Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

June 5, 2009
By Donald Starver

Today we will be continuing our AFC North review.  As I explained yesterday, I have recruited 3 fellow AFC North bloggers to help me with the review.  Joe Barnes from the Baltimore Ravens blog  The Ebony Bird started things off yesterday.  Today we will continue with blogger Adam Kiefaber from the Cincinnati Bengals Blog Bengal Stripes giving us his review of the Bengals off-season.  On Saturday we will have Don Delco from the Cleveland Browns blog No Logo Needed.  And finally, I will finish up on Sunday with my review of the Steelers’ off-season.

You have the floor, Adam.

AFC North Offseason Review: Cincinnati Bengals

2008 Record: 4-11-1 (AFC North: 1-5)

Key Losses:

Key Free Agent Signings:

Key Draft Selections:

Best Free Agent Signing and Impact:

The best free-agent signing in 2009 has to be Laveranues Coles.  The top reason that he is the best signing is because the team had lost its third-down go-to receiver in T.J. Houshmandzadeh in free agency. While fans in the Nati were bummed to see one of their favorites sign elsewhere, the signing of Coles is believed to be an upgrade over Housh in some keg lines of Bengals fans.  Coles may open up the vertical passing attack and still be able to catch those clutch short over-the-middle passes that Housh was so great at.  That being said, the upgrades on defense through free agency could provide the Bengals with a big boost.  While Coles should be the best signing, I wouldn’t be surprised if either DT Tank Johnson or S Roy Williams have great seasons.

Biggest Loss and Impact:

The biggest name lost has to be Houshmandzadeh, and I wasn’t referring to how many letters are in his name.  However, the Bengals could lose the most from its tackle spots.  The team let Stacy Andrews walk and made Levi Jones take a hike, leaving the Bengals without its two OT starters from a year ago.  Personally, I wasn’t a fan of Andrews.  I thought he was just a project who never emerged into the  superstar that everyone was hoping for.  However the Eagles decided to pay him like he is a superstar.

Then there is Jones, who has been awful for the past couple of seasons. Cincinnati is projected to start ’09 first-rounder Andre Smith at right tackle and Andrew Whitworth (started at left guard in ’08) at left tackle.  Both players could struggle against speed rushers, but I am certain that they cannot be worse than what Andrews and Jones did in ’08.  Or can they?

What is your reaction to the Bengals’ draft?:

Before the draft began most Bengals fans didn’t like their chances to compete in the AFC North in 2009.  However, after the draft, those expectations changed.  The Bengals second-round pick Rey Maualuga really had fans excited.  The additions of Michael Johnson, Chase Coffman, Jonathan Luigs and Kevin Huber had fans shaking their heads and saying to each other, “could this draft have gone any better!”   Surely, the hype may not produce a winner right away, but even from an outsider’s perspective, the Bengals improved themselves immensely in the draft.

Was the Bengals’ biggest need addressed?:

The biggest need appeared to be offensive tackle and running back. The Bengals must have known that they were going to get a starter at OT in the draft, because they were set on acquiring a starting running back.  Cincinnati seemed to focused on former New York Giant Derrick Ward, but eventually made the right decision to re-sign Cedric Benson.  Both Smith and Benson need to have good seasons for the Bengals to have a chance of competing in 2009.

What storylines will you follow in camp?:

An easier question will be which ones won’t I be following.  There is always the Curious Case of Ochocinco, the attitude of Andre Smith, the role that Rey Maualuga will play, if Tank Johnson or Chris Henry shoot anybody, if Roy Williams is as close to being as good as he was in Dallas, how Coles will turn out, and there is so much more.  The obvious storyline that everyone better watch for is the offensive line.  Only one starter from 2008 is back at his spot in right guard Bobbie Williams.  The rest of the line better play well or Carson Palmer might not make it through the season.

Thanks Adam.  That was a very good review.  Personally, I agree with most of your opinions.  The Bengals have a lot of question marks this season.  I am anxious to see how Carson Palmer looks in his return.  I always wonder what Carson Palmer’s career would have been like if he had remained healthy (and played for a better team than the Bengals).

I agree with you on the question marks on the Bengals’ offensive line.  The Bengals’ line is even more suspect than the Steelers’, and that is a scary thought.

On the positive side, the Bengals probably had the best draft in the AFC North.  Andre Smith should be a stud.  Rey Maualuga was a steal where the Bengals took him.  Michael Johnson is going to be good, and Jonathan Luigs was yet another steal.

When you combine a great draft with all of the players that the Bengals signed in free agency, and the return of Carson Palmer, it becomes clear that the Bengals will be much improved and will definitely contend for…….last place in the AFC North.

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Steelers Today has hooked up with 31 other NFL bloggers from around the country to do a bloggers’ mock draft.  All 32 NFL teams are represented in the mock draft.

For more details on the bloggers’ mock draft, click here.

With the sixth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals blog Bengal Stripes selects…

Don’t expect the phone to ring very much in the Bengals’ war room and if it does I don’t expect anyone to answer it.

If Jason Smith falls to Cincinnati at No. 6, there will be no complaints from any coach, player or fan in the Queen City when the Bengals gobble him up.

Ever since the combine, Smith has climbed up draft boards due to his excellent interviews and also because Alabama OT Andre Smith’s early exit from the event last month.

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Bengals are in a unique position in that they need everything.

However, the team needs an offensive tackle more than ever after cutting longtime starting right tackle Willie Anderson before the start of the 2008 season.

On the other side, Cincinnati’s left tackle Levi Jones hasn’t been the same player fans fell in love with him in the early portion of this decade. Through his first four seasons with the Bengals Jones played in 63 of Cincinnati’s 64 regular season games, including 60 of which he started. The last three seasons, Jones played in 31 of the team’s 48 regular season games and started only 28.

On top of all that, last year’s franchise player Stacy Andrews signed a long-term deal to play with his bro in Philadelphia on the first day of free agency.

If the season would start today, it would appear that 2008 fourth-round pick Anthony Collins would be the starter at left tackle and left guard Andrew Whitworth would probably start at right tackle.

Nate Livings would then take Whitworth’s old spot at guard, with a mystery man filling in at center.

It is pretty obvious that the Bengals o-line is the team’s messiest area.

Getting Smith would instantly would upgrade Cincinnati.

The draft results so far are shown below.  Click on the individual pick to read the blogger’s rationale for his selection.

1. Detroit Lions:  Mathew Stafford, QB (Georgia)
2. St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT (Virginia)
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB (Wake Forest)
4. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR (Texas Tech)
5. Cleveland Browns: Rey Maualuga, LB (Southern California)
6. Cincinnati Bengals: Jason Smith, OT (Baylor)

The Oakland Raiders are on the clock.

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I consider myself a writer, so I try to offer primarily original material on this blog.  I seldom do links to other peoples work.  However, this is the Super Bowl, and I thought it would be interesting to see what others had to say about it.  So here is some of the best Super Bowl stuff I was able to find.

First stop; the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  As might be expected, Clevelands primary newspaper chose to make the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory an Ohio story.  They offered up these two Ohio-centric articles.

How do Steelers spell their latest championship? O-H-I-O

Holmes the Super Bowl’s greatest Buckeye

Next stop, ESPN.  Gene Wojciechowski thinks that the Steelers are actually America’s Team (Duh!  Like we didn’t know that).

Of course Dallas Cowboys fans dispute the point and hate the Steelers as much as ever.

Don Banks of Sports Illustrated thinks this was the best Super Bowl Ever.

Fellow Steelers blogger 5 Golden Rings shared these post game thoughts.  I thought the comment about Obama was absolutely hilarious.

Fans on Cleveland Browns fan forums weren’t taking the Steelers’ 6th championship very well.  One fan on DawgBones.com wrote:

“We have to kill God.  It is obvious that he hates Browns fans and that our franchise will not move forward until he is gone”

Another wrote:

“How long will Cleveland fans have to watch the Steelers win?!!!”

Cincinnati fans on Bengals.com didn’t seem much happier.  Check out this thread titled “Pittsburgh wins….again“.

The People at Davison came up with this Super Bowl six pack video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM0SX00tEqE&feature=channel_page

And finally, let’s take one final look at the closing moments of that amazing 4th quarter.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ijHpXrSgQQ

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According to Bengals.com, wide receiver Chad Johnson has been deactivated for tonight’s game against the Steelers.  Johnson apparently violated a team rule.  No specifics have been released as to why Ocho Cinco was deactivated.

according to Bengals’ radio play-by-play man Brad Johansen, Ocho Cinco said that he “begged and begged” Bengals’ coach Marvin Lewis not to sit him after he overslept an 8:30 p.m. meeting.

The Bengals are looking at starting Chris Henry or Glen Holt in place of Johnson.

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Before reading this week’s key match-ups, please read my Steelers-Bengals Preview.  Also, you may want to read our Top 10 Reasons Pittsburgh is Better Than Cincinnati.

This Thursday, the Steelers will face their AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals on NFL Network. While the two teams sit at opposite ends of the AFC North standings, Cincinnati has won 2 of the last 3 games in Pittsburgh.

These are the match-ups that I believe will have the highest likelihood of impacting the outcome of the game.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger vs. Bengals defense

Big Ben has been sacked quite a bit this season. Teams have learned that Ben is susceptible to the all-out blitz. Fortunately, the Bengals’ blitz is one of the weakest in the NFL. The Bengal’s defense only has 11 sacks this season. That’s one fewer than Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison has by himself. The Bengals didn’t sack Big Ben once in their meeting earlier this year. Expect more of the same this time.

When Roethlisberger is given time to find his targets, he can pick any defense apart. He passed for over 300 yards last week against a San Diego Chargers defense that is much better than the Bengals’. Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison vs. Bengals tackle Anthony Collins

Bengals’ starting left tackle Levi Jones is out with a back injury. His backup, rookie Anthony Collins, gets the unenviable task of trying to block Pro Bowl LB James Harrison. This will be Collins’ first NFL start. Talk about a baptism in fire. Last time the Steelers met the Bengals, Harrison abused starter Levi Jones for 2 sacks. Nine hundred sacks against Collins may be attainable. By the end of this game, Collins should be curled up in a fetal position crying uncontrollably. Welcome to the NFL, rookie. Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers Defensive End Brett Keisel vs. Bengals guard Nate Livings

The entire left side of the Bengals’ offensive line has been decimated by injuries. Not only is left tackle Levi Jones out with an injury. Starting left guard Andrew Whitworth is also out with an ankle injury. Number 2 left guard Scott Kooistra is also out with a knee injury. So third string guard Nate Livings gets to make his first NFL start against the league’s #1 defense. Let’s see, a starter on the #1 defense against a third stringer on the league’s worst offense. You do the math. Advantage: Steelers.

Dick LeBeau vs. Bengals Offensive Coordinator Bob Bratkowski

Not only is Bengals’ Offensive Coordinator Bob Bratkowski going to have to run his offense without the left side of his offensive line, he’s also going to have to do it against the league’s top ranked defense. Bratkowski’s first thought will be to try establishing the run by sending his top running back, Cedric Benson, against the Steelers’ defense that is rated #1 against the run. Yeah, good luck with that. Bratkowski’s second thought will be to try focusing on the pass, and using Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Steelers’ defense that is also #1 against the pass. Hmmm, that option isn’t much better than the first one. Is suicide an option?

Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau loves playing against the team that once fired him. Early in the first quarter he should have Bratkowski in check. By the end of the first half, it should be checkmate. Advantage: Steelers.

Heath Miller vs. Chris Crocker.

It looks like Heath Miller will be playing this week. Last week, QB Ben Roethlisberger threw 6 passes to backup tight end Matt Spaeth. Hopefully, Big Ben and Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians have finally realized that the tight end can be a valuable weapon if they actually throw to him. If they do, Heath Miller will find himself going against Bengals’ safety Chris Crocker. Crocker will be starting at safety in place of injured starter Chinedum Ndukwe (foot injury).

Heath Miller is one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Against a backup, he should have a good game. That’s a nice way to come back from an injury. Advantage: Steelers.

Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden DeShea Townsend William Gay vs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ocho Cinco.

Despite the difficulties that the Bengals have had establishing their passing game this year, these are two of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL. Few tandems are as talented. Ike Taylor has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success against Ocho Cinco during his career. However, Gay will have his hands full with T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Houshmandzadeh leads the league in receptions, and this will only be Gay’s second start. This may be the best match-up of the game. Advantage: Bengals.

Update:  Ocho Cinco won’t play tonight.  Advantage: Neither.

NT Casey Hampton vs. C Eric Ghiaciuc

Bengals’ center Eric Ghiaciuc struggles against large nose tackles. Casey Hampton is a very big, Pro Bowl nose tackle. Casey should eat him alive. Ummm, that was just a figure of speech, Big Snack. We don’t mean it literally. The NFL frowns upon cannibalism. Advantage: Steelers.

We anticipate the Steelers should have a commanding lead by halftime. Backup quarterback Byron Leftwich should see a significant amount of playing time in the second half to avoid unnecessary injury to Big Ben.

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