He’s been the subject of great scrutiny over the past couple seasons, but one thing is for certain: You can’t pin the Bengals’ latest loss on Carson Palmer. What remains uncertain is... well, everything else.

Cincinnati lost its first divisional game in its last nine, a stretch dating back to the 2009-09 season before it was broken in the Bengals’ 23-20 defeat in Cleveland this past Sunday. And while Palmer threw for an impressive 371 yards (his highest single-game total since September of 2007) and 2 touchdowns on 25 out of 36 passing, his team got off to a slow start and was unable to recover, ultimately falling short by a field goal.

For the second time of the season, the Bengals out-gained their opponents (piling up over a hundred more net yards than the Browns) and still lost the game.

One issue that has played a big factor: the lack of a reliable running game. Cedric Benson was held to just 60 yards on 15 attempts, and he has still not had a run for longer than 13 yards all season. Through the first quarter of the year, he is averaging less than 66 yards on the ground per game. One of the team’s breakout performers last year, Benson has been unable to find his stride in 2010, in large part because he isn’t getting the help up front from his offensive line. If Benson continues to be anything less than a big factor for the Cincinnati offense, the Bengals will struggle to control the clock and move the ball down the field against their difficult remaining opponents.

Another issue that keeps rearing its ugly head has to do with big mistakes at key times of the game. There is a reason that teams like New Orleans and Atlanta have winning records and teams like the Forty-niners are 0-4: the winning teams don’t commit big turnovers or shoot themselves in the foot with penalties down the stretch. The clubs that tend to dwell at the cellars of their respective divisions do. In a league where roughly half the games each week are decided by one possession, any mistake is a potential game-blower.

Cincinnati had a 44-yard field goal attempt blocked towards the end of the first half, after an interception return that was called back due to an illegal block, costing the Bengals 23 yards in field position. Palmer fumbled the ball twice, both resulting in turnovers. Chad Ochocinco committed perhaps the most costly penalty of the day, on an offensive pass interference call that backed the Bengals out of scoring position with just over five minutes remaining and the team down by 3 points. The fact that the team’s veterans continue to make these mistakes is discouraging, and raises questions about their leadership and ability to come through in the clutch.

Ochocinco struggled again this week, catching only three passes and being held to under 60 yards for the third straight time since his impressive season opener. While Terrell Owens had by far his best performance as a Bengal, the question remains: can the two thrive together at the same time on the field? Having just one of their two main weapons show up each week is not enough. If both of the wideouts can perform while Jermaine Gresham continues to be a big factor with Jordan Shipley contributing, their passing game will be truly hard to stop.

Part of the problem is coaching, or more specifically, the inability to make halftime adjustments, a problem that plagued the Bengals last season as well. In all four games in the early 2010 season, Cincinnati’s opponents have scored the first points in the second half, three times by way of touchdown and once by field goal. Whatever the outcome of the first half of a football game, a team will struggle to be successful when it consistently yields points early in the second half. This gives its opposition momentum and allows them to either extend their lead or get themselves back into the game. Are the Bengals poorly coached and left unprepared for the opening of the second half, or are they just coming out flat because of a lack of motivation? The latter theory seems unlikely considering all that is at stake this season, but the Bengals remain in large part a mystery even to their most loyal followers.

But the Bengals have a chance to respond to the criticism and doubt surrounding their performance thus far. They face Tampa Bay at home before their Week 6 bye, and then things really get tough: at Atlanta, at home against Miami and Pittsburgh, and at Indianapolis. If the Bengals can’t find the answers to their questions in that stretch of games, they could find themselves on the outside looking in when the postseason arrives.

The Bengals won their Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers thanks again to stellar defense while the offense struggled at various stages of the game. Their 20-7 victory against rookie QB Jimmy Clausen and company put Cincinnati in a tie for second in their division. While the end result was very positive, the game cast a number of questions about the team that will need to be answered throughout the remainder of the season:
1) Is Carson Palmer the same quarterback he was during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 season?
Palmer was considered one of the elite NFL quarterbacks in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, compiling 60 touchdown passes while throwing only 25 interceptions. Even after coming back from ACL surgery after the 2006 playoffs, he looked in command as the Bengals passer. Since then, however, Palmer has been shaky, throwing a league-high 20 picks in 2007 and missing most of 2008 wih an elbow injury. To his credit, Palmer has never attributed any of his poor play to his injuries; however, something has to be said for his inconsistency at the quarterback position in the past several seasons. It is possible that his throwing arm is damaged to a greater extent than is generally acknowledged. If so, this presents a huge problem to a Bengals team strong in defense but struggling to find its offensive footing; if not, then Palmer simply has to find his way and lead his offense to the endzone the way he did earlier in his career.
In all likelihood, the remainder of this season will tell the true tale: is Palmer still a healthy, immensely talented quarterback with a cannon arm ready to unleash its devastation against opposing defenses, or is he damaged goods?

2) Can the offensive line give Cedric Benson a chance to regain his 2009-10 glory?
Benson was one of the premier running backs in the AFC last year. The UT grad accumulated over 1200 yards last season and was a vital part of the Bengals offense. This year, however, he has a mere 202 yards on 65 carries (just 3.1 yards per attempt with his longest carry being 13 yards). Though the offense is still trying to use him as a workhorse, the line is not giving him much help, causing Benson to be initially hit behind or at the initial line of scrimmage. As talented as he is, the Bengals tailback can't do everything on his own; he needs an offensive line that can push the defense around and give him a barrier behind which to run. If Benson can't rush effectively, the Bengals can't distract defenses from what should be a formidable passing attack, and they will have trouble dominating the play clock and keeping opposing offenses off the field. The offensive line's ability to give Benson a chance to break big runs this season will in large part determine the success of their offense.

3) Is Marvin Lewis truly a great NFL coach? Many factors point to yes: Lewis has a 58-56 record with the Bengals, after following some of their most disappointing coaches in team history in the early and mid-nineties. He has taken them to two playoff appearances in the past five seasons, a better record than any coach since Sam Wyche in the 1980's. Players and opposing coaches have great respect for Lewis as a person and a coach.
However, several signs point in the other direction: the Bengals are notorious for sloppiness and foolosh mistakes (take the botched extra point attempt in Week 16 of 2008 against Denver for example, a season in which the 8-8 Bengals missed a playoff berth by 1 game). The team's tendency to play down to less talented opponents is another sign of a problem, as in their Week 11 performance against the lowly Oakland Raiders last year where turnovers and poor play resulted in a shocking upset. Finally, the Bengals tend to get outplayed in the second half, particularly in the opening of the third quarter. This has been true in each of their last two games. In both, they led at the half, and in both, their opponents scored very early in the third quarter, in the Ravens' case to take the lead and in the Panthers' case to come closer to gaining the lead. Lewis will need to have the Bengals firing on all cylinders and truly assert himself as a great coach in this league for them to reach their potential.

This week's matchup pairs Cincinncati against division rival Cleveland away from Paul Brown Stadium. Regardless of the teams' records or rosters, these divisional games are nearly always hard-fought and more competitive than they would seem on paper, and the Bengals will most likely have a fight on their hands.

So all hands on deck. Palmer needs to regain his confidence and lead his offense down the field. Owens and Ochocinco need to come out of the shadows and make big plays. The offensive and defensive lines need to be aggressive and refuse to get pushed around. This could be a big year for the Bengals, and they've won 8 straight against divisional opponents dating back to 2008-09. The key to the remainder of a great season starts here.

POSTGAME ANALYSIS:

Cincinnati appeared to be a different team this week, coming closer to resembling the team they were last year. The defense played admirably, holding opposing quarterback Joe Flacco to under 50% completions and forcing 4 interceptions. The defensive line was noticeably more physical than they were in Week 1 and the defensive backfield provided excellent coverage. With the exception of one big miscue at the beginning of the second half, they played brilliantly.

The offense was a different story. Five times they began drives in Baltimore territory and they failed to come up with a single touchdown. Carson Palmer was inconsistent, allowing the ball to sail on him while he missed open receivers downfield. Chad Ochocinco was mainly a non-factor in a game where he became just the 30th NFL player to accumulate 700 career receptions.

The Bengals pulled off the rare feat of winning a game without scoring a touchdown. While it was a big victory for them, they will need to step things up on the offensive side of the ball the rest of the season in order to remain competitive against their tough schedule. Their next three games (at Carolina, at Cleveland, and home against Tampa Bay) are winnable, but they will need both their offense and defensive to be firing on all cylinders to put them in good position for the remainder of the year.

KEYS TO THE SECOND HALF:

1) Keep Flacco off balance and uncomfortable with pressure (he is 5-for-17 for 23 yards and a pick so far)

2) Stop committing foolish penalties (false starts, delay of game, etc)

3) Palmer and company need to establish the passing game

4) Continue to control the ball (Time of possession: Cincinnati 18:05, Baltimore 11:55)

5) Make second-half adjustments to keep Baltimore off the scoreboard and increase the lead

3rd Quarter: Just like that the Ravens take the lead, driving 80 yards in 7 plays, capped by a 31-yard touchdown to Derrick Mason from QB Flacco. After a three-and-out by the Bengals on the following drive, Baltimore appears to have momentum.

On 3rd & 12, Flacco attempts a pass to Anquan Boldin that is picked off by CB Leon Hall and returned 22 yards to Baltimore's 43-yard-line. Cincinnati's offense continues to disappoint, going three-and-out but the defense holds up its end of the bargain by forcing the same out of the Ravens.

Starting on their own 38, the Bengals get a big first-down from Chad Ochocinco on a pass to the sideline on third and long. The Bengals advance to the Red Zone again but poor pass protection and an intentional grounding call result in a 46-yard-field goal attempt, which Nugent hits to put Cinci back on top 9-7 with 19 seconds left in the third.

Baltimore return man Jalen Parmelo fumbles upon being hit after the kickoff but the Ravens recover and gain a first down on a 13-yard pass to Boldin as the quarter closes.

4th Quarter: The Ravens gain another first down but have to punt after failing to convert 3rd and long. After taking over possession, Palmer throws a 29-yard completion to Terrell Owens, the biggest gain of the day, to take Cincinnati close to mid-field. They stall after the big gain and have to punt; however, punter's Huber's boot only advances the ball 15 yards and the Ravens have solid field position at their own 29. The defense will need to step up to maintain the 2-point lead with 9:35 remaining.

On first down Baltimore RB Ray Rice hustles for the first long run of the day, gaining 30 on the carry to the Cincinnati 41. After a first-down catch by Boldin to the Bengals 24-yard-line, the Ravens fail a third-down conversion and have to attempt a field goal. Billy Cundiff sneaks it inside the left upright to put the Ravens up 10-9 at the 5:50 mark.

The Bengals respond in style, Bernard Scott returning the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to Baltimore's 41-yard-line. Palmer drops back to pass on first down against a heavy pass rush. The result of the play is an incompletion and an incomprehensible roughing the passer call against Baltimore LB Terrell Suggs (this blog pulls for the Bengals every week put there is no way to justify a phantom call like this one). This puts the Bengals in field position, and after failing to gain a first down kicker Mike Nugent nails his fourth field goal of the day to put the Bengals back up 12-10 with under six minutes left.

On the first play of their next possession, Flacco throws his third interception of the day, this one to linebacker Brandon Johnson, who is tackled at Baltimore's 11-yard-line. Although this has set the Bengals offense up beautifully, they fail to reach the endzone and are forced to kick their fifth field goal, this one from 25 yards, to increase their lead to 15-10. There is 2:52 remaining.

Starting at their own 20, Baltimore needs to go 80 yards to score a touchdown in order to take the lead. On 4th & 7, Flacco looks for Derrick Mason but is intercepted for the fourth time, this time by safety Chinedum Ndukwe at the Baltimore 46. Cedric Benson grinds out a final first down on the next play, allowing his team to run out the clock and record their first victory of the season, and their seventh in a row against divisional opponents dating back to last season.

FINAL SCORE: Cincinnati 15, Baltimore 10

1st Quarter: The Bengals receive the kick and after a delay of game penalty on 3rd & 6 are forced to punt after a three-and-out. The Bengals defense bends but does not break, forcing a punt from Baltimore that starts them at their own 12-yard line.

The Bengals work very slowly on offense, using nearly the entire play clock on most of their plays, abandoning any attempt to use the no-huddle offense they'd showcased in the pre-season. Their first first-down of the game comes on a pass to TE Jermaine Gresham but the offense can't advance any further.

On Baltimore's ensuing drive, starting at their own 28, the Cincinnati defense gets good penetration, knocking Flacco's first-down passing attempt down at the line of scrimmage. After a three-and-out at the 6:10 mark, the Bengals start their first sustained drive of the game, utilizing Shipley, Benson, Ochocinco, and Owens over thirteen plays. The quarter ends with the Bengals at the Baltimore 18-yard-line.

2nd Quarter: The drive stalls inside the Ravens red zone, and kicker Mike Nugent kicks a 35-yarder to put his team up 3-0 at the 14:52 mark.

The key now is for the Bengals to get the Ravens offense off the field with tough, physical defense. Suspect kickoff coverage gives Baltimore the ball at their own 30. Joe Flacco throws his first completion of the day at the 14:40 mark, followed by another short completion to fullback Le'Ron McClain. His following passed is a forced attempt over the middle that is intercepted by Adam Jones and returned to Baltimore's 35-yard-line. A huge shift in momentum has occurred.

Penalties continue to hurt the Bengals. On a second and short, a holding call backs them up 10 yards, negating a first-down carry by Bernard Scott. The first big offensive play ensues, as Palmer hooks up with Terrell Owens on a 22-yard first-down pass. Two plays later, on 3rd & 1, a false start backs Cincinnati up 5 yards. Palmer misses Ochocinco over the middle in the end zone and they are forced to kick a field goal to go up 6-0 with 9:46 remaining in the half. A missed opportunity to score a touchdown with great field position could cost them here.

The Ravens return the kickoff to the 35-yard-line (more bad coverage) and get to work, gaining a first down and then moving the ball into Cincinnati territory on a run by Willis McGahee. They stall, though, and are forced to punt, pinning the Bengals at their own 12-yard-line.

The rest of the half, both teams exchange lifeless possessions, with the Ravens accumulating two first downs while the Bengals earn none. At the end of the half both teams play it safe and the score is 6-0 Cincinnati at the halfway point.

THE DATE: September 19, 2010: Week 2

THE GAME: Baltimore at Cincinnati

THE BLOGGER LOCATION: Cool River Cafe, Austin, TX

THE SET-UP: The Bengals host Baltimore in the first divisional match-up of the year. The Bengals are 8-3 against Baltimore with Carson Palmer at quarterback, winning five of the last seven. Week one found the Ravens beating the Jets in a physical battle while the Bengals struggled against the Patriots' potent offense. Cincinnati looks to continue its dominance in division play against its rival today.

Once again, wireless internet failed us in the attempt to write this blog live so this will come immediately after the game.

KEYS TO VICTORY:

1) Get off to a good start and get the crowd involved early

2) Cedric Benson needs to have another big running game against the Ravens defense (he ran for well over 100 yards in their two meetings last season)

3) The defense needs to get to Flacco and cause him to make mistakes

POSTGAME ANALYSIS:

The Bengals failed to execute in many areas Sunday against New England. It started with the offensive and defensive lines failing to establish themselves, resulting in a failure to pressure Tom Brady or to give their own running game a chance to thrive. To succeed against their tough schedule this year, Cincinnati will have to be much more physical and effective up front.

Games can be won or lost on a few big plays. The Bengals allowed two non-offensive touchdowns today and lost the game by exactly two scores. Minimizing mistakes both in terms of turnovers and allowing big plays on defense is essential to the team's success.

On the positive side, Chad Ochocinco had a huge game, catching 12 balls for 159 yards and a touchdown, while Carson Palmer threw for 345 yards. Despite the score, the Bengals outgained the Patriots by over 50 yards on offense, accumulating 428 total yards.

Facing division rival Baltimore at home next week, Cincinnati will have to shake off its disappointing first-week loss as they prepare to continue their dominance over divisional opponents from last season.

KEYS TO RECOVERY:

1) Be more dominant on both sides of the line- rush the quarterback and give Cedric Benson room to run

2) Field position- improvement needed on kickoff returns and moving the chains

3) Minimize mistakes (eliminate turnovers and big plays from Patriots)

3rd Quarter: The worst possible start to the second half commences as Tate returns the opening kick 97 yards for a touchdown, putting New England up 31-3. He was untouched.

The Patriots play a noticeably softer defense, allowing Cincinnati to move the ball consistently downfield for the first time in the game. A 12-play, 80-yard drive is capped by Jermaine Gresham's first career NFL touchdown reception from 1 yard out. The score is now 31-10.

With a 21-point deficit, there is no margin for error, and the Bengals force a punt after a big holding penalty on New England negates a first-down reception by Alge Crumpler.

With 2:30 left in the third, the Bengals face 3rd and 5 on the New England 40 in an obvious 4-down situation. A mental error by Ochocinco on a reception causes him to be tackled short of the first down marker, but the offense converts a 4th and 1 to continue the drive. The following play, Ochocinco makes up for his mistake earlier by catching a 28-yard toss from Palmer for a touchdown, his 63rd with the Bengals. With less than a minute remaining in the quarter, the Bengals are within two scores of New England. The quarter closes at 31-17 Patriots.

4th Quarter: The ensuing kickoff lands the Patriots inside their own twenty, with the momentum evidently in Cincinnati's corner. But two big third conversions help New England sustain a 7-minute scoring drive ending in Tom Brady's third touchdown of the game. With the score now 38-17, the game seems out of reach for Marvin Lewis' squad.

The Bengals fight back despite poor play from the offensive line, and Cedric Benson scores his first touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run with 4 minutes left. The onside kick attempt fails to go 10 yards and the Patriots take over in Bengals territory. The clock runs out on them.

FINAL SCORE: New England 38, Cincinnati 24.

As in any new endeavor, this blog faced initial technical difficulties, resulting in the inability to write live postings during the game. This problem should be resolved by next week, but for the present, here is the analysis of the Bengals Week 1 performance:

1st Quarter: The Bengals receive the opening kick and are throwing off the bat, with Carson Palmer going to new WR Terrell Owens on the first two plays from scrimmage out of a three-wide set. After being forced to punt, the Bengals have a defensive breakdown on a pass from Brady resulting in a 45-yard completion to Aaron Hernandez. A touchdown pass to Wes Welker puts the Patriots up 7-0.

Poor special teams on kickoff returns hurts Cincinnati, and the Bengals are forced to punt after a three-and-out. After allowing the Patriots into the Red Zone, the Bengals defense forces them into a field goal.

On the ensuing possession, Cedric Benson fumbles inside his own 30 and New England recovers as the first quarter closes. It would have been hard to conceive a worse start for Cincinnati.

2nd Quarter: Strong defensive (including a huge hit from Jonathan Joseph against Patriots wideout Brandon Tate) and a penalty against New England result in a missed field goal, but uninspired offense by Cincinnati results in another punt. The Bengals are being dominated on both sides of the line, a discouraging prospect for Cinci fans.

Cincinnati continues to fail to pressure Patriots QB Tom Brady, who marches New England down the field, completing a 4-yard touchdown strike to Wes Welker to finish their third scoring drive. The score is now 17-0 with just under nine minutes left in the half.

The Bengals respond with a no-huddle offense that they'd rehearsed in the pre-season. After watching Cincinnati convert a third-and-three, Patriots coach Bill Belichick calls a time-out to stop any momentum they might be gaining, a testament to how well-coached the Pats are.

Following the time-out, Palmer throws an interception to New England linebacker Gary Guyton that is returned 59 yards to a touchdown, making the score 24-0 at the 5:38 mark. At this point in the game the Bengals have 0 net rushing yards.

Cincinnati gets a drive going with the clock running down in the first half and kicker Mike Nugent nails a 54-yard field goal to put his team on the board with just over a minute remaining. The halftime score: 24-3 New England.

WEEK 1

THE DATE: September 12, 2010: Week 1

THE GAME: Cincinnati at New England

THE BLOGGER LOCATION: Bagpipes Pub, Austin, TX

THE SET-UP: The Bengals and Patriots last met in 2006 at Paul Brown Stadium. After settling for field goals on two long first-quarter scoring drives, the Bengals were outscored 34-7 in the remainder of the game in a telling home-field loss. Both New England and Cincinnati won their divisions last season but were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. This year finds both teams hoping to return to the postseason while battling very competitive divisions.

This blog will be dedicated to the 2010-2011 Cincinnati Bengals football season, following the team on a week-by-week basis over the next seventeen weeks, and hopefully through the playoffs.

THE RECAP:

Last season Cincinnati made the postseason for the second time since 1991. Despite a first-round playoff to the New York Jets, the season was a huge step forward for the team. Newly-acquired Cedric Benson shined in the backfield, the the defensive unit became one of the NFL's best. The Bengals dominated the AFC North with punishing, physical play, sweeping the division for the first time in franchise history.

THE 2010-2011 SEASON:

The Bengals return nearly the entire squad from last season. Although the release of wideout Antonio Bryant provided some disappointment, wide receiver Terrell Owens and tight end Jermaine Gresham will open up the passing game, giving QB Carson Palmer more weapons to use against opposing defenses.

The defense boasts perhaps the best cornerback duo in the NFL; Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph are both excellent cover corners and have the ability to play very physical football. Linebacker Rey Maualuga is healthy and will continue to be a play-maker as he was in his rookie season. If they can improve their pass rush, the Bengals defense will again be close to the top in the league and will keep them in games against even the toughest opponents.

After a 3-2 finish in five preseason games, Week 1 finds Cincinnati heading to Gillette Stadium to play the New England Patriots. This blog will follow the game and provide analysis as the Bengals begin their new season.

Who dey.