Hello, nasty!

The Cincinnati Reds continued their bold offseason by signing the top free-agent closer on the market – Ryan Madson – late Tuesday night.

And the Reds didn’t just land the best closer available, they got him at a relatively cheap rate. Multiple reports say that Madson inked a one-year contract that will pay him $8.5 million guaranteed, and gives him the potential to make an extra $1.5 million through incentives.

Hell, even if the Reds had given Madson $10M guaranteed it would have been a bargain, considering his former team – the Phillies – offered him a four-year, $44 million contract earlier this offseason. The Phillies ended up pulling the offer and inking Jonathan Papelbon instead.

Madson’s agent is Scott Boras, which made many Reds fans skeptical that Cincinnati would be able to afford the 31-year-old right-hander. However, general manager Walt Jocketty knew it was a buyer’s market and was rewarded for his patience in the end. In fact, there are MLB insiders like Keith Law who are calling the Madson signing “The best bargain of the offseason.” (I don’t usually like Law, but when he says something that fits my argument, I’ll selectively listen to him. Perhaps even quote him in a story.)

In 2011, his lone season as the Phillies’ full-time closer, the 6-foot-6 Madson had 32 saves, an ERA of 2.37 and a WHIP of 1.15. In 60.2 innings, he gave up 54 hits, had 62 strikeouts and walked just 16. (He also had a record of 4-2, which is basically a useless stat for closers. Aren’t you glad I made sure to include a useless stat?)

Therefore, the Reds have now signed the second-best free-agent closer of the offseason (presuming Papelbon is better), the best left-handed set-up man on the trade market in Sean Marshall, and the best starting pitcher on the trade market in Mat Latos.

That’s called “getting work done” and Jocketty gets huge kudos for the excellent offseason the team is experiencing.

However, it’s not over yet. The Reds still need to sign a fourth outfielder; someone to at least platoon with Chris Heisey in left. It will be a veteran on the cheap – such as Ryan Ludwick. It will be interesting to see what Jocketty ends up doing there.

He also needs to find a backup shortstop and his offseason work will be complete. And attracting a good SS shouldn’t be too difficult because whoever the Reds sign will have a chance to compete with rookie Zack Cozart for the starting job. Cozart is likely to open the season as the starter regardless (if he’s healthy, which he’s expected to be) but he’s an unproven commodity and a veteran backup is needed.

Nasty Boys II?

Check out how the Reds’ bullpen is shaping up for the 2012 season:

Closer: Ryan Madson.

Left-handed set-up: Sean Marshall.

Right-handed set-up: Nick Masset (although he’s no lock by any means; Logan Ondrusek is also someone to watch here).

Left-handed specialist (LOOGY): Bill Bray.

Right-hander: Logan Ondrusek.

Right-hander: Jose Arredondo.

Long reliever: Sam LeCure.

Wow. Did I mention I love the offseason the Reds are having? At this point, it will be shocking if they are not the preseason favorites to win the NL Central championship.

It certainly feels like 2012 is shaping up to be a stellar year for the Cincinnati Reds.

On Monday, former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin was voted into the Hall of Fame and will be the lone inductee in the ’12 class. Larkin received a whopping 86.4 percent of the vote (it takes 75 percent to make the cut) on this his third time being on the ballot. The next-closest was pitcher Jack Morris with 66.7 percent. Mark McGwire received just 19.5 percent of the vote.

Larkin played his entire 19-year career with the Reds (1986-2004) and was a 12-time All-Star selection. Larkin had a .295 lifetime batting average with 198 home runs, 960 RBIs, 2,340 hits and 379 stolen bases.

He was also a key member of Cincinnati’s 1990 World Series championship team, won the 1995 National League MVP award for the NL Central-winning Reds and captured three Gold Glove awards. (Ozzie Smith dominated the NL Gold Glove award for much of Larkin’s career.) Also, in 1996, Larkin became the first shortstop in MLB history to have a 30/30 season (home runs and steals).

Needless to say, Larkin’s inclusion into the Hall of Fame is well-deserved and it will be a great day for Reds fans this summer when he’s officially inducted. And yes, I think it makes it extra-special that he will be the only player to enter the Hall this year. It will literally be “Barry Larkin Day” in Cooperstown and you know Reds fans will flood there to be a part of the festivities.

Reds Making Bold Offseason Moves

Looking at the 2012 version of the Reds, they appear to be in “all-in” mode and I love it. Now is the time to strike with the Cardinals losing Albert Pujols (and Tony LaRussa), the Brewers losing Ryan Braun for 50 games due to PED use and probably Prince Fielder via free agency, and the Cubs re-building.

The Reds gave up a lot to land starting pitcher Mat Latos, but that’s what it takes to get a 24-year-old, top-of-the-rotation pitcher who can’t become a free agent until 2016. The Reds will have Latos for at least four seasons at a relatively cheap rate. Fans can’t talk out of both sides of their mouth. They can’t clamor for general manager Walt Jocketty to make moves to improve the team, and then when he does make a bold move like trading for Latos, complain about it.

Yes, giving up Yonder Alonso isn’t anything that the Reds wanted to see happen – and losing relief pitcher Brad Boxberger hurts too. Yasmani Grandal is an excellent catching prospect, but the Reds have an even better one in Devin Mesoraco, which made Grandal expendable. And losing Edinson Volquez is nice just so I don’t have to look at his pathetic ass any longer. What a joke. Reds fans thought there would never be a trade that hurt the franchise worse than the Frank Robinson deal, but the Volquez-for-Josh Hamilton disaster might end up taking the prize when we look back on it. Thanks, Wayne Krivsky! (Although, it was Krivsky that originally acquired Hamilton for the Reds. But that doesn’t excuse his boneheaded trade for Volquez.)

Anyway, the bottom line is that I like the Latos trade. This gives the Reds a dynamic starting rotation of Latos, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey and Bronson Arroyo. Also, Aroldis Chapman is transitioning back to a starting role (what he did his entire amateur career and with the Cuban national team) giving the Reds a total of six legitimate starters entering spring training. Arroyo was horrific last year, but I think he’ll bounce back with at least a solid year. But if he doesn’t, Chapman will be sitting right there waiting to take his spot in the rotation. Same deal for Bailey. He’s dripping with talent but can never seem to harness it consistently. If he struggles – or when he goes down with his yearly injury – Chapman will be waiting in the wings.

Can you imagine if Chapman finds his groove this season and the Reds end up having a top-four rotation of Latos, Cueto, Leake and Chapman? Wow, that would be exciting and would create a lot of winning baseball.

As for the trade that landed left-handed relief pitcher Sean Marshall, again, the Reds gave up a lot to make it happen, but I like the deal. Marshall is one of the elite set-up men in baseball and the Reds’ bullpen needed someone like that. I was a big Travis Wood fan and thought he would be nice insurance for the Reds’ rotation if there were injuries (or pitchers not performing well) but, again, the Reds were not going to land someone of Marshall's status without giving up some good players. (They also dealt outfielder Dave Sappelt and minor-league second baseman Ronald Torreyes.)

The remaining needs are closer, someone to at least platoon with Chris Heisey in left field and a backup shortstop. I’m holding out hope that the Reds will land the best free-agent closer still on the market: Ryan Madson, formerly of the Phillies. I fully believe the Reds are being patient on this front because not many teams in MLB need a closer and Cincinnati might end up finding a very-good bargain.

Other, less-ideal options include re-signing Francisco Cordero at a relatively cheap rate (something like 1-year, $5 million) or signing Kerry Wood. I don’t like either of those ideas.

However, what I do like are the Reds’ chances of winning the 2012 NL Central title. The team might only have two more seasons of Joey Votto and they are pushing all their chips to the middle of the table. The time to win is now. You know Charlie Sheen would be proud of his favorite team. And Barry Larkin.

Winning!

Something I'll be doing more of here on the Bloguin Network is contributing to our national NFL site, This Given Sunday. Trust me, if you're an NFL fan, you should bookmark the site now.

Earlier today, I answered five questions from TGS managing editor Will Horton about Saturday's Bengals at Texans game which will kickoff the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs at 4:30 p.m. on NBC. The story is on the TGS site and I wanted to post it here as well. Therefore, here you go:

1. Andy Dalton and AJ Green might be new to the NFL playoffs, but Marvin Lewis is not. How is he preparing this team for the next level of competition? Well, Lewis is mostly a figurehead at this point, with first-year coordinator Jay Gruden having complete control of the offense (and Gruden has been a tremendous upgrade over Bob Bratkowski who had been the Bengals’ OC for 10 years) and the well-respected Mike Zimmer running the defense. So, it’s really more on the coordinators than Lewis himself.

Overall, I don’t think Lewis is a great coach by any means. However, you have to give the man credit for getting Cincinnati in the playoffs three out of the last seven years – including two AFC North championships. This was a moribund franchise that didn’t sniff the postseason from 1991-02. Then Lewis arrived in 2003 and immediately turned them into a contender. They made the playoffs following a 14-year drought in 2005 and Lewis has proved to be at least a solid NFL head coach.

2. What do the key playmakers (Dalton, Green, Cedric Benson) have to do to give their team a chance to win? Well, you certainly named the three keys right there, in addition to the offensive line as a whole. Tight end Jermaine Gresham and wide receiver Jerome Simpson will also be involved in the game plan – maybe heavily-involved – but clearly the three main guys are Dalton, Green and Benson.

Dalton has been a godsend for the Bengals who found a steal in the second round of the 2011 draft. He’s mature beyond his years, has excellent accuracy and is a natural leader. It’s huge for him just to have the opportunity to play in the postseason as a rookie.

Same for Green. Everyone expected him to be good, but not this good. Not “Make the Pro Bowl as a rookie” good. Not “first rookie WR to go over 1,000 receiving yards since Marques Colston in 2006” good. Green is a future stud for sure if he stays healthy. Wait, did I say “future”? He’s already a stud.

As for Benson, he’s a steady, hard-running RB and Cincinnati needs to establish a quality running game in this contest, if nothing else to set up the play-action to Green and others. Benson did go over 1,000 rushing yards for the third-consecutive season, although that’s not any huge accomplishment with 16 games. (Benson played in 15 due to a one-game suspension.) Doing it three years in a row is a big accomplishment, but I’m saying a running back reaching 1,000 yards in a season isn’t any big deal.

The bottom line is that all three of them – Dalton, Green and Benson – have to have good games for the Bengals to win on the road on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the first playoff contest of the NFL season.

3. Who are the unsung heroes of this team that will have to step up? Good question. As mentioned previously, the offensive line needs to have a good game. And if I had to pick one guy on there, it would be third-year right tackle Andre Smith. Not sure you can call someone who was the No. 6 overall pick of the draft in 2009 an “unsung” hero. However, I fully thought he was a bust at several points in his career. In fact, I thought he was going to be a bust from the moment the Bengals drafted him. And it looked like I was absolutely right for a while.

I was wrong.

However, while Smith has turned himself into a solid player, there is still untapped potential and it would be immense for the Bengals to have him clear the way on the right side for Benson to have a big game. Although, the Bengals do like to run left a lot behind tackle Andrew Whitworth, definitely their best O-lineman.

Also, I would say the entire “no-name” defensive line that is one of the best in the NFL. Cincinnati has an excellent front-four, which is led by second-year DT Geno Atkins, a fourth-round pick who leads the team with eight sacks. However, the player who many believe is the Bengals’ best defensive lineman – end Carlos Dunlap who had 9.5 sacks as a rookie in 2010 – has battled hamstring injuries for much of the year and only has 4.5 sacks this season. Dunlap rising up and putting consistent pressure on rookie QB T.J. Yates would be huge for this defense.

They also need one of the cornerbacks to step up; it’s the glaring weakness of the team. Eleven-year veteran Nate Clements, who is playing in the postseason for the first time in his career (which elicited tears from Clements in the postgame locker room last week), has been good not great. But he’s been as good as anyone could have expected given his age of 32. The Bengals were dealt a tough blow when corner Leon Hall was lost for the season with a torn Achilles. And the Bengals allowed their top offseason priority – Johnathan Joseph – leave via free agency late in the summer to, ironically, the Texans. So, Clements will probably be his usual steady self, but the Bengals need either Pacman Jones (who is terrible) or Kelly Jennings (not much better) to step up and surprise everyone by playing well.

4. What is your gameplan against the Houston Texans? There definitely needs to be balance offensively, and defensively the Bengals must contain the Texans’ explosive running game led by Arian Foster, while also getting pressure and affecting Yates. In a game that’s expected to be this close, the difference will likely come down to special teams and turnovers, as cliché as that sounds.

5. What’s your prediction for this game? It will be a tight contest that could go either way, but I’ll go with the home team, the Texans. Both teams have good defenses, but I like the Texans’ better – mainly due to the Bengals’ situation at cornerback. This will be a battle of rookie quarterbacks – with Dalton for the Bengals and Yates for the Texans – which makes it more-interesting. And certainly more-winnable for the Bengals since the injured Matt Schaub is one of the top-10 quarterbacks in the NFL. Yates has played unexpectedly well for a fifth-rounder, but the Texans are riding a three-game losing streak entering the postseason and many think their magical season might come to an end this weekend. This will be a rematch as the Texans were very lucky to pull out a 20-19 win at Cincinnati four weeks ago in Yates’ second career start. That said, I’m picking the Texans, 23-20 (and hoping I’m wrong)

The Cincinnati Bengals secured the sixth and final spot in the AFC playoffs on Sunday despite their 24-16 loss to the visiting Baltimore Ravens. Due to the Denver Broncos losing (and the Oakland Raiders as well, although it turned out the Bengals didn't need that) and the Miami Dolphins upsetting the New York Jets earlier in the day, the Bengals backed their way into the postseason with a 9-7.

By the way, if the question is "Does backing in the playoffs take away from the Bengals making the postseason?" the answer is "Absolutely not." At least as far as I'm concerned. Listen, this is a franchise that struggled to even be competitive for years and now they've made the playoffs three times in the last seven years (including AFC North championships in 2005 and '09). I'll take it and not feel bad about it for a second. This is a bottom-line business and the Bengals are in the playoffs. That's hella nice for a fan base that deserves it and then some. (And don't even talk about the poor attendance this season. Bengals fans have stood by a horrible franchise for years and are now reaping the rewards.)

The Bengals will face the Houston Texans on the road in the first round of the "tournament" as NFL coaches like to call it these days, which will be a rematch of the Texans' shocking 20-19 win over the Bengals three weeks ago. Interestingly, Houston's rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, who was the team's No. 3 QB as of a month-and-a-half ago and led the comeback victory over the Bengals, suffered a head injury and did not return during the Texans' loss to the Tennessee Titans today. That meant Houston was down to its fourth quarterback this season: journeyman Jake Delhomme.

If the Bengals get a chance to face a team with Delhomme as its starting QB in the playoffs, Cincinnati might be looking at its first postseason win since the 1990 season. Which, coincidentally also came against a team from Houston: the Oilers (who later became the Titans).

As for the loss to the Ravens, let's talk horrible officiating for a moment. What was your favorite botched call? Was it when Reggie Nelson made a clean hit on Ed Dickson (read: no contact to the head) but was whistled for a 15-yard penalty? Dickson obviously wasn't a "defenseless receiver" with the ball sailing over his head or something to that effect. How do we know? He caught the pass. In fact, if anything, the ball was delivered was low. Just an inexplicable call by the officials. They continue to find a way to penalize good defense. Here's an idea: If you don't actually see helmet-to-helmet contact (or any type of shot to the head) then don't throw a flag and pretend as if you did. Also, this should be a reviewable play. It's pretty clear from watching replays if there was really helmet-to-helmet contact. Why not incorporate that into the growing list of plays that are reviewable?

But enough about all of that. The Bengals are in the playoffs and that feels good. And they have a good chance of at least winning one game and hopefully getting a chance to do some damage after that. What a season led by rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, rookie wide receiver A.J. Green and a "no-name" defense. (Course, that defense certainly knows one name. That of Ray Rice. He completely torched Mike Zimmer's defense to the tune of 24 carries for 191 yards, including two long touchdown runs.

However, it turned out the Ravens game meant nothing to Cincinnati. Who freakin' Dey my friends! 

Who would have ever thought the Cincinnati Bengals would be in this position entering the final week of the 2011 regular season?

Entering the year, expectations were at an all-time low … and that’s saying quite a bit when you’re talking about the Bengals.

Even the most-optimistic of fans could see the writing on the wall: A team coming off a 4-12 season with a rookie quarterback, rookie offensive coordinator, questions on the offensive line and a defense that saw the team’s top offseason priority – cornerback Johnathan Joseph – leave via free agency.

Add it all up and it looked like a 6-10 record at best – and that was only because of the weak schedule.

However, here the Bengals stand 9-6 and one win away from a shocking playoff birth. That’s right, if Cincinnati is able to defeat visiting Baltimore this Sunday, the Bengals will have made the playoffs for the third time in the last seven years. I’ve largely been a Marvin Lewis critic, but hats off to him if he’s able to pull it off. This was a franchise that didn’t sniff the playoffs from 1991-2002. Then Lewis arrived in 2003 and immediately turned them into a contender.

Obviously, beating the 11-4 Ravens won’t be an easy task, but the Bengals have played extremely well against them during the Lewis era in the friendly confines of Paul Brown Stadium. (Speaking of which, the team is on a full-scale marketing barrage this week hoping to get a sellout or at least close after some embarrassing home crowds this season. Season-ticket holders have been offered a “buy-one, get-one-free” deal for the Ravens game. I personally think the Bengals should bite the bullet and have discounted prices for the entire general public, but we’ll see how far they can get targeting the season ticket holders first.)

Anyway, I hope the Bengals’ players and coaches don’t worry too much about what the crowd will look like because the focus needs to be on preparing for the game. The Ravens already have a playoff spot locked up, but they have a lot to play for as a win would give them the AFC North championship and a first-round bye. A loss to the Bengals and a Steelers win would mean the Ravens would enter the postseason as a wildcard.

So, Cincinnati is definitely going to get the best the Ravens have to offer and it’s going to be a difficult game. That said, the Bengals are certainly playing with house money at this point and they deserve a lot of credit for just being in this spot. But now that they’re so close, might as well finish the deal and truly make their stamp as the surprise team of the entire NFL this season.

And my goodness does the future look bright with the host of young talent on the team like rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, rookie wide receiver A.J. Green and second-year defensive tackle Geno Atkins. Also, one of the unsung heroes of this year’s squad has been fifth-year safety Reggie Nelson who has been solid in run support and leads the team with four interceptions. The Bengals absolutely fleeced the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Nelson trade just prior to the 2010 season when Cincinnati only gave up cornerback David Jones. (Who? Exactly.)

Nelson, the Jags’ first-round pick out of Florida in 2007, will be a free agent after this season and hopefully the Bengals will be able to lock him up with a long-term deal.

All right, so I was off on my prediction that the Bengals would string off three-consecutive wins against the Texans, Rams and Cardinals. Thanks, T.J. Yates (with an assist from Pacman “I like-ed da scrip clubs” Jones).

However, after their heartbreaking loss to the Texans, the Bengals were able to rebound with a sloppy, yet effective, 20-13 win over the Rams on Sunday. That puts Cincinnati at 8-6 on the season and very much in the AFC playoff hunt. I think they need to win out … and while that won’t be easy by any stretch, it’s a strong possibility with both games being at home.

The Cardinals are 7-7 and play very well at home, but they’re a warm-weather dome team from the West Coast coming to chilly Cincinnati to play a 1 p.m. game in the Eastern Time Zone. Quarterback John Skelton has been solid filling in for Kevin Kolb (who has been less-than-solid after the big trade this offseason with the Eagles … and is questionable for the Bengals game with a concussion) but playing outdoors in the cold will be something new for him.

If the Bengals are able to get past the stingy Arizona squad, it would set up a regular-season finale with the 10-4 Ravens. The Bengals always play well against Baltimore in Cincinnati (and usually in Baltimore, too) and it sure would be interesting if the Bengals were in position to make the playoffs with a win over the Ravens.

If the Bengals win out, all they need the Jets to do is finish 1-1 and the Bengals will be in. The Jets finish with a “home game” against the Giants and then have to travel to Miami for the season-finale. Chances are good the Jets will drop one of those games.

So, while the Bengals don’t technically control their own destiny, they need to approach it as such. If they finish 10-6, they’ll get in as I’ve been saying all along.

Green, Dalton surpass rookie milestones

You have a crush on A.J. Green, don’t you? Just admit it. It’s OK.

With his six-receptions for 115 yards performance against the Rams, the talented wideout became the first rookie to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards since Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006. Green now has 61 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.

Green did hurt his right shoulder against the Rams, but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said afterwards he believes Green will be fine.

Also, Andy Dalton became just the fifth rookie quarterback in the history of the NFL to surpass 3,000 passing yards. Dalton now has 3,012 yards (59 percent) with 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on the year. It’s incredible how the Bengals set themselves up for future (and current) success with their selections of Green and Dalton in the first and second rounds, respectively, in the 2011 draft.

So, buckle in for the final two weeks of the season. It’s already been better than any of us expected (and you’re lying if you say otherwise) and it will be interesting to see how things pan out against the Cardinals and Ravens. But that Ravens game will mean nothing if the Bengals don’t take care of business against Arizona.

For the Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs, they need to win their next three games. And that’s exactly what they are going to do in my opinion. Get ready for a three-game winning streak and a wildcard spot in the playoffs. (And then a first-round ass-kicking in the playoffs. But, hey, I’ll take it!)

The first hurdle of what should be a three-game string of victories is Sunday’s contest at Paul Brown Stadium against the 9-3 Houston Texans. Normally, I wouldn’t think this matchup would set up well for the Bengals. However, the Texans are down to their third-string quarterback – rookie fifth-round pick T.J. Yates out of North Carolina – and are also without the services of star wide receiver Andre Johnson and defensive end Mario Williams.

Yes, Yates played well in his starting debut in the Texans’ home win over the Atlanta Falcons last week, but now Bengals’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has film on Yates … and the prediction is pain. It won’t be a cakewalk for the Bengals (who are favored by 3 points) but I’m expecting a win. As good as the Texans have been this year, if the Bengals can't beat them while the Texans are forced to play their third-string rookie QB on the road, Marvin Lewis and Co. should just pack 'em up and go home for the winter. This is a game the Bengals absolutely must win.

I also fully expect Cincinnati to go on the road the following week and beat a hapless St. Louis Rams team that is probably anxiously waiting for the season to end. The Rams are 2-10 and their record is not misleading in the least. They are clearly one of the worst teams in the NFL. If the Bengals can’t beat them – even on the road – then Cincinnati deserves to miss the postseason. However, I think “The Dalton Gang” is going to go into St. Louis and win that one in the dome.

If they’re able to beat the Texans and Rams, the Bengals will be 9-5 going into their home game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are a warm-weather dome team that will be coming to the Queen City in late December. You do the math. Oh, and their quarterback situation is a mess. They do have a somewhat-respectable 5-7 record, but that’s because they play well at home and play in a weak division. I think the Bengals will roll at PBS over the Cardinals. It won't be an easy game, but the Bengals will be heavily-favored.

If it all pans out, the Bengals will have 10 wins heading into the season-finale against the visiting Baltimore Ravens. Both teams could legitimately have playoff spots locked up by then and will simply be jockeying for position (or resting players). Or, if the Bengals do lose one of the three games I’m predicting them to win, they will still have the chance to reach 10 wins and make the playoffs with a win over the Ravens. The Bengals always play Baltimore tough in Cincinnati (especially since Lewis took over in 2003) and the Bengals nearly beat the Ravens in Baltimore earlier this year. So, even that game is very winnable. A four-game winning streak to end the season with an 11-5 record isn't a ridiculous notion, but it's unlikely and I'm going with 10-6. (I predicted 6-10 at the beginning of the year ... clearly a typo. Or maybe I'm dyslexic and didn't realize it until now.

Bottom line? If the Bengals win three of their four remaining games this regular season, they will be in the playoffs (barring something unforeseen). Pretty amazing considering the low expectations everyone had for this team entering the season.

The Cincinnati Bengals took a big step towards a possible spot in the AFC playoffs with a 23-20 come-from-behind win over the visiting Cleveland Browns on Sunday. In fact, Mike Nugent’s game-winning 26-yard field goal with 41 seconds left – which was set up by a great 51-yard reception from rookie A.J. Green – was the first time the Bengals led all afternoon.

It marked the third time this season that the Bengals (7-4) have come back to win a game in which they trailed by 10 or more at halftime – which ties an all-time NFL record. They beat the Buffalo Bills 23-20 in a game they trailed 17-3 at halftime. They then defeated the Tennessee Titans 24-17 in a contest they trailed 17-7 at the half. Interestingly, 17-7 was also the halftime count against the Browns.

Now, with games against the Houston Texans – who are down to their third quarterback after the injury to Matt Leinart on Sunday – St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, the Bengals could get to 10 wins even if they lose their remaining games against the Pittsburgh Steelers (this coming Sunday) and the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals will be favored to win against the Texans, Rams and Cardinals, which doesn’t guarantee anything or even close, but I’m just pointing out that the schedule is not all that daunting down the stretch. And I think the Bengals will go 1-1 against the Steelers/Ravens the rest of the way, so even if they slip up during one of the games where they’re favored, they have a good chance to reach 10 wins.

I keep bringing up 10 wins because, like I blogged about last week, I think that’s what it will take in the AFC this year for the final wildcard team. Usually you say 11 to be safe, but chance are good the Bengals will get in with 10. Also, they are only one game behind the 8-3 Steelers and Ravens for first-place in the AFC North, so they still have a realistic shot at winning the division. It’s not likely, but it’s certainly possible.

Quick Hitters:

* I keep saying Geno Atkins is a “future Pro Bowler.” However, does “future” mean “later this season”? The second-year defensive tackle had another tremendous game on Sunday and leads the team with 6.5 sacks. He had a huge play in the fourth quarter against the Browns where he made a quick inside-out move and pushed quarterback Colt McCoy violently into the ground for a sack. Atkins is like a little-bit-smaller version of Warren Sapp … without the attitude.

* Green is a stud. The great ones make it look effortless at times and that’s exactly what Green is. He has excellent timing when he goes up for the ball and snatches nearly everything that comes his way. For the season, Green now has 44 receptions for 745 yards (16.9 yards per catch) and six touchdowns.

* If Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wasn't putting up such gaudy stats, it would be a race between Green and Bengals QB Andy Dalton for NFL Rookie of the Year honors. (But either Green or Dalton will be AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year for sure.) I'm just blown away by Dalton's poise. The guy is a winner in every sense of the word and now has passed for 2,509 yards (60.1 percent competion percentage) with 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

* Running back Cedric Benson was very impressive against a sneaky-good Browns defense as he finished with 21 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown. Benson now has 740 rushing yards (3.9 yards per carry) and five touchdowns on the season.

* “Baby Hawk” – rookie wide receiver Andrew Hawkins – has already been more productive this season than older brother Artrell – a second-round pick by the Bengals in 1998 – was during his entire career. What a find Hawkins was after playing two seasons in the CFL. Every game he makes a big play and now has 16 receptions for 162 yards on the year.

* The Bengals clearly won the long-snapping battle against the Browns. *Laughs hysterically*

* Was good to see second-year tight end Jermaine Gresham get a TD reception after that completely bogus call last week against the Ravens.

* It’s impressive the defense is playing so well without second-year DE Carlos Dunlap (who could return as early as next week from injury). Course, the Bengals have perhaps the deepest D-line in the NFL. Speaking of which, hopefully the underrated Pat Sims is OK. Geoff Hobson from Bengals.com says the DT “appears to have a chance to play against the Steelers” and that’s good to hear. Sims has an ankle injury and it looked serious at first. Good to know that it likely isn’t.

Just when you thought the “horse-collar” rule was the worst thing added to football recently, we’re reminded of the NFL’s absolutely absurd idea that receivers must “control the ball all the way to the ground” on touchdowns.

Keep in mind, a runner can dive over the pile, put the ball barely over the goal line, have the ball then knocked out of his hands … and that’s a touchdown. As it should be.

However, a receiver has to control the ball all the way to the ground, even if they clearly have possession of the ball and two feet down? Whoever thought of that rule should be forced to retire. They obviously have a vendetta against the entire human race. It’s a completely dense rule and Calvin Johnson knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, so does tight end Jermaine Gresham who made a dazzling, bobbling reception against Baltimore on Sunday that would have cut the Ravens’ lead to three points. Gresham not only had clear control of the ball, he was literally palming it with one hand. When he fell to the ground, the ball slightly moved, but Gresham never lost control of it.

Yet, after watching the peep show for about an hour (OK, it only felt that long) official Ron Winter inexplicably ruled the pass from rookie quarterback Andy Dalton incomplete.

Winter is not even close to understanding the spirit of the rule. The ball moved maybe an inch at most while NEVER leaving control of Gresham’s hand. Completely bogus call. One of the worst I’ve ever seen.

And what made it worse was that Winter reversed the call that was made on the field. In no way was there conclusive evidence that Gresham “didn’t control the ball all the way to the ground.” If they had called it incomplete on the field, I could almost understand the play not going the Bengals’ way. (Scratch that, no I couldn’t, but I digress.) However, it was called a TD on the field, they had about 10 camera angles to look at and Gresham definitely made the catch. How has the NFL not changed this pathetic rule yet?

Instead of getting the TD to make the score 31-28, the Bengals had to settle for a Mike Nugent field goal (he’s now 18-of-19 on the year, by the way) and a 31-24 count.

And of course the Bengals get the ball back, drive down the field and find themselves immediately in field goal range with the fourth quarter nearing a close. But instead of just needing the FG to force overtime, they needed a touchdown. The Bengals fell short, 31-24, and saw their record drop to 6-4 on the season. They are now in third place in the AFC North behind 7-3 Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Next week, the Bengals host the Browns (4-6) who they defeated 27-17 in the season-opener in Cleveland.

Dalton Was Dealin’

Other than the fact that the Bengals were absolutely robbed of a chance to send the game to overtime, I’m not all that upset about the loss because it was further proof that Dalton is a stud. He was 24-of-45 for 373 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions.

However, I don’t care about the picks (only one of which was a bad throw/decision). This guy went into Baltimore, played one of the best defenses in the NFL – albeit without Ray Lewis – and put up big-time numbers. And he did it without his best receiver, rookie A.J. Green, who was out with a hyper-extended knee. (Green is expected to play against the Browns and actually wanted to play against the Ravens.)

For the season, Dalton now has a Bengals’ rookie-record 2,239 passing yards (59.3 percent) to go with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He’s unbelievably cool, calm and collected … and his accuracy might be even better than his disposition.

The “Red Rifle” also has an arm that is plenty strong enough. It’s not a rocket, but it more-than gets the job done. He also has a very-quick release and makes good decisions. I love everything about his game. He even has surprising mobility and the ability to keep plays alive. What a hell of a steal in the early part of the second round (35^th pick overall). It’s amazing how often the Bengals find a gem in the second-round of the draft. (Wait, did I just compliment the front office? Sorry about that.)

If the Bengals can get to 10-6 this season, I think they’ll sneak into the playoffs. They can definitely get there. They need to beat the Browns to get to seven wins and I think they’ll be able to then get to 10 wins if they’re able to pull off the season-sweep of their cross-state rivals. They play the Texans without Matt Schaub, the Rams and the Cardinals down the stretch. So, if they beat the Browns and win the other aforementioned games, that gets them to the magic 10-win mark. And that’s not even including their rematches with the Steelers and Ravens, and I believe the Bengals will win one of those games. So, even if they slip up against one of the four “weak” teams left on the slate (Browns, Texans sans Schaub, Rams, Cardinals) they’ll have a good shot at getting to 10 wins.

Usually I would say it would take 11 wins to be safe, but this year in the AFC I think the final team in (and maybe the final two teams) will be 10-6. So, if the Bengals can get to that record, get ready for postseason football for the third time in the nine-year Marvin Lewis era. I’ve never been a Lewis fan, but you have to give him credit for what his squad is doing this season. I see a well-coached football team. It’s amazing how big of an upgrade Jay Gruden is over Bob Bratkowski as offensive coordinator. And Mike Zimmer is of course one of the best D-coordinators in the game.

However, the Bengals can’t slip up against a bad Browns team and hope to make the playoffs. It won’t be easy as Cleveland isn’t completely terrible, but the Bengals don’t deserve to make the playoffs if they can’t beat this year’s Browns outfit in the friendly confines of Paul Brown Stadium.

Star-In-The-Making

This Atkins will eventually need plenty of bread.

Second-year defensive tackle Geno Atkins has quickly developed into one of the best interior pass-rushers in the NFL. The 2010 fourth-round pick out of Georgia leads the Bengals with 5.5 sacks. It is so rare to see a DT that rushes the passer so well, but Atkins is extremely quick and plays with great leverage. But it's still amazing that a 6-foot-1, 300-pounder is tearing up offensive linemen like he is. He even had one play where he completely pancaked the offensive lineman who was trying to block him and then Atkins stuffed Ray Rice for a tackle-for-loss. Atkins is a future Pro Bowler, I have no doubt about it.

The Cincinnati Bengals had their most-disappointing Sunday of the season when they were defeated by the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers 24-17 and lost cornerback Leon Hall for the season with a torn Achilles.

The irony here is when the Bengals decided to not out-spend the Houston Texans for free agent cornerback Johnathan Joseph earlier this year, one of the reasons was they believed Hall was the more-durable player. And until this season, he had been. Hall will miss a game for the first time in his NFL career this Sunday when the Bengals travel to Baltimore in a battle of 6-3 teams.

With Hall out, Kelly Jennings will likely step into a starting role opposite Nate Clements, and Pacman Jones will be the top backup if his hamstring his healthy. Also, the Bengals promoted second-year pro Brandon Ghee from the practice squad to add depth at corner. Ghee was a third-round draft pick out of Wake Forest in 2010. However, the Bengals thought so much of him that they put him on waivers before the regular-season opener. The rest of the NFL thought so much of him that no one claimed him. Then the Bengals re-signed Ghee and placed him on their practice squad.

Here is more on the cornerback situation from Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.