It's halftime of the NFL season and time for a status check. How's your team doing? Fat is up next giving us the skinny on his Bengals. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the team you hold dear, submit a blog, we'll be running these all week.

Needless to say things have not gone as anticipated.  While many Bengals fans will concede that they had some concerns about the defense I don't think any fans thought it would be this bad.  At 2-5 this season is already an immense failure.  On top of the losses the Bengals have managed to fight among themselves and inch ever closer to re-becoming the laughingstock of the NFL.

Marvin Lewis "super defensive genius" has yet to put a D on the field that could stop St. Xavier High School let alone a NFL offense.  Add to that an offense that has been unproductive on 3rd down and is averaging less than 4 yards a carry and you get a bad football team. 

The Good:  <cricket> <cricket>... The Bengals have yet to have an arrest this season!!!  That should count for something shouldn't it?
Seriously, there is very little to feel good about if you are a Bengals fan.  The only area where I am feeling good is that Carson, CJ, and TJ have remained productive.   While some in the MSM would have you believe that Chad Johnson is the sole reason for the Bengals 2-5 record it is simply not true.  Ocho Cinco continues to be extremely productive and is far from the reason this team is losing.  Meanwhile TJ HoushmanChampionship is having a pro-bowl season and is on pace to catch 130 balls.  Carson Palmer has struggled on 3rd downs but given the D he has to deal with the struggles of the running game he has been his usual productive self.  These 3 are the only reason to have hope if you are a Bengals fan.

The Bad:  Everything else.  Seriously there is not enough room in this column to detail all of the problems.  The most glaring problem from my perspective is the coaching.  Case in point, the Bengals had 10 men on the field on Sunday as Big Ben hooked up with Hines Ward for six... HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?  Marvin Lewis in his press conference explained it away by making the outrageous claim that it didn't matter because it was a defensive lineman that missed the play... WHAT?  That is just one of the endless examples of poor coaching from this season.  I am not saying Marvin should be fired but it is certainly time to turn up the heat a little.  He has made the playoffs once in 5 years and has had only one winning season.  I respect how be brought the Bengals back from the depths but it is time for Cincinnati fans to expect more than another 8-8 or 7-9 season.