Cincinnati Bengals: Five Factors Behind Their Impressive Start, Part One

Last May, I conducted an article discussing five factors for the Cincinnati Bengals to help reach the playoffs in 2009.

As we approach Week Nine of the regular season, the Bengals are in excellent shape to make a strong run at the playoffs with a 5-2 record, all while sitting at the top of the AFC North standings.

As the team gets ready for a home matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, I thought it would be fun to conduct a five-part series with five more reasons why the Bengals have been successful this season (including a few factors from the original article).

The first factor behind the Bengals early success is the return of quarterback Carson Palmer, who appears to be at full strength again and better than ever.

One of the main reasons why the Bengals finished 4-11-1 last season was because of the absence of Palmer, who was limited to playing in just four games because of a torn ligament and tendon in the elbow of his throwing arm. Without him, the Bengals struggled to get anything going on offense, finishing dead last in total yards per game (245.4) and points per game (12.2).

With a healthy Palmer back in the lineup, the offense is back where it should be. The passing game (224.7 yards per game) and running game (134.7 yards per game) both rank the Bengals in the top 10 for each category.

Palmer is arguably coming off one of the best performances of his career after finishing 20-of-24 for 233 yards and five touchdowns in a win against the Chicago Bears. For the year, he's thrown for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns, all while displaying the type of leadership skills the Bengals needed to get where they are now.

Three of the Bengals five wins have come from game-winning drives on the team's last offensive possession of the game, which would not have been possible without Palmer.

Not only did he manage to direct the Bengals offense through the air, but he did it on the ground with his feet. 

In an overtime win against the Cleveland Browns, Palmer scrambled 15 yards on a fourth-and-11 to help set up the game-winning field goal. The following week, he found himself in a similar situation against the Baltimore Ravens.

On a fourth-and-one with less than two minutes to play and the Bengals down 14-10, Palmer scrambled up the middle for six yards to keep the team's hopes alive. Eight plays later, he threw the game-winning touchdown to wide receiver Andre Caldwell to give the Bengals a 17-14 lead and eventually, the victory.

Without a healthy Palmer, it's difficult to imagine the Bengals coming off the bye week with a 5-2 record. He's been a major factor in the team's success this season and without him, these "Cardiac Cats" would not be where heading into the second half of the regular season.

This article can also be found at the new WhoDeyBengals.com

For questions or comments, email Dan Parzych at [e-mail]