After 5 weeks of the NFL season, things are definitely looking bleak for Cincinnatians.  An 0-5 start, nowhere near what anyone was expecting.  In examining the NFL and the Bengals I’ve found that they have the strongest schedule up to this point with a 0.710. The next closest are Houston (.675), Kansas City (.640) and Washington (.640). The first two have 1 win combined, and then Washington has been impressive and may just be the best team in the NFC, if not NFL, through 5 weeks.  So I’m getting a little tired of the “fire Marvin” talk.  The offense is starting to click after not having a preseason together. The defense is playing well (although they have been susceptible to the big play and trick play). But overall they have played well enough not to lose. The problem has been the offense, which is slowly, but surely getting back on track and I think will hit stride in New York this Sunday.  A true optimist could see the Bengals winning 11 straight and winning the playoffs; however, that just seems un feasible with the upcoming schedule, but I do think they can string together a few wins and maybe by the bye-week be at 4-5, which would give them a shot at making a run down the stretch, to at least .500.  Making the playoffs is all but lost. Especially in the AFC where as it sits, they would have to leapfrog 9 teams to earn the wild card spot. And unless Pittsburgh falters, they will probably win the division at 11-5 or 10-6, unchallenged. I think Baltimore’s shot at glory is fading fast, despite the play of their defense. Teams will figure out Joe Flacco and be able to stop him. The defense will win them a few, but not enough to be a factor.  The Bengals have played one team with a losing record. Cleveland, a game, which should be thrown out in evaluating the performance of the team, because Carson didn’t play and let’s face it Ryan Fitzpatrick, isn’t Carson Palmer. 

Let’s take a look at the next two games in the upcoming schedule:

Week 6 --- @ NY Jets

The Bengals face a New York Jets team that is coming off of a bye week after an impressive 6TD performance from Mr. Brett Favre. The Jets are (2-2),  looking to gain ground after Buffalo fell in Arizona, and has lost their quarterback for, as of now, an unknown amount of time.  The Bengals should have won 3 weeks ago in New York against those pesky Giants.  I see the Bengals coming out strong and holding Favre to under 300 yards of passing while Carson tears them up, without safety Eric Smith.

Bengals 27, Jets 20

Week 7 --- Pittsburgh

The numbers don’t look good for this one.  Pittsburgh has won its last 7 visits to Paul Brown Stadium (1-8) since its inception. Carson Palmer has never beaten the Steelers here in Cincinnati, and Ben Roethlisburger hasn’t lost a single game in his home state of Ohio. But, hopefully Willie Parker will still be out, although the bye may get him the rest he needs to be healthy.  I see a brutal beat down, where the Bengals, fueling off the victory in New York, prevail and gain another step on Pittsburgh.

Bengals 17, Steelers 13

This would put Cincinnati at 2-5, Pittsburgh at 4-2, and hopefully the winning continues and Pittsburgh’s losing continues. If not, let’s play for on of the top draft picks—maybe Knowshon Moreno??? Although I’d hate to see his career ruined by coming here and tearing an ACL in the preseason, so maybe not. There is always Rey Maualuga and Sen’Derrick Marks.