Next up in the AFC North is the Cincinnati Bengals.

Last season Cincinnati finished 4-11-1 and in third place in the AFC North, missing the playoffs.

Offense: One of the reasons for the awful season in Cincinnati was the injury to Carson Palmer, who appeared in only four games last season. After rehabbing his shoulder during the end of the season, the Bengals hope that he will be back to 100% for the coming season. The team leader in catches and yards from a year ago, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, is now with Seattle, and the Bengals signed Laveranues Coles to replace him across from Chad Ochocinco. These changes will hopefully lead to a better Bengals offense then the one last season that finished last in yards and points per game, and finished in the bottom four in passing and rushing yards.

Defense: The defense will again be led by leading tackler from a season ago, Dhani Jones. Strong safety Roy Williams, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, was signed by the Bengals, but he will have to compete with the current strong safety Chinedum Ndukwe. With few draft picks used on defensive players, the Bengals hope that the combined leadership and experience of Jones and Williams will help develop the young players the Bengals will be starting.

Star Power: Weak side linebacker Keith Rivers broke his jaw last year in his rookie season but struggled before the injury. The Bengals hope that the ninth overall pick in last years draft will break out this season. Rivers only had 37 tackles in his seven games last season, but Cincinnati hopes he will be able contribute along with Jones and strong side linebacker Rashad Jeanty to form a strong linebacker corp.

Best Addition: Drafting Andre Smith at number six overall was a great value pick. At the start of the draft, some people had him going as high as the number one pick in the draft, but a poor combine workout along with his odd disappearance sent his stock tumbling. But if head coach Marvin Lewis can motivate Smith he may become one of the best picks in the draft.

Biggest Loss: T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be missed by the Bengals. He led the team in both receptions and yards last season and was a big target for Bengals quarterbacks. Chad Ochocinco may be the big play threat on the roster, but Houshmandzadeh was the go to receiver when the Bengals needed a first down or a big catch.

Biggest Game: Sun, September 27th the Pittsburgh Steelers come to Cincinnati. This game will be big because it will test the Bengals on both sides of the ball. Many questions will be answered such as can Laveranues Coles carry the load that was once held by T.J. Houshmandzadeh and has the defense continued to develop. This game will determine if Cincinnati has a chance to compete this season.