Remember 05,06?
     Yeah, those were wonderful days when we could expect our offense to go out every week and put up at least 30 points on any team, any given Sunday. Our only problem was we would put up those points and give up just as many if not more in the same game. That is when we could actually throw the ball all over the field and our offense was feared and labeled as one of the best, up there with The Colts. What happened to that Palmer? But most of you forget that in those years we could also run the ball as well, we had a balanced offense, you forget Rudi? Now it's just run, run, run, try to throw. I dont see why we can't use the same philosophy as we did in those years and with this defense the team would be unstoppable. We should use the run to set up the pass or pass to set up the run, that is what we loved about the team of those years(we could run and throw at will)! Against the Vikings, on our one scoring drive it was full of play-action, run plays out of pass formations, and no penalties.

     We used to come out on the first or second play of a game and hit Ocho or Slim deep down the field, it wasn't surprising to see us score on the very first play of the game. For those who say we dont have have a deep threat we have Cosby, Simpson, and Ocho, we just don't use them as such. If Ocho is getting double and triple covered there should be at least one guy wide open or in man coverage somewhere. I don't know what Palmer's problem is, I mean even Mike Brown asked the trainers if he was injured or something. They said on ESPN (Chris Mortenson said) we would come out throwing vs the Chargers.....That may happen, but the thing is we have to stick with it, not just throw on the first drive then run, run, pass, punt the rest of the game. We have to mix it up a little bit, I mean you can almost guarantee that we will run on first down. Believe me, I love Benson getting his big carries but we have to get out of this we are gonna show run, then run mindset. Once we get in the playoffs we are not going to score just 13-17 points and win a game! especially if we have to play teams like the Colts. Benson, Johnson, and Scott can still get big yardage with a throw first offense.......Rudi did it! Remember how we used Chris Perry in 05.....Screens out of the backfield, tosses, sweeps,.....Scott can do that too!! Change of pace back.

    All this being said, we do have deep threats with Ocho, Cosby, and Simpson. With Crocker and Peko being out that should open up a roster spot for our buddy Jerome Simpson to get in the game. We saw during the preseason and training camp some of his spectacular catch, and deep threat potential. After being with this team almost two years, if he aint ready, he never will be (Did you see Desean Jackson Sunday?), so I HOPE to see him on the field Sunday. If not Simpson, at least get Quan Cosby more involved in the passing game, he may not be that tall at 5'9'' (Desean Jackson is 5'10'') but he is speedy and was a deep threat with Texas. So it all comes down to the Offensive Coordiator and Palmer's problems, Brat has to make some changes in his play calling and Palmer has to play alot better......alot better!! You can't say he didn't have any time because the Vikings only had one sack and they held Jared Allen and the 3 other pro bowlers at bay, so the O-line had a pretty nice game(except for the false starts).

    My point here really is: Benson can still get 20-25 carries a game with a Passing offense, it will give us more plays, more first downs, and keep the defense off the field. When you Run, Run, Pass, Punt it only gives you 3 plays to work with and gets our defense tired (which is what happened in the 2nd half Sunday). Mixing it up will get more yards per carry also, because the opposing defense won't be expecting a run on first and second downs, so that will keep them from having 8 or 9 in the box. We can use more play-action and running out of pass formations because we will have the defense on there heels, when you have 7 offensive linemen the defense knows you are going to run. I just a want a little doubt in the minds of the defense to make them hesitate that split second, make blown coverages, etc...

Bottom Line is; mix it up on offense, that's what the Saints do and they are 13-0, do we understand Mr. Bratkowski? If we did that on Offense we could be unstoppable with this great defense we got.

Interesting stats:

Chargers have not lost in December since 2005

Bengals are the 5th most penalized team (wow I figured we would be #1)

Bengals have not lost 2 straight games this season

Last Bengals win on the west coast was: week 12, 2003. Oddly enough against San Diego 34-27

The $100 mil QB Carson Palmer still hasn't thrown for 300 yards since 2007

Few more things:

I wouldn't mind seeing Mike Mickens play 4th corner, maybe if there was an injury or something

We cant have the freaking penalties on offense, please stop the false starts, holding, and block in the backs on returns..... it's becoming comical like St Louis and Coats.

Daniel Coats, dude, why cant you catch the ball? first play of the game he drops one. Where was J.P.?

Palmer audible to a pass play please!(the defense knows you are audibling to a run because they all come up to the line when you do)

Use more Quan Cosby in the passing game, he is a playmaker

Shayne Graham, WTF dude, you want a long term deal and you can't even kickoff in-bounds! If it's not one thing it's another with your Opie looking self.

Can we see our 2nd round pick from last year? with Crocker out that opens a spot, but Scott will be back so I doubt that will happen.

My thoughts on this week's quotes:

Give Larry Johnson a few more carries than 3, I would like to see Benson around 20-25, (he had 16 Sunday)

 Lewis conferred with Bratkowski with Monday as a reminder to get Johnson more carries.

“Tie a rubber band to my ankle or my wrist to remind us to make sure we get him more opportunities,” Lewis said. “To keep Ced fresh. It’s good for Larry. It gives us a good balance and good opportunity to keep (Johnson) expanding and understand (the offense).

Brat, if your trying to score before the half, don't do what you did vs the Vikings with a draw and and screen (dumb). Using the timeouts correctly would've helped also :)

Palmer indicated the Bengals were trying to go for a score on that possession.

"We were trying to get a 10- to 15-yard play and go for the field goal," he said. "Looking back on it, it was a big momentum-changer."

Palmer I hope you have a better performance this week......please, us fans deserve better.

Palmer said:

“We’re a team that throws the ball about 20 times and runs the ball about 30,” Palmer said. “That’s who we are and that’s what we’re going to continue to be. Hopefully we’ll continue to get more and more out of the passing game. Because of one loss we’re not going to go back to the drawing board and change our identity and freak out like everybody else outside this locker room.”

Sounds like Palmer is scared to pass! why are they paying you $100 million to throw 20 times a game? If that's the case Benson should be getting your game checks.

I like defering to the second half (as some of you know). Lewis wanted to defer but A "Captain" screwed up.

On Monday, Lewis hinted he wanted to defer if the Bengals won the toss. They did, but chose to receive. "We didn’t get the coin toss right. It wasn’t a very good start.”

But he wouldn't elaborate.

3 of our 4 losses came after getting the ball first to start the game, the one were we defered and lost was Denver.

Palmer on his passing perfomance:

"We need to do a better job with that," Palmer said. "They did a really good job with a game plan that took away Chad. We didn't do a good enough job of countering that and finding our other guys and moving the chains"

What's this "we" crap? YOU got to do a better job finding other guys that are open. Look for other guys other than Chad, that might help! Carson, Bro, you need to man up and just say you sucked that game.

Final thoughts:

I think we have deep threats we just are not using them as such, Cosby could be a great deep threat but Sunday he was thrown to once in more of a possession type (I think Marvin should give him a shot). Of course we all know about Simpson who has the size and speed but he must have ran over Marvin Lewis's dog or something. Then there is Ocho, who I think has always been a deep threat when he makes corners foolish on double moves. Brat just hasn't been using them as deep threats, I guess he thinks that all of our WR's are possession guys or something.

If you wanted to sign a free agent WR there are two that stand out to me off top, troubled WR and former Jaguar Matt Jones, and former Colt Marvin Harrison.

Im worried about Rey Maualuga, he had a horrible game and I just don't think he is comfortable at outside LB. Dhani didn't play well either and im looking forward to the day they move Rey back inside where he belongs, but I have faith in Zimmer and what he decides I will back him up.

I don't have faith in Brat on the other hand. Well lets hope that our offense can help out our defense this week against a Charger's team who has won 8 straight games and have 2 backs that can bust it open. (LT and Sproles).

This will be a long week waiting for the Charger game but lets get back to being winners.

I want to have a little confidence going into the Playoffs, the second seed will be nice but lets just wrap up the division Sunday. Lets worry about seeding after we clinch a spot in the playoffs first.