I've been trying hard to not get to pumped up about the training camp/preseason/rookie hype. I know many, myself included were singing the doom and gloom back during a fairly normal by Bengal standards free agent period. That gut feeling has never really left for several reasons, O-line, Marvin Lewis, Zampese, MB, etc.

It's easy to get caught up in the Hobspin fluff, training camp reports - player A is kicking @$$, player B can fly, blah, blah. I'm trying to temper my expectations and hopes of finally getting the monkey off our backs !

What do you guys really think ?

Honestly, I see 8 wins at best this season. I simply don't trust the offensive line and I wouldn't be shocked if Andy gets hurt this year. Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after the preseason and I hope like crazy that I am but right now... I'm a bit lacking in the confidence department.

I think that the OL will be an issue, but we will have a good team. Last year we had trouble in the red zone on offense, and I think with the new weapons that we have on offense, that will go away. We really didn't have that much trouble getting into the red zone, just the end zone. I think our defense will be one of the best in the league next year. We have a very stout front 7, and an underrated secondary. I didn't like how Zampese called plays last year, but I'm going to see what he does this year before I think he's a bad OC. He really didn't have much to work with last year considering most of his weapons got hurt, and the OL played horrible. I have high hopes for the season, and if our OL was expected to be even mediocre I would say we would have serious SB aspirations.

I'll be honest, it's really hard for me to get on board..... again. I have little to no faith in ML and most of the coaching staff !

Having said that I voted finally win a playoff game. Here's to hoping the players are good enough and committed enough to overcome all the lack of accountability and bad game plans.

My gut is that our defense is wicked and explosive with guys like Lawson getting to the quarterback and our young corners finally being full-go on the field and just feasting on the errant throws from being under pressure. My gut also says that Mixon has a big year and just is a machine. However, even with those two things, my gut also says that our offensive line struggles to protect Andy and it could spell the end to any postseason hopes that we have.

My mind keeps going back to '08 when the line couldn't give the traitor any time and he got injured and our season didn't have a chance. What gives me a little hope is that, even if our line does struggle that much, a big reason the line failed early in the season in '08 is because Perry wasn't a between-the-tackles runner so the D never had to respect the run and just teed-off on the pass rush.

Holding onto hope but being a Bengals fan makes it tough.

I went with finally winning a playoff game. My confidence would be a lot higher if not for the O-line issues.

(08-07-2017, 11:07 AM)Pat5775 Wrote: Honestly, I see 8 wins at best this season. I simply don't trust the offensive line and I wouldn't be shocked if Andy gets hurt this year. Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after the preseason and I hope like crazy that I am but right now... I'm a bit lacking in the confidence department.

Pat and I see pretty much the same on this.

I predicted 8-8 and will hold to that, hoping, once again, to be wrong, but it's 26 years and counting with MB.

I do think this team does better when expected to fail, but I just can't get past the idea, after 26 years of shooting themselves in the foot, that it won't happen again on this 50th year anniversary!! 

(08-07-2017, 11:04 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I've been trying hard to not get to pumped up about the training camp/preseason/rookie hype. I know many, myself included were singing the doom and gloom back during a fairly normal by Bengal standards free agent period. That gut feeling has never really left for several reasons, O-line, Marvin Lewis, Zampese, MB, etc.

It's easy to get caught up in the Hobspin fluff, training camp reports - player A is kicking @$$, player B can fly, blah, blah. I'm trying to temper my expectations and hopes of finally getting the monkey off our backs !

What do you guys really think ?

Seriously? Looks to me you have not changed a bit from the gloom and doom. 

(08-07-2017, 11:04 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I've been trying hard to not get to pumped up about the training camp/preseason/rookie hype. I know many, myself included were singing the doom and gloom back during a fairly normal by Bengal standards free agent period. That gut feeling has never really left for several reasons, O-line, Marvin Lewis, Zampese, MB, etc.

It's easy to get caught up in the Hobspin fluff, training camp reports - player A is kicking @$$, player B can fly, blah, blah. I'm trying to temper my expectations and hopes of finally getting the monkey off our backs !

What do you guys really think ?

I think 8-8 because No Make Nuge is no longer around to cost us a couple games.  The o line is my concern.  I'm hoping they prove me wrong, but last season was a train wreck up front and I don't really think they'll be improved enough to do enough to get us where we want to be.  Don't get me wrong, I think they WILL improve, just not enough.  Next year, if they are the real deal, will be their best year.

I honestly think you will get to the Superbowl. I hope so anyway, hate hate the Patriots and really just hope they have the worst year ever. Sick of the Steelers as well. I don't think Denver will do much either with a 2nd year QB.

6 out of the last 8 years we made the playoffs. I don't see how so many people think we will miss it this year. We put worse teams into the playoffs, and I don't see why this one won't. The OL will most likely be bad, but not bad enough to stop Dalton and the weapons we have. I think people heavily underestimate how well Dalton calls protections, and can overall read the defense. I don't see enough talk about how good this defense will be either. I honestly see our defense being in the top 5, and possibly even better than that. We have one of the best special teams in the league too, which is rarely ever talked about. If Elliot works out for us and we have a good kicker I don't see any other teams ST's being better than ours. Now, I don't think we will win the SB or anything like that, but I do think that we will have a good chance to make a run.

We are ready to win.. stay healthy and we can either win division or win wild card game at home

(08-07-2017, 12:14 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Seriously? Looks to me you have not changed a bit from the gloom and doom. 

Seriously, I think if we do finally win a playoff game it will be on the players backs to rise above the coaching. And to find a way around a sub-par front office induced O-line.

Oline will hurt us. We have a stacked team across the board except for oline. That oline is pitiful. OG, Bodine don't belong as starters

I think 8-8 is the ceiling, personally. Want more than anything to be proven wrong, but we have a young team so there will be growing pains. Plus, until proven otherwise the offensive line remains a concern. If Dalton has no time in the pocket or the o-line is unable to open running lanes for Gio/Hill/Mixon, then all those fancy new weapons on offense don't mean a whole lot.

13-3, lose in the AFCCG, win it all next year. A lot of people who have already made their minds up on the OLine will have a lot of egg on their faces but to hear them talk, they had been on board right from the start.

And all the national blowhards who have predicted six wins will say nothing and go on being blowhards and predict five wins for next year.

(08-07-2017, 12:36 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: 6 out of the last 8 years we made the playoffs. I don't see how so many people think we will miss it this year. We put worse teams into the playoffs, and I don't see why this one won't. The OL will most likely be bad, but not bad enough to stop Dalton and the weapons we have. I think people heavily underestimate how well Dalton calls protections, and can overall read the defense. I don't see enough talk about how good this defense will be either. I honestly see our defense being in the top 5, and possibly even better than that. We have one of the best special teams in the league too, which is rarely ever talked about. If Elliot works out for us and we have a good kicker I don't see any other teams ST's being better than ours. Now, I don't think we will win the SB or anything like that, but I do think that we will have a good chance to make a run.

It's the line man.....they were a sieve last season. They have a TON of improving to do to make us a legit contender.  It all starts in the trenches.  If they can't open up holes for the run game.....yet again.....the defense will tee off on the pass rush, no matter how well Dalton reads.  He is very good at that, no doubt, but if they're in the backfield as fast as they were last season, it won't matter.  This season hinges on line play.  I don't think they're bad enough to keep us from 8 wins.....but I'm not convinced they're good enough to get us much more than that.

O-line costs us 3 wins and we finish 8-8. Dead cat bounce gets Marv another extension.

(08-07-2017, 01:23 PM)McC Wrote: 13-3, lose in the AFCCG, win it all next year.  A lot of people who have already made their minds up on the OLine will have a lot of egg on their faces but to hear them talk, they had been on board right from the start.

And all the national blowhards who have predicted six wins will say nothing and go on being blowhards and predict five wins for next year.

This team is definitely better than six wins.  How well the line plays will dictate if we get more than 8 or 9, in my humble opinion.

(08-07-2017, 11:15 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I'll be honest, it's really hard for me to get on board..... again. I have little to no faith in ML and most of the coaching staff !

Having said that I voted finally win a playoff game. Here's to hoping the players are good enough and committed enough to overcome all the lack of accountability and bad game plans.

This doesn't sound like a "gut feeling," it sounds like a hope.