In 2014 the Cincinnati Bengals found themselves in the wild-card round with 10 wins on the season. It was a quick playoff run in 2014 as they went down to the Colts in Indianapolis. Injuries hurt this team and inconsistent quarterback play. Can the Bengals make a return run to the playoffs and finally get over the hump in 2015?
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Offense:
Andy Dalton QB
It all starts with the quarterback in this league. Dalton has been a servicable guy over his stay here in Cincinnati. This will be the 5th year now for Dalton and he has started ever since he was named the starter back in 2011..Now we have AJ McCarron on this staff backing up Dalton and that might make for a bit of a quarterback challenge. Bengals have remained steady with Dalton being the starter and they awarded him with a very nice contract. Dalton was hampered with the injuires around him more than anything..Three key injuries to key playmakers really hurt his chances at becoming a much more productive quarterback. Dalton in 2014 threw the ball for 3,398 yards. That was his lowest output since his rookie season. In 2013 Dalton had his best year as a pro with a total of 33 TD's and 4,293 yards. Turnovers has been a big issue for Dalton, but now in his 5th year, he will look to make a serious impact with a much cleaner and productive season.
AJ Green WR
AJ Green is one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the league. He was hurt at the end of the year last year and that really hurt this Bengals team coming down the stretch. Still, the Bengals showed some heart without Green, but the team just wasn't the same. QB Andy Dalton really relies on Green play after play. Green often times can draw double coverage and Dalton can use his other options to move this Bengals offense. When Dalton goes to Green however, the homerun chance is always there. Green finished again with 1,000 plus yards on only 69 catches last year. He avg's 15.1 yards per catch. Green missed the final three games of the season and will be looking to have a huge year in 2015. Green 6'4 - 207lbs has the frame and athletic ability to rival the best WR's in the game. Green should be right back on top this year as the Bengals come in healthy for the 2015 season. I expect big things from Green this year with a healthy Bengals offense on tap early.
Let's not forget about the supporting cast for this Bengals offense. If healthy, this Bengals offense can go as far as Dalton can take them. Tyler Eifert (pictured left) went down last year after just 1 game. His leg injury really hurt the security blanket for Dalton. With the departure of Jermain Gresham, the Bengals will look to use Eifert in a big way this year. Giovani Bernard had his breakout season here in Cincinnati in 2013. Bernard had almost identical numbers the last two years. Bernard (pictured middle) will now split time with young emerging RB Jeremy Hill (pictured left). Hill came into the league as the 55th pick in the draft. This is a very young and talented backfield right now in Cincinnati. Bernard went down last year late in the season and that was when Hill really showed how good he is..Hill had 5 games in which he rushed for 100+ yards. The final three games of the season Hill ran for 100+ yards. Combined with Hill and Bernard they ground up a total of almost 1,800 yards. This ground attack should be rather impressive this year all around.
How about the role players on this team on offense ? You have a Rutgers Scarlet Knights trio now in Cincinnati with Sanu, Brock, and newly acquired VIA NFL Draft TE Tyler Kroft. You also have to factor in Brandon Tate as well. Bengals went out and had a nice draft on the offensive endl. They added (2) TE's , (2) OT, and a nice WR from West Virginia in Mario Alford. Alford will contribute to this team one way or the other. His skill set is rather good and he may just be a big impact on the special teams unit or on offense.
Mohamed Sanu WR
Sanu is perhaps the biggest role player on this Bengals team. Sanu will get plenty of looks this year once again. His production has gone up with how he handles himself on the field. Sanu finished up last year with a total of 56 catches last year for 5TD's and 790 yards. Now with a healthy offense and Eifert to clog up the middle, i look for Sanu to get his chances again this year. Let's not forget about Marvin Jones who was out all last year with a leg injury as well. He will be on the field and his quickness can create issues for any defense.
Offensive Outlook:
The offensive line and injuries will dictate just how far this group can go. If the Bengals stay healthy and Dalton can be who we think he can be, the Bengals just may impress beyond expectations in 2015. Now with a duel threat backfield and a healthy and deep WR core, the Bengals on offense looks rather impressive. Dalton although has had his issues in years past, he will enjoy not being sacked again this year. Dalton was only sacked a total of 21 times last year. That's a big credit to the offensive line and Dalton not wanting to be hit. I like the fact that Eifert comes back and that Gresham has moved on from this team. Gresham in my eyes was rather dull in his last few seasons and Dalton really needed some new blood. You can never count out Green or Jones making a big play no matter what the situation is. Sanu will contribute as well and this really looks like a 5 or 6 headed monster when you look at this offense. I expect the Bengals to have one of the best offensive teams in the league. Even with Dalton at QB, we often worry about his talent level. I think the talent that surrounds him will make Dalton perform at a much higher level this year. Dalton should be very calm and he will let the offense work around him. I see big things for this offense if they stay healthy.
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Defense:
This Bengals defense went through it all last year. With the talent on this defense it was rather surprising to look back on some of the season stats. Cincinnati finished with the 22nd ranked defense in the league. If you take a deep look at this roster, this very well can be a top 5 defense. With big injuries to Vontaz Burfict (pictured above) and a down year for Geno Atkins (pictured above) this Bengals team really struggled. Burfect only saw about 5 games last year and that was a big problem for the middle of this defense. Burfict was a tackling machine the year before and he was missed big time last year. Atkins was coming off a big injury and i felt he was rushed back onto the field and was never 100% healthy. Now with the offseason, and time to rebuild both of these guys, this Bengals defense has a chance to flourish once again.
With Rey Maualuga, Adam "Pacman" Jones and Reggie Nelson on the defensive side of the ball you have some extreme talent. Adam Jones (pictured middle) has to think it's now or never for this Bengals defense. Jones one of the most storied defensive players in the league, and has really turned the corner in his life and on the field. One can only root for a guy like "Pacman" to have a chance to win a superbowl. Reggie Nelson (pictured right) and Jones combined, can cause a quarterback to struggle or to have a real successful day. Combined they had 7 ints and 157 tackles in 2014. I think these two can cause issues this year with a healthy defense as well. Rey Maualuga (pictured left) will take care of his business in the middle this year, and i think he will have a better year. He won't have to worry about guarding the entire field now with Burfict back in the lineup. Maualuga was again another body that was banged up on this Bengals defense. He missed around 5 or 6 games, but was limited in some of his playing time on the field as well due to the injuries he suffered from. This trio really makes this Bengals defense a top tier defensive unit.
Denfensive Outlook:
This Bengals defense will be one of the better units in the NFL. Some may disagree, but i can see a talent gap with this group and the 2nd half of the league. They had way to many injuries and the Bengals defense pressed all the wrong buttons in 2014. They rushed guys onto the field and the injury bug killed them overall. Burfict will anchor this team in the middle. The guy is as solid as they come and with a healthy Atkins the defensive line will be stable again this year. The speed on this defense isn't the greatest, but they maintain sound assignments all the time. Last year was just a bad year stat wise when you really look at the Bengals production. I believe this team has a chance to be in top 5-7 area this year. I can see them only giving up 20ppg this year. That will vault them from a 22nd ranked defense to a top 10 defense for sure. Injuries can hurt a team and that was really evident in 2014 with the Benagls defense. This is a superbowl type of defense if they stay healthy and perform like we have seen them in the past. I would not put much stock into the numbers from this group from last year. They just didn't have the playmakes on the defensive side of the ball healthy. It's really that simple. They have 3 or 4 pro bowl guys on this defensive roster, and this year i think it will show once again how good this team is on defense.
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The Schedule:
REGULAR
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1 SEP 13 4:25PMEDT *
AT RAIDERS
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2 SEP 20 1:00PMEDT *
CHARGERS
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3 SEP 27 1:00PMEDT *
AT RAVENS
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4 OCT 4 1:00PMEDT *
CHIEFS
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5 OCT 11 1:00PMEDT )
SEAHAWKS
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6 OCT 18 1:00PMEDT *
AT BILLS
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8 NOV 1 1:00PMEST *
AT STEELERS
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9 NOV 5 8:25PMEST ,
BROWNS
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10 NOV 16 8:30PMEST +
TEXANS
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11 NOV 22 4:05PMEST *
AT CARDINALS
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12 NOV 29 1:00PMEST )
RAMS
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13 DEC 6 1:00PMEST *
AT BROWNS
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14 DEC 13 1:00PMEST *
STEELERS
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15 DEC 20 8:30PMEST '
AT 49ERS
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16 DEC 28 8:30PMEST +
AT BRONCOS
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17 JAN 3 1:00PMEST *
RAVENS
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Schedule Outlook:
The schedule lines up pretty good here for the Bengals. The last 4 weeks can be a test for them, but they also can get a break with how it sets up in the final 4 weeks..The beginning really looks nice as they will visit Oakland to open up the year. Then they come back home to face a team in San Diego who always struggles in early games on the east coast. They will see Baltimore after that and KC next. I can see a split here for those two games. Week 5 is a real measuring stick here for the Bengals. Seahawks come to town, and most will look right past the Bengals here. Be careful..The Seahawks will be coming off 3 straight games Vs. the NFC north teams. They close up those 3 games with a MNF game against the Lions. They will have to make a trip east with a missed day of rest and that travel spot. Don't be shocked if the Bengals steal this game. The line value in this spot should be great for the bettors as well. I like to look at teams who get a bye week around week 7. It's a perfect time for team to catch a break and heal up. This is the case hear for the Bengals. After the bye week they have a real chance to rattle off 6+ wins.The caliber of teams is rather low during that stretch. Bengals do have two trips out west and that can always be an issue. I think they can be rolling going into those games however with the games prior. The final two games they have the Broncos who very well may be resting if everything lines up well for them, and then to close w/ Baltimore. The Ravens i feel will have a decent year, but i think they might be in a battle to make the playoffs. The home schedule here for the Bengals should produce 6 wins. The road schedule should produce them 4 or 5 wins. I think i'm being very fair here with the losses for the Bengals. Not a bad schedule at all.
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Overall Season Outlook:
It's now or never for the Cincinnati Bengals. This team has now been together long enough to know if they don't perform this year, this team very well may break apart after this season. The second longest tenure of any head coach behind Belichick is Marv Lewis. Lewis is coming into 12th season now with the Bengals. If the Bengals don't make a serious push this year, Lewis will be gone at the end of the year.
If you really look deep at this roster, this team can get to the next level. They have always had the talent, but the talent was young. Most bettors overlook that area. Dalton, Green, Gio, Burfict, Hill...I can go on and on with the youth this team had on the field..Last year was the year most expected them to make a real push and the year prior. Still this team is making the playoffs and now that youth is getting into the prime. The offense is loaded with talent from the RB position to the entire receiver core. Both backs are duel threats out of the backfield and Dalton should have a stable of targets. The Bengals will be able to mix it up with a healthy bunch this year on offense. The defense will be back in top form in 2015. The injuries to this team on both sides of the ball killed this team last year...With the youth in years past and injuries last year, it is hard to tell just how talented of a team this is. I can tell you this team is very good. I also believe that with Lewis being on the hot seat in recent seasons, he will be a little more firm with this group. It's now or never for this entire team. I think most will just overlook this Bengals team and it will be a serious mistake. This team is going to make a serious push this year at a superbowl. Is Dalton capable of getting them there?..I don't believe he needs to be a superstar to get that done. If he can just do his job and limit mistakes, the offense will get it done for him with the talent they possess. The schedule looks to be very fair and i see a few spots the Bengals can take advantage of in 2015. I expect a serious regression from the Steelers and the Ravens won't be far behind them either..I'm going out on a limb here and i will predict the Bengals notch 10,11 or even 12 wins in 2015 !!
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Prediction - Cincinnati Bengals - Over 8.5 (-125) Bovada