MANUFACTURED JOY - CINCINNATI BENGALS

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

1. Carson Palmer is officially underrated!

You know what? I’ve never liked the guy, but even I am smart enough to realize that Carson Palmer is not what’s holding this team back. Despite having no rushing game to speak of, Palmer still managed to lead the 2007 Bengals to the number seven passing offense in terms of yardage. Considering the craziness that surrounded that team, this is a very good sign. Now consider that they were playing a week 1 opponent with an underrated defense and an offense that was committed to keeping Palmer off of the field. While he was never in the rare air that many tried to force him into, neither is he a Matt Leinart style bust. Palmer will recover, and once the team gives Kenny Watson the work he deserves, the offense will begin to open up for him.

2. Kenny Watson should get some work sooner or later!

This brings me to my second point: WHY THE HELL IS CHRIS PERRY THE STARTING RB ON THIS TEAM? Kenny Watson averaged 4.3 yards per carry and put up 7 TD in limited action last year. Meanwhile, Chris Perry, the darling project of this ground game for a few years now, managed just over 2 yards per carry with the Ravens set on stopping the pass. I completely agreed that getting rid of Rudi Johnson was the right call (the palpable air of defeat he carries with him is PERFECT for Detroit…), but just because you get rid of one disappointment doesn’t mean that you need to replace him with another.

3. Ben Utecht!

If this offense is ever going to click, someone is going to have to get under defenses, and for whatever reason Chris Henry has refused to be that guy for the entirety of his career. That could change when he comes back, but until then TE Ben Utecht is going to have to be the guy. The good news for fans is that he’s coming from a system where the TE is the most important safety valve on the team (learning from Dallas Clark can’t have hurt). The bad news is that unless the ground game gets going, opposing linebackers are going to be able to float in that intermediate pass range. Two catches for 10 yards in week one isn’t a bad start, but he’ll need 3-5 receptions per game if he’s going to start loosening coverages on the outside.

4. Getting the embarrassing loss out of the way is a GOOD thing!

The Cincinnati Bengals were manhandled on both sides of the ball by a team with no real scary passing weapons (Derrick Mason put up 44 yards? Was he covered by a large rock?), a second string running game, an aging defense, and a rookie quarterback. That sucks. What’s better is that the Bengals are a team filled with the kind of personalities that need to get offended a little bit. Chad Ochocinco’s (and I hope that’s as stupid for him to write as it is for me) mind has been more focused on his nametag and contract than his performance. TJ Houshmandzadeh is playing to prove he deserves more money. Carson Palmer has been desperately fighting to not let his prime be wasted. All of that needs to move to the background while these guys figure out that if they just play football, they’re actually pretty damn good at it. Look for a bigger second week from Palmer and Johnson in particular, who always seem to come back from these kind of off weeks looking pissed off and ready to do something about it.

5. OCHOCINCO!

Act like you don’t want to see some sideline joy…