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August Preview: The 2019 Cincinnati Bengals

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It is that time of year Bengals fans.

We are in August, the team has already started training camp and things are starting to roll as the first preseason game approaches on August 10th. There is a different vibe or feel in the air. With Marvin Lewis gone after 17 seasons, first year head coach Zac Taylor brings an unfamiliar feeling of hope and confidence.

For example, Taylor adding play clocks at practice is something that can help the Bengals with their past struggles related to time management. “Last year the level of accountability wasn’t there. This year it is,” says Jessie Bates, second year strong safety, to Jeremy Rauch of FOX 19.

But this year, this year just feels different. Sure, the Bengals lost first round pick Jonah Williams to a torn labrum and A.J. Green suffered an ankle injury from landing awkwardly on Dre Kirkpatrick at Welcome Stadium in Dayton last weekend. Bengals wide receivers, Damion Willis, Josh Malone, Auden Tate and Stanley Morgan seem to be stepping up at training camp. There has been a lot of buzz around UDFA receiver Damion Willis at camp so far. Morgan, an un-drafted free agent from Nebraska, has made several impressive catches. Auden Tate, who shined during the preseason last year, never really got many opportunities during the regular season in 2018. Hopefully this season he will get the chance he deserves.

The Bengals brought back star tight end Tyler Eifert on a one year deal after he suffered a nasty ankle injury against Atlanta last season. Keeping Eifert healthy will be a big factor as to how this season will go. With the offensive line being a weak point, Andy Dalton is gonna have to get the ball out quickly. Eifert is like a safety blanket for Dalton who he can always count on being open in between the hashes to get a nice chunk of yards.

Also, who can forget about Joe Mixon, who despite missing 2 games to a knee injury last injury, lead the AFC in rushing with 1,168 yards and 8 touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry with one of the worst offensive lines in the league. That is very impressive. You can expect Mixon to be even better this season in Zac Taylor’s new scheme. With Green being out for some time to begin the season, Mixon should be counted on to carry the load, even Giovani Bernard may have a bigger role under Taylor’s new offense.

4 College Coaches the Cincinnati Bengals Could Hire

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The Cincinnati Bengals are days away from answering a question years in the making – who will replace Marvin Lewis as head coach?

We say “years in the making” because, quite frankly, Marv should’ve been out as the HC around the time you were finishing your 2016 Thanksgiving leftovers.

Don’t get us wrong. The team experienced some good with Lewis. Since 2003 when he took the helm, the Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North four times and made the playoffs seven times.

But they appeared in the playoffs seven more times than they won a playoff game. And that 8-24 regular season record against the Pittsburgh Steelers? It doesn’t exactly put a big neon sign over your head that says “GIVE THIS GUY A CONTRACT EXTENSION!!!”

Part of the recent troubles can be attributed to the Bengals being the youngest team in the NFL last year (25.2 years), and third youngest in 2017 (25.5), So, with all that youth, why not go after a college football coach? Someone who can relate. Someone who can win. It’s been done before with success (Jimmy Johnson, Pete Carroll) and there are plenty of hot names out there.

Here are our top four:

Top 4 College Coaches Who Could Lead the Cincinnati Bengals

  1. Dabo Swinney – The Clemson head coach is a bigger deal in the state of South Carolina right now than Nick Saban is at Alabama – which is saying something. Swinney just captured his second national championship in three years (beating Saban) after beating Bama 44-16. His recruiting classes show how he can recognize and develop talent.
  2. Dan Mullen – Mullen just finished his first year with the Florida Gators. He engineered the biggest one-season turnaround at the NCAA level, improving from 4-7 to 10-3. He gets results quickly. We know a team who could use a quick turnaround.
  3. Urban Meyer – This one is a long shot, but name someone on this list who isn’t. Meyer recruits speed, teaches speed, and puts players in the NFL faster than almost anyone. Plus, he’s a Buckeye guy, having just stepped down from Ohio State. Don’t ask.
  4. Tom Herman – Expectations were bigger than Jerry Jones’ ego when Herman took over at the University of Texas in 2017. It took him a bit to get warmed up, but now, Texas football is hotter than a branding iron. Herman just capped the program’s first 10-win season since 2009 and beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

However this shakes out, Bengals fans will be on the edge of their seats until the new coach is announced. And hopefully, it’s a guy who won’t have fans out of their seats by the third quarter.

Bengals Week 11 Preview – Cincinnati at Baltimore

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Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) at Baltimore Ravens (4-5)

Oh boy, do I really need to recap the Bengals week 10 game against the Saints? Do we all remember the 500 plus yards and 50 plus points the Saints put up on the Bengals? Or do I need to mention that the Saints punter wasn’t used once in the entire game? Or how the Bengals starters managed to only put up just seven points against the 31st ranked defense in the league? Do we all remember this? Good, because I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

This week the Bengals face another tough task. That is going into M&T Bank Stadium and facing a divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens. Like the Bengals, the Ravens are also in the wild card playoff hunt and a win against the Bengals would give the Ravens matching records with Cincy. In order for the Bengals to keep their playoff hopes alive, they can only afford to lose two games max the rest of the year. And with games still left against the Chargers and Steelers, they cannot afford to lose this week. They will have to be sharp against a very good Baltimore defense.

Matchups to watch for…

Tyler Boyd vs. WR1 Coverage – I listed it last week and I will list it again this week. Marvin Lewis isn’t closing the door on A.J. Green playing this Sunday, but we all know that is a total smoke screen. We will not see A.J. Green Sunday, and that is that. Tyler Boyd MUST continue his breakout season against the Ravens top corners, Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Carr. The Ravens defensive backs have already publicly stated their plan to keep more eyes on Boyd. This could be his toughest game of the year.

Andy Dalton vs. The Ravens Secondary- The Baltimore Ravens secondary is good. They are averaging the 3rd fewest passing yard per game this year with an average of just 205 yards allowed through the air. Andy Dalton will have his hands full this weekend, especially with no A.J. Green. The last time the Bengals faced the Ravens Andy Dalton carved them up for 265 yards and 4 touchdowns, but that was with a healthy A.J. Green. Good Andy will have to be out in full force in order to get anything going against this stingy pass defense.

The Bengals Defense vs. A Backup Quarterback- The closer and closer we get to Sunday it becomes more and more evident that Joe Flacco isn’t starting. However, that doesn’t mean we are any closer to knowing who will start. The Ravens are keeping quiet, not telling us if Lamar Jackson or Robert Griffin III will get the start on Sunday. It is looking like it will be Griffen. Regardless of who gets the start the Bengals must take advantage of a backup getting the start.

My Prediction:The Bengals are one game removed from a blowout loss and have recorded three straight games where they given up 500+ yards on defense. I think the combination of a backup quarterback starting for the Ravens and Marvin Lewis taking over the defense, leads to the Bengals defense getting a little more on track. While the Bengals linebackers are all banged up, the rest of the defense should be able to step up. The Bengals seem to always have the Ravens number. It will take everything they have but I believe the Bengals escape with a win.

My Prediction: Bengals 27 Ravens 24

My Bengals Predictions on the year: 6-3

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF. Be sure to tweet me anything Bengals related, questions or comments!

Game: Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) at Baltimore Ravens (4-5)

Date/Time: November 17, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: M&T Bank Stadium

Uniforms: White Jersey

Last Matchup: 9/13/18 – Bengals 34 Ravens 23

Odds: Bengals, +4

Have the Cincinnati Bengals Fixed the O-Line for 2018?

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Good news first: if the offensive line of the Cincinnati Bengals had played at the college level in 2017, they’d have been first-team All Americans.

Bad news: they played in the NFL and like players fresh out of college, and that led to the team being dead last in the league in total offense. The Bengals averaged only 280.5 yards of offense per game.

It’s a painful reminder of how the line struggled in recent years under long time O-line coach Paul Alexander. He was let go in the off-season by coach Marvin Lewis and subsequently hired for the same position by the Dallas Cowboys.

Which is funny, because Cincy did the same thing in reverse. They hired Frank Pollack, who was fired by Dallas. We call it the Circle of Life – except it has nothing to do with either a circle or life. (awkward pause ……) Let’s move on, shall we?

Here are some other moves that will hopefully get the Cincinnati Bengals’ ability to move the ball off the NFLoor.

What Have the Cincinnati Bengals Done?

Going for Glenn. Cincinnati swapped first-round draft picks with the Bills to get offensive tackle Cordy Glenn. The 6-6, 345 lb Buffalo Boulder (okay, we made that up) has started 77 games in his pro career. He was good enough in Buffalo to earn a 5-year, $65 million contract extension in 2016. Although he battled foot and ankle problems last year, he’s only 28 years old. He’s got plenty of time left.

What going for Glenn gets you. As part of the Glenn deal, the Cincinnati Bengals went from having the 12th pick in the draft to the 21st. And they still nabbed a promising prospect in Ohio State center Billy Price. Price won the Rimington Award (best center in college football) and was the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2017.

Adding more OTs. Bobby Hart came in from the Giants, which will hopefully provide some motivation for Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi. The three will battle for the right tackle spot. The team did lose Andre Smith, but drafted Rod Taylor out of Mississippi in the seventh round.

Losing Bodine, gaining better. Ever hear the one about the Cincinnati Bengals losing Russell Bodine and becoming a worse football team? Yeah, neither have we. Plus, with the drafting of Price, there’s more potential for the line as a unit. Give Price a year or two to hit his stride and watch out for guards Christian Westerman and Alex Redmon, who played well toward the end of last season.

Getchu some Frank! The decision to hire Pollack was, no surprise, the most crucial move. He’s got plenty of young talent to work with. He’s brings the goods, as evidenced by his 2015 line in Dallas, which was very productive and had the fewest penalties in the league. If Pollack can bring the same production and discipline to the Bengals, look out.

Game 4 Recap: Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

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Woulda been nice if the Cincinnati Bengals had played like this before Week 4 – but we’ll take it.

Cincy looked like we thought they would against overmatched division rival Cleveland on Sunday in a 31-7 win. We’re not sure if this means the Bengals are rebounding or the Browns are that bad (probably both). What’s sure is this – the Bengals played a complete game.

How Things Went

Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Andy Dalton was so on that his fumble and three sacks were barely noticed. He completed 83% of his passes (no, that’s not a typo) and threw 4 touchdowns to three different receivers. Backup tight end Tyler Kroft caught two of those scoring passes. That’s a reason for smiling and frowning. We’re smiling because another receiving weapon has emerged. Opponents are frowning because it’s one more guy they’ll need to keep an eye on.

Linebacker Vontaze Burfict was a welcome sight back in the defensive lineup after serving a three-game suspension. He only recorded six tackles, but with the offense playing like it did, Burfict didn’t exactly need to shut down the Browns’ O like a bar with an expired liquor license. The Cincinnati Bengals almost pitched a shutout though until Cleveland running back Duke Johnson ran it in with 1:54 left in the game. Other than that, the D showed out, yo. They held Cleveland to 215 yards of total offense, picked off a pass, and logged two sacks. The Browns are now ranked 24th in the NFL with only 87 rushing yards per game.

Cincinnati Bengals Player of the Game

Dalton. No question. Mr. Fire Hair was on fire, going 25 for 30 for 286 yards and four touchdowns. He and Joe Mixon even led the team in rushing (again, no typo) with 29 yards each. Dalton finished with a 146 QB rating. Think that’s impressive? Check out AD’s all-time stats against Cleveland in 13 games: 2,780 yards, 24 touchdowns, and a record of 10-3. He’s got the deed to the team in his locker.

What This Means Going Forward

Cincinnati now has a win under its belt, and a dominating one at that. Victories where you thrash your rival arguably give you a bigger confidence boost than grind-it-out wins against tough opponents. And let’s not forget new offensive playcaller Bill Lazor. He took over after Marvin Lewis fired offensive coordinator Ken Zampese after the first two games of the season. Based on the past two performances, the Bengals’ offense may be taking over some upcoming football games.