Who Dey! - A Cincinnati Bengals Franchise

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It's all about Peyton

By GEOFF HOBSON

Peyton Manning is someone the Bengals will have to stop Sunday

It's the same story everytime you play the Indianapolis Colts. How do you stop Peyton Manning? There are other great players, like receiver Reggie Wayne, but the one who makes the team click is Manning. Take him away, and you actually have a pretty average football team with a couple of greats.

"He's probably the best right now," Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph said of the future Hall of Famer. "He's accuracy and ability to read defenses is second to no one."

True enough, Manning is well known for reading the defense well before the ball is snapped, and if it's needed, changing the play to something that will work the better. He also has a knack for making every receiver on the team better, as evidenced right now by the likes of Austin Collie and tight end Jacob Tamme, who's got a bigger role in the offense with starter Dallas Clark out with an injury.

So, like all other teams, the Bengals have to find a way to counter Manning, or match the Colts in the scoring competition that might occur if Manning is not stopped. On the defensive side of the ball, the Colts have Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders, but otherwise they aren't too special there, so the Bengals should be able to put up points against them.

The Bengals defense has been terrific all season, but they haven't faced an offense like this one yet. The Steelers have a good offense, but the Colts are one of the best O's in the NFL. Manning, Wayne and running back Joseph Addai are all having terrific seasons.

"It's funny," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "It's always the same story. You notice how we talk about nothing else than Peyton in these press conferences?"

Sorry, Marv. That's just the story with this team.

But if we want to talk about something else, the Bengals seem to be getting past their bye-week drama revolving around quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Chad Ochocinco. Ocho got a touchdown last week against the Jaguars, and both have stayed quiet after the bye. In fact, they looked to be quite chummy on the sideline during the Jacksonville game.

"It's all in the past," Lewis said. "And we're not going to talk about it anymore. The two are both going to play for us this season and hopefully after that as well."

Carson at least will stay. Ocho's contract is up at the end of the season, but I'm sure the front office is thinking of a way to resign him, as he's having a good season. Though nothing compared to fellow wideout Jerome Simpson.

"Jerome has been our best player this year, no question about it," Palmer said. "He's made amazing strides during the off-season. That just shows what hard work and commitment will get you."

Simpson is looking to have another great performance against the Colts, who really don't have the corners to match neither him or Ochocinco.

So, offense is the name of the game. The Bengals defense can make a real name for itself, if they can contain Manning, but otherwise, the responsibility for keeping them in the game is on the shoulders of the offense.

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Still undefeated, Bengals triumph over Colts

By GEOFF HOBSON


Carson Palmer passed for two touchdowns, while running two in himself

It's nice to be a Bengals fan this season.

When the defense isn't keeping opponents in check, the offense steps up and takes them down. That's what happened when the Bengals clashed with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in a thrilling match that ended in a 35-33 Bengals win. Carson Palmer was the hero of the game despite throwing two interceptions, as he scored through the air twice, and ran for two touchdowns as well.

"He was making plays in every way you can think of," linebacker Dhani Jones said. "He really picked us up when we couldn't hold them out of the endzone."

The game certainly didn't start off well for the Bengals, as the first play from scrimmage resulted in an 87-yard touchdown run from Joseph Addai. Not long after that, Addai scored again. This time on a 54-yard catch and run. The first quarter would end with the Bengals trailing 14-0.

"At that point nothing seemed to be going right for us. Guys were hanging their heads on the sideline, thinking that this is as far as our streak goes," Jones told.

But Palmer wasn't going to let that happen. On a long drive of 11 plays and 7 minutes, the Bengals got the ball at the Colts' one-yard line. Palmer took it himself and smashed through the line for the first Bengals' score of the game.

"I think that's when the rest of us woke up as well," running back Cedric Benson, who ran for 137 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, said. "That's what you need your quarterback to do. He has to lead the team through tough times."

After Adam Vinatieri's field goal to put the Colts up by 10, Palmer fired a rocket to tight end Jermaine Gresham, who ran it to the endzone for a 73-yard touchdown. The first half would end with that, the score being 17-14 for the Colts.

Vinatieri added another field goal to start the second half, but on the next drive Palmer found Jordan Shipley on the endzone for a 13-yard score. This is the second consecutive game where Shipley has scored. After moving up in the depth chart he has scored in both of the games.

On the next drive, tackle Domata Peko sacked Manning on a third-and-long, causing him to fumble. The Bengals were able to recover and start the drive from the Colts 17. It would end with a 5-yard touchdown run from Palmer, where he broke through two tackles before making the endzone.

"Normally, you see quarterbacks go to the ground when they're going to get hit," Jones said of the score. "When Carson broke those tackles, you just thought that it's alright. If nothing else, this guy will pull us through. We'll win."

After another Vinatieri field goal, Benson pretty much put the nail on the coffin by scoring with a 1-yard touchdown on the next drive. The Colts were able to get close, but Manning's touchdown pass to Austin Collie would be the last score, as the Bengals were able to run out the remaining time with Benson running for one first down after another.

"It feels good to win against a team like this. I mean, this time it was us that weren't given a chance, and we proved that we are able to do this. We can win a championship," Jones commented, once again repeating the coaching staff's mantra of winning against anyone.

Next week the Steelers come into town for a rematch of the divisional rivalry. Last time in Pittsburgh, the Bengals came through with a win. We'll see how it plays out this time.

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Get ready for round two

By GEOFF HOBSON


Chad Ochocinco making the catch against Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor

Divisional rivalries are great. There's some bad blood between the teams on most occasions, so when they play against each other it's brutal on and off the field, and to top that off you get to see those teams play against each other twice a year. What kind of sports fan could ask for more?

Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to Cincinnati for the second game of this season between them and the Bengals. Last time in Pittsburgh, the Bengals beat the Steelers 24-16. A few weeks have passed after that, and while the Steelers have a record of 3-2, the Bengals have surprised everyone by going undefeated and leading the AFC North with a record of 5-0.

"Nobody expected us to do this," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "Everyone kept saying we had no chance in the division this year. But we believed that we can compete, and we've done more than compete."

The Steelers will want revenge after losing at Heinz Field, but it'll be easier said than done. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has struggled throughout the year, and the praised Steelers defense hasn't been playing as well as it used to play. It still has the most turnovers in the NFL, but they can't keep opposing offenses at bay so well anymore. As proved by the Bengals.

Meanwhile, the Bengals have the best run defense in the league, holding opposing backs to an average of 50.4 yards a game. Their pass defense has also held up well, despite allowing a few big plays every game. The safety position is said to be the team's weakest link and that's evident there.

Quarterback Carson Palmer is playing like the Palmer of old, and wideout Jerome Simpson is having his breakout year. The offense is working like a well-oiled machine, and the Steelers will have their hands full trying to take the red-hot Bengals team on at Paul Brown Stadium.

"I'm 100% sure that we keep this streak going," wideout Chad Ochocinco told the press. "We beat them in their house and we'll beat them here as well. 'Cause this is our house."

We'll see, Chad. Don't get too cocky. Despite maybe not being as good this year, the Steelers are still an elite team. Troy Polamalu is one of the scariest defensive players to face in the whole league, and he'll be looking to make life difficult for running backs, receivers and quarterbacks.

It's the same for me every time these teams play each other. I'm shaking with excitement.

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Burgess to Cincinnati, Johnson moves to end

By GEOFF HOBSON


Derrick Burgess will dress up with the Bengals for the rest of the year

The Bengals have signed one of the more revered free agents on the market now that defensive end/outside linebacker Derrick Burgess has put pen to paper on a one-year contract. Burgess will play as Rey Maualuga's backup at strongside linebacker.

Burgess was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2001 Draft with the 63rd overall pick. However, he had his best years with the Oakland Raiders, with whom he signed in 2005. During his three years with the team, Burgess was selected to the Pro Bowl twice, and recorded an NFL high 16 sacks in 2005.

"We think Derrick can do a lot of good here. He's a veteran who's proved himself to be a top player time and time again, and we need that sort of experience in the defense," head coach Marvin Lewis said of his new signing.

Burgess' signing also allowed the Bengals to move linebacker Michael Johnson to defensive end, which has been thought to be better suited for him considering his size and strength. Johnson will immediately get the start over veteran Antwan Odom, who has been mostly invisible this year, with Carlos Dunlap and Domata Peko hogging all the attention on the defensive line.

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Bengals sweep Steelers, Palmer injured

By GEOFF HOBSON


Jerome Simpson making one of his 7 catches against Pittsburgh

The Bengals just can't be stopped. For a moment it looked like Pittsburgh would hand the team its first loss of the season, but the offense found a new gear and totally destroyed the Steelers defense, led by receiver Jerome Simpson who once again had a huge day, catching 7 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. Simpson now leads the league in receiving yards and yards after the catch and is second in touchdowns.

Another sensational performance on the field came from tight end Jermaine Gresham, who had 4 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Carson Palmer went 16 out of 23 for 260 yards and two touchdowns, but got hurt in the fourth quarter, forcing backup Charlie Whitehurst to step into the game.

It was after Palmer's injury that the Steelers started causing the Bengals trouble. When the devastating hit by Lamarr Woodley came, Cincy had a comfortable 29-10 lead. Palmer completed a pass to Simpson while getting hit by Woodley, and did not get up, shocking the whole stadium.

"The hit was huge," Simpson said of the play. "But I was sure that he'd (Palmer) get up. He always gets up."

It turns out that with a broken collarbone, it's fairly painful to get up. Palmer will be out for at least a month, but they say he'll be ready for the play-offs if the Bengals make it there.

So in comes Charlie Whitehurst. A free-agent signing from the last off-season. And it certainly doesn't start well for him.

First pass Whitehurst throws is thrown under pressure, and ends up in the hands of Woodley, who runs it back for the touchdown, making the score 29-24 after Rashard Mendenhall had scored on a 71-yard catch-and-run on the last drive.

When the Bengals get the ball back, Whitehurst looks like he's still getting pressured by all directions. This time he finds Simpson, who runs it down the field for 78 yards and a touchdown. The only other pass Whitehurst completed was a screen to running back Tyrone Williams - who had his first NFL touchdown - that ended up being a loss of yards. He also only attempted only 5 passes as the Bengals had the lead.

"Charlie will be our starting quarterback as long as Carson comes back," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "We will not be disheartened by this. We will keep playing good football and we will be undefeated."

Pittsburgh tried to come back into the game, but only got two field goals off of Connor Barth's leg, making the final score 36-30 for the Bengals, whose record now stands at 6-0, while the Steelers are 3-3.

You keep thinking when will this dreamlike undefeated run end, and now with Palmer out, it certainly might end soon. I'm not saying Whitehurst is bad, but Palmer was what made this offense click.

Next up for the Bengals is an away game in Houston against the Texans, who are also 3-3.

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Backups getting ready for Sunday

By GEOFF HOBSON


Steve Slaton running it in for a touchdown against the Bengals

It's an interesting situation for both teams this Sunday when the Bengals visit the Houston Texans, as both teams are missing their starting quarterbacks. Houston's Matt Schaub is out with a broken foot, while Cincy's Carson Palmer broke his collarbone last week against the Steelers. Instead of two high-profile signal-callers going against each other, the offenses will be led by the Charlie Whitehurst and Dennis Dixon.

Whitehurst showed some promise for the Bengals in the pre-season, when he was signed to act as Carson's backup. The Bengals weren't sure what they had in second year QB Dan LeFevour and opted to go for an option that new offensive coordinator Norv Turner was familiar with.

Dixon however, was signed by the Texans purely because Schaub went down. This gives Whitehurst some kind of an edge in this battle of the backups, as he's had time to learn the system he's playing with, while Dixon was just grabbed off the street and given a couple of weeks to learn the playbook behind Dan Orlovsky before the Texans threw him onto the stage.

The Texans have exceptional talent on offense around Dixon. Wide receiver Andre Johnson is one of the best in the game right now, and running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate have the speed and agility that perhaps all of the Bengals' running backs lack.

On defense, Mario Williams makes an offensive lineman shiver. Luckily the Bengals have their best offensive lineman, left tackle Andrew Whitworth, facing off against him.

"It's fun to play against top talents like him," Whitworth said of Williams. "He is truly a beast."

The Bengals have a couple of beasts on the defensive line as well, including defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who had 3 sacks against the Steelers. Dunlap leads the team in sacks with 6, and is looking to record a couple more against the Texans.

Going into a game without your starting quarterback is never easy, but the coaching staff has confidence in Whitehurst, especially Turner, who coached him in San Diego. Whitehurst will also have a plethora of targets, as receivers Jerome Simpson, Chad Ochocinco and Jordan Shipley are all having good seasons, along with tight end Jermaine Gresham.

"I look at this as an opportunity for me to prove that I am a starting quarterback in the NFL," Whitehurst said. "I got my chance in Seattle, but still they benched me when Matt (Hasselbeck) came back from injury. Now I want to solidify my position. I know the system, I know the players, I can do this."

Many are predicting that this is the game when the Bengals' undefeated run comes to an end, but their own fans aren't ready to believe it. Instead, the city seems to believe in Whitehurst.

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Benson provides second-half spark, Bengals overcome Texans

By GEOFF HOBSON


Cedric Benson rushed for 160 yards and a touchdown

Even without Carson Palmer the Bengals are still going undefeated after they completely dismantled the Houston Texans after a bad first half. Cedric Benson's 68-yard touchdown run was the first play of scrimmage in the second half and after that the Bengals never looked back, ending the game by a score of 33-17. Benson was the hero of the game, running for 160 yards on 22 carries.

"He really took the load off of Charlie's (Whitehurst) shoulders," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "It's a joy to watch when someone steps up when the leader isn't there."

Benson wasn't the only one to do so, as receiver Jerome Simpson - who's been playing great all year - torched the Texans defense for 8 catches, 145 yards and a touchdown. Chad Ochocinco added 4 catches, 85 yards and a touchdown as well, allowing Whitehurst to complete the day with 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

It didn't look so good for the Bengals as Houston managed to score touchdowns through a Ben Tate run and a fumble return by Kareem Jackson during the first half, while the Bengals only got one field goal and a safety by Carlos Dunlap as he sacked quarterback Dennis Dixon in the endzone. Dunlap recorded two sacks on the day.

But then Cincy started the second half with the long run by Benson, followed by the three touchdown passes by Whitehurst - one of which went to fullback Chris Pressley - while the defense held the Texans to no points at all. Dunlap got his second sack, Geno Atkins added two, and cornerback Leon Hall - who put pen to paper on a new six-year contract - got an interception.

However, you have to take the good with the bad. While the Bengals won, they lost their leading tackler, linebacker Keith Rivers, to injury. Like Palmer, Rivers broke his collarbone, and will be out for a month. Most likely rookie Rockford Roback will move into the starting role, while Brandon Johnson will be backing him up. Roddrick Muckelroy will move up a spot in the depth chart at inside linebacker.

Hall was definitely the player of the game, finishing with six tackles along with the interception, and broke up many passes that were headed for long touchdowns or critical first downs. Signing him leaves the Bengals with one contract less to worry about. Now they have to decide whether they want to resign his partner in the secondary, Johnathan Joseph, or spend the money elsewhere. Joseph, like Ochocinco, is sure to make a big dent in the salary cap, so the Bengals will have to think carefully about what they do with the money. Giving either Joseph or Ocho the franchise tag seems to be out of the question, so it comes down to who you need the most. Simpson is also without a contract, as is Jordan Shipley and a few other useful players.

But the off-season is still long way off, and now the Bengals will have to focus on their next challenge. They will visit divisional rival Cleveland Browns, who are 3-4, next week. Colt McCoy has been performing well at quarterback, and the Browns no longer look like the sorry team they used to be.

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Here we come, Cleveland
By GEOFF HOBSON


Browns quarterback Colt McCoy getting sacked by the Bengals last year

Usually when you play the Cleveland Browns, you just think 'oh, this one's a win'. Well, it hasn't been so this year. Despite a losing record at 3-4, the Browns have been more than competitive behind second-year quarterback Colt McCoy's leadership. McCoy has improved leaps and bounds from his rookie season, and is the NFL's least sacked quarterback along with a completion percentage of 66.

"What makes him hard to defend is his ability to move around," Bengals linebacker and defensive captain Dhani Jones said. "You think you've got him and then he's somewhere else, throwing the ball to a receiver."

This is the first time the Bengals face off with the Browns this season, as they haven't faced any other divisional rivals than Pittsburgh. Still, it looks like they'll run away with the division regardless of the outcome of the games, as their record stands at 7-0 and they seem to be pretty much unbeatable at the moment.

Regardless, head coach Marvin Lewis comes into the match with a careful attitude.

"These division games are important. You win, you're one step closer to the play-offs. And that's where we all want to go."

The Bengals certainly seem to have the tools to beat the Browns, as they're receiving trio of wideouts Jerome Simpson and Chad Ochocinco, along with tight end Jermaine Gresham has been terrorizing opposing defenses all season long. Gresham and Ochocinco might have the occasional quiet game, but Simpson has just ran wild all over the league.

"It's amazing, what he's doing," Lewis said of his new star receiver. "He's really worked hard to get there. Just last year we thought that he might not be ready to play at this level, but now he's proving us all wrong."

Cedric Benson's running game has also been a nice addition to the offense, while he sometimes struggles, he can also break the big game and really be a factor sometimes. Given Cleveland's defense, and the fact that the Bengals are starting their backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, Benson might see the ball quite a lot.

The same goes for Cleveland running back, who - like Benson - has the ability to either truck over an opposing defender, or juke past him. Hillis can gain those few yards needed for the first down, or hit the homerun. He'll likely make things hard for the Bengals run defense, even though they are ranked number one in the league.

You start to wonder how long will the Bengals go undefeated. Let's hope it doesn't end this Sunday.