CARSON, California – We spent much of this season gone wrong discussing who and what is to blame for this mess. Injuries, coaching, turnovers, pick your poison.
Without question, the road to 5-8 and losers of five straight is complicated.
However, on a day the Bengals showed more fight than anyone in Vegas as 16-point underdogs or outside of the visiting locker room in the StubHub Center gave them credit for possessing, it was a repeat of the simplest aspect of football – again – that left Cincinnati on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
Three pre-snap penalties in critical situations made for at least a seven-point swing if not more.