Could 8-0 Steelers be Taylors '03 Kansas City?

[*SHRacerX*]

(11-10-2020, 08:49 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Marvin was 4-5 in year 1.

Taylor is 4-19-1 in year 2.

So Marvin had as many wins in only 9 games as Taylor did in 24.  So I think the overall feeling surrounding each coach was completely different.

We went from having virtually no success over the previous 13 years to immediately being respectable.  That KC game had the enire fanbase beleiving that maybe things would finally be different.  The entire town was excited coming off that win.  For a rookie HC to have us at 5-5 was amazing.  Especially when many thought '03 was a throwaway rebuilding year, where our new franchise QB was shelved for a learning year.

Taylor, on the other hand, I think is basically at the point where needs wins like these to just convince anyone he wasn't a complete disaster of a hire.

All that said, I definitely think we can win on Sunday.  This is the NFL afterall, and the Steelers aren't nearly as good as their record suggest.  But I can't see a win this week coming anywhere close to what we saw in '03.  Completely different circumstances.

Last year, the Bengals started Ryan Finley for three games.  They lost their best weapon (Green) before the season even started.  They were basically evaluating the talent they had and in the offseason they made a lot of moves to address those holes.

Despite losing Wren, Tupou, Reader, Daniels, and Atkins for various reasons and times throughout the season (all at DT). Despite playing a lot of rookies at LB. Despite not having Waynes for one snap.  Despite Carlos Dunlap's disappearing act and ubbard's injury. And despite losing every single starter on the offensive line for at least one game.  They were ahead in the fourth quarter in 6 out of the 8 games they have played.   I know that it doesn't matter if they don't win, but one thing has been very clear:  they have found their QB and they are getting great production out of their rookie WR.  The defense played better against the Titans, but I would still say they are pretty far away on that side of the ball.  Last year the defense improved down the stretch to at least a respectable level.  If they can do that with Burrow at the trigger, they could go on a pretty strong run to finish the season.  

If Burrow finds a way to beat pitt this weekend, it will be every bit as amazing as the 03 game, and even more exciting moving forward largely because of what we continue to see out of Burrow.  I can't think of any game in recent history that I have wanted to win more than this one.  

I sincerely hope the NFL gives them a fair game.  I doubt it, but if they had half a brain they would realize that they wouldn't lose any of the steeler fans, but the Bengals fans would be VERY interested in the rest of the season.  Just call it fair.