07-29-2022, 02:29 PM
First of all let me say that I agree with the idea that the Bengals will not get all the breaks that they did last year. I also agree that they will probably end up playing a much tougher schedule than they did last year. The '21 Bengals only played 7 games against teams that finished with a winning record. That was the lowest number in the entire league.
But in my opinion the rebuilt offensive line will make us so much better that we will still be a legitimate championship contender.
I also disagree with. . .
1. Fans generally don't know shit about play calling. It is far more complex than they think. Plus I have seen the exact same call in the exact same situation be praised when it worked in one game and trashed when it failed in another.
2. I am not going to claim Taylor is a savant play caller, but he was seriously limited by his offensive line last year. I doubt any team with a worse O-line ever made it to the Super Bowl. You can adjust your game plan if you have a weak spot at RB, TE or WR. But a bad O-line or QB will make any play caller look bad.
No, but I have no reason to assume his overall production will go down at all.
YesI do. If he had not changed teams then it might have ben a random fluke. But we see players get a lot better (and sometimes worse) based on nothing more than changing teams.
This is a big stretch. Those other teams all added players, but they also lost players. Overall I would say that none of them had a weakness as glaring as the Bengals offensive line, and none of them did more to address their weakness (3 new starters) than the Bengals offensive line.
1. Anyone remember Burrow's inconsistency on deep throws being a "hot topic" after his final season at LSU?
2. If his increase in deep pass success happened in the middle of his career then it would look like a fluke, but with Burrow just in his second season it is reasonable to assume that he is just improving his skills.
3. If his increase in success was all due to Chase it will not regress because we still have Chase.
But in my opinion the rebuilt offensive line will make us so much better that we will still be a legitimate championship contender.
I also disagree with. . .
(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: I doubt it, because as explosive as the Bengals’ offense was last year, it was clear that Taylor was holding them back. Many fans believe Burrow had to win in spite of Taylor rather than Taylor working to make Burrow better. Taylor’s play-calling in the playoffs was less than stellar and fans were well aware. Now that the Bengals aren’t catching anyone by surprise, the coaching is going to become all the more important and Taylor hasn’t shown enough to warrant confidence from me.
1. Fans generally don't know shit about play calling. It is far more complex than they think. Plus I have seen the exact same call in the exact same situation be praised when it worked in one game and trashed when it failed in another.
2. I am not going to claim Taylor is a savant play caller, but he was seriously limited by his offensive line last year. I doubt any team with a worse O-line ever made it to the Super Bowl. You can adjust your game plan if you have a weak spot at RB, TE or WR. But a bad O-line or QB will make any play caller look bad.
(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: do we think Trey Hendrickson will get at least half a sack in 11 straight games again, a feat that’s only been accomplished two other times (in a single season) since the turn of the century?
No, but I have no reason to assume his overall production will go down at all.
(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Do we really think Chidobe Awuzie is going to be a top-tier corner again like he was last season after 2018, ’19, and ’20 where his ceiling was just above serviceable?
YesI do. If he had not changed teams then it might have ben a random fluke. But we see players get a lot better (and sometimes worse) based on nothing more than changing teams.
(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Let’s say the Bengals make the playoffs. They might face the Chargers. They’re better than they were last year. The Broncos improved. The Raiders improved. The Colts improved. Every decent team in the AFC got better, so the Bengals’ additions of Collins, Cappa, and Karras aren’t actually as big a step forward as it may seem. I’d argue that they are one of the lesser-improved contenders in the AFC..
This is a big stretch. Those other teams all added players, but they also lost players. Overall I would say that none of them had a weakness as glaring as the Bengals offensive line, and none of them did more to address their weakness (3 new starters) than the Bengals offensive line.
(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Burrow’s (in)consistency on deep passes has always been a hot topic when discussing the former No. 1 overall pick...until last year. All those worries seemed to fade away because of how good Chase was at bringing those deep passes down. Maybe it was a sign of what’s to come, but maybe Burrow regresses in that department and all of a sudden Chase can’t bring down quite so many. I don’t think that’s an unwarranted concern. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s another “what if” that lingers in the back of my mind while trying to evaluate this Bengals team.
1. Anyone remember Burrow's inconsistency on deep throws being a "hot topic" after his final season at LSU?
2. If his increase in deep pass success happened in the middle of his career then it would look like a fluke, but with Burrow just in his second season it is reasonable to assume that he is just improving his skills.
3. If his increase in success was all due to Chase it will not regress because we still have Chase.
