SBNation.com User Blog: BengalsFranchiseMadden

1) Keeping Onterio McCalebb instead of Peerman or Scott -- Gruden wants a speedster to take it the distance -- Gio is good, but often gets caught from behind - "In his second attempt of the 40-yard dash, McCalebb clocked an unofficial time of 4.21 seconds, which is three one-hundredths of a second fewer than Chris Johnson's record-setting 4.24-second run in 2008." -- Speed kills -- Also, Burkhead can fill in on Special Teams.

2) Keeping Tate on the roster -- I personally like Whalen a lot, so wouldn't mind if we kept him around... He does nothing great, but catches everything his way. Do we need another slot WR though? I think not.

3) I think we are all hoping to get something out of Brandon Joiner and Aaron Maybin, but I really doubt we are going to get another Burfict story out of Joiner, and pretty sure Maybin is a has been (or never was).

Those players in bold are who I expect to win position battle. Thoughts???

Offense (25):

Quarterback:(2)

Lock(1)- Andy Dalton

Battle (2) - Josh Johnson, John Skelton

Running Back: (4)

Lock (2)- BJGE, Gio Bernard

Battle(5)- Bernard Scott, Cedric Peerman, Rex Burkhead, Onterio McCalebb, Boom Herron

Fullback:(1)

Battle(2) - Chris Pressley, John Conner

Wide Receiver (6):

Locks (4)- AJ Green, Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones, Andrew Hawkins

Battle (6)- Brandon Tate, Cobi Hamilton, Dane Sanzenbacher, Ryan Whalen, Justin Hilton, Taveon Rogers,

Tight End (3): ** I hope they take all 4 TE's and drop 1 WR

Locks (2)- Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert

Battle (2)- Orson Charles, Alex Smith

Offensive Line (9):

Locks (5)- Andrew Whitworth, Clint Boling, Kevin Zeitler, Andre Smith, Anthony Collins

Battle (8)- Reid Fragel, Travelle Wharton, Tanner Hawkinson, Kyle Cook, Trevor Robinson, TJ Johnson, Mike Pollak, Dennis Roland

Defense (25):

Defensive Line (9):

Locks (9)- Michael Johnson, Domata Peko, Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, Robert Geathers, Margus Hunt, Devon Still, Brandon Thompson, Wallace Gilberry

Lots to prove- DeQuin Evans, Jamaal Anderson

Linebacker (6):

Locks (5)- James Harrison, Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, Sean Porter, Emmanuel Lamur

Battle (1)- Brandon Joiner, Aaron Maybin, Dontay Moch

Secondary (10):

Locks (6)- Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick, Terence Newman, Reggie Nelson, Shawn Williams

Battle (8)- Shaun Prater, Brandon Gee, Chris Lewis-Harris, George Iloka, Tony Dye, Taylor Mays, Jeromy Miles, Robert Sands

Special Teams (3):

Kicker: Mike Nugent

Punter: Kevin Huber

Long Snapper- Clark Harris

A few surprises:

Poll

This final roster is...

Harrison A BENGAL!!!!!!!

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:07:03 -0000

HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL HARRISON A BENGAL

WHO DEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

WHO DEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

James Harrison Visiting Bengals Today

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:56:33 -0000

Would love to see Harrison in stripes next season. I still think he could be productive, and had an injured plagued season last year. Getting Harrison with a chip on his shoulder, and sending him after Big Ben twice a year would be fun to watch. His best days are for sure behind him, but the man has an angry streak that you can't deny. Looks like Mike Brown is wanting to make some moves... What are your thoughts?

Zimmer being Interviewed by Browns

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:26:43 -0000

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (to put it simply)

I really believe our defense would be crippled without coach Zimmer. I really think that if the Browns offer him a HC contract, he will take it. They have a great defensive nucleus over there in Cleveland, and would have the perfect blueprint on how to shut down the Bengals offense...

Can we just make Zimmer the HC for the Bengals, and kick Marvin to the curb already?!?!?!?!?

This one will hurt all offseason, and then some, if Zimmer takes the job in Cleveland.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (to put it simply)

Can we just make Zimmer the HC for the Bengals, and kick Marvin to the curb already?!?!?!?!?

This one will hurt all offseason, and then some, if Zimmer takes the job in Cleveland.

Deeper Look at Steelers CB Situation - Keys to a Victory

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:41:40 -0000

Going into Sundays game, I believe there are a few "KEY" things the Bengals need to do to ensure victory. Although some of the things may seem obvious, all bets are off when we play an AFC North opponent.

Key's to the game (in order of importance):

1) Exploit their CB injury situation - I'm not kicking a horse while it's down, just stating the facts - Ike Taylor: OUT; Keenan Lewis: Bad Hip, and now bad knee (stepped in hole at practice Wed); Cortez Allen: Active 2nd year player with a bum groin; Curtis Brown: Active 2nd year player with 1 PD in career; DeMarcus Van Dyke: OUT; Josh Victorian: Active practice squad player ---- Need Gresham, Green, Hawkins to get targets early and often.

2) Sack Big Ben and/or hit him (*hard*) - If our defensive front can sack Big Ben 4 or more times, and hit him ~7-12 times, turnovers will come.

3) Establish our running game/Stop theirs - As we all know, the Lawfirm has been on fire as of late. Let the big fellas up front get loose, and open up some lanes for Benny, and our passing game will follow. On the other side of the ball, we need to take the running game out of their game plan, which will allow our D-front to tee off on Big Ben.

4) Protect Dalton - You all saw how confused our O-line looked with the Eagles D-line stunts. You don't think Dick LeBeau was licking his chops watching that? Protect Dalton, get some easy passes early, and it will go a long way in this game.

5) Contain Heath Miller - Clearly Big Ben's favorite target. The Steelers offensive, more often than not, plays well when Miller is heavily involved. If you're a Bengals fan, you know how much Miller has killed us in the past.

6) Eliminate the BIG PLAY - Big Ben has been complaining as of late that he doesn't like the style of the offense Todd Haley is calling. Doesn't take a genius to realize that Big Ben wants to take more shots down the field. Reggie Nelson and Chris Crocker better be aware and not let anyone (Mike Wallace) behind them.

I know this is a tall order, but if we can do most, if not all the things above, I really believe we can pull this one out. As a die hard fan, I really just want to see us knock the Steelers out of the playoffs and have the momentum going into the Ravens game (for the AFC North Title).

A victory this weekend will make Christmas much more enjoyable... Nonetheless, Merry Christmas WHO DEY NATION!!

Key's to the game (in order of importance):

2) Sack Big Ben and/or hit him (*hard*) - If our defensive front can sack Big Ben 4 or more times, and hit him ~7-12 times, turnovers will come.

A victory this weekend will make Christmas much more enjoyable... Nonetheless, Merry Christmas WHO DEY NATION!!

Last Time Bengals Won an AWAY Primetime Game....

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:00:38 -0000

I know that it's been a coon's age since the Bengals have won a Primetime game in general. But if you're wondering when our boys have won an AWAY Primetime Game... Take a look...

October 19, 1995 at Pittsburgh.... Scary huh? Something has GOT to give...

We have to break the streak tonight!! WHO DEY BABY!

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199510190pit.htm

Carl Pickens had a game!!

Jeff Blake threw 3 TD's and 0 ints!!

The stars are aligned tonight!

I know that it's been a coon's age since the Bengals have won a Primetime game in general. But if you're wondering when our boys have won an AWAY Primetime Game... Take a look...

October 19, 1995 at Pittsburgh.... Scary huh? Something has GOT to give...

We have to break the streak tonight!! WHO DEY BABY!

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199510190pit.htm

Carl Pickens had a game!!

Jeff Blake threw 3 TD's and 0 ints!!

The stars are aligned tonight!

Bengals Fans Drove Carson out of Cincinnati

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:35:24 -0000

The most depressing moment for me as a 20+ year Cincinnati Bengals Fan occurred last year in our 5th game against Tampa Bay. The game was a dog fight, but unfortunately Carson did NOT finish the game very well.

While fans booed during the fourth quarter after it was announced that Palmer went over 20,000 career yards -- the fact that it happened the series after he threw his second interception and the Bucs tied the game didn't help matters - Palmer has heard them before. But suffice to say, not since he was at Southern Cal. -Joe Reedy

Regardless, I looked around as people we trashing the hell out of Carson, and was obviously pissed that Carson basically blew the game, but at the same time... this was still the Carson Palmer that was tearing it up in 2005, and would have more than likely beat the Steelers in the playoffs if he didn't go down with a blown knee.

I guarantee that after that game, Carson looked in the mirror and came to the unfortunate realization that Cincinnati fans are ruthless! Yes, I understand that on a professional level, you cannot throw crappy pass after crappy pass, but lets face it.. Chad had a crap year, and for some godforsaken reason made up his own routes half the time, the O-line got blown up MORE than half the time... leaving Carson on the edge play in and play out.

Trust me, I'm not writing this post to give excuses for Carson's sub-par play this past season, but come on Cincy Fans... Booing your own QB, regardless of any freaking situation, after your name is announced over the loudspeaker in your OWN stadium, is classless... sad really. These type of circumstances make it tough for any player to play well in... Have you ever heard of HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE!?!?! It's hard enough to play 8 away games every season as it is...

Wonder what Carson's situation would be today if Cincinnati Fans were actually supportive of him, instead of being fair weather fans and only sporting the Carson jersey when he was throwing dimes to Housh and Chad...

Grow up Cincy Fans!

Better yet, this would be a great time to turn your Bengals-Fan badge before we burn another young QB mind to the ground.

God Speed.

While fans booed during the fourth quarter after it was announced that Palmer went over 20,000 career yards -- the fact that it happened the series after he threw his second interception and the Bucs tied the game didn't help matters - Palmer has heard them before. But suffice to say, not since he was at Southern Cal. -Joe Reedy

Grow up Cincy Fans!

Better yet, this would be a great time to turn your Bengals-Fan badge before we burn another young QB mind to the ground.

God Speed.

Julio Jones or AJ Green? Feast or Famine?

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:23:10 -0000

There are so many different opinions as to if the Bengals will actually choose a WR with their first round pick. The consensus is that the Bengals should pick AJ Green, because he's a "once-in-a-lifetime" talent. Others are huge Julio Jones fans because of his great combine and great productivity. Who really knows what the Bengals will actually do come draft day, but I was just curious ... What do you all think? Could be a very interesting draft..

Poll

With the 4th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select...

AJ Green- Man's a beast and will be, by far the best WR in the draft.

22 votes

Julio Jones- The guy ran a 4.39 forty...with a broken foot. All I need to hear.

9 votes

AJ Green- Julio would be a nice blocker for our new W.C. Offense, but past injuries worry me.

1 votes

If Carson's out, for sure draft a QB first...

4 votes

Take the best talent that's available- Offense or Defense

20 votes

If Benson gets shipped, get RB Mark Ingram

0 votes

If J-Jo is shipped draft CB Patrick Peterson

12 votes

68 votes | Poll has closed

2011-12 Defense: OUT with the old, IN with the new

BengalsFranchiseMadden — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:20:17 -0000

It's been a rough, and almost surreal realization that the Cincinnati Bengals will look substantially different in the 2011 season. Where to start... On defense, Odom needs to GO... the man looked like a man possessed for a short streak of games 2 years ago, then one torn Achilles, and the man turns to performance enhancers to "accidently" to get back into fighting shape. The man's overpaid, and lets face it... he's doesn't have that bang anymore, that was once worth its buck. As for Geathers... guy doesn't do it for me anymore... Carlos Dunlap is most certainly coming into his own, and Michael Johnson needs to put on 10 more lbs and continue to improve and hopefully become a Jevon-Kearse-like threat in the trenches. Tank and Peko's durability seem to now be an issue that must be addressed, in case something were to happen during next season that would sideline them for a few games. In order to have that "next-man steps up" mentality Geno Atkins (aka The Tasmanian Warren Sapp) and Pat Sims need to be tough in the trenches and get their snaps. Rey Rey needs to move to the middle, Dhani Jones out, and work Roddick Muckelroy and Brandon Johnson in there. I was super pumped when Roy Williams arrived under Zimmer. I truly thought he would be an awesome enforcer against the run. Well, Roy's time is done as well.. I truly believe that the key gap in our defense is at Strong Safety. I love Reggie Nelson on the other side at safety, and think he's got his swagger back. There aren't that many gems in this years draft, but DeAndrew McDaniel (CLEMSON) and Ahmad Black (Florida) could be beasts...

Obviously there is concerns with CB's with J-Jo maybe leaving, but hopefully we don't waste our first pick on one and find one either via free agency or later in the draft...