The football season of 2008 was daunting one for the Cincinnati Bengals. A 4-11-1 finish was very disappointing to say the least, and especially by the absence of star quarterback Carson Palmer, who missed virtually the whole year due to injury resulted.
Without Palmer, the team was anything but dangerous, and his offensive virtually non-existent. Ryan Fitzpatrick did his best, but his skills were not nearly that of Palmer and the offense struggled for muchit.
Chad Johnson was practically invisible for offense, and TJ Houshmandzadeh was nowhere near his usual output level. Rudi Johnson was done. The only potential bright spot was the emergence of Cedric Benson in the last few games, but even that was a question mark, as Benson never really had this effect before.
Beginning of the 2009 season, the Bengals have more hope than they had in the previous year. While the team had TJ Houshmandzadeh in the lostcombines the off-season, following the acquisition of veteran receiver LaVaerneus Coles, with the emergence of Chris Henry as a reliable new option, it seems as if the Bengals could be a halfway team again this season.
After a Week 1 loss, the Bengals marched in Green Bay with an impressive victory, the Bears had something to do in the position to 1 week. Chad Johnson looked like the Ocho Cinco of the old and the Bengals win a pulled under very difficult circumstances. Perhaps a new eradepends in Cincinnati, when looking into this season hoping to make more than in 2008.
