Usually when teams get to.the playoffs there is a minimum
Of 3 players on either side of the ball that play at really high to elite levels.
The Chiefs have Kelce Mahomes Hill
The Browns have Garrett Mayfield Teller or Chubb
The Bills have Diggs Allen or White

Pick your 3 for the Cats that have play at very high levels
In order for this team to reach the playoffs

Im going with
JONAH WILLIAMS
D.J READER
TEE HIGGINS

Burrow,Chase,Hendrickson.Also,I’d just like to say that this team is going to surprise a lot of people this year.I know they’re in a very competitive division.But I still think they’ll make the playoffs.

Logan Wilson
Germaine Pratt
Akeem Davis-Gaither

These guys perform and our defense could be top 10

Burrow and 2 other players

Burrow
Hendrickson
Spain/vet guard

I think any list has to start with Burrow. If this team is going to the playoffs he’ll be the main reason. Not just a good season for a young QB coming off injury but a top 10 Season out of all QB’s.

I’ll second the Hendrickson pick of someone else. For the position and money we dumped on him we need him to produce. Hubbard is more of a known. If Hendrickson can play great opposite Hubbard that’d be a very important piece of the puzzle for the defense.

For the third guy I’d be tempted to go with someone from the back 7 but you could really pick any of them. We need a bunch of those guys to play well. Safety is solid/known so CB or LB would be my likely choice. Can’t narrow it down so I’ll flip to OL and say whoever wins the Guard spot opposite Carman. Think our OT’s should be solid at worst, I think Carman will as well. A big year out of a vet opposite him could be huge for this team

Joe Burrow
Trey Hendrickson
Joe Mixon.

Joe Burrow playing at a high level is a must to compete in the NFL. Hendrickson is being paid like a high end Edge Rusher and besides the QB a pass rusher can have the most effect on the outcome of games. Last but certainly not least Joe Mixon having a big year would take pressure off Burrow and open up the playbook for Zac Taylor.

Burrow, Mixon, Chase.

Could go with Higgins over Chase as well. Could also go defense and pick a guy like Bates. We’re going for more of a KC model though, so my top choice. I put Mixon in there because I think balance on offense will help protect Burrow from passing too much. Need the offensive line to come together and be respectable.

Williams, Reiff, XSF.

We were an OK team last season, we just needed a line. If we want to have a playoff season, some guys on the OL are going to have to step up.

A lot.

Larry Ogunjobi- if he can play up to the level he is capable of then the defense can be a top 15 unit.

Trae Waynes- There paying him like a #1 CB he has to play up to that level.

Trey Hendrickson- he is coming off a great year. He has to prove that it was not a fluke.

If those three guys show up then this team can win it all. I have my doubts on wether they will or not.

I rink it's going to take more than 3 guys playing at a high level to make the playoffs.
Burrow, Jonah, Mixon, Chase, Trae and one of the pass rushers.

I would argue that the most important people who need to perform at a very high level are Zac Taylor and Lou Anarumo. (Followed by Joe Burrow)

The Chiefs and Bills both have great coaching. The Browns went from being a losing team with bad coaching to winning a playoff team with good coaching. Bad coaching just puts a team in too much of a hole to dig themselves out of with merely 3 players performing at a high level.

(07-18-2021, 06:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Usually when teams get to.the playoffs there is a minimum
Of 3 players on either side of the ball that play at really high to elite levels.
The Chiefs have Kelce Mahomes Hill
The Browns have Garrett Mayfield Teller or Chubb
The Bills have Diggs Allen or White

Pick your 3 for the Cats that have play at very high levels
In order for this team to reach the playoffs

Im going with
JONAH WILLIAMS
D.J READER
TEE HIGGINS

This is easy for me.  I am assuming normal progression for existing players and rookies doing what is projected of them but the "Key Three" for me would be:

Trae Waynes-  Huge question mark.  Not the greatest year in 2019 and injured all of last year.  He will be one of the starting CB positions and they need him to play like a CB1

Logan Wilson-  Will be on the field essentially all the time for defense.  Mostly in nickel, which gives him a lot of ground to cover.

Joe Mixon-  The offense needs balance to be elite.  It is time for Joe to be healthy, stay on the field on third down, and show he is a top tier back.

If those three produce, based on what I see elsewhere, I could see this team making the postseason with 10 wins.  

is going to take more than just 3 players

The three starting linebackers!

Burrow Carman and akeem Davis Gaither

Burrow
Jonah Williams
DJ Reader

(07-19-2021, 10:13 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: is going to take more than just 3 players

Was going to say the same, but didn't want to be that guy. Now we are bros!

For me:

1) Joe Mixon- he has to take the pressure off of Burrow, and it will open up the passing game.

2) Jonah Williams- he has to become a true LT this year to stabilize the whole offensive line.

3) Trey Hendrickson- we need that outside pass rush to neutralize the other teams offense, which in fact will allow us to be more balanced when we have the ball!

1 Mixon needs to stay healthy and avg over 4 ypc

2. Burrow needs to continue to progress , throw more TDs and win in 4th quarter

3. Hendrickson needs double digit in sacks and be the running stopper on edge

Burrow, Jonah Williams, and Hendrickson.

The Bengals will have to lean on their QB, the QB will need to be protected, and they will need to rush the passer.
Hendrickson is considered the premier pass rusher on this team, and Jonah is arguably considered the main pass protector on this OL, so that's why I chose them.