Cincinnati at Detroit

The Bengals are off a very dissapointing 2006 campaign. After winning 11 games and getting to the playoffs in 2005, they were snake-bit with Carson Palmer going down in the opening round vs. the Steelers. They had a shot at going deep into the playoffs and it all came to a crashing and sudden halt. Last season they took a big step backwards winning just 8 games and missing the playoffs. Carson Palmer wasn't nearly as good as he was in 2005. It shook their confidence a bit. 2005 was their first playoff appearance in 15 years and here they are potentially slipping back into mediocrity? As a result of this "fear," we think this team wants to get off on the right foot this year. Marvin Lewis has shown a desire to win in the preseason as this team went 4-0 last season and the Bengals are 67% overall in the preseason since his arrival. During camp he said, "With a fast start, there is not as much pressure." Last year in the preseason Cincinnati scored an unheard of 32.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Rod Marinelli went 1-3 last season (his first) with the Lions scoring 13 points per game. Read Marinelli's quotes and you get a clue as to what he uses the preseason for (working on issues, not winning): "The thing I want to accomplish as we get into camp is that it’s not just the 'what'. I’m also very interested in 'how'; the 'how' you do things. Your stance, your steps, your keys, your eyes, your vision; how to run a route, how to take a ball, all those things. The 'what' is key, but the 'how' is more important to me." Folks, he is saying that right now, the results (winning or losing) are less important than working on the fundamentals. Think about the mindsets of these two teams and ask yourself who is more motivated to start out 2007 on a winning note: Detroit who notched a big gratifying win over Dallas in their final game last season, with a coach who has shown he isn't about winning in the preason. Or the Bengals who lost to Pittsburgh in their finale to keep them out of the playoffs after starting the season with high hopes - a team with a coach who has won five straight preseason games. We like the underdog here.