5/16/13: Cincinnati has made the playoffs the last two seasons and was able to keep their young core in tact in the off season. So why is it that so many people doom them to failure. The easy answer is that QB Andy Dalton is the next Mark Sanchez. He is not. Dalton has led the team to the playoffs in his first two seasons and is surrounded by better talent than Sanchez, as well as the fact that the Bengals are not the circus that the New York Jets are. The AFC North is as competitive as any division, but Dalton keeps getting better. It also does not hurt that he has A.J. Green to throw to.

5/9/13: Does anyone remember Dre Kirkpatrick? The Bengals drafted him 17th overall in 2012. He was injured through the first half of the season and did not play until November. He appeared in only five games and had four tackles as a rookie cornerback. He hurt his knee in December and was placed on injured reserve. No one is really sure of his health right now. If he is healthy, and can learn from a lost rookie season, then gives the Bengals a lethal secondary. If not, then it will be more of the same for Dre. Cincy brought back Adam Jones and Terrance Newman as well.

5/2/13: No one is sure what type of offense the Bengals plan on running this coming season, and the speculation is growing with their first round selection: tight end Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame. Cincy already has Jermaine Gresham on the roster, so that either means they are going to run a two tight end offense like New England, or Gresham has a foot out the door. They selected North Carolina running back Giovanni Bernard in the second round, hoping to fill their hole at half back. But they did get the player with the best nickname. Margus Hunt, the huge defensive end from SMU who is from Estonia - also known as the Eastern Block.

4/25/13: The Bengals and former Steelers defensive player of the year James Harrison finally reached a deal. The two sides were expected to reach an agreement a few weeks ago, but talks fell apart. The the Bengals started talking to Karlos Dansby, formerly of the Miami Dolphins. Dansby is younger, but wanted more money. It also helps that Harrison knows the Steelers defense inside and out, which will come in handy twice a year. Dansby may end up in Buffalo, where they desperately need his services. As for the draft, Cincinnati could use help in a few places, particularly at running back.

4/18/13: The Bengals did a remarkable job keeping their core group together in the offseason and not surrendering much to free agency. Their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, essentially destroyed their roster after winning the Super Bowl and did not retain much. The difference is that the Ravens roster was old, while the Bengals are full of guys finishing their rookie contracts. With all the turmoil in the AFC North, it is not hard to imagine Cincy winning the division next year and perhaps getting to a conference championship. The latest news is that the Bengals and former Steelers defensive player of the year James Harrison are close to an agreement.

4/11/13: The Bengals are trying to find a back up to BenJarvis Green Ellis (aka: the Law Firm). Cincinnati worked out former Cowboys first round draft pick Felix Jones. Jones was expected to be the dynamic playmaker the Cowboys needed in the running game, but injuries derailed his career. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry, however has only played a full 16 game schedule twice in his five year career. The Cowboys let him go, having settled on DeMarco Murray as their starter. Law Firm could be a nice change of pace guy who does have the ability to take a few carries all the way.

4/4/13: The Bengals continue to resign their players and keep their core young veterans around. This past week they finished up the last of their own guys by getting corner back Terrance Newman to return for two more seasons. Newman was a first round pick by the Dallas Cowboys and played his first nine years in Big D and last season in Cincinnati. Newman is still going strong. He led the team in passes defended with 14 and added two interceptions. While the Steelers are reeling and Baltimore is an unknown, this could be the season that the Bengals take the NFC North.

3/28/13: One would be hard pressed to find a team that did a better job of retaining their own guys this offseason. The team just came to terms with unrestricted free agents cornerback Adam 'Pac Man' Jones and wide receiver Brandon Tate. For those keeping score at home, that makes five defensive players and six offensive or special teams players that decided to stay with Cincinnati rather than move on to a new team. The Bengals also signed quarterback Josh Johnson to backup starter Andy Dalton. Johnson has a big arm and can play, if he can just get on the field.

3/21/13: The Bengals could be considered the even keel team throughout this offseason. They essentially kept their strong defense in tact by resigning key free agents or using the franchise tag. The lost linebacker Manny Lawson to Buffalo, but should be able to fill his absence. They do need to fill the back up quarterback position since Bruce Gradkowski departed. Former Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick reportedly has met with the team about a return as the back up. Fitzpatrick was with the Bengals in 2007 and 2008 before going to Buffalo and eventually earning the starter's position.

Check out more info on Super Bowl 2013 tickets over on the SeatGeek Blog.

3/14/13: The Bengals are staying pretty pat in free agency so far. They have had a couple personnel losses, but none that were surprising. The biggest name of the bunch is linebacker Rey Maualuga. The St. Louis Rams surprised everyone a few years ago when they passed on Maualuago out of USC for Jame Laurinitis of Ohio State. Five years later and it looks like the Rams made (for once) the right choice. Rey visited Arizona, but left without a contract. Considering that the Ravens just lost Dannell Ellerbe, he may be a fit with division rival Baltimore.

3/7/13: In one of the crazier NFL stories of the week, Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry is wagering his Rolls Royce that UFC middleweight Michael "The Count" Bisping will not knock out Alan Belcher in the first round when they fight on April 27. The wager is a direct challenge to Bisping to put up a wager of a similar value. The challenge was posted on You Tube as a video filmed from the back of the RR Phanton with Gilberry and Belcher. No word yet on if the wager has been accepted, but Gilberry claims the car is worth $300,000.

2/14/13: The Bengals have made the playoffs for the past two seasons, and both times were knocked out by the Houston Texans. This past loss was a 19-13 nail biter where the defenses stepped up big time. Marvin Lewis is now 0-4 in the playoffs for his career, and quarterback Andy Dalton is 0-2. Lewis promoted Hue Jackson to special assistant and has publicly said that the team's goal is to improve offensively. Cincinnati could use a complementary receiver to all-pro A.J. Green, and they could benefit from a stronger running game - which may mean some changes on the offensive line and/or at the tailback position.

2/7/13: The Bengals announced that Hue Jackson will remain on the coaching staff. Last season, he served as defensive backs coach and assistant special teams coach. This season he is slated to be the running backs coach and special assistant to head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals need to address the running back position. Cedric Benson was serviceable a few years ago, and BenJarvis Green Ellis was satisfactory last year. However, the Bengals need a top tier tailback to draw some attention away from quarterback Andrew Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green. Adding a top running game would make the team competitive in the AFC North.

1/31/13: The Bengals made an interesting move this past week, signing Aaron Maybin. Maybin was drafted in the first round by the Bills in 2009 as a pass rush specialist. He recorded no sacks in two years and was cut as a bust. The Jets picked him up and used him as a linebacker where he had six sacks, but was cut midway through 2012 for lack of production. In Cincinnati, he may return to a pass rushing defensive tackle position, where he will have a chance to revivie his career. The talent is there, but it seems like he has not been used properly in his time in the NFL yet.

1/24/13: Maybe the Bengals can forget about that disastrous Akili Smith draft pick several years ago. Or maybe this is just an indication of how low the bar is set. Through two seasons, Andy Dalton has the best winning percentage in Bengals history of any QB that has started 10 or more games at .594. In that time span, he is 19-13 in the regular season. Good numbers, certainly, but not Hall of Fame worthy. Just for the notes: Virgil Carter is second at 12-10 (.545) and Ken Anderson stands at third with a record of 91-81 (.529).

1/17/13: In two seasons, the Andy Dalton to A.J. Green connection has been among the best in the game. They came in as rookies together and had a surprisingly strong freshman campaign, followed by an even better second act. Some may argue, effectively, that A.J. Green has been better than Julio Jones - who was the highest rated and highest drafted wide out in 2011. But while Jones has complements - namely Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez - A.J. Green does not and is routinely double covered. The Bengals need a second option for Dalton if they are going to progress past the first round of the playoffs next season.

1/10/13: The Bengals may have one of the worst records over the past two decades, but they have made the playoffs for the past two years. Unfortunately, just like last season, the team was eliminated from the post season by the Houston Texans. Houston relied on a heavy dose of Arian Foster (140 yards) and strong defense to win 19-13. Overall, the Texans loaded up 420 yards of offense on a strong Bengals defense. The season is over for Cincinnati, while the Texans head to Foxborough to play New England, in a rematch from a few weeks ago.

1/3/13: The Bengals have flown under the radar all year, and did not even get much publicity when they secured the number 6 playoff seed in Week 16. Their Week 17 opponent was division rival Baltimore, whom they beat 23-17. The game was essentially meaningless because Baltimore had already secured the division and the Bengals could not change their seeding. So the big theme was 'don't get hurt. However, the game could be a playoff preview. Cincinnati opens their playoff run in a rematch of last season's first round, traveling to Houston to face the Texans this weekend.

12/27/12: The Bengals have played under the radar all season, but secured the no. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs by beating the Steelers on a last minute field goal. Alternatively, the Steelers are out of the playoffs and face more questions about their aging core of players. It was the Bengals first victory over Pittsburgh in three years, and is the first time the team has made the playoffs in consecutive years since 1981-82, and the first time they have made it in consecutive non-strike years. Cincinnati has the luxury of resting their stars in their Week 17 match up at home against Baltimore, who has clinched the AFC North.

12/20/12: The Bengals drew the Eagles in the Thursday Night game, looking to rebound from a heartbreaking last minute loss to the Dallas Cowboys the Sunday prior. Cincinnati built up a quick 10-0 lead, but trailed by three at halftime. Not to worry, though, the Bengals dominated the second half, outscoring Philly 24-0 in the second half. Cincy's offense was nothing special; Andy Dalton three for only 124 yards. But the defense came up big and put the Eagles away. The Bengals are still in the mix for a playoff spot, and visit the Steelers on Sunday.

12/13/12: The Bengals five game winning streak came to an end against Dallas on Sunday, as the team lost a game they should have won. Cincy led 19-10 going into the fourth quarter, but could not put the Cowboys away. Instead, their offense stalled Dallas rallied for 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, stealing the game. Quarterback Andy Dalton did not have a particularly strong day, throwing for just 200 yards and one score. The Bengals are 7-6, and had the good fortune that both Baltimore and Pittsburgh lost as well, keeping the teams playoff hopes alive going into the final three weeks of the season.

12/6/12: Like their helmets, the Bengals are effective, just not pretty. Cincinnati made the cross country trip to San Diego to face the struggling Chargers, and won 20-13. Quarterback Andy Dalton only threw for 211 yards and one touchdown, going 25-39. But it was enough. Enough to place the Bengals at 7-5 and tied for second with the Steelers in the AFC North. Enough to keep their playoff hopes alive, while more publicized teams are falling out of contention. The Bengals now return home to host the Dallas Cowboys, who are coming off of a dramatic win over the Eagles.

The Cincinnati Bengals will look to continue their effective defensive play in the 2012 season. The offseason season has been built around improving a defense that was already ninth against the pass and tenth against the run in 2011. First round pick cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick will be expected to start the season filling in for the injured Leon Hall, who tore his achilles in Week 10 last season and may not be ready for the season opener. The Bengals also hope third year safety Taylor Mays can step up to a starter role next to Reggie Nelson in his second year with the team.

Cincinnati Bengals Tickets - Team History

Things have looked brighter lately, but it's been a rough twenty years for the Cincinnati Bengals. Playoff appearances in 2005 and 2009 have been surrounded by eighteen other years of losing records. Five years ago, a receiving corps of Chad Ochocinco (or is it Johnson again?) and Terrell Owens would've been the best in the league. Both are still immensely talented players, but an overhaul is coming soon in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Bengals Tickets - 2011 Season Info

The extended offseason has not been good for a lot of teams, but the Bengals are among those for whom it's truly been bad. Though Owens and Ochocinco are both known for making a lot of noise off the field, both train hard and come to camp in shape. This year, other than Ochocinco trying out for every professional sports team aside from Harry Potter's Quidditch squad, it's been Carson Palmer making the headlines. The veteran QB is threatening to retire if he isn't traded. The team obviously took Palmer's ultimatum seriously, selecting TCU quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round of the draft. It's their first round selection, however, that should signify the end to the Owens and Ochocinco show in Cincinnati. There aren't enough footballs for the pair as well as the supremely talented A.J. Green, who will more than likely replace Owens on the field.

Cincinnati Bengals Tickets

Four games against the Steelers and Ravens are going to be rough this year, with or without Palmer. Other than that, however, Cincinnati's schedule is promising. The Bengals don't play any of their games in prime time, giving them the perfect opportunity to sneak up on teams and play the role of spoiler or even make their own run toward a postseason berth.

Cincinnati Bengals Tickets - The Players

Carson Palmer retired after a career riddled with injuries and under achieving but he will still be known as a good quarterback. The question is what is going to happen with the Bengals? The current rosters lists Bruce Gradkowski, Jordan Palmer, Dan LeFavour and Andy Dalton all as possible starters. Their receiving core is young and the oldest receiver, Jerome Simpson, has only 4 years of experience but they look for Jordan Shipley to catch some touchdowns in the future. The entire team is full of young players, most with 5 or less years of experience with a veteran here and there. Nate Clements was picked up in the off season and there is some hope that he'll be able to help this young defense develop. There is no high expectations in the immediate future but give it a few years and this team could have developed in a hard hitting force in the NFL.

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