Bengals / Buccaneers Preview

Ok, Bengals fans, we're coming off our sole bye week of the season, and we've got a very beatable foe on tap for Sunday: the 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have a one dimensional offense, a lackluster defense, and they haven't won a game yet this year. Sounds like a gimme, right?

Not so fast, big guy. A few posts back, right before the Cleveland game, I wrote something to the effect that now that the Bengals were a legitimate team, I didn't get the same butterflies in my stomach before a "gimme game" like I used to a few years ago. Well, that zen-like calm has gone out the window since the pummeling we received at the hands of the New England Patriots.

Granted, the Bucs are no Patriots, and Bruce Gradkowski sure ain't no Tom Brady. So why am I nervous? A few reasons, actually:

1. Cadillac Williams. Yeah, yeah, I know what they're saying. He was a flash in the pan for the first half of last season, he only has one 100+ rushing game so far this season, blah blah blah. I don't care. Any time there is a quality running back on the field against the Bengals, we all have reason to worry. Tampa Bay's offensive line isn't the best, but they do have a pair of big ass tackles in Anthony Davis (6'4" 329 lbs.) and Jeremy "Jesus Fucking Christ This Guy is Big" Trueblood (6'8" 318 lbs.). Thems some big boys. Of course, as my girlfriend likes to say, size doesn't matter, but if the Bucs can establish a running game early, we could be in for another 200+ yard day against the Bengals' shakey run D.


2. Kevin Kaesviharn. All indications are that Dexter Jackson isn't gonna start, so we're stuck with Keanu's Stunt Double again this week. Yet another reason to fear TB's running game.


3. The Center Situation. According to Bengals.com, Eric Steinbach is going to slide over and play center for the TB game, while rookie Andrew Whitworth will start in Steinbach's normal LG position. I don't think the O Line situation could get worse than it already is (or was two weeks ago, anyways), but tinkering with the O Line is always a tricky process. Like all of you, I am sick and tired of watching Carson get blindsided 6-7 times a game. Let's hope our line of monsters can protect him against a mediocre-at-best TB D Line.

On the offensive side of the coin, I think the Bengals won't have too much trouble putting up 20-30 points on the suspect TB defense. I'd love to see Marvin and Bob Bratkowski cram Rudi down the Bucs' throats for most of this game, as I don't think they have much to stop him, especially with Simeon Rice out for the game with a bum shoulder.

I'm heading to Santa Barbara for the weekend for a big fiesta, so I'm gonna have to be that guy at the sports bar at 10:00 in the morning, pounding beers and screaming as the alcoholics next to me shake their heads and mutter thinly-veiled death threats. Whatever.

Who DEY?!