Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Season Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds
With the NFL Football season just around the corner, we are providing season previews for all 32 teams to give you the betting edge. Follow the best NFL Football Handicappers as they analyze the the Cincinnati Bengals in this 2010 season preview. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the NFL in our recommend sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2010 NFL Season Previews here.
Cincinnati Bengals 2009 NFL Record: 10-6 Home: 6-2 Away: 4-4
Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Preview
The good news for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009 was an impressive worst-to-first rise that gave them their second AFC North title under Marvin Lewis. The bad news was a frustrating finish in which they lost four of their final five games, including a home playoff loss to the Jets. Clearly, Cincinnati left plenty of room for improvement – especially on offense – if it is to make consecutive trips to the postseason for just the second time in franchise history. The Bengals proved in 2009 they can .fun the ball against any team, but even with a healthy Carson Palmer they struggled moving the chains and scoring points through the air. They will not be able to succeed this season without adding that second dimension to their offense.
2010 Cincinnati Bengals Quarterbacks
Palmer still commands respect from opposing defenses, but his production and consistency have dropped the past couple of seasons as he has come back from injuries. No one is using the elbow injury that cost him most of the 2008 season as an excuse, so the question remains whether Palmer can overcome his mediocre play of ’09, when he finished 16th in the league with an 83.6 passer rating. Despite those struggles, Palmer improved his mobility out of the pocket and showed a greater penchant for keeping plays alive with his legs. Palmer also led the offense on eight late-game scoring drives that either gave the Bengals the lead or tied a game. Backup J .T. O’Sullivan has previous starting experience with San Francisco, but there would be a significant fall-off if Palmer went down. Palmer’s brother, Jordan, is the No.3.
2010 Cincinnati Bengals Running Backs
Cedric Benson ran with an edge last season, a hard style that became Cincinnati’s identity. He earned the team’s confidence that he can deliver again, though he did miss two games with a hip injury. If the passing game improves, Benson could become the first Bengal to break 1,500 rushing yards. Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard give the Bengals variations from Benson. Scott, last year’s sixth-round pick, is more explosive, while Leonard does whatever it takes on third down. Second-year player Fui Vakapuna gets the first shot at fullback.
2010 Cincinnati Bengals Receivers
Chad Ochocinco is not a consistent deep threat anymore, but his production should increase following the addition of two players who can help stretch the field. The Bengals acquired Antonio Bryant in free agency and tight end Jermaine Gresham with their first-round draft choice. Defenses dared the Bengals to throw deep last season and they couldn’t, but Bryant and Gresham could change that. Andre Caldwell was the team’s second-leading receiver with 51 receptions last season, and his anemic 8.5-yard average showed how much the downfield passing game struggled. The Bengals drafted two other players, Jordan Shipley from Texas and Dezmon Briscoe from Kansas, and signed former Jaguar Matt Jones to boost the passing game. Caldwell and 2008 second-round pick Jerome Simpson will have to step up their play if they want to stick around.
2010 Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Line
The best offseason move might have been the re-signing of right guard Bobbie Williams, whose return brings back intact a unit that played better than expected last season, particularly in the running game. The Bengals were ninth in the league in rushing offense and averaged 4.1 yards per carry. The line will be asked to pass-protect longer this year as the team tries to resurrect its vertical passing game. Andrew Whitworth quietly has turned into a stalwart at left tackle after shuffling between guard and tackle his first three seasons. That leaves Andre Smith to assert himself at right tackle. Last year’s No. 1 draft choice had a redshirt season after a contract holdout in training camp was followed by injuries that limited him to spot duty in six games. Center Kyle Cook has the physical strength and attitude to win more than his share of battles against the division’s tough nosetacldes. Nate Livings should be a greater presence at left guard if he can stay healthy.
| 2010 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule | 2010 AFC North Preview | 2010 AFC Conference Preview Cincinnati Bengals Sportsbooks |
2010 Cincinnati Bengals Defense
Right end Antwan Odom had eight sacks through the first six games before suffering an Achilles tendon tear last season. Suddenly, the team’s best pass-rusher was on the shelf. The outside pass rush held up pretty well as Jonathan Fanene stepped into Odom’s spot, giving Frostee Rucker and Michael Johnson more time as backups. The Bengals improved upon their ability to get to the quarterback without having to blitz, but the consistency of that pressure waned down the stretch. Odom is expected to be back in time for training camp, and the Bengals used their second-round draft pick on Florida end Carlos Dunlap to continue adding to their depth and versatility. Veteran left end Robert Geathers was the leading tackler among the linemen but will be pushed this season. Tacldes Domata Peko and Tank Johnson return as the starters inside, with Pat Sims also in the rotation. All are solid, above-average players, but the Bengals lack a dominating presence in the middle of the line. Zimmer is seeking more quarterback pressure up the middle. Sims, in his third season, has the talent to fill that void, but look for Zimmer to use several ends inside as well as he seeks different matchups to achieve his goals.
This is a quality group that is filled with youth just entering its prime. The lone exception to the youth movement is middle linebacker Dhani Jones, who has led the team in tacldes the last two seasons. Jones is entering his 11th season but hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He’s adept at making all of the defensive calls and getting everyone in their required spots. Strong-side linebacker Rey Maualuga is coming off a fractured ankle that cost him a chance to play in the playoffs. He is still working on his pass-coverage skills but plays with explosive aggression. Weak-side linebacker Keith Rivers needs to make more impact plays. The strength of this unit is its depth. There is little drop-off when backups Brandon Johnson and Rashad Jeanty are in the lineup.
The defensive success begins with the ability of cornerback duo Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph to play aggressive n1an-to-man coverage. Everything Zimmer wants to do in terms of putting pressure on the quarterback requires the cornerS to handle those one-on-one assignments. They each had six interceptions and combined to force four fumbles. They also have short-term memories that allow them to get beat on occasion but move on to the next play. Both are also good run supporters. The corner group is deep. David Jones gives the Bengals another big body (6’0″, 196) to play on the outside, while Morgan Trent had an impressive rookie season playing the nickel. He was utilized frequently in blitz packages. Third-round pick Brandon Ghee has excellent speed but needs to work on his technique. Free safety Chris Crocker’s importance to the secondary was evident late last season when he n1issed time with an ankle injury and the defense started to slip. Chinedum Ndukwe led the secondary in tackles after taking over for strong safety Roy Williams (forearm injury). Ndukwe has more range than Williams and could win the starting spot outright. The Bengals bolstered their depth at safety by signing Gibril Wilson in early May.
Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Season Prediction
The Bengals didn’t n1ake a huge splash with any of their offseason moves – they rarely do – but they should reap benefits from the ones they made. Bryant and Gresham figure to lift the passing game, thus allowing the offense to pick up a stout defense now and then. Amazingly, Cincinnati won the division despite scoring as many as 24 points in just three games. It will be difficult for the Bengals to duplicate last season’s 10-6 record and their 6-0 mark in the APC North, especially against a first-place schedule. But greater offensive balance and a more opportunistic defense – the Bengals produced just 25 turnovers a year ago – should keep them in the playoff hunt.
We predict that the Cincinnati Bengals will finish 2nd in the AFC North, with a record of 9-7.
Cincinnati Bengals Betting
AFC North Odds: 7-2 AFC Conference Odds: 13-1 Super Bowl Odds: 25-1
Cincinnati Bengals Five-Year Win Betting Trends
2005: 11 2006: 8 2007: 7 2008: 4 2009: 10
Bet on the Cincinnati Bengals
Will the Cincinnati Bengals will go all the way to the Super Bowl? Or, will their season be lackluster? Either way, you can still enjoy Cincinnati Bengals betting at our feature sportsbooks. Cincinnati Bengals Betting is serious business; where you can make a ton of loot placing informed, smart Cincinnati Bengals bets. Check out these highly reliable, trustworthy, online sportsbooks.
If you are looking for the best Online Sportsbook to bet on the Cincinnati Bengals this season, then BookMaker.com “Where the Line Originates” is the place for you. BookMaker has NFL Football Betting Lines and Odds, along with a tons of futures on the 2010 Season, so get your NFL bets in early while the lines are hot!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.