Around The AFC North

[oldschooler]

CINCINNATI BENGALS

HOT TOPIC

The tone of the Bengals' 2005 season will be set early. Coach Marvin Lewis has made a fast start a priority, after his 2003 and '04 teams struggled with four losses in the first five games.

Four of the first six games are on the road, but three of those opponents -- Cleveland, Chicago and Tennessee -- finished last in their divisions in 2004. Those games are winnable for a team that fancies itself a playoff contender and the one that expects to snap the franchise's 14-year playoff drought.

The Bengals return all 11 starters on offense. Quarterback Carson Palmer, in his second season as the starter, is surrounded by talent. Though the Bengals terminated the contract of sixth-year wide receiver Peter Warrick, who signed with Seattle, the emergence of second-year running back Chris Perry could fill that void. Perry, who missed 14 games as a rookie, was the most impressive preseason performer. He had a 4-yard rushing average on 33 carries and averaged 9.4 yards on a team-leading 13 receptions.

The reconfigured defense under coordinator Chuck Bresnahan remains the biggest question. Much is expected of left tackle Bryan Robinson to stabilize one of the league's poorest run defenses. The defense is young. Three starters -- end Robert Geathers, linebacker Landon Johnson and free safety Madieu Williams -- are in their second seasons, as is nickel corner Keiwan Ratliff. One starter, middle linebacker Odell Thurman, is a rookie. And first-round pick David Pollack, despite a 20-day contract holdout, will be a regular in packages as an outside linebacker and rush end.

Three keys for the season:

1. Quarterback Carson Palmer must avoid the drive-killing turnovers he committed throughout the early part of last season. He holds the keys to an offense that can take pressure of the team's rebuilding defense by scoring points and controlling possession time.

2. The defense must do better against the run. Tied for 26th in the league against the run in 2004, the Bengals were especially weak against the division, allowing an average of 162.8 yards in six games (2-4 record).

3. The Bengals made sure to stock their kick return and coverage teams with returning performers the like of Reggie Myles, Marcus Wilkins, Kenny Watson and Kevin Walter. Ability to play special teams largely determined the shape of the bottom third of the roster. Now the kicking game must do its part in helping the Bengals gain an edge in field position for both the offense and defense. The team kept 10 defensive backs and seven linebackers on cut-down day.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

DT Bryan Robinson: If Robinson, the only outside UFA signed in the offseason, can occupy two blockers, he will keep the fast, under-sized linebackers clean to make tackles in the run game.

RB Chris Perry: For a team that scored 374 points, a franchise most since 1989, Perry can be a drive-sustainer who can turn a broken play into a first down or a big gainer. He is elusive and almost always makes the first defender miss, especially as a receiving coming out of the backfield.

FS Madieu Williams: The Bengals don't make the best use of this talented, converted cornerback when they play him close to the line against the run. He is a natural football centerfielder, a true free safety who can help protect cornerbacks if a receiver breaks loose. Williams, who should have made all-rookie teams, is a Pro Bowl player in the making.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Now that Peter Warrick is gone, Houshmandzadeh needs to settle emotionally into the role as the team's second receiver. It's his job. He no longer has to look over his shoulder. With a big, four-year UFA contract in his pocket, Houshmandzadeh needs to again account for 70 catches and 900 yards.

PLAYER NOTES

-- K Shayne Graham missed most of the preseason because of a groin injury. His offseason goal was to improve his kickoffs, yet he did not kickoff in the preseason. He kicked short field goals and extra points in two games. The Bengals waived kicker Carter Warley, who had kicked off in exhibitions.

-- WR Tab Perry won the job as kickoff return man by default. The Bengals waived Cliff Russell, their best kickoff returner in 2004. Perry had a 25-yard average as a sophomore at UCLA and is being counted on to give the Bengals a threat. He made the team as the sixth wide receiver primarily because of his special teams potential.

-- WR Kelley Washington missed the final two preseason games because of a hamstring injury. He faded after a strong spring and early camp. With Peter Warrick gone, the third-year player needs to establish himself as a dependable pass-catcher, especially on third down.

-- MLB Odell Thurman, after a five-day holdout, claimed the starting role. He has a big personality and self-confidence. Marvin Lewis has placed a lot of responsibility on Thurman's shoulders, and how Thurman handles his role will go a long way in determining if the defense as a whole can improve.

-- LT Levi Jones struggled in the preseason because of a gimpy knee made worse by extended work. There appears to be some tension between Jones and coach Marvin Lewis, who uncharacteristically called out Jones at the end of the preseason and challenged him to lift his game. Jones, obviously, is counted on to protect quarterback Carson Palmer's blind side.

-- SS Ifeanyi Ohalete signed as a street free agent on Aug. 30, after being released by Arizona, and, at 221 pounds, could be the strong safety the team needs after losing Kim Herring to a season-ending shoulder injury. Ohalete is big and physical and played for Lewis in Washington in 2002 when Lewis was defensive coordinator. Ohalete has made a quick transition in Cincinnati.

-- RT Willie Anderson appears to be progressing on schedule following microfracture surgery in January. He played three series in the preseason finale on his surgically-repaired knee. Anderson worked with assistant strength coach Ray Oliver in the preseason to get into football shape and opens the season at 330 pounds, 10 fewer than his listed playing weight. Anderson said he would need a couple of weeks to get back fully into game shape. Anderson is the key to the power running game with tailback Rudi Johnson.

http://ravens.scout.com/2/433990.html

[schweinhart]

That's pretty tight.

The bit about Madieu may change some this year because he is such a great centerfielder.

But if the Bengals do keep the safeties interchangeable to swicth off who comes in the box, Madieu is a big enough hitter to make tackles on bigger backs. He did a helluva job on Reuben Droughns last year. K2 can't make that same dent vs. run but Ohalete can. It remains to be seen if Ohalete covers well enough to keep the safeties interchangeable.

The most disconcerting part of the write-up is the part of Levi -- not so much any tensions between him and the man but his knee. I'm thinking he's got at the very least a sprain if not outright damage. If CP gets drilled enough from his blindside, it could take a toll or worse.

[Bengals4Me]

If you watched Levi Jones in the Indy pre-season game it looked to me like his knee was bothering him a lot. On running plays to his side he was able to drive and sustain, but on other plays he wasn't moving much and was just reaching out to shove the defender a bit, and not getting after him or sustaining. Was he just taking it easy 'cause it's still a preseason game? I think he'll try to suck it up for the real game; can he? It would be nice to be able to do a little rotation and give him and Willie some plays off for a few games.