I’m so thankful someone started a Positives thread instead of feeding into the constant negatives. Yes the start has been rough, but no matter how bad it gets, we’ve seen worse. We’re Bengals fans. We endure.

(09-19-2023, 11:26 AM)lacesout87 Wrote: I’m so thankful someone started a Positives thread instead of feeding into the constant negatives. Yes the start has been rough, but no matter how bad it gets, we’ve seen worse. We’re Bengals fans. We endure.

We just need Baltimore, Cleveland and Pissburgh to keep playing each other before we get back to them. 

We were not at 100% (far from it) and we only lost by 3 to a team better than the Browns.

(09-19-2023, 11:48 AM)Interceptor Wrote: We were not at 100% (far from it) and we only lost by 3 to a team better than the Browns.

Our offense waited until mid-way thru the 3rd quarter to finally show up and we still only lost by 3 points.

As long as Burrow continues to play - even if limited - we're going to be back in the playoffs. Now, if he's still limited in the playoffs ...

(09-18-2023, 10:29 AM)Sled21 Wrote: So much for all the usual moaning and groaning and whoa is me that permeates this board after every loss. There ARE things that are looking up.
Defense had a bad game, but the offense looked vastly improved from the 1st game.
Mixon is running hard and not falling down at first contact.
Seems we once again have a punt returner who can take it to the house. He said he spent the week watching film of PacMan returning punts. Yea Ivy League!!
The line, for the most part, seems to be giving more time.
We are out of Division play for a couple of weeks and can even out the schedule. And, we can still split with Baltimore and Cleveland, and possibly sweep Pissburgh.

I agree, there are some positives.

Mixon averaging 4.4 YPC.
OL pass protection does seem to be better (still wanna see improvement from Volson and Williams though).
DB performance has been solid.
Charlie Jones is doing well as a returner. You can see the explosiveness that we didn't see with Trent Taylor.

(09-18-2023, 10:29 AM)Sled21 Wrote: So much for all the usual moaning and groaning and whoa is me that permeates this board after every loss. There ARE things that are looking up.
Defense had a bad game, but the offense looked vastly improved from the 1st game.
Mixon is running hard and not falling down at first contact.
Seems we once again have a punt returner who can take it to the house. He said he spent the week watching film of PacMan returning punts. Yea Ivy League!!
The line, for the most part, seems to be giving more time.
We are out of Division play for a couple of weeks and can even out the schedule. And, we can still split with Baltimore and Cleveland, and possibly sweep Pissburgh.

Thanks Sled. Need this after hearing the Burrow tweaked calf news. Nice seeing Mixon running hard and the OL improving, this gives 
us a chance to win games if the Defense plays well and the QB is decent. We still have a damn good roster and loved that Punt Return
from Chuck Sizzle. Looked like we really fought back against the Ravens but it looked like Lamar played fantastic from some of those 
passes I saw. If Lamar plays like that throwing out of the pocket, it is hard to beat those guys no matter if you are healthy or not.

(09-19-2023, 11:42 AM)Sled21 Wrote: We just need Baltimore, Cleveland and Pissburgh to keep playing each other before we get back to them. 

With the Stains losing Nick Chubb last night and the stealers winning while having poor QB play it makes me feel more positive as well.

Was that a dirty hit by Fitzpatrick? Couldn't see it as the play was so bad they never shown it?

Nick Chubb is the best RB in the NFL when healthy IMHO.

(09-19-2023, 01:29 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: With the Stains losing Nick Chubb last night and the stealers winning while having poor QB play it makes me feel more positive as well.

Was that a dirty hit by Fitzpatrick? Couldn't see it as the play was so bad they never shown it?

Nick Chubb is the best RB in the NFL when healthy IMHO.

Naw, some people claim it was, but it wasn't. Pissburgh is dirty enough on their own without making stuff up. It was a clean play, stuff just happens. Now Watson was playing dirty.

(09-19-2023, 01:32 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Naw, some people claim it was, but it wasn't. Pissburgh is dirty enough on their own without making stuff up. It was a clean play, stuff just happens. Now Watson was playing dirty.

Yeah, saw Fitzpatrick went out of the game as well and those facemasks by Watson were BS.

Lots of guys got hurt in this game. We will see if we can get a win against the Rams, if so, it isn't so bad.

The Rams look a lot better this year than last and seem to be over their SB funk. If we beat them good things can still be in front of us.

If we're down 24 we still have a chance

(09-18-2023, 11:42 AM)Mer Wrote: As long as Burrow can play at at least 75% for next few games, I believe we'll be fine. Now let's take it to the Rams and run, run, and run the ball some more. I'd love to see our Oline run with success even if the other team knows its coming.

Problem is sadly the calf will not heal if Burrow keeps going out there.  You can't play at 75%, adrenaline will prevent that and he'll take off from the pocket like he has the first 2 games.  They may have to put him on the shelf for an extended period unfortunately.

And who knows, this may force them to actually establish a running game and play a different brand of football.  

(09-18-2023, 10:52 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: That's probably it, but it is worth noting that 2019 was his 3rd year and afterwards he was eligible for extension and peaked just in time to get paid. Then after he got paid he dipped for another 3 years. 

Now he knows with all the off-the-field stuff and pay cut he's hanging in the NFL by a thread and needs to reassert why he should be kept around. He's also playing for a couple million dollars in incentives.

I've always loved Mixons team energy and while he I'm sure he's motivated by money like anyone would be i don't think that's why we've seen changes in his production. I'm not the most educated in Oline blocking schemes but Mixon thrives in certain blocking schemes. He kind of sucked his rookie year and if I remember correctly had a slight knee issue he took care of early then the 2nd half of the season he really came on. That success carried over to 2018 for the whole year. Then in 2019 Taylor came in and they changed blocking scheme and Mixon was literally the worst back in the league the 1st half of the season then when changing blocking schemes I assume he became the 2nd back in the league behind only Derrick Henry I believe. Then the next 3 seasons we continued to try and change the scheme to a wide zone I believe and Mixon does not do great in this. Now we have changed out of it most seasons but we always seem to try the wide zone to start the season. I think the reason for Mixons early success is we've finally started with a scheme that favors our personal power gap I believe again not the most educated on this. 

It's unbelievably really that simple of a reason for his issues and crazy how stubborn our coaching staff has been to realize this. Of course there had been some other factors little injuries and only going under center when we run and other tells of a runs. I also think in 2021 our big play pass game made the run an after thought and not worked on as much. Then our new Oline acquisitions last year made us think we could now do the wide zone.

Not saying Mixon is a perfect back or even a top 5 back with the correct blocking scheme but top 10? I think so. 

(09-20-2023, 09:02 AM)Daddy-O Wrote: Problem is sadly the calf will not heal if Burrow keeps going out there.  You can't play at 75%, adrenaline will prevent that and he'll take off from the pocket like he has the first 2 games.  They may have to put him on the shelf for an extended period unfortunately.

And who knows, this may force them to actually establish a running game and play a different brand of football.  

Taylor said they would have to first talk to the doctors to determine if he would play or not. They should've talked to the "doctors" by now? I would assume since he hasn't been ruled out yet or put on IR that the doctors have at the very least said it was a pain management issue. If they're were any significant chances of injuring his calf with just running and throwing I would think the news would already be out by now? I'm leaning towards I think Burrow will play because if doctors are giving him a go then it will just come down to how he deals with the calf and unless it's affecting his ability to throw which it hasn't seemed to I think he will want to be out there.

(09-19-2023, 01:32 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Naw, some people claim it was, but it wasn't. Pissburgh is dirty enough on their own without making stuff up. It was a clean play, stuff just happens. Now Watson was playing dirty.

I'm not so sure. I think it's the way they are coached a bit more on the old school side of when given the opportunity to go put a lick on a player and make them feel it. Which is fine and all and some may say part of the game but when you do it at the catch point or when do it to a QB standing in the pocket of at or after release it highlights the dangers of trying to deliver a painful hit. I would say throwing your body at another players knee in the middle of the scrum while not inherently dirty is opening the door for exactly what we just saw to happen. I don't want to hear the it's a bang bang play crap that we heard about defenseless receivers for so long as that has clearly been proven false. 

It reminds me back to it believe Eiferts rookie season ( perhaps his 2nd year ). We opened against the Ravens and I remember watching the beginning and really taking note of how physical the Ravens were trying to be. Not that being physical is bad but they were sprinting in a diving trying to deliver hits even as our players were going down being tackled by another player. Was it dirty or illegal? No it was within the rules and certainly the way they were being coached. But when Eifert makes a catch and is being tackled and tries to put his arm down to slow his impact to the ground now one of those diving hits contacts his elbow and that's all she wrote for his season. A play that has no impact on the game from a tackle perspective as he was already being tackled just trying to throw a hit. I think Fitzpatrick saw an opportunity to throw a hit around Chubbs knees that might slow him down a bit on some of his runs. But unfortunately when you start throwing unnecessary hits in vulnerable areas stuff like this happens.

Quote:Wait. We're allowed to be optimistic in here?

Of course you're allowed to be optimistic, but beware that if they lose to LA you'll be berated endlessly as a homer and the peanut gallery will never forgive you!