It’s a sad day for the 2024 bengals fandom. The season is over, although I said it was over after week 1 loss. But I was wrong. I thought that loss meant we weren’t a Super Bowl team. I didn’t think we weren’t even a .500 or playoff team. Been a rough season. At this point, as fans, we need to root for losses. What good does wins do us? We were in the same position last year, and many including myself, wished to lose out to get higher draft picks. Many on here wanted to win to “gain momentum”. Where was that momentum? I guess it doesn’t work that way if you lack talent. How are the bengals going to add talent? In the way they know best, the draft. So besides making yourself feel good with some pointless wins, what good does it do the team?

The bengals aren’t going to tank on purpose or lose on purpose. And I don’t expect them to. But they can start benching some starters who don’t deserve to be here next year. I’d start with Hubbard, Bell, Stone, Volson, Kappa, Pratt, BJ Hill, Rankins. Play Tee Higgins less, He’s gone next year anyways.

If any game gets out of hand, bench Burrow and chase. No sense in getting them injured.

Benching a healthy Burrow so we can lose should drive the remaining talent out of town. Just seems like the thing our vision of ultra competitive Burrow should go incendiary upon.

Seems each year we miss the playoffs we "root" for a loss.

The next time I root for a Bengal loss will be the first time I root for a Bengals loss.

(12-02-2024, 12:42 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: It’s a sad day for the 2024 bengals fandom. The season is over, although I said it was over after week 1 loss. But I was wrong. I thought that loss meant we weren’t a Super Bowl team. I didn’t think we weren’t even a .500 or playoff team. Been a rough season. At this point, as fans, we need to root for losses. What good does wins do us? We were in the same position last year, and many including myself, wished to lose out to get higher draft picks. Many on here wanted to win to “gain momentum”. Where was that momentum? I guess it doesn’t work that way if you lack talent. How are the bengals going to add talent? In the way they know best, the draft. So besides making yourself feel good with some pointless wins, what good does it do the team?

The bengals aren’t going to tank on purpose or lose on purpose. And I don’t expect them to. But they can start benching some starters who don’t deserve to be here next year. I’d start with Hubbard, Bell, Stone, Volson, Kappa, Pratt, BJ Hill, Rankins. Play Tee Higgins less,  He’s gone next year anyways.

If any game gets out of hand, bench Burrow and chase. No sense in getting them injured.

I’d start with Hubbard, Bell, Stone, Volson, Kappa, Pratt, BJ Hill, Rankins. Play Tee Higgins less,  He’s gone next year anyways.

I'm with you on cutting the above. Rankins signing has been rank AF. Dude hasnt been worth his contract. 

Let Tee walk and trade Hendrickson.  Get what you can for him and use it to rebuilding the defense.  

Fire the entire defensive staff and rebuild that side of the ball.  

That's where I'd start day one at the end of the regular season.  

As Joe B said there needs to be changes, major changes to the way this team operates. 

If Bengals lose naturally so to speak and not on purpose, then yeah that's a small sliver of a silver lining for next season in getting better draft picks.

However if the Bengals lose on purpose lets say, then I am done with them probably forever, or at least until they have new ownership and front office.

Regardless, I will not root for losses. Instead I am rooting for players who deserve to be on the roster next season.

(12-02-2024, 12:49 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Seems each year we miss the playoffs we "root" for a loss.

The next time I root for a Bengal loss will be the first time I root for a Bengals loss.

I can't root for them to lose so I'm with you.

However, its in the best interest of this team to finish the regular season 5-12 or 4-13 than to finish it 9-8.  

This team needs as high of draft picks as it can get in hopes of building their D3 defense.  

I will never root for a loss. The fan in me is super competitive. The cynic in me says they will reach at 10 and draft a 3rd round grade shiny toy and screw up another draft.

The fandom conundrum is now upon us as Bengals fans. We root for victory, but recognize more losses equates to a better draft spot which then hopefully leads to better talent joining the roster next year.

I'll root for Burrow and Chase to break single season Bengals records for their positions and I'll root for many younger guys on the roster to emerge and experience success. I hope that leads to wins and positivity for next season. We likely aren't drafting top 5 which is needed to negate Duke sucking at drafting. The Bengals are in the 10 to 18 range so win or lose, the odds are Duke isn't making the right pick anyhow.

Like they will Make a quality pick anyway. This isn’t top five picks, so it’ll be a bust, project or someone on other teams day two picks. I just hope for no major injuries and let the chips fall where they may.

(12-02-2024, 01:07 PM)TJ528 Wrote: I can't root for them to lose so I'm with you.

However, its in the best interest of this team to finish the regular season 5-12 or 4-13 than to finish it 9-8.  

This team needs as high of draft picks as it can get in hopes of building their D3 defense.  

Oh don't get it twisted I won't be crushed if they lose I just cannot root for it. I'd like as high of a draft pick as possible

(12-02-2024, 12:47 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Benching a healthy Burrow so we can lose should drive the remaining talent out of town. Just seems like the thing our vision of ultra competitive Burrow should go incendiary upon.

I agree, but my reasoning might be different from some others.

I understand wanting to bench Burrow to avoid injuries going into 2025.
However, Burrow and Chase are on pace to push for franchise season records, so I think they deserve at least to try to break those.

Burrow currently holds the top two seasons for passing yards, but he's going against some pretty weak opponents the rest of this schedule and may be able to break his own record of 4611 yards set in 2021.
He's also only 5 passing TDs away from his record of 35, so he should definitely get a chance to pass that.

Chase also set the franchise record for receiving yards at 1455 back in 2021, but he's already at 1142 with 5 games remaining.
He deserves a chance to break his own record.
Chase is also 4 off the receiving TD record set by Pickens, but he has 5 games left.

Give these dudes a chance to break records.

I can easily see them get to 7 or 8 wins. Unless the Bills or Chiefs suddenly start dropping games the Steelers will be playing their backups week 18. Bsngals offense can beat bad teams.

Nope. Can't do it. Can't root for losses, but everyone has their own take/right to do what they want so whatever. It's not for me though.

Bungles would flub a draft pick anyway most likely, unless there is another Burrow/Chase waiting there so Cincy can backass their way into a home run pick (idk enough college to know who's available anyway so maybe there is?).

Fans can do what they want. But, as others have stated, if players/coaches on this team were to purposely try to lose or tank, I would be completely done with this team after 40+ years.

(12-02-2024, 01:07 PM)Millhouse Wrote: If Bengals lose naturally so to speak and not on purpose, then yeah that's a small sliver of a silver lining for next season in getting better draft picks.

However if the Bengals lose on purpose lets say, then I am done with them probably forever, or at least until they have new ownership and front office.

Regardless, I will not root for losses. Instead I am rooting for players who deserve to be on the roster next season.

There is absolutely no motivation for players to not give their best effort. So the  Bengals can draft their replacements? And no motivation for coaches to not try to win. So, they can get canned and not picked up by another NFL team? And I don't see this ownership group giving directions to play or not play certain players so they increase the chances of losing.

Fans can root how they want. But the players and coaches are not going to lose on purpose. 

We went 9-8 last year because Zac and cia wanted to finish the season with a positive record. There's no way they're going to give up now and lose on purpose, I'm sure Burrow would never agree with something like that. Remember, we're five games away from the season finale, so there will be a lot of players playing for a contract next year. Also if I'm Lou Anarumo I'd be working my ass off in order to convince Mike Brown I'm worth it. The next three games (Cowboys, Titans and Browns) are very winnable, a 3 game winning streak might be enough (to Mike Brown of course) to save Lou and the idiots developing the rookies DBs we drafted last year.

(12-02-2024, 01:30 PM)Bengalion Wrote: We went 9-8 last year because Zac and cia wanted to finish the season with a positive record. There's no way they're going to give up now and lose on purpose, I'm sure Burrow would never agree with something like that. Remember, we're five games away from the season finale, so there will be a lot of players playing for a contract next year. Also if I'm Lou Anarumo I'd be working my ass off in order to convince Mike Brown I'm worth it. The next three games (Cowboys, Titans and Browns) are very winnable, a 3 game winning streak might be enough (to Mike Brown of course) to save Lou and the idiots developing the rookies DBs we drafted last year.

I have so little faith in the FO drafting quality players and so little faith in the current coaching staff in developing those players... The city of Cincinnati deserves better but the Brown family just can't deliver.  

Anybody who thinks the team will go out and tank on purpose is delusional. Forget about Burrow's competitive streak, the coaches are playing for their jobs, the players are playing for future contracts, either here or elsewhere, and the really good players like Burrow, Chase, and Hendrickson are playing for individual records. Burrow is still being mentioned as MVP for crying out loud. Does anyone think they are just going to pack all that in for draft picks.... seriously???

(12-02-2024, 03:27 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Anybody who thinks the team will go out and tank on purpose is delusional. Forget about Burrow's competitive streak, the coaches are playing for their jobs, the players are playing for future contracts, either here or elsewhere, and the really good players like Burrow, Chase, and Hendrickson are playing for individual records. Burrow is still being mentioned as MVP for crying out loud. Does anyone think they are just going to pack all that in for draft picks.... seriously???

Plus injury risk.

Not rooting for Bengals to lose, I am now rooting for Lou to be fired when it is time along with the entire Defensive staff.

Pollack as well. I don't root for losses except when it comes to teams I hate like the one we lost to yesterday.

Rooting for the Bills and Lions to make it to the Super Bowl. This is what I am rooting for. If we have better Draft position in
the mean time that is gravy after a lost season.

(12-02-2024, 01:07 PM)Millhouse Wrote: If Bengals lose naturally so to speak and not on purpose, then yeah that's a small sliver of a silver lining for next season in getting better draft picks.

However if the Bengals lose on purpose lets say, then I am done with them probably forever, or at least until they have new ownership and front office.

Regardless, I will not root for losses. Instead I am rooting for players who deserve to be on the roster next season.

Can I simply ask why? First the bengals aren’t going to lose on purpose. Although I think they did the year before they got burrow when they benched Dalton to start Finley. Come on.

But why would that be bad thing? Besides us fans wanting to see a win. Couldn’t we take the short term losses and suffering to better help the future? This franchisee really only tries to improve though the draft. We need to capitalize there. Which is a whole other discussion.