The 'Rome Zone'

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson (89) catches a 10-yard touchdown pass against San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver (27) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2010, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman) Buy Photo

The Bengals won only their 4th game of the season and it was against a legitimate playoff contender--that was until the Bengals knocked them out of playoff contention. A week after the Bengals put an end to their 10 game losing streak that began with the team that started it, the Browns, the Bengals rallied and came out on top against a San Diego team fighting for a playoff berth.

For the Bengals, the win means nothing for the season, but everything for the players. The biggest story of the day may not have been the huge upset the Bengals achieved (Chargers having the #2 offense and #1 defense), it was that they did it with out Batman and Robin, or by their secret identities, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. T.O's season ended with a torn meniscus in the knee, just 17 yards short of his 10th career season of 1,000 yards or more and with 9 touchdowns. Ochocinco had a foot injury and didn't play. No, instead the Bengals and Carson Palmer did it with 'Rome and Bubba. AKA Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell.

Jerome Simpson had his breakout game of his career on Sunday. He was drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft and is everything you want in an NFL receiver. He ran track in college, so you know he's fast, tall at 6'2 and he's got big hands, huge actually at 10.38" hands. But for some reason prior to this season, he had only made one catch for two yards and been inactive for most of his three year career in the NFL, not even in pads. He was called a bust by many a Bengal fan and many didn't think he could ever earn a starting job in the NFL.

This all changed on Sunday when Jerome Simpson had his breakout game with 6 receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Jerome Simpson proved to everyone on Sunday exactly why he was drafted in the second round. He looked like a veteran out there making play after play. He scored his first touchdown of his career at the corner of the end zone of what Simpson calls, "The 'Rome Zone". You throw it up there, and the ball is his. The Bengals tried a similar play last week against the Browns to Ochocinco, Carson made a perfect throw and it went right through Chad's hands and hit his facemask.

Jerome Simpson may just be the future for the Bengals, but we need to see consistency from 'Rome. A week before he had 2 catches for 30 yards, but he was only thrown to three times and was held in the end zone on a comeback route. The Bengals have a decision to make this offseason if they want to keep Ochocinco on a $6 million option or go with the young guys in Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell. They both proved they can be starters in back to back weeks. They both have been buried in the depth chart behind the veterans, T.O and Ochocinco. Sunday in Baltimore may be Chad's last game as a Cincinnati Bengal if they don't decide to pick up his option. It's easier to predict a perfect NCAA March Madness bracket than what Mike Brown and the Bengals do in the offseason.