Comments on: PFT Preseason Power Rankings No. 15: Cincinnati Bengals

By: vex24

vex24 — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:05:47 +0000

Regardless, the Cincinnati Bengals will be one of the fun teams to watch. The fact that their loaded with talented youth means that there will be amazingly great plays…and amazingly dumb ones, too. The Lewis /Zimmer defense (People seem to overlook Marvin Lewis’ defensive mind) is somewhat reminiscent of the Georgetown college basketball years in the 80s (when Ewing was center). Constant rotation of special skill players. The opposing offenses will be forced to go into ‘hurry-up’ mode in order to halt the ‘Mad’ Zimmer rotation…and ‘Hurry-up’ technique is extremely risky due to communication issues (line-up position & snap count)…especially when your at PBS (Paul Brown Stadium). Another thing that may develop is a new breed of the ‘Jungle’ home crowd, since there’s no real continuity between the 1980s ‘Jungle’ and 2012-13.
If Zimmer becomes the new Defensive Mad scientist of the powerful AFC North (think LeBeau), then ‘Chucky’s Lil’ Brother, Jay Gruden, may be the 2nd coming of Sam Wyche/Bill Walsh….All in All it should be Fun to watch.

By: electionconfidential

electionconfidential — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:53:17 +0000

I think the ranking is a little high, but not way off the mark. They’ve got a good coaching staff in place. I tend to agree with someone who said that Dalton may “regress” this year. I don’t think it’s really going to be regression so much as the fact that everyone’s had a year to learn how to prepare for him.

The Bengals really really need to learn how to hang onto their receivers. They get some good ones, but always let them get away. I realize that Jerome Simpson had trouble off the field, but he was coming along as a receiver…

I think they have a shot at the wild card, but not the division.

By: mwindle1973

mwindle1973 — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:43:03 +0000

I don’t think CB is going to be a point of weakness. I actually believe exactly the opposite. But I can see why someone would see it that way. But there is a history of Mike Zimmer bringing in players that others consider broken down, too old, written off, etc. and turns them into productive players. Also different Ds ask different things of the players. And requires different kinds of players. Understand that physicality and intelligence are the 2 most important attributes for a DB in the Zimmer/Lewis system. Also the D-line has 2 youngsters going into their 3rd year that continue to grow. One of them Geno Atkins, was rated as the top DT last year by Pro Football Focus. The other, Carlos Dunlap was rated in their top 10, I believe it was 6th. We are also returning 10 starters. Last year 3 of them were new to the team and then you had the two youngsters. Plus we have added key depth, after injury hurt us last year. When Hall was injured we had been ranked 1 for most of the season. I completely expect the D to be even better than we were at that point last year. The question is offense. We have not added enough to fill the voids. What we have done instead is by evaluation is determined that their are young players on the roster ready to fill those voids. So that’s what the season comes down to. How accurate were the coaches in deciding to promote withing at positions like #2WR & SS. And as well the decisions to fill the RB and LG void with BJGE & Travelle Wharton. If those positions are good I think the playoff wins are attainable. If they were wrong, then the doubters will be right again.

By: blue67ccm

blue67ccm — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:32:17 +0000

I am most interested in seeing how high Pittsburgh ends up being ranked, as, personally, I see them in a transition year.

Ward’s leadership is gone, age has come to the defense and Mendenhall has not mended in time for September 9th.

If anyone is going to fall hard this year, I think it will surprisingly happen in Pittsburgh. Of course, for the Steelers since 1970, a hard fall is like 7-9, not 4-12.

By: jwreck

jwreck — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:41:54 +0000

While everyone who mentioned how worthless these rankings are has a good point, everyone who mentioned the Bengals missing the playoffs this year is just wrong. The AFC has plunged into near obsolescence over the last couple years and its six playoff spots are there for the taking. Houston will get one; aging defense aside, the Ravens will still almost certainly nab another; the Pats have been very beatable recently, but they’ll probably still take the East. The AFC West is without a doubt the most wide open division in football and should be a wild ride this year. Essentially that leaves Cincy competing with whoever comes out second in the West, the Steeler, the Bills, and the Jets for two wild card spots. Considering that the Steelers are aging quick, in an offensive transition, and have no ground game; and that the Bills, Jets, and AFC West have a tendency to beat themselves, those aren’t bad odds at all. The Bengals made it last year, and it’s difficult to imagine they won’t do it again in 2013.

By: pskotte

pskotte — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:32:19 +0000

Pre-training camp predictions aren’t worth the paper they used to be written on. For what it’s worth the Steelers and Ravens have much bigger offseason questions to answer than the Bengals. Don’t be surprised if one or both perennial favorites don’t make the playoffs.

By: timbuttrum

timbuttrum — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:21:14 +0000

Too high on the list. Dalton will regress this year.

By: pnut87

pnut87 — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:16:11 +0000

Not a Bengals fan, but they had a terrific draft to say the least, and they have the potential to do some damage. Hoping they’ll be fun to watch.

By: ahostiletakeover

ahostiletakeover — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:08:51 +0000

I’m a Ravens fan, but one can’t help but like what the Bengals are doing. The offense should be a little better with more continuity after Dalton and Green’s rookie seasons. The defense is perennially underrated. Zimmer is a solid coordinator who knows how to use his guys the right way and despite the losses their d-line is pretty fierce, especially if Dunlap stays healthy this year. Leon Hall has always been a very good corner when he’s 100% and Reggie Nelson looked reborn last year. The team has a very solid nucleus to build around on both sides of the ball and they will should be in the hunt for a wild card again this year. That said, until they prove they can beat the Ravens and Steelers (Before the Bengals fans jump all over me, that was a bogus call to overturn the Gresham TD last year, but the Ravens suffered from the completely ridiculous inability of the refs to even review the Evans’ potential catch in the AFC Championship so I guess it all balances out in the end) they can’t even consider anything more than a wild card for now.

By: ravenseattheirownpoop

ravenseattheirownpoop — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:02:15 +0000

I love Dalton. He’s a winner. Big upgrade over crybaby Palmer. Green is a stud. I like what they are doing as a whole. However, the can’t win the division until they can figure out a way to beat the Steelers. Period point blank.

By: jwil007

jwil007 — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:47:39 +0000

and thats “Everyone says you will suck and wont WIN a game” LOL

By: hooahitsnotatomthing

hooahitsnotatomthing — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:42:51 +0000

It’s not absolutely crazy to think the Bengals could be in the running for a wild card spot.

Both the Ravens and Steelers have aging defenses. The Ravens are without Suggs for a decent time and Ed Reed doing whatever. The Steelers have a new offense. Both franchises are very stable so I don’t see much of a dip, but the Bengals can be competitve.

I think the AFC North is the best confrence in the AFC.

By: brutus9448

brutus9448 — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:25:39 +0000

bengals will miss the playoffs this year. bank on it.

By: cleminem757

cleminem757 — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:12:50 +0000

The person doing the preseason rankings is on crack. Just like every person that pretends they mean anything.

By: jay0o1

jay0o1 — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:01:31 +0000

“Rookie linebacker Vontaze Burfict will be battling in many ways himself during training camp, as the Bengals try to assess whether his talents can be harnessed and his temper can be tempered in a way that could help him make the teams that passed on him in the draft, repeatedly, regret. Every team, that is, except the Bengals”.

Actually, the Bengals repeatedly did pass on Vontaze Burfict. They picked him up as a free agent, not in the draft. But of course, this is a Bengals post so there had to be some mention of them taking on players with a troubled past. I’m actually surprised no comment was made on the organization being cheap. That’s improvement Florio!

By: flapjackdaddy

flapjackdaddy — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:00:03 +0000

Not in that division — at least not this year. I like their defense but I don’t see Dalton’s ceiling as being very high.