(12-21-2015, 02:29 PM)PApinhead Wrote: Yeah, that's what worries me.  Our recent history with playing Pittsburgh in Cincinnati combined with our playoff performances doesn't instill a lot of confidence if we play Pittsburgh at home.  Maybe this will be the year that we put it all together and play well in the playoffs and come out with a win or two, or more!!

I have total confidence with Dalton.. AJ a little less but we can and have shown we can play with the Steelers, history is for the fans.. the players once they get out their on the field are locked into a game.

Time to write a new script. The steelers are the new one and done team. First tebow, then the ravens, now us!

(12-21-2015, 07:47 PM)BoomerFan Wrote: I believe we can beat Pittsburgh  WE ALREADY DID BEAT THEM ONCE THIS YEAR.

That game doesn't count. The one where we played without Dalton, Eifert and Pacman does. 

(12-21-2015, 07:15 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Bring. Them. On.

1 of these 3 will happen:

1. Dalton comes back and is fired up to play them. We win and get the playoff Monkey off our back in the best way possible.

2. Dalton doesn't come back. Macaroni starts and we have zero expectations of a win, so if we lose it doesn't hurt that much.

3. Dalton comes back and it's a classic Bengals playoff game. (This is the worst option)

I'd believe in #4.

Dalton comes back, the Bengals look like they're unstoppable, so the Steelers start hurting Bengals players until enough are hurt that they can win. Nobody punishes the Steelers for it.

(12-21-2015, 07:15 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Bring. Them. On.

1 of these 3 will happen:

1. Dalton comes back and is fired up to play them. We win and get the playoff Monkey off our back in the best way possible.

2. Dalton doesn't come back. Macaroni starts and we have zero expectations of a win, so if we lose it doesn't hurt that much.

3. Dalton comes back and it's a classic Bengals playoff game. (This is the worst option)

Can't buy people not being devastated if either #2 or #3 happens.  After an 8-0 start, with Super Bowl aspirations, to be one-and-done for the fifth consecutive year, and against the Steelers, no less?  Man, they'll be a suicide line forming on the Brent Spence if that happens.  Need to get the bye and avoid all that nonsense to begin with.

And we will be the 2 seed.

If we lose out, we can go to Houston and KC will go to Pittsburgh, if you prefer that option.

I'd rather we just beat Denver so we can skip all that mess.

(12-21-2015, 09:53 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I'd believe in #4.

Dalton comes back, the Bengals look like they're unstoppable, so the Steelers start hurting Bengals players until enough are hurt that they can win. Nobody punishes the Steelers for it.

This is what I am afraid of.  The Bengals could beat them straight up, no doubt.  But they will resort to their typical cheap shots and end up winning.

(12-21-2015, 09:04 PM)Beaker Wrote: Time to write a new script. The steelers are the new one and done team. First tebow, then the ravens, now us!

.....yeah....I like the sound of this.

If Pacman manages to stay healthy enough to play, I feel like the Bengals can handle the Steelers. Having him on Brown will help immensely. I also believe that we can move the ball on them, even with McCarron under center. He's got a good long ball and their secondary is pretty suspect. Just a matter of getting him the protection.

As much as I love that Burfict and Jones want to kill those guys, I feel like they need to contain their emotions to focus on the game. The emotional reactions hurt us more than them. Just do business and win on the field. Don't play out of control.

(12-21-2015, 02:03 PM)2MinutesHate Wrote: Smashing the dog shit of the Steelers in the playoffs is exactly what this team needs to really turn the corner and get to the Super Bowl.

Never, ever, run and hide.

Bring them on! Attack!

Exactly, too many of y'all are running with your tails between your legs. Trying to find any excuse NOT to face them.
I would love a first round bye but a wild card against them is cool too.

(12-21-2015, 04:39 PM)Beaker Wrote: That's entirely the wrong outlook. It is just about guaranteed the Bengals will face the steelers. But we have to start wrapping our brains around the fact that the Bengals are the better team. Even when we lost to the steelers the second time out, we held ben to zero TD throws with our decimated secondary. On top of that, two costly INTs gift wrapped 14 points for the steelers. Take away those and the Bengals win 20-19 with3/4th of their starting secondary out and playing their back up QB.

There will be no sweeter way to end our playoff woes than beating our most hated rivals. I say we have three weeks to start changing the way we think and go into this playoff game with every fan believing that we will take them down! Can you imagine the momentum going into the next playoff game if we have just shut up the steelers and their fans? If we truly want to make it to the SB, we are going to have to beat good teams. I say, let's start with the steelers!

Agree completely.  The 600 lb gorilla on their back would be removed with not only a playoff win, but a win over their nemesis.

And before everyone crowns the steelers as AFC Champs, I will remind you what they are doing right now:  throwing the ball.  50 times a game.  They have zero balance and as the weather begins to turn, that will have an impact on their ability to move the ball. They are feasting on beat up secondaries.  Hopefully, ours will be back 100% when they play again.  

(12-21-2015, 05:19 PM)Wilikn Wrote: Steelers win out, Bengals lose the last two, Bengals at Houston again round 1.

Is that better than Pissburgh here?  

Lose at Denver next week, makes one think a bit.

Best just win at Denver.

I dismissed the idea of throwing the AFC North crown earlier, but now I read that TJ Yates is out with an ACL.  Hoyer is in concussion protocol.  

I still want the home playoff game, and if it is against the fat pig ben and co., so be it.  

If you want to be the man, you have to BEAT the man.  

(12-21-2015, 07:15 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Bring. Them. On.

1 of these 3 will happen:

1. Dalton comes back and is fired up to play them. We win and get the playoff Monkey off our back in the best way possible.

2. Dalton doesn't come back. Macaroni starts and we have zero expectations of a win, so if we lose it doesn't hurt that much.

3. Dalton comes back and it's a classic Bengals playoff game. (This is the worst option)

If the Bengals beat the steelers with a backup QB in the playoffs....I think the city of putzburg would explode.  This is now my preferred option. 

(12-21-2015, 09:04 PM)Beaker Wrote: Time to write a new script. The steelers are the new one and done team. First tebow, then the ravens, now us!

I like it.  I would LOVE to be able to say we've won a playoff game more recently than them.  

(12-22-2015, 12:59 AM)samhain Wrote: If Pacman manages to stay healthy enough to play, I feel like the Bengals can handle the Steelers.  Having him on Brown will help immensely.  I also believe that we can move the ball on them, even with McCarron under center.  He's got a good long ball and their secondary is pretty suspect.  Just a matter of getting him the protection.  

As much as I love that Burfict and Jones want to kill those guys, I feel like they need to contain their emotions to focus on the game.  The emotional reactions hurt us more than them.  Just do business and win on the field.  Don't play out of control.

Pacman is key, in my opinion. He can blanket Brown. Once the crown is locked up, rest him.  Make sure he is good to go.  Then bring them cheap-shotting sons of bitches the **** on!

(12-22-2015, 10:31 AM)Wyche Wrote: Pacman is key, in my opinion. He can blanket Brown. Once the crown is locked up, rest him.  Make sure he is good to go.  Then bring them cheap-shotting sons of bitches the **** on!

Hear, Hear!  

The concern is the offense.

Our defense, at home, will show up, at least as much as anyone can show up against a great Pittsburgh offense.

However, you aren't going to beat them 13-10.

Our offense needs to have the ability to drop a 30 spot in any given game if we want to beat the likes of Pittsburgh, New England, Carolina or Arizona.

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. You aren't winning a Super Bowl specifically with defense and an anemic offense like we saw in San Francisco.

(12-21-2015, 01:16 PM)ItsOdellThurman Wrote: They lose the tiebreaker with Kansas City (who faces Cleveland and Oakland at home).  The Steelers face Baltimore and Cleveland on the road.

So, unless we beat Denver, it's almost a guaranteed Steelers at Bengals wild card game in week 18.  Just three weeks after Dalton's injury.

It's the worst possible nightmare for Cincinnati.

The Bengals could still end up the 2nd seed even with a loss to Denver...how, you ask?
1) The Bengals beat Baltimore, Denver loses to SD. Bengals end with 12-4 record.
2) The Bengals can lose out (11-5). Denver loses to SD (11-5). KC wins out (11-5), taking the division over Denver. Cincy would then have the tie breaker over KC and still claim the 2nd seed.

Denver losing to SD isn't likely, but it could happen.

The Bengals could also end up the 5th seed if they lose out and the Steelers win out. The tie breaker would come down to Strength of Victory. SOV would come down to the final records of KC+SEA compared to ARI+DEN. Right now, Pittsburgh would have that tie breaker since their SOV is better.

That would then put the Bengals against the winner of the AFC South.

(12-22-2015, 12:13 PM)ochocincos Wrote: The Bengals could still end up the 2nd seed even with a loss to Denver...how, you ask?
1) The Bengals beat Baltimore, Denver loses to SD. Bengals end with 12-4 record.
2) The Bengals can lose out (11-5). Denver loses to SD (11-5). KC wins out (11-5), taking the division over Denver. Cincy would then have the tie breaker over KC and still claim the 2nd seed.

Denver losing to SD isn't likely, but it could happen.

The Bengals could also end up the 5th seed if they lose out and the Steelers win out. The tie breaker would come down to Strength of Victory. SOV would come down to the final records of KC+SEA compared to ARI+DEN. Right now, Pittsburgh would have that tie breaker since their SOV is better.

That would then put the Bengals against the winner of the AFC South.

I think it's pretty much a given that the Steelers are going to win out, as they have Baltimore and Cleveland.  Good news is by the time Baltimore gets to us in the last game, they will be competing for top pick in the draft and not have that much interest in winning.