Batman and Robin

I bet NFL Network is wishing they could change their minds on which team to cover for their Hard Knocks training camp series. No matter how good a quote Jets head coach Rex Ryan is, he has nothing on what will happen in Cincinnati this August.

Yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengals signed 36-year-old free agent Terrell Owens to a contract. He will join forces with probably the other most flamboyant wide receiver in the game in Chad OchoCinco (ne Johnson). The two paired together would have given defensive backs fits only 4 seasons earlier, now it will be interesting to see how they produce.

What do the Bengals get with Owens? As mentioned, he is 36 years old and near the tail end of a great career. He was a game changer in his time with the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles. Last season after signing with the Bills it was obvious that Owens had lost a step and wasn’t able to break free of tight coverage and couldn’t outrun defensive backs like he had in the past. Owens did show signs of greatness, running an end around for a touchdown against the Texans and catching a long touchdown pass against the Colts in the regular season finale. The one thing that everyone expected in Buffalo last season, was the thing Owens didn’t deliver on – sizzle. Many fans in Buffalo were excited about the arrival of Owens because he would bring some cache to the Bills, which they haven’t had since the mid-nineties. The popcorn chugging, sit up in the driveway and sharpie in the sock Owens never showed up.

Will that same lame Owens show up in Cincinnati? Probably not. In Cincinnati, Owens will have Chad OchoCinco on the opposite side of the field as his running mate. Chad OchoCinco has been a prolific the last couple of seasons. First with TJ Whosyourmomma on the other side of the field, and then for the last couple of seasons without a real number two wide receiver. OchoCinco has talent and often that is overlooked amongst all his antics. With a second option in Owens, third in the other free agent signing Antonio Bryant and fourth, rookie TE Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma, the Bengals have some offensive talent to challenge defenses.

The man that has to keep all the talent in line and distribute the ball is quarterback Carson Palmer. He is going to either have lots of fun throwing the ball or be stressed out every Sunday trying to get the ball to all his options and not have them bite his head off.

The fun now starts in Cincinnati. Will we get choreographed first down celebrations, lots of fines and the best press conferences ever? Probably, and maybe, just maybe a playoff team in Cincinnati.