Bengals know route to Super Bowl; but will they make it?
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Is it normal for a person to get really excited about the release of an NFL schedule?
I'm not saying I was jumping up and down when I was reading the NFL schedules, but it is safe to say I was giddy (I love that word!) when I found out who and where my team was playing this season.
All right, you got me; I got goosebumps when I heard the music to Monday Night Football.
Now, I am not a fan of the orange-and-black of the Bengals or the orange-and-brown of Cleveland (in fact, I am not a fan of the color orange, but a fan of the fruit), so I think this allows me to look a little deeper at the schedules of the two professional football franchises from Ohio and their prospects for the upcoming NFL campaign.
First, the Cleveland Browns. They haven’t won an NFL title since the days of Jim Brown. So, well, this is awkward – sorry Browns fans – they probably won’t do so well.
OK, now let’s take a look at the Cincinnati Bengals and their 2010 slate of football games. I know their owner Mike Brown probably went to the school of business taught by Mr. Krabs. Ol’ Mikey Brown is what you can call one of the more “I’d rather make more money than win games” owners in the NFL. None of us have to go to Brown University to realize the Bengals could do a little more in the scouting department as the first way to improve their franchise. Off-topic fun fact: Did you know Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno was a QB at Brown University?
Sorry, I lost focus for a second.
But one owner’s greed isn't here or there in this column; remember, this is about the excitement for the simple fact the NFL season is starting to show a heartbeat and will be here sooner, rather than later.
Cincinnati starts the season in New England, where they will have to go up against a 3-time Super Bowl champion QB and a coach who will do pretty much anything to win a football game. (Not that “Spygate” was ever proven, or was it?)
This is a tough game to look at for the fact that I am writing this with the NFL draft 24 hours away, and we really don't know what the Patriots will bring to the table. Not to mention the Pats will more than likely be without the services of Wes Welker for a majority of the season, and he will probably not be the same player we are accustomed to seeing on the field once he returns.
Then again, what are the Bengals going to bring to the field in 2010?
Will they actually have blind side protection for the franchise QB Carson Palmer or allow him to get trampled like he is facing a herd of elephants each time he takes a three-step drop? But in defense of the Bengals' offensive line, maybe he could release the ball just a tad bit quicker.
Last season, Palmer must have thought he was playing for the other Ohio team, because every time I watched him it looked like he was giving his best Tim Couch impression: laying on his back with a 300-pound man on top of him.
As I sat on my couch last season, with a bottle of cold Coke Zero and probably some Swedish Fish (not really, but I just succeeded in a challenge), I felt bad for the guy. Remember, Palmer was the QB who got a broken nose in the preseason because he had no offensive line, so I'm pretty sure he was prepared with Advil and ice before the season began.
But all of that is in the past, and the great thing about the release of the NFL schedule is a fresh start for all 32 teams, except for the Detroit Lions. They will still stink. So will the Rams, and I can't forget the dumpster fire in Oakland.
Things don't get any easier for Cincinnati in weeks two through five, as they are scheduled to face the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We all know the Bengals were undefeated in AFC North play last year, but honestly, does anyone think they can do that again? (I don’t.)
If I am going by what I saw last from the Bengals (two straight thrashings from the New York Jets), the prospects of them winning six games in their own division is slim to none. But I have been known to
be wrong on more than one occasion when it comes to predicting the outcome of a football game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have a two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback for the first six weeks, and the Ravens' best player has been in the league for over a decade. It goes without saying Cincinnati will be better than the Browns.
After a week-six bye, the Queen City's feline football team is scheduled to take on the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins to wrap up October. In November, Cincy will face the Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills and the J-E-T-S... Jets, Jets, Jets! (Sorry, but that is fun to type.)
The Falcons will be a tough team if they can fight off the injury bug from last season. The fish from Miami could possibly be a contender with the addition of Brandon Marshall, but yet again, Chad Henne is their QB and he ain't fellow Michigan alum Tom Brady.
After the Fins, the Cardiac Cats face the evil, yes, evil, Steelers. Even if Ben Roethlisberger gets suspended for eight games, guess what, the Bengals will still have to face him. (If you visit the Steelers' official website, there isn't the slightest hint he is a two-time champion QB or the fact he likes to hang out at college bars
on their home page.)
Last year, Cincy beat the Steelers 23-20 and 18-12, so they have just as good of a chance to repeat that feat with Santonio Holmes traded to the Jets in this offseason, but it is the Ravens who worry me the most in the AFC North. They are loaded on both sides of the field.
A year ago, the Bengals were 10-6 and scored 305 points. They had 34 touchdowns and a 6-2 record at home, along with a 4-4 mark on the road. Pittsburgh and Baltimore were 9-7, with the Ravens reaching the playoffs in a Wild Card spot.
So after what should be a slobberknocker (thanks for the word, WWE announcer Jim Ross) with the Steelers, it won't get any easier with a trip to the RCA Dome. That is where AFC champion Indianapolis and all-world QB Peyton Manning give clinics on how to play football each time they step onto the field.
After facing the Colts, Cincinnati will finish November with the Buffalo Bills and a Thanksgiving night playoff rematch at the Jets.
In the final month of the regular season, the Bengals will face Super Bowl champion New Orleans, the Steelers, Cleveland, San Diego, and the Ravens.
Last year, the Bengals almost pulled out a win against San Diego but fell short in the final minutes. Speaking of San Diego, I am a big “Anchorman” fan as they were based out of San Diego, and I hope for a lot of my friends' mental well-being that the Bengals show the type of teamwork the news team on “Anchorman” displayed toward the end of the movie. If they can do that, I see no problems whatsoever with the Bengals having a better finish to their season this year than what happened in ’09.
Now that we all know each and every NFL game that is going to be played in the 17-week regular season by the Bengals and the other 31 NFL teams, I guess after the draft, all there is to do is wait. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy another fun summer in the sun and listen to the Cowboy and Marty announce Reds games on the radio.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
I'm not saying I was jumping up and down when I was reading the NFL schedules, but it is safe to say I was giddy (I love that word!) when I found out who and where my team was playing this season.
All right, you got me; I got goosebumps when I heard the music to Monday Night Football.
Now, I am not a fan of the orange-and-black of the Bengals or the orange-and-brown of Cleveland (in fact, I am not a fan of the color orange, but a fan of the fruit), so I think this allows me to look a little deeper at the schedules of the two professional football franchises from Ohio and their prospects for the upcoming NFL campaign.
First, the Cleveland Browns. They haven’t won an NFL title since the days of Jim Brown. So, well, this is awkward – sorry Browns fans – they probably won’t do so well.
OK, now let’s take a look at the Cincinnati Bengals and their 2010 slate of football games. I know their owner Mike Brown probably went to the school of business taught by Mr. Krabs. Ol’ Mikey Brown is what you can call one of the more “I’d rather make more money than win games” owners in the NFL. None of us have to go to Brown University to realize the Bengals could do a little more in the scouting department as the first way to improve their franchise. Off-topic fun fact: Did you know Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno was a QB at Brown University?
Sorry, I lost focus for a second.
But one owner’s greed isn't here or there in this column; remember, this is about the excitement for the simple fact the NFL season is starting to show a heartbeat and will be here sooner, rather than later.
Cincinnati starts the season in New England, where they will have to go up against a 3-time Super Bowl champion QB and a coach who will do pretty much anything to win a football game. (Not that “Spygate” was ever proven, or was it?)
This is a tough game to look at for the fact that I am writing this with the NFL draft 24 hours away, and we really don't know what the Patriots will bring to the table. Not to mention the Pats will more than likely be without the services of Wes Welker for a majority of the season, and he will probably not be the same player we are accustomed to seeing on the field once he returns.
Then again, what are the Bengals going to bring to the field in 2010?
Will they actually have blind side protection for the franchise QB Carson Palmer or allow him to get trampled like he is facing a herd of elephants each time he takes a three-step drop? But in defense of the Bengals' offensive line, maybe he could release the ball just a tad bit quicker.
Last season, Palmer must have thought he was playing for the other Ohio team, because every time I watched him it looked like he was giving his best Tim Couch impression: laying on his back with a 300-pound man on top of him.
As I sat on my couch last season, with a bottle of cold Coke Zero and probably some Swedish Fish (not really, but I just succeeded in a challenge), I felt bad for the guy. Remember, Palmer was the QB who got a broken nose in the preseason because he had no offensive line, so I'm pretty sure he was prepared with Advil and ice before the season began.
But all of that is in the past, and the great thing about the release of the NFL schedule is a fresh start for all 32 teams, except for the Detroit Lions. They will still stink. So will the Rams, and I can't forget the dumpster fire in Oakland.
Things don't get any easier for Cincinnati in weeks two through five, as they are scheduled to face the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We all know the Bengals were undefeated in AFC North play last year, but honestly, does anyone think they can do that again? (I don’t.)
If I am going by what I saw last from the Bengals (two straight thrashings from the New York Jets), the prospects of them winning six games in their own division is slim to none. But I have been known to
be wrong on more than one occasion when it comes to predicting the outcome of a football game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have a two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback for the first six weeks, and the Ravens' best player has been in the league for over a decade. It goes without saying Cincinnati will be better than the Browns.
After a week-six bye, the Queen City's feline football team is scheduled to take on the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins to wrap up October. In November, Cincy will face the Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills and the J-E-T-S... Jets, Jets, Jets! (Sorry, but that is fun to type.)
The Falcons will be a tough team if they can fight off the injury bug from last season. The fish from Miami could possibly be a contender with the addition of Brandon Marshall, but yet again, Chad Henne is their QB and he ain't fellow Michigan alum Tom Brady.
After the Fins, the Cardiac Cats face the evil, yes, evil, Steelers. Even if Ben Roethlisberger gets suspended for eight games, guess what, the Bengals will still have to face him. (If you visit the Steelers' official website, there isn't the slightest hint he is a two-time champion QB or the fact he likes to hang out at college bars
on their home page.)
Last year, Cincy beat the Steelers 23-20 and 18-12, so they have just as good of a chance to repeat that feat with Santonio Holmes traded to the Jets in this offseason, but it is the Ravens who worry me the most in the AFC North. They are loaded on both sides of the field.
A year ago, the Bengals were 10-6 and scored 305 points. They had 34 touchdowns and a 6-2 record at home, along with a 4-4 mark on the road. Pittsburgh and Baltimore were 9-7, with the Ravens reaching the playoffs in a Wild Card spot.
So after what should be a slobberknocker (thanks for the word, WWE announcer Jim Ross) with the Steelers, it won't get any easier with a trip to the RCA Dome. That is where AFC champion Indianapolis and all-world QB Peyton Manning give clinics on how to play football each time they step onto the field.
After facing the Colts, Cincinnati will finish November with the Buffalo Bills and a Thanksgiving night playoff rematch at the Jets.
In the final month of the regular season, the Bengals will face Super Bowl champion New Orleans, the Steelers, Cleveland, San Diego, and the Ravens.
Last year, the Bengals almost pulled out a win against San Diego but fell short in the final minutes. Speaking of San Diego, I am a big “Anchorman” fan as they were based out of San Diego, and I hope for a lot of my friends' mental well-being that the Bengals show the type of teamwork the news team on “Anchorman” displayed toward the end of the movie. If they can do that, I see no problems whatsoever with the Bengals having a better finish to their season this year than what happened in ’09.
Now that we all know each and every NFL game that is going to be played in the 17-week regular season by the Bengals and the other 31 NFL teams, I guess after the draft, all there is to do is wait. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy another fun summer in the sun and listen to the Cowboy and Marty announce Reds games on the radio.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]