Bengals Open At Home As 4 Point Favorites Against Denver

NFL News - September 9th, 2009 - Written by Jimmy

The new look Denver Broncos will begin the season by traveling to the state of Ohio, to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are coming off a disappointing 2008 season which saw them lose the first 8 games, but rebound to finish at 4-11-1. Denver also has a disappointing end to their season. The 2008 Broncos got off to a fast start but eventually lost the last four games which saw them miss the playoffs. This game will definitely be interesting and it is sure to be one that both head coaches want badly.

In 2008, the Broncos shot out of the gates by winning their first three games, albeit the first one came with great controversy with the Ed Hochuli blown call. Denver seemingly had the AFC West in their clinches but let the division slip away to the San Diego Chargers. The collapse coming down the stretch cost long time Denver Broncos Head Coach, Mike Shanahan, his job. With Shanahan gone, the Broncos followed suit of many other franchises by going after Patriots' assistants by hiring Josh McDaniels. If that wasn't enough, the Broncos would deal with internal issues as QB Jay Cutler forced his way out of Denver, going to the Chicago Bears. In the deal with the Bears, the Broncos secured QB Kyle Orton who looks to take the reigns of the offense. Also, the other star in the Denver offense, WR Brandon Marshall, is also in a dispute with the team. Currently, Marshall is suspended by the team and seeking a trade out of Denver. The running back position appears to be by committee however, the Broncos did draft RB Knowshon Moreno with their first pick. WR Jabar Gaffney is also joining the team this year coming with McDaniels from New England. The secondary will have a new face in the form of S Brian Dawkins who now joins the team after a long tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. Dawkins and DB Champ Bailey will be two formidable defenders on the 2009 Denver Broncos defense.

For the Cincinnati Bengals, things already appear to be looking up. This year, the Bengals welcome back QB Carson Palmer, who led the Bengals to their last playoff appearance in 2005. The Bengals offense struggled last year with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, and things can only get better when adding Palmer back into the mix. When healthy, Palmer is capable of being one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Returning to the backfield is RB Cedric Benson, who will continue to get a majority of the carries. Out on the edges, the Bengals offense will be missing one of it's key figures, WR T.J. Houshmanzadeh, who now plays with the Seattle Seahawks. Though Houshmanzadeh is gone, number 85, Chad Ochocinco is still with the team, seemingly recommitted to the team. The Bengals are returning a young defensive unit who played well at the end of last season but still needs much work. The Bengals are hoping that the addition of DT Tank Johnson will help improve the run defense, which suffered in '08. Head Coach Marvin Lewis is on the hot seat. The Bengals will need to find success early and often, in order to compete within the AFC North.

All Betting Lines Above Can Be Found At BookMaker, Bodog and DSI Sportsbook

To discuss this and other NFL related stories be sure to check out our new forum at:
https://www.usaplayers.com/forums/nfl-news/