The Cincinnati Bengals are a much improved team this year. With a record of 6-2, they have already won more games this year than they did all last season with a cumulative record of 4-12. Even the most die-hard Bengals fans are pleasantly surprised. However, the teams the Bengals have played so far have not been of the ilk of the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the Bengals take on the Steelers this Sunday at home, everyone will find out if they can hold their own with the big boys.
For a team with such a dismal 2010, the Bengals received more than their share of attention in the offseason. After playing with the Bengals since he was drafted in 2003, Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer announced he would not play for the Bengals again. In fact, he would rather retire than spend another year in Cincinnati. Bengals fans felt like they had been punched in the face. They had stood by Palmer through the good and the bad; and it got pretty bad as Palmer never seemed to fully recover from his knee injury during the 2005 playoffs. However, Bengals owner Mike Brown did not flinch.
Mike Brown called Palmer’s bluff and allowed him to retire, drafting rookie quarterback Andy Dalton out of TCU. He hired a new offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden, brother of John, and convinced coach Marvin Lewis to come back for another year. Wide receiver A.J. Green from the University of Georgia was drafted in the first round to replace the distractions of Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. These changes, coupled with a defense that was already on the rise under the leadership of Mike Zimmer, made for a much-improved Cincinnati Bengals team in 2011.
The 2011 Cincinnati Bengals have flourished. Andy Dalton has shown real poise in the pocket that one rarely finds in a rookie. He is willing to take a sack or throw the ball away rather than risk an interception. There is no superstar personality on this team. The players all work together and celebrate their accomplishments as a team. Defensive tackle Domata Peko organized workouts in the off season during the lockout and has been known to have younger players to his home for dinner. This is a team that has come together like a family, both on and off the field.
While the Bengals’ record is an impressive improvement, they have not faced a particularly high caliber of opponents so far this year. Two of their victories came against the winless Indianapolis Colts and always struggling Cleveland Browns. Their wins against the likes of Buffalo and Tennessee are slightly more impressive, but still not at the level seen in a team with Super Bowl potential.
Things will become decidedly tougher for the Bengals as they meet up with their AFC Central division rival Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend. Their bumpy road will continue as they face the Baltimore Ravens the following week and both teams a second time before the season is over. The Steelers and Ravens are teams that are indeed worthy their records. Ben Roethlisberger is turning into one of the best quarterbacks of our time, and Ray Lewis is second to none on defense for the Ravens.
The Steelers and the Ravens aren’t just good, they are great. While the Bengals may not have toppled any giants of their stature yet this year, they have managed to find a way to win for the past five weeks in a row. They had not won five games in a row in more than 20 years. The Bengals have proven that they are a different, better, team than they were last year. Their future is bright with young talent and with the extra first round draft pick they have coming in 2012 in exchange for Carson Palmer, recently traded to Oakland Raiders. We will find out this week, when they play the Steelers, just how good they are. Can they hold their own against the best the NFL has to offer? Time will tell.