Monday, December 06, 1999

The rare, sweet taste of victory

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Blake gives fans a win to remember

BY PAUL DAUGHERTY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jeff Blake is going out with a bang. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        What Jeff Blake is doing now is one hellacious job of resume-building. Blake is on a 1995-type roll, and what's amusing about it is that anyone would think Blake will remain a Bengal next year. Or that he'd want to.

        The Bengals spanked the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, 44-30. Blake threw for 334 yards to eight different receivers with an ease that spoke loudly about his maturity as a quarterback. (Also about the 49ers, who are god-awful. Watching them was like watching the last nine years of Bengals films, all in one afternoon.)

        Lots of questions to Blake afterward. Lots of wondering if he'd reconsider and stick around. "I'm thinking about the Cleveland Browns next week," is what Blake said about that.

        Take this to the stock market: Jeff Blake would not be back here if Mike Brown named him QB/general manager. In another month, Blake will go home to Orlando without a second thought or a first regret.

        Why should he stay here? Brown has tried to run him off twice. Brown brought in Neil O'Donnell. He drafted Akili Smith. Mike Brown's core football belief is that teams without good quarterbacks do not win. The core irony of his nine-year run is that he's never had a good quarterback.

        Check that. He had Boomer Esiason for five beautiful starts in '97, then encouraged him to go to TV. And he has had Blake, who dropped out of the sky, like magic, to enliven a dismal '94.

        For two years at least, Brown has been down on Blake. For various reasons, Blake has never repeated '94, or the Pro Bowl run of '95. He worked without a running game, behind a mediocre line. He didn't adjust well when teams took away his deep throws.

        But the Bengals have never let Blake be Blake. A guy who can move, Blake was taught to be a pocket passer. Two years ago, when I asked offensive coordinator Ken Anderson why he didn't roll Blake out more, he said because it cut off half the field.

        OK. Doesn't it do the same for the defense?

        Haven't QBs with the freedom to create on the run done fairly well? Steve Young and John Elway have managed outside the pocket. Brett Favre has done OK.

        I've said forever that Blake could win here, if the team stayed with him and surrounded him with good players. They've had some good players, but never enough. But they've yanked him in and out of the lineup so much, who knows how good he could be?

        He was good enough Sunday, though, wasn't he?

        At one point, the Bengals scored on eight of nine possessions. Blake hit deep balls to Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens, he threw screens to Corey Dillon. Blake made good decisions.

        “The man competes,” said defensive lineman Oliver Gibson. “I love his attitude. I hope we can get him back here.”

        No way, no how. “Regardless if I'm here next year, I love the way we play together here at times,” Blake said. All Sunday was, was a fine picture for his rearview mirror.

        The win Sunday was nice for the players, who haven't quit, and for the coaches, who haven't packed. But it was led by a guy who won't be here next year. It was the December Bengals we've come to know, throwing stardust in our eyes. Don't get fooled again.

        The Bengals could win two of their last three. They could be on a four-game roll heading into the finale at Jacksonville. Beating Cleveland and Baltimore doesn't seem such a chore with Blake playing the way he is.

        Enjoy it. But brace yourselves for August, when the Bengals will start all over again, for the fifth time this decade, with a new quarterback.

        Jeff Blake should have been here. He'll be elsewhere, away from the local craziness. Chuckling, perhaps. Can you blame him?

        Paul Daugherty welcomes your comments at 768-8454. Fair Game, a collection of his columns, is available at local bookstores.

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