https://deadspin.com/get-your-torches-and-pitchforks-ready-it-s-time-for-be-1849345215

The Cincinnati Bengals were every analyst’s nightmare last season. Nobody expected them to win the AFC North. They did. Nobody expected them to reach the Super Bowl. They did. Now, in 2022, everyone is expecting similar results, maybe not another Super Bowl appearance, but at least 10 wins and a playoff berth.

Everyone but me.

I’m going against the grain. Have I been burned by the Bengals before? Absolutely, but much like when I rushed into a relationship after the biggest heartbreak of my life, I am ready to do it all over again!

I’m not going to sit here and say the Bengals are a worse team now than they were at the end of last season. They’re not. Sure, they lost T Riley Reiff and TE C.J. Uzomah, but the additions of lineman Alex Cappa, La’el Collins, Ted Karras, as well as TE Hayden Hurst far outweigh those losses. That’s not where I have an issue. My issue lies in believing the Bengals can recapture that magic they had last year. The Bengals’ improbable run to the Super Bowl was fueled by last-minute plays, players having career years, and luck.

There are just too many question marks. For one, do we think Trey Hendrickson will get at least half a sack in 11 straight games again, a feat that’s only been accomplished two other times (in a single season) since the turn of the century? Do we really think Chidobe Awuzie is going to be a top-tier corner again like he was last season after 2018, ’19, and ’20 where his ceiling was just above serviceable? Are we sure the Bengals will be able to handle a first-place schedule in a much-improved AFC?

Let’s talk about that for a second. Let’s think about how many teams in the AFC are either really good, really well-coached, or vastly improved this offseason. The Chiefs are good. The Bengals play them this year. The Titans have some question marks, but they’re pretty well-coached. The Bengals will play Tennessee this year. The Dolphins got better. The Ravens got healthy. The Browns will have gotten better after Watson serves his suspension. The Bills are pretty damn good.

Let’s say the Bengals make the playoffs. They might face the Chargers. They’re better than they were last year. The Broncos improved. The Raiders improved. The Colts improved. Every decent team in the AFC got better, so the Bengals’ additions of Collins, Cappa, and Karras aren’t actually as big a step forward as it may seem. I’d argue that they are one of the lesser-improved contenders in the AFC.

The Bengals’ offense was great last year, but in football, you always have to be evolving. After a full offseason of studying the Bengals’ game tape, teams will adjust if the Bengals’ coaching staff doesn’t start injecting new life into their play-calling. Is Zac Taylor really that kind of coach? The kind that can create new dynamic plays while stretching the limits of his personnel? I doubt it, because as explosive as the Bengals’ offense was last year, it was clear that Taylor was holding them back. Many fans believe Burrow had to win in spite of Taylor rather than Taylor working to make Burrow better. Taylor’s play-calling in the playoffs was less than stellar and fans were well aware. Now that the Bengals aren’t catching anyone by surprise, the coaching is going to become all the more important and Taylor hasn’t shown enough to warrant confidence from me.

The connection between Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase was magical last year. It was explosive, exciting, and most of all, made everyone who said Chase’s preseason drops would be a problem come the regular season (including me) tuck their head between their legs and waddle away from the adult table at Thanksgiving in shame. However, taking a look at some of those catches from last year, I find it hard to envision a world where that same magic is captured in Year 2. Most of the explosiveness between the two came on deep passes. I doubt there was anyone better in the league on go routes than Chase. However, Burrow’s (in)consistency on deep passes has always been a hot topic when discussing the former No. 1 overall pick...until last year. All those worries seemed to fade away because of how good Chase was at bringing those deep passes down. Maybe it was a sign of what’s to come, but maybe Burrow regresses in that department and all of a sudden Chase can’t bring down quite so many. I don’t think that’s an unwarranted concern. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s another “what if” that lingers in the back of my mind while trying to evaluate this Bengals team.

Lastly, I know it’s been said and observed a million times, but just because the Bengals were in the Super Bowl last year doesn’t mean they’re just a piece or two away from winning it all. Most of the time, a Super Bowl appearance is as high as a team goes. Do you know who else thought they were just a piece or two away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy? The 2016 Atlanta Falcons, the 2015 Carolina Panthers, the 2008 Arizona Cardinals, Dan Marino — you get the idea. The history of teams losing in the Super Bowl and then underperforming the following season is well-documented.

Just look at recent losers in the Super Bowl. In 2020, the 2019 NFC champion San Francisco 49ers missed the playoffs entirely. The 2019 Rams missed the playoffs. The 2018 Eagles reached the playoffs, only to win one game because of the double doink and promptly get dropped by the Saints. The 2017 Falcons finished third in their division, and lost to Nick Foles in the divisional round. The 2016 Panthers went 6-10. The 2015 Seahawks had their worst season (record-wise) in the Russell Wilson era to that point. The 2014 Broncos saw Peyton Manning lose to the guy who replaced him in Indianapolis. The 2013 49ers became broken after they went after Richard Sherman with a sorry receiver like Michael Crabtree. You get the idea. Most of the time, a Super Bowl loss is the furthest the team goes for several years.

I don’t think this is a bad team by any means, but are they really the best team in the AFC? No. Last year, they squeaked through the playoffs. They won’t get as lucky in the same situation this time around.

Just putting this out there for discussion.

Yes, I think Hendrickson is going to be the same beast this year he was last year, and yes, I think Awuzie will once again excel under Lou's system and another year of the DB's playing together. Everyone wants to talk about why the Chief's, Bills, Ravens et al will all be better, but they do not want to talk about why the Bengals will be better instead of taking a step back. It's like they are hoping for Cincy to fall, just so they can say they were right and last year was a fluke.

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote:  The Chiefs are good. The Bengals play them this year. 

We played them last year. Twice. Won both times.

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote:  The Titans have some question marks, but they’re pretty well-coached. The Bengals will play Tennessee this year. 

Played them last year, too. Yes, it was post season, but we still played them AND beat them. Did this guy actually WATCH any games last year? Hell, did he even see the scores from last year?

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Let’s say the Bengals make the playoffs. They might face the Chargers. They’re better than they were last year. The Broncos improved. The Raiders improved. The Colts improved. Every decent team in the AFC got better, so the Bengals’ additions of Collins, Cappa, and Karras aren’t actually as big a step forward as it may seem. I’d argue that they are one of the lesser-improved contenders in the AFC.

I wouldn't necessarily disagree but when one team has only 1 major need (OL for us) and other teams have more than 1 major need and each team address said major needs, then, yes, we didn't improve as much. And it's not like we declined. Improving is still improving.

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: However, Burrow’s (in)consistency on deep passes has always been a hot topic when discussing the former No. 1 overall pick...until last year.

Wait. What? Yes, there were concerns during his rookie year, but there was no consistency issues from him coming out of college. This guy either doesn't know what he's talking about or was told to write an article disparaging the Bengals and this is the only crap he could come up with.

I'm not ready to get a torch and pitchfork just because this person is more skeptical than most.
It's natural to think that last year could have been more of a fluke and they could come back down to Earth.
I think the Bengals are capable of getting deep into the playoffs again, but I won't be overly surprised if they lose in first round of playoffs.
Missing the playoffs will 100% be a letdown though, but I don't really see that happening unless Burrow is hurt for an extended period of time.

First of all let me say that I agree with the idea that the Bengals will not get all the breaks that they did last year.  I also agree that they will probably end up playing a much tougher schedule than they did last year.  The '21 Bengals only played 7 games against teams that finished with a winning record.  That was the lowest number in the entire league.


But in my opinion the rebuilt offensive line will make us so much better that we will still be a legitimate championship contender.


I also disagree with.  .  .  

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote:  I doubt it, because as explosive as the Bengals’ offense was last year, it was clear that Taylor was holding them back. Many fans believe Burrow had to win in spite of Taylor rather than Taylor working to make Burrow better. Taylor’s play-calling in the playoffs was less than stellar and fans were well aware. Now that the Bengals aren’t catching anyone by surprise, the coaching is going to become all the more important and Taylor hasn’t shown enough to warrant confidence from me.

1.  Fans generally don't know shit about play calling.  It is far more complex than they think.  Plus I have seen the exact same call in the exact same situation be praised when it worked in one game and trashed when it failed in another.

2.  I am not going to claim Taylor is a savant play caller, but he was seriously limited by his offensive line last year.  I doubt any team with a worse O-line ever made it to the Super Bowl.  You can adjust your game plan if you have a weak spot at RB, TE or WR.  But a bad O-line or QB will make any play caller look bad.

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote:  do we think Trey Hendrickson will get at least half a sack in 11 straight games again, a feat that’s only been accomplished two other times (in a single season) since the turn of the century?

No, but I have no reason to assume his overall production will go down at all.

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote:  Do we really think Chidobe Awuzie is going to be a top-tier corner again like he was last season after 2018, ’19, and ’20 where his ceiling was just above serviceable? 

YesI do.  If he had not changed teams then it might have ben a random fluke.  But we see players get a lot better (and sometimes worse) based on nothing more than changing teams.

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Let’s say the Bengals make the playoffs. They might face the Chargers. They’re better than they were last year. The Broncos improved. The Raiders improved. The Colts improved. Every decent team in the AFC got better, so the Bengals’ additions of Collins, Cappa, and Karras aren’t actually as big a step forward as it may seem. I’d argue that they are one of the lesser-improved contenders in the AFC..

This is a big stretch.  Those other teams all added players, but they also lost players.  Overall I would say that none of them had a weakness as glaring as the Bengals offensive line, and none of them did more to address their weakness (3 new starters) than the Bengals offensive line. 

(07-29-2022, 01:41 PM)kdgjr Wrote:  Burrow’s (in)consistency on deep passes has always been a hot topic when discussing the former No. 1 overall pick...until last year. All those worries seemed to fade away because of how good Chase was at bringing those deep passes down. Maybe it was a sign of what’s to come, but maybe Burrow regresses in that department and all of a sudden Chase can’t bring down quite so many. I don’t think that’s an unwarranted concern. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s another “what if” that lingers in the back of my mind while trying to evaluate this Bengals team.

1.  Anyone remember Burrow's inconsistency on deep throws being a "hot topic" after his final season at LSU?

2.  If his increase in deep pass success happened in the middle of his career then it would look like a fluke, but with Burrow just in his second season it is reasonable to assume that he is just improving his skills.

3.  If his increase in success was all due to Chase it will not regress because we still have Chase.

This is just so, so bad. I don't even have the energy to argue it.

Apparently "luck" is the only metric that has ever affected the Bengals in all of pro sports. I just don't have it in me to argue these lazy stupid takes anymore. Please let the season begin.

The guy is full of shit

1.) Trey Hendrickson has 27 sacks the past 2 seasons. The guy has proven he is a #1 pass Rushers in the NFL.

2.) Auwzie has been a good CB for most of his career. He only had one bad season in 2019. Maybe he isn't a true lock down CB but he is pretty damn good.

3.) The Bengals are 4-0 against the Chiefs and Titans the past two seasons including playoffs.

4.) This guy apparently hasn't heard of Higgins, Boyd, and Mixon. With an improved offensive Line this team isn't going to just be good offensively it's going to be the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. Think 99 Vikings and 2007 Patriots level offense.

How were the Bengals lucky in the playoffs? They beat the best two teams at their place despite having a terrible offensive line.

(07-29-2022, 02:38 PM)J24 Wrote: The guy is full of shit

1.) Trey Hendrickson has 27 sacks the past 2 seasons. The guy has proven he is a #1 pass Rushers in the NFL.

2.) Auwzie has been a good CB for most of his career. He only had one bad season in 2019. Maybe he isn't a true lock down CB but he is pretty damn good.

3.) The Bengals are 4-0 against the Chiefs and Titans the past two seasons including playoffs.

4.) This guy apparently hasn't heard of Higgins,  Boyd, and Mixon. With an improved offensive Line this team isn't going to just be good offensively it's going to be the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. Think 99 Vikings and 2007 Patriots level offense.

How were the Bengals lucky in the playoffs? They beat the best two teams at their place despite having a terrible offensive line.

People like to claim the Bengals making plays as "luck". The interceptions in the three playoff games. The field goal kicks by McPherson. The comebacks against the Chiefs. 

Those all look like a team/individuals making plays to win the games to me. 

Did the team benefit from some fortune with playing the Henryless Titans? Sure. Did they have some calls go their way in the playoffs? Sure. 

I wouldn't single handedly attribute that to them making the Super Bowl, though. 

Also, you could argue this team was less lucky last year than it was lucky. They lost more one score games than they won in the regular season. 

(07-29-2022, 02:19 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'm not ready to get a torch and pitchfork just because this person is more skeptical than most.
It's natural to think that last year could have been more of a fluke and they could come back down to Earth.
I think the Bengals are capable of getting deep into the playoffs again, but I won't be overly surprised if they lose in first round of playoffs.
Missing the playoffs will 100% be a letdown though, but I don't really see that happening unless Burrow is hurt for an extended period of time.

This pretty much nails it.

To contradict the OP a bit:

Burrow was also hitting Tee Higgins on deep balls, hit Joe Mixon a time or two, TB a few times, and CJ a few times. The author makes it sound like the only deep balls completed went to Chase. That's wildly incorrect.

I think the OL held the offense back more than any other player or coach.

Play calling? I thought that sweep with Chase against the Raiders on FOURTH DOWN was flat out ballsy and totally unexpected. How about going for broke in TN to secure field position for the game winning FG? How about the Joe Mixon TD pass in the Super Bowl? Sure, it wasn't like Don Coryell out there calling plays, but it wasn't garbage either.

Can Hendrickson sustain that level? I dunno, but he's done it two straight years.

I think Chido is in a system that fits him better, and he has guys like Hilton, Bell, and Bates out there with him too. And Logan Wilson....

Here is what it all boils down to.  We have all seen average teams get on a hot streak.  And most of us require seeing longer-term, more consistent success before acknowledging that the team is "good" instead of "average but on a hot streak".  Just go back and look at how many people picked the '08 or '12 Giants to return to the Super Bowl after WINNING it the year before.

13 games into the '21 season the Bengals were 7-6 and struggling to stay in the playoff race.  We managed 6 more wins, but 3 of them were on the last play of the game.  One of them required a 3rd-and-25 conversion.  And the Broncos fumbled the ball away inside out 10 yard line in a 5 point loss.  When Pats, Steelers, Packers or any other consistent contender wins like that it is because "They know how to win close games".  When a team that has not had a winning record in 5 years wins like that it is "luck".  That is just how perception works.  We do the same thing to the other 31 teams.

(07-29-2022, 02:42 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Did the team benefit from some fortune with playing the Henryless Titans? Sure...
 

The Bengals beat the Titans with Henry at RB.  Maybe Henry wasnt 100% but he did play and the Bengals did a good job stopping him and the Tennessee offense.

(07-29-2022, 03:49 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: The Bengals beat the Titans with Henry at RB.  Maybe Henry wasnt 100% but he did play and the Bengals did a good job stopping him and the Tennessee offense.

That is what I meant by that, he was a shell of himself that game. 

The offense is too good to not make the playoffs. The only way this team falters is if Burrow gets hurt. That's it. You cannot defend this team. With an offensive line there is no more weakness. Teams will need to blitz to get pressure now and Burrow will absolutely eat it up.

(07-29-2022, 01:42 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Just putting this out there for discussion.

My discussion point is this.

This is another dumb ass looking for clicks, by taking a position to enflames a population and get more clicks.  Most of his takes are idiotic.  I'm not biting (clicking).

Whatever. Taken with a grain of salt.

I guess we were lucky against the Jets, 49er's and Chargers also.

Truth is the Bengal defense played very well down the stretch and into the playoffs. Yeah offensively they weren't powerful in the playoffs but they had a big weakness that was exposed badly. They've addressed that weakness so let's see how it plays out.

The Bengals have struggled for a very long time. 1988 since their last Super Bowl. 1990 since there last playoff win. You don’t shake that in one year. I was watching the NFL Network the other night with Kurt Warner and some others. He very emphatically said look the Bengals were very good last year and dramatically improved a huge weakness. It’s pretty simple and a lot of the media doesn’t get it.

I think the man has some valid points. But I also think the 2nd half of the season is more like what the REAL team is like--they were two different teams once they got to say game 12. The defense gelled around Anarumo's game plans. Burrow's knee finally healed to the point where is it was not longer an issue, we have seen players come back in less than a year and play well, but they never seem to get back to where they left off until a full year of healing passes.

Yes, we got lucky with some bounces, we had some unlucky ones also. Perine's muffed pass against the Titans and Joe's fumble against the Chargers completely changed those games. One they shook off (2nd half team), the other buried them (first half team).

They won't be sneaking up on anyone this year and the other teams have also improved as well. Except the Chiefs without Hill are a different team IMHO, a worse one.
The Bengals? Chase will have a year of seasoning and be even better, Tee is entering year 3 when good receivers generally turn into great receivers and TB will bust his all year to atone for his one and only dropped pass of the year in the SB. A better line that is veteran and not be fooled by every twist and stunt will translate into more holes and longer pass routes. I only see the offense becoming top 3. Lou continues to impress me with his design and game planning and in game adjustments. Added more pieces to an already good defense.

Last year's team is the team we thought THIS year's team would be...a SB contender. Year ahead of schedule. I still think the rest of the AFC needs to be worried about the Bengals, not vice versa.

"The Bengals’ improbable run to the Super Bowl was fueled by last-minute plays, players having career years, and luck."

I stopped reading at this point because this guy that refers to himself as an analyst, only has the first four letters right.

The Bengals made last minute plays all season long, with the help of excellent two minute offense, stifling defense (especially in the playoffs) and a plethora of first and second year players hitting their stride. Who had a career year that has been here more than two years? CJ? That career year was so incredible they let him walk. Hendrickson? Pretty much duplicated his previous year. Reader? Back from injury. Awuzie? Maybe I will give you him, but that is it.

The so-called analyst didn't watch the Bengals and for him to clearly not even watch their playoff run is stunning given his self-promotion of his title.

As far as luck goes, they were 9th in the league in terms of health. That means 25% of the teams had healthier rosters than them. That's 25% healthier than the average. Not a huge leap.

What the Bengals did last year was buy in to the defensive schemes of Lou, and execute them to near perfection down the stretch. Burrow got more and more confident on his repaired knee and was rolling by season's end. Chase ended up being a huge piece to the offensive puzzle and so much opens up because of his presence.

To call the Bengals lucky and dismiss their season as last-minute plays and career years when they absolutely destroyed pitt and baltimore TWICE EACH is just insane. No one else put a beat down on the Ravens like the Bengals did.

I don't need a pitchfork, just a delete button. Douchebags like that don't deserve my time as they are not real analysts. Just click-bait fishermen.

This is not the same Bengals team that needed those breaks.

The improved O-line should make this squad very hard to handle.

Plus last year Joe was trying to get the team to believe and like the fans not all did at first. Now they're "all in" and addressed they're weak O-line in offseason.

The schedule will be tougher though, yet so will the confident Bengals.

Already boxed up my pitchforks and torches for the foreseeable future.