Bengals seek postseason formula
bengals.com

CINCINNATI- It was one of those days.

One of those days that ended the best Bengals season in recent memory so suddenly and decisively that it threatened to swallow all of 2013 whole.

After the Bengals offense finished 10th for the first time in six years and the team racked up the third-most points in franchise history and the second-most touchdowns, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden was asked what could put his unit over the hump after scoring just one touchdown in Sunday's 27-10 loss to the underdog Chargers at sold-out Paul Brown Stadium.

"We got over the hump this year for the most part. We threw for more touchdowns than anybody, had more (passing) yards (in team history)," Gruden said. "The playoff bugaboo we had today, I have to watch the film and go from there."

The first Bengals team to finish in the top 10 in both NFL offense and defense since 1989 was left to wonder how it could make the postseason three straight years and not advance. No one said anything about finding more talent after going 18-6 in the last 24 regular-season games. And after surrendering its most rushing yards in two years with 196, the proud third-ranked defense seemed to finally get worn down without its best players (tackle Geno Atkins and cornerback Leon Hall), its other starting cornerback (Terence Newman), one of its most versatile down lineman (Robert Geathers) and two nickel linebackers in Emmanuel Lamur and Taylor Mays.

Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis said the Bengals only have to add a formula.

"We're not missing anything. We just have to perform under the lights," said Green Ellis, who played in a Super Bowl with the Patriots. "There's no bigger day than when the playoffs start. We didn't show up and perform … that's playoff ball. I don't care if it's a passing league or not. Since the beginning of time when playoffs started championship teams are built on running the ball and stopping the run.

"Take a look at the Saints last night. Mark Ingram ran the ball extremely well … and look at the Chargers. They ran the ball well and played good defense and didn't make turnovers. That’s the recipe since football started. We have to be a better team in those situations. Attacking them where we know we can beat them at."

After the Chargers neutralized the Bengals pass rush with just 16 passes and 40 runs and were able to get into third-and-two or less five times, the Bengals took note. Left guard Andrew Whitworth, one of the team leaders who has anchored the five-year run of four playoff berths, also talked formula.

"We have to do it to be able to go forward and have a mentality that there’s got to be a way you enter this game and probably look at the teams that are really good in the postseason, what do they do and how do they change and the way that they play in these games," Whitworth said. "San Diego came in here with a great plan — possess the football, run it and try and have short third downs that they could convert. It seemed to work well for them.”

By throwing two picks and fumbling once, quarterback Andy Dalton is taking such massive heat it is melting his weeklong single-season franchise achievements of 33 touchdown passes and 4,296 yards, to go with 30 career wins in three seasons. Gruden and head coach Marvin Lewis were having no part of it.