The Bengals are going to the Superbowl this year. Just got off the phone with Miss Cleo…it is the 20 year anniversary of their last appearance, the moon is waning, the seventh seal has been broken, rivers are turning to blood…
Well, you get the idea. Homerism sharpened to it’s finest point=Bengals fan.
Well, your team ended last year with a poor record, a coach who has lost control of the team, an aging offense, and a joke of a defense. In what ways have you improved?
Sounds eerily similar to the Giants after the 2006 season. Keep hope alive!
For what it’s worth, I never thought the Giants defense was ever that bad. They had some injuries and a down year, but what was their defensive ranking in '06?
The Giants had the 25th ranked defense in 2006, while the Bengals had the 27th ranked defense in 2007.
I agree with your sentiment, though, in that the Giants have had a history of better defense than the Bengals. Not great, certainly, but better than total crap. Here’s their respective rankings since realignment:
Giants Bengals
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2002 9th 17th
2003 22nd 28th
2004 13th 19th
2005 24th 28th
2006 25th 30th
2007 7th 27th
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Avg: 17th 25th
It is noteworthy that the Giants’ average defensive ranking is slightly better (16.66…) than the best ranking the Bengals managed to get.
So yeah, the Giants were in better shape defensively than the Bengals. Mostly you’re right in that they had many of the pieces in place but they kept getting injured. When they finally stayed reasonably healthy they won a Superbowl.
Even though the Bengals don’t have that, I still say Keep Hope Alive!
That last point was one I wanted to make, that the Giants seemed to have down years when injuries clobbered them (who doesn’t, right?)
I’m happy that you didn’t show the defensive rankings for the Lions.
Things will be much better this year. Sooner or later a defense composed almost entirely of ex-Bucs has to stop sucking.
We’re not like the Pats, whose players invariably suck as soon as they turn out in someone else’s uniform.
…But…ex-Bucs past their prime? I really like Brian Kelly, but I liked his game a few years ago.
The fact that they’re importing those guys (Hardy Nickerson and Derrick Brooks are on the speed dial now) over scares me. It’s like the guy you still see dressed up like he’s in the '70s because he was a stud then…now he’s just a combovered mess of polyester.
So little FA news over the last week or so. I’m getting a little twitchy.
Will Bryant Johnson or DJ Hackett be helping the dangerously undermanned Bears WR corps? I must know…
I really don’t want to be using high draft picks looking for immediate help at the WR position when we need depth at too many other key positions, like QB, RB, OT, OG, and DT.
God, how sad is it that I’m desperate for Bryant fucking Johnson…
I like DJ Hackett and I think he’s a little underrated.
…Did that work?
Kelly is still an excellent coverage guy- just not a great tackler.
Nickerson is retired. He’s doing commentary for the Bucs radio network now… and Brooks will retire as a Buc. I doubt he’s got more than this season left in the tank anyway.
I had Hackett on my fantasy team last year so I saw a lot of him, and I think he’s very underrated too- I think he’ll make an excellent #2 somewhere.
I knew Nickerson was retired, but I’m holding out hope for him and Kevin Greene.
That’s a joke, by the way.
That seems to be a pretty popular meme amongst experts and bloggers this offseason. I think the guy is a fine player, but people all seem to completely blind to the fact that he has played in a very pass-happy system with a outstanding QB. All of his numbers are a little inflated and he’s one of those guys who gets severe cases of the drops. I like Johnson quite a bit more.
Then again if it comes down to it, I’ll take Hackett over Booker as my #1.
twitch…twitch…twitch
C’mon you guys just signed the mighty Brandon Lloyd. 
I think he might do better in a somewhat more stable offense in Chicago than the ever revoloving Redskin camp.
As long as they leave him on the field he’ll make some amazing catches. He was almost a weekly fixture on Plays of the Week with the Niners…
I actually hadn’t seen this info until you posted it. Here’s a link.
I love this move. I know Lloyd extremely well from his playing days at my alma mater Illinois and when he last played under Ron Turner there he was simply awesome. I’d always followed his career in San Fran because of those frequent highlight reel catches and he was a staple on many of my fantasy teams a mid-late round sleeper. This year I might do that again.
There’s been a lot made of his attitude and conflicts with coaches, but in fairness San Fran and Washington haven’t exactly been easy places to be a WR of late. I’m optimistic that the combination of a one-year contract and reuniting with his college coach will go a long way to having him happy and getting max-effort from him. He’s still young and has staggering physical skills, so he might be a good counter point to Booker and could challenge Bradley and Davis (if he’s back). I like this addition more than using a 1st day pick on the WR position, that’s for sure.
Still, I’m not ready for the Bears to stand pat at WR. If Johnson is still on the market at an attainable price, they should give him a run.
I don’t mind Byrant Johnson either. The Bears might have the receiver equivalent of the Seahawks receivers or the Chiefs receivers a few years ago, where there isn’t a superstud among the group, but they’re all solid.
Chad, you mean?
I highly doubt it. Considering that the Bengals’ roster is getting worse during this offseason, if anything, I don’t see any way they’ll let their true talent go cheap.
On the other hand, maybe a one-for-one trade for Lance Briggs or Charles Tillman would be a possibility…
ETA: Never mind, I see you meant Bryant. I’m not impressed with him; if he couldn’t get open with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin lined up outside, I can’t imagine he will in the Bears’ offense. Perhaps more importantly he didn’t do much when he started for Boldin, either.
I’d be thrilled if that were the case. Right now we’re looking to get some major production from Devin Hester and Mark Bradley though. Hester still hasn’t sold me on his being an every down WR and unless he’s really sharpened up his routes and learned to block pinning your offense on him is a huge risk based on what he’s shown. Bradley has some great skills and speed but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Last season he wasn’t hurt but couldn’t get off the bench and isn’t much of a blocker either. Our running game depends on our WRs blocking upfield and Lloyd, Booker, Bradley and Hester would comprise the worst blocking WR corps ever assembled in the Super Bowl era.
I’m sorry, but adding a rookie isn’t going to make this group any more reliable and consistent and we can only hope to aspire to that of the Seahawks or Chiefs. The more I look at it the more convinced I am that we need Bryant Johnson. Pencil him in at the #1 slot and bump Lloyd and Booker down to #2 and #3 and we’re looking much better. Hester and Bradley can come in situationally and maybe steal a job from one of the starters.
Hester’s hands are apparently only equipped to catch a punt or a kickoff. A football fired to him in any other format bonks off his hands like he had flippers.