“Five letters here, just for everybody out there in Bengalland: R-E-L-A-X. Relax. We’re going to be fine.”

It didn’t take long for Bengals fans to start wondering when Burrow would deliver a first Super Bowl. The 2023 season opened flat with the Bengals losing their first game, a sleepy 24-3 defeat at Cleveland in Week 1. A few days later, Burrow will deliver one of the most iconic quotes of his career during his formerly weekly press conference wit Cincinnati. He will simply tell everyone to relax.

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The sky was falling, and everyone was looking to Zac Taylor for answers. Rather than give in to the panic or try to justify the state of the team, Taylor repeatedly said that he was “on to Baltimore”. This became the 2023 Bengals’ rallying cry, and it all begins in Week two against the Ravens.

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Both edited from early struggling 2014 teams, that went to the nfc championship (packers) and won Super Bowl (patriots).

Relax everyone, it will be fine.

It's a brilliant season long game plan..... Taylor is just doing the "Rope a Dope." While teams like the Ratbirds are coming out swinging, losing all their best players to injury, the Bengals are just ducking and dodging, letting the rest wear themselves down, then they'll come out with the knockout punches.

(09-11-2023, 10:07 AM)Sled21 Wrote: It's a brilliant season long game plan..... Taylor is just doing the "Rope a Dope." While teams like the Ratbirds are coming out swinging, losing all their best players to injury, the Bengals are just ducking and dodging, letting the rest wear themselves down, then they'll come out with the knockout punches.

Chess v checkers.

(09-11-2023, 10:08 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Chess v checkers.

Any word on the Browns left tackle? That did not look good.

Going along with the theme of this thread: It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

Sucks our offense didn't show up AT ALL in Cleveland, but what matters is what our record is after the 17th game. Sucks it won't be 17-0 but 16-1 is just as good.

(09-11-2023, 10:09 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Any word on the Browns left tackle? That did not look good.

Conklin left the game on a cart and head coach Kevin Stefanski’s postgame update was not an optimistic one.

“You hope, but it doesn’t look good,” Conklin said, via Kelsey Russo of the team’s in-house media group. “I feel absolutely awful for Jack. The person that he is, the player that he is and what he means to this team. . . . He’s such a big part of what we are. We’ll hold out hope there.”

Watching that game yesterday was unfortunate, but most everyone knew it was going to be a rough one against a division team, on the road, without so many starters having any playing time yet. I fully expect the team to be pretty fired up after that loss and respond well. If there's one thing this team has done well the past few years, it's pull together.

Would have been great to see them on fire yesterday, but they'll hit their stride. Like last year's slow start, I'm losing exactly zero sleep over the first game being a loss.

(09-11-2023, 10:32 AM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Watching that game yesterday was unfortunate, but most everyone knew it was going to be a rough one against a division team, on the road, without so many starters having any playing time yet. I fully expect the team to be pretty fired up after that loss and respond well. If there's one thing this team has done well the past few years, it's pull together.

Would have been great to see them on fire yesterday, but they'll hit their stride. Like last year's slow start, I'm losing exactly zero sleep over the first game being a loss.

This is correct.

(09-11-2023, 10:32 AM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Watching that game yesterday was unfortunate, but most everyone knew it was going to be a rough one against a division team, on the road, without so many starters having any playing time yet.  I fully expect the team to be pretty fired up after that loss and respond well.  If there's one thing this team has done well the past few years, it's pull together.  

Would have been great to see them on fire yesterday, but they'll hit their stride.  Like last year's slow start, I'm losing exactly zero sleep over the first game being a loss.

Right, I'm not to worried. They'll get it together. Perhaps a sucker punch to the nose was just what the doctor ordered?

(09-11-2023, 10:32 AM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Watching that game yesterday was unfortunate, but most everyone knew it was going to be a rough one against a division team, on the road, without so many starters having any playing time yet.  I fully expect the team to be pretty fired up after that loss and respond well.  If there's one thing this team has done well the past few years, it's pull together.  

Would have been great to see them on fire yesterday, but they'll hit their stride.  Like last year's slow start, I'm losing exactly zero sleep over the first game being a loss.

Certainly agree with this. This iteration of the Bengals have generally been brilliant at responding to adversity. 

(09-11-2023, 10:09 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Any word on the Browns left tackle? That did not look good

likely out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL
Baltimore lost JK Dobbins to a torn Achilles

Probably should just stay away from all the sports analysts this week. The Bengals are the butt of jokes everywhere today (no surprise) and so is Burrow (some surprise). Back to the old days...

I'm just sick and tired of one pass rusher running our gameplans.

Donald, Jones, and Garrett; and Parsons; and Bosa. When do we have a gameplan that doesn't crumble to these guys?

(09-11-2023, 01:08 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: I'm just sick and tired of one pass rusher running our gameplans.

Donald, Jones, and Garrett; and Parsons; and Bosa. When do we have a gameplan that doesn't crumble to these guys?

Donald - blowout team win
Jones - didn’t play team lost
Garrett - blowout team win
Parsons - blowout team win
Bosa (Nick) - blowout team win

Maybes it isn’t just the bengals.

The four QBs that played against the elite elites (listed above), had 530 yards passing, 2 tds, 4 ints and a combined 16 sacks.

Averages out to - 132 yards a game, .5 tds and a pick to go with 4 sacks.

(09-11-2023, 10:09 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Any word on the Browns left tackle? That did not look good.

Out for the season. Torn ACL. MCL. they do have a 4th round draft pick as replacement, Dawand Jones, that many on here were clamoring for: 

Dawand Jones came in and stoned everyone.

(09-11-2023, 01:08 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: I'm just sick and tired of one pass rusher running our gameplans.

Donald, Jones, and Garrett; and Parsons; and Bosa. When do we have a gameplan that doesn't crumble to these guys?

Yeah, I don't get it, either.  Double-team the fkr and MAKE SOMEONE ELSE BEAT YOU.

Seeing the new dey Bengals play the Browns makes me wanna R-E-F-L-U-X

Home-opener, motivated after being embarrassed, playing a team likely without their:

CB1
RB1
LT
C
FS
Starting OLB

We have to take advantage of our advantages here.

(09-11-2023, 10:32 AM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Watching that game yesterday was unfortunate, but most everyone knew it was going to be a rough one against a division team, on the road, without so many starters having any playing time yet.  I fully expect the team to be pretty fired up after that loss and respond well.  If there's one thing this team has done well the past few years, it's pull together.  

Would have been great to see them on fire yesterday, but they'll hit their stride.  Like last year's slow start, I'm losing exactly zero sleep over the first game being a loss.

Burrow looked rusty and preseason games might have helped, but is anyone worried about the fact that our offensive line looked more crippled than I am? No one could have won behind that line.

I realize that the Browns have a solid pass rush but it's not even the best in the division. It's 7th in the NFL but not even the best in the division, the Steelers are. If play like that continues, we're going at least 0-4 in the division and it will be very tough to make the playoffs.

(09-11-2023, 11:54 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Right, I'm not to worried. They'll get it together. Perhaps a sucker punch to the nose was just what the doctor ordered?

That would be incredible but, with how bad they looked on just about every play, it's tough for me to be optimistic.