It will not be an easy road to haul getting to SB in AFC for the next decade it appears.

Burrow, Josh Allen. Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and we still don't know where Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, or Russel Wilson land yet. plus some young bucks who may improve and get into the mix.

Its going to be a crazy good division with epic playoff games to come for the near future without a doubt.

Yet absolutely believe the Bengals will be back as long as they try to get back and that means by fixing O-line. if they remain idle on O-line or try and put a band aid on it then it will be very difficult to get back.


Yet I believe this is a new era and think this particular Bengals successful season not only broke a lot of curses and was a huge uplift for the fans as well. But think it will change the culture of FO, after getting a taste of success just think they will be all in at protecting our hottest commodity Joe Burrow.

So yes, Absolutely

I think yes. They have a young core. They weren't "supposed" to be here this year. They had a fun ride. The players and fans got to feel the excitement, but without the pressure that this was their window and they had to capitalize. What happened? They fell short. It stings. I watched the players speak on Sunday night. That wasn't a team that was deflated and dejected knowing they blew it. That was a team that tasted how close they got and wants to finish what they started.

I'm wrong every day that ends in Y, but I don't see this team slumping next year. Not saying it'll be easy. It could be 2 years before they get back to the SB. But I don't see this as an ending, but a beginning. Lots of reasons to be optimistic, especially with a good FA and draft this year. It sucked for about 10 minutes on Sunday night watching LA celebrate, and then I was ready to move on and get excited for next season. I'll be completely shocked if they can't make it back to a SB within the next couple of years as long as they upgrade that O-line properly and keep relatively healthy.

If you believe in Burrow having the “it” factor than how can you not? Bengals front office better do their job and rebuild that entire OL.

Our goal this off-season should be how to win our division factoring in that Pitt is somehow gonna fall forward and probably land ARod or Russell Wilson.

(02-15-2022, 11:37 AM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: I agree, but I think the assumption is, we should get only better. If they attack the O-line this off-season like they did the defense the past two season.

We are gonna lose some key players as well.   and it takes a lot to make it to the superbowl....  Not saying they cant.  Just impossible to predict.

The thing is the Bills and Chiefs will be very tough for years to come. I think the Bengals can beat them but they have to get HFA almost all the time against teams like that.

(02-15-2022, 11:47 AM)Nepa Wrote: But Mahomes and Wilson and Favre did win a Super Bowl and Roethlisberger won two. Not sure they relate. 

Sure, they did. But after losing… they never went back. Something to be said about making it that far and falling short at the very end.

(02-15-2022, 12:38 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: We are gonna lose some key players as well.   and it takes a lot to make it to the superbowl....  Not saying they cant.  Just impossible to predict.

Define key player?

They won’t lose bates
They won’t lose both Larry o and Hill

They may lose Eli. I hope they lose 80% of the offensive line.

Most every recent piece of this team is on a multi year contract.

(02-15-2022, 12:45 PM)packerbacker Wrote: The thing is the Bills and Chiefs will be very tough for years to come. I think the Bengals can beat them but they have to get HFA almost all the time against teams like that.

Titans handled both the Bills, Chiefs[destroyed] this past season and also destroyed the Rams in LA. 

Ravens will be healthy and circling their schedule for us and I don't know why the Browns have our number.

The Steelers had a horrible QB for them last year, if they upgrade lookout as they were only a half game behind us.    

(02-15-2022, 12:18 PM)Housh Wrote: Our goal this off-season should be how to win our division factoring in that Pitt is somehow gonna fall forward and probably land ARod or Russell Wilson.

I don't think the Steelers signing a baseball player to play QB in the NFL is going to work out too well.

In my opinion, the Bengal offense is just a functional OL from being nearly unstoppable. As long as they can keep the defense mostly intact, and perhaps upgrade just a tad at CB, I view this team as serious contenders for the foreseeable future.

(02-15-2022, 12:38 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: We are gonna lose some key players as well.   and it takes a lot to make it to the superbowl....  Not saying they cant.  Just impossible to predict.

I don’t think we will lose many players. They will franchise Bates at the least, and I’m sure they will sign some of their 1 year deal guys. Most of our core is locked up for a few years.

(02-15-2022, 01:28 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I don't think the Steelers signing a baseball player to play QB in the NFL is going to work out too well.

Come on - Wilson only played a little baseball after he was drafted. He’s an established NFL star now…









(Yes I got the ARod joke)

The road back to the Super Bowl may be tougher next season. We MADE the Super Bowl, so now all the other teams are on notice. We NEED to beef up that OLine because our chances for a return and a ring live and die with Burrow.

(02-15-2022, 11:39 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Three times since 1990 a losing Quarterback has made it back to the Super Bowl, within 5 years.

Jim Kelly
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning

Notable QBs who haven’t returned (not just within 5 years… but ever) after losing a SB.
Mahomes - likely to soon to add to this list, but time will tell. I do think time is slipping from that team, and blowing a 21-3 lead will be extremely difficult to overcome.
Matt Ryan
Cam Newton
Russel Wilson
Big Ben
McNair
Favre


I’d like to think Burrow is closer to the first group than the Latter. Time will tell, but I do think we can be back within 5 years.

The stat people were looking at is first time to the super bowl and lost, how often they end up winning one.

Put it this way, the odds are low, but not as low as the odds were for the bengals to win the super bowl this season and they almost did. If somebody else has done it before, burrow has a chance, he’s doing things people haven’t done before. History does not account for that.

Alot really depends on what we do in free agency and the draft. If we can fix the OLine and add some solid depth, I think we have a shot.

This will also depend on how other teams change as well. I think we will have a good idea as next season progresses since we are playing a harder schedule next year and have several of this years play off teams on it. If we can win those in the regular season, then I think we have a good shot.

If we take a step back or don't address the OLine, then we'll be in some sad shape and won't make as deep a run in the playoffs - if we make it at all. We had too many things go our way this year because - I think - we were underestimated. That won't happen again.

(02-15-2022, 11:12 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Now that we've all had a day or two to get past the emotion of not winning the game, will we be back in it any time soon?

Absolutely. We are extremely young and will only get better. We won't ignore the OL which is the reason we didn't win it all.

We still could of won if we just made sure Kupp wouldn't beat us on that obvious fade. With an improved O-line in front of Joe
and Joe this team can be unstoppable. Expecting a SB win soon, not just getting there, but a Lombardi. As soon as one year from
now. Taylor will get better at what he does, we will be getting additions that can put us over the peak in all 3 phases.

Lou is sticking around it sounds like which is great, cannot believe I am saying this after the first 2 years he was our DC but my 
biggest concern was Lou leaving for a HC job after the season he just had. Our Defense is for real, just need to bring back BJ 
Hill, Bates and add some more guys to stay as deep as possible.

(02-15-2022, 11:16 AM)Pezmerga Wrote: I think we needed those bounces because of our OLine. If we improve that, we won't need as many bounces.
This team has a lot of young key players as well. 

Exactly

I've said it a dozen times already and I'm sure I'll say it 5 dozen more before it's over. If this front office will go out and get a couple top shelf free agent Olinemen. And draft a high round OL this team will be a contender.

And I mean true top graded in their prime OL free agents.

Let's face it our Oline has basically stunk for several years now and with Burrow and CO. in their youth now is the time to go all in. No more half measures !

(02-15-2022, 02:38 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Exactly

I've said it a dozen times already and I'm sure I'll say it 5 dozen more before it's over. If this front office will go out and get a couple top shelf free agent Olinemen. And draft a high round OL this team will be a contender.

And I mean true top graded in their prime OL free agents.

Let's face it our Oline has basically stunk for several years now and with Burrow and CO. in their youth now is the time to go all in. No more half measures !

True dat! Imagine this team with a top 5 O-line for once...

I think it is partly a function of how long someone has been a Bengals fan how optimistic they are of a quick return. The long timers who remember the way the franchise usually operates tend towards pessimism while the very recent fans tend to think otherwise.