That’s right! Zac Taylor is 7-10-1 in the month of September since 2019. This is absolutely abysmal and places undue pressure on the team to play catch up all season. The 2022 season began 0-2 and I can easily see the 2023 season beginning in similar fashion.

However, there’s a difference between 2022 and 2023; neither loss in 2022 was a blowout; losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas were close. Today against the Turds the Bengals were not close and were never in the game.

What I see is a lack of preparation from the coaches with the exception of Lou Anarumo. I’m not saying the defense was perfect because it wasn’t but forcing two turnovers usually leads to a win. The offense was anemic and inept and I place the blame for lethargic play on Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan; Frank Pollack too. That was a 1990s-era offensive effort.

Most teams in the league come roaring out of the starting gate but not Cincinnati. No, no.

I’m sure Zac is a great culture guy, but he can’t coach a struggling team to victory. It is 100% on the players. And how many wins does he have in the first two games of the season? One?

Today definitely looked like 1993 instead of 2023.

If we don't protect Burrow, we'll relive that entire decade of ineptitude all over again.

First year we were so trash we got Jamarr Chase so i can’t put that on Zac

Next year Burrow was injured and missed camp.

Same thing this year.

There is a convo to be bad about being so meh in September. Obviously we are one of the only teams that played no starters on offense. That isn’t good. I always operated on you play guys own drive the first games then give them a quarter in the final preseason game. No starters all preseason is insane.

(09-10-2023, 07:11 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I’m sure Zac is a great culture guy, but he can’t coach a struggling team to victory. It is 100% on the players. And how many wins does he have in the first two games of the season? One?

Yes. One. The 2021 opening game against Minnesota.

(09-10-2023, 07:13 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes. One. The 2021 opening game against Minnesota.

So 1-8 soon to be 1-9 or 2-8? You have to change something. You can’t continue to start the season off in the hole every year.

(09-10-2023, 07:07 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: That’s right!  Zac Taylor is 7-10-1 in the month of September since 2019.  This is absolutely abysmal and places undue pressure on the team to play catch up all season.  The 2022 season began 0-2 and I can easily see the 2023 season beginning in similar fashion.

However, there’s a difference between 2022 and 2023; neither loss in 2022 was a blowout; losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas were close.  Today against the Turds the Bengals were not close and were never in the game.

What I see is a lack of preparation from the coaches with the exception of Lou Anarumo.  I’m not saying the defense was perfect because it wasn’t but  forcing two turnovers usually leads to a win.  The offense was anemic and inept and I place the blame for lethargic play on Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan; Frank Pollack too.  That was a 1990s-era offensive effort.

Most teams in the league come roaring out of the starting gate but not Cincinnati.  No, no.

It was an Akili Smith stat line for sure.

September is when it matters most! Who cares about playoffs

(09-10-2023, 09:05 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: September is when it matters most! Who cares about playoffs

I agree, but message boards generally aren't the type of place you find the "I'm not going to care until the playoffs" types of fans.  I've come across plenty of those, I envy them in a sense.

(09-10-2023, 08:22 PM)michaelsean Wrote: So 1-8 soon to be 1-9 or 2-8?  You have to change something. You can’t continue to start the season off in the hole every year.

They do the easy training camps where they rest people.

(09-10-2023, 09:16 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I agree, but message boards generally aren't the type of place you find the "I'm not going to care until the playoffs" types of fans.  I've come across plenty of those, I envy them in a sense.

Well you’re prob right. Might just leave here and re-visit in November. These hysterics over getting killed by cleveland(always happens) is just mind numbing to me

(09-10-2023, 09:16 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I agree, but message boards generally aren't the type of place you find the "I'm not going to care until the playoffs" types of fans.  I've come across plenty of those, I envy them in a sense.

I would kill to have that mindset.

(09-10-2023, 09:21 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Well you’re prob right. Might just leave here and re-visit in November. These hysterics over getting killed by cleveland(always happens) is just mind numbing to me

Numb is a good way to put it, considering we are completely unsurprised that the Browns of all teams has found a way to own as as if they are Aaron Rodgers and we are the lowly Chicago Bears.

I get it, we're going to win the division unless things go insanely wrong, it's expected and it'll happen.  With that being said, when we declared that it was a new dey we certainly didn't expect that to include routine beatdowns from the Browns.

(09-10-2023, 07:07 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: That’s right!  Zac Taylor is 7-10-1 in the month of September since 2019.  This is absolutely abysmal and places undue pressure on the team to play catch up all season.  The 2022 season began 0-2 and I can easily see the 2023 season beginning in similar fashion.

However, there’s a difference between 2022 and 2023; neither loss in 2022 was a blowout; losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas were close.  Today against the Turds the Bengals were not close and were never in the game.

What I see is a lack of preparation from the coaches with the exception of Lou Anarumo.  I’m not saying the defense was perfect because it wasn’t but  forcing two turnovers usually leads to a win.  The offense was anemic and inept and I place the blame for lethargic play on Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan; Frank Pollack too.  That was a 1990s-era offensive effort.

Most teams in the league come roaring out of the starting gate but not Cincinnati.  No, no.

I don;t care about 2019, that was a cluster of a team.. but yes 2020 to 2023... but you can;t leave out players especilly  Burrow.. he is the highest paid player for a reason, he also needs to be better in September... but agree coaching takes some blame also but players do also... I still say Pollack is struggling, what we have invested in our Oline and they still seem to be struggling more than any unit early in year

(09-10-2023, 09:23 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I would kill to have that mindset.

In all fairness, my main memory of it was when I was a lone Bengals fan in PA and it was 2009 or so and we were a few games in and looking good and I was trying to talk football and my Steeler fan pals were very "Meh, I don't really care until the playoffs start" and I was pretty annoyed I was hanging on every regular season game hoping I wasn't insane to think the Bengals could make the playoffs for the second time in decades while they already "knew" they'd be in the playoffs and then had the luxury to maybe care a little bit.

On the plus side, they didn't make the playoffs that year so I guess they never got a chance to care.  Poor bums.  Can't blame them though, if/when we win the SB I'm going to assume we make the playoffs the next year.  I mean duh.

(09-10-2023, 07:13 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes. One. The 2021 opening game against Minnesota.

And they barely won that game. I really eish we would have drafted the Center J.M.Smith. I really like Karras, he’s one of my favorite players. I think he’s a better guard than center.

Ok, I said in another thread I wasn't going to pound on this to much, but. I'm not so sure I'm in love with Zac's don't play the starters any in preseason policy?

The argument is look how well we've done late in season/playoffs, lately. But it seems we go in cold, out of sorts, no chemistry, and on and on on O to start every year.

Perhaps that policy should change? I'm not in panic mode, yet.

Zac's preseason policy is a direct factor in today's disaster. You could see it on every play that the offense was out of sync. Receivers ran the wrong routes, constant communication errors and such. Zac also didn't help with a bad game plan that made us look even worse. And finally Burrow was absolute trash today.

(09-10-2023, 09:23 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I would kill to have that mindset.

Me too!  lol.

(09-10-2023, 07:07 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: That’s right!  Zac Taylor is 7-10-1 in the month of September since 2019.  This is absolutely abysmal and places undue pressure on the team to play catch up all season.  The 2022 season began 0-2 and I can easily see the 2023 season beginning in similar fashion.

However, there’s a difference between 2022 and 2023; neither loss in 2022 was a blowout; losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas were close.  Today against the Turds the Bengals were not close and were never in the game.

What I see is a lack of preparation from the coaches with the exception of Lou Anarumo.  I’m not saying the defense was perfect because it wasn’t but  forcing two turnovers usually leads to a win.  The offense was anemic and inept and I place the blame for lethargic play on Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan; Frank Pollack too.  That was a 1990s-era offensive effort.

Most teams in the league come roaring out of the starting gate but not Cincinnati.  No, no.

Would think getting our Starting OL in a good groove in the PRESEASON might have helped.