Maybe they need to put Burrow on a baby food diet before the actual season starts just in case he chokes on a too hard potato chip and damages his voice and unable to call plays for 4 games..
I wonder what the betting line is for next year's freak accident .. 1000-1 odds of Running into a burning building to rescue nuns and orphans and gets a mild case of smoke inhalation? 

(01-09-2024, 11:33 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Two things:
1) The Bengals morphed their team to try to beat the likes of the Bills and Chiefs moving forward, which are different than the AFC North teams. Whether we like it or not, it's not going to magically morph back in just one offseason. Winning in the division is still going to be difficult.
2) The divisional games are only 35% of the total games. So while those games are impactful, it's still possible to go winless in the division and make the playoffs (and possibly even win the division).

The bigger detriment this season, IMO, is Burrow really only being healthy for about 5 games, which was Arizona up through Houston, where the Bengals went 4-1.
Outside of that window, their record was 5-7, 4 of which had a recovering-but-limited Burrow.

Bottom line - I think people are making a bit too big of a deal of the 1-5 divisional record, as I think the Bengals were more affected by Burrow's injury/recovery. Had he been healthy for the whole season, I do think the division would have been 3-3 if not better.

I completely agree. Way way too much is made out of the division. Fixing the run game, rush defense, and defense in general will take care of the division. Now you want to talk about Cleveland being a poor matchup I can get around. But the rest we just need to fix our issues and weaknesses.

There is down side to playing an easy schedule.
Three playoff teams that have a below 0.500 strength of schedule and 0.400 strength of victory:
Miami, Dallas, Tampa Bay, These teams have all been discussed as pretenders.

(01-13-2024, 03:51 PM)puddycat Wrote: There is down side to playing an easy schedule.
Three playoff teams that have a below 0.500 strength of schedule and 0.400 strength of victory:
Miami, Dallas, Tampa Bay, These teams have all been discussed as pretenders.

That's because they are.  Likely first round exits for all of them.  

Dallas is the biggest pretender in there.  They beat like 1-2 teams with a winning record all year and they beat some of the worst defenses in the NFL, which allowed Dak to run up gaudy numbers.  The few times they played good defenses they got theirs asses handed to  them.

Bengals were 5-0 in games where they targeted Chase 10+ times, 4-8 when they didn't.

(01-13-2024, 09:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Bengals were 5-0 in games where they targeted Chase 10+ times, 4-8 when they didn't.

(01-13-2024, 09:22 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

How to determine if you should hire a playcaller/OC:

"You have a young top-5 pick WR who has been a 2nd Team All-Pro. Do you.... 
A. Find ways to pass him the ball even more while he has forward momentum.
B. Say well shucks they are taking him away and throw a ton of telegraphed screens behind the LoS and have him run the ball because 15 carries for 23 yards has to work out eventually, right?"

(01-13-2024, 09:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Bengals were 5-0 in games where they targeted Chase 10+ times, 4-8 when they didn't.

So what? Let's run a toss to Mixon 4 yards behind the line and see what happens.

(01-08-2024, 12:23 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So records aside, we played really good offenses and defenses.

9-8 was pretty good especially without Burrow.

The Bengals went 9-8 against the hardest schedule with like six of their games with a healthy starting quarterback pic.twitter.com/9qXENOrXNX

— Timo Riske (@PFF_Moo) January 8, 2024

Reps for this chart, tells a lot honestly. I have hope for the future, need to retain a few guys and improve a few positions and most importantly 
an OL coach but really if we make the right moves and change schematically to right our wrongs, we should be right back in the Playoffs next 
year and looking to grab the Lombardi again.

We played a lot of rookies this season and still went 9-8, pretty crazy. Loved what I saw of Murphy, Turner, Iosivas and especially Jordan Battle
this season. The future is bright and if Burrow can go into the season healthy for once I like our chances. The AFC North won't be this good 2 
years in a row, the Division has been historically great this season.

(01-13-2024, 09:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Bengals were 5-0 in games where they targeted Chase 10+ times, 4-8 when they didn't.

Bengals were 4-1 when Mixon got 17 or more carries, 5-7 when they didn't

(01-13-2024, 10:09 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Bengals were 4-1 when Mixon got 17 or more carries, 5-7 when they didn't

First off, 17 is a weird threshold. Choose a proper number. Lol

Secondly, last year the Bengals were 4-2 when Mixon got your threshold of 17 or more carries and 10-3 when they didn't. It falls apart immediately. 

Now compare that to Chase getting 10+ targets last year they were 8-2, and 6-3 when they didn't. Heck, in Chase's career they are 17-4 when he is targeted 10+ times and 17-17 when he isn't. Every year of his career they have a better winning % when Chase gets 10+ targets than when he doesn't.

(01-13-2024, 09:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Bengals were 5-0 in games where they targeted Chase 10+ times, 4-8 when they didn't.

(01-13-2024, 10:09 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Bengals were 4-1 when Mixon got 17 or more carries, 5-7 when they didn't

Whoever could have guessed your team is more successful when your players get more touches on offense

I've heard we're undefeated when we score more points than the opposition.

(01-13-2024, 11:06 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Whoever could have guessed your team is more successful when your players get more touches on offense

I've heard we're undefeated when we score more points than the opposition.

Mine wasn't touches, it was targets, which speaks to offensive focus rather than results.

The Bengals were 0-1 when Tee was targeted 10+ times in 2023. In the same 3 years of Chase's career, they are 4-5 when Tee is targeted 10+ times.

In AJ Green's first 3 years they were 13-12 when he was targeted 10+ times and 17-9 when he wasn't.

Keep Chase as a focal part of your offense, feed passes his way. Good things happen.

(01-13-2024, 11:21 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Mine wasn't touches, it was targets, which speaks to offensive focus rather than results.

The Bengals were 0-1 when Tee was targeted 10+ times in 2023. In the same 3 years of Chase's career, they are 4-5 when Tee is targeted 10+ times.

In AJ Green's first 3 years they were 13-12 when he was targeted 10+ times and 17-9 when he wasn't.

Keep Chase as a focal part of your offense, feed passes his way. Good things happen.

So is the assertion we don't target JaMarr enough? 

(01-13-2024, 11:30 PM)bfine32 Wrote: So is the assertion we don't target JaMarr enough? 

I’d like to see him a little higher. He was 11th in targets this season. And it wasn’t just the missed game either. 4 of the guys ahead of him played 16 games or less (Allen only played 13).

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-targeted-wr-2023

(01-13-2024, 11:39 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I’d like to see him a little higher. He was 11th in targets this season. And it wasn’t just the missed game either. 4 of the guys ahead of him played 16 games or less (Allen only played 13).

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-targeted-wr-2023

And his coach got fired because he was the worst in the NFL

(01-13-2024, 11:45 PM)bfine32 Wrote: And his coach got fired because he was the worst in the NFL

Kinda doubt targeting Keenan Allen less would have saved his job.

(01-13-2024, 11:48 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Kinda doubt targeting Keenan Allen less would have saved his job.

We'll just disagree if you think an issue is we don't target JaMarr enough

(01-08-2024, 12:30 PM)Nepa Wrote: Informative chart. Thank you. Have to laugh at Dallas's and KC's schedules. Would have loved to have had the Falcon's schedule.

Definitely an impressive showing with their tough schedule and Burrow's injuries. Hope the NFL front office takes heed and finds some mercy when they set the dates for next year and doesn't schedule an overseas game.

why is Dallas catching strays with your comments?  

(01-13-2024, 03:51 PM)puddycat Wrote: There is down side to playing an easy schedule.
Three playoff teams that have a below 0.500 strength of schedule and 0.400 strength of victory:
Miami, Dallas, Tampa Bay, These teams have all been discussed as pretenders.

Miami sure looking like it.