I get the forum is toxic the day after a loss and I generally try to stay away. but due to the fact that some Italian got lost and bumped into a land mass 530 years ago, I got the day off and waiting for the temp to rise a few degrees before I get outside. So I get to read the forum.

Last night was not a disaster. We lost at the last second to the team all the experts have pegged to win the AFC North and battle for the Superbowl. It was a primetime game in their house and we out-played them. So things I saw as positives last night and can help us moving forward:

Outside of RT the oline looked decent

Jonah got injured AND CAME BACK

Michael Thomas CAN catch the ball

Our D is legit, we have figured out Lamar.

Vonn Bell is playing at an All Pro level

Smajae Perine is a great #2 RB

Mixon was hitting holes

Any other positives? And please take the Zac Taylor talk to one of the other 15 threads on the homepage.

This team can hold their own against anyone.

(10-10-2022, 11:01 AM)bfine32 Wrote: I get the forum is toxic the day after a loss and I generally try to stay away. but due to the fact that some Italian got lost and bumped into a land mass 530 years ago, I got the day off and waiting for the temp to rise a few degrees before I get outside. So I get to read the forum.

Last night was not a disaster. We lost at the last second to the team all the experts have pegged to win the AFC North and battle for the Superbowl. It was a primetime game in their house and we out-played them. So things I saw as positives last night and can help us moving forward:

Outside of RT the oline looked decent

Jonah got injured AND CAME BACK

Michael Thomas CAN catch the ball

Our D is legit, we have figured out Lamar.

Vonn Bell is playing at an All Pro level

Smajae Perine is a great #2 RB

Mixon was hitting holes

Any other positives? And please take the Zac Taylor talk to one of the other 15 threads on the homepage.

Chris Evans got to return a kickoff and did well.. 

Mixon is the big one. He was running hard downhill, I haven't seen that from him this year.

(10-10-2022, 11:04 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Chris Evans got to return a kickoff and did well.. 

And he looked slow as shit doing it. 

Hurst had a good game. It was nice to see him score on his old team.

Hurst, defense, Mixon, Perine

that’s it.

(10-10-2022, 11:05 AM)samhain Wrote: Mixon is the big one.  He was running hard downhill,  I haven't seen that from him this year.

Yes, he looked decisive and angry last night. He seemed to see his blocks better and set up his line better with timely and good cuts. Maybe that meeting helped.

The run game wasn’t working early and we stuck with it (as we needed to) and got it going. Good for Mixon and the o line. Good for our offensive play callers.

Defense absolutely held Lamar in check. I feel much better about playing him from now on after last year and following it up with this game.

I am now confident in saying I was wrong about Lou early in his time here. I had patience with most of the coaches but I wanted him gone several times. He has built a very impressive D in this offense happy league. He has guys like Awuzie, Bell, Pratt playing their best football and being huge pieces on a great defense.

The team keeps improving, even if it’s not easy for all fans to see. This was another step in the right direction. Keep improving each week and we’ll be right back where we want to be by the playoffs.

We are still right in the playoff picture.

(10-10-2022, 11:01 AM)bfine32 Wrote: I get the forum is toxic the day after a loss and I generally try to stay away. but due to the fact that some Italian got lost and bumped into a land mass 530 years ago, I got the day off and waiting for the temp to rise a few degrees before I get outside. So I get to read the forum.


Michael Thomas CAN catch the ball

Regarding what I bolded from your post:

1. Too much toxicity is lame, but I also understand the emotional reactions fans have after a loss and believe it's okay to vent some of those feelings. We just don't need 50 threads expressing the same sentiment.

2. Michael Thomas can catch the ball is also my positive; for the long run, does it maybe suggest that Burrow can make good things happen on offense if the OL gives him time to develop a play and throw? If that's the case then maybe we have hope when Chase/Higgins/Boyd become too expensive after Burrow's big contract. Roll with Burrow/Chase/OL free agents/draft picks and then hope we can grab quality skills players as late round picks that can be successful similar to we saw with Thomas last night (although we sure did miss Higgins).

3. Hurst looked good on the field and I liked the competitive spirit he showed.

Being the pessimist that I am let me throw some water on that optimism. Offense has been a problem since week one because seemingly Zac can’t scheme a way to beat a cover 2 with offensive weapons most teams could only dream to have. Now it’s onto week 6 and they still haven’t figured it out

Mixon and Perine looked great, hopefully this continues for the rest of the season. The OL played pretty good for the most part, apart from Collins unfortunately. The defense looked good for the most part, but they still seem to have a knack of letting teams drive down the field at the end of games/halves. Hurst came to play which was nice. Ravens didn't look that great, we just beat ourselves (again).

Seeing that this defense has figured out Lamar has to be the biggest positive. The entire league seems to fear him and elevate him, and keeping him from going off is going to be the biggest key to competing with that team, especially when the offense isn't getting rolling.

Agreed with the topic sentiment. We lost by 2 points, on the road, to a good team who also were likely hyped to get us back for last season. This despite clear deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball. If the passing attack can get back anywhere near to last season's standard, this team will be very good. The other pieces are largely already there.

Specifically in relation to the Ravens game though;

- Run Game. Hopefully we can get a bit more of that moving forward.

- Defence. Just the whole thing. Our defence is good. Yes the odd drive here and there, and yes the final drive of the game, but it is an offence-led league. They're doing the job by and large.

- Hurst - Heck of a pick up.

- The fight in the team. Ok a 10-0 hole is hardly the biggest comeback of all time, but it is important that we levelled the game by the half. Bengals teams of old may well have just folded after going 10-0 down. This one didn't. Easier to get back in the game when your defence gives up under 20 point, but it's still worth pointing out that we're in all of these games until the end.

I call this one a 'quality' loss, as I really don't think it'll take much of an improvement to get the team rolling. Hope so anyway!

Run game continues to show steady improvement, whcih should open the door for Burrow and the receivers to make more plays downfield.

Got a stretch of 4 winnable games that could show more signs of progress. 6-3 going into the bye would be pretty good. It's doable.

Dax Hill got some playing time.

(10-10-2022, 11:15 AM)CincinnatiKid Wrote: Being the pessimist that I am let me throw some water on that optimism. Offense has been a problem since week one because seemingly Zac can’t scheme a way to beat a cover 2 with offensive weapons most teams could only dream to have. Now it’s onto week 6 and they still haven’t figured it out

IF ONLY there were a Zac Taylor thread in the forum to discuss this..

Zach Carter's 1st career solo tackle was a good one.

Outside of that ghastly goal line series that included the Philly Special and a freaking shovel pass (I've literally never seen that play work for the Bengals. Ever.), I agree. A lot of positives to glean from this game.

I think it's fair to say that we are, officially, a defensive team now. That defense is rock solid. It's a tragedy when your defense allows less than 20 points (to an offense that was averaging 27 ppg) and you still lose.

(10-10-2022, 11:01 AM)bfine32 Wrote: I get the forum is toxic the day after a loss and I generally try to stay away. but due to the fact that some Italian got lost and bumped into a land mass 530 years ago, I got the day off and waiting for the temp to rise a few degrees before I get outside. So I get to read the forum.

Last night was not a disaster. We lost at the last second to the team all the experts have pegged to win the AFC North and battle for the Superbowl. It was a primetime game in their house and we out-played them. So things I saw as positives last night and can help us moving forward:

Outside of RT the oline looked decent

Jonah got injured AND CAME BACK

Michael Thomas CAN catch the ball

Our D is legit, we have figured out Lamar.

Vonn Bell is playing at an All Pro level

Smajae Perine is a great #2 RB

Mixon was hitting holes

Any other positives? And please take the Zac Taylor talk to one of the other 15 threads on the homepage.

Lol positives.. Ya right