What games are not winnable here? @ Pitt and @ Cardinals. Minimum 14-2. We're going to destroy Denver. The Ravens might be a loss if Marvin decides to rest people, hopefully we're fighting for a bye.

• Sun @        Steelers            1:00 PM
• Thu vs       Browns            8:25 PM
• Mon vs      Texans             8:30 PM
• Sun @        Cardinals            4:05 PM
• Sun vs       Rams                1:00 PM
• Sun @       Browns            1:00 PM
• Sun vs       Steelers           1:00 PM
• Sun @       49ers                8:30 PM
• Mon @      Broncos            8:30 PM
• Sun vs       Ravens             1:00 PM
  

35-27 Bengals

https://www.nfl.com/now?akmobile=ios&akcarrier=other

I know it's late but this is pretty neat deal.

All of a sudden it just hit me! BAM!  I'm the reason we're winning!  Every game I've watched this year we've won!

I realize that you have to overcome bad officiating, but I do not remember a year where I have seen so many game changing, awful calls.  The latest example: Bills stop the Jags with around 3 minutes left.  Oh wait, phantom PI call on Buffalo.  When I say phantom, I mean the Buffalo defender didn't even touch the receiver and was diving for the ball.  Next play:  touchdown Jags instead of 4th down.  Even the announcers were like WTF was that!!  I feel like I just wasted 3 hours.  I might as well have watched WWE.  At least I know that is fixed.  It really takes away from the game.

End rant 

It's that time again, next Sunday our Bengals come to a pass. This team has and continues to expel many demons. We made a stride winning in P.T. against the Broncos late last season. We have four P.T. games upcoming and I feel pretty good about them. I believe 3 of 4 is very doable with this teams new found confidence and composure. BUT

Taking this stride, (beating Pittsburgh) in my mind is even more important than sweeping or going 3-4 in the P.T. games !

Pittsburgh has owned the Bengals under Marvin Lewis. For this team to fully take the next step we have to put this in the past as well.

We're 7 - 18 overall against the Steelers under M.L. We have 2 wins against them at PBS, Pittsburgh has swept us 6 times in the last 12 seasons, we've swept them once (09).

We have one win against Pittsburgh ONE in a season in which they made the playoffs (05). If you choose to include the 2012 season, we beat them late taking them out of the playoffs, we have two. In the last 5 seasons we have two victories against them, they've swept us 3 times in that period ! We have to get over this hurdle.

If we lose next Sunday is it the end of the world ? Obviously no. I hope BigJen is playing and we can finally put another notch in the confidence belt by beating them when it counts. I fully believe Pittsburgh will make the playoffs unless BigJen can't get it back together. This game may well yet play into home field advantage and/or first round bye. Both of which are huge.

I want badly to see this elephant in the room disappear. Let's get this done !

The Bengals have done a terrific job in recent years, in terms of retaining the talent that they have drafted and developed.
As we approach the middle of this season, it occurs to me that Marvin Jones, Muhammed Sanu, Brandon Thompson, George Iloka, and Kevin Zeitler are the next 5 that the team will have to get signed.

How would you rank them, in terms of priority of ensuring that they remain a Bengal through the prime of their careers?

I have them as:

1. George Iloka; Personally, I see him as top 5 at his position, and could retire as a Bengal Legend.
2. Kevin Zeitler; I see him as top 10 at his position, and continuity is key with a good OL.
3. Marvin Jones; The way he fights for the ball, I put him on my "all effort" team. He was really missed last season.
4. Mo Sanu; As much as I like Sanu, I also see him being fairly easy to replace by draft or mid range FA.
5. B. Thomson; There is a reason I rank him last in priority. He's never really impressed me, let him move on.

After about 7 hours of analysing the game and recording the grades, I FINALLY have them for you. Now, from what I do know of PFF's grades, mine differ big time (ESPECIALLY on offense; all of mine are tons higher), which makes me think that:

A; They are way too harsh on the guys or,
B; The numbers I use are higher values than PFF, hence the higher totals.

I thought I was fair though; watching the game 3 times on tape (and once in person), we literally had 7, maybe 8 bad/negative plays on offense, all game; our oline didn't allow anything and Whitworth didn't have a single negative play, while Zeitler had only one. The plays that were borderline good/bad, were great plays by unblocked players, in every circumstance; in terms of efficiency, I think this was the best game this team has played, ever (on offense). Anyways, here are the grades!:


Top 5 on O:

1. Andy with a +9.3. 2 bad throws all game. Two. Arguably three, but Sanu should've caught it. All of his incompletions were throw-aways, batted passes or drops. Just brilliant work and his accuracy was on point, save for 2 of the throws. If he can continue to play like this for the whole season...

2. Whitworth with a +6.5. Not a single negative running play went to the left and he pitched another perfect game. See Bfine's thread for his prowess in pass pro.

3. 'dre with a +6.1. Had more negative plays than anyone on the line aside from Bodine, but he had the most impact plays, even more than Whitworth. Its great to see him just crush a DB on a screen pass!

4. Zeitler with a +6.1. After Whitworth, had the least negative plays and was super steady, consistent and punishing.

5. Bodine with a +6.0. Major impact plays (2nd most) but had the most negative plays; only once did he run into the backfield to pursue his man, otherwise was solid and made a phenomenal block on the DB on MLJ's TD.

I have never seen a game in my life, where the line went forward on every running play and kept the QB completely clean, like in this game.

Bottom 5 on O (never had it scored like this before):

Hill +2.3 (had 4 bad runs and he didn't lose yards on a single one of them. Bravo)

AJ +1.9 (Can't score high when you aren't targeted much, but did well when the ball went to him)

Sanu +1.3 (Probably could've caught the ball that hit him in the hands, but still, had a good game)

Hewitt +0.2 (whiffed a couple of times, but it didn't matter. Carey was right, btw)

Kroft 0.0 (when's he going to catch a pass?)

Fisher -0.1 (can't drop a pass that hits you in the hands, OL or not, low pass or not)

D is a different story, but people such as Dre didn't do as bad as PFF said (he only had 1 MT, they credited him with 2), anyways, top 5 on D:

1. Adam Jones with a +1.1. If he doesn't make the PB, its bullshit, period. Should've had another pick.

2. Nelson with a +0.8. He has indeed lost a step, but he's still doing his thing; couple of great tackles this game.

3. Iloka with a +0.7. Not too involved in the second half, he was solid as always.

4. Dennard with a +0.6. Fantastic to get your first pick in such a great game! Did a swell job, though did have some negative plays...

5. Rey with a +0.4. Our best LB on the day, he actually did better in coverage, than against the run.

Bottom 5 on D:

Vinnie Rey -1.6 (He was awful. He can't be a starter, try Dawson, I'm sure he won't be much worse)

Lamur -2.1 (I like the guy, but man he's terrible lol...)

MJ -2.4 (Another game in which he did nothing, I hope he can sack Pitt at least once...)

Peko -2.6 (After a good Seattle and KC game, he laid a stinker on Sunday. Boo)

Geno -2.9 (did nothing on the day. Surprised)

On teams, we had another good day, with only 3 somewhat bad plays in 17 snaps (one of them was Tate's).

Nuge' led with +2.7, Huber had +2.0, Adam had a +1.7, Peerman with a +1.1 and Carter with a +1.0. Fisher had the penalty.

So yeah, how'd I do? :$

According to the article posted on PFT http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/10/22/burfict-ogbuehi-facing-critical-days-if-they-hope-to-help-bengals-this-season/

It seems that Burfict won't be ready until late November.

he Bengals are 6-0, as healthy as a team six games into a season can be and get this weekend to rest before a Nov. 1 game at Pittsburgh that could potentially create a whole bunch of separation between the Bengals and the rest of the AFC North.

They might be getting reinforcements, too.

Linebacker Vontaze Burfict and first-round offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi are still working with trainers this week as their teammates have been dismissed for a long weekend. Thursday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told Sirius XM Radio that Burfict and Ogbuehi are facing “a couple critical days….to not have any setbacks” that could determine whether they’re able to be on the practice field with their teammates on Monday.

“They see themselves having turned the corner,” Lewis said. “Every day they have in rehab is important.”

Burfict is on PUP due to a knee injury, and Ogbuehi is on the non-football injured list after he tore his ACL in his final college game last December.

Burfict had microfracture surgery last January. In September, he vowed to be ready for the Bengals’ Nov. 1 game at Pittsburgh.

That seems unlikely now, but what Lewis said indicates the Bengals believe he can come back later in November. The Bengals have until Dec. 1 to activate Burfict and Ogbuehi — or three weeks from when they officially return to the practice field.

“We’re impressed with where they are in the process,” Lewis said. “Now we’re just trying to transition them as close as we can to make them ready to eventually come back and handle the rigors of football practice.

“We do feel good about their progress.”

UPDATE: 


The front Page Article seems to be going with this slightly

 Upbeat Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis told a national radio audience Thursday that his players on rehab have turned the corner and are getting “ready to return to football.”

It sounds like if they continue at this pace during this week’s bye that Pro Bowl linebacker backer Vontaze Burfictand first-rounder Cedric Ogbuehi could return to practice as soon as Monday.
But Lewis wouldn’t go as far as that during his interview with Alex Marvez on Sirius NFL Radio and called this week’s rehab “crucial,” noting that the Bengals theoretically have five weeks to make a call and, "We're not going to rush into anything until we really feel like they're ready.”
The Bengals basically have until Dec. 1 to make a final decision on Burifct, on the physically unable to perform list (PUP), and Ogbuehi, on the non-football injury list.
Still, barring a setback this week, there seemed to be a sense of optimism that a return for the Nov. 1 game in Pittsburgh was at least still on the table.
“We're impressed with where they are in the process," Lewis said on the program. “It's really been good to watch the smiles come on their faces as they see themselves having turned the corner now and getting ready to play NFL football."
Not only is it unclear if Burfict is ready for Pittsburgh, but also unknown is how much he could play on Nov. 1 after not playing in a game since Oct. 26, 2014 and undergoing micro fracture knee surgery in January. Ogbuehi would be in a reserve role behind left tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Is well protected:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/10/21/10-best-sack-less-streaks-at-every-o-line-position/

Active streak without allowing a sack:

Quote:Left tackles

Rank Left tackle Team Snaps without allowing sack
1. Andrew Whitworth CIN 819
2. D’Brickashaw Ferguson NYJ 563
3. William Beatty NYG 362

Left guard

Rank Left guard Team Snaps without allowing sack
1. Clint Boling CIN 360
2. Allen Barbre PHI 302
3. Matt Slauson CHI 302

Quote:Rank Right guard Team Snaps without allowing a sack Snapped
1. Mike Pollak CIN 1143 Dormant