With all the buzz in the NFL centered around the explosive offensive weapons, we are often led to believe that when giant egos and incredible talent come together, it's the start of a reign of dominance. The Cincinnati Bengals now have three top echelon receivers in Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant, and most recently, Terrell Owens. Whether these dangerous deep threats can all operate in the same system and live up to their potential is the real question. Despite their close friendship, Ochocinco and Owens have always been determined to be the centerpiece of their offenses, and may not like what they find this season.
Terrell Owens is simply one of the all-time greats on the field. Even in a quiet season in Buffalo, he was able to put up over 800 yards. His physical style of play is what sets him apart from many others, and his size and speed are just icing on the cake. Despite his on-the-field prowess, locker room conflicts have kept most ball clubs at a distance. On his original team, a dispute about the amount of passes he was getting led to his release, and the release of quarterback Jeff Garcia and wide receiver Tai Streets. In Philadelphia, his treatment of Donnovan McNabb led to his release again, and again in Dallas. Now in a honeymoon state, who knows if he will adjust to being in a trio of wideouts?
Chad Ochocinco started to pull away as a dominant force when he was joined by quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver TJ Houshmanzadeh. Although he has been active in the media and makes a lot of noise, Ochocinco has never had any serious locker room disputes. However, he has been known to make himself the center of attention almost his entire career. Now paired up with Terrell Owens, both of the players will have a hard time being happy about the amount of time they get the ball.
With a healthy Carson Palmer, this offense will be one of the most explosive in the NFL, no question. But what will happen if Palmer goes down, and the passing attack doesn't post the same numbers. In 2007, Carson Palmer threw for over 4,100 yards, and started all 16 games. In the same year, the then Chad Johnson posted over 1,400 of those yards and 8 touchdowns. The next season, when Palmer was injured for 12 of the 16 games, Ochocinco only put up 500 yards and 4 touchdowns. If Palmer can stay healthy, Ochocinco and Owens will be able to get more than their fair share of receptions, but if the offensive line in Cincy can't keep him up, neither Owens or Ochocinco will produce nearly as much.
Remember, this is also excluding all the other offensive weapons the Bengals have this season. Runningback Cedric Benson came out last season and finally produced what he was expected to in Chicago after an incredible career at Texas. Rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham was the highest drafted tight end in the draft, and is thought by most to be the league's next elite tight end. Antontio Bryant, the third top wideout the Bengals have is no push over either. There is too much talent on the Cincinnati roster to live up to its potential, even if Palmer stays healthy. The question will be, who will the front office love, and who will get left behind.
