Cincinnati Bengals: Winners and Losers at the Season's Quarter Mark

The 2011 NFL season is 25 percent in the books, and in Cincinnati, they have something to smile about.  Many players—though that's not to say all of them—have stepped up in great ways to contribute to this team that sits at .500.

Winners have been pretty abundant in Cincinnati through four games.  Unfortunately, with the winners come a few losers.  Not every single player on a roster of over 50 can be an all-star. 

What has been more astounding about the 2-2 Bengals is the fact that they're the third-youngest team in the NFL.  They defeated a decent Cleveland Browns squad and put an abrupt end to the Buffalo Bills' hot streak, so there's quite a bit to be proud of through four games in the Queen City. 

These winners and losers can also be called the key aspects to watch the rest of the way.  Don't sleep on the Bengals—they're keeping the jungle very much alive.

WINNER: A.J. Green and Andy Dalton

We could classify these two alone as two separate winners—they've done that well.  However, their success has mostly come together with one benefiting the other. 

Andy Dalton has performed pretty well in three out of four games.  His first game was shortened, but he was sharp in the half he played.   Overall, Dalton has thrown for over 860 yards, and has four touchdowns and four picks.  Those aren't brilliant numbers, but as a second-round pick, he's been a steal.

One of Dalton's key components is his resilience.  In the first half against Buffalo on Sunday, Dalton was atrocious, going 5-for-18 with just over 100 yards and two interceptions.  The Bengals trailed 17-3 at halftime.

Then, he woke up and erupted to go 13-for-18 and threw a touchdown, ending with 298 yards.  Thus far, he's been able to show great poise and ability to stay calm in the pocket.

His favorite target has been A.J. Green, his fellow rookie.  Green has 19 catches and two touchdowns over his first four games.  He's on pace for a 1,000-yard season. 

Green brings a lot of speed to the young Bengals' offense.  Together, these two have been able to wake up what everyone thought would be a rather stagnant offense. 

LOSER: Manny Lawson

Manny Lawson was signed by the Bengals to try to give the team more depth at the already strong linebacker position.  So far, he's failed to impress.

Through four games, Lawson has a whopping seven tackles, none of which came this past weekend against Buffalo. 

Standing alongside Thomas Howard and Rey Maualuga, Lawson was supposed to bring a stellar pass rush to the Bengals' defense.  Unfortunately, he's proven himself to be pretty useless.

WINNER: Bengals' Defense

Despite Lawson's struggles, the entire defense has been a proverbial brick wall through four games.  Their defense has been the best in the league.

In particular, this team has been excellent about hounding the quarterback and burying him into submission.  Colt McCoy looked like a rookie again, Kyle Orton was erratic, Alex Smith—well, looked like Alex Smith, and the momentum of Ryan Fitzpatrick was set back to reality. 

Cincinnati is allowing under 90 yards to opposing runners, and under 200 yards to opposing passers.  It's always been said that defense wins championships.

I wouldn't imply that the Bengals' defense will be taking them into the playoffs.  However, it is the part of this team that was expected to deliver, and so far, they've done so in amazing fashion. 

LOSER: Jerome Simpson

Coming into 2011, I had extremely high expectations for Simpson—I even drafted him in one of my fantasy football leagues.

He ended 2010 on a bright note, pulling in 18 balls and three scores over the last two games.  Experts were calling him a sleeper.

Thus far, Simpson has caught 12 passes for 212 yards and hasn't found the endzone yet.  With the exception of a few bright spots here and there, Simpson hasn't quite found his spot with the offense yet.

In addition to on-field problems, Simpson was recently busted for having a lot of weed in his house.  Oh, how they continue to come to Cincinnati.

WINNER: The Fans

I understand that the attendance level at Paul Brown Stadium has been way down, but that's not what I'm referring to.

These Bengals earned the nickname, "The Cardiac Cats" back in 2009 after several late-game victories.  This year, it appears their games are continuing to come down to the wire with some excitement.

Their two losses have come by a combined seven points.  Fans have to be excited to see a team that, for the most part, has played well enough that they could very well be 4-0, if not for a few bad moments.

Dalton is throwing the ball all over the field, A.J. Green is pulling in passes like the best, and the defense has been on lockdown.  The Bengals may not see the postseason, but they've definitely been giving fans at least a little bit to get excited about.

LOSER: Offensive Line

When you look at who is on the offensive line for the Bengals, you'll see a pretty average group of players.  They play like it, too.

Despite success on the offensive side of the ball at times, Andy Dalton has seen his fair share of pressure.  Defenses have figured out that this o-line is not exactly good.  All they have to do is blitz, and Dalton is going to be in trouble.

They lack in size and mobility.  Most of the guys can't block even when there's only one man there.  Thus, Dalton is constantly running and under pressure, and Cedric Benson begins having trouble finding a seam in the defense.

All this while Shaun O'Hara STILL sits in free agency.

WINNER: Cedric Benson

Despite preseason jailtime and a battle over his suspension, Cedric Benson has been putting a respectable season together.

This is good news for offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden, who needs a decent running game to take some pressure off the young Andy Dalton.  Benson has accumulated 348 yards, and he's doing so on 4.5 yards per carry.

Those numbers indicate a positive motion upwards for the running game.  Benson never did look comfortable for the Bears, but knows he belongs in Cincinnati, and is climbing towards yet another good season in the Queen City.

LOSER: Carson Palmer

He's coming back, he's not coming back, he may be coming back....

Who cares?

Why this team continues to surround itself with controversy because of this clown is beyond me.  Even if he had come back to this team, I'll be one of the first to say that he wouldn't be the answer to a playoff run anyway.

A good thing is being built in Andy Dalton, and the team around him is playing exceptional football. 

If he comes back, welcome him... to the bench.

WINNER: Marvin Lewis

I'm not a huge fan of Marvin Lewis, but I give him credit for coaching a pretty young team with the success he's had so far.  He came into 2011 the longest-tenured head coach in football, but his seat was hot.

This is not to say that the heat is gone, but it has cooled a little bit.

There's a lot left in 2011, but so far, Lewis has done a great job with his young players.  They've been executing plays and being efficient on the field.

If he can get them to be a consistent team, they can string quite a few wins together.