Have We Yet to See the Bengals at Their Best?

[*SHRacerX*]

(12-20-2022, 01:44 AM)Science Friction Wrote: I know this is probably a rhetorical question  but I think it's worth a dicusssion.  Think of the type of performances you expected from this team after the free agent signings --- an offense that is unstoppable and a defense that is tough , resilient, and lockdown-capable in the second half of games.  Coming off a Superbowl performance , this  team got better in the offseason and , with an "expect to win" mindset, were primed for another deep postseason run.  After a slow start to the season and some early season forgettable moments, they are now living up to the preseason expectations.

However, I don't think we've come close to seeing the best of what this team is capable of.  It took awhile for the O-line to come together and gel. They have played pretty well of late but I think they sstill have their best play ahead of them. The offense has also been hampered by injuries to our star receivers. Chase, Higgins, and Boyd are the best receiving trio in the game, not to mention the valuable Hayden Hurst. You're not gonna be your best without them being 100%.  
And our defense has been decimated by injuries to arguably the most important guys on that side of the ball--- Chido, Reader, Hilton, Hendrickson, Hubbard, and on and on.  And , still we win.

My God, how good could this team be if everyone was healthy all at once ?  We've not yet seen that dominant team that we all envisioned about six months ago. We've seen glimpes, but not that Goliath that we thought we'd see steamroll opponents week end and week out.  Don't get me wrong . I am happy with 10 wins in 14 games, especially considering how we started the season and how many injuries to key people we've had.

I just wrote this to see if you agree with me that, although we've played some pretty good football during this six-game stretch, we've still not yet seen what this team may truly be capable of.  Could it be that we'll finally see that juggernaut we all envisioned this summer around the time the postseason begins?  I can't think of a better time to watch it unfold.

Agree or disagree... we've not yet seen the best this team has to offer?

I don't believe the coaches are "saving something" as all of these games are so critical.  Get the one seed and their chances of making the Super Bowl go up exponentially.  However, there are probably some big plays they are not dialing up and just being happy to attack underneath.  Last year, it was all big splash plays.  This year is more grind it out.  Grind it out is more reliable and less prone to lapses and poor weather impact.  

For a few games there (Atlanta and Carolina) we were really seeing the run game the way many of us imagined it with all these receiving weapons and an improved offensive line.  That has been very inconsistent.  I would love to see a game where the run game averages over 5 ypc, but the pass game is really efficient, with something like 75% completion.  I think the most complete game this season was actually the KC game.  Perine averaged over 5 ypc, (Mixon was injured early), and Burrow was 25/31 for 286 with 2 TDs and 0 INTs.  One difference in that game was Burrow also ran the ball 11 times for 46 yards.  That is probably the one thing they are really trying to hold back.  Not risk him getting injured or taking hits by running the ball, but it does add another dimension like Philly and Buffalo have.  

Getting the big 3 out there together (Chase, Higgins, Boyd) and a fresh Mixon and Perine with solid play from the line and backup TEs could pretty much be unstoppable.  No, they won't score 40 points a game, but if they get to 30, it will be very tough for ANY team to score 30 on this defense.  

Chances are the weather will really such Saturday, and I hope and pray they have a great run game called (Adeniji as extra OT?) and can grind out this key win on the road on a short week. 

Who Dey!