SB Nation - Laveranues Coles

Jets Flight Connections 120909

dvdvil — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:52:00 -0000

Rich Cimini wants QB Mark Sanchez to sit out on Sunday. He also turns an innocent compliment by FB Tony Richardson on the running game into a negative assessment of WR Braylon Edwards.

Peter King is impressed with the Jets rushing offense, and especially with OL Coach Bill Callahan.

RB Thomas Jones is performing very well and is up for another FedEx Ground Player award. He won this before in Week 6. Vote for him here. Vote early and often.

And I also want to remind everyone that so far, only G Alan Faneca is leading the Jets in the ProBowl voting. Vote for Revis, C Nick Mangold, LB David Harris and other deserving Jets here.

Jets practice squad FB Jason Davis also likes the run game and prepares like a starter. Another young guy on the squad is LB Jamaal Westerman, and I found this article on him.

Dave Hutchinson takes a quick look at the next game and reiterates that CB Darrelle Revis could be considered the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Cannizzaro lauds HC Rex Ryan's in-game defensive adjustments. Larry to the Izzo compares Rex to Bill Belichick.

But Newsday's Roderick Boone says don't believe the Jets defense hype. (You can't actually read the full article without paying. Seriously, what the hell, Newsday?)

Maybe he's got a point, because despite the stats, the Jets are just a .500 team.

Hopefully, that will change on Sunday. Obviously, we are expected to beat Tampa Bay.

More connections after the jump.

Nick Mangold, Giants TE Kevin Boss and CB Corey Webster, the teams's owners and some fans stepped onto the field yesterday. Mangold talks about the stadium in this video.

The New Meadowlands Stadium will have removable endzone and midfield turfs. We will actually be seeing the Jets logo at the 50 yard line next year.

Find out more about the field turf here.

Some NFL kickers will not miss the current stadium and the swirling winds within it.

Sports Illustrated rates the Dewayne Robertson draft pick as the worst trade of the decade. Meanwhile, the Patriots are pretty much the best everything. Oh, and they also talk about this thing called SpyGate.

The branches of the Belichick coaching tree are not getting along.

In the loss to the Dolphins, are the Patriots players to blame and not the coaches?

Examiner.com blames last year's Jets meltdown not on QB Brett Favre, but on Jones and Coles. Vikings TE Vishanthe Shiancoe is confident the same thing won't happen in Minnesota.

WR Laveranues Coles is still adjusting to the Bengals system. His teammate Chad Ochocinco is having fun in Cincinnati - and paying for it.

Are we rooting for the Browns on Thursday? Steelers WR Hines Ward might miss that game.

Lastly, Kerry Locklin, we hardly knew ya.

Inactive List: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:38:57 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Bengals_Helmet.gif" height="154" width="200" />
INACTIVE	DOUBTFUL	PROBABLE
Jordan Palmer	Jonathan Luigs	Laveranues Coles
Domata Peko	Domata Peko	Kyries Hebert
Bernard Scott	Bernard Scott	Tank Johnson
Jonathan Luigs		Rey Maualuga
Jerome Simpson		Frostee Rucker
Chase Coffman		Morgan Trent
Dan Skuta		Cedric Benson
Fui Vakapuna		Keith Rivers
		Tom Nelson

Lions_Helmet.gif" height="154" width="200" />
INACTIVE	OUT	PROBABLE
QB Drew Staton	S Kalvin Pearson	DT Grady Jackson
WR Eric Fowler	WR Eric Fowler	DE Andre Fluellen
S Kalvin Pearson		LB Zack Follett
FB Terrelle Smith	QUESTIONABLE	WR Calvin Johnson
LB Ernie Sims	G Daniel Loper	QB Matthew Stafford
G Daniel Loper	S Louis Delmas
OT Ephraim Salaam	LB Ernie Sims
DT Grady Jackson	DE Dewayne White

Injury Report: Detroit Lions (2-9) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:18:59 -0000

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
C Jonathan Luigs (back)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
RB Bernard Scott (toe)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
S Kyries Hebert (hip)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
DE Frostee Rucker (neck)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
DT Orien Harris (illness)	--	DNP	--	--
S Tom Nelson (foot)	--	--	DNP	Probable

DETROIT	WED	THUR	FRI
G Daniel Loper (back)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Questionable
S Kalvin Pearson (hamstring)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
S Louis Delmas (ankle)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
WR Eric Fowler (knee)	LP	DNP	DNP	Out
DT Grady Jackson (knee)	LP	DNP	LP	Probable
LB Ernie Sims (hamstring)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
DE Dewayne White (toe)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
DE Andre Fluellen (toes)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Zack Follett (neck)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
WR Calvin Johnson (knee)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
QB Matthew Stafford (left shoulder)	FP	FP	FP	Probable

Six-Pack of Hu-Dey: Bengals passing game, Cedric Benson's expected return

Kirkendall — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:10:43 -0000

Perhaps expectations for Laveranues Coles were misplaced. When the Bengals signed wide receiver Laveranues Coles to a $28 million contract soon after losing out on the T.J. "ain't no way I'm staying in poor ass Cincinnati" Houshmandzadeh puppet show, we tried to justify that signing Coles was sensible because, while he brought different attributes to the table, the Bengals offense wouldn't miss that much. Boy, we nailed that one like Homer Simpson reroofing his house.

Through 11 games this season, Coles has recorded only 31 receptions for 379 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns. At this pace, he'll finish the season with 45 receptions for 551 yards receiving. This would be, by far, his worst 16-game season in his career (he missed four games in 2007 and three games in 2000). Of the 61 times Carson Palmer has thrown to Coles, the 31-year old wide receiver has caught only 51% of his passes, of at least six being drops. And during the team's 16-7 ~~loss~~ win over Cleveland, Coles caught two of nine passes thrown his way.

Now, let's also be fair. Palmer hasn't been the most accurate passer -- especially under pressure where his completion rates dip considerably to under 54%. Cincinnati has changed philosophy to a much more aggressive rushing offense, reflective of Palmer's and Chad Ochocinco's season statistics compared to their 16-game averages.

However, the notable issue is cost over production. When Coles signed his $28 million deal earlier this year, we broke it down. His base salary this year is a lowly $1.9 million. That number significantly jumps in 2010 ($4.65 million), 2011 and 2012 ($6.4 million respectively). Furthermore, a majority of Coles' guaranteed money was reportedly earned already in 2009, making us conclude at the time that his four-year deal could be viewed as a one-year deal with three option seasons.

Cincinnati will have to answer the question if Coles is worth having on the roster next year, after a projected 45-reception season, with an increasing base pay, or if the Bengals will finally start showcasing some of their younger talent in Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson and Maurice Purify.

Can the Bengals finish the Trilogy of Terrible Teams with a winning record? The loss to the Oakland Raiders, while heartbreaking, wasn't totally unexpected. Having watched these Bengals for so long, and the NFL for that matter, games in which an underdog beats a heavy favorite is completely within the realm of possibility. Oh, and the Bengals have never won in Oakland and sport a .257 winning percentage when playing games in California. Hey, it happens. Even Ohio State University lost to Purdue. In 2005, the Cincinnati Bengals were 11-3 heading to Buffalo, only to lose by ten points to the 5-11 Bills. Hey, it happens.

Even though some called it the biggest loss of the season, I maintained that losing to Oakland was a mulligan. I believe it still. The entire division lost that weekend, including Pittsburgh to their own 2-7 opponent. However, the thing about mulligans in the NFL is that you only get one. While the score never reflected it, the Bengals dominated the Cleveland Browns the following week.

This week, the Bengals play host to the 2-9 Detroit Lions. If the Bengals lose Sunday, in one of the few potential trap games left this season, they'll lose all momentum at a very inopportune time with the Vikings and Chargers on deck. Now, this is the pessimistic old Bengals fan point of view where anyone associated with the Cincinnati Bengals would do something disastrous; like how a sneeze can set up a series of events that entire nations declare war on each other. With a win over Detroit and then two losses against the Chargers and Vikings, the Bengals will at least hold the division lead by way of tie-breakers if the sinking Steelers and Ravens win their next two. Win the games you're suppose to win.

Starting Cedric Benson against Detroit is the right choice. With the Lions coming into town this weekend, it's a sound decision to bring Cedric Benson back into the fold. But slowly. Detroit ranks 19th against the rush allowing 112.9 yards per game, a 4.3 yards-per-rush average and 13 20-yard rushing plays allowed, which is only two away from Oakland's league leading 15. Detroit will help Benson get his legs under him again, but more importantly, the team could rotate backs this weekend to ease Benson back.

After Detroit, the Bengals will play another critical stretch of games in Minnesota and in San Diego. Minnesota sports the league's second best rush defense and the Bengals are currently battling the Chargers for the second seed in the AFC. If Benson gets sporadic work against the Lions, he'll start getting into the offense's rhythm, to prepare for the Vikings, as well as be nasty once again against the Chargers.

Speaking of which. Is it time to air out the football against the Lions? Cincinnati has rushed the football 40 times or more in three games this year (Chicago, Oakland, Cleveland II). In two of those games, the Bengals averaged 4.7 yards rushing or more and won by at least two possessions, dominating the time of possession. Four times this year the Bengals rushed the football less than 30 times; they lost to Denver and Houston, beat the Steelers twice by less than a touchdown. As written above, the Detroit Lions sport a middle-of-the-road rushing defense.

On the other hand, Detroit has the league's worst passing defense, allowing 281.4 yards passing a game, an opposing quarterback rating of 111.8, a 70.5 completion percentage allowed, 13 passes of 40 yards or more and an average of 8.2 yards allowed per pass.

Chad Ochocinco jokingly said, "We would like to throw the ball 50 times." It's not egotism playing a factor. I think he knows what we know. The Detroit Lions can't stop the pass.

Where is Palmer's deep pass accuracy? Even though we think that the Bengals should air it out against the Lions, there is some general concern that Palmer's accuracy on the deep pass isn't what it used to be. For example, when passing beyond 20 yards, Palmer has completed six of 23 passes for 266 yards. More importantly, that's where three of his eight interceptions have come from.

An argument could be made that Palmer just doesn't have time to throw it deep. That's certainly been true the past two weeks. Another argument could be made that the Bengals simply don't have that deep threat outside of Chad Ochocinco, who is double covered and smothered on nearly every play.

Still, if the Bengals are going to go back to their old school explosive offense, they'll need Palmer to make better throws down field. Actually, the Bengals will just need to make more throws down field. Only 23 passes beyond 20 yards? That's surprising.

Note: five of Palmer's eight picks have come when he throws to his right.

How could Tennessee factor into the Bengals playoff race? The Bengals still hold the second seed for the playoffs with five games to go. The San Diego Chargers have the same record as Cincinnati, but are on the losing end of a tie-breaker that gives Cincinnati the edge. If we look at both team's remaining schedule, you'll see several similarities. Each team faces three teams with a losing record, one team with a winning record and each other. The Titans play a Wild Card in this because while they're 5-6, they're also on a five-game winning streak and could present the biggest problem for San Diego -- other than Cincinnati of course.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the remaining games with the Bengals and Chargers.

Week	Bengals	Record	Chargers	Record
13	Detroit	2-9	@ Cleveland	1-10
14	@ Minnesota	10-1	@ Dallas	8-3
15	@ San Diego	8-3	Cincinnati	8-3
16	Kansas City	3-8	@ Tennessee	5-6
17	@ NY Jets	5-6	Washington	3-8

All stats provided by ProFootballFocus.com, Stats, Inc. and NFL.com. If you have a topic you'd like explored, email me.

Primer: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:00:31 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

19 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford throws during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

View full size photo »

Game: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)
Series Leader: Bengals 6-3
Streak: Bengals have won three straight and six of the past seven
Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 1-0. Schwartz: 0-0
Broadcast: FOX (1:00 PM ET): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 155 (Det.), 91 (Cin.). XM: 108 (Cin.).
SB Nation: Pride of Detroit
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Partly cloudy with a high around 39. [Weather.com]
Uniform: Black
Television Coverage: State of Ohio, most of Kentucky, West Virginia, eastern Pennsylvania, Michigan and northern Wisconsin. [506]

LAST GAME: The last time the Bengals played the Lions was December 18, 2005. The Bengals beat the Lions 41-17 in Detroit on their way to sweeping the entire NFC North that season. Palmer recorded three touchdown passes and outgained the Lions 426-270 in total yards. This was the game that the Bengals clinched their first division title in 15 years.

LAST GAME IN CINCINNATI: The last time the Lions played the Bengals in Cincinnati, the Lions beat the Bengals 19-13 behind a 151-yard day by Barry Sanders.

ONE NOTABLE: Cincinnati's own Thom Brennaman is scheduled to broadcast Sunday's game.

Cincinnati Bengals

With a win, Marvin Lewis (54-53-1) will tie the legendary Paul Brown (55-59-1) for the second most wins in franchise history. Sam Wyche has 64 wins.
Bengals look to recorded their fourth straight win when playing the Lions.
Against the NFC North this season, the Bengals are 2-0 and Carson Palmer has completed 35 of 47 passes for 418 yards and eight touchdowns for a 123.0 passer rating.
In his only meeting against Detroit, Palmer recorded three touchdown passes and a 95.5 passer rating.
Cedric Benson only needs 141 yards rushing to record his first 1,000-yard season in his career.
In his past two games, Bernard Scott is averaging 103 yards-per-game.
Chad Ochocinco is averaging 104.5 yards receiving against the NFC this year.
Defense is ranked 1st in the NFL, allowing only 15.8 points-per-game. Rushing defense ranks third, allowing 81.9 yards rushing per game.
Leon Hall ranks second with 17 passes defensed and Johnathan Joseph is tied for fourth with 15 passes defensed.

Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford leads all NFL rookies with 2,124 yards passing and 12 touchdowns.
Running back Kevin Smith has recorded 970 yards from scrimmage and needs 30 yards to reach 1,000 in back-to-back seasons.
In his past three games against the AFC, Smith is averaging 123 yards from scrimmage per game.
Calvin Johnson looks to record a touchdown in three straight games. Johnson also has four 100-yard receiving games against the AFC, including two of the past three games.
Tight End Will Heller has a touchdown in two of his past three games.
Linebacker Julian Peterson recorded a sack and forced fumble last week and has 29 quarterback sacks since 2006.
Safety Louis Delmas recorded a safety last week (irony!)
Cornerback Anthony Henry has an interception in two of his past three games against the Bengals.

TEAM RANKINGS

Offense	Bengals	Lions
Total	332.9 (17th)	308.2 (26th)
Scoring	21.0 (16th)	17.5 (25th)
Third Downs	42% (11th)	39% (16th)
Rushing	135.3 (7th)	96.2 (25th)
Rushing TDs	9 (t-15th)	6 (23rd)
Passing	197.6 (21st)	212.0 (19th)
Passing TDs	15 (t-16th)	13 (t-20th)
Sacks Allowed	20 (t-7th)	33 (t-28th)
20-yard Passes	28 (20th)	31 (t-16th)

Defense	Bengals	Lions
Total	297.6 (6th)	394.3 (32nd)
Scoring	15.8 (1st)	30.5 (32nd)
3rd Downs Allowed	34% (5th)	42% (27th)
Rushing	81.9 (3rd)	112.9 (19th)
Rushing TDs	5 (6th)	9 (t-16th)
Passing	215.7 (16th)	281.4 (32nd)
Passing TDs	12 (t-9th)	27 (32nd)
Sacks	26 (t-10th)	19 (t-27th)
QB Rating	75.5 (6th)	111.8 (32nd)
20-Yard Passes Allowed	31 (t-15th)	38 (27th)
Interceptions	12 (t-7th)	6 (t-31st)

Special Teams	Bengals	Lions
Kickoff Return	22.2 (t-22nd)	20.8 (27th)
Punt Return	11.2 (5th)	9.2 (14th)
Punting (Net)	37.7 (t-19th)	37.6 (t-22nd)
Punts Inside the 20	18 (t-12th)	16 (t-20th)

2009 STATISTICAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Carson Palmer	Stat	Ranking
Quarterback Rating	86.7	15th
Yards Passing	2,327	17th
Touchdowns	15	t-14th
First Downs	119	t-16th
Average Yards/Att	6.9	t-17th
Completions	205	18th
Interceptions	8	t-16th
Times Sacked	20	t-16th

Cedric Benson	Stat	Ranking
Yards Rushing	859	9th
Attempts / Game	22.8	1st
Touchdowns	6	t-12th
First Downs	36	12th

Chad Ochocinco	Stat	Ranking
Receptions	53	t-24th
Yards Receiving	773	16th
Touchdowns	5	t-15th
20-yard receptions	11	t-12th
First Downs	42	t-9th

CAREER AGAINST THE DETROIT LIONS

Carson Palmer

Date	Result	Comp.	Att.	Yards	TDs	Int
12.18.2005	W 41-17	28	39	274	3	2

Chad Johnson

Date	Result	Rec	Yards	TDs
12.18.2005	W 41-17	11	99	1

Cedric Benson

Date	Rushes	Yards	TDs
10.28.2007	13	50	0
9.30.2007	15	50	0
12.24.2006	15	49	0
9.17.2006	10	25	0
10.30.2005	3	35	0
9.18.2005	16	49	0

Laveranues Coles

Date	Rec	Yards	TDs
10.22.2006	4	29	0
11.7.2004	4	46	1
11.17.2002	7	114	0

Larry Johnson

Date	Rushes	Yards	TDs
12.14.2003	4	26	0

Bengals are playing winning brand of football with powerful rushing offense and dominant defense

Kirkendall — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:45:57 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

16 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga holds up a sign to fans after his team defeated the Cleveland Browns 16-7 in their NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Browse more photos »

While watching Sunday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, I had this feeling I've never felt before. By the second half I felt so confident that the Bengals were going to win this football game, that I stopped moaning about failed pass protection schemes or the play-calling. Oh, we're going to punt it so our defense can play? The same defense that hasn't allowed any team to gain 100 yards rushing in seven straight games? The same defense that's allowed a third down conversion rate of 22% in the three games leading up to Sunday? The same defense that's only allowed two touchdowns once in a game since losing to the Houston Texans?

Please, bring it.

There's no doubt that the offense is struggling to put up points. Since scoring 45 against the Chicago Bears, the Bengals offense has scored an average of 16.8 points per game. The ten points scored in the second quarter against the Browns is the first time the Bengals have scored double-digit points in any quarter since the 14 points in the first quarter against the Ravens on November 8. Carson Palmer went 12 quarters without throwing a touchdown pass before completing a four-yard pass to tight end J.P. Foschi in the second quarter against the Browns. Palmer's on pace to record 3,384 yards passing, which is only 500 yards more than his career low his first season as the team's starter (not including injury-filled 2008). Even then, he missed three games. His efficiency is down. His touchdowns are down. His yards-per-attempt is down (6.9).

And yet, the belief has always been that the Bengals have to rely on Palmer's arm to win. My cousin called me Sunday night and asked me, do we rely on Palmer anymore? If Palmer were to go down to injury for the season, how much would this team lose? We saw what happened last year. But as he observed, the team was built around Palmer and the passing game. It wasn't until late in the season that a Palmer-less offense started to become efficient by successfully rushing the football with a rising defense.

What if Palmer would go down this year? It would hurt, because defenses still gameplan the Bengals passing game; always a threat, always able to score from anywhere on the field. The truth is, this Bengals team is built to succeed without Palmer. This team is built to run the football. You can see that with the talent they have at running back. You can see that with an offensive line that's built to rush block first. How many Jumbo formations have we seen with at least one extra lineman? Did you see Dennis Roland going into motion against the Browns?

My point, as some may irrationally conclude, isn't anticipating an injury to Palmer. My point is that this team can win any football game, no matter who's playing. Carson Palmer is off? Well, the Bengals only have three running backs with 100-yard rushing games under their belt (how many teams can claim that?). The offense has no rhythm and can't pick up a first down? Oh, there's that defense again, who since allowing 28 points in the loss to the Houston Texans, have only allowed 11.2 points per game and, check this out, only 232.8 yards-per game.

As of this posting, the Bengals have the best scoring defense in the NFL.

I just checked that again.

The Bengals have the best scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 15.8 points per game. There's a chance that New England takes that lead after Monday Night Football. However, the Patriots will have to hold the Saints to ten points or less. Fat chance.

If this isn't the most complete team that the Bengals have fielded since the Sam Wyche era, then I'm afraid I'll never know what a complete team is. More people stand up on this team, contributing towards a winning brand of football than we've seen in ages. This team isn't built or about a single person. This isn't about how well Palmer does, or how he's supposed to put up 30 points a game. Sure, it would be nice if the offense exploded every week. What fan in this world in any sport wouldn't love that? But that's not the reality right now. They're not an explosive offense. They are an efficient offense that consumes the clock, converts third downs and wins field position.

And then there's the defense, whose scoring defense still ranks first in the NFL. I just checked again.

What do most people say about championship football? You win by running the football and stopping the run. Again, this defense hasn't allowed any team to gain 100 yards or more in seven straight games. The Bengals offense has rushed for 100 yards or more in eight of the season's 11 games. Furthermore, the Bengals rushing offense has recorded 150 yards or more five times and 200 yards or more twice.

Powerful rushing offense. Dominant defense. Isn't that championship football? If you're still not convinced, or have a Christmas list of concerns, let's go quickly gloss over some reminders. The Bengals are 8-3. The Bengals are 6-0 in the division. The Bengals have won 11 of the past 14 games. The Bengals have a three-game lead with five games left. The Bengals, as of now, would have the second seed in the playoffs, which means a bye during wild card weekend and hosting at least one home game. Furthermore, the Bengals are a fluke pass and a fumble away from being 10-1. It's that close.

Now, that is what we've been begging for for 20 years. Soak it in. Enjoy it.

Wait. You want Carson Palmer to throw more? With five games remaining, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is on pace to record 489 passing attempts. As disbelieving as this may sound, that's only 20 less pass attempts than he had during the 2005 season where the Bengals made the playoffs.

	2005	2009 *
Attempts	509	489
Completions	345	298
Completion %	67.8	61.0
Yards	3,836	3,384
Yards/Att	7.5	6.9
Touchdowns	32	22
Interceptions	12	11
* Projected

Admittedly, the issue isn't just Palmer, if one can even make that assessment. No. It's all the parts. It's the offensive line struggling on stunts and blitzes on the outside. It's receivers not catching passes, or penalties that negate 15-20 yard passing plays because someone was flagged for offensive holding.

Take Sunday's game. On the Bengals first play of the game, the situation is first-and-ten at their own 20-yard line. The offense lines up off-set I with Daniel Coats motioning right. Cleveland brings their front three with eight sitting in coverage. Andrew Whitworth latched onto Robaire Smith, who took an outside step while the left tackle was clipped by Bernard Scott going into his route, knocking Smith free. Palmer, barely completing a five-yard pass to Laveranues Coles, was knocked down by Smith. A few Bernard Scott runs and a first down later, the offense lines up off-set I, strong side left. Kamerion Wimbley lines up at left outside linebacker over Dennis Roland. Wimbley took an inside slant on Roland who clearly lost the battle within the first two steps. Bernard Scott tried to help, but in his mind, he had his own blitzer to worry about in Mike Adams. Wimbley tackled Palmer as the quarterback released the pass to Jeremi Johnson for a for a five-yard gain. Furthermore, Browns cornerback Eric Wright was called for defensive holding. First down.

Two drop backs. Twice Carson Palmer is on the ground. It wasn't that Palmer was on the ground all game -- NFL's Game Center shows he was knocked down six times. However, it shows that Palmer was pressured all game long, most of the time making throws he didn't want to make.

After Larry Johnson's consecutive first down runs (more on that later), Palmer takes the snap under center. Matt Roth sprinted from the outside linebacker spot and sacked Palmer for a four-yard loss. The problem here is miscommunication by the offensive line. Defensive end Kenyon Coleman slanted in, which caused Dennis Roland to move inward with the end. Typically, Roland should have handed Coleman off to Bobbie Williams and picked up Roth, the blitzing linebacker on the outside. Williams saw the problem and pulled out as quickly as he could from his guard position take out Roth on the edge. It was a split-second too late, as Roth sped rushed far enough that there was nothing Williams could do.

Sometimes the issue was miscommunication between Palmer and the receivers. On first-and-15 at Cleveland's 29 yard line, Palmer dropped back threw it to the right with no Bengals receiver in the picture frame. Coles' route went in while Palmer looked for Coles to go out.

But mostly, it was pressure -- whether it was really there or not.

On third-and-17 at the Browns 31-yard line, Palmer takes the shotgun snap, feels pressured on the edges and scrambles up the middle. The Browns only rushed three guys. Wimbley took a wide angle around Roland, who locked up with the defensive end six yards behind the line of scrimmage. Wimbley used his upper body strength to make continued progress -- it was like Roland really wasn't there -- showing up in Palmer's peripheral vision. That was enough for Palmer, who ran for 12 yards, finished with a terribly uncomfortable dive into the turf, setting up the game's first score of the day.

And sometimes you can only say, it was a bad throw.On third-and-five at Cleveland's 47-yard line with 14:02 left in the second quarter, Palmer takes the shotgun snap. With a great pocket, Palmer overthrows Coles, nearly picked by Brodney Poole. Bengals punt. On first-and-ten at the Bengals 34-yard line, Palmer drops back and feels pressure that wasn't there. He rushed the throw to Coles running a crossing pattern, which also fell incomplete.

And sometimes you just take the hit. With 9:12 left in the first half, the Bengals lined up first-and-ten at Cleveland's 42-yard line. Palmer faked the handoff to Larry Johnson. Dennis Roland locked up with Matt Roth, who bull-rushed Roland into the pocket. Palmer saw the pressure, moved up and sidestepped behind Roland. Kamerion Wimbley lined up at the right outside linebacker spot, latched onto Daniel Coats. Once he saw the play-action, Wimbley shrugged off Coats, readjusted to Palmer stepping up and leveled him. Palmer tried to make a throw to the left in an area without any Bengals receivers -- except for Chad Ochocinco about eight yards away. Intentional grounding. On the next play, Palmer watched defensive back Mike Adams come off the edge, unblocked. Palmer let go of the football well before he was ready, forcing a terribly underthrown football to skip to a waiting Laveranues Coles. On third-and-20, Palmer drops back. Protection was very good. He had time. However, being knocked around that much that early in the game causes one to have alarm bells violently ringing in ones head well before they should. Palmer takes off, reaching the line of scrimmage and throwing across the field to Coles in the middle of the field. Incomplete. Drive comes to a merciful end. Thank the lord. Bengals punt.

And sometimes there's nothing left to do. With 11:43 left in the third quarter, Palmer completed a third-and-six pass to Chad Ochocinco for a 15-yard gain. Wimbley came off the right side, using his speed to put Whitworth in a predicament. Either hold the hell out of the defensive end, or let him crush Carson Palmer. Whitworth held, negating a 15-yard pass and a first down. Cincinnati would punt after a six-yard screen pass to Brian Leonard.

As mostly everyone else, I would love for this offense to explode. However, sometimes you have to take what you're given. And the Bengals have been given a powerful rushing offense that's working nearly every week, whereas the passing offense is struggling mightily. So the question shouldn't be why aren't the Bengals throwing the football more. We already know why. It's because it's just not working right now and forcing it to work would be -- in the great words of Mr. Mackey -- "bad, mmmkay?"

Carson Palmer said it best after the game.

“We came in with the game plan that we wanted to take some shots, but they were going to play a certain way and against two shells and have two high safeties. We had a couple plays where we were going to take some shots, but on one of them I scrambled on for seven or eight yards, and the other we took a check-down. They weren’t going to come out of what they were doing defensively. They weren’t going to give us single high looks and let us throw the ball over their heads. They let us run for 200 yards. We stuck with the game plan once we figured out what their game plan was and kept pushing the ball.”

Where the passing offense struggles, the rushing offense flourishes. Let's realize a few things. Cedric Benson has missed back-to-back games and the last 10 quarters. He's still in the top ten with 859 yards rushing. Benson's getting healthy again and when he returns, he's going to run with very, very fresh legs. If that's not scary exciting, then I don't know what scary exciting means. Actually, I don't know what scary exciting means anyway.

Benson has missed the previous two games. What have the Bengals done in Benson's absence? They've averaged 193.5 yards rushing -- which is the best two-game stretch all season. Let me put that further perspective. Before Oakland, the Bengals had the league's 11th best rushing offense, averaging 122.3 yards-per-game. With a Monday Night Football game left, the Bengals are now ranked seventh, averaging 135.3 yards-per-game. They've jumped four points in the rankings, and added 13 yards to their average.

All without Cedric Benson. In the great words of Cleveland, "that's nasty."

But as impressive as Bernard Scott was last week, Larry Johnson's performance against the Cleveland Browns was great. And guess what? It wouldn't have happened with the great effort by the Bengals offensive line.

On third-and-one at the Bengals 44-yard line with 8:34 left in the first quarter, Cincinnati lines up double tight end single back formation. Palmer does his funky right-handed exchange to Larry Johnson. Within the first frame after the ball is snapped, the Bengals offensive line had opened a hole at the point of attack. Daniel Coats and Andrew Whitworth sealed the right side. Bobbie Williams turned Shaun Rogers. Kyle Cook neutralized Cleveland's inside linebacker and the left side of the offensive line eliminated any trailing defenders protecting cutback lanes. Johnson squeezed through the hole between Williams and Whitworth on the right, dodged a tackle by Abram Elam and fell forward for a ten-yard gain and the first down.

On the next play, Johnson gets the handoff. Andrew Whitworth sealed the inside linebacker. Bobbie Williams and Kyle Cook slowed the defensive end and tackle respectively while Jeremi Johnson punishes the outside linebacker for the gull of trying to make a play in the backfield. Johnson sidestepped behind Jeremi, cut back to the right behind Williams' block and ran down the right hashmark for another 12 yard gain.

On second-and-ten at the Bengals 34-yard line with 10:59 left in the second quarter, Palmer hands the football off to Johnson. Cincinnati lined up big-formation with Andrew Whitworth outside of Dennis Roland at right tackle and Anthony Collins at left tackle. Every offensive lineman had a hat on a defensive player. The secondary made first contact on Johnson about eight yards past the line of scrimmage. On the next play, Johnson picked up another seven yards thanks to a kick out block on Wimbley by fullback Jeremi Johnson.

Even Bernard Scott had his moments. After Nate Livings was called for offensive holding, the Bengals were pushed back to their own 27-yard line with first-and-twenty. Every offensive linemen had a hat on a Browns defender. Not just that, the line was pushing back the Browns defense and not allowing the defender to shrug off the block. And it was Jeremi Johnson, once again, who made the initial block that kicked out an outside linebacker looking for glory on a stop in the backfield. Scott fought off a Mike Adams attempted tackle for ten yards, picking up 21 yards and a first down in the process.

When stargazing, you finally find the star named Andre Smith. The problem with watching the offensive line during a live game, is that you don't always know who is in the game before the snap. More than any team, the Bengals employ a rotation with their offensive tackles that no two plays will have the same personnel on the line. On the first play of the second quarter, the Bengals lined up at Cincinnati's 48 yard-line on first down. Andre Smith made his first appearance (that we could tell) at right tackle with Andrew Whitworth on Smith's outside shoulder. Kenyon Coleman was Smith's guy. At the snap, Smith rose and sat in pass protection, ready to receive Coleman, who was very slow off the ball. Smith allowed Coleman an outside move, keeping pace with the defensive end, who even resorted to a spin move. Good job, ol' rook. The play, however, did break down after outside linebacker David Bowens blitzed up the middle. Bobbie Williams did pick him up, but Bowens had already won the battle simply with a quicker step to the outside. Palmer sprinted down the right sidelines for a five-yard gain.

Smith would make sporadic appearances throughout the game. While not noticeable, he made quality blocks.

On first-and-ten at Cleveland's 32 yard-line, Smith lined up at right tackle with Whitworth on his outside shoulder. Smith attacked Robaire Smith with Bernard Scott coming from behind. While Andre didn't move Robaire, the Browns defender wasn't able to make a move on the runner either. Scott picked up 11 yards on the play. On the next play, the Bengals called a sweep to the left away from Andre Smith, who slowed Robaire's progress down the line of scrimmage, looking at the second level for any unsuspecting linebacker to break in half. Good day, ol' rook.

It's my firm belief that this is the most complete Bengals squad that Marvin Lewis has ever put together. It might be the best squad in 20 years of Bengals football. They are winning with a strong rushing offense and a powerful defense. There's things to fix. There always is. But I believe that this Bengals squad can beat any team in the NFL this year because their strengths always dictates championship football. Perhaps I'm banging the homer drum. I've done that before and I'm not afraid to show how proud I am of this squad. So I'm enjoying it. It hasn't happened a lot in my lifetime.

GOT NUMBERS? Analyzing the Bengals vs. the Browns

Ryan Kelsey — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:44:50 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We can only hope the Bengals keep feeding the ball to the overrated Cedric Benson. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke, File)

Browse more photos »

Well, the Browns have shown a little competence throwing the football for the first time in about 20 games. Granted, it was against one of the worst defenses I can remember in the NFL, but at this point, we'll take it. Now the Browns take on a team fighting for a Division title and playoff positioning. I'm still waiting for the Bengals to self-destruct, and perhaps that started to happen last week, when the Raiders knocked them off in Oakland. Taking the season as a whole, however, the Bengals look like a pretty strong team.

This isn't your slightly-older-brother-in-law's Bengals. Cincinnati has scored 24 or more only twice in ten games. Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry still are capable of putting up points through the passing game, but the strengths of this year's Bengals is purportedly their defense and the running of Cedric Benson. Let's see if the numbers agree.

Once again, the stats I use are from Football Outsiders:

A quick note about the stats I'm going to use in this regular column. The full explanation can be found here. Basically, Football Outsiders uses the data from every play and finds the league average (adjusting for yards gained in the redzone, touchdowns scored, and the down and distance- so a 3 yard TD run on 3rd-and-1 from the 3 means a lot more than a 3 yard run on 3rd-and-15 from your own 20.) Then it rates players and teams based on their relation to this league average. The result is meaningful rate stats. They are akin to league adjusted stats in baseball, like OPS+ and ERA+. DVOA is the most common stat they use and 0.0 is exactly league average. A 10.0% DVOA for a QB means a QB that is 10.0% better than average. -15.0% DVOA means 15% below average for a QB. For defensive numbers they are reversed, so negative numbers are better.

Got all that? No? Well, then trust me when I say, higher positive numbers are good for offensive players and lower or negative numbers are good for defenses. 0.0% is always average.

And my personal caveat using these numbers in football: here.

Going into the Raiders game, the Bengals ranked 7th in offensive efficiency, but after struggling against a bad Oakland team, they fell all the way to 17th! That is a huge fall this late in the season. Their offensive DVOA is an average-y 12.0%. Despite what you may hear, they are still much more efficient passing than running. They rank 7th in the league in passing efficiency at 38.6%, but just 13th in running efficiency at 1.4%. The Browns defense seems to rotate games from actually good (Buffalo, Baltimore at home) to bad, but promising (Chicago, Pittsburgh on the road), to just bad (Detroit, Green Bay). It really is hard to say which Browns D will show up, but in total the numbers are ugly, now 30th in Defensive efficiency (down from 29th).

After a quick look at the stats, I'd argue the Bengals are running more than they should. Carson Palmer is a top 5 talent and should be in his prime. While his DVOA ranks 8th in the league (24.9%), he has only dropped back to pass 336 times. In fact, the Bengals are 23rd in pass attempts per game. It isn't because they have been up big in games or have struggled with time of possession. They are simply over committed to the run. More on that in a bit. When they do throw, WR Chad Ochocinco is their number 1 target with 85 passes thrown his way. He is back to Pro Bowl caliber: his DYAR (total value) is 185, good for 12th in the league among WRs and on a per play/efficiency basis he is 21st in the league with a DVOA of 13.8%. Laveranues Coles has been a bit of a disappointment (DVOA 3.1%) and Andre Caldwell is more of a threat in the return game than the passing game. The other big weapon in the passing game is Brian Leonard. The FB/RB has a DVOA of 28.4% (7th in the league among pass catching RBs). The Browns have been bad against the pass overall- 30th in the league with a 31.9% DVOA. Most of the damage has been done by #1 WRs (25.4% DVOA, 30th in the NFL), while holding #2 WRs in check (-12.5%, 13th). So, look for Ochocinco to have a good day and Coles to continue to struggle. However:

I've felt that over the last several seasons the biggest part of the Bengals offense is WR Chris Henry. When he plays and Palmer looks his way, the Bengals offense seems unstoppable. This year is no exception. While only getting 23 passes thrown his way, his DVOA on those plays is a good great 24.3%- which would be top 10 if he had enough passes thrown his way to qualify.

In protecting the QB, the Bengals had fared pretty well before the Raider game- 6th in the league in sack rate at 4.4% (Football Outsiders has yet to update their offensive line stats from last week and the Raiders were able to get to Palmer 3 times in just 25 drop backs). The Browns (not counting the Lions game) have got to the QB a league average 6.6% of the times their opponents have dropped back.

If you have followed the Bengals or the NFL at all through the main stream sources this year, you have heard about the great comeback season of RB Cedric Benson. He is having the type of season that is constantly overrated by these espn-types. He is a "feature back", an "every-down back", a "workhorse". Which sounds nice, but the reason most teams don't have one of these isn't because they are hard to find. It is because most teams realize the more effective way to score is through the passing game and mixing several fresh running backs, usually of different styles. (The exception is if you have a truly great back like Steven Jackson or Adrian Peterson.) So while Benson has racked up a lot of rushing yards (859 in 9 games- good for 6th in the league), he has only done so because he has received a ton of carries (205- 2nd most in the league). Given all those carries, the yards and his 6 TDs aren't too impressive. In fact, his DVOA is just 5.8%, good for just 18th among 37 qualified RBs. And his success rate is just 43%, just 25th among those 37 RBs. The Browns defense is 30th in the league against the run with a DVOA of 11.3%. So even if the Bengals remain stubborn with the run, it will be tough for the Browns to make them pay.

The Browns had an offensive explosion last week, scoring 37 points, thrashing the Lions through the air. But the Browns offense didn't move in the offensive efficiency standings: 31st in the league at -28.7%. DVOA just wasn't impressed with the success against a terrible defense (Detroit did fall from 30th to 32nd in defensive efficiency because of the Browns' efforts- now that's embarrassing!). Still, the Browns showed some flashes of brilliance, especially QB Brady Quinn. Hopefully, they can build on that against a league average defense.

And when I say league average, I mean it. The Bengals are as close to league average on D as you can get: 17th in the league overall with a DVOA of 1.6%, 16th in Pass defense at 6.6%, 16th in run defense at -5.2%. They do have some clear strengths and weaknesses though. CB Johnathan Joseph and Co. have shut down #1 WRs to the tune of -42% DVOA, good for 3rd in the league. So Massaquoi will likely have a tough time Sunday. But CB Leon Hall and Co. have contained #2 WRs too (-14.5% DVOA, 11th in the league). AND they are 7th against TEs. Where they struggle is "other" WRs and RBs. Brady will have to look for WR Mike Furrey, WR Josh Cribbs, RB Jamal Lewis, RB Chris Jennings if he is going to have success. This will likely lead to frustrating checkdowns and short routes, but if these players can break a couple tackles after the catch, it will go a long way to us scoring some points. Also, I'd love to see another play like the one Jennings dropped against Detroit. Or a slot receiver running a skinny post to challenge the deep middle of the Bengals defense, exploiting the young and undisciplined Cincinnati LBs in pass coverage.

In protecting the QBs, the Browns' line ranks 22nd giving up a sack on 7% of drop backs. The Bengals get to the QB 6.5% of the time, good for 19th in the league. (again, these numbers were before last week).

Like the Bengals, the Browns run way too much for my taste. But at least the Browns are more creative about it. Running out of the Wildcat (both Cribbs and handoffs to other RBs), mixing in end around plays, and other RBs with Lewis (be it Harrison or Jennings). Despite the "creativity" the running game finds itself in the bottom quarter of the league, at 25th in the league (-8.0% DVOA). That's close enough to league average to expect a little success Sunday against the Bengals league average run D.

The Browns remain 2nd in the league overall in special teams DVOA (8.8%). They are still lead by a Josh Cribbs' punt return unit (1st in the league at 11.9% DVOA) and a Cribbs' kick return unit that ranks 6th in the league (7.7%). The Browns coverage units are also very good. The kick blocking ability of Shaun Rogers is unfairly discounted by Football Outsiders (it is factored in, but they consider opposition FG and XPs out of a team's control and weight their numbers accordingly), and that is yet another strength of the team. The Bengals special teams are ranked 26th at -3%. They have a decent punt return team lead by Caldwell. But they really struggle in the FG and XP units. They are second-to- last in the league, mainly because of problems with their long snapper (they are on their 2nd of the season, and he hasn't been perfect either) and getting the ball down for Shane Graham.

Besides a couple very, very good young corners and a very good QB, I don't think the Bengals are very good. They have pulled out some close divisional games and destroyed the Bears. Other than that, they have lost to an average Denver team, an average Houston team, and a terrible Raiders team. They seem to play down to their competition (probably because they stubbornly run the ball, keeping their opponents in the game). I don't see this changing this week. The Browns are coming off their best game of the season offensively, the Bengals are coming off their worst. The Browns offense isn't good enough to score a lot of points like they did against the terrible Lions, but their are weaknesses to be exploited. Three big questions that will determine the winner:

1. Can Daboll, Mangini, and Carl Smith come up with two good offensive game plans in a row (i.e. forcing their LBs to cover our RBs in pass coverage and testing their safetys with deep down the middle passes to Furrey)?

2. Which version of the Browns defense will show up, the one that shut down the Ravens or the one that slept through the Lions game?

3. Will the Bengals continue to stubbornly give the ball to the average Cedric Benson more than the very good Carson Palmer?

Prediction: Browns 23 Bengals 24

Final Injury/Practice Report: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)

Kirkendall — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:31:49 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DE Robert Geathers (hip)
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DT Tank Johnson (knee)
DT Domata Peko (knee)	CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	G Evan Mathis (ankle)
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LB Rey Maualuga (foot)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LB David Bowens (knee)
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	TE Michael Gaines (back)
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	C Alex Mack (thumb)
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DNP	DNP	LP
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DNP	DNP	LP
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	DNP	LP	LP
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	LP
DE Robert Geathers (hip)	LP	LP	FP
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP	LP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP	FP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	LP	LP	LP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP	LP
G Evan Mathis (ankle)	--	FP	FP

CLEVELAND	WED	THUR	FRI
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	DNP	LP	LP
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	DNP	DNP	LP
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DNP	DNP	LP
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	DNP	DNP	LP
LB David Bowens (knee)	LP	LP	LP
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP
RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	LP	LP	LP
TE Michael Gaines (back)	FP	FP	FP
C Alex Mack (thumb)	FP	FP	FP
DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)	FP	FP	FP
WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	FP	FP	FP

Bengals Banter: Because Guitar Hero just doesn't imitate real life.

Kirkendall — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:00:17 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals safety Chris Crocker (42) returns an interception against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Cincinnati. Chinedum Ndukwe (41) follows. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

View full size photo »

Thanksgiving came and went. Football. Food. Family. Even friends later in the day. It's always a great holiday. You get to reflect on things you're thankful for. Health for my family is always most important. Thankful that I live in the greatest country on the planet. I am thankful for this site and for all of you, who make this site great. I'm also thankful for my team of writers bringing different perspectives to the table, and sometimes, giving me a spell to deal with real life issues. I'm thankful for a lot of things I take for granted.

I spent most of my Thanksgiving playing Guitar Hero III with my brother and sister. I started on easy. Then went to Medium difficulty; using the blue note on a four-button harmony of total rock. I pumped my arm into the air a few times when I recorded 95% accuracy scores. I even did a Gene Simmons tongue roll. I tried Expert. I rocked for all about five seconds before I was booed off stage. Here's the thing. I've been playing guitar, real guitar, since before I was ten years old. I used to know every Metallica song by heart. Now, I know every Dave Matthews song (trust me, the ladies love it). But Guitar Hero? I looked foolish. Everytime I missed a note, everyone in the room heard it. I nervously laughed my embarrassment. I tried playing Metallica's One. I did good. Until the song went into ultrafast mode at the end. I got booed again. Feeling bad for me, my sister and I teamed up. She played guitar, I played bass. I was better. But it was a bit boring. Until you get to the end of Santana's Black Magic Woman. We had to play that three times before I nailed it.

Either way, it was a great Thanksgiving and I hope you all enjoyed it as well.

Now, let's talk Bengals football.

Domata Peko invited to Jonathan Fanene to Thanksgiving dinner. "The invitation soon spread to all of the Polynesian players on the roster, their families, and any other player without a place to go." Other teammates are joining others. Kyle Cook hosted Tom Nelson and Jonathan Luigs, "where they'll deep-fry a turkey." Chris Crocker visited with Kyries Hebert and Leon Hall. Pat Sims hosted a dinner at a homeless shelter earlier in the week, while Frostee Rucker "sponsored families for a Thanksgiving Shopping spree at the Hyde Park Kroger in Cincinnati."

So if one more person questions this team character, then we'll officially nominate them for Ass-Clown of the Week. Agreed?

Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rodgers has missed two practices this week. So has Cedric Benson, Laveranues Coles and Domata Peko. As for Benson, he was on the field doing rehab work this week, and is expected to practice on Friday.

The Bengals haven't allowed any team to rush for 100 yards in six straight games in 2009. That's a franchise record for one season.

WDR says offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski sucks because the Bengals run the football 59% of the time on first down (to correct TMQ, the Bengals run 57.7% of the time on first downs). The Bengals average 4.04 yards per rush on first downs. When they pass the football, Cincinnati averages 7.24 yards. On second down, Cincinnati rushes 54% of the time averaging 4.3 yards-per-rush, which is one yard more than the 5.4-yard passing average. More importantly, on what down do the Cincinnati Bengals convert their first downs?

Down	Plays	First Downs	Conversion
First Down	281	55	20%
Second Down	212	63	30%
Third Down	141	58	41%
Fourth Down	10	7	70%

Stats from NFL Game Statistics and Game Information.

But we have to go back to January, when Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said that this offense was going to be a different offense. At the time, we didn't know what that meant. A week later, Bob Bratkowski elaberated on what Marvin Lewis wanted, saying that the head coach wanted "to be a more physical team that runs the ball better."

"From my conversations with him, we're not throwing everything out. It's more adding in some new things," Bratkowski said. "When you're talking about a system, you're talking terminology, protections, run scheme and those things that can be adjusted. We've discussed it and we still haven't finalized it. I know what direction he wants to go: run it so we can play-action it and throw the ball down field. That's the direction he wants to go."

Pat Kirwin has his own take, saying that success follows teams that run the football. Whatever you think of Bratkowski, it's Lewis that wants this team to pound the football more and more.

Joe Reedy talks about Chinedum Ndukwe's relationship with Brady Quinn, who have been great friends since the seventh grade. They'll face each other for the first time in their respective NFL careers.

I haven't always agreed with James Walker's assessments. But I'm behind this 100%. "...it is time for the Caldwell experiment on kickoff returns to end." Again. Love Caldwell. He's the future of this team. But not as a kick returner.

Bengals are still the number two seed in the conference by way of strength of schedule.

Practice Report: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)

Kirkendall — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:16 -0000

Untitled Document

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll (TRY TO) update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DNP	DNP
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DNP	DNP
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	DNP	LP
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP
DE Robert Geathers (hip)	LP	LP
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	LP	LP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP

CLEVELAND	WED	THUR	FRI
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	DNP	LP
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	DNP	DNP
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DNP	DNP
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	DNP	DNP
LB David Bowens (knee)	LP	LP
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LP	LP
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	LP	LP
RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	LP	LP
TE Michael Gaines (back)	FP	FP
C Alex Mack (thumb)	FP	FP
DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)	FP	FP
WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	FP	FP