Finally!!! Good to see the Offense lead by example from the start. Can't complain at all today. Proud of them.

(01-22-2023, 11:51 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Fair enough.  The real test will come when we see how many captains and proven winners we can get when we are picking in the 30s for the next decade. You have to imagine there will be a high demand for those types of players once our secret is out.

The "real test" has already been taken and passed.   

(01-22-2023, 11:56 PM)Dr.Z Wrote: The "real test" has already been taken and passed.   

Well, test 1 is winning 1 or more SBs with Burrow on his rookie deal, test 2 will be keeping this team SB-caliber if/when Burrow gets a massive deal.  Burrow making to the SB his first full year as a starter has set a standard.  If I'm giving Burrow too much credit, so be it, but the guy is championship in a bottle.

(01-23-2023, 12:01 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Well, test 1 is winning 1 or more SBs with Burrow on his rookie deal, test 2 will be keeping this team SB-caliber if/when Burrow gets a massive deal.  Burrow making to the SB his first full year as a starter has set a standard.  If I'm giving Burrow too much credit, so be it, but the guy is championship in a bottle.

I can see how this could go on for pages and monopolize this thread, so I'll just end with: I certainly feel like we have unfinished business and want the Super Bowl extremely bad, but to say winning a SB or not legitimizes (or de-legitimizes) the aforementioned plan of Zac's of bringing in team captains/team leaders/players from winning environments is silly imo.   Some of the players fitting that criteria are on the defense (who have pretty much won games for us), and Burrow himself also fits this criteria (altho I would hope anyone would've pulled the proverbial trigger w/ him @ 1).     

Regardless, Who Dey my friend 

(01-23-2023, 12:12 AM)Dr.Z Wrote: I can see how this could go on for pages and monopolize this thread, so I'll just end with: I certainly feel like we have unfinished business and want the Super Bowl extremely bad, but to say winning a SB or not legitimizes (or de-legitimizes) the aforementioned plan of Zac's of bringing in team captains/team leaders/players from winning environments is silly imo.   Some of the players fitting that criteria are on the defense (who have pretty much won games for us), and Burrow himself also fits this criteria (altho I would hope anyone would've pulled the proverbial trigger w/ him @ 1).     

Regardless, Who Dey my friend 

Sorry, I got what you were saying mixed up with the other stuff.  Yeah, it's awesome this team is talented and the opposite of hate-able.  But I want to win now.  If I wanted a marketable team that didn't win the SB I'd be a Bills fan.

(01-22-2023, 11:15 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I guess.  I'm just seeing that Mac Jones is no Brady, and Brock Purdy is no season-ending replacement.  In Andy Reid's defense, in KC he had a bust castoff in Alex Smith and Mahommes was a developmental QB that the Browns, Bears, and Bengals passed on despite having reason to look into him.

Andy Reid made helped Alex Smith look like the 1st round pick the 49ers didn't, and he wisely developed Mahommes into what he is today.  Burrow was just an instant franchise changer 1st overall can't miss pick who was even better than advertised.  But like I said, in 15 years we may actually be watching ZT developing a QB who needs to be developed.

Again, we're at the point where we can become the Steelers of the 70s onward.  Between Marvin and ZT we could actually have a grand total of 2 HCs for like 40 years.

There were times Purdy was considered a 1st/2nd rounder.

https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2022bpurdy.php

The knocks on him were arm strength, not a dual threat, and size. He was considered smart, good decision maker, mastered his offense, accurate, throws receivers open, etc.

I watched the kid play several times at Iowa State, and he was about all they had and the kid had game. I just knew he was small, not a good runner, and little arm strength. You block for him, he's a poor man's Andy Dalton. You can take a less talented guy that is smart and win games with him. Still, SFs staff is very good, for sure. 

Also, Joe didn't instantly turn this around. We were hot dogshit his first year even before the injury. Joe Burrow, some good drafting, and good FA, and a staff guys play hard for is what turned this around. I credit Vonn Bell as much as anyone. That was the night it started to turnaround.

Why Brock Purdy look like that skinny kid from Superbad.

(01-23-2023, 12:17 AM)Wyche Wrote: There were times Purdy was considered a 1st/2nd rounder.

https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2022bpurdy.php

The knocks on him were arm strength, not a dual threat, and size. He was considered smart, good decision maker, mastered his offense, accurate, throws receivers open, etc.

I watched the kid play several times at Iowa State, and he was about all they had and the kid had game. I just knew he was small, not a good runner, and little arm strength. You block for him, he's a poor man's Andy Dalton. You can take a less talented guy that is smart and win games with him. Still, SFs staff is very good, for sure. 

SF is certainly putting together a bizarrely compelling narrative.  I feel like going into Philly and facing that pass rush and high powered offense should be when he falters, but people have been predicting that he and that team fall to earth every week for months.

Ok there's no matching thread for this so i'll take Weezy's.....

after 25 years in Dallas I moved to Denver this past fall. I've grown accustomed to just watching games (in public) around randos but up here I found an actual Bengals bar (Dallas has none) and it had probably the same amount of energy as any bar on the banks.....was jacked to the tits today with Bengals fans watching us roflstomp the Bills. Super pumped for the title game.

LFG

(01-23-2023, 12:17 AM)Wyche Wrote: There were times Purdy was considered a 1st/2nd rounder.

https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2022bpurdy.php

The knocks on him were arm strength, not a dual threat, and size. He was considered smart, good decision maker, mastered his offense, accurate, throws receivers open, etc.

I watched the kid play several times at Iowa State, and he was about all they had and the kid had game. I just knew he was small, not a good runner, and little arm strength. You block for him, he's a poor man's Andy Dalton. You can take a less talented guy that is smart and win games with him. Still, SFs staff is very good, for sure. 

Also, Joe didn't instantly turn this around. We were hot dogshit his first year even before the injury. Joe Burrow, some good drafting, and good FA, and a staff guys play hard for is what turned this around. I credit Vonn Bell as much as anyone. That was the night it started to turnaround.

Yeah, Purdy was pretty highly regarded at times in the past before his NFL tenure.   I am in a group that scouts prospects before the draft and we compete with money.   Purdy was my favorite late round qb, and since we keep record of our old conversations pre-draft, you better believe I have brought those old messages out from hibernation since he's taken over lol.   (I've been wrong plenty as well, but it's fun when you hit on a player lol).   I was pretty shocked that he went as late as he did.

(01-23-2023, 12:27 AM)basballguy Wrote: Ok there's no matching thread for this so i'll take Weezy's.....

after 25 years in Dallas I moved to Denver this past fall.  I've grown accustomed to just watching games (in public) around randos but up here I found an actual Bengals bar (Dallas has none) and it had probably the same amount of energy as any bar on the banks.....was jacked to the tits today with Bengals fans watching us roflstomp the Bills.  Super pumped for the title game.  

LFG

I never really thought of this, but being from outside of Pittsburgh and a Bengals fan the only 2 times I was ever living far enough away that people didn't really know me was 2004-2006 in NYC and 2011-2012 in Chicago and both times the Steelers were in the SB while I was there and people vaguely knew I was from Pittsburgh and were like "Oh wow, Nate must be over the moon right now because his Steelers are in the big game!" and I'd have to either just agree to save myself the discussion, or go into some explanation of why I didn't like the Steelers.

Odd coincidence, that.  Can't blame people for making the safe assumption, though.

(01-23-2023, 12:20 AM)Nately120 Wrote: SF is certainly putting together a bizarrely compelling narrative.  I feel like going into Philly and facing that pass rush and high powered offense should be when he falters, but people have been predicting that he and that team fall to earth every week for months.

I think they'll handle their business. Their D is tough, Kittle, Debo, CMC alone is a lot of talent. They're well coached, and Purdy is a smart kid if nothing else. If he manages the game well and the defense keeps balling, SF could pull that off. I hope so, I want to beat them in the Super Bowl. Let's exorcise all of those demons.

(01-23-2023, 12:30 AM)Dr.Z Wrote: Yeah, Purdy was pretty highly regarded at times in the past before his NFL tenure.   I am in a group that scouts prospects before the draft and we compete with money.   Purdy was my favorite late round qb, and since we keep record of our old conversations pre-draft, you better believe I have brought those old messages out from hibernation since he's taken over lol.   (I've been wrong plenty as well, but it's fun when you hit on a player lol).   I was pretty shocked that he went as late as he did.

That's awesome. Yeah, I was thinking 4th, maybe 5th round at worst. I thought he played well, under extreme duress at times, at Iowa State.

I impressed with the humility of this Coaching staff. Seriously how many Coaching staffs would change their offensive scheme after the first quarter of the season.

(01-22-2023, 09:55 PM)Nately120 Wrote: ZT is an enigma.  He's apparently very good, but also managed to get us Burrow and Chase AND he even managed to get an awesome DC in Lou after trying his damndest to hire someone else.

I think ZT is the luckiest coach on earth, but he's making the most of that luck so that's all he can do.  I still maintain that Burrow is such a franchise changing player than it is impossible to judge the actual merit of our offensive coaches as long as he's the starting QB.


ZT stunk like a fox in his first year.  If we keep Marvin 1 year longer we go 4-12 and end up with someone other than Burrow and we're screwed.  This is probably the nicest thing I can say about ZT.  I'm willing to admit he is awesome as long as the Brown family at no point gets lax on this roster thinking he can make up the difference.  Fair?  We needed a HC who was completely in over his  head and took his lumps while stinking it up to the only 1st overall pick that has mattered since Peyton Manning.

It's fair to say that they've grown on the job, but nothing you've said in this post is untrue.

(01-23-2023, 12:38 AM)WychesWarrior Wrote: I think they'll handle their business. Their D is tough, Kittle, Debo, CMC alone is a lot of talent. They're well coached, and Purdy is a smart kid if nothing else. If he manages the game well and the defense keeps balling, SF could pull that off. I hope so, I want to beat them in the Super Bowl. Let's exorcise all of those demons.

I wanted them last year... They're ballin' right now, and I smell a collision course.

(01-23-2023, 02:00 AM)jason Wrote: I wanted them last year... They're ballin' right now, and I smell a collision course.

We shall see...I can see the Eagles winning the NFC.  The 49ers and the Bills each likely fall into that "nice story that came up short" pile.

There would be some narratives in a 49ers Bengals SB for sure.  A rematch of 81 and 88, a SB loser being the ones back in the SB the next year, and a rookie QB in the SB for the first time ever.  That'd be an interesting pile of stuff for the media to obsess over for weeks.

(01-23-2023, 02:00 AM)jason Wrote: I wanted them last year... They're ballin' right now, and I smell a collision course.

If they beat Philly, then it's destiny. We break all curses.

30 years straight without a playoff win. An entire franchise existence without a road playoff win. Only a handful of playoff wins in franchise history and never in back-to-back years. And with some quite good QBs: Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason, Carson Palmer.

I think it can be stated without question the best coaching staff in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals. Let's see them win the Super Bowl and then we can start talking about best in the NFL. Especially if they win a Super Bowl without a single player named to the Pro Bowl.

(01-22-2023, 09:55 PM)Nately120 Wrote: ZT is an enigma.  He's apparently very good, but also managed to get us Burrow and Chase AND he even managed to get an awesome DC in Lou after trying his damndest to hire someone else.

I think ZT is the luckiest coach on earth, but he's making the most of that luck so that's all he can do.  I still maintain that Burrow is such a franchise changing player than it is impossible to judge the actual merit of our offensive coaches as long as he's the starting QB.


ZT stunk like a fox in his first year.  If we keep Marvin 1 year longer we go 4-12 and end up with someone other than Burrow and we're screwed.  This is probably the nicest thing I can say about ZT.  I'm willing to admit he is awesome as long as the Brown family at no point gets lax on this roster thinking he can make up the difference.  Fair?  We needed a HC who was completely in over his  head and took his lumps while stinking it up to the only 1st overall pick that has mattered since Peyton Manning.

Dude, the plan all along was to tank and flip the roster. ZT and the Bengals knew they were going to suck for a couple years. They literally benched Dalton (on his birthday) so they would lose games. 

I was down on ZT the first couple of years too, but the man has grown into the role. You can't question his leadership. 

The one piece I still questioned going into the year was his offensive scheme, play calling, play design, etc. Since the first few weeks, I have no more questions. The offense has evolved into a well oiled sustainable machine. I am seeing play designs and schemes I've never seen before. The explosive plays are no longer needed to put up points. 

Joe Burrow himself has called ZT the "best coach in the NFL". I am not sure what else you are looking for.