2008 Cincinnati Bengals

Written August 9, 2008 by Jason Lowry

A new season of NFL football is just around the corner, and Jason Lowry is ready to bring you his 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season predictions. The Bengals rarely looked like a team that was having fun on the field, as it seems everyone is heading in their own directions at time. The Bengals have had solid teams the last 2 seasons and have not been able to come through with that big season everyone is waiting for. The team needs Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer on the same page or this team will not only be worse than their 7-9 record from a year ago, they will likely drop to the bottom of the AFC North. To see what the Bengals have done to get ready for the upcoming season, lets take a look at who they will be sending to the field on all sides of the ball in 2008.

Offense:
If Johnson and Palmer put their feud aside and just play football at their best, then this unit becomes very dangerous in a real hurry. Cause not only do they have that duo they got another great receiver in T.J. Houshmandzadeh who led his team and tied for the leaughe lead with 112 catches. The running game isn’t to bad looking either, as Rudi Johnson continues on his way to becoming one of the best in Bengals history. The offensive line has the potential to be a real solid unit this season, but it all depends on whether tackles Levi Jones and Wilie Anderson can come in and play a whole season without getting hurt, if so look out as this will put a boost into the offense for sure.
Bengals +2500 odds to win AFC Championship at Sportsbook.com

Defense:
This unit is likely the reason this team loses a lot of football games, as it really doesn’t have that presence that it can make a big stop when needed, putting even more pressure on the offense to score nearly every time it touches the ball. The defensive line has some talent in team captain John Thornton and end Robert Gathers, but overall it lacks a real superstar that really gets to the quarterback. The Linebacking group consists of starters with rookie Keith Rivers and Rashad Jeanty on the outside, while Ahmad Brooks is full of potential at the middle linebacker spot. The secondary remains pretty solid with second year man Leon Hall at corner, and the young Jonathan Joseph as his playing partner. The Bengals let Madieu Williams leave at safety, thanks to the outstanding play of the young Marvin White.
Bengals+6000 odds to win Super Bowl at Sportsbook.com

Special Teams:
This unit has some great talent when you talk about the kicking game of Shayne Graham and punter Kyle Larson. Graham went 31 of 34 on field goals last year, while Larson put 21 punts inside the 20 last season. Where things get bad in this unit is in the return game. They have to find an answer for the punt return game, as they came in last in the whole league. In the kick return game Glenn Holt has shown flashes of greatness, but his in ability to hold onto the football leaves a big concern.
Begals Over/Under 7 wins in 2008 at Sportsbook.com

Prediction: 3rd in the AFC North
The Bengals are a team that could really make your predictions go completely wrong if they can find a way to keep all the crap from the locker room off the field. This team could be a big surprise to the Steelers and Browns, but we see them finishing up close behind at 9-7.

If you want to get a bet in on the Bengals or any other football teams odds this season, head over to Sportsbook.com and get an account going today.

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