As we're going through our stat rambling series, it's evident that the Bengals offense has struggled going back to last season. For example, Carson Palmer recorded a passer rating of 100 or more, in 11 of the first 12 games in 2005; though his rating was less than 95.5 or less in the final four games. In fact, between 2005-2006, Palmer hit a stretch of 10 games of recording a passer rating less than 100.
Last season, Palmer recorded only five games with 100 passer rating or better; three in the past 14 games. Palmer recorded five touchdowns, and five interceptions, in his final five games last season; three touchdowns were against the 1-15 Dolphins during the final week.
True, not all the elements are there. We have, essentially, no reliable running game. Even though the offensive line, for the most part, is the same from last season that surrendered a franchise-low 17 sacks, one of the biggest frustrations is the line's inability to allow Palmer to sit in the pocket for more than three seconds.
Based off trends, one can assume the Bengals won't magically return to 2005 form -- too many elements on that team are missing, such as two quality offensive linemen, an opportunistic defense and a rushing game that actually gained yards.