Bengals’ Johnson shouldn’t have opened his mouth

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, May 05, 2006  |  Comments( 18 )

Cincinnati Bengals
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

On Wednesday, when asked about the Cincinnati Bengals' current roster, receiver Chad Johnson proceeded to foolishly claim that the team would not only win, but dominate the AFC North next season. He even went so far as to claim that "something was wrong" with those who didn't feel that way. Of course, everyone knows the Bengals, who are the defending AFC North champs, are an outstanding team, but that doesn't excuse Johnson's brash, yet unwise comments.

Last season, the Bengals ended up winning the AFC North with an 11-5 record, but they were beaten by the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card round. Coincidentally, the Steelers are the Bengals' biggest rival at this point, and more fuel was tossed on that fire in the previously-mentioned playoff game when Cincy's Pro Bowl quarterback, Carson Palmer, tore knee ligaments because of a below-the-knee hit from Pittsburgh defender Kimo von Oelhoffen. However, now that von Oelhoffen's a member of the New York Jets, the Bengals won't have to worry about taking revenge on him.

Still, the fact that Palmer's knee is still a major concern makes it unwise to think the Bengals will automatically be the top team in their division next season. He tore his ACL and MCL in January, and injuries of that severity usually take an extensive amount of time to fully recover from. If Palmer is unable to successfully return to his form of last year in next season's campaign, Johnson will be stuck with average backup Anthony Wright throwing the ball his way. Even with the Bengals' terrific offensive weapons, they aren't winning anything with Wright as their starting quarterback.

In addition, when looking around the AFC North, it's quite obvious that last year's pushovers, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, will be much more competitive next season.

The Browns made major improvements to their team this offseason by bringing in free agents like center LeCharles Bentley, left tackle Kevin Shaffer, receiver Joe Jurevicius, linebacker Willie McGinest, among others. They also brought in two of the draft's best linebacker prospects, Kamerion Wimbley and D'Qwell Jackson, last weekend. Thus, they no longer seem like a team the Cincinnati Bengals can steamroll twice a year.

The same can be said about the Ravens, which are expected to bring in soon-to-be former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. The 11-year veteran demonstrated last season that he can indeed get the job done, when he has sufficient time in the pocket. Led by left tackle Jonathan Ogden, the Ravens' offensive line will be able to give McNair time to throw, and solid receiving targets like Derrick Mason, Todd Heap and Mark Clayton could make for a potent Baltimore offense next season. Of course, the only way this would happen is if McNair wins the job over the incumbent quarterback, Kyle Boller. McNair has proven much more than Boller in his career, but the Ravens' former first-rounder came on late last season. He may finally be ready to develop, so McNair is not a guaranteed starter. On defense, the Ravens have added mammoth tackle Haloti Ngata via the draft, to go along with star defenders Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle, and that should greatly improve their defense. Hence, Johnson's comments are revealed as even more ludicrous because Baltimore could compete for a playoff spot next season.

Johnson may be one of the league's elite receivers, but it doesn't mean he should shoot his mouth off about dominating his division with the regular season still four months away. He's guaranteed victories in the past, but never has the receiver predicted something so large. The 28-year-old may be regretful of his comments next season if the Bengals' quarterback situation is a mess. The Steelers, Browns and Ravens could end up leapfrogging Cincinnati in the division next season. It may not seem likely right now, but it's only May. Anything can happen when the new football season begins next fall.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (18)

About Connor Byrne

...Sorry, Connor Byrne's bio is currently not available. Please check back soon!
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 18  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
thechosenone		09:04 AM
05/05/2006
What was Chad supposed to say? "I'm not sure Palmer is going to be back in time to start the season, our schedule is really hard ...
No.2
oldschooler		09:34 AM
05/05/2006
Funny, you were singing a totally different tune back on April 25th when the Bengals re-signed Chad Johnson... Maybe you should ...
No.3
boomer		10:05 AM
05/05/2006
Chad is going to be chad...don't really see where oldschooler is coming from though. Those are two completely different topics. ...
Team News  |  View All Bengals Content
Bengals halfway there for Ho ...
Just this week, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh p ...
2 months ago   |   Bengals halfway there for Houshmandzadeh ( 1 )
Bengals rush offense showing ...
In quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's first three starts for the Cincinnat ...
2 months, 2 weeks ago   |   Bengals rush offense showing signs of life ( 1 )
Ocho Cinco says his offseaso ...
According to loquacious Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco, it's no ...
2 months, 3 weeks ago   |   Ocho Cinco says his offseason is causing his off season ( 2 )
Palmer looking at Tommy John ...
As the Bengals gathered in their locker room before leaving New York w ...
2 months, 3 weeks ago   |   Palmer looking at Tommy John surgery? ( 4 )
Palmer’s elbow not getting a ...
After starting every game since returning from a horrific knee injury ...
2 months, 3 weeks ago   |   Palmer’s elbow not getting any better ( 2 )