(05-30-2019, 05:41 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I voted 8-8, but even that depends on how we look. Is the offense humming? Do we look like a good team that's missing a few pieces (if so, I'll be even more mad about this lazy free agency we just had)? How did we do against the Steelers? Etc.

You beat me to it, how we look is just as important as our record. Are we being competitive in close games or are we getting our brakes beat off ? Are we playing well and beating the better teams and like you say what did we do with the Steelers ?

I said 5-11. It's not about the wins. If he comes out as Dave Shula 2.0 then I will be pissed. Otherwise, as long as the team plays hard and improves week to week I'm ok.

(05-30-2019, 08:17 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: You beat me to it, how we look is just as important as our record. Are we being competitive in close games or are we getting our brakes beat off ? Are we playing well and beating the better teams and like you say what did we do with the Steelers ?

Agreed. Being competitive and winning meaningful games.

Would like to see us winning at a couple of games out the 4 we play against Steelers, Rams and Patriots.

Improvement in OL and LB squads.

Development of Ross, Price, Pratt, Williams, Sample, etc. would be some other factors I would consider in feeling good about the future.

Obviously a 10 win season and a playoff win would be great.

Honestly, I first want to see Taylor managing a game. Getting the right personnel in, managing down and distance, manipulating the refs, utilizing time outs judiciously, etc.

Then we will see his chess mind.

Improved play and the formation of some type of offensive and defensive identity will be enough for me in the first year. I want to see that there is a plan in place.

Hard to predict a win total as it can be misleading. The Bengals may have won 6 games last year, but by the end of last season the Bengals sure as hell didn't feel like a 6 win team. They could be a much improved team next year and only match manage to match that total, or they could be as bad/inconsistent and fall in to 7 or 8 wins.

As some have eluded to, I'm not sure that the record will be as important as the 'look'.

I'm hoping to see some noticeable changes in effort, scheme and game management. This should equate to a better record than last year. Matching Marvin works for me, as much as we think he should be 'better' than Marvin right off the bat, matching a long year tenured coach in your rookie coaching season is not something I see as a bad thing.

Really depends on your opinion of Marv.

(05-30-2019, 05:28 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I am glad the Bengals don't play Cleveland until December. It will give them a chance to gel before having to play against the new darlings of the AFC North. The only thing that would please me more than a sweep of Cleveland would be the Steelers being in last place in the division.

I think that they'll get their taste of reality before they play us, but how amazing would it be if they're having a hell of a year (for them), tied with us for the division lead, and then have us go into their house and just DEMORALIZE them?!

(05-30-2019, 05:32 PM)fredtoast Wrote: He is not asking how we feel now.

He is asking how many wins it takes in 2019 to continue feeling positive.

And I'm pretty sure that I made it clear in my post that I don't think you can measure it in wins because of all of the positive things and new energy that Taylor brings.

If we won 8 games but just got lucky in some, barely pulled out some, and just didn't look like a real team, would you feel confident about the future?  If we played some of the best teams down to the wire or were winning in the fourth and then lost on a field goal, would you be discouraged about the future?  It's not all about numbers.

I do think that the team is putting it all together and this is our year, so we should be focused on this year and not the future.

However, give me 8 wins minimum and I'll feel ok about the future, but, if our line plays even decent, there's no reason that we shouldn't be able to win 10 or 11 games.

(05-30-2019, 05:36 PM)depthchart Wrote: I didn't intend a negative connotation.

Just wonder what minimum amount of wins people would expect in Zac's year one if the team is reasonably healthy.

It could, however, signal at what point some fans could turn negative towards Zac should he not win enough in year one as they would want.

Just how loyal will fans be and/or stay towards Zac based on the year one win total ?

Your Division win prediction hits a positive note for sure.

If we don't make the playoffs this year, I'd put it on our line's performance (maybe backers, too), but I'll be disappointed if we don't compete for at least a wild card berth.

Everything is right there for us.

This is tough question to anwser. These aren't his guys and he may not be able to run a scheme he likes with the personnel at hand. Id like to see what he does first and how things play out in the division as the season goes on. A rough start trying to get everyone on board with the new changes may sink the season but a strong finish could make a losing season look like future success.

Let's see.

I went 9-7, because I think that the talent has been here all along. Now that Zac is getting his chance to make a splash, I feel like anything less than a winning season he will consider a failure.

(05-30-2019, 04:55 PM)fredtoast Wrote: We won 6 games last year with a ton of major injuries.

We lost zero significant players.

I don't see how anyone could be satisfied with less than 9 wins.


BTW I meant to vote 9-7, but accidently hit 8-8.

Exactly , I voted 9-7 as well but really see how we finish any lower if Lord willing it isn't any major injuries to the expected major contributors. I laugh when I see the usual haters and bandwagon fans and sports show watchers that listen to the mainstream media that cant or refuse to acknowledge the talent and injury factor that hurt us. Every one of our skill players where highly touted when in college but when they come here it's like they are bumps all of a sudden. All we need is health and the upgrades at LB and OL. Hopefully Hart comes through and Brown stays healthy to be there to help Pratt.

I went 8-8. I’ve learned not to set my expectations too high when it comes to the Bengals. It can’t be solely about the record though, his decisions have to be looked at too. Look at Bell and the Reds, they’re just under.500 and I think Bell has been very poor managing.

Ok, so I voted to match Marv's record last year.
I think we will do better but as long as we don't get worse, I'm just looking for us to improve.

I went with 8&8, which would actually be a disappointment in my eyes if Dalton is there for all 16 games, but the rest of the league isn't cupcakes, either.

I am praying to see the following:

More energy
More creativity
Faster tempo
Better clock management (all those years, Marv, and you still are the worst...some self-scouting you did)
More aggressive on defense

I think ZT can do all of those things and still be 8&8, but my early prediction is 10-6 and a Wild Card.

I am shocked at the acceptance of losing in this poll thus far. This is a veteran team decimated by injuries in 2018. Many say ML is a horrid coach. A healthy AJ and AD for 16 games we should be 8-8 minimum. If ZT coaches a healthy version of 2018 team and ML was trash, then why would anyone accept a losing first season?

For those who accept losing, does this mean you are willing to buy tickets? Does this mean you will not go nuts in game day threads when we lose? For those saying it is all in how they look, so if we win ugly will that upset you as it did some under ML?

It boggles me the low level of expectations being expected of ZT in year number 1, but I am happy some of you will be thrilled if we look better (what does that mean) while losing?????

For me, give me the ugly wins ZT, no consolation prizes for losers.

A change in coaching philosophy is what I want to see most of all. The new staff may translate into a learning period that may ruin our chances this year but as long as there is progress as the season goes along I will still be confident in the future. I would also say that I have more confidence this year than if Marv hadn't been fired.

9 and 7.

this team has too much talent that would equate
to a less than .500 showing.
like Fred said we won 6 games while losing no players
of high importence.
we had 4th q. leads or ties,on the Steelers, Ravens and Chargers.
we had our way with Ravens week 2.
oh yeah we beat the Colts in Indy.
the Bengals arent feeling the pressure to win like
the rest of the AFC North.

(05-31-2019, 08:58 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I am shocked at the acceptance of losing in this poll thus far. This is a veteran team decimated by injuries in 2018. Many say ML is a horrid coach. A healthy AJ and AD for 16 games we should be 8-8 minimum. If ZT coaches a healthy version of 2018 team and ML was trash, then why would anyone accept a losing first season?

For those who accept losing, does this mean you are willing to buy tickets? Does this mean you will not go nuts in game day threads when we lose? For those saying it is all in how they look, so if we win ugly will that upset you as it did some under ML?

It boggles me the low level of expectations being expected of ZT in year number 1, but I am happy some of you will be  thrilled if we look better (what does that mean) while losing?????

For me, give me the ugly wins ZT, no consolation prizes for losers.

A lot of new faces in the building as far as coaching.

ZT might not be the total issue.

That's why there's some wiggle room for expectations.

Marvin had time and was certainly under the microscope(especially when most of the fanbase was tired of his stalemate ways).

A coach can be impressive and still lose.

We are talking about his first year here.  First year being an NFL HC too.

Now personally I'd be disappointed if he doesn't get the team deep into the playoffs.

We have aging key players so they don't have time to mess around here.

My hope for Zac is that he can get more out of the players who haven't peaked in their abilities.

If he can get Gio and Ross to become steady weapons with Boyd & Mixon going beyond what they've accomplished thus far I'll be excited.

If the offensive line looks like a real cohesive unit...   I'll be ecstatic!

If the Defensive line can produce a scary pass rush that helps our lacking LBers that would certainly get people pumped.

That's why if they resemble a team on the upswing even with some close losses and beating teams with winning records it'll be positive in some fans' eyes.

(05-31-2019, 08:58 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I am shocked at the acceptance of losing in this poll thus far. This is a veteran team decimated by injuries in 2018. Many say ML is a horrid coach. A healthy AJ and AD for 16 games we should be 8-8 minimum. If ZT coaches a healthy version of 2018 team and ML was trash, then why would anyone accept a losing first season?

For those who accept losing, does this mean you are willing to buy tickets? Does this mean you will not go nuts in game day threads when we lose? For those saying it is all in how they look, so if we win ugly will that upset you as it did some under ML?

It boggles me the low level of expectations being expected of ZT in year number 1, but I am happy some of you will be  thrilled if we look better (what does that mean) while losing?????

For me, give me the ugly wins ZT, no consolation prizes for losers.

I hear ya, but as sick as I was of Marvin Lewis, expecting a QB coach to be better than a veteran HC the second he puts on a headset is wishful thinking.  It could work, it might take time, or he might legitimately be better than Marvin Lewis immediately.  The way I see it, my expectations are that ZT can be better than Marvin, but we are buying in so early on the guy that it may take a while before he is able to coach circles around people who have done it for over a decade.

I'm sure the potential is there, but on paper he is a QB's coach who is now the HC of a franchise with an organizational structure known for limiting success.  It's like taking a regional manager from Wal Mart and making him the CEO of K-Mart and expecting him to immediately undo a decade of damage...or something.  

(05-30-2019, 11:40 PM)Circleville Guy Wrote: I went 8-8. I’ve learned not to set my expectations too high when it comes to the Bengals. It can’t be solely about the record though, his decisions have to be looked at too. Look at Bell and the Reds, they’re just under.500 and I think Bell has been very poor managing.

My 8 & 8 vote comes down to what Marv did in his first year.

Remember that we had a DISMAL record the year before Marv. We weren't doing too badly during Marv's first year ... then we beat the 9-0 (I think) Chiefs in the 10th game.

That ONE GAME gave the fans HOPE, regardless of what happened in the remaining 6 games. We ended up that season at 8 & 8 but the fans had HOPE for the next season.

So for me ... and as a lot of posters before me have said ... as long as the team shows energy and improvement and the ability to "look good while losing", then the season will be a WIN for me, regardless of the record.

I think 8-8.

Realistically, I'd like playoffs though.

(05-30-2019, 06:53 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: What I fear the most is Dalton will ultimately be hung with load of the blame if the team shortfalls when our front office and boy-wonder coach may be the real culprits.

(05-30-2019, 10:26 PM)motoarch Wrote: This is tough question to anwser.  These aren't his guys and he may not be able to run a scheme he likes with the personnel at hand.  

(05-31-2019, 08:58 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I am shocked at the acceptance of losing in this poll thus far. This is a veteran team decimated by injuries in 2018.

It boggles me the low level of expectations being expected of ZT in year number 1

(05-31-2019, 09:55 AM)BengalsRocker Wrote: We have aging key players so they don't have time to mess around here.

How well or not well the team plays in 2019 could determine what exact Strategy gets taken by Zac & the Organization starting in 2020.

As pointed out by other Posters, Zac has inherited players that "aren't his guys" and a number of the Key players are "aging". Should 2019 not go very well, then Zac & the Organization may look to the mini-rebuild path possibly to the point of bringing in a 1st round rookie quarterback. Even consider trades of a key aging player or two.

There is a bit of a win soon window with this group of veteran players coupled with a need for Zac to bring in more of his own system fitting players to build towards the future.

Bengal fans may end up having to be even more patient should Zac & the Organization decide to reboot in 2020 with say a young QB.

A good 2019 could keep this window open while a bad 2019 could lead to greater changes going forward & fans may be expected to be patient as even more "New Dey" changes occur.