The 2008 football season was a disheartening one for the Cincinnati Bengals. A 4-11-1 finish was very disappointing to say the least, and largely resulted from the absence of star quarterback Carson Palmer, who missed virtually the entire year due to injury.

Carson Palmer was out the majority of the year with an injury – with his departure the Bengals sunk fast. Chad Ocho Cinco became an average wide receiver and faded away as the season continued to move forward.

Ryan Fitzpatrick did his best, but his skills were nowhere near that of Palmer’s, and the offense struggled greatly for it. This wasn’t much of a surprise considering his lack of NFL experience.

Chris Henry is making a name for himself in a Bengals jersey, so the loss of T.J. may not seem as bad as Bengals fans would think.

TJ Houshmandzadeh wasn’t playing like himself, and injury issues limited him too. If there’s anything good about last season, the last few games showed that Cedric Benson was a capable running back, and gave the team a new weapon.

At the start of this season, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed that they were back and ready to make an impact in 2009.

If the Bengals defense can stay in the middle of the league and not give up too many points – with the Bengals offense – they can compete in every game during the season.

Carson Palmer and Chad Ocho Cinco make one of the best QB WR combination in the NFL. If they are on the same page the Bengals may be a playoff contender. Chad’s antics off the field may be tiresome to most, when the Bengals are winning Ocho Cinco seems to be forgiven.

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