(10-29-2018, 02:20 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: 3rd down % - 32nd (a whopping 55.9%) - Zimmer is #1 in this category, at 25.6%

Mike Zimmer now works for an owner who will buy him some free agent talent ($8 million this year for Sheldon Richardson and $24 million for Kirk Cousins) and his record is worse than Marvins so far this season.

(10-29-2018, 12:14 AM)Tomkat Wrote: This team is just NOT very good.
How can they look so dominant in the first half, only to look equally inept in the second half?  The defense gave up 576 yards of offense, including 18 points in the 4th quarter to Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Hell, if he played the whole game, the Bengals probably lose by 20.
The win is nice, but better not get used to them, because it's starting to look like they're going to be MUCH harder to come by.

You're spot on.  Looking at the remaining schedule - Bengals go 2 and 6.

(10-30-2018, 02:15 PM)BengalD Wrote: You're spot on.  Looking at the remaining schedule - Bengals go 2 and 6.

(10-23-2018, 02:01 PM)BengalD Wrote: Bucs 35-17.  Winston looks like Rapelisburger in this one.

(09-25-2018, 08:40 AM)BengalD Wrote: 38 24 fowlkins

Just to clarify, I never said they WON'T win... just that it appears as though wins will be MUCH harder to get.

(10-30-2018, 01:54 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Mike Zimmer now works for an owner who will buy him some free agent talent ($8 million this year for Sheldon Richardson and $24 million for Kirk Cousins) and his record is worse than Marvins so far this season.

Exactly what does this have to do with 3rd down conversions? 

(10-30-2018, 02:46 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Exactly what does this have to do with 3rd down conversions? 

I don't know.  You were the one who brought up Zimmer, not me.

(10-30-2018, 01:47 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I think it is time to admit how sad it is that some fans have to come up with "Excuses" for our victories.


The Bengals could lose our entire starting line up to injuries and a certain crowd here would be "NO EXCUSES.  ALL THAT MATTERS IS THE WON LOSS RECORD.  GOOD TEAMS FIND WAYS TO WIN."   But when the Bengals have a winning record they are all like "THE OPPOSING COACH MADE A MISTAKE, THE SUN WAS IN THEIR QB'S EYES, THEY DROPPED EASY PASSES, BENGALS JUST GOT LUCKY, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH"

This is so damn true.

(10-30-2018, 01:47 PM)fredtoast Wrote: ... "THE OPPOSING COACH MADE A MISTAKE, THE SUN WAS IN THEIR QB'S EYES, THEY DROPPED EASY PASSES, BENGALS JUST GOT LUCKY, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH"

You would NOT hear this if the Bengals came out and dominated from beginning to end.
Face it, the Bengals were FORTUNATE that the Bucs ran out of time, because there was NO INDICATION that they could
have stopped them from scoring at will, once Fitz came in.

(10-31-2018, 09:00 AM)Tomkat Wrote: You would NOT hear this if the Bengals came out and dominated from beginning to end.
Face it, the Bengals were FORTUNATE that the Bucs ran out of time, because there was NO INDICATION that they could
have stopped them from scoring at will, once Fitz came in.

But here is what I would hear if the Bengals were hot at the end of the game but ran out of time and I called the opposing team "lucky".

"They deserve to lose because they fell behind so far.  They should have never been behind.  Stop making excuses.  Good teams fund ways to win."

(10-31-2018, 10:21 AM)fredtoast Wrote: But here is what I would hear if the Bengals were hot at the end of the game but ran out of time and I called the opposing team "lucky".

"They deserve to lose because they fell behind so far.  They should have never been behind.  Stop making excuses.  Good teams fund ways to win.

...and those would be totally valid arguments.  Good teams win COMFORTABLY.  Yea, nail-biting WINS are nice... nail-biting LOSSES are devastating.  GOOD TEAMS don't have very many "nail-biters!"

I'm not saying the Bengals won't win another game... just saying that everyone better get ready for some nail-biting wins, with probably a few nail-biting losses, and BLOWOUT losses mixed in.

(10-31-2018, 11:00 AM)Tomkat Wrote: GOOD TEAMS don't have very many "nail-biters!"

You know nothing about the NFL.  Not only do the very best teams play close games they actually lose some of them.  Last years Super Bowl Champions lost 3 games, won two by 3 points or less, and needed a 4th down stop on their own 11 yard line to beat the Giants by 5.

Did the Steelers beat us this year just because they are "lucky"?

If you are going to whine and moan if the Bengals go undefeated with all "nail biters" then you are just one of those people who loves to whine and moan.

(10-31-2018, 11:00 AM)Tomkat Wrote: ...and those would be totally valid arguments.  Good teams win COMFORTABLY.  Yea, nail-biting WINS are nice... nail-biting LOSSES are devastating.  GOOD TEAMS don't have very many "nail-biters!"

I'm not saying the Bengals won't win another game... just saying that everyone better get ready for some nail-biting wins, with probably a few nail-biting losses, and BLOWOUT losses mixed in.

Best team in league Rams has 25% wins that are nail biters. Pats win nail biters every year. Steelers win nail biters. Are these bad teams?

This is the freaking NFL where home field matters, a lot and winning is hard period. To expect blow out wins on a consistent basis is fantasy land.

I said it earlier, you get no more points by winning by 30 or winning by 1. Also, it is common for the great looking teams in mid year to falter in the playoffs and other teams improve and peak at right time. But, if you don't get enough regular season wins to get into playoffs, playing well by the end of the year is a moot point.

The point is not how many close games a team plays.  The point is that when the Bengals win a close game people claim it is because they are lucky, but when they lose a close game it is never because they are "unlucky" instead it is because "Bengals suck.  Good teams find a way to win!".

(10-31-2018, 11:26 AM)fredtoast Wrote: If you are going to whine and moan if the Bengals go undefeated with all "nail biters" then you are just one of those people who loves to whine and moan.

I don't like to whine and moan.  I just prefer COMFORTABLE wins over nail-biters.
Easier on my nerves.  

(10-30-2018, 07:30 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I don't know.  You were the one who brought up Zimmer, not me.

Zimmer's 3rd down rate is a nice comparison to show how bad our 3rd down rate is.

Zimmer's record and Kirk Cousins have nothing to do with 3rd downs or the subject of this thread. 

I wasn't suggesting Zimmer should be our HC.

(10-31-2018, 11:00 AM)Tomkat Wrote: ...and those would be totally valid arguments.  Good teams win COMFORTABLY.  Yea, nail-biting WINS are nice... nail-biting LOSSES are devastating.  GOOD TEAMS don't have very many "nail-biters!"

I'm not saying the Bengals won't win another game... just saying that everyone better get ready for some nail-biting wins, with probably a few nail-biting losses, and BLOWOUT losses mixed in.

I always thought good teams win the ones they are suppose to and win 1 or 2 from teams they shouldn't beat, personally.....

(10-31-2018, 11:41 AM)Tomkat Wrote: I don't like to whine and moan.  I just prefer COMFORTABLE wins over nail-biters.
Easier on my nerves.  

I understand what you are implying, and I agree with you that being ahead by 17 points and the ball, with 5 minutes left is good for the fans, players and coaches. Fans can enjoy their adult beverages, players can talk about after game parties and coaches can save their chest pain meds for the next game.

But that just doesn't happen often in NFL. Unlike college football, all the talent in NFL comes from the same pool and thus; there is a relative equal distribution.

Every move that is made in the offseason, pre-season, and in-game strategy, is designed to overcome that equal distribution of talent and gain an advantage of just a few points.

It is that few points differential that separates the good from the not so good. Yes, blowouts happen occasionally, but they are related to player performance on that specific game (we are all human beings and we all have bad days on our jobs) or coaching decisions, or combination of both.

Consider that three of the Brown's losses this year were by three points each game. And obviously the tie. That is a combined 9 points that destroyed their season and got Hugh Jackson fired.

(10-30-2018, 02:15 PM)BengalD Wrote: You're spot on.  Looking at the remaining schedule - Bengals go 2 and 6.

I'm sticking to my prediction, and they may not even get that.  Hope they go 3-5 or better and the boards most self righteous board poster can chime in and say "you don't know anything about the NFL".