(03-22-2018, 09:35 PM)Jakeypoo Wrote: Call me crazy but I would not be that suprised if we are in the Superbowl.
Honestly we have a good QB, A good pass rush, Good RBs, Good LT, Great Wr, Good Secondary  and a Good Pass rush. We have questions about our offensive line,LBers,nand wether or not Eifert and Ross can stay healthy? However if were good at C , RG, and our Defense plays the way it is capable of this team will be capable of winning it all.

Okay.  I'm calling you crazy.  Not because I think it but because you said to. 

You know what?  Anything can happen.  Who's to say what's crazy?  You get some little formula that works for you, you get on a roll, boom, magic season.  

(03-22-2018, 06:03 PM)The Real Deal Wrote: Can you blame them? While I do like most of the off-season moves so far,  I don’t really like us to win a super bowl either

The question isnt who you like, it is the odds of winning. They are saying the Browns who won 0 games last year have a better shot than the Bengals. Unless you sign Aaron Rodgers there is no reason to have those odds like that. That makes you wonder what the hell goes on behind the scenes. I would love to hear a rational person explain to me how they came up with that. 

(03-22-2018, 03:14 PM)bambino5130 Wrote: Just got back from Vegas, and they had the Bengals 80-1 for SB win and like 40-1 to win NFC North

Should have been a billion to one on this bet. 

But to the original post, aren't odds made by the amount of bets being made on each team ? 

Can certainly see Bengals not being bet heavily considering their track record. 

But $25 to win $2,000 is definitely worth a shot with all the changes the Bengals have made. 

Plus losing $25 is not going to hurt anybody too bad. 

(03-22-2018, 10:13 PM)McC Wrote: Okay.  I'm calling you crazy.  Not because I think it but because you said to. 

You know what?  Anything can happen.  Who's to say what's crazy?  You get some little formula that works for you, you get on a roll, boom, magic season.  

I will also have to add if Eifert and Ross are Healthy along with Improved Center and RG play we will be near a complete team.

(03-22-2018, 09:03 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: How can anyone predict anything until we fix what was the worst?

Until a Center is established I give them zero, with a capital Z, chance in winning any championship game.

Sorry folks.  That equates to a lack of success in rushing, passing, TDs, FGs, conversions, and total TOP.

It's huge.

Just the fact that they wanted to keep Blowdine makes my blood boil.

Let the draft (hopefully) prove me wrong.

They just don't get it in ol' Cincy.

One offensive lineman does not make or break a team.. the 2015 season was rolling just fine with Bodine as Center even though he was not playing well.. to think that a single lineman is the key to everything a team does good or bad just does not add up.

Lol, worse than the Browns!

Since NFL is "entertainment" and they (in their own words) are allowed to create/ promote, and influence story lines, the stories here are:
1) T. Brady rides off into the sunset (not yet)
2) Carson Wentz takes the same Eagles team to the bowl and wins it (I'd bank on that)

(03-22-2018, 04:06 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Good ol' Cincinnati, where going 9-7 with a 1-6 record against teams with a winning record and getting embarrassed in the playoffs by a 3rd string rookie QB is the ultimate middle finger to the doubters.

^ Hilarious! +Rep!

(03-22-2018, 04:08 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: making the playoffs with a rookie QB and #1 WR when predicted to finish dead last... was a decent accomplishment...

Must have been good coaching to get us there.

(Texans D was >>>> than our D that game)

Would Dalton be viewed more favorably if we didn't make the playoffs those first 2 years?

Probably the same, really. Well, maybe less. I think a lot of people have some sort of weird love for him from that 2011 playoff season. That and 2015. Other than those two seasons his career is pretty BlANDY.

It's not like 2011 was some unbelievable performance at QB. He just wasn't a disaster as some predicted.

Hell, I was at the 2011 opener in Cleveland for AJ and Andy's first game where the Browns dominated the Bengals only to have one breakdown for a gimme touchdown to win the game late. That was the game where they didn't send a DB to cover AJ Green so Andy threw it to him with no one within 40 yards. The stadium became silent. Crickets! For a rookie to have a heads up play like that it was impressive!

(03-22-2018, 04:56 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I don't care about the odds (insert Han Solo quote) of Cincy winning a Super Bowl considering Merv's re-hire, but how is Cleveland not the team with the worst odds? Seriously? Even with Merv and his 0-fer in the playoffs, there's a better chance of making the playoffs, and all it takes is a little bit of luck (well, maybe like a TON of luck), but Merv could find himself int he Super Bowl and you never know.

Cleveland could very well be starting a rookie QB and while that doesn't automatically mean a losing season, it's a pretty sure bet they won't even be in the playoffs let alone winning the Super Bowl.

I would be that, unless there's an injury involved, Cleveland will be starting the QB who just took the Bills to the playoffs. They didn't trade for Taylor to sit him.

Did we really need a second thread on this?

Did no one else hear the interview yesterday with the guy who set the lines? He basically said right now it's all about the narrative. They have metrics that track fan sentiment and super bowl odds right now are based more on trying to get sucker money to come in based on emotion. When they set the team win totals is when you know Vegas's true feelings about a team, this is all about playing to a narrative of a "good" off season and general media sentiment about teams.

He actually said they got a lot of money to come in on Cleveland even though he actually believes Cleveland has no chance of winning.

What is there to suggest otherwise?

We were awful last year. We are bringing back virtually the same team with the addition of two decent players who have been injured throughout the majority of their recent careers.

(03-22-2018, 06:14 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Hey, I'm just saying that it's a little north of Cleveland Browns territory bragging up that people thought we'd be awful and we went 9-7, is all.

Meh - life is usually pretty unfair and you have to celebrate the little things, am-i-right? Especially when you can (finally/rarely) serve up some crow. 

(03-23-2018, 09:09 AM)Au165 Wrote: Did no one else hear the interview yesterday with the guy who set the lines? He basically said right now it's all about the narrative. They have metrics that track fan sentiment and super bowl odds right now are based more on trying to get sucker money to come in based on emotion. When they set the team win totals is when you know Vegas's true feelings about a team, this is all about playing to a narrative of a "good" off season and general media sentiment about teams.

He actually said they got a lot of money to come in on Cleveland even though he actually believes Cleveland has no chance of winning.

Nope, didn't see the interview, but this is what I assumed. Cincy has never had the "best" of fans, but boy this off-season has been really bitter between FO & fans. The one beef I have with this is they made us WORSE by 30% after FA (the one time in IDK how long we actually got better after FA)....Had he gave us same/similar odds (because of fan sentiment) back in Feb as he did now, I wouldn't have that big of a problem with it

(03-22-2018, 03:21 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: So bringing in Pollack wasn't a big move and letting PA go?

Bringing in Austin, Van Pelt, Bicknell weren't big moves?

Trading for Cordy Glenn wasn't a big move?

Getting Preston Brown, NFL leading tackling LB was not a big move?

I can understand the O-7 argument with Merv and that holding a lot of weight but this team had its best Offseason
in recent memory and the Draft isn't even here yet.

You gotta understand, a lot of these people don't understand the inner workings of this franchise like we do.  They most likely don't know we've had a boat anchor of an oline coach for the last decade plus.  They're probably not real keen on the subordinate coaches situation in Cincy.

All they see is Mediocre Merv, Son of Paul, and a couple of decent to good moves in FA.  It doesn't look that flashy on paper, although it's huge for us.

To be honest, I don't see a Super Bowl any time soon either.  Improvement yes, SB, no.

(03-22-2018, 08:00 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I agree with Philhos and Mike M (the other one).

For the Stains to be ahead of us shows a lot.

Our odds should of went up after FA, not down.

Seen on NFL.com we are ranked 25th in the rankings.

Good season to shock everybody it seems. We are counted out before it even begins.

Hell, I saw a 28th in the power rankings....no way we're that bad.

(03-23-2018, 09:48 AM)Wyche Wrote: You gotta understand, a lot of these people don't understand the inner workings of this franchise like we do.  They most likely don't know we've had a boat anchor of an oline coach for the last decade plus.  They're probably not real keen on the subordinate coaches situation in Cincy.

All they see is Mediocre Merv, Son of Paul, and a couple of decent to good moves in FA.  It doesn't look that flashy on paper, although it's huge for us.

To be honest, I don't see a Super Bowl any time soon either.  Improvement yes, SB, no.

I think they don`t make predictions about teams they make predictions about the betters. They don`t think Cleveland has a better chance to actually win the Super Bowl but they think more of their fans will get caught up in the off season hype and excitement and place bets and they think/know (?) Bengal fans are so negative they need a bigger payoff to lay their money down. Only thing I can come up with lol

(03-23-2018, 09:48 AM)Wyche Wrote: You gotta understand, a lot of these people don't understand the inner workings of this franchise like we do.  They most likely don't know we've had a boat anchor of an oline coach for the last decade plus.  They're probably not real keen on the subordinate coaches situation in Cincy.

All they see is Mediocre Merv, Son of Paul, and a couple of decent to good moves in FA.  It doesn't look that flashy on paper, although it's huge for us.

To be honest, I don't see a Super Bowl any time soon either.  Improvement yes, SB, no.

If having to bet my life on it would say no way SB. 

Yet do not feel we are as far off as it may seem. 

Granted all our moves will have to pay off for it to happen but believe we have made some good ones so far. 

If OL is fixed which is our main problem ? Then think Gio and Mixon will have great years which will open AJ's game up even more. 

Then to get over hump would need Eiffert back close to normal and Ross stepping in like the 1st round selection he is and we could be an offensive juggernaut. 

Long shots but not impossible if they continue to focus on OL early in draft imo.  

(03-23-2018, 03:52 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: One offensive lineman does not make or break a team.. the 2015 season was rolling just fine with Bodine as Center even though he was not playing well.. to think that a single lineman is the key to everything a team does good or bad just does not add up.

Sorry.  My memory is in the recent future.

That offense last year was putrid.

One of the worst I've seen in a while.

Blowdine was god awful and looked lost.

I would not be content with him or any of his "backups".

Get a clue Cincy.  Stop rolling out with bullshit in the middle of our line.

Ppl forget Vegas is predicting anything it's about winning money. Bengals don't get a lot of bets and to entice bets they give them an amazing payout. It's different when you have money lines on games. These long odd bets are a little different.

(03-22-2018, 03:21 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: So bringing in Pollack wasn't a big move and letting PA go?

Bringing in Austin, Van Pelt, Bicknell weren't big moves?

Trading for Cordy Glenn wasn't a big move?

Getting Preston Brown, NFL leading tackling LB was not a big move?

I can understand the O-7 argument with Merv and that holding a lot of weight but this team had its best Offseason
in recent memory and the Draft isn't even here yet.

It's not.... he's essentially the Russell Bodine of LBers.