So, being in North Carolina, I got to go see the game and being giddy as a kid in a candy store, I wanted to post my observations, though will try and circumscribe them to those which probably wouldn't have been noticed on tv.

-Dennis Roland looked larger in person than he does on tv.  I have to admit I am slowly becoming a Dennis Roland fan.  After keying on him for several plays, I don't believe I saw him miss a single block and he held up prettty well under pass protection.  In fact, he looks like a pissed off guy who is tired of hearing criticisms and has developed a mean streak - which I like.

-Geno Atkins on the other hand looked very small on the line, though every time I keyed on him, he was pushing his offensive guard back into the pocket.  Out of all the tackles, I think he has the best line surging capabilities and could very easily end up being a starter by the end of this year.

-No Andre Smith.  I didn't get to see the roster, but was Andre Smith deactivated for the game?  I don't believe I saw him once - not just on the field, but off it.

-Bobbie Williams looked like a pregnant turtle with a dislocated hip when I saw him running onto the field after halftime.  Granted, I think he can still currently get it done, but after painfully watching him hobble across the field, it seems he may need to pass on the torch as early as next season....possibly by Andre Smith?  Can we put out a BOLO for him?

-Nate Livings at one point had a very impressive guard pull in which he rolled to the right across the line and looked fast for a 330 pounder.  I'd like to see some more of that.

-There were a lot of empty seats and Bengals jersies at the Panther stadium.  Not sure what the actual numbers were, but it seemed like the stadium was only 2/3 full (which could have beed due to the rain) and at one point I counted 17 Bengal Jersies vs 93 Panther Jersies in my section.  Made me proud...  Though at the same time, in a sad way, the gloomy-looking Panther fans sort of reminded me of what I felt like for over a decade as a Bengals fan.

-I noticed Jordan Palmer at one point wearing his hat backwards.  I dunno, just thought I'd point it out...  Seemed a little odd for the brother of Carson Palmer.... and makes me question his intellect.

-Roy Williams seems to have a knack for anticipating where the ball is going.  Watching him move around before the snap was impressive and he seemed to at least  be within the vicinity of most plays.

At least several times every game (usually in the first quarter), I'll notice Whitworth positioned as an ineligible tight end next to the right tackle - or sometimes Roland/Smith will be there.  And just about every time I see this, we run to the weak side and pick up next to nothing.  We did this a lot last year with seemingly no success, and yet are continuing to try this enigma of an offensive scheme out of Brat's warped head.

What is the point of this?  Our offense is already simple and predictable enough, do we really need to cut down the number of offensive weapons from 5 to 4?  Are we doing this to fulfill a certain quota of playing time for all our lineman?  If we had some highly-competitive lineman who were able to come off the bench and beat up the linebackers, I might see it.  But giving up an offensive threat of a tight end so the lurch Roland and jelly-roll Smith can play side by side kills me and I just don't get it. 

The Redskins just released Larry Johnson.  Would it be prudent to pursue him and bring him back as insurance for Cedric Benson?  I like Scott, but he is more of a third down/scat type of back.  Larry Johnson more adequately fits the mold of the bell-cow/grind it up the middle type of runningback Cedric Benson is - which he delivered on several occasions throughout last year when Benson was banged up or needed short periods of rest.  Since Johnson is already familiar with the playbook, he should be able to jump right in if need-be.

No doubt, the ultimate fear that strikes the hearts of fans every season (besides a players’ strike) is that devastating injury to the key player which takes away the team’s competitive edge.  After contemplating which Bengals are those whom we cannot afford to lose, I arrived with the following list, subject to your thoughts.  If all five of these players remain healthy throughout the season, I believe we are in the Superbowl.  If not, I am skeptical.

1)     Carson Palmer - Though I like the idea of having a Carson prototype as a backup with the same type of game to mitigate the loss of chemistry with the receivers, the level of play doesn’t appear to be anywhere close.  And going on three seasons now with the Bengals having to cut the number two quarterbacks ahead of Jordan just to force-feed him into the backup role isn’t giving me a good vibe.  The name may remain the same, but the game will definitely change – in a negative way.

2)     Andrew Whitworth – He’s quickly established himself as the staple and cornerstone of the offensive line to the point where we often overlook the value he provides in that left tackle spot.  Losing Whitworth would signal the fall of the Bengals much to the likeness of the torn down Berlin Wall displaying the end of communist Russia.  Crippled Collins, Lurch-like Roland, or fatboy Smith trying to fill in at left tackle?  Scary thought.  The caveat devastating injury would soon be Palmer.

3)     Jermaine Gresham – First time since I can remember (okay, my viewing days only go back to the early 90’s) that we have a legitimate offensive threat at the tight end position who can also block.  Finally, Palmer will have a big target over the middle to take pressure off the receivers.  Lose Gresham and suddenly we are back to painfully watching Reggie Kelly and Daniel Coats botch catches – or Coffman being thrown around at the line of scrimmage like a rag doll.

4)     Terrell Owens – As much as this pains me to say it, I think TO is a critical piece to the offensive puzzle.  Without him, we would have no viable deep threat to stretch the defense.  With the apparent flop of Matt Jones, the only other seemingly vertical threat would be Jerome Simpson.  But after one and a half years, if he couldn’t adequately fill in the void left by Henry last season, I’m not feeling him.  We would then essentially have Chad and a bunch of midgets running around in the passing game.

5)     Kyle Cook – Losing Rich Braham to retirement marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the Bengals.  The emergence of Kyle Cook at the helm of the line triggered the return to the playoffs.  Making blocking calls at the line and being able to withstand the behemoth nose tackles of today’s game is absolutely critical and cannot be overlooked.  Maybe Stephens has the physical ability to step in, but the mental aspect is just as important and it is doubtful a rookie drafted in the seventh round already has that.

Honorable Mention – I wanted to include Andre Smith, though it’s hard to say we can’t afford to lose someone if we don’t necessarily already have him.  I have the feeling this season will hinge on Andre Smith’s recovery from his foot surgery and potential to solidify the right side of the line.  I am just not sold on Dennis Roland or Anthony Collins as a starting tackle in the NFL.  And since his playing time seems to be dependent upon his weight-loss, it appears either the Bengals will be taking a loss or Krispy Kreme will – who no doubt have him on their can’t-lose-customer list.

I’m sure you’ll notice I didn’t list any defensive players on this list.  Typically I would look to the cornerbacks and defensive tackles as the key components of the defense, though this year we have the pro-bowl caliber tandem of Joseph/Hall being backed up by pro-bowl potential Adam Jones and Peko/Tank being solidly backed up by Sims and Atkins.  As for the linebackers, defensive ends, and safeties, I think we have enough depth at those positions there won’t be much of a drop-off between the starters and second-stringers.  And with a healthy dominant offensive line, even Cedric Benson is replaceable.

WIth the dust finally settling after the recent madness over the receiver competition, I'm still scratching my head wondering what happened to Matt Jones.  Can someone enlighten me as to why he didn't even make it in the top 6?  The dude is 6'6", has blazing speed, veteren experience - yet still relatively young at 27, and had 65 catches in 12 games during his last NFL season as a number 2 reciever.  How did we not find a role for him?  I for one was excited to see him, envisioning him as a replacement for Chris Henry - someone who could be a legitimate deep threat.  Now, we've got to rely on Jerome "I haven't been able to touch the field in 2 years" Simpson to fill that void if TO goes down?  All the others are slot recievers.