Bengals will try to avoid bye week blues

By Tre Hutcherson  |   Tuesday, October 10, 2006  |  Comments( 4 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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The Cincinnati Bengals have a 3-1 record and are in the midst of their bye week. After getting the week off to rest up, head coach Marvin Lewis has the black and orange back to work, looking to avoid a letdown against the lowly 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bengals' win-loss record following a bye week is next to last in the NFL. They have gone a pathetic 2-7 after the break in their regular-season schedule. Quarterback Carson Palmer has done nothing to remedy the trend. Since becoming the team's starter, he has lost both of his attempts ('04,'05) to win a game after being idle.

And if there were ever a chance to fall victim to a "trap-game" scenario, it would be now.

The Bengals, although sitting on a winning record, were manhandled before their break by the New England Patriots, 38-13, and they find themselves sitting disappointedly in second place behind the resurgent Baltimore Ravens, who are 4-1.

Not only did the beating by the Pats bruise the Bengals' collective ego, it left the organization's brain trust with a lot of problems to solve for a team that is considered by some as a Super Bowl contender.

The two biggest questions on everyone's mind in the Queen City right now are: Will the defense ever be able to stop the run? And, Will the banged up offensive line be able to protect Carson Palmer?

After finishing the 2005 season 20th in rushing defense and 27th overall in team defense, the Bengals worked to find answers in the offseason to improve on their 11-5 record. Yes, they won the AFC North. Yes, they made the playoffs. Yes, they could score points in bunches. But their defense was questionable, and having come to the Cincinnati organization by way of the Ravens, Marvin Lewis knows as well as anyone that defense wins championships.

With this shortcoming in mind, the team nabbed behemoth free agent DT Sam Adams to fill the plugger role. Cincy used two of its top four draft picks on defensive linemen, taking Frostee Rucker and Domata Peko. And the Bengals added the final touch by bringing in a former Super Bowl MVP, safety Dexter Jackson, from the Buccaneers to toughen up the second and third levels of their defense.

And now, a quarter of the way through the season, the Cincinnati defense appears worse off after the retooling. The team is giving up 144 yards a game on the ground and, as mentioned earlier, is currently ranked 27th in run defense. Running backs Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon tore through the Bengals for almost 200 yards rushing in New England's lop-sided victory, and it is most certain that future opponents will be keying on the run game as the way to conquer the 'Cats.

The upcoming game against Tampa Bay will be Cincinnati's first chance to answer the questions regarding the defense. Although the Buccaneers lost a close one to New Orleans on Sunday, Bucs RB Cadillac Williams had his best game of the season with 111 yards rushing on 20 carries. He has to be salivating at the chance to go against the Bengals' Swiss cheese-like front seven.

Add to the situation the fact that Tampa Bay is playing with a rookie quarterback, and you know that head coach Jon Gruden is planning on using the run heavily in his team's attempt to notch its first win.

With games on the horizon against Carolina's DeShaun Foster, Atlanta's three-headed monster of Warrick Dunn, Michael Vick and Jerious Norwood, Baltimore's Jamal Lewis and San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, the Bengals need to show that they can stop the run this week against the Bucs, or there could be big trouble down the road.

If it were only a few defensive adjustments that needed to be made by defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan, it might not be so bad, but the Bengals have other concerns that are just as alarming.

The Bengals' high-powered offense, ranked sixth overall in the NFL in 2005, has sunk to a mediocre 19th in the league during the early part of this season. Palmer has been sacked 15 times and has seven fumbles already this season. The once-dominant offensive line is banged up and it is uncertain when its anchor, 13-year veteran Rich Braham, will return to his center position.

Both Pittsburgh and New England were able to get in the backfield and get to Palmer often. If the O-Line problems continue for the Bengals, Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice could have a big day.

Be on the lookout for Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to mix in a lot of blitzes and interior line stunts to keep the Bengals' piece-meal offensive line off-balance and QB Carson Palmer under pressure. Palmer has shown a tendency this season to get flustered, and already has four interceptions in his first four games.

The Buccaneers are like a wounded animal right now, and to take their defense for granted would be the biggest mistake the Bengals could make. The Bengals need to limit their turnovers, keep the ball moving for first downs with RB Rudi Johnson and protect Palmer in the pocket. If the Bucs can rattle the Bengals' offense early, it could make for an interesting game.

Flopping against the winless Bucs could make it hard for Cincy to recover. With tougher games upcoming, it is essential to hold up to the NFL tenet that ,"you have to win the games you are supposed to win." A loss against the Buccaneers could further undermine the team's wavering confidence.

It is of utmost importance that both the offensive and defensive interior lines play better against the stumbling Buccaneers, or Cincinnati could allow its bye week history to cruelly repeat itself.

A loss would send the Bengals to a 2-8 record after the break, and tie them for dead last with the New York Giants in that dubious statistical category.

Get weekly Cincinnati Bengals coverage at RealFootball365.com
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