2011 Cincinnati Bengals Sneak Preview Currently on Display

Nobody in their right mind would have guessed 34-20.

No Chad, no T.O., no problem for Carson Palmer and company.

Jerome Simpson hauled in the first two TDs of his career in route to a 124 yard day.

Andre Caldwell, previously seen in the beginning of '09, had his best game of the year. He hauled in four catches for 87 yards, including a 44 yard bomb.

The two third year pros finally were able to get out of the shadows of the TOcho show. They were the main targets and they delivered.

Was it a coincidence that Palmer played his best game of the year, completing 16 of 21 throws for 269 yards and four touchdowns? It was by far his best performance of the season. He was accurate, mentally engaged and didn't make a single mistake. He didn't throw an incompletion until 32 minutes into the game!

Now don't get all jacked up for next year just yet. The Bengals are notorious for winning games late in the schedule in a lost season. There are a ton of holes to fill and coaches to be fired.

But the record doesn't lie...the Bengals are 2-11 with T.O. and 2-0 without him.

Palmer seems more relaxed in the pocket as he isn't concerned about diva receivers demanding the ball. Simpson and Caldwell are playing for their Bengal lives and maybe that desperation is what really makes a player succeed.

That's not the only reason this team has won two straight. The offensive line has finally cleaned up the penalties and have protected Palmer beautifully the past month.

Rookies Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham have been steadily improving all year. Both look like big parts of the Bengals future on offense.

Second year back Bernard Scott recorded his first career rushing TD. He had 50 yards on 11 carries for a 4.5 yard average. Benson was only able to muster 2.2 yards a carry on 24 carries. Scott has shown that he should be getting more carries in 2011.

The emergence of rookie DE Carlos Dunlap is very exciting to watch. He recorded another sack on Sunday, upping his total to eight on the season.

Second year DE Michael Johnson made a stellar tackle to prevent the Chargers from scoring a TD on the one-yard line. He is athletic enough to play four different positions on the Bengals defense. Rookie DT Geno Atkins had two QB pressures as well.

Rey Maualuga had his second pick of the season against one of the top QBs in the league. It's time to say goodbye to Dhani Jones and move Maualuga to his natural position of middle linebacker. He doesn't have to run around like a chicken with his head cut off as much and will vastly improve the run defense.

Fellow USC linebacker Keith Rivers finally played well. Teetering on the balance beam of disappointment, Rivers made some solid tackles all over the field. Still not convinced he is a legit starter in this league, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.

Even the patchwork secondary had a solid game. Limiting Phillip Rivers was very impressive for players like Reggie Nelson and Keiwan Ratliff.

The Bengals beat a team desperate to win because of their young talent.

Simpson and Caldwell were blocked by Chad and T.O.

Scott has been blocked by Benson.

Dunlap, Atkins and Johnson have been blocked by Johnathan Fanene, Antwan Odom and Tank Johnson.

So maybe the Bengals really did have the talent to compete in 2010. Maybe it was just buried under the players that have lost their focus and hunger to win, players that have already established themselves in this league.

It's now time for a new wave of players to do just that.