Cincinnati Bengals: Reasons to Be Optimistic About the 2011 Season

It's a tough time to be a Bengals fan (isn't it always?).

The teams biggest weapons have left town, and with a multitude of coaching and player changes in what is an unfortunately truncated offseason, many fans are ready to throw in the towel before the season even begins.

But wait, amongst the characteristically disastrous moves/events of this offseason, there are some reasons for optimism...honestly.  

As the kickoff to the 2011 NFL season draws ever closer, Bengals fans wait with baited breath to witness the debuts of their new franchise quarterback, Andy Dalton, coupled with their prized No. 4 overall pick, A.J. Green.

The general consensus around the league is that the 2011 Bengals are in a re-building year, beginning what many are referring to as a "new era."

Whether a new era will bring new results is something that won't become clear for a number of years. This is undoubtedly an incredibly young team, and breathing room will need to be afforded to them, resulting in many fans and pundits writing off 2011 as an aforementioned rebuilding year.

Yet, there is one person who refuses to call it so, and that's Marvin Lewis. Lewis avoided using the term in an interview in late July, replying, "I don’t know. I think some would say we've changed for the positive. I said it in December it would be a new beginning." (It will be interesting to see if he changes his tune, were the Bengals to go 2-14)    

So is either side more in the right about the status of the Bengals' 2011 season? Not really. While the Bengals have undergone quite a radical change this offseason, they have made a number of moves that have been fairly solid.

While it's easy to point to a rookie quarterback and say that the Bengals will probably finish below .500, one has to remember that Andy Dalton might not have to do an awful lot to keep the Bengals competitive.

As was evident this past Friday night, the Bengals new West Coast offense is focusing on getting Dalton routinely completing short passes, getting the ball out of his hands long before the rush can get to him, and relying on gaining yards-after-catch.

While the receivers have little on-field experience, they're all young and hungry after stepping out from the shadow of their more well-known teammates towards the end of the 2010 season. 

If the Bengals focus on perfecting a simple and productive short-throw-heavy passing game, coupled with a renewed reliance on Cedric Benson, the pressure on Dalton could be significantly reduced.

It then comes down to how much faith you have in Benson to be the centerpiece of the Bengals offense once more. With Benson only managing to secure a one-year deal, he will have to perform if he hopes to secure another contract, or else to muster interest from other teams (something that was severely lacking this year, following his recent troubles).

Benson certainly sounded ready to get back to his 2009 form, commenting on Thursday night "I've always dreamed of being in that role and having that opportunity to kind of carry a team. That's all I know how to do."

Once a concern, the offensive line is beginning to look stronger than it has done in quite some time, with the recent acquisition of Max Jean-Gilles, who will compete with dismal Nate Livings, and rookie Clint Boling in is the mix.

Add to that a motivated and distinctly slimmer Andre Smith, and returning starters Andrew Whitworth, Bobbie Williams and Kyle Cook, and we start to have something resembling a fairly decent offensive line. And good thing, too, as Dalton is certainly going to need all the time he can get during his rookie year...

On the defensive side of the ball, Mike Zimmer will be looking to channel the emotion that saw his Bengals' total defense ranked at fourth overall back in 2009. With new faces in the form of Nate Clements, Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard, and with Rey Maualuga transitioning to middle linebacker, the defense will likely suffer growing pains.

If they can gel as a unit early in the season, there's no reason why they couldn't have a successful 2011 campaign. Discipline could well be the biggest issue here, with a short period to get everyone up to speed, silly penalties through things like false starts may well be the biggest thing tripping up the 2011 Bengals (on offense, too).

The 2011 Bengals are certainly not devoid of new and returning talent, and with a new offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden and a confidence inspiring defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer, things could certainly be worse.

For those comparing the 2011 Bengals to the 2010 Carolina Panthers, the Bengals recent free agency moves will hopefully have re-established some confidence in you. While 2011 could be tough to watch at times, there are definitely reasons for optimism in the Queen City.

Despite Bengaldom continuing to collectively wallow in a state of post-lockout blues, training camp is looking to be a more positive and productive place than it has been in many a year. Regardless of whether our faith as fans is at an all-time low (and rightfully so), the predominant theme emerging from Georgetown, Ky., is enthusiasm.

Whether or not fans have high hopes for this year, the team and coaches certainly do, as best summed up by Gruden:

"

"It's not like we don't have anything here," he said, leaning back behind a desk in a Bengals meeting room. "These guys are legitimate weapons, and these guys are legitimate players.

"Yes, it will be a challenge with whoever's on offense, and I don't think we can use any excuses. There's no excuse for us not to be great because we have great people here."

"

With a good few years yet until our young roster realises what they're in for, and ultimately become disgruntled and ask for a trade or simply retire, the next few years could be promising...