When the Bengals were selected to play in the Hall of Fame Game, coach Marvin Lewis saw it as a perfect opportunity to find out what he had with his younger players on the roster. It also turned out to be the perfect opportunity to get a floundering passing game back on track.
With the addition of Terrell Owens and drafting of Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley, Marvin Lewis lived up to his offseason goal of providing Palmer with as many weapons as possible. Unlike last year when Palmer missed most of the preseason due to an ankle injury he has had plenty of chances to work with his new cast this year.
"We've got a very good corps," Palmer said. "We've obviously got the two big guys but there are young guys behind them that are working hard to get a roster spot. Andre Caldwell made big plays for us in big games, and the tight end group is good too."
Owens has quickly caught up to speed with the offense while Chad Ochocinco has gotten more looks over the last two preseason games. The offensive line, which struggled with pass protection late in the year, has also made steady gains.
Even with the additions in the passing game, this still remains a team heavily invested in the run. If teams try to bring pressure, the Bengals can hand it off to Cedric Benson a couple times for big gains. Benson, who set a team record with seven 100-yard games last year, has looked even better during the preseason, averaging close to five yards per carry.
As one AFC scout pointed out, the Bengals finally have the makings of a balanced offense. With the additions at tight end and receiver, opposing defenses can no longer double Ochocinco or even Owens because of Gresham and Shipley. If teams try to blitz and play Cover 2, they can hand it off to Benson.
The X factor though remains the league's fourth-best defense last year, which has struggled so far in the preseason. Defensive ends Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers have been hampered by injuries while cornerback Leon Hall has struggled.
Hall and Johnathan Joseph are one of the more underrated cornerback duos in the league but this will be the year when we truly know how good they are since they face almost all of the top passing offenses in the league.
One of the young players who has surprised though on defense is tackle Geno Atkins, who has been a better run stopper than expected while also getting 4.5 sacks. If Tank Johnson struggles through another season of injures, Atkins could be starting.
While the Bengals swept the AFC North last year and won their second division title in five seasons, most pundits are picking them third behind the Steelers and Ravens. One of the main reasons is because the franchise hasn't made back-to-back playoff trips in 28 years.
COACHING: Marvin Lewis, 8th year, 8th with Bengals (56-57-1).
REMEMBERING: 2009 record: 10-6 (1st in AFC North); lost in wild-card round to Jets 24-14.
PREDICTING: 2010 regular-season record 10-6 (1st in AFC North); lose in divisional playoffs.
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