My prediction on record the Cincinnati Bengals will have in the 2009-2010 season posted by Don Michael Vickers

I am going to do things a little differently. I am going to post each game on our schedule and talk about each team on, and I will then provide my odds in that game. First of all, I am going to give my thoughts on the Cincinnatti Bengals this year. The Cincinnati Bengals had a decent D last year, a great young LB corps which improved with our 2nd round selection Ray Maualuga. In additon, the Bengals offence will be much improved which will keep the defence off the field more. Despite losing TJ Houshmanzadeh, this group will put up a lot more points than last season. Carson Palmer returns, and Laveranues Coles arrives in Cincinnati. Not too mention the addition of 6th overall pick Andre Smith to strengthen a very weak O-line. The 2009-2010 Bengals are much improved from last year's edition. Now I will take a look at our schedule and analyze our opponents.

week 1 vs Broncos (7/10)
week 2 at Packers (3/10)
week 3 vs Steelers (2/10)
week 4 at Browns (4/10)
week 5 at Ravens (3/10)

week 6 vs Texans (4/10)
week 7 vs Bears (4/10)
bye
week 9 vs Ravens (4/10)
week 10 at Steelers (1/10)
week 11 at Raiders (7/10)
week 12 vs Browns (7/10)

week 13 vs Lions (9/10)
week 14 at Vikings (3/10)
week 15 at Chargers (2/10)
week 16 vs Chiefs (7/10)
week 17 at Jets (3/10)

 67/160= a winning percentage of .41875

That number is in between a record of 6-10 and 7-9. Sounds pretty accurate to me. Your thoughts?

EDIT- Stole this idea from a recent post by a Steelers fan.

Steelers Game By Game Preview of the 2009-2010 Season 1/2 posted by Rob Preston

As OTA's and minicamps progress while training camp begin to roll over the horizon, America's favorite sport nears its regular season.  While nobody knows how well teams will do in a season with the randomness of injuries and several other factors, it's always interesting to look ahead at the schedule and prognosticate.  Unlike most people, I'm not going to give just a win or loss for each game, rather I'm going to predict how many times the Steelers would win if they played a team 10 times.  For instance if the Steelers were playing a very crappy team, I would say 9/10 or 10/10.  At the end i will add up the wins and divide by 10, giving us how many wins they will have this season.

Week 1 Titans at Steelers

A great season opener with two teams that have plenty of history as well as new found bad blood.  The Titans are coming off a very disappointing post-season last year after earning the best regular season record last year.  While the Titans should still be a good team, they are losing quite possibly the most dominating DT in the game, Albert Haynesworth.  Unfortunately when the Titans "stomped" the Steelers last season, Haynesworth didn't play either, so no real gain there.  The big question will be Kerry Collins, and I think his arm will just about fall off.  I'll give the Steelers 6/10.

Week 2 Steelers at Chicago

The 2009 Bears will be a team to watch in 2009 with the addition of Jay Cutler.  With his ability to throw the ball down the field, Devin Hester may finally be able to reach his potential as a burner at WR.  The Bears will also be returning their star RB, Matt Forte, who impressed last season with over 1,200 yards.  Their defense should be solid as always, but the major question will be chemistry with Cutler and the WR's.  By week 2, will they have enough time together to have their timing down?  Probably not.  I give the Steelers 8/10.

The Ocho Show posted by Justin Bahr

With voluntary camp just around the corner, the usual question of “will Chad show up?” is on a lot of peoples minds, except Carson Palmer.  Carson seems to be very happy with the fact that Chris Henry will most likely fill in for Chad if he elects to forgo showing up once again this year.  Carson has always been on the side of Henry even through his legal troubles and sees tremendous potential in Henry’s receiving ability.  Stating, "He has a great attitude. I'm just really proud of the guy. I'm happy for him. He's at a good place in his life, a good place for his family. He's showed up to work here and he will all year long. There's not a doubt about that."

While Palmer may be happy that Ocho Cinco may be a no show, I for one think he should honor his word from last year and “be involved with everything.”  After missing the pre-season workouts and having by far his worst season as a Bengal, Chad had vowed to be involved and help out the team in order to make us better.  Yet as of today, people think it’s a case of Chad being Chad and he won’t partake in anything that isn’t mandatory.  I can only hope that whatever happens, whether it’s Chad or Henry or both at the voluntary workouts, that the receiving corps finally gets it together and dominates the way they truly can.

As for the other news in Bengaldom, it appears they will be showcased on HBO’s Hardknocks series.  While this will hopefully shine a light into the better and brighter side of many of the players, as well as hopefully depleting some of the bad boy image.  I see it as just another potential outlet for Chad to show off and take away quality time with his teammates.  Hopefully the players are on their best behavior and if anything the show will bring players closer resulting in better on the field chemistry as well.

Out with the old in with the new... posted by Justin Bahr

With the release of Levi Jones came an addition to the already newer look defense of the Bengals.  Roy Williams is set to sign today what is believed to be a short term contract.  “Agent Jordan Woy confirmed a short-term deal with the Bengals that includes incentives, which could indicate they gave Williams a one-year deal and a manageable bonus if it doesn't work and enticing enough escalators for him if it does.”

While many people will see Williams as a starter for the Bengals, I think he has to earn the position first, yet he does have a leg up.  Known for his “horse-collar” tackles and explosive hits, Roy brings a true AFC North hard hitting defensive aspect to the team.  With the addition of Williams, teamed with our draft picks, the Bengals have completely restyled their defense to be top-tier and most feared.

We may have upgraded our defense, we took a slight step back with our offense by losing one of our best linemen.  Although Jones was ineffective and starting to wear down, I feel we could have definitely used him to help our young offensive line.  Yet he was let go and now the huge question of who will be our starting 5 on the line has arisen.   I see Andre Smith taking the left Tackle spot and Anthony Collins filling the right tackle spot as he effectively did last year.  I can only hope that they can protect Carson and give Benson the holes he needs to put up enough points in order for our stellar defense to shut out opponents. 

Everyone knew Jones time in Cincinnati was growing short and expected this move, yet the addition of Roy Williams was an unexpected pleasant surprise.  I’m sure people have their reservations about him (I do too), yet I feel he is an EXTREMELY effective safety for run support and Zimmer is willing to get him back to his prime form as an effective passing down safety.

Running Back Wish List… posted by Justin Bahr

With the release of Edgerrin James by the Arizona Cardinals, the Bengal’s may have a shot at picking up a veteran back that can backup Cedric Benson. Will they pull the trigger on this deal?... probably not. After the draft and release of Chris Perry, I highly doubt the Bengal’s will chase after a potentially washed out running back, yet I would applaud him being a Bengal.

If for some odd reason the Bengal’s chose to pick him up, it would probably mean that Kenny Watson’s days in Cincinnati are over. I would see the Bengal’s with a rotation of Benson, James, and Bernard Scott. DeDe Dorsey could potentially stay on the team for special teams and as a 4th option if needed.

James is definitely worth a gamble of picking up though, and ahs been a proven back for many years. In fact since 1999 (year he was drafted) he is 2nd in all yards from line of scrimmage only trailing LaDamian Tomlinson. Thus he would be one of the best backs the Bengal’s have ever seen on their team.

Yet, the Bengal’s wouldn’t be the only team interested in signing James. It appears a few Chief’s fans would welcome James to replace Larry Johnson, which if that would in fact take place I’d also take a chance at Larry Johnson joining the Bengal’s. Either way the Bengal’s would benefit form having an experienced “Boom” rusher in our backfield to help Benson carry the rushing load.

Tuesday Thoughts posted by Justin Bahr

Chris Perry along with 5 other players were cut yesterday in order to make room for the players drafted this past weekend.  While I was never a huge Perry fan, we did waste a 1st round pick on him and I always wished eh would succeed and become a franchise back if not a 3rd down option…yet that never came to be.  With his release his fate as an NFL rusher is pretty much sealed.

One of the 5 other players cut was an OSU favorite of mine, Mike Doss.  I don’t quite understand this move as we didn’t draft a safety at all to fill the void left by his release.  While Trent Morgan was drafted at cornerback, I don’t see him as a potential safety option what so ever.  Doss’s release has led to  some speculation that this means Roy Williams will be signed, yet I highly doubt we will move in that direction.

The release of Gary Russell means that there is high belief that one of our two running backs (Vakapuna was a fullback that can be converted) will make the roster and be the 3rd back behind Benson and Watson.  I believe that back will be Bernard Scott, yet due to his off the field issues if he has any altercations during camp or at the beginning of the season I see him having a one strike policy, and being let go.

With all of the moves in the past week I can’t help but be excited for the upcoming season.  On a “bad taste” note, I am also excited Troy Palamalu happens to be on the cover of Madden.  As we all know of the Madden curse I can only hope it stays true and causes the Steelers to have a week secondary this season!

Renewed Faith posted by Justin Bahr

It’s been a while since my last post (6 months and 1 day to be specific), yet hear I am, back on the Bengal’s bandwagon.  Last year was absolutely terrible, and about 3/4ths the way through the season I had enough and hung up the jersey for the season.  Well now that the draft is done, I’m back and in full Bengal-Faith mode…

I honestly believe the first 5 picks of the draft for the Bengalis will be impact players and will greatly help us make it to the playoffs (maybe not this year but 2-3 years in the future).  Lets start off with how and why this will happen…

Andre Smith: Finally provides Carson with the quality blocking he needs to feel protected and throw the ball to the amazing receiving corps we have.  He will also open amazing holes for Cedric and whomever else Marvin Lewis decides to keep in the backfield.

Rey Maualuga: Possibly the biggest steal of the draft, I couldn’t be happier to have him on our team.  While he is a bit wild and is said to not be a 3rd down/ passing situation style linebacker, he is a hard hitting franchise MLB.  I see him starting opposite of Keith Rivers on the outside with Dhani Jones retaining his MLB position until he learns to be a complete MLB.  I can see the possibility of him starting a game or two at MLB this year due to injuries and blowout scenarios.  He WILL be the face of the line-backing corps with Rivers teaching him along the way.  Mark my words we will have a top 10 defense this year!

Michael Johnson:  Could be seen as a steal, yet he fell due to not playing in the senior bowl and not giving 100% every down.  With our defense and coaching ability he will be challenging for a starting DE spot by October, and will be playing 3rd downs very early in the season.  He is by far the best pass rushing DE we have on the roster and will hopefully develop into a pro-bowl sacker in 2-3 years.

Bengals must trade Ocho Cinco now posted by Blake Haley

So last year Chad Ocho Cinco demanded a trade by appearing on every talk show under the sun and explicitly demanding a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. This year Ocho Cinco is going about it in a different manner — he is ignoring the Bengals all together.

Ocho Cinco is refusing to return calls from the coaching staff and teammates, including Carson Palmer, in hopes to get his point across that he wants out of Cincinnati. Well, it's time for Mike Brown and the front office to finally grant Ocho Cinco his wish.

The market for a wide receiver in his 30s that lacks break away speed, is coming off an injury-plagued season, has questionable hands and is a cancer in the locker room is virtually non-existent. The teams that would take Ocho Cinco will only dwindle after the draft when all those teams address their receiving needs from the college ranks.

It's time for the Bengals to trade Ocho Cinco, if not before the draft, no later than draft day. The Oakland Raiders got only a 4th round pick from the Patriots when they traded Randy Moss and believe me, Chad is no Randy Moss. Cincinnati needs to cut their losses now, get a draft pick in return and get rid of the cancer that is Ocho Cinco.

A rumor floated around a couple weeks ago that the Raiders wanted Ocho Cinco and would give the Bengals running back MIchael Bush and a late draft pick. Cincinnati needs to jump on that deal now or see if the Eagles will listen to Donovan McNabb's wishes and get his buddy Chad to help the receiving corps.

Either way, get Chad out of Cincinnati now before his value drops to absolute nothing and he ruins another season with his foolish antics. 

Dream Season Over, Off-Season Begins (January 2, 2008) posted by Michael Langston Moore

On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns won their tenth game of the season against a San Francisco team in disarray. A season that started off so poorly in Week 1 resulted in expectations being surpassed for Browns’ fans.

On Sunday night, however, the dream ended in disappointing fashion. After having not beaten the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 to allow entrance into the playoffs, the Browns needed the Tennessee Titans to lose to the Indianapolis Colts.  Browns’ fans were teased and given hope, as the Colts’ backups managed to take a three point lead in the third quarter. It was evident, though, that the Colts’ were highly disinterred in beating their division rival, and they certainly didn’t have the personnel to do so. The Titans won the game 16-10, and sent the Browns into the off-season on a frustrating note.

It cannot be ignored, however, that the team played well this season. Although the defense ranked 32nd in the league, the Browns’ offense was explosive. The special teams unit was electric. The team had a new swagger, and that attitude helped propel the team to ten wins.
Ironically, this off-season just might be more exciting. There is a lot that needs to be done. The 2008 opponents have already been determined for Cleveland, and on schedule are teams such as Dallas, Indianapolis, Washington, Tennessee, the New York Giants and Jacksonville. The Browns also face Pittsburgh twice. Anything can happen between now and next September—coaches leave, players get injured, teams regress—but on paper, the 2008 season looks to have some significant challenges ahead. The Browns cannot afford a let down, but will have to make some tough decisions to prevent one.

The Problem with Derek Anderson (December 27, 2007) posted by Michael Langston Moore

This has been a dream season for Cleveland Browns’ fans. After watching a putrid product on the field for years, Browns’ fans were treated to high scoring, competitive football every weekend this season. The city embraced the “Believeland” moniker, and NFL pundits have openly stated that the Browns are the surprise of the NFL this season.

There’s no bigger of a surprise than quarterback Derek Anderson. A third year player and former sixth round pick, Anderson has been instrumental in pulling the Browns from the ashes.

So there’s no problem, right? Well, not exactly.

While Anderson has big numbers, one cannot know everything there is to know about Anderson’s play just by his stats. Last week, I wrote a blog entry about how the Browns needed to take care of their own business to get into the playoffs. They controlled their own destiny. With a win, they would be invited to the post-season party.

 

 In that blog, I also mentioned that the Bengals posed a serious threat. I stated that Cincinnati has a potent offense, and that Cleveland cannot afford to get behind against the Bengals.

I mentioned that Derek Anderson, in particular, has a penchant for slow starts early in games. Slow starts that put his team in a large hole.

As an example, I mentioned the Arizona Cardinals game, where Anderson threw two interceptions and fumbled a snap--all before the first half. The result? The Browns lost a very winnable game. In last week’s article, I wrote that another “slow start by Anderson could have the Browns down by fourteen or even twenty-one points early in the game.”

Bengals QB Palmer looking like old self (AP)

Carson Palmer squinted into the harsh afternoon sun, sizing up the defense. He pointed to the middle of the field with both index fingers, took the snap and threw a quick pass to rookie receiver Quan Cosby, a crisp spiral that zipped over defenders' outstretched hands. Perfect. Just what the Cincinnati Bengals have been missing. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Bengals sign sixth-round pick CB Trent

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed their first player from this year's college draft, defensive back Morgan Trent of Michigan.The cornerback was the first of the club's two sixth-round selections, and the first of the Bengals' 11 picks overall to sign.The three-year starter at Michigan played in 48 games and had seven interceptions.Terms of the contract signed Wednesday were not released. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL