Another disappointing loss does not have me giving up on this 8-2 Bengals team. Yes I know they lost back to back prime time games, but everything is still right in front of them. Division still for the taking. Everyone seems to think the Steelers have a cake walk to taking the division??! I hope they are ready to go to Seattle this week and yeah they still have to play us...at home...WHO BEAT THEM ALREADY! Now if we somehow lose to the Rams and the Browns... time to really be concerned! IMO this is still a solid team that has a shot to make some noise in January.

WHO DEY!!!  

(11-23-2015, 10:33 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: The Houston game was ugly, but this game was just a hard fought battle.

If teams were meant to win every game in a season, there would be more than 1 undefeated team in the history of the NFL.

This game did not match the narrative of the Bengals that so many people are spouting; that they are primetime chokers or that they are only good against bad teams.

We traveled to a really good team (they really should be undefeated) on a short week and we were one pylon away from winning.

They didn't play perfect nor did they look great the entire game. The 3rd quarter has been an issue for this team seemingly all season and it can be frustrating watching them throw away a half time lead so quickly, but they fought back and were able to tie it, even though we faltered in the following drive.

I know people aren't really interested in hearing this, but a competitive loss is better than a blowout. And no one has blown the Bengals out this season.

We have two losses by a total of 7 points. We'll come back next week and beat the Rams, get to 9-2 and the Steelers will likely fall to 6-5 versus the Seahawks.

I know it is frustrating to fall 2 games in a row, but just remember that we built up an 8-0 start. That start has given us a lot of leeway exactly for this type of situation.

If, in September, you told me we'd be 8-2 and undefeated in the division after week 10, I would be ecstatic.

Why, all of a sudden, is that a bad record?

^This

I wonder how many people would be so concerned about us losing 1 or 2 games at this point if there weren't two undefeated teams in the league. I don't know, have there ever been two 10-0 teams in the same season?

Discipline, or more specifically the lack there of is this teams biggest problem. If it weren't for all the bonehead penalties in the first half we probably win this game. To be fair the refs did hand us a couple ticky tack calls and the one PI in the 2nd half was BS ! But still, Jeremy Hill is lucky he didn't have 2 or 3 penalties, immaturity run amuck.

The only way thi team has a chance of going anywhere is to do a drastic clean up in the penalty department !

(11-23-2015, 01:41 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: ^This

I wonder how many people would be so concerned about us losing 1 or 2 games at this point if there weren't two undefeated teams in the league. I don't know, have there ever been two 10-0 teams in the same season?

the year the Colts and Saints played in the superbowl i believe both made it to 13-0 before the saints lost a game and then the colts sat players the last 2 weeks

(11-23-2015, 07:53 AM)BritishBengal Wrote: Not really. Primetime football is as close to playoff football as you can get. A dress rehearsal of sorts. I don't blame anyone for having doubts. We keep losing the big games. 

Sometimes you learn more from losing than winning, not that my head is in the clouds over any of this. We've entered the phase of the season where all teams face injuries, or just wearing down a little bit before catching the proverbial second wind also. How we overcome these issues will have more to do with our success than when we play the game from this point forward.

I thought the boards had disappeared after the Texans loss , and only now realized today what really happened!

I don't feel upset about the state of the Bengals at all. The Cardinals are a great team this year, and our team played just as well. We came back from a huge deficit in what was a very exciting game. Unfortunately, I thought this game was dictated by many different penalties... some for us and some against us, which tainted the game. I'm still a little miffed about the last call of the game, giving the Cards the closer field goal.

Anyways, the offense looked pretty good for the most part, getting us back into the game, even while leaving plays out on the field. Dalton missed some throws, Jones dropped a huge play, and Andy missed AJ wide open on that one play. The defense on the other hand struggled, and I hope the injuries aren't too serious... is Crocker available? Only kidding.

I know penalties killed us... but some of those calls were complete BS.

Notice right after our first TD they basically walked the cardinals down the field with flags.

(11-23-2015, 03:30 AM)Brandon00151 Wrote: After 2 very close losses and falling to 8-2 on the season where do you see the Bengals right now?

Remaining Schedule
vs Rams
@Cle
vs Pit
@ SF (SNF possibly flexed to 4:15)
@Den (MNF)
vs Bal

I really have no idea how this team is going to finish. I can say that it is playing better than last year's team. Good enough to reach the playoffs? Yes! Good enough to win in the playoffs? Uncertain

Really going to have to see how they respond to two loses in a row. Arizona is a very good team top to bottom, so going toe to toe with on the road was decent. It's not like going to Indy or NE last year and getting slaughtered by half time. I see improvement. Not "greatest Bengals team of all time" kind of improvement, but improvement.

(11-23-2015, 02:36 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: I know penalties killed us... but some of those calls were complete BS.

Notice right after our first TD they basically walked the cardinals down the field with flags.

No doubt man. I hate to complain about refs, but last night still has me fuming about some of the calls and more importantly non-calls that were made. The obvious helmet-to-helmet hit on AJ immediately comes to mind. In such a close game like this to essentially be decided by the refs is complete and utter B/S. To end the game on some H/S call "mimicking the snap count" whens the last time that happened? The refs have been truly horrible in most games this season.

(11-23-2015, 12:47 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: I dont see how anyone can be that upset of devestated about losing a well fought game by 3 points to the home team that is also a very good team.

Mistakes were made but rarely are prefect games played in the NFL.  the put themselves in a position late to take it to OT... the cardinals managed some yards when it mattered the most.

It isnt the loss, but the combination of that 3rd and 2 call by AD followed up by the cushion defense letting them down the field in 30-some seconds to kick the game winner when they had no timeouts.  And those msitakes made were mental ones by AD & PaulieG. Maybe AD thought it was 2nd down or something, I dont know, but he played the odds very poorly in that situation which led to PaulieG playing the odds just as bad, which led to the loss. They play the odds better, the chances of going into OT goes up drastically.

(11-23-2015, 07:46 AM)PhilHos Wrote: Isn't it great how after 8 straight wins, people were like "Bengals are Super Bowl bound!" and now after 2 losses, people are like "Bengals will be lucky to even make the playoffs'?

[expletive deleted] fickle football fans. :snark:

Yes.

If they are healthy going into the playoffs, their chances to win are much better than last year. But that doesnt mean anything if they cant figure out how to not only coach good but also play good when all eyes are on them.

(11-23-2015, 07:53 AM)BritishBengal Wrote: Not really. Primetime football is as close to playoff football as you can get. A dress rehearsal of sorts. I don't blame anyone for having doubts. We keep losing the big games. 

I'm not talking about winning a playoff game. I can understand anyone who thinks we won't. I'm talking about people who honestly think we'll be "lucky" to even make the playoffs.

(11-23-2015, 12:03 PM)ExtraRadiohead Wrote: I don't know about the poll options but this is still a top 5 team.

Record wise, yeah. Production, no.

(11-24-2015, 03:58 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I'm not talking about winning a playoff game. I can understand anyone who thinks we won't. I'm talking about people who honestly think we'll be "lucky" to even make the playoffs.

We will be lucky to make the playoffs. It's not a given.

(11-24-2015, 04:12 PM)Fresno B Wrote: We will be lucky to make the playoffs. It's not a given.

Guys, he isn't a troll though....literally every wildcard team would have to win out and we'd have to lose out to not make the playoffs in some fashion. 

(11-23-2015, 10:08 PM)Millhouse Wrote: It isnt the loss, but the combination of that 3rd and 2 call by AD followed up by the cushion defense letting them down the field in 30-some seconds to kick the game winner when they had no timeouts.  And those msitakes made were mental ones by AD & PaulieG. Maybe AD thought it was 2nd down or something, I dont know, but he played the odds very poorly in that situation which led to PaulieG playing the odds just as bad, which led to the loss. They play the odds better, the chances of going into OT goes up drastically.

Nothing wrong with playing softer coverage on the last drive.  That is exactly what every other team would have done.  the problem was that most of our better DBs were out of the game at that time.

(11-24-2015, 04:13 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: Guys, he isn't a troll though....literally every wildcard team would have to win out and we'd have to lose out to not make the playoffs in some fashion. 

Exactly whats been happening lately. Pissburgh is 2 games back with 6 to go. When was the last time we beat them at home?

I think we are going to win atleast one Playoff game this year.

I just don't know if we can beat the Pats in their place especially with injuries piling up on us.

This is a very good team though guys and we could beat the Pats in their place.

It is definately possible. The injuries are a bit concerning though.

(11-24-2015, 04:56 PM)Fresno B Wrote: Exactly whats been happening lately. Pissburgh is 2 games back with 6 to go. When was the last time we beat them at home?

So you have never heard of a wildcard team making the playoffs?

And we beat the Steelers at home in 2013.