Ok, so Which loss do you think would is worse.  Our loss or the Vikings loss?

Both are pretty bad and just shocking.  However which fan base has the most to be upset about?

Bengals - got the lead with under 2 minutes remaining - Burfict with an INT, giving us the ball in our own redzone.  Steelers have all 3 TOs, so we can't run out the clock.  The conventional wisdom is to run the ball 3 times, get the 1st down hopefully, but if not, make them burn all 3 TOs, and then kick a FG giving us a 4 point lead.  Well Hill fumbles on first down, the Steelers don't have to take any TOs and need to now only go a part way down the field to win it.  We get our chance to stop them on 4th down, but they convert.  The next play a vicious hit, that drew a 15 yard penalty.  While tending to the down player, a coach goes into our defenses huddle and causes another 15 yard penalty.  Giving the Steelers a very easy FG to win the game.

Vikings - In the Redzone and down by 1 point.  Seahawks no TOs.  There is 26 seconds on the clock and the Vikings were unable to get the 1st down.  All they need was a FG from 21 yards out, shorter than even an extra point.  The kicker made 3 FGs throughout the game, but completely misses this one and the Seahawks wins on what can only be a completely unbelievable missed FG.

So which is it?

Bengals or Vikings?

(01-11-2016, 01:47 AM)Sovereign Nation Wrote: Ok, so Which loss do you think would is worse.  Our loss or the Vikings loss?

Both are pretty bad and just shocking.  However which fan base has the most to be upset about?

Bengals - got the lead with under 2 minutes remaining - Burfict with an INT, giving us the ball in our own redzone.  Steelers have all 3 TOs, so we can't run out the clock.  The conventional wisdom is to run the ball 3 times, get the 1st down hopefully, but if not, make them burn all 3 TOs, and then kick a FG giving us a 4 point lead.  Well Hill fumbles on first down, the Steelers don't have to take any TOs and need to now only go a part way down the field to win it.  We get our chance to stop them on 4th down, but they convert.  The next play a vicious hit, that drew a 15 yard penalty.  While tending to the down player, a coach goes into our defenses huddle and causes another 15 yard penalty.  Giving the Steelers a very easy FG to win the game.

Vikings - In the Redzone and down by 1 point.  Seahawks no TOs.  There is 26 seconds on the clock and the Vikings were unable to get the 1st down.  All they need was a FG from 21 yards out, shorter than even an extra point.  The kicker made 3 FGs throughout the game, but completely misses this one and the Seahawks wins on what can only be a completely unbelievable missed FG.

So which is it?

Bengals or Vikings?

Bengals. They had control of the game and the lead and gave it back.

Bengals and it isn't even close.

(01-11-2016, 02:01 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Bengals and it isn't even close.

No doubt. I think this Bengals loss is the worst one I've experienced as a fan.  It's hard for a missed field goal to top the BS that happened in the Bengals game.

I really have to say it is nothing short of amazing that the Bengals can lose 6 playoff games in 7 years and somehow make the 6th one the most agonizing and insulting.

That isn't even the worst missed kick in the Vikings history

(01-11-2016, 02:27 AM)Nately120 Wrote: I really have to say it is nothing short of amazing that the Bengals can lose 6 playoff games in 7 years and somehow make the 6th one the most agonizing and insulting.

Shoot!  Just wait til Next Year!

(01-11-2016, 02:35 AM)West Union KennyG Wrote: Shoot!  Just wait til Next Year!

I said this during the off-season, and I was wrong, but I have to say THIS year we either win a playoff game, get a first round bye, or miss the playoffs.  That's all I want.  Some sort of "answer" that goes beyond a loss in the first round.

So far this is what I expected the response to be.

However, I am sure Vikings fans would have a different response.

Zimmers 2nd year? Marvin year 13 and 0-7. Well he sure got the "most playoff losses in a row record" in the most epic fasion I could ever imagine; all while ripping the hearts, guts and minds out of the fans. Will there ever be a time when the Bengals are talked about because of the great games they have had and won instead of all the screw ups? I'm 41, so maybe there is hope over the next few decades.

Worst emotional, heartbreaking, gut wrenching loss I have EVER, EVER, EVER experienced as a Bengals fan. EVER. I am completely and utterly numb to football and the Bengals right now. And now we have to wait an entire year to maybe get to the playoff and maybe win. An entire year of even MORE talk about how we cannot get it done and the regular season doesn't matter. Can we just fast forward to the end of next season? Utterly sickening. Ugh!!!!

Sorry for the rant, as another poster posted the stages of grieving this loss I am just coming out of stage 1. lol

Who-Dey!

A missed field goal on a freezing day is not a mistake. The weather played a factor. Losing control of the team is awful and cost the Bengals the game. That could have been easily avoided.

Isn't even close given each teams history

We've never loss with the competence/poise that the Vikings did. Not even close.

(01-11-2016, 11:12 AM)guyofthetiger Wrote: A missed field goal on a freezing day is not a mistake. The weather played a factor. Losing control of the team is awful and cost the Bengals the game. That could have been easily avoided.

I have heard this narrative.  I am not a believer that Marvin lost control of the team.

You find any coach in the league that could have prevented this outcome.... go ahead.  Even Bilicheck wouldn't have been able to prevent this outcome.  The game was not called fairly.  That is strictly and fully on the officials.

Eifert gets hit helmet to helmet and is in a defenseless position, no penalty.  Luckily he wasn't concussed, but that was what the Steelers were aiming for.  If he would have been targeted more by AJ, he may have been knocked out of the game and possibly longer.  We may have actually changed up our game plan to try and prevent our best players from getting hurt.

Shawn Williams hits his shoulder in Bryant after he catches the ball and turns to face Williams and is penalized.

Benard, is speared, helmet to helmet with Shazier leading with the crown and connecting, no penalty.  On top of that, Steelers get the ball, insult to injury right there.

Burfict, hit was illegal to be sure, malicious intent, who knows,  Burfict does and I am sure he isn't talking.  However, if Brown plays against the Broncos, then I will say that the Steelers are liars.  Either lying about him being concussed and it was an academy award performance faking an injury or they are lying about him being recovered from being concussed, either way, if Brown plays, there should be an investigation which I am sure won't happen.  Regardless, the flag was thrown.

2 PF penalties on us, but none on them.  If that happened with Bill, he would probably be ejected from the game.  He would have lost his cool himself.

Now even worse is this...  Burfict was penalized 15 yards, which put him in FG range.  Jones' penalty was BS, since the ref is looking right at Porter being in our huddle.  He isn't even supposed to be on the field and a 15 yard penalty should have been assessed on him.  That would have put the ball back to the original spot and the Steelers would be out of FG range.  Even if you wanted to flag Jones, then you off set the penalties by flagging Porter.  This makes it a lot longer attempt.  Do the Steelers just line up and kick it, or do they try another play?  Could have completely changed the outcome of the game.

(01-11-2016, 11:31 AM)jj22 Wrote: We've never loss with the competence/poise that the Vikings did. Not even close.

You see this is that narrative thing again.

If we held on to win the game, if we block the FG or the kicker completely shanks the kick, do you think the narrative would be that we lost our poise?  I don't.

I think the headline would read, "Bengals stay calm, win a close one in the 4th over Pittsburgh."

Bengals.

Heck, this loss might be the worst ever.

If not, it's up there with the two Super Bowl losses.

Obviously, most people are going to say the Bengals. Because this is a Bengals forum.

But the truth is, losing a game that you earned hurts a lot more than giving away a game you didn't deserve to win.

The Vikings deserved to win. They were in position, with what should have been an automatic field goal, but one small mistake ended it all.

It reminded me of the Denver game in 2006. The team is lining up to kick what should be a game winning/tying field goal/extra point.

And then, inexplicably, the gods of Football decided you weren't going to celebrate that day.

The Bengals lost by shooting themselves in the foot over and over again after, through a series of extremely fortunate events, coming back from 15 down to take the lead.

We almost snuck out of Paul Brown with a win that we probably didn't deserve. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.

Both games are absolutely heart breaking. But losing a game you should have won hurts a whole lot more than losing a game you were lucky to be in the running for to begin with.

Both are equally devastating. But, in all honestly, the Vikings loss was worse.

Vikings led most of the game. Defense was dominant through 3 quarters. Then a fluke play sets up the Seahawks TD and a turnover by the Vikings best player allows them to take the lead. Then the obvious missed FG seals the shock.

The Bengals one stings for all the reasons that have been mentioned in this and other threads but I don't think we can claim that Cincinnati was a dominant team in their game for three and a half quarters like the Vikings were.

I've had a few days to stew over the game.. or basically "get over it"

I think the Bengals fight was there and did OK with a back up QB - I think Andy would have would have won that game for us, but we'll never know.

(01-11-2016, 11:59 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Obviously, most people are going to say the Bengals. Because this is a Bengals forum.

But the truth is, losing a game that you earned hurts a lot more than giving away a game.

The Vikings deserved to win. They were in position, with what should have been an automatic field goal, but one small mistake ended it all.

It reminded me of the Denver game in 2006. The team is lining up to kick what should be a game winning/tying field goal/extra point.

And then, inexplicably, the gods of Football decided you weren't going to celebrate that day.

The Bengals lost by shooting themselves in the foot over and over again after, through a series of extremely fortunate events, coming back from 15 down to take the lead.

We almost snuck out of Paul Brown with a win that we probably didn't deserve. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.

Both games are absolutely heart breaking. But losing a game you should have won hurts a whole lot more than losing a game you were lucky to be in the running for to begin with.

Good post.

I think to me the reason for the Vikings as the worst is because I almost don't feel like we were fairly beaten.

I feel that even with the Hill fumble, that we had a chance to win it.  Burfict's hit and penalty while unfortunate, doesn't look like it was completely unavoidable.   

The dagger was when the ref didn't flag Porter being on the field and in our huddle no less.  The 2 penalties would have off set each other (15 for the PF, and then 15 back for PF), pushing the Steelers back out of range, with 28 seconds on 0 Time outs.  This would have been a more fair way to play the game.  If the Steelers can make into range and get the clock stopped in time and actually make a long try, then I would be in the camp that this was worse due to Hill's fumble. 

However, the Vikings have no such thing to blame the game on.  I disagree that the weather can be blamed.  The kicker had kicked 3 FGs earlier and made all of them.  Just happened to miss the last one.  No refs to blame for poor officiating like we have.  Just a completely missed FG that should have been automatic. 

Our chance at winning was taken from us.  Yes, people talk about the "lack of discipline", but the officials didn't help and the Steelers were also undisciplined, and unlike us, they weren't disciplined for their lack of it.