Week 13 Preview: The Shocker

The San Diego Chargers are another prime example of a quality quarterback keeping the franchise afloat. This team is not terribly talented, no longer built to compete for championships. The have a hall-of-fame tight end in Antonio Gates, but he is getting closer to that yellow jacket with each passing game and is beyond his prime. Phillip Rivers himself is clearly in the second half of his career as well. With so many youngsters around the sparse yet aged veterans, the team appears pulled in two different directions.

Yet, thanks to Rivers, they can score points. That fiery southerner can still throw the most accurate lob pass in the league. Because of his experience, he can extend plays into huge gains if given time and opposing secondaries must maintain tight discipline throughout every play.

Rivers likes to dump it off to his backs no matter who it is. Danny Woodhead provides all kinds of match up problems for the Bengals. Ryan Mathews was getting into the grove before hurting himself against Kansas City and even Ronnie Brown sees action with the Bolts. All of these guys are expected to play a significant part of the San Diego passing game and are used with regularity.

The Chargers also like to line up with three wide on one side and a lone receiver on the other and run inside slant routes to the middle of the field. Keenan Allen killed the Chiefs last week with inside slants and crossing routes, and Rivers looked his way seemingly the whole first half. He has quick feet and nice field vision after the catch. He may be an emerging go-to guy for this offense.

Ladarius Green is another matchup nightmare. Despite his impressive size, he can run away from corners and safeties with relative ease. He has a sprinter's stride and of his 14 catches this year, 7 have gone for over 20 yards. Mike Zimmer will have to keep a very close eye on Green when he's in the game due to his explosive play ability.

The way to stop all of these guys seems like a Cover-2 approach. Keep the corners in the flats to protect against the running back dump-offs. Keep linebackers in the middle to stop the inside slants. That leaves the deep sidelines open which puts the onus on the safeties to get over there on time. It's a bit of a gamble in one sense, but the Bengals pass rush remains the team's strongest suit and the front four alone can often disrupt the timing needed to effectively execute the deep sideline throw. Zimmer knows when to blitz, the defense is solid against the run, two major contributors return this week in Devon Still and Rey Maualuga, and even though Vontaze Burfict is questionable, the Chargers aren't scoring 40 points on this defense.

On offense, the Bengals are poised for a big day. The thing I can say the Chargers do best on defense is recognize the screen pass. Other than that, I wasn't too impressed. Their corners are susceptible in man coverage and because of their lack of physical tools, they rack up a lot of defensive hold and pass interference penalties. Against the Dolphins, this team was flagged for offside four times. They are okay against the run, but they overpursue and allow shifty backs like Jamaal Charles and possibly Giovani Bernard, to really hurt them on cutback runs.

The Bengals would be smart to run eight yard comeback routes all day from the looks of things. The corners are easily beaten out of the breaks by double moves and effective shakes. Assuming A.J. Green gets primary safety help, the likes of Andrew Hawkins and Marvin Jones could get comfortable against the limited coverage they see. It seems sheer speed is the key ingredient to roasting this defense and it may come as a surprise to some that Cincinnati quietly has a plenty of quickness on their roster. This has the makings of a game where Dalton gets back in the groove.

Another crack in the Charger facade is that of their kick and punt coverage teams. Last week, Kansas City started their drive past the 35-yard line on what seemed like every kickoff. Dexter McCluster on punts, and Quinton Demps on kickoffs, found open running lanes on every occasion. My guess is that the Bengals enjoy at least two scores that are directly related to their return game. The special teams for Cincinnati has been a bright spot so far in 2013 and this is a matchup that could significantly add to that dimension.

There is no getting around the fact that this game is to take place in California and that the Bengals have had a shoddy history of West Coast contests. They will perform in a different time zone and face a decent team on the road. I know these factors make it harder to win, and I have been far too dismissive in the past of such ethereal elements of the game, but the Bengals are a better team than the Chargers. At some point this organization needs to belong. The doubt must subside and the statements must be made. Winning this game would call for a worthy chest thump and would create a wave of optimism heading into an even bigger showdown the following week against Indy, but it's a game Cincinnati should win. If they are really gonna do something this year, it starts tomorrow.

Bengals 31, Chargers 26

Mojokong-California soul.

The Big Picture: A Striped Surprise

In the AFC, there is only one team truly qualified to win the Super Bowl.  No others appear to have the firepower to hang with the Denver Broncos.  To beat them, a team must score at least 30 points and hope for the best from their defense.  As it is, only the Colts have showed the appropriate shootout ability to topple the Rocky Mountain titans and that feat seems too unlikely to ever repeat.

So there you have it; the season might as well be over.

We as a football nation are so thorough and so quick to dismiss every other possible contender that it seems Denver could just remove their starters for the remainder of the regular season, lose all five games, and still maintain their unbeatable status heading into January.  Indianapolis and New England are good, but not good enough.  The Chiefs had a fun go of things early on in the season, but despite a perfect record before falling at Mile High Stadium in Week 11, they were not really taken seriously by the football wizards at any point of the 2013 season.

That, of course, leaves the Cincinnati Bengals-a team so offensively inconsistent that those who follow the game don't even feel comfortable calling them decent.  Forget the ghosts of the past that shackled the organization from legitimacy for so long-those days have now been mercifully shoved to the darkened corners of history books thanks to multiple postseason appearances.  This team is being judged for this year and has so far earned  something of a B- for the season.

A B- isn't bad for a lot of teams in the league.  Whoever winds up gaining the last wild-card slot in the AFC is currently well below such a mark and isn't likely to end with that kind of respectable grade come playoff time.   To be fifth best in a conference means that many things went well.  In some years, it may mean a championship is attainable and within grasp, but many consider this year's Lamar Hunt trophy spoken for by Mr. Peyton Manning performing his best John Elway impression by retiring as a champion. The script is written; we are all expected to sit and watch it unfold as planned.

Yet, these are events acted out by human beings and we all know how badly things get screwed up when people get involved.  As a species, humans are the party-crashers of expectation.  They are unable to even sniff perfection; some would say they are born to fail.  And even the greatest of our kind fail in spectacular fashion.   Michael Jordan, the most epic of all the athletes, withered into an old mortal and one day met an end to his domination.  Manning too has let us down time and time and time again.  Every year, we are collectively mystified by his regular-season greatness.  Every year, from September to December, we are washed over by the waves of praise directed at Peyton Manning.  And then, ever so quickly, once his team loses in the playoffs, we are reminded that he is a human too, and we diminish his legacy until the following year.

So, just as humans are able to fail when they are expected to succeed, they also often pleasantly surprise us.  Andy Dalton winning playoff games at this point would come as a surprise to most of us.  He is mercurial, first up then down then up then down again.  Against the Jets he looked problem-free, gliding the offense along like a schooner enjoying a steady wind.  Since then, he has crumbled to bits and looks like a very average person trying to play quarterback in the NFL.  It only takes a handful of bad throws to utterly ruin a game in such a position.  Last weekend he threw a terrific pass to Jermaine Gresham for the team's first touchdown.  It lofted perfectly into Gresham's hands while surrounded by three approaching Cleveland Browns.  He had a few other throws of note, but it was the misses that tarnished the afternoon and left us all with a lingering off-putting taste in our mouths.

He cannot be only average to placate our desire to see the team win meaningful playoff games.  Those around him-his teammates-are better than him.  This is a Super Bowl defense, a Super Bowl offensive line and a Super Bowl coaching staff.  The organization, the players and the city are ready.  This season, this team, has reached a high-water mark of relevancy compared to the last two decades. Yet its most important cog is performing adequately at best.   The point has been belabored, I will lightly remove myself from such a worn-out soapbox, but the point has been made: he must be better or they lose again. Can he do it? He is a human being with tremendous untapped potential.  Has he shown that he can do it?  No.

But he is not completely alone with his shortcomings.  In the recent dismal stretch for the offense, it seems the wide receivers have had a whale of a time getting open.  Too many passes are too heavily contested and consequently Dalton's targets are asked to haul in tough-guy passes on a regular basis.  A lot of these men are fairly tough individuals, but catching a football while an athletic person is draped upon one's back is simply a hard thing to do.

There are a lot of factors that are involved with this.  Scheme and play design are first.  Jay Gruden has done some impressive things with this offense.  He has developed the likes of Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and even A.J. Green nicely.  Andy Dalton is likely a better QB for playing under Gruden than he would under other coordinators.  All in all, Gruden has been a success in Cincinnati.  Now, though, it seems defenses are on to him.

The Jets played the Bengals with straight up man-to-man coverage and were roasted as a result.  Since then, teams have gone zone, dropping linebackers back in coverage and daring Dalton to locate the open pockets.  Perhaps the biggest criticism on Dalton is his inability to stay cool in the pocket and go through his proper reads.  He panics easily, often flushes himself out of the pocket, or forces throws to his primary receiver.  Sometimes, Gruden schemes to the point where it looks easy.  At those times, Dalton plays the game as if it has been simplified for him.  Gruden's brain allows this to happen.

When it's not as straight forward, however, things rapidly fall apart for the passing game, and eventually for the team as a whole.  Once defenses adjust to the current scheme, there seems to be an extended lag before the Bengals can get back on track.  The current lag of this kind is now into its third game and San Diego hopes it continues.

I think the receivers themselves have to take some blame as well for the recent struggles.  A.J. Green pulling up a yard short on his comeback route on third down is not okay.  Gresham dropping passes to the point that it makes him look stupid is not okay.  No one able to run a decent screen pass is not okay.  Pass catchers have a job to do too.  Not every pass by even the greatest quarterback is guaranteed to always be on target; route running, blocking, and especially catching the ball have to be in sequence for good things to happen.

The running game has not blown anyone away so far this year, but it's hard to call it a major problem.  I was most impressed last week when, in the second half and with a sizable lead, the Bengals showed their power formations, faced nine-man defensive fronts and still managed to drive down the field and score a touchdown by running the ball.  I think the group as a whole drifts away from the ground game and becomes overly smitten with the west-coast passing game, but short runs when the defense knows it's coming has proven to be senseless as well, so who knows.  Nonetheless, the passing game sets up the run for this team when maybe it should be the other way around.

The team has five games to show it can play with the big dogs.  The last two years, the offense has lost a lot of steam in the stretch run and was easily bounced from the playoffs in the wild-card game.  The late bye-week can only help this cause.  Not only is it a chance for bruises to heal and pain to subside, it's a pause from the daily grind to allow the brain trust to zoom out and see the big picture.  The trends and patterns, positive and negative, known and unknown, should hopefully come into focus for these men and they will make the appropriate adjustments.  The current product shown off on Sundays has had impressive elements to it, but if the offense remains riddled by mistakes the same end result will rear its ugly head once more.

A little spark, a little optimism in San Diego a week from tomorrow will go a long way to make everyone feel more confident.  Getting special teams and defensive touchdowns are terrific, but are rare and not to be relied on.  The Bengals offense must stop killing itself and put more pressure on opposing defenses if it wants to even show up for a match against the Broncos this winter.   A surprise of this nature would be most welcomed, but remains a surprise nonetheless.

Mojokong-the hectic skeptic.

Week 11 Preview: Three More Hours

In Cleveland, quarterbacks come a dime a dozen. Ever since the Browns returned to existence, there have been a dross of failed QB experiments to find themselves under center. There have been old ones (Jake Delhomme), young ones (Tim Couch), old young ones (Brandon Weeden), squirrelly ones (Jeff Garcia), and stoic ones (Trent Dilfer). Even this year we've already seen three.

The newest variation is not new in many regards. Jason Campbell knows a thing or two about the NFL and has played under a litany of offensive coordinators. He has tasted some success but mostly failure in his three stops in Washington, Oakland and now Cleveland. He has some mobility and can be fairly slippery in the pocket, but, to me, he is very much a pocket passer.

In fact, Campbell is most comfortable with long drop backs, especially in the play-action game. Quick deliveries are possible but not his thing. To make the big plays Cleveland is looking for, he needs ample time to let Josh Gordonand Greg Little separate from defenders and find open bubbles, typically deep across the middle of the field.

Mike Zimmer knows this. His defensive gameplan doesn't need to be so different from last week against Baltimore. Flacco is another deep-dropper, and even though the team lost the game, the Bengals defense kept Delaware Joe firmly in check. Vinnie Rey blitzing up the gut was perfect. I would expect the Browns to keep backs in to block as a counter to the middle linebackers shooting the A-gap. Besides, I've seen Campbell roll right on play-action bootlegs too often to expect a linebacker to seek and destroy him out in the flats. Instead, I would think safety and corner blitzes coming from the right side would do the trick and force Campbell to step back into a collapsing pocket for the sack.

The Cleveland ground game is non-threatening. Willis McGahee is running on fumes these days and never really scared me much to begin with. Fozzie Whittaker is a scrappy speed back with a name like a jazz guitarist and is honestly more threatening than McGahee in regards to explosive runs, but at the end of the day, he too is just whacka whacka.

Their line is anchored by the iron brute at left tackle, Joe Thomas. The man has never missed a snap in his career and his play is as reliable as tomorrow's sunrise. The other parts have improved around him, particularly the right side that had so much trouble for so many years. Coordinator and coach Rob Chudzinski has the Browns playing with more competence and confidence than most of his predecessors and they are certainly capable of putting up enough points to win the game.

Yet for them, enough points can be 17 thanks to a revamped and tremendous gameplan from new defensive coordinator Ray Horton week in and week out. These men have grown into a considerable force and are getting after opposing quarterbacks at an alarming rate. They are strong up front with stuffy tackles and speed rushing ends. They bring a delayed linebacker blitz nearly every down with Craig Robertson, something Giovani Bernardand BenJarvus Green-Ellis must take note of, and generally don't give quarterbacks much comfort to hang out and look downfield.

To make matters more difficult, their secondary is a sterling bunch of players who have grown up together to be one of the best in the league. Joe Hayden is a consistent technician who seems up for any challenge. When people discuss the best corners in the league he is still notably absent from the conversation and that just doesn't seem fair. The man does what he is asked and then some; he closes down large sections of the field as if they were under construction.

The man opposite of Hayden has also developed nicely. Buster Skrine plays with tremendous energy. He is not the all-pro Hayden is, but from what I've watched this year, he has stepped up his game and demands attention for the plays he makes. Even Chris Owens deserves praise for his play so far in 2013.

This trio promises to frustrate the mercurial Andy Dalton on Sunday. As frustrating as it's been lately to see the Bengals wide receivers struggle to separate from their defenders, this week's matchup seemingly provides no such relief in that category. A lot has been placed upon the striped shoulders of Mr. Dalton this season and his production has been anything but a straight line of consistency, but the struggles in the quick, short passing game have a lot to do with receivers not getting space on their routes. Even the great quarterbacks can't fit it in perfectly when defenders are blanketed on the backs of their targets. Marvin Jones has terrific straight-line speed but his lateral quickness on slant routes may now be in question. Mohamed Sanu, Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eiferttypically rely on simply being big and catching passes in traffic, only to learn that size alone does not promise results under duress.

The Bengals offensive line needs to play one of its best games of the season this week. If the Dalton Gang can't find a rhythm on the ground and can't get the intermediate passing game in order, the big play will become their only hope and to do that, Big Red needs time to let his guys finally get free in space.

The good news is that the Cleveland defense is not good at stopping third down. Killing the clock and gaining first downs are sometimes more important than scoring touchdowns in a defensive battle. Time of possession becomes magnified in such a struggle and kicking field goals on sustained drives can win ugly games.

Turnovers, penalties, missed field goals and an inability to convert short-yardage pickups have frustrated an otherwise immensely talented offensive group. In short, they are killing themselves. All teams hit these bumps in the road. Negative trends have surfaced and been identified, now it's up to the group-including Jay Gruden-to adjust and overcome these issues before it spirals out of control. Scoring 20 points shouldn't be so hard for a divisional favorite but has sadly become a mountain of a task-especially against a top-5 defense.

This game has the makings of an old-school slug-fest of sacks, hand-offs and punts. Any touchdowns scored from special teams or defense is almost certainly to be the deathblow for the other team. Simply avoiding turnovers and penalties alone can win a game like this.

The Bengals don't need a statement game, just a win. The bye week awaits afterward and is sorely needed to give this battered team some rest and recovery time before the stretch run to the postseason. They must man-up for three hours and take care of business before they are permitted to exhale though. A loss would make for a needlessly close race for the division. Cleveland is a team on the rise, to be sure, but they are not built as soundly as Cincinnati. The Bengals were already bitten once in the dog-pound and simply cannot let a now serious divisional foe take them out twice. Not only would it close the standings gap to an uncomfortable margin, it would sap the confidence of this young but powerful Marvin Lewis team. If they don't believe they belong, then they don't belong. Simple as that.

Bengals 21, Browns 20

Mojokong-gleaming the cube.

Week 10 Preview: No Empathy

In 2010, the Bengals began the year with much hoopla. They swept the division the year before, signed Terrell Owens and looked primed for success. Their style of offense consisted of deep routes, seven-step drops and gobs of Cedric Benson. Carson Palmer was coming off of a nice season and finally looked ready to elevate his game back to an elite level, especially with all those weapons around him. They were anointed as a contender right from the gate and the city was excited.

Didn't happen.

The 2013 Ravens are feeling some similarities to that unfortunate Bengals season. Joe Flacco is another big-armed, less-mobile quarterback that needs good blocking to take deep drops. This season, though, the protection has looked bad and Flacco has been on his back too often for the passing game to get comfortable.

Their running game has been worse. Ray Rice is supposed to be the straw that stirs the purple drink, but instead he's been more of an umbrella. His 37 yards-per-game are embarrassing. If they can't run the ball better, they will become easier and easier to beat and until they eventually become the Steelers.

Now, for the purposes of jinx removal, it must be stated here that Ray Rice is very capable of becoming his old terrifying, bowling-ball self against the Stripes on Sunday. Too many of us have seen him run roughshod over the Bengals in crucial moments in the past. Lame season or not, we fear him.

This also is the sensible time to include the life-without-Geno element of the game. The entire city of Baltimore likely felt a bit lighter in their step once news reached them of the big man's damaged knee. "We've got them now," they may have all said in unison as they rubbed their hands and curled their eyebrows. Ray Rice himself had to have paused and thought hard about it. All he needs is one big game to get back to the way it is supposed to be. Without Geno Atkins....

There are others to stop you.

Vontaze Burfict is this team's new commander and certified wild man. He wants to tackle Ray Rice, on every play if he can. He loves the contact of football, loves being physical as hell for three hours. He is a man who relishes his reptilian brain-the area responsible for routine and violent impulses in all of us. He's actually allowed to hurt people doing what he does, which might occasionally surprise him when he stops and thinks about it. I'm not saying Burfict is trying to injure other players; I'm saying he's trying to hurt them and that it's okay.

I know Atkins helped him collect all those tackles by occupying blockers that would otherwise find their way to him, but I might go as far to say that the Bengals defense needs Burfict more than Atkins. This team is not remiss of pass-rushers; not even remiss of decent depth at the tackle spot. Linebacker, however, is already thin and Burfict's presence is like having two linebackers. Not only has he proven to be a leader with his zooming all over the place on every play and mixing it up with the other team, but he also appears extremely confident lining up the defense and relaying plays the plays that transmit into his helmet. I think he is becoming a potentially all-pro player and seems ready to go supernova.

Carlos Dunlap is another player capable of elevating his status with the absence of Geno. Dunlap has been a tremendous draft-pick and is well worth his fresh big contract. His improvement against the run truly makes him an upper-tier end and the effect he has on games is consistently palpable. If he continues to show up large on game days without the pressure in the middle that Atkins provided, his rep will grow bigger, our hearts will grow fonder, and the Zim Clan will carry on hammering.

Hitting Flacco remains the key to the game. The weaponry around him is minimal and without experience or general success. Torrey Smith is fast and potentially dangerous against the aged Bengals secondary, but if Flacco has no time, Smith can't go deep as easily. One would suspect that Margus Hunt's snap count will increase and I hope to see him make some plays. It will also be interesting to see if and how James Harrison's role will adjust in the second half of the season. Hunt, Harrison and Wallace Gilberry form a scary trio of "extra" pass-rushers. Reggie Nelson, and even Chris Crocker, are used very well by Mike Zimmer on blitzes as well. This team knows how to get to the quarterback and it is essential they play a big part in tomorrow's game.

In the first half of the season, the Benglals offense proved committed to the pass. They showed some shootout ability which can be crucial down the stretch and highlighted a wide variety of targets. Jay Gruden was successful in maximizing the participation of all the players he had to work with and deserves as lot of credit as a result. He made Andy Dalton a statistical top-10 passer and may have unveiled a superstar in Giovani Bernard. His scheme is relatively flexible and his players seem to have a good grip on their roles.

History says that in the second half of the season, teams run the ball more. When it gets cold, you run. Last year, about this time, the Bengals rolled through November thanks to BenJarvus Green-Ellis shedding the reputation that he couldn't run for big gains. The line then looked dominant in the run game and the offense as a whole hummed along without much problem.

Andy Dalton currently throws the ball 36 times a game and is sixth in the league in attempts. Point production rests squarely on his shoulders now more than ever. Perhaps it's my old-school nature, but I think the Bengals need a big, powerful rushing day to prove that they can win that way and force defenses to worry about it. The Ravens are good against the run-better than Cincinnati. Haloti Ngata takes care of running backs the way a wood-chipper takes care of wood. If somehow the Bengals can find a successful ground game in Baltimore, a statement would be made. Chances are though, Dalton will need to get touchdowns through the air and score over 20 points.

Jermaine Gresham's ability to play is in doubt. If he isn't able to go, look to see if the Bengals continue to go with two tight-end sets with Tyler Eifert and Orson Charles or Alex Smith, or go with one tight end and get more slot receivers on the field. Andrew Hawkins is ready to contribute more to the offense and Mohamed Sanu and Dane Sanzenbacher offer unique slot-receiver abilities. Shaking things up with different formations and increased roles with more complimentary players may be good for this team. I know Gresham does a lot of good for the Bengals, but it's impossible not to get frustrated with the abundance of penalties and drops that stem from his lack of focus. If Tyler Eifert catches more balls when Gresham is sidelined, life may turn out to be even better.

This game is a major challenge. The Ravens are grumpy and surly from so much recent losing and are desperate for a win. Often times, desperation can be scary, but I see shadows of that 2010 Bengals team with this Ravens flock, and remember that awful losing streak that shook Carson Palmer out of town and ruined the remaining credibility of Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson. The Baltimore offensive line will continue to be a mystery and a letdown, Flacco will be sacked often again, and they will lose the turnover battle, the game and the division in one fell swoop.

Bengals 27, Ravens 23

Mojokong-And so blew in the northern winds.

The Sun Also Rises: Life Without Geno

What you won't read in the following is how much the Bengals will miss Geno Atkins. That phrase is sure to be repeated in every conversation about Cincinnati for the next few weeks. Rather, life moves on no matter how crushing the blow, and we faithful must scramble in our brains for solutions.

The first thought I had was getting Devon Still back in a hurry, out with a hurt elbow. I haven't heard a very firm time line on his situation, but the team was already working out other big men to add to the tackle rotation before the Atkins catastrophe even took place. Still was beginning to show up, making plays and increasing his presence on the game. Like Mike Zimmer told the youngster in his office on Hard Knocks, he can be a very good player in the NFL if he thinks of himself that way.

If Still remains sidelined, however, they still have some decent tackles to plug in, but it certainly won't be the same.Brandon Thompson has also become marginally more noticeable so far in 2013 and suddenly his development has become critical. Same goes for Margus Hunt who is not a tackle by trade—he's throws shot-put by trade—but is simply large enough to put on the interior and tell him to tackle the guy with the ball. That may be discrediting to the guy. He seems sharp and has been less of a hopeless project than I had feared. If he is to be used more at tackle, perhaps the same way Wallace Gilberry is mixed in at the position, he will have to likely sharpen his technique and footwork as it would surely have different finer points than playing defensive end. He may not be a run-stuffer, but his pass-rush skills, and general strength and endurance, could play enough of a part to make a difference on Sundays.

Domata Peko does his job well, but has become a bit of a run specialist. He is rotated out regularly on seemingly most passing downs. That, though, may be thanks to the talented crop of defensive linemen the Bengals began the season with, rather than an inability of Peko staying on the field more often. It isn't like he is a lousy pass-rusher either. His disciplined about not going for fakes and is simply another strong S.O.B..

The last likelihood, already on the team, is seeing more of Gilberry on the inside. His ability to shift over from end on passing downs has been very positive for the team and has added to the multiple fresh bodies that Zimmer can mix in. Gilberry has been a major value in Cincinnati and seems to fit perfectly within the Zim Clan as a complimentary addition.

I would think the team will sign a free-agent as a contingency plan; an organizational plus that they have effectively demonstrated in the past many times. The minds that make the personnel decisions for the Bengals have been terrific in the past four years at identifying quality contributors for their specific schemes. I feel optimistic about their selections to provide more depth.

Of course, there will be a drop off—it's Geno friggin Atkins—but it is not doomsday the way some want to make the situation. The comparisons to New England's defense and their missing stars is not quite a fair one. The Bengals have a notable depth advantage over most NFL teams and you hear the talking heads of the sport say it all the time. The injuries are piling up precariously on the defensive side of the ball, but they began the season—and probably still remain—the team's strong suit. Mike Zimmer gets his men to play hard and smart no matter who they are (for the most part). They are fiercely loyal to him and are terrified to let him down. Getting Still back is important for the playoffs, but losing their best player does not turn this defense into garbage over night. If anything, the shoulder chip just got bigger.

Mojokong—grounded.