Cincinnati Bengals: Week 6

One would be hard-pressed to distinguish these last five Bengals games from the first season of Friday Night Lights: wild, heart-stopping endings that border on the unbelievable. I’m only 23, yet this ’09 campaign seems to have aged me into my 40s. After last week’s climatic finish in Baltimore, I literally Googled the positives of hopping on Beta blockers. And we’re only in mid-October. God only knows what my psyche will be come December, especially if Brad St. Louis is still prominently involved. (Note to CBS: please mandate that Gus Johnson be at every Bengal matchup from here on out. As much as my heart can’t take the suspense, it’s nice having Gus along for the ride.)

Through all the mayhem and madness, the Bengals are 4-1, good enough to sit atop the AFC North. Reaching this juncture in itself is impressive; yet, it’s the way they’ve ventured to this point that’s encouraging to Bengal fans. A stalwart D, a bruising running attack, a quarterback that can manage the game…all traits that correlate into teams playing late into January (And “game manger” is not meant in the derogatory sense of a Trent Dilfer “just don’t screw up” situation; rather, while Palmer hasn’t unleashed the offensive fury that was so prevalent in 2005, he’s reading the opposing defenses and strategically picking his spots). More importantly, the resolve of this team in unparalleled. Any team can come from behind. Repeating the feat can be brushed off as circumstance. Accomplishing this task four straight weeks, three against divisional rivals, is no coincidence. This team’s legit.

Not to say they’re without their problems. I’d say this whole snapper thing could be a slight issue (Although it does make field goal and extra point attempts a helluva lot more entertaining). The offense has yet to show up in the 1st half. This truth has been vastly overshadowed, chiefly due to the special team woes. Yet for an offense that claims it’s a run-first unit, trailing deep into games seems very counterintuitive. Much of this sentiment can be attributed to a pattern of failing to capitalize on scoring opportunities (In the Baltimore game alone, there was a missed FG, settling for three points after a 1st and Goal on the 4, and OchoCinco’s fumble). Chris Henry had his best showing of the season against the Ravens, but it still boggles the mind that #15 is on the sidelines more often than not. And speaking of receivers: 10 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD. That would be the statistical performance of one Laveranues Coles, whom the Bengals signed to a four-year, $28 million deal in the offseason.

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However, not many (ok, no one) had the Who-Deys penciled in at 4-1 heading into a showdown with Houston. While the Texans possess a high-octane offense, their defense has been suspect, giving up an average of 24 points and 140.8 rushing yards a game. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t get much easier, with trips to Pittsburgh, Minnesota, San Diego and New York (Jets), as well as hosting Baltimore and Chicago. On the bright side, for the first time in a couple years, the Bengals are still relevant six weeks into the season. It might be only a slight moral victory for Bengaldom, but when your last playoff victory was in 1991, you’ll take anything you can get.

One last note: As fans, we sometimes place the outcomes of sporting events in a higher priority that necessary. Regrettably, it took the loss of Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife to reaffirm that belief this week. But while it’s foolish to think that something as trivial as a football can have an uplifting effect, one would have to be made out of stone not to get somewhat emotional at the sight of the defensive guys swarming Zimmer at the conclusion of Sunday’s contest. Not only was it heartwarming to see another human picked up by his co-workers, but for once as a fan, you were finally proud to be called a Cincinnati Bengals fan. For years, that brought a lot of baggage and negative connotation, but it appears that this group is one to be proud of, on and off the field.

By Joel Beall
ProFootball-fans.com Cincinnati Bengals Correspondent