2013 NFL Preview: Cincinnati Bengals
Last Season: The 2012 Cincinnati Bengals were a team of ups and downs. After winning three straight, they lost four straight and fell to 3-5 and looked like a team in decline. However, they came together, winning seven of their last eight games, finished at 10-6 and made their third trip to the playoffs in four seasons. Once again, they were led by a fierce defense, finishing near the top of the league in several defensive categories. One of team's biggest strength was on the defensive line, with Geno Atkins putting himself in the discussion as the best defensive tackle in the NFL. The Bengals finished third in the league in sacks, paced by the 12 1/2 by Atkins. Michael Johnson had a breakout year with 11 sacks of his own. Offensively, Cincinnati struggled with inconsistency and finished near the bottom of the league in yards per game. WR AJ Green established himself as a top five receiver and the offensive line played very well, but the running game, while effective at times, didn't scare defenses. QB Andy Dalton was inconsistent as well, leading to occasional games where they had trouble scoring.
Offense: The Bengals set out this offseason to make the offense more dynamic and seems to have accomplished that goal. Dalton will have even more weapons to work with, and has his best chance of success. He had trouble last season with staying in the pocket and with longer throws. To that end, Tyler Eifert, a tall and athletic TE was drafted in the first round to pair with the ultra-talented Green, giving Dalton a pair of guys who will scary opposing defenses. Mohamed Sanu is healthy again and will probably be the 2nd WR and Jermaine Gresham returns at TE as well. In the backfield, BenJarvus Green-Ellis is back, coming off a solid year, and Giovani Bernard was drafted in the second round. They will split carries, giving the Bengals a thunder and lightning pairing to throw at teams. Bernard was the first RB taken in the draft and gives the team a homerun hitter, capable of taking any play to the endzone. The offensive line had a very good year in 2012 and brings back everybody for 2013. Andre Smith established himself as a force at RT and Kevin Zeitler was terrific as a rookie. They could be one of the league's best lines this coming year.
Defense: On the defensive side of the ball, there's no reason the Bengals shouldn't be even better than last year. After using the franchise tag on Johnson, the team returns their stout defensive line. Carlos Dunlap, when healthy, is a terror and opponents can't double-team Dunlap, Johnson, and Atkins. The LB corps is the biggest question mark on that side of the ball. Vontaze Burfict was a revelation last year, quickly establishing himself as Cincinnati's best LB. He was all over the field, and displayed terrific vision and reflexes, finding the ball and hitting the guy carrying it. Joining him in a rotating cast will be free agent signee James Harrison, the returning Rey Maualuga, and second-year man Emmanuel Lamur. Rookie Sean Porter could steal a starting spot as well. The big question is at MLB. Maualuga started last year, but was mostly ineffective. In the secondary, Leon Hall is one of the most underrated CBs in the league. He anchors the back of the defense, but across from him there are questions. Dre Kirkpatrick missed most of his rookie year, Brandon Ghee has rarely been healthy, and Shaun Porter also had injury issues. Terence Newman was fantastic last year, but is another year older. Adam (formerly Pacman) Jones played a huge role in 2012, but is better as a third CB, which allows him to return punts, something he's very good at. Reggie Nelson is a solid S, but there will be a camp battle at the other S spot between Taylor Mays, Jeromy Miles, and rookie Shawn Williams. As a whole, the secondary will need to be better at stopping big plays and forcing turnovers.
Why the Bengals Will Win a Playoff Game: The Bengals have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons, and appear to be set up for a run of success. The team is very young at QB and WR, along with several other spots across the team. Dalton has more weapons than he has ever had and a solid offensive line, and will have his best season as a pro. Green, with Eifert and a healthy Sanu, will see more single coverage and have a big year. Bernard will force opponents to play closer to the line, allowing Dalton to work. The defense will be dominant again, and with a healthy secondary, even better than last year. After two straight first round exits, they will get their first playoff win in more than two decades.
Why the Bengals Will Take a Step Back: Bengals fans have waited for a true winning team for a long time, and finally seem to have one. However, Cincinnati has had a tendency to take a great situation and make the worst of it. Injuries have occurred at bad times, and if the secondary and WR units have problems with them again, or if Atkins goes down, the team could be in trouble. Failure to take the next step by Dalton could also doom the 2013 Bengals. Poor QB play, no matter how good the defense is, will keep a team out of the postseason. Dalton has to show he can stand in the pocket, remain calm, and hit open receivers. If he can't do that, they'll watch the playoffs on TV.
Instant Impact: On the list of things that can help a QB, especially a young one, succeed is a great running game. In 2012, defenses weren't afraid to play guys off the line of scrimmage, because Green-Ellis wasn't a threat to make them pay. Giovani Bernard changes that. If defenses give him room, he turns a run that The Law Firm would have gotten five yards on, into 10 yards or more. His explosiveness will draw defenders to the line and give Dalton room to work. He's a good receiver as well and can give his QB an effective checkdown option.
Questions I Have: Is Andrew Whitworth going to be 100% this season? Will Rey Maualuga start at middle linebacker again? Can the receiving corps, aside from AJ Green, be good enough that Green isn't a one-man show, facing double and triple coverage every play?
Overall: The Bengals have as talented a roster as any team in the NFL. They've drafted effectively, and built a roster that should compete week in and week out. The success, or lack thereof, in 2013 will fall squarely on Andy Dalton, who has to show consistency and growth this season. If he can put it together, Cincinnati will not only be back in the playoffs, but could win the division and potentially a Super Bowl. If he falls back into the habit of panicking under pressure and missing open receivers, the Bengals will struggle to finish with a winning record.
Offense: The Bengals set out this offseason to make the offense more dynamic and seems to have accomplished that goal. Dalton will have even more weapons to work with, and has his best chance of success. He had trouble last season with staying in the pocket and with longer throws. To that end, Tyler Eifert, a tall and athletic TE was drafted in the first round to pair with the ultra-talented Green, giving Dalton a pair of guys who will scary opposing defenses. Mohamed Sanu is healthy again and will probably be the 2nd WR and Jermaine Gresham returns at TE as well. In the backfield, BenJarvus Green-Ellis is back, coming off a solid year, and Giovani Bernard was drafted in the second round. They will split carries, giving the Bengals a thunder and lightning pairing to throw at teams. Bernard was the first RB taken in the draft and gives the team a homerun hitter, capable of taking any play to the endzone. The offensive line had a very good year in 2012 and brings back everybody for 2013. Andre Smith established himself as a force at RT and Kevin Zeitler was terrific as a rookie. They could be one of the league's best lines this coming year.
Defense: On the defensive side of the ball, there's no reason the Bengals shouldn't be even better than last year. After using the franchise tag on Johnson, the team returns their stout defensive line. Carlos Dunlap, when healthy, is a terror and opponents can't double-team Dunlap, Johnson, and Atkins. The LB corps is the biggest question mark on that side of the ball. Vontaze Burfict was a revelation last year, quickly establishing himself as Cincinnati's best LB. He was all over the field, and displayed terrific vision and reflexes, finding the ball and hitting the guy carrying it. Joining him in a rotating cast will be free agent signee James Harrison, the returning Rey Maualuga, and second-year man Emmanuel Lamur. Rookie Sean Porter could steal a starting spot as well. The big question is at MLB. Maualuga started last year, but was mostly ineffective. In the secondary, Leon Hall is one of the most underrated CBs in the league. He anchors the back of the defense, but across from him there are questions. Dre Kirkpatrick missed most of his rookie year, Brandon Ghee has rarely been healthy, and Shaun Porter also had injury issues. Terence Newman was fantastic last year, but is another year older. Adam (formerly Pacman) Jones played a huge role in 2012, but is better as a third CB, which allows him to return punts, something he's very good at. Reggie Nelson is a solid S, but there will be a camp battle at the other S spot between Taylor Mays, Jeromy Miles, and rookie Shawn Williams. As a whole, the secondary will need to be better at stopping big plays and forcing turnovers.
Why the Bengals Will Win a Playoff Game: The Bengals have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons, and appear to be set up for a run of success. The team is very young at QB and WR, along with several other spots across the team. Dalton has more weapons than he has ever had and a solid offensive line, and will have his best season as a pro. Green, with Eifert and a healthy Sanu, will see more single coverage and have a big year. Bernard will force opponents to play closer to the line, allowing Dalton to work. The defense will be dominant again, and with a healthy secondary, even better than last year. After two straight first round exits, they will get their first playoff win in more than two decades.
Why the Bengals Will Take a Step Back: Bengals fans have waited for a true winning team for a long time, and finally seem to have one. However, Cincinnati has had a tendency to take a great situation and make the worst of it. Injuries have occurred at bad times, and if the secondary and WR units have problems with them again, or if Atkins goes down, the team could be in trouble. Failure to take the next step by Dalton could also doom the 2013 Bengals. Poor QB play, no matter how good the defense is, will keep a team out of the postseason. Dalton has to show he can stand in the pocket, remain calm, and hit open receivers. If he can't do that, they'll watch the playoffs on TV.
Instant Impact: On the list of things that can help a QB, especially a young one, succeed is a great running game. In 2012, defenses weren't afraid to play guys off the line of scrimmage, because Green-Ellis wasn't a threat to make them pay. Giovani Bernard changes that. If defenses give him room, he turns a run that The Law Firm would have gotten five yards on, into 10 yards or more. His explosiveness will draw defenders to the line and give Dalton room to work. He's a good receiver as well and can give his QB an effective checkdown option.
Questions I Have: Is Andrew Whitworth going to be 100% this season? Will Rey Maualuga start at middle linebacker again? Can the receiving corps, aside from AJ Green, be good enough that Green isn't a one-man show, facing double and triple coverage every play?
Overall: The Bengals have as talented a roster as any team in the NFL. They've drafted effectively, and built a roster that should compete week in and week out. The success, or lack thereof, in 2013 will fall squarely on Andy Dalton, who has to show consistency and growth this season. If he can put it together, Cincinnati will not only be back in the playoffs, but could win the division and potentially a Super Bowl. If he falls back into the habit of panicking under pressure and missing open receivers, the Bengals will struggle to finish with a winning record.
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