May 10, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals first round draft pick tight end Tyler Eifert (85) catches a pass during the Bengals rookie minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals did not address any of their primary needs with their first round pick. They didn’t select a strong safety, nor a running back, nor even an offensive lineman, any of which was largely expected by many fans and pundits alike.

Instead, the team went on offense, leaving their holes on the defensive side of the ball for a tight end out of Notre Dame.

The funny thing is that this may be why I’m more excited for the Bengals upcoming season than I have ever been.

Tyler Eifert, you can officially count me as a member of your fan club.

And Bengals fans, I think you should follow suit.

The last two years, Andy Dalton has had one guy on offense that repeatedly helped him move the chains through the air. The guy that at one point had more touchdowns than games played last season: sensational young receiver, A.J. Green.

But that’s it. The chemistry really didn’t have time to develop between Dalton and Mohamed Sanu, as the receiver went down with a foot injury after a short stint opposite Green at wide-out.

Marvin Jones was just beginning to emerge as an effective receiver as the season drew to a quick close. He even showed glimpses of his ability to make the big play down the field.

The position of tight end for the Bengals has been a strange case these last few years.

Jermaine Gresham has also shown glimpses of the high draft stock he brought to the table a few years ago. However, he has also been plagued by dropped passes, something that Dalton would certainly love to see a lot less of on 2^nd and long.

In steps Tyler Eifert, and suddenly the situation on offense gets a whole lot more intriguing.

Eifert, ironically selected with the same overall pick as was Gresham, brings with him a 6 ft-5, 250 pound frame.

He can also catch anything within a half-mile radius coming his way.

And here we see the reason why I am so excited.

Nov 25, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) catches a pass for a touchdown against Oakland Raiders cornerback Ron Bartell (21) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

Much like an ugly break up, when you see an ex down the road and realize how much better off you are than she is, was the closure Bengals fans found during the 34-10 thrashing of Carson Palmer’s Raiders. It was evident that the Bengals just plain overmatched an inferior team, and Cincinnati held Palmer to a season-worst 146 yards passing.

The Raiders’ offensive line has been less than stellar this season, one of the many reasons that Raiders running backs have such inflated receiving numbers. Whether it was pressure or excellent coverage, both of which were displayed by the Bengals’ defense, Palmer found himself throwing check-downs and screen passes to Marcel Reece all day.

Raiders receivers caught four passes, three for Juron Criner and the 20-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore. Compare that to 15 receptions for the Raiders’ running backs and tight end Brandon Meyers, and that is quite the statement to the Bengals’ dominance over the Raiders.

Geno Atkins had a sack and two tackles for a loss, one of which being an impressive stop against the screen pass, in which Atkins diagnosed the play and went in coverage against Marcel Reece, then pulled him down behind the line of scrimmage. And, although it did not show up in the stat line, Carlos Dunlap looked especially sharp rushing the passer. His fast first step forced Palmer to step up in the pocket and make hurried passes, and Wallace Gilberry’s sack was caused by pressure from Dunlap.

But the Bengals’ offense should not be overlooked. The offensive line overmatched the Raiders’ defensive counterparts, generating 221 yards rushing at 6.5 YPA. That included runs of 48 and 29 yards for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Cedric Peerman’s 7.6 YPA.

Perhaps the most impressive display by the offensive line was after the Bengals’ offense started out the second half sputtering. After Lamarr Houston threw Andy Dalton to the turf after the whistle on a false start penalty, Andrew Whitworth rushed over to protect his quarterback.

Although the scuffle turned into a brawl that turned into ejections for Whitworth, Houston and Tommy Kelley, the Bengals became inspired while the Raiders imploded.

Nov 11, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko (94) is congratulated by fans at the end of the game against the New York Giants at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

Bengals fans, STAND UP! Not only have we scored 8 offensive TD’s the past two weeks, we have finished games strong and have won the past two games fair and square. Our depth at corner is really coming into effect and our pass rush is starting to become a big game factor. AJ Green is a top NFL receiver and he’s showing us why every single week! Also, he’s beginning to get some help from Jermaine Gresham and his awesome ability to get yards after contact, and rookie Mohammed Sanu. Here’s why I’m really excited, with Byron Leftwich starting for the Steelers, 2nd place in the AFC North is all but in our lap; If they lose every game with Leftwich, who could play up to 3 or 4 games, they will be below .500 with us winning like this, ending with a 10-6 record could be all we need to get a wild-card berth. Other reasons for excitement:

1. Our coaches are coaching their butts off! Marvin is taking good risks, and Jay Gruden is making pretty good calls, meanwhile, Zimmer is being Zimmer, not allowing huge plays while letting his Defense make big plays.

2. Marvin Jones should be back this week! Jones’ natural talent and speed compliments AJ Green’s unbelievable play. And is Marvin can beat single coverage, then he should make his breakout right when we need him to, at the end of the season.

3. Our interior offensive line is playing phenomenal, they shut down the elite rush of the Giants last week, and played extremely solid against some first round picks on the Chiefs D-line. I’m not going to jinx us in any way, but all I’m saying is that we’re getting hot at the right time, the middle and hopefully the end of the season. Lets hope we keep it up against the Raiders and Carson Palmer! Who Dey!

Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.

Follow @StripeHype