(05-26-2017, 11:24 AM)depthchart Wrote: I have the Bengals at 3 and 2 going into the Bye week to start the 2017 season.

Ravens at home, Texans at home, at Packers, at Cleveland, Bills at home.

I have Win, Loss, Loss, Win, Win for 3 and 2.

Then it is the Bye Week with a game at PITTSBURGH to prepare for.

While I see Joe Mixon getting eased in over the first few weeks, I expect that we will have seen enough good Flashes from Mixon and John Ross to Pump the City up. Ross & Mixon should also have had some Highlight film plays by the time the Bye week comes to get some National Media attention to further Pump things up.

The team having 5 games under their belt to Gel with, plus the Bye week could offer some Hope to Fans that we could actually Win at Pittsburgh. Mixon & Ross could be ready for bigger roles with a Bye week to do some extra preparation in. If we are 3 and 2 then the Steelers game would be Huge with lots of National Media focus heading into it. The Burfict & Pac Man Playoff Meltdown will again garnish Media attention but it may actually Fuel the Bengals in a quest for Revenge. Big Ben at Home would still have the Edge but a Bengals win in this game could Shock the league, the City and the Media. All yeah, and this Board.

I'd like to see our O line play before I make any predictions.  It all hinges on them.

(05-26-2017, 07:04 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: See, I never bought into the Bengals being Super Bowl contenders in '05.  I was thrilled that they were winning games, but thought that they were getting lucky too many times with the secondary coming up with all those interceptions.  I fully expected them to beat the Steelers that day, until Palmer went down, but didn't expect much more than the Wild Card win.

Wow.  That surprises me to hear.  I thought that they exercised the steeler demon in that game toward the end of the season in pitt, and beating them in the playoffs would have sent the Bengals on a run.  Indy would have been tough, but if memory serves, they would have had to play the Bengals in Cincy.  And Manning was still being somewhat of an enigma in the postseason. 

I was sure 2005 was the Bengals chance to win it all.  

As for the OP, I see 5-0 or 4-1 at worst.  Not having something stupid like consecutive road games to start the season is huge.  Locally, I think the city will really rally behind the team.  I won't make bold predictions about game attendance, as it is just too easy to watch at home and still love the games, but I think there will be a lot of excitement.

On a National level, be prepared for this kind of crap:  "The Ravens have been down for a while now, and they got the Texans early before their QBs could really be ready.  The Browns and Bills suck, so I will give Cincy credit when the beat a team like New England or pittsburgh".  And that is just fine with me.  

In the words of the immortal Lou Brown:  "I'd like to hang around and see if we can give them all a nice shitburger to eat". 

(05-27-2017, 12:10 PM)packerbacker Wrote: I don't know. We have a brutal schedule with games@Pittsburgh, @Dallas, @Carolina and @Atlanta then playing you guys is always tough. I don't see us winning more than 1 of those games on the road.

Two of those games are indoors....if memory serves, Rogers has a ridiculous record indoors.  

(05-29-2017, 07:50 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Wow.  That surprises me to hear.  I thought that they exercised the steeler demon in that game toward the end of the season in pitt, and beating them in the playoffs would have sent the Bengals on a run.  Indy would have been tough, but if memory serves, they would have had to play the Bengals in Cincy.  And Manning was still being somewhat of an enigma in the postseason. 

I was sure 2005 was the Bengals chance to win it all.  

As for the OP, I see 5-0 or 4-1 at worst.  Not having something stupid like consecutive road games to start the season is huge.  Locally, I think the city will really rally behind the team.  I won't make bold predictions about game attendance, as it is just too easy to watch at home and still love the games, but I think there will be a lot of excitement.

On a National level, be prepared for this kind of crap:  "The Ravens have been down for a while now, and they got the Texans early before their QBs could really be ready.  The Browns and Bills suck, so I will give Cincy credit when the beat a team like New England or pittsburgh".  And that is just fine with me.  

In the words of the immortal Lou Brown:  "I'd like to hang around and see if we can give them all a nice shitburger to eat". 

I admire your optimism, but 5-0 ?

I know everybody is hyped, all these shiny new weapons, AJ healthy blah, blah. But it's gonna all come down to the O-line ! And we're asking what we had last season minus it's two best players to do an epic turn around with the addition of an oft injured guy we didn't want a couple seasons ago.

I refuse to buy into the pre-season hype until I see if the O-line can block or not. I don't care if we have half a dozen WR's running 4.2 forties. If andy is pulling his face mask out of the mud 1.8 seconds into the play it's not gonna matter.

(05-29-2017, 07:50 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Wow.  That surprises me to hear.  I thought that they exercised the steeler demon in that game toward the end of the season in pitt, and beating them in the playoffs would have sent the Bengals on a run.  Indy would have been tough, but if memory serves, they would have had to play the Bengals in Cincy.  And Manning was still being somewhat of an enigma in the postseason. 

I was sure 2005 was the Bengals chance to win it all.  

The '05 season was special, indeed.  It looked like the beginning of something special was developing, but I never had that feeling like they could go all the way.  I really can't explain why I felt that way, it all just felt sort of like a fluke.  However, in '15, I thought that team was the real deal, from the onset of the season.  Just something about the chemistry of the team that year.  Right up to the time that Andy went down.  Even after, I convinced myself that the team could still go the distance with AJ McCarron leading them. 

(05-28-2017, 04:08 AM)grampahol Wrote: I'm going to try to remain emotionally neutral throughout the season. If they win, well great, but if not I have 10000 other things I can spend my time worrying about.  
I really do hope they win, but getting all pissy if they don't won't improve my life one tiny little bit.  

Ten thousand?  That is a pile of worrying.

(05-27-2017, 11:21 PM)samhain Wrote: I expect another year of suffering due to poor o-line play and the time it will take for young pieces on defense to get up to speed.  Thinking about Billings, Vigil, Jackson, here.

That said, I think this team will be loaded and ready to rock in 2018.

After last year, and the 'off-season' moves, it's beyond me how anyone could expect much, especially in the first half of the season. Real time game snaps will build confidence in the Rookies and separate the achievers from the paper tigers. 

(05-29-2017, 09:53 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I admire your optimism, but 5-0 ?

I know everybody is hyped, all these shiny new weapons, AJ healthy blah, blah. But it's gonna all come down to the O-line ! And we're asking what we had last season minus it's two best players to do an epic turn around with the addition of an oft injured guy we didn't want a couple seasons ago.

I refuse to buy into the pre-season hype until I see if the O-line can block or not. I don't care if we have half a dozen WR's running 4.2 forties. If andy is pulling his face mask out of the mud 1.8 seconds into the play it's not gonna matter.

In a large way, these kids wouldn't be here if they didn't possess the talent and physicality to do the job. This is the year the onus is squarely on the backs of all coaches, given the 'opportunity' the front office has given them to prove their expertise. If this staff hasn't addressed every single deficiency of last year, this should be their last year.

Everything hinges on the progression of Ogbuehi and Fisher. If they can just be serviceable, I think they can start the season 4-1. If Ogbuehi plays as well as he did last year, it may be tough to reach the 6 wins total for the season.

(05-29-2017, 01:30 PM)muskiesfan Wrote: Everything hinges on the progression of Ogbuehi and Fisher. If they can just be serviceable, I think they can start the season 4-1. If Ogbuehi plays as well as he did last year, it may be tough to reach the 6 wins total for the season.

This year we will most definitely find out, once and for all, if Paul Alexander is as good an OL coach as all the folks give him credit for.  It'll come as no surprise to most of you that I'm a bit of a doubter, when it comes to Paul Alexander.  I've always thought that he was overrated.  However, I feel like the Right side will be OK with Andre at RG and Fisher at RT, so we will truly see what Alexander's coaching ability can do with Ogbuehi starting at LT.

(05-29-2017, 06:17 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: This year we will most definitely find out, once and for all, if Paul Alexander is as good an OL coach as all the folks give him credit for.  It'll come as no surprise to most of you that I'm a bit of a doubter, when it comes to Paul Alexander.  I've always thought that he was overrated.  However, I feel like the Right side will be OK with Andre at RG and Fisher at RT, so we will truly see what Alexander's coaching ability can do with Ogbuehi starting at LT.

I'm with you, but I don't really think PA takes all of the blame, unless you want to blame him for standing on the table during the 2015 draft for the 2 tackles.  

From what I've seen from these two, they've done little to nothing to show that they can play tackle in the NFL.  They, as you have said in the past, look absolutely nothing like what we've come to know as a Bengals OT for almost the last 2 decades.  Fisher's reputation as being serviceable largely lives off of the fact that Ogbuehi got significant playing time before he did and was an abject failure. He gets by because he's not Cedric.  Otherwise, he's proven very little.  

My only hope for these two is that playing OT in the NFL is a major step up from college, and that they are capable of major improvement in the offseason.  

I'll blame PA more for drafting these guys than I will for failing to develop them if they don't pan out.

(05-29-2017, 09:08 PM)samhain Wrote: I'm with you, but I don't really think PA takes all of the blame, unless you want to blame him for standing on the table during the 2015 draft for the 2 tackles.  

From what I've seen from these two, they've done little to nothing to show that they can play tackle in the NFL.  They, as you have said in the past, look absolutely nothing like what we've come to know as a Bengals OT for almost the last 2 decades.  Fisher's reputation as being serviceable largely lives off of the fact that Ogbuehi got significant playing time before he did and was an abject failure. He gets by because he's not Cedric.  Otherwise, he's proven very little.  

My only hope for these two is that playing OT in the NFL is a major step up from college, and that they are capable of major improvement in the offseason.  

I'll blame PA more for drafting these guys than I will for failing to develop them if they don't pan out.

Oh no, make no mistake, Paul saw something in those guys that spoke to him.  He will turn Ogbuehi and Fisher into the dominant bookends that he envisioned when drafting them.  Honest.

The offensive line will be under heavy scrutiny. We have one of the most inexperienced lines out there, and we're basically praying that Fisher and Ogbuehi can actually have a good year. We also need Bodine to improve and hope Smith isn't as bad as he was last year and stays healthy.

I'd hate to say it, but our offensive line has a chance to be one of the worst in the NFL. And the Bengals go against some tough competition throughout it all.

Week 1 Ravens: Sure, they have Suggs. But they just added Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser. Two rookies who are VERY good at being pass rushers.
Week 2 Texans: JJ Watt. Clowney. And even if Watt is hurt, Mercilus wrecked havoc against this line.
Week 3 Packers: Clay Matthews is really the only eye popper. Nick Perry had a career year, so he could be someone to watch out for.
Week 4 Browns: They added Myles Garrett, and he could be VERY good. Throw in Jamie Collins, along with Danny Shelton who actually had a good season last year. There's a ton of potential with this line.
Week 5 Bills: Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams are a deadly force. Throw in them drafting Adolphus Washington and Lorenzo Alexander's career year, this could give us headaches.

These 5 games will help us figure out how far this line has come. They're in shorts now, but there's also a ton of concern and question marks surrounding this unit.

If the unit develops well and does a solid job, I think we will have a lot to be excited for. However, if they falter, we could be in for a LONG season.

(05-29-2017, 11:21 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: The offensive line will be under heavy scrutiny. We have one of the most inexperienced lines out there, and we're basically praying that Fisher and Ogbuehi can actually have a good year. We also need Bodine to improve and hope Smith isn't as bad as he was last year and stays healthy.

I'd hate to say it, but our offensive line has a chance to be one of the worst in the NFL. And the Bengals go against some tough competition throughout it all.

Week 1 Ravens: Sure, they have Suggs. But they just added Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser. Two rookies who are VERY good at being pass rushers.
Week 2 Texans: JJ Watt. Clowney. And even if Watt is hurt, Mercilus wrecked havoc against this line.
Week 3 Packers: Clay Matthews is really the only eye popper. Nick Perry had a career year, so he could be someone to watch out for.
Week 4 Browns: They added Myles Garrett, and he could be VERY good. Throw in Jamie Collins, along with Danny Shelton who actually had a good season last year. There's a ton of potential with this line.
Week 5 Bills: Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams are a deadly force. Throw in them drafting Adolphus Washington and Lorenzo Alexander's career year, this could give us headaches.

These 5 games will help us figure out how far this line has come. They're in shorts now, but there's also a ton of concern and question marks surrounding this unit.

If the unit develops well and does a solid job, I think we will have a lot to be excited for. However, if they falter, we could be in for a LONG season.

Honestly, of all of the draft additions in the division, Williams and Bowser scare the shit out of me the most.  If Williams keeps his head on straight and Bowser meets any expectations, they'll be a major headache for a long time.  

(05-29-2017, 09:53 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I admire your optimism, but 5-0 ?

I know everybody is hyped, all these shiny new weapons, AJ healthy blah, blah. But it's gonna all come down to the O-line ! And we're asking what we had last season minus it's two best players to do an epic turn around with the addition of an oft injured guy we didn't want a couple seasons ago.

I refuse to buy into the pre-season hype until I see if the O-line can block or not. I don't care if we have half a dozen WR's running 4.2 forties. If andy is pulling his face mask out of the mud 1.8 seconds into the play it's not gonna matter.

I know, but isn't it really 3-0?  Would the Bengals lose to the Browns or Bills?  Sure, it could happen, but I see it as highly unlikely.

They finally open at home, and they are a much better team than Baltimore.  Where will the offense come from for the Ravens?  Has their secondary been improved?  It doesn't really look like it.

The Texans will be led by Tom Savage or a rookie QB.  That doesn't bode well for them.  The Texans have a great defense, but at home and with the Texans losing their best CB (Bouye) I don't see them as better than the Bengals.  

The Packers on the road will undoubtedly be their biggest challenge, but if there has been any team that is kryptonite to Aaron Rogers, it is the Bengals defense.  I also think the Packers will have difficulty stopping the Bengals offense.  

To be fair, I did say 5-0 or 4-1...but I think they have a very good chance of being 5-0.  Maybe my belief is based more out of a lack of respect for the Ravens and Texans than it is that the Bengals should just maul every other team.  The Packers game will be a really good test, albeit they will be coming off a short week, which is always a challenge especially early in the season.

(05-29-2017, 11:19 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The '05 season was special, indeed.  It looked like the beginning of something special was developing, but I never had that feeling like they could go all the way.  I really can't explain why I felt that way, it all just felt sort of like a fluke.  However, in '15, I thought that team was the real deal, from the onset of the season.  Just something about the chemistry of the team that year.  Right up to the time that Andy went down.  Even after, I convinced myself that the team could still go the distance with AJ McCarron leading them. 

I felt the same way about the 15 season...That team had it in every phase of the game, whereas the 05 Bengals were like a duplicate of the Colts:  Tons of offense, and it they got a lead, force you in to throwing which led to lots of turnovers.  The 05 team had an arrogance, a swagger, that I had not seen in a Bengal's team in ages.  They were good and they knew they were good.  It was a fun group.

Every time I think about the 05 team, my heart aches a little because of three things:

The loss of Chris Henry
The off-field issues that cost Odell Thurman his career
The injury that cost David Pollack his career

Thurman had 5 INTs and 4 forced fumbles in his rookie season.  He was kind of crazy and out of control, but man could the guy make plays.  9 turnovers in one season in unbelievable.  Gosh, it still hurts to think what that defense could have evolved in to over the next few years.  

(05-29-2017, 07:50 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Wow.  That surprises me to hear.  I thought that they exercised the steeler demon in that game toward the end of the season in pitt, and beating them in the playoffs would have sent the Bengals on a run.  Indy would have been tough, but if memory serves, they would have had to play the Bengals in Cincy.  And Manning was still being somewhat of an enigma in the postseason. 

I was sure 2005 was the Bengals chance to win it all.  

As for the OP, I see 5-0 or 4-1 at worst.  Not having something stupid like consecutive road games to start the season is huge.  Locally, I think the city will really rally behind the team.  I won't make bold predictions about game attendance, as it is just too easy to watch at home and still love the games, but I think there will be a lot of excitement.

On a National level, be prepared for this kind of crap:  "The Ravens have been down for a while now, and they got the Texans early before their QBs could really be ready.  The Browns and Bills suck, so I will give Cincy credit when the beat a team like New England or pittsburgh".  And that is just fine with me.  

In the words of the immortal Lou Brown:  "I'd like to hang around and see if we can give them all a nice shitburger to eat". 

You are right that the National Media will hold back on giving the Bengals credit until they beat say the Steelers. They will also keep the "can't win a Playoff game" slogan going.

However;

The additions of Joe Mixon and John Ross is GOLD to the National Media when it comes to raising NFL Fan interest in the Bengals game highlights by non Bengal fans. Joe Mixon blowing up for say 127 yards and two TDs or John Ross having 4 catches for 116 yards with a 57 yard blazing speed TD will make the Bengals one of the more interesting teams for these Media types to Focus on. Our local team has become a more captivating National Story Line with the addition of these 2 players.

(05-30-2017, 12:32 AM)samhain Wrote: Honestly, of all of the draft additions in the division, Williams and Bowser scare the shit out of me the most.  If Williams keeps his head on straight and Bowser meets any expectations, they'll be a major headache for a long time.  

Everyone in our division got great pass rushers in this draft.

Garrett. Watt. Williams. Bowser.

Granted, the Bengals themselves got two pass rushers. But the Bengals have one of the worst OT duos in the league based off of last year's play.


I'm worried about the unit. That will be our biggest climb. We have weapons on offense. We got better on defense. Our offensive line is our weakest link.

(05-30-2017, 02:29 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: Everyone in our division got great pass rushers in this draft.

Garrett. Watt. Williams. Bowser.

Granted, the Bengals themselves got two pass rushers. But the Bengals have one of the worst OT duos in the league based off of last year's play.


I'm worried about the unit. That will be our biggest climb. We have weapons on offense. We got better on defense. Our offensive line is our weakest link.

Possible the Bengals looked into the future and saw that the next couple of drafts were not very good for OTs. So this might work out as them looking like geniuses, taking OB and Fisher. Personally I think they will be better, don't ask me why, I have no facts to back my statement up, just a gut feeling...

I can see us at 2-2-1 and coming off two straight wins. Marvin will at that point hold the career record for tie games coached.

(05-26-2017, 12:38 PM)packerbacker Wrote: I hope you guys have a great season. Trust me we're afraid of week 3 against you guys. You have our number.

I was just going to say, I think we beat the Packers and will be 4-1.
We seem to beat them and we have the Defense to line up and keep their offense in check, they are still searching for a Defense that can keep an offense like ours in check, but they had a good draft too.