The issue in Cinci is a convoluted legacy of insipidity…. It started during the Marvin Lewis days… Lewis had a legacy from his time here of teaching tough, hard nosed football… he took that to Washington and the Ravens, and laid tge foundation to tough defenses.
When he preached it at the Bungles, though, it wasn’t recieved the same way.. the Bengals notoriously skimp on scouting. Mike brown compensates by drafting a lot of generically rated talent that have red flags… when Lewis preached hard nosed football, too many took it as cheap shot dirty football…. Once Lewis was emasculated after the playoff punch situation with chad Johnson, the inmates were literally running the team… the culture solidified as dirty, and that legacy reverberates even now…
Its why ben said what he said…