Bengals Steelers

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Cincinnati Bengals Tickets - Bengals Choose Wisely With Wr Bryant

After briefly considering signing Terrell Owens, the Bengals instead went with Antonio Bryant, who was one of the lone bright spots for the struggling Tampa Bay Bucs over the last couple years. At 29 years old, Bryant is considerably younger than Owens and should complement Chad Ochocinco, who had a nice rebound year in 2009. With a strong-armed quarterback in Carson Palmer, the Bengals will now have two legitimate deep threats to add to their strong running game.

The Cincinnati Bengals came out of nowhere to win the AFC North in 2009, going 10-6 in the regular season before losing in the first round of the playoffs against the surprising New York Jets. Aided by a resurgent Cedric Benson, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards in 2009 and had his first productive year as a pro, the Bengals were able to grind it out against teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. But what they lacked was a big-time target to play opposite of Ochocinco - a role they hope they now have filled with Bryant, making Cincinnati Bengals tickets even more prominent than they already were coming off a strong 2009 season.

Bryant had a breakout year in 2008 for the Bucs, even with significant quarterback issues and a team that wasn't that competitive. Grabbing 83 balls and tallying 1,248 receiving yards that year, Bryant proved that he has big-time playmaking ability. Now Bryant will face less double-teams and has the advantage of a heavily talented quarterback for the first time in a while with Palmer, which should allow him to have a very productive season out of the two-slot.

What is perhaps even more important for the Bengals, however, is that they passed on signing Owens, who turns 37 towards the end of the season. Owens is still in great physical shape – the same as he has been his entire career – but it is likely only a matter of time before he becomes a distraction considering his reputation. Though he didn't cause too many problems on the Buffalo Bills' roster a season ago, it was also fairly clear that he had no intention of signing another deal with the team, and he may have just been on his best behavior in order to secure one more decent contract before his playing days are up. Considering that Ochocinco brings plenty of baggage from year to year in addition to his playmaking abilities, an Owens-and-Ochocinco duo was a match that could turn corrosive fairly quickly.

Though he doesn't have the same clout as T.O. does, Bryant is an under-the-radar signing that will have instant benefits for the Bengals as they look to defend their AFC North title. With the Ravens making a big splash this offseason in trading for Anquan Boldin, the Bengals needed to improve their receiving corps and give Palmer more legitimate options other than just Ochocinco.

Despite Ben Roethlisberger's legal troubles as of late, the Steelers are sure to be a significant competitor in the North and the Ravens seemed to have improved substantially coming off a 9-7 season that had them making the playoffs. The Bengals now appear to have a well-balanced offense that should combine nicely with a strong defense from a year ago, making them not only one of the teams to beat in the AFC North but potentially the entire AFC. If Palmer can return to elite form with an expensive new weapon to throw to, there is no telling how well the Bengals can do in 2010.

About the Author

This article about Cincinnati Bengals tickets was written by David James in association with StubHub, a leader in the sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets and special events tickets market.