(12-22-2016, 12:02 AM)Wyche Wrote: Just two weeks ago....Pig Pen threw THREE INTs and they still trounced Buffalo.  You shouldn't ALWAYS lose just because your QB throws a pick.  The problem here?  We're not well coached and are therefore mentally weak and crumble at the first sign of adversity.  We did the same shit when Palmer was here.  We always blame a fumble or an INT when it's mental and situational weakness.  Coaching sucks. Period.

Which is precisely why we don't generally win the big nationally televised game. The team is mentally weak and finds a way to lose. Dalton could have played in the playoff game...but it wouldn't have mattered.

(12-22-2016, 12:15 AM)Devils Advocate Wrote: I believe everyone would agree that it takes a lil' (good) luck to win a championship. So certainly (bad) luck plays a part in some way, for some teams, in not winning a championship as well. Twice bad luck has dealt the Bengals a bad hand and that also plays a part in finishing 4-4 in the final 8 last season. You can overlook this, you wouldn't be wrong, but that doesn't necessarily make me wrong either.

To be clear, being one of the better drafting teams was a generalization that's been typed time and time again on these boards and even in the national media. Those weren't my words or my opinion necessarily.

I can't say this team is well coached. I can't say they're a disciplined team either. However that fourth quarter in last season's playoff game was a tale of discipline on both ends of the spectrum; same for coaching.

At any rate, you may see things how you see them, I can't say that you're wrong. But let's not pretend luck isn't a factor. That simply isn't true.

Maybe luck plays a factor in 1 season. But EVERY single NFL Team has won a playoff game since we last have. EVERY.

And guess what? We still have largely the SAME MANAGEMENT TEAM in place.

It's not luck. We have the same coach also who has been to the playoffs...what 7 times and won 0 times.

It's not luck. We're performing exactly how we're aligned to perform.

Fans are just happy that we aren't perenially 3-13...and we did make the jump to respectable. But the jump from above average to great is pretty sharp too...and we're just not aligned to make that jump.

(12-21-2016, 10:15 AM)Trademark Wrote: Now that I think about it I am actually looking forward to next season, especially since we will more than likely have a top 10 draft pick. Imagine what we could look like next season with Billings and Geno and hopefully Jackson can start next season too. Him and Kirkpatrick could make a great duo. If we bring Pacman back maybe we could move him to the slot or a safety position since he is getting older.

Really excited about Billings as you all know.

We just need to replace some of the coaching staff and i will be much more excited.

Cannot believe Marv will most likely be back, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if we made the Playoffs.

Just doubt we win a game with Marv as HC, this record has been played 7 times in a row.

Nobody is as good at predicting the future as they think they are.  I don't know what the future holds so I'm not going to try to predict it.

(12-21-2016, 02:44 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Marvin had a Top 3 roster in the NFL for 2 seasons.

(12-21-2016, 05:18 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: To say we're the best drafting team in the league...is false also. Our past 3 drafts have been fairly bad.

So we built that top 3 roster through free agency?

(12-21-2016, 05:40 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: My excitement for next year will depend on the offseason. If we keep things the status quo and make very few changes, then I don't see a reason to believe that we'll compete for title next year. We're more than likely going to let Zeitler walk, because we need to roll over money for extensions. We'll get to the draft where we take a guy, who the coaches rave about in camp, and then we see him play STs primarily.

We won't sign zeitler to an extension because we need to save the money for the peko and maualuga 5 year extensions.
We prefer cheap contracts for older unproductive samoans than expensive younger productive players. Especially the non flashy positions like interior offensive line.

Mike Brown is a bargain hunter. He's still wearing Bengals outfits from the 90's.

(12-22-2016, 04:03 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So we built that top 3 roster through free agency?

Not sure why you think you nailed Pistons. Its not like those top 3 rosters came from the last 3 drafts, and the evidence of our recent poor drafts is all over this 5-8-1 season.