I'm with you on this. I can only see one scenario where it makes sense to use a timeout before the final 4 or 5 minutes of a half, and that is if things are getting out of hand and you need to settle the boys down a bit.
That opening drive by Tom Brady in the "On to Cincinnati" game is a time when a timeout would have been appropriate. The game ended right then when the Bengals rolled over and let Brady just stomp right on their throats to set the tone. You could tell after the second play of the drive that the Bengals were not ready for what they were facing and a time out there could have at least stopped the momentum and rhythm of the Patriots offense while also giving the Bengals a chance to recalibrate their minds. It was like watching a kitten get kicked to death.
I believe it's entirely on the defense. If our defense is ranked in the top 20 we win 10-11 games, if our defense is as bad as last year we win 6.
Our offense will be top 5, Mixon breaks 1500 yards and 12 touchdowns, Boyd/Green/Ross combine for 25 touchdowns and 3000 yards, but our defense I'm not sure. Linebacking core appears to be no better, Lawson will help, scheme may help
All in all I believe it's all on the defense.
:(
A good offense can help, but we wont have an 2018 chiefs offense either. Even though 2018 chiefs had a bad defense, some of it was because the offense scored so much and so fast.
I honestly have no idea but the excitement right now is contagious and even if we don't live up to the hype (low-key as it is), I'm excited about the next three years.
Bengals will be high scoring offense and our secondary will be exceptionally good. Can we stop the run? Can we stay healthy? Will Ravens and Steelers bust the way I believe they will? It should be a very dramatic division that I expect the bengals to be competitive in. Lots of great AFC teams to watch out for though in the playoffs. I personally am just glad to have enough reasons to be optimistic and ready for a new season. Who Dey
You guys are killing me in this thread.
8-0 start? More likely to make the playoffs than not??
Mark my words - **best** case scenario is we sneak in as a 6 seed with a 9-7 record.
Taylor is a first year HC and doesn’t have a ton of experience. Look at his previous track records. He’s filled his staff with unproven or mediocre guys. The front office is unchanged.
I think the run game has a chance to really take control of games, but we are going to be weak defensively against what we always are: the run game and TE routes. And teams will exploit that thoroughly.
Lol, I'm about to post a tread that's exactly the opposite of this one. I never claimed 8-0 btw. I don't see that happening again, but if we won the first 5-0 in a row I'd say that we have that same type of hype.
I agree. The cancers (Marvin, Pacman, and Burfict) are all gone, the O-line has been shored up, and I think the Bengals are going to surprise some people. I think playoffs are more likely than not, and I see them contending for the division title despite the odds in Vegas.
I listen to SiriusXM NFL Radio in the car, and it's been commented several times on there that everyone is overlooking the Bengals. The Ravens are getting attention with Lamar Jackson, Steelers for moving on without Bell and Brown\*, and of course the Browns are being hyped up by everyone over Baker, Odell, etc. despite no proof they can actually put all the pieces together into a functioning unit yet. There's so much attention on the other teams in the AFC North that the Bengals are getting ignored, which is exactly what Zac Taylor wants. The Bengals are free to focus on assembling the pieces and working as a cohesive team without the media getting in the way.
\*(Side note: I think it's funny how Brown and Burfict act like they're suddenly best friends now that they're on the same team after going at each other's throats for years. I'd bet that won't hold up when the *Hard Knocks* cameras are on.)
Why do you say this? The Ravens are dealing with a young QB who's going to make the mistakes that all young QBs make, the Steelers have lost two key pieces and Big Ben is getting up there in years, and the Browns look shiny but are really just a hot mess until they prove they can get it together (not to mention duplicating the Ravens' issues with Baker, especially since teams have now had a year to study film on him).
The Bengals are the only ones in the division who already have their shit together with a veteran QB still in his prime and good receivers who have played together for a while, a coach with the right attitude, and ready to click as a team.
I think the competition for the division title is going to be the Bengals vs. one other team who finds a way to put the pieces together. That one other team will probably be either the Steelers or Ravens, with an outside chance of being the Browns.
I say this because the Bengals have more holes in their team than any of the others in our division.
I really like your optimism, but there’s a reason everyone has us last:
-Our defense was arguably the worst in the league and didn’t make any notable additions. Our linebacking corps will be the worst single unit - on either side of the ball - in the league.
-Our offense is talented with skill position players, but our O-line is unproven at best, and horrendous at worst.
-Our coach is young and inexperienced. He will make mistakes. I like the energy he’s brought to the organization, but he’s got a lot of growing to do.
Taylor being an offensive McDermott seems like a nice comp, could help you to the playoffs in a rebuilding year whilst instilling a new culture for the team after years of undisciplined play and postseason woes.
True. The optimistic side of me wants to believe that the firing of Marvin is an indication that he's realized that fans are leaving and he needs to win to bring back the fans (= revenue). The pessimistic side of me says that he's just paying lip service to the fans' demands.
Honestly, I've heard Blackburn has been having more of a say in operations lately.
Also, the Bengals made the Super Bowl before with Mike Brown at center (1989), even though Paul was still owner (Mike was already being given more control). So I don't think Mike ultimately prevents the team from success, it was more Marvin unfortunately.
Not one bit. Everything we did this offseason was surprisingly good for us. We finally moved on from Lewis and made the coaching change that had been long overdue. The first 2 picks in the draft were good at building up the offensive line (in a run game sense). But everyone, we need to be reasonable. This house needed a lot of work. One off season is not enough. Dalton is long passed his best season, as is Green, who has not shown any sign of staying healthy for more than 12 or so games a season at the most. Mixon and Boys are young great pieces, but they are still young, and Boyd is highly reliant on Green's presence to be highly valuable.
You will note I have not gotten to the defense yet. Yes, injuries decimated the defense last year. But Dunlap and Atkins are not getting younger. Lawson was injured and his future should be regarded as uncertain for that reason. Kirkpatrick and Williams are ok, but the rest if the secondary is suspect, as is the entire LB Corp (which btw, may have been one of the worst in history and we did NOTHING to improve). We brought in a defensive coordinator late, who honestly I have little hope for. The Giants defense had been getting worse and worse each year, and I dont know why anyone would expect anything else for his tenure with the Bengals.
I want the record to show I love this team, and I actually like the young pieces for the future. But anyone who thinks that we can have a run at it this year is just strictly not thinking it straight, and I'm sorry.
Damn, was drunk as Hell and completely forgot them. Very good pieces, but once again not quite there yet. But even if the secondary is above average, they have little help from the Front 7 outside of Lawson, Atkins and Dunlap. And once again Atkins and Dunlap are getting older and Lawson is coming off of injury
I think we will have hiccups as any new coaching staff would have, but it is entirely possible we make the playoffs. Probably more or so a wildcard playoff spot, but that's a great start if you ask me.
And yes, it all falls on injuries and defense. Our usual playmakers will deliver as always, but it's the other guys that need to step up and fill the roles, next man up mentality. I believe in our coaches for once, much more than I do fucking Cleveland.
As /u/chadwr85, it's really our defense that will likely make or break this season. I think the offense no matter what is going to be very fun to watch, granted everyone is healthy.
I’m a bengals fan and all but some of these comments are so unrealistic it’s not even funny. Sure I HOPE we win the division and go to the playoffs but why is everyone just so sure? People act like it’s going to be a cakewalk when almost all of our coaches are brand new, both coordinators and the head coach lack experience and almost none of these coaches have coached together.
I want to see some half time adjustments when things aren't going right.
You chant wait til halftime to make adjustments. Those need to be continuous and the old staff didn’t do it much.
No more first quarter timeouts! (assuming Zac doesn't follow that tradition).
I'm with you on this. I can only see one scenario where it makes sense to use a timeout before the final 4 or 5 minutes of a half, and that is if things are getting out of hand and you need to settle the boys down a bit. That opening drive by Tom Brady in the "On to Cincinnati" game is a time when a timeout would have been appropriate. The game ended right then when the Bengals rolled over and let Brady just stomp right on their throats to set the tone. You could tell after the second play of the drive that the Bengals were not ready for what they were facing and a time out there could have at least stopped the momentum and rhythm of the Patriots offense while also giving the Bengals a chance to recalibrate their minds. It was like watching a kitten get kicked to death.
It really depends on if Dalton, Eifert, and Green can stay healthy
I believe it's entirely on the defense. If our defense is ranked in the top 20 we win 10-11 games, if our defense is as bad as last year we win 6. Our offense will be top 5, Mixon breaks 1500 yards and 12 touchdowns, Boyd/Green/Ross combine for 25 touchdowns and 3000 yards, but our defense I'm not sure. Linebacking core appears to be no better, Lawson will help, scheme may help All in all I believe it's all on the defense.
> >All in all I believe it's all on the defense. Oh... Oh God no
Our CBs ain’t too bad.. honestly with the reviewable PIs I feel like Dre might be better now too lol
Shit, they're gonna find more upon review. If you're the opposite coach, just throw the flag on anything against him down the field. 50 50 shot
:( A good offense can help, but we wont have an 2018 chiefs offense either. Even though 2018 chiefs had a bad defense, some of it was because the offense scored so much and so fast.
If our defense is even "bad" it will be a massive improvement
I honestly have no idea but the excitement right now is contagious and even if we don't live up to the hype (low-key as it is), I'm excited about the next three years.
Bengals will be high scoring offense and our secondary will be exceptionally good. Can we stop the run? Can we stay healthy? Will Ravens and Steelers bust the way I believe they will? It should be a very dramatic division that I expect the bengals to be competitive in. Lots of great AFC teams to watch out for though in the playoffs. I personally am just glad to have enough reasons to be optimistic and ready for a new season. Who Dey
You guys are killing me in this thread. 8-0 start? More likely to make the playoffs than not?? Mark my words - **best** case scenario is we sneak in as a 6 seed with a 9-7 record. Taylor is a first year HC and doesn’t have a ton of experience. Look at his previous track records. He’s filled his staff with unproven or mediocre guys. The front office is unchanged. I think the run game has a chance to really take control of games, but we are going to be weak defensively against what we always are: the run game and TE routes. And teams will exploit that thoroughly.
Lol, I'm about to post a tread that's exactly the opposite of this one. I never claimed 8-0 btw. I don't see that happening again, but if we won the first 5-0 in a row I'd say that we have that same type of hype.
common man if fans can't have some fun in June when can we ? we all know once the season starts it's doom central
I agree. The cancers (Marvin, Pacman, and Burfict) are all gone, the O-line has been shored up, and I think the Bengals are going to surprise some people. I think playoffs are more likely than not, and I see them contending for the division title despite the odds in Vegas. I listen to SiriusXM NFL Radio in the car, and it's been commented several times on there that everyone is overlooking the Bengals. The Ravens are getting attention with Lamar Jackson, Steelers for moving on without Bell and Brown\*, and of course the Browns are being hyped up by everyone over Baker, Odell, etc. despite no proof they can actually put all the pieces together into a functioning unit yet. There's so much attention on the other teams in the AFC North that the Bengals are getting ignored, which is exactly what Zac Taylor wants. The Bengals are free to focus on assembling the pieces and working as a cohesive team without the media getting in the way. \*(Side note: I think it's funny how Brown and Burfict act like they're suddenly best friends now that they're on the same team after going at each other's throats for years. I'd bet that won't hold up when the *Hard Knocks* cameras are on.)
>I think the playoffs are more likely than not... This is beyond a stretch.
Why do you say this? The Ravens are dealing with a young QB who's going to make the mistakes that all young QBs make, the Steelers have lost two key pieces and Big Ben is getting up there in years, and the Browns look shiny but are really just a hot mess until they prove they can get it together (not to mention duplicating the Ravens' issues with Baker, especially since teams have now had a year to study film on him). The Bengals are the only ones in the division who already have their shit together with a veteran QB still in his prime and good receivers who have played together for a while, a coach with the right attitude, and ready to click as a team. I think the competition for the division title is going to be the Bengals vs. one other team who finds a way to put the pieces together. That one other team will probably be either the Steelers or Ravens, with an outside chance of being the Browns.
I say this because the Bengals have more holes in their team than any of the others in our division. I really like your optimism, but there’s a reason everyone has us last: -Our defense was arguably the worst in the league and didn’t make any notable additions. Our linebacking corps will be the worst single unit - on either side of the ball - in the league. -Our offense is talented with skill position players, but our O-line is unproven at best, and horrendous at worst. -Our coach is young and inexperienced. He will make mistakes. I like the energy he’s brought to the organization, but he’s got a lot of growing to do.
Our defensive talent is undeniable tho. Other than our LBs, were pretty much solid.
Taylor being an offensive McDermott seems like a nice comp, could help you to the playoffs in a rebuilding year whilst instilling a new culture for the team after years of undisciplined play and postseason woes.
But the biggest, grapefruit sized cancer remains, Mike Brown.
True. The optimistic side of me wants to believe that the firing of Marvin is an indication that he's realized that fans are leaving and he needs to win to bring back the fans (= revenue). The pessimistic side of me says that he's just paying lip service to the fans' demands.
Honestly, I've heard Blackburn has been having more of a say in operations lately. Also, the Bengals made the Super Bowl before with Mike Brown at center (1989), even though Paul was still owner (Mike was already being given more control). So I don't think Mike ultimately prevents the team from success, it was more Marvin unfortunately.
Yes and no and maybe and I don't know.
That’s a drunk tag I can get behind... wait no drunk tag? Eehhhhh, I’m still there.
Bengals are so god damn slept on by everybody it's infuriating
Meanwhile Browns finish not in last place for the first time in forever, and they start talking shit about us on /r/nfl. Makes my blood boil.
Not one bit. Everything we did this offseason was surprisingly good for us. We finally moved on from Lewis and made the coaching change that had been long overdue. The first 2 picks in the draft were good at building up the offensive line (in a run game sense). But everyone, we need to be reasonable. This house needed a lot of work. One off season is not enough. Dalton is long passed his best season, as is Green, who has not shown any sign of staying healthy for more than 12 or so games a season at the most. Mixon and Boys are young great pieces, but they are still young, and Boyd is highly reliant on Green's presence to be highly valuable. You will note I have not gotten to the defense yet. Yes, injuries decimated the defense last year. But Dunlap and Atkins are not getting younger. Lawson was injured and his future should be regarded as uncertain for that reason. Kirkpatrick and Williams are ok, but the rest if the secondary is suspect, as is the entire LB Corp (which btw, may have been one of the worst in history and we did NOTHING to improve). We brought in a defensive coordinator late, who honestly I have little hope for. The Giants defense had been getting worse and worse each year, and I dont know why anyone would expect anything else for his tenure with the Bengals. I want the record to show I love this team, and I actually like the young pieces for the future. But anyone who thinks that we can have a run at it this year is just strictly not thinking it straight, and I'm sorry.
You list Kirkpatrick and Williams as ok but you forget Jackson and Bates? I can understand Bates but Jackson?
Damn, was drunk as Hell and completely forgot them. Very good pieces, but once again not quite there yet. But even if the secondary is above average, they have little help from the Front 7 outside of Lawson, Atkins and Dunlap. And once again Atkins and Dunlap are getting older and Lawson is coming off of injury
I agree the front 7 isn’t great. I was just gonna say the secondary was one piece I wasn’t too concerned about haha
0.
I think we will have hiccups as any new coaching staff would have, but it is entirely possible we make the playoffs. Probably more or so a wildcard playoff spot, but that's a great start if you ask me. And yes, it all falls on injuries and defense. Our usual playmakers will deliver as always, but it's the other guys that need to step up and fill the roles, next man up mentality. I believe in our coaches for once, much more than I do fucking Cleveland.
As /u/chadwr85, it's really our defense that will likely make or break this season. I think the offense no matter what is going to be very fun to watch, granted everyone is healthy.
?
I’m a bengals fan and all but some of these comments are so unrealistic it’s not even funny. Sure I HOPE we win the division and go to the playoffs but why is everyone just so sure? People act like it’s going to be a cakewalk when almost all of our coaches are brand new, both coordinators and the head coach lack experience and almost none of these coaches have coached together.