Don't fall asleep on them

[vmax]

The Bengals have a loaded roster....

 

 

 

2) The elephant in the room (that is, the one that's sitting next to the playoff elephant) is the number of players going into contract years. Among them: receivers A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones, tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith, linebacker Emmanuel Lamur and defensive backs George Iloka, Leon Hall, Adam Jones and Reggie Nelson. Part of this, of course, is a tribute to the job the Bengals have done in drafting and developing talent. But it's there. "You could see this as an opportunity not just to win but for those guys to play their best football possible and get an opportunity either elsewhere or here," Whitworth told me. "Anytime you get guys, especially guys who have been here awhile, becoming free agents, there's a sense with the guys, 'Man, I can't believe this guy could possibly not be here.' And there's a sense from those guys that have been here that, 'Hey, I wanna go prove that I'm worth keeping, and if not, that another team would really want me.' I think everybody feels that, so there is a sense in this room that everyone needs to put their best thing on tape. That's the best way to handle it." Lewis, for his part, downplayed the effect, saying the Bengals went through a similar situation two years ago. And he doesn't think it'll make a big difference in their play. "I don't think the guys are deep enough thinkers for that," Lewis said. "That would really be deep thinking for most of these guys. I'm around them enough to know. I do think it's one of the things you have to address, because of outside influences, whether they're family, friends, agents, they talk too much about them, because there's nothing they can do. It'll all work out for all of them."

3) There's always pressure on the quarterback, but there may be more here than almost anywhere else. Andy Dalton was a godsend coming out of the painfully slow Carson Palmer divorce, but at this point, his performance in Cincy's run of four straight playoff one-and-dones (in which he posted a 55.7 completion percentage, one touchdown against six picks and a 57.8 passer rating) has solidified the perception of him as a middle-of-the-road player. That doesn't mean the people here see it that way. He's improved his decision-making this offseason and has grown into more of a leadership role -- Whitworth actually forcefully handed him the reins at the end of last year and took a step back, to let No. 14 try to make the team his. "He continues to lead the guys away from here, he leads them within here, and those are the things you grow as a quarterback to do," Lewis said. "He's had to grow on his own. He didn't come in behind a quarterback and sit. He's been the quarterback from Day 1; Whit has helped him through the process, but now Whit has passed the ball to him and said, 'You gotta take it and run with it.' And I think he's done a great job. Now he has to go out there and play and exhibit that, and it all grows."http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000507661/article/cincinnati-bengals-training-camp-marvin-lewis-leading-shakeup You'veheard about the Bengals' talent before. Still, I thought hearing about it from Hawk (a former Super Bowl champion with the Packers) was interesting. This was his reaction to walking in the door here in April: "The talent level is unbelievable. Every single position, a ton of depth here, ton of explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball. That was exciting coming in; I noticed that from Day 1."

 

[JPPT1974]

Just need to get over the playoff hum of thirteen seasons with Lewis!

[cravnravn]

And what's their qb's name? The same kid that was booed at a charity softball game a few weeks ago

 

They will be lucky to be .500

[vmax]

And what's their qb's name? The same kid that was booed at a charity softball game a few weeks ago

 

They will be lucky to be .500

 

Hater!

[BengalBilly]

They will be lucky to be .500

We'll be at least .500 against your Ravens. Oh, and funny picture vmax.

[cravnravn]

We'll be at least .500 against your Ravens. Oh, and funny picture vmax.

Don't think so, you had your chance, the window is slamming shut on Marin and your 100 MIL qb, that I don't know his name

[BengalBilly]

Don't think so, you had your chance, the window is slamming shut on Marin and your 100 MIL qb, that I don't know his name

Dalton. I hate that red headed choker. I don't wish injury on any player, especially one on my team, but if he had to sit the bench over say an infected hangnail, I wouldn't be too broken up about it. Our #2 QB A.J. McCarron out of Alabama is better in my book.

[BengalBilly]

I don't know who we have playing at QB this season.The jersey reads #14 Dalton, but the season stats read 5 TD's and zero INT's. Can't be the same guy, right? Anyway Cincy is coming to Baltimore next weekend and the Ravens seem to be reeling from an 0-2 start. Just because your boys are in a slump, I hope we don't fall asleep on you.

[RavenMad]

I don't know who we have playing at QB this season.The jersey reads #14 Dalton, but the season stats read 5 TD's and zero INT's. Can't be the same guy, right? Anyway Cincy is coming to Baltimore next weekend and the Ravens seem to be reeling from an 0-2 start. Just because your boys are in a slump, I hope we don't fall asleep on you.

 

Doesn't he do this every year? Then come December he looks like a 3rd stringer.