Last comments on Raider victory

[*SHRacerX*]

(11-27-2021, 12:27 AM)fredtoast Wrote: I know it has become a running joke to claim that every game every week defines Taylor, But that win against the Raiders really was huge.

We were coming off the bye.  If we lose our third in a row to a struggling Raider team (5-5 on 2 game losing streak) I don't have much hope for us getting the wheels back on the bus.

Instead we not only win, but we win big, We win on the road 2 time zones away.  And we win against a direct competitor for a playoff spot in the AFC.

Before Thursday's game I really thought the Raiders were going to pull their usual swoon and finish without a winning record for the 5th straight year.  So I did not consider it a HUGE win.  But when I thought about how devastating a loss would have been it really was potentially a season saving victory.

Agreed on all points, and I will add that I really liked the WAY they won.  They adjusted to what a Raider defense was doing and didn't force it in to bad situations.  I know Burrow was probably annoyed at 148 yards passing, but he did the right thing and played pretty much mistake free football.  They won the turnover battle, which they lost 3-0 to the Browns.  

I think the fact that the offense kept such a significant time of possession advantage will also help the defense against the steelers this week.  They only had 44 snaps!  That is outstanding.  The steeler's defense had 76 snaps against the Chargers, and there were an additional 30 snaps on special teams.  That's a lot more load than Cincy had, and in a long season and even week-to-week, that matters. 

I am SO EXCITED for the Bengals to win this game and take a big step toward possibly winning the division and making the playoffs.