John Clayton's 1st and ten.

[turningpoint]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...standten/week11

btw clayton you moron chad and carson went to a monday night game there last year.

Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson hopped in a car a month ago to watch the Colts host the St. Louis Rams on "Monday Night Football."

This visit wasn't as much a scouting trip as it was an education. Palmer and Johnson wanted to see why the Colts' players work so well together on offense. The Colts' offensive success is more than just talent. Sure, quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James are are among the best at their positions in the NFL, but so much of their game is timing and how well they work together.

Palmer and Johnson picked up some tips. To them, the Colts are the standard for offensive execution. On Sunday, Palmer and Johnson and the rest of the Bengals' offense will test their development against the Colts in the one of top games of the year.

The Colts are 9-0, while the Bengals are 7-2. While the Bengals have to take some criticism for an easy schedule -- they've beaten only one winning team (the Chicago Bears) -- the Colts have played an easier schedule. The undefeated Colts have played against teams with a combined winning percentage of .321, while the Bengals' opponents have a combined winning percentage of .407.

Don't get too caught up in those stats, though. The 1972 Dolphins went unbeaten against one of the easiest schedules in NFL history. The champagne Don Shula and his Dolphins tip back every year when the last unbeaten team falls isn't cheapened because their schedule was easy.

And the Colts won't have to apologize for anything that happens this season, because five of their final seven games are against winning teams.

The Colts-Bengals matchup is fascinating. After throwing an NFL-record 49 touchdown passes last season, Manning has had to adjust to nine games of defenses dropping back into deep zones and trying to take the big play away from the Colts. Often, seven or eight defenders dropped into coverage. Manning has become accustomed to handing off to James and letting him be the star this season (1,027 yards and nine touchdowns so far).

But retreating isn't the personality of the Bengals' defense. They love to attack. Cornerbacks Deltha O'Neal and Tory James attack the ball and have combined for 10 interceptions. The Bengals lead the league with 20 interceptions and a plus-20 giveaway/takeaway ratio.

The chess game between Manning and the Bengals' D will be the story of this game. The Bengals have struggled against good running teams, allowing 124.2 yards per game on the ground. But the Bengals used their 27-13 loss to the Steelers last month as an education. The Steelers came into Cincinnati and dominated the Bengals' defense on the ground.

In this matchup, Cincy head coach Marvin Lewis must find a way to toughen up the middle of his defense. He knows the Colts' offensive line is playing as well as any line in football. The Colts have allowed only six sacks in nine games, and only two defensive linemen have gotten to Manning in the backfield all season.

Will the Bengals' corners gamble for interceptions? And if they do, will Manning try to fake them out and get them out of position? This has the potential to be a very high-scoring game.

Palmer and Johnson would pay to see a game like this, but they don't have to pay. This is their showcase game

[Stripes]

Nice article by Clayton, at least the first part. This game is going to be so awesome, I am sick of it being Thursday. Bring on Sunday!

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...standten/week11

btw clayton you moron chad and carson went to a monday night game there last year.

[derekshank]

I am sick of it being Thursday. Bring on Sunday!

I've been sick of it being every day since last Monday. I've been waiting very impatiently for this game since the Pittsburgh loss. I'm counting down the days like we were for the opener in Cleveland.

[Stripes]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation...g?event_id=1837

Here is a Sportsnation page on folks voting for this game. Football fans all over think we have a good shot.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Yeah good write-up by Clayton. Not sure it'll be that high scoring though - the Bengals' offense has struggled of late a bit I think, mainly due to an inconsistent o-line and lots of stupid/sloppy mistakes, ecspecially on O, that prevent them from beating teams worse than what they could/should.

Manning can exploit the Bengals soft middle defense and weak safeties also. And the Indy pass rush is not a good matchup for the Bengals' either, seeing what Pitt did to them.

I just don't feel good about this game - the Bengals' will have to play over their heads a bit and fly around on defense and special teams. Offensive scoring won't win this one - defense and special teams will!

But we all know if the Bengals' win it changes everything for them the rest of the season and will give them a shot of confidence they sorely need with some tough games coming up at the end of the schedule.

If the Bengals lose, fine, just don't lose like they did vs. Pitt, where they screwed up early and often, then let Pitt just drain the life out of them and dominate them with Rb's and QB pressure.