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The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of hope going into next season.  Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton had an outstanding season.  He took the Bengals and turned them around along with the 2011 season.  The Bengals showed that they were a team to contend with by the end of the season. 

I think a lot of this success is due to Andy Dalton and the maturity he gained during his rookie season.  He understands the game.  Dalton has learned from his mistakes and used that information to make things right--to iron out the wrinkles effectively and make plays work.

Dalton led the Bengals to four fourth quarter come from behind victories during the 2011 season.  This is quite an accomplishment for a rookie quarterback.  Let's compare that to a veteran quarterback--Eli Manning.  Manning had seven fourth quarter comebacks in 2011.  Do you see where I'm headed with this?  Dalton has a great future ahead with the Bengals and fans should be very excited about that.

Dalton's confidence was also boosted last season with each win, with a turn around to a winning season and making the grade to a wild card spot in the playoffs.  This will go a long way in taking a leadership role for the Bengals.  Dalton did a good job of this during his rookie season and has put down a good base to build upon.

I think Andy Dalton is the Bengal's key to the future.  He knows how to protect the football, has a strong throwing arm, and is building leadership among his team members.  Dalton may not lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl next season, but I would be surprised if he doesn't lead them in the next five years.

Are we ready for some football?  I am!

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Andy Dalton, rookie quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, has been named the replacement for Tom Brady of the New England Patriots for the 2012 Pro Bowl.  Brady, who led the Patriots to a win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, January 21, 2012, is now headed for the Super Bowl to take on the New York Giants. 

Dalton is the first rookie quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since 2006 when Vince Young was selected.  Dalton will be joined in the Pro Bowl by fellow teammate, A.J. Green, rookie a wide receiver, who Dalton had no trouble hooking up with during the 2011 season, making the two a dynamic duo.  They make Pro Bowl history as the first rookie quarterback/rookie wide receiver duo from the same team in Pro Bowl history. 

Dalton will join Ben Roethlisberger from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philip Rivers from the San Diego Chargers as the quarterbacks for the AFC.

Dalton, a rookie from Katy, Texas, was drafted in the second round in 2011 by the Bengals.  Dalton' had a good year, and put up some impressive numbers during the season and led the Bengals to a Wild Card spot in the first round of the playoffs.  The Bengals did not proceed in the playoffs, but did have a winning season this year finishing 9-7 for the year.   Dalton passed for for 3,398 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2011.

Dalton and Green will play in the 2012 Pro Bowl next Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 6:00 pm Central Standard Time.  The Pro Bowl will be carried on the NBC network. 

Which team will you be rooting for, the AFC or the NFC and why?

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The Bengals had an outstanding 2011 season.  They not only had a winning season, but also made it to the playoffs with a wild card.  What does this team need to make it all the way to the Super Bowl?  Let's take a look at a few of the most important needs for this team.

Last year the Bengals lucked up in getting both A.J. Green, wide receiver, and Andy Dalton, quarterback, who teamed up to have many successful runs in 2011 and touchdowns.  The rookie duo may have both been rookies, but they didn't play like rookies.  Next year this duo will be even better.  Will the Bengals do as well this year in the draft?

The Bengals have two first round draft picks this year.  They picked up the No. 17 pick with the Carson Palmer trade with Oakland and they have their own first round pick at No. 21. 

The Bengals really need a good running back/tail back.  Cedric Benson's contract as a free agent is up and he really wasn't that effective last season.  He was also suspended for one game due to personal conduct.  Not too much has been said from the Bengal camp as to whether or not they will be re-signing Benson.  It seems to be a topic that has been swept under the rug for now, with hopes of drafting some new and young talent such as Trent Richardson from Alabama, perhaps?

Bernard Scott, running back, should see an increased role for the Bengals next season.  He can't do it alone though.  This contributes to the hole at this position and the need for some new blood and talent to add some dimension to the Dalton/Green dynamic duo. 

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The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Houston Texans in the first round of the wild card playoffs Saturday, January 7, 2012 by a score of 10-31.  And, there is some good news for Bengal fans out there, it isn't the end of the world!  For a team that wasn't expected to make the playoffs, or even be half as good as they were this year, they showed us what they were made of. 

This is a young team that will grow together and make things happen in the coming one to three years.  They need some work in a few areas, that's for sure, but then again just about all teams (and people) can use a bit of improvement in one way or another. 

What did we learn this season and in the game against the Texans?

The offensive line needs to tighten up.  Dalton needs more protection.  He was scrambling way too much during the game against the Texans and needed some help.  I'm sure Dalton wasn't quite 100% on Saturday after coming down with a virus earlier in the week.  The Bengals didn't answer the enthusiasm the Texans came out with at the beginning of the third quarter and the steam just seemed to run out and that showed.  The Texans took charge and won the game.

Another missed opportunity to turn the game around came with the missed interception in the third quarter by Chris Crocker.  Crocker had the ball in his hands and dropped it.  The Texans were only ahead by one touchdown at this point in the game and this could have been enough to put some fire into the Bengals. 

The game is over, as well as the season---a winning season!  The Bengals made it to the first wild card playoff game which wasn't expected.  They turned out to be better than most thought they would be at the beginning of the season.  The Bengals had a sold out stadium for the last home game of the season.  That hasn't happened in quite some time.  There are lots of things for Bengal fans to be proud of at the end of this season.

Hopefully, the team has learned a lot about their abilities and will take that information along with their skills and develop it all into a new revolution.  As I said before, this is a young team with lots of opportunity ahead. 

The Bengals will be able to fill some voids with the draft this year.  We will talk more about that in upcoming post. 

In the meantime, I think the Bengals have a lot of positive things working for them.  Andy Dalton had a great rookie season and learned a lot.  They will only get better with time, as will A.J. Green, another rookie.  The team has a lot of talented players, Chris Crocker, Cedric Benson, Jerome Simpson, Brian Leonard, Andree Smith, Andrew Hawkins, Geno Atkins, and Jeromy Miles.  Bengal fans should be proud of the accomplishments this year and look forward to an even better season next year!

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Happy New Year to all the Bengal fans out there! 

The Bengals have had a busy week after losing the last regular game of the season to the Baltimore Ravens, but with a little luck still made it to the playoffs with a wild card bid.  The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on Saturday, January 7, 2012. 

As you know the Bengals played the Ravens last Sunday, making this a short week to practice in what is now the most important game of the season.  The Bengals lost to the Ravens with a final score of 24-16.  One thing that was different for the game at Paul Brown Stadium was the crowd.  The Bengals enjoyed a sold out crowd for their final game of the season at home. 

The Bengals have been practicing hard this week, but was without Andy Dalton on Wednesday due to a 24 hour case of a virus or bug.  Dalton was back on the field Thursday and worked out on a limited basis.  Dalton should be 100% by Saturday and able to play. 

We still have a good many injuries but may also get several players back out on the field this week.  Things are looking up for Cedric Benson, Chris Crocker, and Kyle Cook were all working out 100% at practice on Thursday.  Benson and Crocker have been out with foot injuries, while Cook had a knee injury.

Frostee Rucker and Geno Atkins also practiced Thursday, but on a limited basis.  Rucker has been nursing a bad shoulder and Atkins pulled his Achilles tendon.  Both of these guys will probably be a "go" on Saturday.

Taylor Mays will definitely be out for Saturday's game.  Mays is out with a hamstring injury and this will be the second game he has missed due to the injury.

We also have an update on Leon Hall, who has been on injured reserve list with an Achilles injury.  Hall is off of crutches and came out to visit with the team on Thursday and get some rehab.  If progress continues for Hall, he should be back in time for the Bengals training camp.

The Bengals are looking good and have played well in the last couple of games.  We know they will go out and put their best effort forth to beat the Texans!  The game is at 3:30 Central Standard Time and will be on NBC.

What's your guess on the score?  I say Bengals 21, Texans 20.  Bengals win in a squeaker!

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