All Kidding Aside: A Serious Bengal Post.

I am a lifelong Bengal fan and sufferer of 19 years of ineptitude from the owner to the long snapper.   I consider my allegiance to the Bengals as one of a parent to a child who dropped out of high school, spent time in and out of prison having fathered  several children with multiple women but refusing to pay any support.  If that son gets a job, takes a shower, finds a place to live and enrolls for an education, then perhaps I sit up and take some notice.  Otherwise, he’s that son you just don’t talk about at parties.

Several seasons ago I took a vow to not give Mike Brown a single dime until he did what it takes to win football games, and not merely cash checks from Bengal fan without providing a watchable product.

Beginning last season and certainly carrying over to this off-season, the Bengals have started to get their proverbial football life together, and as of today I believe Mike Brown has met his part of the bargain.  I may consider inquiring into tickets.

I am today convinced that ESPN is Access Hollywood for sports. Their so-called analysts and other talking heads are so fully engulfed in personalities and off-the-field stuff that they are incapable of assessing the Terrell Owens signing in terms of actual football.

I will give it a shot.

A large part of the Bengals success last year was defense and running.  An even larger part of the success was turnovers and, quite frankly, good luck.  They won every game against their divisional opponents with a tight end who could not catch, a wide receiver who could not get any separation and when he did, had trouble catching, and a high quality wide receiver who was double and triple teamed all season and yet still managed over 1,000 yards.

The Bengals met the Jets at the end of the year at a time when the Jets had a very good defense and the Bengals had virtually no passing game.  The outcome was really a foregone conclusion.  There was always hope, but hope doesn’t usually win games.  As the season expired,  The Bengals smoke-and-mirrors act was revealed and they were destroyed in the playoffs.

This Bengal team will be much better than the team that ran through its division last year.

During this off season, the Bengals have improved a defense that was very good last year.  The running game is still there, but the gains in the receiving corp are incontrovertible.  The addition of Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens to the scheme with Chad Ocho Cinco makes this team capable of spreading and lengthening the field for the defense.  A team will not be able to double all three.  Say what you will about his age and speed, but TO is still a big, strong receiver with good hands.  Chad is still blazingly fast with terrific hands.  Although ESPN is chirping about Bryant’s “bum knee,” he is a fine receiver who will thrive in the shadow of those two.  The Bengals are saying the ESPN report is without basis in fact.   I tend to believe that Mike Brown was badgered by Chad to get TO in there and that it had a lot to do with their developing friendship and football not a lack of confidence in Bryant.  In  the end, L’il Mikey Boy gets the services of a future Hall of Famer for $2M.  Not a bad price.

Notwithstanding the above, earlier this year the Bengals drafted two quality wide receivers and got a blue chip tight end who can actually catch the ball in the first round.  They return two second year receivers who will undoubtedly be better if they make the team.  So even without Bryant and TO, they would have debatably been much improved in the passing game.

The defense looks to be as good as, likely better than, last year.  The running game is still solid with 2009 #1 pick, lineman Andre Smith, will benefit from a whole season of training.   There are three key questions to be answered.  Special teams, pass blocking and offensive scheme.

Special teams have historically been an Achilles heel for the Bengals, especially in the coverage game.  Hard to tell how that one will play out since most of special teams is comprised of back-ups and role players.

The pass blocking question will be answered early.  The only way defenses are going to stop this passing game from picking up first downs is to pressure Carson Palmer.  How the line and #9 handle that will in large part determine the success of the passing game.  We know this line can run block.  Whether they can pass block and pick up the blitz is another.  We do know that last year Carson had to constantly run for his life, but that is probably more related to the lack of open receivers than it was the lack of effective blocking.

The Bengals focus last year was on the run and the short pass.  The did not stretch the field much.  I don’t know how often I criticized Carson for throwing three yard passes when they needed eight for a first down, only that it was a lot.  Between Chad, TO and Bryant, I don’t know who is going to play in the slot.  Given his size and age, I would say probably TO, although I am not sure how he will take to that.  The slot guy picks up 5 to 15 yards a catch which is crucial on third down.   TO could thrive in that space as did TJ Houzmanzadah when he played there under Chad.

So will they be run first, pass later or vice versa remains to be seen.  On paper it doesn’t appear that a team will be able to defend all three WRs and a TE and still pull off the blitz.  I would expect to see many multiple receiver sets and it is going to be up to Carson to get the ball out quickly and, more importantly, down the field.

In the long run, how will they stack up with their division and the rest of the AFC?

The Bengals closest competitor in the division, Baltimore, is slightly improved offensively but older by a year on defense with no threatening cornerbacks.  Looking at what transpired between these two teams last year and the off season moves, I don’t think Baltimore is better.

Pittsburgh will have the Big Ben suspension to deal with and they are on the decline on defense.  They will win some games but will finish third.

Cleveland is much better.  But writing that is like writing that shit don’t stink as much.  My fingers are crossed because I don’t want to eat those words.

AFC speaking, the competitors are likely to be the Colts, Jets, Chargers and Patriots.  I don’t see any of those teams as instantly better than the Bengals, which is something I have not considered since 1988.