Cincinnati Bengals: How Far Can the 5-2 Bengals Go in 2011?

At 5-2 heading into Week 9 of the 2011 NFL season, its good to be a Bengals fan. Prior to the start of the regular season, expectations were low in Cincinnati and bloggers/experts/pundits etc, wrote this campaign off as a rebuilding year.

It comes as somewhat of a surprise then, that the 2011 Cincinnati Bengals have amassed more wins in seven games then they did all year in 2010. 

Despite my wishes being fulfilled through the acquisition of A.J. Green and Andy Dalton, I truthfully didn't expect more than five, maybe six wins this year, but with the stout play of the defense, and some simple but effective offensive play-calling from Jay Gruden, coupled with Dalton's veteran poise, I find myself just about ready to abandon all preconceptions about this team.

It has proved to be a bizarre NFL season, and whether you attribute it to the lockout or not, the playoff race remains wide open, particularly in the AFC North.

So where is the ceiling for the 2011 Bengals?

Well, when all is said and done, the Bengals may still emerge from 2011 with only five or six wins, and as many have pointed out, the Bengals haven't exactly travelled a tough road to this point, and they might be right. Not to mention the fact that post-Tennessee, the schedule starts to look mighty scary with four back-to-back divisional games, featuring two battles with a Steelers team that just knocked off the Patriots.

The 2011 campaign from here on out will likely be defined by the defense. Mike Zimmer has built a powerhouse, with strong depth and more importantly, a great attitude. With Dalton unlikely to match the likes of Ben Roethlisberger's TD output any time soon, it will be up to the defense to keep games within Cincy's reach.

Logic tells us that a Bengals team that couldn't topple the Denver Broncos is certainly not going to produce against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. But as I said previously, it's been a bizarre season, look no further than the St.Louis Rams' dismantling of the Saints on Sunday to find proof.

So here's the question we really want to ask: Can the 2011 Cincinnati Bengals make the playoffs?

If I cast aside my fandom for a moment, I have to admit that it's extremely unlikely. I couldn't be more pleased with what the team has done so far this year and there is a lot of potential there, however, we might not see the payoff in 2011. 

The Bengals defense will continue to impress, of that I'm sure, but they can only do so much, and it's up to Andy Dalton & Co. to put points on the board. But with the rookie territory that Andy Dalton finds himself in, mistakes will occur. The Bengals will not get away with the silly mistakes they have made on offense thus far this season, and as teams see more and more of Dalton on film, they'll know what to exploit.

But, we will remain positive. If the season were to end today, Cincy would be making a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Chiefs in a Wildcard match-up. In a year that we expected to be all doom and gloom, just knowing that the playoffs remain within reach, is really something.