Disappointing End to a Great Season

On Saturday, in front of a sellout home crowd watching only the second playoff game in Cincinnati since 1990, saw the Cincinnati Bengals fall to the New York Jets by a score of 24-14. A game in which the Bengals were able to run the ball very effectively against the NFL’s number one rushing defense, the passing game was not able to take off as Carson Palmer, for the eighth time this season, failed to throw for 200 yards in a game. Cedric Benson was able to give the home crowd something to cheer about as he rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries including a 47 yard touchdown run.

After a fluke loss, the Bengals were able to get their heads on straight and have a dominant beginning and middle part of the season. But when the Bengals visited Oakland at 7-2, the Bengals started a 3-3 stretch that saw them go from a potential home field advantage winner to a fourth seed who was blown out in their final regular season game.

If you’re like me, and all you wanted for Christmas was the playoffs in Cincinnati, then you got your wish. But obviously our secondary wishes of making sure the Bengals went deep into the playoffs weren’t heard as the Jets once again, for the second week in a row, trounced the Bengals. Now that the season is over, it is time to look forward to the NFL Draft, training camp and the pre-season.

It’s no secret that the Bengals need to address some key issues and positions come the off season. The biggest need is for help on offense at the receiver position. Jerome Simpson will most likely be gone this off season due to his inability to get on the field in his second season as a second round draft pick. Next year, the position looks to hold Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell, and Quan Cosby. Look for 2009 draftee Freddie Brown and Carson Palmer approved Maurice Purify to also vie for a roster spot. Again, this is assuming Jerome Simpson is gone, or can’t get on the field again. Most likely, the Bengals will draft one or maybe even two wide receivers in April’s draft. Early indications show the Bengals wanting a burner with height, which is what they had in Chris Henry.

As I’ve been saying for a while, and the way it looks on some of the mock drafts I’ve seen, Mardy Gilyard from the University of Cincinnati will definitely be there for the Bengals taking in the second round. This fills the void for speed at the position, but the need for height could be addressed in the later rounds of the draft. According to Walterfootball.com, the Bengals are projected to take a 6’3” wide receiver from LSU in Brandon LaFell. Looking at what he’s done overall, over 900 yards receiving last year and over 700 receiving yards this year and running a 4.54 40, he could be a great replacement for Chris Henry.

Also, there are questions at tight end and have been for the past few years. Last year the Bengals spent a third round pick on Chase Coffman from Missouri and he couldn’t get on the field this year. Why? Main reason being because he can’t block and the Bengals want a tight end that can block more than a receiving tight end like Brent Celek from Philadelphia or Jason Witten from Dallas. Why do you think the team has stayed with Reggie Kelly and allowed him to start at least 11 games from 2003 to 2008? Simply put, Reggie Kelly can block. The Bengals use the tight end at times, but have always utilized their third or fourth option receivers and backs more. To put it in perspective, in 2006, when Kelly started all 16 games, he caught 21 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown.

Back ups J.P. Foschi and Daniel Coats are good options that play hard and never give up. But they’re inability to catch the ball and make plays when their numbers are called needs to be addressed. I would look for the Bengals to try and draft a tight end maybe in the early to middle rounds of the draft like last year. According to CBSSports.com, the Bengals in the first round will take Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma. I don’t mind the pick, as this would give the Bengals a marquee name at tight end that is big enough to block ends at 261 lbs. and tall enough (6’6”) to run down the field and catch a ball in the back of the end zone.

On the offensive line front, I don’t believe many changes are needed, as the line is young (besides right guard Bobbie Williams) and showed promise during the year. I would look for Andrew Whitworth to continue to anchor the line along with Andre Smith at tackle. Evan Mathis and Nate Livings also made good contributions at guard. I believe it is crucial to get Anthony Collins in somewhere after he showed lots of promise and poise standing in there as a rookie last year.

Defensively, the Bengals will need to add a cornerback as a better option to nickel back over Morgan Trent. Most games throughout the year, the tandem of Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall shut down the number one and two receivers while Morgan Trent and a consortium of linebackers and defensive backs struggled with tight ends and third and fourth receivers.

Adding a safety may also help, as Roy Williams is not only getting older, but he got hurt, again. When he’s healthy, he’s a force. But when he’s hurt, he doesn’t offer this club much. When it comes to linebackers, I’d like to see the Bengals draft a middle linebacker. I like Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga on the outside, as Rivers gives the team a coverage linebacker and Maualuga is your run-stopping backer. I like Dhani Jones and his leadership and experience to the team, but he’s getting old and I think he’ll need to be replaced soon. The Bengals wouldn’t need to draft a linebacker if Rashad Jeanty or Brandon Johnson moved to the middle, but I’m not sure if that would happen. I like Abdul Hodge, but just like Ahmad Brooks and Landon Johnson, back up linebackers are a dime a dozen now a days.

The defensive line is a little more complicated. You’re obviously set with Domata Peko in the middle, but the Bengals can either line up Tank Johnson or Pat Sims there. I like both of them, and I’d go with Sims over Johnson because at a young age, he’ll be able to get better quicker if he’s starting. The ends, Robert Geathers and Antwan Odom were set at the beginning of the season and you’d expect them to be the starters come September. Only problem is Johnathan Fanene and Michael Johnson did very well in Odom’s place and could compete for that starting spot.

This is the spot the Bengals want to be in. The Bengals want to have lots of young talent to compete against each other for the starting positions. Not only does it give Head Coach Marvin Lewis some peace knowing that if one guy goes down, another can step up and play just as good.

Injuries to watch for when workouts arrive and training camp starts will be Odom’s Achilles, Maualuga’s ankle, Jeanty’s leg and Sims’ forearm/wrist. The Bengals will need both Maualuga and Jeanty to heal up quick, as the defense is definitely different without them. Odom has been oft-injured in his career and I believe he needs a full season with the Bengals without serious injury to prove that the eight sacks he recorded before the injury wasn't a fluke. Sims is young and will need to bounce back quickly, as he'll be pushing the older Tank Johnson while competing for that starting tackle position next to Peko.

The Bengals have only made the playoffs in back to back seasons once in their franchise history. That was in 1981 and 1982. I’d look for the Bengals to come back next year not only focused on running the ball, but putting the ball in the air and having a balanced attack reminiscent of the 2005 AFC North Champion Bengals. The defense will be a year older with a lot more experience under their belt and that can only help at this point, as there is talent all over the defensive side of the ball.

Bengals and Jets to Face Off in Jungle for a Rematch in Playoffs

Following Sunday’s 37-0 loss to the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals will be opposing the Jets for a second weekend in a row in the heart of the Jungle down at Paul Brown Stadium. Kickoff for the game will be around 4:30 PM as the home team Bengals are the quick 4 1/2 point favorites following their blowout loss.

Last night’s game didn’t provide a lot of game film for the Jets to look at, but basically rolling over for the team when the third seed was in grasp is not something I would encourage. Carson Palmer was completed one pass in 11 attempts for zero yards while throwing an interception in a little over two quarters. While defensive end Robert Geathers, defensive tackle Domata Peko and linebacker Rey Maualuga did not play due to injury, running back Cedric Benson sat to rest up for the playoffs to allow back ups Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson to rack up 58 yards combined. Head Coach Marvin Lewis is doing and going to do what is best for this team. Whether we like it or not, he is the coach, not the fans, and he has put the time in to earn his title, fans have not.

Although Lewis has not had to sit through and watch what the fans have over the last two decades, he is currently in his 7th season as Head Coach of our Cincinnati Bengals and trying to save the ship. In his tenure, Lewis has had to deal with criminals, deaths, a gut-wrenching and flag deserving hit on Carson Palmer, heart-breaking, nail biting wins and losses to go along with three .500 seasons, two sub-.500 seasons, and two playoff seasons as our Head Coach. But at some point, rolling over on purpose when our NFL laughing stock Bengals are playoff bound is unfathomable and unacceptable.

We as Bengals fans believe no game, no matter the record, is worth laying down for the sanctity of playing the same team the following week. But let me tell you what Marvin Lewis is thinking. Given the chance to take the same game back home, where a packed home crowd will rock the Jungle against a team with a rookie quarterback sounds pretty good. Extra motivation and momentum aside, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has thrown 20 interceptions this year. Fourteen of those interceptions have come in the fourth quarter and six of his interceptions this year have been on third down. With the additions of Geathers and Peko back into the defensive line mix, the Jets won’t be able to run as well as they did Sunday.

Sanchez wasn’t that great last night, completing just 50% of his passes (8 of 16) for only 63 yards. But then again, he did not have to be exceptional with the way Brad Smith, the wide receiver that runs the wildcats, Thomas Jones, the NFL’s third rushing leader and Shonn Greene ran the ball last night. The Bengals were reeling last night, missing Rey Maualuga’s presence and ability to stop the run while the Jets as a team racked up a total of 257 yards on the ground.

Come Sunday, the Bengals will need a lot of help when it comes to stopping the run as well as the pass, because Mark Sanchez has the ability to make plays with his arm and shouldn’t be taken lightly just because of the amount of interceptions he throws. The talent that New York possesses on the receiving end with wide receivers Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith and David Clowney along with tight end Dustin Keller is second to none.

At the same time, even though the Jets have the eighth best rush defense in the league, they will have to face off against Cedric Benson. This season, the Jets have faced Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Of those, Jones-Drew ran for over 100 yards, Johnson for 97 yards, Williams with 40 and Stewart with 35. Williams and Stewart occurred in the Jets’ 17-6 win against the Carolina Panthers. Benson, who has rushed for 1,251 yards on 301 carries this season, has six rushing touchdowns and is looking to help keep the ball rolling on offense against the stingy Jets’ defense.

For the Bengals to win this game, offensively, quarterback Carson Palmer will need to be more accurate, the offensive line will need to win the battle up front and protect Palmer, the tandem of running backs will need to find the holes and take them when the offensive line gives them, and the receivers need to do a better job of catching the ball and running their routes and for both Palmer and the receivers, they need to be on the same page. Defensively, the Bengals need to make tackles, disallow big plays, win the battle for the line of scrimmage, and act like the team that has one of the best defenses in the league. Due to injuries, safety Tom Nelson has been thrust into the starting role, and although he’s looked overmatched, especially last night, I trust that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will help Nelson fix his problems.

However this week plays out, a one-and-done playoff team is not going to help Mike Brown win back fans. A deep playoff run is needed to help bolster not only this club, but help fans regain their trust in Marvin and the players.

With Loss of Henry, Bengals Could Go Two Different Ways

For the third time this season, the Cincinnati Bengals have been devastated and rocked to the core. The first tragedy came in the form of an earthquake in the nation of Samoa which triggered a tsunami. The Bengals have four players on their roster that are from Samoa or have family ties to Samoa. They are Domata Peko, Jonathan Fanene, Fui Vakapuna and Rey Maualuga. The second tragedy occurred early in the season, when Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife Vicki passed away. The third tragedy, the one that will and has hit the hardest, is the sudden loss of wide receiver Chris “Slim” Henry.

With the ups and downs of an NFL season, players sometimes become on edge and fatigued. Towards the end of a season, when tragedy strikes, sometimes players become overcome with everything that has happened, and are unable to stand firm under the pressure. They become physically and mentally exhausted and struggle to complete what is left of the season. That is the one thing that I’m worried about with the three remaining games, especially Sunday’s. One of two teams will show up in orange and black on Sunday, and it’ll either be the “burnt out, emotionally and physically unable” Bengals, or the “filled-up with emotion, jacked up to beat the San Diego Chargers for Slim and Vicki” Bengals.

After the loss to the Brett Favre-led Minnesota Vikings, the Bengals have been up and down answering questions about what the problem on offense was and if Carson Palmer’s elbow was healthy. Now they have to answer questions about what type of person Chris Henry was and how much he had changed. I’m positive they’d rather be answering questions about they’re performance than who Slim was.

Hopefully the Bengals will ride the emotional high this season has been to the end. A win against the Chargers would greatly increase their chances of winning the second seed in the AFC and receiving a first round bye. The win could utterly continue to Paul Brown Stadium next week when the Bengals face off against the Kansas City Chiefs. The last game on the schedule is against the New York Jets, and two straight wins heading into that game against a game desperately trying to make the playoffs would definitely help with momentum. What the Bengals will do, or who they’ll sign/draft/trade for, to replace Henry remains to be seen. That is something that needs to, and will be addressed in the off season by Head Coach Marvin Lewis and Owner Mike Brown & Co.

The task at hand is more important than finding his replacement. It’s finishing what he helped start. After a 7-2 start, the Bengals have lost two of their last four games and are now struggling to win that first round bye. Bengals wide receiver Chad OchoCinco has asked for permission for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to wear Henry’s jersey Sunday. This has since been rejected, but “Jungle” fans know Chad, and it sounds as if Chad may break the rules, AGAIN! What should happen is that Goodell should allow it to happen, auction off the jersey, and then take the proceeds and put it towards Slim’s kid’s college funds.

With the loss of Henry, the rest of the Bengals season could go in two different directions. This season will either up in flames, or straight to the bye week. We will see where they go starting Sunday, but a bye week in the first round of the playoffs would definitely help this team heal up and ready themselves for the biggest fight since Marvin Lewis’ tenure began.

Air Collapse

Whether it has to do with the loss of Chris Henry, or the elbow of Carson Palmer, or the departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Cincinnati Bengals’ passing offense is lacking. It doesn’t matter if the opponent is the Detroit Lions or the Minnesota Vikings; the offense can not get a pass more than 20-25 yards past the line of scrimmage. At 9-4, the Bengals are still leading their division but still need a win to clinch their division. As long as we can win one more game, even if the Baltimore Ravens tie us with an overall record, we will still win the AFC North Division while owning the tiebreaker. But ending with six losses on the year does not do anything good for this team. When the Bengals lost to the Oakland Raiders 20-17, the team started a downhill, back to earth descent in which they have lost two of the last four games they have played.

After losing to the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday, the San Diego Chargers beat the Dallas Cowboys to take over the number two seed in the AFC Playoff picture. If this team plans on receiving a first round bye, we must beat San Diego next week and win the last two games of the year against the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets. If we lose one of the two games, the chances of the Bengals winning the number two seed is unlikely due to the Chargers having to play the Tennessee Titans, in Tennessee and the Washington Redskins in San Diego. If Vince Young is the quarterback for the Titans, then there’s a chance the Titans could pull an upset, but don’t hold your breath.

This past Sunday, we saw what happens when the passing game is non existent. Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis has said multiple times this season that this team is going to have a more balanced attack while trying to stuff the run down the opponent’s throat. This style of play has worked for the Bengals before, but in this game, Carson Palmer did not help the cause as he could not have been any less accurate. If there is no passing game to compliment the running game, then opposing teams will dare Palmer to throw the ball, knowing full well he won’t hit any of his targets, wide open or not. Defenders can then stay in the box and stop the Bengals one-dimensional running game. Cedric Benson had a decent day running the ball, piling up 96 yards on 16 carries but without a passing game that can produce more than six yards a pass, the offense is doomed from the start.

There are four obvious possibilities that the Bengals passing game is lacking in yards and efficiency. The first, and most fearful, is the fact that Carson Palmer’s elbow is not entirely healed. We know what happened in New York last year with Brett Favre, and I guarantee that Brett Favre made the decision of not being placed on the weekly injury list. Yes, Eric Mangini and the Jets should be held responsible in some way for not displaying the problem to the rest of the NFL, but it was Favre’s ultimate decision. The same situation could be happening in Cincinnati. Palmer elected against surgery and decided to rehab over the spring and summer. Whether or not it was a smart move, Carson hasn’t been the same since he got injured.

The next obvious problem is the loss of T.J. “Who’s Yo’ Momma” Houshmandzadeh. T.J. was Number 9’s third down target over the last few years because of his great hands and ability to gain yards after the catch. During the off-season, the Bengals signed former New York Jet wide receiver Laveranues Coles to a four year, $27 million dollar deal. Thus far, his signing has been a very big disappointment as he has dropped an allotment of passes that exceed the amount of fingers on both hands.

The third possibility that the passing game is faulting could be due to the loss of Chris Henry for the season. With his size, 6’4”, Henry is able to jump over almost all defensive backs when Palmer throws the ball in the air deep downfield. Before his injury, Carson Palmer was averaging 229.7 yards a game with 14 total touchdowns through the first eight games. Since his injury and placement on the Injured Reserve list, Palmer is now averaging 161.8 yards per game with three touchdowns. The last set of statistics is for the last five games. Henry only had 12 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns through eight games, but you can see the influence he had on the field, as Carson average 67.9 yards more per game with him lining up in the slot.

The final reason that the Bengals are lacking through the air could be due to the fact that second round pick Jerome Simpson is yet to dress for a game this year. In his career, he has so far dressed for only six games, with all of those coming from last year. The following are Simpson’s career stats: one catch for two yards and one kickoff return for eight yards. By the way, all of these occurred in week seven last year against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The fans know it, the NFL knows it, and believe me, Marvin Lewis and Owner Mike Brown knows it, the Bengals made a boo-boo. DeSean Jackson was selected three picks after Simpson and look how well he’s flourishing with the Philadelphia Eagles. It might help that he has Donovan McNabb throwing him the ball. Bengals Vice President Troy Blackburn has stated that when the Bengals passed on Jackson, it was because they believed he had “character issues.” Obviously this is hilarious to Bengals fans because draft history shows, the Bengals LOVE to draft players with character issues (see Henry, Chris or Thurman, Odell for examples). In the end, you have to give the Bengals credit. When they drafted guys with character issues in the past, it seemed as if the staff hit the jackpot. That is, until they were arrested. When the Bengals finally tried to do the right thing, and go with the receiver not known for having character problems, they ended up with Jerome Simpson.

The scouting staff has a lot of work to do, as the depth at wide receiver is quickly diminishing. Laveranues Coles is over the hill and will never be worth the money they’re paying him. Chad OchoCinco is the only receiver putting up numbers worth noticing as he needs just 63 more yards to reach his seventh season of 1,000 yards receiving. But age is catching up with him, as he is now 31 years old and his longest catch this year is 50 yards, which is his worst since his rookie campaign and last year’s debacle. Andre Caldwell has shown lots of promise, but will need another year or two before he has his breakout season. Maurice Purify and Quan Cosby just started to appear on the roster and are untested along with unknown. Mardy Gilyard, the wide receiver from the University of Cincinnati, has the chance to be available in the second round, and he would add depth, quickness, and a jolt of youth into this receiving corps.

For this team compete in the playoffs, the passing game must be addressed. The Bengals can no longer ride the coat tails of Cedric Benson on the way to a win. We saw this Sunday as the Vikings bullied the Bengals to a dominating and playoff clinching win. To beat the Indianapolis Colts, the Bengals will need to play shootout. The New Orleans Saints may have more weapons, but their main weapons, Drew Brees and Marques Colston, do not come close to touching Peyton Manning or Reggie Wayne.

All I Want for Christmas is the Playoffs in Cincinnati

Do you remember the first time your parents told you about Santa Claus?  No?  Ok, how about the first time you sat on his lap and he asked you, "What do you want for Christmas?"  You do?  Good, now keep that memory in your head.  No, don't place it on the back burner, put it on the small front burner and continue with me.  Do you remember how you felt on Christmas morning, and you saw a present from Santa, and it was exactly what you wanted?  Of course you remember, what child doesn't.  The child that was on Santa's naughty list doesn't remember, but he doesn't count.

Let's fast forward to the mid to late 1990's and early 2000's.  Let's try 1991 to 2004 to be exact.  We'll even add in 2006 to 2008 for those of you who just started to become fans.  You're a Cincinnati Bengals fan, and you just want a winning team.  For some reason, you can't ever get one.  Year in, and year out, the "Bungals" continue to disappoint you.    From David Klingler to Jeff Blake.  From Jeff Blake to Neil O'Donnell and then back to Jeff Blake.  Then Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown said, "Hey, let's follow that trio with Akili Smith that lineup."  No Mike, how about we don't do that.  Well, Mike listened, and after a year, he Bengals fans Jon Kitna.  Now, I have no personal vendetta against Kitna, but no offense Jon, you're not cut out to be a Quarterback in Cincinnati.  It's those small hands of yours that bothers me. 

Don't worry though Bengals fans, because the Messiah, Carson Palmer, was on his way.  After being drafted by the Bengals in 2003, Palmer sat out the entire year as the Bengals followed a 2-14 2002 with an 8-8 record under first year Head Coach Marvin Lewis.  Everything changed in 2005 when the Bengals went to the playoffs for the first time since winning their division in 1990.  That is, until Kimo Von Dream Killer crushed any hopes of the Bengals winning the Super Bowl that year. 

Stay with me young grasshoppers, I know it's been a long flight, but I promise, we're getting close to the climax.  In '06, Palmer came back, and the Bengals finished with an 8-8 record for the 3rd time in four years.  But that was ok, because Palmer was getting his feet wet again, and in '07, the Bengals would surely be in cruise control all year into the Playoffs.  Nope, you're wrong.  A 7-9 record in '07, and a dismal 4-11-1 record in 2008, and voila, you have the Cincinnati Bengals at their finest.  Breaking hearts, and losing games. 

Like I said grasshopper, we're close to the end, as now, we're to the present in 2009, and the 8-3 Bengals are leading the AFC North Division by two games over both the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Oh, and on a side note, we beat both of them, TWICE!  By the looks of their remaining schedule, if the Bengals were to lose any more games, it would probably happen in Minnesota against the Minnesota Vikings, possibly San Diego against the San Diego Chargers, and you can never count out those "J-E-T-S, NEW YORK JETS!"

Let's tie this all together now young grasshopper.  The Bengals sucked, for a lack of a better term, from 1991 to 2004.  In 2005, we were treated to Air Palmer, the Chad Johnson Show, and criminal activity.  From 2006 to 2008, the Bengals, again, sucked.  Now, in 2009, the Jungle's rockin', seats are selling out (barely), and the Bengals are winning again. 

So, what do I want for Christmas?  Well Santa, I'd sure love a Bengals team that doesn't blow it down the stretch, Lord knows the Cincinnati Reds are great at that.  I'm tired of hearing about the Shittsburgh Squeelers, I mean Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.  I want a Bengals team to beat the teams they're supposed to beat (Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and maybe the Jets).  The Bengals need to compete with the Vikings and the Chargers.  Definetely Sand Diego because if the Bengals win that game, count them in for a first round bye. 

If you're listening Santa, and I know you are, I want the playoffs in Cincinnati, and this time, leave out the image of Number 9 sprawled out on the ground grabbing his knee.  And while you're at it, sell out the Chiefs game, because I'm sick of hearing about the possibility of a blackout.  If you want to make this Christmas better for all those that lost their jobs, then you'll give the Bengals a playoff spot, more wins, and a spot in the AFC Championship Game.  I don't mind watching the Bengals against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, whether or not they win, at least they made it there.  Don't worry, I'll be calling for help next year.  It might be for the Reds though, because I'm not sure where the light at the end of the tunnel is. 

The Easy

P.S. Don't worry Santa, I'll leave milk and cookies.