(12-10-2024, 08:56 PM)Mer Wrote: They are bad in a lot of areas. The most Bengal thing would be for all the chips to fall our way and then we lose the final game to Pittsburgh whose playing their backups.

^ yeah, that would totally be depressing but completely a Bengal thing to do.

(12-10-2024, 07:59 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Can't wait to see this place after we beat the Titans.

Hilarious. Nah, we should beat the Titans, they are pretty terrible. Might be our first blow out win and if not I doubt we win out.

(12-10-2024, 08:40 PM)Mer Wrote: Oh, I figure we're probably not winning out but I won't let that squash my enthusiasm for the team.

 Did anyone expect the Giants to go to the Superbowl, let alone beat the undefeated Patriots? 

Oh what a story it'd be, coming back from the dead to win in New Orleans with Chase and Burrow back where they won the national championship. 

If that were to happen, Frank, would you celebrate or complain the NFL was rigged because there's no reasonable way we could pull it off without ref help?

Would be a fantastic story if somehow all this happened. I just don't see the Broncos losing to anyone but us so it is really far fetched 
even if we won out.

(12-10-2024, 09:46 PM)samhain Wrote: The Dallas game wasn't much different than their close losses.  The just would up on the right side of luck last night.  It's an illusion.

Well, bout damn time. The Chiefs have always wound up on the right side of luck this season. Not to mention ref help.

(12-12-2024, 01:50 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote: we desperately need colts to win this week and lose next week. This happens and we win out good chance we make it and have to travel to Buffalo for wild card weekend

This is why I doubt we make it. Don't see the Colts beating the Broncos at all. Could be wrong though.

(12-02-2024, 12:32 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I figured someone was going to unironically make this thread as some variation has been made the last three weeks, so I just went ahead and got the jump on it.   

We need to make a "Timeout" thread for people thinking we are going to the playoffs. Keep em there till the season is over

I mean, it is a SUPER longshot. But overtaking Denver is the path.

1) We win out:
CIN: at TN, CLE, DEN, at Pitt.
----------
2) Indy and Miami both lose at least twice:
MIA: at HOU, SF, at CLE, at NYJ
IND: at DEN, TN, at NYG, Jax.
----------
3) Denver lose 3 or more:
DEN: IND, at LAC, at Cin, KC

Indy losing twice is tough to see, especially if they beat Denver. So the Broncos losing their last three seems our best bet.

It would really help us if KC needed that last game and cannot just sit everyone. For that to happen, they need to lose before the last week, and Buffalo (or Pitt) have to win their next three. The Bills have the TB with a win over KC earlier.

KC: at CLE, HOU, at Pitt; at Den
BUF: at Det, NE, NYJ, at NE
PITT: at Philly, at Balt, KC, Cin

The problem for us (one of the many), is KC's biggest chance to lose is at Pitt. But if they do, then the Steelers could be within 1 game of top for the finale.

I mean, don't get me wrong, if we are still alive Week 18, I'd be both stunned and overjoyed. But the Chiefs resting everyone and Puttsburgh needing a win is not optimal. Much rather the other way around. But it is almost impossible Pitt has nothing to play for (#1 seed, #2, #3, or DIV). Unless HOU/BALT really struggle down the stretch.

But we should be rooting:
For Buffalo
Against Indy, Miami, Denver, & Baltimore
Against Pitt in Philly, for them vs KC
Against Houston, but for them vs KC
For KC to lose once, but probably not twice, unless Buffalo loses, then twice.

Two lousy games. If we had just hung on for a W in two lousy games, we'd be 7-6 right now and able to beat Denver for decent shot at that seventh spot in a few weeks. It's a damn shame.

(12-12-2024, 08:44 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Two lousy games.  If we had just hung on for a W in two lousy games, we'd be 7-6 right now and able to beat Denver for decent shot at that seventh spot in a few weeks.  It's a damn shame.

Almost like starting out every season conceding an 0-2 record isn't a good thing. We need to go 10-5 (.667%) while everyone else needs to go 10-7 (.588%).

(12-12-2024, 08:58 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Almost like starting out every season conceding an 0-2 record isn't a good thing. We need to go 10-5 (.667%) while everyone else needs to go 10-7 (.588%).

Starting this season 0-4 was the death sentence, we have just been waiting on the execution. Every offseason, with time to play, scheme and get the right players in place and it is a trainwreck. Can no longer expect the Bengals to claw out of the pit every year. It isn't a coincidence. 

(12-12-2024, 08:58 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Almost like starting out every season conceding an 0-2 record isn't a good thing. We need to go 10-5 (.667%) while everyone else needs to go 10-7 (.588%).

But have you heard that Zac went to a SB and AFCCG?

(12-12-2024, 08:58 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Almost like starting out every season conceding an 0-2 record isn't a good thing. We need to go 10-5 (.667%) while everyone else needs to go 10-7 (.588%).

Yeah, but even with that there were still multiple opportunities throughout the season to get those two additional wins.  What a wasted year.

(12-12-2024, 11:59 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Yeah, but even with that there were still multiple opportunities throughout the season to get those two additional wins.  What a wasted year.

It’s truly a wasted year. We should be like 10-3 with the way the offense has played. Correction, the way JB and Chase have played. How many more years will be wasted as we do a mini rebuild? When a player signs a 3 year contract it sounds like a long time. It’s not. The nfl season is 3.5 months long. 3 years means 3 shots of winning a Super Bowl. We had our best shot at one and lost it.

(12-13-2024, 03:50 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: It’s truly a wasted year. We should be like 10-3 with the way the offense has played. Correction, the way JB and Chase have played. How many more years will be wasted as we do a mini rebuild? When a player signs a 3 year contract it sounds like a long time. It’s not. The nfl season is 3.5 months long. 3 years means 3 shots of winning a Super Bowl. We had our best shot at one and lost it.

Let's ask Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford.
Crazy that a 6-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro retired after just 9 seasons, especially his final season was 1214 yards and 9 TDs.

(12-13-2024, 04:02 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Let's ask Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford.
Crazy that a 6-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro retired after just 9 seasons, especially his final season was 1214 yards and 9 TDs.

So what has changed for the lions? All coaching? Drafting has definitely gone well for them: Sewell, Hutchinson, Gibbs, LaPorta. Im sure more.

(12-14-2024, 10:18 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: So what has changed for the lions? All coaching? Drafting has definitely gone well for them: Sewell, Hutchinson, Gibbs, LaPorta. Im sure more.

Ownership got with the program... And yes. They've not only mailed the early rounds of the draft, but they're hitting in the later rounds.

(12-14-2024, 10:18 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: So what has changed for the lions? All coaching? Drafting has definitely gone well for them: Sewell, Hutchinson, Gibbs, LaPorta. Im sure more.

(12-14-2024, 11:15 AM)jason Wrote: Ownership got with the program... And yes. They've not only mailed the early rounds of the draft, but they're hitting in the later rounds.

Their current owner took over in 2020 (post-draft, so it was too late to make any changes then). They later fired the HC and GM during the season.

(12-14-2024, 01:58 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Their current owner took over in 2020 (post-draft, so it was too late to make any changes then). They later fired the HC and GM during the season.

The Lions were good last year but the D was lousy despite having an elite DE. 

They remade the D. Largely through successful drafting, but also shipping out some failed high picks at CB this last year and trading for Carlton Davis.

DE Hutchinson: Rd1 #2, 2022 
DE: Paschal: Rd2, #46, 2022
DE/DT: Onwuzurike: Rd2 #41, 2021
NT/DT: Reader, FA, 2024 
DT: McNeill, Rd3, 72, 2021
---------
LB: Campbell: Rd1, #18, 2023
LB: Anzalone: FA, 2021 
LB: Rodriguez: Rd6: #188, 2022
---------
CB: Arnold: Rd1, #24, 2024 
CB: Davis: Trade with TB, 2024 
CB: Robertson: FA, 2024
----------- 
SS: Branch: Rd2, #45, 2023 
FS: Joseph: Rd3, #97, 2022

(12-14-2024, 10:18 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: So what has changed for the lions? All coaching? Drafting has definitely gone well for them: Sewell, Hutchinson, Gibbs, LaPorta. Im sure more.

They traded away their star expensive QB for a boatload of high picks and hit on many of those picks.

(12-10-2024, 01:25 PM)Mer Wrote: I'll play.

Our best bet is to overtake the Broncos. If we can beat them, they only win one more game, and Miami & Indy don't finish better than us: we're in IF we win out at 9-8 with the tie breaker over Denver with our head to head win. Baltimore already has 2 wins over us and the Chargers beat us. Overtaking Denver is the path we need. WTS, you just know everything will go our way and then we'll lose to Poopsburgh and finish 8-9 allowing the Broncos in at 9-8.

Looking like a layup for denver, KC resting players and steelers are better than us plus play at home

(12-14-2024, 09:03 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Looking like a layup for denver, KC resting players and steelers are better than us plus play at home

Yeah, unfortunately we really need KC to stumble so their week 18 game against Denver means something re the number one seed.  That's probably a pipe dream, and if it doesn't and they lay down for Denver then we're cooked even if we somehow manage to win out.  As I said in other threads, if we had just managed two more lousy wins somewhere along the way....

Prior to the Tenn game … we still have a 5% chance to get in …. if we win today lol

https://www.nfl.com/standings/playoff-picture

(12-15-2024, 02:50 PM)Whacked Wrote: Prior to the Tenn game … we still have a 5% chance to get in …. if we win today lol

https://www.nfl.com/standings/playoff-picture

That 5% is on lockdown, baby!!!!!!