Bengals plan big on T.O.’s diva trio

Chad Ochocinco(notes), Terrell Owens(notes) and Antonio Bryant(notes) could become the most explosive combination in the NFL this side of Indianapolis and New Orleans. At least that’s what the Bengals hope happens – on the field.


On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to terms with Owens, combining him with fellow talented-yet-mercurial wide receivers Ochocinco and Bryant. Suddenly, the Wolff Planetarium in Cincy has three new celestial bodies to study.

Or as one Bengals assistant said to another Monday: “Let the fun begin.”
But for all those who think this combination of ego-centric beings is a recipe for disaster, there is another way to look at it: If this goes as planned, the Bengals could have their best team since 2005.
That was when quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) was lighting up the NFL in his second season as a starter and the Bengals had an offensive juggernaut. The season was spoiled on the second play of the playoffs when Palmer’s knee was crumbled by Pittsburgh defensive lineman Kimo Von Oelhoffen(notes).
That was also when the Bengals used three-receiver sets the way most people use socks. Back then, it was Ochocinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes) and then-rookie Chris Henry. It was special to watch as Palmer had the best season of his career. He posted career-highs in completion percentage (67.8), quarterback rating (101.1) and touchdown passes (32).
The signing of Owens is an attempt to recreate that magic.
The popular theory is that Owens is being brought in to replace Bryant, who many believe is struggling in his return from knee surgery. That’s not the case, says a Bengals source. The team’s medical staff went to see Bryant a little more than a week ago to check on his progress. All indications are that he’ll be fine for the season.

Bryant is considered a critical cog to what the Bengals are trying to do. In the limited practice he had in the offseason, much of it was with him working in the slot. Bryant is a physical receiver who likes to work in the middle of the field. The Bengals have missed that dearly since Henry, who died tragically last year, got hurt early last season.
In addition, the Bengals expect rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham(notes) to be a force in the middle. Last year, the Bengals got no meaningful production from their tight ends. The only reason the Bengals lined up so much in double tight end formations was to give them an extra blocker for the running game as they tried to play keep away and help the defense.

The Bengals offense was so ineffective last season that over their final 10 games, including a first-round playoff loss to the visiting New York Jets, they scored fewer than 20 points eight times.


That doesn’t work in today’s NFL, in which throwing the ball is a prerequisite.

Then again, Owens doesn’t work all that well in today’s NFL. His game is limited. In football terms, he’s a millennium removed from the guy who caught 81 passes for 1,355 yards and 15 TDs in 2007

But the Bengals believe that Owens, when used in concert with Ochocinco, Bryant and Gresham, has enough left to be effective.


“No, he doesn’t get away from bump coverage very well and he doesn’t run the middle anymore, but you can see that he can still get vertical against a secondary,” one member of the Bengals staff said. “Last year, whenever teams doubled Chad or rolled the safety his way, we couldn’t beat the man coverage on the other side. T.O. can do that.”
More importantly, Owens convinced members of the coaching staff and owner Mike Brown(notes) that he understands his limitations. At 36, Owens was frank with the Bengals during a visit earlier in the offseason, admitting privately that his skills have diminished.

Owens also didn’t create problems in Buffalo last season.

“Seems to have turned a page,” coach Marvin Lewis said via text message.

Perhaps, but Owens isn’t a model of consistent behavior. Likewise, Ochocinco has a history of diva behavior. It’s so well-chronicled that Lewis and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski joke openly about it and Ochocinco takes no offense.

As for Bryant, he once clashed with former Dallas coach Bill Parcells to the point he threw a sweaty jersey in Parcells’ face. He clashed so much with former San Francisco coach Mike Nolan that he was released after one year of a four-year, $14 million contract. He also missed all of the 2007 season because of a suspension from the NFL for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Not so coincidentally, Owens and Bryant are each playing on their fifth team. That doesn’t happen with talented players who aren’t problem children.
For the moment, the Bengals are simply hoping to get the talent and keep the problems at bay long enough for this to work.
Or as one coach put it: “Life is short, might as well make it interesting.”

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AvSQt..CnGMiQlpzZiILO69DubYF?slug=jc-owens072710
author: Jason Cole