A Moment With Rio: The Brew Podcast

  Today, I had the honor of having the Brew Podcast join me for a moment. We discussed the events they have coming up, their opinion on the new "no kneeling during the Anthem" rule in the NFL, we discuss when and if the NBA/basketball will become the biggest revenue and more popular sport than the NFL/football. Also, find out what they have planned for episode 100. Make sure you go support them and listen to their most recent as well as past episodes at: TheBrewPodcast1.com

5 Keys For The Bengals To Have a Successful Season in 2018

A.J. Green (left) and Andy Dalton (right)

With NFL training camp approaching the Cincinnati Bengals seem to be a big mystery in 2018. The Bengals have an opportunity to  still be a contender in the AFC and after a down season in 2017, there seems to be a lot of people that forget the amount of talent this team has.

The Bengals didn't make many big off season additions to their roster, they are bringing back head coach Marvin Lewis after it seemed they were going to part ways after a 15-year stint with the organization. However, after the season finale victory over the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals announced that coach Lewis would return for the 2018-19 season. 

Here are 5 things the Bengals will need to have a successful season in 2018:

1. Create Turnovers. In 2017 they finished near the bottom of the league in interceptions (11), dead last in forced fumbles (4) and total turnovers (15). They have to give the offense more opportunities and the defense not getting turnovers means they'll usually have to be on the field for more plays and they'll have less time to rest. With a new defensive coordinator this season maybe this is something that we could see change, maybe we see more exotic blitzes and a less conservative defense. 
2. Mix-on it up.  Joe Mixon entering his second season is the obvious featured back this season with Jeremy Hill no longer on the roster. What people believed would be a great stable of backs in 2017 ended up being a blunder of backs. Mixon didn't really get good traction to start his rookie campaign but showed flashes through the season, mostly due to having to share carries with two other backs. Also, it help with him having to run behind one of the most inconsistent offensive lines in the league. 2018 is looking different. The Bengals have added former Buffalo Bills' Left Tackle Cordy Glenn and drafted Center Billy Martin from the Ohio State University. It's on Mixon and veteran running back Giovani Bernard to show they can be dynamic running back duo that people believe they can be. 
3. Beat the Steelers. The Bengals are on a four-game losing streak (regular season games) against the Steelers. The last time they defeated the Steelers was November 1, 2015. If the Bengals are going to compete for a playoff spot in 2018 they have to beat the team that has been the best in their division, as well as the entire NFL, the past few seasons. To put it in simple terms: "To be the best, you've got to beat the best". 
4. More than Green. 2017 offense was essentially the A.J. Green show. If Green wasn't making a big play it wasn't really much hope for the offense; the rushing attack wasn't very effective, no other player besides Green had over 600 receiving yards and the production decreased with every other receiver from 2016 to 2017. If they can get more consistent production from their receivers not named A.J. Green it will benefit quarterback Andy Dalton drastically, the Bengals could open up their rushing attack and could allow for even more opportunities for Green too. 
5. Take advantage of winnable games. It always seems like this team suffers losses through the season to  the hands of teams they should be able to defeat, based off of match-ups. If the Bengals win the games that they are suppose to they could potentially fight for a top seed in the AFC which could lead to a first-round bye in the playoffs. Remember, this is something that hurt the Bengals in the 2015 season. Had they gotten a bye week for the playoffs, they would've had Andy Dalton, who suffered a thumb injury in week 14 against the Steelers, back for the playoffs and a lot of people believed they could've made it to the AFC Championship game with the roster they had that season. Winning teams win games that they are suppose to.  

2018 has a lot of questions surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and who they are verses what they could be. On paper it seems to be a very talented team. However, recent history has shown us that they are a team that is continuing to underachieve and have failed to rise to the top of the AFC. This is a team that has a quarterback who is in his prime as well as their premier receiver in A.J. Green. The window of opportunity seems to be getting smaller every year since 2015 for this team. Can Marvin Lewis finally lead this organization a playoff win after failing to do so in his first seven attempts? If they can do these 5 things, this could be a team that could be exciting to watch and be a team that plays late into January. 

The Legacy of A.J. Green?

  Entering his eighth season in the National Football League, A.J. Green hopes to help lead the Cincinnati Bengals to another playoff birth and maybe even more. So far through his career Green has seen success statistically and has been the model athlete and public figure both on the field and off. But, so far through his first seven years, what is the legacy of Green as a player.

On the field, there's no doubt, A.J. Green is as talented and consistent as any of the top-tier receivers in the league and his stats show that. He's one of the only players in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first five seasons (Randy Moss the only other receiver to do it) and had it not been due to injury we could be saying that he would have done it for his first seven seasons consecutively (2016 he finished with 964 yards receiving). However, even with 1,000 yards in 6-of-7 seasons and double-digit touchdowns in 3-of-7 seasons, I still feel as if Green is an under-appreciated player in the league today.

Green isn't the most vocal receiver in the league, he doesn't boast too much after making a big play, he doesn't have a fancy touchdown celebration that he does and you won't see any antics from him on or off the field. A few things that he does is show up to the games, doesn't complain or blame others when he has a bad game and doesn't give the media a reason to keep him in the headlines for anything negative. Most of all, he goes out and gives his all on the field every single week and is the model of consistency in the Bengals' offense. He currently has 10 games with at least 150-receiving yards and two games with at least 200-receiving yards. Chances are when his number is called he'll step up.

Interesting stat: Even having had six seasons with 1,000 or more yards receiving, Green has never had a season with 100 or more receptions. 

There's no doubt in my mind that Green will be wearing a gold jacket after he hangs his cleats up, there's no doubt that he will finish as the greatest receiver in Bengals history but what will his legacy be to the majority when it's all said and done. I believe that he differs a lot from the Chad Johnson's and Randy Mosses of the world and Terrell Owens. Not because he doesn't compare talent wise but because he isn't an off-the-field personality that they are and that's okay. But I do think sometimes that he's the forgotten man on the list when we talk about the greats, past and present. He isn't what Odell Beckham Jr. is and won't be. The only player I would draw him closest to in comparison from a talent and character perspective would be Larry Fitzgerald (not saying he's better) and that's because they both go out put in their hours and leave it all on the field then go home.

Green currently has 8,213 receiving yards, 57 receiving touchdowns on 556 career receptions. He is currently second on the Bengals all-time receiving list for receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards (only Chad Johnson has more in all three categories).

The 2018 season will be big for Green, he'll be turning 30-years-old prior to the start of the season and is entering the back-end of his prime. the window seems to still be open for the Cincinnati Bengals to compete in the AFC and possibly make a championship run. I don't know exactly how the season will go for the Bengals but I could be sure that, if healthy, A.J. Green will look to have the greatest season of his NFL career.

Tunnel Vision: Episode 14

How important is the NFL combine? March Madness is just beginning but which four teams deserve a no.1 seed in this years tournament? Is James Harden the clear favorite in a year which just happens to be LeBron James' best season?

Johnny's Quest

  Alcohol, drugs and partying all seemed to be more important than football at one point in time for former first-round draft pick (no.22 overall), Johnny Manziel. Now, he seems to be all in and wants to prove that he isn't the same person that he was back in 2015, as he is attempting a comeback to the NFL.

After being out of football for more than two years Manziel has recently come out and said that he is working on his return to football and his goal is to land back on an NFL roster in 2018. After several off-the-field  incidents in 2015, he was released by the Cleveland Browns and no team was willing to take a chance on the former Heisman-winning quarterback since. He [Manziel] has been very active on twitter as of late expressing his desire to get back to playing football and even recently went on Good Morning America to talk about his struggles with alcohol, drugs and his recent diagnosis of Bi-polar disorder.

In his professional career he has played in 14 games and passed for 1,675 yards with 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on 57 percent passing. And in those 14 games played he only started 8 and was able to get one victory along the way in his short-lived career. Now, those losses aren't all to be blamed on the former Texas A&M quarterback. The Cleveland Browns were bad, really bad and not much has changed since his departure. However, one might question, how much did the partying and drugs impact his on-the-field performance? Might there have been more in him as a player? could a sober and focused Manziel look like an actual NFL quarter?

Soon we'll be able to find out what type of shape the former Heisman winner is in after being removed from the sport for over two years. He recently announced via twitter that he will be joining the NFL spring league to show off the work that he has been putting with his private training.

Back in Texas where it all started. I'll be joining @TheSpringLeague in Austin to get #ComebackSZN started! Can't wait to get back on the field and show NFL scouts what I can do! #cantwaitforspring pic.twitter.com/zMk5223HCc

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) February 14, 2018

In a society where we are quick to forgive and it's almost without question that we give second chances and sometimes even a third. Will the NFL be forgiving to Johnny Manziel? Will he be able to ever reach the level of success he once had? The partying, drugs, etc. all seem to be a thing of the past for the 25-year-old from Texas, but for how long? And we've seen it happen before where a player is exiled from the league and have still yet to return and it may not due to off-the-field issues or performance but could be in-part to the media attention they would draw to the organization and some owners, presidents and general managers just won't take the risk. I don't know what the future holds for Manziel, but I do believe that he was a former first-round selection for a reason and it wouldn't hurt a team to at least bring him in for a look during the summer to at least showcase his skills and maybe give him an opportunity to land back on an NFL roster.
  

Tunnel Vision: Episode 13

Super Bowl reactions.  NFL Free Agency; Did the 49ers pay too much for Jimmy Garoppolo? College basketball talks leading up to March. The new-look Cavs are more competitive and this helps Cleveland long term. Also, is John Wall the issue in Washington? 

Tunnel Vision: Episode 12

  How hard will the NCAA come down on Michigan State after the investigation is over?; Are the Eagles going to be able to hand Tom Brady his third Super Bowl loss?; Who is really to blame for the Cavaliers recent struggles... That and more on this Tunnel Vision Podcast. 

Tunnel Vision: Episode 11

Nick Foles and Doug Pederson have a chance to do two thing Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid couldn't do. Also, LeBron James has a reason to be pissed off and criticize his team. And you can't love Michael Jordan but hate Tom Brady and I explain why you can't.

I appreciate all of the listeners and if you want to leave feedback or comment on something I said go follow me on twitter: @Marioderamus