The Cincinnati Bengals made huge strides last season as they went to the playoffs for the first time since 2005, an impressive feat given the relative strength of the AFC North. A resolute defense and spectacular debut season from quarterback, Andy Dalton, and wide receiver, A. J. Green, were enough to secure the sixth seed in the AFC, whilst the roster looks to only have improved in the off-season.

Many experts regarded the 2012 Bengal draft as one of the best, if not the best, in the NFL this year, and they were certainly helped by the picks received from the Oakland Raiders for quarterback Carson Palmer. They improved their secondary and offensive line dramatically with the additions of Dre Kirkpatrick and Kevin Zeitler respectively in the first round, while the likes of Devon Still (Defensive Tackle), Mohamed Sanu (Wide Receiver) and Orson Charles (Tight End) are likely to provide quality on the depth chart.

Cincinnati also did well in free agency, replacing the mercurial Cedric Benson with the more reliable running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and they will hope he can provide them as effective a running game as his predecessor did. Former Dallas Cowboy, Terrence Newman, also joined, strengthening a group of corners already featuring the likes of Kirkpatrick and Leon Hall.

Although second-year players, Dalton and Green, should have only improved with a full off-season under their belts, wide receivers Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Jordan Shipley have all moved onto new pastures, raising concerns about the depth of the receiving corps in Cincinnati. Veteran Brandon Tate will likely be the number two receiver while fifth round pick, Marvin Jones, has staked his claim for a starting position after impressing in preseason.

The departure of veteran guard, Bobbie Williams, didn’t seem too worrying for Bengals Head Coach, Marvin Lewis, due to the arrival of Travelle Wharton, but a potentially season ending knee injury to the guard will heap even more pressure on rookie, Zeitler and second-year interior linesman, Clint Boling.

Although a repeat performance of last season, which saw the Bengals finish with a 9-7 record and a trip to the playoffs, would likely be seen as a success by both the front office and fans alike, it is not incomprehensible for Cincinnati to be targeting greater things. With an ever-improving defense, the spotlight will fall on the offense. If the offensive line gels quickly, and Dalton and Green continue their development from last season, the Bengals could well move above Pittsburgh, whose troubles have been well documented this off-season, in the hierarchy of the AFC North.

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The Houston Texans enjoyed a successful debut in the playoffs, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 at Reliant Stadium, and setting themselves up for a clash with the Baltimore Ravens in the next round. This was the Texans first appearance in the playoffs in their 10-year history, and fans are now eagerly awaiting the team’s trip to Baltimore next week to play the Ravens.

The Texans didn’t get off to the greatest start, with Glover Quin being called for pass interference on rookie wide receiver A. J. Green, which gave the Bengals 52 yards on a drive, culminating in Cedric Benson going for a touchdown from the 1-yard line. The Texans struck back quickly however, with Arian Foster moving the chains for Houston with a display of intelligent running, and the tailback finishing off the drive with a touchdown on an 8-yard run, leaving the Bengals and Texans all tied up at the end of the first quarter.

Despite retaking the lead momentarily through a field goal from Mike Nugent, the Bengals struggled with the well-tuned offense of the Texans, and couldn’t make any decisive plays on the defensive side of the ball. A field goal from Neil Rackers tied the game before rookie defensive end J. J. Watt showed great hands and athleticism by grabbing a pass thrown by Andy Dalton at the line of scrimmage, and returned it for a 29-yard touchdown.

Although close on the scoreboard, the Texans never looked to lose their lead, and soon began to add to it. Andre Johnson, who was also making his first appearance in the playoffs, caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from rookie T. J. Yates in the third quarter and extending their lead. This was just before Foster finished the game for the Texans with a 42-yard rushing touchdown, capping an excellent game for his team and himself.

The Texans will be pleased with how their offensive stars performed, Foster racking up 153 yards on just 24 carries, and Johnson registering 90 yards on five receptions, with the pair contributing three touchdowns between them. Yates also performed notably, if not spectacularly, but a game manager is all that is needed in this Texans offense, and Houston will need all three performing their best if the team is to beat the Ravens next week. They have already lost to them once this season.

This result brings the Bengals season to an end, but there is plenty to be optimistic about if you are a Cincinnati fan. The losing seasons and dressing room controversies seem done with, and the addition of rookies Green and Dalton give the franchise a great base to build around in the coming years. Throw into the mix that the Bengals have two first round picks this year, and two second round picks next year, the future looks very healthy indeed. Baltimore and Pittsburgh fans will need to keep an eye on the previously unsung franchise.

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The Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) kept alive their playoff hopes with a 20-13 victory over the struggling St Louis Rams (2-12). The game started slowly, with the Rams leading 6-3 at half-time, with a touchdown yet to be scored. Mike Nugent leveled the scores early in the third quarter with another field goal, laying the foundations necessary for the Bengals to begin to dominate the game.

Cincinnati moved up into a higher gear and registered two rushing touchdowns, the first from Bernard Scott on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter, and the second from Cedric Benson on a 4-yard run early in the fourth.  St Louis did manage to score a consolation touchdown late in the game, though, with Kellen Clemens finding Danario Alexander with a 25-yard touchdown pass.

There was little to separate the two teams in the running game, with Benson and Steven Jackson collecting 76 and 71 yards respectively on the ground, but the Bengals were able to fall back on the increasingly reliable A. J. Green. The rookie wide receiver managed 115 yards on just six receptions, and continues to set the league alight in his first season. Green is one of the major factors in fellow rookie Andy Dalton’s success so far this season.

Safety Quintin Mikell dominated the Rams defense, registering eight solo tackles, as well as forcing two fumbles as he tried to keep the Rams in the game against a versatile Bengals offense. Both teams’ offenses generally struggled during the game, highlighting a shared inability to convert on third down, with the Bengals only able to move the chains 27% of the time, and the even worse 15% conversion rate of the Rams.

The victory keeps the Bengals in the race for a wildcard spot in the A.F.C. playoffs, and will be a reassuring influence on the young Cincinnati team after they must have feared that their recent poor form was going to take away any chance they had of making the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Rams continue to have a terrible season; the consistency of star running back Jackson is one of the only highlights in what will become a season to forget for St Louis.

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The Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) let a fourth quarter lead over the Houston Texans (10-3) slip, and fell to a 20-19 loss, in what was a crucial AFC matchup with the playoffs beckoning.

After a first quarter that boasted no touchdowns, but did see the home side take the lead with two field goals to one, quarterback Andy Dalton bounced back from a tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, by finding wide receiver Jerome Simpson with a 17-yard touchdown pass.

Mike Nugent then went on to add another field goal before halftime, giving the Bengals a 13 point lead heading into the third quarter. The Texans closed in on the Bengals with tight end Joel Dreessen collecting a 6-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback T. J. Yates, but conceded a field goal late in the third quarter, setting up Cincinnati with a nine point lead going into the fourth and final quarter.

A field goal early in the fourth quarter moved the Texans to within six points and made it a one possession game. With time running down, Yates showed a maturity which belied his status as a rookie, and moved the Texans down the field, eventually finding Kevin Walter for a 6-yard touchdown pass, and gave Houston the win thanks to a single point lead over the Bengals.

Cincinnati’s defense held strong for most of the game, with Rey Maualuga forcing two fumbles, and outside linebacker Thomas Howard connecting with nine solo tackles as he was a dominant force on defense.

Whilst Dalton may have been receiving the headlines so far this season as a potential Rookie of the Year, it was his opposite number who impressed today. Yates threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, whilst also throwing one interception, as he led Houston admirably in the absence of Matt Schaub.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) kept pace with divisional rivals the Baltimore Ravens with an emphatic victory over the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5), effectively ending the Bengals’ hopes of winning the A.F.C. North.

The Bengals were still without key players Carlos Dunlap and Nate Clements for their important trip to Heinz Field, whilst the Steelers were boosted by the news that Troy Polamalu was able to play after fears he had suffered a concussion in their previous game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The first quarter ended scoreless as both teams failed to make anything happen concerning offense, and both defenses performed well, suffocating anything the opposition offense had to offer. Cincinnati came the closest to breaking the deadlock when Jermaine Gresham thought he collected a touchdown pass from Andy Dalton; however, the play was called back for a false start.

The Bengals then thought they had taken the lead when they successfully kicked a field goal a minute later, but again faced disappointment in the form of penalization for a delay of game, as well as the moment the Steelers blocked the subsequent kick.

The game exploded into life in the second quarter, however, with Rashard Mendenhall rapidly moving Pittsburgh into a 14-point lead with two rushing touchdowns, followed by Mike Wallace grabbing a 12-yard pass for the Steelers’ third touchdown in a span of just over four minutes.

The Bengals sparked hopes of a comeback when rookies Dalton and A. J. Green linked up for a 11-yard touchdown pass, but these hopes were soon extinguished when Antonio Brown ran in a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown just before the half, extending Pittsburgh’s lead back to 21 points.

Ben Roethlisberger wrapped up the scoring in the third quarter when he found Wallace for a 19-yard touchdown pass and the receivers’ second touchdown of the game. Roethlisberger went on to finish with 176 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions on his 23 attempted passes.

Another standout Steeler was defensive linchpin James Harrison, who looked quite the frightening form as he registered three sacks on the usually well-protected Dalton. Cornerback Ike Taylor was also in imperious form for Pittsburgh, putting in seven tackles as well as picking up an interception, as he helped the Steelers to a strong defensive performance.

The Bengals, who have enjoyed a good season, have now lost both their games against the Steelers and are unlikely to be able to challenge either the Steelers or the Ravens at the top of the A.F.C. North, but with outstanding youngsters like Dalton and Green, Head Coach Marvin Lewis can be optimistic about Cincinnati’s chances of upsetting those perennial power houses in one of the most competitive divisions of the N.F.L.

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An exciting AFC North clash between the Cleveland Browns (4-7) and Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) ended in a 23-20 victory for the Bengals, who have been one of the surprise teams of the year. The Browns welcomed back running backs Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty from injury, as they joined Chris Ogbonnaya, who has performed admirably during their absences.

Cleveland were still without the services of defensive back T. J. Ward however, and Usama Young had to shoulder the responsibilities at strong safety. Cincinnati had injury concerns of their own, and were without defensive end Carlos Dunlap and offensive linemen Anthony Collins and Clint Boling.

They were boosted though by left tackle Andrew Whitworth being declared active after a thigh injury, and rookie wide receiver A. J. Green returning after missing their last game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Normally a ferocious contest between two sides battling it out for third place in the AFC North, the Bengals form in the first half of the season had many predicting that the Browns would struggle, as Cincinnati look to upset the old order of both Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Steelers dominating the division.

Cleveland, however, had no intention of sitting back and letting the game be dictated to them, and took an early lead when Colt McCoy found Jordan Norwood for a 24-yard touchdown pass at the end of an 82-yard drive for the visiting side. The Bengals hit back quickly though, leveling the scores by the end of the first quarter, as running back Cedric Benson found space and cruised in for a 16-yard touchdown, taking a big hit from the Cleveland defense as coasted into the end zone.

This served to reignite the Browns, who regained the lead in the second quarter, successfully kicking a field goal, before extending their lead to 10 points when rookie Greg Little climbed high at the back of the end zone to collect a 3-yard touchdown pass from McCoy. Both teams traded field goals early in the second half, maintaining the Browns lead of 10 points.

This lead was then cut to just three when Andy Dalton, who continued his excellent recent form, finishing with 271 yards, a touchdown and no interception, found tight end Jermaine Gresham for a 22-yard touchdown, with Gresham leaping acrobatically to take the ball above the heads of the Cleveland defense.

The game was tightly poised as time began to run down in the fourth quarter, but kicker Mike Nugent kept his cool as he kicked two field goals, the latter coming with just over a minute left on the clock, to give the Bengals a deserved victory over their AFC North rivals.

Cincinnati will now be looking to upset both Baltimore and Pittsburgh as they keep alive their goal of finishing top of the AFC North, and the return from injury of Green, who caught three receptions 110 yards, as well as the Pro-Bowl form of Dalton could combine to make this dream a very real possibility.

Cleveland continue to have a disappointing season, but will be more optimistic going into games now with the return of their two best running backs, and Hillis in particular will be keen to impress, with the Browns already admitting they may be willing to let the inconsistent tailback leave at the end of the season.

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The Tennessee Titans (4-4) battled hard, but ultimately lost a close game 24-17 to the visiting Cincinnati Bengals (6-2). Despite looking the stronger team early on at LP Field, the Titans could not maintain their first half momentum, and gave up 17 unanswered points in the second half as they fell to defeat.

The Bengals continued to suffer from the absence of injured linebacker Rey Maualuga, as well as tight end Jermaine Gresham, although defensive end Carlos Dunlap was available after being listed as doubtful. Although the Titans had injury problems of their own, especially in the secondary, they were more concerned with the poor form of running back Chris Johnson, whose future in Tennessee seems to become less and less certain with each poor performance the tailback turns in.

Tennessee took an early lead with a field goal in the first quarter, but the lead was not to last long, with quarterback Andy Dalton picking out tight end Colin Cochart for a one-yard touchdown, making the score 7-3 to the visitors. The Titans regained their lead quickly though, wide receiver Damian Williams making an excellent catch at the back of the endzone for an eight-yard touchdown.

With time running down in the second, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck orchestrated a drive down the field with a culmination of timeouts and the Titan’s no-huddle offense, which ultimately resulted in Hasselbeck passing for 16 yards to Lavelle Hawkins and the touchdown.

Cincinnati continued to look dangerous however, and cut the lead to just three points when Dalton threw his second touchdown pass of the night, this time to Jerome Simpson for 15 yards. Dalton then continued to lead the Bengals comeback, ending the visitors drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Caldwell, giving them a four point lead over the Titans.

A field goal from Mike Nugent with two minutes left to play was enough to secure the win for the Bengals, and Head Coach Marvin Lewis will be pleased with his side’s second half comeback in what was a challenging away game. Dalton impressed throughout the game, and was pivotal in leading his side’s comeback, passing for 217 yards, as well as three touchdowns.

Rookie wide receiver A.J. Green also continued to impress, making 83 yards on seven receptions, and distancing himself at the top of the rookie receptions table. Although the Titans will be disappointed with a loss at home, especially after they took a substantial lead early in the game, but the continuing good form of Hasselbeck will not leave Titan’s fans completely disheartened.

Tailback Johnson’s 64 yards from 14 carries, and 46 yards from four receptions may not be particularly sensational, they do represent an improvement on his recent form, and the quickest way for the Titans to return to winning ways would be for Johnson to find his groove again, which would in turn allow for Hasselbeck to be even more effective.

The Bengals now face a testing schedule for the next four weeks, which sees them meet the Steelers (twice), Ravens and Browns, in a series of games which could make or break their season.

The Titans face a slightly easier challenge, taking on the Panthers and Buccaneers in their next games, but will be eager to ensure they do not have any slip-ups as they seek to put pressure on the Houston Texans at the top of the AFC South.

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