Archive for August, 2010

A few quick thoughts on Antonio Bryant’s release and the Bengals preseason game in Buffalo. 1. The penalties are getting ridiculous. And it’s equally ridiculous that Marvin Lewis has a rather flippant attitude about them. Penalties can ruin games. They need to be cleaned up. It’s one reflection of team discipline. And in the Bengals’ case, it’s not a good reflection. 2. Antonio Bryant shouldn’t have been released. According to Joe Reedy, Bryant was only due $1.55 million more this year, so they saved some chump change (in pro football’s cash-rich world at least) to free themselves from Bryant and [...]

Put simply, the Antonio Bryant situation is a mess. The team’s $7 million a year receiver is on the sidelines and its unclear when he might return. Today, the NFL Network reported that Bryant’s agent said the Bengals are not close to cutting Bryant. That’s good news I think. As laid out by Joe Reedy, the team essentially has three options with Bryant. One, they can release him and eat the signing bonus and money they already paid him. Two, they can put him on injured reserve and save a roster spot for someone else (which is pretty valuable considering [...]

It’s another day with a good bit of Bengals ink in cyberspace, so I’ll post the news and let you hit the links. James Walker says Cedric Benson is the most indispensable Bengals player who is not a quarterback. He might be right, but I’d put Leon Hall right there with him. I think Bernard Scott would be extremely productive if Benson were to go down, I just don’t know if Scott could handle the same workload. And even though the Bengals have good depth at cornerback, Hall’s the best one. His coverage skills and tackling – even though he’s [...]

Quick, who’s the favorite in the AFC North? I’d hope most of you said the Cincinnati Bengals. After all, this is a Bengals site. But just to be fair, here’s the debate from the analysts at the NFL Network. Brian Baldinger likes our team. Trent Green likes the Baltimore Ravens. As I’ve written before, I think the Bengals have made significant upgrades to a team that swept the division last year. So I’m going with them. Let’s hope I’m right. To get CBS Sportsline’s Fantasy Football Commissioner at a 50% discount, click here. To play CBS Sportsline’s College Fantasy Football, [...]

On the heels of their riveting overtime tie from two years ago, the Bengals and Eagles take the field again tonight in a preseason contest that should at least surpass that previous game in “watchability.” (Is that a word? No. O.K, let’s move on). Here are a few things to look for in tonight’s contest: 1) Starters vs. Starters – Both teams should play their starters about a half, so fans should get about two quarters of semi-real football. Both teams also have talent on both sides of the ball so it should be a pretty good matchup as far [...]

Andre Smith has arrived on the practice field according to Geoff Hobson. That’s pretty good news for the Bengals, who could’ve faced a worst-case scenario of a six-week absence if Smith started the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Smith worked with the second team and it’s doubtful that he’ll get much work with the first team until he proves he can stay on the field for a few weeks. In other news, Joe Reedy is reporting that it’s possible the Bengals could reach an injury settlement with Antonio Bryant and release him. Considering the team already gave [...]

Chick Ludwig checks in with his observations from the Bengals/Broncos game. Number one is the performance of Bernard Scott, who absolutely needs a minimum of 10-15 touches a game. Scott is a threat to break a big play every time he touches the ball. The Bengals have to get him involved, even if it means putting him in packages alongside Cedric Benson. Ludwig also talks about the Bengals’ wealth of punt returners and I think they should keep them all. Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley, and Adam Jones are all worthwhile contributors at their respective positions so it makes sense to [...]

The Bengals face the Broncos tomorrow at 7 p.m. (televised for me on NFL Network) and I’ll be looking for a few things in Cincinnati’s second practice game. (Let’s face it, that’s what they are). 1) Improvement from the offense: Cincinnati’s offense looked rather lackluster in its first – albeit limited – performance a week ago. I’d like to see some positive strides in the second go-round. Better protection and fewer penalties would be a nice start. 2) Michael Johnson’s Impact: Johnson was all over the field in the game against Dallas. If he does it all again with sacks [...]

A few days ago, I wrote about the package Buffalo Wild Wings was offering if you hold your fantasy football draft at their place. Yesterday, I got their draft kit. Here’s what you can expect: A draft board, a mini football, about 10 coozies, and a banner for your league’s champion. Some of the items are pictured below. So if you prefer to hold your draft out in public (assuming, of course, that your league owners can behave), you might want to consider Buffalo Wild Wings. To get CBS Sportsline’s Fantasy Football Commissioner at a 50% discount, click here. To [...]

Yesterday, Marvin Lewis criticized Andre Smith publicly. Today, Geoff Hobson published a blog noting that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski is concerned about the pass protection. And thus, we have our first mini-crisis of the preseason. Here’s what I think: Cincinnati needs Andre Smith to be healthy, in shape, and on the field. Dennis Roland is okay at right tackle, but Smith represents a huge upgrade (emphasis on HUGE). If Smith, can’t get himself in shape, the team is going to suffer.  Cincinnati is going to have a lot of mismatches in the passing game this season – starting in Week [...]