Even if the Bengals come out on the short end of the KC game, there will still be a lot of reason for optimism:

Their record would be 4-3 and the rest of their schedule would look as follows. I bolded my predictions for each game next to the opponent.


Tampa Bay Bucs(W- At home, before the bye, the Bengals will romp on this dysfunctional team)

BYE WEEK- Get Price back healthy, and hopefully Gio. The rest of the banged-up group will appreciate the break mid-season.

New Orleans Saints(W- They have a great offense, but they are a vastly different team away from their dome)

@ Baltimore Ratbirds (L- The Bengals could easily win this game, but I think Baltimore is due and they realized the second half they are much better off not blitzing Dalton)

Cleveland Browns(W-Though they will be vastly more competitive, they don't match up well against the Bengals and their lack of talented depth pieces is starting to show)

Denver Broncos(W-Case Keenum doesn't scare me at all, and although they have a very capable rushing attack and defense, they don't fare well traveling East for 1PM starts)

@ LA Chargers (L- I only gave us a loss because of the travel and the fact that Bosa may be back by then....could just as easily be a win)

Oakland Raiders (W-This team is a disaster on defense and can't score with the Bengals)

@ Cleveland Browns (W- They will give a good fight, but will be very thin by the end of the year)

@ pitt (L- Only because the game won't matter for division or seeding. I think the Bengals will win the AFC North with a record of 10-6 and be the #3 seed)

The #3 seed despite calculating a loss this weekend at KC, a loss on the road at the Chargers, and a meaningless loss against pitt at the end of the season.

Any of those games could be wins (and, yes, I know, so could the wins turn in to losses) yet the Bengals would be in the postseason and have a home playoff game.

So, even if they lose to KC, this team is still poised for a post season appearance and run. I am hoping the defense starts to click as they have shown flashes and the offense continues to roll.

(10-18-2018, 10:05 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Even if the Bengals come out on the short end of the KC game, there will still be a lot of reason for optimism:

Their record would be 4-3 and the rest of their schedule would look as follows.  I bolded my predictions for each game next to the opponent.


Tampa Bay Bucs(W- At home, before the bye, the Bengals will romp on this dysfunctional team)

BYE WEEK- Get Price back healthy, and hopefully Gio.  The rest of the banged-up group will appreciate the break mid-season.

New Orleans Saints(W- They have a great offense, but they are a vastly different team away from their dome)

@ Baltimore Ratbirds (L- The Bengals could easily win this game, but I think Baltimore is due and they realized the second half they are much better off not blitzing Dalton)

Cleveland Browns(W-Though they will be vastly more competitive, they don't match up well against the Bengals and their lack of talented depth pieces is starting to show)

Denver Broncos(W-Case Keenum doesn't scare me at all, and although they have a very capable rushing attack and defense, they don't fare well traveling East for 1PM starts)

@ LA Chargers (L- I only gave us a loss because of the travel and the fact that Bosa may be back by then....could just as easily be a win)

Oakland Raiders (W-This team is a disaster on defense and can't score with the Bengals)

@ Cleveland Browns (W- They will give a good fight, but will be very thin by the end of the year)

@ pitt (L- Only because the game won't matter for division or seeding.  I think the Bengals will win the AFC North with a record of 10-6 and be the #3 seed)

The #3 seed despite calculating a loss this weekend at KC, a loss on the road at the Chargers, and a meaningless loss against pitt at the end of the season.

Any of those games could be wins (and, yes, I know, so could the wins turn in to losses) yet the Bengals would be in the postseason and have a home playoff game.  

So, even if they lose to KC, this team is still poised for a post season appearance and run.  I am hoping the defense starts to click as they have shown flashes and the offense continues to roll.

Yeah, but I don't just want a winning record and a playoff berth. I want a playoff WIN. We beat KC this Sunday and I like our chances at actually WINNING a playoff game (assuming we don't play Pittsburgh, of course).

I don't care nearly as much about a playoff win as I do about the inevitable super bowl win. 
YES! You heard it first here folks! THE INEVITABLE SUPER BOWL WIN because,  well.... I'm delusional.. AND DAMNED PROUD OF IT!  

5-3 at the BYE and I would be happy! I do think we go into KC and put up a hell of a fight and possibly win. Getting players back and hitting the homestretch, this team will be dangerous!

The AFC North Schedules are tough, but if we go by just divisor record and what you have up there it would be...
3-3 Bengals AFC North and the Ravens would have 3-1 only needing a win over Cleveland or Pittsburgh to take the AFC North.

(10-18-2018, 10:23 AM)PhilHos Wrote: Yeah, but I don't just want a winning record and a playoff berth. I want a playoff WIN. We beat KC this Sunday and I like our chances at actually WINNING a playoff game (assuming we don't play Pittsburgh, of course).

They were beatable. Dalton was on fire, but his receivers were ice cold.

Let's just ignore KC and jump ahead to the Tampa game. Like we did last week with Pittsburgh when we jumped ahead to KC.

People will say you don't look ahead. I will look one game ahead. It's a home game. Bengals are 2-1 at home. You want that to go to 3-1 at home. Bengals are 1-1 in NFC South. You want that to go to 2-1 in NFC South. The Tampa game is as far as I will look ahead. Tampa is a good team, but if Bengals lose that one in The Jungle, the team is not heading in Play-Off direction.

So Bengals are 1-1 in AFC North with 4 to go, 3 on road. No games yet in AFC West with 4 to go. 2-0 against AFC East and South with no more to go. 1-1 against NFC South with 2 more to go at home in Jungle.

(10-18-2018, 10:05 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Even if the Bengals come out on the short end of the KC game, there will still be a lot of reason for optimism:

Their record would be 4-3 and the rest of their schedule would look as follows. I bolded my predictions for each game next to the opponent.


Tampa Bay Bucs(W- At home, before the bye, the Bengals will romp on this dysfunctional team)

BYE WEEK- Get Price back healthy, and hopefully Gio. The rest of the banged-up group will appreciate the break mid-season.

New Orleans Saints(W- They have a great offense, but they are a vastly different team away from their dome)

@ Baltimore Ratbirds (L- The Bengals could easily win this game, but I think Baltimore is due and they realized the second half they are much better off not blitzing Dalton)

Cleveland Browns(W-Though they will be vastly more competitive, they don't match up well against the Bengals and their lack of talented depth pieces is starting to show)

Denver Broncos(W-Case Keenum doesn't scare me at all, and although they have a very capable rushing attack and defense, they don't fare well traveling East for 1PM starts)

@ LA Chargers (L- I only gave us a loss because of the travel and the fact that Bosa may be back by then....could just as easily be a win)

Oakland Raiders (W-This team is a disaster on defense and can't score with the Bengals)

@ Cleveland Browns (W- They will give a good fight, but will be very thin by the end of the year)

@ pitt (L- Only because the game won't matter for division or seeding. I think the Bengals will win the AFC North with a record of 10-6 and be the #3 seed)

The #3 seed despite calculating a loss this weekend at KC, a loss on the road at the Chargers, and a meaningless loss against pitt at the end of the season.

Any of those games could be wins (and, yes, I know, so could the wins turn in to losses) yet the Bengals would be in the postseason and have a home playoff game.

So, even if they lose to KC, this team is still poised for a post season appearance and run. I am hoping the defense starts to click as they have shown flashes and the offense continues to roll.

I agree with 10-6 but I don’t see us getting #3 seed. By season’s end we will have lost to Pitt twice and they would jmhold any tiebreaker over us. Pair that with the Ravens, KC, and NE, we will ring up a wildcard spot.

I disagree about losing to the Ravens. We own Flacco. He will always blow it in the end. Last year was an anomaly.

I see 10-6 as best-case and 8-8 as worst.

I assume wins against:

Buccaneers - Their defense is crazy bad.
Browns once - I'm confident in a split at least.
Broncos - As bland of a team as humanly imaginable.
Raiders - Garbage.

I assume losses against:

Kansas City - Their offense against this defense? Nah.
Saints - Drew Brees against this defense? Nah.
Chargers - West coast game. Always dicey.
Steelers - Expect the worst, hope for the best.

These are a toss-up:

Ravens
Browns once

A 10-6 record would be nice but I don't think it wins the AFC North. I just don't see Baltimore losing that many games. There defense is just too good, and now their offense is starting to gel.

I think we'll be fighting with Pittsburgh for a Wildcard and do believe the final game at Heinz will be the deciding factor.

Just to add to this thread, here is the rest of the Divisions schedule:

Ravens:
Saints
@Carolina
Steelers
Bye
Bengals
Raiders
@Falcons
@Chiefs
Buccaneers
@Chargers
Browns

Steelers:
Bye
Browns
@Ravens
Panthers
@Jacksonville
@Denver
Chargers
@Oakland
Patriots
@Saints
Bengals

Cleveland will be irrelevant so I won't do their schedule

Unless the defense suddenly drastically improves we're looking at an 8-8ish season.

Looking at our schedule honestly, if you had told me before the season started that we'd make it to the bye at 4-3 I would have been content.

It'll sting a little bit knowing that we could have been 5-2 or better, but I'll take it.

(10-18-2018, 05:17 PM)Joelist Wrote: Unless the defense suddenly drastically improves we're looking at an 8-8ish season.

Not true.  So far we have a 4-2 record and we have beaten a couple of 4-2 teams.

(10-18-2018, 04:51 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Just to add to this thread, here is the rest of the Divisions schedule:

Ravens:
Saints L
@Carolina L
Steelers W
Bye
Bengals L
Raiders W
@Falcons L
@Chiefs L
Buccaneers W
@Chargers W
Browns W

9-7

Steelers:
Bye
Browns W
@Ravens L
Panthers W
@Jacksonville L
@Denver W
Chargers W
@Oakland W
Patriots L
@Saints W
Bengals L

9-6-1

Cleveland will be irrelevant so I won't do their schedule

That's how I see it. I think 10-6 takes the North.

(10-18-2018, 10:05 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Even if the Bengals come out on the short end of the KC game, there will still be a lot of reason for optimism:

Their record would be 4-3 and the rest of their schedule would look as follows.  I bolded my predictions for each game next to the opponent.


Tampa Bay Bucs(W- At home, before the bye, the Bengals will romp on this dysfunctional team)

BYE WEEK- Get Price back healthy, and hopefully Gio.  The rest of the banged-up group will appreciate the break mid-season.

New Orleans Saints(W- They have a great offense, but they are a vastly different team away from their dome)

@ Baltimore Ratbirds (L- The Bengals could easily win this game, but I think Baltimore is due and they realized the second half they are much better off not blitzing Dalton)

Cleveland Browns(W-Though they will be vastly more competitive, they don't match up well against the Bengals and their lack of talented depth pieces is starting to show)

Denver Broncos(W-Case Keenum doesn't scare me at all, and although they have a very capable rushing attack and defense, they don't fare well traveling East for 1PM starts)

@ LA Chargers (L- I only gave us a loss because of the travel and the fact that Bosa may be back by then....could just as easily be a win)

Oakland Raiders (W-This team is a disaster on defense and can't score with the Bengals)

@ Cleveland Browns (W- They will give a good fight, but will be very thin by the end of the year)

@ pitt (L- Only because the game won't matter for division or seeding.  I think the Bengals will win the AFC North with a record of 10-6 and be the #3 seed)

The #3 seed despite calculating a loss this weekend at KC, a loss on the road at the Chargers, and a meaningless loss against pitt at the end of the season.

Any of those games could be wins (and, yes, I know, so could the wins turn in to losses) yet the Bengals would be in the postseason and have a home playoff game.  

So, even if they lose to KC, this team is still poised for a post season appearance and run.  I am hoping the defense starts to click as they have shown flashes and the offense continues to roll.

Still think we win 12 games brother.

Pitt and the Chargers go down.

(10-18-2018, 02:03 PM)Big Boss Wrote: I see 10-6 as best-case and 8-8 as worst.

I assume wins against:

Buccaneers - Their defense is crazy bad.
Browns once - I'm confident in a split at least.
Broncos - As bland of a team as humanly imaginable.
Raiders - Garbage.

I assume losses against:

Kansas City - Their offense against this defense?  Nah.
Saints - Drew Brees against this defense?  Nah.
Chargers - West coast game.  Always dicey.  
Steelers - Expect the worst, hope for the best.  

These are a toss-up:

Ravens
Browns once

Good point. I'll revise my 8-8 to 9-7 on the basis of two Browns games, Raiders, Bucs and we'll beat the Rats again.

After the KC game, I won’t be able to walk. Took Monday off and plan on enjoying the victory in style. Monday will be rough. However, regardless rather we win or lose, I’m going to have a great time. If I wake up 4-3? My hopes are not going to be dashed nor will I quit on them or leave the board or jump off a cliff. I will be glad we are over .500 and move on. Love this team way too much to ever quit.

(10-18-2018, 03:58 PM)Daddy-O Wrote: A 10-6 record would be nice but I don't think it wins the AFC North.  I just don't see Baltimore losing that many games.  There defense is just too good, and now their offense is starting to gel.

I think we'll be fighting with Pittsburgh for a Wildcard and do believe the final game at Heinz will be the deciding factor.

I was just thinking this the other day. It's a long way to go to get there but that last game vs. Pissburgh could get larger and larger going forward depending on how it all pans out ?