2009 Cincinnati Bengals Season Preview

by: Vernon Croy

NFL football betting is all about finding an undervalued team and riding it to victory on the moneyline. If you can find someone that the experts don't believe in and pick them to win, you have a good chance of making some money. Don't expect the Cincinnati Bengals to be that team in 2009. They will probably be more respectable this year than they were last year. But seriously...how could they be any worse? They were the worst team in the league on offense last year and they can only go up from there.

The Good News: The best thing the Bengals have to look forward to this season is the return of injured quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer was out for the majority of the season last year with an injury. His absence had a domino effect on the rest of the team. The two Pro Bowl caliber wide receivers were mostly non-factors. Without a quarterback the receivers couldn't get the ball. This in turn allowed teams to cheat up and stop the run as well. Without an offense that could drive down the field, the defense didn't get much rest and was pretty bad in their own right. The Bengals did add a few good players in the off-season. They added a good receiver in Laveranues Coles from the Jets. They added a big-name safety in Roy Williams and a big defensive tackle in Tank Johnson. Their first two draft picks brought in some good talent in Andre Williams and Rey Maualuga. They're hoping that Maualuga can bring in some leadership to the defense right off the bat.

The Bad News: The Bengals lost their best receiver in T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the Seahawks. Now they are left with Chad Ochocinco and Coles to take care of the receiving duties. T.J.'s loss will be felt in the offense this year. The Bengals also have to worry about the usual legal troubles for their players. Despite having the most players in legal trouble the last few years, they went ahead and gambled on Tank Johnson and Andre Smith. This means they just added two more questionable players to the lineup. For those of you who missed it, Tank got in trouble with a gun a few years back and Smith went crazy during the NFL combine this year. He came in out of shape for the biggest showcase of his life and then just decided to quit and go home. He seems like a time bomb just waiting to go off.

Outlook: If you're looking for free NFL picks, I've got a great one for you here. Don't pick the Bengals to do anything this year. There's really not a game on the schedule that is a sure thing for them. Every week is going to be a challenge just to stay in the game. Look for them to maybe get one or two more wins than they had last year. Beyond that, you can pretty much forget about the Cincinnati Bengals this year.

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