(03-17-2025, 01:26 PM)rupethereitis Wrote: If Dave Shula was the coach would Burrow get him to the Superbowl?   Zac has brought some much needed changes to the team.  He deserves credit. 

IF Shula had the exact roster that the Bengals got to the SB with...yes I think it's possible he takes them there. Same with Marvin.

(03-17-2025, 01:28 PM)TJHoushmandzadeh Wrote: Zac was coaching Andy and he didn’t think we’d go to a SB which is why he made the change.

Well the team was so bad that they lucked into Burrow. Taylors 1st year was a trainwreck.

(03-17-2025, 01:25 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: We've basically missed out on playoffs the last 2 years because of bad starts to the season. That's a culture too that was created.

Eh, that's true of 2024, but not '23. Losing Burrow was probably the biggest reason they missed the playoffs that season. They still managed to make a life practice squad QB look good. 

No one likes to talk about it....but Joe Burrow starts off slow every year too. Some of that is due to injury, but not last season. Remember that Stooler game where he turned it over 5 times? That the coach's fault? 

(03-17-2025, 01:28 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: IF Shula had the exact roster that the Bengals got to the SB with...yes I think it's possible he takes them there. Same with Marvin.

Shula? LMAO, no way. Marvin had better rosters and couldn't win one playoff game. 

(03-17-2025, 01:28 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: IF Shula had the exact roster that the Bengals got to the SB with...yes I think it's possible he takes them there. Same with Marvin.

I absolutely don't think that's the case.  Marvin...Maybe.  Wyche, Yes.    Many great players have failed with the wrong leadership.  Zac seems to have great communication with his Qbs.  He seems to treat his players like grownups if they deserve it.  Other coaches have the my way or the highway attitude which works for some.  Zac seems to really value his player's input and takes it into consideration.  His ego does not get in the way.  Seems to work well will this core of players.    

(03-17-2025, 01:35 PM)rupethereitis Wrote: I absolutely don't think that's the case.  Marvin...Maybe.  Wyche, Yes.    Many great players have failed with the wrong leadership.  Zac seems to have great communication with his Qbs.  He seems to treat his players like grownups if they deserve it.  Other coaches have the my way or the highway attitude which works for some.  Zac seems to really value his player's input and takes it into consideration.  His ego does not get in the way.  Seems to work well will this core of players.    

Agree....seems like a true open door policy. 

We found Sooner’s burner account.

(03-17-2025, 01:31 PM)WychesWarrior Wrote: Shula? LMAO, no way. Marvin had better rosters and couldn't win one playoff game. 

Maybe he was thinking Don rather than Dave?

(03-17-2025, 01:40 PM)TJHoushmandzadeh Wrote: Maybe he was thinking Don rather than Dave?

That would be the only way it's feasible!

(03-17-2025, 01:41 PM)Wyche Wrote: That would be the only way it's feasible!

In Dave's defense, Don couldn't do it with Marino 

(03-17-2025, 01:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Well the team was so bad that they lucked into Burrow. Taylors 1st year was a trainwreck.

His first year was a trainwreck with Marvin’s roster but once he turned over the roster it was fine.

I think he did an impressive job of getting Burrow ready through Covid. Those were difficult circumstances to navigate a change through.

And it can’t all be Burrow as he’s shown he can be competitive with Jake Browning at QB. That was one of the more impressive coaching jobs of the last decade.

(03-17-2025, 01:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Well the team was so bad that they lucked into Burrow. Taylors 1st year was a trainwreck.

2nd year, too. We went 4-11-1 and got the 5th overall pick.

Prior to that we hadn't had back-to-back top-5 picks since Akili Smith was our QB and Bruce Coslet/Dick LeBeau were our HCs.

(03-17-2025, 09:52 AM)rupethereitis Wrote: Could any previous Bengals coach get this done under Mike Brown?  The only one that I think would have had a chance was Marvin, and don't think he could have.  I was not a fan of the Taylor hire, but  Zac is responsible for a lot of the culture change for the Bengals.  He's a player's coach, he's developed a family atmosphere, and he seems to legitimately care about the players, the fans, and the organization itself.  Did he luck out with getting Burrow, Higgings, and Chase?  Yes.  Would those three have a super bowl if they were together on the Chiefs or Steelers?  Probably.  He has fostered a culture where these guys want to stay together and that says a lot.  You can tell the players appreciate and respect him.  They seem to go to bat for him.  There is a ton that he can improve on; slow starts, position coach loyalty, the draft, to name a few.  Some out of his control, I would imagine.  I can only name one guy that, character wise, has blown up on him.  Burton.  

A lot of credit has to be given to the Brown family as well.  They have allowed Zac to modernize the Bengals, to an extent, and you can see honest efforts in they way are doing things in comparison to the past.  

Will it all work out?  I still have my doubts as there are a ton of holes to fill.  At least we have a shot now.

(03-17-2025, 09:55 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Zack has nothing to do with it.

Bengals fans should be thanking Tee, Jamar, Burrow, and their agent.

They basically heald the Bengals hostage into giving them no choice to sign them. Burrow was applying public pressure, Jamar said im not signing here if you don't sign Tee as well. The front office had no choice.

(03-17-2025, 10:46 AM)rupethereitis Wrote: That is a valid point.  But were those players a part of the negative culture that he was determined to change?  Sure winning has a lot to do with Joe, Ja'Marr and Tee.   Winning was happening with Palmer, Housh, and Ocho.   Then the tires fell off.  Zach has to be given some credit here.

I think it’s naive to think Zac didn’t have anything to do with this and naive to think he had a lot. The head coach has a lot to do with the roster. Who to keep.He is behind the 3.They have a strong relationship. Wait until the presser.  He knows the 3 wanted it. He pushed it. But of course Joe & Chase were more important. Tee wanted to stay and changing agents gave them only one to work with. Ownership was stupid not getting this done earlier. But in the end they couldn’t deny Zac, Duke, and the 3. Wasn’t going to happen. But to disregard Zac’s change in culture is silly. The culture changed when we changed the roster. Of course Joe & the others contributed. But it’s been mentioned that it was Zac who told the scouting department to look at mannerisms and recruit captains and players that loved ball from winning college teams. 

I don't know how much Zac had to do with it, some, but not as much as Joe and the FO. It is great that we have the best WR duo in the league
locked up for a long time and with Joe here this Offense should be the best passing Offense in the NFL for a while.

Let's get a damn Guard and we can talk. I will start giving Zac cred when we start winning early in the season so we don't dig ourselves a hole
again. He DOES deserve cred for how his teams play in December and after though gotta say.

(03-17-2025, 12:23 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: re: Tee - Lets' face it, IF Yoshi or Burton looked like a viable #2 WR, he'd likely be traded. Yoshi kind of disappointed last year. Burton looks like he may be out of the league soon.

He had 5 tuds! I didn't dive into Boyd's TD production when he was the #3 but that's not bad for a guy playing the same position on the same team as these dudes named Higgy and Chase. 

(03-17-2025, 02:42 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: He had 5 tuds! I didn't dive into Boyd's TD production when he was the #3 but that's not bad for a guy playing the same position on the same team as these dudes named Higgy and Chase. 

Yoshi actually showed big time improvement with his hands last season. It was the route running that needs to get cleaned up.

And yeah, he is a TD machine which is great. Mike G needs to step up this season in getting TD's the most. Only had 2 last season.

This may sound odd, but I believe that Katie and her kids (Caroline and Elizabeth) have a lot to do with the cultural change with Bengals. I think Mike Brown listens to them and has changed. Taylor has created a culture that Burrow has supported.

(03-17-2025, 02:47 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Yoshi actually showed big time improvement with his hands last season. It was the route running that needs to get cleaned up.

And yeah, he is a TD machine which is great. Mike G needs to step up this season in getting TD's the most. Only had 2 last season.

I think 100% continuity in the WR group is huge. Gesicki will be better. Yoshi will be better. Burton better be.

(03-17-2025, 03:01 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I think 100% continuity in the WR group is huge. Gesicki will be better. Yoshi will be better. Burton better be.

True. I think Gesicki should make a huge jump this year along with Yoshi. Burton better pull his head out of his ass or he is gone.

No excuses for Burton, he has all the talent in the world.

(03-17-2025, 02:22 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I think it’s naive to think Zac didn’t have anything to do with this and naive to think he had a lot. The head coach has a lot to do with the roster. Who to keep.He is behind the 3.They have a strong relationship. Wait until the presser.  He knows the 3 wanted it. He pushed it. But of course Joe & Chase were more important. Tee wanted to stay and changing agents gave them only one to work with. Ownership was stupid not getting this done earlier. But in the end they couldn’t deny Zac, Duke, and the 3. Wasn’t going to happen. But to disregard Zac’s change in culture is silly. The culture changed when we changed the roster. Of course Joe & the others contributed. But it’s been mentioned that it was Zac who told the scouting department to look at mannerisms and recruit captains and players that loved ball from winning college teams. 

I think that's the best way to put it.