By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

Hopes and interest are high as the Bengals head to training camp later this week.

Here are five goals that need to be met during camp if the Bengals are to end their NFL-worst 13-year playoff drought in 2004.

1. Get quarterback Carson Palmer all the work he needs, especially with his receivers.

Coach Marvin Lewis announced Palmer as the starter March 1 to give him the bulk of the work with starters in the spring.

Palmer now will get the vast majority of the work with the first- and second-team offenses in training camp. Every play will matter, given that Palmer has yet to take a regular-season NFL snap.

2. Fix the defense, especially against the run, after failing to land one of two run-stuffing defensive tackles.

The Bengals allowed an average of 200 yards rushing in the final four games of 2003 (three losses) and missed twice in the offseason to upgrade at defensive tackle.

They apparently had Warren Sapp all but signed, and then blinked. Sapp is in Oakland. And Daryl Gardener's bad back, which might force him to retire, appears to have canceled Lewis' reunion with the defensive tackle.

The top five defensive linemen - Justin Smith, Duane Clemons, John Thornton, Tony Williams and Carl Powell - return, backed by a young, inexperienced group.

3. Incorporate three new starters (especially middle linebacker Nate Webster) into a defense that had five new starters in 2003.

Cornerback Deltha O'Neal is likely to start opposite Tory James, and Kim Herring will be the free safety. These are the players Lewis wanted. The Bengals will not make the playoffs unless the defense plays consistently well. (James, Thornton, Clemons, linebacker Kevin Hardy and strong safety Rogers Beckett were the new starters in 2003.)

4. Continue to upgrade special teams into a true Bengals strength, thanks to a draft that appears to have stocked the cupboards with fast, hard-hitting defenders.

Linebackers Caleb Miller and Landon Jones and defensive backs Madieu Williams and Keiwan Ratliff - rookies all - should add a lot of punch to kick coverage teams. Wide receiver Patrick Johnson is getting his chance to prove he's an A-list kickoff return man.

5. Avoid injuries and prepare the team mentally to get off to the fast start (4-1, 5-0) Lewis is looking for.

There was a great deal of uncertainly surrounding Lewis and his new team a year ago. Lewis is now a known commodity, and so are his coaches. His players, even the newcomers, know what to expect.

The Bengals play just one playoff team in the first five games. They can avoid the 1-4 hole they dug themselves last season.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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