1. The Red Rifle!
No, JJ Watt, Andy Dalton is not the “Red Ryder BB Gun” that you mocked him to be after the Texans’ four point win over the Bengals. He is still the Red Rifle, and his 2015 Stats prove that even with missing the last three games along with one playoff game. According to ESPN’s 2015 Total OBR for all quarterbacks last season Dalton ranked 5th. Which places him above the current NFL MVP, Cam Newton, and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. Dalton finished the season with a 73.1 OBR and will look to better that this coming season. A lot of pressure was placed onto Dalton’s shoulders during the 2015 season with a lackluster running game. Due to the poor running game Dalton threw for 3,250 yards and managed to throw for 25 touchdowns. All of this was still done while keeping a 66% completion rating. Let's see in number 14 in orange and black can keep the train rolling into 2016.
2. The 2015 Record
After starting off the season with a club record 8-0 the 2015 Bengals made a lot of fans start doing the "Ickey Shuffle." They finished 12-4 overall, and 5-1 in the AFC North Division. The only division loss coming at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers by a deficit of only 13 points. Keep in mind that during the first quarter Andy Dalton hand injured his right thumb while making on Stephon Truitt after throwing a Red Zone interception. This placed AJ McCarron into the starting role for the rest of the season, and into the AFC Playoffs. Where the Bengals lost once again to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a heated, and controversial, AFC Wild Card game. This game left a bad taste in the mouths of some of the Bengals veterans and coaches. The AFC Wild Card game is sure to be a driving force for the Bengals during the 2016 season.
3. Defense Wins Championships
The Super Bowl L result came as a shock to some. The Carolina Panthers were the Las Vegas favorites to win the February 7th match up. That all came to a screeching halt when they met the league’s top rated defense in form of the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile during the 2016 NFL Draft, and free agency, the Bengals have gathered a few key pieces of talent that may lead to success during the 2016 season. The Bengals picked up four total defensive players during the past draft. Two are of serious note. The first round pick of William Jackson III from Houston came as a surprise to some, but the kid has some serious hands for a cornerback, and “allowed only 40% of passes thrown his way to be completed” over the last few years at college according to NFL.com. The Bengals also nabbed a big nose tackle from Baylor by the name of Andrew Billings. Billings received a 6.0 combine rating, and weighs just over 310 pounds. We will not likely see billings start until contracts run up for older players, but he will be a great addition for years to come. Finally the Bengals grabbed a free agent linebacker in Karlos Dansby. Most Bengals fans know Dansby as the hard-hitting Browns linebacker, but will now have to see him plugging a much-needed gap in the strong Bengals linebacker corps.
4. The “Who Dey” Family
The team mindset towards each other in Cincinnati is beyond just friendship it’s brotherhood. Many returning players have gone on record to attest to the family feel in Cincinnati. Andy Dalton and AJ Green have both told ESPN how they “just have a connection only brothers would have.” Veteran cornerback Adam Jones even has expressed his thoughts in not wanting leave the club by promising two wins against the Pittsburg Steelers and a the desire for a Super Bowl ring. The new bloods are even getting in on the action. Tyler Boyd, the second round WR draft pink and Pittsburgh native, has said to ESPN, “I'm going to have to completely throw out all the Steelers [stuff] and cause them all hell." We’ll just have to wait and see how the season plays out, and the drama that is sure to unfold.
5. The End of The Curse of Bo Jackson
Most Bengals fans know the last time the Bengals won a playoff game, which was against the Houston Oilers in the 1991 NFL Playoffs. The only problem is that that very next game was against the Los Angeles Raiders, and the star studded Bo Jackson. During that playoff match-up Bo Jackson suffered a career ending hip injury, which led to a full hip replacement. The Raiders eventually won the game by scoring ten points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. This began the curse on the Bengals playoff hopes. Fans and players alike are tired of hearing doubts come from sports analysts and rival fans. This is sure to be yet another driving force behind the Bengals yet to come success in the 2016 season.
Keys to Success in 2016
The Bengals running game needs to produce in order to balance the offence. This will help keep the plays neutral and the pressure on Dalton low. The cornerbacks need to be quicker in man coverage, and making changes to zone coverage. Many times during the 2015 season the Bengals corners were beaten by the opposing wide receivers or running backs. This allowed for huge chunks of yards and even points for the opposing teams. Tyler Eifert's ankle injury from the 2016 Pro Bowl hopefully with not sideline him as his recovery time is minimal. Eifert needs to be a weapon that is exploited early and often. He also needs to be the Bengals number one red zone target. Head coach Marvin Lewis also needs to realize that his job in on the line with anything less than reaching the AFC Title game. It would also be a good time for Marvin Lewis to drill the players about leaving it all on the field and being held accountable for their actions. Too many penalty yards were given by careless actions from some players on the defensive side of the ball. If the Bengals can prove to be who they can be with the stacked talent on the roster they should be able to work their way to a Super Bowl title this season.
