Why?

Why, more often than not, do the Cincinnati Bengals turn into milquetoast wimps and allow the Steelers’ defense to beat them up on the playground for lunch money?

I’ve been watching the same scenario for decades and I’m sick of it. Why does the Bengals’ offense just take it? More important, why can’t the Bengals’ defense do that too?

I know the NFL desires a high scoring television-friendly game. With that said there’s a lot to be said for a shutdown defense; the Bengals’ defense played technically well today — props to Lou Anarumo — but Pittsburgh is going to win a lot of games playing their punishing style of defense. Every hit they make is jarring, they throw players around, and they intimidate.

The Steelers’ defense scared Joe Burrow today. They made Ja’Marr Chase look tentative. I haven’t seen that since the 2021 preseason.

Maybe Zac Taylor should have played the first team offense in preseason. It shows poor judgment to put the first team out there in Week One with minimal contact and especially against the Steelers.

The final score was 23-20 but we all know the game was an absolute blowout.

On to Dallas!

(09-11-2022, 08:33 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Why?

Why, more often than not, do the Cincinnati Bengals turn into milquetoast wimps and allow the Steelers’ defense to beat them up on the playground for lunch money?

I’ve been watching the same scenario for decades and I’m sick of it. Why does the Bengals’ offense just take it? More important, why can’t the Bengals’ defense do that too?

I know the NFL desires a high scoring television-friendly game. With that said there’s a lot to be said for a shutdown defense; the Bengals’ defense played technically well today — props to Lou Anarumo — but Pittsburgh is going to win a lot of games playing their punishing style of defense. Every hit they make is jarring, they throw players around, and they intimidate.

The Steelers’ defense scared Joe Burrow today. They made Ja’Marr Chase look tentative. I haven’t seen that since the 2021 preseason.

Maybe Zac Taylor should have played the first team offense in preseason. It shows poor judgment to put the first team out there in Week One with minimal contact and especially against the Steelers.

The final score was 23-20 but we all know the game was an absolute blowout.

On to Dallas!

If you mean physically scared, they didn’t scare Joe. If he wasn’t scared during the Titans game then he wasn’t scared today. I don’t think he even got hit hard.

(09-11-2022, 08:33 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Why?

Why, more often than not, do the Cincinnati Bengals turn into milquetoast wimps and allow the Steelers’ defense to beat them up on the playground for lunch money?

I’ve been watching the same scenario for decades and I’m sick of it.  Why does the Bengals’ offense just take it?  More important, why can’t the Bengals’ defense do that too?

I know the NFL desires a high scoring television-friendly game.  With that said there’s a lot to be said for a shutdown defense; the Bengals’ defense played technically well today — props to Lou Anarumo — but Pittsburgh is going to win a lot of games playing their punishing style of defense.  Every hit they make is jarring, they throw players around, and they intimidate.

The Steelers’ defense scared Joe Burrow today.  They made Ja’Marr Chase look tentative.  I haven’t seen that since the 2021 preseason.  

Maybe Zac Taylor should have played the first team offense in preseason.  It shows poor judgment to put the first team out there in Week One with minimal contact and especially against the Steelers.

The final score was 23-20 but we all know the game was an absolute blowout.

On to Dallas!

This post is really dumb 

(09-11-2022, 08:33 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Why?

Why, more often than not, do the Cincinnati Bengals turn into milquetoast wimps and allow the Steelers’ defense to beat them up on the playground for lunch money?

I’ve been watching the same scenario for decades and I’m sick of it. Why does the Bengals’ offense just take it? More important, why can’t the Bengals’ defense do that too?

I know the NFL desires a high scoring television-friendly game. With that said there’s a lot to be said for a shutdown defense; the Bengals’ defense played technically well today — props to Lou Anarumo — but Pittsburgh is going to win a lot of games playing their punishing style of defense. Every hit they make is jarring, they throw players around, and they intimidate.

The Steelers’ defense scared Joe Burrow today. They made Ja’Marr Chase look tentative. I haven’t seen that since the 2021 preseason.

Maybe Zac Taylor should have played the first team offense in preseason. It shows poor judgment to put the first team out there in Week One with minimal contact and especially against the Steelers.

The final score was 23-20 but we all know the game was an absolute blowout.

On to Dallas!

I don’t agree with much of what you just said.Burrow wasn’t scared. He kept throwing the ball. If he was scared he would have stopped throwing. Chase wasn’t tentative at all as he had a good game and caught almost everything tossed his way! You’re not giving enough credit to a good Steelers D. You can’t expect to stop Watt all game. He’s literally one of the best DE in the NFL. And it wasn’t a blowout at all.

Good lord what a horrible take all the way around.

(09-11-2022, 08:36 PM)TheFan Wrote: This post is really dumb 

+1

I’m not upset you see it that way. I never expect total agreement.

(09-11-2022, 08:41 PM)Tannermp513 Wrote: Good lord what a horrible take all the way around.

Usually I’m among the most optimistic of posters — but not today. I didn’t like what I saw. Poor execution is one thing but lack of preparation infuriates me.

Yeah I'm not much in agreement with OP here either.

This argument has definitely had merit in the past... watched way too many games against those a***holes in PIT and the Bengals have gone in scared plenty of times. I don't think that applied today though. I think the team was just shocked at how awfully things were going.

And in what way was it a blowout? The 'vaunted' Steelers needed 4 INTs, 1 fumble, the Bengals looking an absolute horror show of an unprepared mess, an injury to our long snapper of all people, a missed extra point to win a game and a missed 29 yard field goal... to beat us be 3 points in OT. I mean jesus, I'm not even saying this to feel better about today's game, but if we'd just won a game like that so closely I'd be quite terrified about the rest of the season. That's not a good looking win for them, in particular their offence. Their defence is pretty good and they played well today too. If we play 50% better and they don't improve, we'll beat them comfortably in Pittsburgh.

For us... we couldn't have looked worse and we lost by 3. We'll play a lot better than that and lose too. What's so disappointing is how Bengals a loss that was. Last year it looked like the team was kicking their baggage, but today's game proved it's still here.

I will say that I don't know how the Steelers got away with taunting Chase (wrestling with him on the ground, pulling his leg up, etc), only to have Chase get a critical taunting call when it seemed all he did was respond to a taunting Steeler.

If a taunting is called in the first instance, maybe you never get the one on Chase. And the first one would have had little impact on the game. The Chase taunting moved the ball out from the shadow of the Steeler's endzone and was a critical call to make at that time.

(09-11-2022, 08:47 PM)Nepa Wrote: I will say that I don't know how the Steelers got away with taunting Chase (wrestling with him on the ground, pulling his leg up, etc), only to have Chase get a critical taunting call when it seemed all he did was respond to a taunting Steeler.

If a taunting is called in the first instance, maybe you never get the one on Chase. And the first one would have had little impact on the game. The Chase taunting moved the ball out from the shadow of the Steeler's endzone and was a critical call to make at that time.

I never saw Chase taunt when we're losing last year, something happened this game. He got unsportsmanlike after the redzone INT and he was taunting them when we were down in the 1st half also, a couple times.

A ton of weird shit happened this game that Coach Taylor from friday night lights would have objection to, how does our Coach Taylor handle it- no idea. Taunting when you're losing is not a good thing as a leader of the team. Be cocky after a superbowl ring, at least in that case you were unstoppable 1 year.

As one of the best players on the team they're always going to bait you, just a lesson to learn for our young HOFer that hopefully he uses to his advantage later on. Kobe used to say if the ref can't see it, it's not a foul, for sure the Steelers teach those types of rules - Bengals may not have learned yet.

Why?

Because they can get away with it we all know it.

If our defence played like that there would be more yellow flying through the air than someone with a hard on trying to take a piss.

We weren’t scared at all and our receivers stepped up when they were obviously out to hurt us.

Karma that Watt is done for the season and Larry O can take a king walk off a short cliff for me after today.

they didnt get bullied. the offense just wasnt ready to play a game today. glad the defense was or this coulda got uglier

(09-11-2022, 09:04 PM)Leon Wrote: they didnt get bullied. the offense just wasnt ready to play a game today. glad the defense was or this coulda got uglier

This, I saw no bullying. I saw what Zac said to Lapham after the game...."we lost the turnover game 5-0". It's really that simple.

(09-11-2022, 08:33 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: They made Ja’Marr Chase look tentative.

There’s a LOT wrong with your OP, but this is just absolute nonsense. Chase played a hell of a game. He continues to be the bully when it comes to YAC, and outmuscling DB’s.

Idk about all that, FiK. I know why it would seem that way, but without all those Burrow turnovers, how different does this game look?

The Steelers had no offense without those turnovers. Trubisky is terrible. They tried to hide him. Mixon ran fine. Chase was eating.

The problem was Burrow and his rust. That's literally it. Volson was awful, too.

Without those turnovers, this was an ugly blowout.

(09-11-2022, 09:17 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Idk about all that, FiK. I know why it would seem that way, but without all those Burrow turnovers, how different does this game look?

The Steelers had no offense without those turnovers. Trubisky is terrible. They tried to hide him. Mixon ran fine. Chase was eating.

The problem was Burrow and his rust. That's literally it. Volson was awful, too.

Without those turnovers, this was an ugly blowout.

I was actually pretty disappointed with Mixon today tbh. 3.0 ypc is usually not going to cut it. And we just brought in one of the best run blocking RT’s in the league. They should have especially been able to take advantage once Watt went out.

(09-11-2022, 09:04 PM)Leon Wrote: they didnt get bullied. the offense just wasnt ready to play a game today. glad the defense was or this coulda got uglier

This all day. The offensive side of the ball was totally unprepared to play a live game. Just maybe a little preseason action would've benefited them.

Burrow especially had some really bad reads. Got better later on but early was ugly.

And if this is out new improved OLine its going to be a long season.

(09-11-2022, 09:17 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Idk about all that, FiK. I know why it would seem that way, but without all those Burrow turnovers, how different does this game look?

The Steelers had no offense without those turnovers. Trubisky is terrible. They tried to hide him. Mixon ran fine. Chase was eating.

The problem was Burrow and his rust. That's literally it. Volson was awful, too.

Without those turnovers, this was an ugly blowout.

Joe Burrow today - that's all

Did Ossai do anything today? I was at the game and never heard his name or saw him once.

(09-11-2022, 09:21 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I was actually pretty disappointed with Mixon today tbh. 3.0 ypc is usually not going to cut it. And we just brought in one of the best run blocking RT’s in the league. They should have especially been able to take advantage once Watt went out.

Usually, no, but you have to add context. He was going against a very stout front and seemed to improve as the game wore on. Imo, he was fine. Not great, but fine.