Cincinnati Bengals

NFL Previews - Cincinnati Bengals

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Cincinnati Bengals 2007 Preview

(My Sportsbook) -The roller coaster that was the Cincinnati Bengals' 2006 season featured exhilarating highs and frightening lows.

It was upon the latter that the ultimately disappointing campaign ended for Marvin Lewis' club.

Cincinnati jumped out to a 3-0 start, found itself stuck in a 4-5 rut by mid- November, seemingly righted the ship during a four-game winning streak, then promptly lost its final three games to finish out of the playoff money. That Jekyll-and-Hyde performance was less memorable than the team's off-the-field shenanigans, which had to have a major impact on team chemistry and morale.

Though Lewis has delivered the long-moribund Cincinnati franchise back to respectability, he still hasn't led the team to its first playoff win since 1990 and has only guided the Bengals to a winning record once in four years (Cincinnati finished 8-8 in the other three).

The team's long-suffering supporters are hungrier than ever for a real taste of success, and with a roster that includes elite players in the prime of their career like Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, expectations for 2007 are rightfully high.

If Lewis can find a consistent group of playmakers on defense, and can also keep his players out of the police blotter for a season, Cincinnati will be a team that can challenge rival Baltimore at the top of the AFC North.

If not, questions about when Cincinnati will eject Lewis from its roller coaster ride will begin to get louder.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the Cincinnati Bengals, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2006 RECORD: 8-8 (t2nd, AFC North)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2005, lost to Pittsburgh, 31-17, in AFC Wild Card Game

COACH (RECORD): Marvin Lewis (35-29 in four seasons with Bengals, 35-29 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Bratkowski

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Chuck Bresnahan

OFFENSIVE STAR: Chad Johnson, WR (87 receptions, 1369 yards, 7 TD)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Justin Smith, DE (81 tackles, 7.5 sacks)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 26th rushing, 6th passing, 8th scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 15th rushing, t31st passing, 17th scoring

FIVE KEY GAMES: Baltimore (9/10), at Cleveland (9/16), New England (10/1), Pittsburgh (10/28), at Pittsburgh (12/2)

KEY ADDITIONS: C Alex Stepanovich (from Cardinals, March 16), DT Kenderick Allen (from Packers), DT Michael Myers (from Broncos), LB Edgerton Hartwell (from Falcons), CB Leon Hall (1st Round, Michigan)

KEY DEPARTURES: QB Anthony Wright (to Giants), RB Kenny Irons (injured/out for season), WR Kelley Washington (to Patriots), TE Tony Stewart (to Raiders), OL Eric Steinbach (to Browns), DT Sam Adams (to Broncos), DT Shaun Smith (to Browns), LB Odell Thurman (suspended/out for season), LB A.J. Nicholson (released), LB Brian Simmons (to Saints), CB Tory James (to Patriots), S Kevin Kaesviharn (to Saints)

QB: His performance wasn't as appreciated as perhaps it should have been, but Carson Palmer (4035 passing yards, 28 TD, 13 INT) made a remarkable comeback last season from the devastating knee injury he suffered against the Steelers in the 2005 Playoffs. Palmer started all 16 games and looked sharp throughout the year, and the team's inability to repeat its division title and postseason form of the season before had little to do with the former No. 1 pick. With Anthony Wright having defected to the Giants, the backup to Palmer is now Doug Johnson, who hasn't thrown a regular season pass since 2004 while with the Titans. If Cincinnati keeps three quarterbacks, fifth-round draft pick and Nevada product Jeff Rowe will hold the clipboard.

RB: He doesn't get the accolades of a LaDainian Tomlinson or Larry Johnson, but Bengals running back Rudi Johnson (1309 rushing yards, 12 TD, 23 receptions) is among the most reliable backs in the business. Johnson went over the 1,300-yard mark for the third straight time last season, also reaching the end zone exactly a dozen times for a third consecutive campaign. Cincinnati has had terrible luck in trying to find a complement to Johnson, however. After three seasons of injury strife regarding 2004 first-round pick Chris Perry (who stands to be cut during the preseason), 2007 second-round selection Kenny Irons lasted all of four preseason carries before tearing his ACL and going down for the year. That means the backups should again be Kenny Watson (138 rushing yards, 1 TD, 23 receptions) and Quincy Wilson, who are fine in a reserve role but would be in over their head if they had to carry the entire load. Fullback Jeremi Johnson (56 rushing yards, 1 TD, 6 receptions) has not missed a game in his four-year NFL career.

WR/TE: It certainly helped Palmer's post-injury transition to be able to throw to wideouts Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (90 receptions, 9 TD), the finest combination of receivers this side of Harrison and Wayne. Johnson has eclipsed the 1,100-yard plateau for five straight seasons, and Houshmandzadeh went over 1,000 for the first time in his career last season. With Chris Henry (36 receptions, 9 TD) set to serve an eight-game suspension to start the year, finding a No. 3 receiver was among the preseason priorities for Lewis and offensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan. Holdovers Tab Perry (5 receptions), Glenn Holt, and Antonio Chatman (3 receptions) all have NFL experience in the return game, and the team is high on 2006 seventh-round pick Bennie Brazell. Former Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal doesn't have a natural position and could have trouble making the club. The Bengals are thin at tight end behind starter Reggie Kelly (21 receptions, 1 TD), with the virtually unknown Daniel Coats and Nate Lawrie among those vying for roster spots at that position.

OL: The biggest problem on offense could be up front, where starting tackles Levi Jones (knee) and Willie Anderson (foot) were both nursing injuries during training camp. If one or both are out to start the season, Cincinnati would have to turn to younger players like Andrew Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, and Scott Kooistra to protect Palmer and block for Rudi Johnson. Bobbie Williams is assured of a starting job at one of the guards, but the possible transition of Whitworth to tackle throws the other guard spot into question. Kooistra, who played in 15 games as a backup last year, might end up being the best option. The Bengals' deepest spot on the offensive line is center, where incumbent Eric Ghiaciuc, fellow holdover Ben Wilkerson, and ex-Cardinals starter Alex Stepanovich are all in the mix. Seventh-round draft choice Dan Santucci has a good chance to stick as a backup.

DL: The Cincinnati defense needs more of a presence at the point of attack, and it is hoped that the addition of tackles Michael Myers (57 tackles, 2 sacks with Denver) and Kenderick Allen will aide in that quest. Myers projects as a starter lining up to the steady John Thornton (42 tackles, 2 sacks), while Allen should be part of a backup rotation also including well-regarded holdover Domata Peko (43 tackles, 2 sacks). Justin Smith and Bryan Robinson (42 tackles, 3 sacks) will be the regular ends, with Robert Geathers (42 tackles, 10 sacks) assisting mainly as a situational pass-rusher. The Bengals would like to see 2006 third-round draft choice Frostee Rucker make an impact, but the USC product has been plagued by injuries. Sixth-round draft choice Matt Toeaina and holdover Jonathan Fanene (4 tackles) could be vying for the final spot at end.

LB: There is a changing of the guard in the Bengals linebacking corps, with nine-year staple Brian Simmons now a New Orleans Saint and second-year-pro Ahmad Brooks (31 tackles, 1 sack) set for a difficult full-time assignment in the middle. The other starters should be former CFL defensive end Rashad Jeanty (59 tackles), a nine-game starter last year, and weak side man and top 2006 tackler Landon Johnson (112 tackles, 1 INT). Even without Simmons and suspended former starter Odell Thurman, there is decent depth in the LB corps. Ed Hartwell (41 tackles, 1 sack with the Falcons) was great in Baltimore before laboring through two injury-laden seasons in Atlanta, and Lewis is banking on him having something left. Caleb Miller (99 tackles, 1 sack) has been an occasional starter and is versatile. Holdovers Andre Frazier (13 tackles) and Eric Henderson both have a strong chance of making the club.

DB: Cincinnati will be younger in the secondary than a year ago, when veterans like cornerback Tory James and strong safety Kevin Kaesviharn played key roles. There are still some graybeards, most notably cornerback Deltha O'Neal (37 tackles, 1 INT) and strong safety Dexter Jackson (55 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), but the rest of the group is short on experience. The team's first-round draft picks of the last two seasons, Johnathan Joseph (57 tackles) and Leon Hall, will be a major part of the corner rotation. Playmaking free safety Madieu Williams (88 tackles, 3 INT) begins his fourth year in the league after starting all 16 games in 2006. Former second-round pick Keiwan Ratliff (19 tackles) will make the team as a backup at corner, and holdovers Ethan Kilmer (19 tackles, 1 INT) and Herana-Daze Jones (21 tackles) will battle fourth-round pick Marvin White for a spot in the safety rotation.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The kicking game is set, with Shayne Graham (25-30 FG) back for placements and kickoffs and the underrated Kyle Larson (44.5 avg.) doing the punting. Long-snapper Brad St. Louis was a pariah in Cincinnati after a botched snap in a pivotal loss to Denver last December, but is generally steady. Tab Perry (17.3 avg.) will probably get the first shot to handle kickoff returns, and Keiwan Ratliff (6.5 avg.) will field punts again if he holds off wideout Antonio Chatman (6.6 avg.).

PROGNOSIS: Lewis should again have little to worry about on offense, as the presence of Palmer and the two elite receivers mitigates any concerns over injuries on the offensive line or depth in the backfield. The defense is not as much of a sure thing. There is talent, but there is also youth, and players like Brooks and Joseph will have to prove themselves worthy of the significant roles they are about to play. This does not figure to be an easy year for Cincinnati, which is still a notch below Baltimore and will surely find itself in a bunch of close games. But there is enough talent for the Bengals to scratch and claw their way toward the 10-win plateau, and there is every reason to believe Lewis and company will find themselves back in the postseason come January.

August 17, 2007, at 01:52 PM ET

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