Happy Thanksgiving Guys!! I hope you all have a great holiday.

Bengals run the table, in somewhat convincing fashion.

Bengals 27, Steelers 24
Bengals 31, Cowboys 16
Bengals 24, Titans 17
Bengals 31, Browns 20
Bengals 24, Broncos 20
Bengals 24, Steelers 13

Call me a home, call me whatever…

Bengals averaging 27 PPG YTD, this is on par at 26.8 PPG.

Defense is another story, this is 18.3 PPG, after giving up 26.9 PPG. The teams they play are averaging 20.5 PPG. The toughest offense they play is the Steelers, twice.

We will see, and I’m going to get criticized by many… but I’m calling this now.

The Bengals go back to work on Sunday in an almost CBS national game. Everyone gets it unless you are in the regular viewing area of a team also playing at the same time

https://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2024&wk=13

Announcers Ian Eagle and Charles Davis
Referee: Shawn Hochuli...Bengals are 2-4 in games worked by him. His crew calls the 5 most penalties in the league but is pretty even for both team
Uni combo: orange jerseys, black pants, and orange socks. The team is 10-2 in this combo and 2-1 in it against the Steelers
Ruler of the Jungle: Lemar Parrish

As long as I've been a fan of the Bengals. Steelers week has always been a big deal and this week is no exception.

This one is big. We win and playoffs are still in reach, we lose and the ship has sailed.

Not to mention the standing bet I has with the boss of a 6-pack of premium beer.

We don't get anywhere near enough long term (at least two 4 year contracts) success out of our top draft picks. The guys you draft to fill holes and expect to be at least above average contributors for a good while.

I decided to just start with the ML era to now, Recent history. And I'm just doing top 2 round picks, top 64.

2003
*** C. Palmer QB 8 seasons, we all know that story
E. Steinbach OG 4 seasons wouldn't pay top money to IOL.

2004
C Perry RB 4 seasons, injuries
K. Ratliff CB 4 seasons meh gone + some fill in roles later on 09/10
M. Williams S 4 seasons, was on fire to start then injuries flamed him out.

2005
D. Pollack LB 1+ seasons horrible neck injury
O. Thurman LB 3 seasons, started off as a possible true game changer. Drugs and alcohol problems ended career

2006
J. Joseph CB 5 seasons, Bengals wouldn't pay top CB money - gone
*** A. Whitworth LT 11 seasons as top of the line LT, still ended on sour note here

2007
*** L. Hall CB 9 seasons, good career here
K. Irons RB Blew out ACL in first pre season game, never recovered

2008
K. Rivers LB 4 seasons started out looking good, then Ward broke his jaw (dirty) never recovered his mo jo
J. Simpson WR 4 seasons drug issues cropped up Will always put "the flip" in top 10 plays though

2009
*** A. Smith RT 7 seasons then came back later good pick
*** R Maualuga LB 8 seasons, his coverage skills were non-existent but overall ok contributor so I'll give him the asterisk's

2010
J. Gresham TE 5 seasons and was a good not great TE not retained
*** C. Dunlap DE 11 season very good DE not great left with bad blood

2011
*** AJ Green WR 10 seasons top level pick, again left under questionable circumstances/bad blood
*** A. Dalton QB 9 seasons quality QB, again many feel Bengals did him dirty with departure

2012

*** D. Kirkpatrick CB 8 seasons good contributor
K. Zeitler RG 5 seasons, really good guard, bengals wouldn't pay top money - gone
D. Still couple seasons sad story

2013
T. Eifert TE 7 seasons but injury plagued issues wrecked career
***G. Bernard RB 7 seasons good pick
M. Hunt DE 4 seasons waste of a top pick

2014
*** D. Dennard CB 6 seasons good value
J. Hill RB 4 seasons no comment

2015
C. Ogbuehi OT 4 seasons - garbage pick
J. Fisher OT/G 4 seasons - health issues ended career. Just an awful draft

2016
W. Jackson III 5 seasons and gone
*** T. Boyd WR 8 seasons quality pick maybe should have kept

2017
J. Ross WR 4 seasons waste of a pick
*** J. Mixon 7 seasons decent production

2018
B. Price C 3 seasons waste of a pick
J. Bates S 5 seasons, good pick, wouldn't pay let go

2019
J. Williams OT 5 seasons gone, meh contributor
D. Sample TE 6 seasons thus far questionable contributor?? carrer stats thus far - 89 receptions, 672 yards, 4 TD's was he really a 2nd round pick?

2020
*** J. Burrow QB woot
T. Higgins WR good pick but....

2021
J. Chase WR great pick
J. Carman OT - waste of a pick

2022
D. Hill S/CB injuries ???
C.T. Britt started out showing much promise but has hit the wall - HARD who knows??

2023
M. Murphy DE hasn't moved needle much
DJ Turner CB lets hope


39 total top picks (64 and above) 14 we've got any long term success from. That's of course not figuring what the long term success of recent picks in. But there's some serious doubt there for sure.

I realize the Bengals had no control over Pollack breaking his neck or K. Irons blowing knee out, or T. Eifert just not having a NFL ready body. But we did have control over retaining E. Steinbach and K. Zeitler but won't pay top money to IOL. We did have control over resigning J. Bates. Many wasted picks Hunt, Hill, Ogbuehi, Fisher, Ross, Price, Williams.

But however you want to chop it up? This team doesn't in general get good returns from top level picks. You can't fail at this rate and get to the final prize.

Seems like this reporter is feeling about the same as most of us, it's time for Anarumo and Pollack to go.

https://atozsports.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals-news/bengals-mailbag-coaches-on-the-hot-seat-cam-taylor-britts-quandary-and-other-answers-to-critical-questions/#google_vignette

Quote:12 weeks and 11 games are in the books for the Cincinnati Bengals, though most want to move on to another chapter already.

2024 has been an exercise of frustration for the Bengals and their fans. Key decisions have backfired, great individual years are going to waste, and the top teams of the AFC have separated from Cincinnati not just from a roster standpoint, but organizationally. Chess vs Checkers in a nutshell.

That's why when I asked what was on your mind this week, you hit me with the big questions. I suppose there isn't much else to discuss at this juncture anyways. Here are the questions I received from the hellscape formerly known as Twitter.

Why not get right into it? I said my answer not too long ago. The Bengals need to either start guaranteeing more money in their contracts and hiring more outside help for the personnel department, or they need a new director of the department. It's a big job Tobin has considering the uniqueness of it, and while he doesn't deserve all the blame for how the roster has turned out, his shortcomings regarding trench players across multiple coaches is among the weakest in the NFL. It's a clear problem that's gone on for far too long.

Tobin's biggest piece of leverage is the fact that replacing him isn't exactly a dream gig. He's still limited by the resources given to him from above. He's not even officially a general manager. Finding someone better who's willing to accept those terms is probably a tall task. It might be needed if things don't get better here soon.


"Do you foresee any staff changes? (Not Zac Taylor). Lou Anarumo? Frank Pollack? It especially feels like Pollack should be on the hot seat." - @WowStik

There's simply no way they can run this entire staff back should they fall short of the playoffs. The defense is bad and it's not only because DJ Reader and Jessie Bates III are no longer here. Players still here from 2021-22 have regressed and most draft picks on that side of the ball since then haven't developed as planned. It's an all-around personnel and coaching disaster, but still, the unit shouldn't be this bad. It's the main reason why they've lost so many games this year. Anarumo should be held accountable barring a strong final six games.

As for Pollack, you're right. I've been in his corner on the grounds that he's been handicapped by personnel decisions, but he's responsible for putting together a run game that works with his players. There's no stability in the run game and there hasn't been in two years. It's time for a new direction there, along with some new guards.


"If they were to fire Zac Taylor and hire a new head coach, which coaches do you think should stay vs which are most likely to stay?" - @JeremyW48542628

I'd try my best to keep the majority of the offensive staff sans Pollack. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, running backs coach Justin Hill, wide receivers coach Troy Walters, and tight ends coach James Casey have all done solid jobs. Obviously a new coach would want his own guys, but keeping at least two names from this group would be a solid base to start off.


"Would you sit Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase the rest of the year if we are eliminated? They’re having historical years but a late season injury impacting 2025 would be a disaster. If it’s Chase the FO would probably use an injury against him in negotiations which would be a disaster." - @Truedeyy

I'd leave it up to them, and they'd obviously want to play. Burrow is never going to want to sit out games when two of his four years have been disrupted by injuries. Chase has his own personal goals he wants to cross off his sticky notes on his bathroom mirror.

Preventing major injuries in games that don't really matter is good in the grand scheme of things. The only counter I have is this: Is 2025 being viewed as a year of contention? This team looks at least another year away from getting back to a deep postseason run. Sitting Burrow and Chase out for the sake of next year, to me, feels fruitless. I suppose that says a lot on its own.

"Thoughts on the Bengals moving Cam Taylor-Britt to safety?" - @JonnyBengal

"What's the long-term answer at safety? We know it's not Vonn Bell and Geno Stone. Do they fix this with a high draft pick or a free agent signing? Could they move Cam Taylor-Britt? Has Jordan Battle done enough to earn the spot that Bell presently plays?" - @bengallmanbros

Combining these two for obvious reasons. For starters, how hilarious would it be for the Bengals to draft Dax Hill as a safety and Taylor-Britt as a cornerback with back-to-back picks and have them swap positions three years later? What a fitting bullet point that would be on the resume of this coaching-personnel staff partnership.

Taylor-Britt looks lost out on the field right now and I struggle to believe moving him to a position where he has to think more is going to help him. I think when his head's on straight, he could handle it and his athletic traits would allow him to make the transition, but the reason why folks wanted Leon Hall to make the switch all those years ago is because it was a way to hide his declining athleticism. Movement ability is all Taylor-Britt has because he looks mentally cooked.

Bell is certainly not in the long-term plans and Stone was only signed for one-year longer. I think the latter has slowly improved in this defense, but not enough to prevent an actual upgrade from being added. I have to believe Battle is a starter next year.


"Why does the Bengals defensive staff hate Myles Murphy?" - @Jom112

I assume for the same reasons I wasn't tremendously high on him out of Clemson. The guy can't finish around the quarterback. You love his get-off and he shows his work on film. You can see the process trying to be applied. It just isn't cohesive enough and he gets stuck on blocks too long. Is Joseph Ossai considerably better? No, but the difference isn't gaping.  

When the Bengals start actually drafting players who win as a pass rushers, not just guys who are built within the physical parameters they like, then the pass rush will improve.


"Was the Bengals’ pass rush in the Commanders game the worst in the NFL of any defense this season (especially considering it was a home primetime game)?" - @stpalme1

It's arguable that their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was even worse. Pro Football Focus credited Cincinnati with 14 pressures and three sacks against Washington. Against a banged-up Philly offensive line? Four pressures and zero sacks! Also, did you know the Panthers only generated eight total pressures against the Chicago Bears earlier this year? We're talking about the same Bears with a terrible offensive line.

Somehow, the floor can always be lower.

Being a bad team is typically an advantage against Mike Tomlin. It just never seems to matter when the bad team is Cincinnati, sans late 2020.  

As much as it pains Bengals fans to hear this, the Steelers are legit. Tomlin's decision to bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson has given the offense an actual passing game for the first time since the final years of Ben Roethlisberger's competence. George Pickens has been fully unlocked, and the offensive line is playing good enough.

The same stars on defense are playing like stars, too. Nothing needs to be said about T.J. Watt and his goons. The only point of weakness worth mentioning are the cornerbacks. I expect Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to have favorable matchups, but will that matter if Watt and Co. are in Burrow's face the whole game?


"If Mike Brown isn't in charge anymore, does anything change from a contractual standpoint with players?" - @BeardedBagel

There's an evergreen answer for questions surrounding the transition from Mike to his kin. The answer is Mike has taught his daughter, Katie Blackburn, and son, Paul Brown, what they know. Katie and Troy Blackburn handle the contracts, as they've done so for a while. Their unwillingness to emulate standard guarantee structures are their doing. It's a family philosophy. It's learned.

They're caring people. Many players and coaches can attest to that. They also think that justifies not keeping up with the times. Katie's daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline, are the hopeful exceptions. We'll see if their influence continues to increase.

..by bringing Ping Pong tables back to the locker room.

I guess nothing fixes a porous defense like a little hand-eye coordination and reflex therapy!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bengals-make-significant-change-to-locker-room-during-bye-week-with-hopes-of-turning-season-around/ar-AA1uKtEf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0ef3146e78d34109b22b6bd3b1489934&ei=36

Quote:Zac Taylor was adamant when he said the Cincinnati Bengals would not make drastic changes during their Week 12 bye week. And while he was true to his word, the Bengals head coach did make one notable change, one he hopes can help turn his 4-7 team's season around.

When Bengals players returned from their bye week, they were welcomed back into the locker room by ping pong tables, a staple of Cincinnati's locker room for years until this past summer, when they were not part of the team's new locker room.

"Yeah, just creating energy in the locker room," Taylor said when asked about the decision to bring ping pong tables back to the locker room. "You know, it's December football now, and we need everyone to be at their best. Need everyone to have energy when they walk into the locker room. That creates some competitiveness."

Taylor is also hoping that the ping pong tables strengthen team camaraderie. It appears that the ping pong tables are already making an impact, as about a dozen players continued to use the ping pong tables on Monday after the team had been excused for the day.

"I just want guys to interact, and that's one way to do it," Taylor said. "It's one way to create some energy and get guys up and active."

While the ping pong tables may build camaraderie, they unfortunately can't fix a Bengals defense that struggled through the season's first 11 games. While its offense (led by quarterback Joe Burrow and wideout Ja'Marr Chase) has been among the NFL's best this season, Cincinnati's defense is currently 28th in the NFL in points allowed and 31st in red zone efficiency.

Despite their record and their defense's shortcomings, the Bengals did open as 2.5-point favorites for Sunday's home game against the 8-3 Steelers, who are looking to make amends for last Thursday night's upset loss in Cleveland.

Sheldon Rankins, Sam Hubbard, and Logan Wilson are missing from the first practice back from the bye

Tee Higgins working on rehab field

Orlando Brown with position group

Also present...Hard Knocks crew

Mike Hilton is the Bengals nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. Good choice...Mike is a good guy

Fellow miserable Bengals fans ….

I’m consistently guilty of being in the camp of piling on when we lose - driven from disappointment, but some perspective here:

The Bengals lost to:

Pats by 6 pts
*This one is inexcusable !!

Chiefs by 3 points (last minute)
*They are 9-1 and playoff-bound

Washington by 5 points (close game overall)
*They are 7-4 and playoff-bound

Rats by 3 points (last minute)
Rats by 1 points (last minute)
*They are 7-4 and playoff-bound

Eagles by 20 points — this one is inexcusable
*They are 8-2 and playoff-bound

Chargers by 7 points (last minute)
*They are 7-3 and playoff-bound

I know the record tells us - we are exactly what it says we are and we came up short when it mattered. That said, we hung w all of these playoff teams (except for Philly).

All of this said, we have also only beaten garbage teams sooo there’s that too

This team is average at best but a few tweaks and we may be ok next year. Not sure we need a giant overhaul - other than on D - to be competitive.