Sky Hasn't Fallen on Bengals after Jets' Pasting

37-0.

On national TV, the Bengals got whupped. Beaten to a bloody pulp. The only positive from this game is that a bomb didn't go off in the locker room.

Chad Ochocinco played less than a half and was held without a catch, ending a string of 120 straight games played with at least one. He hurt his knee in warmups (though the MRI on his knee today was negative).

He said he would change his name back to Johnson if he got shut down, but after the game he responded to the question with an emphatic "child please."

Overall, the offense set a team record for fewest net yards in a game (72). Carson Palmer was an outrageous 1/11 for zero net yards and an INT. WOOOF.

Valuable defensive tackle Pat Sims broke his arm and is done for the season. Backup safety Tom Nelson, whom was filling in for the injured Chris Crocker, suffered a left knee injury after getting burned by the Jets on seemingly 20 plays in a row. The Jets found the weakness in the D (Nelson) and abused him as much as humanly possible.

37-0 seems like quite possibly the worst way to head into the playoffs.

But all is not lost.

Knowing his team needs to get healthy, coach Marvin Lewis chose to rest five starters— LDT Domata Peko (knee), LE Robert Geathers (knee) and FS Crocker (ankle) on defense, and RB Cedric Benson (hip) and TE J.P. Foschi (neck) on offense.

That's five key guys (OK, maybe four...Foschi stinks) that will be well-rested in the rematch this Saturday at 4:30. As much as you wanted to believe coach Lewis and the players that said they were "in it to win," once the inactive list had that many key cogs on it, it was obvious Lewis didn't feel the urge to win this one.

If anything, this is a credit to the Houston Texans and a message to the Jets. The Texans beat the Bengals at home early in the season, and Matt Schaub and Co. would have been back in Cincinnati for the franchise's first-ever playoff game with a Bengals win.

The Bengals want to play the Jets and their rookie QB Mark Sanchez.

While the final score clearly indicated dominance, Sanchez was a paltry 8/16 for 63 yards. Yes, the Jets didn't need to throw the ball, as the running game provided all the scoring necessary. However, any time Sanchez had to drop back and throw the ball, he seemed uncomfortable and hesitant against two of the best corners in the league in Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph.

The Bengals know Braylon Edwards as well as any reciever in the league from his days with division rival Cleveland. Jerricho Cotchery is not a deep threat and doesn't need anything more than single coverage, and there isn't much of a tight end presence.

The key will be if the top-five run defense of the Bengals that got abused for 257 rushing yards can fix it against the No. 1 rated run offense.

Two starters on the line will be back. Peko is one of the best at stopping the run in the NFL, and is certainly the best on the Bengals. The exotic schemes that defensive coordinator has been dialing up for most of the year will be back. I don't expect the Jets O-line to handle the Bengals D-line again.

After only allowing one 100-yard rusher all year up to Week 12, the Bengals have allowed a 100-yard rusher in three of the past four games (1-3). Peko has been out for the past four games—go figure.

The playbook for the Bengals was as vanilla as could be. No reason to open it up in a meaningless game. The Jets, on the other hand, busted out the Wildcat, and now you can bet the Bengals will be ready to defend it next week.

“There isn’t much more they can do,” said Ochocinco of the Jets offense. “There is no trickery. They can add to their game plan.”

In the meantime, the Bengals have been hatching up schemes for over a week and will be eager to show the world that the passing game is still there. Palmer will not let his ballboy in college beat him like that twice in a row. No way does the veteran not give it his all in virtually his first playoff game.

The one matchup that still is a concern is Chad Ochocinco vs. Darrelle Revis. Chad might be banged up, and Revis is the real deal. He is a shutdown corner that can be left alone on the "Revis Island." Chad needs to stop talking trash to that guy.

Overall, the reaction to this game has been predictable; a lot of it has to do with the time slot. But Bengal fans are all gloom and doom, and think the sky is in the process of falling.

37-0. And it wasn't even that close.

But take heart; the Bengals have opened as three-point favorites at home against the Jets, a week after being 10-point dogs and a day after 37-0. Vegas knows something, and it's simple: The biggest turd of the season will mean nothing come Saturday.

Bengals Upend Chiefs, Cruise To AFC North Title

In a game that was closer than it should have been, the Cinncinati Bengals (10-5) finally clinched the AFC North title on their third try Sunday, with a 17-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs (3-12).

The Bengals were literally running on fumes by the time they took the field, after a tough loss in San Diego last week, they had a late flight home, then flew to New Orleans on Tuesday to attend Chris Henry’s funeral. The receiver died from injuries suffered during what police describe as a domestic dispute in North Carolina last week.

They had just enough left in the tank. For only the second time since 1990, the Cincinnati Bengals will make it to the playoffs.

Cedric Benson had 133 yards on 29 carries as the Bengals pounded the Chiefs on the ground. He had a few long runs including a 32-yarder that jump-started the offense in the third quarter.

In an exciting subplot that didn't pan out, ex-Chief Larry Johnson only had four carries for 11 yards.

The first half was uneventful, with both teams deadlocked 3-3, offensively stunted. The Bengals, clearly distracted after just recently burying one of their teammates, were booed off the field after committing a plethora of mistakes and penalties.

Cincinnati had 53 total yards of first-half offense, and Carson Palmer struggled mightily, going four-of-nine for just 19 yards and pick, and getting sacked once (for a nine yard loss). Their offensive game plan was nothing but runs up the gut and short screens and slants.

The 10 total yards of net passing in the half was the worst by a Bengal since the legendary Jeff Blake against the Houston Oilers in 1996.

The Bengals received a late Christmas gift towards the end of the second quarter when the Chiefs long snapper Thomas Gafford sent one over the head of the punter, allowing the Bengals to set up inside the 10 yard line. Yet the Bengals couldn't capitalize, settling for a Shayne Graham 29-yarder with just under two minutes to play.

At the half, the scrappy Chiefs had outplayed the Bengals, and the crowd began buzzing, thinking about the "Bungels" of old; wondering if it was possible that their home team could falter for the third straight week and possibly not clinch a playoff spot. (Little did anyone know at the time that Cincinnati also would have won the AFC North even if they'd lost, thanks to the fact that the Ravens fell against the Steelers later that day).

The offense finally got the wheels in motion at the start of the third quarter on a drive that took 5:50 off the clock, and culminated in a Laveranues Coles 10-yard TD.

But the Chiefs battled back and were able to tie the game at 10-10 early in the fourth.

Later in the fourth, starting at their own two-yard line, the Bengals drove down the field to take the lead on a six-yard touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco with 2:03 left on the clock. Ochocinco made a beautiful diving catch and then raised one finger on one hand and five on the other, a tribute to Henry's jersey number 15.

The entire Bengals team wore No. 15 decals on their helmets in his memory.

The Bengals' 14-play drive went 98 yards with seven first downs and took 7:18 off the clock. It was their longest drive of the season, and they completed all three of their third down attempts.

The Bengals D would hold the Chiefs in check over the final two minutes, and with the win they were able to crown themselves division champs for the first time since 2005.

But the question marks surrounding the squad were not answered.

Another bad team another week of playing down to the level of competition. I'm assuming that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski didn't want to bust out much of the playbook against a clearly inferior opponent, but the "Cardiac Cats" cut it too close. There was a real possibility of them losing the game and the vanilla game plan didn't help.

But once again the Bengals offense was able to get a score when they absolutely had to. Credit Palmer for not getting frustrated, and credit the line that blocked wonderfully on the game winning drive.

False start penalties continue to be a concern. Chronic guilty parties LT Andrew Whitworth and RT Dennis Roland both had flags tossed their way. At this point in the season it seems that this is an issue that can't be fixed and will have to be taken into account for the rest of the year.

A key injury will set the Bengals back even more defensively. Rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga broke his ankle and is likely done for the year. He will be sitting next to Antawn Odom, Roy Williams, and Reggie Kelly on injured reserve.

The Bengals' tenth victory of the season allowed coach Marvin Lewis to pass team founder Paul Brown for second place on the team's all-time wins list, with 56.

The Bengals played an ugly game, but they got the win and that's what counts in the end. Next week they travel to New York to play the playoff hungry Jets (8-7) in the final game at the Meadowlands. It will be the first prime time game of the season for the Bengals, who can still get the three seed in the AFC with a win and a Patriots loss to the Texans next week.

The Bengals know that the only thing people will remember is how they perform in the playoffs.

"The AFC North hat is just a hat," Palmer said. "The AFC Championship hat is one you want, but the Super Bowl hat is what we are working for. The title is one of the many goals we set out to achieve. We are not going to pound our chest over this. We don't feel like we have conquered the world. We still have a lot of work to do."

The 2009 Bengals didn't dump Gatorade on coach Lewis after the game. They know that the bigger task at hand has only begun.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the Same Team?

Dwayne Wade and LeBron James on the same team in 2010 is a long shot. But it's not out of the question.

Can two mega-stars in their prime ever coexist? Can their egos be set aside?

Wade recently made some very intriguing comments to the New York Post regarding his free agency after the season:

"Before we agreed to terms, LeBron and I had a couple conversations," Wade said. "I can't recall exactly what we said, but the gist of it was we wanted to give ourselves the flexibility and the option to play together."

The two played together in the 2008 Olympics so they have experience playing together. The two most successful players from the 2003 draft have developed a friendly relationship over the years.

The only way this would work is if the dynamic-duo would take a significant pay cut. Nobody expects pro athletes to do that. There's going to be a white Christmas in Hawaii before a athlete surrenders some of his money.

But Wade says that is not necessarily the case:

"A lot of times in this league, players usually wind up going where they can get the most money. We're both blessed within that area. We've made a lot of money. So we wanted to base our decision on two things, the organization and the ability to win a title. And that's what we'll do. When the season is over, we plan to sit down and talk about it."

This is great news for New York Knick fans. The franchise might be able to pull off something this outrageous. James and Wade can make up the lost salary with all the endorsements deals they can handle.

"I'm not saying it will happen. But I'm intrigued by the idea."

How much money can a franchise make off the star power of combing those two? How many new fans can they attach with a combo like that?

I'm quivering at the mere thought. This is going to be quite the summer for the NBA.

Cincinnati Bengals Emotional Comeback Denied By San Diego Chargers

The set up was perfect.

The Cincinnati Bengals had been trailing all game long against the San Diego Chargers in a sunny Qualcomm. They looked deflated after the horrific tragedy that occurred Wednesday.

But with Chris Henry on the minds of everyone in stripes, the comeback began.

It all started with a outstanding bobbled one-handed interception by linebacker Keith Rivers with the Chargers up 24-13 and chalk full of confidence.

Carson Palmer found Laveranues Coles in the end zone a few plays later. After a courageous two-point conversion run by Palmer, the score stood at 24-21.

After punts by both teams the Bengals were backed up to their own three yard line with around six minutes to go. Palmer methodically drove the team down field with slants up the middle to JP Foschi and Andre Caldwell.

Quan Cosby, the punt returner, who made the first catch of his career earlier in the game, caught a huge third down bullet from Palmer.

Sitting at the 30-yard line of San Diego, it began to feel like one of those "cardiac cat" drives that the Bengals did on a weekly basis early in the season. The clock was under two minutes and the Bengals were making all the right plays.

But then a hard hit by safety Eric Weddle on Andre Caldwell knocked the ball back 20 yards and was recovered by a diving Palmer back at the 45 yard line.

The Bengals were able to get back in field goal range but couldn't pick up the 36 yards needed for a first down. Shayne Graham drilled a game tying 34 yard field goal with 54 seconds left and overtime looked eminent.

But the Bengals prevent D prevented that from happening.

Phillip Rivers was able to get his team in field goal range with no timeouts and Nate Kaeding easily booted a 52-yarder with three seconds to go.

27-24, game over.

A few things must be remembered about this devastating loss:

Carson Palmer showed the doubters that he is perfectly fine going 27 of 40 for 314, with two TD's and one INT. He showed how much he wanted to win the game with the run for the two-point conversion, the dive to save the Caldwell fumble, and the terrific block he executed on a Ocho Cinco reverse. He lead his team by example and his teammates needed to take note.

Chad's performance was typical for him (three receptions for 79 yards and a TD), but the emotions he battled through and the focus he showed must be applauded. He was wearing a heavy heart and came through with an inspired performance. The 49-yard bomb for a TD was a thing of beauty and a refreshing sight for fans.

Keith Rivers had his best game as a Bengal. He only had three tackles, but one was for a loss and he had a INT, sack, pass deflection, and a QB hit. He played well in coverage and took away the gaps in run coverage.

Rey Maualuga, on the other hand, had one of his worst games. He over ran the QB and running back numerous times, he was shaky in pass coverage and missed a few tackles. He certainly played like a rookie.

While cornerback Leon Hall has been outstanding this year, he got lit up by the Chargers Vincent Jackson. Hall was beat on two long TD throws to Jackson and played too far off him in coverage.

Cedric Benson didn't look very good (53 yards on 15 carries), but Larry Johnson (35 yards on four carries) looked explosive. Marvin Lewis needed to give LJ more touches as the game went along.

Penalties once again were a problem. The in-excusable sequence of three penalties and a timeout without even snapping the ball is insane for a NFL team. Nine penalties for 55 yards is not going to get it done against a team like the Chargers. They must clean-up the false starts and delay of game penalties or the Bengals are going no where.

Next up is a sorry Chiefs team that has nothing to play for. A win and the Bengals are in the play-offs. The chance of a two seed is history but the performance on Sunday leaves hope for the rest of this season.

A Bengals team that can have a key players return injury (Domato Peko, Chris Crocker, Bernard Scott) could certainly beat San Diego the second time around. This team has a lot of fight left in the tank and I think the best is yet to come.

The Bengals still haven't peaked in '09, but Sunday was a step in that direction.

Cincinnati Bengals Stale Pass Offense Still Sputtering

Another day another win full of question marks for the Cincinnati Bengals after Sunday’s 23-13 victory over the Detroit Lions. Of course it’s incredible that the Bengals control the AFC North at 9-3, a year after finishing 4-11-1.

Cedric Benson picked up where he left off after a two game hiatus to gain 110 yards on 36 carries. The run blocking continues to impress and Benson looked fresh (although 36 carries is too much when you have a healthy Larry Johnson).

The problem is that the previously standards have been set for this team. The bar has been raised a few feet and now the new expectations are not being met.

This has nothing to do with the defense that has given up the fewest points in the league at 187.

The job that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has done will likely earn him a head coaching gig next year. Middle linebacker Dhani Jones is the definition of a leader, both on and off the field. And the starting corners Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall both deserve Pro Bowl consideration.

Kudos to the entire D. BUT, let’s talk about the offense. Throw out the Jonathan Fanene defensive TD, and the Bengals offense scored 16 points on the leagues worst secondary. This is a week after dropping 16 on the punch less Browns.

Is it the QB’s fault?

For the first time since 2004 Carson Palmer is looking quite average. He finished 17/29 for 220 yards with one TD and two INT’s plus a lost fumble. Although both INT’s looked to be Laveranues Coles’ fault, Palmer was not very accurate. He missed a couple of throws down the field and at times got “happy feet” in the pocket.

Maybe it’s due to the multiple injuries he has suffered over the years, but Palmer does not hang in the pocket and trust his lineman the same way Tom Brady or Brett Favre does. He is tucking the ball away and running more than ever.

The issues with any receiver without a Mexican last name are becoming more apparent as well. As stated above, Coles was either not breaking correctly out of his routes or Palmer miss read the defense on multiple plays.

Caldwell, the supposed third receiver, didn’t have a single catch. A closer look reveals that he simply wasn’t open. If he can’t create separation against the Lions 31st rank pass coverage then there is a problem.

The lack of a deep threat continues to plague this team. Without Chris Henry, the deep ball isn’t even an option any more. And the second round pick of last year Jerome Simpson is unable to get on the field. He was drafted for his explosive play ability and superior speed. He has been a complete bust a pick so far, especially considering the outstanding play of this years second round pick linebacker Rey Malaluga. Simpson has one catch for two yards in his career.

Having said that, Chad OchoCinco is looking just fine (except for the false start that has become routine). Nine catches for 137 and a TD is another day at the office for “the interesting one”. The best play of the game was a 36-yard beauty that Palmer led right into the hands of Chad for the lone offensive TD. It was a reminder of what could be done in this offense.

But Chad can’t do it alone. The tight end position continues to be a major weakness. Ben “stone hand” Coats dropped yet another TD. J P Foschi wasn’t much better; he only had a 16-yard grab with a holding penalty to boot. As the season rolls along it has become clear that the tight end spot is the weakest on the team.

Meanwhile fourth round pick Chase Coffman out of Missouri rots away on the practice squad. He had all the opportunity to make a difference but it seems he is simply not NFL ready yet. Consider this a red shirt season for Coffman.

Penalties are not helping either. Nine more for 75 is not going to cut it against better teams. The offensive line has been called for way to many false starts and holding penalties. Andrew Whitworth seemingly has at least one of each per game. Dennis Roland has been guilty of similar crimes in recent weeks.

As the season rolls along the cliché “we are who we are” begins to ring true. The 2009 Bengals are a team built off defense and running the ball. The offense isn’t going to light up the scoreboard. Yards are gained in chunks, not gobs. The big play, quick strike ability doesn’t exist in Cincinnati this year.

It’s about ball control, time of possession, and sound special team coverage. Will this formula work outside of the AFC North? A date at the Meterodome with the Vikings is on tap, followed by a trip to sunny San Diego to decide who get the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

The Bengals have played to the level of competition all year long, will this trend continue?

Brian Kelly: Put Cincinnati Out of Its Misery

Every December reminds me why I love to hate college football. And I’m not here to talk about the insane BCS “play-off” system either. It’s the process of coaching changes and the destruction it leaves the school that gets dumped.

Why does the NCAA condone a system in which its top coaches are forced to make career decisions in early December, when they should be attending to the business of winning big games? Does all the hard work and team camaraderie that has been achieved since August get lost in the dollar signs?

It’s all about recruiting. It’s about National Signing Day, which for some reason occurs in February. Not having a coach for a long enough time period can lead an athletic director to pull the trigger in panic and drop the ball (see Notre Dame for the past three coaches).

Cincinnati's Brian Kelly has been a winner everywhere. No need to barrage you with stats but the guy has never had a losing season. He has taken the UC football program and given it an extreme makeover winning addition. The excitement for UC football has never been so high. Prior to his arrival, the Bearcats had only one season with double-digit wins (1951).

The team is undefeated and ranked No. 5, a year after getting to their first ever BCS bowl. Kelly has assumed the throne in the Queen City and is as beloved a figure as Pete Rose right now. The guy can rob a bank in the Nati' and get a slap on the wrist. He is the savior, the one that did the unthinkable.

All this excitement is now being transformed into paranoia and depression.

Once Notre Dame started going down the tubes the rumors began to swirl. Kelly is Irish, he is Catholic, he's an east coast guy, he can handle the media pressure because his dad was a politician were all reasons he could fit the job description.

Forget the fact that Kelly had once told the media how much he loved the Cincinnati school system and his kids told him they don't want to ever move. That was waaaay back in September, ancient news now.

As Cincinnati's historic season rolled on, so did the rumors of their coach. Once Notre Dame lost to Navy, it turned into a Kansas size tornado of speculation. As Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, John Gruden, Gary Patterson, and Kirk Ferentz all publicly declined, Kelly's name crept farther and farther up the list.

This week alone there has been a report on Irishcentral.com that a so-called “Irish expert” already confirmed he will sign a contract on Monday. Another report says that Kelly announced he was staying put on a Cincinnati radio station.

The No. 5 Bearcats (11-0, 6-0) play for a Big East title and possible berth in the BCS National Championship Game on Saturday at Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1). The players and their coach have been forced to talk about a team they might never play more than the team they play for a Big East Championship this week.

Kelly isn’t being vocal about it to his players either.

"He hasn't addressed it," tight end Ben Guidugli said. "We would have liked for him to address it, but he didn't. It's not taking anything away from this game. All the work we have done, we are not going to let anybody take away from this game we got coming up."

An 18th-straight regular season victory, combined with a Nebraska upset of Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game, could deliver a spot in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 8 against the winner of the SEC title. At the very least it would be back-to-back BCS Bowl appearances to match consecutive Big East titles.

But Kelly could be the next Irish coach as early as Sunday or Monday. Kelly’s even familiar with the awkward situation. After Mark Dantonio left Cincinnati in the dust to go off to the Big Ten to coach Michigan St, Kelly came in to lead the Bearcats to a win in the International Bowl.

The bottom line is that the Irish will flash enough dough to get their man and the Bearcats will revert to the norm. A season that should be so memorable, a season that could end with a perfect record just leaves fans with the depressing knowledge of knowing that it’s team is nothing more than a pit stop on the coaching carousel.

Kelly was on the verge of owning the city. He was inching toward the Bob Huggins stratosphere of king of the city. He could have signed a 15-year contract extension if he wanted.

Instead he will take the money and slowly get beaten to a pulp by the Notre Dame media. Every year will be like sticking your head in a pressure cooker and hoping for the best. At first he will be loved, but look how far Charlie Weiss fell after taking the Irish to a BCS game in his first season.

Good luck getting to a BCS bowl with that defense BK.

“It’s not comfortable for me,’’ Kelly said Tuesday. “It’s not comfortable for those involved. (But) it’s the reality of it. The only thing I can control is the message every day to our football players, how we can become champions. I can’t handle all these other things out there.’’

Yes you can actually. Do what so many others have done and say thanks, but no thanks. Instead, the most legendary year of an entire program has been overshadowed by a 6-6 team’s interest in their coach. This is the way college football works in 2009. Loyalty is drowned by fame and fortune.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals Need to Air It Out Sooner or Later

OK, we get it, Marvin: the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals want to establish the running game.

You have proven to the entire league that the four-headed monster that is Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott, Larry Johnson, and Brian Leonard can run, jump, juke and spin around opponents.

Fans are beginning to wonder if QB Carson Palmer is even the key to success anymore.

While the pass happy magical-turned-nightmarish 2005 is a distant memory, the key to winning is the same. Palmer was a Pro Bowler that year, had a fantasy player's dream of a stat line.

Now he is tucking the ball and running at a career-best rate. Everybody is getting in on the running game it seems.

Palmer hasn't thrown for over 300 yards going back to the 2007 season. He threw for 110 yards against the freakin' Browns last week. What is the deal with Palmer, has he lost his skills?

Not quite...

Palmer is one of the top seven or eight QBs in the NFL. He is forgotten by the national media because of the flashy, yet overrated young guns like Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler, and Tony Romo.

This season he hasn't been asked to carry the team until the end of games. When he does throw, it has been screens, slants, and curls. Long bombs have been harder to find than a believable Tiger Woods excuse.

This has nothing to do with Palmer's arm strength or accuracy. It’s the lack of a deep threat (Chris Henry on IR hurts bad) as well as the overall offensive philosophy that has changed.

Why not have Palmer sit back in the pocket that extra two-to-three seconds and wait for the deep ball?

The Bengals are well aware that No. 9 going down also means the team goes down. He is the one guy that can't get hurt. They already had two scares this season with his health.

In a "here we go again" moment, Palmer sprained his ankle in the first game of the preseason and didn't play again till Week One after missing 12 games last year. In October, Palmer sprained his non-throwing hand, having to wear a protective glove and hand-off with his throwing hand ever since.

So, naturally, Bengal fans are concerned for his health. But concerned with the 29-year old's ability? No way.

Remember earlier in the season when the Bengals earned the nickname "the Cardiac Cats"? They made a habit of demoralizing the opponent with a last second scoring drive.

Palmer drove the length of the field to beat the Broncos with 17 seconds left (until the immaculate deflection).

He conducted a clock devouring six-minute drive that culminated in a TD and a win with 20 seconds to go against Pittsburgh. He had a 15-yard scamper setting up a field goal on a fourth down in overtime against the Browns that prevented a tie, and he marched down the field against Baltimore in the final minute as well.

Coach Marvin Lewis understands this. He knows what Palmer is capable of. That's why he is protecting him so much. But as the NFL schedule hits Week 13, it's time to go deep.

Enter the Detroit Lions.

The Lions will visit Paul Brown this Sunday sporting the 31st-ranked passing defense. They rarely pressure the QB and have an extremely mediocre secondary.

This is the game where Palmer can dial up some bombs to Chad or some deep slants to Coles. They need to put up 21 by halftime, to show the Lions (and more importantly the rest of the NFL) that they are more than a running team. Open up the floodgates early to quiet the offensive doubters.

Aside from the 45-point Bears explosion, the offense has put up a measly 17, 18, 17, and 16 points. But they won three out of four.

Sunday needs to be the day to take advantage of the matchups and make a statement, not to mention the importance of keeping the one and only Chad Ochocinco interested. You know deep down he is fuming over the pedestrian numbers being put up. The last thing the Bengals need is a late season Chad concern.

I have a feeling this won't be the case since coach Lewis brought in his new toy, Larry Johnson.

He is saving the majority of the playbook for the Vikings and Chargers in back-to-back road games following Sunday. Lewis understands the significance of those two games, and the insignificance of the Lions game.

Be prepared to complain about the offense for another week Bengals fans. But when they travel to the Metrodome to play the Vikings, I’ll expect the offense to finally have the training wheels taken off.

Maybe a basic game plan can still yield 28 against the Lions, or it will be another 16-7 yawner.