Our offense is putting up points, but our run D can't stop anyone and we can't get any pressure on the quarterback.

Is there anything we can do to improve the defense? Fire Lou? Sign FAs? Any available?

Is it a lost year or can we and will we do anything?

You can hate Taylor all you want, but his family should be off limits.... people need to get a grip with professional sports. This is just like the Stealers fans who get their self-worth out of a team's success just so they can have bragging rights at work.

https://myfox8.com/sports/sports-illustrated/7bee8bd7/zac-taylors-wife-makes-plea-for-fans-to-leave-her-family-alone-after-bengals-loss/

Quote:The Cincinnati Bengals are likely regretting their slow start to the NFL season after dropping their sixth game in a crushing 35-34 loss against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football.

For the fifth time this year, the Bengals put up over 30 points of offense, in large part due to quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase's elite production. But, in the end, the team came up short on a failed two-point conversion try that sealed the game.

In light of Cincinnati's latest defeat, coach Zac Taylor’s wife, Sarah, shared an emotional message to fans on social media.

“I am in rage mode right now and should delete Instagram,” Taylor wrote. “I just want people to know how hard this is to watch. My husband went to work on Monday at 5:15 am. Spent the night at the stadium. Came home Tuesday at 11 p.m. Left for Baltimore Wednesday and will get home at 4 a.m. tomorrow. He'll work all day tomorrow bc they have a game Sunday.

“My kids haven't seen him since Sunday. He had the perfect game plan. Brooks was mad at me for watching the last play with my head under the covers and I said I'm sorry people will say stuff to me everywhere I go for the next week and he said 'me too mom get over it.' I don't know how these coaches and players do it but the best thing I can do is move on like them.”

While Zac Taylor has faced some backlash for his decision to go for two on the game’s final play, the Bengals’ loss was arguably more affected by controversial officiating. Al Michaels and other members of NFL media didn’t hold back on the referees, and rules analyst Terry McAulay even admitted on-air that the Ravens got away with at least two penalties on the game-deciding two-point try.

In any case, the team’s recent defeat is no excuse for fans to harass Taylor’s family. The Bengals (4-6) will look to turn their season around against the Los Angeles Chargers next week before entering the bye.

I did the same to Marvin to put things into perspective, I think you're truly a good coach I've seen some bad and I've seen some really good..I honestly think you gotta stay away from calling plays or having anything to do with the offense at all..Give pitcher the full duties of running and calling the offense that would allow you to focus on other areas of the team..

2nd if you don't want to out right fire frank pollack I understand but he truly needs a fire lit under him in the arena of grabbing one of those talented college football oline coaches that specializes in running the football to assist him..This enept running game is ridiculous and it's been this way since you've been here and this has got to change for you to be a consistent winner..

Last but not least if we lose enough games this year and end up in the top half of the draft we you and everyone interested or calling shots should be all in on doing everything without there power to draft one Travis hunter..he's 6"2 runs a high 4.3 low 4.4 and has the foot speed of a chad ocho plus he'd fill two holes..He could be a tee Higgins replacement and a legit number one press man corner..

The article is called have the bengals changed??He makes the point that when it comes to how they felt and did business with joe burrow they have..but then he lights them up for how they haven't for how they chose to let Jessie bates walk..

Then he lights them up more for how they chose not to reward jamarr chase this off-season even adding that maybe just maybe if the vibes was great from a business standpoint the new England loss may not have happened to begin with..

He also adds how the organization chose to back door Mixon by not even asking him to restructure,only coming with being cut or traded as an option, and to make matters worse he says how stupid they've been in the tee Higgins situation,he said the bengals haven't even attempted to negotiate to find out if he was given a hometown discount or anything basically saying if this was the approach then they should've just traded him..It’s a very interesting take about the front office..

To make the playoffs. Ugggg


https://www.nfl.com/standings/playoff-picture

Not sure which pisses me off more …

The Chiefs being 8-0 or the Stoolers have the 3rd best record in the AFC

The NFL fined #Raiders DE Maxx Crosby $11,255 for unnecessary roughness — for a hit on Joe Burrow after the play was whistled dead last week. pic.twitter.com/yqos54y8dW

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2024

Boy I didn't see that late hit from Marlon Humphrey that has Burrow in pain. Unreal that wasn't called.

video from @MarkVSlaughter pic.twitter.com/DpQ70c8IAM

— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) November 8, 2024

The Bengals snagged a good one from the Lions. We were hoping he would make it back to the practice squad.

https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/11/08/bengals-claim-isaiah-williams-off-waivers-from-the-lions/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook

There's no way to argue that this season hasn't sucked.

Even so, there's one thing that I think has been made pretty clear: This offense does not need Tee Higgins to thrive. Burrow has gone off for 2 straight weeks without him. He's proven that he most certainly is what we thought he was, ie a truly elite QB1 that can make an offense out of lesser parts when he has to. Chase had 250 plus and 3 tds vs the Ravens without Tee on the field to divert attention. Tee has been available for a total of 4 games. The offense, with the exception of the NE game, has largely looked fine..

Could they have used him vs Philly? No doubt. Is he a necessity? IDK anymore.

I think his departure is a disguised blessing. It will force them to utilize the TE more effectively (which they have), and also put more emphasis on the run game (ugh.)

To summarize: Burrow and Chase are enough without Tee. This offense isn't going to turn into a pumpkin while he misses half the games for another team while making 27 mil per or so in 2025.

Sorry, its not an interior lineman on either side of the ball

Williams was waived by the Lions...he is a rookie UDFA out of Illinois. He plays slot and is a kick returner

There was an open spot on the 53 so no corresponding roster move

We have acquired WR Isaiah Williams on waivers.

?: https://t.co/Ex7uqOTGPU pic.twitter.com/olr0xbFooO

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 8, 2024

When a club performs below expectations, typically , fans look to coaching first. After all, it's easier to replace coaches than it is to rebuild a bad roster. But often, the roster is the problem and coaches wind up as scapegoats to appease the fan base. It's easy to sell the hope that a new coaching staff will just come in, wave a magic wand, and suddenly the team will start winning.

Let's look at the offensive side, first. Firstly, the premium draft capital on that side of the ball...

1st rounders-Burrow, Chase, Mims

2nd rounders-Sample, Higgins

3rd rounders-Burton

So, 6 guys we took with Day 1 or 2 picks are on the roster. Burrow got his bag. Chase deserves his bag. Debate still rages on how good Tee actually is, but nobody would dispute he was worth a 2nd. Mims looks promising. Sample and Burton have disappointed, for different reasons.

Now onto the defense...

1st rounders-Hill, Murphy

2nd rounders-CTB, Turner, Jenkins

3rd rounders-Hubbard, Pratt, Wilson, Ossai, Carter, Battle, Jackson

So, even though we have to curve for draft position, out of 6 Day 1/2 picks on offense, we landed 2 elite level starters, 1 quality starter, 1 guy trending towards being a quality starter, a backup/role player, and a guy who has talent, but is trending towards busting due to character issues.

On D, we have 12 Day 1/2 picks, double that of the offense. Out of those, none are elite starters. Three you could say are quality starters(Pratt, Wilson, Hubbard when healthy). Other than those three, we've got a bunch of replacement level starters/rotational guys/backups. That's terrible return on investment, especially when you consider Hubbard wasn't really developed by this staff.

On the flip side, the offense currently has three Day 3 draft picks in starting roles. The defense has none.

Looks to me like the issues on offense are talent related and the issues on defense are related more to scheme and coaching. Thoughts?