Cincinnati Bengals: Cedric Benson's Three-Game Ban Reduced to One

In the shadow of the recent news about Carson Palmer, it has been reported by NFL.com's Jason La Canfora that Cedric Benson's three-game suspension has been reduced to one game and a fine.

This comes as great news for the Bengals, whose back-up running back, Bernard Scott, has failed in recent weeks to show the power or toughness that Benson brings to the table.

The news has been a long time coming, and will come as a major relief to rookie QB Andy Dalton and head coach Marvin Lewis—the latter of whom oversaw workouts for Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis while the verdict simmered, in the event that Benson's appeal was not successful.

Assuming that he sits out the next game (a trip to Seattle following the bye week), the Bengals will be pleased that they will have Benson back in time to face Pittsburgh on the 13th of November. While CenturyLink Field can be a particularly tough road game, Benson's contribution may not prove vital in toppling a struggling Seahawks side.

Scott, Benson's back-up, has seen an increase in carries while the Benson case has dragged on, and it will be interesting to see how he plays in Seattle, or whether the Bengals will spread the ball around between him, Brian Leonard and Cedric Peerman. 

This is a big victory for the Bengals and for Cedric Benson, who will be happy to put this all behind him. Despite having only one 100-plus-yard game in 2011 thus far, you have to think that Benson will get a significant boost out of his victory in this dispute, and will be ready to go against Tennessee in three weeks' time.