(09-24-2015, 03:48 PM)Nately120 Wrote: We aren't going to win them all and the Ravens aren't going to lose them all. It's a division game in Baltimore SO it's not absurd to think the Ravens can pull this off and save their season. While the Bengals are on a hot streak against the Ravens they haven't posted a winning record within the AFC North since 2009 so I expect the Bengals to win BUT I wouldn't be too amazed if they didn't.

(09-24-2015, 04:00 PM)corpjet Wrote: This is the classical "trap" game.

Remember this is the home opener for the Ravens so they will be playing with a little extra edge Sunday.  The key will be to get the crowd out of it early.

Completely agree. The Ravens' season is pretty much on the line Sunday. To them a non-playoff season is a failure, and 0-3 teams almost never make it.

I'm hoping the Bengals go in there and just lay the wood to them. It would certainly set the tone for the next several games.

See ESPN thread. They are split 6-6, and the PickEm column is Bengals so...

I don't much care what the "media" says. They're wrong about most everything anyway anymore. There aren't many true journalists out there looking at things without some silly agenda so let them yack and make noise just like the super duper ultra fantasic can't lose Philadelphia Eagles .. How 'bout them Eagles?

It seems like more than half of the people whose predictions I've seen were for the Bengals. That's pretty good considering they're playing a division opponent on the road who won in the playoffs last season.

To me this game is kinda lining up like the Patriots game did last season. A good team who's had a tough go of it early and is fighting basically for their lives. Let's hope a different Bengals team shows up this season !

Seems to be 60/40 for the Ravens. Record aside, they are a dangerous team year in and year out.

No one is picking the Bengals to win because no matter how history plays no part in the current season for any team, history usually repeats itself especially with teams who have the history of repeating history.

The Bengals, historically, have trouble with teams that are in trouble and need to win...example, the Patriots game last year. What's even crazier, it's always, ALWAYS a game against the Bengals that the other team plays when they need to win and get back on track.

Then there's always that game, usually against the Bengals, when a team has their star player hurt and a rookie taking over that always looks like a HOFer. Example being a rookie QB or career backup QB that goes off putting up 600 yards and 7 TD's because the Bengals don't have much material to prepare for him. Or that RB that's taking over for the starter and puts up big numbers.

I know the Ravens have their heart and soul player out on defense in Suggs, but the premise is the same. It's the perfect storm for the Ravens defense to go off and hold the Bengals RBs to under 100 yards and pick Dalton off 5 times. All this will happen because the Bengals O-Line is so damn good.

Maybe it's the cynic in me and I just don't have the faith in the Bengals like others do.

Bangals...PROVE ME WRONG AND WHOOP THEIR ARSES THIS WEEKEND...PLEASE!!!

WHO-DEY!

(09-24-2015, 10:37 PM)Millhouse Wrote: See ESPN thread. They are split 6-6, and the PickEm column is Bengals so...

You don't seem to know how this "pick em" thing goes.

If everyone picks us to win = Oh crap!  We're gonna lose!  Jinxed!!!  Karma!!!
If no one picks us to win = No one believes in us!!!!
If half of them pick us to win = No one is picking us to win!  No one believes in us!
If we are in the top 5 of the power rankings = The experts think we are terrible!!!

(09-24-2015, 11:15 PM)grampahol Wrote: I don't much care what the "media" says. They're wrong about most everything anyway anymore.  There aren't many true journalists out there looking at things without some silly agenda so let them yack and make noise just like the super duper ultra fantasic can't lose Philadelphia Eagles ..  How 'bout them Eagles?

Whaaaaat?  1 person out of 14 picked the Eagles to beat the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Jets this week.  Where do you get the idea people think the Eagles "can't lose?"

So Eagles being picked to win by 1 person of 14 means the experts think the Eagles can't lose and the Bengals being picked by 8 people of 14 means no one is picking the Bengals.  Dear lord, is the ocean wet in this world?!

(09-25-2015, 12:16 AM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: No one is picking the Bengals to win because no matter how history plays no part in the current season for any team, history usually repeats itself especially with teams who have the history of repeating history.

Please show me where there are zero stripey orange B's in this picture.

(09-24-2015, 04:00 PM)corpjet Wrote: This is the classical "trap" game.

Remember this is the home opener for the Ravens so they will be playing with a little extra edge Sunday.  The key will be to get the crowd out of it early.

There is no such thing as a Divisional Trap Game in the AFCN.

(09-24-2015, 02:10 PM)jj22 Wrote: It's the Ravens opener, they are out for blood after their 0-2 start. The environment will be as hostile as ever. We should win, but it will still be considered an upset as it should be. That stadium is a tough place to play. We'll have to match their energy, and that means we'll have to bring a certain level of energy for 3 straight home owners. That's a lot to ask for.

Good point. I didn't think about the fact that this is the Bengal's 3rd straight Home Opener. These are also the type of stages the Bengals need to continue to prove themselves on. These are like warm-ups for playing in Prime-time games. They've done us solid in the first 2, and I think they'll have what it takes to push the Ravens to 0-3.

The thing that bothers me is marvins tendency to play conservative with a minimal lead. Football is 4 qtrs and should be played hard for 4 qtrs. The only conservative hat you should ever tip is removing starters when the right time has come. Marvin has failed so far on both.

I didn't look ahead to next weeks schedule but saw on the game last night...Baltimore at Pitt next Thursday night...

I have to say I have a hard time seeing Baltimore start the season 0-4...theres always a first for everything..and I've picked the Bengals to win this weekend (like I always do) and the Bengals are the better team in all honesty..but recent history has shown us that Baltimore...should win this game.

Lets see if some new history will be written!! even at 0-3, I don't see Baltimore season being over..they are proven winners and all they need is a win streak at the end of the year...they wont win the division if they go 0-3..but they can easily be the most dangerous wild card team in the league come January. A Harbaugh/Flacco led Ravens team, when they are on..can beat any team in the league.

(09-25-2015, 12:35 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Please show me where there are zero stripey orange B's in this picture.

Great, that's even worse!

What would be even worse than the above would be everyone picking the Bengals to win.

(09-25-2015, 09:24 AM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: Great, that's even worse!

What would be even worse than the above would be everyone picking the Bengals to win.

So we are upset when no one picks the Bengals, when everyone picks the Bengals, and when roughly half pick the Bengals?

Here's the problem with this game:

Are the Bengals a better team? At this point I have no doubt that they are. However, there are certain places where the home field is a serious advantage. Baltimore is one of those places. I don't expect the Bengals to win this game. I hope that they do, but this is one of those games that regardless of how good the Bengals are, it's going to be a tough one to win.

(09-25-2015, 12:31 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Whaaaaat?  1 person out of 14 picked the Eagles to beat the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Jets this week.  Where do you get the idea people think the Eagles "can't lose?"

So Eagles being picked to win by 1 person of 14 means the experts think the Eagles can't lose and the Bengals being picked by 8 people of 14 means no one is picking the Bengals.  Dear lord, is the ocean wet in this world?!

Just the preseason hype. They were being made out to be the next great juggernaut of offense which so far hasn't turned out that way. It kind of reminds me of the Bengals a few years back with Chad and TO and how they were going to just stomp everyone into the ground.

(09-24-2015, 11:53 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: To me this game is kinda lining up like the Patriots game did last season. A good team who's had a tough go of it early and is fighting basically for their lives. Let's hope a different Bengals team shows up this season !

Yes it is.  This is an opportunity for a paradigm shift.  Hope we cross the line. 

(09-24-2015, 04:00 PM)corpjet Wrote: This is the classical "trap" game.

Remember this is the home opener for the Ravens so they will be playing with a little extra edge Sunday.  The key will be to get the crowd out of it early.

Not only do I not see this as a trap game, given the history between these teams, if anything I see it as being the opposite of a trap game, something I'm going to call the "anti-trap" game.  The anti-trap game is a game in the regular season that feels like a way bigger deal than it really is, that a team gets way too hyped for, and as a result either plays tight or overly aggressive, to their detriment. The chance to force the Ravens to 0-3 and virtually eliminate them from playoff contention this early in the season feels like something the Bengals are likely to be licking their chops for, and I could see them getting too amped way easier than I could see them overlooking this one.