Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke bounce back from last week with performance of Paso Doble on DWTS

One week after receiving heavy criticism for arguably one of the most disastrous performances of the fox trot, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke with an impressive performance of the Paso Doble during the third week of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars.

The intention of their Paso Doble was to tell the story of Chad attempting to seduce Cheryl throughout their performance. Throughout their routine, he seemed to be determined to win her heart, no matter what.

Despite his posture issues that continued for the third straight week, all three judges raved how Ochocinco's performance was far better than the one from last week. Not only did he seem more determined, but his energy level increased as he seemed to finally be living up to the high potential they've been waiting for. They received their highest score of the competition this week with a 20.

Ochocinco and Burke received a disappointing score of 16 out of a possible 30 for the fox trot—two lower than what they earned for their cha-cha performance during the premiere episode. Once again, the judges spoke of the high potential for the couple, but criticized Chad for his lack of posture and inability to relax during his routine.

On the field, Ochocinco has a reputation for a player known to have fun by running his mouth simply because he knows his performance on the field can back it up. With this dancing competition, that has been far from the case so far as he adjusts to being a rookie with ballroom dancing and determined to learn.

For what may have been a first in his life, Ochocinco was speechless and at a loss of words after the judges expressed their feelings towards his performance. As disappointed as his fans may have been with the routine, nobody seemed to be harder on himself than Chad. Up until the elimination show the following night, he consistently apologized to his fans for letting them down via social media networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

After surviving the first round of cuts, Ochocinco and Burke knew they would have to put in some extra work this week to avoid another close call—which is exactly what they did. The couple spent seven hours last Wednesday practicing the Paso Doble and their hard work certainly paid off this week.

Now, the chances of Chad and Cheryl advancing to the next round seems a lot more likely than it did last week. However, whether or not they advance simply relies on the number of votes received by fans.

Ochocinco and Burke will return Tuesday night to find out if they will advance to the third week of the competition. Fans can vote for the two by clicking here or calling 1-800-VOTE4-01.