For Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, it has been an odd circumstance
trying to rebuild the Bengals, who have not reached the playoffs in 14 years.

The hardest problem he's faced has been the one that was long his specialty: building a defense. Defense was Lewis' coaching hallmark so it was assumed that would be the area he shored up first, yet it remains the issue for the Bengals as the season opener approaches. While his offense returns all 11 of its starters and is filled with young playmakers like wide receiver Chad Johnson and quarterback Carson Palmer, the defense has to establish that it has solved the problems against the run that doomed Cincinnati to 8-8 mediocrity last year.

In 2004, Lewis' defense finished 26th in the league against the run, allowing 128.9 yards a game. Things got even worse against their power running division rivals in the AFC North. Cincinnati was shredded by the Steelers, Browns and Ravens at a rate of 162.8 rushing yards per game, a number that if not reduced considerably will doom Lewis' best efforts to turn around this long dormant franchise.

To combat that problem, Lewis named defensive line coach Chuck Bresnahan as his new defensive coordinator, and Bresnahan simplified things while working out a five-man rotation along the defensive line he's hopeful will improve the run defense simply because everyone should be fresher. That run defense must be improved upon or the Steelers, Ravens and even the Browns will control the clock and the game with their powerful running backs again, forcing Cincinnati's offense into difficult circumstances with limited time on the field.

Cincinnati addressed this problem by drafting linebackers with their first two picks, first taking highly regarded Georgia outside rusher David Pollack and following that with the selection of his teammate, inside linebacker Odell Thurman, who was a run stopper in college. Problem there is Pollack held out for much of the summer and so it is unclear how much help he will provide, at least in the early weeks of the season. Thurman, on the other hand, showed signs of being the kind of run plugger long missing in Cincinnati.

Add those rookies to free agent acquisition Bryan Robinson at defensive tackle and there is a clear influx of speed and strength. Lewis believes the interior was not the problem with the run defense, however, but rather the frayed edges were the culprit. Pollack and Thurman have the speed and agility to positively effect those problems while also helping to put heat on opposing quarterbacks, which would be an asset for a secondary that is young and vastly improved from the one Lewis inherited three years ago. All summer Lewis and Bresnahan labored to build a defense that will hold its ground while hoping Palmer improves his consistency. If those two things materialize, the Bengals may finally roar after 14 years in hibernation.

HOT SEAT: Chuck Bresnahan. He's been given the assignment of coming up with defensive game plans that allow the run defense to hold its ground against the pounding it has to face from the Steelers, Bengals and Browns. Other than the addition of Robinson, Bresnahan has to do much of it with the same front line he had a year ago when they kept getting run over. That may not be fair but that's the way it is in Cincinnati this season.

OVERHEARD: Despite the need for improved defensive play, the bulk of the pressure falls on Palmer's broad shoulders to carry the Bengals. Palmer struggled the first 10 games last year but then everything seemed to become clear to him in his final three starts before being injured. He had a passer rating of 62.6 in the season's first seven games but it shot up to 96.9 in the final six before he strained a knee ligament and the team went 4-2. Palmer threw nine touchdown passes in his final three games to finish with 18, the same number he had intercepted. He wants to improve on that ratio and the Bengals are confident he is ready to make the leap and will take his team into playoff contention after going 7-4 in the team's last 11 games a year ago.

OUTLOOK: Lewis is fixated on getting Cincinnati off to a fast start. He believes the back-to-back 1-4 starts his first two years doomed the Bengals' playoff chances and reinforced the losing mentality that has permeated a franchise without a winning season since 1990. Lewis believes they need to give themselves something to build on early during a stretch of games that include Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Houston and Jacksonville.

PREDICTION: Second.

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