Bengals vs. Broncos: Halftime Adjustments Cincinnati Must Make

We have reached the halfway point of the Bengals' second road game of the 2011 season, and it's been a really slow start for Cincinnati.

It seems the Bengals were expecting an easy win over the banged-up Broncos, and contrary to that, they're having a bit of a shock at Mile High Stadium. 

With that in mind, here's what the Bengals need to do in the second half to get on top of this one.

Stop the Run

Wow, that first drive was embarrassing!

Willis McGahee is looking confident in the early going. With a receiver-decimated roster, the Broncos will be putting a lot of weight on McGahee's shoulders, and from what we've seen so far, the Bengals are struggling to contain him, with Domata Peko and Pat Sims being blown away in the first half.

Kyle Orton has limited options through the air, with Eddie Royal going down early and Tim (FREAKIN') Tebow taking to the field in his place. If the Bengals can shut down the running game, they will make things easier for themselves, because as things stand, both Orton and McGahee are looking capable of putting up points.

Stop Relying on A.J. Green

Andy Dalton and Jay Gruden know they have something special in A.J. Green, but from what we've seen, they have forgotten Jerome Simpson, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley exist.

Yes, that is an overstatement, but relying on Green to make a play only works when you throw him a decent ball, and Andy Dalton has been ropey when targeting his No. 1 receiver.

The Bengals have looked better keeping things simple and spreading the passing game around, and they need to continue that in the second half.

Convert on Third Down

Three times in the first half, the Bengals faced 3rd-and-1, and three times they failed to convert.

With a real mix of aggressive play-calling and boneheaded obviousness, you can understand why the Bengals have struggled to convert on third down.

If Benson can't get the job done on third down and Andy Dalton can't fire one deep to Green on third down, then why not throw to the likes of Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley? They thrive on third downs, and it seems crazy to me that none of those third downs saw them targeted.

Stop Giving Away Silly Penalties

At the time of writing, the Bengals have given up three penalties for a total of 24 yards. It may not sound like a lot, but it has stopped the Bengals from making any sort of progress in the first half.

Andy Dalton and Cedric Benson have made some steady progress only to be undone by silly holding calls that are hurting the Bengals badly.

Every yard is essential to Dalton and the offense being able to build some semblance of a rhythm and a tempo like we saw in Cleveland, and right now they are stuttering.

The Bengals need to get in the locker room and get on the same page, as the clued-in, eager and alert young Bengals of Week 1 seem sadly absent here today.