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Bills/Bengals: Steel Cage Questions with WhoDeyFans.com

Excited for the Bills/Bengals game yet? If you aren't, we've got something to get your blood pumping - how about a steel cage match with Bills P Brian Moorman?

Each week, the Bengals blog WhoDeyFans.com selects one blog covering the Bengals' opponent and asks them what they call their "Steel Cage Questions". This week, the guys at WhoDeyFans were kind enough to include me - and they were even kinder to let me post the exchange. So, in our second interview this week, here's the exchange that we made earlier this week:

What Scares Us About the Bengals?
Yours Truly: Carson Palmer. Buffalo has had trouble generating much of a pass rush this season - even amidst their recent success defensively - so Palmer should have ample time to find Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on Sunday. The Bills' Cover-2 scheme will likely limit any big plays being made by Cincinnati, but Palmer will have an opportunity to use an intermediate passing attack to carve up the Bills underneath and control the clock a bit.

What Scares You About the Bills?
WhoDeyFans: Bills play hard. They want to win and they are playing at home. The Bengals have been playing like they don't want to lose and it makes me nervous to play a team with heart. The first series could decide the game. Also, I'm worried about Leon Hall. You can't give up on a first round pick, so he'll be out there... but he is getting lit up. Teams have been picking on him all season and I expect nothing but the same this week. I don't want to see Hall on an island with Lee Evans.

What Match-Up Makes Us Feel Confident in the Bills?
Yours Truly: I really like Marshawn Lynch running against a beat up Bengals front seven. Lynch, who as a rookie has by far been the team's most consistent offensive threat with 537 rush yards and 4 scores, has yet to break the 100-yard barrier in his rookie season. I fully expect that to change Sunday - the Bills will want to control time of possession to keep the ball out of Palmer's hands, so the team will likely once again lean on Lynch while taking calculated shots down the field against the Bengals' secondary.

What Match-Up Makes You Feel Confident in the Bengals?
WhoDeyFans: The Bills defense is about as impressive as the Bengals'. And even though they lost to the Steelers, it looks like the Bengals' offense is getting on track. This week Rudi Johnson is ready to go again so with Rudi power running up the middle and Watson dancing through the holes it should lead to a nice day on the ground against a young defense. It is a sure thing; if the Bengals run well, they usually score big.

Best Current Bills Player Bengals Fans have Never Heard Of:
Yours Truly: Linebacker John DiGiorgio. More commonly known as "that guy who replaced Paul Posluszny", DiGiorgio has quietly been one of Buffalo's best defenders over the past month. He's constantly around the ball - he ranks second on the team with 52 tackles and has also picked up a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery since taking over in the middle. He's not the most talented guy you'll ever see (nor the biggest), but the former undrafted free agent has been an asset, rather than a liability, for a young Bills defense.

Best Current Bengals Player Bills Fans have Never Heard Of:
WhoDeyFans: DT Domato Peko. This second-year pro played so well last year he (along with chicken wings and gravy) chased Sam Adams out of town. This year he has 20 tackles, with one pass defended and one fumble recovery despite playing a role that requires him to take up blockers more than make a play. His biggest asset is his extreme athleticism. In 2005 he had a 74-yard fumble return for a TD vs. Michigan that tied score in fourth quarter. The guy is 6-3, 319. Look for his tuft of hair smashing into the line vs the Bills. He is one of the few bright spots on the Bengals defense to build upon for the future.

Who Wins the Game and What's the Score?
Yours Truly: No matter the opponent, Buffalo plays very well at home. They're 2-2, with wins over the Jets and Ravens and one-point (heart-breaking) losses to the Broncos and Cowboys. That trend is likely to continue this weekend with a Bengals team that can't play defense in town. Buffalo will have just enough offense and special teams to outscore the Bengals in a moderate scoring affair. Bills 23, Bengals 20.

WhoDeyFans: At some point the Bengals need to catch a break. This week is it. For a quarterback like Carson Palmer in his 5th year with receivers like the Bengals have; to not be able to go to Buffalo and beat the Bills is ridiculous. They are a rebuilding team limping with injury. The Bengals are a team with a limping defense but an offense of pro-bowl caliber players. They get ahead early this week and pound the ground game as the Bills try to catch up. And the Bills will almost catch up. But they wont. Bengals 28. Bills 27.

If there was a steel cage match instead of a football game featuring one current player, who do you nominate?
Yours Truly: This was an easy decision to make - I'll go with our 6'0", 172-pound punter, Brian Moorman. Video evidence of Moorman's ability to take a hit has since been stripped from the Internet by the National Football League - they don't want the public to know just how bad-ass this guy is. Moorman is the one football player to make "wiry" a terrifying term. With a punting leg capable of roundhouse kicks that would make Chuck Norris proud, plus his resourcefulness and grit, Moorman would be a tough out for even the nastiest of defensive linemen in a steel cage match.

WhoDeyFans: S Chinedum Ndukwe. The 6-2, 218 pound safety out of Notre Dame packs a huge punch -- an impressive thing for the usual arm tackling Bengals defense. Check out the hit he lays on Calvin Johnson. Two men enter one Safety leave.

Thanks to WhoDeyFans.com for allowing us to break our laid-back, analytical tradition here at Buffalo Rumblings and get into it a little bit. Much more on the Bengals game tomorrow!

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Thanks for these last two previews Brian - good work as always. Madden NFL 08 should definitely include a cage match option where you can pit pro-bowler against on pro-bowler in a cage match.  That needs to be a recurring question from this point on.

So what's with the drop in commenting in an otherwise very active blog (Kurupt and Marv. not withstanding)?  This upcoming Cincy game certainly has me nervous - maybe other fans feel the same way.  We are in the proverbial calm before the storm.  Are we all holding our collective breaths in anticipation?

Sorry not much insight here, but  I appreciate you and your fellow Cincy bloggers putting in the effort to preview this game (there are 30 other teams in the NFL - I'm talking to you, ESPN!).  You say Domato, I say D'Amato.  I'll be looking for that guy.  Go Bills!

by Zumone on Nov 2, 2007 10:40 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

hyped
going to be a great game. i am concerned that the defense may take a step back, but at the same time the cincy offense reminds me a lot of the dallas offense we dominated for the most part. good receivers, two back with different running styles, and qbs that like to push the ball upfield. cincy doesnt have an option like jason witten though. palmer is less mobile than romo, but also less likely to make too many mistakes.

defensively, the key for the bills will be to stop the bungals running game. if the bills can slow down rudi and watson, it should force palmer to throw into the teeth of the cover 2. the bengals obviously have great weapons in the passing game, but from what i have seen they are less effective when they dont establish their running game early and have to pass all the time.

offensively, i really hope the bills work on the intermediate routes a lot more than they have been.  at the same time, i have been waiting for this since the beginning of last year. teams are going to continue to put 8 in the box until we prove we can consistently move the chains through the air (not just jp deep to lee/roscoe). i know normally it is the other way around, but if the bills can do this, it should provide some room for marshawn. if the intermediate routes are exploited  and marshawn gets going, it should open up the deep ball and screen passes to get marshawn involved in the passing game.

cincy seemed to be on the brink of being a real contender a couple years ago, but there definitely  still seem to be motivation/heart/character issues with this team. i have watched a few bengals games this year, and for some reason they often seem to lack the intensity and desire we have seen the bills play with this year.

should be a fun game to watch, and i think it will be close (as all bills games are). if you are fortunate enough to be at the ralph, get REAL loud for me. 23-17 buff.  

by jmorris0823 on Nov 3, 2007 12:26 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Red zone defense is the key
In my opinion, of course. That's how Pittsburgh defused their offense last week, as even TJ Houshmandzadeh pointed out. No point in hoping to stop them between the 20s. I'm not that sure we can do it with the same success with Rudi Johnson in the Lineup, but red zone defense has been a bright spot of our team lately, so there is hope :)

by patamunzo on Nov 3, 2007 5:30 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Serious question
When you talk about T.J. Houshmandzadeh, do you cut and paste the name from ESPN.com or actually type it.

by Thronsen on Nov 4, 2007 1:05 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I can't speak for WhoDeyFans...
... but I've got it down. H-o-u-s-h-m-a-n-d-z-a-d-e-h. Alternate spelling: W-h-o-s-e-y-o-m-o-m-m-a. I had to stick with the alternate spelling for a while, until I cemented the real one.
Create a free account to join in the discussion, Bills fans!

by Brian Galliford on Nov 4, 2007 7:10 AM EST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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