Jerome Simpson Flips in for Touchdown
The Cincinnati Bengals receive Jerome Simpson literally flipped over someone into the end zone for a touchdown today against the Arizona Cardinals.
Terrell Owens signs with Bengals
It is being reported by ESPN that the Cincinnati Bengals have signed Terrell Owens to a one-year deal worth $2 Million with another $2 Million possible in incentives. This should add to the other football reality stars on the roster with Chad Ochocinco already the big name in Cincy. Owens caught only 5 TD’s last year with the Buffalo Bills. That was the lowest since 1999 with the San Francisco 49ers. Carson Palmer has to like this move. If everyone stays healthy and both recievers play their game and keep their mouth shut, this could be a great year for Bengals fans.
Bengals Sign Adam “Pacman” Jones
Just when you think ex-NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones has run out of chances, he finds a way to get another one. The Cincinatti Bengals have signed Jones for at least this season with the deal possibly being a two-year deal. Jones has not played since 2008 with the Dallas Cowboys where he was given a chance to play after numerous problems off the field. The Bengals are hoping he can keep it together and help them on the field while staying quiet between gamedays.
Bye Week Bliss!
Bengals fans are in high spirits this week, once the “laughing stock” of the NFL (besides the Browns and Lions of course!), the Bengals have started the season with five wins. This is already more wins than they accumulated all of last season, and we are not even halfway through the current season. This is either a miracle, or the Bengals are finally doing things the right way, FINALLY!
It can be easy to argue that the Bengals still are not legit based on what has happened with this season thus far, the Bengals squeaked out wins against everyone they played until they played the Bears last week. However, the saying goes, “Good teams find ways to win.” The Bengals have had so many nail biting victories in the first seven weeks of the season that people around town are calling them the “Cardiac Cats.”
Cardiac Cats or not, the Bengals should never have come down to the wire to beat the Browns, and if they had played better offensively during the Baltimore and Pittsburgh games they would have established bigger leads in those games as well. All of that aside, the Bengals are 5-2 going into the bye week, and are sitting in 1st place in the AFC North. Here are a few of the reasons why they are in that position:
1.Cedric Benson- For a guy who was sitting at home watching football at the beginning of last season, he has turned his career around quickly. Benson is leading the league in Carries (164), Rushing Yards (720), and Rushing/YPG (102.9). He is the major reason why the Bengals have played as well as they have this season. Benson had the opportunity to get redemption on the Chicago Bears, his former team last week when he ran for a career high 189 yards. He has been the biggest surprise in the NFL this season, and i
s a leading candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year Award.
2.Chad Ochocinco- For as much as I have dogged Ochocinco with his off the field antics and his motor mouth, he has put up numbers this season. It makes it a lot easier to tolerate his cockiness and his mouth when he is producing. He looks to be having another Pro Bowl season, having already surpassed last years numbers in receiving yards and touchdown receptions, and he’s only played half a season.
3.Offensive Line- Their play has been outstanding at times, and decent the rest of the time, but they have been solid enough to keep Carson Palmer off his back, and give him enough time to find the open receiver. The line was exceptional against Chicago last week when Palmer threw for 5 TD passes and Benson ran for a career high 189 yards. Hopefully they get Andre Smith healthy and he can help solidify the line for the rest of the season.
4.Defense- The linebacking corps have been phenomenal this season and defensive backs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph have been stellar covering in the defensive backfield.
These have all been factors as to why the Bengals have played tremendously through the start of this season. There is some room for concern though. With the last second victories the Bengals have had this season, they could have easily been 1-6. If they didn’t get a ball to bounce their way, they could have been on the wrong end of the outcome. The offense needs to turn on the jets like it did against the Bears, and pound out yards. This will bring the points in bunches, much like it did in 2005 when the Bengals were the top scoring offense in the NFL. I hope that the Chicago game was a building block for what is to come offensively. If they continue to struggle like they did in the first 6 games, they could drop a few games between now and the end of the season.
Injuries have also been concerning, Antwan Odom was leading the league in sacks before he went down with a season ending Achilles injury. The defensive line has been banged up as a whole with Tank Johnson and Domata Peko nursing nagging injuries.
Bengals fans could not be any more excited about how this season has gone thus far. The Bengals have two giant games coming up with Baltimore and Pittsburgh back to back. This will be the toughest two game stretch of the season. If they can get out of the AFC North unscathed for the remainder of the season, I predict the Bengals will be making a playoff berth. The remainder of the schedule is nowhere near as brutal as the first half. If the Bengals can remain playing like they did against Chicago, look out… It could be crazy in the Jungle in Cincinnati. WHO DEY!