FanHouse DomataPeko

CINCINNATI -- As losses go, this one was a stinker. Flying high off yet another last-minute intra-divisional win, the Bengals showed up for a home game Sunday against the Texans and had just about everything go wrong. They lost, 28-17, most important, and they also saw key defensive lineman Antwan Odom and Domata Peko go down with injuries. Odom's is a torn Achilles' tendon, which means they've lost him for the season. Bad, bad loss.

But the message Bengals coach Marvin Lewis delivered to his team in the wake of this bad loss was the same, simple two-word mantra he delivered on the first night of the season, after a goofy last-minute bounce cost the Bengals a game against the Denver Broncos:

"Don't flinch."

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

With each pick of the FanHouse mock draft, we get into the head of an NFL general manager and let you know who he'll pick and why.

Well, it has been a very interesting offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals. The team has had to deal with Chad Johnson's nonsense, they've cut Chris Henry after an arrest for assault and last night, word came out that Domata Peko and Chris Perry were involved in trashing a nightclub. Needless to say, Cincy needs something to feel good about right now.

Sedrick Ellis is a guy they can feel good about. He's one of those rare guys that is a playmaker at the defensive tackle spot. He's also a prime guy to play the nose guard position if Cincinnati does decide to transition to a 3-4 defense.

Ellis brings something that the Bengals don't have ... a pass rushing defensive tackle. This alone will help the entire defense so much. Sure, the defense isn't very good, but they are talented and very, very young. Adding a guy who can get pressure up the middle helps the coverage teams and makes the secondaries job so much easier (the Bengals were starting three rookies and a 2nd-year guy in the secondary at the end of last year).

If you think the Chris Henry story couldn't get weirder ... here ya go:

According to Cincinnati TV station WLWT, Henry, along with Bengals (Domata Peko, Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry were among names mentioned), were escorted out of BANG nightclub in Cincinnati on Sunday morning. Club security called in a complaint against the three Bengals.

"They're destroying a ceiling in the back room here, and they're all highly intoxicated," the officer said in a recording obtained by News 5. "The bar owner wants them ejected from the bar, so we're going to try and eject them now, but they've been kind of rowdy all night."

Multiple sources told News 5 that Henry was smoking a marijuana cigar inside the club and some of the players hung from a chandelier, ripping it from the ceiling.

Witnesses also said the players sprayed champagne on patrons and lifted up women's skirts before they were escorted out.

Man, what a roll this guy is on. I'm not trying to be funny when I say this, but did he fall off some sort of wagon? He'd been pretty quiet for nearly a year ... yet has two incidents in a week's time. One for tearing da club up; the second for assault and busting up a windshield.

This comes two days after his name came up in a police blotter.

The nightclub has yet to file charges, as they were awaiting reimbursement for damages.