12-24-2023, 11:46 AM
(12-24-2023, 11:30 AM)Science Friction Wrote: We had our SB year. I'm still pissed about 2021. I said it before the SB and I said it after --- even with the awful OL, the Bengals were better than the Rams. We needed one SB-winning stop from the defense and couldn't get it. ONE STOP! It takes a LOT of good fortune to get back there. Gotta take advantage when you need ONE STOP! Might be another 32 years. I'll be 93.
We might get back there with Burrow and we might not. This season shows why it won't be easily accomplished. We've got a lot of work to do in order to be at the top of the AFC again. 0 for the division won't get it done.
2021 was indeed a killer. Rams targeted Eli Apple and Mike Hilton in coverage on their last drive which they should have and it paid off for them. Killer "phantom" penalty on Wilson near the end zone as well. Bengals oh so close and needed a stop but couldn't get it done.
2022 IMO was the true SB year for the Bengals though. Man, they were really good and on a tear through the league the entire second half of last season.
What took it down was the critical O-line injuries at the end of last season and first week of the playoffs.
Losing Collins, Cappa, Williams just before the playoff run was a killer blow. Before that, the O-line had begun to gel and they were really good in the second half of the season.
Even with that, Cincy still came oh-so-close to winning another AFC championship game in Arrowhead.
2023 just isn't the year. Too many young/development guys in the secondary due to losing Bates/Bell/Apple. CTB going down, Burrow only healthy/available for 5 games this year. Just isn't in the cards.
I gotta believe the secondary will be better next year and moving forward. Gotta believe in that. Even Jonathan Joseph/Leon Hall weren't super studs in their first year IMO.
We'll see though.
