http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/10171748/we-rate-cincinnati-bengals-pittsburgh-steelers-baltimore-ravens-cleveland-browns

They base it all off of the playoff loss and we surely deserve better. Funny how they don't even mention Dalton being injured before the playoffs.

(02-23-2016, 01:03 PM)Froob Wrote: http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/10171748/we-rate-cincinnati-bengals-pittsburgh-steelers-baltimore-ravens-cleveland-browns

They base it all off of the playoff loss and we surely deserve better. Funny how they don't even mention Dalton being injured before the playoffs.

I admit I was going to attempt to brush off them not mentioning Dalton's injury as an excuse BUT the first thing they do with the Steelers is talk about how hurt Ben was all year.  Meh.  

(02-23-2016, 01:03 PM)Froob Wrote: http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/10171748/we-rate-cincinnati-bengals-pittsburgh-steelers-baltimore-ravens-cleveland-browns

They base it all off of the playoff loss and we surely deserve better. Funny how they don't even mention Dalton being injured before the playoffs.

Not that I agree with the C grade (my grade was a B). But, yeah, that playoff record does mean something and the longer it goes the more it will weigh on the perception of the team.

The team had to commit multiple mistakes in the last two minutes to lose that game.

(02-23-2016, 01:26 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I admit I was going to attempt to brush off them not mentioning Dalton's injury as an excuse BUT the first thing they do with the Steelers is talk about how hurt Ben was all year.  Meh.  

Yeah, see the main video is the one with big ben on the injury cart? lol

Anyway, I don't think people pay much attention to skysports.

(02-23-2016, 01:03 PM)Froob Wrote: http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/10171748/we-rate-cincinnati-bengals-pittsburgh-steelers-baltimore-ravens-cleveland-browns

They base it all off of the playoff loss and we surely deserve better. Funny how they don't even mention Dalton being injured before the playoffs.

Do you really care about a grade given from SkySports?  You realize they are from England?  Their main coverage is "football" and darts.  I have read the article already...the writing is terrible and you can tell the guy knows dick about American Football.

Could careless.

If we can be honest, after the first 8 games the team was pretty average. We lost 3 out of the 4 national tv games which was pretty typical of the Bengals and can't be considered an improvement. We only needed to win one more game to get a bye (which at the time was meaning a good chance to get Dalton back), and we choked under pressure, which again is typical. And we lost to playoff teams late in the season, which again is typical. So you can't say it was anything more than an average season. Even with the improvement of Dalton.

Overall after the amazing start, the team crashed and burned. Even with honorable backup qb play.

(02-23-2016, 04:13 PM)jj22 Wrote: If we can be honest, after the first 8 games the team was pretty average. We lost 3 out of the 4 national tv games which was pretty typical of the Bengals and can't be considered an improvement. We only needed to win one more game to get a bye (which at the time was meaning a good chance to get Dalton back), and we choked under pressure, which again is typical. And we lost to playoff teams late in the season, which again is typical. So you can't say it was anything more than an average season. Even with the improvement of Dalton.

Overall after the amazing start, the team crashed and burned. Even with honorable backup qb play.

So you are holding a road loss against the Super Bowl Champs with McCarron against the Bengals?
A primetime loss to the hottest team in football at the time (Arizona) on the road in the last minute against them?

Yes, losing to playoff teams with a backup QB on the road is pretty normal for any team.  

I'd give the Bengals an A.  I really wish Dalton wouldn't have gotten hurt so we could have seen how this team really would have ended up.  There was definitely something different about them this year.

No I'm not blaming McCarron, but the issue with not winning big games late in the season against playoff teams is typical even with our starting qb's of the past (outside of last years game against the Broncos, even though we turned around and lost the division lead to the Steelers the following week). So there was no improvement there you can point to.

After starting 8-0, we ended 4-4. 4-5 if you include the playoffs.

(02-23-2016, 05:37 PM)jj22 Wrote: No I'm not blaming McCarron, but the issue with not winning big games late in the season against playoff teams is typical even with our starting qb's of the past (outside of last years game against the Broncos, even though we turned around and lost the division lead to the Steelers the following week). So there was no improvement there you can point to.

After starting 8-0, we ended 4-4. 4-5 if you include the playoffs.

Agree.  The team lost to Denver on a botched snap and the completely imploded against Pittsburgh when they had the ever elusive playoff victory in hand.  Until this team actually does something in the playoffs we can all make every possible excuse, but it will continue to be the narrative that weighs the team down.

(02-23-2016, 05:37 PM)jj22 Wrote: No I'm not blaming McCarron, but the issue with not winning big games late in the season against playoff teams is typical even with our starting qb's of the past (outside of last years game against the Broncos, even though we turned around and lost the division lead to the Steelers the following week). So there was no improvement there you can point to.

After starting 8-0, we ended 4-4. 4-5 if you include the playoffs.

So basically you ignore half of the season just to make it fit your definition of "average".

The Bengals were a 12-win Division Champion that lost a playoff game on a last second kick despite starting a back up QB.

That is not average and you can't just say "imagine half the season never happened" just to make it fit your definition.

(02-23-2016, 05:37 PM)jj22 Wrote: No I'm not blaming McCarron, but the issue with not winning big games late in the season against playoff teams is typical even with our starting qb's of the past (outside of last years game against the Broncos, even though we turned around and lost the division lead to the Steelers the following week). So there was no improvement there you can point to.

After starting 8-0, we ended 4-4. 4-5 if you include the playoffs.

what was the record of Denver in the regular season after starting 7-0 ?  They took a noise dive also going 5-4 before the playoffs and won the Super Bowl.. and getting Manning back for San Diego was the difference in them maybe not making the playoffs and winning the super bowl in reality.. amazing how one event ( manning coming back or Dalton going down against Steelers) can change a teams season

(02-23-2016, 04:13 PM)jj22 Wrote: If we can be honest, after the first 8 games the team was pretty average. We lost 3 out of the 4 national tv games which was pretty typical of the Bengals and can't be considered an improvement. We only needed to win one more game to get a bye (which at the time was meaning a good chance to get Dalton back), and we choked under pressure, which again is typical. And we lost to playoff teams late in the season, which again is typical. So you can't say it was anything more than an average season. Even with the improvement of Dalton.

Overall after the amazing start, the team crashed and burned. Even with honorable backup qb play.

First you say first 8 games were average, then you call that start amazing make up your mind....

Solid B overall in my book and really could be higher (B+) considering the loss of starting QB.

But the way we lost last playoff game was a big fat F.

The waning moments of the playoff game are haunting and will be for a long time to come.

Still a solid season though.

I'm torn on this from my own perspective. One one hand i feel we were robbed in the PO game and by Dalton's injury. Still, we probably should have been better down the stretch and i put that on the coaching staff more than anything else. (Marvin coaching not to lose-Hue lost his mojo after the Houston game)

Still, in the right hands that was a SB caliber squad.

Considering we didn't make it to the SB it makes the season kinda a failure.

C is about right in my book after all things considered.

If i were still in the same mood as i was after the PO debacle it would have been a "F". Even though we were robbed. Which doesn't make any sense until you go back to the issues I have with coaching.

We should have crushed the Squeelers in our building even with AJM.

(02-23-2016, 06:08 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So basically you ignore half of the season just to make it fit your definition of "average".

The Bengals were a 12-win Division Champion that lost a playoff game on a last second kick despite starting a back up QB.

That is not average and you can't just say "imagine half the season never happened" just to make it fit your definition.

I'm not ignoring half the season. I thought I made that clear (not sure what the point quoting me a couple posts above was trying to make).

What grade would you give them? An A?

It's time for us to embrace being spoiled. When that happens you move past the record and nitpick growth.

Did we win big games down the stretch?
Did we win primetime games down the stretch?
Did we win a playoff game?
Did we at least not embarrass ourselves in a playoff game?

We've had great regular seasons. Won the AFCN many times. Won many games. All that's left is can this team slay some demons, and until they do, I'm not giving them an A.

I'll compromise with you and give them a B, but only because we had a backup qb.

My definition of average may have been off by your standards, but by mine, all I meant was when added the issues together over the last 13 years, this season fell right in place with the average Bengal seasons. Heartache and pain.

(02-23-2016, 05:37 PM)jj22 Wrote: No I'm not blaming McCarron, but the issue with not winning big games late in the season against playoff teams is typical even with our starting qb's of the past (outside of last years game against the Broncos, even though we turned around and lost the division lead to the Steelers the following week). So there was no improvement there you can point to.

After starting 8-0, we ended 4-4. 4-5 if you include the playoffs.

Yep. The game at home against Houston in prime time was rather ugly and was the beginning of the season decline. How does one of the most potent offenses in the NFL only manage 6 points?

But, as usual, this team found a way lose in the big games.

The season was a failure. Until there's a playoff win, not a bye, a win, then the season is a failure, which gets the letter grade F.

(02-23-2016, 10:19 PM)BengalChris Wrote: But, as usual, this team found a way lose in the big games.

So did every team in the league except Denver.