Stillers vs. Bengals Pregame Analysis (Game #2, vs. Cinci)
The 4-7 Stillers host the white-hot 6-5 Cinci Bengals in an
AFC North battle this Sunday.� �The Bungals haven't been bungling much
lately, with a gaudy 5-1 record their past 6 games, including a whipping of the
then 9-0 KC Chefs.� The Stillers are
coming off a big win at Clev, in which they played their most inspired,
physical brand of football this season.�
* When the Bungals have the ball, they'll bring
in one of the most diversified and balanced offenses the Stillers have seen
this season, arguably as diversified as KC's and St. Louis'.� In fact, the Bungals have rushed for over
200 yards the past 3 games, and their passing offense has put up some prolific
numbers, too.�
Jon Kitna leads the offense, and he's not playing like the
Kitna from yesteryear.� He's playing
smart football, avoiding the hideous turnovers that have pockmarked his
mediocre career.� During this 5-1
streak, Kitna's thrown 13 TDs, with only 3 INTs.
The running game is outstanding.� Rudi Johnson and Corey Dillon give the Bungals, by far, the best
1-2 punch in the entire NFL.� Johnson is
more of a powerful, bowling-ball type runner at 5-10", 233, but Dillon is
no timid RB, either.� Neither is used an
awful lot out of the backfield in the passing game, but both are adequate in
that regard.� �
The receiving corps has really cranked it up during this 5-1
streak.� Leading the way -- and leading
the AFC in receiving yards and receptions (co-leader) -- is Chad Johnson.� Chadly, who sleeps a couple nites each week
in the players lounge at the Cinci facility, has matured into a top-flight
receiver who can beat you on shorter patterns as well as deep downfield.� Opposite him is Peter Warrick, who is
finally showing the flash and dash that made him a 1st rounder back in 2000.� Rookie Kelley Washington is a big receiver
with a lot of talent, and he's chipped in quite nicely as a #3 receiver.� PJ Houshmandzadeh hasn't caught a pass this
year, but whenever he dresses against the Stillers, he seems to get blisters on
his hands from catching so many passes.�
Tony Stewart -- the TE, not the supreme stock car driver -- and Matt
Schobel are solid receivers at the TE spot, but not overly dangerous.�
�
The O-line features two tackles who are former 1st rounders
-- Anderson and Jones.� Of the 2, Jones
is better.� Highly touted rookie Eric
Steinbach mans the LG spot, with former Cardinal Rich Braham doing the
centering chores and mediocre vet Mike Goff at RG.� This line has really gelled quite nicely, and they've run blocked
and pass protected with equal aplomb.
The Stiller 'D' is coming off a rare game in which they
finally -- for the very first time all season -- played with intensity, malice,
and loads of hitting.� The infusion of
youth -- and the exuberance and energy thereof -- has been a big help in that
regard.�
The key matchup will be two-fold: Rudi and Dillon
against the Stiller run defense; and the Cinci pass offense of Kitna, Warrick,
and Johnson against the Circle-Triangle Defense.� The Bengals are confident -- and who can blame them -- in their
1-2 punch of Rudi and Dillon, and they will certainly give them a combined 28
or 30 carries.� At the same time, Kitna
is playing with confidence and playing mostly error-free football, so there
will be a fair amount of throwing to be done against a defense that has been
riddled through the air.�
* When the Stillers have the ball, they'll
try to spark up an offense that was mostly horrendous last week.� Mommy Maddox had a poor game, going 9 of 24
for only 73 yards.� The ground game
found some life, however, with The Tubby Tailback gaining 93 yards on 24
carries.� The biggest personnel news is
that Chukky Okobi will start at center in place of injured Jeff Hartings.�
The Cinci defense has come up like gangbusters the past 6
weeks.� Unlike the vast majority of the
local media, I've spent time watching the Bengals, and I've been
impressed.� What impresses me most about
this defense -- and a primary reason why I picked them in writing 4 weeks ago to
win the division -- is the way this gang swarms to the ball with reckless
abandon and brute force & intensity.�
Marvin Lewis has put his mark on this defense, and damn, does it
show.�
The Cinci front-4 is mostly unheralded, but it's not too
shabby.� Former first-rounder Justin
Smith leads this gang, along with former Titan DT John Thornton.� Duane Clemons is an okay DE, and Tony
Williams rounds out the front 4 at DT.� Fat
Oliver Gibson, a former Stiller, provides a breather now and then off the
bench.�
The strength of this defense is at LB, despite the loss of
all-world Takeo Spikes.� Brian Simmons
leads the way, with considerable help from former Jaguar Kevin Hardy.� Adrian Ross is a capable OLB.�
The secondary is an experienced crew that has stepped up its
play in recent weeks.� Tory James and
Artrell Hawkins man the corners.� Rogers
(not Roger) Beckett is a hard-hitting, decent-tackling safety.� Mark Roman starts at FS, with another safety,
Kevin Kaesviharn seeing a fair amount of PT as well.�
The key matchup will be the Stiller ground game
against the front-7 of Cinci.� Pleased
with his running game last week, Billy Cowher will order a lot of carries by
The Fatback.� If the Stillers can get
some decent production on the ground, it'll chew clock and keep the Cinci
offense off the field, as well as take some pressure off of Maddox.� Conversely, if the ground game doesn't get
it done, Maddox is going to face the wrath of a very hell-bent Cinci defense.
* Special Teams: �The Bengals are finally seeing the spec teams dazzle from Warrick
that he displayed at FSU.� Billy Cowher and
the entire Pittsburgh media has praised the Stiller spec teams as though they
were the second coming of the '67 Packers.�
Let's see how well they contain Warrick.� Brandon Bennett handles the KO returns, and fortunately he's
nowhere near as dangerous as Warrick.� Shayne
Graham has put together a very impressive campaign in 2003, including 5 of 6
from 40-49 yards and 16-18 overall.�
Punter Kyle Richardson is just like Josh Miller�.just another average
punter that is no better than any other 25 punters in the NFL.� Ike Taylor has assumed more work on KO
returns for the Stillers, and hopefully he'll be used exclusively, giving
Randle El a breather and the chance to concentrate solely on punt returns.�
Key Individual Matchups:
* Warrick and Johnson versus Townsend and Scott.� This could be the game, especially if the
Cinci duo busts a couple big plays for TDs.�
* DE Justin Smith vs. LT Marvell Smith.� The Battle of the Smiths.� Justin has the edge here, and Marvell had
better be up to snuff in this battle.
�
* Chubby Odobi vs. Thornton, Williams, or Hardy.� Chukky is replacing the injured Hartings,
and he's got to get the job done half-decently if the Stillers are going to run
the ball.�
* Synopsis: The game features the 4-7
Stillers hosting the first place Bengals, who are surging the past 6 weeks and
playing some of the best football around the league.� The Stillers are brimming with confidence after last week's win
over the Brownies, and the Bengals arrive in town at least 40 times more
confident that they were in week 3 when these two teams met.� I expect the Stillers to play some decent
ball in front of a lively home field crowd.�
But the Stillers, who haven't won two games in a row all season, have
yet to show they can handle prosperity.�
Equally critical, the Stillers have yet to show they can beat a team as
hot, as diversified, as swarming, and as dangerous as the Bungals.� Cinci will prevail, 30-22.� �����