July 21st, 2010 
Eric McMackin 
Posted in 
Fellow Bengals fans, its been a great offseason. Let’s face it, our team had a solid turnaround season last year, and followed it up by doing us proud in free agency and the draft. On paper, at least, we look good. And another NFL insider is noticing.
Dave Razzano, a 22-year veteran NFL scout and member of five Super Bowl scouting staffs had nothing but great things to say about the 2010 Cincinnati Bengals in an interview published yesterday.
It’s definitely worth checking out here.
Razzano isn’t the first “expert” to proclaim the Bengals a team to beat. However, his comments were especially strong in describing this year’s men in stripes. Here are just a few of his thoughts from the interview:
On paper this is the best Bengals team in the history of their franchise.
and…
They are absolutely loaded with talent.
and…
This team… doesn’t really have any weaknesses.
and how about this for a record prediction?
They have a chance to win 12 games. They really do.
He goes on to call RB Bernard Scott, “a clone of Jamaal Charles” and WR Jordan Shipley, “a bigger Wes Welker.” He says that Andre Smith will prove to be an elite RT, and that LB Keith Rivers, once healthy, will become a pro-bowler.
All of which of course is music to my ears. It also concurs with other faint whispers heard here and there in various corners and pockets of the NFL universe. While most attention is fixated on Rex Ryan’s uber-confident Jets, Norv Turner’s talent-laden Chargers, and John Harbaugh’s tough-as-nails Ravens, Marvin Lewis’ focused and determined charges are quietly preparing to steal the show. Underrated and under the radar–just how we like it.
At least that’s the hope.
On the other hand, you know as well as I do that we’ve all been burned before; that we’ve developed justifiably high expectations and been the league’s darling team only to find our fates sealed before Thanksgiving.
While this year be different? Will it finally be our year? For once, the talent is there. As Razzano says, “They’ve got every piece you need. Now it’s a matter of lining up and winning games.
“They have no excuses this year.”
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Finally. Cincinnati Bengals are one of my teams in the AFC who’ll be contending for the privilege to play past January into the second calendar month.
12-4? 1st Round Bye?
Road To Dallas AFC Final Four: NE, Indy, Cincy, and Tennessee.
However, every year Baltimore one ups me. They scare me. I have them as a Wild Card.
As for the Jets, they have the swagger for sure, there’s no doubting their confidence, no lack of pizazz.
i feel the same way if they can keep player on the feild other teams dont match up to them once this team jells wow they can be realy tuff down the road late in the season is where the test will be