Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
They don't allow you to take a mulligan in pro football. If they did, one has to believe the Cincinnati Bengals would take it for the whole 2008 season. An injured quarterback, problems on defense, and a controversial and somewhat unproductive wide receiver conspired to take Cincinnati down. After a 4-11-1 campaign, the Bengals are ready to (sort of) start over.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet The ... Team best known for self-destruction and felonies! Yes, only in America ... it's the Cincinnati Bengals. Honestly though, the troubled times seem to be in the past, as the Bengals are preaching team unity and singing a new tune heading into the upcoming season. Under the radar? Sleepers? Well, when was the last time we heard such chatter as it relates to the Bengals? Hold tight, let's watch this story develop. However, you heard it here first (sort of): The Bengals have some fantasy potential.
They possess one of the top quarterbacks in the league (when healthy), a stable of cast-off running backs, a troubled receiving corps with "rebound" potential and the capability to be an explosive offense, again. Will the line hold up to keep Carson healthy? Will Ochocinco snap back into circa 2005 form? A lot of questions, but you already know there is gonna be risk with these guys. However, this year they do offer a sliver of hope that they will indeed reward.
Weeding through those unwieldy waiver wires requires a keen eye and a quick trigger. Thus, Waiver Wire Wonders provides a weekly snapshot of players worthy of consideration who should be available on a good portion of league waiver wires. Enjoy those pickups...
Week three proved exciting with some big time waiver wire potential. Thanks to an awful lot of high scoring offensive shootouts, we got a chance to see a lot of up and coming players exhibit there skills and define their roles within the systems. Don't get caught snoozing this week, because I believe there are some good adds.
Brian Griese (Tampa Bay Bucs) – Coach Jon Gruden expressed his confidence in Griese this past week and apparently he wasn't foolin', because Griese posted a week high 407 yards and two TDs. He did throw three picks, but with stats like those, he still has plenty of points leftover. Griese looks like a decent add for a backup.
J.T. O'Sullivan (San Francisco 49ers) – While it is wise to automatically discount any performance that occurs when the Lions are the opposing team, O'Sullivan showed up yet again with solid numbers (189 passing yards, 2 tds, 32 rush yards), reducing his lucky break risk significantly. I'd say with O'Sullivan clicking with Martz, this is a recipe for at least a reliable backup. Also, you gotta love Martz running up the score against his former employer.
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Quarterback: If there is one constant on this team, it is Carson Palmer. Sure, Palmer didn't have his best season a year ago, but his off seasons are better than many QBs best years. In reality, other things factored into his poor season (injuries to the line, injury to Rudi Johnson, receivers pouting). The only issue here is what happens in Cincinnati if Palmer gets hurt. They have no one groomed to come in. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jeff Rowe are in their second seasons with the team and Carson's brother, Jordan, is fighting for a spot. Heat Index: 8
Running backs: Injuries have hurt this unit in the past couple of years. Workhorse Rudi Johnson finally hit a wall; Kenny Irons blew out his knee in his first preseason game; Chris Perry has never been able to stay on the field. Well, Rudi and Perry are healthy again, with 2007 surprises Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey around to give the offense a different dynamic. Cincy needs this unit to get back to form to allow the entire offense to explode. Heat Index: 4
Receivers:Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are one of the best receiving combos in the NFL. T.J. tied for the lead in receptions; Chad was third in receiving yards. However, this could be the last season either is in Cincinnati. Johnson's issues with the team are well documented. T.J. is in his final contracted season. Chris Henry is finally gone and there are several guys trying to step into that #3 spot. Rookie Jerome Simpson will get a strong look, as will Andre Caldwell and Antonio Chatman. Chatman is the only one with experience and could get the nod. Heat Index: 8
According to the Bengals official website, Odell Thurman plans to appeal his denial for reinstatement:
The process starts early next week with attorney John Michels sending a letter to the NFLPA requesting that it argue the grievance and it then has 30 days to decide if it will take the case. "It's a difficult appeal," said Michels Friday night. "The first tier is to convince the NFLPA and then it would go to the commissioner and he made the original decision." Michels plans to draw up a letter this weekend, have Thurman read it Monday, and then send it to the union.
Some other notes of interest after the first day of camp:
WR Antonio Chatman tweaked his hammy while running a route in practice. Chatman is in the competition for the third receiver job while Chris Henry sits out eight games due to his own NFL suspension.
The Bengals have agreed with Fox Sports Ohio to become the cable home for the Bengals. This will allow the network to exclusively house "encores of all available preseason games, a weekly Bengals Spotlight show, and live coverage of head coach Marvin Lewis' regular Monday news conferences during the regular season. "
The injury reports obviously come a little earlier this week with the Thursday game, so let's get right to things. Here's who's banged up heading into Baltimore Week ...
John Thornton is doubtful with a knee injury that he suffered on Sunday. No, not during the game, during pre-game warm-ups. That's pretty much how the Bengals roll this season. He actually has a fairly impressive consecutive games streak that's probably going to end Thursday. Thornton's played in 59 games in a row.
Levi Jones is still out. Maybe next week.
Bobbie Williams is also still out. Should be awhile for him still, but I'm pretty happy with the way Stacy Andrews has filled in.
Rich Braham has been elevated to questionable, and could actually play on Thursday night. This one could be huge.
Deltha O'Neal is questionable. It'd really help if he could play, since that would probably mean a little less of Tory James on the field.
Kelley Washington is also questionable. I'm hoping he comes back fairly soon, because Cincinnati's fourth wide receiver is an undrafted free agent at the moment. I don't have anything against Glenn Holt, but I'd rather see Washington doing that job.
Sam Adams is probable, but not practicing, which is standard operating procedure for him. He might want to consider practicing so that he'd be a little less of a fat ass, but whatever works I guess.
Brian Simmons is probable, which is huge. The linebacking corps has been absolutely decimated this season, and getting Simmons back into the rotation can only help.
Just to illustrate how bad off the Bengals are this year, the Ravens injury list features three players, all of whom are questionable, but all of whom will almost certainly be on the field Thursday night. Three injured players against eight, and that's not even counting all the guys on IR (Tab Perry, Chris Perry, Bennie Brazell, Antonio Chatman, Frostee Rucker, David Pollack, etc. etc.) The Bengals are incredibly fortunate to even have a shot at the playoffs with the bad injury luck they've had this season.
Marvin Lewis announced today (after previously saying he wouldn't decide until this weekend) that Chris Henry will be playing on Sunday.
Antonio Chatman was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
Lewis really had no choice but to play Henry. The Bengals are extremely thin at wide receiver, with either Reggie McNeal or Ethan Kilmer serving as the third receiver if Henry were to miss more time. McNeal is new to the position, and Kilmer was drafted as a special teams player, so neither are really good options.
Activating Henry makes the wide receiver position a position of strength again instead of a weakness.
One thing I'm a bit puzzled by is the Chatman to the IR decision. Reports seemed to say that he had a mild groin problem, not something you'd normally think would end a season. With the shortage of healthy wide receivers you'd think the Bengals would have kept him active, but maybe it was more severe than originally presented. Or maybe the Bengals are going to go out and sign somebody comparable to Chatman, like Peter Warrick.
Marvin Lewis said yesterday that when it comes to Chris Henry he will "make that decision come Sunday".
The Bengals are incredibly thin at wide receiver. They're down to Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Glenn Holt, and Reggie McNeal, with Antonio Chatman questionable for Sunday.
No offense to Peter Warrick, but if they're bad off enough to consider bringing him in then I just don't see how you don't play Chris Henry this Sunday. Henry is one of the best #3 receivers in the NFL, and the Bengals are 3-0 this year in games he started. That kind of stat can often be misleading, but in Henry's case I'm not sure it is. He was hugely responsible for the win against the Steelers, and the Bengals offense was much more fluid and efficient in the wins against the Browns and the Chiefs with Henry on the field.
Henry has served his suspension, plus a one game team imposed suspension. If Kelley Washington were healthy then sure, I could see sending a message, but the Bengals need Chris Henry on the field against the Falcons. I just hope Marvin Lewis sees it that way.
Quite a bit of news coming from the Bengals today.
- Tab Perry's hip injury, which is keeping him out for the rest of the season, is being compared to Bo Jackson's. Obviously not good news, and it would really be terrible if Perry's career was in jeopardy. He was a great return guy for the Bengals last season, and I always thought he had the potential to be a decent number two or three receiver if given the chance.
- Chris Henry was still not activated, but the Bengals aren't in any rush to get him back on the 53 man roster. He's a roster exemption until Monday. Obviously you'd expect the Bengals to do something before then though, especially if he's to play on Sunday.
- Marvin Lewis made it sound as if Peter Warrick wouldn't be signed, saying that "the team works-out players every Tuesday and that they didn't bring Warrick in to sign him now".
- Rashad Jeanty wore cleats today for the first time in weeks, and he's questionable for Sunday. Antonio Chatman is also questionable, which I think is pretty good news for a guy who had his junk abused last Sunday.
Well if there was any doubt that Marvin Lewis might hold out Chris Henry this Sunday, I think this news should erase it.
The Bengals worked out Peter Warrick today. While the Bengals are short on receivers, Warrick was probably worked out because of worries about the return game. Tab Perry is out for the year, and Antonio Chatman is dinged up.
I don't have a lot of fond memories of Peter Warrick returning punts for the Bengals (I remember lots of fair catches inside the 10, and a couple of fumbles deep in Bengals territory), but I honestly don't know who the Bengals will turn to if Chatman can't go. Reggie McNeal is a possibility, but he's a rookie and hasn't seen the field yet this season. Not to mention he was a quarterback until a few months ago.
I'm guessing the Bengals wouldn't have worked Warrick out if they weren't serious about signing him, so I'm thinking we'll hear something official in the next day or two.
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
Weeding through those unwieldy waiver wires requires a keen eye and a quick trigger. Thus, Waiver Wire Wonders provides a weekly snapshot of players worthy of consideration who should be available on a good portion of league waiver wires. Enjoy those pickups...
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, 
According to the Bengals 
The injury reports obviously come a little earlier this week with the Thursday game, so let's get right to things. Here's who's banged up heading into Baltimore Week ...
Marvin Lewis announced today (after previously saying he wouldn't decide until this weekend) that Chris Henry will be playing on Sunday.
Marvin Lewis said yesterday that when it comes to Chris Henry he will "make that decision come Sunday".
Quite a bit of news coming from the Bengals today.
Well if there was any doubt that Marvin Lewis might hold out Chris Henry this Sunday, I think 
