Last year we gave up only 20ppg, Falcons 23 ppg.


This year the only team worst than us is the Commanders

Last year we were 6th in the league in points allowed.

Falcons so far are the 10th best D in the league in regards to yards allkwed



He went over there and changed the makeup of their D immediately



Someone in Cincy doesn’t know football










It’s all about Bates and Bell


Those are the only positions that had wholesale changes. Same exact d line, same linebackers, and only lost Eli Apple at CB.


It’s not a hard drawn out explanation. It’s easy.


We have Bates and Bell and we probably have a top 10
D again.

This decision has turned out to be the dumbest shit we’ve done transaction wise since Zac got here

Dax hill sucks

If losing 1 or 2 players who don’t even play premier positions (QB, WR, OT, DE, CB) is enough to have a drop off THIS drastic then we were never for real anyway.

Easy in hindsight isn’t it when Bates signed that contract most everyone scoffed at the number.

I’ll admit Inwas wrong he was worth every penny.

Did anyone realize Pittsburgh's both starting safeties were both out. It was a terrible job of the coaches getting the right game plan together. That's it. It happens. It stinks, but on to KC.

But I will say if I see another WR screen out to the flat I may break my television.

You lose really good players in this day and age. Was surprised they let Bell walk, but you can’t sign pro bowlers at every position. When your team and cap is based on your QB, and you lose that QB, you are in trouble. Your insanely priced QB has to be good enough to overcome the losses. The Chiefs have no receivers and aren’t as good, but because of Mahomes they are still near the top. The Bengals had a healthy Burrow for about a quarter of a season.

(12-23-2023, 09:50 PM)Housh Wrote:
It’s all about Bates and Bell

This is where your post loses traction. Its all about the defensive line. Outside of Trey Hendrickson and DJ Reader there has been alot of average to below average play on the DL. When those two players come off the field the defense changes drastically. The Bengals need to attack the IDL in Free Agency and in the Draft this off-season. 

The defense was gonna drop losing the pieces we did in the secondary. Without CTB and Awuzie clearly still not back to complete form we essentially have a completely different secondary. It will take time but the new group may never reach those heights.

(12-23-2023, 10:51 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: The defense was gonna drop losing the pieces we did in the secondary. Without CTB and Awuzie clearly still not back to complete form we essentially have a completely different secondary. It will take time but the new group may never reach those heights.

Dax also hasn’t taken the step we all hope he would. He looks terrible more often than not.

(12-23-2023, 10:54 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Dax also hasn’t taken the step we all hope he would. He looks terrible more often than not.

Still young though and certainly can still turn into that player. I had really felt we had caught lightning in a bottle with our previous secondary they just didn't get a ton of turnovers. Gonna be hard to get a group back to that but I'm still confident in them for next year. Hopefully we add the right pieces.

I think people underestimate losing Apple as well. He was not a #1 corner but he wasn't bad. He gave up some plays but he was better than a lot of what we see now from the Bengals corners. You can't just claim the defense should still be as good because you drafted guys to replace the starters you let go. We didn't go from one of the top scoring defenses to one of the worst because Lou suddenly became a bad coach. We are a worse defense because we don't have the same talent. Just because you use a 1st round draft pick on Dax Hill doesn't mean you have the same talent in the secondary as you did with Jessie Bates.

On defense the LBs appear to be a couple of steps too slow (weighed down by that $ they got in the offseason?)
DBs are not covering well and missing CTB. Hopefully the youngsters improve but Awuzie looks slow.
Still only one guy who can get any kind of pressure on the QB.

Offense still needs O line help and a healthy Burrow/Chase

A very disappointing effort vs a mediocre team tonight.

The Steelers could've won this game with a hamster and Tom Brady playing safety. You lose in the trenches, you can't run it on 4th and inches, you allow your opponent to run it for 8 yards on first down when they're up big, your safety room doesn't matter. The Steelers lost 4 safeties and manhandled this game. Snuffed out their postseason aspirations. The Bengals can't lose 2? After using a 1st and a 3rd round pick on their replacements? L o L. The Bengals don't know how to draft trench players. That's the problem. 

(12-23-2023, 09:59 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: If losing 1 or 2 players who don’t even play premier positions (QB, WR, OT, DE, CB) is enough to have a drop off THIS drastic then we were never for real anyway.

The defense carried the team to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game the last two years. Four starters are gone from the Super Bowl defense One of them now starts for the Pittsburgh team that completely dominated our offense today. You can't lose talent like that and expect the defense to be as good. This defense only has one guy to ever make a Pro Bowl. The offense by comparison has 4. Why isn't the offense getting the job done?

(12-23-2023, 09:50 PM)Housh Wrote: Last year we gave up only 20ppg, Falcons 23 ppg.


This year the only team worst than us is the Commanders

Last year we were 6th in the league in points allowed.

Falcons so far are the 10th best D in the league in regards to yards allkwed



He went over there and changed the makeup of their D immediately



Someone in Cincy doesn’t know football










It’s all about Bates and Bell


Those are the only positions that had wholesale changes. Same exact d line, same linebackers, and only lost Eli Apple at CB.


It’s not a hard drawn out explanation. It’s easy.


We have Bates and Bell and we probably have a top 10
D again.

This decision has turned out to be the dumbest shit we’ve done transaction wise since Zac got here

Actually not that simple, we are playing  and  but LBs have played worse so has CBs and no way a. I signing Bates, Hill 2nd year player is playing good enough to use that $$ we saved on bates to help sign Chase etc.. 

(12-23-2023, 11:34 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: The defense carried the team to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game the last two years. Four starters are gone from the Super Bowl defense One of them now starts for the Pittsburgh team that completely dominated our offense today. You can't lose talent like that and expect the defense to be as good. This defense only has one guy to ever make a Pro Bowl. The offense by comparison has 4. Why isn't the offense getting the job done?

Is this a serious question? Because our undrafted backup QB came crashing back down to Earth today.

And no one expected the defense to be “as good” but to be THIS bad?? Cmon now. Idc who they lost.

I don't think Bells loss is that big but losing Bates is one of the dumbest decisions this Front Office has ever made. There are some subtle differences besides that though.

1 ) Pratt went from a 2 down player to a 3 down player. He isn't made for that role!

2.) The loss of Eli Apple combined with Auwzie becoming bad overnight. CB1 has taken a huge hit!

(12-24-2023, 12:12 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Is this a serious question? Because our undrafted backup QB came crashing back down to Earth today.

So the talent a team is able to put out on the field matters? Less talented players on the field = lesser results? Does this also apply to the defense or is this just offense?

(12-24-2023, 12:56 AM)007BengalsFan Wrote: So the talent a team is able to put out on the field matters? Less talented players on the field = lesser results? Does this also apply to the defense or is this just offense?

They paid their DL. They paid their LBers. And they drafted a bunch of DB’s in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds. There is just no excuse for them to be this bad.