Week 7 Recap: Dreamin' Big

We Bengal fans are doubters; it comes with the program.

Like veteran circus freaks, we've been kicked around for a long time and we have trust issues with management. Bengal fans usually draw pity-smiles from the football world and any success often comes with a condescending pat on the head. It's a tough gig, but that's exactly what makes moments like the one against the Bears on Sunday simply golden.

On Monday morning we had bruised sternums from all the chest pounding the day before. By the third quarter, the crowd at Paul Brown Stadium was drunk with touchdowns and merriment; it was an orgy of high-fives and fist-bumps. The score quickly ran out of control and you could overhear cell-phone calls to people at home watching it on TV, verifying that everything happening was real. Euphoric astonishment washed through the stands. It was a good day to be a Bengal fan.

Since this is the bye week and we're still coming down from our high, let's get silly and toss perspective out altogether one last time. I've held back from using these words but it's time they are written: the Cincinnati Bengals are Super Bowl contenders.

Boom!

Before the tiny, embryonic seed of doubt gets any bigger and all those rational counter-points spring to your lips, first consider the facts.

At 5-2, the Bengals are tied for the lead in what many talking-heads are calling the best division in the NFL. They have defeated each divisional team and are heading into their bye week after slaughtering a decent Chicago team, 45-10. They have the NFL's leading rusher in Cedric Benson and Carson Palmer is putting up numbers that project comparably to his best statistical seasons. Chad Ochocinco is also back to his customary Pro-Bowl form and the defense is agreed by many as its best unit in years. What's not to like?

If you're not a stats person, if you're an intangibles sort, then there is this: the Bengals went to Lambeau Field and got their first win after losing at home in Week 1 to the Broncos on a last-second tip for a miracle touchdown. When some doubted their emotional wherewithal, the Bengals followed the win in Green Bay with a fourth-quarter comeback against Pittsburgh at home followed by two more consecutive thrilling comebacks on the road at Cleveland and again at Baltimore. They then lost a trap game to Houston, were once again doubted, got angry, and obliterated the Bears the next week.

The team has been through personal tragedy but has stayed focused and professional throughout. Palmer has improved every week and is playing on an elite level again. The Bengal offensive line is feasting on quality opposition. Cincinnati's defense has risen to a multitude of challenges already this season resulting in winning situations for the offense. Still not satisfied?

Fine.

They're already battle-tested in close games after first losing a heart-breaker and then mustering three second-half comeback wins. They have viable offensive weapons that have yet to be fully utilized, including the sixth overall pick, Andre Smith, and the limping defense will mend over the upcoming bye week. They have two weeks to prepare for Baltimore then Pittsburgh, and have the upper-hand on each. They still play Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City at home and travel to Oakland. They're playing their best football right now and not even Bob Bratkowski can keep a Bengals fan from smiling.

It's okay to talk about the Super Bowl. Let go of your doubt and enjoy it; we don't get these moments very often. Sure there are lots of reasons why it might not happen, but it's been a while since we've had that many paragraphs at mid-season of why this could be the year. Is there any chance the rest of the world feels the same? I doubt it.


MK---Thanks to Peko for the seats.

Week 7 Preview: Ethereal Smack-Talk

Somewhere deep within the cosmos, football demigods, Paul Brown and George Halas, spent the last few days arm-wrestling and taking cheap digs at one another in preparation for this week's game. They're still at it; purple-faced and winded, but unrelenting in spirit. Late Sunday night, they will go back to sit in their armchairs, share a bottle of something bubbly, and laugh at how little football matters, but for now, it's war.

The first issue with the Bears that simply cannot be ignored is their blatant thievery of the exact design of the letter “C” that the Cincinnati Reds donned long before the Chicago Bears ever existed.

“Get your own logo, you thieving miser!” Brown shouts across the arm-wrestling table to Halas.

“You're one to talk. Weren't those Cleveland helmets with the word “Bengals” stenciled on the sides? Real original, PB. Besides, look at your kid; the cheapest man in the galaxy.”

“You keep him outta this!” Brown yells and punches Halas in the nose with his free hand.

Back on Earth, Marvin Lewis said this week that Chicago is a lot like an AFC North team, and to some degree that's true. Aside from their base defensive sets, I see a lot of the same brutish characteristics in the Bears as I do in Baltimore; both have a a rugged defensive front seven, a play-making and burly-armed quarterback, and a half-back and tight-end with speed and good hands. However, Chicago runs a 4-3 set, and the Bengals may not have the same outcome as they enjoyed against the Ravens.

Last week, Cincinnati faced a 4-3 defense for the first time and struggled in their run-blocking zones. The hope was that center Kyle Cook would be able to move out into the second-tier of the defense and block linebackers, allowing Benson to have space past the line of scrimmage. Houston negated that by going with a smallish, quicker d-line that zoomed around the blockers before the plays could develop.

Chicago's line is better than Houston's', but defensive tackle Tommie Harris is injured and didn't practice yesterday. Also out are linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa, and of course, their warrior-chief, Brian Urlacher, who was injured Week 1 and will miss the entire season.

Harris isn't like the behemoth nose-tackles of the AFC North; he's strong but lighter on his feet. Defensive ends Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown, mixed in with another quality pass-rusher in Mark Anderson, can do plenty of damage on their own terms, but if Harris is unable to suit up, it can only help make Cedric Benson's day easier. The Bears are eighth in the league against the run and if the Bengals offensive line doesn't adjust better to the 4-3, it might not matter if Harris plays or not.

The good news is that, also like Baltimore, teams can throw against Chicago's secondary. In that case, the game-plan should sound the same as it did in Week 4, and that is to use spread formations that stretch out the defensive front-seven, look for one-on-one match-ups with receivers (or, God forbid, the tight ends), and when they go to the zone to cover three or more receivers at a time, Bob Bratkowski should hit them with runs up the middle on draws and delays. Pretty straight forward.

Instead, what I expect to see are stretch hand-offs on first down in tight formations that feature a fullback and two tight ends, for a first-half rushing average of 3.3 yards-per-carry, in order to “establish the run”. It's likely to see screens on second-and-long or deep in Bengal territory or any other time you'd most likely expect one.

Don't be surprised to see more designed passes underneath to those who cannot catch---you know the ones---in order to regain their confidence and to get them involved early.

If the score is close after halftime, the Bears will wear down from the established run, resulting in missed tackles and easy yards after the catch and the Bengals will be pleased to settle for field goals and win the game.

This is the new offensive philosophy of the Cincinnati Bengals; it's methodical, it's boring, it's irritating , but it's not changing. Those in charge believe that it works, and if a team's record is the best barometer of success, then I suppose in some weird macro kind of way, it does work.

On defense, the Bengals are faced with yet another running back who can hurt them more in the passing game than on the ground. Matt Forte, hasn't been consistent this season---the bulk of his stats came from one successful game against the Lions this year. In the others, he's been a dismal non-factor, and Jay Cutler has had to throw the ball more as a result. Still, Forte can catch, and both Ray Rice and Steve Slaton demonstrated in consecutive weeks what that can mean to an offense. The Bengals linebackers must show more competence against the pass, or else teams will continue to attack them in coverage.

The other major threat the linebackers need to prioritize is the speedy and dynamic tight end, Greg Olson. Marvin Lewis' teams have historically struggled limiting tight ends, and Olson poses the toughest challenge of the year so far in that regard. I expect safeties to assist in coverage wherever Olson roams or else he could have a huge day on third-down.

Fortunately for the safeties, Chicago has no Andre Johnson-type of receivers to worry about. The group of Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett are fast but inexperienced. The veteran secondary of the Bengals only need to worry about the long ball and tackling Hester in the open field. Allowing short passes that may be dropped or fumbled by young receivers makes sense against an offense like the Bears.

Their shaggy quarterback, Jay Cutler, throws rocket passes but is reckless. From what I've seen, he seems so unwilling to give up on plays that he gambles on wild attempts to get yards instead of chalking up a sack or an incompletion. Perhaps Mike Zimmer may want to tell his guys to react to Cutler's eyes and gamble along with him, especially if the Bengals find themselves with the lead. For as much praise as the defense has earned this year, they're low on turnovers and a seed of doubt has been planted in the minds of many onlookers after last week. Taking a risk on an interception could juice this defense's battery back to maximum voltage and regain that proverbial “swagger”---a word that seems to have become in vogue when referring to defenses in the NFL.

The last major concern against Chicago is their squadron of supersonic return-men on kick-offs and punts. Everyone knows of the lethal venom Hester stores in his jaws and unleashes in the open field, but new kick-off guy, Johnny Knox, is a Patriot Missile himself and can match touchdowns in about eight seconds if a team isn't careful. The Bengals have allowed some big returns already this year, and Darren Simmons has dealt with a whole season's-worth of issues in the course of only six weeks. New long-snapper Clarke Harris, already exceeded the play of Brad St. Louis after one snap, but anymore setbacks on special-teams, and Simmons' value to the team will be openly questioned.

So, if you sense a tinge of the supernatural at work on Sunday, perhaps it's the teams' founding fathers struggling for the upper-hand upstairs. Each dedicated their life to get their teams to where they are today and just because they're dead doesn't mean they don't care.

Bengals 16, Bears 11

Mojokong---if Cincinnati wins, we get the “C” back. If Chicago wins, they get Cedric Benson back. We'd better win.

Week 6 Recap: Duped!

These Texans are trickier than they look.

Bengal players were warned by soothsayers everywhere that a letdown was coming this week. The idea being that they could not sustain the energy necessary to continue winning every week, and at some point, would relax.

So, to disprove the theory, the Bengals came out too fired up, and constantly over pursued on screen plays and play-action passes thus giving up embarrassing yardage.

Instead of feeling bitter and angry, let's give credit to Houston for out-scheming Mike Zimmer and his staff. On their first play, the Texans' predicated on the high-energy Bengals and smoked them with a bubble-screen to Andre Johnson. Later, they ran screens to Slaton on obvious passing downs, knowing the Bengals would bring additional pressure to flush Schaub out of the pocket.

The success the Bengals had in stopping the run during the first half, made them too eager and allowed for play-action fakes to torch them in key situations later in the game. Safeties continued to creep up on run support and were either enveloped by blockers on screens or faked out by play-actions. Gary Kubiak and his offensive coaches seemed prepared for the overzealous Bengals and it showed.

The Texans also worked over the Bengal linebackers with their passing game. While Keith Rivers takes excellent angles to the ball-carrier, playing in coverage doesn't seem to be his strong suit. Rey Maualuga still sometimes over pursues---which many of us don't mind due to the potential outcome of his reckless style of play---but he is recognizing play-action fakes better each week. He may never be a great coverage linebacker; he's just not that kind of guy. Even Brandon Johnson, perhaps the team's best linebacker against the pass, was also spotted out of position in coverage, allowing a key third-down conversion for the Texans.

Most alarming, however, is Dhani Jones and his inability to get in to position to make plays. All too often I see Dhani enter the picture of my television a fraction too late; bad things ensue. While other linebackers may sometimes struggle in coverage, Jones is a consistent liability against tight ends and running backs. He is serviceable as a run-stopper, especially in the middle, but he struggles getting to the flats in time to make a difference on the play. I would look for teams to prey on ol' Dhani until he proves he can cover someone on the outside. I don't see him getting any faster so Zimmer will have to account for his deficiencies in space and scheme around the problem.

On offense, the Bengals continue their self-flagellation with holding calls, drops and fumbles. Not even Bob Bratkowski, everyone's favorite person to blame for everything that goes wrong, is at fault this week. By my count, he had one dumb sequence of play-calling on a second-half drive that started with a broken screen play and ended with a three-and-out. Otherwise, the players get the blame this week.

However, the Bengals offensive brain-trust isn't totally off the hook for a major problem in their game-plan. The stone-handed duo of tight ends, Dan Coates and J.P. Foschi, are constant setbacks to the passing game. I realize that the team is in a bit of a bind due to Ben Utecht and Reggie Kelly ending their seasons early on, but the team has a tight end that sits on the sidelines who caught more passes at his position in college than any one else...ever! This seems like an easily fixed conundrum.

The knock on Chase Coffman is that he can't block and isn't very good in special teams. Coates blocks well, and Foschi seems average in every category. Coffman can be one more capable receiver on passing downs when the tight end isn't blocking anyway. Some may consider having a tight end in the game that doesn't ever block too obvious to use, but I see him more as another slot receiver who might only block down-field on defensive backs and gives Carson Palmer another weapon to utilize. There are different ways to use a player like Coffman, but first he needs to be activated to see what he brings to the team. I don't want to see this guy end up buried on the practice squad with Jerome Simpson and the other forgotten toys.

Still, all in all, this isn't the worst of losses. Sure it's a team the Bengals probably should have beat at home, but they were outsmarted on defense and lacked the necessary concentration on offense. They weren't blown out or physically smashed to bits, and what did go wrong can be corrected---except for Dhani Jones and his old legs; perhaps the bye week will help with that.

I'm still encouraged by the direction of this team. What happened against the Texans is a setback, not a letdown. Only a fool doesn't expect a few setbacks along the way to a good season. Hold tight; I think it's all going to work out in the end.

Mojokong---practice against the screen!

Week 6 Preview: The Emotional Trap

Now that the Bengals are perched atop the AFC North standings and feeling good about themselves after an “emotional” win, one face springs to mind when looking ahead to the next game against the Texans; that bug-eyed, lobster-like freak, Admiral Ackbar, in Return of The Jedi.

It's a trap!

For being such a tough-guy sport, it's interesting how much conversation is centered around emotions in football. We as fans are picky about what emotions are acceptable. It's encouraged for players to demonstrate emotional hostility on the field---unless that hostility is between teammates---yet in the locker room, we want cool, placid interviews jammed pack with generic responses and sports cliché. Anger and frustration is fine; it shows that they care, but spontaneous celebration is out; that shows that they're greedy and self-promoting. It's a deep-rooted hypocrisy that fits in nicely with all of the other nonsensical traditions of this country established by stuffy, rich dudes a long time ago. Pardon the digression.

I bring all of this up because the words “emotional letdown” keep cropping up all over the internet in regard to this week's game.

It all makes sense; tsunamis in Samoa, the unexpected passing of Zimmer's wife, and already enough nail-biting wins to leave Bengal fans now chewing on their fingers, have been enough concentrated gobs of emotion to leave any group strung out and half crazed. It's only human to take a deep breath and relax at some point, but do that in the NFL and the opposition will strike at the jugular. It's a brutal jungle out there; constant vigilance is the key to survival.

That being said, the Bengals match up well against Houston and leave little reason not to pull out another win.

The primary concern against the Texans is to contain their superhero-like receiver, Andre Johnson. The Bengals corners have dazzled onlookers thus far, but Johnson will serve as the ultimate test for the tandem. I would expect double-teams on Johnson all day and the secondary to give him cushion to avoid the big play. Houston will likely throw shorter passes to work him in early and draw the corners and safeties up to give less cushion. That's when they might try to go deep to their other receivers left in one-on-one coverage. Jacoby Jones is a particularly dangerous deep threat and kick returner; Joseph and Hall had better be ready to run.

The next defensive priority should be to flush Matt Schaub out of the pocket as much as possible. Last week Arizona got no sacks on him, and allowed the Texans to get back in the game. When they were able to get him to move around, Schaub fell apart and rarely converted anything for yardage. Blitzes are in order against Houston, but Zimmer has to choose wisely when he calls them and account for their jittery running back, Steve Slaton.

Slaton likes to run in space and the Texans use him on the outside as often as they can manage. Like Ray Rice, Slaton works off of shotgun draw-plays, pitches, screens and stretch hand-offs. It's important for Cincinnati to keep him between the hash-marks in order to limit his fire-power.

So, in order to manage all three priorities, the Bengals should: blitz linebackers up the middle to flush Schaub out of the pocket, stretch the defensive line out wide to contain Slaton to the middle of the field, keep safety help on Andre Johnson's side every play, and rely on one-on-one pass coverage on Johnson's opposite side.

It's a lot to manage simultaneously, but long athletic players like Michael Johnson and Brandon Johnson (unrelated) can excel in a scheme that emphasizes outside containment, while Rey Maualuga, and every now again, Roy Williams, can be unleashed on blitzes up the middle or on the weak-side.

Even if the defense does struggle, the offense should be able to pick up the slack this week. Houston ranks dead last in the league against the run, allowing over five yards a carry, and Cedric Benson has burst upon the scene, leading the NFL in rushing yards and carries after five games.

The Texans do have Mario Williams who has a natural inclination to sack quarterback's and make offensive tackles look bad, but Cincinnati has faced some nasty pass-rushers already this season and has kept them from having much impact on the game.

Carson Palmer seems to improve every week and he could really cut it loose against a suspect Houston secondary. As long as his line continues to dominate the trenches---especially late in the game---Carson and his blue-collared crew should enjoy a nice day at the coal-mines.

If the offense is able to get a lead early, I would expect large doses of hand-offs and screen plays with the occasional deep ball if the defense falls asleep. This game, like the Cleveland game, should be a chance for Bernard Scott to get involved a little more, especially if the Bengals are playing with the lead.

That's what coaches like about the X's-and-O's of the game; there is no emotion involved. It's about strategy and preparation for these men and not about feelings or psychiatry. Of course, both aspects are inescapable for any coach---after all, these are still human beings---but on the NFL level, players are expected to do their jobs no matter how strenuous the circumstance. That is why the Bengals will once again prove their professionalism by handling the Texans and fighting through the trap of an emotional letdown.

Bengals 30, Texans 23

Mojokong---may the force be with us.

Week 5 Recap: Swaying The Skeptics

On the opening Monday Night game of the 2007 season, the Bengals beat the Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium, 27-20; that was the last time Cincinnati could agree that their team was a contender. After that, they wandered out into the wilderness and remained lost for two whole seasons.

Yet after five games, something familiar, yet entirely different, has emerged from the fog. This new form of Bengal is hardened and doesn't like to talk much. They survived on berries, wild game and meaningless late-season wins. Times were tough and many thought a new low was inevitable for the hapless Bengals last season.

But after a particularly miserable drubbing to the Colts in Week 14, some weird, introspective, peyote-like moment happened in the locker room. The team stared at their horrors in the face; all of the egos, all of the losing and blaming bubbled to the surface of Marvin Lewis' cauldron. It was a nightmare, but they lived.

And now they have arrived.

Two days ago in Baltimore, these Cincinnati Bengals walked away with their last divisional opponent vanquished face down in the dirt. In all three times, the Bengals went down early, demonstrated their new warrior mind-frame, and outlasted their foes. These guys are tough as railroad spikes and their ability to pull off fourth-quarter comebacks on a regular basis obviously runs deeper than just preparation and coaching adjustments; it speaks to those ambiguous intangibles that coaches love like heart and moral fiber.

The Ravens were tops at stopping the run and Cedric Benson wore them out on his way to 120 yards. Baltimore's offense was advertized as “rebuilt” and “explosive,” and, with the exception of one long Ray Rice run caused by a missed tackle, the Bengals defense had no problems containing Joe Flacco and his purple toys.

Sure Carson Palmer looked great (Ed Reed happens to everybody), Ocho was sharp (and I mean everybody), and Chris Henry finally got loose down the sideline on a deep ball, but the offense racked up over 400 yards because of their gritty linemen. In the second half, the Ravens defensive line, anchored by the human aircraft-carrier Haloti Ngata, were getting blown off of the line on running plays. Palmer was only sacked twice and had time to throw throughout most of the game. Even with backups, Evan Mathis and Dennis Roland seeing significant snaps, this line seamlessly transitioned big guys in and out without losing much rhythm; offensive-line coach Paul Alexander deserves tons of credit for an excellent start this season.

Another huge positive factor has been the play of cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall. It was as if the Raven receivers decided to go to the racetrack or golf course instead of play football; were they there? If these two can continue to shut down the opposition's top receiver, I suspect that we will continue to see more sacks and pressure on the quarterback as a result. They can be left in single-coverage which allows for more safety and linebacker blitzing---a perfect equation for sacks. It's only Week 5, but a Pro-Bowl invitation for at least one of them may be in order.

The final major bright spot worth pointing out is our favorite golden boy, Carson Palmer. Those fans clamoring for the big-armed, sling-shooting Palmer of 2005 might feel somewhat underwhelmed by his play so far, but no matter what his stats look like, he has risen to the game's ultimate challenge of playing from behind and orchestrating the win in every game this season.


I've shared my skepticism on Carson's ability to improve on the things I felt he had faltered in like pocket-presence and clutch ability. I cautioned against the belief that just because No. 9 was back, things would automatically turn around. I am quite delighted that Mr. Palmer has proven me dead wrong on these points. While we still can't compare Carson to Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, there are very few other quarterbacks in the league that can manage five straight successful comebacks to start out the year.

The reshaping of the team identity from a dainty, calculated air-attack into a steam-rolling armored unit is still a work in progress. Despite exceeding most expectations, the team has yet operate at full speed. The new Bengals have shock-and-awed their way to first place and they haven't even gotten the hang of this thing yet.

At this point, the league is going to take the Bengals seriously. The divisional games will only get more bitter and brutal. Teams are going to brace themselves against the Bengals' late-game punch, and it will be up to the players and coaches to further grow into their new roles. While they're not quite in the AFC North driver's seat yet, Cincinnati has certainly moved up to the passenger seat and buckled in the safety belt.

Mojokong---Autumn Sundays are fun again.

Week 5 Preview: The Bungles Nevermore

Since their arrival, the Baltimore Ravens have always been an oversized group of mongrels who produced wins in the most blue-collared fashion; slowly and painfully rolling over their opposition. They have been the most sustained threat to Pittsburgh's divisional supremacy since the inception of the AFC North, and because of amenities like a general manager with a keen eye for talent and a top-ranked stadium, the Ravens have become one of the league's more reputable franchises.

But for whatever reason, the Bengals have Baltimore's number more often than not, having won six of the last 10 games against the Nevermores. With the exception of the opener last season---which was a dubious sign of worse to come---Carson Palmer has played exceptionally well against a defense that traditionally gives quarterbacks nightmares. Cincinnati returns with an irritating rap at the window pane that will once again drive the Ravens mad with another loss.

The offense will finally purr at full speed this Sunday as the Bengals are likely to use more spread formations in order to stretch out that fearsome front seven of the Baltimore defense. Like Pittsburgh, no one runs very well against Ray Lewis and his flock of Hitchcock-like Birds. They rank first against the run through the first four games and finished third last season. Haloti Ngata eats running backs when they try to run up the middle, Ray Lewis is somehow still getting better, and Terrell Suggs still looks like Disney's Stitch.

The secondary also has its superstar in Ed Reed, but the other members look surprisingly vulnerable to be dressed in purple and black. In Week 2, Phillip Rivers threw for over 400 yards and Vincent Jackson caught multiple deep balls over the Ravens' secondary. Last week, Tom Brady spread his passes around to nine different receivers, and exploited openings in the middle of the field. As long as the protection holds up, teams can pass against this defense, and the Bengals passing-game has been limited to short stuff all season. I see this match-up as the perfect chance for the receivers to get loose and find space on deeper routes and for Carson to get in rhythm and find more success around the sidelines.

On defense, stopping Ray Rice will have to be the top priority. Rice is elusive, compact and is a terrific receiving running back. Baltimore runs a lot shotgun formations and likes to give it to Rice on delays and draws. I would expect to see plenty of three-receiver sets against the Bengals which would force a a safety or linebacker to guard Rice in the flats. Too much attention to Rice on these formations could also leave Todd Heap open, and more mismatches ensue. When Rice exits the game, Willis McGahee becomes the focal point, but McGahee is less dynamic than Rice and can be contained in a more traditional manner. An emphasis in pass coverage will be on Dhani Jones whose speed dissipates a little more each game.

The Ravens' receivers aren't scary enough to double cover and it seems that packing the middle of the field is wiser than loading up zone coverages deep and around the sidelines. Joe Flacco moves well outside of the pocket and can make throws on the run. Like Roethlisberger, Flacco should be contained inside the pocket, and a reinforced “box” in the middle, packed with linebackers and safeties, should help contain Flacco. I suspect that the Bengals will feel comfortable calling more blitz packages on throwing downs thanks to their faith they should have in their corners in one-on-one coverage.

If the Bengals are a changed team with a new identity, and if they truly are built to win in this division, than this is the kind of showdown where they can prove to the world and to themselves that they are for real. I doubted them against the Steelers and they rose to the occasion. This time, not only do I think that they will win, I see them having their best complete offensive game of this young season and outclass the Ravens.

Bengals 34, Ravens 27

Mojokong---my deepest condolences go out to Mike Zimmer and his family for the tragic loss of his wife, Vikki.

Week 4 Recap: The Escape From The Lake

There is a lesson to be learned from all of this: never underestimate the will of a trapped animal, or in this case, a trapped color.

The Bengals barely escaped alive from the House of Brown, needing to go a few extra rounds to fully vanquish that desperate group of wild banshees in Cleveland, thanks in large part to the mistakes of long-snapper Brad St. Louis. But like all classic action movies, the golden-boy hero, Carson Palmer, faced with the improbable odds of fourth & 13, scrambles for a first down, saves the day and bails out his buddy, Brad, all in one motion. You could feel a breeze through Cincinnati as fans everywhere let out a sigh of relief.

It was an aesthetically displeasing affair of orange and pink with an abundance of overtime punts. Marvin Lewis initially wanted to punt again and walk away satisfied with a tie until our hero talked the coach into risking it and pulled out a win. It wasn't quite a Hollywood finish; more of an independent-film-festival finish, but it was good enough for me.

Still, our hero was not without his pitfalls. As good as Palmer has looked down the stretch in games, the offense has yet to operate at full speed, and again had a series of consecutive possessions that resulted in negligible yardage on Sunday.

Much has been made of the conservative play-calling of Bob Bratkowski---his continuous propensity to throw with the lead and run when behind continue to baffle the most casual of observers---but the offensive struggles may run deeper than that, and if not corrected, could become a long-term problem.

Throughout the first four games, Palmer struggled throwing near the sidelines, and as a result, the explosive effect of the wide receivers has decreased. Time and again, Palmer has either missed his mark, or has simply been on a different page than his receivers when throwing laterally to the sides of the field. This problem isn't a sign of being outsmarted by opposing coaches, but rather rests in the hands (and arm) of the players.

Almost every completion was caught in the middle of the field on Sunday. Tight ends and slot receivers continue to get plenty of looks as defenses are taking away the deep ball by dropping safeties, the underneath routes become the best option for positive yards. Defenses will continue to force the Bengals to win with their short-game by patrolling the sidelines and daring Palmer to throw it to his wide receivers.

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, that strategy weakens one of Ochocinco's best strengths: his tip-toes around the sideline. For whatever reason, Chad is one of the best at going limp and getting his feet down in bounds. If Palmer continues to struggle getting completions to the sideline, Chad will only produce at two-thirds of his potential.

But I think that Palmer and his receivers are pros. With extra attention to detail and more repetition, they will work out this odd passing kink and soon be chugging along at full steam.

This offense has already proven that it's capable of game-winning efforts when it matters the most. The offensive line---a huge question mark going into the season---has exceeded expectations in both run blocking and in pass protection. The running game is racking up 4.5 yards a carry, and, if you ask me, is under utilized.

The three-headed monster of Cedric Benson, Brian Leonard, and the now suddenly more active, Bernard Scott, expands possibilities in both the run and short-pass game. I thought the Bengals should have used those guys more in overtime and chip their way downfield. The Browns defensive line was getting pushed backward (except that monstrosity Shaun Rodgers, no one pushes him anywhere) and Benson and B. Scott were getting decent chunks of yards on each carry. The long pass play to Coles in the second quarter on first down with a two touchdown lead on their own 10-yard line was unnecessary and foolish. That's another time to run it, keep the clock moving, win field position, wear down the opposing defense and cut a four-and-a-half-hour game down to three hours.

Defensively, the Bengals allowed two touchdowns on quarterback roll-out plays; something that needs more practice. They also didn't get enough pressure on Derek Anderson and, for the second week in a row, allowed a rookie receiver to gain over 100 yards. They had their worst game of the season at stopping the run and were ineffective on a handful of blitz attempts.

But it remains hard to complain about these guys.

Even in a game when Mike Zimmer's bunch looked fairly average, they still intercepted a pass in the end zone, scored a defensive touchdown and forced punt after punt down the stretch of regulation and throughout overtime. Tank Johnson and Roy Williams return next week from injury to add even more pop to a rugged and unrecognized defense that secretly remains the strength of this Bengals team.

Ugly wins are a necessary ingredient to a quality season; there will be more along the way. The important part is escaping with wins nonetheless and slugging your way to the playoffs. The next step in Baltimore is a doozie, but the Bengals have fought their way into a position to gain some serious footing within the AFC North, and for now, life is good.

Mojokong---there should be no ties in football.

Week 4 Preview: Into The Brown Abyss

Cleveland Brown Stadium may as well be perched along the river Styx these days with Charon himself there to escort Browns fans into the NFL netherworld. Nothing is currently working for the organization the color of mud and, like the recession, experts are forecasting that the situation will worsen before there's any hope of turning things around.

Cincinnati knows the feeling; it too was out to sea without a sail for countless agonizing seasons. As early as last year, Bengal fans openly questioned how the team would repair itself after a four-win 2008 campaign. But Marvin Lewis had enough useful existing parts to pull off a quick-fix with key draft picks and free-agents; Cleveland, on the other hand, has a scarcity of salvageable parts and a complete team-demolition seems like their only sensible alternative for their long-term future.

In fairness, a losing season in Cleveland was expected by most prognosticators of the game. They disappointed their fans with a letdown season a year ago, and brought in Eric Mangini to turn things around. That sort of task doesn't happen overnight and the situation was clearly going to be a work in progress, but the lack of response from Mangini's team, coupled with some curious ways of handling the quarterback controversy, and compounded by a locker room scuffle last week, has warmed Mangini's seat to an uncomfortable temperature after only three games.

Meanwhile, in the Southern tip of Ohio, the Bengals feel like a million bucks after slaying the Steeler dragon and defending their home turf. People in Cincinnati are still randomly chest-bumping and exclaiming “Who-Dey” as they walk past each other on the streets; crime is down!

Yet, being the consummate professionals they are, the Bengals' players and coaches have put on their somber faces and have listed off all the reasons why the Cleveland Browns are still talented and dangerous. It's the polite thing to do within the league.

But who couldn't like their chances against the worst team in football? The Browns have done so little offensively that it's difficult to discern any actual game plan they have prepared. Against the Ravens, they ran lots of screens to Jerome Harrison and tried to throw to Braylon Edwards anytime they could. Brady Quinn looked completely ineffective but Derek Anderson looked Barnum & Bailey hilarious.

The defensive priority, with or without known Bengal-killer Jamal Lewis, is to not let Edwards make the big play. Lewis has slowed since peaking with the Ravens many years ago, and despite his big games against Cincinnati, he no longer frightens me at all. Edwards has physical talents and can make the amazing catches at times, but he remains high on the list as a player who has yet to maximize his potential. Leon Hall has had some rough days going up against Edwards in the past, but Hall is playing well these days and Edwards isn't. I expect Zimmer to call the blitz on passing downs to further rattle whichever Browns QB Mangini decides to throw to the wolves, which should also hamper Edwards from busting loose.

The Browns defense is pretty dismal as well. Last week, they played soft zone and Joe Flacco methodically ran short passing plays out of the shotgun formation all day on them. Every play the Ravens ran appeared good for at least five yards and Baltimore had no problems dominating them on the ground and in the air. I'd expect that Cleveland will play deep zones against us too and try to limit the explosiveness that the Bengals would prefer not to use anyway.

Look for the Bengals to try to run on the Browns until everyone is tired of watching Palmer hand it off every time. Instead of reliving the shootouts that strangely manifest when these two Ohio teams meet, I would think Marvin would want to use his new-found muscle to grab Cleveland in a headlock and keep them there until it's all over. With an improved running game and a skyrocketing defense, the best way of handling a weaker opponent is to pulverize them into submission.

Bengals 23, Browns 10

Mojokong---this is not a trap.