NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Cincinnati Bengals

We wrap up the North with a look at the Bengals.


Most Offensive Player: Carson Palmer (If he's healthy)
Most Defensive Player: Jonathan Joseph (Maybe Keith Rivers...)
Best New Guy: Rey Maualuga
Coolest Twitter Page: Dhani Jones (Not even close)
Team Song: The Isley Brothers with It's Your Thing
Coolest Names (Top 3): Frostee Rucker (He always gets at the top), Tank Johnson, and Dhani Jones (No Chad EightFive!)
Most Likely to Succeed: Chad EightFive
In 2009, the Bengals will go: 5-11

Next up, the AFC South.

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Cincinnati Bengals

We close out the week and the AFC North with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals finished the 2007 season, 7-9. It was their worst record under current head coach, Marvin Lewis. While the Bengals continued to do well on the offensive side of the ball, it was the defense that was giving Cincy fans nightmares.

The only brightside for the Bengals defense was that they forced a lot of turnovers. In 2007, the Bengals forced 35 turnovers, which was third best in the NFL. As a matter of fact, the Bengals finished the season with a +5 in turnover margin, 8th best in the NFL.

The defense didn't have much luck stopping opponents from scoring. The Bengals gave up 385 points in 2007, the most since the 2003 season. The Bengals gave up an average of 24 points per game. In fact, the Bengals gave up at least 20 points in all nine losses last season.

The Bengals defense had a rough time stopping the pass, giving up 3600 yards in the air with 29 touchdowns, among the worst in the NFL.

Under defensive mastermind, head coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals defense has in fact not recorded a top 10 in either points or yardage. Lewis has had adequate success at the helm for the Bengals.

In five seasons in Cincy, Lewis is 42-38 with one division title to show for it. Lewis will enter his sixth season as the Bengals head coach, which is how long previous coaches Dick LeBeau and Bruce Coslet lasted in Cincy, combined.

If Lewis can't get the team on track, he could be looking for another job elsewhere.

The Bengals open the 2008 season on the road when they face the Baltimore Ravens. At home, the Bengals will play Jacksonville, Philly and KC. On the road, the Bengals will play Dallas, New York (both teams) and Indy.

Time for those burnin' questions (yearbook style):

• Chad Johnson: I died a little inside just typing that
  
  
• Johnson will most likely: Continue to be obnoxious
  
  
• Will he change his name to "Ocho Cinco:" Depends, when will somebody teach him the Spanish language. (It's Ochienta y Cinco for those at home who have never taken a Spanish class)
  
  
• Carson Palmer will: Change his name to nueve (Somewhere right now, Dave Klingler is LOLing)
  
  
• TJ Houshmanzadeh will most likely: Continue to have his last name butchered (I know that feeling)
  
  
• Running back most likely to carry the load in 2008: Kenny Watson
  
  
• My favorite running back name: Kenny Watson
  
  
• Running back I'd like to devote an entire blog post to: None other than Kenny Watson (It just rolls off the tongue)
  
  
• Rookie we should probably watch for: Keith Rivers (Pat Sims of Auburn is my dark horse, if he stays healthy)
  
  
• Any Chris Henry arrest questions: Not this time around
  
  
• Coolest names (Top 3): TJ Houshmandzadeh, Frostee Rucker, Herana-Daze Jones
  
  
• Does Frostee get some playing time: I hope so. America needs Frostee (I'd devote an entire blog post to Frostee Rucker as well)
  
  
• 80s song to best describe team: It's Hip to be Square- Huey Lewis and the News
  
  
• In 2008, the Bengals will: Go 6-10

Enjoy the weekend folks

Tuesday's with Romo: Ocheinta y Cinco Comes Out on Top

Happy Tuesday everybody. Let's do a quick recap of last night's games.

• The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 27-20. The game featured plenty of injured players. The Ravens saw quarterback Steve McNair, linebacker Ray Lewis and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden all went down with injuries. On the Bengals side, kicker Shayne Graham and offensive linemen Levi Jones and Willie Anderson were all injured.
  
• Ocheinta y cinco a hall-of-famer?: Is Chad Johnson worthy of wearing that hall-of-fame jacket? Well he certainly had a great game last night. He caught five passes for 95 yards and one touchdown. Who knows if he's bound for Canton or not?
  
• The San Francisco 49ers won against the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17. Defenses everywhere would be proud of both teams performances. Neither team blew the other away. Ultimately, it came down to a one-yard touchdown run by 49ers wide receiver,Arnaz Battle, with 22 seconds left in the game.

SEE YA

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Hump Day: The NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: The Bengals

Yesterday, we did the Indianapolis Colts. Today, we are doing the Bengals. Please note, this is no way related to Deadspin's preview of the Bengals, this was a strange coincidence. Last season they just missed a Wild Card berth, by going 8-8.

This season, they will play New England, Miami, St. Louis and the Jets. They drafted Leon Hall out of Michigan with their first round pick.

Now time for more burning questions (yearbook style):

1. In 2007, Carson Palmer will: throw 35 touchdown passes.
2. How many times will a player on the Bengals be arrested: 4.
3. How many of those times will it be Chris Henry: Once (Failure to pay traffic ticket).
4. Who will score the most touchdowns this season: the other teams.
5. In 2007, Chad Johnson will be: Incredibly annoying.
6. Chad Johnson will: kick a football into the stands and pull down somebody's pants.
7. TJ Houshmanzadeh will: Still have to suffer from people mispronouncing his name.
8. The 'Kiss' song that best describes the team: Love Gun
9. Most likely to star in a remake of 'Top Gun': Carson Palmer
10. In 2007, the Bengals will: Miss the playoffs, going 9-7.