The Cincinnati Bengals' Worst Enemy This Season Could Be Themselves

The Cincinnati Bengals have deservedly high expectations heading into the 2012 season. However, they must be careful not to let those expectations become a hurdle. Knowing that you're a team on the rise is a good feeling, but without keeping that feeling in check, the Bengals could be their own worst enemy this season.

Last year, the Bengals went 9-7 and earned themselves a Wild Card playoff berth in a season in which far, far less was expected of them. A rookie quarterback? A rookie No. 1 wideout? No more Johnathan Joseph? In a lockout year, all of these things pointed towards another down season for the often up-and-down Bengals.

Instead, it was an "up" year, the kind of which seemed like there would be no "down" to follow it in 2012. This was a new team, a younger, different Bengals squad from the team we had seen in recent years, one which debuted strong and should only get stronger with each passing season.

While this isn't dangerous thinking for you or I, if the Bengals start thinking this way, it could harm their chances to further improve in 2012.

In the NFL, a season must be approached one week at a time. With just 16 regular season games, any team that looks too far ahead is in danger of overlooking the upcoming foe and stumbling as a result.

The Bengals need to be careful not to focus so heavily on a return to the playoffs before the first week of the season has wrapped—even if that is their ultimate goal. They must not mistake the light at the end of the tunnel for a Super Bowl if it's really a train named Week 6 barreling down at them.

Seeking improvement from one season to the next is nothing new for any NFL team, the Bengals included. It's not as though 9-7 was the best record in the league last season, and Cincinnati lost in their playoff game.

But we've all seen teams that approach seasons with overconfidence, and they don't ultimately match the expectations they've set for themselves—the Rex Ryan-led New York Jets and last year's "dream team" Philadelphia Eagles come to mind.

Cincinnati has every reason to head into the 2012 season with confidence. They've managed to build—and keep building—a young, talented roster and should be serious contenders in one of the most difficult divisions in the league. The expectations are thus high for the Bengals this year, which is surely understandable. But it's how they manage those expectations—and don't allow them to get to their heads—that will help determine if they can meet them.

For as much of the game of football is physical, there is also a major mental aspect. The physical components and the players are there for the Bengals, but with such a young roster, managing high expectations is going to be a very real obstacle for them.

As long as they can approach the season with an appropriate level of confidence and not get ahead of themselves, the Bengals should stay on the path they forged beginning last season. It will be a fine line between staying the course and knocking themselves off track.

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