Bengals' Chad Ochocinco Has Defenders Asking How to Stop No. 85 Once Again

Last season, no player seemed to be affected more by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer's elbow injury than wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Now that Palmer is back and healthy, Ochocinco is already showing signs last season was nothing but a fluke and is ready to return to his old self—one of the top wide receivers in the league—in 2009.

Ochocinco fulfilled his promise to perform the famous "Lambeau Leap" after a touchdown last weekend at Green Bay (even if it was planned) to help the Bengals defeat the Packers 31-24. He led all Bengals receivers with four receptions for 91 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter that lead to his leap into the crowd. 

Through the first two games of the season, Ochocinco has hauled in nine receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown. This may seem like nothing out of the ordinary considering the type of player he is, but in reality, this may come as a huge relief to the fans of Cincinnati.

After a disappointing 2008 campaign, in which he finished with just 53 receptions for 540 yards and four touchdowns, many wondered if Ochocinco still had what it takes to be an effective wide receiver in the NFL, considering he would be entering his ninth season with the Bengals.

However, it appears that his age is not the deciding factor on how well he performs on the field, but the player throwing him the ball is.

Palmer suffered a frayed ligament in the elbow of his throwing arm against the New York Giants during Week Three of last season. He attempted to play again in a game against the Dallas Cowboys two weeks later, but that would end up being the final match for Palmer in 2008.

With him on the bench, the team was left with backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to fill in for Palmer as the Bengals' quarterback.

It's obvious Fitzpatrick is nowhere near as talented of a quarterback as Palmer, and last season was enough to prove it. Palmer has more experience, better leadership skills, and is arguably one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, which can be tough shoes for a player like Fitzpatrick to fill.

It's unfair to say Fitzpatrick was to blame for the type of season Ochocinco had last season, but it's obvious that it may have had a significant impact, and the numbers prove it.

With Palmer healthy this season, Ochocinco is already one-third of the way to reaching the total number of yards he recorded last season.

If the first two games are any indication of what to expect for the remainder of the 2009 season, the Bengals and their fans will be satisfied to have the Ochocinco they are used to seeing week after week.

Last season was the first time since his rookie year that Ochocinco failed to record more than 1,100 yards receiving. In the four years prior to then, he hauled in 372 receptions for 5,515 yards and 33 touchdowns. Not to mention these were the first four seasons for Palmer as a starting quarterback with the Bengals.

Everyone can say what they want about Ochocinco running his mouth in the media. However, he has proven throughout his career that he is capable of backing up his talk with his play on the field. During an episode of HBO's Hard Knocks, he made a statement by saying he would bounce back this season, and so far he has lived up to his words.

Remember the once popular phrase about how to stop No. 85? Well, if Ochocinco continues to play as well as he has during the first two games against the Broncos and Packers, opposing defenders may spend the 2009 season trying to figure out how to actually stop him.