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Cincinnati Bengals: 5 Biggest Question Marks Heading into 2018

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The Cincinnati Bengals, like all other NFL teams, have some question marks they need to answer this year. Unlike many other teams, answering those questions gives them a great shot to make the playoffs.

In 2017, the Cincinnati Bengals lost four games by one possession. Their record was 7-9, and last year’s wild-card teams (the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans) make it in with 9-7 records. A touchdown here or there and the team is back in the postseason.

Here are our calls for the four biggest issues the team must address to go playoff-ing.

Four Questions That the Cincinnati Bengals Need to Answer This Year

Will the offensive line improve enough? We’ve been beating this drum more than Andrew Neiman in the movie Whiplash. Many times over the last few years, the Bengals’ O-Line performances has left their fans sounding like … well, Terence Fletcher in the movie Whiplash (Editor’s Note: Look it up on YouTube, but NSFW).  We talked a few weeks ago about the team’s recent offensive struggles. Frank Pollack taking over as line coach is definitely a breath of fresh air. Acquiring Cordy Glenn and losing Russell Bodine are steps in the right direction. And each year, the Bengals have drafted or traded for more move-the-ball talent, so you’d think that would provide extra motivation for the big uglies. It’s not like their efforts at improvement would be in vain. As soon as the line gets going, so will the fireworks. This is the year for that to happen … right?

Will John Ross and Tyler Eifert stay healthy? These two have been bitten (well, chomped) by the health bug the last couple of years. The last time Eifert played close to a full year was 2015. That season, in 13 games, he caught 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 TDs. Ross is only in his second year, but his NFL-Combine-record 4.22 speed should keep DBs playing catch-up. Since they both represent different elements of the passing game, having them healthy and on the field gives the defense a lot more ground to cover. It also means those defenses can’t focus on shutting down the running game – which isn’t running on full batteries to begin with.

Who’s after Dalton if he gets hurt? While we’re on the topic of health, let’s address Andy Dalton’s. If he’s injured, the Cincinnati Bengals will be turning to journeyman Matt Barkley, Jeff Driskel (who spent last year on injured reserve), or rookie Logan Woodside. For his career, Barkley has completed almost 60% of his passes, but holds a TD-to-INT ratio of 8-18. Driskel and Woodside have as many pro passing attempts as noted German physicist Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821-1894). Hopefully, the offensive line can keep Dalton vertical.

Will the Bengals D generate more turnovers? Cincinnati only had 14 takeaways last year, including a measly 3 fumble recoveries. New DC Teryl Austin should change that. Last year with the Detroit Lions, his defensive squads tied for fourth in the NFL in interceptions (19) and forced fumbles (19).

3 Keys to the Game: Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens

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Here we are, Cincinnati Bengals fans – Christmas Eve!

Our old friends the Baltimore Ravens come to town for a high-noon kickoff tomorrow. We must say, it looks like a match-up that’s in Cincinnati’s favor. A win would be big because it gives us huge momentum, as well as the upper hand over a division rival right off the bat. Also, we don’t necessarily love the fact that Baltimore isn’t at full strength, but ……. well, actually, yes we do.

Let’s break down what we believe are the three keys to a Bengals’ win.

3 Keys to a Cincinnati Bengals Win

  1. Go after Joe. Joe Flacco will start, but he has been hurt and missed all of training camp and the preseason. Add to that the fact that he’s about as successful in Paul Brown Stadium (2-6 in the last 8 games, 5 TDs, 12 picks) as Dr. Evil is in taking over the world. It’s a situation that should make the Cincinnati pass rushers (remember, we’ve got Chris Smith and Jordan Willis now) giddy. Put some pressure on him, maybe a hit or two or 15, and their passing attack will crumble.
  2. Get our downfield passing game going. This one is almost a given when you have someone named AJ Green on your team. But we also drafted someone named John Ross. And there’s this guy we’ve been seeing named Tyler Eifert, who can go over the middle. And the Ravens D ranked 28th in the NFL last year in passing TDs. Score a few touchdowns and John Harbaugh’s squad will be forced to play catch-up with a rusty and gimpy quarterback. Getting to that point depends on how much time QB Andy Dalton gets from the offensive line. Speaking of which …
  3. Solid line play. Anyone who has read our blog more than once knows the O-line has been the team’s most concerning area. Baltimore is a good opponent to start with for us, since they only tallied 31 sacks last season. It’ll be a great confidence boost to our big uglies if they can keep Dalton upright. Plus, if we can establish a big-enough lead, they can practice some run blocking to use up clock late in the game.

So get ready, Cincinnati Bengals fans. We’ve waited a long time. And it’s about time we get back to the postseason. The first step is tomorrow.

3 Things We’re Excited About for Bengals Training Camp

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We’re less than a week away from the start of the Cincinnati Bengals training camp. This is a golden time for any football fan. The hope for a new season. Arguing with your buddies about who should start, or which player will have the biggest season. A chance to get revenge on your fiercest rivals. The time is here, and it is GLORIOUS!

But that’s not the only reason to get excited.

The Bengals have plenty of reasons to think they’ll be back in the playoffs in 2017. From the offense that should blow up like a bottle of shaken-up soda to seeing what a bunch of motivated players will do to get last year’s sour taste out of their mouths, 2017 will be a year to remember. Here are the top three things that get us jazzed ahead of Bengals training camp.

Bengals Training Camp: 3 Reasons to be Revved Up

1. Offensive weapons. The Bengals are loaded this year. Armed to the teeth. Remember that scene in the movie Commando when Schwarzenegger paddles to the beach and then spends the next couple of minutes gearing up for the big gun battle? That’s how fans should feel when reading Cincinnati’s offensive depth chart.

Andy Dalton is ready to follow up on his 4,206-yard performance from last year. And for the first time in what seems like forever, he’ll have to make up his mind about who to chuck the pigskin to. All-Pro wide receiver AJ Green returns after being painfully close to a 1,000-yard receiving season despite only starting 10 games. Tyler Boyd, Brandon LaFell, Cody Core, rookies John Ross and Josh Malone … the WR list goes on. Don’t forget about tight end Tyler Eifert (more on him in a minute).

With defenses being so busy trying to stop Dalton and Co., it will open up the running game. If the O-line can gel – and that’s a big if – then Jeremy Hill should build upon his 839-yard campaign from last year. Giovani Bernard collected 673 yards from scrimmage. Draft pick Joe Mixon gained 1,812 total yards and scored 15 touchdowns last year at Oklahoma. The firepower’s there.

2. Jordan Willis. Cincy averaged 2.1 sacks per game last year. That tied them for 19th in the NFL. They need a boost, and third-round draft pick Jordan Willis could be the one that gives it to them. He racked up 11.5 sacks for the Wildcats in 2016 and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the year. He has good burst and plays at a position of need. The Bengals had plenty of close games last season. If Willis’ rush can stop even one 3rd-and-long, it could flip the game in the Bengals’ favor. We say he’ll stop a lot more than one.

3. Contract years for Burfict and Eifert. It’s the perfect storm for these two players. Eifert and linebacker Vontaze Burfict spent big chunks of last season banged up and suspended, respectively. Now they are healthy, ready to prove something, and in the final year of their contracts. If that doesn’t motivate you to hit, catch, tackle and score, what will?

Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart Part I: Offense

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Organized team activities have begun around the National Football League. They are the first real steps we see of our 2017 teams taking shape. Coaches start to gauge position groups. Rookies, hopefully, make good first impressions. Bloggers will come at you with their take on who will have a big year based on that one-handed catch they made yesterday.

And, of course, we discuss the depth chart. In fact, that’s one of the reasons were so excited about the Cincinnati Bengals this season. A few of the right players in the two-deep can be the key toward improving last year’s 6-9-1 season. That could easily mean playoffs, baby!

Let’s look at each offensive position group for the Cincinnati Bengals for 2017.

Offense

Quarterback: Starter – Andy Dalton. Backups – AJ McCarron, Jeff Driskel. Dalton is the clear-cut starter if he can stay injury-free. If he goes down, we think McCarron can do a serviceable job.

Running back: Starter – Jeremy Hill. Backups – Giovani Bernard, Joe Mixon, Cedric Peerman, Tra Carson, Jarveon Williams, Stanley Williams. Hill and Bernard are capable, and the newly drafted Mixon adds power and speed.

Fullback: Starter – Darrin Laufasa. He has a great FB frame at 6’1 and 250 pounds. He also blocked for running back Aaron Jones, who rushed for 1,773 yards at UTEP last fall, so Cincy is in good hands here we think if they decide to keep a true fullback.

Wide receiver 1: Starter – AJ Green. Backups – Cody Core, Josh Malone, Jake Kumerow, Alonzo Russell. Green returns from injury and, we think, will have a typically big year. It didn’t take long for the team to sign Josh Malone, so he’ll be able to start learning the offense and adjusting to the speed of the pro game.

Wide receiver 2: Starter – Brandon LaFell. Backups – Tyler Boyd, Chris Brown, Monty Madaris. LaFell had 64 catches and six TDs last year. Boyd went over 600 yards receiving. The WR2 spot looks solid.

Slot receiver : Starter – John Ross. Backups – Tyler Boyd, Alex Erickson, Karel Hamilton. With the addition of Ross, this position could see a big boost, which opens up the offense. We put Boyd here as well as we think he will get chances in the slot as well.

Tight end/H-back: Starter – Tyler Eifert. Backups – Tyler Kroft, Ryan Hewitt, C.J. Uzomah, Mason Schreck, Cethan Carter. Hopefully, Eifert can stay healthy this year. Kroft was only targeted 12 times last season, but made 10 catches, throw in Uzomah who shined at times last season and Hewitt who has shown he is capable and the Bengals should be fine at this position.

Center: Starter – Russell Bodine. Backups – TJ Johnson, JJ Dielman. Bodine, a fourth-year player out of North Carolina, is getting better every year.

Left guard: Starter – Clint Boling. Backups – Trey Hopkins, Dustin Stanton. Boling played 73 straight games from 2012-2016 and had a separated shoulder for much of last season, and gutted it out. Toughness, much?

Right guard: Starter – Andre Smith. Backups – Christian Westerman, Alex Redmond, Kent Perkins. It’s a tall order to replace Kevin Zeitler. Hopefully, Christian Westerman will bring his A-game in 2017 and Andre Smith might start here if Westerman doesn’t outshine him.

Right tackle: Starter – Jake Fisher. Backups – Eric Winston, Landon Lechler. Fisher has experience with all five position on the offensive line. We hope said line gels and he can stick to this spot

Left tackle: Starter – Cedric Ogbuehi. Backups – Andre Smith. Let’s pray Ogbuehi improves.

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3 Impact Rookies for Cincinnati in 2017

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It’s only natural to look at your team’s NFL draft picks and think about which ones will ‘wow’ you. At this point, no rookies will be a bust or a flameout. The future is bright. Your team has the guy who will shock the league and give everyone else fits. If a newbie contributes an extra touchdown, a well-timed sack, or a field goal, it can flip the team’s momentum. And its season.

With as many close games as the Cincinnati Bengals had last year, it makes us that much more excited to see what impact the rookies will make.  The crop of college kids that Cincy selected in April can put us on track for the playoffs this season. And if they do that as rookies, just imagine what will happen in the next few years!

So, which newbies will ‘wow’ Cincinnati Bengals fans and make the biggest impact in 2017? Here are our top three picks.

3 Rookies Who Will Make an Impact for the Cincinnati Bengals This Year

1. John Ross – We’ve mentioned this guy before, haven’t we? Ross’ 4.22 speed can’t be ignored. He will naturally be a threat with go routes and force defenses to give him more of a cushion. That alone is dangerous, since he’s a proven pass catcher (81 of them in 2016 for the Washington Huskies). It will be fun to watch opposing secondaries pick their poison between Ross, Tyler Eifert, and AJ Green.

2. Jake Elliott – This was a close one, but we gave the silver medal spot to Memphis kicker Elliott because he touches the ball more. He’s accurate on his kicks which was a trait that was maddeningly absent last year. The past two years, he went 18 of 21 from 40-49 yards. His leg is strong, accurate, and – if he makes the team – a game-changer. Heck, a season-changer.

3. Joe Mixon – JM gets the ball out of the backfield one way or another. In addition to rushing for 1,274 yards for Oklahoma last season, he also caught 37 passes, which was good for 17th among running backs in the FBS.  We’ve got him listed third because of how much his fate depends on a subpar offensive line. If the OL can’t gel, Mixon won’t have the impact we’re hoping for – yet.