Cincinnati Bengals' Offense Ready To Explode Out of the Gate

The Cincinnati Bengals offense is about to explode like a bottle rocket on the fourth of July. Looking up and down their offensive depth chart, this is the most talented Bengal offense that I've seen in a while.

Let's go through each position. 

Quarterback: Carson Palmer (Backup: JT O'Sullivan, Jordan Palmer)

Let's start with the obvious, Carson Palmer, the man who will captain this team to amazing heights. Whatever Palmer did in his previous life, it must've been bad, because he has had some of the worst karma any NFL player has had. Palmer stormed from his Heisman days at USC to lead Cincinnati to a playoff bid in only his 3rd year (really, it was his second year of playing as he didn't play a down as a rookie). As everybody knows, Palmer threw a beautiful 66-yard pass on his first play, and got his knee torn up by a diving Pittsburgh Steeler.

Ever since then, Palmer has battled injuries. Last season was one of full health. Although Palmer didn't play up to the standards he set earlier in his career, he was good in leading Cincinnati to the playoffs.

This year, expect Palmer to put up huge statistical numbers. Don't worry about the TO presence and how he will react battling for  touches with Ochocinco (explained more in depth below). Owens was able to get away with his childish behavior when he had weaker-minded quarterbacks like McNabb and Romo throwing him the ball. Ochocinco has been doing worse things than Owens throughout his career, and Palmer is assertive enough and strong-willed enough to slap him into line.

Running Backs: Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott (Brian Leonard)

The Bengals are blessed to have not only a good starting back, but also a capable backup in tow if things go wrong. Cedric Benson played very well last season: 1251 yards and a 4.2 y/avg. while only playing 13 games. He's a troublemaker and already got into hot legal water over the offseason for assault. Talent-wise, he's one of the most valuable in the league. If he's playing, he gives Cincy a big boost; if he doesn't then...

...Then here comes Bernard Scott, a RB that can pick up the slack if Benson gets hurt or suspended. Scott is not as talented as his teammate, but he can still run the ball at about the same clip. The Bengals' much improved offensive line also helps this.

Wide Receivers: Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant, Jordan Shipley (Andre Caldwell, Matt Jones, Maurice Purify)

Now here we come to why the Bengals will be so good offensively: their wide-outs. Although putting Owens and Ochocinco together might look like a cruel joke to the rest of the league, nobody can doubt their potential together. Neither Owens or Ochocinco can be single-teamed, and at least on the field, that will provide Cincy with a lot of opportunities over the air.

Putting these two loud mouths together might make it seem that they will inevitably danger the team chemistry. However, Palmer (as mentioned above) has such a strong character that these three (QB and the two WR) will end up working together rather than against each other. Palmer has, more or less, been able to control Ochocinco for the time that he's been in the NFL. There are stories of Ochocinco (back when he was Chad Johnson) running the wrong route during a game as a joke, and then getting chewed out by Palmer in front of the whole team.

Owens and Ochocinco will be getting the majority of the looks, but nobody can forget about Antonio Bryant (recently signed after an injury-plagued year at Tampa), nor can they forget rookie Jordan Shipley (University of Texas) who will be a very good NFL player. Anybody who watched Shipley play during his college career knows that he is a guy to be reckoned with. He was Colt McCoy's favorite target for 2009, and I remember him scoring two touchdowns against Alabama in the NC game.

Tight End: Jermaine Gresham (Reggie Kelly)

Just ask San Diego or Kansas City fans, having a great tight end can turn an offense from "good" to "exceptional." Adding Gresham to this offense is like hunting cattle with a bazooka. Not only is Gresham a terrific talent, but he will be given full opportunity to succeed. Thanks to the wideouts, Gresham will go most plays being single-teamed. He will make instant impact in this league. Look up his preseason stats; Palmer has already marked him as one of his favorites.