I have no idea about this team right now. I feel confident that the defense will be better. The secondary should be good and although a lot of us liked Alexander, I think Hilton is going to be a sneaky good upgrade. I also feel like a lot of people, myself included, may have undersold Hendrickson. He looks like more than a guy that just gets coverage sacks. The starting tackles can get it done, and the young linebackers are at least good enough. I like young potential better than I like barely-hanging-on veterans, and they have the former out there right now.

Offensively, everyone's glad Burrow is back, but what have we really seen at this point? As others have said, I'll need to see him getting it done out there before I lose my apprehension about where he is compared to last year. The cynical fan would say that they rushed him back to sell tickets. The logical fan hopes they aren't that negligent and wouldn't allow short-term profit to damage a franchise qb's long-term health or confidence. I err on the side of things being almost okay, but until I see it in a real game, I have a nagging feeling that something may not be right.

I have concerns about the o-line and Chase like everyone else. Without a healthy and viable Burrow, those issues mean little. Either way, until I see him looking like his old self, I think it's reasonable to expect a rough start to the season as he regains his feel for the game vs NFL defenses that are trying to plant him into the turf.

We're all going to learn a lot about the team's offseason narratives on Sunday. Until we do, I think Minnesota takes this one.

(09-06-2021, 09:28 AM)BengalsRocker Wrote: You wanna get a real laugh look at some Facebook fans' predictions.

11-6 regular season and records similar to it.

I just don't get this confidence in the team at all.

They've made some additions, but there are so many question marks to go along with not much change in coaching besides Pollack.

Joe Goodberry predicted 10-7… so it isn’t just Facebook fans. Lofty a bit IMO but anything can happen this season.

(09-06-2021, 10:34 AM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Joe Goodberry predicted 10-7… so it isn’t just Facebook fans. Lofty a bit IMO but anything can happen this season.

Well Steelers certainly have their question marks but always seem to be competitive.

Being in the AFCN is tough sledding in itself.

I just don't see many certain wins outside of division either.

So yeah.  Lofty.

(09-06-2021, 10:39 AM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Well Steelers certainly have their question marks but always seem to be competitive.

Being in the AFCN is tough sledding in itself.

I just don't see many certain wins outside of division either.

So yeah.  Lofty.

I think we can end up 3-3 on the division, more likely 2-4. There are some very winnable games on the schedule outside of that. If this team can actually get rolling and the defense doesn’t rollover at the end of games I can foresee a decent amount of wins. Maybe 8 wins this year.

(09-06-2021, 10:34 AM)GreenCornBengal Wrote:
Joe Goodberry predicted 10-7… so it isn’t just Facebook fans. Lofty a bit IMO but anything can happen this season.

I was just about to bring that up.

I'd love for it to happen, but not so sure that he was sober writing that...

(09-06-2021, 10:46 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: I was just about to bring that up.

I'd love for it to happen, but not so sure that he was sober writing that...

Ya he said you can look at last years team as the 4 win team they were or a potential 7 win team with Burrow around if he didn’t get hurt. Considering they would be a 7 win team last year then expecting progress that puts them at 10 wins this year. I get the logic but 4 wins was 4 wins lol.

(09-06-2021, 10:59 AM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Ya he said you can look at last years team as the 4 win team they were or a potential 7 win team with Burrow around if he didn’t get hurt. Considering they would be a 7 win team last year then expecting progress that puts them at 10 wins this year. I get the logic but 4 wins was 4 wins lol.

The variables change from season to season.

That's why when people calculate like this...  it's usually a fail.

We see it here on our own boards.

Jeez guys

Joe Goodberry predicted 10-7?

He’s God, so that must mean the bengals are good!
/s

The bengals are still the worst team in this division.

Don’t get your hopes up just because some media guy is hyping up his team. Par for the course type stuff here.

(09-06-2021, 11:17 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Jeez guys

Joe Goodberry predicted 10-7?

He’s God, so that must mean the bengals are good!
/s

The bengals are still the worst team in this division.

Don’t get your hopes up just because some media guy is hyping up his team. Par for the course type stuff here.

Did you actually read any of the posts? We all said it was a lofty prediction and that 10 seems high….

(09-06-2021, 11:25 AM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Did you actually read any of the posts? We all said it was a lofty prediction and that 10 seems high….

Yep.  Even questioned him being sober when he wrote it.

I think 9 wins is obtainable personally. 1 more good draft next year put us in the playoffs for 2022/23

Ehh..17 HUGE margin wins..Every football fan in the world will become bandwagon Bengal fans, but still a one and done in the playoffs.. LOL
(my sucky prediction)

I think having Evan "Nickname TDB" McPherson will have a larger impact than we think. How many times in the last several years has the offense punted because they didn't have a kicker they trusted over 40 yards? That could help in a lot of those one possession games they seem to lose every year.

(09-05-2021, 07:05 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Where is all this confidence coming from?

Just way better play in the trenches this Preseason or did you watch?

If we are better at protecting Burrow, opening up the running game while being much better at getting after the passer and stopping
the run we will be a much tougher team. Also, it will even help the coaches who have sucked so far in Zac and Lou as the trenches 
have been terrible since they gone here. 

I don't care how good of a coach you are, hard to win in the NFL with poor play in the trenches.

(09-06-2021, 11:17 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Jeez guys

Joe Goodberry predicted 10-7?

He’s God, so that must mean the bengals are good!
/s

The bengals are still the worst team in this division.

Don’t get your hopes up just because some media guy is hyping up his team. Par for the course type stuff here.

Just don't believe the Bengals will finish last in the division this season

(09-06-2021, 01:15 PM)Earendil Wrote: I think having Evan "Nickname TDB" McPherson will have a larger impact than we think.  How many times in the last several years has the offense punted because they didn't have a kicker they trusted over 40 yards?  That could help in a lot of those one possession games they seem to lose every year.

agree, McPherson will be a big impact on the team 

(09-06-2021, 08:48 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Just don't believe the Bengals will finish last in the division this season

What, you think the Steelers will?

Elite defense with a not terrible offense

(09-06-2021, 09:19 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: What, you think the Steelers will?

Elite defense with a not terrible offense

Yep I do think the Bengals can finish ahead of steelers this year and will.

Yet you're correct and its not a given.