***Week 11 GameDay Thread - Bengals @ Ravens***

[*rfaulk34*]

(11-18-2018, 09:19 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Hey...I'd love to have a top guy. It's just harder to find that guy than some think. And would that top guy really play like a top guy under Marv? I have my doubts on that. Dalton has gutted us to a lot of wins (24 fourth quarter comebacks, 2nd in NFL since 2011). As for getting us 2-3 scores ahead in these close games...I think that's a Marv thing really. Conservative to the core. We've never really blown a lot of teams out. Cardiac cats and all that.

I wouldn't say the Ravens defense is slipping. Before today, they were still ranked 2nd in yards and points allowed, even after facing 3 of the NFL's best offenses (Saints, Panthers, Steelers). In fact, only the Saints and Steelers put up more than 21 points in Baltimore (24 and 23 points respectively). So us getting 21 in Baltimore with no run game and multiple key injuries at receiver is pretty good. Could've scored 24 (matching Balt defense's season high at home) if Bullock does his job.

Yeah Dalton missed a few, but I think with a lesser QB, the lack of chances, run game and healthy receivers just makes them collapse. Dalton kept punching, so I give him that. Would a better QB have won this one? Maybe. Like I said though, Drew Brees has plenty of 7-9 type seasons when things were bad around him.

I don't even need a top guy. Hell, Cousins, Carr and Trubiski are pretty much Dalton clones, yet they all out perform Dalton in and out of the pocket. 

Watson and Wilson are smaller (Watson, slightly), athletic guys that are still good passers. 

Bengals are just content to ride Dalton as long as he keeps them away from those 4-12 years. As long as he's .500, give or take a game or two, they're fine with him...same as they are with the rest of the team. That's all they strive for, competitiveness. That's not a mindset that's going to win you a SB trophy. 

Simply, unlike you, i'm tired of giving him chances to put up consistent top 10-12 seasons. I know a couple of the guys i listed were top 5 picks, but what's stopping the Bengals from attempting to trade up? They've done it before. They're just content.