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In 2008, Jerome Simpson was the most hyped Coastal Carolina player drafted in the NFL when he went in the 2nd round to the Cincinnati Bengals, but barely saw the field in his first two years. The story remained the same for most of the 2010 season as Bengal fans thought that Simpson was a bust. But then, in the final three games of the 2010 season, Simpson exploded on the scene.

Simpson had 6 catches for 124 yards and his first NFL touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in week 16. He followed that up with 12 catches for 123 yards and another score against the Baltimore Ravens. With 20 catches for 277 yards and 3 TD’s – Simpson finally showed fans across the nation, what CCU fans saw for four years.

“They let me off the leash, they let me play and I had to show the world what I had. The people in my hometown of Reidsville, NC and here in Conway, SC (Coastal Carolina) they knew what I could do. I just had to go out there and get my chance and when I did get my chance I went out there and did what I was supposed to do and do what I’ve been doing for years.”

With Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco likely gone, Simpson is getting a full season to showcase his talents in 2011. There are many question marks in Cincinnati starting with Carson Palmer who says he’ll retire before playing for the Bengals again, and then there’s the lockout – Simpson just wants to get back to work as soon.

I got to learn from a lot of great wide receivers – TO, Chad Johnson (Ochocinco), TJ Houshmandzadeh, Laverneus Coles. I’ll be ready for it. I’m always up for the challenge of this game so it’s nothing new. I’ve always had success. I just had to sit back and learn a little bit more and become more professional.

Click on the link below to hear Mark Haggard’s conversation with the Bengals WR on a number of subjects including Carson Palmer, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco:

Simpson on Carson Palmer and the 2011 Bengals 

This fall on the David Bennett Show, Jerome and Coach Bennett sit down and look back on the top 5 moments from his college career.  Here’s a look at the top 5 moments including his famous hurdle against Winston Salem-State and “The catch” against James Madison that made ESPN SportsCenter’s #1 play.

Top 5 Jerome Simpson moments at CCU 

Let’s start by saying I’m torn on Cam Newton.

The former Auburn quarterback has a ton of athletic ability that could make him a future Pro Bowler. Yet, after watching Newton this season and talking to people around the league, I’m also convinced he is one of the biggest boom-or-bust candidates of the past few years.

If a hit-or-miss prospect like Newton is drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, his career probably will go bust. That is why the potential pairing of Newton and the Bengals would be disastrous for both sides.

Last week NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas explained why the Carolina Panthers should take Newton with the No. 1 overall pick. This week I will explain why Newton and the Bengals, who hold the No. 4 pick, must avoid each other at all costs.

Remember Carson Palmer?

Eight years ago, Palmer was the safest possible pick in the 2003 draft. He had the prototypical size and arm strength and played in a pro-style offense at USC. He was considered a can’t-miss prospect, and the Bengals took him No. 1 overall.

Eight years later, Palmer is a disgruntled, battered quarterback who has never won a playoff game or reached his full potential. The 31-year-old has been “Bengalized” and wants out of Cincinnati, which is why the team is interested in Newton in the first place. Palmer told the Bengals to trade him or he’s retiring. He has no intentions of playing another down in Cincinnati.

This year, Palmer joined teammate Chad Ochocinco and former Bengals Corey Dillon and Takeo Spikes as players who all grew tired of the losing. It would be sad to see Newton suffer the same fate in Cincinnati, which hasn’t had back-to-back winning seasons in 29 years or won a playoff game in two decades.

The Bengals do not have a strong support system in place to cater to Newton, who is a raw talent and needs time and patience to develop. Cincinnati hired first-year offensive coordinator Jay Gruden from the UFL; he will be learning on the job this season while trying to implement a West Coast offense. It’s questionable if Newton can even thrive in that system after playing in a shotgun/spread formation at Auburn. Is Cincinnati’s coaching staff creative enough to alter the offense to fit Newton’s unique abilities?

Newton also would enter the toxic situation of replacing Palmer. All through training camp, Newton would have to answer Palmer questions, which are distracting and unrelated to his development. In addition, the possibility still lingers of Palmer having a change of heart and wanting his job back, which the Bengals are hoping for. How would Newton handle that?

Fair or unfair, Newton would draw instant comparisons to draft bust Akili Smith in Cincinnati, who was taken No. 3 overall by the Bengals in 1999. Both players transferred from junior colleges to have one productive year in Division I before skyrocketing up the draft boards. Because of this, Bengals fans would be on edge before Newton threw his first NFL pass. Newton is already a lightning rod for controversy and doesn’t need the added pressure.

In terms of personnel, the Bengals’ offensive line is in shambles, starting tailback Cedric Benson is a free agent and the team is looking to go younger at receiver. Cincinnati’s best receiver, Ochocinco, could be trade bait once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Pairing two strong personalities like Newton and Ochocinco is probably a bad idea anyway, especially with Newton trying to get his NFL career off the ground.

Another hurdle to Newton getting his career started on the right path would be facing the vicious defenses of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens a combined four times per year. I’ve seen Baltimore and Pittsburgh ruin the confidence of many young quarterbacks, and some were never able to recover.

Can you imagine Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison blasting Newton from the blind side next season? Or Ray Lewis coming up the middle, unblocked, to stick his helmet in Newton’s chest? Pro Bowl safeties Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu could have field days picking off Newton’s passes.

Ask Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, who went 0-3 against Pittsburgh and Baltimore and threw two touchdowns and eight interceptions last season as a rookie. It’s a nightmare for an inexperienced quarterback to play the Steelers and Ravens twice a year. Newton’s chances for a long and successful career are much better facing those elite defenses only once every several seasons.

Time will tell whether Newton will be a great NFL quarterback or a draft bust. But for all the reasons above, Cincinnati is the worst possible destination for Newton to ply his trade. He’d be better off in Carolina, Buffalo, Arizona, San Francisco, Washington, Minnesota or just about any team not in southern Ohio.

For the betterment of both sides, Cincinnati, do the right thing.

Pass on Cam Newton.

Throughout the week, the AFC North blog has gone through every draft class of the past decade for the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. Now it’s time to rank the best of the best.

In our final installment, here are the top three drafts in the division since 2000:

No. 3: Steelers class of 2007

Best picks: LB Lawrence Timmons (first round), LB LaMarr Woodley (second round), TE Matt Spaeth (third round), P Daniel Sepulveda (fourth round), CB William Gay (fifth round)

Analysis: Pittsburgh’s 2007 class finished third overall with a good combination of stars and depth. Timmons and Woodley are projected to be key cogs in Pittsburgh’s linebacking corps for a long time. And Spaeth and Gay both play key backup roles in Pittsburgh, last season’s AFC champions. Sepulveda has been an interesting case, because he’s a solid punter when healthy. But a pair of ACL tears have cut two seasons short.

No. 2: Ravens class of 2008

Best picks: QB Joe Flacco (first round), RB Ray Rice (second round), S Tom Zbikowski (third round), S Haruki Nakamura (sixth round)

Analysis: Flacco has led the Ravens to three consecutive playoff appearances. He is getting better every year and looks like the first long-term solution at quarterback for Baltimore in franchise history. Rice has already developed into one of the NFL’s top running backs and has been to one Pro Bowl. He posted back-to-back seasons of at least 1,200 rushing yards in 2009 and 2010. Zbikowski and Nakamura are important reserves in the secondary and may compete for a starting job next season. Zbikowski started the first six games in 2010 and played solid football while Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed (hip) was on the physically unable to perform list.

No. 1: Bengals class of 2001

Best picks: DE Justin Smith (first round), WR Chad Johnson/Ochocinco (second round), RB Rudi Johnson (fourth round), WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (seventh round)

Analysis: Surprise! The top draft class of the past decade in the division comes from the Bengals, whose infamous track record with personnel decisions have led to zero playoff victories in 21 years. But Cincinnati hit it big in 2001, landing four quality starters in Smith, Ochocinco, Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. This core led to Cincinnati’s first of two playoff runs last decade in 2005. But the Bengals failed to take advantage and time eventually ran out for this stellar class. Smith, Johnson and Houshmandzadeh all bolted via free agency. Ochocinco remains the only player on the Bengals’ roster from the 2001 draft, and he could be traded this offseason.

BALTIMORE — If Marvin Lewis was as successful against the rest of the NFL as he has been against the Ravens, there would not be speculation about whether his run as coach of the Cincinnati Bengals will end Sunday.

The Bengals are 10-5 against Baltimore since Lewis took over in 2003. Cincinnati has won three straight in the series, including a 15-10 victory in September that could ultimately determine whether Pittsburgh or the Ravens dethrone the Bengals as AFC North champions.

Baltimore (11-4) has already clinched a playoff berth, but to win the division, it needs a win against Cincinnati (4-11) on Sunday combined with a loss or tie by the Steelers in Cleveland. Pittsburgh and the Ravens are tied atop the AFC North, but the Steelers have the edge by virtue of a better division record — the difference being Baltimore’s loss at Cincinnati in Week 2.

“It was disappointing at the time, but it’s real disappointing now knowing the late-season implications that it has,” Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson said. “That said, we can’t worry about it. We just have to go out and win this week.”

Lewis was defensive coordinator for the Ravens for six years, including 2000, when Baltimore rolled through a season that ended with a Super Bowl victory. His eight-year run in Cincinnati has had plenty of ups and downs, with this season falling squarely into the latter category.

Lewis declined an extension after guiding the Bengals to the playoffs last season. Now, his contract is about to expire, and he would love to guide Cincinnati to a third straight win before meeting with owner Mike Brown next week to determine his future with the team.

Ending the season with a flourish, rather than completing a second consecutive sweep of Baltimore, is what motivates Lewis the most.

“This is going to be an important football game to win for us, to finish with three straight victories,” Lewis said. “To close out the season that way would be big, against another team that we know is going on to the playoffs and a really, really good football team.”

(2 of 2)

The Bengals, however, have a way of bringing out the worst in the Ravens. Baltimore totaled only 21 points in two defeats against Cincinnati last year, and third-year quarterback Joe Flacco threw four of his nine interceptions this season in that ugly September loss.

“They’ve played us pretty well, and we haven’t beaten them since my [rookie] year,” Flacco said. “They play really tough defense. They cover guys well. They stop the run well. So we’ve got to come ready to play this week. I think that’s the motivation, to just go out there and play a really good game against what we believe is a good team.”

Cincinnati eliminated the San Diego Chargers from playoff contention last week with a 34-20 win at home, and now, the defending AFC champs get to have the final word on who wins the division this season.

Asked if the Bengals relish their role as spoilers, quarterback Carson Palmer replied, “Oh, absolutely. It’s something we looked forward to last week and enjoyed doing, and we have somewhat of a chance to do that this week, just changing what could happen in the AFC playoff picture. That’s all you’ve got right now, and unfortunately, that’s where we are.”

Several of the Bengals are also playing for their jobs, whether Lewis returns or not.

The Cincinnati Bengals have officially ruled out six-time Pro Bowl receiver Chad Ochocinco (ankle) for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Ochocinco will miss his second straight game and won’t make the trip to Baltimore.

This week also could mark Ochocinco’s last with the Bengals. The team has a $6 million team option in 2011 for Ochocinco, who will turn 33 in January and was inconsistent this season. Cincinnati also has a $3.5 million buyout, which would make Ochocinco a free agent.

Following injuries to Ochocinco and Terrell Owens (knee), young receivers Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell have stepped up and played well for the Bengals (4-11). Cincinnati is on a two-game winning streak.

Bengals starting tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee) also is listed as doubtful. For the Ravens (11-4), who still have a chance to win the AFC North, tight end Todd Heap (thigh) is questionable. Baltimore can win the division and clinch a first-round bye if the team beats Cincinnati and the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) lose to the Cleveland Browns (5-10) on Sunday.

CINCINNATI – Receiver Chad Ochocinco(notes) will miss the Cincinnati Bengals’ final game in Baltimore with a bad left ankle that needs surgery.

Ochocinco was inactive last Sunday for a 34-20 win over San Diego because of a bone spur in his left ankle. Coach Marvin Lewis had suggested leading up to the game Ochocinco was being “mopey,” causing the receiver to fire back on his Twitter account.

Ochocinco didn’t practise this week and was listed as out Friday.

The Bengals have an option to bring him back for one more season at US$6 million. Terrell Owens(notes), who led the team in receiving, is a free agent who will be coming off knee surgery.

OWINGS MILLS — The trademark flamboyance, dancing, noise, jokes and all that incessant social networking won’t be a part of Sunday’s football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco isn’t making the trip to Baltimore due to an ankle injury that will require surgery to repair the damage.

And that figures to make M&T Bank Stadium a quieter, tamer place.

With Ochocinco not a part of this game, who will be there to taunt and threaten middle linebacker Ray Lewis? All in good nature, of course.

“To me, Chad’s the toughest receiver to guard in the NFL,” cornerback Chris Carr said. “I feel like he’s the best. He demands a lot of attention. Sometimes you double team a lot more with guys like that.”

Over the years, Ochocinco has haunted the Ravens.

In 19 career games against Baltimore, he has caught 91 passes for 1,361 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s an average of 4.8 receptions and 71.6 yards per game.

Making his absence even more momentous from this game is the fact that this could mark Ochocinco’s final game with the Bengals.

Ochocinco is due a $6 million option bonus in 2011 that could endanger his roster status, and the Bengals have been getting along well without him and Terrell Owens.

Plus, reserve wide receivers Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell distinguished themselves during last week’s upset victory that eliminated the San Diego Chargers from playoff contention.

Simpson caught two touchdowns and piled up 124 receiving yards on six receptions during a 34-20 win over the Chargers last week. And Caldwell contributed 87 receiving yards as quarterback Carson Palmer tossed four touchdown passes.

So, Ochocinco’s absence hasn’t prompted the Ravens to let down their guard.

“Just because he’s not playing, doesn’t mean guys can’t come in that are capable,” Carr said. “Simpson scored two touchdowns, Caldwell’s very capable. They were just behind two really good, Hall of Fame receivers. So, it’s going to change from the standpoint where maybe this guy won’t be as difficult to cover, but it doesn’t mean he’s not a good player that you’re covering.”

Plus, Palmer has traditionally excelled against the Ravens.

He’s 9-3 as a starter against Baltimore.

And Palmer has completed 59.8 percent of his throws against some good Ravens defenses for 2,899 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

 “When you have a quarterback like that that can make every throw, it gives wide receivers more options,” Carr said. “They can run digs, they can run comebacks, they can run out routes, and some receivers don’t have that luxury with some quarterbacks. They can only run certain routes. So, we’re not going to go up against the best receiver in the game, but it’s still going to be a challenge for us.”

Still, not having Owens and Ochocinco has to have an impact. Those players have combined for 12 Pro Bowl selections and 210 career touchdowns.

Simpson and Caldwell have never been to a Pro Bowl and have combined for only five career touchdowns.

Ochocinco expressed confidence that the Bengals will move the football without his services.

“The Ravens are the Ravens,” Ochocinco told Cincinnati reporters. “They always have a great defense, but we’ll be fine. Jerome will be fine. He hasn’t come out of nowhere.

“He hasn’t had the opportunity to play and show what he can do. He’s really good. He can jump out of the gym, great hands, speed. The whole nine yards. He’s a better blocker than I am at times. That’s something he adds to the X position that I’ve never been able to do.”

Even without Ochocinco, the Ravens expect to square off with an explosive passing game as Palmer throws the football to Simpson, wide receiver Jordan Shipley and athletic rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham.

“Obviously, a tremendous wide receiver,” defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said of Ochocinco. “You know, he and Owens are both great wide receivers. Anytime you take somebody like that out of their lineup, that’s going to affect something.

“But the other thing is Caldwell and Shipley, they do a great job also. It’s not like they’re dropping off. And sometimes when you have a young receiver that’s trying to make the team and trying to make his mark, sometimes he steps his game up even more.”

Reach staff writer Aaron Wilson at 410-857-7896 or sports@carrollcountytimes.com.

Copyright 2010 Carroll County Times. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco (ankle) said he will not play in Sunday’s regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Has Ochocinco played his last game with the Bengals?
The six-time Pro Bowler’s contract expires on Monday, and the Bengals have to decide whether to exercise a team option for $6 million in 2011. He will be 33 in January and is coming off his second subpar season in three years.

Ochocinco finished with 67 receptions for 831 yards and four touchdowns this season. If the Bengals don’t want him to return, they can use a $3.5 million buyout to make him a free agent.

Young receivers such as Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Jordan Shipley have been productive with increased playing time. The Bengals have won two straight with Terrell Owens (knee) and Ochocinco either out with injuries or playing reduced roles.

Cincinnati has a lot of big decisions to make with its roster and coaching staff, and it all starts next week.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will not make the trip to Baltimore for Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) – Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will not make the trip to Baltimore for Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Rather, the 32-year-old is going to remain in Cincinnati to get treatment on his ankle that forced him to miss last week’s 34-20 victory over San Diego.

Ochocinco plans to undergo an arthroscopic procedure in the near future.

In 14 games this season, Ochocinco caught 67 passes for 831 yards and four touchdowns.

© 2010 The Sports Network

A Cincinnati Bengals home game will be blacked out on local television for the fourth consecutive time this season after Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers did not sell out by the NFL deadline, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer on Friday.

The Bengals averaged 64,191 in attendance through the first four home games against the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers. Average attendance dipped to 57,320 in their past three games against the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.

The Bengals (3-11) are 2-5 at home in 2010 after winning six home games in 2009. Cincinnati sits in last place in the AFC North after winning the division in 2009 and going 6-0 against the division-rival Steelers, Ravens and Browns.

“It’s definitely been quieter,” quarterback Carson Palmer told the newspaper. “But you still get the goose bumps, you still get fired up, you still get excited to play at your home stadium, but we haven’t had the advantages we’ve had in the past.”