Cincinnati Bengals: See You at the Crossroads

The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2009 NFL campaign at yet another crossroads in the troubled franchise’s modern history.

The lost decade of the 1990s still reverberates through out the media and fan base alike.

Sure, there are die hard fans who believe every year will bring a Lombardi trophy, but the majority of football fans and analysts likely still view the team as the Bungles of old.

Finding a silver lining

A few bright spots appeared in an otherwise dreadful 2008 season. Only 11 other defenses in the entire league gave up fewer yards per game than Cincinnati.

The team still struggled against the run, giving up over 120 yards per game, but I doubt many people believed the Bengals would flirt with a top 10 rated defense at the beginning of last season.

Since Carson Palmer entered the NFL, the downfall of Cincinnati was always the defense. The offense had to outscore opponents on a weekly basis and it was believed that if the orange and black could just be respectable on defense, the team could finally win a playoff game.

However, Palmer spent most of his limited playing time last year beneath a pile of defenders and played in only four games thanks to an offensive line that struggled to move the line of scrimmage.

Improve or regress?

So what would reasonable expectations be for Cincinnati in the 2009 season?

All questions begin and end with the both interior lines. The Bengals selected University of Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith with the sixth overall selection.

Smith’s physical abilities cannot be denied, but the concern lies with his character issues: a familiar refrain for Cincinnati fans.

Defensively, the Bengals signed tackle Tank Johnson. Johnson played for Dallas the past two seasons, starting two games for the Cowboys.

While neither player can single- handily solve the Bengals’ problems, they do provide depth and skill sets should improve the team on both sides of the ball.

Cedric Benson’s resigning gives Cincinnati a viable NFL running back for the first time since Rudi Johnson fell off the face of the earth.

Benson may not jump to the top of anyone’s best running backs list, but he did post three 100-yard games, including a 171-yard performance against the Cleveland Browns in week 16.

Not bad, considering Benson did not attend an NFL training camp.

Not-so-bold prediction

The Bengals’ schedule does not look awful. They get Detroit, Kansas City and Denver at home and travel to Oakland. Those are four very winnable games.

The key games will again be the division match-ups against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. To have any shot at the postseason, the Bengals must split with the top two teams in the AFC North and sweep both against the Browns.

Seven wins would be a realistic goal for Cincinnati fans to hope for. If Carson Palmer can remain upright and return to his 2006 form and if the Bengals’ defense can plug up running lanes, a couple of wins could be added to that total.

However, if the offensive line fails to come together and if the defense takes a step back, another season of double-digit loses could be in order.

The Bengals again stand at the crossroads, and like Ralph Macchio in the movie "Crossroads," their best bet may be to sell their soul to the devil.