Threads from the Enemy, wild card playoffs: Raiders

[NTS_Raider]

Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

[*jason*]

(01-11-2022, 04:36 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

Our D line and secondary are pretty stout. LBs still need some work. Best player is tough to call. Somewhere between Vonn Bell, Awuzie, and Trey Hendrickson maybe? DJ Reader?... They're a collective.

[Frank Booth]

(01-11-2022, 04:36 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

decent pass rush, statisctically good run defense, statistically bad pass defense

[Joelist]

Defensively the Bengals DL can bring the heat from both edges (Hendrickson and Hubbard) and also on the inside (Ogunjobi, Reader and BJ Hill). The linebacking corps is decent and Logan Wilson is a star in the making. The secondary has depth and is definitely better at zone than at man. Not necessarily a total shutdown defense but they are good at bringing heat and stopping the run.

[*Awful Llama*]

(01-11-2022, 04:36 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

Welcome.  You'll probably see us refer to them as "Oakland," but we're not bad people.

[NTS_Raider]

(01-11-2022, 04:46 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Welcome.  You'll probably see us refer to them as "Oakland," but we're not bad people.

Cool, so some names to look out for: Awuzie, Hendrickson, Bell, and Reader. I forgot about Hendrickson, but he's been a STEAL for you guys at his current price tag. I wanted my Raiders to take Bell when he was coming out bad, so it'll be cool to see him play again. 

[Bengalholic]

(01-11-2022, 04:53 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Cool, so some names to look out for: Awuzie, Hendrickson, Bell, and Reader. I forgot about Hendrickson, but he's been a STEAL for you guys at his current price tag. I wanted my Raiders to take Bell when he was coming out bad, so it'll be cool to see him play again. 

Welcome to the board NTS.

[NTS_Raider]

(01-11-2022, 04:46 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Welcome.  You'll probably see us refer to them as "Oakland," but we're not bad people.

No worries. Oakland, Los Angeles, and Vegas are all accepted. Our fan base is worldwide, home is wherever we play that particular weekend 

[Sled21]

(01-11-2022, 03:32 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: You and me both. I have a constant nervousness/anticipation in my gut. I want this game so bad.

I tried to tell you guys 2 weeks ago to be careful what you asked for. It only gets worse from here, if we win this one, the nerves are worse for the next. When we get to the AFC Championship game and SB, it's full on Xanax time.

[Sled21]

(01-11-2022, 04:53 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Cool, so some names to look out for: Awuzie, Hendrickson, Bell, and Reader. I forgot about Hendrickson, but he's been a STEAL for you guys at his current price tag. I wanted my Raiders to take Bell when he was coming out bad, so it'll be cool to see him play again. 

And don't forget Ogunjobi. We like players with names nobody can spell. It all started with Houshmandzadeh....

[Graphicguy]

(01-11-2022, 04:36 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

Welcome to Cincinnati.  We love it here.

You're right, Burrow, Higgins, Chase, Boyd, Mixon, Uzama, et. al. get all the press on offense.  They are indeed tops in the league.  Double team one or two, the others burn you.

Defense....getting better each week.

Awuzie is one of the best CBs in the league. CB Mike Hilton came to us from the Steelers and has been a much better baller here than he was there.  Trey Hendrickson has 14 sacks, breaking the official Bengals season record.  Von Bell is one of our Safeties and has 3 forced fumbles and an interception.  Those are just a few of the Defensive Stars.

Something to do in Cincinnati.  If you want one of the best steaks in the country, go here....

https://www.jeffruby.com/precinct

If you want some authentic Italian Food, go here....

https://nicolasotr.com

You want some good ribs and see some great sports memorabilia, go here (also has a nice view of the Ohio River)....


https://www.montgomeryinn.com/location/montgomery-inn-the-boathouse/

Place to hang out the night before the game, go here....

https://www.moerleinlagerhouse.com

[*Awful Llama*]

(01-11-2022, 04:57 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: No worries. Oakland, Los Angeles, and Vegas are all accepted. Our fan base is worldwide, home is wherever we play that particular weekend 

Where are you coming from?  If it's Vegas, you're in luck 'cause Cincinnati has a casino, too.  Just like Vegas 

[BobJones4980]

(01-11-2022, 04:43 PM)Joelist Wrote: Defensively the Bengals DL can bring the heat from both edges (Hendrickson and Hubbard) and also on the inside (Ogunjobi, Reader and BJ Hill). The linebacking corps is decent and Logan Wilson is a star in the making. The secondary has depth and is definitely better at zone than at man. Not necessarily a total shutdown defense but they are good at bringing heat and stopping the run.

Who would have thought these list would not include even a mention for Bates before the season, I wonder if his asking price becomes more reasonable or if we move on after the season.

[*Synric*]

(01-11-2022, 04:53 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Cool, so some names to look out for: Awuzie, Hendrickson, Bell, and Reader. I forgot about Hendrickson, but he's been a STEAL for you guys at his current price tag. I wanted my Raiders to take Bell when he was coming out bad, so it'll be cool to see him play again. 

It's the defensive line rotation as a whole.

The Bengals have solid depth especially at defensive tackle. Larry Ogunjobi and BJ Hill have both had solid season as run defenders and interior pass rushers. Josh Tupou the 2nd string rotational NT/1T was injured vs the Browns in week 18 but they will bring up 32 year old former Packer Mike Daniels who is fresh and had a monster game vs a great Browns interior offensive line.

The depth on the edge is a little more questionable behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Khalid Kareem has had some really nice plays he just needs to stay healthy and Cam Sample has shown some flashes but is a 4th round rookie.

All in all the Bengals defense is going into the playoffs healthy which is huge.



PS: Is there any word yet on Denzel Perryman?

[Earendil]

(01-11-2022, 03:58 PM)jason Wrote: I'm not even gonna tell you what happened when I took my daughter to Disney World in November of 2020.

I was getting group texts from my friends that always text during games. I was ignoring them because bi wasn't watching. Then I got one that said... Wtf?!?. Then another that said... That didn't look good.

We get home Friday night, so I won't have to worry about that.

[*pally*]

(01-11-2022, 04:36 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

I saw that Raiders fans are having a meetup at the Moerlein Lager House (good beer and pub grub) Friday night so you will find kindred spirits down there.  Any Jeff Ruby restaurant is awesome but the odds of getting into one this Friday is approximately slim and none.  Downtown has excellent restaurants in Sotto (Italian), Nada (Mexican), or Mito (Spanish).  Or head to Over the Rhine where you will find lots of great restaurants representing all food types and all price points.  OTR is the place to find nightlife too.  It is going to be cold so bring your winter gear

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(01-11-2022, 03:15 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: The Bengals lost playoff games to Mark Sanchez, T.J. Yates, and Matt Schaub. We definitely won't be taking David Carr lightly as a fanbase, or at least we shouldn't be. The team clearly won't.

This. Isn't. The. Same. Team. Or. Players.

The team will be prepared.

[NTS_Raider]

(01-11-2022, 05:04 PM)Graphicguy Wrote: Welcome to Cincinnati.  We love it here.

You're right, Burrow, Higgins, Chase, Boyd, Mixon, Uzama, et. al. get all the press on offense.  They are indeed tops in the league.  Double team one or two, the others burn you.

Defense....getting better each week.

Awuzie is one of the best CBs in the league. CB Mike Hilton came to us from the Steelers and has been a much better baller here than he was there.  Trey Hendrickson has 14 sacks, breaking the official Bengals season record.  Von Bell is one of our Safeties and has 3 forced fumbles and an interception.  Those are just a few of the Defensive Stars.

Something to do in Cincinnati.  If you want one of the best steaks in the country, go here....

https://www.jeffruby.com/precinct

If you want some authentic Italian Food, go here....

https://nicolasotr.com

You want some good ribs and see some great sports memorabilia, go here (also has a nice view of the Ohio River)....


https://www.montgomeryinn.com/location/montgomery-inn-the-boathouse/

Place to hang out the night before the game, go here....

https://www.moerleinlagerhouse.com

Great post, loads of good info here. I felt like the Raiders had a similar thing going before Ruggs threw his life away. Still disgusted with that situation, but there's nowhere to go but forward. The Raiders need all 3 of our weapons; Waller, Renfrow, and Jacobs, to play to their potential in order for us to have a shot. Waller has been sidelined for close to a month, and didn't look good last week. It's a big concern. Jacobs is getting going at the right time, and is easily the most important of the three. When Gruden was here, the offense ran through Jacobs. We got away from him a bit before all the adversity happened, his YPC dropped, he struggled to find running lanes, and we had better options. Now without better options, we have to force feed him, and it seems to be working. Even with his bruised ribs. 

Moerlein is definitely a spot I intend to hit up, it's a stones throw from where I'm staying. The boathouse on the Ohio looks sick! I'm going to try to make it there. Thanks dude!

[Johnny Cupcakes]

(01-11-2022, 04:36 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Hey fellas, Raider fan from the the other board heading into Cincy for the game. I have zero expectations for the outcome, but will relish every moment of being there. It's not often the Raiders are in the playoffs, after all.

I've got two questions, one football related and the other not.

I'm somewhat ignorant to your defense. The standard media coverage is all Burrow, Chase, and Mixon. How do you feel about your defense? Who is your best player, your worst?

Non football related: Any go-to recommendations for the downtown area? Food, drinks, etc? I don't have a lot of time to sight see and want to make sure it counts.

I'd be happy to return the favor and answer any questions about my team, board, or the wacky posters you're seeing over there. Good luck to you guys, I hope both our squads give us a competitive, entertaining, and injury free game.

The defense isn't either great or terrible...it ranks near the middle of the pack in points and yards allowed, with the yards allowed coming more frequently from the pass than the run. The defensive line is pretty damned good, and the secondary is maybe average to a bit above average. The linebacking corps is probably the weakness on the defense here. Waller should have a good game, and Jacobs might struggle. 

There are plenty of restaurants downtown. Oddly, they get better as you get away from the stadiums. If you want to go really close to the stadium, the Morelein Lager House down there is nice. Taste of Belgium is generally pretty solid. If you jump on the streetcar and head into the downtown or OTR areas, you'll find more food options. Plenty of booze and beer options as well, if you're looking for that. If you want to try our regional food, Cincinnati is famous for Cincy style chili....not chili in the traditional sense, but delicious nonetheless. Outsiders are 50/50 on it....you'll either love or hate it. 

You're kind of limited on things to do in January because the weather blows, but Cincy has some badass museums if you're in town for longer than just the game. They're worth checking out. If the weather ends up being nicer than forecasted, the area between the Bengals and Reds stadium is a lot of fun. 

I'll echo the "competitive, entertaining, and injury free game", while also adding that I hope you lose. Enjoy your time here. 

[Sled21]

(01-11-2022, 05:30 PM)NTS_Raider Wrote: Great post, loads of good info here. I felt like the Raiders had a similar thing going before Ruggs threw his life away. Still disgusted with that situation, but there's nowhere to go but forward. The Raiders need all 3 of our weapons; Waller, Renfrow, and Jacobs, to play to their potential in order for us to have a shot. Waller has been sidelined for close to a month, and didn't look good last week. It's a big concern. Jacobs is getting going at the right time, and is easily the most important of the three. When Gruden was here, the offense ran through Jacobs. We got away from him a bit before all the adversity happened, his YPC dropped, he struggled to find running lanes, and we had better options. Now without better options, we have to force feed him, and it seems to be working. Even with his bruised ribs. 

Moerlein is definitely a spot I intend to hit up, it's a stones throw from where I'm staying. The boathouse on the Ohio looks sick! I'm going to try to make it there. Thanks dude!

Definitely try to get into the Boathouse and get the ribs and Saratoga chips. Oh, and you have to try Skyline Cheese Coney's before you leave.