SB Nation - Eric Ghiaciuc

Six-Pack of Hu-Dey: Bengals rookies, offensive line and beating the rest of the schedule

Kirkendall — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:41:04 -0000

Chase Coffman's debut is more than just about being a receiving tight end.
All things considered, this year's rookie class has been a solid group of contributors to this football team. Players like Michael Johnson, Morgan Trent and Bernard Scott have improved the team's depth as backup and role players while Rey Maualuga and Kevin Huber already have a handful of starts underneath their belts. However, one high profile player who's being demanded by fans, and questioned by the media, is growing in urgency after an inconsistent run of critical errors by the Bengals tight ends in the past month.

With the Browns and Lions coming up, it makes sense to throw Chase Coffman into the fold. We're not talking as starters. We're not really talking about guys that will play half of the offensive snaps. We've read that Coffman is still struggling with his blocking technique. And if Coffman isn't going to be playing the bulk of the offensive snaps, then he'd at least have to contribute on special teams. Marvin Lewis has already said that he has to do one or the other. Block. Contribute on special teams. While the demand for Coffman is justified, loud and unified, he's going to have to do more than just catch passes in this offense.

Could Andre Smith's debut be coming after Scott Kooistra was released?
The idea is that the team's offensive line has performed far better than expectations. And quite bluntly, Smith isn't needed right now. With Anthony Collins and Dennis Roland playing right tackle, they've managed to do their job well enough to give Smith time to grow at his own rate. They did the same thing with Carson Palmer in 2003.

Here's food for thought. The Bengals released Scott Kooistra on Tuesday. He was active on game day. This could mean that Smith makes his NFL debut against the Browns in jumbo formations as the third offensive tackle?

It's the offensive line's performance that deserves the award for best team turn-around in 2009.
One of the biggest concerns coming into this season is how well would the offensive line improve. Last year's offense averaged 4.0 yards-per-play and 3.6 yards-per-rush. Bengals quarterbacks were sacked, on average, 3.2 times per game. Many, including me, criticized the offensive line. The demand to draft an offensive tackle in the first round was answered with Andre Smith.

They also promoted Kyle Cook as the starting center while electing not to sign Eric Ghiaciuc (best offseason move). After starting the final six games last year, Anthony Collins and Nate Livings impressed the coaches enough to keep them on as starters -- ironically, they've both been demoted as the year went on by Dennis Roland and Evan Mathis respectively. Andrew Whitworth moved back to his natural position at left offensive tackle.

What's the result?

They've cut the sacks allowed per game by half (1.7). Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott are averaging 4.2 and 4.3 yards-per-rush respectively and the offense's overall yards-per-play improved by 1.2 yards.

I think the defense is a great argument for best turnaround by a unit, but we had already known that they were improving at the end of last season. We had no idea what to expect with the offensive line heading into the season.

If Cedric Benson is out against the Browns, Larry Johnson's role should be expanded.
Bernard Scott has proven that once he builds endurance as a feature back, he could have even more potential; especially if he builds his strength to run between the tackles. Brian Leonard can fight for that extra yard as well as any running back on this roster. But Larry Johnson should have an expanded role against the Browns.

I understand the points that he shouldn't even be on the team. The reality is, he's here and the team should have enough confidence in his knowledge of the playbook to give him more than the two carries for five yards he rushed for against the Raiders.

Without Benson, the Bengals don't have a workhorse. And between Johnson, Scott and Leonard, the Bengals could have a three-headed beast, all of whom have different abilities and fresh legs. The stretch run is appearing to shape up nicely for the Bengals rushing offense -- especially when Benson makes his return.

The Bengals can beat the Minnesota Vikings... but the San Diego Chargers?
First things first. The Bengals have to beat teams that they should beat. If they don't, then don't be surprised if they miss the playoffs after a 7-2 start. With that thought in mind, the Bengals could be assured four wins at least, with tough games in Minnesota and in San Diego. This alone would give them double-digit wins for the first time since 2005. Provided they don't do what they did against Oakland, the Lions, Browns, Chiefs and Jets are games that the Bengals should win.

And I think Cincinnati will be tough as nails against the Vikings or Chargers. We might play down to the competition this year (like the Browns or Raiders). But we also play up to the competition. I think the Bengals chances of beating the Vikings are very good. We're a tough rush defense that can pressure the quarterback with tremendous cover cornerbacks. Offensively, we can wear down any defense, provided we do it unpredictably.

And it's not like I put the Chargers on a pedestal that I don't think they'll beat them. But we know how the Bengals do in the state of California. So I'm going on a limb. Bengals beat Vikings, but struggle against the Chargers.

The Bengals and Shayne Graham should move on after this next season.
Let me preface this. Shayne Graham has been a great person for this community. His charity has raised a lot of money and "resources to under served children and other charitable initiatives. Our mission is to lend assistance to those in need and be an organization that makes a lasting impression, empower those who want to make a difference, and strengthen communities."

And for six straight seasons with the Bengals, Graham has converted at least 83.3% of his attempted field goals.

Until this year.

This year Graham is on pace to record a career-low 70.6% of his field goals. Has already more blocks in one season (3) than he did his entire career coming into the season (2). However, it hasn't been entirely his fault. Brad St. Louis was in large part the problem with Graham's lack of success, making terrible snaps that, at the very best, caused Graham to stutter on his approach to the football.

Regardless, Graham has missed a field goal in five of ten games this season, including a missed 37-yard attempt that would have given Cincinnati a 7-point lead with 5:41 left in the third quarter. Furthermore, after Robert Geathers recovered a fumble and returned it 38 yards, Graham did convert a 25-yard attempt. However, if the missed field goal was converted, that's a 10-point lead.

I think Graham has done a lot of great things for this city and this team. But after season, with Graham hitting the free agency market, I think the Bengals should say farewell.

Presenting the CincyJungle Bengals Midseason Awards

Kirkendall — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:40 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Bobbie Williams (63) celebrates after they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-14 during an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Browse more photos »

It's not that I actively bash Peter King. I find his view that the Bengals are a sideshow at a circus to be somewhat irritating. But in the end, my feeling about the national media is trivial. They don't pay obsessive attention to the Bengals day-in and day-out with teams like the Patriots or Cowboys, or players like Brett Favre, or Brett Favre, or Brett Favre around. It is what it is, and I leave it at that.

However, King did release his Midseason All-Pro team on Tuesday and while no Bengals player was listed, it got me thinking. Do the Bengals have one player that's above all else in the league?

The first player that comes to mind is Cedric Benson. King lists Chris Johnson as the league's best running back in 2009. That's a fine choice. But in my opinion, if you're a player that's deserved of being the best player at that position, then you should be on a team better than 2-6 and better than the 23rd best scoring offense in the NFL.

Other than that, I have a hard time replacing any of our players to King's list. Maybe Benson would fit better as Comeback Player of the Year rather than Brett Favre. But if Favre is considered for an award, you better believe he's getting the hardware. I just don't know exactly where Favre went. Didn't he play the entire season last year? Maybe it's the fact he came back. Get it? Comeback. Yea.

With that in mind, and with the first-half over -- can you believe we're already at the half-way point? -- I'd like to present this year's CincyJungle Midseason Awards.

The Cincinnati Bengals MVP. Being an MVP isn't just about stats or even earning weekly awards. In football, it's much more than that. In football, it's about heroics. It's about leadership. It's leading your team towards success and victory.

One of the knocks on Carson Palmer's career is that he hasn't been known for engineering come from behind victories. In fact, it seemed like if everything wasn't perfect, Palmer struggled. His old passing statistics in previous seasons were beautiful and glorious, but the Bengals needed one last thing from Palmer. He needed to lead the Bengals to victory, no matter the odds.

And boy, did he make that impression early.

Down 6-0 with 6:21 left in the fourth quarter, Palmer engineered an 11-play, 91-yard drive in 5:43 to take a 7-6 lead over the Denver Broncos during opening weekend. The Bengals ended up losing anyway on, well, you remember. Nonetheless, Palmer was foreshadowing. The Bengals were down 20-9 entering the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the past, the Bengals typically laid down at this point against Pittsburgh. So in somewhat surprise fashion, Palmer completed 10 of 17 passes for 96 yards in the fourth quarter. With 5:14 left in the game, Palmer engineered a 16-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell. And on that drive, Palmer converted two fourth-downs to keep the game alive; a five-yard pass to Laveranues Coles and an 11-yard pass to Brian Leonard.

Against the Browns, the Bengals really struggled. Palmer most of all. With 6:38 left in the game, the Browns took a 20-14 lead. Palmer led a drive that went 70 yards on 10 plays to tie the game at 20. If it wasn't for a blocked Shaun Rogers point after touchdown (or a misfired snap by Brad St. Louis that caused Shayne Graham to hesitate), the Bengals likely win this game in regulation. Instead, with 3:23 left in overtime, Palmer captains the offense to Cleveland's 13-yard line on 13 plays. Shayne Graham converts the field goal with seven seconds left in the game for the win. Not only did Palmer put together a drive to tie the game, but he had to follow that up with a drive that setup the game winning field goal. What's more impressive is that Palmer and everyone else were way off their game and still came through at the end.

With 2:15 left in the game, the Cincinnati Bengals offense starts at their own 20-yard line, down 14-10 against Baltimore. Again, Palmer leads an 11-play, 80-yard drive in under two minutes to take a 17-14 lead with 22 seconds left in the game. I suppose we can thank the Ravens for a few timely penalties. Regardless, Palmer found Andre Caldwell running a seam down the middle, catching the 20-yard pass to win the game.

Palmer has largely improved as the season has worn on. Since the overtime win over the Browns, Palmer has recorded a passer rating of 80 or better -- 90 or better in the past two games, including a 146.7 against the Bears -- and an 8-2 touchdown to interception ratio.

With all of that said, I still don't think we've seen the best of Palmer yet.

For his late-game heroics and leadership, the 2009 Midseason Team MVP is Carson Palmer.

Offensive Player of the Midseason: An offensive player of the midseason means you're the best offensive player on the team. Even though Carson Palmer was the Cincy Jungle MVP, an argument could be made that he's not the team's best offensive player. We know where this is going, don't we?

It's hard to go against Cedric Benson. His 837 yards rushing ranks second in the NFL. He's scored a touchdown in six of the season's eight games. Eight times he's picked up gains of 20 yards or more (tied for third) and 35 of his rushes have picked up first downs. If not for Benson, many things don't turn out the way they do. Because of the threat to run on nearly every down, Palmer isn't dealing with overloaded secondary packages. Because of Benson, the Bengals can finally become like-minded in the general success of this division by rushing the football first.

Not only is he the best offensive player of the year, but Benson could be awarded the Comeback Player of the Year as well as Best Free Agent signing of the year.

Defensive Player(s) of the Midseason: If it wasn't for Antwan Odom's injury, he'd be the guy. It's hard to vote against anyone who picks up seven sacks in the season's first two games. I honestly wouldn't have a problem if you were to make that choice today. However, I'm going with the cornerback duo of Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall. Combined for eight interceptions -- one returned for a touchdown -- the Joseph/Hall combination picked off Joe Flacco four times, largely contributing to the season sweep against one of the league's powerhouses. Johnathan Joseph's interception return for a touchdown against Pittsburgh in the third quarter gave the Bengals their first touchdown of the day and largely swung momentum into the Bengals favor that led to an unlikely (at the time) win over the Steelers on September 27.

Leon Hall (16) and Johnathan Joseph (15) rank in the top-four in the NFL with most pass deflections. Hall's 41 tackles rank third among all cornerbacks in the league; behind Cedric Griffin (48) and Champ Bailey (45). Both cornerbacks are already close to achieving career-high numbers this year.

The cornerback duo's play (and health) this year have enabled Mike Zimmer to employ different packages that keep opposing offenses guessing. Thanks to two former first round picks that are starting to play on their respective islands as we had hoped they would.

The Award for lowest expectation turning into team's greatest pride and Award for Comeback Unit of the Year. When the Bengals finished last season the offensive line was in turmoil. Palmer and Ryan Fitzpatrick had no protection and the Bengals rushing offense largely failed because the offensive line couldn't open lanes. Once Anthony Collins and Nate Livings joined the starting group because of injury, the line started stabilizing. But the question was strong enough in everyone's mind this offseason to be concerned. Kyle Cook replaced Eric Ghiaciuc, who wasn't offered a contract. Anthony Collins moved to right tackle. Andrew Whitworth moved to left tackle. Bobbie Williams stayed home. Nate Livings resumed left guard duties he earned at the end of last year.

I remember thinking at the time: there are no new faces! All of these guys were around last season. What makes me think they'll improve anything?

If we could nominate an entire unit for comeback unit of the year, it would be the Bengals offensive line. Even though Carson Palmer is on pace to be sacked 24 times this year, the Bengals offensive line hasn't just performed well above expectations, they've flipped all of us off and laughed for not believing. No one expected what they're doing now. No one expected that Palmer would only be hit 24 times (not sacks, being hit) through eight games.

Then there's the offense's 4.3 yard-per-rush average, which ranks 13th in the league. There's Cedric Benson, who doesn't exist if not for this offensive line; the same offensive line that helped Benson break gaudy defensive rushing streaks that the Ravens were riding.

This offensive line isn't the best in the league. But who cares? This offensive line is why the Bengals’ offense is playing as well as they are. And no one expected that.

Award for Best Team Performance of the Midseason. Anytime you win a game by 35 points, you had a damn fine game. Cincinnati took a 31-3 lead into halftime behind four Carson Palmer touchdown passes against the Chicago Bears. Cincinnati finished with 448 yards of total offense and the defense held the Bears to 279 yards on their way to a 45-10 victory.

Award for Winning The Big Game. Even though the Bengals swept the Baltimore Ravens, contestant in last year's AFC title game, the Bengals win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in week three was significantly bigger.

Award for Biggest Team Letdown of the Midseason. Awards are generally not handed out for disappointing feats. But I had to mention this for two reasons. The way Cincinnati dealt with adversity and how dangerously hard this team could fall if they play down to their opponents with a very weak stretch on the second-half schedule.

One could argue the team let down against the Houston Texans, losing 28-17. However, the Texans have a winning record this year, aiming for a wild card spot in the playoffs and nearly pulled off an upset over the Indianapolis Colts on November 8. Of their four losses, only one was lost by more than a touchdown. My pick for Letdown Game of the Year goes to a game that the Bengals actually ended up winning. Odd, eh? Coming into the game, the Cleveland Browns had the league's worst offense and 30th ranked defense. Other than it being an in-state rival, there was no reason why the Bengals couldn't obliterate one of the worst teams in the NFL. We were superior on offense. We were twice as superior on defense. Instead, the game was close. The Bengals played down to their opponent. Derek Anderson threw for 269 yards. Jerome Harrison rushed for 121 yards. J.P. Foschi and Daniel Coats were the team's leading receivers and Cedric Benson -- the guy that rushes for 100 yards against the Ravens defense -- only gained 74 yards through nearly five quarters.

The Bengals needed nearly 75 minutes to win this game, which is a signal of their growing (and impressive) level of maturity and ability to succeed through adversity. But if we had lost this game, it would have been a terrible loss.

Award for greatest third down conversion in team history. This isn't so much of importance as it is an example of how karma can play a role in games. The 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers didn't start well at all. Carson Palmer had thrown a five-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles on the team's first offensive drive of the game, taking a 7-0 lead. Aaron Rodgers answered with a three-yard touchdown of his own. Palmer threw a pick and the Packers scored another touchdown to take a 14-7 lead. Quan Cosby returned a punt 60 yards that setup an eventual one-yard quarterback sneak to tie the game at 14. Bengals force a three-and-out. On the second play of the next possession, Charles Woodson returns an interception for a touchdown, giving the Packers a 21-14 lead.

On the next possession, the Bengals line up at their own seven-yard line on third down. The first down marker sits at the 41-yard line. What do most teams do on third-and-34? Hope a screen pass or draw is unexpected enough to gain as many yards as possible. After catching a short dump pass out of the flats, Daniel Coats takes off. About 11 yards short of the first down marker, Cullen Jenkins knocks the football out of Coats' arm and it (the football, not Coats) bounces forward 15 yards where Laveranues Coles pounces and recovers the fumble. First down.

You knew the football gods smiled upon the Cincinnati Bengals that day when Green Bay only scored three points and Antwan Odom was on his way to having a career day (five sacks).

Nominations for Acid Reflux.

Brad St. Louis
Daniel Coats

Rookie of the Midseason. The Bengals had a good draft in the spring. Several players are contributors now, like Rey Maualuga, Michael Johnson, Morgan Trent and Bernard Scott. Jonathan Luigs may factor in the offensive line next season, depending on if the Bengals bring Bobbie Williams back.

But the rookie that's really contributed is a fifth round pick from the University of Cincinnati. With a tremendous ability to turn the field, Huber could be the team's Special Teams Player of the Midseason. His first five career punts landed inside the 20-yard line.

		Punts	In-20	Avg.	Long
2008	Kyle Larson	100	28	39.5	57
2009	Kevin Huber	49	13	43.7	61

He's averaged over 45 yards/punt in four games. Only 45% of his punts were returned. And in every game save for one he kicked at least one 50-yard punt. It might seem sad that we're awarding our Rookie of the Midseason Award to a punter, but that would only mean you haven't seen him punt.

However, we have to also acknowledge that Rey Maualuga could easily win this award. He's recorded 30 tackles, two forced fumbles and a quarterback sack. If you go with Maualuga, that too would be a fine choice.

Now it's your turn. This is where the community takes part. What do you think of the awards? What other awards would you create and hand out? Discuss.

Bengals First Quarter Review: Saying satisfied like only Billy Dee Williams can

Kirkendall — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:27:55 -0000

Ah, another week in which Bengals fans (us) are granted an extension of a beautiful luxury having a win under our belts. Not just win, mind you. A division win. Do you know the impact of that? The Bengals are the only team in the division with a 2-0 record against the division.

AFC North Standings Through Four Games in 2009
Teams	Record	PF	PA	Div.	Conf.
Baltimore Ravens	3-1	124	80	1-0	3-1
Cincinnati Bengals	3-1	84	76	2-0	2-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	2-2	85	78	0-1	2-1
Cleveland Browns	0-4	49	118	0-2	0-3

The Bengals have allowed the least amount of points than any team in the division; Cincinnati's 76 points allowed is better than 11 AFC teams. You have to admit, that's like Rice Krispie treat covered in chocolate and peanut butter, or jamming out to an old school Guns N' Roses song where you actually think that you're as smooth and cool as Slash. As we noted earlier, the Bengals have started 3-1 only four times dating back to 1990; three times during the Marvin Lewis era, which includes this year's heart-stopping indigestion-filled (and in some cases, chain-smoking) season. So far we're a quarter of the way through the season and it's appropriate that we dive into quarterly reviews.

I've never subscribed to the school that you can grade a team using a variety of letters when summarizing the first four games of a 16-game schedule. When you got graded in school, the letters had meaning behind them. They are letters that fall within a range of numbers that represents the percentage of properly answered questions. When we use letters grading football teams, it becomes a little too arbitrary; they don't have any substance behind them. I don't mind others that do it. I really don't. Live and let live, I always say. It's their thing and we're but a small gear in the blogging world. But I don't like using them. Instead, we're taking a new approach with a grading system that goes outstanding, satisfactory, nervous, and terrible. I'm sure our system goes without saying, which is the most innovative and detailed system to date.

CARSON PALMER. There's two arguments with Carson Palmer. There's the ineffective through most of the game, Carson Palmer. Then there's the Carson Palmer that routinely puts the Bengals into position to win the football game. His numbers have been very ordinary and he's yet to eclipse the 300-yard passing mark. However, after beating Cleveland, Palmer is on the good side of a touchdown-interception ratio again. I've never been a believer in grades but I do subscribe that Carson Palmer is the Harvey Dent of NFL quarterbacks. This is why I have to grade Palmer on two levels. He's made me nervous during the game, but outstanding when it comes to winning the game.

Most important note: 3-1 when starting as team quarterback.
Stat of concern: on pace for a career low 57.7% completion percentage.

RUNNING BACKS: Grade: Satisfied. It's hard to argue with results. Through four games this season, the Bengals have racked up an impressive 491 rushing yards -- averaging 122 yards-per-game. Averaging 4.4 yards per-carry on 84 attempts, Cedric Benson alone has rushed for 367 yards -- 91.8 yards a game (which may be a result of a lack of carries lately, his average since the Denver game is nearly 4.8 yards per carry). Benson has done a good job consistently gaining yards, but he hasn't quite been explosive. His longest rush this year is for 23 yards (the touchdown against Pittsburgh). Interestingly, Benson has had exponentially more success rushing to the left side, averaging over 6 yards per carry. Up the middle and to the right, Benson is averaging between 1 and 3.5 yards per carry - that's just not very good, but this is a criticism of the right side of the O-line, that could surely benefit from the return of an in-shape Andre Smith. The rest of the running backs have been pretty decent. Jeremi Johnson hasn't been glaringly bad in the run blocking game, and hybrid back Brian Leonard has epitomized clutch - mostly as a receiver out of the backfield. Rookie Bernard Scott has flashed his talent early this season, but his big runs are also going to the left side of the line. He's been good when he's been used, but that's been rare. Scott has also been promising in the return game. I give this group a passing grade of satisfactory bordering on "good", but not outstanding. They don't get an outstanding mark from me because they aren't producing enough. That may or may not be their fault, though.

Most important note: 122 rushing yards a game is good news. If we can get Andre Smith working into the rushing game on the right side of the line later this season, that number could improve. We might finally be a solid rushing offense.
Concern: The concern is really with offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and the offensive line. Brat has been too reliant on the pass (especially in the Browns game), and the right side of the offensive line is not opening holes for running backs.
- Jake (jsl413)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Ochocinco through first four games
	Rec.	Yrd	TD
2009	17	258	3
2008	11	116	1
2007	28	495	3
2006	18	201	1
2005	26	374	3
2004	20	297	1
2003	21	370	3
2002	18	221	1

Chad Ochocinco
Ranking: Outstanding
Chad is officially back. After a horrific 2008, Ocho has returned to the form that makes him one of the better receivers in the NFL. Not only is he talking the talk, he's walking it as well, something his three touchdown catches indicate quite well. Whether Chad is Lambeau leaping or being held back from Cleveland's Dawg Pound, Ocho is once again a terror for opposing defenses and fans alike. Sure, he's had a drop or two so far, and the fact he and Carson haven't fully integrated the long ball is cause for concern, but the flea-flicker play against Green Bay proves it's still a viable option. Maybe now they can use it a little more. Currently, Chad is on pace for a 68-catch, 1000-yard, 12 touchdown season. While I would expect the touchdown numbers to perhaps shrink, the opposite is true for his catches and receiving yards. Welcome back Ocho. Now go tweet your day away.
- Chris (IFChris)

Andre Caldwell.
Ranking: Outstanding/Satisfactory
Introducing the Bengals second leading receiver, yard/receptions-wise. Granted, I think many of us expected to see Laveranues Coles or Chris Henry here, but obviously, Caldwell has something to say about that. Caldwell, even though he's more of a slot-receiver, is proving to be a reliable number two to Chad's one. Caldwell has six more catches than Coles and eleven more than Henry. He's on pace for a 64-catch season, which would be a personal record, and would eclipse his before-this-season-started career total by 37 catches. The only reason Caldwell doesn't get an "Outstanding" is for that ugly fumble he had against Cleveland on Sunday.
- Chris (IFChris)

Laveranues Coles.
Ranking: Nervous.
Currently, Coles ranks third in the NFL with three dropped passes, something that does not inspire a great deal of confidence. When he was signed by Cincinnati, he was expected to fill the shoes left behind by T.J. Houshmandzadeh, however, it seems that job as gone to Caldwell. Coles can still get open and judging by last season's stats, he's still a very capable receiver; which is why I haven't completely given up on him. As long as Coles can keep his hands on the ball when Palmer throws it his way, we'll all be fine. Last season, Coles collected almost 900 yards and seven touchdowns. If he gets near that kind of production for the Bengals, his ranking would quickly move to the "Outstanding" neighborhood. Until he stops dropping the ball, however, his signing is going to be a disappointment.
- Chris (IFChris)

Chris Henry.
Ranking: Nervous.
After a brilliant preseason, I think all of us expected Henry to show the league just how good he can be. Alas, that has not been the case. Currently, the following Bengals (besides the ones listed above) have more catches than the one they call "Slim" -- Daniel Coats (8), Brian Leonard (11, Leonard is actually the third-leading receiver, catch-wise, on the Bengals), and Cedric Benson (6). Further, Henry is tied with J.P. Foschi, who has five. So what does this say about Slim? Is he not working hard enough or is something just not clicking? Or is it that Caldwell is simply outplaying him? Before the season started, Henry was looked at as the best deep threat on the Bengals offense, so what gives? Should the Bengals be using 4-wide sets more than they use 3-wides? Or is Henry -- who has thankfully stayed out of trouble -- simply the odd man out in a Ocho/Coles/Caldwell trio? As you can see, there are a lot more questions than answers here, and until we have a larger portion of the season to work with, I'm tempted to change Slim's grade to an "Incomplete."
- Chris (IFChris)

OFFENSIVE LINE. Grade: Satisfied. We could recap all that's happened in the past calendar year. We could say that the Bengals offensive line in 2008, with Levi Jones, Eric Ghiaciuc and Stacy Andrews were the "weakest links". Football Outsiders ranked the Bengals offensive line as one of the worst offensive lines in football. But we won't. Why dig up history when there's a better future, just over there, behind the mole hill. No, that's not the mole hill. That's the Bengals 2009 offensive line (was that a bit corny)?

Andrew Whitworth slides to left tackle. Nate Livings and Evan Mathis work time at left guard. Kyle Cook wins the job at center, with rookie Jonathan Luigs always in the background looking for playing time. Bobbie Williams and Anthony Collins holding down the right side of the fort with a WWE entrance soon coming for first-round pick Andre Smith. I won't call the offensive line Outstanding. But I'm more than comfortable to say that they've clearly been satisfactory -- and improving each week.

	Sacks	Yrd/Rush Avg.	Adj. Line Yards *	Adj. Sack Rate *
2008	12	3.46	3.22 - 32nd	8.6% - 27th
2009	9	4.5	4.33 - 10th	6.5% - 23rd

* Stats by Football Outsiders

Quarterback Sacks from D-Line
Antwan Odom	8
Jonathan Fanene	1
Pat Sims	0.5
Robert Geathers	0.5

DEFENSIVE LINE. Grade: Satisfied. Through four games, the Cincinnati Bengals defensive line are leading a pack of wolves that's recorded 12 sacks as a unit this year. Ten of those sacks have come from the defensive front four. Antwan Odom, the guy that will sack you at Krogers for taking the last box of Wheat Thins, not only leads the team with an NFL-high eight sacks, he's also the leading tackler on the defensive front. Against the Browns, Robert Geathers returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown (boy, that kind of sounded like an after-thought, didn't it?).

However, all of that said, I'm hesitant calling this defensive front outstanding. Maybe it's because we set the benchmark so high with Carson Palmer's late game heroics. Still, the defensive front, while it's played well, still lacks a constant pass rush and there were noticeable rushing lanes against the Cleveland Browns, who came into the game with a 71.3 yard-per-game rushing average (29th in the NFL).

Linebackers	Tackles
Keith Rivers	29
Dhani Jones	25
Rey Maualuga	19
Brandon Johnson	16
Abdul Hodge	3
Rashad Jeanty	3

LINEBACKERS. Grade: Satisfied. Our linebackers in 2007 consisted of Lemar ~~Parrish~~ Marshall, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller, Andre Frazier, Anthony Schlegel and Rashad Jeanty. If it wasn't for the Ravens linebackers, the Bengals linebacker unit would still be bad. Several were lost early in the season, which opened a spot for crazy journey man (quite literally) Dhani Jones. Two years later, Jones is one of the leaders on defense and the most consistent tackler. They put guys like Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga around him giving the team a promising trio of linebackers to start the season. Beyond that, the Bengals have two backup linebackers in Brandon Johnson, who plays in nickel packages and Jeanty who each recorded over 100 tackles last season. In terms of Maualuga, the rookie strong-side linebacker has forced two fumbles and a sack along with his 19 total tackles.

SECONDARY. Grade: Nervous. The Bengals secondary has been challenged much of the season, allowing 242.3 yards passing per game. They are 26th in the league. The secondary has had its issues preventing big plays, allowing 17 passing plays of 20 yards or more -- most in the NFL. Much of the blame could be brought on because of the team's safeties defense against slot receivers; hasn't been very good. It could also be softer coverage, worried about the 40-yard strikes instead of the 20-yard variety. Furthermore, Johnathan Joseph's two interceptions this season are the team's only interceptions through four games.

I think Leon Hall and Joseph have played well above satisfactory levels when defending the pass. And Joseph more so against the rush. However, I think outside those two cornerbacks, the secondary has work to do; especially against the pass.

Kevin Huber in 2009
Punts:	30
Long:	61 yards
Avg.	42.9
Net Avg.	35.8
Inside-20	10

SPECIAL TEAMS. Grade: Nervously terrible yet sometimes outstandingly satisfied. It took you a couple of times to re-read the grade, didn't it? It's complicated. Kevin Huber has been outstanding. Shayne Graham has been ordinary. The kickoff return teams is 25th in the league and the punt return team ranks in the top-five. Brad St. Louis is still on the team. It's almost like you have a good, a bad, a middle, a good and then another bad. Really. Is there a more roller coaster unit in the NFL than the Bengals special teams? So how do I grade the entire unit? Can one do such a thing? I'm nervous every time the Bengals attempt to kick. I yawn when the kickoff return team, you know, returns. Huber is the only punter in the known galaxy that actually makes me pump my fist and Quan Cosby is the first guy that returns punts on this team that makes it a realistic dream he could return it for touchdown.

What do you guys think? Where are we at the quarter point of the season?

Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 16

Chris Thorman — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:39:33 -0000

Two days after Christmas the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals. If you're an Arrowhead Pride reader in the state of Ohio, it's a possibility the game will not be aired locally so we'll be your main source of information for the game.

In our prediction series of AP authors, we've got the Chiefs at 8-6. Seriously.

The Bengals finished the 2008 season 4-11-1 with the worst offense in the NFL. Of course, that should be much different this season assuming quarterback Carson Palmer stays healthy for the season. His injury, which caused him to miss 12 starts, especially hurt Chad Ochocinco, who caught 53 passes for 540 passes in an injury plagued season.

The Bengals won their second game of the season on December 14th (Chiefs won their second on November 30th) but finished off the season with three consecutive victories.

We do have one Chiefs/Bengals connection that popped up over the offseason. The Chiefs picked up C Eric Ghiaciuc from the Bengals and in an interview with the local media, he said Ochocinco was a bit of a distraction to the team. Chad's response?

"Ghiaciuc's play was a distraction. Of all people to call me that."

Ouch, Ocho '540 yards' Cinco.

The Chiefs ended the 2008 season on a low note with a 16-6 loss to the Bengals. In the locker room after the game, Larry Johnson professed a desire to leave Kansas City. That was kind of the start to the Chiefs rocky beginning to the offseason.

So, their offense wasn't very good last year but that should change with Palmer back. They've got some young talent on defense and have the potential to be very good on that side of the ball.

We've asked Mr. Kirkendall from Cincy Jungle to help us preview the Chiefs/Bengals game. We asked him some questions and his answers are after the jump.

You're the Chiefs defense. What's the first thing you have to stop with the Bengals offense?

Historically, the Bengals were always a rhythm team. The best way to break down our offense is that we’ve always been a pass-first, run-second kind of football team.

If you can generate a pass rush and force a ton of pressure on Palmer, you might not just get the sack, you could force him into a bad throw.

As Chiefs fans, we know plenty about first day draft picks not panning out. Can you talk a little bit about the frustration with Keith Rivers going down last year and now Andre Smith's rocky start?

When Keith Rivers was injured against the Steelers, the Bengals were already 0-6. We didn’t have a chance at making the playoffs and our disappointment factor was already in overdrive. It was like one of those moments where you just put your arms up in disbelief and wonder what else could possibly happen.

But we’re used to disappointing first years from our first round draft picks; through lack of play, disappointing play, or just injury. Smith is in the same boat. He goes from prolonged negotiations to an injury that will definitely keep him out through the first week – and most likely the first month.

This game comes in week 16 so we'll pretty much know what type of team we are at that point. Do you think in week 16, if the Bengals are playing decent, it will be because mainly because of good play from the offense or the defense?

Our defense will bring our level back up, no doubt. There are too many questions with our offensive line to suggest we’ll get that 2005 magic back. The Bengals finished 12th on defense last year and added talented rookies like Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson and acquired veterans Tank Johnson and Roy Williams.

We always expect a lot from our offense; our defense could be the biggest reason we we’re still competitive by week 16.

Many thanks to Josh for answering our questions. Read more about the Bengals at Cincy Jungle.

Check out all of our season game previews at this link.

A better and healthier season from the Bengals means a 24-13 Chiefs loss.

Key to the Season: Offense rides on how much the offensive line improves

Kirkendall — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:57:39 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

4 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis clasps hands with guard Bobbie Williams, facing, at the end of practice at their NFL football training camp , Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, in Georgetown, Ky. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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Quick. Of everything you know about the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals, which aspect of the team was substantially blamed for going 4-11-1? Was it the players that we placed on IR that could actually fill out a starting lineup? Was it the lack of a pass rush? Was it the league's worst offense, along with a defense that, despite popular belief, didn't step up until late in the season (before playing against the Browns in the 15th game of last season, the defense was ranked 22nd overall). My guess is that all of those things applied to an overall product that left Bengals fans frustrated, ashamed and, by most measures, betrayed.

However, that's not the question, is it? What unit of this team was substantially blamed for going 4-11-1? If you had to pick one, I'd be willing to bet that the poll would be overwhelming. The Bengals offensive line. We know the storylines; we've examined them ad nauseam. But let's go through the basics. Because of the poor protection schemes, Carson Palmer had a broken nose during the preseason and missed 11 games after suffering an elbow injury against the New York Giants. Because of the poor protection schemes, the Bengals allowed 51 sacks; most since 2000. And each time a Bengals quarterback were sacked, the offense lost on average 5.3 yards. Because of the rush blocking, the Bengals offense only averaged 3.6 yards-per-rush. The last time the Bengals rushing offense averaged 3.6 yards-per-rush was 1993. The average gain per offensive play was 4.0 yards -- worst average through the Mike Brown era of Bengals football. Now that's putting it into perspective, isn't it?

While I've always been one to defend the offensive line, you just can't dispute how poorly the offensive line played last year. We could try. We could say that Ryan Fitzpatrick, at times unnecessarily, tried to run out of the pocket when he hinted a pass rush. We could say that Chris Perry wasn't what we'd call an NFL-caliber feature back (third down back, change of pace back, perhaps). We could also say that there were no real receiving options behind T.J. Houshmandzadeh, including an unmotivated and injured Chad Ochocinco. We could say all that in defense of the offense line. However, the line was a problem and defending the offensive line last year would be a futile argument.

So what's happened since? Levi Jones was released. Even though he just turned 30-years old, he's yet to catch on with another team because of questions regarding his health. Eric Ghiaciuc signed on late with the Kansas City Chiefs -- he was released after the Chiefs signed center Andy Alleman. As of this post, Ghiaciuc is the second Bengals offensive lineman that started in 2008 that's now unemployed. Contract negotiations with Stacy Andrews never took off, or taken seriously, because of Andrews' desire to play alongside his brother Shawn with the Philadelphia Eagles. And we're not sure if the Bengals put much effort behind signing Andrews; one statistical breakdown showed that Andrews was responsible for 9.5 sacks in 2008.

When you add it up, three offensive linemen that started the season in 2008, are not with the team this year; two players aren't even employed. To say a lot of work was required this offseason to rebuild the offensive line, would be an understatement. Replacing three starters is one way to go.

Aside from Bobbie Williams at right guard, the Bengals will see four new players -- either starters or in Whitworth's case, a starter moving to a new position. Jonathan Luigs was drafted in 2009 and a competition was setup between Luigs, Dan Santucci and Kyle Cook. Eventually, Cook impressed coaches and teammates like Carson Palmer and Andrew Whitworth enough to win the job. Whitworth surprisingly made the move from left guard to left tackle and Anthony Collins, Jones' replacement in 2008, moved to right tackle. Nate Livings started the final six games at left guard last year and will keep his job to kickoff the season.

Then there's Andre Smith. You know the background. I know the background. Here's a quick version. Bengals draft Smith with a bunch of red flags. Prolonged contract negotiations lasted until late in the preseason. Smith broke foot and is very unlikely to take a snap in the first month of the season. If you want more on Smith, do a search on this site.

The truth of the matter is, how well the Bengals offense moves the football will be, in large part, how improved the offensive line improves. I know that's just basic football. However, it's perhaps the most critical question that needs to be answered this year. Afterall, there's a nervous anxiety among fans because if this line can't protect Palmer and he goes down again... well, you saw what happened last year.

Tracking Where the Kansas City Chiefs Roster Cuts End Up

Chris Thorman — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:36:27 -0000

Over the last week or so, the Kansas City Chiefs have parted ways with 27 players. Three of those players were put on IR/PUP list, ending their seasons (in the case of the PUP list, delaying their season until Week 6).

Where will they all end up?

If history is any indication, a good portion of these players will not be playing on an NFL team ever again. Yes, some will make other NFL rosters and still more will be signed to other team's practice squads.

But, for the most part, none of these players are likely to make a splash on another team, save for a guy like Bernard Pollard who still has quite a bit of gas left in the tank.

Check out last year's cuts at this time. Two, maybe three of those guys are in the NFL right now.

After the jump, we've got a table where we will track what happens to each of the Chiefs' cuts. This should be interesting to see where they go, if anywhere.

Remember, some of these guys will end up on the Chiefs practice squad, which they can designate players for as early as today. We'll have a practice squad post coming up soon too.

If you guys hear about any movement by these players, please let us know in the comments and we will get the table updated.

Player	New Team	Signing Date
C Eric Ghiaciuc	?
CB Jackie Bates	Practice Squad
CB Londen Fryar	?
CB Travis Daniels	?
DE Alfonso Boone	?
DE Bobby Greenwood	Practice Squad
DE Dion Gales	Practice Squad
DT Derek Lokey	?
FB Jed Collins	?
G Darryl Harris	Practice Squad
G Tavares Washington	?
G/C Brian De La Puente	?
LB Vince Redd	?
LB Zach Thomas	?
OT Cameron Goldberg	?
RB Javarris Williams	Practice Squad
S Bernard Pollard	?
S Ricky Price	?
T Herb Taylor	?
TE Tom Crabtree	Practice Squad
WR Amani Toomer	?
WR Ashley Lelie	?
WR Rodney Wright	Practice Squad
WR Taurus Johnson	?

Poll

How many of the Chiefs 27 cuts will end up on other NFL teams by Week 1?

0

33 votes

1-5

674 votes

6-10

135 votes

11-15

19 votes

16-20

7 votes

21+

6 votes

874 votes | Poll has closed

No Changes to Chiefs Unofficial Depth Chart for Seahawks Game

Joel Thorman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:12:12 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Jed Collins: Still your #2 fullback. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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The Kansas City Chiefs released earlier today the unofficial depth chart for this weekend's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

(Edit: Funny story, actually. For a short time this morning, the Chiefs accidentally put out the press release from a Chiefs/Seahawks game in 2005. It was quickly replaced but looking at the offensive line depth chart - Roaf, Waters, Wiegmann and Shields - wasn't such a bad thing.)

No changes were made but there will be two, however, by the next depth chart. The arrival of Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe mean they'll be added somewhere on the list below.

RG: Mike Goff, Tavares Washington, Colin Brown
C: Rudy Niswanger, Eric Ghiaciuc
LG: Brian Waters, Wade Smith, Daryl Harris

I'm thinking Washington and Brown can fairly easily be jumped. Washington has spent a significant portion of camp in 'No Man's Land' while Brown is just a rookie.

I'll need to wait for a few camp reports before I can decide how the center position might be affected.

Waters, of course, is sticking with the one's but like Washington, Smith has spent some time injured so I can't imagine his spot is secure.

I've got a few more notes on the depth chart after the jump.

Dwayne Bowe on the third team - He's still listed with the third team even though he's clearly been the best receiver on the field in both games. I wouldn't read anything into this - definitely a motivational tool at this point.

Sean Ryan is still ahead of Brad Cottam - We still have no idea where we stand on tight ends. I'm not sure whether to make anything of this.

Damion McIntosh ahead of Barry Richardson - Richardson played with the first team last week and even started Friday's game against the Vikings. He didn't play great, according to more than a few folks, so McIntosh replaced him at the start of the second quarter.

Alfonso Boone ahead of Tyson Jackson - TJ participated with the first team today. He will (hopefully) see a lot more action in game three.

You can view the entire depth chart here.

Strength in numbers; an examination of who the Bengals started the regular season since 2006

Kirkendall — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:05:45 -0000

When the preseason marches towards a welcomed conclusion, discussion and debate takes place on who the team cuts and keeps. Sometimes the topic goes into salary cap causalities; veterans that are cut, like Willie Anderson and Rudi Johnson last year. Other times, the debate talks about players that surprisingly make the roster. As jsl413 broke down, the Bengals depth is strong in some areas, weak in others. Which means the Bengals could strengthen weaken positions by increasing the depth. It's a numbers game.

You see that notably with linebackers. In 2006, Brian Simmons was nearing retirement; his production was falling. David Pollack, while great with potential, was only then starting to adjust from being a defensive end in college to an outside linebacker in the NFL. Rashad Jeanty was a rookie. Landon Johnson was arguably our best linebacker. If you look back to that season, only one linebacker remains (Jeanty) with the Bengals and as far as I can tell, three are still in the NFL (Jeanty, Johnson and Ahmad Brooks). The position didn't improve in 2007 and grew worse when it was decimated by injury. Dhani Jones, an unlikely stability force who would join the team later in the year, became the most productive middle linebacker during Marvin Lewis' tenure. By 2008, the linebackers were on pace to be the most talented group assembled, taking less into the regular season while numerically increasing their numbers at other spots, like running back, defensive tackles -- two spots with limited production. You'll obviously see that again this year, with Jones, Jeanty, Rivers, Brandon Johnson and Rey Maualuga as the depth leaders.

Running backs is another example. In 2006, and even 2007, Rudi Johnson was considered the team's feature back. No competition. Hands down. After all, he set franchise rushing records in 2004 and 2005. However, along with the offensive line's degradation, he started degrading (some will note his inadvisable weight loss regiment, losing all of his strength in 2006) until he was finally cut in 2008. More importantly, the Bengals decided to take two fullbacks because Jeremi Johnson was simply not the force he used to be and the team liked Coats' enough to make room for him. While the talent level dipped, the team decided to strengthen the depth with numbers.

Take note of this. Am I saying that the depth and position is stronger because there's more players? Obviously not. You either have talent or you don't. A combination of average talent still makes that position average. But it is a luxury that most teams have, which largely depends on play-calling philosophy, as well as projecting your opponents philosophies. If you take on more defensive backs in any given year because your passing defense is poor, it allows you additional packages. But it's also dictated by strength. You will note how once the team had Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, they believed the position strong enough to only take four cornerbacks in 2008, as opposed to five in 2007 and 2006. Safeties increased because a long-standing issue of giving up big plays was still unanswered. You can bank on at least six safeties this year.

After the jump, you can see which players the Bengals took after cutdown day and how many players the team took at each position.

First thing we should note are the roster cut deadlines:

DATE	EVENT
September 1st	Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players
September 5th	Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players

Here's a breakdown on what positions the Bengals after final cutdown heading into the regular season.

Position	2006	2007	2008
Quarterbacks	3	3	3
Running backs (including FB)	4	4 (1)	5 (2)
Wide Receivers	6	6	6
Offensive Linemen	9	8	9
Tight Ends	2	3	2
Total on Offense	24	24	25

Defensive Ends	4	5	4
Defensive Tackles	4	3	5
Linebackers	8	7	6
Cornerbacks	5	5	4
Safeties	5	6	6
Total on Defense	26	26	25

Specialists	3	3	3

After the jump, we chart which players the Bengals kept since 2006.

2006

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Quincy Wilson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Tab Perry, Antonio Chatman, Kelley Washington
O-Line	9	Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, Willie Anderson, Andrew Whitworth, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart

DE	4	Justin Smith, Bryan Robinson, Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker
DT	4	Sam Adams, John Thornton, Domata Peko, Shaun Smith
Linebackers	8	Brian Simmons, Landon Johnson, David Pollack, Rashad Jeanty, Marcus Wilkins, Ahmad Brooks, A.J. Nicholson, Caleb Miller
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Tory James, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, Greg Brooks
Safeties	5	Dexter Jackson, Madieu Williams, Kevin Kaesviharn, Ethan Kilmer, Herana-Daze Jones

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2007

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Clinton Dawson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry, Glenn Holt, Skyler Green, Antonio Chatman
O-Line	8	Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra, Eric Ghiaciuc, Alex Stepanovich
TE	3	Reggie Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie

DE	5	Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson, Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene
DT	3	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Michael Myers
Linebackers	7	Ahmad Brooks, Rashad Jeanty, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller, Lemar Marshall, Andre Frazier, Anthony Schlegel
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Chinedum Ndukwe, Madieu Williams, Marvin White, Herana-Daze Jones, Ethan Kilmer

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2008

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jordan Palmer
RB / FB	5	Chris Perry, Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Jeremi Johnson (FB), Daniel Coats (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson
O-Line	9	Stacy Andrews, Levi Jones, Eric Ghiaciuc, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook, Scott Kooistra, Anthony Collins
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht

DE	4	Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Jonathan Fanene, Frostee Rucker
DT	5	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Jason Shirley, Pat Sims, Michael Myers
Linebackers	6	Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Darryl Blackstock, Brandon Johnson, Corey Mays
Corners	4	Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Simeon Castille, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Kyries Hebert, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch, Chinedum Ndukwe, Marvin White

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

Interview: Football Outsiders' Robert Weintraub sits with Cincy Jungle

Kirkendall — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:19:19 -0000

If you're one of those truly hardcore fans, like Bengals fans that sit at work, hitting F5 on their browser to refresh Cincy Jungle for the latest updates, most likely you've heard of the gang at Football Outsiders. We've referenced them a lot during the season to qualify and solidify our arguments. Every year they've released a book which provides their modern formulaic stats, projections, and detailed summary and analysis of each team. There really isn't a better book on the market to help edge you into that insane realm of being an educated football fan. The best part is that it's geared towards truly projecting and ranking players and teams based on opponent, game situations, compared to the league as a whole. While the name of this years book changed from Pro Football Prospectus to the Football Outsiders Almanac, it still includes all of the great information they've provided each year.

One of the writers for the new Almanac is Robert Weintraub. He joins us here at Cincy Jungle for a few quick questions.

In the 2009 edition of The Football Outsiders Almanac, it shows that of the top 16 teams with the biggest offensive drop in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) since 1999, all but four teams improved; in some cases dramatically. The Bengals had the 12th biggest drop since 1999 (26.1%). Do you see the 2009 Bengals being one of those teams that dramatically improve?

Robert Weintraub: As you mention, teams generally move away from extreme performances, good or ill, toward the mean. The Bengals can’t get any worse offensively then they were a year ago, so clearly they should improve. The team was the third-hardest hit by injury in the NFL, and that usually means an improvement due to better health. Obviously, Palmer is the key man to return to health—just his playing in all 16 games should show a healthy return to positive offensive DVOA.

Cedric Benson’s past is well known. Coming to Cincinnati midway through 2008, Benson was limited behind a terribly performing offensive line. Once Anthony Collins and Nate Livings started the final six games of the season, things solidified and Benson’s performance in the last three games likely rewarded him with a two-year contract. Dating back to last year, the team’s running backs have seen a massive shuffle in personnel. With all of the team’s changes, do you see the team improving on their 95 yards-per-game average from last year?

Robert Weintraub: Benson was indeed rewarded, but it came after a long look for someone better. It’s hard to see the running game being a huge factor until the O-line gets some cohesiveness. But with the addition of Fui Vakapuna and more two-back attack, plus a full season of Benson, who for all his mediocrity doesn’t fumble and runs hard, Cincy should show some improvement. Again, it can’t get much worse.

The Bengals offensive line was written in The Football Outsiders Almanac as “perhaps the single worst unit in the entire NFL last season.” Stacy Andrews and Eric Ghiaciuc left for free agency and Levi Jones was released. Now the team is left with a lot of unknowns; Kyle Cook at center, Nate Livings at left guard and Andre Smith at right tackle. The Football Outsiders Almanac says the 2009 offensive line will be younger and inexperienced, however shows promise. Why is that?

Robert Weintraub: Addition by subtraction is the key phrase for the ’09 Bengals line. Andrew Whitworth has shown he is capable enough to handle left tackle, and Livings was good in a late-season test as a rookie. Unquestionably, there will be growing pains and a stretch where all the new players aren’t on the same page.Paul Alexander’s job, and it is a crucial one, is to minimize that period.

If you combine Tank Johnson’s numbers with the Bengals numbers from last year, Johnson is ranked as the second-best defensive lineman on the team in terms of stop percentage (81%). However, playing in a 3-4 in Dallas, Johnson’s playing time was limited. Back in a 4-3 defense with the Bengals, combining with Domata Peko and Pat Sims, how much better is the defensive line with Tank Johnson?

Robert Weintraub: Tank gives Cincy something it hasn’t had in many a moon—a legitimate tackle rotation. Individually, Tank, Peko and Sims are all pretty good, not world beaters. But having three players who are decent against the run is critical over the long season, especially in the AFC North. Injury and stamina concerns are lessened by Tank’s presence, and that’s good, regardless of his checkered past. And as you mention, he fits Mike Zimmer’s scheme well, more so than Wade Phillips’.

With Chinedum Ndukwe, Marvin White, Chris Crocker and Roy Williams at safety, the Bengals secondary has a group of hard hitting safeties. The general concern is that where they’re strong against the run, they could be weak against the pass. This means that Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph could be relied upon more this year; perhaps being forced to prove their worth as first-round picks. Where do you see the Bengals secondary heading into 2009?

Robert Weintraub: First and foremost, the secondary needs to stay healthy. Joseph’s injury really set the unit back last season, moving Hall up to #1 WR duty and bringing the odious David Jones onto the field more than anyone wanted to see. Hall and Joseph certainly have the talent to form an excellent CB combo. If they played on a team with even a little pass rush, we might think of them much differently. Marvin White, being the only safety with decent cover skills, could earn more playing time than you might think. The other three will certainly be tested by enemy tight ends and backs early in the season—how each responds will decide who gets the bulk of the playing time.

Which new player with the Bengals do you expect to surprise people?

Robert Weintraub: It’s not very sexy, but Kevin Huber could make a big difference as the new punter. Marvin’s boy Kyle Larson was simply awful in 2008, and Huber has looked good in a small sample in camp. Vakapuna may also become an instant folk hero.

I wanted to thank Robert and Football Outsiders for taking the time out to chat with us. You can pick up a copy of Football Outsiders Almanac through their online store.

Bengals Training Camp: Is the Bengals offensive line better than last year? "We'll see".

Kirkendall — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:06:29 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

7 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith hits a pad during football minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium, Friday, May 1, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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The Bengals offensive line. There wasn't a phrase spoken in 2008 that didn't frighten us more. Carson Palmer's bloody nose. Injured elbow. The 29th best rushing offense in the league, averaging 95 yards per game. It wasn't pretty. Football Outsiders ranked the offensive line as the worst run blocking unit in the league. The offense only scored six rushing touchdowns, tying the Browns as the fewest in the league. Only the San Francisco 49ers (55) and Detroit Lions (52) gave up more sacks than the Bengals (51). We would love to know the average time quarterbacks have dropping back and where the Bengals rank. On second thought, no we wouldn't.

The line's performance last season was forgettable -- at least we're trying to forget it. No, it was atrocious. But the truth is if the Bengals can't upgrade and improve the line's performance over last year, then they're going nowhere. It's a simple thing in football. A good offensive line and things happen. A bad offensive line and, well, things still happen. None of them good.

Eric Ghiaciuc wasn't resigned and Levi Jones was let go. What does that mean for the team this year and what have the Bengals done to improve the offensive line? Kyle Cook signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent before making his way to the Bengals practice squad to start the 2007 season. He played on Special Teams last year before being placed on Injured Reserve in October. Now Cook is the projected starting center and some people are already drawing Rich Braham comparisons. He's nasty. He's intelligent. And god willing, he's better than Eric Ghiaciuc.

Bobbie Williams is the only offensive lineman returning to the same position from the start of last year, while former left guard, Andrew Whitworth, slides out to left tackle. Nate Livings, after performing well enough at the close of last season, is rewarded with an opportunity to keep his spot at left guard.

But that's all secondary, isn't it? The biggest storyline with this group, is right tackle. Specifically, Andre Smith. We've examined and talked about (a lot) the backstory of our first-round draft pick. Lack of maturity. Perceived red flags of character issues. Whatever you want to call it, the backstory exists and it's been front and center this offseason. Musical chairs with agents. After that, contract issues. Will he sign soon? And if he signs late into training camp, will he be ready against the Denver Broncos? There's no questioning his talent. Throughout his final year in college, Smith was often thought of, not just as the best offensive lineman, but also projected as the first overall draft pick. Things happened and it didn't work out that way.

Is Smith even a concern with the Bengals having a fall back plan in Anthony Collins?
Is Smith working out and staying in football shape during contract negotiations, which could be prolonged?
Will Dan Santucci make a run at left guard or center?
Will Jonathan Luigs replace Cook at center?

All things considered, the Bengals coaching staff believes this group is better this year than last. Center is upgraded. Left tackle is upgraded (if you think Whitworth is better than the combination of Jones/Collins). Right tackle is likely upgraded. And to be honest, as of right now, I have to agree with them. But as any old Zen Master says, "we'll see."