The offense is stale. The league has had 5 years to study it. Fresh eyes are needed. FO has always struggled to see this. They love their 20 assistant coaches. At least Brat / Alexander and Anderson produced multiple top units in their 20 year runs. Once Brat was figured out, he never produced again. Zampese failed because he didn’t bring anything new since he had been around for ages.

(10-01-2023, 09:39 PM)J24 Wrote: It's good but not elite. Every other Championship contender has at least one elite player on it.

Hendrickson is right up there with the best pass rushers.

(10-01-2023, 09:49 PM)Nately120 Wrote: A lot, I'm sure.  We really only ignore the FO because we know it's never going to change, so it's just pointless to bring it up most times.  Sure things are better as of late, but I think the assertions that the Bengals aren't going to get the most out of Burrow have some merit and aren't just based around the media being butthurt that Burrow is going to win 10 SBs in Cincy and not in Pittsburgh or Dallas.

What did Mike Brown say to Burrow on that golf cart ride?  Was it "I'm paying you a lot of money, so get on the field and play" or what?  Who knows.  We're still operating under the idea that MB wants Burrow to play, and/or ZT needs Burrow to play, and/or Burrow is mentally ill to the point where he'd rather be literally killed on the football field than stand on the sidelines.

If anything Mike Brown probably told him "hey we are paying you a lot of money. So were leaning on sitting you out so you don't hurt self for future seasons". This team has always been. Extra cautious with there players see AJ Green in 2016 and Chase from last season.

(10-01-2023, 09:53 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Hendrickson is right up there with the best pass rushers.

He is but he can't stop the run worth shit. Hubbard is the exact opposite l.

(10-01-2023, 09:53 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Hendrickson is right up there with the best pass rushers.

Terrible against the run though. That will always separate him from the top guys who are elite at both.

(10-01-2023, 09:54 PM)J24 Wrote: If anything Mike Brown probably told him "hey we are paying you a lot of money. So were leaning on sitting you out so you don't hurt self for future seasons". This team has always been. Extra cautious with there players see AJ Green in 2016 and Chase from last season.

That was 2 "Burrow is playing injured" games ago, though.  If Mike Brown wants Burrow to sit and Burrow isn't sitting I'd have to ask who is telling Mike Brown "no" and why it's flown so far.  

(10-01-2023, 09:57 PM)jj22 Wrote: You might want to check cousins playoff stats.  If Burrow put up those numbers we win 2 Super Bowls already.

Meh again.  Burrow came here when we hadn't won a playoff game in almost 30 years, had a HC who went 2-14, and a front office that is long-term crap and we make a lot of noise when Burrow isn't on IR or playing hurt.  Cousins went to a team that made it to the NFC Championship game with Case Keenum at QB and was supposedly "only a QB away."

Well the D has carried us through the postseason. Specifics aside. I don’t think Burrow and the offense has taken over a playoff game.

(10-01-2023, 09:58 PM)Nately120 Wrote: That was 2 "Burrow is playing injured" games ago, though.  If Mike Brown wants Burrow to sit and Burrow isn't sitting I'd have to ask who is telling Mike Brown "no" and why it's flown so far.  

Burrow himself probably. I think this organization runs on eggshells around him like the Cavs did with Lebron. 

For examples they been pretty active in free agency since He's been here(unlike them) and they vastly improved the facilities here(again unlike them).

(10-01-2023, 10:04 PM)jj22 Wrote: Well the D has carried us through the postseason. Specifics aside. I don’t Burrow and the offense has taken over a playoff game.

You didn't watch the Bills game then.

(10-01-2023, 10:04 PM)J24 Wrote: Burrow himself probably. I think this organization runs on eggshells around him like the Cavs did with Lebron. 

For examples they been pretty active in free agency since He's been here(unlike them) and they vastly improved the facilities here(again unlike them).

Oh well, if Burrow wants to legitimately go out there and play hurt and look like that then I don't feel as worried about the Bengals turning him into Andrew Luck, as before.  I'm skeptical Mike Brown decided to let players of any caliber call the shots, but I can also see him treating Burrow better than his other QBs for a while here.

If things don't get better doing it "the Burrow way" things could get testy between the FO and the players...and the FO can't lose a staring contest, because they can't lose their jobs.

(10-01-2023, 10:04 PM)J24 Wrote: Burrow himself probably. I think this organization runs on eggshells around him like the Cavs did with Lebron. 

For examples they been pretty active in free agency since He's been here(unlike them) and they vastly improved the facilities here(again unlike them).

It could be 100% true, and if Burrow wins 1 ring for the Bengals in his hopefully 10 years here, then it is worth it. LeBron needed a coach that he respected though before he won. When Burrow says Zac has a "great culture" I think he means Zac does what I say.

I would be eager to see a Burrow-less team for the rest of the year 1) for Burrow to completely heal and 2) what can Zac do without Burrow.

It's not super fair right now since Burrow is injured and really ***** everything up trying to play and not saying no.

If the NFL is about stories, sitting Burrow and bengals trying their best but still losing out is the beginning of a story for 2024.

I think the comparison with Lebron is correct. The coaching staff is not as smart as Lebron or Burrow and they know it. It's new ground to try and operate injured and at % of capacity, can't make the throws you normally can and can't move the way that would make sense.

(10-01-2023, 10:05 PM)J24 Wrote: You didn't watch the Bills game then.

I watched the defense. Everyone did. They were the story that game. 27 points isn’t an offensive explosion….


Well it may be this season.

(10-01-2023, 10:09 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Oh well, if Burrow wants to legitimately go out there and play hurt and look like that then I don't feel as worried about the Bengals turning him into Andrew Luck, as before.  I'm skeptical Mike Brown decided to let players of any caliber call the shots, but I can also see him treating Burrow better than his other QBs for a while here.

If things don't get better doing it "the Burrow way" things could get testy between the FO and the players...and the FO can't lose a staring contest, because they can't lose their jobs.

But you think Mike Brown magically changed his approach on managing players?
Why we they so cautious  about playing Chase last season but not with Burrow this season?Also why would ownership want Burrow to further injur himself and cost him in future seasons? 

This team is on the path of the 2010 / 2011 New York JETS and not the perennial powerhouse Chiefs. The FO decision making isn’t strong enough to maintain success. Letting leaders like Bell and Perine go while placing too much emphasis on a wr2 is a mistake you won’t see KC or the Brady Patriots make.

They traded talent a year early when they knew they wasn’t able to extend them. Got value to continue to feed the program. 

(10-01-2023, 10:10 PM)jj22 Wrote: I watched the defense. Everyone did. They were the story that game. 27 points isn’t an offensive explosion….


Well it may be this season.

Lol

(10-01-2023, 10:10 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: I would be eager to see a Burrow-less team for the rest of the year 1) for Burrow to completely heal and 2) what can Zac do without Burrow.

We've seen ZT without Burrow, and it led to enough losses that we got to draft Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow.

(10-01-2023, 10:14 PM)J24 Wrote: But you think Mike Brown magically changed his approach on managing players?
Why we they so cautious  about playing Chase last season but not with Burrow this season?Also why would ownership want Burrow to further injur himself and cost him in future seasons? 

It's gotta be Burrow, Ja'marr is the type to sit until something is fully healed. I remember his interview last year where he said I could have played but I sat out to give it just 1 more week. Ja'marr is very clear on where he stands with Burrow's injury and it has to be frustrating as hell that Joe is hell bent. Maybe Ja'marr should do what Zac apparently is incapable, tell Burrow he's hurting the team playing injured and don't come back until you think you're 100%. Gutting it out is for the Super Bowl, not this early on in the season.

(10-01-2023, 10:16 PM)Nately120 Wrote: We've seen ZT without Burrow, and it led to enough losses that we got to draft Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow.

I would like that reminder of 6-25-1 where we called for his head. If he thinks Burrow should not play he should pull him, like what was the point of playing in that 4th. Burrow's press said they were still in the game until the start of the 4th. 

Also someone asked a good question in Burrow's press in regards to is some of it is ego that he wants to stay in, and Burrow confirmed it.

(10-01-2023, 10:14 PM)J24 Wrote: But you think Mike Brown magically changed his approach on managing players?
Why we they so cautious  about playing Chase last season but not with Burrow this season?Also why would ownership want Burrow to further injur himself and cost him in future seasons? 

We don't even know who makes decisions, what Mike Brown said to Burrow on the golf cart, or how injured Burrow is.  I think Mike Brown has always been a fan of just coasting along.  He doesn't make a lot of moves or changes (outside of occasionally letting his female descendants take over aspects of the team).

Marvin and Palmer both left on their own accord, despite how little they accomplished here.  I get that it seems odd that I can call Mike Brown a control freak and also say that he just rolls along and does nothing, but as long as people are on the field playing football I think he's fine just sitting there and letting it happen.

We have a team out there that can win football games, so that's more than we've seen him sign off on before.  Is he going to let Burrow play himself into the morgue?  Maybe.