1. The Continuity and gained experience of Zac,Lou,and Brian foremost but the staff in general.
2. The Continuity of Joe and his receivers
3. The Continuity of all 11 defensive starters returning
4. The improved OL will help in our biggest weaknesses the red zone and short yardage
5. The improved OL should expand our playbook. In the Athletic Podcast earlier this summer Brian and Zac lamented how it severely limited what they wanted to do on offense.
6. The Bengals weren’t a fluke. Flukes don’t beat KC twice. Flukes don’t beat Baltimore 41-17 & 41-21 Pittsburg 41-10 & 24-10 Beat the Raiders 32-13 on the road. Go win in the playoffs on the road in OT & last 30 seconds. They were 6-2 to end the season ( not counting the Browns)

Great post. I don't know of one talking head that is taking the Bengals to win it all. I think there was one on the few shows I saw on NFL network that took them to lose to the Bucs. Regardless, this isn't the Bengal team that beat some bad teams and backed into a playoff loss vs the Texans, this is a team and QB you DON'T bet against.

The Bengals will also improve this season. However, so will some other teams.

(08-22-2022, 07:03 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: 6. The Bengals weren’t a fluke. Flukes don’t beat KC twice. Flukes don’t beat Baltimore 41-17 & 41-21 Pittsburg 41-10 & 24-10 Beat the Raiders 32-13 on the road. Go win in the playoffs on the road in OT & last 30 seconds. They were 6-2 to end the season ( not counting the Browns)

You don't know the definition of "fluke".  I am not saying the '21 Bengals were nothing more than a fluke, but they certainly fit the requirements..

-No team played fewer games against teams with a winning record than the Bengals (7) yet we barely made the playoffs at 10-7.

-13 games into the season we were 7-6 with the #14 offense and #17 defense.

-We got hot and won 6 games but half of them were decided on the last play of the game.

Anyone who does not understand why a lot of NFL fans see our '21 season as a fluke is just in denial.

(08-22-2022, 08:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You don't know the definition of "fluke".  I am not saying the '21 Bengals were nothing more than a fluke, but they certainly fit the requirements..

-No team played fewer games against teams with a winning record than the Bengals (7) yet we barely made the playoffs at 10-7.

-13 games into the season we were 7-6 with the #14 offense and #17 defense.

-We got hot and won 6 games but half of them were decided on the last play of the game.

Anyone who does not understand why a lot of NFL fans see our '21 season as a fluke is just in denial.

I know the definition of a fluke:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/fluke
something, usually a good thing, that has happened as result of chance instead of skill or planning.

So feel free to consider me in denial. 

(08-22-2022, 08:36 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I know the definition of a fluke:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/fluke
something, usually a good thing, that has happened as result of chance instead of skill or planning.

So feel free to consider me in denial. 

So you believe that the Bengals just chose to not plan or use their skill through the first 13 games of the season?

That is an interesting theory.

(08-22-2022, 08:39 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So you believe that the Bengals just chose to not plan or use their skill through the first 13 games of the season?

That is an interesting theory.

It's no more of a fluke than both of the Giants Superbowl runs. 

That said I think both were flukey and if Burrow was to have the same career as Eli I would consider it very underwhelming (minus the 2 superbowls). 

(08-22-2022, 08:39 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So you believe that the Bengals just chose to not plan or use their skill through the first 13 games of the season?

That is an interesting theory.

Nope. I believe the Bengals understood, like most sane folks, that it's a 17-game season. After week 7 of the season, we were the top seed in the AFC with a 5-2 record and 3-0 in the AFC; so yeah, they planned and used their skill through the first 13 games. They planned and used their skill all year and it resulted in a Super Bowl appearance. 

(08-22-2022, 08:44 PM)TheFan Wrote: It's no more of a fluke than both of the Giants Superbowl runs. 

Actually the Giants were bigger flukes because they actually WON those Super Bowls.

After the Giants won the Super Bowl in '07 it was 4 years before they won another playoff game.

In the decade since winning in 2011 the Giants have only made the playoffs once and have zero postseason wins.

(08-22-2022, 08:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You don't know the definition of "fluke".  I am not saying the '21 Bengals were nothing more than a fluke, but they certainly fit the requirements..

-No team played fewer games against teams with a winning record than the Bengals (7) yet we barely made the playoffs at 10-7.

-13 games into the season we were 7-6 with the #14 offense and #17 defense.

-We got hot and won 6 games but half of them were decided on the last play of the game.

Anyone who does not understand why a lot of NFL fans see our '21 season as a fluke is just in denial.

Good teams win by making plays on the last play of the game. Bad teams blow it. It's no different when the Zac Taylor fanclub was saying we were close because we were losing close. Those were bad teams losing the way bad teams lose. Getting hot at the right time is generally how teams make Super Bowl runs.

(08-22-2022, 08:49 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Nope. I believe the Bengals understood, like most sane folks, that it's a 17-game season. After week 7 of the season, we were the top seed in the AFC with a 5-2 record and 3-0 in the AFC; so yeah, they planned and used their skill through the first 13 games. They planned and used their skill all year and it resulted in a Super Bowl appearance. 

There is a logical disconnect in your argument.

You can't claim the team had the same talent and planning the first 13 games when they were just 7-6 as they did winning 3 straight playoff games.  After 7 weeks into the season we only had one win against a team that would finish with a winning record (and just barely at 9-7-1)

There had to be something else coming into play because the results were very different.

(08-22-2022, 08:52 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Actually the Giants were bigger flukes because they actually WON those Super Bowls.

After the Giants won the Super Bowl in '07 it was 4 years before they won another playoff game.

In the decade since winning in 2011 the Giants have only made the playoffs once and have zero postseason wins.

Oh I agree, but I think fluking into a superbowl really isn't that rare. I hope we're the next Patriots but it's more likely we only make it back to 1 superbowl at best. 

(08-22-2022, 08:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You don't know the definition of "fluke".  I am not saying the '21 Bengals were nothing more than a fluke, but they certainly fit the requirements..

-No team played fewer games against teams with a winning record than the Bengals (7) yet we barely made the playoffs at 10-7.

-13 games into the season we were 7-6 with the #14 offense and #17 defense.

-We got hot and won 6 games but half of them were decided on the last play of the game.

Anyone who does not understand why a lot of NFL fans see our '21 season as a fluke is just in denial.

In order to win those games at the end they had to stay in the game didn't they ? So their first score was a fluke, their second score was a fluke, so on so on. 

(08-22-2022, 08:59 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: In order to win those games at the end they had to stay in the game didn't they ? So their first score was a fluke, their second score was a fluke, so on so on. 

I have no idea what you are trying to say.

Based on the definitions I see you guys trying to use there would never be any "flukes" in the NFL ever.

(08-22-2022, 08:57 PM)fredtoast Wrote: There is a logical disconnect in your argument.

You can't claim the team had the same talent and planning the first 13 games when they were just 7-6 as they did winning 3 straight playoff games.  After 7 weeks into the season we only had one win against a team that would finish with a winning record (and just barely at 9-7-1)

There had to be something else coming into play because the results were very different.

Your trollish schtick has grown old with me.

There was nothing flukish about our 2022 season. We had a talented well-coached team, who stayed at/near the top of the division from week 1 to week 17. After we played 13 games (for some reason a very important point in the season to you) we were leading our division and the #4 seed in the AFC. EXACTLY where we finished the season. 

Ha ha ate dinner and fell asleep watching MNF Countdown ( I bet with Suzy Kolber on Joe Namath didn’t fall asleep LMAO). Checked back to find old Fred Fart got every poster to disagree with him. Imagine that? I hope the Bengals go 20-0 and shut him up. He’s no fan.

(08-22-2022, 07:03 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: 1. The Continuity and gained experience of Zac,Lou,and Brian foremost but the staff in general.
2. The Continuity of Joe and his receivers
3. The Continuity of all 11 defensive starters returning
4. The improved OL will help in our biggest weaknesses the red zone and short yardage
5. The improved OL should expand our playbook. In the Athletic Podcast earlier this summer Brian and Zac lamented how it severely limited what they wanted to do on offense.
6. The Bengals weren’t a fluke. Flukes don’t beat KC twice. Flukes don’t beat Baltimore 41-17 & 41-21 Pittsburg 41-10 & 24-10 Beat the Raiders 32-13 on the road. Go win in the playoffs on the road in OT & last 30 seconds. They were 6-2 to end the season ( not counting the Browns)

Well said. Kind of nice though them all doubting us again. Our starters should have an even bigger chip on their shoulders going
into this season than they did after they beat the Raiders in the Playoffs. As Burrow said at that time, sick of the underdog narrative,
we are a really good team and are looking to win it all or something like that lol

Depth is our only question and the Bills who I haven't seen us play yet who HAVE great depth.

We will see, but the Bills are the only team that make me wonder a touch if we can beat them and we get a shot at them this 
season which is awesome. This team isn't scared of anyone, and we are muchly improved just as much as any team in the AFC.

Fred conveniently forgets Burrow was coming off a horrible injury. Once he got his sea legs the Bengals were off to the races.

Bengals played smart winning football... a lot of those 1 score games were because they bled the clock and effectively shortened the game. They were not in danger of losing many of those games.

(08-22-2022, 10:02 PM)QueenCity Wrote: Fred conveniently forgets Burrow was coming off a horrible injury.  Once he got his sea legs the Bengals were off to the races.

Bengals played smart winning football... a lot of those 1 score games were because they bled the clock and effectively shortened the game.  They were not in danger of losing many of those games.

 Truth.

I don't know how good we will be this year with Burrow healthy and in the best shape of his life with an improved OL and 
Chase, Tee, Boyd, Hurst, Mixon, Evans etc.

(08-22-2022, 07:03 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: 1. The Continuity and gained experience of Zac,Lou,and Brian foremost but the staff in general.
2. The Continuity of Joe and his receivers
3. The Continuity of all 11 defensive starters returning
4. The improved OL will help in our biggest weaknesses the red zone and short yardage
5. The improved OL should expand our playbook. In the Athletic Podcast earlier this summer Brian and Zac lamented how it severely limited what they wanted to do on offense.
6. The Bengals weren’t a fluke. Flukes don’t beat KC twice. Flukes don’t beat Baltimore 41-17 & 41-21 Pittsburg 41-10 & 24-10 Beat the Raiders 32-13 on the road. Go win in the playoffs on the road in OT & last 30 seconds. They were 6-2 to end the season ( not counting the Browns)

The only thing Vegas and the NM cares about is trends. Trend says that only once in the last 27 years has a team lost a SB and returned the next year and that was the GOAT. Before that, it had been 46 years since a team lost a SB and won it the following year. 

In the entirety of the SB era (56 years) only 8 teams have returned to the SB the year after losing it. Three of those times were one team (Bills). Only 3 teams in the SB era have won the SB after losing the previous year. 

Vegas and the NM don't care about continuity and improvements.