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.

In their longest winning streak since the Super Bowl season of 1988, the Cincinnati Bengals have ran off five consecutive victories and stand atop the AFC North standings along with the Baltimore Ravens with a 6-2 record.

Trailing 17-7 at halftime at the Tennessee Titans last Sunday, the Bengals dominated the second stanza to the tune of 17-0 and walked out of Music City with a 24-17 victory. It’s amazing how this team has been able to pull out close win after close win this season.

The bad news is the schedule gets borderline brutal from this point, beginning with this Sunday’s home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (finally a sellout, thanks in large part to Steeler fans). The Steelers are slumming in third place of the AFC North with a 6-3 record. All right, they’re not slumming at all, but it’s just fun to say the Steelers are in third place.

However, if the Bengals want that to last, they will need to pull off an upset inside their own stadium (Pittsburgh is a 3.5-point favorite) against a team that will come in angry fresh off their last-minute defeat at the hands of the Ravens.

Few quick-hitters:

* Nice job by second-year DE Carlos Dunlap in stepping his play up the last few weeks. He had two sacks against the Titans when he was dominant for much of the afternoon, and now has three sacks on the season. He had 9.5 last year and reaching double-digits is certainly an attainable goal this season if he stays healthy. Remember, all of his sacks last season came in the final eight games of the year.

* Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are going to tear up the NFL for the next decade. And their attitudes are so refreshing that it’s stunning. Has anyone ever seen a pair of rookies so poised and confident, yet not one bit cocky or arrogant? Me neither.

* Never been a Marvin Lewis fan – well, other than early in his Bengal career when I briefly jumped on the bandwagon – but he’s proving me wrong this season. For the first time in ages, I can actually say the Bengals are a “well-coached football team.” It helps having a pair of excellent coordinators in Jay Gruden and Mike Zimmer, but Lewis gets plenty of credit too. Kudos to you, Marv. And to think he was an eyelash away from no longer being the Bengals’ coach in the aftermath of the disappointing 4-12 2010 season. However, in 2009, the Bengals were AFC North champions (when they swept the division 6-0) and Lewis was actually named NFL Coach of the Year. He also has the 2005 AFC North title under his belt during his tenure in Cincinnati.

* Hopefully middle linebacker Rey Maualuga (ankle) and tight end Jermaine Gresham (hamstring) will be able to play this Sunday because the Bengals will certainly need all hands on deck against the hated Steelers. Cornerback/punt returner Pacman Jones is also nursing a pulled hammy.

I had the enjoyable opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with Andrew Strickert, publisher of Total Titans here on the Bloguin Network. If you’re looking for a interesting primer for Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans matchup, you certainly came to the right place.

My questions to Andrew and his answers are posted first. They are followed by my answers to questions posed by Total Titans readers.

1. TWC: What is the general consensus on first-year Titans head coach Mike Munchak so far? Jeff Fisher was one of the most-respected coaches in the NFL. How have Titans fans dealt with the transition? Has this been something that most-everyone was in favor of?

TT: Initially, many Titans fans were disappointed in the selection of Munchak, feeling that it would be more of the same old thing. As the season has progressed, however, more and more fans are starting to believe the change has been for the better. Munch made some visible changes in the way he ran training camp and he hasn’t been as conservative as Fisher was. A good example of this was in the Ravens game - after a long drive stalled with a 4th and 1 on the Ravens’ 10-yard line, Munch went for it and the Titans scored a touchdown. It was the turning point which allowed the Titans to seize control of the game. Fisher would have settled for a disappointing field goal.

I would add that the 3-1 start helped Munch a lot. If the Titans had started off 1-3, there wouldn’t be quite as strong a favorable feeling for Munchak.

2. TWC: What is holding Chris Johnson back in your opinion? He had one of the best seasons in NFL history two years ago.

TT: Two things have held CJ back this year and the first one is CJ himself. He’s not pressing the hole (when there is one) or running with determination. He’s looking to take one all the way instead of settling for what’s there. Worse, he’s being stopped by the first defender in his path and going down. As my co-author Tom Gower, who also writes for Football Outsiders, noted: “CJ is not currently anything close to a good NFL running back.”

The second thing responsible for CJ’s decline is the o-line, particularly the interior line. Center Eugene Amano has, to my untrained eye, been the worst, though guards Jake Scott and Leroy Harris have also had problems. Even tackles David Stewart and Michael Roos, who have both had great seasons before, have not blocked well in the run game. However, it should be noted that the interior line has not run-blocked well for several years, even in CJ’s 2,000-yard season.

It should also be noted that CJ’s backup, Javon Ringer, has outperformed Johnson, though marginally, while running behind the same line. At one point earlier this season, the Titans’ longest run of the year was by their punter, which doesn’t say much for CJ.

3. TWC: What are your thoughts on Matt Hasselbeck as the Titans’ starting quarterback? What is the plan for Jake Locker? Is he going to be the backup for another year, or do you think he’ll take over next season?

TT: Now that I’ve bashed the O-line for its poor run-blocking, I need to say they’ve done very well in pass protection for Hasselbeck, something he didn’t have for his last couple of years in Seattle. Given the time to throw, Hasselbeck has been a lot more accurate than either Vince Young or Kerry Collins and has been most effective in the short to intermediate passing game. As you would expect, he hasn’t done quite as well since Kenny Britt was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Still, he’s performed a lot better than most people expected after his poor seasons for the last couple of years. I imagine he will remain the starter as long as he’s healthy, though Locker might get a start or three at the end of season, especially if the Titans have been eliminated from postseason play.

I believe Locker will challenge Hasselbeck for the starting job next year in training camp and the preseason.

4. TWC: How shocked are you that the Bengals are coming to the Music City with a 5-2 record?

TT: At a first glance, the Bengals’ 5-2 record is surprising, considering their 4-12 finish last year and losing their quarterback and starting receivers. However, that just shows my ignorance since I hadn’t looked at their schedule, which, now that I look at it, has been relatively easy so far. I am impressed with the win over Buffalo and close game against the 49ers.

5. TWC: What is your prediction for this game? What are some keys for both teams?

TT: I’ll be shocked if the Titans are able to run the ball consistently against a tough Bengals rush defense, though there’s always a chance CJ might break a long one. There’s a better chance the Titans will be able to pass for somewhat decent yardage. On the other side, Cedric Benson should have a good game, say 100+ yards and a score. Count on one or both of the Titans safeties to give up a big play, so A.J. Green will probably get another TD this week.

If Hasselbeck has a good day and the Titans can get an early lead, they can win if the Bengals have to throw the ball more than they run it. If neither of those happens, it will be a long afternoon for Tennessee. Home field advantage helps, but not enough. Cincinnati wins in a low-scoring game, 17-14.

THREE-WAY CHILI ANSWERS TOTAL TITANS’ QUESTIONS

1. TT: Reader jimgill28 asked this question: The Titans defense, which doesn’t have a good pass rush, seems like an ideal situation for an opposing young quarterback like Dalton. What do you see that he will/won’t be able to do against the Titans?

TWC: Almost every Bengal fan was happy when Andy Dalton fell in the team’s lap in the second round of the draft, especially right on the heels of Carson Palmer announcing he would never play for Cincinnati again. However, no one expected that Dalton would be this good, this fast. He’s not doing anything extremely special, he’s just very steady and consistent. Doesn’t have a huge arm, but is highly accurate. He’s also a good leader that has already won the locker room over.

As for what he will be able to do against the Titans, expect a lot of short passes as the Bengals run the West Coast offense. They will take a couple deep shots, usually to rookie standout A.J. Green, but most of Dalton’s work comes on three-step drops and quick patterns. I expect Tennessee to cheat its defensive backs close to the line of scrimmage because it’s clear to everyone at this point that the Bengals like to rely on their running attack and short-passing game. Can Dalton connect on a deep ball or two to loosen things up? That will be one of the keys to the game.

2. TT: Reader dedkrikit asks, has the culture of the organization changed with the recent changes (Ochocinco leaving & Palmer’s trade) coupled with the rookie success or is it the same Bengals just performing better?

TWC: Yes, the culture has definitely changed. It was a circus act last year with Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens having their own reality show, and Palmer becoming disenfranchised during the latter half of the season. Dalton has been a breath of fresh air and so has Green. This is also a team that has a “no-name” defense that has proven to be one of the best units in the NFL. It’s not a star-driven squad any longer. There are still players with big egos and bad reputations, like running back Cedric Benson and cornerback Pacman Jones, but there’s a hell of a lot less of them on the team than in past years.

3. TT: The Bengals have already won more games this season than they did last year. What do you see as the main reasons for the improvement? How much of a role has Jay Gruden played in this improvement and how much of an upgrade is he over Bob Bratkowski?

TWC: First of all, Gruden has been a huge improvement over Bratkowski. Bengals’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer gets a lot of pub, and rightfully so, but Gruden is a rising star in the profession. Bratkowski was far too predictable and not innovative enough. So, Gruden’s impact is certainly one of the reasons that the Bengals are greatly exceeding expectations this season. (I predicted they would be 6-10.) However, it must be pointed out that Cincinnati’s schedule has been one of the easiest in the NFL up to this point. It will get tough down the stretch -- two meetings apiece with Baltimore and Pittsburgh await -- but the Bengals have only beaten one good team this year: the Buffalo Bills. Also, the Bengals have won a lot of close games this season that could have gone either way. I still don’t think the Bengals will reach the playoffs, but just the fact that they are in the running has made this an exciting season for Bengal fans, who by and large were expecting the worst.

4. TT: Who are some of the unsung and underappreciated players on this team? Which of them are worth keeping an eye on this week?

TWC: I mentioned the “no-name” defense earlier and two of the guys that will eventually be well-known across the NFL are second-year defensive linemen Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. Dunlap, a DE, was a second-round pick, and Atkins, a DT, was a fourth-rounder. They are effective pass-rushers and are part of an excellent D-line that goes seven deep. The Bengals will rotate a lot up front to keep the linemen fresh. ... Another guy to watch is the player who I call the Bengals’ “secret weapon” in third-down back Brian Leonard. The Bengals love to give him the ball on third down and he has a knack for picking up first downs. Benson is not on the field on third downs unless it’s third-and-very-short.

5. TT: If there’s anything I haven’t asked about that you’d like for Titans fans to know, please say so here. Also, feel free to make a prediction on the game if you want.

TWC: This is going to be a tightly-contested game in my opinion and it will be interesting to see if the Bengals can prevent Chris Johnson from having his breakout performance against them. I’ve also been intrigued with the play of veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and would be feeling much better about this game if the Titans were starting their rookie QB, Jake Locker. Home-field advantage won’t be easy to overcome for Cincinnati, but I think the Bengals’ offense will make just enough plays and the defense will show why it’s one of the league’s best. My prediction is 23-20, Bengals.

Do the Cincinnati Bengals have the best defensive line in the NFL?

Well, that might be laying it on a bit thick, but there's no question they have one of the best. And the deepest.

For anyone that follows Ohio State, the 2011 Bengals are mimicking what the Buckeyes have done for years on their defensive front: They are rotating players in-and-out of the game in order to keep them fresh. It doesn't make any sense to do that if you have four guys who are clearly better than the backups. But if you have 6-8 relatively equal players, it's a wise move to use a D-line rotation.

The Bengals' best player up front is second-year defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who picked up his first sack of the season in Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks. However, he has plenty of help with third-year DE Michael Johnson (2.5 sacks), second-year DT Geno Atkins (3.5 sacks) and the "seasoned veteran" of the starting corps in his sixth professional year, DT Domata Peko (31 tackles). Then the productive reserve players include seventh-year DE Jonathan Fanene (3 sacks), sixth-year DE Frostee Rucker (3 sacks) and fourth-year DT Pat Sims (1 sack).

The only member of the defensive line that is not producing is eighth-year pro Robert Geathers, who is a sure-fire bet to get cut after this season. Geathers is making $3.95 million this year and is scheduled to make $4.2 million in 2012. There is no way the Bengals are going to pay anywhere near that much for what appears to be a washed-up player. In fact, he's lucky he didn't get released this year.

However, thanks to the play of the other seven players up front, the Bengals aren't missing Geathers one bit. Cincinnati absolutely ate up Seattle's offensive line last Sunday and it's going to be fun to watch the relatively-young D-line continue to improve.

For more on the excellent defensive line, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com penned a good story about the group today.

I received a text message from a friend today (well, I used to consider him a friend) who reminded me of a certain pearl of wisdom that I passed on before the season:

There’s a story I’d like to tell about the 2011 Cincinnati Bengals: They suck. The end.

Mea culpa! I did think the Bengals would stink to the tune of 6-10 this season. I felt Mike Brown had done little to improve the team and was disgusted at his stubborn stance of refusing to trade Carson Palmer.

Fast-forward roughly three months and the Bengals are 5-2 and pulled off the trade of the young century when they fleeced the Oakland Raiders for a first and a second-round pick for Palmer.

Suddenly, things have never looked better in regards to Cincinnati’s much-maligned professional football franchise. Not only are the Bengals unexpectedly good this season, the future appears even brighter thanks to the host of young talent currently on the team, and the valuable draft picks that await the team moving forward. (Don’t forget: In addition to the extra first-rounder in 2012, the Bengals will probably have a compensatory third-round pick due to losing Johnathan Joseph to free agency, and will also have an extra fifth-rounder thanks to the trade of Chad Ochocinco to New England. The Bengals will also received a sixth-round pick in 2013 as part of the Ochocinco deal.)

If we’re now talking playoffs – and I can’t believe we are – this Sunday’s game at Tennessee (4-3) is pivotal because the schedule gets extremely rough after that. Not that the Titans aren’t a solid team – they are – but they’re also one of the weaker squads the Bengals will face from this point forward. Getting to 6-2 would mean the Bengals would have a lot of room for error down the stretch. They’ve already put themselves in a great position with a 5-2 mark and winning at Tennessee would put a stamp on what’s been an excellent first half of the season.

As for the win over the Seattle Seahawks, it was the closest 34-12 game in the history of football, but that's OK. And really, that's been the Bengals' M.O. early this season: Make a big play (or two) late in a close game to make the final score look a lot better than it really should. This was really a game that looked like could go either way for a while, but there was rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, rookie wide receiver A.J. Green and the Bengals' ferocious defense making key plays when they counted as usual. Also, Cincy received an unexpected boost from special teams with a long punt return from the just-activated Pacman Jones, and a punt return for a touchdown from Brandon Tate.

Against the Titans, the Bengals will get the services of running back Cedric Benson back, which will help the cause. I thought Bernard Scott played all right in spurts against the Seahawks, but overall there is no question Benson is the better back. Scott is more explosive, but overall Benson is better.

Also, hopefully second-year tight end Jermaine Gresham will be ready to play this coming Sunday -- he missed the Seattle game with a hamstring injury -- although veteran Donald Lee played well in his absence.