Bengals Poised To Return to '05 Form

Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen swiped Carson Palmer's legs in the 2005 AFC Wildcard game, and drastically changed the direction of the Cincinnati Bengals' franchise. The hit, which brought significant damage to Palmer's ACL, PCL, and MCL, sealed a 31-17 victory for the Steelers, and also forced Palmer to put his rising team and career on hold. Von Oelhoffen later apologized publicly. I guess that makes up for the three years of turmoil that has ensued Bengals' football. Despite not playing in the playoffs since that 2005 game, the Bengals are set to make a run at the postseason even while playing in the tough AFC North. Carson Palmer expects to be at 100 percent after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and, while he will be without wide receiver TJ Houshmanzadeh, he will have a newly focused Chad Ochocinco. Ochocinco has been emphatic about working hard and returning to Pro Bowl form, even wanting to stay with the Palmer family to work on chemistry.  ... (link)