9.) Marvin Lewis and Mike Zimmer

First thing is first, it all starts with the coaches but most of all the head coach.  Marvin Lewis has had his ups and down through the years (mostly because Mike Brown wouldn’t let him have total control of the team) but as of lately he seems to have control of his team.  With that being said the Bengals now have come together as a team and play team ball unlike the days of the Chad Johnson era.  Also Mike Zimmer has down miracles with the defense.  Taking the defense that had a hard time stopping the run and pass to a top four defense, it’s no wonder why this Bengals team is so pumped again this year.  Also Zimmer took two young talented corners and turned them in to one of the best, if not the best corner tandem in the NFL.

8.) Special Teams

The special teams could be a key part to the Bengals success.  With three great kick/punt returners in Adam Jones, Jordan Shipley, and Quan Cosby, the sky is pretty much the limit, and by the way these guys played in the preseason we could end up seeing a couple touchdowns.

7.) Offensive Front

The Offensive line is much improved, they are a year older and wiser, not to mention this will be the second season that these guys have been together.  With the leadership from Bobbie Williams and Andrew Whitworth along side second  year center Kyle Cook and the up and coming Andre Smith, there should be fewer penalties and mistakes than last season, not to mention they should be able to protect Carson better and make more holes for Benson and Scott to run through.

6.) Defensive Front

The defensive front should be fun to watch this season.  Between Zimmer having more tricks up his sleeves and Michael Johnson moving from defensive end to linebacker the opposing quarterback is going to have to be on the top of his game if his team is going to have success or maybe none at all.  Also with rookie defensive tackle Geno Atkins thrown in the mix with the likes of Peko, Tank, and Odom, it’s going to be super scary for the opposing quarterback and tailback.  Another thing that should make it very interesting is the fact this will be Rey Maualuga’s second season and along side Rivers, Dhani, and Michael Johnson the pass rush should in fact be one of the best if not the best in the NFL.

5.) Shut Down Corner Tandem

The Bengals have by far the best corner tandem in the league and even the other teams and NFL “experts” admit it, but why don’t they consider Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph as lock down corners?  I will never understand the reason behind that, but there is one thing I know and that is the fact that if it wasn’t for these two guys shutting down whoever comes there way, then the Bengals defense wouldn’t be anything, and once again Hall and Joseph will be a key part of the defense especially if the Bengals are going to make a run at the Super Bowl.  Along with Hall and Joseph, you still have Adam Jones who still has a lot of talent and could end up being another shut down corner in this tandem and then there is the second year corner Trent Morgan who has also shown flashes in the preseason of becoming a lock down corner.  With these four guys covering the opposing team’s receivers, it shouldn’t be a problem for the front seven to pressure and get to the opposing quarterback.

4.) Rookie Duo

I wonder if there has ever been a time that Carson wished he had his own Wes Welker or Antonio Gates, well I’m sure that has crossed his time a couple times during his career.  With the new additions of rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham and rookie receiver Jordan Shipley, Carson now has the weapons that he’s never really had to spread and get down the field ever since the loss of Chris Henry.  Gresham will make the offense explode, especially in redzone situations allowing Carson to have a target that could possibly end up being a unstoppable force down in the redzone.  Shipley on the other hand will most likely become Carson’s go to guy on third downs.  With the ability to get through the nooks and crannies and lose his defender, Shipley will be able to be that guy Carson can go to in a tight situation, just like back in the days of the T.J. era.

3.) Batman and Robin

Whether it be Batman and Robin, T.O. and Chad, or Ochouno and Ochocinco, I think this receiver duo pretty much explains itself.  If you look at the stats, they pretty much say that the Bengals have the best starting receivers in the league.  Sure T.O. might have lost a step but he still knows how to separate from his defender and burn him, and Chad, well you know that story.  Also there are a lot of people saying once T.O. and Chad don’t get there reception or if the team loses or starts losing (that could be a big if) the two receivers are going to start a conflict within the locker room, but the fact is, is between Carson and Marvin it won’t happen, not to mention the fact that last season in Buffalo really humbled T.O. so that right there should be a reason not to worry about any locker room conflicts.

2.) Ced Benson

Even though Carson has some new toys, still look for the Bengals to pound the ball with Ced.  Although there will be more of a passing game, Marvin will make sure the running game is going just so the passing game can reach its full potential, but Benson shouldn’t be too worried because he’ll still get all his carries and most likely have a better season than last year.  Along side Benson will also be Bernard Scott who will take part of the load off Ced so he can be ready for the long run.

1.) Carson Palmer

Number 9 will be the key to the Bengals success offensively.  As long as Carson stays healthy and the O-line keeps him on his feet and protective, then the sky is the limit for the Cincinnati Bengals.  Also look for Carson to have his best season by far, I predict he will be throwing for some big numbers this year which should get his name back among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

In conclusion, I expect the Bengals to be playing in the Super Bowl as long as none of these nine things collapse on us, but it’s very doubtful that will happen.  So get ready Bengals Nation, this is our time to prove to the best of the best of the NFL that we mean business and we’re going nowhere.  That’s all I’ve got for now.  WHO DEY!

Dear Bengals Nation,

Feb. 6, 2011 is now marked on my calendar with a big orange circle. As I joined the Cincinnati Bengals and continue my career I’m very excited with the opportunity to be in pursuit of the championship.

First off, I’m thankful to Mike Brown and the Bengals organization for giving me another opportunity to play football.

Second, I’m certain in life nothing is guaranteed – but for us to win the Super Bowl it will take a total team effort.

Third, I’m promising you that the focus will be stronger than you’ve ever seen it. Life isn’t always easy but it’s the bumps along the way that makes you stronger. With my “me against the world” mentality as a young man, I’ve learned that life can be more challenging but I’ve matured.

If it wasn’t for the support of my grandmother and the love of my family and true friends, I would be lost. My faith, confidence and maturity keeps me strong and focused on more than just T.O.

The Bengals are now my extended family and I look forward to learning more about your city, teammates, coaches and you all. This is my home and I’m happy to be in the Midwest. I’m confident in our team’s chances of winning the title, so anything less than the playoffs is unacceptable to us. It will definitely take a fight but if my gut is correct, Who Dey Nation will be proud this season. I signed here for a reason.

With hard work and unity, this team will restore power and respect. We’re focused on playing in Texas on Feb. 6. Just take a look at my calendar, the date is saved. Let’s make the Jungle roar this season!

Yours truly,

Terrell Owens aka T.O. aka “I’m Batman!”

Sources from NFL.com and various other websites are saying that the Bengals could reach a injury settlement with AB, and that would mean that he would never play a down for the Cincinnati Bengals, however seeing that they guranteed Bryant to $10 million this season that would mean Bryant would get a big chunk of that if the two sides were to part ways.  The Bengals are concerned because Bryant hasn’t practiced since the first day of training camp due to a linguring knee injury and since he practiced the first day of training camp they can’t put Bryant on the PUP list.

With the signing of T.O. and the emergence of Shipley and Gresham down the middle I could see the Bengals parting ways with Bryant seeing that he is a huge health risk.  That’s all I have for now, so until next time, WHO DEY!

Against the Cowboys Shipley was targeted a couple times but could only grab two of them for 17 yards, but noticing he was kind of nervous I wouldn’t blame the guy.  The best highlight of the night for Shipley that really made him shine was his 64 yard punt return that should have been a touchdown however he was knocked out at the one yard line.

Once Jordan got all the nervousness and jitters out against the Cowboys, it was against the Broncos where he showed his real potential.  When the Carson and company went into a three receiver set Shipley got his chance to play with the first team and he proved he was meant to be there slot receiver.  Being targeted five times by Carson, and some by his back ups,  Jordan was able to catch all five passes for 50 yards.  Being covered the whole time Shipley was still able to get past his defender and getting through the nooks and crannies so that he could make those catches and two of them being on 3rd down situations.

In conclusion Shipley is showing flashes  of why in the coming days and future he will be one of the best slot receivers around the NFL.  Carson will be especailly pleased because he hasn’t had this type of receiver since T.J.  Also the Bengals are indicating that Shipley is the frontrunner for manning the slot postion when they go into three receiver sets.

The Bengals first round draft pick was Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham.  Gresham did not play a game in the 2009 season due to a knee injury which has been repaired, but when he’s healthy he is a beast.  In 2008 he had a career high of 14 TDs and he averaged 14.4 yards per catch.  Also he got a reputation for being a clutch receiver when he came up big catching Oklahoma’s to touchdowns against Florida in the 2009 BCS Championship game.  Another quality he has is that he can block, so this might mean free agent Reggie Kelly might be out of a job, making Coffman Greshams back up.

 Cincinnati’s second round pick was Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap.  Dunlap is a great pass rusher, but most likely will be backing up Robert Geathers.  However the Bengals will probably use him in third down situations to rush the QB.  The only bad note about Dunlap is, is that he got a DUI four days before the SEC Championship game and so he got suspended for that game.

The Bengals had two picks in the third round, the first pick was Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley and the second pick was Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee.

Jordan Shipley is known as a play-maker, he was always there when former teammate and now division rival Cleveland Brown quarterback need a go to guy.  Shipley has come up big in many key games including the national championship game where he had 10 receptions for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Shipley is also being compared to former Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker.  With his talent Shipley will be a perfect slot receiver on all downs especially on third downs where he could become Carson’s go to guy for third down conversions just like T.J. was.

Brandon Ghee brings depth to the Bengals secondary.  He’s a very quick guy and could possible make the NFL’s top corner duo into a trio.  Ghee will most likely be competing with Trent Morgan for the last nickle corner job.

Bryant signed a four year deal with the Bengals and is now Chad’s new running mate which should make it a interesting season coming up.

This also means it’s very unlikely that the Bengals will sign T.O. and end the pursuit for Brandon Marshall.

Probably every Bengals fan has heard or either seen that the organization is interested in T.Old, Antonio Bryant, and Brandon Marshall.  But here’s the thing, there is only one receiver that actually help us in the long run and I think we all know who that is, Brandon Marshall.

This decision of picking up Marshall should be a piece of cake. Even the NFL analysts say Marshall would be a perfect fit for Cincinnati. So why don’t you just give up the first round pick for a proven NFL receiver instead of trying to draft one that may not develop into the kind of receiver we need, seeing that you already made that mistake two years ago passing up DeSean Jackson and drafting Jerome Simpson.  I’m not saying that T.Old won’t help us or even Antonio Bryant but there is issues with both of them.  First of all T.Old is 36 and is getting slower coming off the line of scrimmage, also you have to think about all the chaos he has brought to the other teams he played for.  Then you have Antonio Bryant, he’s a good receiver when he’s healthy,  but the fact that he’s injury proned could hurt us more than he could help us.  So ask yourself Mr. Brown, what’s going to help us in the long run, is it going to signing a great old receiver for one year or maybe signing an ok receiver that it’s going to hurt us when he gets hurt, or you could go with the smart choice and go with Brandon Marshall who has just begun his great career and will help keep the Bengals on top of the AFC North and NFL for years to come.  So I’m going to speak for myself and the rest of Bengals Nation, give up the first round pick and sign Brandon Marshall because most likely we’ll regret it at the end of next season.

                                                                                                         Sincerely,

                                                                                                    Ethan McDaniel

Also the Bengals are interested in 36 year old receiver Terrell Owens and 28 year old Antonio Bryant who is the youngest decent receiver left in free agency and is expected to be in Cincinnati for a visit on Tuesday.

In other notes, free agent DT Tank Johnson has almost reached a deal and will once again be wearing stripes this coming up season.

Leave a comment and tell us your favorite memories of Chris.

10. For the Bengals not having to worry about Pittsburgh or Baltimore making the playoffs.

9. For Chad to reach 10,000 career receiving yards this year.

8. See Carson go deep more often.

7. For Ced  to get 1,300+ yards rushing this season.

6. See Carson, Chad, Ced, Leon, JJoe, Jeremi Johnson, Andrew Whitworth, and Robert Geathers make it to the Pro Bowl.

5. For the defense to be #1 overall in rush defense and in the top five overall defense.

4. See Chad do the Icky Shuffle as a TD celebration.

3. Finish out the season 12-4 if not 13-3 with the bye and the second in the AFC.

2. To play Indy in the AFC Championship game and beat them to advance to the Super Bowl.

1. To see the Bengals in the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl.