redlegsfan21
09-09-2007, 07:45 PM
It was an off-season of tumult for the Cincinnati Bengals, and it had nothing to do with their disappointing on-field performance in 2006.
One of the teams most directly affected by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's crackdown to restore discipline, the Bengals open their season minus two key suspended starters Monday night against their AFC North rivals - the Baltimore Ravens.
After ending a 15-year drought by reaching the playoffs in 2005, the Bengals took a huge step back with an 8-8 finish last year. Those problems were exacerbated by off-the-field conduct issues, resulting in 10 players being arrested in a 14-month span.
That prompted Goodell to take action, refusing to reinstate starting linebacker Odell Thurman - suspended by the league for the 2006 season after a drunk driving arrest while serving a four-game suspension for skipping a drug test. He also suspended wide receiver Chris Henry for the first eight games of 2007 for repeated violations of the league's conduct policy.
The commissioner also talked with owner Mike Brown about the problems, and the Bengals made it a point to draft players who did not have any character issues and released linebacker A.J. Nicholson in May one day after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
"Standards are different, let's face it," Brown said. "In the old days, if guys got into a fight, it was, 'Who won?' Now it's, 'Who's in jail?' It's just different.
"They know they have to do the right thing, but they're young guys, energetic guys. And sometimes they step over the line. Last year, we had more of that than we've ever had. It was, in my opinion, aberrational, but we have to answer for it. We have."
While the Bengals appear to have taken the proper steps off the field, quarterback Carson Palmer has emerged as the team's on-field leader. He was able to recover from offseason reconstructive knee surgery in time for the 2006 season opener and threw for a career-high 4,035 yards, but his 28 touchdowns and 62.3 percent completion rate were below his 2005 numbers.
"You want guys on your team that you know you can count on, guys that are going to be here to play week in and week out," said Palmer, one of many Bengals veterans to ask coach Marvin Lewis to take a harder line with the players. "When it's crunch time, you know they're going to make the right decisions. Whether it's crunch time and they're being peer-pressured to do something outside of football, or it's crunch time on third down and you have to make a play."
While Palmer will be without a favorite target in Henry, who tied for the team lead with nine touchdowns, he still has wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Johnson, who had 87 catches and led receivers in the league with 1,369 yards, has made it a point to improve on his touchdown total of seven from 2006, his lowest since 2002.
"Yeah, it's my motto this year," Johnson said. "I'm bringing sexy back for this year. It's that Ocho Cinco. It's going to be a beautiful season. Trust me, it's going to be a good year."
Defensively, coordinator Chuck Bresnahan is trying to integrate four new starters after Tory James, Brian Simmons, Sam Adams and Kevin Kaesviharn were either released or left via free agency.
"It's time for us to go as a unit, and it's right on me," Bresnahan said. "I'll accept that responsibility. It's time for us to step up this year and take our game to another level."
The Ravens stormed to the AFC North title with a franchise-best 13-3 record last year and were in the postseason for the first time since 2003. But an offense that averaged 22.1 points - good for 12th in the league - was stifled in a 15-6 defeat to the eventual Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts in the divisional playoffs, managing only two field goals.
"You use it as a motivation, you use it as a challenge," coach Brian Billick said. "You recognize what you did well, you identify what it is that left you with that feeling. That's what we're about to rectify."
Baltimore's biggest problems last year were in the red zone, where it ranked 28th in scoring, and rushing, where it averaged just 102.3 yards. The offense improved after Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, and quarterback Steve McNair threw for 3,050 yards and 16 touchdowns, but the loss to the Colts showed how much work remains.
"When you think of the Baltimore Ravens, you're going to think about the defense. And that's one of the things we want to overcome," McNair said. "We can be that great offense. We can be that balanced team. We know we've proven that last year and we want to prove that more this year."
To address the running game, the Ravens allowed Jamal Lewis to leave via free agency and acquired Willis McGahee in a trade from the Buffalo Bills. The fourth-year pro had a career-low 990 yards in 2006, but Baltimore is expecting him to bounce back.
"He came here for one reason: to run the ball and make our offense better," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "I think he did that as soon as he got here."
The defense is still expected to be dominant despite losing linebacker Adalius Thomas to the New England Patriots. Jarret Johnson, who played in all 16 games last season, will get the first chance to fill Thomas' spot.
"As much as they hated to lose Adalius Thomas, this group is very confident that it can reformulate itself," Billick said.
The home team won both games last year - each game was decided by six points - but the Bengals have won four of the last five overall. The Ravens have not won at Cincinnati since a 31-13 victory Dec. 7, 2003.
http://sports.myway.com/news/09062007/q5404.html
One of the teams most directly affected by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's crackdown to restore discipline, the Bengals open their season minus two key suspended starters Monday night against their AFC North rivals - the Baltimore Ravens.
After ending a 15-year drought by reaching the playoffs in 2005, the Bengals took a huge step back with an 8-8 finish last year. Those problems were exacerbated by off-the-field conduct issues, resulting in 10 players being arrested in a 14-month span.
That prompted Goodell to take action, refusing to reinstate starting linebacker Odell Thurman - suspended by the league for the 2006 season after a drunk driving arrest while serving a four-game suspension for skipping a drug test. He also suspended wide receiver Chris Henry for the first eight games of 2007 for repeated violations of the league's conduct policy.
The commissioner also talked with owner Mike Brown about the problems, and the Bengals made it a point to draft players who did not have any character issues and released linebacker A.J. Nicholson in May one day after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
"Standards are different, let's face it," Brown said. "In the old days, if guys got into a fight, it was, 'Who won?' Now it's, 'Who's in jail?' It's just different.
"They know they have to do the right thing, but they're young guys, energetic guys. And sometimes they step over the line. Last year, we had more of that than we've ever had. It was, in my opinion, aberrational, but we have to answer for it. We have."
While the Bengals appear to have taken the proper steps off the field, quarterback Carson Palmer has emerged as the team's on-field leader. He was able to recover from offseason reconstructive knee surgery in time for the 2006 season opener and threw for a career-high 4,035 yards, but his 28 touchdowns and 62.3 percent completion rate were below his 2005 numbers.
"You want guys on your team that you know you can count on, guys that are going to be here to play week in and week out," said Palmer, one of many Bengals veterans to ask coach Marvin Lewis to take a harder line with the players. "When it's crunch time, you know they're going to make the right decisions. Whether it's crunch time and they're being peer-pressured to do something outside of football, or it's crunch time on third down and you have to make a play."
While Palmer will be without a favorite target in Henry, who tied for the team lead with nine touchdowns, he still has wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Johnson, who had 87 catches and led receivers in the league with 1,369 yards, has made it a point to improve on his touchdown total of seven from 2006, his lowest since 2002.
"Yeah, it's my motto this year," Johnson said. "I'm bringing sexy back for this year. It's that Ocho Cinco. It's going to be a beautiful season. Trust me, it's going to be a good year."
Defensively, coordinator Chuck Bresnahan is trying to integrate four new starters after Tory James, Brian Simmons, Sam Adams and Kevin Kaesviharn were either released or left via free agency.
"It's time for us to go as a unit, and it's right on me," Bresnahan said. "I'll accept that responsibility. It's time for us to step up this year and take our game to another level."
The Ravens stormed to the AFC North title with a franchise-best 13-3 record last year and were in the postseason for the first time since 2003. But an offense that averaged 22.1 points - good for 12th in the league - was stifled in a 15-6 defeat to the eventual Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts in the divisional playoffs, managing only two field goals.
"You use it as a motivation, you use it as a challenge," coach Brian Billick said. "You recognize what you did well, you identify what it is that left you with that feeling. That's what we're about to rectify."
Baltimore's biggest problems last year were in the red zone, where it ranked 28th in scoring, and rushing, where it averaged just 102.3 yards. The offense improved after Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, and quarterback Steve McNair threw for 3,050 yards and 16 touchdowns, but the loss to the Colts showed how much work remains.
"When you think of the Baltimore Ravens, you're going to think about the defense. And that's one of the things we want to overcome," McNair said. "We can be that great offense. We can be that balanced team. We know we've proven that last year and we want to prove that more this year."
To address the running game, the Ravens allowed Jamal Lewis to leave via free agency and acquired Willis McGahee in a trade from the Buffalo Bills. The fourth-year pro had a career-low 990 yards in 2006, but Baltimore is expecting him to bounce back.
"He came here for one reason: to run the ball and make our offense better," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "I think he did that as soon as he got here."
The defense is still expected to be dominant despite losing linebacker Adalius Thomas to the New England Patriots. Jarret Johnson, who played in all 16 games last season, will get the first chance to fill Thomas' spot.
"As much as they hated to lose Adalius Thomas, this group is very confident that it can reformulate itself," Billick said.
The home team won both games last year - each game was decided by six points - but the Bengals have won four of the last five overall. The Ravens have not won at Cincinnati since a 31-13 victory Dec. 7, 2003.
http://sports.myway.com/news/09062007/q5404.html