GDHQNFL14_CincinnatiBengals3

Cincinnati Bengals Gameday HQ

Three Questions 1. Will Dalton feel extra pressure with his huge contract extension? Don’t expect that to be a factor. Dalton is pretty even-keeled at the moment. He has improved every season and looks to be ready for a breakout season. The extra money in his pocket won’t matter when it’s time to line up on game days. Dalton wants to win, especially in the playoffs. 2. Will Jones’ injury derail the offense? It shouldn’t. Jones is expected to be sidelined for only a few weeks. If it was a season-ending injury, it would be a different story. But a short-term injury is nothing to worry about in the long run. Having this type of injury now is ideal since the regular season hasn’t started yet. 3. Can the Bengals finally break through and a win a playoff game with Dalton? Winning in the playoffs is never an easy task. Hey, there have been Hall of Fame quarterbacks who never won a Super Bowl like Dan Marino. Dalton is young and the Bengals have changed enough pieces around him to make a serious run. Don’t be shocked if the Bengals not only win one playoff game but more than that. Dennard. Head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters that Dennard is the “best rookie corner I’ve seen.” High praise indeed. Terence Newman and Adam “Pacman” Jones are back along with George Iloka, a fifth-round pick in 2012. If Leon Hall can rebound (Hall missed the last nine games in 2013 with an achilles injury) to have a big season, it will stabilize the secondary even more. When the Bengals’ defense is stingy, they have a much better chance to win on a consistent basis. It also alleviates the pressure on the offense, which is always crucial. With the loss of James Harrison, they’ll need leadership on defense. Can Burfict take over as a leader? Who else will step forward? Questions are still prevalent but there are enough pieces here to form a solid defensive unit. Defensive Player to Watch It’s hard to believe that Burfict went undrafted two years ago out of Arizona State University. Burfict has compiled 298 tackles, four sacks and one interception in his first two seasons. He also has a knack for making huge plays at key points in the game. Burfict earned a spot in the Pro Bowl last season and looks primed to repeat the feat. With some changes on defense, however, Burfict will be asked to take on a larger role. If he can tackle the challenge and lead this defense, they’ll benefit in many ways. Burfict collected 171 tackles alone last season and developed at such a rapid pace. It may be tough to improve on what he accomplished last season. If he can, the Bengals are going to have a very dangerous defense. Bengals Special Teams Kicker Mike Nugent was 18 for 22 on field goals and 52 for 53 on extra points last season. Nugent didn’t get a lot of work in terms of field goal attempts, but he proved to be quite accurate. He was 7-for-9 from 40 to 49 yards and 3 for 4 from 50 yards and beyond. Punter Kevin Huber was very consistent and didn’t have one punt TEAM ROSTER BENGALS DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB Andy Dalton Jason Campbell RB Giovani Bernard, BenJarvus Green-Ellis Jeremy Hill, Cedric Peerman FB Orson Charles WR Marvin Jones, A.J. Green Mohamed Sanu, Brandon Tate TE Jermaine Gresham Tyler Eifert C Trevor Robinson Russell Bodine RG Kevin Zeitler Mike Pollak LG Clint Boling Tanner Hawkinson RT Andre Smith Marshall Newhouse LT Andrew Whitworth Marshall Newhouse DEFENSE LDE Carlos Dunlap Margus Hunt RDE Wallace Gilberry Robert Geathers LDT Domata Peko Devon Still RDT Geno Atkins Brandon Thompson WLB Vontaze Burfict Emmanuel Lamur Dontay Moch MLB Rey Maualuga Vincent Rey J.K. Schaffer SLB Jayson DiManche Marquis Flowers CB Leon Hall, Terence Newman Dre Kirkpatrick, Adam Jones S George Iloka, Reggie Nelson Danieal Manning, Shawn Williams SPECIAL TEAMS K Mike Nugent P Kevin Huber


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