Jun 11, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green catches a pass during minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

You’d be hard-pressed to find any NFL player who doesn’t consider AJ Green one pf the games’ elite receivers, but that doesn’t mean he believes he’s reached that point yet. In an interview with CBS Sports, Green talked about what makes a receiver elite, and claimed that he hasn’t accomplished that yet:

“No,” said Green, “I’m not there yet. This is only my third year, and I have a lot more learning to do. The biggest thing at this position is consistency — to keep getting better each year and don’t regress — and that’s my goal. I’ve been in the league two years so I still have a lot of time. When I get to Year Six, maybe then I can say I’m one of those receivers.”

In a separate interview with ABC News 4, Green further explained what he’s doing in order to reach the next level in 2013:

“Going into my third year, I know the offense. I can play and be free and not worry about things. The goal, keep progressing, getting better each year. The biggest thing, hoping to get some wins and get over the hump for that one playoff game,” he said.

It came as a bit of a surprise when it was announced that HBO’s Hard Knocks will feature the Cincinnati Bengals this year, and Sean O’Donnell of Pro Football Central believes that the added pressure from having the cameras on them frequently will help them in the long-run:

There is a concept called context-dependent memory which enables the human mind to recall things easier when it is learning in the same environment as it is applied. Therefore, if the players are learning their schemes with the added pressure of cameras around, they may be more likely to duplicate their success in a game-day environment.

Let’s not forget, the last time the Bengals were featured on Hard Knocks, they went 10-6, winning the AFC North.

It’s a great theory, and hopefully one that holds true. Having every practice viewed by millions of people will give the Bengals a sense of what it’s like to play in the prime-time games that they have struggled in over the past three seasons. Instead of running from the fear of the spotlight, the Bengals are meeting it head-on, and that’s the mentality of a champion.

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May 29, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) stands with head coach Marvin Lewis (right) during organized team activities at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

To start with a frank statement, the 2013 schedule for the Cincinnati Bengals is not easy.

In fact, it appears quite difficult, with several games that will be closely contested, making a season prediction a bit hard to do.

However, in this article, I’ll try to do a brief breakdown of first the AFC North match-ups, and then the rest of the regular season for Cincinnati.

Please bear with me.

Series with the Cleveland Browns: We should win both of these games. The Browns had a relatively strong off-season, but then again, so did the Bengals. I don’t expect the Bengals to have too much trouble dispatching their intrastate rivals in 2013.

Leon Hall is going to have an interception early in the second quarter. Place your bets now. I’m thinking around the 12:00 mark.

Series with the Baltimore Ravens: The Bengals have always played well against Baltimore under Marvin Lewis. Both are very good teams, and just like the usual prediction, both games this season will be fought with a lot of grit and muscle. I’ll say that a split between the teams is likely, and each team will probably claim a victory at home.

Dear Geno Atkins,

Please gently place Joe Flacco on the turf.

Series with the Pittsburgh Steelers: Unlike going against the Ravens, the Bengals haven’t been so lucky against their other main division rival. However, when the team most needed to perform in a win-or-go-home environment for both teams, they did so, propelling themselves into the postseason. Maybe that bad luck at Heinz Field is starting to shift? Either way, I’ll still predict a series split, with each team winning their home game.

I know Harrison’s looking forward to Week 2. Not so sure Big Ben is.

Week 1: @ Chicago Bears: Right off the bat, this is a really tough game to call. A new coach in Chicago will bring a new look to a tough defense missing Brian Urlacher. I was counting this game as a loss about a month ago, just because I don’t like the idea of creating expectations that are higher than they should be. However, I’m having a change of heart. I say Bengals by six.

Charles Tillman, I’d like to reintroduce you to A.J. Green. Please recall last year’s Pro Bowl.

Week 2: Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: See top.

Week 3: Vs. Green Bay Packers: Another interesting match-up, and another close one to call. It’s going to come down to how effective the Bengals defense can be against the Packers’ pass-first offense. Cincinnati will be able to put up points against this team, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough. I’ll predict the Packers in a close one.

However, Andy, the game’s in Cincy. Here’s your chance to send them home…packing.

Week 4: @ Cleveland Browns: See top.

Week 5: Vs. New England Patriots: I don’t see Tebow being the death of us here. However, Tom Brady has the ability to tear apart any defense, no matter how good it is. The Bengals will hang around for awhile, but the Patriots are just a more dominant team right now.

Mr. Belichick, this would be the perfect game to start Tebow. Just sayin’.

(more…)

Nov 25, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) celebrates with wide receiver Brandon Tate (19) after scoring during the first half against the Oakland Raiders at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals may have the most stable wide receiver corps in the entire NFL. Of their projected top-7 receivers, Andrew Hawkins (age 27), is the only receiver older than 25, and Brandon Tate the only one with more than two full seasons in the league. Ironically, those are the only two receivers slated to be free agents in 2014, and while it would be nice to have Hawkins back, the Bengals will have several players capable of coming in and taking over the primary slot role.

 “I wouldn’t trade my group for any group in this league,” receivers coach James Urban said. “And I mean that. Our 11 I will stack up against anybody else’s 11.”

The All-Everything A.J. Green won’t be a free agent until 2015, and there’s almost no way he leaves Cincinnati. Mohamed Sanu and Marvin jones won’t be eligible for free agency until 2016. And Arkansas rookie WR Cobi Hamilton is already drawing the praises of the coaching staff.

That leaves the Bengals a lot of flexibility, security and continuity with what’s becoming a premium position in today’s pass-happy NFL.

 “We got horses in our room,” Sanu said. “A lot of thoroughbreds in there. You can change whoever you want to put in any different spot and we are all going to eat.”

After both Sanu and Jones shined at various points in their rookie seasons, there’s no reason they shouldn’t become solid weapons,capable of punishing defenses for focusing their coverages on Green.

Jones caught 15 passes for 175 yards and a TD over the final five games, and Sanu caught four touchdowns in a three-game stretch before breaking his foot and missing the rest of the year.

Don’t forget about the elder Hawkins, who started off the 2012 season great, recording 25 catches for 329 yards over his first 6 games before a knee injury slowed him down for the rest of the year (also missed two games).

In the end, this might not be as top-heavy as the Chad Johnson/T.J. Who’s-Your-Moma/Chris Henry threesome, but this may be the deepest they’ve ever been in franchise history. Only time will tell if they are able to live up to that belief.

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