Two other things I saw I liked. Samaje Perine is NOT as bad as he is made out to be by some on this board, the guy just plows through crowds. And, when the defense gave up that huge play in OT where they missed 2 tackles, I saw one of the players, not sure if it was Bates, Bell or someone else) motioning for the defense to just calm down and get set instead of panicking. They then held them to the FG attempt.

(10-10-2021, 09:01 PM)Tony Wrote: Can anyone honestly say, knowing what we know now that if they let them draft again, You wouldn't want Herbert?

I can. 

(10-10-2021, 09:27 PM)BritishBengal Wrote: The thing that gets me most with people piling on after a game like this, is the total abandonment of realism. So because we narrowly lose to a superbowl contender everything is terrible. I just honestly don't understand.

I don't create a thread like this to be blinded by positivity, contrarian or even happy with mediocrity. I just think objectively we played pretty well and at about the level of expectation for this team. So I just dont understand why a rookie kicker who has won us two games should now be replaced. I don't understand why there is negativity towards Burrow. It's blinkered reactionary takes and it's boring.

I think the frustrations stems from the team playing "pretty well" but not getting over the hump.  They've not beaten a single team this year that has a winning record.  Zac Taylor is in his third year coaching and they've won 9 games under him.  Of those 9, 2 have been against teams that finished with a winning record.  2.  The team has played "pretty well" in many stretches.  The team has talent.  They've got heart.  So what's missing?  Why can't they get over the hump?  And why is it petty that people are upset by that?  Abandonment to realism would be shouting for this team to a SB contender before they can prove themselves against winning teams, not being upset that they lost.  Again.  

I see tons of potential and positives with the roster and the play on the field.  I'm not looking to pile on.  I'm not cheering against the Bengals hoping that Zac gets the axe as a result.  But potential only gets you so far if it's not unleashed.  And in sports, the window doesn't stay open that long.  

I think people calling for Herbert over Burrow is insanity.  I think people are overreacting to news about a contusion (does anyone who's mad realize that a contusion is just a bruise?).  I think McPherson will settle down after this game (Crosby had a dinger of a game himself).  I think there are positives.  But I think the the most realistic take is that this team, about 1/3 into the season, has still proven nothing yet about their ability to be a winning team. 

(10-10-2021, 06:47 PM)BritishBengal Wrote: Seriously disappointed (but not overly surprised) to come in here and just see a sea of negativity and petty takes. We came so very close to beating the Packers, and yes there were mistakes but just as many positives. This is a young team with a QB still rehabbing a major injury.

Chase sensational again, and more importantly that Burrow/Chase connection is special. Love to watch it.

Trey Hendrickson. Dude is balling and it's so refreshing to see a big time FA actually earning his money and rep.

Samaje made a number of nice plays and runs. Not the most explosive guy but v solid and dependable.

These are the points that stand out. Interested to hear others!

so far we are 50/50 on close games... Which is an improvement in the ZT era

(10-11-2021, 09:56 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Anyone with any common sense and unbiased thought will realize that since Green Bays normally very good kicker, and Fat McPherson were both missing their kicks, and almost all of them went left, there were some weird swirling winds down there in the middle of the field that were not blowing the flags at the goalposts in the right direction, or at all. No way both those kickers miss over and over without something weird going on. 

Common sense and forum hot takes do not mesh well together, my dude. I know you that you know this to be true. Bring on the anti-McPherson threads!

The 70-yard Chase TD left me slack-jawed. Have no clue how that was completed.

Joe Burrow will be 50 before ZT learns to be a head coach.

(10-10-2021, 07:25 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I am going to be retrospective. so is Chase good because of Burrow ???  if so was Green good because of Dalton ?  at least today Chase was good because of Chase overall. no doubt..   that is the positive..

Chase should have had 200 yards yesterday.

First half he beat his man by three yards and Burrow underthrew him by 10.

So i was seeing RED yesterday after that loss..
Yesterdays loss I agree was Not an Embarasment ..
The team played above average and had a chance to win in the end..
Just the way they lossed though geez
Burrows INT`s were deflating because we havent really seen him kinda buckle under pressure
Evan we have high hopes for.. Still do but we needed that Kick desperatly simply because in the past this team has been so fragile and that win wouilda eased that possibility of it all

Chase is now 7th in the league in receiving yards at 456.
On pace for over 1500 yards.
Without Chase, this offense could be bad.

Burrow's second interception was awful. Even if he assumed Boyd was going to cut back in, by the time he threw it Boyd was at a complete dead stop. He threw it straight to the defender as if he was the intended target.

Just a bad, bad play.

(10-11-2021, 12:59 PM)Big Boss Wrote: Burrow's second interception was awful.  Even if he assumed Boyd was going to cut back in, by the time he threw it Boyd was at a complete dead stop.  He threw it straight to the defender as if he was the intended target.

Just a bad, bad play.

that was a college moment for Burrow

(10-10-2021, 09:01 PM)Tony Wrote: Can anyone honestly say, knowing what we know now that if they let them draft again, You wouldn't want Herbert?

Honest, I take Burrow every frickin' time.

You will see why. Herbert is good, but he isn't Burrow good, you will see Tony.

(10-10-2021, 09:40 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I mean, I’d get it if we didn’t also have a young stud QB of our own. I will keep saying it (because people seem to forget) this is not even Burrow at 100%. Many people that have had similar injuries say it takes a full year to get back to normal. We’re not even a year out from the injury, let alone the start of the rehab process.

Look, Borrow needs to clean up the picks (especially ones where he should just throw it away), but overall he’s been very good this season. People can just keep repeating “#1 pICk MUst bE BeTTeR!” but when you actually look at the context; his return from an extremely serious injury, who’s calling his plays, etc,  then you have to be pretty happy with his play for the most part. We’re 3-2, and we looked like we belong playing against a top team.

Great post Nicomo. We watch one game where he makes a couple of bad picks and Herbert has a good game against broken 
coverages (I watched those highlights, terrible secondary play from the Browns) and we turn on our own. Herbert will have his 
bad games where he throws a couple bad picks. Herbert is in a better situation right now with his OL and playcaller.

He wouldn't be even close to as good here as he is with the Chargers and people would be saying the exact opposite if we 
picked him instead of Burrow.

(10-10-2021, 09:44 PM)Tony Wrote: I believe you, I'd honestly take Herbert...

Crazy talk Tony, crazy talk!

(10-11-2021, 12:59 PM)Big Boss Wrote: Burrow's second interception was awful.  Even if he assumed Boyd was going to cut back in, by the time he threw it Boyd was at a complete dead stop.  He threw it straight to the defender as if he was the intended target.

Just a bad, bad play.

The reality is the explosive plays by Chase
Are covering up a slight regression by JB this year.
Joe has faced one good defense this
Year and he struggled vs that defense. 

Its 5 games in and JB has 2 multi INT games.
And most of those picks he is staring down the target
One pick was off the hands of Boyd reaching up
. Joe needs to do a better job
Of manipulating the secondary with his eyes.
He is still holding the ball too long and he isnt climbing the pocket as well as you want

I'd taker Burrow over Herbert 10 times out of 10

Herbert has been protected like a king by his o-line. Burrow on the other hand? He has to overcome that front 5

just look at the sack rates for both of them from these last 2 seasons

(10-10-2021, 10:17 PM)J24 Wrote: Redzone defense- held the Packers to two of 5 in the redzone.
Jamar Chase- Game Breaker; dude will be a top 10 WR
Hendrickson- 2 sacks
Auwzie- might be a #1 CB
Bell- 3 TFLs today was a beast stopping the run.

Good stuff J24. Those are some great positives.

We have some special players. Just need to use the Offense better and score more points.

Think it will happen, we will see if the Play Calling improves which is my only complaint.

(10-10-2021, 10:26 PM)samhain Wrote: The positive for me is that there is zero doubt that this team is getting better.  Are they a Super Bowl contender? No, but they're also a team that bottomed out and turned over most of their roster in the last two years.  They took a top tier team with arguably the best quarterback in the league to the mat and were in position to beat them more than once.  

They aren't where we all want them to be, but they weren't gong to get there in 1 or 2 seasons.  The important thing is that they are progressing in the right direction.

Great post Sam. Couldn't say it any better.

(10-10-2021, 10:28 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Yeah. They did have a little bit of a head start but it's so frustrating when it's the coach that is holding the offense back in different ways, in different games. 

The brass ring is right there in front of my face but every time i reach for it 

It's always ***** something. If it's not this, it's that. If it's not that, it's the other. I'm so ***** tired of it already. Win some ***** games and contend for a ***** championship and stop making me believe you're just about ready to turn the corner, except...

That's ***** Mike Brown with the fishing pole, btw. 

LMAO! Life of a Bengals fan...

(10-11-2021, 02:21 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Packers WR Davante Adams: "It's not the old Bengals everybody expected to roll over. The Bengals are a good team."

— Jeff Wallner (@JeffWallner) October 10, 2021

High praise from the best Wide Receiver in the land.

Did we have any penalties for encroachments, false starts, or offsides?

(10-11-2021, 01:52 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: I'd taker Burrow over Herbert 10 times out of 10

Herbert has been protected like a king by his o-line. Burrow on the other hand? He has to overcome that front 5

just look at the sack rates for both of them from these last 2 seasons

Agree completely Frank.

We are improved in our front 5 but we aren't near as improved as the Chargers are at this point.

I can forgive McPherson for missing the 57-yarder. It's not like he missed it badly, like another poster said, 6 inches to the left he's a hero. Plus, 57-yards is a long-ass FG with that wind. Everyone expects their kicker to be Justin Tucker now.

The 49-yarder, though, I was disappointed in. I thought he would have nailed it. On that one, his name went from Legs Benedict to Legs Benedict Arnold.

(10-11-2021, 01:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Honest, I take Burrow every frickin' time.

You will see why. Herbert is good, but he isn't Burrow good, you will see Tony.


Great post Nicomo. We watch one game where he makes a couple of bad picks and Herbert has a good game against broken 
coverages (I watched those highlights, terrible secondary play from the Browns) and we turn on our own. Herbert will have his 
bad games where he throws a couple bad picks. Herbert is in a better situation right now with his OL and playcaller.

He wouldn't be even close to as good here as he is with the Chargers and people would be saying the exact opposite if we 
picked him instead of Burrow.


Crazy talk Tony, crazy talk!

I hope so, I want Burrow to be better.. Herbert has that rocket arm, size and is deadly accurate. He has it all.. I'm team Burrow,  but I can't be that big of a homer. No one besides Bengals fans and Dan orlovsky would take Burrow over Herbert at this point..