by Davey, Blown Coverage
In my first preview, I tackled a Jacksonville Jaguars team that has a face punching defense to go along with a pass attack that couldn't even score on a team filled with amputee midgets. With the Cincinnati Bengals, the roles are pretty much reversed. The offense can basically score anytime it wants while the defense is usually holding on for dear life.
And just like the Jags, the Bengals finished with a disappointing 8-8 record, showing yet again that you can't rely too much on one unit to win you the Super Bowl. Well, that's unless you are the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
Anyone that follows football knows that Cincy has one of the most potent offenses in the league and last season was no different. The unit finished 8th in the league in total offense and there were plenty of great individual accomplishments to go along with that.
Carson Palmer threw for 4035 yards and 28 Td's, good for 5th in the league. Rudi Johnson had himself another fine season rushing for 1309 yards and 12 Td's. The receivers were also great with both Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh passing 1000 yards receiving. Johnson actually led the league in receiving yards with 1369 to go along with 7 Td's.
But despite those great numbers, you have to wonder if the Bengals can be so good again on offense this year. A big blow will be losing Chris Henry for the first 8 games of the season. For all of the stuff that Henry has done off the field, he remains one of the best third receivers in the game and his 605 yards and 9 Td's last season sure proves that.
The Bengals also lost a key part of their offensive line during the off-season when guard Eric Steinbach opted to sign with the Cleveland Browns. The first preseason game also brought bad news as second round draft pick Kenny Irons was lost for the year with a torn ACL. The team was hoping that Irons would take some of the pressure off of Rudi Johnson, something that oft-injured Chris Perry has not been able to due during his short Bengal career.
Like I said before. Just as good as the offense can be, that's how bad the Bengals defense can look at any given time. The defense finished 30th in the league in total yards allowed and even though the run defense was pretty decent, it was the pass defense that couldn't even stop a 10 year old girl from making a catch.
The Bengals finished tied for last in the league in pass yards allowed and it's no surprise then that they used their first round pick on cornerback Leon Hall from Michigan. They had used their first round pick the year earlier on another cornerback, Jonathan Joseph, and the team probably can't wait for these two to turn that secondary around.
The defensive line is anchored by Justin Smith who racked up 80 tackles and 7.5 sacks the previous season. Besides Smith, the Bengals have a few more guys that they can build around including linebackers Landon Johnson and Ahmad Brooks, safety Madieu Williams and defensive tackle Domata Peko.
I don't want to say that a team is "cursed", but one can only imagine how much better the Bengals would've been now if it weren't for injuries and also the fact that half of the roster has been arrested during the past year or two.
Especially the linebacking unit has suffered because of this. David Pollack was lost because of a broken neck and might never play again. Odell Thurman, Pollack's college teammate was a great talent when he just got into the league but he just managed to play 1 season due to all of his legal problems off the field. He was suspended for the entire 2006 season and he will be suspended for the coming 2007 season as well.
Another Bengal linebacker lost was A.J. Nicholson. Nicholson was a fifth round pick in 2006 but he was released back in May after he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. While these guys will probably never suit up again for the Bengals, Ahmad Brooks is still there. Brooks was picked in the supplemental draft in '06 but he's also had his share of troubles. Brooks was star at Virginia before getting kicked completely off of the team in '05.
So, if these guys managed to stay healthy and out of trouble, the Bengals have a linebacking core right now of David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Ahmad Brooks and A.J. Nicholson and it would probably the strength of the defense. But as it turns out, it just serves as an example of how quickly things can turn bad in life.
The Bengal offense brings smiles to fantasy football players all over the world. Carson Palmer is a top 5 qb, Chad Johnson should be one of the first receivers picked. T.J Who's yo mama is a solid 2nd option and Rudi Johnson basically assures you of 1300 yards and at least 10 Td's. Absolutely nothing wrong there.
Keep in mind that Chris Henry will miss at least the first 8 games of the year and also keep in mind that the tight end is the weak link in the Cincy offense. And if you pick that defense, it basically means that you either already have a Chicago/Baltimore/Miami/Jacksonville type defense on your roster or that you're basically giving up.
The Bengals scedule is not very kind at all. Being in the AFC North means that they'll have to fight it out against the Ravens and Steelers. They'll also be playing games against teams from the tough AFC East and also against the NFC West.
The tough road games are at Buffalo (which is never easy), at Seattle, at K.C (also never easy), at Baltimore, at Pittsburgh and at San Francisco (a team that many are predicting to break out).
The tough home games are against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, the Patriots and the Jets. The Cardinals and Rams aren't an automatic victory either and should be tough on that weak Cincy defense. The Browns, Titans, and Dolphins clearly should be beaten.
Even though the offense will miss Eric Steinbach and Chris Henry, they should be just fine with Palmer, The Johnson boys and Houshmanzadeh. But again, if this team is going to make the play-offs, the defense will have to step up big time.
If you look at the teams on the schedule, most of them have good offenses that know how to put up points or how to run the ball. Seattle, St. Louis, Arizona, New England, San Fran, KC (with Larry Johnson), Baltimore (now with McGahee) and Pittsburgh all can run the ball or either put up decent points so Cincy's defense is really going to be tested.
At worst I see them at 7-9 and at best 11-5 if that defense really can step up. I think they'll have another mediocre 8-8 type season and miss the play-offs mainly because the defense ain't there yet.
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Thursday, August 16, 2007
NFL Preview: Cincinnati Bengals
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