Cincinnati Bengals preview
Cincinnati Bengals 2008 Preview ReportJuly 28, 2008
The Cincinnati Bengals? Forget it. Who cares? Wish ‘em well––we’re moving on.
Such are Football America’s sentiments toward the Queen City’s team. It’s not like the Bengals haven’t had chances. When Marvin Lewis arrived six years ago, the most pathetic non-Clippers franchise in professional sports finally started posting respectable records: 8-8 in ’03 and ’04. So, people stopped calling them the Bungles. Two decent seasons erased 15 years of ridicule.
In 2005, former No. 1 overall draft pick Carson Palmer blossomed into a superstar. Palmer led a high-octane offense full of extroverted personalities (namely Chad Johnson). The defense made more big plays than Shakespeare. The result? An 11-5 record and AFC North division title. And adulation from football fans everywhere.
Cincy became a hit, earning primetime television appearances, copious newspaper and magazine coverage and popularity throughout the video game and online ethos. Expectations mounted.
Then they started screwing up.
