Cincinnati Bengals

2016 Cincinnati Bengals: A Major Character Flaw

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016 Bengals ensured a losing season by not cutting team cancers Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones in the offseason. Although neither player has played sub-par this year, their below standard character ensured the death of the 2016 Bengals.

What Goes Around Comes Around

The manner by which the Bengals lost in the Playoffs last year became a catalyst for the disaster seen in the current season. Even with a backup Quarterback, the 2015 Bengals should have been in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. However, two players with a questionable past destroyed the Bengals future.

In the off-season, Bengals management had the opportunity to take a stand for character but decided to bow down to potential. The lowered posture of this years team has affected all facets of this team. Players must respect their coach and Marvin Lewis‘ continual defense of Vontaze Burfict is indefensible.

It may be possible to dissect the 2016 Bengals season by looking at stats, X’s and O’s or Offensive Line play. All of those angles are valid and full of issues without doubt. However, there has to be a reason this team is statistically bad all around. There has to be a reason weird Offensive play-calling and Defensive strategy hasn’t been effective. Yes, there also has to be a reason the Offensive Line isn’t run blocking or guarding the edge. The reason for all of these failures, is a failure of character that destroyed any momentum this team should have had.

Nothing Abnormal Here

Every team has to deal with injuries and this team has been no different. From the defensive line and secondary to a starting running back and star wide receiver, this has been a rough year. Yet, lack of character didn’t pull A.J. Green‘s hamstring or tear Giovani Bernard‘s ACL.

Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Consequently, every team and every coach scream in unison that injuries are not excuses and the next man up must be ready to play. It means injuries can’t be used as a reason for the lackluster record and overall team performance. Star players and contributors on the IR never help but teams pay coaches and backups to be ready no matter what.

In the age of free agency, players move every few years seeking the best fit and the best money. Similarly, coordinators like Mike Zimmer and Hue Jackson leave for their own Head Coaching opportunities. The Bengals are not the only team dealing with new Coordinators or losing star assistants to other teams. For that matter, the Bengals and Marvin Lewis should be well equipped to deal with new coaches. Lewis is long-tenured, well-respected and coaching staff changes are no excuse for what has happened this year.

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Bengals have some major character flaws on defense, Vincent Rey is not one of those characters. In fact, he is just the type of man the Bengals should be building the team around.

Vincent Rey: True Team Leader

Vincent Rey has a total of 371 tackles with 6 sacks in his career and was a team beast in 2014 with 121 tackles that year alone. This season, he has 1 interception to go along with 64 tackles so far this year. Rey has in no way been a reason this years Bengal defense has been so lackluster.

Obviously, many things go into what makes a defense tick and any team would love to have a player like Vincent Rey on the field as much as possible. In the same way, any NFL team would love to have a player like Rey in their locker room. Instead of keeping lunatic’s like Adam Jones or Vontaze Burfict, this team should be looking to replace them with more men like Vincent Rey.

The Cincinnati Bengals have nominated Vincent Rey for the NFL Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award two years in a row. As a dedicated tutor to students in the off-season, Rey has shown the type of character the Bengals should be building around. Even during days off in-season, he visits local schools through the Envision Children extended-day tutoring program.

Rey also serves on the board for Envision Children and is an advocate for childhood education programs in the community. Many NFL players have foundations that double as tax-shelters.

Nov 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Kyle Juszczyk (44) defended after his catch by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals hopes for any sort of successful season became dead and buried with the loss to the Ravens. Yet, it is never too late for the team to shape their team with players the community can be proud of.

Changing Their Stripes

Whether it be via Draft, staff changes, trades or free agency the Cincinnati Bengals need to improve in the upcoming off-season. The Pittsburgh Steelers will remain the Divisional favorite but suddenly the Baltimore Ravens have become an interesting team.

Last season, the Bengals had their chance to dethrone the Steelers while not having to deal with the Ravens. It now appears that the Ravens are back to form and that is not good news. Whatever changes the Bengals make, getting men of character should be of utmost importance.

Two Reasons to Blowup the Defense

Adam Jones had a clear history of not only being a menace off the field but also for being a Personal Foul penalty machine, on the field. Similarly, Vontaze Burfict had a history of not only a bad attitude, but a self-centered, anger soaked, instability infused bad attitude.