The Cincinnati Bengals kicked off the pre-season last night at home against the New York Jets. It took the Bengals till the 2nd quarter to put any points on the board in a 17-6 win, but from the minute the ball was kicked off they showed an all around team effort. Both Andy Dalton and Bruce Gradkowski started the offense on the right note, completing on 4/9 and 5/10 passes to six different receivers. The defense showed there toughness with one interception by Vontaze Burflict and five sacks and Special Teams showed the strength and speed. The Bengals had no turnovers and held the Jets to just 173 yards on offense.  It’s safe to say the game ball goes to one individual and that is Cedric Peerman. Cedric Peerman contributed for two touchdowns, one from a blocked punt and one on a run from the 1 yardline. As the season continues the Bengals will only get better and build team chemistry. Look forward to a strong season from the AFC North’s very own Cincinnati Bengals.

With the 2012 season a few months away, a lot is expected from the Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson. This off-season he signed an eight-year deal worth $132 million, with $60 million guaranteed. At the age of 26, this currently makes Megatron the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. But, it doesn’t end there; Pete Prisco who is a highly respected senior NFL columnist for CBSSports.com ranked Megatron # 4 among the top 100 NFL players going into this upcoming season. CJ finished the 2011 season with 96 receptions for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns.Prisco quoted Megatron as being the best player in the NFL who is not a quarterback. “I put Johnson No. 1 among non-quarterbacks next because of his superior athletic ability, and the way he changes how defenses play the Lions compared to the way they play other teams.”

Would you agree? Whether you agree or not the expectations of Calvin Johnson from the Lions organization, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and Detroit fans are at an all time high. The rankings and contract alone have put Megatron on the spotlight to bring his team to a division title as well as to the Superbowl. As we all know football is a team sport and Megatron will receive a lot of help both on the offensive and defensive end. Rookie running back Mikel Leshoure is expected to contribute and the Cornerback’s are looking for improvement after there pass defense was ranked 22nd last year. The Detroit Lions season will begin on September 9th against the St.Louis Rams. This will be our first real opportunity to see if Megatron is worth $132 million and in fact the best wide receiver in the National Football League.