As a rookie in 2010, Ghee suffered a concussion in a preseason game and then spent the last six games of the year on injured reserve due to a groin injury.

In 2011, a hamstring injury caused Brandon to miss much of training camp and he wasn’t added to the active roster until the 10^th game of the season.

Then last year after earning rave reviews during May and June mini-camps, Ghee broke his wrist in early August, one week into training camp.

“It was a freak accident,” said Ghee.  “I jumped up for a ball and fell on it wrong and it took me out for an entire season.

“My wrist is 100 percent now.  I tape it as a precaution but I’m feeling really good right now and I’m just trying to get better.”

His coaches and teammates have noticed.  Minor injuries to Leon Hall (thumb) and Adam Jones (calf) meant additional reps for the Bengals younger cornerbacks during the recent OTA period, and Ghee took advantage of the opportunity.

“He always looks good, honestly, when he’s able to be out there,” said Hall.  “He’s one of those guys that definitely looks the part.  He does well in almost everything that he does – the deal with him is just trying to stay healthy and get in the games.”

“He’s really instinctive,” said Andy Dalton.  “He gets good jumps on the routes and he plays the ball well too.  I thought he had a good camp.”

“I think Brandon has done a good job of picking up where he left off when he got injured last year – knowing what to do and being somebody that hopefully will compete to stay on the football team, compete to play, and give us great snaps if he does,” said Marvin Lewis.

“Everybody learns differently, but for me, I get better by playing,” Ghee told me.  “The more reps I get, the better I’m going to be.  I’m glad that I’m getting a lot of reps in this OTA period.”

The Bengals drafted Ghee in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Wake Forest after he was clocked at a sizzling 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.  After being sidelined last season, he took advantage of the opportunity to add strength.

“The first thing I had to do was get healthy,” said Ghee.  “Once I was healthy, I hit the weight room hard and did a lot of upper body and lower body.  Now I’m back to being 100 percent and feel better than ever.

“I’ve gained about six or seven pounds and kept my speed.  I just wanted to get a little bigger for playing inside in the nickel and trying to fit on the run (defense).  I don’t like tight ends grabbing me, so that’s why I gained a little weight.”

The top three cornerbacks on Cincinnati’s depth chart are obvious:  Hall, Jones, and Terence Newman.  For Ghee, this is a crucial year to prove that he can provide quality depth at the position.

“Every year is important – I don’t care who you are,” Brandon told me.  “But this is my fourth year here and it’s my contract year so I’m trying to do well and earn another contract.

“Last year was very disappointing and I had a whole year to think about it.  I’m back now and I’m trying to bounce back and show my character.  Everybody goes down, but how you come back is all that matters.”

“He has all of the physical abilities and tools, he’s smart enough, he understands what to do, and he just has to go out and do it, time in and time out,” said Coach Lewis.

“The potential is there, but in the league that only gets you so far,” said Hall.  “Ghee has been in the NFL for a while, he kind of knows the ropes, and he knows that he has what it takes to be a good NFL player.  He just has to stay healthy and transfer it to the field.”

“If he stays healthy, I think he’s going to help this team,” said Dalton.

That doesn’t seem like too much to wish for.

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There’s the uniform number, the position, the size…

“…the skin color?” said Sanzenbacher.  “I know where you’re going with this.”

It’s true, like former Bengals receiver Jordan Shipley, Sanzenbacher is Caucasian.  But that’s not why the team’s current #11 bares resemblance to the previous one.

“He’s a tough kid, he’s got great quickness in space, and he’s got a good feel for the game,” said offensive coordinator Jay Gruden of Sanzenbacher.  “Everything that he displayed at Ohio State you can see on the field.  And the one thing obviously that you can’t see is his toughness.  He’ll catch it in a crowd – we know that.  He’s got really good hands and runs very good routes.”

Except for the reference to Ohio State, Gruden could have been describing Shipley in 2010 when he led AFC rookies in receiving yards with 600.

“It’s the style of play – I get it,” said Sanzenbacher.  “I think he was a great player when he was here.  I wouldn’t say that I modeled my game or anything after him, but I can see the similarities and it’s a compliment.”

But Bengals receivers coach James Urban would rather not compare Sanzenbacher to Shipley.

“I try to avoid that,” Urban told me.  “They’re different and Dane is his own player.  He has a tremendous feel for the game, understands how to get open, and as important as anything playing the slot, he knows when he is open.  Sometimes when you play inside where the windows are tighter and shorter, if you don’t know that you’re open you can run right through it.  You’ve got to be available for the quarterback and he knows those things.

Sanzenbacher finished his career at Ohio State with an outstanding senior season in 2010, earning team MVP honors by catching 55 passes for 948 yards, including 11 touchdown grabs.  He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent and had a solid rookie year, finishing with 27 receptions for 276 yards and 3 TDs.

But after Chicago traded for Brandon Marshall and drafted Alshon Jeffery in the second round last year, Sanzenbacher received limited playing time before being waived on Christmas Eve.  The Bengals claimed him the following day.

“It was a different kind of Christmas,” said Sanzenbacher.  “My family was with me in Chicago at the time.  The phone rings and life changes quickly.  I hopped in the car, packed all the stuff that I figured I would need, and I’ve been here ever since.

“At the time, you go from being ticked off while leaving the city to being excited about your new opportunity.  I think it’s been a really good move for me.”

On Monday when I asked a member of the Bengals front office what players were standing out during the current OTA period, Sanzenbacher was one of the first names mentioned.

“I feel pretty comfortable,” Dane told me.  “As little time as it was, it was nice to have those two weeks at the end of last year to be here get acclimated with everything.  It’s not all brand-new.  Obviously through the OTAs and everything, we’ll re-install the offense and start from scratch for the rookies, but I feel comfortable and I think that helps you to play fast.

“He’s been making plays (at practice) since we got him in here late last year,” said Urban.  “We liked him a lot coming out of Ohio State and we’re glad to have him.”

Sanzenbacher will be battling to earn a roster spot as part of a deep receiving corps.  A.J. Green, Andrew Hawkins, Marvin Jones, and Mohamed Sanu are virtual locks to stick, leaving (in alphabetical order) Tyrone Goard, Cobi Hamilton, Taveon Rogers, Roy Roundtree, Sanzenbacher, Brandon Tate, and Ryan Whalen fighting for the final two (or possibly three) spots.

“You can’t really think about the numbers,” said Sanzenbacher.  “We’re in OTAs right now for one, so it would be dumb to play the numbers game at this point.  As cliché as it sounds, you just have to take advantage of your opportunities.”

“I showed them a quote today that said, ‘You have to take advantage of your opportunity when it comes because you don’t know when your next chance is going to be.’” said Urban.  “I keep emphasizing that.  I can’t promise them X-number of balls.  They’re all going to get their reps but depending on how the reps fall, they may not get many balls that day.  When the ball comes they’ve got to make the play and do the right thing.  That’s what we’re trying to encourage.”

“You can’t complain about how often your opportunities are coming if you don’t take advantage of the ones that come,” Dane told me.  “I think you have to go out there and try to do things that people are going to remember.  It only takes one play to turn heads.”

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Here’s our recent Q & A (Eifert’s answers are in bold):

Aside from football, what do you do well?

Golf.  I’m about a 2 or 3 handicap.  I like to play a lot.

That’s pretty impressive.  Do you bomb it off the tee?

I do – about 340 yards on average.

Seriously?

For real.

Aside from professional athlete, have you had any other jobs?

Nope.  I took the trash out and did some chores around the house, but that was about it.  I played sports year-round.

Who was your favorite athlete as a kid and why?

It was Michael Jordan because he was just the best and dominated.

What do you spend your money on as a guilty pleasure?

I really don’t spend money on a whole lot. 

Electronics, clothes, movies, anything?

I don’t like to go to the movies – I’d rather wait for them to come out (on TV or DVD).  With clothes, at Notre Dame I would just wear issued gear because that’s what they gave us.  I like cars.  It would be fun to spend money on cars someday.

Do you have a dream car?

For something somewhat reasonable, I guess it would be the S65 AMG Mercedes.  I think that would be pretty sweet. 

So you go for classy instead of something fast and sexy?

Right.  It’s classy but it still has some juice.

You’re from Ft. Wayne, IN.  What would you say your hometown is best-known for?

I guess cornfields, playing basketball, shooting hoops at a barn.

What was the name of your high school including team nickname?

Bishop Dwenger and our nickname was the Saints.

Any famous grads?

Jason Fabini who played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for a long time.

And at the University of Cincinnati.

That’s right.

What was your favorite thing about Notre Dame?

Probably just the guys in the locker room.  Everything we got to go through as a team and getting to be a part of that.

When Brian Kelly wanted to motivate you, what buttons did he push?

He would just coach me and tell me what I needed to do.  He wasn’t big on yelling at me or things like that – not that he wouldn’t.  All you have to do is tell me what to do and I’ll try to do it.

What gifts did the Notre Dame players get for playing in the BCS Championship game?

We got a gift card from the university with some money on it and then we got to go to a gift suite.  But they didn’t send us the gifts that we picked out which was a little surprising.  They sent us like a cheaper version of them.  I wonder if the winners got them?  I guess that’s what you get when you lose.  It’s all good though.  I’ll take what they gave me.

This might be tough since you’re a rookie, but do have any idea what you would like to do after football?

I’m not sure, but I think it would be fun to coach high school or grade school.  I’d also like to work on my golf game when this is all said and done.

You’re a 2-handicap.  It’s doesn’t sound like there’s much work needed.

Oh there is.  You can always get better.

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“I just want to do things the right way and be the best player that I can be, and the only place that I can get that is with him,” said Newman.

Zimmer is delighted that Newman elected to stay in Cincinnati.

“I love the kid,” Zimmer told me.  “He does what he’s asked to do, he’s a good athlete, he’s quicker than a cat, and he’s got some toughness about him.  I think he’s a heck of a football player.”

But wait a second – did Zimmer really refer to Newman as a kid?  The 11-year veteran will turn 35-years-old just a few days before the Bengals season opener in Chicago.

“To me he’s a kid,” said Zimmer with a grin.  “He’s no different than when we drafted him in (Dallas) whatever year it was.  He said to me one day last year, ‘Somebody asked me why I’m in such a good mood.  It’s because I love doing this and love being out here every single day.’  I’m sure when that changes he’ll retire.  But I don’t see it.”

Ironically, a year ago when the Bengals signed Newman following his release by the Cowboys, there was plenty of talk that he was too old.  Terence responded by starting 16 of 17 games, led the team in passes defensed, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 19^th best cornerback in the NFL.

“I don’t think I played as well as I’m getting credit for,” Newman told me.  “I thought that I made strides for sure – getting back to having proper technique and things like that.  I thought I had an OK season to be honest with you.  As players we want to be as perfect as possible so I don’t know if I’ll ever have a season that I’m completely happy with.

“I got a lot of slack my last year in Dallas.  To come here and quiet the critics a little bit provides some satisfaction.  But I don’t think that anybody is really satisfied until they make it pretty deep in the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl and win it.”

With Newman and Leon Hall starting at cornerback and Adam Jones joining them in the Bengals’ nickel defense, Zimmer has a veteran trio that can handle his demands on the position.

“We ask our corners to do a lot of things,” said Zimmer.  “We’re not a Cover 2 team – we’re a team that’s going to get up there and try to press receivers.  It allows us to do so much more.  It allows us to blitz more, it allows us to pressure people, and it allows the front four to get sacks because we can make them hold the ball just a little bit longer.  When you have guys that you can line up at corner and say, ‘You’ve got that guy,’ it allows you to do so many more things.”

“He puts pressure on us, but if somebody believes that much in you, that goes a long way,” said Newman.  “If your coach says, ‘Hey, you can go out and cover that guy,’ that bumps up your confidence.  That’s what players want to hear.  If your coach says, ‘You’re terrible,’ how do you think you’re going to play?  Zim’s good at that.”

In addition to his value on defense, Newman is helpful to the Bengals skill position players on offense since the two-time Pro Bowler has seen it all in more than 150 NFL games.

“He’s been around for a long time and he understands route combinations, when to sit (on a route), and when to do different things,” said Andy Dalton.  “There will be times when I go up to him at practice and say, ‘What did you see there?  Why were you able to get such a good jump on that route?’  It helps to know what he was thinking.”

“We’ll be out there and run a play and all of the receivers will immediately go to him and say, ‘What did you see?’” said Andrew Hawkins.  “He tutors us on what a defensive back is thinking and it has made a big difference in all of our games as receivers because he studies so much film and understands the game so well.”

“He’s been a great guy to have on this team – not only as a player but as one of the leaders in the locker room,” said Dalton.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie undoubtedly wanted Newman for his veteran leadership as well as his playing ability, but Terence ultimately chose to stay with a team that’s been to the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.

“I’m in a position in my career where a Super Bowl ring is important,” Newman told me.  “I knew that my role out there would have been helping players develop.  I don’t know if the Raiders are going to be able to contend for a playoff berth this year.

“I was pretty close to leaving to be honest with you.  It took me going out there to kind of jump-start things.  I didn’t know how much I was wanted here.  I knew that the coaches enjoyed having me around, but it’s a business.”

It’s been Newman’s line of work since 2003 when his coach was Bill Parcells and the number one pick in the NFL draft was Carson Palmer.  Eleven years later, Terence earned a 2-year/$5 million contract extension from the Bengals.

“Some of us are like fine wine,” said Newman.  “When you get older you understand a little bit more – not only about your body, but the importance of technique and things like that.  Sometimes I still fight demons, but I try to go out every day and try to get better at something.”

“He keeps himself young,” said Hawkins.  “He’s a jokester, he has a lot of energy, and guys feed off of that.  I’ve looked up to him since I was young, so it’s pretty cool to be on the same team as him.”

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“Haitian food,” said Lamur when I asked how he added weight in the off-season.  “My mom has been cooking rice, beans, jerk chicken, and a lot of pasta.  I love to eat.  I try to eat at least six times a day.  And I’ve been lifting weights and working hard – that’s pretty much it.”

Lamur was a 210 pound safety as a sophomore at Kansas State before shifting to linebacker for his final two college seasons.  Although he added some weight after switching positions, Emmanuel was still a spindly 6’4”, 232 pounds in his rookie season with Cincinnati.

But when the Bengals opened OTAs last week, Emmanuel said that he tipped the scales at 244 pounds.

“I’ve put on 12 pounds and I feel faster and stronger,” Lamur told me.  “That’s going to help me when I’m taking on and shedding blocks and it should help my blitzing ability.

“He realized that if he wants to be an every down player he has to be able to hit with some of the bigger players,” said linebackers coach Paul Guenther.  “That’s what he concentrated on this off-season.  He did exactly what we asked him to do and he’s in great shape.”

“Last year I used my speed, which was my bread and butter, to play the game,” said Lamur.  “But it takes more than that to play linebacker in this league.  You have to be able to take on blocks and be physical.  I had to gain weight and 12 pounds is going to help me a lot and I’m planning on gaining another five.”

Lamur signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent last year and was on the practice squad for the first seven games of the season.  But after being promoted to the active roster in early November, Emmanuel was used frequently in obvious passing situations and made his first NFL start in the playoff loss at Houston.

“He got better and better each week,” said Guenther.  “He started on the practice squad and continued to grow and as time went on, we realized that he should be in there playing for us – particularly on the passing downs.”

“He has a lot of athleticism and ability and he proved last year that the game wasn’t too big for him,” said Marvin Lewis.

The Bengals starting linebackers going into the season appear to be Vontaze Burfict (WILL), Rey Maualuga (MIKE), and James Harrison (SAM).  But Lamur is likely to get considerable playing time.

“Emmanuel is fighting for a starting job,” said Guenther.  “We have him with the first group in the nickel (defense) right now and he’ll be a swing guy in our base defense depending on the team that we play.  If we play a spread-out team, he might be on the field a little bit more in the base.  Right now he’s working at the two outside linebacker spots because he knows both of them.”

“Nothing is guaranteed – you’ve got to compete,” said Lamur.  “Coach is going to play the best guys.  This is a new year and I’ve got to improve and show the coaches what I’m capable of doing.”

At this point, there are 12 more pounds of him to like.

“He’s built like a linebacker and can run like a defensive back,” said Guenther.  “I’m really happy with him.”

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One of them was undrafted free agent Larry Black, but it wasn’t the rookie’s idea to put in the extra time.

“I asked him (to stay) because I figured he was a young guy and wouldn’t say no,” said Kevin Zeitler.  “When you have a lot of young guys around, they’re willing to help, so I grabbed Larry Black and got some work in.  That’s what I feel you have to do because you have to outwork the competition.”

“Kevin’s always one of the last guys to leave because he’s always doing something extra and working on something that maybe he didn’t do as well,” said Marvin Lewis.  “He’s very conscientious that way.”

“He’s about as dedicated to that as anyone I’ve ever seen,” said my radio partner Dave Lapham of Zeitler.  “You’ll see skill position players out there after practice with the quarterbacks working on timing and that sort of thing, but very rarely do you see offensive or defensive lineman out there doing extra work – particularly a starter.  I think he’s going to have a banner year.”

Zeitler’s rookie year certainly lived up to expectations if not exceeded them.  The 27^th pick in last year’s draft started every game at right guard and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 12^th-best guard in the NFL.

“Very rarely does an offensive lineman start every snap for his team as a rookie and Kevin was able to do that,” said Lapham.  “Now I expect a major leap in his play from year one to year two.”

“I guess it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be,” said Zeitler.  “I felt that as the season went along I got better.  Still, every time that I watch the film there are so many things that make my stomach cringe.  That’s another reason why I do the extra work – I don’t want those things to ever pop up again.”

One of those cringe-worthy moments occurred at practice on Tuesday.

“It was the first day – some things went well and some things were rough,” said Zeitler.  “On a reach block, Geno blew me back today.  Yeah it’s Geno, but who knows, there are no defensive tackles better than Geno but there could be somebody close.  So I have to make sure that it doesn’t happen in a game.”

As a result, he pulled aside an undrafted rookie and did additional drills.

“He wants to be great – not good – but great,” said Lapham.  “He wants to be a Hall of Fame type guy.  That’s a coach’s dream and I’m sure that (offensive line coach) Paul Alexander is thrilled to death to have a guy like that.  The longer he’s around, the more his work habits are going to spill off to the other guys too.  He’s a great example that there are no shortcuts to success.”

“You should want to be your best every day and try to be perfect,” said Zeitler.  “If you strive toward perfection you can hit excellence.”

“Football is an emotional roller coaster.  Sometimes you hate this game so much that you wish you never played it and other days like today, I was running around the field thinking, ‘finally…it’s time to get better!’”

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“They practice not too far from my house,” Wallace told me.  “So I like to go over and get involved.”

As a result, when Cincinnati drafted DE Margus Hunt from SMU with the 21^st pick of the second round (#53 overall), Gilberry knew exactly who – and what – the Bengals were getting.

“I saw him down in Mobile and the kid is huge,” said Gilberry with a laugh.  “He looks like he is out of place he’s so big.  Once I saw that we had drafted him, I was excited to get the kid in here.  He probably doesn’t remember me, but I definitely remember him.”

Andy Dalton remembers Hunt too.  He faced the 6’8”, 277 pound lineman with 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash in Dalton’s final two seasons at TCU.

“He’s a freak athletically,” said Dalton.  “To be so big, and so strong, and so fast – I think he is a great addition for us.”

But not exactly at a position of need.

“We knew that we didn’t have to push him in there right away,” said defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.  “We have a good group of defensive lineman and he can learn from them and we can look for ways to incorporate him into the defense as we get going.”

Hunt joins a position group that is arguably the most dominant in the NFL.  Last year, the Bengals defensive line accounted for 40 of a franchise-record 51 sacks and all seven lineman who accounted for that total are under contract for this season.

“Why not add more weapons?” said Carlos Dunlap.  “The defensive line is the strong point of our team right now and why not bring in a guy who you think can add another aspect to it.”

“You can never have too many big men,” said Domata Peko.  “It’s hard to find quality defensive linemen so we’re going to welcome him with open arms to our group.”

“We’ve got a lot of different guys that are big, high-motor guys and drafting Hunt just adds to that,” Dalton told me.  “I guess you can’t have too many defensive linemen in the rotation.”

Margus Hunt isn’t the only promising addition up front.  Keep in mind that last year’s second round pick – Devon Still – and one of the team’s third round picks – Brandon Thompson – barely played as rookies.

“I can’t wait to see these kids get on the field,” said Gilberry.  “I got to practice the whole year with Devon and Brandon and just look at them – they’re hungry, they understand the game, and they’re ready to play.  I can’t wait to see what happens when they take the leash off of them.”

Hunt, Still, and Thompson give the Bengals young depth behind Geno Atkins, Robert Geathers, Michael Johnson, Peko, Gilberry, and Dunlap.  The battle for playing time should be fierce.

“We’ve got a strong rotation,” Dunlap told me.  “Everybody plays and everybody gets to eat.

“This year we want to raise it up another level.  I don’t feel like I contributed as much as I could have last year (6 sacks), so I’m challenging myself to get up there with Mike (11.5 sacks) and Geno (12.5 sacks).”

Dunlap and Atkins are entering the final season of their four-year contracts, and the Bengals kept Johnson this year by using an $11.175 million franchise tag.  By continuing to spend high draft picks on defensive lineman, the Bengals protect themselves against the possibility of losing somebody in free agency.

“You’ve got to understand where the front office is coming from too,” said Gilberry.  “The only thing we can do down here is take care of ourselves and play football.”

“You can’t worry about who they are going to bring in.  Hell, I could be gone tomorrow.  It’s just that kind of business.”

Gilberry and Geathers don’t appear to be going anywhere after signing three-year extensions in March.  The only significant contributor on the defensive line who isn’t back is run-stopper Pat Sims who signed a one-year deal with Oakland.

“Defensive line is one of the strengths of the team, so we’re really excited that they were able to keep us together and add a little more firepower to it,” said Peko.

“When I first got here, guys wanted to get out of this locker room,” said Geathers.  “Now guys want to stick around and we like the direction of the team.  Guys want to be a Bengal and want to retire as a Bengal.”

Andy Dalton is a long way from retirement – and happy that the only time he has to face the Bengals defensive line is at practice.

“I get to wear a different colored jersey so I don’t have to worry about these guys coming after me,” he said.

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“We were looking for this kind of player in our offense at Cincinnati and it just worked out that when I took the job at Notre Dame, he and Kyle Rudolph fell in my lap,” Kelly told me.  “They made me look pretty good.”

Rudolph was named the MVP of the Pro Bowl this year following his second season with the Minnesota Vikings.  The former Elder High School star was one year ahead of Eifert at Notre Dame and a more obvious NFL prospect.

“He came in his freshman year ready to play,” said Eifert.  “I came in at 210 pounds just happy to have a scholarship.  I obviously knew that there was a lot of work that I had to do.”

But Kelly could see Eifert’s pro potential.

“Obviously some kids have to grow and mature and he certainly did,” said Kelly.  “You knew that Kyle was a sure-fire NFL player and then you saw Tyler Eifert and some of the things that he did – I knew immediately that he was going to be a special player.”

Despite not having a catch as a freshman, Eifert left Notre Dame with the school’s all-time record for receptions by a tight end with 140.  When the Bengals contacted Kelly to discuss his tight end before the draft, they received a rave review.

“We was kind of glowing in talking about Tyler and what Tyler meant to their football team,” said Marvin Lewis.  “He really felt like he was able to use him in a lot of ways in a mismatch against the defense and that he would give us a lot of flexibility.”

“I told the Bengals that Tyler is smart – he got his degree from Notre Dame in three-and-a-half years,” said Kelly.  “He’s physically and mentally tough.  And he’s the best pass catcher that I’ve coached – whether it be a wide receiver or a tight end.

“I would think that making the contested catch is probably his strength when you come to all of the intangibles at the tight end position.  He will take the ball away from you when the ball is in the air.  He turns field goals into touchdowns in the red zone.”

Adding a red zone weapon is obviously one of the reasons why the Bengals used their first round draft pick on a tight end despite already having two-time Pro Bowler Jermaine Gresham on the roster.

“I think the Bengals are going to have so many different opportunities with Gresham as the other tight end,” said Kelly.  “Now you force teams to drop down to single safety and single coverage because they have to defend the run.  I think that tight end package is something that a lot of NFL teams have looked at and found that they can get some favorable matchups.  At Notre Dame, we used that a lot last year and really think that it gave us some great opportunities.”

In addition to thinking that Eifert will be a good fit for the Bengals offense, the Notre Dame Coach says that the 22-year-old from Fort Wayne, IN will fit in nicely in Cincinnati.

“He loves country music and will golf every day if he can,” said Kelly with a laugh.  “I told him, ‘You’re a perfect fit for Cincinnati.  If those two things are on your wish list, you can’t get a better city than Cincinnati.’  He’s a pretty casual guy.  Flip-flops and shorts is generally how he is seen around campus.  He’s got a great personality, big smile, but he’s really a laid-back kind of guy.”

And while Eifert hasn’t spent much time talking about Cincinnati with his former college coach, he did discuss his new home with Kyle Rudolph.

“He said, ‘Welcome to the Nasty ‘Nati’ or something like that,” said Eifert.  “He was telling me about the hangouts and he said that his parents live here if I need anything.  I told him that I might just rent from his parents and stay in his room.”

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“ProFootballTalk.com,” said Gilberry with a laugh.  “That’s where I get my NFL news – that and Ian Rapoport who I follow on Twitter.  I was excited because at first, they were reporting that the talks weren’t going well and he wasn’t leaning towards here and then the next thing you know we had signed him.”

Andrew Whitworth was at a Reds game on Friday night when he got the news, and the Bengals left tackle said that he expected it.

“I was pretty confident that it was going to happen,” said Whitworth.  “It seemed like a good fit and one that made sense for us and for him.”

Harrison is likely to replace Manny Lawson as the “Sam” or strong side linebacker in the Cincinnati’s 4-3 defense.  It’s different from the role he played in Dick LeBeau’s 3-4 scheme in Pittsburgh, but Harrison’s new teammates are confident that Mike Zimmer will find a way to make good use the veteran’s skills.

“People keep coming up to me any saying, ‘Man, are you happy that you don’t have to play that guy in the division anymore?’” said Whitworth.  “And I tell them, ‘No, because now I’m going to have to deal with him every day at practice when Zimmer is coming up with some concoction in the way that they’re bringing him.’  I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m sure Zimmer is excited about having another little piece to add to the stuff that he does.”

Gilberry is a good example of Zimmer’s ability to maximize a player’s ability.  The six-year veteran joined the Bengals in week three last year after he was released by Tampa Bay and he had an immediate impact in Cincinnati.  Wallace finished third on the team with 6.5 sacks, forced a fumble, and recovered three fumbles including one that he returned for a touchdown against the Eagles.

“I think he’ll be fine because he has a lot of talent,” said Gilberry.  “If Coach Zimmer can get me to play at that level in a short period of time – James Harrison will have a full off-season so the sky is definitely the limit for what Coach Zimmer can do with him.”

At the age of 35, Harrison isn’t likely to be the dominant force that earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2008.  But ESPN’s AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley makes a compelling case that the former Steeler will add a mean streak to the Cincinnati defense.

“What the Bengals never had on defense was an edge, or at least I never sensed one,” wrote Hensley.  “That won’t be the case now with Harrison, who is carrying a chip on his shoulder as large as a Primanti Brothers sandwich (or whatever the Cincinnati equivalent would be).  Harrison carries grudges.  Just ask the Baltimore Ravens who once cut Harrison and got some of his best efforts each season.”

While the Bengals don’t necessarily agree they lacked “an edge” on defense, they welcome Harrison’s tough-guy persona.

“He has a little swagger to him,” said Robert Geathers.  “I think that will help us a lot.

“I think that everybody goes about their business in different ways.  With James, obviously some of the things over the years you can see with your own eyes.  We’ve been a top defense over the last few years, so I think we have nastiness in us.”

“We have a couple of guys in here that play that way and hopefully he can enhance it and bring it out of some other guys,” said Gilberry.  “I think he’s going to bring a lot of attitude – definitely a lot of veteran leadership.  I’m excited to get him in here and get to working with him.”

“I grew up a Steelers fan so I’ve watched him a lot,” said Devon Still.  “I think he’s a player that goes out there and gives it his all.  He’s definitely a big impact player.”

Harrison joins the Bengals with 64 sacks, 29 forced fumbles, and 5 INT on his resume – not to mention two Super Bowl rings.

“He’s been to the top and any time you can add a guy like that to a locker room that hasn’t – we’re young, we’re talented, but we haven’t been there,” said Whitworth.  “It’s a great leadership thing, it’s a great example thing, and it’s something that we can all learn from.”

“It will be good to have another veteran guy and a guy that’s been where we want to go,” said Geathers.  “He’s been to Super Bowls and he knows how to get there.

“He’s definitely one of the great defense players that I’m going to be fortunate enough to play with.”

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“Shoot, he’s a monster,” Jones said with a laugh.  “Whenever you add a monster to your defense you can’t go anywhere but up.”

But even without Harrison, the Bengals defense was among the best in the NFL last season.  The Cincinnati offense, on the other hand, has considerable room for growth in 2013 and Jones hopes to have a significant impact.

After being drafted in the fifth round last year, the former Cal standout had a limited role in the first 11 games of the season – in part because of a knee injury that kept him out of three games.  But following a late-season injury to fellow rookie receiver Mohamed Sanu, Jones moved into the starting lineup and finished strong.  In the Bengals final three games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Houston, Marvin had 13 catches for 144 yards including his first NFL touchdown against the Ravens (see the highlight here).

“I felt good about my rookie season,” said Jones.  “I got some experience and was in on quite a few plays.  Obviously there are things that I can improve on and I think that will come with maturity and being comfortable out there.  But I think that I finished strong and I want to build upon that.

“Now there are no nerves where you’re like, ‘Oh man, what is going to happen?’  I have a year within this offense, I know all of the positions very well, and I’m familiar with Andy (Dalton).”

Following his first NFL season, Jones took three weeks off before beginning a Monday-through-Thursday training regimen.  The highlight of his off-season was a vacation to Central America.

“I went out to Belize,” said Jones.  “That’s where my fiancé’s grandparents are from, so we went out there for about 10 days and did everything – swim, blue hole, hiked the Mayan ruins, snorkeling, and zip lining.  It was a pretty full vacation and I proposed to her while we were there as well.  I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.”

Now that he’s taken care of the engagement ring, Marvin has his sights set on a Super Bowl ring, and the 23-year-old was happy to be reunited with his teammates when the Bengals returned to town for off-season workouts this week.

“The first thing you do is smile and laugh when you see everybody again,” Marvin told me.  “It reminds me of the first day of school.

“In college you have like, a week-and-a-half or two weeks off and then you’re right back in the thick of things.  At this level, you can go on vacation and do other stuff and then you’re like, ‘Dang, now what do I do?’  It was fun but I was definitely ready to come back here and get back at it.”

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Due to a knee injury, last year’s top draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick – the 17^th overall selection – was limited to 43 defensive snaps at cornerback all season.

Second round pick Devon Still, the former Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, was inactive for the last eight games of the regular season and the Wild Card playoff game after veteran defensive tackle Pat Sims returned from the injury list.  And third round pick Brandon Thompson, one of the most powerful defensive tackles in last year’s draft, only appeared in three games all year due to the team’s depth on the defensive line.

Additionally, fifth round pick Shaun Prater, who flashed NFL potential at cornerback before suffering an August knee injury, missed the entire season.

That means four of the Bengals top seven draft picks last year are almost like additional members of this year’s upcoming rookie crop.

“In a sense it was a redshirt year,” said Still.  “It definitely wasn’t what I expected.  It definitely humbled me and let me how hard I have to work to stay on the field.”

Still and Thompson will definitely be in the mix for more playing time this year following the departure of Sims as a free agent to the Oakland Raiders.

“Now that Pat is gone, it opens that door wide open for a third man in the rotation on the inside of the defensive line,” Still told me.  “I’m going to go as hard as I can to get that spot.”

“Even before Pat left, I came in thinking that I had an opportunity,” said Thompson.  “I want to come in, play hard, and work myself into a role.”

Both defensive linemen say their first year with the Bengals was beneficial even though much of it was spent on the sidelines.

“It was tough, but I had to do my role which was to watch and learn,” said Thompson.  “Hopefully I can use what I learned last year to have a great year.  Having a year under my belt to learn the system and find out where I fit in really helps me out.”

“When you’re going against eight and nine year veterans, they have their technique down pat,” said Still.  “You have to hurry up and learn as much as possible.  Now we have an understanding of how the season goes and what the coaches expect from us.”

Still spent five years at Penn State (including a redshirt season) and Thompson spent four at Clemson.  That meant their first off-seasons as professionals were a welcome break.

“I’ve never had this much time off before – especially coming from college where everything was such a routine,” said Still.  “It’s been quite an experience to be able to travel, spend time with family, and do things that I haven’t been able to do during the last five years when I was in school.”

“This has been the most time that I’ve had off in years,” said Thompson.  “I really enjoyed it.  I got to spend a lot of time with my family and friends and that’s what really matters.  I also had a lot of time to train and work on my craft.”

With the Bengals returning to town this week for off-season workouts, the bulk of their vacation time is history, but the second year defensive lineman say they are ready to get back to work.

“There’s a huge opportunity now that Pat left the team,” said Still.  “Me and Brandon want to work as hard as possible this off-season to prove to the coaches that we belong on the field and we can make an impact on the defensive line.”

“I’m very eager for my second season,” said Thompson.  “I get to show the coaches what I can do and I’m ready.”

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In case you’re interested, we’re currently watching season three of Breaking Bad.  Wow!  It’s definitely on the short list of my all-time favorite shows.

Judging by his Twitter feed, Andy and Jordan Dalton are Homeland viewers in the off-season:

But Carrie Mathison and Nicolas Brody are not the only on-screen duo that the Bengals quarterback has been watching.  Dalton has spent much of his off-season studying fellow QBs Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.

“I’ve watched a lot of Green Bay’s offense and I’ve watched a lot of the Saints’ offense because they have two of the best quarterbacks in the league,” said Dalton.  “To see what they’re doing – how they’re getting their completions and how they’re scoring their touchdowns, and what mistakes are they making.  Are they forcing the ball on their interceptions…are they taking chances…what are they doing?

“I’d love for my career to end up like their careers have ended up.  You want to study those guys and see what they’re doing right.  Not only mechanics-wise, footwork, whatever it is, but also offensively what are they doing.  Our offenses are similar – we’re doing a lot of the same stuff that they’re doing – it’s just how they’re putting points on the board.”

The Saints and Packers finished in the top five in the NFL in scoring last year (Cincinnati was 12^th), but Dalton says he didn’t spend much time studying the league’s top scoring team – New England.

“I would say that Tom Brady and I are a little bit different,” said Dalton.  “The way that I play I would consider it to be more like a Drew Brees or an Aaron Rodgers – whether it be body type because I’m not 6’5” – and (the Patriots) do different stuff offensively than we do.  Obviously they do a lot of good stuff, but I think the makeup of their team is a little bit different as well.”

Like Dalton, Aaron Rodgers is listed at 6’2”.  Brees, on the other hand, is generously listed at 6’0”.

“It’s funny, before the draft I visited the Saints and they had Drew Brees and Chase Daniel,” said Dalton with a grin.  “They said I might be too tall to play there at 6’2”.

It’s interesting to compare Dalton to Brees.  Andy’s statistics are far superior to the numbers that Drew posted in his first two years as a starter in the NFL.

Dalton:  629-for-1044 (60.2%), 7067 yards, 47 TD, 29 INT, 83.9 passer rating

Brees:  525-for-882 (59.5%), 5392 yards, 28 TD, 31 INT, 73.1 passer rating

Brees took a quantum leap in his third season as a starter in San Diego, leading the Chargers to an 11-4 record while posting a passer rating of 104.8 and going to his first Pro Bowl.  Dalton hopes to take similar strides in 2013 even though he isn’t ready to call himself an established veteran.

“I’ve played quite a bit so I don’t know what the term is that you use, but I’ve been around for a while and I think I’ve earned some respect,” said Dalton.  “I’m excited for this year.”

One reason for Andy’s excitement is his familiarity with his receiving corps.  He’ll enter his third season with A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham, Andrew Hawkins, Brandon Tate, and Ryan Whalen and his second year with Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Orson Charles.

“I know how guys run routes,” said Dalton.  “I know what to expect from them, what type of person they are, and what type of worker they are.  We’ve got a great group that works really hard and it’s going to be nice to have everybody healthy at the same time.”

“There’s a big difference in confidence level,” said Marvin Jones.  “We have all of these young receivers that have experience now.  We’re ready to be a great force in this league.”

“It’s huge that there’s not a whole lot of teaching now,” said Dalton.  “It’s perfecting what we were doing.”

That includes continuing to find ways to utilize A.J. Green’s unique gifts.  Dalton did not throw Green a pass in the first half of the playoff loss in Houston, and only connected with A.J. once in a home loss to Pittsburgh.

“A.J. got a lot of cover two to his side,” said Dalton.  “They tried to take away some of the vertical throws and things like that.  With the type of player that A.J. is, we’re going to see that a lot.  The big thing with him is moving him around and finding ways to get him the ball.

“With a guy like A.J., the term ‘open’ is a little bit different.  There are times going back and looking at the film where I still probably could have thrown it to him on certain routes and different things where I tried to work somewhere else.  It just comes down to being smart with the ball and knowing when you can take those chances and when to move on.”

Those are undoubtedly some of the lessons that Dalton was hoping to learn by watching Rodgers and Brees in the off-season.  I asked Andy if it was his idea to study those two quarterbacks or if it came from the coaching staff.

“They’ve suggested it, but I was going to watch regardless,” Dalton told me.  “Those are two of the best quarterbacks in the league and you try to take little things from what they’re doing.  I think it will help me out.

“I think I’ve figured things out a little more.  I’ve watched a lot of tape and I’m ready to get back playing again.”

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“I didn’t have a good coat and tie,” Jay deadpanned at the time.

Clearly clothes are no longer an issue since Gruden interviewed for head coaching positions in Philadelphia, Arizona, San Diego, and Jacksonville in January.  And while Jay didn’t get any of the jobs, at least he has a new suit.

“I wore it four times – the same one every time,” Gruden said with a laugh.  “It was exciting and flattering that these teams would even think to interview me.  It says a lot about our offense and how far we’ve come and Coach Lewis and what people around the league think about what he’s done with his program.  It was a great opportunity.

“I knew that it was probably a long-shot.  I think that I had good interviews and felt good about the process and if I am ever fortunate enough to have another opportunity, I’ll feel a lot more prepared.”

Now that he’s back for a third season as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator, Gruden is currently working on two things:  Studying skill-position players for the upcoming NFL draft, and reviewing tape of the Bengals from last season.

“We’re very involved as coaches in the draft process, but you also have to take the time to look back at what you did offensively and figure out ways to get better,” said Gruden.  “You have to see if you had any tendencies over the course of the year that you have to correct, but overall, you’re trying to find out what your players are good at and what you had trouble with and get things fixed that you need to fix.  We definitely feel that we have not reached our full potential on offense, and it’s my job as a coordinator to get it out of them.”

With three of the top 53 picks in the draft, the Bengals are obviously in position to boost an offense that ranked 22^nd in the NFL in total yards.  So what is at the top of Gruden’s wish list?

“We need another playmaker and we need someone who can take the ball 80 yards on a swing pass, or a hand-off, or what have you,” Jay told me.  “A little bit of speed.  But we’re pretty good everywhere – we need to take our pretty-good players and turn them into great players, and our great players need to be extraordinary.  We just have to keep pushing the envelope and making sure that everybody gets better.”

One thing that the Bengals are not looking for is a new starting quarterback.  Andy Dalton has started every game in his first two NFL seasons, led the Bengals to back-to-back playoff appearances, and has tossed 47 TD passes in 32 regular season games.  But Gruden says that his 25-year-old QB has plenty to work on.

“In the offseason you work on your arm strength, your footwork – basically your fundamentals of football – and obviously he needs to get better with his deep ball accuracy and touch,” Gruden said.  “There’s not really one part of his game that he can’t improve upon.  Scramble ability, foot quickness, accuracy, deep accuracy, short (accuracy), anticipation – he’s got a long way to go.  He’s done some great things for a second-year quarterback, won a lot of games and thrown a lot of touchdown passes, but we feel that he has not come close to his potential and it’s our job to get it out of him.”

Dalton finished his second season with a passer rating of 87.4, but it dropped to 67.0 in his last six games, and Andy struggled in the playoff loss in Houston going 14-for-30 for 127 yards with 0 TD and 1 INT.  That led to a surge in the number of people questioning whether Dalton will ever be good enough to lead Cincinnati to a deep playoff run.  Gruden says that he isn’t bothered by the criticism of his quarterback.

“It’s the nature of the position and that’s what he signed up to be,” said Gruden.  “He’s getting paid a pretty good chunk of change to be a quarterback, and anytime you sign up to be a quarterback, you have to take the good with the bad.  One of the biggest strengths that you have to have as a quarterback is being mentally tough.  When things don’t get well, people are going to be all over you.  They’re going to boo you; they’re going to want you out of town and your coaches out of town.  He has to take that criticism and use it as fuel to make himself better.  Hopefully he’s doing that.  He’s a very competitive person – as I am – and we’re going to do the best that we can to make this franchise something to be proud of.”

After all, a new suit is nice – but it pales in comparison to a Super Bowl ring.

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Pretty incredible right?

Here are Flacco’s stats for those four games:  37-for-85, 471 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT for a passer rating of 45.8.  In one of the wins, Joe was 4-for-10, 34 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT for a QB rating of 10.0.

I bring up those stats because it seems to me that the national bash-fest of Andy Dalton after his second subpar playoff game is absurd.  The playoff losses in Houston were not strictly Dalton’s fault, just as Flacco clearly didn’t deserve all of the credit for Baltimore’s postseason wins in his first two seasons.

Look, nobody knows for sure if Andy is going to develop into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, but I do think that his career if off to an outstanding start – especially when you consider that he inherited a team that was 4-12 the year before he arrived.

“I think Andy is an incredible quarterback,” said Andrew Hawkins.  “He is going to continue to progress and continue to get better and he’s going to bring the Bengals a lot of wins and playoff wins for many years to come.”

Going into this season, I thought that the Bengals young nucleus was still one year away from being a championship contender.  With a quarterback in his second season, a receiving corps made up mostly of first and second-year guys, and two rookies starting for most of the year at center and right guard, the offense is still developing.  But despite their inexperience, the Bengals went 10-6 and ended the franchise’s 30-year draught without consecutive playoff appearances.

“We wanted our season to go further and felt like we had the potential to go further, but it was still a good season,” said Andrew Whitworth.  “To make back-to-back playoff appearances is an accomplishment.  It’s a young football team with a lot of promise and there’s a lot ahead of us.”

Unlike last season, the Bengals didn’t slide into the playoffs by simply taking advantage of a soft schedule.  They beat three teams that finished with winning records (Baltimore, NY Giants, and Washington) and earned their postseason berth by knocking out the Steelers in Pittsburgh in a must-win scenario.

“Going into this season, I told the guys that we really hadn’t beaten anybody in big games,” said Chris Crocker.  “We finally got over that hump, but we also gave away games that we should have won.

“The tide is kind of turning in this division.  It’s not Pittsburgh and Baltimore anymore; we’re really somebody to reckon with.  I feel really good about this team.”

“Everyone is learning and gaining from experience,” said Rey Maualuga.  “Last year I thought we were good, and this year we were even better.  With the guys coming back next year, who knows what this team can do?  ‘Look out,’ I guess.  These guys are a team to watch and a team to beat next year.”

The key is to keep getting better from top to bottom.  Dalton appeared to regress late in the season, and needs to continue to improve at reading defenses and throwing accurate deep balls.  A speedy and shifty compliment to BenJarvus Green-Ellis would be a boost to the running game, and Jermaine Gresham needs to become more consistent to live up to his immense potential at tight end.  On defense, there are obvious questions at linebacker and safety that have to be answered, but the key pieces will be back from a unit that was the NFL’s best over the second half of the season.  It’s a roster that needs tweaking instead of wholesale changes.

“The truth is there aren’t a lot of teams playing now,” said Whitworth.  “Whatever we’re missing, there are a lot of other teams that are missing more.”

A second straight playoff loss in Houston has left a bitter taste in all of our mouths, but it hasn’t changed the way I felt about this team all along:  It was – and is – one year away.

“Next year for the season to be a success, we have to go to the playoffs and win a playoff game.  That’s how you take the next step,” said Hawkins.

“We have to live and learn from it and keep growing and keep beating on that door until we beat it in,” said Marvin Lewis.

“It’s time to push ourselves further,” said Whitworth.  “It’s still going to be a young team, but we’re going to expect a lot of ourselves.”

“The sky’s the limit for this team in 2013,” said Geno Atkins.

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“He is unbelievable,” Cosell told me recently.  “When you watch him on tape, he’s just a ‘wow’ player.  He is so smooth that you lose sight of the fact that he is almost 6’4” and nearly 210 pounds.  He moves like a much smaller guy.  He’s so smooth and fluid and has such great explosion – to me he’s an absolute joy to watch.  He’s my favorite wide receiver to watch.”

But there wasn’t much of Green to see in the first half of Saturday’s 19-13 playoff loss in Houston.

Andy Dalton threw 10 passes in the first 30 minutes and none of them were tossed in the direction of Green.  Five were thrown for Jermaine Gresham, three to Marvin Jones, and two to BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

“A couple of times Andy took off and ran when A.J. was the number one target,” said head coach Marvin Lewis.  “But he can’t force the ball into coverage.  He’s got to read the coverage and throw the ball into the weakness of the coverage.  That’s what you want him to do.  He can’t give in to ‘Oh A.J. didn’t touch the ball here.’  He’s got to make sure that he’s doing it the way it’s designed.”

“I would love to get the ball on every play but when they double me there are other guys on the team that can make plays,” said Green.  “I tried to make plays whenever my number was called but we didn’t make enough as a whole team to come away with a win.”

It was clear that the Bengals coaching staff thought that the Texans defense was vulnerable up the middle and that Gresham would have opportunities, but it’s hard to fathom not throwing to Green at all for a half.

“You have to do what you do,” said my partner on the radio broadcasts Dave Lapham.  “You can’t say, ‘OK, they’re playing Cover 2 and Jermaine Gresham is going to be on a linebacker or a nickel defensive back that he can physically dominate.’  Baloney.  A.J. Green got you to the dance.  I don’t care what the game plan was.  You cannot go an entire half without putting the ball in his hands one time.”

To their credit, the Bengals adjusted in the second half as Green was targeted 11 times and caught five passes for 80 yards.

“We want to get the ball to A.J. as much as we can, and in the second half we were able to move him around a little bit and make some plays,” said Lewis.

Unfortunately, the Bengals were not able to connect with Green on a play that would have given them the lead with less than three minutes to go.

On third-and-11 from the Houston 36-yard line, Green blew past Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning and was open in the end zone, but Dalton’s heave was beyond A.J.’s grasp.

“I was digging and I laid out, but I couldn’t get a hand on it,” said Green.  “We’re both young and that’s something that we need to work on.  Our deep balls this whole year weren’t consistent enough.  That’s me and him – both parts.  That’s the stuff we need to work on in the off-season.

“Football is a game of inches and that’s one thing that we need to get better at.  We need to capitalize when plays are presented our way.  That’s the next step to being a great team.”

The Bengals made strides in 2012 as they improved their record to 10-6 and made back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in 30 years.  But the season ended exactly where it did one year ago – with a first round playoff loss in Houston.

“We were 3-5 and dug ourselves out of that hole to put ourselves in the playoffs,” said Green.  “We won 10 games which is difficult in this league so I feel like we took a step.  The next step is to get past the first round.”

“We have to get better,” said Coach Lewis.  “We can’t be satisfied with where we are.  We’re not going to New Orleans, so we’re not satisfied.  We have to push ahead and get better.”

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That’s spectacular.

But ball security might not be enough to win in the playoffs.

Dalton has been sacked 46 times this season including eight times in the red zone – at least in part because of his reluctance to throw risky passes.  Taking care of the football is obviously a good thing.  But if the Bengals are going to beat the 12-4 Texans, Andy is going to have to take advantage of his opportunities to make plays.

“I watched all 46 sacks on Tuesday night because I wanted to see if there was any kind of consistency to them,” said analyst Mike Mayock who will call Saturday’s game on NBC.  “I’m a big believer that pass protection starts with the quarterback and Andy is a young quarterback who is really concerned about protecting the football.  So on the one hand, you applaud that – especially in the red zone – and he hasn’t thrown a red zone interception in his career.  But the flip side to that is that I don’t think he rips the ball when he has a chance to rip it.  I think what you’re seeing is a really intelligent young guy trying to figure it out, but for my money, right now he’s too far on the conservative side.”

“He’s a perfectionist and if it’s not perfect he’ll choose not to throw it,” said offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.  “Sometimes he makes the right decisions and sometimes you’re like, ‘Thrown the dang ball please.’  But he’s got the ball in his hands and only he can see what he sees and the more he sees the route combinations and gets a feel for the defenses and how they’re covering, the better he is going to be.  But for 30 starts or whatever it is, I think he’s done pretty darn good.”

If the Bengals can give Dalton time to throw against J.J. Watt (20.5 sacks), Antonio Smith (7 sacks) and the Texans pass rush, there will be opportunities to make big plays.  Houston has good cornerbacks in Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson, but safeties Danieal Manning and Glover Quin have not graded as well.

“The Texans have given up 29 touchdown passes compared to 18 last year,” said beat writer John McClain from the Houston Chronicle.  “The only playoff team that’s given up more is Washington with 31.  They’ve given up 54 pass plays of at least 20 yards.  That is third worst among the playoff teams.  It’s not the corners, it’s the safeties.  They’ve had injuries and the backup safeties playing in the two-deep have killed them.  They have just not played well on the back end in passing situations so I would expect Andy Dalton to be throwing the ball deep to A.J. Green quite a bit.”

“They’re not playing cohesively in the back end,” said Mayock.  “My take on Houston is those two pass rushers on the inside make all the difference and when you protect your quarterback you can get into their secondary.  I don’t think their secondary when you break them down individually is great.  When you get time, you can get into the secondary and without (the injured) Brian Cushing back there, that’s another problem because he’s an athletic linebacker and not having him in that intermediate area is a big deal.”

Unlike Cincinnati’s AFC North rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the Texans are not especially confusing on defense.  It’s a straight-forward scheme led by a tremendous player in Watt.

“I’ve never seen anybody in all the years that I’ve covered football have a season like Watt has had,” said McClain.  “He has 90 plays – 90 – for zero or negative yards.  On running plays alone, he has 24 tackles for loss and 15 tackles for no gain.  He’s been involved in nine turnovers, set an NFL record with 16 passes deflected – the only thing he hasn’t done is intercept a pass and return it for a touchdown like he did in the playoffs last season.”

“They have some good blitzes here and there, but basically, they’re going to get after you with their front four and play a lot of man-to-man,” said Gruden.  “By the time you can get open down the field, J.J. Watt and company are feasting at the quarterback.  They done a great job with it, and the energy level that they play with on every snap is very impressive.”

“Their defense is more ‘Here’s what we do – beat it,’ ” said Dalton.  “They have really talented guys up front and do a great job of rushing the passer and they rely on those guys a lot.  That allows them to not do as much other stuff because they have a good front.”

Dalton was 2-0 at Reliant Stadium as a Katy Tiger and 1-0 as a TCU Horned Frog.  He’s 0-1 as an NFL player in Houston, and Andy looks forward to getting another shot at beating the Texans in their own building.

“I know the stadium, I know the layout, I know all of that kind of stuff,” said Dalton.  “Now it’s time for me to get the first win there as a pro.”

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So was Cincinnati’s defensive performance last Sunday in Pittsburgh reminiscent of the dominant efforts that Lewis directed 12 years ago?

“It was except that we let the other team score a touchdown,” Marvin said with a laugh.  “Those guys (in Baltimore) never wanted to let the other team score.  But yea, it was a great, great defensive day.”

It was the latest in a string of them.

Over the past seven games, the Bengals defense has allowed an average of 272.3 yards and 12.1 points – both figures would lead the NFL if they were season totals.

“I have a lot of confidence in these guys and the way that we’re playing,” said defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.  “I feel like if we continue to play the way we’re playing and do things right, I think we have a chance to go up against anybody and put up a great performance.  But we have to go out each and every week and do what we’re supposed to do.  Right now we’ve been on a hot streak and I hope it continues.”

Is it a defensive that gives the Bengals a shot to beat anybody that they will face in the postseason?

“We have to keep playing soundly, but to answer your question simply, yes it does,” said Lewis.  “We’re doing a great job of taking away what we feel are the offensive strengths and making the other team work into their weaknesses a little bit more.  I think that’s a key to playing great defense down the stretch.  Our players are cerebrally recognizing what’s important and they’re working on that during the week as the game plan unfolds.”

Of course it helps to have a wrecking ball in the middle named Geno Atkins.

With 2.5 sacks against the Steelers last Sunday, Geno ranks 5^th in the NFL with 13 this season.  That’s nearly twice as many as the next-best defensive tackle – Ndamukong Suh – who has 7 for Detroit.  Suh was the second overall pick and first defensive tackle selected in the 2010 NFL draft.  Atkins was chosen with the 120^th pick and was the 15^th defensive tackle selected.

“Honestly, we targeted Geno in the draft,” said Zimmer.  “I’m not saying it was me, but I said, ‘If this guy is there in the fourth round we need to take him.’  At that point in time we were looking for an inside pass rusher.  We felt like we had some ends that could rush and if we could get a little bit of an inside pass rush that it would really help.  Obviously I didn’t know that he was going to be this good or he would have been drafted a lot higher.  I remember in the rookie minicamps and OTAs, some of the offensive players walked over and said, ‘Is this guy going to do this when we get the pads on?’  Geno’s been doing it ever since.”

With Atkins leading the way, the Bengals rank second in the NFL with 47 sacks (one behind Denver).  Defensive lineman have accounted for 38 of those sacks – a figure that is better than 23 NFL team totals.

It’s a defensive unit that clearly loves playing for Zimmer and doesn’t want to let him down.

“It makes me feel like I don’t want to let them down either,” said Zimmer.  “I want to make sure that I put them in the best position to win each and every week.  To make sure that they understand exactly what the other team’s offense is trying to do and how they’re trying to do it.  We really have a team concept.  We don’t have selfish guys.  Geno Atkins is a perfect example.  He might have 20 sacks if he was playing on a team that just rushed the passer on every single down.  We have guys that want to do things within the framework of the defense and play together.  I always talk to them about being a smart defense and playing together with great effort and intensity.  Once we can get them to buy into that and not get frustrated because they’re not necessarily making plays, then you have a chance.”

While Atkins is undoubtedly the Bengals’ defensive MVP, Chris Crocker is the unsung hero.  The 32-year-old veteran did not join this year’s team until the fourth game of the season and didn’t become the primary strong safety until the eighth game vs. Denver.

Through the Denver game, the Bengals only held one of eight quarterbacks to a passer rating under 90.4 (Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert at 78.8) and the average QB rating against Cincinnati was 99.4.  Over the past seven games – despite facing the likes of Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, and Ben Roethlisberger – no opponent has managed a passer rating higher than 75.4 vs. Cincinnati, and the average has been 64.9.

“That’s a beautiful thing isn’t it?” said Zimmer.  “When we started going into this stretch we talked about how it was going to be the murderer’s row of quarterbacks and our guys have risen to the occasion quite a bit.”

It’s easy to forget that going into last year; the Bengals were coming off of a 4-12 season and were widely expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL.  Instead, the “Andy and A.J.” era has started with back-to-back playoff appearances.

“We have so many young players,” said Lewis.  “The quarterback and receiver continue to be at the focal point of things and the fact that we have a lot of young defensive guys that aren’t even seeing the field is really a plus as we go forward.  There’s a strong, strong foundation that’s been built and I think that was the key thing when we got started again prior to the 2011 season.  We needed to really drill down and lay some pillars and I think we’ve got that done now.  Now we continue to build upon it, and every time that we add a guy, it’s a big plus.”

Marvin Lewis won a Super Bowl ring with a Wild Card team a dozen years ago.  Perhaps it’s a longshot, but his goal is to do it again over the next month.

“Our goal is to be World Champions and now we’re in it and we have to go forward,” said Lewis.  “We’ve got ourselves into the tournament – not exactly where we wanted to be because we wanted to win the division – but we’re in the tournament and that’s all you can ask for at this point.”

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Additionally, if you made a reference to Gus Frerotte’s left-handed interception or Corey Dillon’s desire to flip burgers to a member of this year’s team you would be greeted with a blank stare.

In other words, the 2012 Bengals have nothing to do with the team’s struggles in previous decades.  Perhaps Christmas would be a good time to look at the present instead of the past.

The Bengals are going to playoffs for the third time in the last four years, making them one of only seven teams that can make that claim.  The last three drafts alone have produced Geno Atkins, Clint Boling, Andy Dalton, Carlos Dunlap, A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham, Marvin Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick, Mohamed Sanu, Kevin Zeitler, and others.  And after starting the season 3-5 with a four game losing streak, the Bengals have won six of their last seven to make the playoffs for the second straight season.

“It’s big man,” said nine-year veteran Robert Geathers.  “For this franchise to do it back-to-back is a stepping stone.  We’ve got something to build on.”

“It’s big for us,” said Andy Dalton.  “We had to come out and get a win in this one – especially with all of the things that were on the line.  It feels great to be where we are right now.”

“I am very, very proud of the Bengals,” said Adam Jones.  “I’m happy to be here and it’s been a good ride.”

Last year the Bengals needed help on the final Sunday of the regular season to squeeze into the playoffs, but this year, Cincinnati not only earned a return to the postseason by winning in Pittsburgh but sent the Steelers packing in the process.

“Our young players should never forget this,” said Reggie Nelson.  “They’ve been beating us for the last few years and it ought to feel good for our players to get this goal achieved.  That’s big when you come into somebody else’s house and win a big football game.”

“These are the games that I live for,” said Jones.  “It was probably the most exciting game I ever played.  When they played their music going into the fourth quarter, I just got a rush thinking, ‘We’re going to win this sucker and shut the crowd up.’ ”

The win ended the Bengals 29-year streak of not going to the playoffs in consecutive seasons.  The next demon to exorcise is to record the franchise’s first playoff win since 1990.  Perhaps that won’t happen in the next few weeks, but with Cincinnati’s talented young nucleus, that day is coming soon.

“These guys don’t have doubt in the back of their mind,” said Geathers.  “We believe that we can win because we have a lot of good football players on the team.  You just have to go out there and get it done.”

“We’re excited to get to the playoffs, but it’s just the beginning,” said Domata Peko.

“We have more football to play,” said Marvin Lewis.  “That’s the thing – we set our goals high and we’re going to keep battling.”

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…at talking about himself.

For example, if you ask Atkins if he agrees with the widely-held notion that he is currently the best defensive tackle in the NFL, here’s what you get:

“We still have some games left so I can’t agree yet,” Geno told me.  “I think it’s an accumulation of the collective effort of my teammates.”

Not exactly a clip and save quote.  Fortunately, there is no shortage of people who are willing to sing Atkins’ praises.

“Geno Atkins right now is playing as good as anybody in this league as a defensive tackle,” said Eagles coach Andy Reid.

“He’s definitely up there,” said defensive end Robert Geathers.  “He’s so disruptive week in and week out and he’s consistent.  That’s the big thing in this league.  He’s good in the run game and the passing game so he’s definitely up there near the top.”

“I’ve never seen a defensive tackle take on double teams and make plays like he does,” said linebacker Manny Lawson.  “When you look at Geno, he’s running all over the field.  He’s around the ball on almost every tackle.  What defensive tackle does that?”

“He’s so quick and explosive off the ball,” said Greg Cosell, Senior Producer for NFL Films.  “There are times when you watch him where he looks like a running back playing defensive tackle.  And he has also shown the ability to get underneath the pads of guards or centers and bull rush.  There were a couple of plays that I can remember against Oakland a few weeks ago where he was just unbelievable.  I think he’s the best D-tackle in the game right now.”

The data backs that up.  Atkins leads all interior linemen in sacks with 10.5, four more than the next-best defensive tackle Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh.  So what did it mean to Geno to become the first Bengals player since 2006 to have 10-or-more sacks in a season?

“It’s a good milestone,” said Atkins.  “I’ve heard that normally defensive tackles don’t get double digits sacks so it feels pretty good to represent for the D-tackles.”

In truth, Atkins is putting up numbers that are highly unusual for his position.  Consider these nuggets from ProFootballFocus.com analyst Sam Monson:

• Already comfortably highest graded DT we’ve had in a season at +65.0, previous best was Kyle Williams at +44.2 in 2010
• In addition to his 10.5 sacks, Geno’s 69 QB pressures are 21 more than the next best DT (Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy).
• Only Denver linebacker Von Miller and Miami defensive end Cameron Wake have more total pressures than Atkins.  He’s third in the entire NFL and he’s a defensive tackle!
• He records a stop against the run on 10.6% of his run snaps, which trails only Chicago’s Henry Melton among DTs
• Leads all DTs in stops by 10

“Completely mind-bending numbers,” concluded Monson.

My broadcasting partner Dave Lapham doesn’t need stats to judge Atkins’ dominance.  Lap says the body language of opposing players that have to block Geno tells you all that you need to know.

“I love watching the first pass set that the opposing guards have to take,” said Lapham.  “They study tape all week and probably think, ‘Man, that guy looks pretty quick.’  But when he’s right in front of you when they snap the ball and you have to experience it first-hand…I love watching the guards after that first play because when they turn around and walk back to the huddle you can see their shoulders slump a little bit and they start shaking their heads.  I like watching that reaction and it’s almost been every game without exception.”

“There was one game this year – Kansas City I believe – where we were on the field goal block team and the guard that was lined up against me said, ‘Damn, that sucker is strong.’” said Geathers with a laugh.  “They’re definitely shocked when they play against him.”

“I just let ‘em know that it’s going to be a long day every time that they go up against me,” said Atkins.

Geno lasted until the fourth round of the 2010 draft because he was considered undersized at 6’1”, 293 pounds.  But great quickness, a 550-pound bench press, and a relentless motor have made him one of the most disruptive forces in the NFL.

“His passion for the game and ‘want-to’ is incredible,” said Lawson.  “He’s small, he’s quick, he’s explosive, and he has a big heart.  He plays with a chip on his shoulder and like he has something to prove.”

“The other team has to come out of the huddle and go, ‘Where’s 97?’” said Lapham.  “He’s a force on every snap.”

As for my conversation with Geno, he did say one thing that should make opposing lineman shudder:  He thinks he can get even better.

“I just feel like each year I try to improve on the little things,” said Atkins.  “I try to look back at what I did in the previous year and ask, ‘What can I do to get better?’”

Aside from talking about himself, there isn’t much.

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I think most of us expected the Bengals defense – currently number one in the NFL in sacks – to tee off on Philly’s rookie quarterback Nick Foles on Thursday.  But it was Andy Dalton who was running for his life all night as he was sacked six times and forced to fumble twice.

“The run blocking was pretty good, but boy, the pass protection was struggle city,” said my broadcasting partner Dave Lapham.  “The Eagles were running a lot of twists and stunts and when the Bengals went to help, there was nobody there because of those stunts.  It isn’t anything that you don’t see on a weekly basis in the NFL, but you usually don’t see it that much.  Once Philadelphia started having success, they went to it again and again and again.”

But the inability to protect Dalton didn’t spell doom thanks to a brilliant performance by the Bengals defense.

With roughly eight minutes to go in the first half, the Eagles had a first-and-goal opportunity at the three yard line and settled for a field goal.  Then with 39 seconds left in the half, Philadelphia had a first-and-goal at the two yard line and settled for another field goal.

Instead of taking a 21-10 lead and abundant confidence into the locker room, the Eagles were only up by three points.

“As a defense, we pride ourselves in not letting them score near the goal line,” said Manny Lawson.  “That’s a critical area because it can change the momentum of the game.  Our guys stepped up and made plays.”

The biggest play of the game came in the third quarter.  After the Bengals offense opened the second half with a pair of three-and-outs, Leon Hall came up with his first interception of the year and returned it 44 yards.

“That was huge,” said Reggie Nelson.  “We needed that and that’s what playmakers do.  Leon is a playmaker and he showed up.  That was a big play to get the momentum back because we were kind of dead and that gave us that spark.”

Hall’s interception gave the Bengals a short field and led to an 11-yard touchdown run by Dalton that gave Cincinnati a 17-13 lead.  It also opened the floodgates, as the Eagles fumbled three times in the next 2:04, leading to 17 more points.

“It wasn’t a pretty win, but defensively it was very pretty,” said Lapham.  “The only thing they didn’t do was get a bunch of sacks.  They did get one, but forced several fumbles including one taken for a touchdown … a lot of things went right.”

“We shut them out in the second half and that’s what counts,” said Jones.

What really matters is that the Bengals took a half-game lead over Pittsburgh in the wild card race.  If the Steelers lose at Dallas on Sunday and the Jets lose at Tennessee on Monday, Cincinnati could clinch its second straight playoff trip with a win at Pittsburgh next week.

“This wasn’t our best performance but we won the game,” said Jones.  “That’s what good teams do.”

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