Can they beat the Stains? Sure. Will they? Hard to tell with the up and down nature of this year's team. If the defense builds on last week and the offense is functional with moving the ball they should win.

(10-15-2024, 03:42 PM)Joelist Wrote: Can they beat the Stains? Sure. Will they? Hard to tell with the up and down nature of this year's team. If the defense builds on last week and the offense is functional with moving the ball they should win.

I know this doesn't mean anything the last few years, but their offense is awful this year. I don't know what happened to Deshaun Watson, but he might be the worst QB in the league right now. Chubby is coming off a catastrophic injury, and they just unloaded Cooper today. I'll be beside myself if we don't beat them.

With our luck, some no name rookie WR will come off the bench HOT and play like the next JJ ….. and …. Watson won’t stink nearly as badly as he does and connect w him all day.

(10-15-2024, 03:04 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: I think they dominated the Raiders on Sunday. 

Ah, didn't even catch that. Damn, well they lost 2 in a row before that.

(10-15-2024, 11:29 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Ah, didn't even catch that. Damn, well they lost 2 in a row before that.

Well so did the Ravens

(10-16-2024, 10:09 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: Well so did the Ravens

Yep, it is a long season. I have the stealers back to winning this week as well, we will see. I have the Ravens and us also winning.

Here is where the rubber meets the road.  CLEVELAND....An AFC NORTH DIVISION GAME....Cleveland who has beat the Bengals X's and O's with good hard blocking and tackling of smash mouth football. ..Cleveland does have a Defense that is tough.   This is no easy game.  What is Burrows record against Cleveland, because I think they have defensed him pretty well.

It's a MUST Win for Bengals.  Getting to 3-4 and 1-1 in Division games puts them in striking distance.  Falling to 2-5 and 0-2 in the Division just about ruins the season.  The whole point of me saying Bengals can win the AFC North is based on the AFC North Games Bengals could win, but if they fall to 0-2 in AFC North games, forget about it.

GO BENGALS and beat Browns, but Browns always play Bengals tough. Look for pushing and shoving, these division rivals don't like each other. 

If I never hear the term "must win" again it will be too soon.

(10-18-2024, 01:53 PM)kevin Wrote: Here is where the rubber meets the road.  CLEVELAND....An AFC NORTH DIVISION GAME....Cleveland who has beat the Bengals X's and O's with good hard blocking and tackling of smash mouth football. ..Cleveland does have a Defense that is tough.   This is no easy game.  What is Burrows record against Cleveland, because I think they have defensed him pretty well.

It's a MUST Win for Bengals.  Getting to 3-4 and 1-1 in Division games puts them in striking distance.  Falling to 2-5 and 0-2 in the Division just about ruins the season.  The whole point of me saying Bengals can win the AFC North is based on the AFC North Games Bengals could win, but if they fall to 0-2 in AFC North games, forget about it.

GO BENGALS and beat Browns, but Browns always play Bengals tough. Look for pushing and shoving, these division rivals don't like each other. 

Cleveland actually has just a middle-of-the-pack defense this year.
21st in YPA allowed on the ground.
Also 21st in NYPA allowed in the passing game.
19th in Points Allowed.

Combine that with them being near-last on offense and this should be a game the Bengals are favored.

To your point though, they always seem to be able to run on the Bengals and have won more than lost in recent years.

(10-15-2024, 09:45 PM)jason Wrote: I know this doesn't mean anything the last few years, but their offense is awful this year. I don't know what happened to Deshaun Watson, but he might be the worst QB in the league right now. Chubby is coming off a catastrophic injury, and they just unloaded Cooper today.  I'll be beside myself if we don't beat them.

Patriots weren’t a juggernaut, yet dominated. 

Interesting discussion with someone that coached college football as a coordinator extremely familiar with the Bengals. He thinks that they can win out. Said they won 10 straight their SB year. But thinks at minimum 10 wins. Said Jenkins is coming along and the ability to rotate 4 in the DL huge.

(10-18-2024, 09:16 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Interesting discussion with someone that coached college football as a coordinator extremely familiar with the Bengals. He thinks that they can win out. Said they won 10 straight their SB year. But thinks at minimum 10 wins. Said Jenkins is coming along and the ability to rotate 4 in the DL huge.

That is definitely an encouraging take from a guy with real coaching experience. We saw the difference in the attitude of the team last week with a healthy DL, let's just hope that it carries over and gains momentum.

(10-18-2024, 09:59 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: That is definitely an encouraging take from a guy with real coaching experience. We saw the difference in the attitude of the team last week with a healthy DL, let's just hope that it carries over and gains momentum.

He also said the secondary must have great communication in Lou’s scheme. And appear to be getting there. As a former major bowl player of the game as a safety he’s well versed on the secondary. He really feels like the ability to rotate in the DL and the emerging of Jenkins bodes really well for the defense. And… the offense is really beginning to gel. This game may be like the Ravens game a few years ago when Lamar was playing. We blew them out 41-17

(10-18-2024, 02:10 PM)Sled21 Wrote: If I never hear the term "must win" again it will be too soon.

Mist win isn't even that serious... It's when it becomes a gots to win situation that it gets real.

This week is a gots to win game... And they will.

They beat Daniel Jones!  Whaddaya want?  Hell, they almost beat Baltimore.. Almost.. It's not like they play hourseshoes and hand grenades .

(10-18-2024, 02:40 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Cleveland actually has just a middle-of-the-pack defense this year.
21st in YPA allowed on the ground.
Also 21st in NYPA allowed in the passing game.
19th in Points Allowed.

Combine that with them being near-last on offense and this should be a game the Bengals are favored.

To your point though, they always seem to be able to run on the Bengals and have won more than lost in recent years.

Their D stats are better than Bengals D stats.  They have some tough dudes on D Line and some good DB's.   Plus it is is the Dawg Pound for very loud 12th man on defense.  Bengals just have a hard time getting the offense going off Lake Erie, that Browns Helmet painted on 50 yard line, Dawg Pound going crazy. 

Bengals are catching Browns short handed at RB.  That won't be the case later in season in The Jungle, but right now Browns best RB's are all injured.  If Burrow can get the Browns Jinx off his back and get going in this one, Bengals offense is far better than Browns offense at this time. 

GO BENGALS

(10-19-2024, 01:15 AM)kevin Wrote: Their D stats are better than Bengals D stats.  They have some tough dudes on D Line and some good DB's.   Plus it is is the Dawg Pound for very loud 12th man on defense.  Bengals just have a hard time getting the offense going off Lake Erie, that Browns Helmet painted on 50 yard line, Dawg Pound going crazy. 

Bengals are catching Browns short handed at RB.  That won't be the case later in season in The Jungle, but right now Browns best RB's are all injured.  If Burrow can get the Browns Jinx off his back and get going in this one, Bengals offense is far better than Browns offense at this time. 

GO BENGALS

Well yea, but it's not a huge difference.

Browns have allowed 23.5 PPG. Bengals have allowed 25.3 PPG.
Browns have allowed 333.7 PYPG, Bengals have allowed 356 PYPG.

On the ground, Bengals have actually allowed fewer YPC compared to Browns (4.4 vs 4.7).

So while the Browns have been better than Bengals to some extent on defense, the Browns do not have a Top 10 defense.
It's just mid.
However, the difference in the offense is night and day between Browns and Bengals, so the Bengals SHOULD be favored in this game.
With that said, you hit on a valid point that they always seem to struggle playing IN CLE, so it's not a "guaranteed" win by any means.

Please update your signature with, up to date record (including playoffs): 
Zac Taylor (overall): 44–50–1 (.468)

Thank you!

(10-19-2024, 11:36 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Please update your signature with, up to date record (including playoffs): 
Zac Taylor (overall): 44–50–1 (.468)

Thank you!

That's not all that bad considering how awful last years of Coach Lewis were.  I mean, all the coaches fired except Lewis and then the last year so awful that Lewis and more coaches fired.  Coach Lewis left the cupboard bare, Taylor walked into a complete rebuild.  It took a couple years, but Taylor did eliminate big money contracts and Marvin #1 Draft Picks that just weren't panning out.  It's a long list of Marvin #1 picks that had to be shown the door, before this team could use that money to rebuild.  Joe Burrow by himself wasn't enough, he isn't Superman, you have to build a team around him.  

In all fairness to Coach Lewis, the Bengals cupboard was mighty bare when he came in and started turning things around in a rebuild.  Same when Coach Taylor came in.  Both time Bengals were at Rock Bottom needing a complete rebuild  and that takes years.  As Paul Brown said in 1968, don't expect much the first few years, it takes years and a few drafts to build a team.  I was there in 1968, and the team Lewis took over and the team Taylor took over needed as much rebuild as what Paul Brown had in 1968. 

Anyway, GO BENGALS....3-4 and 1-1 in AFC North starts getting this  train back on the tracks. 

(10-19-2024, 03:00 PM)kevin Wrote: That's not all that bad considering how awful last years of Coach Lewis were.  I mean, all the coaches fired except Lewis and then the last year so awful that Lewis and more coaches fired.  Coach Lewis left the cupboard bare, Taylor walked into a complete rebuild.  It took a couple years, but Taylor did eliminate big money contracts and Marvin #1 Draft Picks that just weren't panning out.  It's a long list of Marvin #1 picks that had to be shown the door, before this team could use that money to rebuild.  Joe Burrow by himself wasn't enough, he isn't Superman, you have to build a team around him.  

In all fairness to Coach Lewis, the Bengals cupboard was mighty bare when he came in and started turning things around in a rebuild.  Same when Coach Taylor came in.  Both time Bengals were at Rock Bottom needing a complete rebuild  and that takes years.  As Paul Brown said in 1968, don't expect much the first few years, it takes years and a few drafts to build a team.  I was there in 1968, and the team Lewis took over and the team Taylor took over needed as much rebuild as what Paul Brown had in 1968. 

Anyway, GO BENGALS....3-4 and 1-1 in AFC North starts getting this  train back on the tracks. 

A lot of words to say one has Joe Burrow and the other did not.