2011 Preseason Prediction Thread

[AmishBengalFan]

With the Bengals sitting alone at 9-6, having guaranteed a winning season, and in control of our own destiny for a playoff spot with a win next week, I thought I might start this thread to let folks dig up and repost what all of the "experts" thought about our chances way back before the season started.

[AmishBengalFan]

Linky: http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_predictions_cincinnati_bengals.shtml
[quote][b]FootballLOCKS.com's NFL Predictions 2011
Cincinnati Bengals Season Win Total
Preview & Prediction - 8/31/2011
[color=#ff0000][size=5]Projected 2011 Finish (2-14)[/size][/color]
Division Rank Pick - 4th Place AFC North[/b]

[b]2011 Cincinnati Bengals Las Vegas Season Win Total Line;[/b]
Oddsmakers currently have the regular season win total betting line for the Cincinnati Bengals set at 5.5 wins... This represents an increase of 1.5 wins from the Bengals' prior year regular season mark of (4-12).

Part of the reason the line isn't lower has to do with the fact that Cincinnati is tied for the 4th easiest schedule on paper in 2011. And there's only so low Vegas can make the number before inviting completely lopsided action to the over.

That being said, the 5.5 win number is tied for the lowest total in the AFC-- as the Bengals have serious questions at the quarterback position with the departure of Carson Palmer and rookie QB Andy Dalton's preseason struggles. Not to mention a lack of experience at wide receiver with the departure of both Ochocinco and T.O.

[b]Schedule Analysis:[/b]
In 2011 the Bengals will play 6 games versus teams that made the playoffs in the prior season. This represents a drop of 1 such game compared to the prior year campaign.

Indianapolis - Week 6
@Seattle - Week 8
Pittsburgh - Week 10
@Baltimore - Week 11
@Pittsburgh - Week 13
Baltimore - Week 17

Of course the Seahawks in their current state can essentially be removed from the above list. However, Seattle can be a tough venue for inexperienced QB's to suit up in.

Other potentially competitive games for the Bengals (in their current form) include; @Cleveland in week 1, San Francisco in week 3, @Jacksonville in week 5, @Tennessee in week 9, Cleveland in week 12, Houston in week 14, and @St. Louis in week 15.

As you can see, this isn't the toughest slate of games by any stretch of the imagination. But we don't see any of the above qualifying as cake-walks for the '11 Bengals.

[b]Record Projection:[/b]
In 2011 we project the Bengals to go (2-14), falling short of the Las Vegas season win total of 5.5 games. Of course when predicting a total to come in this low, it wouldn't take a whole lotta good football to beat the number. And there's always the chance injuries could wreak havoc on Cincy's division rivals. Or Dalton turns into an NFL super star overnight.[/quote]

[BigDawgBengal]

We should wait and bring this thread up after we win the Super Bowl.

[ColorChanginClique]

It's great to be a Bengals fan now. No matter what happens, who thought we'd be 9-6 with all the odds against us?

A rookie QB and WR? And our other starting WR was only starting his 4th game as a pro.

Losing our stud slot guy in Shipley for the year?

Playing without Leon Hall the last month of the season and losing JJ last offseason?

The whole Carson/TO/Chad drama?

How could you not be stoked to be a Bengals fan now?

Next week we get the Ravens at home with the playoffs on the line and we've had the Ravens number at our place since Marvin got here.

Good shit.

Merry Christmas and all that good stuff

[AmishBengalFan]

Linky: http://www.betfirms.com/cincinnati-bengals-predictions/

[quote]The Cincinnati Bengals were a major disappointment in 2010. After surprising everyone by winning the AFC North in 2009, the Bengals finished dead last in the division with a 4-12 record. While some figured head coach Marvin Lewis would be fired, he appears to still have the trust of team president Mike Brown. It looks like the Bengals could be in a bit of a rebuilding mode in 2011, as they have a number of changes taking place on both sides of the ball. Here’s a closer look at both the offense and defense, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the North.

[b]Offense:[/b]
Carson Palmer has refused to step on the field for the Bengals in 2011, and will likely spend the entire season watching the NFL from his home. If Palmer holds true to his word, rookie Andy Dalton will likely become the first rookie to start opening week for Cincinnati sine Greg Cook in 1969. Dalton showed great accuracy and command of the offense in his time at Utah, but playing at the NFL level is a completely different game. The fate of the season will be on his shoulders, as the next quarterback in line is former Raiders backup Bruce Gradkowski.

The experiment of putting Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens on the same team produced some decent numbers, as the two combined for 139 catches for 1, 814 yards and 13 touchdowns. At the same time, those two are likely responsible for Palmer not wanting anything to do with the organization.

The Bengals decided to no bring back Owens and traded Ochocinco to the Patriots, but they added arguably the most talented wide out in the draft in A.J. Green, who is ready to be a star right away. Green will give Dalton a talented young receiving corps that also features slot receiver Jordan Shipley and tight end Jermaine Greshman, who each had monster rookie seasons. Also in the mix are fourth-year wide outs Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson.

Cincinnati decided to stick with veteran running back Cedric Benson, who turned in his second straight 1,000 yard season. Durability has to be a concern for Benson, as he has carried the ball 300+ times in each of the last two years. The Bengals have speed backup Bernard Scott, but it’s hard telling if he could handle the primary role if Benson were to go down for a large period of time.

The offensive line features one of the most underrated left tackles in the league in Andrew Whitworth, but they also have a huge question mark at right tackle. Cincinnati drafted Andre Smith with the No. 6 pick in the 2009 draft to secure the right tackle spot, but he has played in just 19 of 33 games because of a foot injury. Dennis Rolland is the other option if Davis can’t go.

[b]Defense:[/b]
The Bengals decided to part ways with defensive end Antwan Odom, after he played in just 10 games over the last two seasons. That opens the door for Carlos Dunlap to step in and start after an impressive rookie season. Dunlap set the Bengals rookie record with 9.5 sacks last year, while playing in just 12 games. Dunlap will play opposite of veteran Robert Gaethers and alongside defensive tackles Tank Johnson, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins.

The Bengals return outside linebackers Ray Maualuga and Keith Rivers, but it appears that Maualuga will make the move to middle linebacker to make room for free agent outside linebacker Manny Lawson. The Bengals are hoping 2011 is the year Rivers has that breakout season and turns this into a defense that compete with the Steelers and Ravens in the North.

In the secondary, Cincinnati lost starting corner Johnathan Joseph, but went out and signed Nate Clements from San Francisco to fill the void. Clements struggled to live up to his huge contract, but should form a pretty respectable duo with corner Leon Hall. The Bengals didn’t bring back safety Roy Williams, which means they are liking going to start the season with Chris Crocker at free safety and Reggie Nelson at strong safety.

[b]Prediction:[/b]
[color=#ff0000][size=5][b]4th AFC North, 3-13 Overall [/b][/size][/color]– While rookie quarterbacks have had a good amount of success lately, I don’t know that Dalton is ready to lead an NFL team right away. He is going to get his chance to show what he has. But even if he plays better than expected, he is likely going to make enough mistakes to keep the Bengals from being a serious contender in 2011.[/quote]

[Lewdog]

Link [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15409775/cincinnati-bengals-preseason-preview"]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15409775/cincinnati-bengals-preseason-preview[/url]

[quote]2010 RECORD: 4-12 (4th, AFC North)


LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2009, lost to New York Jets, 24-14, in AFC wild cardCOACH (RECORD): Marvin Lewis (60-67-1 in eight seasons with Bengals)
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jay GrudenDEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Mike Zimmer
2011 preseason
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OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS, 2010 (NFL): 27th rushing, 13th passing, 22nd scoringDEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS, 2010 (NFL): 19th rushing, 14th passing, 24th scoring
KEY ADDITIONS: QB Bruce Gradkowski (free agent), WR A.J. Green (first round, Georgia), OL Max Jean-Gilles (free agent), LB Thomas Howard (free agent), LB Manny Lawson (free agent), DB Nate Clements (free agent), QB Andy Dalton (second round, TCU), TE Bo Scaife (free agent).KEY DEPARTURES: CB Johnathan Joseph (to Texans), QB Carson Palmer (retired), WR Chad Ochocinco (to Patriots), WR Terrell Owens (not tendered), S Roy Williams (not tendered), DE Antwan Odom (released)
WHAT TO DO WITHOUT PALMER: The worst news of a terrible offseason for the Bengals was Carson Palmer's decision to try and get out of Cincinnati by requesting a trade or threatening to retire. With Mike Brown drawing a line in the sand that he won't trade Palmer, retirement appears his fate. It leaves the Bengals with a problem at quarterback. They drafted TCU QB Andy Dalton in the second round and signed free agent QB Bruce Gradkowski. Neither own Palmer's polish, but must find a way to run new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's West Coast attack. Dalton proved to be a quick study and knows the playbook as well as anybody in the locker room. Executing it will be a larger challenge. It would be shocking if Dalton didn't see the field this year, but there are no guarantees he'll be starting the opener at Cleveland. The veteran Gradkowski may open the year at QB to help Dalton ease into his rookie season.GRUDEN AT THE HELM: New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden may have the famous name, but he doesn't boast a famous resume. He came from off the radar to land the coordinator position when 10-year OC Bob Bratkowski was let go in January. He's never been a position coach in the NFL and this will be his first coordinator job. He made his name as an Arena League coach of the Orlando Predators and then head coach in the UFL. His attitude and energy have been contagious inside the Bengals facilities. Yet, even the greatest attitude in the world needs to be backed up by points. With a giant question mark at quarterback, the onus falls on Gruden to find a creative way to produce scores. A return to the run-heavy success of 2009 will be the method utilized and that will mean a heavy dose of RB Cedric Benson (1,111 yards and 7 TDS in 2010). Also, RB Bernard Scott (4.9 yards per carry last year) is expected to see increased touches. But Gruden's success not only this year, but in his career in Cincinnati almost certainly rests on his ability to develop Dalton into a top-tier QB. Whether he can is anyone's guess. There's no NFL track record to reference in predicting his success.
LINEBACKERS IN MOTION: Make no mistake, the Bengals have been gutted. Nowhere is that more apparent than at linebacker. Third-year pro Rey Maualuga moved from outside to his more natural middle linebacker position. The challenge of now making all the calls in a complicated defensive scheme would be hard enough in itself, except he has two new players flanking him. Free agent pickups Manny Lawson (59 tackles, 2.5 sacks in San Francisco last year) and Thomas Howard (averaged 95 tackles per season from 2006-09) enter on the outside. LB Brandon Johnson (38 tackles last year) returns as the top backup, but intense pressure will be placed on Maualuga to guide a unit the Bengals desperately need to return to being the Top 5 defense they were in 2009. By all accounts, Maualuga is handling the increased responsibilities well, but as the playbook thickens and the season progresses it will only become more difficult. If he can't sustain mentally and make the physical contributions of previous years, the entire defense will crumble around him.CAN CLEMENTS STILL DO IT?: Losing CB Johnathan Joseph to free agency was a brutal blow. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer based his defense off the ability of his top two corners to consistently win one-on-one battles. Joseph and running mate CB Leon Hall (18 interceptions in four seasons) did just that. Marvin Lewis acquired 31-year-old Nate Clements to fill Joseph's spot. Clements was released by the 49ers and battles high expectations along with Father Time. Clements is a step down from Joseph, but how much of a step down is yet to be determined. He's managed only six interceptions in the last three seasons and only 26 passes defensed. By comparison, Hall owns 59 passes defensed and 13 interceptions over the same time frame. If Clements can't cut it, the drop-off behind him is even steeper. Adam Jones won't see any contact until the regular season begins after offseason neck surgery and Morgan Trent owns the one NFL start among all the backup DBs.
FINAL WORD: This preseason will be spent indoctrinating Andy Dalton to the NFL. It will be a trial by fire for the redheaded QB. He needs to get ready to play and do so fast. He should expect to see many more snaps than most quarterbacks would so he can get used to the speed of the NFL game. Also, the Bengals need to know if he has picked up the offense fast enough to keep Bruce Gradkowski in a backup role. How the QB position develops will end up determining if this team ends up [b]4-12 again[/b]. [/quote]

[AmishBengalFan]

[quote name='BigDawgBengal' timestamp='1324786381' post='1079593']
We should wait and bring this thread up after we win the Super Bowl.
[/quote]

Dude, the 2011 season is BONUS FOOTBALL for us. We aren't nearly the team now that we'll be next year or the year after. We've stockpiled high-round draft picks, the green rookies that we picked up in the last draft have developed into stars a year ahead of schedule, and we have one of the youngest, most talented squads in the entire league. And you've seen what our schedule looks like, right? Any success we've enjoyed this year is gravy, the MEAT is in 2012-14. We were picked to be dead last in the division, in the conference, in the entire league... instead, we've clinched a winning record and hold in our hands a shot at the post-season. I would've thought you were insane had you told me this rookie-led team would win as many as 6 games this year - we've won 9 and could win 14.

So yeah, I'm feeling a little boastful right now about my team. Even if we crash out next week and watch someone else in the playoffs, our future is BRIGHT!

[BigDawgBengal]

[quote name='AmishBengalFan' timestamp='1324786818' post='1079600']


Dude, the 2011 season is BONUS FOOTBALL for us. We aren't nearly the team now that we'll be next year or the year after. We've stockpiled high-round draft picks, the green rookies that we picked up in the last draft have developed into stars a year ahead of schedule, and we have one of the youngest, most talented squads in the entire league. And you've seen what our schedule looks like, right? Any success we've enjoyed this year is gravy, the MEAT is in 2012-14. We were picked to be dead last in the division, in the conference, in the entire league... instead, we've clinched a winning record and hold in our hands a shot at the post-season. I would've thought you were insane had you told me this rookie-led team would win as many as 6 games this year - we've won 9 and could win 14.

So yeah, I'm feeling a little boastful right now about my team. Even if we crash out next week and watch someone else in the playoffs, our future is BRIGHT!
[/quote]
Dang it was just a joke Amish. Can't make a joke on this board cause people flip out.

I remember one guy said the Bengals would not win a game all year. Can't remember who he worked for but I believe it was either CBS or SI.

[Oldcat]

[quote name='BigDawgBengal' timestamp='1324786907' post='1079601']
Dang it was just a joke Amish. Can't make a joke on this board cause people flip out.

I remember one guy said the Bengals would not win a game all year. Can't remember who he worked for but I believe it was either CBS or SI.
[/quote]

I wish I had a job where I could fuck up and never get called on it.

[eva4ben-gal]

[quote name='Oldcat' timestamp='1324872600' post='1079870']


I wish I had a job where I could fuck up and never get called on it.
[/quote]
I wish football writers would go on strike for a season. It sure would cut down on the pointless whining on this board. And yes I realize what I am doing here.