My Chad Ochocinco Blog

In 2009, the Cincinnati Bengals shocked the football world by winning the AFC North. Much of their success was due to an aggressive and complex style of defense that made it difficult for opposing offenses to play comfortably. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals finished with the top ranked rushing offense in the NFL. Surprisingly, the Bengals' biggest weakness in 2009 was something that had been their only strength for several years - the passing game.

The Bengals' aerial attack struggled on all fronts a year ago. Chad Ochocinco was their only receiver who could win one-on-one matchups consistently. However, he could be taken away by a top-ranked corner or the use of a second defender. This often left no other options for Carson Palmer. To make things worse, defenses continually attacked a Bengals offensive line that was great at run blocking but flat out bad in pass protection. With little time to throw, and no one to throw to, Palmer had to force a lot of passes, take a lot of sacks, and ultimately his game suffered.

How did the Bengals approach their 2010 offseason? They addressed their two biggest weaknesses (receiving depth and pass protection) by getting more pass-catching threats. They acquired free agent Antonio Bryant, an under-the-radar receiver who can win one-on-one matchups consistently with his athleticism if healthy. They drafted Jermaine Gresham, a very good pass catching tight end and a huge target in the middle of the field - the type of player the Bengals haven't had at the tight end position in several years. Additionally, they drafted a slot receiver in Jordan Shipley who has the ability to give NFL defenses major headaches on horizontal pass routes. Finally, the Bengals signed Terrell Owens, another dangerous and explosive play-making receiver. So what do we know about the Bengals now? We know that they have five receivers who all bring something different to the table. They now have five receivers who can each win one-on-one matchups. Most importantly, they now have multiple options in the passing game.

As a result, the Bengals didn't need to make any major improvements to their O-line this offseason. They did so indirectly. Think about it, with five receivers who can win one-on-one matchups consistently, defenses will be less inclined to blitz as much. They'll be less inclined to bring as many defenders and leave their corners and safeties alone in one-on-one coverage. This will take a tremendous amount of pressure off of the Bengals' offensive line. And make no mistake about Carson Palmer - if he is finally given time to throw, he will put the ball in the right place. Palmer is as good at reading coverage and throwing with anticipation as any quarterback in the league. He'll take advantage of his revamped receiving corps. If blitzed, he'll find the right one-on-one matchup to exploit - and there should almost always be one with all of the new options he has now.

The Bengals' success is not a foregone conclusion. Several questions linger. How soon can the new players familiarize themselves with a new offensive system? How quickly can they get on the same page as Carson Palmer in terms of rhythm and timing? Can they avoid injuries? And will T.O. be on his best behavior? We'll know the answer to all of these questions in about six months. But as of right now, the Bengals look like a team capable of playing deep into January - and potentially early February.

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