Lake Eerie Monster Movie

On my way home from work today, I saw a Bengals hat in the middle of the road, crushed and flattened. I knew how it felt.

Yesterday was a gross-out game, one that makes you pray that the Cleveland Browns defense is amazing and that the Cincinnati offense really isn't as putrid as it seemed. Andy Dalton looked bamboozled and, once again, inaccurate. Jay Gruden gave into his impulse to throw it every down despite the Dalton struggles and suddenly the tandem wouldn't stop passing to the sidelines for incompletions. Screen plays and play-actions were slow developing, the tipped passes became officially ridiculous, and offensive predictability was in the air among the Lake Eerie tang. Ray Horton and his Brownies were on to something yesterday and were one step ahead of Gruden and company all day. Logical adjustments were not enough, or perhaps absent altogether.

The defense was okay, playing hard and trying to make plays, but the corners couldn't stop the simplest of slant routes on third down. I was disappointed at either the lack of perceived blitzes or the inability to bother the quarterback if they were dialed up more than it seemed. Limiting a team to 17 points typically wins games in the NFL, but not when the offense is as scary as a spider in the kitchen sink.

The first-quarter is closed out with a black, or in this case, brown eye. The sky is by no means falling and the Bengals are unlikely to match these kinds of displays of ineptitude throughout the remainder of the season, but the concerns voiced here are real and deep-rooted and will be closely monitored by a growing number of skeptics.

Mojokong—football's larynx.

Week 4 Preview: The Brown Litmus Test

There are no easy games in the NFL.  Even with an inexperienced quarterback and limited offensive weaponry, the Cleveland Browns will not simply lie down and allow the Cincinnati Bengals to eat them for lunch.

The Browns new front-office regime came into this season determined to get more pressure on the opposing QB.  With the additions of Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant in free agency, and the drafting of Barkevious Mingo, Cleveland has shored up the defensive front and it shows up on tape.  Their back end also has a play-making duo in acclaimed cornerback Joe Haden and hard-nosed safety T.J. Ward.  Defensive coordinator, Ray Horton, is known for sending pressure and it is likely his goal to see Andy Dalton on the turf a lot this Sunday.

The Bengals signal-caller has been shaky the last two games.  His accuracy continues to be questioned after a second straight home game where he appeared to be "off" early in the game.  The debate rages on if he can be good enough to take his team to meaningful heights and his recent inconsistency has not quelled those arguments against him.  It will not be a picnic along the shores of Lake Eerie for him this weekend, and Jay Gruden should game-plan around significant pressure in the face of No. 14.

Sometimes it seems that Gruden puts too much faith in his main man on offense.  Dalton's most reliable skill continues to be not fumbling the snap, which every NFL passer should be expected to do correctly every single time.  Gruden is creative enough to get around Dalton's limitations, but at some point very soon, the red head needs to prove that he can carry his team with his arm.

One way to easily remove the pressure from Dalton is by handing the ball more to Giovani Bernard.  Suddenly, I want to use the explosive rookie on every play now, as I marvel at his lightning quick feet and at his power-pack strength.  Last week, Troy Aikman called him an exceptional player and he has done nothing to discourage such optimism.  I know that BenJarvus Green-Ellis remains firmly in the running back picture, and I like what the Law Firm brings, but the team would be misguided to discourage the accelerated development of their budding young superstar.  He was pre-packaged as NFL ready, showing that the pro game is not too fast nor too big for him to seriously impact the game right away.  He is slippery, strong and fast and can turn the most mundane play into something special.

Because of the rather impressive running back tandem growing up before our eyes in Cincinnati, the team should resist the impulse to throw it 40 times a game and go with the traditional approach to the game. The offensive line looks comfortable in the ground game, the double tight-end sets help the cause and Mohamed Sanu is the perfect big-bodied blocking receiver to secure the edge on the outside.  My fear is that Gruden gets too cute in his play-calling and sustained drives become ruined from mistimed throws.  Running the ball until the defense can prove they can stop it is an ancient football philosophy and seems archaic and out-of-style these days, but I rather like running plays that can't be stopped no matter how basic or stripped-down they may seem.  If Dalton is throwing it more than 30 times, something has gone wrong.

The good news-and simultaneously the bad news too-is that the only thing stopping this offense from churning out large yardage totals is itself.  The turnovers got downright silly last week against Green Bay and the confidence that anybody in a striped helmet could hold on to the ball became staggeringly low.  For as tough, strong, determined and supremely talented Jermaine Gresham usually seems to be, his inability to maintain total concentration on every play is hurting his reputation, legacy and most importantly, his team.  Every time he has the ball, I worry it's coming out before he hits the turf.  Whether the lack of concentration manifests itself in the form of fumbles, dropped passes or brainless penalties, it crops up nonetheless in almost every game.  He looked good in Chicago, was called for holding penalties against Pittsburgh and had a fumble and a half against the Packers (one of his fumbles was called down-by-contact, but as a fan and as a coach, you still remember it being a fumble).  Like Dalton and his throws, Gresham must find a way to play more consistently if this offense wants to maximize its capabilities.

I think running the ball early and often will allow the offense to settle into the game and not feel pressed to throw against a toothy pass rush.  It should help cut down on turnovers and allow something of a rhythm to develop among the group as a whole.

Defensively, the Bengals are rock solid.  What more can we say about the Zim Clan other than that they are a group of tough hombres that don't destroy their opponents in one fell swoop, but rather squeeze the life out of offenses like a weird Bengal-python hybrid.  Despite the high points total, Aaron Rodgers and his mates were largely frustrated and stifled against the orange-clad defense a week ago.  While the miracle play on fourth-and-one proved to be the difference, Mike Zimmer's boys continuously rose to the occasion against a quarterback some consider the best ever.

This week, instead of Aaron Rodgers, they face Brian Hoyer-and this may be the only time you see the two in the same sentence.  Hoyer was obviously good enough to win the game last week in Minnesota, but any casual observer could see the training wheels he was riding with during that game.  Only later in that contest did the Vikings begin to seriously blitz, and when they did, they had success.  Hoyer doesn't want to move from the pocket, doesn't stand up to pressure well and will lose his accuracy almost entirely in the face of a decent pass rush.  He stares down his intended receiver, tries to get the ball out very quickly and has trouble reading zone defenses.  He is a player that the Bengals defense can rattle significantly.

One approach Zimmer may take is a similar one to last week.  Rodgers likes quick timing routes that were disrupted by physical corner play and a bevy of effective blitzes.  Hoyer too likes the quick hitters and will only go vertical when he has maximum protection.  The defensive line emphasized getting their hands up and knocking passes down to frustrate the Packers; the same can be used against Cleveland.  Hitting Hoyer would be nice, but he will try to get the ball out so fast that the defensive ends won't have time to touch him.  Being tall and leaping on time could do as much damage to the Browns as sacks.

In the Cleveland games I've seen this year, I have noticed a significant weakness in the right side of their line.  Look for the Carlos Dunlap-effect to not only be noticeable but become a vital element to the Bengals win.  Both he and Michael Johnson have been excellent thus far this season, racking up a number of quarterback hits-a stat I think translates the most to tangible defensive success for this team.  If Hoyer does take five to seven-step drops this Sunday, he will feel those hits.  If he doesn't, the offense will be too limited to make enough of a difference.

The Browns offensive skill players are severely lacking in talent.  In a bold move, they traded their most popular offensive player, Trent Richardson, a week ago and decided to ride the wave of mediocrity for the rest of 2013.  What is left is a bunch of primarily random players and one source of excitement in receiver Josh Gordon.  Tight end Jordan Cameron has been a pleasant surprise for the Brownies, but as far as game-planning is involved, Gordon takes precedence.  Since it looks like Leon Hall and Reggie Nelson are out this week, some of the youngsters like Brandon Ghee and Shawn Williams will see more live fire this week than maybe any other time in their limited careers thus far.  They don't have to be supermen, they simply have to keep their men in front of them and make the tackle.  Giving up a first down here and there isn't the end of the world, but giving up explosive chunk plays from missing a tackle or blowing a coverage could do more harm than any of us are comfortable with.  Emphasize Gordon and force the other lesser-knowns to make plays.

These trips to Cleveland are always called trap games. The Bengals have been snared by these traps before, but more often than not, they skirt around the hidden pitfalls and make it home alive.  This week is no different.  Browns fans are feeling good about their first win with a new quarterback and new coach, but that optimism is likely to evaporate once the whistle blows tomorrow.  Cleveland, almost unbelievably so, is still in a rebuilding phase.  They still don't have enough discernible talent to even sniff the postseason yet, and they are praying that their draft picks pay off.  Cincinnati, on the other hand, has arguably never been more talented among the ranks of their roster and they are a hungry for real legitimacy.  If the Stripes lay an egg this week, some of the team's character will be validly questioned, but I feel they are better than that at this point.  There are no easy games, but there are certainly very winnable ones.

Bengals 24, Browns 10

Mojokong-bringing you the hits!

Week 3 Preview: Quarterback Power

It is thought by many that it takes an elite quarterback to win a Super Bowl. While there have been a couple notable exceptions sprinkled in over the years, this argument generally stands up in the face of statistics.

The definition of elite obviously varies, and has been rigorously debated in countless football circles, but for me, an elite quarterback is a sure-fire hall-of-famer. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and both Manning brothers. Yes, Eli Manning straddles that fence, but I have seen him be great too often in too many important games to discredit him at this point, go ahead and disagree if you must. Nonetheless, all of these men have won Super Bowls.

Yet last year, a fella named Joe Flacco won his first championship, raked in a mega-contract and declared himself among the best. If he continues to regularly make and win playoff games while his team undergoes a rather stark transformation, I will agree, but for now I cannot. In fact, to me, he shows that the threshold of a Super Bowl victory resides in mere mortals and not just the legends.

Aaron Rodgers is a legend. He fuels the Packers to the ranks of Super Bowl contenders every season with his presence alone. It is assumed that he will make his team into better players no matter what their names are or where they were drafted. He's a cheese boss.

This Sunday he brings his cheese to the Nati, hoping to shred it on the Bengals defense like they were a coney. Last week the Redskins were filleted for nearly 500 passing yards, and the Pack had the game won in about a quarter in a half. It may be safe to say that he's into something of a groove.

Fear not, my striped brethren, he is but a man and he too has weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The Zim Clan will find those weaknesses and he will be stunned at their proficiency.

For the Cincinnati defense, this is the third quarterback in a row who enjoys leaving the pocket and making plays. Rodgers has a quick delivery, a strong arm and accuracy on the move. He likes to buy extra time by moving around and letting his receivers find openings on the field-much like Ben Roethlisberger and like Jay Cutler do. Therefore, like he would against Pittsburgh or Chicago, one might imagine Mike Zimmer telling his defensive line to contain Rodgers in the pocket and keep their hands up to knock down passes rather than just wildly attack him like crazed hyenas.

The Green Bay offensive line is not worry-free by any means. They led the league in sacks given up a season ago and their man was taken down four times last week. The renown Bengals pass rush has been somewhat quiet, but pretty effective thus far. Sacks, however, should be secondary to containment this week. After all, if Rodgers is stuck in the pocket long enough, the sacks will come.

The Bengals corners are a different matter altogether though. While the d-line can afford a loss of the likes ofRobert Geathers for the year, the secondary feels older and more shallow than ever. With the complete inability for youngsters like Dre Kirkpatrick and Brandon Ghee to remain healthy while playing football, the aged veterans find more snaps on their plates which means more running and, even worse, more tackling. How long can Leon Hall,Adam Jones and Terence Newman hold up in all this mess?

Those old bones are to be tested vigorously this week against the Green Bay spread formations. It's imperative for the defensive backs to make their tackles in this game. The Washington secondary regularly took bad angles that allowed first downs into touchdowns. Being physical at the line of scrimmage with effective jamming of the routes seems like a sensible approach, but that typically doesn't fit into the Zimmer scheme. Either way, soft zone coverage that lets the Packer receivers run freely will not do. The corners must play like tough guys if they want to keep the score under 30 points.

For as gilded-edged as the Aaron Rodgers profile is treated, Andy Dalton's is much more, shall we say, pedestrian in the world of quarterbacks. He is a shrug to most people, conveying that he functions competitively but isn't likely to overly impress. The overall opinion is that he's not good or bad, he just kind of...is.

And sometimes it's hard not to disagree. For as sterling as he looked in Week 1, his accuracy in Week 2 appeared to still be in Chicago, languishing behind in the Windy City's finer hotel rooms in a fancy robe and growing stubble. He will need it to return to his arm soon if the Bengals are really a big shot team. No matter how strong of a fan you are, one must admit he remains firmly mediocre until he can step it up with regularity. He doesn't need to be an Aaron Rodgers, but he has to at the very least be a Joe Flacco.

It was discouraging to watch Cincinnati ignore the run so blatantly in the first half last week, despite the good totals the limited carries did produce and also despite an ugly Dalton performance early. Finally the adjustments were made and Giovani Bernard sparked the team to the win. While Jay Gruden has been an excellent upgrade from his play-calling predecessor, his faith in the passing game with Dalton at the helm may be a tad too emphasized, especially when this team appears to be a decent running team.

This week is a good chance to go a bit heavier on the ground attack. Alfred Morris trucked his way to a nice game with big chunk runs last week. The Packers defense isn't what it has been in the last three or so years and they look smallish and weak. Clay Mathews is a fast, effort guy that brings it on a regular basis, but there simply isn't a stockpile of talent on that side of the ball. The Bengals should try to establish a credible run game to keep the ball in their hands and keep Rodgers on the sideline. Cincinnati has put up nice yardage totals on sustained drives, yet the points that should correspond to such totals are coming up short. Twenty points a game won't win you a playoff bye week and that should be a long-term goal for this team.

As long as Gruden calls the correct type of running play for the appropriate back, this offense could become one of the more successful ground games in the league. I have read Gruden's statements that he feels both BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard can make the same kinds of runs, but I couldn't disagree more. I know the Law Firm had some big runs on stretch plays last year, but he simply is not an east-west runner. The stretches to him, the pitch-plays to him, they just aren't suited for his skill set. The straight ahead runs are his forte.

Bernard on the other hand, is perfectly designed for outside runs. His quickness is palpable, and he runs with strength and power. The Bengals and then the world will find it impossible to ignore this young man's ability and his emphasis in the play-calling should continue to increase.

Time of possession is vital in tomorrow's game and more points must come with all those yards.

The Bengals have a real chance to tear off a big win streak and make some loud noises in the AFC. They still look like an adolescent male struggling to become a man but they are so close to full maturation. This is a chance for a real statement.  Just how good are these Bengals?

Bengals 34, Packers 24

Mojokong-on top of the dirt.

Week 2 Preview: The Redemption Zone

Last week was disappointing but not disheartening.  Among the mental mistakes and self-destructive snafus that riddled the Bengals' chances was a host of encouraging signs that should provide at least some optimism for the remaining games to come.

Most notably of those was the perceived development of the offense.  As a unit, they looked more capable of an impact, more dangerous.  The last two years, there were always concerns that this offense would not be able to keep up with those teams that easily put up a multitude of points.  The performance displayed last week, however, instilled a lot of confidence that this team can move the ball downfield, and once corrections of ball security and focus are made, they should be able to score plenty of points to keep up with the league's juggernauts.

Defensively, they were a little less stout than what we Bengal fans are used to seeing from the Zim Clan, but Chicago played well and Jay Cutler looked armchair-comfortable in Marc Trestman's offense.

All in all, this team's talent is immediately evident and if it can learn to win, it can be as good as any other in the league.

This week, a familiar foe arrives by tour bus to Paul Brown Stadium.  Yet, despite the familiarity, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't quite look like themselves.

Those who suffered through watching the Titans at Steelers saw two teams struggle mightily to score points. The Pittsburgh offensive line looked terrible, unable to clear any rushing lanes and allowed five sacks.  There are no quick fixes for Mike Tomlin regarding his protection for Ben Roethlisberger and all the coaching staff can do is adjust its play-calling in order to address this glaring inadequacy.

The Titans defensive front is more talented than a lot of people may realize, but I feel confident in claiming that Cincinnati's is even better.  True they did not pressure Cutler into sacks and bad decisions, but there are simply too many quality players in the ranks to remain quiet forever.  On Monday night, I see Big Ben going down hard in the pocket.

Of course, in the pocket is not where Ben has earned his legacy.  He is a grand improviser of passing plays, masterfully resorting to backyard football tactics in order to frustrate the hell out of the opposition.  He is a strong man who is hard to take down and his field vision is impeccable.  This is not a new scouting report on the Will Farrell-like QB, and Zimmer has employed effective strategies on him in the past.

Previously, Zimmer has instructed his outside pass-rushers to travel further upfield in their pursuit compared to how he coaches them to attack other passers in the league.  What this does is prevent Roethlisberger from easily escaping the pocket, trapping him in its interior.  That is where the mighty Geno Atkins awaits him and feasts on the stationary and panic-stricken Steelers quarterback.

Even if the Bengals are once more not able to accrue sacks this week, the Steelers are left with very few worthwhile skill players to catch the ball and make a difference.  Antonio Brown is a decent receiver, but he suited better to be second-fiddle to a higher caliber threat like Mike Wallace was.  Defenses have to feel relieved about their assignment when Brown is the most threatening weapon on the opposing roster.   Jericho Cotchery andEmmanuel Sanders are just okay and longtime tight end Heath Miller may or may not play this week, leaving only no-names to replace him.

Their running game looked meager at best last week as well.  The run blocking was positively horrendous against Tennessee and they appeared to pushed around on a very regular basis.  Even with a better showing in run blocking, there are no real home-run threats in this Steeler backfield.  That being said, we have all seen the Bengals be hammered by lesser known backs than Isaac Redman, but nonetheless, this running attack scares no one at the moment.

The Steelers defense has been picked over and are left with far more recognizable names, but they still have the same man in charge as they did in more golden days and the group as a whole is still formidable.  Lamaar Woodley is an effective edge rusher who will put the onus on Andre Smith to keep Andy Dalton clean and standing on his two feet, and Dick LeBeau will send other hounds Dalton's way on his classic weird blitzes.  Future hall-of-famer, Troy Polamalu, is a legend for good reason, but in this latter portion of his career, he seems to be more a gambler than ever.  While Troy can win the game by himself on one single play, he can also be baited into traps that can swing the pendulum the other way.

For the Bengals offense to be effective, they must run the ball better than they did last week.  Giovani Bernard is an exciting player with lightning-quick feet, but was featured so sparingly against the Bears.  Meanwhile, BenJarvus Green-Ellis was featured on a number of plays that resulted in short-yardage or even for losses, mainly because the coaching staff asked him to do something he isn't very good at: running to the outside.  I don't mind the stretch play but I don't like using it with the Law Firm. He is a north-south runner, a short-yardage extraordinaire but he has never shown the ability to consistently turn the corner when running to the outside.  Bernard on the other hand, is anatomically perfect for these kinds of runs and has the ability to break chunk yards on this type of play-call.   Using these two men more sensibly by better matching personnel with play-calling should produce healthier results on the ground.

As for the Bengals passing game, I wouldn't change much.  Offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden, called last weekAndy Dalton's best game and it's hard to argue with that.  He looked poised and veteran, accurate with acceptable arm strength, and, perhaps more important than anything else, didn't appear shook at any point.  If this is the Andy Dalton the Bengals get to enjoy all season, success will be had and all the worries about his development will subside.

I love the two tight-end sets and the multiple shots to A.J. Green.  This is a recipe for success and takes a lot of the pressure off of the less-sure youngsters, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones.  Jermaine Gresham continues to prove that physically he is a grown-ass man and now Tyler Eifert gives more for the defenses to think about.

The Bengals would be smart to continue to carry out their offensive plan on their own terms and not counter to whatever Dick LeBeau throws at them.  In years past, this wasn't the case, but the offense has never been built this well since the middle part of the last decade.  With the Steelers seemingly in what smells like a rebuilding phase, it's time for the Bengals to leave Pittsburgh scrambling to adjust.

Last week was self-destruction, this week is redemption.  While I think a 7.5 point spread is a bit over-the-top, I do think Cincinnati follows through with a comfortable win on national television.  The Steelers will put up a late score to cover the spread-probably through the air against soft prevent defense-but the victory will never be in question for the Bengals and we can all stop worrying so much.  I would like to ask the Bengals fanbase to be respectful win gloating about a victory to Steelers fans even if the opposing side has not demonstrated the same amount of class in years past.  We are a genuine and modest people who finally happen to have a superior football team.  Let them cry themselves to sleep.

Bengals 26, Steelers 20

Mojokong-the megafauna.

Week 1 Preview: An Uncertain Arrival

Thumping into the regular season come the Bengals, a team with sudden expectations and the highest of football aspirations. Surprisingly, they have become something like media darlings-picked by most to make their third consecutive playoff appearance and by some others to win the whole damn thing.

The media attention is interesting in its nature concerning the Bengals. For the majority of its history the franchise has stood as an easy punchline but for now they believe. Yet don't be fooled; that belief is tenuous, my friends. Even the oldest, most grizzly and ardent Bengals fan, who lives and dies with his team, has lurking doubts behind his enthusiastic frontal lobe. It has nothing to do with the team personnel or coaching, it's simply the permanent scars on the psyche from continuous and immense letdown of the past. For now, though, everyone seems willing to put all that negativity aside and bask in the sunlight of a bright present and brighter future.

And for good reason.

This team came out of training camp in very formidable shape. They handled the Hard Knocks attention well, they dodged injury bullets to Andy Dalton, A.J. Green and Andre Smith, and no one has said anything particularly stupid on Twitter or elsewhere. Despite their youth, they carry themselves as poised professionals which is a credit to Marvin Lewis and the front office for turning the image of the team around in that regard. They feel like they have finally arrived as a heavyweight contender.

Of course, it takes more than sheer professionalism to win in the NFL. Talent flourishes within this locker room and the depth appears stronger than previous eras. The coaching group is upper-echelon and the last four drafts have proven a quality level of scouting and management proficiency. All in all, the time really is now to show that they are at least not playoff apparitions and deserve to be in the conversation of the best teams.

With all that being said, however, I don't love their chances this week in Chicago.

New Bears coach, Marc Trestman, was once the Raiders offensive coordinator in 2002. That's the last I remember of him. That offense was largely a Jon Gruden offense, even though Gruden coached Tampa Bay that season, and it led the league in yardage and also somehow made Rich Gannon an MVP. The Raiders made it all the way to the Super Bowl but were out-Grudened by the actual Gruden. I remember that old Raider offense as a typical west-coast version that had Tim Brown and Jerry Rice catching slants and outs and mixing in a lot of throws to Charlie Garner as well.

A lot of time has passed since then and I only saw glimpses of Chicago preseason games, so I can't tell you how Trestman will plan his attack, but one can guess with the facts at hand.

Jay Cutler is a vastly superior athlete to Rich Gannon. He is surprisingly mobile, has a certified cannon and has scraped himself off of the turf more than your average NFL quarterback. His leadership skills and attitude have been questioned before, but the reports are all smiles and hugs so far with his new coach. Trestman has been called a quarterback guru and Cutler may be the most talented specimen he's worked with. That sounds exciting for Chicago.

The Bears also have two superstars on offense to make life easier for Culter and Trestman. Brandon Marshall is a horse of a receiver; Leon Hall's tackling ability will be thoroughly put to the test against him. Matt Forte is a jack-of-all-trades running back that, when healthy, is among the most dangerous offensive players in the game.  Trestman will lean on these two within his scheme-why wouldn't he? Expect to see Forte used frequently in the passing game as well as getting a healthy amount of carries. The Bengals' first-team defense didn't look especially effective when stopping the run, and I know you can't surmise much from the preseason, but I expect it to take a while for them to get that into gear and, consequently, allow a big day from Forte as a result.

The vulnerability of the Chicago offense, though, remains its line. It just seems like this is an area that the Bears cannot solidify through personnel moves. The right tackle and right guard positions are to be manned by rookies on Sunday, and while each may have talent and be ready for the league on their first day of school, history and logic say that they should expect things to go a little bumpy, at least at first. The one element the Bengals' defense should feel best about is their pass rush. The collection of quality defensive ends and tackles they plan on rotating is no joke, and if Chicago thinks it can ignore the combination of such a fearsome front going against such a young right side, it's joking itself. But the Bears know better than that. Look for screens to the right side in the face of the pass rush, in order to take some pressure off of the two youngsters. Also look for moving pockets to the left side that, in theory, should buy Cutler more time and allow Marshall and his supporting mates to get further downfield when they need the big play.

I don't think the Chicago passing game will become comfortable enough to operate the way it wants to. I think the Bengals will sacrifice some rushing yards to better handle the underneath routes by providing themselves space where they can rally to the tackle and prevent the big play. Essentially, the coverage will consistently back up and allow the pass rush to go it alone. This opens up the soft underbelly of intermediate gains that allow for lengthy drives but discourage large offensive chunk plays. The old bend-but-don't-break game will be visible this weekend and is a part of the Zim Clan's modis operandi. Field goals, win. Touchdowns, lose.

Of course, the Bengals offense needs to be more than competent for that rudimentary equation to hold up. There has already been lots written about the talented pieces around A.J. Green and the various ways they will be employed, but I think in this first game, Gruden and company will get too cute and take too long to get their motors running on all cylinders. The Bears defense excels at creating turnovers and even without Brian Urlacher, they have plenty of stars within the unit. They remind me of an AFC North defense in that regard. They will not lie down and give the time Andy Dalton needs to have a great game. Mistakes are likely to be prominent against them and the Bengals need to excel in damage control when they do crop up.

Not having Andrew Whitworth in the lineup certainly doesn't help, but I have always been an Anthony Collins fan and I feel that he is a cut above your average backup offensive tackle. Nonetheless, Julius Peppers, in all of his towering and athletic glory, will line up across form Collins and make his life far more stressful than he is accustomed to. Peppers has his place reserved in Canton for good reason: the man is a monster. If Collins can limit him, it would be an immense triumph for him personally and would calm the issue of Whitworth's absence. Failure, however, could be the key ingredient for a loss.

The Bengals are going to be a good team, but I think it will take them too long to realize that Week 1 means it is the real thing. I see them falling behind early, making some third-quarter noise and coming up just short in the end. I think it will be a mistake-riddled game by both teams and the score will be low. The media niceties will swiftly decline and the players will be angry and disappointed at themselves. If this team is truly different and are really on a higher level, then these previous sentences will be false. If they look the part of a legitimate contender and play a tough, focused game against the Bears, then I will pour the Kool-Aid upon my head and regret I ever doubted them. But the Bengals must prove to me that they know how good they are before I feel entirely satisfied about them. Has this group grown, or are they static characters in Marvin's tome?

Bears 17, Bengals 13

Mojokong-Vegas was here before me.