Mo says he wants the Bengals to be more like the Steelers in his '3 Things' article:

posted by Mo Egger, ESPN1530
Let's admit something about the Steelers.  

As a lifelong Bengals fan, it pains me to say this, and I'll bet that you don't want to read this, but here it is anyway....

I want the Bengals to look, sound, and play like the Steelers.

I was thinking about this yesterday as I read my colleague Lance's manifesto about Mike Tomlin, Antonio Brown, and his current gripes about the Steelers. 

My main question: Are we really that offended when we hear a coach sound the way Tomlin did, saying the things he said in what he assumed was between him and his team?

If so, hoo boy.  You really want no part of an NFL locker room, sideline, or huddle.

Here's how I took Tomlin's message: "We've got some things working against us this week, but we will still be prepared to go win the big football game next Sunday," except it was delivered in the type of emotional, emphatic way that, you know, you'd expect from any NFL coach whose team just won an emotional, tough playoff game.

You won't like me admitting this, but you'd gladly sign up for Mike Tomlin coaching the Bengals for ten years, if there ever was an opening. And despite his selfish broadcast from his team's locker room, you'd sign up for Antonio Brown, and as much as typing this sentence makes me want to go take a bath, you and I would sign up for ten seasons of Ben Roethlisberger's best too.

They play hard. They play physically.  Sometimes, they have players who cross the line, as Bud Dupree did last week. Know what though? I root for a team that has Adam Jones - who last season banged Amari Cooper's head into his own helmet - and Vontaze Burfict, who's stellar and clean play during the second half of this past season hasn't yet helped his shed his reputation for being the league's dirtiest player.

When the Steelers play the Bengals, I'm envious of how much more physical they are. When I watch Mike Tomlin coach,  I'm jealous of his team being led by a guy who doesn't coach like he's afraid.  And while I don't think they're going to win in Foxborough on Sunday, I do know that the Pittsburgh Steelers won't shrink from the moment the way the local NFL team often does in big games.

I wish the Bengals looked, sounded, played, and won like the Steelers.

God, I hate myself for saying that.

http://espn1530.iheart.com/onair/mo-egger-9170/three-things-steelers-envy-uc-survival-15475225/#ixzz4W2p4hy36

I feel what you are saying but you know what? When the Bengals do play more physical we get labeled as an outlaw, undisciplined team. I honestly believe that the Steelers legacy comes into play  and they get away with things we don't because well, "they're the Steelers and they just play that way" (At least that's the mindset I think is used)
Vontaze Burfict with all of his flaws, his hit last year on Brown wasn't any less egregious than what Shazier did to Bernard, but what hit do you hear about? Its been over a year and folks still talk about Vontaze's hit. The Steelers still chirp about it and it got the Bengals branded by many. For 2 straight playoff weeks the Steelers have been guilty of head to head hits and what do you hear? "Its just football: He was trying to make a good hard play" etc.  Its a bunch of baloney and I'm really not a fan of that type of football.

I'm fine with the way the Bengals play. Football is a game that can be played with class.. I only wish the NFL would take off the blinders when it comes to certain teams. If its illegal and dirty for one, its illegal and dirty for all. Not making a call or letting someone get away with stupid tactics just because of what team they play for is garbage. Lastly, I try real hard not to get the words "Physical" and "Dirty", confused. To me a physical player simply dominates his opponent in an overpowering manner. A dirty player is out to head hunt with late hits, dangerous hits and unnecessary contact.

Now Yes, I do think Vontaze Burfict is a dirty player. He is unnecessarily dirty because you can't deny his pure instincts and ability.
A player like Lawrence Timmons I would label as physical.

2 good players who get good results but the manner in which they go about getting those results is what separates them.

Agree 100% with the OP's post.

(01-17-2017, 03:56 PM)Air Force 1 Wrote: I feel what you are saying but you know what? When the Bengals do play more physical we get labeled as an outlaw, undisciplined team. I honestly believe that the Steelers legacy comes into play  and they get away with things we don't because well, "they're the Steelers and they just play that way" (At least that's the mindset I think is used)
Vontaze Burfict with all of his flaws, his hit last year on Brown wasn't any less egregious than what Shazier did to Bernard, but what hit do you hear about? Its been over a year and folks still talk about Vontaze's hit. The Steelers still chirp about it and it got the Bengals branded by many. For 2 straight playoff weeks the Steelers have been guilty of head to head hits and what do you hear? "Its just football: He was trying to make a good hard play" etc.  Its a bunch of baloney and I'm really not a fan of that type of football.

I'm fine with the way the Bengals play. Football is a game that can be played with class.. I only wish the NFL would take off the blinders when it comes to certain teams. If its illegal and dirty for one, its illegal and dirty for all. Not making a call or letting someone get away with stupid tactics just because of what team they play for is garbage. Lastly, I try real hard not to get the words "Physical" and "Dirty", confused. To me a physical player simply dominates his opponent in an overpowering manner. A dirty player is out to head hunt with late hits, dangerous hits and unnecessary contact.

Now Yes, I do think Vontaze Burfict is a dirty player. He is unnecessarily dirty because you can't deny his pure instincts and ability.
A player like Lawrence Timmons I would label as physical.

2 good players who get good results but the manner in which they go about getting those results is what separates them.

We're labelled an outlaw because a lot of our hits aren't physical...they're illegal. Burfict had the same calls against him at Arizona State and even in high school:

http://www.sbnation.com/2016/12/18/13351854/vontaze-burfict-history-cincinnati-bengals-asu-personal-fouls

Davis for the Steelers got flagged for helmet to helmet. Dupris did last week when he hit the QB. The personal fouls on defense aren't something that only gets called against the Bengals.

A good start would be drafting Reuben Foster at 9 and letting he and Burfict tear sh*t up.

Nothing like two mean, physical, tough sob linebackers to turn things around for us.

The problem for us is it wouldn't work.

The Steelers get away with things the Bengals just wouldn't.

Plus i like some class on my team.

I want us to play physical and smart at the same time while addressing our weaknesses and playing the best players.

Sad to say but we will need a new HC to accomplish this.

I would never be proud to have Tomlin as my HC and especially Pig Pen as my QB though, that is for damn sure.

He left out wanting the Bengals front office to look like the Steelers front office, which currently is the biggest achilles heel of the organization. Steelers invested over $100 million in their o-line. Bengals, lol yeah.

(01-17-2017, 04:35 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: The problem for us is it wouldn't work.

The Steelers get away with things the Bengals just wouldn't.

Plus i like some class on my team.

I want us to play physical and smart at the same time while addressing our weaknesses and playing the best players.

Sad to say but we will need a new HC to accomplish this.

I would never be proud to have Tomlin as my HC and especially Pig Pen as my QB though, that is for damn sure.

This!  I want some where in between, and that's NOT going to happen as long as MB has the final say so, and I don't care how much we read about him giving more and more to Katie and the gang, he is STILL the owner, and has the final Word!

Yes, you can play physical, be prepared and focused, without the extra 

I might piss the die hard face painted fans off, but I don't care.  I do NOT want a win at any cost franchise!  What do I mean by that, is I'll take a guy like AJ Green all day and any day, before I'm willing to put up with an Antonio Browns or Odell Beckhams just to get closer to a Lombardi!

If this  

is the kind of BS fans want just to hold a Lombardi then have at it!  Not my cup of tea!!!

(01-17-2017, 04:18 PM)ZWP Wrote: A good start would be drafting Reuben Foster at 9 and letting he and Burfict tear sh*t up.

Nothing like two mean, physical, tough sob linebackers to turn things around for us.

The problem with the Bengals is if they draft Foster, it would likely be because they were going to let Burfict leave in free agency.

C'mon guys! We ARE just like the Steelers. Jesus. Have you all forgotten the "Model Model" masterpieces that Hobson churns out every time he needs to explain the Bengals impending possum impression in external FA?

Mo,

Back when the Bengals went to the two Super Bowls in 1982 and in 1989, the Bengals were more physical than anyone in the league. If you want to re-create this type team, you need to bring in Sam Wyche and Forrest Gregg to run a search committee for a like-minded head coach.

John

(01-17-2017, 04:02 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: We're labelled an outlaw because a lot of our hits aren't physical...they're illegal. Burfict had the same calls against him at Arizona State and even in high school:

http://www.sbnation.com/2016/12/18/13351854/vontaze-burfict-history-cincinnati-bengals-asu-personal-fouls

Davis for the Steelers got flagged for helmet to helmet. Dupris did last week when he hit the QB. The personal fouls on defense aren't something that only gets called against the Bengals.

Burfict got flagged for the hit on Brown. If that was just the case we wouldn't have heard the crys for months for him to be banned for life, or my personal fave, thrown in jail.  

(01-17-2017, 04:47 PM)Millhouse Wrote: He left out wanting the Bengals front office to look like the Steelers front office, which currently is the biggest achilles heel of the organization. Steelers invested over $100 million in their o-line. Bengals, lol yeah.

Ok, so tell me the difference between us and the Bengals when it comes to the O-line:

We have Whitworth and we have paid him nicely.  They have Villanueva.
We have Zeitler, who we drafted in the first round, they have DeCastro

Center - let's move on

We signed Boling to an extension.

We drafted Tackles with our first AND second round picks 2 years ago.

So, tell me how the Bengals have ignored their O-line.

(01-17-2017, 05:09 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The problem with the Bengals is if they draft Foster, it would likely be because they were going to let Burfict leave in free agency.

Not at all.  It would be because we have Rey M in the last year of his deal and we are losing Dansby.

Hell with the Steelers. I wish we were like the Patriots, and could make guys like Chris Hogan and Dion Lewis threats.

(01-17-2017, 06:38 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: Ok, so tell me the difference between us and the Bengals when it comes to the O-line:

We have Whitworth and we have paid him nicely.  They have Villanueva.
We have Zeitler, who we drafted in the first round, they have DeCastro

Center - let's move on

We signed Boling to an extension.

We drafted Tackles with our first AND second round picks 2 years ago.

So, tell me how the Bengals have ignored their O-line.

I just used the o-line as an example, as the Bengals clearly failed on improving the o-line going into this last season. Point was the Steelers have a superior front office than the Bengals when it comes to off-season moves from drafts to free agency. 

I would never root for Ben Rothlisberger.  Not in one million years.  If it came out that Dalton had a similar incident where the cops found blood all over a bathroom stall and he wound up paying millions of dollars in hush money to multiple women, I'd disown him too.  I'll never understand the mentality of people who just look the other way with that shit.  Some things are more important than winning football games.

If the Bengals looked, sounded, and played like the Steelers, I am not sure I would be a fan of the team anymore.

(01-17-2017, 07:06 PM)jason Wrote: Hell with the Steelers. I wish we were like the Patriots, and could make guys like Chris Hogan and Dion Lewis threats.

Agreed. 

While I understand what Mo is getting at, I disagree with him that the Steelers are what we should be striving to be. If you're going to emulate a team...the Patriots would certainly be the 'model model' to follow. 

Of course, that's easier said than done, which is why the Pat's are in a class by themselves. There's also two very real and distinct differences that currently stand in the way of even attempting to pattern the Bengals (in even a modest way) after the Pats, which is the owner and head coach. The Patriots have an owner and head coach that are two of the all-time best...and a key ingredient to their success has been their obsessive drive for greatness, which includes not being scared to take risks and make necessary moves to achieve that goal. 

Unfortunately, Mike and Marvin operate on a much more conservative scale and have never really demonstrated that unrelenting desire to reach the next level that we see from the Patriots...or even teams like the Broncos and Seahawks in recent years

(01-17-2017, 08:55 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Agreed. 

While I understand what Mo is getting at, I disagree with him that the Steelers are what we should be striving to be. If you're going to emulate a team...the Patriots would certainly be the 'model model' to follow. 

Of course, that's easier said than done, which is why the Pat's are in a class by themselves. There's also two very real and distinct differences that currently stand in the way of even attempting to pattern the Bengals (in even a modest way) after the Pats, which is the owner and head coach. The Patrots have an owner and head coach that are two of the all-time best...and a key ingredient to their success has been their unrelenting drive for greatness, which includes not being scared to take risks and make necessary moves to achieve that goal. 

Unfortunately, Mike and Marvin operate on a much more conservative scale and have never really demonstrated that unrelenting desire to reach the next level that we see from the Patriots...or even teams like the Broncos and Seahawks in recent years

Yes. They are playing chess while the rest of the NFL is playing checkers.