Cincinnati Bengals 2005 Preview

By John Onan  |   Friday, August 19, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Cincinnati Bengals
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!
Hopes haven't been this high for Cincinnati Bengal fans since the days of Ickey Woods shuffling in the end zone. It's been a long time since these AFC doormats have been legit playoff contenders, and third year coach Marvin Lewis certainly has this franchise moving in the right direction.

Strengths: The Cincinnati Bengals boast a deep and talented core of wide receivers. Most of the NFL already knew about Chad Johnson, who lived up to his hype by breaking the 1,000 yard receiving mark for the third straight year, but last season was also the coming out party for T.J. Houshmandzadeh. After appearing in only two games in 2003 due to severe hamstring pull, he came out of nowhere to catch 73 passes for 978 yards and added four touchdowns. Considering former top pick Peter Warrick will line up in the slot if healthy and Kelley Washington's continued improvement, quarterback Carson Palmer will have no shortage of weapons at his disposal.

Marvin Lewis is best known as the man who guided the Baltimore Ravens record setting defense in 2000, and now after some failures by this unit last year, he is committed to upgrading the Bengals in this area. Veteran run stuffing DT Bryan Robinson was brought in to play alongside pass rushers Justin Smith and Robert Geathers.

Lewis promoted assistant Chuck Bresnahan to defensive coordinator; the position he held for the Oakland Raiders when they won division titles three years in a row. The secondary returns basically the same crew as last season, where they were average. Bresnahan will certainly light the fire under players like corners Deltha O'Neal and Tory James. Overall, this unit should continue to improve and the D should rank in the top ten in 2005.

Rudy Johnson did a fine job in his first full year at starting tailback, replacing unhappy Corey Dillon. He rushed for 1,454 yards and tacked on 12 touchdowns. His backup Chris Perry was tabbed by many to unseat Johnson last season, but injuries slowed his progress. A healthy Perry will provide the Cincinnati Bengals with the quality depth they lacked in 2004.

The special teams was very good last year, especially the kicking game. Shayne Graham was one of the most accurate kickers in the league and Kyle Larson did a fine punting job in his rookie season and should do just as good if not better in 2005. Cliff Russell and Keiwan Ratliff were more than adequate in the return game and return to the same roles this year.

Weaknesses: LB Brian Simmons will once again be expected to be a leader at linebacker, as the Bengals used the NFL Draft to acquire two of Georgia's top linebackers, 1st round selection David Pollack and 2nd rounder Odell Thurman, to play alongside him. This defense is destined to improve on their lackluster run stopping, which ranked 26th in the league in 2004. Still, they will be starting two rookies and these guys will have to grow up fast. This group has all the talent in the world, but they are still green.

This is only Carson Palmer's second year, as he sat put during his rookie year as Jon Kitna nearly led the team to the playoffs in 2003. Palmer will continue to improve slowly, but the pressure on him in 2005 is immense. The media is assuming he'll put up huge numbers because of all the offensive weapons, but these expectations may be off base. Yes, he did throw for nearly 3,000 yards and should improve on his touchdown/interception ratio, but he is no Peyton Manning. Not yet anyway.

The offensive line returns intact and should continue to be solid opening holes for Johnson. Lewis is looking for improvement in pass protecting schemes. TE Matt Schobel doesn't catch a whole lot of passes but is dangerous in the red zone.

Overall: The Cincinnati Bengals will be in the hunt, but they are in a division that boasts two strong teams in the Ravens and Steelers. How well the rookie linebackers adjust to the NFL will go a long way in the success or failure on defense, particularly in stopping the run. Fortunately, the team is deep and fast at LB and Lewis won't hesitate to turn to other guys if the youngsters struggle.

On offense, Palmer should continue to blossom, despite the lofty expectations. The weapons at wide receiver will help with that, and having Johnson running as he did last year will also help.

This is the most talented Bengals team I have seen in years, a 10-6 season and wild card birth isn't too much to expect. Could be a three-way battle for the division; should be fun to watch.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report