(08-25-2023, 11:34 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Buzzsaw? lol

Bengals turned the ball over 5 times, gave up a defensive TD and got sacked 7 times

Sounds like a Buzzsaw to me.... 

(08-25-2023, 12:46 PM)jj22 Wrote: I wouldn't say that given what they can get out of their backup QB's (no losing seasons), and I doubt even with our championship calibre team, we would get 9 wins out of our backups. 

They might still have us in the coaching category. Burrow is the difference maker. I think they are still better coached as a whole. 

Not since the league cracked down on headhunting. They really haven't done shit since.

(08-25-2023, 01:53 PM)Wyche Wrote: Not since the league cracked down on headhunting. They really haven't done shit since.

The Steelers look to be fairly competitive this year.  They look aggressive on offense, and seem to have their OL issues worked out.  Defensively they look like typical fast, swarming Steelers D.  Honestly, I expect all of our Divisional games to be absolute dogfights.

(08-25-2023, 12:46 PM)jj22 Wrote: I wouldn't say that given what they can get out of their backup QB's (no losing seasons), and I doubt even with our championship calibre team, we would get 9 wins out of our backups. 

They might still have us in the coaching category. Burrow is the difference maker. I think they are still better coached as a whole. 

What do backups have to do with starting the season with...your starters? Expectations are a SB contending team in the Bengals and i'm sure Pitt is hoping to make the playoffs. Big difference. 

(08-25-2023, 01:32 PM)jj22 Wrote: Sounds like a Buzzsaw to me.... 

Of course it does when you randomly chop it off. What about the part where the Bengals were lining up to kick the go ahead PAT with :04 left in the game?

Do buzzsaws barely miss a loss and win by 3 later, after almost losing (a second time) by 3?

(08-25-2023, 01:32 PM)jj22 Wrote: Sounds like a Buzzsaw to me.... 

Running into a Buzzsaw would imply that the Bengals had no answer for Pittsburgh that day, when in reality the Bengals moved the ball at will and just turned the ball over a bunch of times instead of finishing drives with scores.

(08-25-2023, 02:00 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Steelers look to be fairly competitive this year.  They look aggressive on offense, and seem to have their OL issues worked out.  Defensively they look like typical fast, swarming Steelers D.  Honestly, I expect all of our Divisional games to be absolute dogfights.

Defensively, the Steelers look to be good-to-great again thi syear. Offensively, I don't know. They still have Canada as OC and every STeeler fan I know wishes he was gone. Pickett, IMO, has an Andy Dalton-esque ceiling but last year with him at the helm, I don't think they ever scored more than 20 points in a game. Granted he's no longer a rookie, but I don't think he's going to make this huge tremendous leap and get the Steelers offense rolling, especially if Canada is as bad as Steeler fans claim he is.

(08-25-2023, 02:44 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Defensively, the Steelers look to be good-to-great again thi syear. Offensively, I don't know. They still have Canada as OC and every STeeler fan I know wishes he was gone. Pickett, IMO, has an Andy Dalton-esque ceiling but last year with him at the helm, I don't think they ever scored more than 20 points in a game. Granted he's no longer a rookie, but I don't think he's going to make this huge tremendous leap and get the Steelers offense rolling, especially if Canada is as bad as Steeler fans claim he is.

I'm saying that their OL looks much improved and appears to be good in run blocking.  That will take a ton of pressure off of Pickett to "carry" the team.

(08-25-2023, 02:00 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Steelers look to be fairly competitive this year.  They look aggressive on offense, and seem to have their OL issues worked out.  Defensively they look like typical fast, swarming Steelers D.  Honestly, I expect all of our Divisional games to be absolute dogfights.

Seems like they also remembered who the hell Pickens is and will now actually play him and throw to him.


Idk what they were thinking last year.

(08-25-2023, 02:44 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Defensively, the Steelers look to be good-to-great again thi syear. Offensively, I don't know. They still have Canada as OC and every STeeler fan I know wishes he was gone. Pickett, IMO, has an Andy Dalton-esque ceiling but last year with him at the helm, I don't think they ever scored more than 20 points in a game. Granted he's no longer a rookie, but I don't think he's going to make this huge tremendous leap and get the Steelers offense rolling, especially if Canada is as bad as Steeler fans claim he is.

It really comes down to Pickett.
If he stays about where he's at, I think Steelers will be like the 2011-2015 Bengals. They'll be competitive, but he'll hold them back from being good enough to be a champion.


They have some pretty decent offensive weapons in Johnson, Pickens, Harris, Freiermuth, and Robinson/Washington.
No elite guys, but most solid.

I actually think their OL could be sneaky good.
I really like James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo, and their new draft pick Broderick Jones.
Okorafor isn't bad at RT, Mason Cole is ok at C.

I get old-school AFC North vibes from this Steelers team.
Keep the opposition from scoring, have long offensive drives with rushing and shorter passes.

(08-25-2023, 06:10 PM)ochocincos Wrote: It really comes down to Pickett.
If he stays about where he's at, I think Steelers will be like the 2011-2015 Bengals. They'll be competitive, but he'll hold them back from being good enough to be a champion.


They have some pretty decent offensive weapons in Johnson, Pickens, Harris, Freiermuth, and Robinson/Washington.
No elite guys, but most solid.

I actually think their OL could be sneaky good.
I really like James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo, and their new draft pick Broderick Jones.
Okorafor isn't bad at RT, Mason Cole is ok at C.

I get old-school AFC North vibes from this Steelers team.
Keep the opposition from scoring, have long offensive drives with rushing and shorter passes.

Agree but the good news is that they won't be able to stop the Bengals from scoring and will have to score with them to keep up.

Yet the steelers will be very much improved imho, but luckily so will the Bengals with the addition of Orlando Brown.  

(08-25-2023, 02:00 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Steelers look to be fairly competitive this year.  They look aggressive on offense, and seem to have their OL issues worked out.  Defensively they look like typical fast, swarming Steelers D.  Honestly, I expect all of our Divisional games to be absolute dogfights.

I haven't watched much of them, so I can't comment with any veracity about how they look this year. I guess my point was, the "mystique" is gone since the rules have changed. I know Pig Pen wasn't what he once was, but they really haven't made any noise since the helmet to helmet started getting enforced correctly. I wholeheartedly believe they taught that shit. 

(08-28-2023, 09:03 AM)Wyche Wrote: I haven't watched much of them, so I can't comment with any veracity about how they look this year. I guess my point was, the "mystique" is gone since the rules have changed. I know Pig Pen wasn't what he once was, but they really haven't made any noise since the helmet to helmet started getting enforced correctly. I wholeheartedly believe they taught that shit. 

It seemed to me like the Steelers put and end to that leading with the helmet crap when Shazier paralyzed himself doing it against Josh Morgan.  

(08-28-2023, 12:50 PM)Whatever Wrote: It seemed to me like the Steelers put and end to that leading with the helmet crap when Shazier paralyzed himself doing it against Josh Morgan.  

yea, no

All 3 competitors in the AFC have improved.

If I had more confidence we vastly improved our OL (and for some icing on the cake - our run game), I wouldn’t sweat it.

So, I AM indeed - sweating it.

(08-28-2023, 01:01 PM)Whacked Wrote: All 3 competitors in the AFC have improved.

If I had more confidence we vastly improved our OL (and for some icing on the cake - our run game), I wouldn’t sweat it.

So, I AM indeed - sweating it.

yea the run game is still a big concern. I dont trust it

(08-28-2023, 01:01 PM)Whacked Wrote: All 3 competitors in the AFC have improved.

If I had more confidence we vastly improved our OL (and for some icing on the cake - our run game), I wouldn’t sweat it.

So, I AM indeed - sweating it.

Steelers …. Pickett has to be solid. Ravens … Lamar can he stay healthy and be successful with less running? Cleveland….Watson back to form and the roster worst in the division. Cincy…. OL and slow starts?

I agree all of our opponents are better but our roster is deeper. I think we are still the best

(08-28-2023, 01:01 PM)Whacked Wrote: All 3 competitors in the AFC have improved.

If I had more confidence we vastly improved our OL (and for some icing on the cake - our run game), I wouldn’t sweat it.

So, I AM indeed - sweating it.

I can understand that. Plus starting out on the road against a Divisional opponent in the Stains that have had our number over 
the Burrow years and Burrow coming off of an injury should make a lot of Bengal fans sweat. I still think we are about to turn 
the Battle of Ohio back in our favor, but it might not be in the first game in their place. Should be a close game.

Follow that up with the Ratbirds who are always tough and that is a tough start to the season. The stealers should be much 
better this year as long as Pickett improves big time as he is the main question with that team.

(08-28-2023, 01:04 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: yea the run game is still a big concern. I dont trust it

Cannot trust it at all until we see some run blocking. Haven't seen much if any good run blocking from the backups this PS.

(08-28-2023, 01:10 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Steelers …. Pickett has to be solid. Ravens … Lamar can he stay healthy and be successful with less running? Cleveland….Watson back to form and the roster worst in the division. Cincy…. OL and slow starts?

I agree all of our opponents are better but our roster is deeper. I think we are still the best

I would argue Cleveland has a better roster than the Ratbirds or the stealers, but until they start winning it just doesn't show.

In the trenches the Stains are stacked. I am just hoping that Offense does indeed go to more of a passing Offense instead of 
the Nick Chubb show that has always gave us problems.

(08-28-2023, 01:04 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: yea the run game is still a big concern. I dont trust it

At least with any of the backups, yes.
That's what sucks about not seeing your starters in the preseason...how good will they be given how poor the OL performed last year?
We like to think optimistically based on the reports from camp and what guys like Orlando Brown did on his previous team, but we won't really know until we see it September.

(08-28-2023, 01:19 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I can understand that. Plus starting out on the road against a Divisional opponent in the Stains that have had our number over 
the Burrow years and Burrow coming off of an injury should make a lot of Bengal fans sweat. I still think we are about to turn 
the Battle of Ohio back in our favor, but it might not be in the first game in their place. Should be a close game.

Follow that up with the Ratbirds who are always tough and that is a tough start to the season. The stealers should be much 
better this year as long as Pickett improves big time as he is the main question with that team.


Cannot trust it at all until we see some run blocking. Haven't seen much if any good run blocking from the backups this PS.


I would argue Cleveland has a better roster than the Ratbirds or the stealers, but until they start winning it just doesn't show.

In the trenches the Stains are stacked. I am just hoping that Offense does indeed go to more of a passing Offense instead of 
the Nick Chubb show that has always gave us problems.

I’m not a buyer on Cleveland’s roster. Lost Hunt and WR weak