I hope I am wrong but I think the best chance for Bengals is a new head coach and new staff plus real scouts and a three year re-building process.

I don't think the team can be turned around next year.

Our D is dead last in rushing yards allowed. It is a really bad defense.

O line is probably the worst in the league.

Our best players will not want to re-sign to ruin the last chance to play on a truly professional team.

Way to many holes that cannot be replaced strictly through the draft including the coin of the realm comp picks.

Need to hire an established name as a coach who can completely change culture and players.

Unfortunately, probably also need a new QB - as much as I like and admire Andy.

2 to 3 year project- minimum.

We have about 8-10 guys who play a lot that are graded as Poor.

IF we could get 4-5 of those positions playing at even an average level, either by replacing them or coaching them to play better...then we improve vastly.

(12-15-2017, 01:26 PM)Okeana Wrote: Football is like domino's.  If we get a coach who puts focus on running game we can get stud offensive lineman.  Mixon/Gio will perform better which will open up the passing game and dalton can be serviceable.  If you get a coach who thinks we should have this fast paced offensive passing game then shutter the doors because all this talent is wasted.

This is why i am wanting Bill O'Brien or Russ Grimm as our next HC. They both know it all starts in the trenches.

I think that we can turn this team around quick with the core of players we have. Honestly, the offense is just an offensive line away from being good. We still have Green, Kroft is looking better, Lazor's playbook is making the offense as a whole look better, Mixon and Gio are beasts and can carry the offense if we have a good OL, Erickson is looking like he was an absolute steal, and Ross COULD be something good.

The defense is still solid. We just have to work on the run defense, but honestly it could be a coaching thing. When have we ever been a good run stopping team under Marvin? We still have a lot of pieces that will make the defense great.

We do need to pickup a good HC, and use the draft/FA to fill in our big holes. That IS asking a lot, but it can be done and I have seen teams in worse situations than us (talent wise) turn around that fast.

They'd have to have soooo much go right for them... it would take a homerun draft, homerun head coach hire, good coaching staff, fill needs via FA... It would all need to fall in place to turn this into a contending team.

I DO think we have keys pieces in place to make a run, but with so much uncertainty around line, entire coaching staff, ownership/front office... it's not something I would hold my breath on.

The thing is, we're not that far off. A HC with 25% more common sense than Marv., 2 good lineman at least and a better LB to go next to Burfict. We could have won more games this year, but we have a 2 y/o with all the pieces to our puzzle trying to put it together.

(12-15-2017, 04:29 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: I think that we can turn this team around quick with the core of players we have. Honestly, the offense is just an offensive line away from being good. We still have Green, Kroft is looking better, Lazor's playbook is making the offense as a whole look better, Mixon and Gio are beasts and can carry the offense if we have a good OL, Erickson is looking like he was an absolute steal, and Ross COULD be something good.

The defense is still solid. We just have to work on the run defense, but honestly it could be a coaching thing. When have we ever been a good run stopping team under Marvin? We still have a lot of pieces that will make the defense great.

We do need to pickup a good HC, and use the draft/FA to fill in our big holes. That IS asking a lot, but it can be done and I have seen teams in worse situations than us (talent wise) turn around that fast.

It is coaching, i mean Billings, Glasgow and Tapou were all amazing run stoppers in college. We get a new DC and DL
coach to work with these guys and we could go from the worst to the best in stopping the run in one year.

New LB coach would go a long way as well, ever since we have had Haslett here i constantly see our LB'er not named
Burfict missing tackles or just plain being out of position.

(12-15-2017, 05:19 PM)Hoofhearted Wrote: They'd have to have soooo much go right for them... it would take a homerun draft, homerun head coach hire, good coaching staff, fill needs via FA... It would all need to fall in place to turn this into a contending team.

I DO think we have keys pieces in place to make a run, but with so much uncertainty around line, entire coaching staff, ownership/front office... it's not something I would hold my breath on.

I disagree with you here HH, Marv has constantly sabotaged himself over the years and still had success here.

To just have a new HC with some common sense would go a long way. I seriously think Marv and PA flushed the last
two seasons down the toilet and we still are winning more than 5 games. We have good players and if we had decent
coaches our worst players would improve.

We need a HC that is Offensive minded stick to the Offensive side of the ball and stay there.

Or the other way around. If the coaches stick to what they know we will be fine.

(12-15-2017, 05:22 PM)Takedown Wrote: The thing is, we're not that far off. A HC with 25% more common sense than Marv., 2 good lineman at least and a better LB to go next to Burfict. We could have won more games this year, but we have a 2 y/o with all the pieces to our puzzle trying to put it together.

You nailed it on the common sense right before me TD.

Just hope that toddler waddles aside, that would be my dream.

(12-15-2017, 07:15 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I disagree with you here HH, Marv has constantly sabotaged himself over the years and still had success here.

To just have a new HC with some common sense would go a long way. I seriously think Marv and PA flushed the last
two seasons down the toilet and we still are winning more than 5 games. We have good players and if we had decent
coaches our worst players would improve.

We need a HC that is Offensive minded stick to the Offensive side of the ball and stay there.

Or the other way around. If the coaches stick to what they know we will be fine.

Meh - I think you're a bit harsh on Marv here. The same success you speak us kinda goes against sabotaging himself. He's just a rebuilder kinda of guy. He doesn't have "it" to push a team to a different level of play. Make no mistake, he is not a bad coach. Just not one that can push a team to win it all. 

They've won games because our core players are good enough to win, but have fell short in some lazy coaching and crappy drafts. Why I say what I did is because they have quite a few holes to fill to start being a top tier team... they need to get quite a few things right for this team to start hitting it's stride, and by then our core players (Dalton, AJ, Geno, Tez) will be pushing it. If they can hit a homerun in this draft, which they've cooled on recently, and put together a really good staff, I love their chances.

But I feel like I have seen this movie before...

(12-12-2017, 06:18 PM)Interceptor Wrote: Clean house and start from square one. 
Do it correctly and start with the line on both sides of the ball and work outwards from there.
Build a sustainable team (a team that will be competitive for years to come), not a need-to-win-right-now team. 

Yeah, see the Browns and tell me how good this works.

(12-15-2017, 09:06 PM)bengalhoel Wrote: Yeah, see the Browns and tell me how good this works.

Watch them pass us up the ladder in a couple of years.

(12-13-2017, 02:25 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Serious question: is ANYONE buying your schtick? 

Thank you for using that word shtick I never knew how to spell that.  I kept googling it and it kept coming up stick and schick like the razor.  Thank you !!  Now back to the question if Marvin does not come back we will not be competitive for another decade.  

(12-12-2017, 06:34 PM)BengalChris Wrote: AJ and/or Dalton will become unhappy and asked to traded. Then they'll both be labelled as greedy by front office.

I wonder if fans will side with them this time.  They do seem a good bit more sympathetic than Palmer and Chad, even if they were to do the exact same thing.