 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
It's playoffs or bust for the Bengals in 2004. After engineering a six-game improvement -- best in the NFL -- in his first year as head coach, Marvin Lewis has further retooled the roster and has fans seriously talking postseason. The pressure rests squarely on two areas: First-year starting quarterback Carson Palmer has to limit mistakes and learn quickly on the job. And the defense, ranked 28th in points and yards allowed in 2003, has to rebound to take pressure off Palmer. Lewis acknowledges that going from 8–8 to the playoffs will be harder than going from 2–14 to .500. "We're going to have to do something exciting to get it done," he says. "Expectations are definitely high. We have to prepare just as hard or harder than we did last year." Quarterbacks "It's Carson's team now," is how Jon Kitna describes the 2004 Bengals. The starter in '03, Kitna had a career year but was demoted by Lewis in favor of Palmer.
Lewis made the decision early so Palmer would work as the No. 1 quarterback with the starting offense through the two mini-camps and training camp. Palmer did not take a snap in 2003. Kitna was the only NFL quarterback to play every offensive play for his team. The strong-armed Palmer is expected to provide a deep passing game that Kitna couldn't. Though the Bengals' streak of non-consecutive opening day starting quarterbacks will stretch to seven years with Palmer, the position finally appears to be stabilized. The Bengals wisely extended Kitna's contract through 2005 as insurance. Running Backs Change also has come to the backfield. Gone is the talented but temperamental Corey Dillon, traded to New England for a second-round draft choice. Rudi Johnson, who led the team with 957 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, takes over as the featured back.
Johnson is a between-the-tackles power runner similar to Dillon, and the Bengals added a new wrinkle in first-round draft choice Chris Perry. The former Michigan back is a solid runner and brings a new dimension to the backfield as an outstanding pass receiver. The screen pass could come back to Cincinnati. Second-year fullback Jeremi Johnson returns as the lead blocker. Receivers Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson promises to improve on his 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns. Palmer's ability to throw the deep ball will help.
The Bengals did add free-agent speedster Patrick Johnson as a deep threat, but Chad Johnson, Peter Warrick and Kelley Washington figure to get most of the work. Tight end also is stable with blocker Reggie Kelly, pass receiver Matt Schobel and Tony Stewart, the best combination of the two. Offensive Linemen One of the most important moves the Bengals made in the offseason was re-signing 10-year veteran center Rich Braham. Braham will make the blocking calls at the line, easing some of Palmer's responsibility in his first tour through the league.
"It's one less thing for me to worry about," Palmer says. The only new face on the line will be right guard Bobbie Williams. The former Eagle will replace Mike Goff, who signed as a free agent with San Diego. The Bengals are strong but not deep at tackles with Pro Bowler Willie Anderson and Levi Jones. The emerging star is second-year left guard Eric Steinbach, the best pulling guard the Bengals have had in several seasons. The starters are solid, but depth is a problem across the line. Defensive Linemen The Bengals almost signed free-agent tackle Warren Sapp but blinked at the end. So the team will likely open the season with familiar faces on the line. Right end Justin Smith will need to come up with more than five sacks.
The line -- tackles John Thornton and Tony Williams and left end Duane Clemons -- will also have to do a better job against the run. With the playoffs hanging in the balance, the Bengals allowed 801 rushing yards in the final four games, losing three. The Bengals figure to add two tackles to the rotation. Rookie fourth-round pick Matthias Askew from Michigan State is considered one of the draft's steals and brings a big, 308-pound body to the trenches. According to Lewis, the Bengals' main problem was on third down, where Cincinnati was 26th in first downs allowed. "If you struggle on third down, you struggle against the run," he says. "You're just putting yourself back out on the field." Linebackers The addition of free-agent middle linebacker Nate Webster -- "the closest thing to Ray Lewis," Lewis says -- is expected to bolster the run defense.
"It's fixable with the people we have," Lewis says. "You play run defense with 11 guys." Webster, the former Tampa Bay backup, supplants Kevin Hardy, who moves to the strong side. Brian Simmons is a Pro Bowler in waiting at the weak side. The most intriguing element of the linebacker corps is the backups. Second-year Khalid Abdullah and rookies Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson are all fast, 230-pound linebackers that Lewis likes. They figure to provide good depth and form the core of the coverage teams in the kicking game. Defensive Backs Similar to the linebacker position, the secondary is in transition. The Bengals invested their two second-round picks on cornerback Keiwan Ratliff and safety Madieu Williams, who should challenge for the nickel job. Ratliff, who led the SEC with nine interceptions in 2003, looks to make the most immediate contributions.
"We want more interceptions," says defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, whose unit had just 14 in 2003. Second-year cornerback Dennis Weathersby faces an uncertain football future after suffering a head injury in a one-car crash in April. He is unlikely to play this season. Solid Tory James is back as one starting corner opposite Deltha O'Neal, the former Bronco acquired in a swap of first-round picks. A disappointment in Denver since his Pro Bowl season in 2001, O'Neal should benefit from a change of scenery. The safeties will be re-signed Rogers Beckett and former Ravens starter Kim Herring, who re-unites with Lewis. Specialists Kicker Shayne Graham is a rich man following the Bengals' decision to match Jacksonville's five-year offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Graham set a franchise record with 88 percent made field-goal attempts in 2003, but Lewis is looking for deeper kickoffs.
Punter Kyle Richardson will face stiff competition from former Nebraska star Kyle Larson, an undrafted rookie free agent. Patrick Johnson, brought in to replace Brandon Bennett, will finally get his chance to prove he's an A-list kickoff returner. Warrick remains the team's No. 1 punt returner but faces a slew of competition from rookies such as Ratliff. Final Analysis With a first-time starting quarterback in Palmer, the Bengals figure to make some big mistakes on offense, at least early in the season. There will likely be a drop-off in offensive efficiency. But the offense isn't the problem. It's defense. Lewis' reputation as a defensive mastermind is on the line, and he has vowed to get more directly involved in trying to turn around one of the NFL's most porous units in 2003.
The fans are sophisticated enough to understand that the Bengals could be improved in 2004 and still finish between 7–9 and 9–7. The playoffs are a possibility if the defense improves enough to compensate for Palmer's inevitable rookie-like mistakes. Lewis will be the most disappointed if the Bengals don't snap their 13-year drought without a playoff appearance. • Click here for a complete list of 2004 Team Previews from Athlon
|
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
 |
SI Media Kits | About Us | Subscribe | Customer Service Copyright © 2005 CNN/Sports Illustrated. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. |
  |
|
|
|
