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!

There’s a lot of new faces on this Cincinnati squad whether it be veterans like Laveranues Coles or Roy Williams or rookies like Andre Smith and Rey Maualuga, but the point is, is that this team has been refocused and reenergized towards one thing and one thing only and that is winning.  I keep hearing people saying  without T.J. we can’t win, but I have news for them we still have Chad, in matter of fact a new and improved Chad, we have a new receiver in Coles who is just as good if not better than T.J. and before I forget we have a improved Chris Henry or as Carson likes to call him “Randy Moss Jr.”   Along with a improved and impressive offense we have a tenacious defense.  With key new additions like Roy Wlliams, Tank Johnson, and ReyMaualuga along side our current defense there is no doubt that we will have a top ten if not top five defense.  So the question is now, what does the new season hold for the new Cincinnati team of ’09?  That’s all I have for now.  Who Dey!