--While the defense was a pleasant surprise, the offensive performance was a bitter disappointment. The Bengals' problems offensively started with the line, which had its starting five together for most of the 0-8 run that opened the season.
"Well, it wasn't a strength at the beginning of the year because we didn't knock anybody off the ball," coach Marvin Lewis said. "It was a perceived strength, but it wasn't a real strength. And we need to be better.
Right tackle Willie Anderson's contract was terminated before the start of the season. Stacy Andrews, who faces surgery on a torn ACL and other right knee ligaments, was promoted to starter. The Bengals allowed 51 sacks -- three times as many as in 2007 -- and were the league's 29th-ranked rush offense. Late in the year, with rookie Anthony Collins at left tackle and Nate Livings at left guard, the Bengals' performance improved up front.
"Well, I think that at the end of the football season that guys who want to play are going to be better than guys who aren't quite sure whether they want to play or not," Lewis said.
--Lewis pointed to the sub-par seasons turned in, in many ways, by former Pro Bowl WRs Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Problems started in the offseason when neither attended the voluntary strength and conditioning program.
"Hopefully they learned a good lesson about what they used to be and what they kind of molded themselves into," Lewis said. "Hopefully they'll go back and understand that what they used to be made them more productive -- and they kept their edge a little better. I can't have said it enough times that they weren't quite ready to go when we got started, and that makes a big difference. It's difficult to train at the pace everyone else is."
--The Bengals will draft sixth overall in the April draft.
--Cincinnati finished third in the AFC North division with a 4-11-1 record. As a result of their third-place finish, the Bengals will play host to the third-place team from the AFC South, Houston.
The Bengals will go to the third-place AFC East team, the Jets.
The Bengals' home games next season will be against Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore. On the road, the Bengals will play at Oakland, San Diego, Green Bay, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore and the Jets.
