Cincinnati Bengals: Why Are the Top-Two Players Struggling So Much?

The 2-3 Cincinnati Bengals have been a major disappointment in 2010.
 
Bringing in Terrell Owens was supposed to make the pass offense much more explosive. It was supposed to be the missing piece to a possible championship contender.
 
Instead the Bengals offense has been a major disappointment.
 
Critics around the league believe Carson Palmer is no longer a top-tier QB. He has two 300-yard games, but both games have been in losing efforts. He has thrown the ball wide, long and has had poor chemistry with Chad Ochocinco.
 
Palmer chose not to under-go Tommy John surgery after injuring his elbow in ’08. He decided to just rest it and hope for the best.
 
That may have been a move that will end his career much earlier than it should have. Palmer simply doesn’t look like the QB he once was. His throwing mechanics seem off and his lack of accuracy has proven that. So has his 78.3 QB rating.
 
The issues with Ochocinco manifested against the Bucs when a pass to Chad that could of set up the game winning field goal ended up being intercepted and essentially the game was given away.
 
Ocho admitted he “basically lost the game” afterwards.
 
"That's a time when a superstar is supposed to make that play, and the field-goal kicker comes on and kicks it.  And I miss it," said Ochocinco.  "That's what I mean about the confidence.  A confident Chad catches the ball 10 out of 10 (times)."
 
Why is Chad struggling with his confidence? His buddy is now on the team and the two were going to destroy DBs across the league. Ochocinco only has 26 catches for 316 yards and one TD. These pedestrian numbers don’t match the career numbers for the former Pro Bowl receiver.
 
So two of the longest tenured Bengals can’t get on the same page? After all the success the tandem has had over the years, it seems like an exceedingly distant memory right now.
 
Ochocinco claims he will be going back to the “Chad of old” for the rest of the season, using words like “boisterous" and "borderline cocky-arrogant” to describe his plans. So that’s his plan for fixing this mess?
 
Owens has been Palmer’s favorite target this season. Owens' 31 receptions are tied for the seventh-most in the NFL, and his 476 receiving yards are fifth in the league. He also has two TDs.
 
The big difference is in the amount of intended targets for each receiver. Owens already has accumulated 60 passes thrown to him, while Ochocinco only has 48.
 
Is this an “elephant in the room” type issue that is starting to get under Chad’s skin? Is Robin beginning to get jealous of Batman?
 
I think it’s still too early in the season to make that accusation but the anger had a whole week to fester.
 
Maybe Chad should have focused more on football in the offseason. He was featured in Dancing with the Stars and his own show on VH-1 called The Ultimate Catch.
 
Most fans didn’t mind Dancing with the Stars as it gave him a chance to practice his footwork and was staying in shape. Yet he had to dedicate a solid six weeks to it.
 
And the dating show? Child please.
 
I’m not saying these are the reasons Chad has struggled. But it certainly doesn’t help much.
 
Add it all up and Chad and Carson need to figure this out. They have been together longer than almost every other tandem in the league and they need to play like it.
 
The 2010 season depends on it.