12-23-2015, 03:04 PM
(12-23-2015, 11:06 AM)Beaker Wrote: Another example of fan negativity creating our reality.
I believe the fan perception can have a percentage point or two sway in a team's performance, but not to the degree you are implying. Fans not getting up and loud for the defense can have a very slight impact on the performance of the defense. What you've been saying, though, is a bit more mystical than that.
-Chad lost his cool at halftime of the Steelers game all by himself, and the Bengals didn't score a single second half point on their own.
-The Bengals got dominated in the trenches in back to back road games in Houston without any fan involvement.
-The Bengals got spanked in the second half of the Chargers playoff game because the Chargers figured out just how beat up our offensive line was.
-The Bengals got beat in Indy last year because you can't win in the playoffs with Burkhead, Bernard, and Hewitt as your best receiving options.
Maybe the Bengals just haven't believed in themselves enough a time or two. Maybe the fans haven't gone all in when they've smelled a repeat performance. Ultimately, though, it's been the guys on the field deciding every game. No fan belief has decided these games... Fans should always cheer the defense, and believe their guys can get it done, but blaming fans for creating their own negative results is taking it a bit too far (in my opinion).
