(01-10-2023, 05:57 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: that lacking is still painfully on display

tbf, I think it has gotten better over the course of the season. Still can't figure out the run game which hurts. They definitely dialed it back last Sunday knowing they'd play the Rats again. All the WR screen attempts seem to indicate to me that they didn't want to show any other routes or formations. That fake screen and deep pass to Higgins that missed really hurt though.

The 'window' is my entire career
-Joe Burrow

(01-10-2023, 06:21 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The 'window' is my entire career
-Joe Burrow

And I hope that window is in Cincinnati for 15 years at least

(01-10-2023, 04:04 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Burrow mainly, but zac deserves credit for building the anti marvin lewis culture

.....and using journalistic jargons.....

I think Taylor has had an excellent season schematically. There were games early where the offense sputtered, and it was very similar to what Andy Reid and the Chiefs experienced the previous season against the same coverages.

One of the biggest problems with Zac's offenses entering the year had been their struggles during the scripted plays portions of games. He was rightly criticized for that. Well now they're taking the ball when they win the coin flip and scoring on the opening drive. They've scored touchdowns on their opening drive seven times:

TD @ Jets
FG @ Dallas
TD vs. Dolphins
TD vs. Falcons
TD vs. Panthers
TD vs. Chiefs
TD @ Patriots
TD vs. Bills (yanno)

They also scored touchdowns on their first drive of the second half three times:

TD @ Jets
TD @ Saints
TD vs. Panthers
FG vs. Chiefs
FG @ Buccaneers

Obviously this isn't the whole picture, but it's a nice representation of the improvement in one major area where it was needed entering the season.

 

(01-10-2023, 02:40 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: It's always so stark when you see it written out like that.  Four playoff-winning seasons out of 54 is a little over a 7% success rate.  But hey, you can't change the past and the present and future look bright   

If they can win two PO games, they will have matched, in 2 years, what the franchise did in total playoff wins for their entire existence. 

(01-10-2023, 03:58 PM)PhilHos Wrote: We've never won a Super Bowl either.

Yeah. The Cincinnati Burrows are streak breakers and the Bengals are 0-3 in SBs. That's a streak that needs breaking. 

(01-10-2023, 05:59 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray aren't in Burrow's league, you make good points but let's face facts. I wouldn't trade Burrow for any QB right now, and even the QBs in his league like Mahommes and Allen had to be developed and built into what they are.

I don't dislike ZT and I'm fine with him being here, but I also realize that the case for him being a good HC is heavily dependent on declaring that every game he's ever coached without Burrow under center doesn't count.

An elite QB like Burrow gets you to SBs. Take this roster and put a 15ish guy behind center and you're still in the playoff hunt, just not likely to progress much further than that. 

(01-10-2023, 07:23 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: An elite QB like Burrow gets you to SBs. Take this roster and put a 15ish guy behind center and you're still in the playoff hunt, just not likely to progress much further than that. 

In some parallel dimension ZT is standing in silver and black looking confused and frustrated while Derek Carr throws a game sealing INT.

(01-10-2023, 02:41 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: If the Bengals can get the win Sunday, then...

51 years without Joe Burrow --> 5 playoff wins
3 years with Joe Burrow --> 4 playoff wins

I hope you can read the future and are counting this years soon to be playoff win as one of the 4 burrow wins.  Because I believe Burrow is sitting at only 3 right now

(01-10-2023, 08:10 PM)Browns Town Bengal Wrote: I hope you can read the future and are counting this years soon to be playoff win as one of the 4 burrow wins.  Because I believe Burrow is sitting at only 3 right now

Browns town you live in Cleveland? How do you like being surrounded by Brown fans?

(01-10-2023, 08:10 PM)Browns Town Bengal Wrote: I hope you can read the future and are counting this years soon to be playoff win as one of the 4 burrow wins.  Because I believe Burrow is sitting at only 3 right now

Yep. First line of the post.

(01-10-2023, 02:23 PM)kevin Wrote: Bengals could make history by beating Ravens. From 1968 on, Bengals have never won in play-offs 2 straight years. This team can do something Sunday that no Bengals team has ever done. Bengals play-off wins are few. 1981, 1988, 1990, 2021 and that is it. For all Bengals Fans, I hope Bengals win Sunday, because Bengals Fans sure have suffered through many losing seasons and deserve to have some winning teams for a change.

GO BENGALS

I have a feeling this isn’t the only record this team is going to break going forward.The Bengals have never actually won a SB either.There are also 9 other teams in the league that have never won a SB.They’ve been there,but never won.4 NFL teams have never even been to the Super Bowl.

I’d love to see this team get there in 2023 and win it.They deserve it.

(01-10-2023, 02:41 PM)Garrus Wrote: They also have never won back-to-back division titles until this year. Joe Burrow doesn't care about history, he cares about winning.

Not true.  They had never won the AFC NORTH 2 years in a row. 

They won the AFC Central in 1981 and 1982. 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cin/

(01-10-2023, 07:08 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: If they can win two PO games, they will have matched, in 2 years, what the franchise did in total playoff wins for their entire existence. 

And with only one win Zac surpasses Sam with the most playoff game wins for a HC.  Amazing, on a couple of levels.  

(01-10-2023, 02:23 PM)kevin Wrote: Bengals could make history by beating Ravens.  From 1968 on, Bengals have never won in play-offs 2 straight years.   This team can do something Sunday that no Bengals team has ever done.  Bengals play-off wins are few.  1981, 1988, 1990, 2021 and that is it.   For all Bengals Fans, I hope Bengals win Sunday, because Bengals Fans sure have suffered through many losing seasons and deserve to have some winning teams for a change.

GO BENGALS

       

Anderson: 2 wins in 1981 (Bills & Chargers) 
Esiason: 2 wins in 1988 (Seahawks, Bills), 1 in 1990 (Oilers) 
Burrow: 3 wins in 2021 (Raiders, Titans, Chiefs)

By Division: 
AFC West = 4 (Chargers, Seahawks, Raiders, Chiefs)
AFC East = 2 (Billsx2) 
AFC Central = 1 (Oilers) 
AFC South = 1 (Titans) 

We've never beaten a current member of our division in the POs. The Oilers were Central when we beat them, so we do have one intra-divisional PO win, and beat the Titans last year.

But Baltimore is my most unfavorite team in the division. I really eant this one. 

(01-10-2023, 08:27 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: Yep. First line of the post.

Duh....I guess my reading comprehension skills need work.  haha

(01-10-2023, 08:16 PM)packerbacker Wrote: Browns town you live in Cleveland? How do you like being surrounded by Brown fans?

Better than steeler fans

(01-10-2023, 02:41 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: If the Bengals can get the win Sunday, then...

51 years without Joe Burrow --> 5 playoff wins
3 years with Joe Burrow --> 4 playoff wins

In fairness, I blame Marvin Lewis for a lot of that. He accounts for 16 of those 51 years, and some of those teams were good enough to win 1 stinkin' playoff game. We had games against Butt Fumble and TJ Yates of all people and couldn't win.

That's not even touching on the 2015 debacle vs Pittsburgh.

Ugh.

(01-11-2023, 12:48 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: In fairness, I blame Marvin Lewis for a lot of that. He accounts for 16 of those 51 years, and some of those teams were good enough to win 1 stinkin' playoff game. We had games against Butt Fumble and TJ Yates of all people and couldn't win.

That's not even touching on the 2015 debacle vs Pittsburgh.

Ugh.

One thing that I've always thought was interesting is that long time beat writers noted that the team always felt tight when it came to big games under Marvin. They noted it aways seemed tense in the locker room during Steelers week. Since Zac has taken over, they've noted the locker room is looser and Zac let's them embrace big game moments.

Also, crazy stat for me is that if we win this weekend, Zac will be #1 in playoff wins by a Bengals HC at 4.