(05-12-2021, 08:48 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I was thinking the same thing. Never been to Vegas...

IDK now. One schedule on here shows us at Vegas and another shows us at home

(05-12-2021, 09:18 PM)Trademark Wrote: Schedule looks easy. 13-4

I admire your optimism...

Probably couldn’t have asked for a better set up. Open with 4 winnable games could be huge. However if we get off to a bad start again, could be a huge discouragement for the rest of season.

(05-12-2021, 09:23 PM)bfine32 Wrote: IDK now. One schedule on here shows us at Vegas and another shows us at home

Vivid seats says it's in Las Vegas.

(05-12-2021, 09:23 PM)bfine32 Wrote: IDK now. One schedule on here shows us at Vegas and another shows us at home

at Vegas 4:05 game Nov 21...heading into Thanksgiving 

(05-12-2021, 09:31 PM)jason Wrote: Vivid seats says it's in Las Vegas.

(05-12-2021, 09:32 PM)pally Wrote: at Vegas 4:05 game Nov 21...heading into Thanksgiving 

Thanks. I try to take in an away game once a year, but life and covid has stopped that since 2018 at Carolina. Already looking at Vegas packages for that weekend. Looks like air fare from Louisville and a hotel on the strip can be had for about $1400 for 2. Now to look for tickets. 

(05-12-2021, 09:32 PM)pally Wrote: at Vegas 4:05 game Nov 21...heading into Thanksgiving 

Damn...I don’t particularly want to fly the week of Thanksgiving. Oh well.

(05-12-2021, 06:09 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I'll be interested in travelling to that Vegas game. Make a long weekend of it.

My friends and I are in a group chat and are already planning it.

Might be tough, though, because if I keep losing money in this market at this rate, I'll be flat broke by the time the season rolls around.

I'm also supposed to be in Vegas on a poker trip for the opening weekend, but we'll see with that.  

I'm happy that we start so light with the first four (the schedule makers did us a favor for once), especially with our Thursday Night Football game against the Jags, who should be pretty bad.  

Actually, the first eight games (with the exceptions of the Packers and Ravens) should all be very winnable games.  If we can come out of there at 6-2 or even 5-3, it could give us lots of confidence for the rest of the season.  Rogers being traded could also be very big for us by giving us a shot to win another in the first 8.

If we could get through that stretch, we'd be set-up very well with 6 of the last 9 at home.  

The week 11 bye is also generous.

It would be amazing to go into Cleveland the last week of the season and earn our way in.  Also, if they're going to be as good as everyone thinks, they could be resting their starters in the final game and give us a better shot to win if we're in a win-and-get-in scenario.

I'm surprised that the NFL were actually good to us for once.  

Final thoughts: I like it and starting fast could set us up for a playoff run.  

I think a lot of us are sleeping on Chicago. Jacksonville should be improved with Lawrence (they were awful against the run last year though too), and we've been shovelling dirt on the Steelers grave for years. I mean all games are winnable (except maybe KC... They're gonna beat the brakes off us), but we could easily be winless headed into Detroit. I hope not, but we have been the worst team in the NFL the past 2 seasons.

(05-12-2021, 05:59 PM)pally Wrote: what we know so far

week 1   Sep 12                     Minnesota
week 2   Sep 19                     @Chicago
week 3   Sep 26                     @Pittsburgh
week 4   Sep 30 (thurs)           Jacksonville
week 5   Oct 10                      Green Bay
week 6   Oct 17                      @Detroit
week 7   Oct 24                       @Baltimore
week 8   Oct 31                      @ New York Jets
week 9   Nov 7                        Browns
week 10 Nov 14                      @Las Vegas
week 11 Nov 21                       bye
week 12 Nov 28                       Pittsburgh
week 13 Dec 5                        Chargers
week 14 Dec 12                      San Francisco
week 15 Dec 19                      @Denver
week 16 Dec 26                      Baltimore
week 17 Jan 2                        Kansas City
week 18 Jan 9                        @Cleveland

If this is true the first half of season is the easier half despite the travel. 5 of the last 7 games are at home but those last 3 weeks are brutal.  Bye comes in a good place for a 17 game schedule

That is rough those last 3 games but hoping we made enough hay by that time to sneak into the Playoffs.

I think a lot of folks have outdated views of the Vikings defense. That unit was terrible last year (8th worst against the pass, 6th worst against the run), and I'm not convinced adding aging Patrick Peterson will completely turn that around.

I think this game is very winnable on offense if we are healthy and cohesive as a group. The Vikings couldn’t cover anyone, stop the run, or generate much of a pass rush last year. Maybe the changes they made make somewhat of a difference, but they aren’t terrifying by any means on defense. This has the potential for a tone setting game for burrows offense (if he’s healthy).

Offensively, the Vikings are really good and we’ll need great coverage one on one and a great pass rush/ run d. Can we slow them down enough and how successful will we be on offense? It’s not easy to predict..

I have the general assumption that we’ll lose but I didn’t hesitate to put $20 on the game with a coworker, bc what the hell. Can we slow the Vikings offense down? They are really good and ran at will last year. They have a great complementary passing game as well.

(05-12-2021, 11:10 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Imagine being a fan of a team that has gone 6-25 over the last two years, has ranked 29th and 28th in points scored, and thinking without a doubt in your mind that we roll someone.

Now imagine being a fan of literally any other team and coming here and reading this.  Imagine being a Vikings fan and stumbling upon this.  It would be hysterical.

Look, I have no problem with an opinion similar to this that is prefaced with the words "I think" or "I hope" and is followed by "because .... (insert logic here)".

It's these definitive statements that are so embarrassing.  Guy can't even take the time to explain why he feels we can be successful.  Even worse, he can't even present it in a way that is hopefull or allows for any other outcome.  No reasoning is presented.  It's a stone cold fact.  It's inevitable.

To each their own, but I don't know how anyone could read this and not roll their eyes. 

Good God does this website have some of the biggest homers I have ever encountered on the internet.  The way this dude presents this is as if he's a fan of the Steelers coming off one of the Superbowls, which would still be incredibly obnoxious.  

C'mon..biggest homers ever? Like YouTube videos titled the funniest joke EVER that is about as funny as individual sheet toilet paper from the 60s when you have the shits?  C'mon.. Our jokes are at least funnier.. 

(05-12-2021, 08:02 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: IDK what impact it will have (or could have had) on early season performances, but...

Sewell has COVID and will miss rookie minicamp. Ironic after sitting out.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31433596/detroit-lions-first-round-pick-penei-sewell-miss-rookie-minicamp-testing-positive-covid-19

That doesn't really do a lot to disprove the reports that Sewell has work ethic and/or maturity issues.  

If were in playoff contention going into the week 15 game @Denver I'm gonna be constantly be thinking about the entire game would be the Brad St Louis bad snap missed xp and the AJ McCarron not ready for the snap fumble in OT.

It's nice to look at the schedule and see mostly nothing but winnable games. Not many guaranteed wins but not many games you think are a definite loss either. Thanks Joe Burrow for giving us hope.

Also I'm going to the Vegas game. Woot woot. My buddy has season tickets for them and offered me one for the Bengals games. Sweet!

I can easily see the Bengals going 4-0 and just as easily see them go 0-4.

The Bengals are a huge question mark going into 2021.

Of course we're gonna do better.. we've had 4 embarrasing losing seasons.. all under .500, the only way to go is up. Likely a struggle.

(05-13-2021, 09:08 AM)Bengalitis Wrote: Of course we're gonna do better.. we've had 4 embarrasing losing seasons.. all under .500, the only way to go is up. Likely a struggle.

Ahhh, my memory of the 1990s Bengals tells me we can't always go up.

1990: 9-7 (Lost divisional playoffs)
1991: 3-13
1992: 5-11 (+2 wins isn't going up to me)
1993: 3-13
1994: 3-13

'91 to '94 was four seasons of pain. Zac is only entering his third year. We could easily be in store of 2 more years of misery under the leadership of Zac. I'm forcing myself though to remain optimistic since we have Burrow, I like the recent draft picks, and free agents have been signed.

(05-12-2021, 11:51 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Spain started half the season for the Bengals in 2020. He had another game where he didn't start, but he played 85% of the offensive snaps for the Bengals.

I'm not sure how a guy who played more than half the season last year can be counted as a new starter. Lol

(Also XSF started 5 games last year.)

When I said new starters, it was in reference to the shit show they rolled out for the first half of the season before Spain was acquired and XSF returned from injury.  That offensive line was a big reason that the team had so many struggles early on.