About Me

Okay, I’ll go ahead and say that I am THE biggest Cincinnati Bengals fan in all of Indiana.  I’m pretty sure that that’s not a true fact, but hey, not everything on the internet has to be 100% accurate. Anyways, I’m just a freaking huge Bengals fan who’ll talk about them to literally anyone. This blog isn’t about me… It’s about making a CONNECTION with all of us who are the same in that we have a drive towards our Cincinnati team.  The word “Bengals” is in every username of mine, black and orange can be found on anything I own, and during the best 17 weeks of the year, that team basically never leaves my head.  I’m sure that there are plenty of other people like me out there, which is what this website’s for (Plus I had to make it for my English class, but that’s beside the point).  Read what you want to, write what you want to, and hey, lets come together for the Who Dey Nation!!

Being a Fan

If you read my About Me post, you know that I’m a guy living in Indiana, surrounded by a million (or at least it seems that way) Colts fans. I can tell you first hand, it’s NOT easy sticking to your guns when you’re always engulfed in an ocean of blue and white, especially when you cheer for a team like the Bengals, who haven’t won a playoff game in 24 years (the longest stretch of time of any team in the league). “Dalton can’t come in clutch, that defense is overrated, nobody cares about your stupid Bengals,” I hear it all the time, and unless you live in Cincinnati, I’m guessing that you guys do too. Because of all the hate towards our black and orange, I’ve decided to come up with a few ways to help you stay strong for the Who Dey Nation.

1. Know your facts… I found out really quickly that the more you know about the NFL as a whole (not just knowing about the Bengals), the better off you’ll be. When someone is downgrading Cincinnati, or talking about how unclutch (I think I just made that word up) they are, throw some numbers in their face. Tell them that the Bengals are 3-0, and that the teams that lost to them have a perfect record otherwise. Tell them that last year, Andy Dalton held a top five position in every quarterback stats category except for one. Tell them that this year, Cincinnati’s defense is the best in scoring defense, only allowing eleven points per game, and that the Bengals have a scoring differential of +47, the highest in the league. Or, if you want to, give them some statistics about their team, and in what ways Cincinnati is better than them. Hopefully, they’ll shut up while they’re chewing on the facts.
2. Visit Paul Brown Stadium on a Sunday… Okay, I get that you probably don’t have the money to travel to Cincinnati every weekend for all the games, but try to make it to at least one per year, and you’ll see why it’s so important. The atmosphere there is unimaginable and unexplainable, and you remember why you’re a Bengals fan. You’re surrounded by like-minded people, yelling and screaming and shouting for the same team as you. Being at PBS is the only time that I've been around more than two other people who love the Bengals like I do, and it’s really an exhilarating experience, trust me.
3. Wait for it… Yeah, this is a tough one, but Cincinnati fans have been dealing with the drought of success for years now, and the wait is about to be over. If you can hang in there for just a bit longer, you and the rest of the world will see them shine. Their time is coming, if not here already, and we know it, we just have to be patient and then the rest of the world will too. Then we can rub it in their face and be the happiest we’ve ever been for a full year, simple as that.

So yeah, probably not THE most expert advice, but hey, it’s worked for me so far. If you can follow even just two of the steps, you should be set for an easy(er) life as a Bengals fan. Wishin ya the best of luck..! Who Dey?!?!?!

Bengals Injury Update, Future Impacts

The Cincinnati Bengals have been labeled as one of the deepest and feared line-ups in today’s NFL, but what happens when they lose so many players that they don’t have a single 1st string player starting???  That’s an overstatement, as that obviously will never happen.  However, Cincinnati has had to fight through some pretty impactful injuries thus far.  

    Let’s start with the offense.  A.J. Green, widely regarded as a top 3 receiver in the league, has been plagued with foot problems all year so far. It’s all been minor, I realize that. Even minor injuries, though, can add up and contain catastrophic results. Say A.J. were to have to miss time, because his ankle and toe got worse as the year progressed. The Bengals are going to have some serious matchups down the stretch, including New Orleans, Denver, and Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh, and doing that without their fiercest offensive weapon is frightening. It’s possible to win, as demonstrated with their whomping of Atlanta, but tougher than us fans want it to be.

    Besides A.J., notable losses in Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert have occurred. Eifert and Jones are both red zone threats, which is exactly what Dalton and his Bengals need. Their one weakness this year has been the red zone, with Andy having NO touchdown passes beyond the 20 yard line so far this year. That’s 100% unacceptable for a team that wants to be considered the best in the league. However, that could all change with the return of Jones and Eifert. Marvin had nine red zone touchdowns last year, and is projected to return week five for the Sunday Night showdown against the Patriots. His presence alone should spark the offense into not only one that’s functional and well-tuned (like it has been so far), but one that absolutely demolishes other teams’ defenses. Eifert, expected to come back week seven or eight, will only add fuel to that fire, making the Bengals a truly dominant team in every aspect of the game.

    The defense so far has held up better than the offense has, only really losing two major components. Vontaze Burfict, all-star linebacker, has had two concussions in two consecutive games this year, resulting in him finding a new home on the Cincinnati bench, at least for a few weeks. He’s officially been cleared for week five, but it’s likely that he will be held out unless he’s desperately needed in order for him to recover to full health. The other notable loss was Margus Hunt, defensive lineman. In his second year in the league, he’s risen from the title of “talented rookie” to “definite starter,” and has undoubtedly proven that he earned the spot. He’s lifted 320 lbs of linemen off of their feet in order to get to the quarterback, and if that doesn’t impress you, I’m not sure what will. He left the game in week three but is expected to play against the Patriots, only adding to the amount of pressure Brady is gonna face.

    The Bengals have major talent in EVERY single position on this team, and even their backups have enough ability to fill in their shoes effectively when need be. The constant injuries, however, are going to cause a major setback. Week three against the Titans, Cincinnati had six starters leave the field and not return, which is not a promising sign, especially given that it was all in one day. Their key to success is staying healthy, and if they can do that, there’s not a team out there that they can’t beat. Go ahead, quote me on that, I’ll be happy to rub it in your face when I’m right.  Who Dey?!?!

Helpful Sites

Hey guys, I know that you all obviously love my writings, and think that I'm a blogging wizard or genius or something like that, but there are other sites I recommend for more Bengals updates, advice, and more.
www.bengals.com
http://bleacherreport.com/cincinnati-bengals
http://www.cincyjungle.com/

Cincinnati Bengals Season Predictions

Bengals Season preview, from week 3:

Three NFL weeks are in the books, and so much has already been won and lost for each individual team.  Upsets, blow-outs, and hard-fought moral victories have shaped the season so far, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.  Our Bengals have forged an impressive 3-0 start to the season against two playoff-worthy teams, so the question is, what do they have in store for them?  I'm no ESPN analyst, and I'm may be slightly prejudice towards our favorite Cincinnati team, but I'll try to analyze the Bengals future match-ups and predict the outcome of each one.

Week 5- Cincinnati Bengals @ New England Patriots

Sunday night at 8:30 p.m, the Bengals and Patriots will clash in America's game of the week.  On normal circumstances (and not just because I'm a die-hard who dey fan), I'd say that the Bengals should beat the patriots with a decent amount of gusto.  Based on the beginning of the season, the Patriots are NOT living up to expectations, losing their first game to Miami.  Brady will be considered an elite quarterback until the day he retires, and don't get me wrong, I know that he's one of the greats.  However, he hasn't looked himself this year, much like his start to the season last year.  BUT, like I said, I'd only say that the Bengals would beat 'em down under normal circumstances, and that's not what I'm necessarily seeing here. First of all, the Bengals will be traveling to Foxborough this year, and that damp, hostile environment isn't one that many teams survive in.  Secondly, most of you will remember that the Bengals beat the Patriots last year in a game where Tom Brady threw NO TOUCHDOWNS, which snapped his 76 game streak of throwing at least one touchdown in each.  I can already see the fire burning in Brady's eyes for revenge.  And finally, this is a Primetime game, and those haven't treated Dalton well in the past.  Andy (although he's shown much improvement from the past to now) has only one won game in primetime in the past two seasons.  The combination of those factors leads me to believe that it'll be a close, hard-fought game, but because the Bengals are HOT right now and the Pats are playin' shaky right now, I think the Bengals can pull off the win.

Cincinnati 24, New England 20

Week 6- Carolina Panthers @ Cincinnati Bengals

Why this is a 1:00 game, I have NO idea.  I personally believe that this will be a tighter fight than the Bengals Vs. Patriots game, for one reason; the Panthers have an offense that's clicking.  Cam's playing his best right now, and rookie Kelvin Benjamin is showing up as a leader for their wide receiver corps.  In my eyes, unless one of the two teams has slowed down by week 6 (which I don't see happening), this match will be against two teams that are nearly identical.  The Panthers have a defense led by LB Luke Keichly and a ferocious front 7, just like the Bengals and LB Vontaze Berffict.  Both defenses force turnovers and both offensive units have the playmaking ability to score points.  However, I see two outliers to this matchup that give the Bengals a slight advantage.  First of all, the Bengals have better players at the skill positions.  Anyone with half of a brain and sense of judgement would rather have A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard than Kelvin Benjamin and DiAngelo WIlliams.  There's just no doubt about it.  Secondly, the Bengals are the home team, and like a said earlier, NO ONE, no matter how good of a team you are, has been able to come into Paul Brown Stadium and look good.  It's not possible, that's a fact.

Carolina 16, Cincinnati 20

Week 7- Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts

Before the season started, I would have told you that this week's math-up was going to be the top ones of the season.  However, after seeing Indianapolis's embarrassing first two games, I'm completely rethinking that  statement.  Picture this: at an elementary school, a group of 5th graders band together and make their own football team at recess, thinking that they're so good and unbeatable.  Then, they challenge a group of 6th graders who absolutely man handle them.  The fifth graders play terribly, looking like they've never played football in their life, but they shake it off, because it was 6th graders that they played.  Then, however, a group of 3rd graders challenge them at their own spot on the playground, THEIR home turf, and the 3rd graders destroy them, embarrass them.  That's the Colts' season so far.  The loss to the Broncos was thrown to the side, but then to have the Eagles control them in their own stadium?  The Colts have an all-star quarterback, an amazing trio of wide receivers, and a coach that has more motivation than the other 31 coaches combined, but if they don't stop moving backwards, they'll find themselves in a hole bigger than they can climb out of.  The Colts' high school caliber defense is no match for the Bengals high powered offense, so I see them winning this one without too much trouble.

Cincinnati 35, Indianapolis 20

Week 8- Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals

I don't have too much to say for this one.  The Bengals absolutely shut down Joe Flacco in Baltimore, where Dalton had never won in his four year career.  Now, those  same Ravens are trying to come to Cincinnati and take that win back? Nu-uh.  Nooo way.  I just don't see the ravens as having enough talent to pull this one off in the Jungle.

Baltimore 14, Cincinnati 28

Week 9- Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals

By week 9, I'm predicting Blake Bortles to be the Jaguars starter, and that's the only reason that I'm saying they'll get more than 0 points.  At the beginning of the season (a.k.a. the first half of the first game), the Jaguars looked like they have some promise in them, but then they fell down the hill and have been rolling farther down ever since.  I think that Bortles will bring some life back into them, maybe enough to win three or four, MAYBE five games this season.  However, one of those games won't be a win over Cincy, I can make that promise.  Bengals have 22 weapons on their starting lineup, Jaguars have (maybe) 2.  22>2, right? Simple math skills?

Jacksonville 6, Cincinnati 34

Week 10- Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

Johnny Football? Not in our house (or any house as of the moment).  Brian Hoyer has led the Browns to a 1-1 record with an impressive week 2 comeback against the playoff-worthy Saints, and people in Cleveland are finally beginning to believe that their team can get more than four wins.  "Brian Hoyer even beat the Bengals last year, so why not again?"  I can already hear the Browns fans pondering.  Well, I'll tell you why.  Josh Gordon will still be on his suspension, and the game will be in Cincinnati.  Those two factors alone, no matter how good the teams are playing at the time, will be the deciding factors.  IF Gordon was in and IF it was in Cleveland, then they might have some what of a fighting chance, but the sad truth (for Browns fans) is that it;s not.  Have fun driving back to Cleveland sad and fresh off of a loss guys.  Don't worry, it's not too long of a drive.

Cleveland 13, Cincinnati 27

Week 11- Cincinnati Bengals @ New Orleans Saints

This, my friends, will be the end of the Bengals 10-0 start to the season.  The Saints started the year 0-2, but mark my words, they'll get their "explicit" together in time for week 11.  Drew Brees is just too talented to let a season go to waste, and with weapons like Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, and rookie Brandon Cooks at his disposal, I don't see it happneing.  My prediction is that the team will become the opposite of last year's Chiefs; they won't be able to stop anyone on defense, but they'll begin to win the majority of their games because of their offensive firepower.  If this game was in Cincinnati, I think I'd have the Bengals win by they slightest of margins, but since it's in the Superdome, I'm calling this to be the first blemish in the Bengal's beautiful season.

Cincinnati 34, New Orleans 38

Week 12- Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans

Houston has made an impressive 2-0 statement this year, and many people are beginning to jump back on the Texans' bandwagon.  However, let's not forget that last year, the Texans started 2-0 before losing their next 14 straight games.  Although I don't see that happening again, I just don't see Ryan Fitzpatrick as the quarterback who can lead a team into the playoffs.  Besides Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, and J.J. Watt, how many  playmakers can you name?  If 0 was your answer, don't worry... It's mine too.  Their fire will cool off long before week 12, and they won't be able to handle the Bengals offense OR defense.

Cincinnati 26, Houston 14

Week 13- Cincinnati Bengals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Before week 1, I had the Bucs as my dark horse playoff team from the NFC.  NOT anymore!  Josh McCown has nowhere near lived up to expectations, and he just seems to keep getting worse.  His absolute failure to move the ball against Atlanta's mediocre defense (mediocre is giving it lots of credit) in week three's thursday night game was just embarrassing.  Not only do they have a QB problem, but Doug Martin, arguably the best player on the offense, has his injury situations, constantly getting hurt.  He hasn't played a full game since halfway through last season.  Finally, the defense has been plagued with injuries, and although they might look decent if they had all of their starters in, they've look horrendous so far.  I thought Lovie Smith was a coach who valued defense over anything, one who could turn the team's defensive players into a strong unit?  Guess not.

Cincinnati 41, Tampa Bay 9

Week 14- Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals

Good Andy bad Andy was a term familiar to the AFC North, it was a term that people used to judge Andy Dalton and, in direct response to it, the fate of the Bengals for that particular week.  What if the phrase stayed in the AFC North, but changed to good Pittsburgh bad Pittsburgh?  It seems like that could be the case this year for the Steelers, as it's hard to judge where they're at right now.  Which Pittsburgh team is going to show up every week?  The team that BARELY beat the Browns, and that got obliterated by the Ravens, or the team that showed up at the Panther's doorstep and pulverized them on their home turf?  That's the big question.  When the defense works out enough so that they can run faster than an 80 year old, and when the offensive line can give their quarterback more than two seconds to throw the ball, come back and talk to me about the Steelers pulling off this upset.  But now?  Not a chance.  Welcome to the jungle Steelers, we've got fun (for Bengals fans) and games (where the Steelers get killed by Cincy).

Pittsburgh 13, Cincinnati 27

Week 15- Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

Earlier, I said that when the Browns were home, that'd be the only time that they'd provide a threat to the Bengals.  Well, I lied.  Raise your hand if you think the Browns will be high-flying and full of encouragement by week fifteen.  Anyone, anyone?  No?  Didn't think so.  I'll admit, with Josh Gordon returning, the Browns COULD have a somewhat note-worthy offense.  If Brian Hoyer is still upright and keeping the Browns close within games, then they'll be note-worthy.  If I was going off of stats only, then to be honest, I think this could be a close matchup.  Joe Hayden has done a great job of keeping A.J. Green's production to a minimum in past matchups.  So, ok, it could be close.  But I'm not just going off of the stats.  The Bengals and Browns literally hate each other, you can't deny that, and that rivalry has the potential to fuel the fire in both teams.  I think that team will be the Bengals, their amazing year so far will keep them going, and they won't play the sloppy game that the Browns try to force upon them.  Sorry Browns fans, I'm not falling for your "new era in Cleveland" talk, Bengals win this one.

Cincinnati 26, Cleveland 18

Week 16- Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals

Everyone who has any interest in great matchups will have their TVs tuned to this Monday Night matchup.  This could very nearly match up to the "Offense vs. Defense" battle from last year's Super Bowl.  Denver with their world-famous firepower when they have the ball, Cincinnati with their rising stardom when playing the tough games.  But how do you judge a game like this?  Well, my only thought would be to break it down as simply as possible, so here we go.

QB- No one beats Peyton Manning. The end.

RB- The "Hammer and Sizzle" backfield in Cincinnati is on fire, and although you can't really blame Ball for his bad season (Peyton has the ball in his position SOOOO MUCH), the Bengals are definitely the favorites here.

WR- Hmm. This is a toughie... A.J. Green > Demariyus Thomas, Marvin Jones < Emmanuel Sanders, and Mohammad Sanu < Wes Welker... However, lets not forget that Sanu looks better at QB than some NFL starters do, Giovanni Bernard is tied for the most receptions on the Bengals, and Cincinnati has run so many screens, reverses, and trick plays that opposing defenses don't know which way they're running.  Therefore, I give Hue Jackson's creative plays the advantage here.

TE- Julius Thomas.  Yeah.

O-Line- Cincinnati hasn't given up a single sack in three games this year.  Does anything beat that? Nope.

Defense- I group this as a whole because when Cincinnati is at home, they literally obliterate every team that comes to face them.  Only one quarterback has come into Cincy in their last 12 home games and left with a passer rating of over 80.0.  They held Tom Brady to ZERO touchdowns.  Fluke?  No way.  Cincinnati wins here.

So overall, Cincinnati wins in four of my categories, while Denver only wins in two, so I should probably say that they'll win.  However, this is Peyton Manning, arguably the best quarterback to ever play in the NFL, that we're talking about... UGH!  It's so hard to choose!  The fan in me says Who Dey, the realistic side of me says that as of now, Broncos are superior... soooooo.... I HAVE NO IDEA.  I'm gonna say that Broncos win this one ONLY BECAUSE it's unrealistic to think that the Bengals can stay so close to perfect for so long.

Denver 28, Cincinnati 25

Week 17- Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The way I see it, there are two different scenarios that could play out here, and they will directly determine the outcome of this game. The first is that the Bengals and Steelers both have their playoff positions in place before the game. There's no chance that either of them will be in any other spot that what they're already in. If that's the case, then the Bengals will more than likely start their backups to ensure that no starters are injured, and if that happens, I'd give Pittsburgh a 95% chance of winning. Cincinnati's second string offense is about as ferocious as a third grade rec team, as demonstrated in the pre-season this year. If they start, they lose. However, if this game has meaning for EITHER of the teams, if it will determine a playoff shift in any kind of way, then both teams will be playing their starters, and when that happens, Bengals win. Simple as that. When I give this score prediction, I'm going off the assumption that starters WILL be playing week 17.

Cincinnati 21, Pittsburgh 15

Okay, I told you before, I'm definitely not a guy who works on the NFL Network team, and I'm probably being slightly Bengals biased, I'll admit it. However, no matter how anti-Cincinnati you are (although I doubt you are, since you're reading a Bengals Blog), there's no denying that this team in tiger stripes is a major threat to the rest of the NFL. Expert analysts are giving the Bengals a power ranking of two right now, that's #2 IN THE LEAGUE! When's the last time anyone heard that???? Yeah, it's been awhile. But hey, the era of the Bengals is beginning right now, and we, the fans of our great team, will be right in the center of it (more than likely rubbing it in our friends faces saying "TOLD YA SO!"). Here comes the Who Dey nation!!!