Cincinnati Bengals         

2013 RECORD: 11-5  

2012 RECORD:  10-6   

2011 RECORD: 9-7   

2010 RECORD: 4-12   

TEAM OVERVIEW: In Detroit, we often refer to the “good” Matthew Stafford as well as the “bad” Matthew Stafford. He is not alone. Andy Dalton has days where he looks special, but on other days he looks Carson Palmer like. He’s the field general of a Bengal team that is as deep as it’s ever been thanks to an incredible (for them) run of solid drafts. Almost no position is below the level of average and this team is young and still has upside. Additionally, the AFC is hardly as scary as the NFC, especially at the top. Cincy’s somewhat surprising playoff loss to SD underscores the fact that much more needs to be accomplished before they can be taken seriously. While nothing less than at least one playoff win will be tolerated in ’14, Cincy faces additional challenges with the loss of both coordinators. It’s time for Dalton to take the next step. In fact, it’s essential that he do so if Cincy is to be successful in ending the NFL’s longest playoff victory drought (23 years). 

KEY STATS: RB Green-Ellis was joined in the backfield by change of pace rookie Bernard in a solid move yet the yards-per-carry number was still too low at 3.6. The OL made great strides in protecting Dalton by reducing sacks from 46 to 29. The team was more than playoff worthy with over 1,000 more total yards than their opponents, 22 more TD’s and a +4:01 time of possession figure. Cincy’s well-coached D was No. 2 in yards per attempt, No. 3 in total defense and on 3rd down allowed about a 33 percent conversion rate. They also allowed just six run TD’s. Spread-wise, Cincy is most dangerous at home in December when OUT of the playoff chase (2-3 in ’11-12 when IN the playoff race) but in ’13 they went 3-0 against the spread in December. Cincy is usually a well below average home favorite prior to December but was 3-0 in this role in ’13. They went 8-0 vs. the spread at home until the playoff loss.

2013 DRAFT REVIEW: For the first time in five years I was not dialed in with Cincy’s early draft picks. They threw a curveball early on with the picks of Eifert and Bernard but both can play. Unlike recent drafts however, some of these picks may never pan out. DE Hunt was a mild surprise since Cincy had depth. The Bengals took Williams because they felt he can play both safety spots.  He became the 5th Georgia player drafted by this team in the last four years! Cincy as usual was not interested in trading. I questioned in this report last year if they did enough at LB?

1-21, TE Eifert: Top TE was 39-11.4-2 and was a nice complement to the offense

2-37, RB Bernard: Third down polished route RB change of pace RB Cincy has lacked. Ran and caught well.

2-53, DE Hunt: Older DE is strong and fast but lacks awareness and has leverage issues. Three tackles.

3-84, SS S Williams: Strong and fast, a solid tackler but not a cover safety. Twelve rookie tackles.   

4-118, LB   Porter: Undersized edge rusher who pursues well but tackling technique is average. IR in ’13.

5-156, Hawkinson: Nearly rated. Has lateral agility but footwork and strength issues for now. Played once.

6-190, RB  Burkhead: Try-hard guy cares a situational player but was not used as a rookie

6-197, WR Hamilton: Scheme fit. Finesse WR who was productive but lacks flexibility. Saw no action.

7-240, OT Fragel: Strong and raw finesse OT who needs technique work. Former TE. Now in Cleveland.

7-251, OC  TJ Johnson: Strong four year starter fights hard but lacks athleticism. No action in ’13.   

2012 DRAFT REVISITED: As usual, (at least until last year) the Intel made it easy to hone in on Cincy’s desire to take the last remaining first round CB prospect. I knew OL was next, but Cincy surprised me by trading down, content with Zeitzer over DeCastro. In my now 35 years of doing this report, no team with 10 or more draft picks had ever chosen all numerically rated players! There was even room for undrafted rookie LB Burfict, who shockingly contributed 127 tackles as a rookie and 171 tackles in ‘13! Kirkpatrick and Zeitler are starters but there is room for improvement. DL Still remains a work in progress (7 tackles) and needs motivation.  WR Sanu caught 47 and can be a third option plus a viable red zone factor.  DT Thompson moved his game up with 23 rotational tackles. TE Charles lost playing time to Eifert and was a non-factor. CB Prater suffered a training camp injury as a rookie and was gone prior to ’13. WR Jones (17th rated 5-166) caught 51 with 10 TD’s. I rated Iloka as the fifth best safety and this sixth round draft choice delivered with 66 tackles. RB Herron is long gone.

TOP STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS PRIOR TO THE DRAFT: Without a super strength we will call team depth their No. 1 area, and it’s the best I’ve ever seen here. There’s no major weakness, but the run yards per carry on offense is too low for now.

FREE AGENCY ANALYSIS: AND STAFF NOTES: Cincy is normally not a big spender in free agency. OG Newhouse might be a nice addition. LB Dontay Moch was waived by Arizona and signed by the Bengals. QB Campbell admits to being intimidated in the pocket. He’s now a Bengal. Losses include starting OT Collins and OC Kyle Cook, good DE Michael Johnson, over the hill LB James Harrison, and CB Brandon Ghee. The Bengals did not match the offer sheet Cleveland submitted for fringe WR Hawkins. Hue Jackson once took one of the worst all time offenses in Oakland to top five status in one year. He replaces Jay Gruden as Offensive Coordinator. Former LB coach Paul Guenther has big shoes to fill, taking over for star Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer. 

2014 DRAFT NEEDS: OL, LB, speedy WR to run the slot plays, youth at DB, back-up QB. This is a short list. OL is the clear No. 1 need. LB Burfict has been quite a find but overall the unit needs at least one upgrade. This team has capable WR’s but might be missing the spark-plug guy that can turn a short slant into a big play. The DB’s are still able to get the job done but now seems like a good time to start a youth movement.  There is no back-up to Dalton at QB.