated.
“I’ve come in here the last two weeks and answered that question, and I really don’t have an answer for it,” Owens said Wednesday. “I have no idea. I have no answers. For me to be here, I just want to do what I’m supposed to do and try to contribute as best I can.
“So I’m not here to create any distractions or what have you. I’m just here to try to do the job which they brought me here to do. I can’t account for anything else.”
Owens arrived with a history of second-guessing his quarterbacks and coaches. He’s been careful with his words so far and kept his frustrations to himself.
Ochocinco seems to be taking it much harder, in part because his production is down. Five times, Ochocinco has been held to four or fewer catches. He has only two touchdowns – Owens has five – and hasn’t been much of a factor when the game’s on the line.
Ochocinco declined to talk to the media on Wednesday, a day after he got emotional on his cable show with Owens when the subject of the Bengals’ losing came up. Owens repeatedly prodded Ochocinco to get back to playing the way he used to play.
“What you want me to do?” Ochocinco said, his voice rising. “I’m on the field. I’m available. I wear No. 85. I’m out there. I’m out there – I’m going to leave it at that. There’s nothing I can do but make myself available, period.”
Palmer didn’t take it as a dig at the quarterback.
“We’re on a four-game losing skid and haven’t been productive on offense,” Palmer said. “We talk every day. We talk about trying to be more productive and get him the ball and everybody else on offense. I am not taking that as he is calling me out, but I hear him and I sense his frustration.
“I’m frustrated with the same things he is, and I always try to find ways to get him the ball.”
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