What’s Wrong With Ochocinco?

Added on Oct 15, 2010 by Scott in

NFL

He’s talented. He’s flamboyant. He’s hilarious. He’s enigmatic. He’s wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. And for the last month he’s become virtually invisible in the Bengals offense. After exploding for twelve catches for 159 yards and a touchdown week one versus the Patriots, Chad has caught only 14 passes for 157 yards and zero scores in four games. Which begs the question — what’s wrong with Ochocinco?

The TO Factor - Chad’s steady decline has coincided with a Terrell Owens resurgence. TO has registered 17 receptions for 324 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his last two starts. It could be that defenses are eliminating Chad and taking their chances with Owens. Or it could be that Owens is getting open more. We all know TO can be a major headache if he’s not getting his touches, so perhaps Carson Palmer is ensuring his moody wideout is happy.

An undisclosed injury – At 32, Ocho ain’t no spring chicken. Players are constantly hiding or downplaying ailments to avoid being replaced by someone younger. The old adage about not losing a starting job due to injury is a crock and veterans know it. Maybe Chad blew a tire a few weeks back and has yet to fully recover. He hasn’t been listed on the weekly bumps and bruises report, but those are about as trustworthy as a corporate CEO.

It’s the quarterback – Carson Palmer doesn’t look right. His decision making, accuracy and velocity are all suspect. Prior to his elbow injury, Palmer displayed no hesitation when throwing into tight coverage. I’m not sure he trusts his own arm strength anymore. Ocho has made a career of making tough catches in traffic. For that to continue he’ll need a confident quarterback throwing to him.

The good news is the Bengals are on a bye this week. With a 2-3 record, I imagine a lot of problems are being addressed. At the top of the list should be finding ways to get #85 the ball.