Initially, like many, I had expectations for the 2019 to be one with a playoff appearance being likely. However, I've begun to come down off that perch.

As it stands, I see this team having fits and starts in the 2019 season with the offense sputtering for stretches. The Rams had a few games in the 2018 season where their high power offense was shutdown, the SB being the last and most complete shutdown. Earlier, however, the Bear held the Rams to only 6 points in Chicago followed by a loss to the Eagles.

Translating that to the Bengals and I see the Bengals having several key pieces in place to have a very good offense, but the one glaring problem area is the OL. The Rams are basically better at every position along the OL, except maybe LG. That's a concern for the 2019 outlook.

Mixon, from what I can see on the field, is more capable than Gurley. I know that may sound like a stretch or an outright fib, but Mixon appears to be more nibble and patient to me. So it's not Mixon I have concerns about because of the OL.

My concern lies with the QB, and not because it's Dalton, but because any QB's play is going suffer if he has guys in his face early. Brady was not Bradylike with all the pressure he was getting in the SB. Goff had an Andy like playoff game in the SB, largely because of the pressure NE was able to get against a better line than we have.

I watched the SB again and what caught my eye was the lack of offensive variety by the Rams who have a wealthy playbook. It just looked like NE had schemed away the bulk of the Rams plays.

Then we come to defense. We may end of up with a so-so DC when all is said and done and that's just not going to work. Wake Phillips is a very good DC and that wasn't enough for the Rams to take home the title. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the Rams defense that lost that game. Anytime you hold the other team to 13 points you should be able to expect a win. But the Bengals don't seem to have that strong DC coming in now that Del Rio is out of the picture. Taylor needs a strong DC, even if he doesn't see it at this point in time.

So, at this early point in the off season, I'd be very happy with a playoff appearance and I won't be surprised at all by an 8-8 finish given out last place schedule.

Overall we have a favorable schedule. Shore up the o-line and LB positions in that order and we legit have a playoff contender.

Expect a winning season with the core we have and the schedule we have.. make the playoffs or i will be disapointed with our new Head Coach

Not pinning too much on 2019. We will see some wins but highly doubt all the pieces will be in place in the first year. 2020 will probably be where we see great improvement. Much still depends on filling the coaching vacancies and FA. There’s also going to be a lot of changes in the playbook. Zach wants to be aggressive, but I don’t see the current playbook as aggressive. If we make playoffs in 1st year, that’s going to be epic in the ZT legacy. It can happen, but not expecting it.

I'll set the floor at 8-8. We see some improvement but it's still early on.

It could be worse if the Bengals don't address the glaring injuries that completely derailed this past season. True, injuries are a part of the game but there was something diabolical about the sheer number and severity of the injuries that happened to Bengals players this past season. Is it bad conditioning, lack of discipline and presence, bad luck, or a combination of all three?

The Bengals get the Patriots at home next season. It would be fun if they could at least torture them a little bit somehow, but the Kraft family has probably already bought another SB appearance and a chance for Tommy to win his seventh.

Please pardon the tone of this post, but the SB really disgusted me from the uninspired play to the stupid Bud commercials to Adam Levine's striptease and gangsta rap messing up the halftime show.

The 2019 Bengals are going to roll through the NFL like sailors that just got paid roll through a brothel. AFC Championship game at least..... remember, you heard it here first!!!!

I see another 6 win season at best. The only way my thoughts change is if they are extremely active in free agency to bring in legitimate starters to fill some of the glaring holes. That's not something we see around here.

(02-06-2019, 09:57 AM)Fullrock Wrote: I see another 6 win season at best. The only way my thoughts change is if they are extremely active in free agency to bring in legitimate starters to fill some of the glaring holes. That's not something we see around here.

lol

I expect to go all out in every game, not just sit on a lead and play not-to-lose football.

(02-06-2019, 10:02 AM)Au165 Wrote: lol

lmao

(02-06-2019, 10:09 AM)Fullrock Wrote: lmao

I know right!? The idea that a team who lost their QB, top WR, one of their top pass rushers, their 1st round pick for half the year and almost their whole LB group for substantial time has the ceiling of being the exact same next year is HILARIOUS! I mean the ceiling! Not what could happen but saying all those would have made no difference this year. 

It really does have me splitting up. 

(02-06-2019, 10:11 AM)Au165 Wrote: I know right!? The idea that a team who lost their QB, top WR, one of their top pass rushers, their 1st round pick for half the year and almost their whole LB group for substantial time has the ceiling of being the exact same next year is HILARIOUS! I mean the ceiling! Not what could happen but saying all those would have made no difference this year. 

It really does have me splitting up. 

Drink the kool aid my man. Same as you have the last 3 years when they won 6, 7, and 6 games. But let's analyze exactly who they lost. Average Andy. Their first round pick who struggled when he did play. Their whole LB group who wasn't any good when they were on the field. I'll give you AJ obviously. 

There is no reason to believe this team who hasn't come remotely close to the playoffs the last 3 years is suddenly a playoff contender without them being aggressive to fill all the holes on this team. They need at least two quality starters on the O-line, 2 starters at LB, a slot corner if they let Dennard walk, and a threat at TE. And AJ will be 31 coming off surgery, Geno and Dunlap will be 30+. At what point do aging players start to see production drop off.

There are no more 2 gimmie wins vs the Browns as in the past. It's a 6 win team until I see reason to believe otherwise.

(02-06-2019, 10:31 AM)Fullrock Wrote: Drink the kool aid my man. Same as you have the last 3 years when they won 6, 7, and 6 games. But let's analyze exactly who they lost. Average Andy. Their first round pick who struggled when he did play. Their whole LB group who wasn't any good when they were on the field. I'll give you AJ obviously. 

There is no reason to believe this team who hasn't come remotely close to the playoffs the last 3 years is suddenly a playoff contender without them being aggressive to fill all the holes on this team. They need at least two quality starters on the O-line, 2 starters at LB, a slot corner if they let Dennard walk, and a threat at TE. And AJ will be 31 coming off surgery, Geno and Dunlap will be 30+. At what point do aging players start to see production drop off.

There are no more 2 gimmie wins vs the Browns as in the past. It's a 6 win team until I see reason to believe otherwise.

Hey, if you want to be wrong you can be wrong. Saying the ceiling is 6 with what happened last year is ignorant, but ignorance can be bliss. If you say 6 is likely, sure I can see that but saying that's the ceiling is just comical.

No expectations yet from me.
I need/want to see the staff hires, free agency, and the draft before I set an expectation for myself.

I don't see us ahead of the Browns, so the Browns better make the playoffs lol.

(02-06-2019, 10:44 AM)Au165 Wrote: Hey, if you want to be wrong you can be wrong. Saying the ceiling is 6 with what happened last year is ignorant, but ignorance can be bliss. If you say 6 is likely, sure I can see that but saying that's the ceiling is just comical.

We will see how comical it is. Like I said, if they do things in the off-season to improve the roster then I may change my mind. We'll find out soon enough when free agency begins next month.

Your coach is only as good as your players. We lack some of the players. You may ask yourself, what about the patriots??? The answer is simple, the patriots have a "harvest program" where they will get the ready for when their time comes, plus BB and TB.

(02-06-2019, 10:44 AM)Au165 Wrote: Hey, if you want to be wrong you can be wrong. Saying the ceiling is 6 with what happened last year is ignorant, but ignorance can be bliss. If you say 6 is likely, sure I can see that but saying that's the ceiling is just comical.

Can’t we have different opinions without being called ignorant. The Bengals have sucked for 3 years n just by hiring a new coach we will be playoffs bound. Come on. They gotta be aggressive in free agency or else expect the same thing again. And please don’t blame the record on injuries. We had one of the healthiest defense in the league last year. Our team was completely healthy when we got destroyed by the Saints n Chiefs. I’ll wait till the offseason before I get really excited. Need a solid draft too.

(02-06-2019, 11:04 AM)Socal Bengals fan Wrote: Can’t we have different opinions without being called ignorant.  The Bengals have sucked for 3 years n just by hiring a new coach we will be playoffs bound. Come on.   They gotta be aggressive in free agency or else expect the same thing again.  And please don’t blame the record on injuries.  We had one of the healthiest defense in the league last year.  Our team was completely healthy when we got destroyed by the Saints n Chiefs.  I’ll wait till the offseason before I get really excited.  Need a solid draft too.

Ignorant is lacking knowledge or awareness, not being dumb. To believe that those players who were injured make 0 difference in the win total is ignorant to how the NFL works. As I said if you told me 6 is most likely I'd say hey that's your opinion go for it. When you say 6 is the ceiling you are saying that the loss of all those starters make no difference in next season, with a 4th place schedule coming up by the way, then yes I simply call that willful ignorance.