Bleacher Report - Articles by B. Clifton Burke

Cincinnati Bengals Week 11 Preview: West Coast Warm-Up Against Raiders

B. Clifton Burke — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:04 -0500

It seems too easy to pile on Al Davis and the Oakland Raider Asylum; that bit has done before, so we'll just skip it altogether.

Instead, the focus this week for the Bengals is preparing for the best thing the Raiders have going for them: their location.

Every week it seems Cincinnati is issued a new challenge to disprove the Same-Old-Bengals Theory. For Week 11, the challenge is to show they can travel to the West Coast and win.

In a sense, flying to Oakland is the practice run for the San Diego game later this season. Instead of arriving on Friday like they normally do when heading west, Marvin Lewis has decided to fly out on Saturday to cut down on jet lag and squeeze in an extra day of practice. How effective that decision becomes will likely determine the team's itinerary for the Chargers game.

The game itself shouldn't be much of an issue for the Bengals. While maintaining a few good defenders, Oakland remains laughably dismal on offense, recently exemplified by the benching of former first overall pick JaMarcus Russell for the journeyman and third-string-caliber Bruce Gradkowski.

Bengal fans will recall Gradkowski from when he played for Tampa Bay and beat Cincinnati in a nauseating game in 2006. That game could be the best of Bruce's career; nowadays he seems one step away from videotaping himself throwing footballs in a cornfield, like Uncle Rico.

Yet the Raiders can run the ball some, and in close games, that attribute makes them scary, but I don't expect the game to be close. The Bengals stop the run better than they do anything else, which forces obvious throwing downs.

Oakland would like to limit Gradkowski's throws to the bare minimum. They know on third-and-long situations Mike Zimmer will bring the heat with the blitz, so I would expect them to try short throws to their talented tight end Zach Miller and screens to the solid running back trio of Michael Bush, Justin Fargas, and especially Darren McFadden.

The Raider rookie receivers are lightning-fast—Al Davis is unabashedly addicted to speed—but they drop lots of passes and are generally unimpressive. Our corners, perhaps the best tandem in the league, might need a little safety help on deep routes but can take care of these youngsters on underneath routes and around the sidelines on their own.

It makes no sense to think the Raiders can do anything against a run-stopping, pass-rushing defense with excellent corners like Cincinnati's.

Still, I don't see a Bengals blowout this week as should be the case against such miserable opposition.

Oakland has good corners too. Nnamdi Asomugha is a top-five corner, and Chris Johnson has shown a lot of skill as well.

The Bengals would prefer not to throw much anyway. A light workload for Carson Palmer this week (and the two weeks after that) can only be beneficial for the quarterback's long-term sustainability this season; I'd rather have him firing touchdowns for three weeks in January, as opposed to three weeks in November.

That means, without Cedric Benson, the other running backs will get a chance to carry the rock, including maybe the newest Bengal acquisition, Larry Johnson.

The move to pick up LJ makes sense despite all of the obvious character concerns.

First of all, if you come to play for Marvin Lewis, you're there to work. This locker room will not tolerate any person not trying hard enough to win a Super Bowl. Johnson may be a big name, but he has little relevance to this team, and therefore he must prove his worth by the effort he demonstrates in practice.

Johnson has looked lethargic the last few years, and he's beginning to remind me of an aged Jamal Lewis on the field. However, he is a runner who can “carry the load” should Benson find himself further injured at any point this year.

Bernard Scott has exciting potential, and his patient running style will serve him well in this league. Brian Leonard has proven himself as a talented third-down back and extra-effort guy. Yet neither is at his best if he has to carry the ball more than 15 times. Johnson can lift some of that burden by simply owning a fresh pair of legs, which are also vital to winning playoff games in the snow.

Seeing LJ in stripes, railing against the Raiders like he's done so often before with Kansas City, would be an exciting development to an otherwise dull and lopsided affair in Oakland. Crazier things have happened and Any Given Sunday and yadda yadda yadda, but c'mon, it's the Raiders.

Bengals 20, Raiders 6

MK—The real Al Davis must be tied up inside a yacht somewhere near Costa Rica. The loony before us is an impostor hell-bent on ruining an otherwise really cool franchise. Too bad, Al. Too bad.

Cincinnati Bengals Week 10 Recap: Meet the New Boss

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:56:04 -0500

There is a luxury suite on the top floor that overlooks the AFC North. It's shiny and comfortable and smells like the Playoffs. After milling about their new digs for a while, the Bengals put their feet up on the glass table, leaned back, and smiled to themselves. This is the life.

Suddenly Marvin Lewis bursts into the room and banishes his team to the boiler room.

“We can come back when we win it,” he tells them as they file out and head to the basement.

In the parking lot below, Pittsburgh walks to its car holding a cardboard box, escorted by two NFL security guards. Behind them is Pittsburgh's secretary, Baltimore, also carrying a box but walking alone.

Most of the world still has a hard time accepting the facts: In the toughest division in football, Cincinnati has clubbed their way past Darth Raven and the Steeler Emperor twice each.

This past week, experts everywhere declared that the Bengals were not ready to succeed on a big stage like the one at Pittsburgh. “They're not that good,” they said of the Bengals.

Yet all season long, no one has adequately answered why not.

We in Cincinnati have been shat upon for so long that we crave a little recognition when something goes right. Yet, in the face of the best Bengal season in a long time, very few believe in them. I admit it's frustrating, but we can take solace in knowing that the Steeler Nation is still beside themselves with rage and disappointment.

Eat crow, you vermin. And before you resort to that lame historical comeback regarding your Super Bowls remember this: No one is disputing you've been better in the past. All we're saying is that our team is better than yours this season.

Today.

Now.

Go polish your trophies while you cry and lick your wounds. You can find us up here sitting on top and laughing at you if you want to give it another go in January.

The best part is that the Bengals don't care what any of us have to say; they have work to do. I get the feeling they aren't even enjoying their success. They're playing like they've been sentenced to hard labor until they win it all. No smiles, no relaxing; just pick axes and a half-mountain of concrete that still needs busting up.

They are a strong team. The offensive line is a group of angry elephants protecting their treasured quarterback and slamming d-lines out of running lanes for Mr. Benson and crew.

The defense is a stubborn roadblock that forces opposing teams to turn around and go back where they came from. The backups on this team are as good as the starters, and everyone is held to the same standard.

They are also a smart team.

We're witnessing perhaps the best collective coaching effort this franchise has enjoyed since the Paul Brown Era. The game plans are superior and unwavering; players appear totally prepared and demonstrate excellent technique when doing their job.

The roster is made up of forgotten toys and castaways that aren't the most talented in the league, but with discipline and focus emphasized on the practice fields each week, have this team in place for a first-round playoff bye.

Who cares if the world refuses to believe it? It's happening either way.

Fans and media will continue to find reasons why the Bengals are unable to win it all, while Marvin and his staff will continue to disprove each stigma that resides in the minds of humans who know football.

So go ahead and assume the Bengals can't; you'll be cleaning out your office next.

Mojokong—in the here and now.

Cincinnati Bengals Week 10 Preview: Tell Me Why Not.

B. Clifton Burke — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:52:41 -0500

The way to approach this weekend's epic struggle in Pittsburgh is to ask yourself: “Why won't the Bengals win?”

If your response consisted of: a) because they're the Bengals, b) because it's the Steelers, or c) because it's a big game on the road, please leave now. Cincinnati has spent this season dispelling exactly that kind of hogwash, and it doesn't lend itself to very interesting conversation anyway.

Of course there are legitimate concerns for the Bengals heading into their biggest game in three years.

The defense is beginning to show signs of wear and tear. Three starters (Antwan Odom, Roy Williams and now Keith Rivers) are out and plenty of others are sore and hurting. Pittsburgh once again seems comfortable with its running game now that Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as another one of those squat, tough runners possesing both wheels and power.

The Steelers' run-blocking is in a commanding rhythm after consecutively bullying two tough defenses in Minnesota and Denver. A battered Bengals unit could have problems stopping a young, fresh tailback running behind a rugged and confident line like Pittsburgh's.

Another area of concern for the Bengals defense is covering rookie receiver, Mike Wallace. This sleek cruise-missile in the slot position has become a serious deep threat, averaging over 17 yards a catch, and is the perfect complement to Ben Roethlisberger's ability to scramble and improvise.

Wallace already had over 100 yards against the Bengals in Week Three, blazing past our own speedster, Johnathan Joseph, on one memorable long ball in the first half. The Steelers like to use Wallace on deep crossing routes that open up once Big Ben starts to rumble out of the pocket. Our own rookie, conerback Morgan Trent, will likely be tested on these kinds of plays and the Bengal safeties will have to lend extra support against deeper patterns.

If Pittsburgh can effectively run the ball, the Steelers' offense will roll to a big day; if they're forced to pass, Mike Zimmer can send extra pressure and force Roethlisberger into making wild decisions on the fly. The key to stopping any NFL offense is to force them into throwing downs and preying on the predictability of the pass. Cincinnati is ranked second at stopping the run, but this will be one of their stiffer challenges of the season.

On offense, losing Chris Henry is certainly unfortunate but not ruinous. There are two high-profile draft picks in Jerome Simpson and Chase Coffman just hanging out on the sidelines ready to catch passes. Practice-squad guy Maurice Purify has impressed those who watch him in practice everyday and may be another Marvin gem, but it would be nice to see the other kids get a chance, especially Coffman. I can see Simpson not being prepared for the NFL—he played at Coastal Carolina—but Coffman set records in the Big 12 with Missouri and shouldn't be shell shocked by the pros.

Either way, the real reason that losing Henry won't make much of a difference is because the Bengals are now a running team. Cedric Benson is our own Boxer the Draft-Horse, pulling the offensive sled behind him and racking up crucial yards along the way.

We've all witnessed the philosophical shift away from relying on Carson Palmer's arm, and the game-plan will not change against the Steelers just because they're tops at stopping the run. The new script says that Benson gets it 30 times a game until he drops, and Palmer wins on third down.

The theory ignores its inherent predictability and emphasizes the long-term effects it has on opponents. The Bengals perform better later in the game, echoing Marvin Lewis' recent mantra of “make your last play better than your first play.” In the fourth quarter, the offense has consistently appear to be the physically tougher team, gashing opponents with chunks of rushing yardage and finishing with wins.

Both of these teams know what's coming on Sunday; it's unlikely that either will be caught off guard. No one is looking past this game because it's the game. It's going to be a bloodthirsty cage match; Mad Marvin and the Thunder Dome. Only the most bad-assed will survive such a familiar and intimate fight. It comes down to discipline, will-power and toughness. So ask yourself one more question before you go: Who has demonstrated more toughness this season than the Bengals?

Bengals 21, Steelers 13

Mojokong—No premonitions this week; just an educated guess.

Cincinnati Bengals Week 9 Recap: Saw It Coming

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:19:58 -0500

This was a game of cognition.

On October 27th, I wrote this:

I had a dream that night that the Bengals were beating the Ravens 17-0 at home. For some vague reason, I was unable to sit and watch the game in the dream, but when I caught the glimpse of the score, I remember turning to someone there who also was impressed. We nodded and smiled, and agreed that the nation will finally take notice of the Bengals now. It remains to be seen if that's what will happen against Baltimore, or if I was really only seeing the Bears game and simply had my facts wrong. Stay tuned.

I don't normally see the future in my dreams, but there's no question that it happened in this case. It seems, however, that I was not the only one who knew what was coming on that day.

The Bengals coaching staff game-planned and executed their strategy to a tee, outmaneuvering the Ravens every step of the way. Even Bob Bratkowski has play-called masterfully in the last two games, and once again, quickly gained what proved to be an insurmountable lead early in the first half. The players are doing their part by keeping penalties and turnovers to a minimum (tuck the damn ball, Chad!), but it's been the preparation and coaching that has made the difference so far this season.

Cincinnati employs four undrafted rookie offensive linemen—Kyle Cook, Nate Livings, Evan Mathis and Dennis Roland—yet all four have contributed nicely so far this season. Offensive line coach Paul Alexander should be showered with superlatives and accolades for assembling a group of nobodies that have pass-protected and run-blocked as well as any team in the league.

These hungry, hungry hippos have quietly chomped down on defenses known for their aggression and fierceness. They aren't afraid of the Bears, or Ravens, or even those loathsome Steelers; bring it on you scum! The Bengals enjoy cycling linemen in and out without losing rhythm or confidence, and manage to achieve all of this without first-round pick Andre Smith. Marvin Lewis and Alexander may find it pointless to try out the gooey young titan any time soon, since the backups don't appear to be a problem at this point.

Another staff-member worth heralding is secondary coach, Kevin Coyle. His two gems, former first-round corners Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, completely negated any serious contributions from the Ravens' receivers for the second time this season. Even though a statistical analysis may say otherwise, the tandem has elevated their play to a level where coordinator Mike Zimmer can focus on stopping the run first and not worry about who's in coverage.

Rookie corner Morgan Trent is also a testament to Coyle's teaching ability, as Trent exhibits excellent technique and fundamentals as the nickel corner. Zimmer, Coyle, Jay Hayes, and Jeff Fitzgerald, have all put their own stamp on this impressive defense, and it shows with the play-recognition and cohesion among each unit.

Marvin has talked about how this year's roster is made up of “his guys”. He has trusted his team to ignore outside distractions and focus on the matter at hand, and that's winning the division. This group appears goal-driven and steadfast in their commitment to the team's success. A lot of that has to do with heart, but most of it stems from good coaching.

If the preparation and game-planning continue to be so thorough that it appears the Bengals know what's coming, the league will either investigate the team for shenanigans or approve a new Paul Brown Psychic Hotline in the boiler room of the stadium.

Mojokong—a real fortune-cookie

Cincinnati Bengals Week 9 Preview: Too Many Aces

B. Clifton Burke — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:24:45 -0500

In the backroom of a shady saloon just on the edge of town, the Ravens await. They sit there hunkered over a card-table with a half-bottle of cheap rum and an old, shaggy dog named Cleveland, curled up and sleeping at their feet.

They've been there since daybreak and they say they ain't leavin' til the Bengals give 'em another chance. On Sunday they'll get their wish, but once again, might live to regret it.

Baltimore is still bitter about what happened last time. Cincinnati caught them by surprise and it took a month for the Ravens to recover.

They rediscovered their hot hand last week on the way to pounding Denver 30-9, and now they're ready for revenge.

Cincinnati is ready too. After completing their best win in years, the Bengals enjoyed a relaxing few days away from football and recuperated their damaged bodies.

Now they ride back into town, healthier and more prepared than they've been all season, eager to keep the Ravens in their place: behind them in the standings.

The game plan is becoming redundant against these kinds of teams; spread out the wide-receivers, exploit the middle of the field against zone coverages, run hand-offs outside of the tackles to Cedric Benson, throw early to set up the run late. All of these efforts are designed to soften the hard edges of the Ravens defensive front seven.

They're still a tough team to run on (fourth in the league), but the Bengals smashed them to bits with the run in their first meeting.

If Cincinnati can protect Carson Palmer and the passing-game gets moving early on, Benson and the offensive line will find life easier in the second half and wind down the clock while sustaining long drives.

Let's face it; after last week, the Bengals offense appears that it cannot be defended in any one particular way.

Palmer is back to playing at an elite level, Benson has demonstrated a blend of speed and power that now has him ranked among the league's best runners, and the team is suddenly faced with a glut of quality offensive linemen; opponents can't repel firepower of that magnitude!

The Ravens freaked out Bronco quarterback Kyle Orton early in the game last week by sending heavy pressure on blitzes which caused the scruffy signal-caller to scramble around and lose his composure.

Still fueled by their hostility toward Palmer and the Bengals, I would expect Baltimore to cut loose and come after our golden boy with hatchets and spears all day on blitz-packages.

The theory makes sense; Palmer will eat any defense alive if he's allowed time in the pocket to hang back and find open guys, and after their recent success with the blitz, there's no reason to think Ray Lewis and his band of lunatics won't go nuts at the mere sight of No. 9.

He's a marked man pursued by nasty renegades, bent on finishing the job and escaping with a win.

Therefore, something as basic as the screen-pass could lead the Ravens right into Cincinnati's trap. Like an experienced matador, Palmer could invite the all-out blitz, wait for its raging eyes to come into sight, and at the last second side-step the violent encounter and dump off the screen to Benson with both an open field and a wall of blockers to work with. Voila!

If the Ravens pick up on the screen, yet continue to send additional blitzers, quick-outs to the Bengal receivers would force Baltimore's corners to make open-field tackles, something they've struggled doing throughout the season.

Once Palmer and the Bengals find success in the short-passing game in the face of the blitz, the Ravens will be forced to back off from sending all that pressure, and Cedric Benson will have room to operate on the ground.

At this point in time, it's up to the Bengals to stop themselves on offense because opposing defenses aren't rising to the challenge.

If they can come close to matching the success they had against the Bears, the Ravens will have little chance of slowing Cincinnati down and winning the game.

On defense, nothing has changed since the last meeting between these two; stop Ray Rice first and Todd Heap second. Leave their receivers alone in one-on-one coverage, our corners can handle it.

Keep the defensive line stretched out and contain Rice between the hash-marks. Play a shallow zone to keep Heap from finding space alone in the flats, and when the Bengals do blitz, send linebackers and safeties up the middle to flush Joe Flacco out of the pocket and make plays with his legs.

Cincinnati did a decent job containing Rice on the ground in Week 5, but missed a tackle to allow the big play on a screen pass; that can't happen again this week.

The newest version of the NFL running back: squat and meaty, compact and hard to tackle.has plagued the Bengals defense more than the league's traditional backs.

Two smallish, quicker runners, Rice and Houston's Steve Slaton, have had the biggest impact in games against Cincinnati so far. That's why stopping Rice, and not worrying about Willis McGahee or the trio of mediocre receivers, remains the defense's top priority.

There is little reason to worry about the Bengals this week. Sure the Ravens are always a formidable group of roughnecks that seem consistently hellbent on pulverizing anything in sight.

Sure, they take pleasure in making Sundays a brutal affair where only the gruffest survive and often times bully their way into wins and playoffs. Sure they're dressed like a bruise, but the team they so eagerly await at that rickety card table in the dingy hole-in-the-wall on the outskirts of town will not be out-muscled.

They won't be intimidated or shaken from their game-plan. They will take their seat opposite from these goons, stare them in the eye, and beat them for their pile once again.

Bengals 17, Ravens 0

Mojokong---I'm your huckleberry.

The NFL's High-Water Mark: Rome Is Falling

B. Clifton Burke — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:18:12 -0500

It appears the NFL has finally out-priced itself.

The first-place Bengals, fresh off of a near-perfect game against the Bears, are still 4,500 tickets away from selling out this Sunday against the Ravens. The logically impulsive thing to do is stand up, point at Mike Brown, and call him a vicious opportunist who preys on the American addiction of entertainment and distraction.

At these words, Brown would likely lean back in his chair, wipe his mouth with a white linen napkin, and agree that he is indeed one hell of a capitalist. Though as tempting as it is to carry on detailing the swinish attributes of our favorite team's owner, it is actually another greedy hog—a Texan-sized boar rolling around in his mud puddles of cash and wealth—who is more to blame for our potential blackout this Sunday than Big Daddy Brown.

Sure, the recession has a lot to do with it. But it is Jerry Jones and his Dallas palace of decadence and excess that has raised the average cost of attending a football game like no other money-wallowing slug before him. It's caused most of the other owners to jack up their own rates, trying to keep pace with the league's average ticket price that swelled from last year thanks to the new, exorbitant cost of a Cowboys game.

While scores of Americans stoop and settle for new lows in order to find work, Jones moved ahead with a new venue for entertainment that smacks of the Roman Coliseum. Not in style or architecture, however, but in effect and general silliness. Perhaps Jones is the modern Caligula, leading a blind charge into a millennium of scarce natural resource and less common sense.

I agree it's a brazen move. Unveiling a structure the size of the Death Star during the worst economic climate in the last 80 years takes balls. Jerry Jones will probably tell you that he can spend $1.2 billion on his football team because he always makes the most of what he has to work with.

I suppose that's true; no one can blame him for living out the dream that I and many others fantasized about in the backseat on the way to school. The frosted side in me thinks having your own football stadium would be so awesome! But the shredded wheat side thinks $40 parking is morally unconscionable.

Jones is simply a triumph of this American market-driven society because he, and the other Stone Cutters like him, continue to push ahead and exceed the limits of what can be done with more money. It's estimated that a family of four spends over $750 on a game at Cowboy Stadium—yet the season is sold out. He's providing exactly the kind of entertainment that we as a country are so desperately addicted to, yet we may be reaching a tipping point back to sanity.

This weekend marks the third time in five chances this year where it will take some outside financial boosting from a player or local corporation to sell enough Bengal tickets in order to see the damn thing on television. After beating the Steelers in Week Three, many figured that would open up the bandwagon again; fans would gobble up tickets to the remaining games, and all would be well in the universe.

Not so. I thought that after last week's drubbing of Chicago, fans would want to see that kind of football poetry unfold before them in person, but that's still not the case.

Compared to the league average, the cost of a game in Cincinnati is very reasonable and is actually less expensive than last year. Is the recession the reason the games aren't selling out this season? Based on other cities of comparable market size, like Green Bay and Indianapolis both selling out their games so far, I think it runs deeper than that.

Maybe 2008 taught Cincinnati a lesson; autumn Sundays exist even without football—or at least watchable football. Once the losses piled up and the putrid stench of the corpse that was last season became too much to endure, many people turned away from the television and found something else to do. As a result, the city as a whole no longer seems to jones for the sport anymore. The $70 price-tag for an average ticket has become too steep to shell out for these people, and why not? Football can't matter that much, can it?

Any economic turbulence the NFL may feel is somewhat self-imposed by the demand for pricey stadiums and the endless player payrolls, but we as fans allowed this rampant gouging to reach these ridiculous proportions, as well. Society shoveled gobs of money into the mouth of the sports entertainment monster for the past 20 or so years—never blinking as we handed over more and more spending cash to friendly people behind glass ticket-windows. The League enjoyed a golden era of team parity that super-charged the sport's popularity and league-wide sellouts became a weekly certainty; the nation was hooked and thought of ignoring your team became simply implausible.

Then the stock market wavered and for one beat of a hummingbird's wing, our way of life was jeopardized. Being the reactionary society we are, Americans reevaluated the costs of entertainment, and some of the more luxurious elements of our life were cut. Electronic appliance stores, investment firms, professional sporting leagues, and other meaningless nonsense all felt the wave of the national skimping.

The NFL scurried to push ahead, attempting the razor-fine balancing act of fan enthusiasm on one side and contractual commitments to owners and television companies on the other. Then Jerry Jones goes and builds the NFL's own mini Las Vegas—equipped with cage dancers and penthouse suites—and jacks up the market, making it more difficult for everyone else involved.

As much as I enjoy watching my beloved Bengals on television every Sunday, it's probably a good thing that people refuse to go broke by keeping a pricey league of entertainment afloat. Team owners and player-agents would likely say that the market drives the costs of the league and it's the people's demand that dictates the market, but it appears that the people in Cincinnati have said to hell with the NFL and it's market by staying home to engage in other activities.

Perhaps priorities are beginning to shift around here; whether this takes hold or is just a passing trend that simply reflects a recession awaits to be seen.

Mojokong—if they aren't televised, we should all go play football, instead.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Seven Recap: Dreamin' Big

B. Clifton Burke — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:15:07 -0400

We Bengal fans are doubters; it comes with the program.

Like veteran circus freaks, we've been kicked around for a long time and have trust issues with management. Bengal fans usually draw pity smiles from the football world, and any success often comes with a condescending pat on the head.

It's a tough gig, but that's exactly what makes moments like the one against the Bears on Sunday simply golden.

On Monday morning we had bruised sternums from all the chest-pounding the day before. By the third quarter, the crowd at Paul Brown Stadium was drunk with touchdowns and merriment; it was an orgy of high fives and fist bumps.

The score quickly ran out of control, and you could overhear cell phone calls to people at home watching it on TV, verifying that everything happening was real. Euphoric astonishment washed through the stands.

It was a good day to be a Bengal fan.

Since this is the bye week and we're still coming down from our high, let's get silly and toss perspective out altogether one last time. I've held back from using these words, but it's time they are written: The Cincinnati Bengals are Super Bowl contenders.

Boom!

Before the tiny, embryonic seed of doubt gets any bigger and all those rational counterpoints spring to your lips, first consider the facts.

At 5-2, the Bengals are tied for the lead in what many talking heads are calling the best division in the NFL. They have defeated each divisional team and are heading into their bye week after slaughtering a decent Chicago team, 45-10.

They have the NFL's leading rusher in Cedric Benson, and Carson Palmer is putting up numbers that project comparably to his best statistical seasons. Chad Ochocinco is also back to his customary Pro Bowl form, and the defense is agreed by many as its best unit in years. What's not to like?

If you're not a stats person, if you're an intangibles sort, then there is this: The Bengals went to Lambeau Field and got their first win after losing at home in Week One to the Broncos on a last-second tip for a miracle touchdown.

When some doubted their emotional wherewithal, the Bengals followed the win in Green Bay with a fourth-quarter comeback against Pittsburgh at home, followed by two more consecutive thrilling comebacks on the road at Cleveland and again at Baltimore. They then lost a trap game to Houston, were once again doubted, got angry, and obliterated the Bears the next week.

The team has been through personal tragedy but has stayed focused and professional throughout. Palmer has improved every week and is playing on an elite level again. The Bengal offensive line is feasting on quality opposition. Cincinnati's defense has risen to a multitude of challenges already this season, resulting in winning situations for the offense.

Still not satisfied?

Fine.

They're already battle-tested in close games after first losing a heartbreaker and then mustering three second-half comeback wins. They have viable offensive weapons that have yet to be fully utilized, including the sixth overall pick, Andre Smith, and the limping defense will mend over the upcoming bye week.

They have two weeks to prepare for Baltimore and then Pittsburgh, and have the upper hand on each. They still play Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City at home and travel to Oakland. They're playing their best football right now, and not even Bob Bratkowski can keep a Bengals fan from smiling.

It's okay to talk about the Super Bowl. Let go of your doubt and enjoy it; we don't get these moments very often. Sure, there are lots of reasons why it might not happen, but it's been a while since we've had that many paragraphs at midseason of why this could be the year.

Is there any chance the rest of the world feels the same? I doubt it.

MK—Thanks to Peko for the seats.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Seven Preview: Ethereal Smack Talk

B. Clifton Burke — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:21:02 -0400

Somewhere in the cosmos, football demigods Paul Brown and George Halas spent the last few days arm wrestling and taking cheap digs at one another in preparation for this week's game. They're still at it; purple-faced and winded, but unrelenting in spirit.

Late Sunday night, they will go back to sit in their armchairs, share a bottle of something bubbly, and laugh at how little football matters, but for now, it's war.

The first issue with the Bears that simply cannot be ignored is their blatant thievery of the exact design of the letter “C” that the Cincinnati Reds donned long before the Chicago Bears ever existed.

“Get your own logo, you thieving miser!” Brown shouts across the arm wrestling table to Halas.

“You're one to talk. Weren't those Cleveland helmets with the word “Bengals” stenciled on the sides? Real original, P.B. Besides, look at your kid; the cheapest man in the galaxy.”

“You keep him out of this!” Brown yells and punches Halas in the nose with his free hand.

Back on earth, Marvin Lewis said this week that Chicago is a lot like an AFC North team, and to some degree that's true.

Aside from their base defensive sets, I see a lot of the same brutish characteristics in the Bears as I do in Baltimore: both have a rugged defensive front seven, a play-making and burly-armed quarterback, and a halfback and tight end with speed and good hands.

However, Chicago runs a 4-3 set, and the Bengals may not have the same outcome as they enjoyed against the Ravens.

Last week, Cincinnati faced a 4-3 defense for the first time and struggled in their run blocking zones.

The hope was that center Kyle Cook would be able to move out into the second-tier of the defense and block linebackers, allowing Benson to have space past the line of scrimmage.

Houston negated that by going with a smaller, quicker D-line that zoomed around the blockers before the plays could develop.

Chicago's line is better than Houston's, but defensive tackle Tommie Harris is injured and didn't practice yesterday. Also out are linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa, and of course, their warrior-chief, Brian Urlacher, who was injured Week One and will miss the entire season.

Harris isn't like the behemoth nose tackles of the AFC North; he's strong, but lighter on his feet. Defensive ends Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown, mixed in with another quality pass rusher in Mark Anderson, can do plenty of damage on their own terms, but if Harris is unable to suit up, it can only help make Cedric Benson's day easier.

The Bears are eighth in the league against the run and if the Bengals' offensive line doesn't adjust better to the 4-3, it might not matter if Harris plays or not.

The good news is that, also like Baltimore, teams can throw against Chicago's secondary.

In that case, the game plan should sound the same as it did in Week Four: use spread formations that stretch out the defensive front seven, look for one-on-one matchups with receivers (or, God forbid, the tight ends), and when they go to the zone to cover three or more receivers at a time, Bob Bratkowski should hit them with runs up the middle on draws and delays. Pretty straightforward.

Instead, what I expect to see are stretch handoffs on first down in tight formations that feature a fullback and two tight ends, for a first half rushing average of 3.3 yards per carry, in order to “establish the run.”

It's likely to see screens on second-and-long or deep in Bengal territory or any other time you'd most likely expect one.

Don't be surprised to see more designed passes underneath to those who cannot catch—you know the ones—in order to regain their confidence and to get them involved early.

If the score is close after halftime, the Bears will wear down from the established run, resulting in missed tackles and easy yards after the catch and the Bengals will be pleased to settle for field goals and win the game.

This is the new offensive philosophy of the Cincinnati Bengals; it's methodical, it's boring, it's irritating, but it's not changing. Those in charge believe that it works, and if a team's record is the best barometer of success, then I suppose in some weird, macro kind of way, it does work.

On defense, the Bengals are faced with yet another running back who can hurt them more in the passing game than on the ground. Matt Forte, hasn't been consistent this season—the bulk of his stats came from one successful game against the Lions this year.

In the others, he's been a dismal non-factor, and Jay Cutler has had to throw the ball more as a result. Still, Forte can catch, and both Ray Rice and Steve Slaton demonstrated in consecutive weeks what that can mean to an offense.

The Bengals linebackers must show more competence against the pass, or else teams will continue to attack them in coverage.

The other major threat the linebackers need to prioritize is the speedy and dynamic tight end, Greg Olson. Marvin Lewis' teams have historically struggled limiting tight ends, and Olson poses the toughest challenge of the year so far in that regard. I expect safeties to assist in coverage wherever Olson roams or else he could have a huge day on third down.

Fortunately for the safeties, Chicago has no Andre Johnson-type receiver to worry about. The group of Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Earl Bennett are fast but inexperienced.

The veteran secondary of the Bengals only needs to worry about the long ball and tackling Hester in the open field. Allowing short passes that may be dropped or fumbled by young receivers makes sense against an offense like the Bears'.

Their shaggy quarterback, Jay Cutler, throws rocket passes, but is reckless. From what I've seen, he seems so unwilling to give up on plays that he gambles on wild attempts to get yards instead of chalking up a sack or an incompletion.

Perhaps Mike Zimmer may want to tell his guys to react to Cutler's eyes and gamble along with him, especially if the Bengals find themselves with the lead.

For as much praise as the defense has earned this year, they're low on turnovers and a seed of doubt has been planted in the minds of many onlookers after last week.

Taking a risk on an interception could juice this defense's battery back to maximum voltage and regain that proverbial “swagger”—a word that seems to have become in vogue when referring to defenses in the NFL.

The last major concern against Chicago is their squadron of supersonic return men on kickoffs and punts. Everyone knows of the lethal venom Hester unleashes in the open field, but new kickoff guy, Johnny Knox, is a Patriot Missile himself and can match touchdowns in about eight seconds if a team isn't careful.

The Bengals have allowed some big returns already this year, and Darren Simmons has dealt with a whole season's worth of issues in the course of only six weeks.

New long snapper Clarke Harris has already exceeded the play of Brad St. Louis after one snap, but anymore setbacks on special teams, and Simmons' value to the team will be openly questioned.

So, if you sense a tinge of the supernatural at work on Sunday, perhaps it's the teams' founding fathers struggling for the upper hand upstairs. Each dedicated their life to get their teams to where they are today and just because they're dead doesn't mean they don't care.

Prediction: Bengals 16, Bears 11.

Mojokong—if Cincinnati wins, we get the “C” back. If Chicago wins, they get Cedric Benson back. We'd better win.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Six Recap: Duped!

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:19:11 -0400

These Texans are trickier than they look.

Bengal players were warned by soothsayers everywhere that a letdown was coming this week. The idea being that they could not sustain the energy necessary to continue winning every week, and at some point, would relax.

So, to disprove the theory, the Bengals came out too fired up, and constantly overpursued on screen plays and play-action passes, thus giving up embarrassing yardage.

Instead of feeling bitter and angry, let's give credit to Houston for out-scheming Mike Zimmer and his staff. On their first play, the Texans' predicated on the high-energy Bengals and smoked them with a bubble-screen to Andre Johnson.

Later, they ran screens to Slaton on obvious passing downs, knowing the Bengals would bring additional pressure to flush Schaub out of the pocket.

The success the Bengals had in stopping the run during the first half, made them too eager and allowed for play-action fakes to torch them in key situations later in the game.

Safeties continued to creep up on run support and were either enveloped by blockers on screens or faked out by play-actions. Gary Kubiak and his offensive coaches seemed prepared for the overzealous Bengals and it showed.

The Texans also worked over the Bengal linebackers with their passing game. While Keith Rivers takes excellent angles to the ball-carrier, playing in coverage doesn't seem to be his strong suit.

Rey Maualuga still sometimes over pursues-which many of us don't mind due to the potential outcome of his reckless style of play-but he is recognizing play-action fakes better each week.

He may never be a great coverage linebacker; he's just not that kind of guy. Even Brandon Johnson, perhaps the team's best linebacker against the pass, was also spotted out of position in coverage, allowing a key third-down conversion for the Texans.

Most alarming, however, is Dhani Jones and his inability to get in to position to make plays. All too often I see Dhani enter the picture of my television a fraction too late; bad things ensue. While other linebackers may sometimes struggle in coverage, Jones is a consistent liability against tight ends and running backs.

He is serviceable as a run-stopper, especially in the middle, but he struggles getting to the flats in time to make a difference on the play. I would look for teams to prey on ol' Dhani until he proves he can cover someone on the outside. I don't see him getting any faster so Zimmer will have to account for his deficiencies in space and scheme around the problem.

On offense, the Bengals continue their self-flagellation with holding calls, drops and fumbles. Not even Bob Bratkowski, everyone's favorite person to blame for everything that goes wrong, is at fault this week.

By my count, he had one dumb sequence of play-calling on a second-half drive that started with a broken screen play and ended with a three-and-out. Otherwise, the players get the blame this week.

However, the Bengals offensive brain-trust isn't totally off the hook for a major problem in their game-plan. The stone-handed duo of tight ends, Dan Coates and J.P. Foschi, are constant setbacks to the passing game.

I realize that the team is in a bit of a bind due to Ben Utecht and Reggie Kelly ending their seasons early on, but the team has a tight end that sits on the sidelines who caught more passes at his position in college than any one else...ever! This seems like an easily fixed conundrum.

The knock on Chase Coffman is that he can't block and isn't very good in special teams. Coates blocks well, and Foschi seems average in every category. Coffman can be one more capable receiver on passing downs when the tight end isn't blocking anyway.

Some may consider having a tight end in the game that doesn't ever block too obvious to use, but I see him more as another slot receiver who might only block down-field on defensive backs and gives Carson Palmer another weapon to utilize.

There are different ways to use a player like Coffman, but first he needs to be activated to see what he brings to the team. I don't want to see this guy end up buried on the practice squad with Jerome Simpson and the other forgotten toys.

Still, all in all, this isn't the worst of losses. Sure it's a team the Bengals probably should have beat at home, but they were outsmarted on defense and lacked the necessary concentration on offense.

They weren't blown out or physically smashed to bits, and what did go wrong can be corrected-except for Dhani Jones and his old legs; perhaps the bye week will help with that.

I'm still encouraged by the direction of this team. What happened against the Texans is a setback, not a letdown. Only a fool doesn't expect a few setbacks along the way to a good season. Hold tight; I think it's all going to work out in the end.

Mojokong-practice against the screen!

Cincinnati Bengals Week Six Preveiw: The Emotional Trap

B. Clifton Burke — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:19:29 -0400

Now that the Bengals are perched atop the AFC North standings and feeling good about themselves after an “emotional” win, one face springs to mind when looking ahead to the next game against the Texans; that bug-eyed, lobster-like freak, Admiral Ackbar, in Return of The Jedi .

It's a trap!

For being such a tough-guy sport, it's interesting how much conversation is centered around emotions in football. We as fans are picky about what emotions are acceptable.

It's encouraged for players to demonstrate emotional hostility on the field—unless that hostility is between teammates—yet in the locker room, we want cool, placid interviews jammed pack with generic responses and sports cliché.

Anger and frustration is fine—it shows that they care, but spontaneous celebration is out—that shows that they're greedy and self-promoting. It's a deep-rooted hypocrisy that fits in nicely with all of the other nonsensical traditions of this country established by stuffy, rich dudes a long time ago. Pardon the digression.

I bring all of this up because the words “emotional letdown” keep cropping up all over the internet in regard to this week's game.

It all makes sense; tsunamis in Samoa, the unexpected passing of Zimmer's wife, and already enough nail-biting wins to leave Bengal fans now chewing on their fingers, have been enough concentrated gobs of emotion to leave any group strung out and half crazed. It's only human to take a deep breath and relax at some point, but do that in the NFL and the opposition will strike at the jugular. It's a brutal jungle out there; constant vigilance is the key to survival.

That being said, the Bengals match up well against Houston and leave little reason not to pull out another win.

The primary concern against the Texans is to contain their superhero-like receiver, Andre Johnson. The Bengals corners have dazzled onlookers thus far, but Johnson will serve as the ultimate test for the tandem. I would expect double teams on Johnson all day and the secondary to give him cushion to avoid the big play.

Houston will likely throw shorter passes to work him in early and draw the corners and safeties up to give less cushion. That's when they might try to go deep to their other receivers left in one-on-one coverage. Jacoby Jones is a particularly dangerous deep threat and kick returner; Joseph and Hall had better be ready to run.

The next defensive priority should be to flush Matt Schaub out of the pocket as much as possible. Last week Arizona got no sacks on him, and allowed the Texans to get back in the game. When they were able to get him to move around, Schaub fell apart and rarely converted anything for yardage. Blitzes are in order against Houston, but Zimmer has to choose wisely when he calls them and account for their jittery running back, Steve Slaton.

Slaton likes to run in space and the Texans use him on the outside as often as they can manage. Like Ray Rice, Slaton works off of shotgun draw plays, pitches, screens and stretch hand-offs. It's important for Cincinnati to keep him between the hashmarks in order to limit his firepower.

So, in order to manage all three priorities, the Bengals should blitz linebackers up the middle to flush Schaub out of the pocket, stretch the defensive line out wide to contain Slaton to the middle of the field, keep safety help on Andre Johnson's side every play, and rely on one-on-one pass coverage on Johnson's opposite side.

It's a lot to manage simultaneously, but long athletic players like Michael Johnson and Brandon Johnson (unrelated) can excel in a scheme that emphasizes outside containment, while Rey Maualuga, and every now again, Roy Williams, can be unleashed on blitzes up the middle or on the weak-side.

Even if the defense does struggle, the offense should be able to pick up the slack this week. Houston ranks dead last in the league against the run, allowing over five yards a carry, and Cedric Benson has burst upon the scene, leading the NFL in rushing yards and carries after five games.

The Texans do have Mario Williams who has a natural inclination to sack quarterback's and make offensive tackles look bad, but Cincinnati has faced some nasty pass-rushers already this season and has kept them from having much impact on the game.

Carson Palmer seems to improve every week and he could really cut it loose against a suspect Houston secondary. As long as his line continues to dominate the trenches—especially late in the game—Carson and his blue-collared crew should enjoy a nice day at the coal-mines.

If the offense is able to get a lead early, I would expect large doses of hand-offs and screen plays with the occasional deep ball if the defense falls asleep. This game, like the Cleveland game, should be a chance for Bernard Scott to get involved a little more, especially if the Bengals are playing with the lead.

That's what coaches like about the X's-and-O's of the game; there is no emotion involved. It's about strategy and preparation for these men and not about feelings or psychiatry. Of course, both aspects are inescapable for any coach—after all, these are still human beings—but on the NFL level, players are expected to do their jobs no matter how strenuous the circumstance.

That is why the Bengals will once again prove their professionalism by handling the Texans and fighting through the trap of an emotional letdown.

Bengals 30, Texans 23

Mojokong—may the force be with us.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Five Recap: Swaying the Skeptics

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:18:38 -0400

On the opening Monday night game of the 2007 season, the Bengals beat the Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium, 27-20; that was the last time Cincinnati could agree that their team was a contender.

After that, they wandered out into the wilderness and remained lost for two whole seasons.

Yet after five games, something familiar, yet entirely different, has emerged from the fog.

This new form of Bengal is hardened and doesn't like to talk much. They survived on berries, wild game, and meaningless late-season wins. Times were tough, and many thought a new low was inevitable for the hapless Bengals last season.

But after a particularly miserable drubbing by the Colts in Week 14, some weird, introspective, peyote-like moment happened in the locker room. The team stared at their horrors in the face; all of the egos, all of the losing and blaming bubbled to the surface of Marvin Lewis' cauldron. It was a nightmare, but they lived.

And now they have arrived.

Two days ago in Baltimore, these Cincinnati Bengals walked away with their last divisional opponent vanquished face down in the dirt. All three times, the Bengals went down early, demonstrated their new warrior mind-frame, and outlasted their foes.

These guys are tough as railroad spikes, and their ability to pull off fourth-quarter comebacks on a regular basis obviously runs deeper than just preparation and coaching adjustments; it speaks to those ambiguous intangibles that coaches love, like heart and moral fiber.

The Ravens were tops at stopping the run, and Cedric Benson wore them out on his way to 120 yards. Baltimore's offense was advertised as “rebuilt” and “explosive,” and with the exception of one long Ray Rice run caused by a missed tackle, the Bengals defense had no problems containing Joe Flacco and his purple toys.

Sure, Carson Palmer looked great (Ed Reed happens to everybody), Ocho was sharp (and I mean everybody), and Chris Henry finally got loose down the sideline on a deep ball, but the offense racked up over 400 yards because of their gritty linemen.

In the second half, the Ravens' defensive line, anchored by the human aircraft carrier Haloti Ngata, was getting blown off of the line on running plays. Palmer was only sacked twice and had time to throw throughout most of the game.

Even with backups Evan Mathis and Dennis Roland seeing significant snaps, this line seamlessly transitioned big guys in and out without losing much rhythm. Offensive line coach Paul Alexander deserves tons of credit for an excellent start this season.

Another huge positive factor has been the play of cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall. It was as if the Raven receivers decided to go to the racetrack or golf course instead of play football; were they there?

If these two can continue to shut down the opposition's top receiver, I suspect that we will continue to see more sacks and pressure on the quarterback as a result. They can be left in single coverage, which allows for more safety and linebacker blitzing—a perfect equation for sacks. It's only Week Five, but a Pro Bowl invitation for at least one of them may be in order.

The final major bright spot worth pointing out is our favorite golden boy, Carson Palmer. Those fans clamoring for the big-armed, sling-shooting Palmer of 2005 might feel somewhat underwhelmed by his play so far, but no matter what his stats look like, he has risen to the game's ultimate challenge of playing from behind and orchestrating the win in every game this season.

I've shared my skepticism on Carson's ability to improve on the things I felt he had faltered in, like pocket presence and clutch ability. I cautioned against the belief that just because No. 9 was back, things would automatically turn around. I am quite delighted that Mr. Palmer has proven me dead wrong on these points.

While we still can't compare Carson to Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, there are very few other quarterbacks in the league that can manage five straight successful comebacks to start out the year.

The reshaping of the team identity from a dainty, calculated air attack into a steamrolling armored unit is still a work in progress. Despite exceeding most expectations, the team has yet operate at full speed. The new Bengals have shock-and-awed their way to first place, and they haven't even gotten the hang of this thing yet.

At this point, the league is going to take the Bengals seriously. The divisional games will only get more bitter and brutal. Teams are going to brace themselves against the Bengals' late-game punch, and it will be up to the players and coaches to further grow into their new roles.

While they're not quite in the AFC North driver's seat yet, Cincinnati has certainly moved up to the passenger seat and buckled in the safety belt.

Mojokong—Autumn Sundays are fun again.

Cincinnati Bengals Week 5 Preview: The Bungles Nevermore

B. Clifton Burke — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:36:19 -0400

Since their arrival, the Baltimore Ravens have always been an oversized group of mongrels who produced wins in the most blue-collared fashion; slowly and painfully rolling over their opposition.

They have been the most sustained threat to Pittsburgh's divisional supremacy since the inception of the AFC North, and because of amenities like a general manager with a keen eye for talent and a top-ranked stadium, the Ravens have become one of the league's more reputable franchises.

But for whatever reason, the Bengals have Baltimore's number more often than not, having won six of the last 10 games against the Nevermores. With the exception of the opener last season—which was a dubious sign of worse to come—Carson Palmer has played exceptionally well against a defense that traditionally gives quarterbacks nightmares. Cincinnati returns with an irritating rap at the window pane that will once again drive the Ravens mad with another loss.

The offense will finally purr at full speed this Sunday as the Bengals are likely to use more spread formations in order to stretch out that fearsome front seven of the Baltimore defense. Like Pittsburgh, no one runs very well against Ray Lewis and his flock of Hitchcock-like Birds. They rank first against the run through the first four games and finished third last season. Haloti Ngata eats up running backs when they try to run up the middle, Ray Lewis is somehow still getting better, and Terrell Suggs still looks like Disney's Stitch.

The secondary also has its superstar in Ed Reed, but the other members look surprisingly vulnerable to be dressed in purple and black. In Week 2, Phillip Rivers threw for over 400 yards and Vincent Jackson caught multiple deep balls over the Ravens' secondary. Last week, Tom Brady spread his passes around to nine different receivers, and exploited openings in the middle of the field. As long as the protection holds up, teams can pass against this defense, and the Bengals passing-game has been limited to short stuff all season. I see this match-up as the perfect chance for the receivers to get loose and find space on deeper routes and for Carson to get in rhythm and find more success around the sidelines.

On defense, stopping Ray Rice will have to be the top priority. Rice is elusive, compact, and is a terrific receiving running back. Baltimore runs a lot of shotgun formations and likes to give it to Rice on delays and draws. I would expect to see plenty of three-receiver sets against the Bengals which would force a a safety or linebacker to guard Rice in the flats. Too much attention to Rice on these formations could also leave Todd Heap open, and more mismatches ensue. When Rice exits the game, Willis McGahee becomes the focal point, but McGahee is less dynamic than Rice and can be contained in a more traditional manner. An emphasis in pass coverage will be on Dhani Jones whose speed dissipates a little more each game.

The Ravens' receivers aren't scary enough to double cover and it seems that packing the middle of the field is wiser than loading up zone coverages deep and around the sidelines. Joe Flacco moves well outside of the pocket and can make throws on the run. Like Roethlisberger, Flacco should be contained inside the pocket, and a reinforced “box” in the middle, packed with linebackers and safeties, should help with contain Flacco. I suspect that the Bengals will feel comfortable calling more blitz packages on throwing downs thanks to their faith they should have in their corners in one-on-one coverage.

If the Bengals are a changed team with a new identity, and if they truly are built to win in this division, than this is the kind of showdown where they can prove to the world and themselves that they are for real. I doubted them against the Steelers and they rose to the occasion. This time, not only do I think that they will win, I see them having their best complete offensive game of this young season and outclass the Ravens.

Bengals 34, Ravens 27

Mojokong---my deepest condolences go out to Mike Zimmer and his family for the tragic loss of his wife, Vikki.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Four Recap: The Escape From the Lake

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:15:53 -0400

There is a lesson to be learned from all of this: never underestimate the will of a trapped animal, or in this case, a trapped color.

The Bengals barely escaped alive from the House of Brown, needing to go a few extra rounds to fully vanquish that desperate group of wild banshees in Cleveland, thanks in large part to the mistakes of long-snapper Brad St. Louis.

But like a classic action movie, the golden boy hero, Carson Palmer, faced with the improbable odds of 4th-and-13, scrambles for a first down, saves the day, and bails out his buddy, Brad, all in one motion. You could feel a breeze through Cincinnati as fans everywhere let out a sigh of relief.

It was an aesthetically displeasing affair of orange and pink with an abundance of overtime punts. Marvin Lewis initially wanted to punt again and walk away satisfied with a tie until our hero talked the coach into risking it and pulled out a win. It wasn't quite a Hollywood finish; more of an independent-film-festival finish, but it was good enough for me.

Still, our hero was not without his pitfalls. As good as Palmer has looked down the stretch in games, the offense has yet to operate at full speed, and again had a series of consecutive possessions that resulted in negligible yardage on Sunday.

Much has been made of the conservative play-calling of Bob Bratkowski—his continuous propensity to throw with the lead and run when behind continue to baffle the most casual of observers—but the offensive struggles may run deeper than that, and if not corrected, could become a long-term problem.

Throughout the first four games, Palmer has struggled throwing near the sidelines, and as a result, the explosive effect of the wide receivers has decreased. Time and again, Palmer has either missed his mark, or is simply on a different page than his receivers when throwing laterally to the sides of the field.

This problem isn't a sign of being outsmarted by opposing coaches, but rather rests in the hands (and in the arm) of the players.

Nearly every completion was caught in the middle of the field on Sunday. Tight ends and slot receivers continue to get plenty of looks as defenses are taking away the deep ball by dropping safeties, and the underneath routes become the best option for positive yards.

Defenses will continue to force the Bengals to win with their short-game by patrolling the sidelines and daring Palmer to throw it to his wide receivers.

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, that strategy weakens one of Ochocinco's best strengths: his tip-toes around the sideline. For whatever reason, Chad is one of the best at going limp and getting his feet down in bounds. If Palmer continues to struggle getting completions to the sideline, Chad will only produce at two-thirds of his potential.

But I think that Palmer and his receivers are pros, and, with extra attention to detail and more repetition, will work out this odd passing kink and soon will be chugging along at full steam.

This offense has already proven that it's capable of game-winning efforts when it matters the most. The offensive line—a huge question mark going into the season—has exceeded expectations in both run blocking and in pass protection. The running game is racking up 4.5 yards a carry, and if you ask me, has been under utilized.

The three-headed monster of Cedric Benson, Brian Leonard, and now suddenly more active Bernard Scott has expanded possibilities in both the run and short-passing game. I thought the Bengals should have used those guys more in overtime and chip their way downfield.

The Browns defensive line was getting pushed backward (except that monstrosity Shaun Rodgers, no one pushes him anywhere) and Benson and B. Scott were getting decent chunks of yards on each carry.

And the long pass play to Coles in the second quarter on first down with a two-touchdown lead on their own 10-yard line was unnecessary and foolish. That's another time to run it, keep the clock moving, win field position, wear down the opposing defense, and cut a four-and-a-half-hour game down to three hours.

Defensively, the Bengals allowed two touchdowns on quarterback roll-out plays; something that needs more practice. They also didn't get enough pressure on Derek Anderson and, for the second week in a row, allowed a rookie receiver to gain over 100 yards.

They had their worst game of the season at stopping the run and were ineffective on a handful of their blitz attempts.

But it remains hard to complain about these guys.

Even in a game when Mike Zimmer's bunch looked fairly average, they still intercepted a pass in the end zone, scored a defensive touchdown, and forced punt after punt down the stretch of regulation and throughout overtime.

Tank Johnson and Roy Williams return next week from injury to add even more pop to a rugged and unrecognized defense that secretly remains the strength of this Bengals team.

Ugly wins are a necessary ingredient to a quality season; there will be more along the way. The important part is escaping with wins nonetheless and slugging your way to the playoffs. The next step in Baltimore is a doozie, but the Bengals have fought their way into a position to gain some serious footing within the AFC North, and for now, life is good.

Mojokong—there should be no ties in football.

Bengals-Browns: Into the Brown Abyss

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:29:39 -0400

Cleveland Brown Stadium may as well be perched along the River Styx these days with Charon himself there to escort Browns fans into the NFL netherworld.

Nothing is currently working for the organization the color of mud, and, like the recession, experts are forecasting that the situation will worsen before there's any hope of turning things around.

Cincinnati knows the feeling; it too was out to sea without a sail for countless agonizing seasons. As recently as last year, Bengal fans openly questioned how the team would repair itself after a four-win 2008 campaign.

But Marvin Lewis had enough useful existing parts to pull off a quick-fix with key draft picks and free-agents; Cleveland, on the other hand, has a scarcity of salvageable parts and a complete team-demolition seems like their only sensible alternative for their long-term future.

In fairness, a losing season in Cleveland was expected by most prognosticators of the game. They disappointed their fans with a letdown season a year ago, and brought in Eric Mangini to turn things around.

That sort of task doesn't happen overnight and the situation was clearly going to be a work in progress, but the lack of response from Mangini's team, coupled with some curious ways of handling the quarterback controversy, and compounded by a locker room scuffle last week, has warmed Mangini's seat to an uncomfortable temperature after only three games.

Meanwhile, in the Southern tip of Ohio, the Bengals feel like a million bucks after slaying the Steeler dragon and defending their home turf. People in Cincinnati are still randomly chest-bumping and exclaiming “Who-Dey” as they walk past each other on the streets; crime is down!

Yet, being the consummate professionals they are, the Bengals' players and coaches have put on their somber faces and have listed off all the reasons why the Cleveland Browns are still talented and dangerous. It's the polite thing to do within the league.

But who couldn't like their chances against the worst team in football?

The Browns have done so little offensively that it's difficult to discern any actual game plan they have prepared. Against the Ravens, they ran lots of screens to Jerome Harrison and tried to throw to Braylon Edwards anytime they could. Brady Quinn looked completely ineffective but Derek Anderson looked Barnum and Bailey hilarious.

The defensive priority, with or without known Bengal-killer Jamal Lewis, is to not let Edwards make the big play. Lewis has slowed since peaking with the Ravens many years ago, and despite his big games against Cincinnati, he no longer frightens me at all.

Edwards has physical talents and can make the amazing catches at times, but he remains high on the list as a player who has yet to maximize his potential. Leon Hall has had some rough days going up against Edwards in the past, but Hall is playing well these days and Edwards isn't.

I expect Zimmer to call the blitz on passing downs to further rattle whichever Browns QB Mangini decides to throw to the wolves, which should also hamper Edwards from busting loose.

The Browns defense is pretty dismal as well. Last week, they played soft zone and Joe Flacco methodically ran short passing plays out of the shotgun formation all day on them. Every play the Ravens ran appeared good for at least five yards and Baltimore had no problems dominating them on the ground and in the air.

I'd expect that Cleveland will play deep zones against us to and try to limit the explosiveness that the Bengals would prefer not to use anyway.

Look for the Bengals to try to run on the Browns until everyone is tired of watching Palmer hand it off every time.

Instead of reliving the shootouts that strangely manifest when these two Ohio teams meet, I would think Marvin would want to use his new-found muscle to grab Cleveland in a headlock and keep them there until it's all over. With an improved running game and a skyrocketing defense, the best way of handling a weaker opponent is to pulverize them into submission.

Bengals 23, Browns 10

Mojokong—this is not a trap.

The Coming of Age of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Three

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:21:23 -0400

It's never been better to be wrong.

Cincinnati is still elated after a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against the loathsome Steelers on Sunday in a game that truly typified the attitude of Marvin Lewis' newest breed of Bengal.

His teams of the past lacked the emotional wherewithal and intestinal fortitude to scrape themselves off of the canvas and fight a tough last round against the defending champs, but this bunch rope-a-doped its way to a win by physically outlasting Pittsburgh and staying calm when it mattered the most.

The perennial bully came to town and right away started pushing around the underdog Bengals.

In the first half, the running game was useless; blockers were getting blown off the line and Cedric Benson was not falling forward. Carson Palmer looked frazzled, out of rhythm, and twice early on threw into coverage on passes that are typically intercepted.

The play-calling of Bratkowski started off conservative as expected, and the offense was hampered on two decent drives by penalties, both of which resulted in punts.

Defensively, the Bengals looked over-matched and even seemed tired by the end of the first quarter. Defenders were manhandled at the line of scrimmage, missing tackles, weren't running to the ball, seemed a step slow in pass coverage, and worst of all, allowing big plays.

The Steelers ran out to an early 13-0 lead after their first three possessions and seasoned Bengal fans prepared for the customary onslaught.

Then, in the locker room down 10 points to their personal nemesis, a certain rite of passage happened to this team. Instead of licking their wounds and going through the motions of another decisive loss to the Steelers, the Bengals put on their hard hats and began pushing back.

The comeback was not without its fortunate, if not lucky, moments; Ben Roethlisberger had his wires crossed with his receiver on the interception to Johnathan Joseph and Limas Sweed dropped an easy touchdown.

But after halftime, the renewed priority on defense became stopping the run rather than putting pressure on Big Ben. Pass blitzing had not worked at all up to that point and it was a smart adjustment by Mike Zimmer to focus instead on slowing Willie Parker and forcing shorter passes underneath.

Also after halftime, the Bengals running game came to life. The offensive line surged into the Steelers' 3-4 defense and Benson began to fall forward and gain positive yards. For the first time, the Bengals looked like the fresher team.

But the situation worsened in the fourth quarter after Pittsburgh added another touchdown and Graham missed an impossible field goal (some may argue that a 52-yarder should be doable for most NFL kickers, especially the higher paid ones, and I would agree, but that is not the reality with Graham. The Bengals should have either gone for it there or tried to pin them on a short punt. It seemed like a case of a coach having too much faith in his franchise-tagged kicker).

The Steelers found themselves in that comfortable armchair of having the ball and a two score lead in the fourth quarter against a team that hasn't bitten them back in years.

But not this time.

Zimmer's adjustment paid off as the Bengals forced a three-and-out after two short runs and a minor pass. Cincinnati then drove the field on quick passes that set up a series of quality runs by Benson, capped off by a 23-yard scamper for the score made possible by excellent blocking and good quickness to the end zone.

The Bengal offensive line was in total control in that last quarter and the Steelers' defense looked tired and sluggish.

Pittsburgh tried to run some more on their next two plays and had to punt again after Roethlisberger was sacked by Pat Sims and Robert Geathers. This was another case of the Steelers thinking that they could muscle the Bengals into submission and end the game by running it down their throats.

Think again; these aren't the Bengals Bill Cowher remembers.

Once Palmer had the ball in the game-winning situation, he sharpened to a tack and made some terrific throws. Andre Caldwell has quickly become Palmer's safety valve by making multiple clutch catches, especially within the red zone.

The Bengals effectively moved down field by throwing underneath on comeback and stop routes to Caldwell, Coles, and Ochocinco, and Benson contributed two positive runs and a check off pass.

After a questionable spike play and two incompletions, the Bengals were faced with a 4th-and-10. Carson maneuvered out of the pocket and found Brian Leonard on a check-off pass in which he lunged for the first down after making the catch.

This kind of effort, the sheer grit and determination Leonard and Palmer showed on such a crucial play, is indicative of the kind of character these Bengals are playing with this season.

Two plays later, Palmer found Caldwell for a touchdown pass on a play where Ochocinco and Daniel Coates crossed over the middle, drawing the linebackers to them and clearing the middle of the field. Caldwell stopped short on his route after discovering the open seam in the end zone and Palmer made a perfect throw.

The success of the play was due to a combination of good play design and smart improvising by both Caldwell and Palmer—one category our fair quarterback had to improve upon and seems to be making strides in this season.

Even though the players and coaches downplay the victory as strictly a divisional win, we fans know it's more than that. In one fell swoop, the Bengals have gained credibility as a competitive team, added doubt to Pittsburgh's divisional supremacy, and made football fun again in Cincinnati.

Not only has the local villain been vanquished in glorious fashion, but we can now all see for ourselves that this team has a foundation that can hold up under the most intense pressures.

If toughness, maturity, and concentration were areas of concern heading into this season for the Bengals, then this landmark win is a clear-cut sign of the positive direction and culture that Marvin Lewis has reworked in Cincinnati.

Just to recap: they took Pittsburgh's best shot to the mouth, very nearly drowned in ineptitude, fought back, and won! Here in the Queen City, that's something to celebrate all season.

Mojokong—how does that feel, Steeler Nation? Allow me to push the knife in a little farther. There we go.

See you in November, chumps.

Cincinnati Bengals Week 3 Preview: The Annual Pittsburgh Steeler Invasion

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:06:32 -0400

Dick LeBeau and his pack of wild attack dogs float down the Ohio River in a weather-beaten, black frigate this weekend looking to pillage and plunder the first football team it comes across. The fair citizens of Cincinnati are alerted to hide away their children and precious metals because this angry, gruff bunch are worse than pirates; they're Steelers.

In order for the Bengals to stand up against such villainy and protect their dwelling, they must adhere to the annual mantra of aggressive play and withstand Pittsburgh's best shot to the face. But more importantly this season, they must be completely prepared for the multiple angles of their attack.

Like the Bengals, this is a new breed of Steeler. In the past few seasons, Pittsburgh moved away from the smashmouth running style we've been victimized by so often. This is partly because of multiple injuries to running backs last season and the maturation of Ben Roethlisberger. They now run an offense that shows multiple formations and little dependency on one style of play. Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians has kept enough core players to allow him to vastly expand their playbook over the years, and as a result, they are now essentially a pass-first team.

When Big Ben was younger and more wily, it seemed that keeping him inside the pocket produced better results than flushing him out and allowing him to improvise. For whatever reason, the guy made more plays on the run or while being sacked than he did dropping back and throwing in rhythm.

But Roethlisberger has blossomed into a savvy, well-rounded QB, who still struggles at times with his accuracy, but excels in the ambiguous “intangibles” category. No longer can opponents keep him in the pocket and wait for him to make a bad throw. He's still as strong and swashbuckling as ever, and blitzing him remains a risk in allowing the big play.

With Pittsburgh's ground game struggling after the first two games, Arians runs wide receiver bubble screens (the trendiest play-call currently in the NFL), intermediate slants to Hines Ward, and dump-offs to Heath Miller in order to set up the deep crossing route or seam route to Santonio Holmes.

Pittsburgh somehow manages to lull defenses to sleep with the pass, rather than with the traditional pounding of the run. Be that as it may, the Steelers have had a 100-yard rusher in each of the past seven wins at Paul Brown Stadium, and sometimes tradition has a way of hanging around.

Therefore, the defensive priority for the Bengals should be to stop the run first, then keep all passing plays in front of them and make tackles on short routes, and finally, like always, bring Ben down once they get their hands on him.

I wouldn't expect to see as much linebacker and safety blitzing for fear of giving up the big play that always seems to surface when the Steelers come to Cincinnati. Instead, they should rush their formidable front four, keep their safeties deep and force punts rather than gamble on turnovers. If Geathers and Odom can produce half the chaos they created against Green Bay, it will make the other defensive assignments that much more manageable and should limit the shape-shifting Pittsburgh offense to a modest day at the office.

The Steelers defense, however, is not all that different. They still have their merciless wizard LeBeau, masterminding the carnage his band of roughnecks leave behind at stadiums every weekend.

LeBeau continues to fire off his heat-seeking blitzes at every given chance and still has enough beef up front to limit rushing yards. What he won't have this time is his bushy-maned psycho of a safety and No. 1 henchman, Troy Polamalu. Even Polamalu's backup, Tyrone Carter, is banged up and is questionable to play on Sunday. Polamalu has tyrannized this city with devastating tackles and pick-sixes since he's been drafted; he will not be missed.

The Bengals would like to run on the Steelers, but wouldn't everybody? It's one thing to run all over a defense that claims it runs a similar scheme to Pittsburgh, and it's another to do it against the real thing. If teams could even occasionally run against Dick LeBeau and his goons, they wouldn't maintain the stigma they've earned; they're the best defense in the league for good reason. While the offensive line has exceeded expectations up to this point, lining up across from this gruff bunch will be the ultimate test.

So that means Cincinnati will have to go to the air, and that puts the onus on the Golden Boy, Carson Palmer. If the Bengals are to pull out a win, Palmer must play great. His performance must be better than his average and he simply cannot make brainless mistakes like his two picks last week.

Typically, Pittsburgh does not give a quarterback much time, which means hot reads and underneath routes could be what moves the ball downfield. If the Bengals pass-protection holds up well, or if they find success on shorter gains, then they can try something vertical to Ocho or Henry, but to force it deep would be playing into their hands.

It would not be surprising to see a conservative play-calling approach from Bob Bratkowski after all of his failed missions against this team in the past. I would be prepared to see a lot of throws caught short of the marker in hopes that the receiver makes a play, and attempted screen plays on third-and-longish; better to play it safe than to play it wrong.

So, as the Steelers wash ashore and fall out of their vessel, laughing and cursing at all of us, and prepare to shove around the Bengals and their fans once again, they should encounter more resistance than normal from Cincinnati. This Bengals team has grown up some and is stronger and more willing to fight these days.

But alas, they continue to be their own worst enemy with self-inflicted mistakes, and against a team that feels like a despotic older sibling, that still won't get it done.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Bengals 20

Cincinnati Bengals Week Two Recap: Like a Sack Of Wrenches

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:15:23 -0400

Marvin Lewis should feel more at ease with the team he has reassembled; it's the kind he likes.

The Bengals caught Green Bay with a surprise left hook to the jaw on Sunday, leaving the Packers battered, bewildered and beaten on their own turf. The new program that Marvin now runs in Cincinnati is more fortified with brute strength and toughness, and is quickly shedding its finesse moniker by physically manhandling its opponents.

Cedric Benson ran wild against the supposed Steeler-prototype defense brought to Green Bay by former Pittsburgh coordinator, Dom Capers. The offensive line, including backup left guard Evan Mathis, overpowered the Packers in the trenches and allowed Benson to gash his way to runs of six to ten yards all day. Benson demonstrated terrific field vision and crafty footwork, and the power he runs with is excellent for wearing out defenses late in the game. If Benson stays healthy and limits his fumbles, he should have no problem ending with close to 1,400 yards this season. I'm very impressed.

Also impressive was the pass-protection against a gang of good pass-rushing linebackers and three fat guys up front. Andrew Whitworth was beaten by Cullen Jenkins on a sack, but Carson Palmer had ample time to make his progressions and deliver his passes throughout the afternoon. There was concern that Green Bay would be in Palmer's face all day, but the success in the run game prevented Capers from calling heavy blitzes, and the No. 9 jersey stayed fairly clean.

Carson still made two dumbfounding decisions in the first half, both resulting in interceptions and 14 points; he must deprogram himself in order to become an elite quarterback again. Aside from the picks, he played well, especially in the second half, and can still make some great throws. If the running game is as good as we hope it is, the dependency on Palmer to win games by himself will decrease and his efficiency will improve. Even Ocho has told the media that he likes the offense as a run-first and pass-second variety; that has to be some kind of sign of the apocalypse.

As for the defense, what's there to worry about? After surprising people last season, the general concern for the D was putting pressure on the quarterback. Meet Antwan Odom and his handful of sacks, or Rey Maualuga and his forced fumbles. Here is the bone-crushing Roy Williams who makes you pay for eight yard gains, and there is Keith Rivers who you simply cannot escape. I realize that it's vastly premature to make silly comparisons, but this defense does remind me of Baltimore 2000. I know, I know, but I'm just saying that they have similar characteristics.

Lastly, good special-teams play is necessary for a solid team foundation. Quan Cosby's added pop to the punt return game translated into 10 points on Sunday, and three when it mattered most. Rookie Kevin Huber bounced back from a scary first game, punting the ball very well and catching a high snap (you really need to get it together Brad St. Louis; you have one job, do it). Linebacker Rashad Jeanty has become a fine tackler on return coverage. Shayne Graham continues to kick off well and drilled a 41-yard attempt down the stretch. The unit supplied another dash of late-game insanity by not catching an onside kick, but it worked out in the end. Special-teams success is instrumental to a quality season for any team, especially one climbing out of the well.

The idea of the Bengals as a grind-house, smash-mouth team is a little weird and may be difficult getting used to, but that is what we're seeing from this bunch. They're tougher than they've ever been under Marvin; they can hold up after getting punched in the face and can throw down with the best of them. They're in for a long, strenuous season of close games and hard-nosed play; the faint of heart should turn away now.

Denver was let off the hook, Green Bay was stunned, Pittsburgh will be on notice.

Mojokong—walking the middle path.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Two Preview: Cheese Whiz

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:21:13 -0400

The last time I remember the Bengals playing a regular season game at Lambeau Field, Brett Favre made his Packer debut and led Green Bay to a fourth quarter comeback win.

It was early in the season, the Bengals were 2-0, the Packers were winless, Cincinnati was up 17-3 in the third quarter, the meltdown ensued and a legend was born. The Bengals lost 37 of their next 46 games after that and the Packers went on win a Super Bowl.

Fast forward 17 years and the Bengals once again will roll onto the globally-warmed tundra to reverse history and set the course for their own Super Bowl victory (stop laughing). After being sucker-punched by fate and gravity last week, the Bengals should be a surly gang of roughnecks eager to deliver some unnecessary roughness and a few personal fouls.

With that kind of practice way outside the agreed upon rules and general spirit of the game, Cincinnati will have to make due with clean, physical play that results in a tired and battered Packer team, and more importantly, a win.

On paper, the Bengals have no business winning this Sunday. The Packer defense has big names at every position and their offensive skill players are just as formidable.

Aaron Rodgers, a high caliber quarterback with a strong arm and a bad mustache, has blossomed into a top-10 player at his position. His receivers, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, have enjoyed the seemingly limitless range on Rodgers' throws and form one of the better receiving tandems in the NFC.

Cincinnati's secondary will be challenged deep and must tackle receivers in open space, or they will be victimized by the big play. I would expect less safety blitzes from Roy Williams and more help in deep coverage this week because of the speed of the Green Bay receivers.

The most vulnerable attack point for Bengal defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer looks like the right tackle, Allen Barbre. After watching Barbre give up a few sacks to Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye last week, I would expect to see Zim load up that right side with blitzing linebackers like Rey Maualuga, to assist Robert Geathers in creating more pressure.

If Cincinnati is able to get sacks or even hurry Rodgers, those speedy receivers will have less time to get downfield on deep routes, and the Bengals can keep plays in front of them. Getting to the quarterback was an offseason priority that must come to fruition if this defense is going to maximize its vast potential.

The Bengals also appear to have a glaring weakness along its offensive line this week. Starting left guard Nate Livings has some kind of knee injury (Dr. Marvin Lewis described the injury as simply “a knee”), and his replacement is a person named Evan Mathis.

A few years ago, Mathis started 15 games with Carolina, but hasn't since with the Dolphins and now with the Bengals. Mathis remains a question mark going up against a beastly 3-4 defensive end in Cullen Jenkins. I would expect Green Bay to send a variety of their six talented linebackers on blitzes up the middle, testing the pass protection of Mathis and center Kyle Cook.

Another lineman with a tough assignment will be tackle Andrew Whitworth going up against Packer sacker, Aaron Kampman. In Green Bay's 3-4 defense, Kampman moves to outside linebacker from defensive end; a position where he collected 38 sacks in three seasons. The blocking of tight ends and running backs will also be a factor in limiting the havoc that Kampman can create.

Carson Palmer had time to throw last week and played well as a result. If the offense is going to find a rhythm and score some points this week, Palmer's comfort in the pocket will be paramount. I expect Green Bay to blitz more than Denver did, which means more one-on-one matchups on our receivers and possibly more chances to throw down field, but only if Carson has time.

As for the running game, if Mathis and Cook are unable to hold up in the middle, I would expect more toss plays, misdirections and off-tackle runs. Cedric Benson has looked more comfortable bouncing runs to the outside than he does pounding it up the middle. I love the way he builds up steam when he turns the corner and punishes tacklers upon impact.

Complimentary back, Bernard Scott, should get a few more touches this week if the outside does prove to be a more effective running lane. His only carry last game was on a screen play that Denver sniffed out before the ball was even snapped.

Like so many other fans, I would like to see the offensive play calling catch a team off guard; nothing too fancy, just the kind of sequence that keeps defenses guessing. The game plan for last week was solid and aside from a lack of concentration, the team executed it they way they practiced it.

This week, I would expect to see a more complex game plan that is successfully ran by a team hungry to prove itself as a legitimate competitor in this league.

Green Bay is a good team which I see in the Super Bowl this year, but they're playing the Bengals on the wrong week.

Bengals 21, Packers 17.

Mojokong—this week is more of an Upton Sinclair Jungle than a Guns N' Roses Jungle.

Cincinnati Bengals Working Out the Kinks

B. Clifton Burke — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:11:53 -0400

Last Sunday, Marvin Lewis and his coaches stood in front of a hulking object, covered in a tarp inside of Paul Brown Stadium. A crowd gathered around it and the tarp was removed. There stood the new Bengals machine of 2009, shiny and new, purring idly and waiting to operate. The coaches set it in motion and the machine went to work with only a few minor setbacks; coughing out an occasional plume of smoke on a penalty or losing a bolt on a dropped pass.

After a few hours, the machine seemed to have completed its task—albeit without much grace or style—and the crowd seemed satisfied enough. But then, out of nowhere, the machine was struck by lightning and died; the crowd left disappointed and the coaches stormed back to the lab to work out the kinks.

But what are the kinks?

The defense looks fine; no problems there. Carson Palmer had one bad throw in the third-quarter deep in his own territory which should have been picked off by a linebacker and returned to the house, but luckily was dropped instead. Outside of that pass, there were no glaring errors made on his part, so he doesn't seem to be the problem. Special teams had a major gaffe made by a rookie punter, but that isn't likely to keep happening. Penalties and drops are small annoyances that are easily fixed. So what's really keeping this rocket-ship from blasting off?

Most fans will shout in a raspy, aggravated tone that it’s the play-calling.

Ah, the “Bratkowski sucks” mantra heard anywhere Bengal games are broadcast. This year's machine was promised to feature a new offensive playbook that would dazzle defenses and appease fans, yet the complaining started at halftime of the first game and the anger rose in the stands after watching too many first-down hand-offs.

For the record, there need to be some first-down runs. Even the no-gainers up the middle are necessary to set up other plays in the same formation later in the game, and runs early in each half helps wear down the opposing defense. But it appears that Bob Bratkowski is still leaning on that lever a little too hard.

The running game is least effective when the Bengals get stopped for a minimal gain on first down, then try again the next down (in fairness to Brat, some of that happens when Palmer audibles to a run, which rarely seems to work, but, I suppose, is better than an interception or sack). Either Brat or Marvin or both, make “manageable third-down scenarios” such a high priority within the sequence of play-calling that it seems to detract from the rhythm and strengths of the offense. If the Bengals were more willing to attack rather than chip away on second & longish, perhaps there would be less third downs to worry about in general.

Another priority within the Bengal playbook is the vertical passing game. Fans, loudmouth receivers, and golden boy quarterbacks love it, but it's a tough strength to gamble on. Denver eliminated the vertical passing game after Chris Henry's 18-yard catch on the first drive. Brian Dawkins was rarely ever in the television screen before the ball was snapped. With the secondary dropping so far back, Palmer relied on his receivers gaining yards after the catch on shorter routes which they were able to do with some success.

Bratkowski ran many play-action passes and Palmer wanted to air it out on a handful of them, but the Broncos insisted the Bengals beat them another way, so Palmer had to go with check-offs. I thought Carson looked good moving out of the pocket, throwing on the run and finding his safety valves when the deep routes were taken away.

Offensive tackle Anthony Collins, was beat a few times on the outside speed rush and Cedric Benson completely wimped out on a chip block on Mario Haggan, but aside from that, the pass-protection was solid, which allowed Palmer to play sharper than I expected of him. In this instance, Bratkowski cannot be accused of refusing to take shots downfield; the defense simply wouldn't allow it to happen.

It's not a bad approach against this offense: take away the quick strike, allow a lot of short plays underneath and force the offense to trip over its own feet. The Broncos almost threw a shutout with that game-plan and other teams without elite pass-rushers will probably try the same. But that philosophy is a passive approach to defense, and the Bengals should learn to score points against it once they improve their concentration.

For years the identity of the team was its explosive passing attack and once the league found out how to stop it, the Bengals were exposed as a team without much of a core. I see Marvin turning the Bengals into a smash-mouth team as an attempt to strengthen the machine's foundation.

After his centerpiece broke down and he was left with virtually nothing else to work with last season, I believe Marvin learned then that to be consistent in the NFL, a team needs to have more than one way to win games. Once he works out some of those kinks, I think we'll see that happen this season.

Mojokong—strangely enough, encouraged by what I've seen.

Cincinnati Bengals Week 1 Play-By-Play Analysis

B. Clifton Burke — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:50:28 -0400

Roy Williams prevents huge run on first play by Buckhalter.

Geathers on nice run stuff.

Marshall drops screen pass

No pass rush, nice coverage by Crocker.

First play of the year is a run up the middle for no gain. Imagine that.

Second play is run off tackle for no gain.

Good pass protection; 18 yards to Slim over the middle.

Nice pass to Chad on medium slant route.

Benson shows nice vision by bouncing the run to the outside for a good gain; brought back by Chad's hold.

Coates drops bullet pass.

Benson with nice off-tackle run. Good blocking.

Good pass-protection; slightly errand pass; Coles gets fingers on it but no catch; fourth down & punting.

*Drive was killed by holding penalty.

Poor punt; first one ever.

Boring 6-yard run; Tank with a good tackle.

Rivers with great pursuit on outside run; no gain.

Odom with deflected pass; forced to punt.

Cosby with good punt return after fielding on bounce; one ankle tackle away from a big one.

Palmer with lots of time on play-action, finds Chad on the sidelines on a great play that was brought back b/c of an ineligible man down field.

Benson with a strong, power run on Whit's side; puts head down and blasts for extra yards.

Another nice run, this one in gap between Livings & Cook. 13 yards on last two runs.

Coles drops easy first down catch, nearly leads to a pick. Fourth down and forced to punt.

Awesome fake-punt/wildcat thing to Leonard for a first down. Awesome.

Play-action on first down; wanted to go long; Palmer scrambled a bit, but kept his cool and found Benson on a check off to the sideline; Benson juked a defender and gained a good chunk of YAC.

Bubble screen to Caldwell for 6 or so on a play that Housh used to run.

Run behind Livings for two.

Stretch run to Leonard for nothing on an awful play-call. Fourth down.

*The two play-actions on first down were great on this drive, as was Leonard's fake, but running a stretch run on third & 2 on the 11-yard line in the red zone to our “power back”, makes no sense here.

Huber can't catch a slightly below average snap on FG try; loss of like 50.

Fanene sacks Orton on play-action by beating RT on the outside. Decent juke-move to get to him

Dhani over-pursues on pass across middle to Marshall. Roy cleans up.

Geathers knocks Clady on his ass, flushes Orton out of pocket and Odom cleans up for the sack. Fourth down.

Cosby runs straight for yardage; doesn't dance.

Palmer to Chad on sideline for nice gain, but Chad opts to run to the middle of the field instead of going out of bounds and picks up big yardage. He looks explosive and more willing to get hit.

End of 1^stQuarter; Bengals crushing in yardage and TOP, but holding call, dropped third down pass and botched FG= no points in three drives.

Collins gets beat by A. Davis on sack, right after the big play to Chad; momentum ruined.

Benson on nice cut-back for 7 or so; good vision.

Long pass attempt broken up by rookie corner back. Slightly under-thrown but good try.

Ok punt by Huber.

Crocker ankle tackles Gaffney on screen for no yards.

Orton play-action, Pat Sims pursues, goes deep to Marshall, nice coverage by Hall, through Marshall's hands though it would have been a very difficult catch. Roy Williams was a step slow.

Pass deflected by Geathers, Dhani tackles Gaffney, fourth down.

First-down check-off pass to Benson for 7. Good decision.

Run for zip up the middle. JJ didn't get enough of his man. Denver knew it was a run even though it was a soft delay run.

Coates sneaks out of backfield for good yardage. I worried about him fumbling as he rumbled for a good 10 or more yards after the catch.

Benson showed speed turning the corner on first down off-tackle run. 8 yards, Gus Johnson got excited.

Quick, backward screen to B. Scott that was sniffed out from the get-go; loss of 6 and questionable play-call. Andre Davis was not having it.

*Again, the play design to Coates, was actually very good (even though I don't like throwing to him), but when B. Scott checked into the game, the Denver defense perked up and followed him outside on the screen. I understand that they want to use him, but it's still important to remain sneaky and not so deliberate on their play-calling.

Palmer moves well outside of the pocket and finds Coles on the sideline for a first-down. Palmer looks really good on the run today; not freaking out.

Benson up the middle for 3. Not bad. Fans don't like it, but you need some of this for a variety of reasons.

Benson up the middle for nothing. You don't need it that much; bad play call.

Palmer to Chad on slant with 1-on-1 coverage with Champ; Champ get's there sooner, tips ball up and Chad wimps out on jump ball and allows an interception.

*Fourth squandered drive. Could at least be 12-0.

Maualuga on nice take down for no gain on run. Waited for runner to come to him.

Rey on good pursuit to sideline on bubble-screen; Roy pops Royal on clean up tackle.

Awesome pass coverage by B. Johnson on third down. He's good at that.

*I like Zim putting Johnson in there on passing downs.

Benson up the middle for nothing. Poor play-call.

Reverse to Chad who looked more scared than dangerous. Palmer didn't make a good block. Weird play for 8 yards. At least it's different.

*They shouldn't run that play again for at least 3 weeks so it doesn't become predictable the way it use to be.

Benson up the middle who fought for a first down.

Benson on nice off-tackle behind Whit for 6 yards. Whit blocked two Broncos on the play. Whit moved to right tackle for that play.

Quick out to Benson for nothing.

Bad pass to Caldwell; behind him. Dunno if it was intentionally thrown that way. Doubt it. Have to punt.

Average punt.

8 yard Buckhalter run. One of the longer runs for Denver on the day.

Tank on good wrap up but still a first down.

Pat Sims gets back down field on screen and makes nice tackle to keep screen from developing. The big guy can move.

Great coverage near the sideline by Hall on B. Stokely. Quickness looks fine.

Royal converts third down on shifty screen. B. Johnson cleans up.

Orton has lots of time and finds Gaffney wide open on sideline against zone. No pass rush and soft zone=big yardage.

Leon Hall knocks ball loose for incompletion. Almost a fumble that woulda been a touchdown by Ndukwe. Almost.

Tank Johnson smothers Moreno for no gain on run.

Good from 48 to end half. Their guy has good range.

Bengals look good at the half but have no points. They're getting yardage, and look great on defense but they keep stalling when it matters most.

Bad pass to Chad on screen.

Check off to Benson for 6 or so. Good hands on the catch.

Quick slant to Chad on hot read for first down. Nice on both ends.

Play-action, Palmer wanted deep ball settled for check off to JJ who dropped it. Good play call.

Quick pass to Foschi. Don't know why he gets passes and not Coffman.

Great pass-protection (especially Coates); great throw, dropped pass by Coles. Fourth down.

Good Punt. Brad St. Louis on tackle.

Odom tackle for loss. (the guy slipped)

Nice drag down by Geathers.

Good prevent on third and long, Crocker makes tackle. Fourth down.

Awful punt for Denver.

Benson on nice run behind B. Williams for 6.

Palmer sacked, Benson missed block. Loss of over ten. Haggen with the sack.

Palmer sacked again. Collins gives up second sack.

Great punt by Huber.

Roy on good run support.

Dhani misses tackle to allow Graham's first down.

Pitch play to Moreno and Roy knocks him silly and causes fumbled that was ruled down. Huge hit.

Rey misses tackle and allows gashing run by Buckhalter.

Rey unloads on Marshall. Love this guy.

Fanene tackle for loss on hand off.

Roy on decent coverage on strange third down play by Denver. Incomplete.

Pitch play to Benson that loses yards on first down.

Terrible pass to JJ that was very close to a pick that would have been a TD. Really stupid attempt under pressure. Needs to throw out of bounds instead.

Caldwell almost makes it to a first on completion, but no. Punt.

Scheffler wide open in zone coverage; good gain of 25 or so. I hate zone coverage.

Dhani on nice run stuff.

Rey so close to first sack on ankle tackle. Orton scrambles for 3.

Stokely drop. 50 yrd fg.

Caldwell not a good return.

Beautiful play-action roll out play, Palmer throws on the run, hits Chad in stride for about 20 yards. Brought back for off. PA. Nice play-call; good looking play design.

End of third quarter. Bengals still have stat advantage but some player mistakes are killing them.

Caldwell over the middle. Good game for him.

Brian Leonard on shovel pass. Nice play-call again.

Short throw to Caldwell on third down no good. Not a great decision. Punt.

Roy on nice tackle to Hillis for a short passing gain.

Rivers on big hit to force incompletion.

Marshall gets easy receiving third down conversion.

Rey with nice run-stop for nothing.

Bengals pass rush leads to holding call.

Roy misses on safety blitz; Orton buys time and makes first down completion. Gotta make that sack.

Roy on safety blitz up the middle, Buckhalter catches check off and runs for long first down. B. Johnson misses tackle. Brought back from holding call.

Odom with a huge sack. Inside pass-rush move, squeezes through and pushes Broncos out of FG range with sack. Huge.

THE DRIVE:

Run up the middle for three. Fans hate it. Gives them room.

Quick slant to Chad for first.

Hand off to Benson for loss. Awful play call.

Great throw to Chad for a first on a long hook route. Nice protection.

Benson with a big off-tackle run for over 20 yards. Weird two fullback formation; great block by JJ and Whit.

Palmer play-actions, finds no one and settles for a three yard scramble.

Caldwell on hook route in the slot over the middle. Housh-like again.

Dump off to Leonard for good yardage.

Caldwell on quick out route for seven.

Caldwell on curl route just short of goal line.

Benson TD on power run. JJ with good block.

Joseph with great pick but just out of bounds. Should have been challenged.

Shit happens. Bengals lose.

Cincinnati Bengals Week One Recap: Stuff Happens

B. Clifton Burke — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:35:38 -0400

After the stunned silence and the eruption of outrage, after the philosophical musings about the mysterious ways of the universe and after letting it go with a sigh and a beer, we can talk about what happened yesterday in a serious, analytical tone that has nothing to do with hexes or of team ownership.

Outside of the tip, that was brought on by natural defensive instincts and a hailstorm of bad luck, the Bengals’ game-plan was solid.

The defense shut down the run, made tackles, and got pressure. They looked fast and hit hard, forced lots of punts and maintained field position as well as anyone could ask. The Bengals’ defense is the strength of the team and they proved it yesterday.

The offensive game-plan had some questionable moments—like a stretch-play hand-off to power-back Brian Leonard for no gain on 3rd-and-2 from the 11-yard line—but also had lots of play-action, some quick slants and outs, a weird fake-punt/wildcat run, and, a personal favorite, the shovel pass. The run game wasn't glamorous, but Benson got big chunks of yardage late in each half.

The pass-protection seemed good enough; the lone exception coming from back-to-back sacks due to missed blocks by Benson and Anthony Collins. Carson Palmer appeared comfortable in the pocket and moved well when flushed out. Penalties, dropped passes, and a botched field-goal prevented the Bengals from scoring in the first half, not the coaching, bad quarterback play, or the game-plan.

Laveranues Coles is not going to drop passes all year long the way he did in Week One. The penalties can be cleaned up, and the rookie punter can relax after getting his first game, and first blunder, out of the way.

The point is, if the Bengals stick to the game-plan they showed against Denver, the wins will come. The offense looked a little rusty and they definitely have a few bolts to screw down before they start to click, but there is too much firepower to silence this arsenal all year.

It's been a long time since a Bengal team had been defined as physical, but this lot looks pretty hard-nosed. Many fans already feel deflated after losing in such a ridiculous manner, and it was one helluva horse-pill to swallow, but what I'm seeing from this year's Bengals is distinctly different from what I'm used to seeing from a Marvin Lewis-coached team.

As demonstrated, we're not going to win all the time, but I bet there won't be many blowouts on the Bengals' schedule this year. If nothing else, we're going to see this team fight.

Mojokong—sometimes you just have to laugh it all off.

Cincinnati Bengals Week One Preview: Early Fireworks

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:52:34 -0400

If the two main points of emphasis for the Bengals this offseason were improving the running game and the pass rush, then the Broncos are the perfect test to gauge how successful those two efforts have been.

Denver is a new team in many ways. First, Josh McDaniels, 33, replaces longtime Bronco head coach, Mike Shanahan, and brings his New England-style offense and 3-4 defense with him.

Then there's the new quarterback, Kyle Orton, traded from the Bears for Jay Cutler, and also new backup QB, Chris Simms, who could see playing time this week if Orton's dislocated and stitched-up index finger proves too problematic to endure.

Veteran safety, and future-hall-of-famer, Brian Dawkins, also joined Denver this offseason, providing the Broncos defense with some hard-nosed leadership and a bit of insanity; qualities they sorely need after an awful year defensively in 2008.

Still, with all the new developments happening in Denver, the Broncos are still in the early stages of a rebuilding phase and aren't likely to intimidate many teams this season.

Defensively, the Broncos will likely have trouble stopping the run, particularly up the middle. Their front seven are mostly no-names and journeymen, and the Bengals offensive line will have their first chance to really maul a team at the line of scrimmage.

I'd look for Cedric Benson and Brian Leonard to get some early carries in hopes of wearing down Denver's d-line.

Once the power-run game has been established and Dawkins begins creeping up to help, the Bengals should mix in DeDe and/or Bernard Scott on toss-plays, off-tackle runs and screens, to catch the Broncos off-balanced. That's also the best time to run play-action passes and go vertical to the many dangerous Bengal receivers.

The one Bronco defensive player that could irritate the Bengals, is the short, stocky and lightning quick defensive end, Elvis Dumervil. This fire-hydrant of a player has developed moves that sneak under and around the lumbering, ogre-ish offensive tackles of the NFL.

Bengal tackle Andrew Whitworth, at 6'7'', 335 pounds, is exactly this kind of man and will have to be nimble and alert to the trickery of Dumervil. Even though he is graciously listed at 5'11'', Elvis is Denver's scariest defensive player, racking up 25 sacks in four years; keep him at bay, and the passing protection should be comfortable for Carson Palmer.

The other defensive notables on Denver are Dawkins, and fellow perennial Pro-Bowler, cornerback Champ Bailey. With these two lurking in the secondary like hungry vultures, it would be unwise to force many throws around their area, especially if the Bengals enjoy the kind of success running the ball that I expect from them.

When on defense, the Bengals and coordinator Mike Zimmer should simply release the hounds on blitzes as many times as the game allows. Kyle Orton is not known as a quarterback that carves up defenses with his talent and ability, instead he is perceived more as a game-manager—and a dubious one at that.

It only makes sense to force him into quick decisions by pressuring him on blitzes which increase the already probable odds that Orton will turn the ball over once or twice. Denver does like to run short pass patterns and lots of bubble screens that emphasize receivers gaining yards after the catch, and those plays can be risky to blitz against, but the reward of turnovers is greater than the risk of allowing big plays against a QB like Orton.

Denver's running game is a question mark too. The Broncos acquired castaways like Correll Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan, and drafted promising youngster Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is banged up and the other two have been career backups on previous teams, so there's no telling how effective they will play.

The Broncos offensive line, under Shanahan, was famous for a zone blocking scheme, designed for cut-back runners to find straight-line running lanes and break big plays; whether McDaniel has kept this kind of scheme remains to be seen.

Something else to look for on special teams is the way the Bengals handle field goal attempts. Franchise-tagged kicker, Shayne Graham, hasn't kicked in the last three games and, although he's activated and ready to go, Marvin Lewis may still feel gun-shy on Graham's longer attempts. How far Graham can kick off should be another indicator of how he is feeling.

Overall, the Bengals open with an opponent they should find a rhythm against, and possibly carry some momentum into Green Bay the following week. Cincinnati starts the season pretty healthy and has finished what's been reported as one of the better preseasons in years.

While there remain concerns, the pluses outweigh the minuses for this week and the Bengals should cruise to an opening day win. Here's to miracles and the stadium selling out, so that we can all watch it live on television.

Bengals 27, Broncos 13

Mojokong: just go out there and bruise them.

Marvin Tries Again: Revenge Of The Myth

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:24:20 -0400

The team that will follow Marvin Lewis out of the tunnel and onto the field against the Broncos on Sunday, marks the coach's second attempt at constructing a successful NFL roster.

Lewis' first go at constructing his own team in 2003 was essentially a patch-work job that consisted of second-rate free agents and quick-fix draft picks. Only Carson Palmer, Brad St. Louis and Ochocinco—then known as Chad Johnson—remain from that season. Lewis tried to install new parts here and there along the way, and the results were occasionally promising. But by the middle of last season it had become apparent that the roster needed a dramatic overhaul and the Bengals think-tank went to work.

After months of negotiating, drafting, and coaching, the 2009 roster was unveiled Saturday, and, if nothing else, it appears much sturdier than that first attempt seven years ago. Outside of drafting Andre Smith in the first-round, Cincinnati seems to have made good decisions every step of the way during this offseason—Smith may still pan out, but his start as a professional so far has been laden with setbacks.

Further proof that the Bengals are on the right track came on Saturday when the team released its final 53-man roster that included all four running backs who were thought to be in a competition to make the team. Cedric Benson, Brian Leonard, DeDe Dorsey, and Bernard Scott, each showed a distinct, unique ability that proved too effective to release to another team.

Also this week, rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga told the media that he is scheduled to start Sunday against Denver. While this isn't much of a surprise, it's noteworthy because Rashad Jeanty had been atop the depth chart throughout the preseason. Maualuga is too talented to watch plays from the sideline. He still may be a little raw and will likely show some occasional growing pains, but last year's college defensive player of the year has tremendous instincts, plays fearless and brings a heavy dose of chaos to the field with him. Marvin once coached a player named Ray Lewis in Baltimore with similar characteristics and that worked out well for everyone involved.

Excuses are no longer tolerated on this team. Players who have survived the final cuts have done so because they practice hard and take the game seriously. Extra role models have been added to assist the younger players' maturation into the league, and to allow the coaches to teach more and babysit less. The idea is that the new team culture will permeate throughout the locker room and demand a sense of professionalism from the players all season long. No longer are the Bengals here for show or for fun or to simply get paid; they're here to work.

Lewis knows that he too is out of excuses.

“I get the blame now,” he told Geoff Hobson.

That is rather telling for such a short statement. It implies that in years past, perhaps he was not to blame, but rather his players were. It also indicates that he is finally satisfied with his roster and that the necessary pieces for success are in place.

Marvin Lewis is a man who is cautious with his words and is driven by principles. If, for the first time, he feels confident in his players' abilities and their emotional fortitude, it makes me believe in this team more than I would otherwise.

Mojokong—from the island of Elba.

At The Heart of a Bengals Fan

B. Clifton Burke — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:41:50 -0400

It's ready.

A fresh 16-game Bengal season, bloomed and fully ripe, rests inside our cable boxes waiting to be slowly and painstakingly devoured, bit by blissful bit.

It seems like a lot at first, 16 games, but the wins and losses stack up fast, and suddenly teams are playing in games that they must win in order to keep their season interesting.

That's the beauty of Week 1; it's the same for everybody. The rosters are set, every team is tied for first place, and the pressure of losing has yet to surface. There's little to worry about and much to enjoy.

I usually wake up on the Sunday morning of Week 1 wearing a weird grin along with my disheveled pajamas and bathrobe. I make it a point to put on some NFL Films music on that day, complete with its string orchestras and dramatic tympani drums and go about my morning business in exaggerated slow-motion, juking my dog on the way to making coffee or stiff-arming the doorways as I walk through them.

I erupt with spontaneous fits of giggling and clap my hands together for no visible reason. I become a giddy schoolgirl; I can't help myself.

There are countless reasons to behave this way on the Second Sunday of September. Everyone's experience is unique in their own way, but here are some of the more basic and universal reasons.

First off, it's the NFL; the best of all the professional sporting leagues in America. The fewer number of games and the league parity make wins more of a premium than in MLB or in the NBA. The sport is perfect for television and falls on a day when responsibilities are customarily ignored anyway.

Outside of God and grass-mowing, what else should Americans do on their Sundays?

The second reason to celebrate the elation that comes with the return of football season is because we're lucky enough to share a favorite team.

The game is aesthetically pleasing enough on its own to entertain the most casual and indifferent of spectators, but to be emotionally invested in the action by rooting for a favorite team harkens back to sport's oldest cliché concerning the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat (the skier that springs to mind when hearing those words turned out to be fine after that dreadful crash).

Having a favorite team makes a person feel more participatory within the sport, and the emotional highs and lows somehow make the experience more fun. It's a strange drug, the NFL, and right now I'm completely off the wagon; it's too bad the local dealer only peddles the lower to mid-quality stuff around Cincinnati, but it's Week 1 and I'm jonesing, so I'll take it.

This year's crop of Bengal, however, promises to be of higher-grade compared to the foul-smelling dregs of last season. How much better is still anyone's guess as opinions and predictions of this year's team are all across the win-loss spectrum.

Still, it's almost unanimously agreed that the Bengals won't repeat last year's misery and that is reason alone to crack a smile.

Even if Cincinnati doesn't win many more games, they will be, without a doubt, a more interesting team than a year ago.

There's the young promising defense with new heavy-hitters, including one dynamic rookie linebacker who should blossom into a superstar right before our desperate eyes.

The defensive line looks deep and fierce, and is likely to get more pressure and sacks.

And don't forget about the two first-round corners, healthy and ready to come into their own, plus another linebacker returning from a broken jaw who could be the best of them all.

The offense has elements of intrigue as well. There's the new veteran receiver to replace a pony-tailed legend, a new hotshot tight end and four running backs that can all do different things. They have a loud-mouth who looks sharp, a slim third receiver with tons of potential, and their golden-boy quarterback returning from injury.

Yes, there are plenty of reasons to smile on the eve of Week 1. All the stress and heartache, the yelling and cheering, the seriousness of it all, will come.

For now, let's toss aside the caution and analysis, allow our inner-fan to emerge and all agree that the Bengals will win the Super Bowl this year, once and for all.

Mojokong—keep your birthdays and Christmases; I'll take this.

More Andre Smith Humor: Lard Knocks

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:49:55 -0400

Andre Smith is so fat, the bones in his feet fracture under the weight of his enormous girth.

The rookie broke his foot just two days after ending a lengthy holdout during a non-contact drill. This only adds to the speculation that Smith is grossly out of shape and also adds to the stigma that won't dissipate surrounding the Bengals first-round picks.

HBO's "Hard Knocks" showed Smith meeting with team owner and local dark lord Mike Brown, who complained to the hippopotamus about the hold out and about the reports of his cushiony physique. Smith showed little verbal prowess in the meeting, nodding his fat head and murmuring “yes sirs” to all of Mike's gripes.

Then, the young prospect the size of a work van took the field and dragged small men on ropes around the field as part of his training regimen. Somewhere along his day, Andre the Obese overdid it and cracked one of his swollen, miserable feet.

While he heals, he will have time to learn the playbook and lose some friggin' weight, for Christ's sakes. He could be back on the field in three weeks where he can demonstrate how much he has learned while resting on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Anthony Collins can take a deep breath and relax a little. Andre Smith may have a contract as big as he is, but there's no way he can take Collins's job with his leg in a cast and his enormous moobs preventing him from squeezing through most doors. With Smith one meal away from classifying himself as a structure instead of a person, a problem so magnified that his own limbs are beginning to go on strike, any real service to the team looks a good ways away.

None of this can come as much of a surprise for seasoned Bengal fans. We who have suffered so mightily have seen handfuls of young prospects plucked from the league thanks to injury or general incompetence. In Andre Smith, we're seeing both happen simultaneously.

Smith's brief professional career is already littered with questionable decisions regarding his hiring of an agent and auditioning for pro scouts. After those gaffes, he then missed the entire Bengals training camp in a holdout and eventually reported to the team weeks later so large that he darkened entire Cincinnati hillsides and frightened scores of area children.

The whole affair has been a disaster. Both sides of the negotiation table look foolish now. The Bengals drafted a player that can't stay in shape and had a hard time signing, and Andre Smith and Alvin Keels look like swindlers selling bunk goods. It isn't as if the man needs to be svelte and sculpted; I like linemen with sizeable guts. But weighing in at closer to 400 pounds than 300 isn't helping anyone involved.

The deal he and the Brown family did agree on contains a clause that reduces Smith's pay if he hovers above 350 pounds. For those unaware of NFL rookie contract deals, that's an embarrassing clause to be included in writing.

Maybe this is just a morbidly obese bump in the road that Andre Smith will overcome on his way to becoming a Pro-Bowl tackle. But, up to this point, it looks like another Bengals hot-air balloon, inflating itself to dangerous proportions.

Mojokong—suddenly in the mood for a salad.

Cincinnati Bengals Preseason, Week Four Preview: Hide Your Eyes

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:58:12 -0400

It is almost universally agreed upon that the fourth game of the preseason is redundant and a waste of time. Anyone who has anything to do with the sport would much rather proceed with live fire that counts, rather than undergo yet another training round of blanks.

Coaches, of course, wouldn't consider the preseason to be blanks because players get hurt and rosters are thereby adjusted. But most fans are over these exhibitions and have, in spirit at least, moved on to Week One of the actual season.

For about five players on the roster, maybe less, this game actually does matter.
The well-documented running back battle labors on to its final stage, where by the end someone will be let go.

Even though I think there is a place for four running backs on this team, depth concerns at other positions like offensive line and corner back require that the Bengals only carry three, leaving a pretty talented backup tail back available for another team.

If that is the direction the team is forced to make, I would expect DeDe Dorsey to be the odd man out, due to Bernard Scott's potential and Brian Leonard's ability to play fullback.

Dorsey is a stick of dynamite and slips through tacklers' hands like a bar of soap, but Scott may be able to do those things and more as he grows with the game. If Dorsey is put on waivers, it seems likely he would be signed by another team; he's just too explosive to remain unemployed.

Another player who may prove difficult to shove off without is sixth receiver and return man Quan Cosby. Last week, as Cosby trotted back to return the game's first punt, I grumbled to those around me about how much attention he's been given as a punt returner.

Give someone else a chance, I complained. And then Cosby promptly ran it back untouched for the score as I was immediately humbled.

If Cosby does make the cut, Antonio Chatman may not. Chatman's biggest asset for the team is his ability to return punts. If a younger, cheaper player like Cosby is just as capable of the job, good business sense says that Chatman is unnecessary and should be released.

Perhaps if Chatman hadn't experienced all the injurious setbacks he's suffered as a Bengal, and showed the ability to return punts for scores, his presence might be more worthwhile. But as it is now, I see him standing out in the cold, knocking on the door.

Another guy returning punts with some success has been Tom Nelson. As a white defensive back, it's required that he be described as scrappy and hard-nosed (quasi-racist sports descriptions can be discussed in another blog), but, according to what the world has seen through HBO's camera lenses, the man is fast as well.

He has impressed on defense and special teams, but nearly all of his action has come against fellow second-stringers. Nonetheless, the coaches seem to like him and the Bengals aren't exactly stock-piled with cornerbacks right now, so the kid may have earned himself a locker, or, perhaps more likely, a practice squad assignment.

One effect of Nelson making the team is that it would likely spell out bad news for fellow defensive back, Corey Lynch. A touch too slow to play corner and last in a talented group at safety, Lynch needs a great fourth game to stick around on this team.

Other potential casualties include Chris Pressley, Maurice Purify, Jim Maxwell, and for a long-shot, due to constant injury concerns, Frostee Rucker.

As for the poor saps who forked out $55 on the low end to see a grueling formality performed by second-rate talent, and in turn, line the pockets of a villainous miser whose last concern is your entertainment, I hope it's all worth it to you. But, to be fair, we have waited six months for NFL football of any variation so I suppose we all might as well make the best of it.

Mojokong—Mike Brown sells last year's pretzels at this year's games. It's true.

Cincinnati Bengals Find The Beef in Andre Smith

B. Clifton Burke — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:43:40 -0400

Perhaps the only person not excited to have first-rounder Andre Smith signed and at practice is his flabby stunt-double, Gus Parrish.

In training camp, Parrish sat in Smith's seat in the meeting rooms, took Smith's reps in practice and played the role of him in the rookie talent-show, imitating Smith's shirtless, floppy, 40-yard dash run at the Scouting Combine. But with the real thing in town, Gus's chances of not making the final cut become much more likely.

Parrish was a long-shot anyway, but Smith is here to stay for at least four years, or until the Bengals organization folds, whichever comes first. The 330-pound, baby-faced mastodon, labeled a powerful, run-blocking mauler, will find a place along the starting line someday, but how soon and on which side is up to the Bengals braintrust.

Offensive line coach Paul Alexander has already made it clear that Smith won't be handed a starting job right away. The promising play of right tackle Anthony Collins has taken some of the urgency out of Smith's development, and Whitworth got the nod as the starting left tackle before training camp even began.

How fast Smith catches up is anyone's guess, but at some point this season he'll be a valuable substitute or possible starter once injuries begin to pile up.

When he does eventually start, Smith will likely take over for Collins on the right side, keeping the rest of the line in their starting spots. When the Bengals first drafted Smith, I thought it made the most sense to put him on the right side, with Whitworth at left guard and Collins at left tackle. Now that the Bengals have prepared and practiced with Whitworth at left tackle, Smith should stay on the right side when he does crack the line-up so as to not disrupt the cohesion between the rest of the line.

Collins knows that Smith is after his job and will have to continue playing well to fight off that pressure. He proved himself a capable starting tackle late last season, and Marvin Lewis has said some positive things about Collins to the media this preseason.

Even if Collins loses his starting job to Smith this season, he would become a quality backup with starts at both ends of the line.

Any way you work it out, having Smith adds beef and talent to the most vulnerable aspect of the team. The offensive line needed to be addressed more than anything else this offseason and the Bengals have finally landed their future centerpiece in the rotund, shapeless, sagging form of Andre Smith.

Mojokong—keep your belly big and your head on straight, young man.

Cincinnati Bengals Preseason Week Two Preview

B. Clifton Burke — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:32:59 -0400

Week two of the NFL preseason tells us a lot about a football fan.

If you know a game is scheduled and you might watch it if it's on television, then you're a normal fan with more important things to do. Good for you.

If you're a person who knew the preseason already started but you didn't know how far along it is, you're a bandwagon fan who gives up on the season after a 4-4 start. No one, except maybe the owners, really needs you hanging around in the first place.

If you watch the game with a notebook while you DVR it to watch again later on and you curse at meaningless third-stringers strictly out of habit, then you're like me. Come on in.

While you're here, let me point you to some potential areas of interest.

First of all, let's look at the running backs. Starter Cedric Benson looked good, but fumbled last week against New Orleans. A nice hard-running, fumble-free game would make lots of Bengals fans feel better about things.

The backup spot is a battle between the stockier free-agent pickup Brian Leonard, and the explosive rookie Bernard Scott.

While Leonard was ahead of Scott in the depth chart last week, the rookie has come on strong and could apply even more pressure with a solid showing against New England.

The shifty DeDe Dorsey needs to maximize the limited snaps he is likely to see, as he seems on the outside of the running back derby at this point.

Also worth observing is the debut of rookie linebacker, Rey Maualuga, who sat out last week to rest a minor injury. Bengals fans have been itching to see the wild man hit someone, and reunite, side by side, with his old college teammate, Keith Rivers.

It will also give less stringent fans the chance to learn the differences between Maualuga and fellow big-haired defenseman, Domata Peko—no one will blame you for mixing them up in the preseason. But by week one, we all expect you to have it straightened out.

After Marvin Lewis publicly called out Chris Henry for dropping too many passes thus far, let's all keep our eyes peeled to see if Slim can't hang on to each pass he touches.

Marvin said he kept Henry in the game longer than usual last week in order to work on his inconsistencies. More setbacks and dropped passes could make his remaining weeks of practice before the opener that much more gruesome.

Another player groveling in Marvin's doghouse is current backup safety, Chinedum Ndukwe. Once a player battling veteran Roy Williams for a starting spot at strong safety, Ndukwe now needs to redeem himself in the coaches' eyes in order to gain that sort of recognition again.

Franchise-tagged kicker Shayne Graham would ease the troubled minds of many if he could demonstrate some consistency after missing a chip shot last week and also after reportedly having a shaky training camp.

Graham is getting a one-year contract of the average salary of the top-five highest-paid kickers in the league. It's time he starts kicking like it.

The last thing to watch is how the second and third teams hold up against the Patriots' backups.

After watching the Bengals fall victim to a plague of injuries last season, fans and coaches alike know the importance of depth. Critics are knocking Cincinnati for their scrapheap of backups, and they wilted in the second half in New Orleans.

While the majority of this kind of cannon fodder ultimately proves inconsequential, when a specific position is hit unusually hard, it's these very grunts who can determine the difference between a wildcard birth and sulking at home for the winter.

Teams like the Patriots have proved Super Bowl victories can still be obtained with backups acting as stop gaps for decimated positions. Receivers like Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell spring to mind.

The repugnant dross the NFL passes off as preseason football will be even more magnified than usual with the absence of Carson Palmer and his mild high-ankle sprain—as opposed to the medium and hot flavors of high ankle sprains.

If you do tune in to watch, then these points should entertain you without needing to resort to preseason gambling or expensive liquor, or both.

Although that, I hear, can make for one hell of a preseason football party.

You're only young once, you know?

Mojokong—to that Old Janks Spirit, for once and for all.

Cincinnati Bengals Left Off-Centered

B. Clifton Burke — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:27:27 -0400

At one point, circa 2005, Marvin Lewis was so popular and well-endorsed as an up-and-coming coaching genius, that he could have run for president. The team was playing well, Carson Palmer looked like the next elite quarterback of the league, and the fans and media plunged themselves head first into the Bengal frenzy.

The saga reached its crescendo when Palmer's knee ligaments were weed-whacked by the Steelers on the first play of the only playoff game Marvin has reached as a head coach. Many experts and fans alike point to that moment as the pivot to freefall for the team's success. However, another serious injury that occurred the next season, to an even more obscure player, could be more responsible for the downward spiral the team has suffered: the tibial plateau fracture that ended Rich Braham's career in Week 2 of 2006.

The offensive line in those golden days of 2005 was one of the best in the NFL. Both Willie Anderson and Levi Jones were healthy and regularly mauled opponents. Eric Steinbach and Bobby Williams provided a nice contrast of blocking styles. And there was Braham in the middle, pointing out blitz schemes for his line mates before every play and then taking on the huge nose-tackles of the AFC North after snapping the ball.

Once Lewis took over in 2003, nearly every offensive player improved with Braham at center, especially Rudi Johnson and Carson Palmer. After his injury, the running game slowly decayed and Palmer has struggled to adjust without his line captain.

Former team president and football demigod, Paul Brown, selected Tennessee center Bob Johnson, with the first pick of the Bengals' first draft in 1968. He knew the pivotal impact that a solid center can have on an offense—it must be an important position with a title like center. If a good offensive line makes everyone's job easier, than a good center makes the rest of the line's job easier, and the result is a finely tuned offense that purrs as it elegantly moves down field.

Since the second quarter of that early-season game against the Browns, the Bengals have still not adequately replaced Braham, and the offense has never been as good as it was then. Rudi Johnson is now out of the league and Palmer continues his work to return to a plateau that he has fallen from since Braham went down. Willie Anderson was abandoned by his team and thus forced to play (well) for divisional rival, Baltimore. Levi physically broke down and was released this off-season. Eric Steinbach was given a huge contract by the Browns in '07 and plays well there too. Bobby Williams reminisces about the old days and wonders where everybody went.

The evidence of Braham's effect on the team is clear from a combination of history and statistics, but the most obvious measure is wins. The Bengals shocked the league in 2003 going 8-8 after a two win season the year before. The next season, they again finished 8-8, but then took the step up to 11 wins in 2005 and won the division. It's been down the tubes since, with Cincinnati unable to produce a winning record in the past three seasons.

Whether Kyle Cook or fourth-rounder Johnathan Luigs is the answer at center remains a huge unknown for the Bengals. Cook is tops on the depth chart for now, but the team should want to make good on their draft pick and hopefully work Luigs into the rotation soon.

With all the depth and talent at the wide receiver position, and such youth and inexperience on the O-line, one can't help but wonder if a player like former-Ravens center Jason Brown who signed in St. Louis as a free-agent this winter, would not have been a more sensible target than Laveranues Coles within this offense. Hindsight is always crystal clear when it comes to NFL free agents, but it does seem like the center position has not received its proper dues as a team priority this off-season. This is awfully surprising considering how important Braham was to Lewis' previous success.

Mojokong—ah, to be rich at center.

The Big Brown Elephant in the Room

B. Clifton Burke — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:50:36 -0400

If Mike Brown agreed to allow HBO to do their annual training camp special, Hard Knocks, this year on the Bengals in order to improve the team's image and its culture, then the desired effect after the first episode hasn't gone as planned.

As a person, I was dismayed at the way the team goes about cutting players in training camp. Team employee Jim Lippincot woke up before 5:30 AM, pulled his shorts up to his armpits and rapped on the door of a sleeping J.D. Runnels.

Runnels, groggy and confused, was told he was cut based on his perceived lack of ability and was informed that a van would be awaiting him at 7 AM that morning to take him to the airport.

But as a fan, I understand, that business is business and the most important thing is to win games; not to be nice. Therefore, I was most horrified to see how hilariously backward the franchise somehow operates itself on a day-to-day basis.

Without an inside look like Hard Knocks, fans for years have questioned the business savvy and football instincts of owner, team president and all-powerful Bengal ruler, Mike Brown. There have been organized efforts to expose Brown's unorthodox way of maintaining his football team, and a lack of success has led fans to become bitter and salty toward the man in charge.

This offseason was an overall success for the Bengals and seemed to shore up some doubts about the team's future; doubts that were magnified after a four-win season.

But then HBO pulls back the curtain and exposes the sad, little man hunched over the controls; a man who looks to have lost his spark and only wakes up everyday because his body tells him to. I looked at this man and I removed a win from my prediction for the Bengals' season, putting it currently at 6-10.

At some point early on at camp, Brown attempted a motivational speech to his players and coaches that had the tone and inspiration of a eulogy. Anyone in the room had to wonder why they would align themselves with such a bland individual, but then likely remembered the large wads of cash that he provided to them.

He should have just passed out $50s to everyone and left. Why trudge along through a painfully awkward formality? If Mike Brown is at all fired up about the season, he certainly has a funny way of showing it.

Then there is Brown's daughter, Katie Blackburn, who was asked about the negotiations between the team and first-round pick Andre Smith.

Her response had a certain Cleaver Family quality to it:

“You're offering these people so much money and for some reason they're saying its not enough. All I know is that usually these things have a way of working out. I would hope that it'll work out with Andre sooner rather than later.”

With Gee Whiz attitudes like this toward serious business like player contracts, it's no wonder that 10 out of the last 16 draft picks have missed time at training camp because of a holdout. I'm sure it's a complicated process that takes lots of work on both sides of the board table, but as a fan, it's a little disconcerting to hear from a high-ranking Bengal employee that these things just have a way of working out.

But the most revolting scene was seeing Brown cram all of his coaches into a conference room, and share “wild thoughts” about changing a defensive lineman into a tight end, and then seeing the coaches shift in their seats and begrudgingly agree to give it a try. Based on this, is it unfair to assume that Brown would rather convert an existing player to a different position rather than sign a new player?

He even said that the player in question, Chris Harrington, had good speed for a defensive end, but very good speed for a tight end—if that even makes any sense—in what sounded like an attempt to sell the skeptical coaches on the suggestion.

He then went on to inform the coaches of how the final depth chart would shake out, and Marvin Lewis was shown leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face. Not having the final say must be difficult for Marvin.

Being told how to run his team by a man with a proven lack of football intelligence must feel like an elephant sitting on his chest. A big brown elephant.

Mike Brown was handed the team by his late father, Paul Brown, a man has who rightfully earned his spot in the football annals for being a great innovator of the game. Paul Brown didn't need a general manager or a team of scouts; he was smart enough to do it himself. Paul Brown could inform his coaches on how the team would shape up because he was a championship coach himself.

But all Mike Brown has championed is strong-arming the City of Cincinnati into a stadium lease that many people felt was underhanded and self-serving. And to follow Mike's reign will be Katie Blackburn and her husband Troy, who, in all seriousness, can do no worse.

There are proven models all over the country of ways to run a successful NFL team (we know, Pittsburgh, we know. Sit back down please). The common theme to most of these is that owners pay people who know the game to run the team.

Typically it makes sense to look outside the family in order to fill these positions. The owner writes checks, sits in luxury suites and hands over trophies—it's that easy. Mike Brown should give this lifestyle a try, for the benefit of all of us.

Mojokong—writing my way out of town.