Reversal of fortune

Bengals again have high hopes (what else is new?)

Carson Palmer may be the No. 1 overall pick, but he might not get the starting nod right away. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

By Dave Clark, SI.com

Yes, Corey Dillon is a great back. Has been for six seasons now. Yes, Carson Palmer is talented, and he'll have a pretty good line in front of him when his time comes. Yes, Marvin Lewis will be a great head coach. But the Bengals as a playoff team? I'm not buying it.

You don't lose the heart of your defense, replace him with someone who's three years older -- and half the player -- and expect to contend. And all of the positive vibes coming from Lewis are unfortunately countered by a long history of being a laughingstock overseen by Mike Brown.

How do most Bengals fans view Brown? Not as a son of a legend, although it's a similar-sounding phrase. One anti-Brown Web site, mikebrownsucks.com (which might get more hits than the Bengals' official site), points out that Mike Brown's record as owner/general manager is 55-137 after 12 consecutive losing seasons (actually, they went 8-8 in 1996). By the way, the site lists the Bengals' 2002 record as 1*-1-14, with the asterisk signifying win against expansion team. No love.

Those who dislike Brown are quick to point out his refusal to acknowledge he's not cutting it as a general manager. Brown denies the charge that the Bengals have insufficient scouting personnel and figures his poor decisions can't be blamed for years of futility.

The fact of the matter is the Bengals have been losing for years with Brown in charge. Why would 2003 be any different? Did they make any offseason changes that will turn things around anytime soon? The move that stands out is the loss of Takeo Spikes, and that's not a good thing. Sure, adding Duane Clemons and Tory James and Carl Powell may help, but these aren't the types of players who bring a team from 2-14 (or 1*-1-14) to the playoffs.

What about that un-Bengal-like outstanding draft they had? Eric Steinbach may contribute right away, but fans who expect Carson Palmer to explode onto the scene are getting ahead of themselves. Bengals coaches insist Jon Kitna is still the starter. And the Bengals' record last season with Kitna at QB was 2-11.

A sudden reversal of fortune? Not on Mike Brown's watch.

 

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