10-12-2019, 05:32 PM
(10-12-2019, 04:45 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I think '15, along with '13 were the best chances. We saw what McCarron did, almost helping the team to a win and he didn't really play well until the 4th quarter. I'd like to believe Dalton would have, just like i'd like to believe Carson would have in '05...but there's nothing to make me say "they would have" definitively.
As i referenced with '13, there's no way they should have lost that game. Had recently beaten them in SD, MJ had a great game. Dalton played a really good game in the 1st half, and short of a Gio fumble...they would have had a bigger lead going into the half. Problem is, we saw what happened in the 2nd half. They stopped running effectively, the defense shit the bed and allowed the Chargers to run all over them and Dalton did his part by playing bad in the 2nd half.
There are always great 'what if's' in Bengals lore which keeps people believing that would have been the year. But...all the other years that were actually finished by Carson and Dalton ended without a playoff win and even without the QB being let down at the end of the game after getting a lead late.
DAmn...that was a long answer for a short question. Sorry
No worries on a long response. I have them myself. Too much info to put out.
'15 was the best chance we had at winning. '13 was closer than we all believed. SD was missing some key players that first match up. Also our defense didn't stop SD, they stopped themselves. I always looked at our win in SD as fool's gold. It was nice, but it wasn't us winning as much as them losing.
As you said, in '15 we almost pulled out a win with McCarron at QB. We also had a full compliment of players and no injuries aside from Dalton himself. I know people look at Burfict's hit and Jones' outburst, but I believe that if Hill doesn't fumble we win. The coaches to me should have put in Burkhead at that point. Hill was just too emotional.
