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As Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer Joe Reedy pointed out this week, we have a basic idea of what to expect from the Bengals defense, which has finished in the league's top 10 three of the past four years. The offense, however, has yet to prove itself.

For five straight seasons, the offense has been ranked 20th or lower, which is the first time that has happened in team history.

Many view the Bengals' chances as hinging on the right arm of Andy Dalton, but Reedy believes the biggest X-factor will be if offensive coordinator Jay Gruden can integrate all the pieces into a consistent unit.

Even five weeks into training camp, Gruden wasn't asked about any of the 10 wins the Bengals had last year. The game everyone remembers and is still talking about is the 19-13 playoff loss to Houston.

"Any time you play a game and you fail on offense, questions need to be answered. That's why I'm answering them right now," Gruden said last week. "We failed in that game miserably and it needs to be addressed."

The playoff loss was the culmination of an offense that sputtered. Over the last six games, including the playoffs, the Bengals averaged just 263 yards per game after they had averaged nearly 100 yards more over the previous 11 (358.5). After going 13 of 17 in scoring touchdowns in the red zone in a four-game stretch after the bye week, they were 7 of 18 the rest of the way.

Many like to single out the injury to Mohamed Sanu as the main factor, but there were others. Dalton was sacked 22 times, with nearly a quarter of those attributed to him hanging onto the ball too long. Third-down conversions were a woeful 25 of 70, and there wasn't any balance.

Going into last season's opener, there were three new linemen, a new running back and the receivers behind A.J. Green were unknown.

This year all of the starters are back, which has made training camp easier for both Dalton and Gruden. Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard were added via the draft, and Josh Johnson and Alex Smith are familiar with Gruden's scheme from their time in Tampa Bay.

More stability has meant less time spent teaching the system, resulting in more confidence.

With Hue Jackson taking over as running backs coach, the running game averaged a league-high 175.8 yards per game in the preseason. Jackson's main teaching points during camp have been to make quicker decisions and be more physical.

The Bengals expect Green-Ellis to be the back who had four 100-yard games in a five-game stretch last year while also getting the tough yards on third-and-short.

Bernard is a change-of-pace guy, but showed that he could be an every-down back if given the chance. All three of his touchdowns were on 1-yard runs, but more importantly, he was very good at catching the ball out of the backfield.

But as Reedy pointed out, there are still concerns though. Dalton was 0-for-5 with an interception on passes in the air 15 yards or more, lending further credence to critics who question his arm strength. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth's slow comeback from a knee injury is also a worry. He's been ruled out for tomorrow's game.

Whitworth's replacement, Anthony Collins, will need get the job done going against Chicago's Julius Peppers. No mean feat for a backup thrust into a starting role.