I think people drastically underestimate the cumulative effect losing games, and losing teammates has on team chemistry.
For example, losing Uzomah (then Hurst), Perine, Bell, Bates, etc.  Each time it was like... eh, no big deal - next man up, right?
But, like death by 1000 cuts, every lost teammate left yet another hole to fill, both physically and mentally.

The difference between winning and losing is RAZOR-THIN, and it takes very little to fall of that edge into the abyss like we're seeing now.
The Super Bowl run was like fairy-tale magic.  The stars aligned. Everything fell in place.  No catastrophic injuries, and every bounce or penalty seemed to go mostly the Bengals' way.

But, just as importantly, that team had leadership and chemistry... a spark that now seems to be missing.

Some may say it's one thing or another... I say what we're seeing now is the result of a slowly draining lifeblood of chemistry, lost drop by drop.

That's the NFL and pro sports in general. Good organizations overcome it. Nobody has ever accused the Bengals of being one of those though. A couple of home run draft picks put us in position... Now what?

(10-02-2023, 10:35 AM)jason Wrote: That's the NFL and pro sports in general. Good organizations overcome it. Nobody has ever accused the Bengals of being bone of those though. A couple of home run draft picks put us in position... Now what?

Tank the rest of the way and reload.. It's not an unknown phenomena in the NFL..

Losing those players did hurt, and the program (plug and play) wasn't a set as we all hoped it was like the great KC and NE dynasties.

However going from one of the best teams in the league to the worst (by far) is something unforeseen by many even with the loss of talent, or a qb with a bum calf.

4 games without a first half TD (with the talent we still supposedly have), 2 offensive TD's in nearly a quarter of the season. This is bad folks. This is a systemic failure.

I don’t

We will have culture issues by week 6.

No, that's just the NFL. What's hurting is that this coaching staff is inept. They're going to be kept around because they were carried by the best roster in the NFL. Even with all of our talent we've never been top 10 in yards or top 5 in points. There's no excuse for that when you have a top 2 QB a top 5 WR and another tip receiver with an above average RB. Not to mention a stout defense that puts you in good positions.

When you have an elite QB, you're supposed to be able to overcome that stuff.

The problem is Burrow is playing like a bottom 5 starting NFL QB.

And it's gonna get worse as far as needing to replace. The FA list is rather long next year. Boyd and Tee. Jonah. Reader. Awuzie. And a TE to replace Smith.

(10-02-2023, 11:14 AM)Goalpost Wrote: And it's gonna get worse as far as needing to replace.  The FA list is rather long next year.  Boyd and Tee.  Jonah.  Reader.  Awuzie.  And a TE to replace Smith.

Awuize and Boyd are walking

Jonah, will we miss him? 

(10-02-2023, 12:17 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: Awuize and Boyd are walking

Jonah, will we miss him? 

Yep, they are pushing 30. And Reader is also.

Jonah is young but this team won't pay him him asking price..5 years 70 million ballpark figure.. Spotrac estimates.