September Recap: Roses and Icebergs

From the noise currently being made around the Bengals these days, you would not think that the team is 2-1 or that it has a very real chance of being 4-1 before its bye week. Instead, you might think that it won't be long until Marvin Lewis is fired and Carson Palmer is forced into retirement. Rather than enjoy the positives, everyone seems to obsess over the negatives.

I can understand the paranoia surrounding the passing game—after all, it doomed Cincinnati a season ago. The difference, however, is that last year, receivers failed to get open; this season, Palmer can't accurately deliver the ball to them. If it weren't for one important fact regarding all of this, I too would jump on the-ship-is-sinking bandwagon, and that fact is: we don't need to pass well to win.

Yes, eventually, it could become a glaring, if not irreparable problem that could block the road to the Super Bowl if it continues, but can we please allow a little more time to pass before we all head for the lifeboats? Despite its struggles, the passing offense has showed some promising signs for a better future.

The one thing we all hated in Laveranues Coles was his dropped passes; so far in 2010, the only one dropping passes is our beloved Chad Ochocinco but we still love the guy because we're confident he will get it together. The rookies we have collectively put so much faith in are making plays and becoming the third-down weapons we had all hoped for. Terrell Owens still hasn't broken out for a huge game or a long touchdown pass, but he has contributed nicely when he is given the chance to make plays. The sky isn't totally falling, ladies and gentlemen.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski has been dished his regular heaping of justified criticism already and has even been called out by Marvin for over-thinking his predictable scheme and running a needlessly complicated offense. His unit has produced eight field goals and five touchdowns in three games and have struggled converting on third down. The offensive line doesn't resemble the group of no-names from last year who "rose from the ashes together", as Marvin once said. Their pass-protection has been average at best and the running lanes we grew used to seeing Cedric Benson run though just aren't there right now.

Nonetheless, through all the muck and the mire, through the criticism and whining, the offense is still averaging more yards than any other AFC North team at a reasonable 328.7 yards per game. Beyond that, among their four turnovers, none have come on the opponent's side of the field. They aren't scoring at a juggernaut pace by any means, but they also aren't squandering their chances for field goals. It ain't always pretty, but it wins more often than not.

I don't know how much Palmer can or will improve. He isn't a youngster still coming into his own, but rather a veteran with multiple injuries in a steady statistical decline. I have become comfortable with the idea that his best days are behind him and that he will never reach the hall-of-fame potential I once thought I saw in him. I would even go as far as to say that a thorough search for his eventual successor should begin next off-season. For now, he's our man, and that just has to be good enough.

The good news is, what the offense leaves to be desired, the defense picks up the slack. After a roasting in New England, the pass defense appears impregnable once more as the dynamic duo of Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall, as well as backups Adam Jones and Morgan Trent, have covered receiving corps like a big wooly holiday sweater. The defensive line's increased pressure on the quarterback hasn't resulted in more sacks, but has equaled more interceptions. The linebackers too bounced back from a rough first game to plug running lanes and play well in coverage in the next two. Mike Zimmer's boys completely dominated the field-position battle last week in Carolina, and even though the Panthers briefly threatened, the defense never lost its stranglehold on the rookie quarterback and the game never seemed in any serious jeopardy.

Also critical to the style of play the Bengals feel most comfortable in is the special-teams production which has been stellar thus far. Mike Nugent is an alien from Planet Leg whose kicking prowess frightens women and children and is being investigated by the CIA. His right leg is so large, he has to order special pants to appear normal. The left leg has developed an inferiority complex, constantly subjected to the unfair comparison with the right. The man has been perfect on his field goals (including two from +50) and his kickoffs are regularly deep. What was a worry in training camp has suddenly become something the team can brag about. And to think I secretly wanted Shayne Graham back; silly me.

Bernard Scott's big kick return against Baltimore allowed the go-ahead fourth-quarter field-goal, and Kevin Huber's three punts inside the five felt like watching golf. I was most vociferous in my complaints against Darrin Simmons a year ago, but the way he has his operation performing these days, well, I think he deserves a big hug.

The young season so far feels much like last season—which the Debbie Downers would point out concluded with a tough wild-card loss—but that doesn't mean it has to end the same way. It feels safe to say that the Bengals peaked too early last year, and, despite my stubborn attempts to discredit such a thing, teams that head into January with a stream of momentum do the best. Even though Cincinnati has two wins in three games, the team has come nowhere near to peaking already. They can do nothing but improve, and when that happens, they will feel like a real contender once more.

In the meantime, remind yourself that in most games, the Bengals are still expected to win. They are still the AFC North champions, still unbeaten in eight tries within that division and still not yet at their best. There will be plenty of time to brood over everything wrong with this team, but for now, let's try to embrace what is right.

Mojokong—when a victory is not victorious, we have lost our perspective.

Week 3 Preview: Strangers Collide

Familiarity in the NFL can be both comforting and unnerving at the same time. The lack of surprise one expects from their divisional rivals is what makes winning those game so difficult; there is very little to hide. Against Baltimore, the Bengals knew what they were in for and the results came accordingly. Against Carolina, however, all the team can do is watch film and give it their best. Most of the players on both sides haven't played in a Bengals/Panthers match-up before and how they stack up is more guesswork than anything else.

Right now, the Panthers are reeling and their fan base is sour. Back-to-back losses to the Giants and Buccaneers have put a major damper on any optimism the team and its followers built up for themselves in the preseason. The Bengals, on the other hand, are still something of a mystery for most experts, as they have looked like two different teams in the young season so far. From Cincinnati's perspective, it's a matter of which team will show up in Charlotte on Sunday. From Carolina's, it's a matter of showing the world that they can compete this season.

Panthers offense vs. Bengals defense

Despite the lack of regular meetings between the two, the Bengals know where Carolina's strengths lay. By drafting both DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart, and now deciding to go with rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the Panthers have fully committed to the run, and defenses will respond by loading up the box to stop it. The offensive line has been shaky for Carolina, and reliable receiving options are few. There is no doubt that they will insist on establishing the run.

Last week they pounded DeAngelo Williams early, which tenderized the defense and allowed Johnathan Stewart to break off good chunks of yardage on some nice runs. I expect them to try to ware down the Bengals run defense and keep it a game of field position and time-of-possession. Carolina will try to limit Clausen's passing attempts to a minimum, and pass on shorter routes when they do go to the air.

Within their passing game exists a small but very fiery receiver in the form of Steve Smith. Perhaps forgotten and somewhat overlooked around a rebuilding franchise, Smith is still the same hard-nosed mighty mouse he's always been. He has amazing core strength and reminds me of an ant who has speed, hands, and a mean streak. He's tough on slants, and can go deep—he is not to be taken lightly.

Like always, he will be doubled often because the Panthers have yet to find a receiver opposite of Smith that prevents defenses from doing so. Their tight end, Dante Rosario, is said to have good hands (although he did drop a touchdown last week), and the Panthers seem to target him a few times a game, but there seems no need for Zimmer to worry much about the Panthers' receiving threats.

Blitzing a rookie quarterback always makes sense to me. This is the golden-domer's first career start; I'm sure he's a bright young man but I dare say he isn't necessarily a master of his offense quite yet. Therefore, he should have people in his face all day long, forcing him to make quick decisions. With safeties cheating to stop the run anyway, I would think Zimmer might dare Clausen to go deep on his corners and see if the rookie can make plays.

Bengals offense vs. Panthers defense

The Panthers defense is solid but not remarkable. Their leader is outside linebacker Jon Beason, but middle linebacker Dan Connor is another good tackler who supported the run very well last week against Tampa Bay. Also in that game, the defensive line put a good amount of pressure on Josh Freeman—who, unfortunately for Carolina, often scrambled his way to positive yardage on such occasions. The good news for the Panthers is that Carson Palmer can't do that as well. So if they're able to get that kind of pressure again this week, the Bengals passing attack could be flustered by sacks and early deliveries. Palmer and his boys were criticized last week for being out of step against the Ravens, and Carson becomes very mediocre when the pocket collapses; putting heat on him with the front four without blitzing a ton of other guys could make the day a winnable one for the Panthers.

The Carolina secondary, however, looks vulnerable in coverage and are presumably poor tacklers based on what I saw last week. There is no need to rattle off all of the Bengals weapons again—we've all got a handle on that—the point is, there are enough of them to score on nearly and secondary, but talk is cheap until the forecast results come true. Sure the Bengals will hand it to Cedric Benson 20 times, and continue to give Bernard Scott more chances to shine, but the pass protection for the Bengals is the key to this game. Give Carson time, and they win.

As for specific game-planning, I would work the flats and call run plays to the outside; the Panthers defense seems strongest up the gut and gets weaker closer to the sideline. Of course, if Palmer does have time, he will attempt a deep ball or two to his big and fast receiving group which is the right way to go, but the Bengal receivers have also shown unique possession qualities that can be instrumental to scoring drives and shouldn't be ignored.

Conclusion

Because of the unfamiliarity between the teams, its outcome is nearly impossible to predict—not that my predictions have been all that impressive lately anyway. Nonetheless, I think that it will be another slugfest that underwhelms the offensive fan but translates into the Bengals third win of the season. I expect more punts and field goals and an average statistical outcome for Carson. Once more, people will grumble about lack of style points and pundits will think that they're on to something by saying the Bengals look like last year—they might even drop in the power rankings—but a win is a win and that's the important part.

Bengals 16, Panthers 9

Mojokong—coming to a theater nearest you.

Week 2 Recap: Not Every Win Is Pretty

Reading all the reports on the Bengals first victory of the season, it's hard to discern who, or what, to credit for the win. Some say it was the Bengals defense, others claim it was Joe Flacco's futility, and a few have even blamed the refs, but the hard fact remains that the AFC North has yet to find the recipe for beating Cincinnati in a divisional game, and for us Bengal fans, that alone should be a sweet nectar on our lips.

Yet, alas, it isn't. Another local columnist—who is often times unreadable—correctly pointed out that it shouldn't matter how the Bengals win, it just matters that it gets done. Many found more reason to gripe about the meager yardage totals and the third-down doldrums, rather than cheer on their presumably favorite team for their biggest (and only) win of the year thus far. Yes, it was frustrating watching repeated red-zone trips translate to only three points, yes, Carson Palmer had a poor passing day, and yes, Bob Bratkowski proved once more that his predictable play-calling is hampering his team's production, but the strength of this group, the defense, should have put all that complaining to bed.

The real hero for this game was the secondary and not just for the four interceptions that ultimately won the game. All day—aside from one touchdown pass to Derrick Mason—the corners and safeties blanketed the so-called high-powered weaponry of the Baltimore passing attack and silenced the critics from the week before. Even when Adam Jones left the game with a sore shoulder, Morgan Trent rose to the occasion, and when Jonathan Joseph began to cramp up, Chris Crocker and Chinedum Ndukwe filled in nicely to preserve the win. The defensive line outlasted Baltimore's front five and disrupted Flacco late in the game, but it was the coverage downfield that made the difference.

If you must find a villain for what should have been a happy day, revert to the old custom and blame Bratkowski. People who have never watched football in their lives knew when a running play had been called, and each time Reggie Kelly shifted to the fullback position that prediction came true 100 percent of the time. If Bratkowski doesn't satisfy your ire, toss some of the blame to Palmer's inaccurate passing performance that in all likelihood should have resulted in at least one pick. Assuming your one of those people who simply must bitch about every single negative until you're blue in the face, remind us all how much pre-snap penalties suck. Now that you have that out of the way, can we enjoy the win again?

I agree that Ray Lewis has a point to his complaints of the roughing-the-passer call that Terrell Suggs was flagged for late in the game—everyone agrees with that—but Ray is old enough to know that refs don't always get the calls rights and that every team has suffered from their human errors. To say the Bengals don't deserve the win reminds me of that Aesop story regarding a wolf and sour grapes; get over it, oh ye wise old legend. If Ray must harbor resentment for a hard-fought game that didn't go his way, he should manifest those feelings in Week 17 when the two teams meet again. You are undoubtedly a spectacular player, Ray Lewis, but I thought you were more of a man than that.

I won't sit here and pretend that the Bengals don't have concerns on offense—there is still much tightening to be done on that side of the ball. If anything, they look poorly prepared. The passing game looks a hair out of rhythm (remind you of last year?), the blockers don't seem to be the maulers they were a season ago, and not knowing the snap count should be reserved for pee-wee football, but there is time to fix these things, and the defense showed that the concern on their side should be kept to a minimal.

All in all, Bengals fans, it could have been a lot worse last Sunday and you should recognize that. This isn't Brazilian soccer where the team must dazzle each time on their way to victory. There are ugly games throughout the schedule for every team in the NFL; the key is coming out on top when those occasions surface.


Mojokong—admittedly was close to blowing a gasket or two in the fourth quarter.

Week 2 Preview: Regaining Respect

A familiar foe of Flacco and his Raven flock fly into town this week in the first AFC North showdown of the season. Baltimore became the media darlings of the offseason, showing off their finished product last week in a cage-match style win against the New York Jets. The Bengals on the other hand, well, we all saw what happened. The beautiful thing about the NFL is that each week is a new chance to right the wrongs, to clean up the mess, to turn the ship around, and for such a rough and tumble team, Cincinnati seems to have Baltimore's number.

Of course, it won't be easy -- it never is. The Ravens are a gang of calculated assassins, surly and powerful with an attitude and a thirst for bone crushing hits. The Bengals were very much the same last season, but Cincinnati's physical trademark was nonexistent last week against New England and waves of doubt flooded over them after such a decisive beatdown. For the Bengals to walk away victors on Sunday, they must regain that gladiator persona and be prepared for a serious test of strength and will.

Ravens offense vs. Bengals defense

Last week, the Ravens met a mighty contender in the form of the crazed Jets defense and their offensive production was limited. The Jets did a nice job of containing the compact and explosive Ray Rice by staying in their running lanes and not missing tackles; it is imperative the Bengals do the same. Rice is slippery and hard to bring down, and if Cincinnati can't wrap him up on the first attempt, he can bust a big one on nearly every run. Baltimore doesn't attempt to trick its opponents on running plays; not once did they try running to the weak side of their formations last week. Instead, they loaded up the strong side with as many blockers as possible and had Rice run behind them, often times on delayed hand-offs from the shotgun formation. If the Bengals can clog the middle and stay there, it will prevent Rice from finding the seams to daylight he so adroitly seems to locate.

The Bengals need not worry about the Ravens' complimentary backs, Willis McGahee or Le'Ron McClain as much, because McClain was used sparingly against New York, and McGahee, in a word, sucks. If the Bengals let them, Baltimore can ground-and-pound all day, using up clock and wearing out a defense that has much to prove after a dismal showing in New England last week. Therefore, stopping the run should be the top priority in their defensive gameplan; shedding their blocks and succeeding in tackling is paramount to their success.

That means Joe Flacco must pass, and pass often. That seems like strange advice, encouraging a team with so many weapons to fire them at will, but with the right coverage and skilled cornerbacks, that too can be stopped.

Flacco went after Antonio Cromartie and rookie Kyle Wilson last week, and completely ignored all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis' side of the field. Cromartie did manage an interception near the goal-line, but overall proved to be a weakness in the Jets defense; Wilson was even worse. Both men struggled in man-to-man coverage and each were flagged for multiple, costly penalties. While the Bengals don't quite have anyone on Revis' level—no one is really—they do have a very talented group of corners, and Flacco should find it more difficult picking on any one of them.

The Ravens like using the three-wide shotgun formation with T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the slot, where they often put him motion to find a mismatch somewhere on the field. I would expect they target third-corner, Adam Jones, in these scenarios, challenging Jones either on underneath routes across the middle, or going up top along the sideline.

If Houshmandzadeh is covered, that leaves Derrick Mason, who has been blanketed by the Bengals in the past, or newcomer Anquan Boldin as their other wide-out options. Mason is an afterthought, catching only three passes in two games last year, but Boldin is a new type of challenge for Cincinnati's secondary. He is fast enough to go by many defenders, but his real strength is, well, his strength. Similar to Terrell Owens, Boldin has huge, muscular arms, a wide frame and can be deadly on the outside on short passes against smaller defensive backs. The Ravens should try quick hitters to him in open space, daring the Bengals secondary to try and bring him down. Jonathan Joseph had a memorable miss on Randy Moss last week that allowed a big play, but overall Joseph is a good tackler and needs to prove it this Sunday.

On third downs—an area of struggle last week for Cincinnati—look for the Ravens to find Todd Heap on shorter routes. Heap has put together a nice career and still appears plenty involved in Baltimore's passing attack. Bengals safety Chris Crocker will likely be assigned to Heap the most, and has to heighten his awareness of where the nimble tight end is on third down.

Bengals offense vs. Ravens defense

While the Ravens defense is big, strong and ugly, they aren't necessarily wild and blitz-crazy. They rely heavily on their 3-4 outside linebackers, Jarret Johnson and Terrell Suggs, to get pressure from the outside without sending too many safety or corner blitzes to help them. When they do blitz, they are selective and calculated and like to bring Ray Lewis up the gut, or Chris Carr from the edge.

Regardless of their scheme, it's imperative that Carson Palmer gets enough protection to look downfield and attack the Ravens' questionable secondary. Suggs is especially deadly on the pass-rush, though the offensive line did a nice job on him last year, and, similar to the Patriots' Vince Wilfork, Haloti Ngata can create havoc up the middle. Cincinnati's hogs up front only allowed one sack last week (to Wilfork), but was still criticized for allowing too many hits on Palmer. Baltimore will likely bring more pressure than New England did, so the onus this week is on the line.

If Palmer is given time to throw, he could have a big day. For whatever reason, Carson has found success against the Ravens through the air, and with the pirate-bearded lurker, Ed Reed, watching from the sideline, his day should be that much easier. The Ravens secondary wasn't tested much at all from an anemic Jets passing attack last week, and I expect they will have much more to worry about from the newly formed Bengals passing game that came to life in the second half of Week 1. Look for the same type of passing scheme this week from the Bengals with Jermaine Gresham in the red-zone, Jordan Shipley and TO on shorter possession routes, and Chad Ochocinco in one-on-one matchups. It's impossible to double-team them all, so, once more, if the Bengals allow Carson enough time, he can find mismatches all over the field against such a suspect secondary.

Baltimore is excellent against the run. They flow to the ball-carrier and bottle up rushing lanes at or near the line of scrimmage. Ngata's girth clogs up the middle, and allows their talented linebacker unit to meet running backs at the point of attack—and this is a group that doesn't miss many tackles. Bengal bell cow Cedric Benson had an underwhelming day last week, thanks largely to the offensive line not getting a good enough push after the snap, but Benson has had good days against Baltimore in the past, and the offensive line as a whole needs to be as physically strong as possible for that to continue. If Cincinnati can find some running room with Benson, mixed in with a dash of Bernard Scott, it will keep the Ravens off balanced and will allow the passing game to open up even more.

The key for the Bengals offense is to prove to Baltimore that they can throw against them; pass to set up the run. Cincinnati must convert better in the first half on third down and find ways to create sustained drives early on. Confidence is a big part of this game, and it seemed to be zapped right out of this team before they could even get their feet under them last week. Some blamed offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski for the early struggles against New England, but I felt the play-calling and scheme was above average and that the players couldn't get it going. If Brat keeps his players in the same type of roles this week, and the players tighten the screws a bit more, the improved results should speak for themselves.

Conclusion

This game will be difficult but is certainly winnable. It isn't unfamiliar territory between these two teams and that should give the Bengals more confidence. After laying such a large egg to open the season, I expect Cincinnati to come out angry and fire all of their guns. This game means more than just a win; it means gaining back respect and retaining their divisional supremacy. The higher the score, the better their chances. Protect No. 9 and good things should happen.

Bengals 31, Ravens 21

Mojokong—by the seat of my pants.

Week 1 Recap: 3rd & Fail

Imagine this:

You're in your kitchen and you've set out to mop your floor. You put the bucket in the sink and turn the hot water on. You turn around to grab your mop, but during the spin, you knock over the olive oil and it spills onto the counter. This is a critical moment. You need a towel; you have one. You begin to wipe up the oil when you hear the hot water splattering onto the floor. You throw the towel on the stove and rush to turn off the water. The oily towel ignites from the stove-top burner. You hurry over to put out the small fire when you slip from the wetness on the ground and break your tailbone. Ouch!

That was the Bengals on Sunday. Their small mistakes compounded rapidly to crush the enthusiasm of their fans by the heavy booted sole of the New England Patriots. It happened so fast, we were so sure of ourselves, how could this happen?

The answer lies in the third-down conversion column of the game's stat sheet—particularly in the first half. If you combine the 2 of 7 third-down opportunities in the first half with the Pats 6 of 8, it adds up to the Bengals changing the game to their favor four out of a possible 15 times. Throw in two turnovers in that mix and it only spells out disaster, and the Bengals were served heaping spoon-fulls of that on Sunday.

The first Bengals' drive was killed on a 3rd & 2 when that monstrosity, Vince Wilfork, spin-moved his way past Kyle Cook and sacked Carson Palmer. The second was ruined by an errant short pass to Dan Coates (?!) on another 3rd & 2. The next drive ended abruptly on a Ced Benson fumble when Cincinnati native Mike Wright came inexplicably unblocked and disrupted the play in the backfield. Next drive ended on a pass well short of the marker to Terrell Owens on 3rd & 6. The next was a pick-six to Gary Guyton. In a flash, things went from bad to worse.

Meanwhile, the defense was unraveling faster than spin art, yet, despite the Bengals inability to get off of their blocks or make sure tackles, the Patriots were still forced into a good amount of third down chances themselves. The highly-touted Bengals defense led by field general, Mike Zimmer, looked tentative and strangely weak, and when they had the opportunity to keep things close and get off the field, they failed.

After avoiding third downs on the first drive on their way to a touchdown, the Patriots converted two out of three chances on the second and wound up with a field goal, giving them a 10 point lead. The Bengals then stopped them on third down after Benson's fumble and were saved by a missed field goal. At that point, the game was on the verge of being lost but not unmanageable; hope still existed. But then Brady converted three third downs on the next drive, the last being a touchdown to Welker over the middle, which gave New England a three possession lead and all of the game's momentum.

Then, late in the game when Cincinnati somehow created a glimmer of a chance for themselves to get back in the game, the defense allowed three more third-down conversions and watched Rob Gronkowski catch a touchdown pass over the stumbling Dhani Jones. Game over.

There were some watered-down positives. Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Shipley and Terrell Owens fulfilled my expectations as to how they will serve this offense, and Chad Ochocinco looks sharp. The pass-protection wasn't horrendous and the penalties were kept to a minimum. Struggling with the running game, though, is a grave concern of mine. If this team cannot run on a more consistent basis, Palmer will be baited into more interceptions, and only bad things can happen from that. Last year's surprise story was the quick development of the offensive line, particularly their run blocking, but they were pushed backward on runs on Sunday, especially on the short ones. Bernard Scott may be able to squeeze out yards if the line doesn't get a push because he is shifty, but Benson needs holes to run through. Asking Cedric Benson to juke his way to daylight is not utilizing his strengths as a running back. In comparison to New England's open running lanes, Cincinnati's looked like a traffic-jam in a dead-end alley.

Another concern is the mass extinction of any pass rush. I thought the Bengals would back away from blitzing—and apparently so did Zimmer—but I think we both expected the front four to make some kind of noise on their own. New England's offensive line was supposed to be a soft spot, but it sure didn't seem that way. Antwan Odom looks hurt to me, and Robert Geathers is still invisible coming around the edge of the pocket. The best hit of the day on Brady came from Geno Atkins who came free on a stunt, but on nearly every other occasion, Brady had no problems allowing routes to unfold and found open receivers without feeling rushed.

The thing this Bengals team was supposed to have above everything else was a chip on their shoulder, a toughness about them, grit; I didn't see much of that at all in Foxboro. Instead, it was New England who looked stronger, while Cincinnati was relegated to the finesse role—and as I said in this game's preview: finesse is a code word for soft.

Is all hope lost for the season? Of course not—don't be so dramatic. Does this team need to show more teeth? Absolutely yes.

I expect that Zimmer will whip his boys into a wild fever this week where the only prescription is Raven blood (or perhaps more cowbell), while Bob Bratkowski calmly refines his third-down play selections to Mozart and his players meditate and undergo stress-relieving breathing exercises. This sort of preparation seems to suit the personality of each coach's respective units, and whatever translates into winning on third down is fine with me. Just get it done.


Mojokong—ignoring the instructions of how to operate my floatation device, should I need it.

Week 1 Preview: Live Ammunition!

Here we go.

Despite the lingering stench of hollow disbelief in the Bengals one detects among the dross of national football writing, this is the same tough-as-nails team as last year, only deeper and more talented. The road is challenging, but the doubters will see once more in due time.

The first demonstration of their might comes this Sunday in New England, where they encounter a team with superstar gloss, but with a soft foundation.

Patriots offense vs. Bengals defense

Yes, Tom Brady is amazing, one of the best of all time, immediate Hall-of-Famer, blah, blah, blah. The same for Randy Moss. Neither player's production is expected to drop off, and there are no secrets to their ability. Fine. The others on offense are far more interesting story-lines than Brady/Moss=Good, so let's do that instead.

The next best player on the Pats offense is no doubt Wes Welker. This little tough-guy has a pair of sure hands, is somehow hard to tackle, and has become Brady's b.f.f. in the last few years. He is excellent at finding open spaces underneath and converting third-and-mediums. He plays best in the slot where he can work the middle of the field and become the ultimate safety-valve when Moss is covered. Welker has caught over 100 passes the last three years, and averaged nine a game last season. The bummer for Wes was blowing out his knee in Week 17 and missing the 2009 Playoffs, but he's back and ready to show the world he hasn't lost a step. Considering his game was never of the speed-burner variety, I don't think it will hamper him all that much, but if he finds it difficult to plant and change directions on that knee, he may have problems.

The last receiver in the mix is Welker-prototype, Julian Edelman, who once played quarterback at Kent State and is a good return-man too. Edelman looked comfortable as a third receiver for a seventh-round draft choice learning a new position last year, and I would think that his role will expand this season in the Pats' scheme.

New England's play-calling is heavy on shotgun formations often using four and sometimes five receivers. Because Welker and Edelman are so effective in the slot, I would suspect we see them both running crosses and underneath routes, which forces defenses to creep up their coverage on passing downs and frees up Randy Moss deep.

Defensively, the Bengals will have to keep the slot receivers in front of them and make tackles right away. Expect to see the linebackers drop back a few feet on the snap rather than blitzing all that much. Johnathan Joseph has to run with Moss almost exclusively as there is no one else fast enough, and there should be some safety help on Moss' deeper patterns. New England's pass protection is listed as one of their concerns-especially with guard Logan Mankins sitting at home unhappy with his contract-so the defensive line could get enough pressure by themselves to at least hurry Brady into delivering the ball early. Typically, I am a blitz-all-day kinda guy, and Baltimore won their playoff game against the Pats doing just that, but I don't think that the team speed of the Bengals' defense allows one to gamble with the blitz against such an expert passer. If a nickel corner or linebacker blitzes and Brady reads it and gets the ball out quickly, does the secondary have the recovery speed to keep it from becoming an "explosive" play? I'm not so sure.

The strength of this defense is to contain and tackle. They are a strong and disciplined unit that doesn't need to risk much as long as they can get their hands on the opponent. If it becomes a track meet, they're in trouble, and that's exactly what New England will try to do-spread their receivers out and run by the Bengals.

As for their running game, it's average at best, isn't used all that often, and should not produce a 100-yard rusher against the stout Cincinnati run defense.

Bengals offense vs. Patriots defense

It's safe to call New England a finesse team, and when speaking of offenses, that can be a compliment, but if it's the defense that is called finesse, it hurts. Actually it's a polite code word for calling a defense soft, which is fighting words, yet that's what I suspect this Patriots defense is-soft.

They have a very large human specimen by the name of Vince Wilfork; a man who resembles something that dwells in mountainous caves and hunts Sasquatch. This bearded monstrosity was paid buckets and buckets of cash for being large and swallowing up running backs, and throughout his career, he has done both quite effectively. They also have a studly middle linebacker, Jarod Mayo, who has developed into an All-Pro caliber player and should continue to impress this season. Outside of those two, however, I don't see much worth writing about.

There are no vicious pass-rushers and no lurking ball-hawks on this team. From what I've read, many Patriots fans are upset that the team didn't make more of an effort to bring in new talent on defense. The mastermind Bill Belichick makes them better by himself, but if he has no worthwhile talent to work with, how far can he stretch his magic?

It all adds up to a nice debut for the revamped Bengals passing attack. I still don't know who defenses will key on in regards to the Bengals offense, but, honestly, it doesn't seem to matter. To be fair, though, we Bengal fans might be giving both Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham a bit too much credit. They haven't played when it counts, and they still have to prove themselves under live ammunition. Still, both look mighty impressive entering their pro careers and if the Patriots take them lightly, each will get looks from Carson Palmer.

The best defense to a great quarterback like Tom Brady is keeping him off of the field. The Bengals offense should initially not go for the jugular and throw deep, but rather try to move steadily down the field by converting third downs and using up clock. This way, not only does it keep Brady and Moss on the sideline, it wears down their defense and forces them to creep up to stop the short stuff. Both Shipley and Gresham make up a major part of the short-stuff strategy, so their impact must be immediately felt. Once they're both established as threats, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens can get loose on New England's greenhorn corners. If the pass-protection holds up and Palmer looks as sharp as he has in the preseason, this could be a big day for the offense as a whole.

Conclusion

Of course everything isn't going to go as swimmingly for the Bengals as mentioned here. Penalties and turnovers can strike at any moment and the perfect game-plan can be rendered suddenly useless. New England is not a chump team by any means. They are an organization who has a firm grip on how to win in the NFL. Foxboro is a tough place to just stroll into and walk away a winner. It's serious business, and the Bengals had better treat it as such. Nevertheless, this should be a win. New England is fancy and fleet of foot, but they simply aren't as tough and gritty as Cincinnati.

Bengals 28, Patriots 20

Mojokong-set the tone.

Autumn Waits For No Man: Football Is Back

The leaves dry out and fall to the ground. A cool breeze cuts through the summer air and serves as a gentle reminder of the upcoming ice storms and early sunsets on their way. The Earth feels older during this time; the magnitude of our own mortality is heightened. Many things start to die when it gets like this, except football; football carries on and it isn't waiting around for nostalgia.

Autumn is a triumph in and of itself, supplying the world with gilded-edged memories of school days and neighborhoods, but then man decided to make football an autumn game and blew it out of the water compared to the other seasons. Now, when early September rolls around and the temperature dips into the seventies, the hair on my arms stand at attention. This isn't because I'm cold, but because Week 1 is on the doorstep, and a large region of my brain goes berserk when this concept fully sinks in. Call it a madness, or an addiction, or a disease, or whatever you'd like, but it's there, it's serious, and it needs to be fed. It's like a hungry lion, or, more appropriately, a hungry bengal.

Sure, the preseason is fine to watch during August, but I get less enthused every year about the exhibition stuff. If no one cares about the game's outcome then it can't matter all that much. That's why you should wipe your memory clean of anything you learned in the preseason, because none of it mattered. None of it. The roster you see before you is the only one that matters, all stats are at zero, and past performances are irrelevant. We're all heading into this season blindly together; no one can be certain of anything.

That's what makes Sunday so special—the uncertainty. Unlike the concreteness of the seasonal changes, or the inevitability of the holidays that crop up late in the year, how a football game or season unfolds is the magical unknown. The gamblers' frontier. It isn't the Lakers or the Yankees, it's the NFL, and the men in charge, despite their best efforts, haven't corrupted the essence of competition yet to keep it from being a balanced league of team parity.

I'm not one to claim that Cleveland or St. Louis will win the Super Bowl, but they have a better chance than the Pittsburgh Pirates or the New Jersey Nets do—those teams don't even play football! Our very own Bengals are an excellent example of expectations run amok. In 2002 they went 2-14, in 2003 they finished 8-8. In 2005 they went 11-5, in 2006 it was 8-8 again. In 2008, 4-11-1; 2009, 10-6. You get the drift.

There are lots of reasons to have high expectations again this year, but those reasons will not be listed in today's writing. Like a wet towel wrung dry, we simply cannot glean any more knowledge from this team until they play a real game. We've analyzed and speculated since early February—even NASA doesn't do this much analysis—and if you are a loyal reader, you are equipped with as much information as you will ever possibly need about the Bengals.

All that is left to do now is to get comfortable in long sleeves and take in the 2010 Bengals season. Don't worry about looming collective-bargaining (dis)agreements or excessive pre-snap penalties. Don't worry about Baltimore or that dumb ass, Cris Collinsworth. And if you do start worrying, remind yourself that it's only football and that it's fun...dammit.



Mojokong—live action!

Dissecting The Bengals One Cross-Section At A Time

The last preseason game is upon us which means we've seen all that's worth watching from the Bengals for now. The real deal is but a dozen or so painfully slow days away, and things are looking up. The team's core is solidly in place, injuries have been manageable, and the first-team has looked pretty sharp. Aside from five or six guys in limbo, I think everyone knows what this roster will look like on September 12.

That being said, we can now really dig into this team and look at its guts (sorry for being gross).

The offense looks improved from the end of last season. What's most encouraging is that the new weapons—Terrell Owens, Jermaine Gresham, and Jordan Shipley—have been used in sensible ways with play-calling that highlights their respective talents.

TO has been featured in a variety of ways this preseason; from end-arounds and inside slants, to deep bombs and sideline patterns, the guy has performed well. Because of his strong showing with Cincinnati thus far, New England and others will be forced to consider him as a number-one receiver, benefiting Chad Ochocinco who is, of course, a number-one guy himself. TO is exactly the opposite of Laveranues Coles, and is much more the preferred style of target for quarterback Carson Palmer. Owens has already showed the ability to catch high passes and takes hits across the middle; there was no one on the roster who could effectively do that late last year.

As for Gresham, he too is a draft horse-like target who brings a new element to the Bengal offense. He has out-jumped a defender for a catch, has caught a pass when flexed out to the wide receiver slot, and converted a first-down on a screen. His touchdown catch may have been the least impressive of the preseason which speaks to the quality of his limited work thus far. His run blocking still has room for improvement but he has the size, strength, and mentor (Reggie Kelly) to soon reach his potential in that category as well. Gresham is a versatile weapon not seen in these parts perhaps ever.

Then there is Shipley, who has been lauded with praise so far for his attention to detail on his route-running and study sessions. While he's not the big and tall variety of receiver, it's clear that Carson Palmer feels more than comfortable throwing the ball in his direction. Shipley has been compared to Wes Welker (maybe because he's white, maybe because he's small, maybe both) and if he can even come close to the possession specialist that Welker is, Carson will have a real pal on third downs. What has encouraged me the most so far from Shipley is his ability to get open—something that both Coles and Andre Caldwell could not manage at all in the wild-card loss to the Jets.

Having these three upgrades in the passing game, coupled with the health uncertainties at the fullback position, suggests that the Bengals will use a three-wide receiver set with no fullback as their base formation. That isn't necessarily new for this team as Chris Henry made the three-wide sets a common look for Cincinnati before he broke his forearm and ultimately past away last year. The ability to put four legitimate threats on the field at the same time will challenge the defensive backfield depth of opposing teams, and an improved air attack seems imminent as a result.

Of course, Cedric Benson will get plenty of chances carrying the load on the ground. The superlatives seem endless when talking about CedBen, and he adds a certain amount of toughness that became a trademark for the Bengals a season ago. With the expected production increase in the passing game this year, Benson should find the second tier of the defense (linebackers and secondary) more spacious as teams back off the run so they aren't beaten for big gains through the air. Cincinnati will still at times show the unbalanced-line formations that features three tackles, just to prove to teams that they can play power football when they choose to, but it will be damn-near impossible to keep all of their receiving threats off of the field all that often. Outside of Benson, change-of-pace back Bernard Scott will also benefit from the attention the receivers get, and should find more room to operate in the flats on screens, delays, and pitch plays than he did in 2009.

Early in the preseason there was a lot of concern surrounding the offensive line's ability to pass-protect, and while the second-stringers still appear unpolished and perhaps even worrisome, the first-stringers have put together quality showings since the Hall-of-Fame game against Dallas. Teams will still bring pressure on blitzes to try and rattle Palmer and the line, but by doing so, they risk leaving one or more of the weapons previously mentioned wide open, and that risk could prove costly to the outcome of the game. When that does happen, the tight end and running backs kept in to block will become instrumental to the success of this offense. The offensive line is still the biggest question mark on that side of the ball, but my worries about that group have been eased somewhat as the preseason moves along.

There are more reasons why this offense will excel rather than falter. There hasn't been this much talent stock-piled around Palmer since the days when he threw 4,000 yards in a season. The big-play ability is there, the power-game is there, and the possession receiving game is there too. With such a daunting schedule for 2010, it will be imperative that the Bengals win the time-of-possession battle and keep those other great quarterbacks off of the field. This is a team that can do such a thing in a variety of ways, and if they stay healthy, there is no reason why that shouldn't happen (that comment is directed at you, Bob Bratkowski).

Therefore, with so much excitement and hype surrounding the offense, one may wonder: what about the defense?

I'd like to say that I have no concern about Mike Zimmer's gang and that the Bengals will be as brutal as last year on that side of the ball, but for vague, fuzzy reasons, I'm not totally convinced.

I haven't been exactly wowed by any particular player on defense—outside of Geno Atkins; that guy is exciting—and the best trait they have displayed thus far is forcing running backs to the outside where they have been stopped for minimal gains and even loss of yards, but they haven't appeared all that aggressive as of yet. The pass rush, or lack there of, has been well documented by close observers, and teams have found success throwing on the Bengals. The cornerback trio of Leon Hall, Jonathan Joseph and Adam Jones, are mighty impressive on paper, but that talent hasn't manifested itself in any spectacular fashion thus far. I know it's only the preseason and of how dangerous it is to read too deeply into games that don't count, but if this is to be the strongest part of the defense, we should see tighter coverage right now.

Another small problem with this defense could be its overall speed. Only Joseph is known for his foot speed, and others—Dhani Jones, Roy Williams, Chris Crocker, and even Hall—have been knocked for their lack of it.

This is especially true of Dhani. For the past two seasons, I have promoted replacing Jones. I do recognize that he is a good tackler, plays very well within the hash marks, and is an effective blitzer up the the middle, yet when he is forced into coverage or has to move to the outside, he becomes a liability. Right away, I can think of two touchdowns allowed by Jones already this preseason because he wasn't fast enough. The first was against Denver when Eddie Royal juked Jones on a route and Rey Maualuga was unable to change directions fast enough to prevent the score. It's unfair to expect most linebackers to cover any wide receiver one-on-one, but most linebackers would not have been beaten so severely that they have no chance of effecting the play at all. The other was against Buffalo when Roscoe Parrish simply outran Dhani horizontally on a shallow cross. It was zone coverage, and he was no where close to getting even a hand on Parrish once the Buffalo receiver entered his zone. This occasion was not due to a juke move or anything fancy; it was simply a slow man unable to cover a quicker one.

Once again, I know that it's the preseason and one should not get carried away making conclusions based on their performance in these games, but like coaches say, you can't teach speed, or the lack there of. Dhani is 32 and not getting faster. He has been reliable and tough with the Bengals, taking on some hard mileage along the way. He also has agreed to do two seasons of a tv show where he engages in extreme physical activities around the world during the NFL offseason. I like the guy, and I think he would be a cool person to have a beer with—he could become the most interesting man in the world someday—but as the middle linebacker of my favorite team, I would rather see him used as a backup due to his aging body and decreasing speed.

The coaches have put Rey in the middle some this preseason, and I think that is the sensible, and somewhat inevitable move. With Maualuga in the middle, Brandon Johnson should then become a starter, who, in my opinion, has earned such a promotion due to his consistent, solid play both in coverage and against the run. Also in the realm of potential starter is the immense Michael Johnson, who Zimmer continues to tinker with at the outside linebacker position, but has admitted that Johnson is still confused with various assignments of his new role.

Obviously this defense can grind it out with toughness and brute force. They are good tacklers, and are disciplined about keeping plays in front of them. Last year, they were strong in the fourth quarter which is a testament to their endurance. There is a lot to proud of when it comes to these guys, but the slower players will be attacked by the opposition, and that could lead to some frustration by both Zimmer and the team's fans. It's up to the coaching staff to scheme around this potential deficiency, and it will be interesting to see if it factors into how much Mike Zimmer decides to blitz.

The special teams play, on the other hand, has been outta sight. Kick and punt returns are suddenly very exciting and a handful of players are now capable game-breakers. Adam Jones is an electric kick returner and is showing flashes of his days at West Virginia once he gets the ball in his hand. Although less spectacular, the kick-coverage team has also played well. The Bengals have collected a nice group of gunners with Kyries Hebert still leading the charge. The kicking situation is a bit murky with two nomadic kickers battling it out, but each has kicked-off fairly well and Rayner made a 54-yarder. For as hard of a time as I've given Darren Simmons over the years, he deserves credit for what appears a very capable unit heading into Week 1.

There will always be the overarching concerns of this team, like excessive penalties, turnovers and injuries, and the curious game-management of Marvin Lewis, but the Bengals are built well from top to bottom. I like the depth at most positions, I think the coaching staff is superb and the front office has demonstrated a commitment to win this season. Now that the seriousness of it all kicks up a few thousand notches against the Patriots, I feel very good about these Cincinnati Bengals I see before me. I say they go 10-6 again and play once more on Wild-Card weekend. Let the madness begin.


Mojokong—the orange and black windbag.