In May Cedric Benson was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly punching a bar employee.
Benson denied the charge but still faced a possible suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
After meeting with the commissioner last week about the altercation Goodell has decided against suspending the Bengals star running back.
This is great news for the Bengals and it makes the team that much more dangerous this coming season. They are now the team to beat in the AFC North.
Benson was leading the league in rushing for part of the season and was a definite work horse for the Bengals rarely having a bad performance.
He was a big key in the Bengals going 6-0 in the division, and I expect him to look even better with the offensive line getting better.
Quarterback Carson Palmer was great at getting the team out of jams late in games last season, but he put them in a few as well. With the lack of receivers the quarterback suffered the most, but its safe to say they won 't have that problem this season.
The Bengals added Matt Jones, Antonio Bryant, and Terrell Owens all out of free agency. They also drafted tight end Jermaine Gresham and wide receiver Jordan Shipley to complete their needs.
The Bengals did not have this problem last year and certainly didn't have this much talent. They already looked like a playoff team, but T.O was icing on the cake.
Last season we seen the Bengals running the ball three times in a row, and sometimes it worked but they won't have to do that this season.
Carson Palmer has plenty of weapons this season and the entire offense is going to be a nightmare to stop.
You have to worry about Cedric Benson and his allusive running as well as speed and power. Then you have to locate Chad Ochocinco an Terrell Owens and decide who you're going to double cover. Finally you have to watch out for the new star tight end or the slot receiver coming underneath for the easy first down catch.
With this offense I expect more play action and more of Carson Palmer adjusting to what he sees out of the defense.
The Ravens have improved this season, but not as much as the Bengals. They have an aging defense and a really young offense. They don't have a dynamic running back like Cedric Benson and they don't have two star receivers like the Bengals do.
The Steelers have to deal up to four games without Ben Roethlesberger and they haven't improved after last season after handing their Super Bowl MVP to the Jets.
The Browns have a few new quarterbacks, but they have more issues than ESPN Magazine and they need more than a quarterback to be a dominant team.
The Bengals are the team to beat, and they are the reining AFC North champs. They have a fourth ranked defense and now a top ten offense. I think this team has a better chance than the '05 team at making the Super Bowl and are now in the mix with Patriots, Colts, and Chargers.
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