ProFootballTalk points out that, on the team's website, AJ Green stated that he's confident that the team will make the playoffs this year!

What I like is that he's not just being overly optimistic or even that outwardly happy about it because it's more of just a "we gotta go put in the work" type thing:

Quote:Green pointed out that the Bengals were off to a winning start — 5-3 in the first half of the year — in 2018 before injuries to himself and others made contending a pipe dream.

“I think so. We are. If everyone stays healthy, the sky’s the limit for this offense,” Green said, via the team’s website. “Last year, we were averaging [28] points a game . . . We have talent. We have a great back. We have great receivers. We have a great line. We’ve got a great defense. We just have to put everything together and everybody stays healthy.”

A thing that I think a lot of us forget is that we were 4-1 last year and we were beating the Steelers in week 6 with 1:18 to go, they came down the field and scored, beat us, and then the season fell apart. Green pointing that out means that he knows we can get the job done, and the improved roster, healthier players, and new coaches mean that this team can do anything.

Taylor's being a pro here, trying to keep the expectations in check until we actually do something, but he loves the confidence, obviously has the players buying in, and will just keep building the team's chemistry:

Quote:Taylor warned against looking too far ahead, but adds that “we certainly love the confidence” that players have expressed about how 2019 will unfold. Getting the team fully prepared to back up that confidence will be one of Taylor’s chief tasks in training camp.

We gotta stay healthy, and I feel like this team is going to surprise a lot of people, which it shouldn't be a surprise, but we know that we're the red-headed step-child of the NFL.

Here's the full article:

Quote:Bengals running back Joe Mixon said recently that the team’s success is going to shock a lot of people this season.

One person who won’t be shocked is his teammate A.J. Green. Green has talked often this offseason about the new feel and new energy around the team since Zac Taylor became the head coach and he said this week that he believes that will pay off with a spot in the postseason.

Green pointed out that the Bengals were off to a winning start — 5-3 in the first half of the year — in 2018 before injuries to himself and others made contending a pipe dream.

“I think so. We are. If everyone stays healthy, the sky’s the limit for this offense,” Green said, via the team’s website. “Last year, we were averaging [28] points a game . . . We have talent. We have a great back. We have great receivers. We have a great line. We’ve got a great defense. We just have to put everything together and everybody stays healthy.”

Taylor warned against looking too far ahead, but adds that “we certainly love the confidence” that players have expressed about how 2019 will unfold. Getting the team fully prepared to back up that confidence will be one of Taylor’s chief tasks in training camp.

It's going to be a great year!

It's been raining for the past few days here in Greater Cincinnati and is supposed to rain for the next two weeks (at least), so I hope that we're using UC's practice bubble.

Obligatory...

I think this team could surprise a bit. How much can they surprise depends on a lot of things being much better !

The new energy and the focus and attention to detail are all great things. It will all come down to how good the schemes are and how well they are executed. And don't build the offense around Tyler Eifert.

(06-16-2019, 03:38 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I think this team could surprise a bit. How much can they surprise depends on a lot of things being much better !

I really don't think it depends on too many things having to be too much better!

Like I said, we have an improved roster from last year and then now we also have a coaching staff that's A LOT more qualified to coach the team and give the team direction.

People are nervous about all that, but I'm extremely confident!

(06-16-2019, 04:01 PM)McC Wrote: The new energy and the focus and attention to detail are all great things.  It will all come down to how good the schemes are and how well they are executed.   And don't build the offense around Tyler Eifert.

Build the offense around feeding Mixon the rock, making the defense load the box and commit to stoping that, and then open it up on mid-range routes to AJ, Ross, Core and Crew and then throw in the occasional play action bomb to AJ!

(06-16-2019, 05:40 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: I really don't think it depends on too many things having to be too much better!

Like I said, we have an improved roster from last year and then now we also have a coaching staff that's A LOT more qualified to coach the team and give the team direction.

People are nervous about all that, but I'm extremely confident!

Build the offense around feeding Mixon the rock, making the defense load the box and commit to stoping that, and then open it up on mid-range routes to AJ, Ross, Core and Crew and then throw in the occasional play action bomb to AJ!

I don’t think Core will be on the roster in a couple months

'We have a great back. We have great receivers. We have a great line. We’ve got a great defense.'

I'll agree on back. I'll agree on receiver.

Great line? No way. Not even average line.

Great defense? No. We had the worst defense in the NFL last year.

And it's not like we upgraded at LB unless you expect rookies to play like Pro Bowl players. Our strategy at LB is to hope for the best.

Aj green says the worst defense in the nfl is ‘great’

Hmmm

We should definitely take all these kinds of comments with a grain of salt, but at least AJ isn’t acting like a malcontent after a few bad years. Gotta love his positivity.

(06-16-2019, 06:52 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Great line? No way. Not even average line.

I think Turner's schemes can fix the line and, if I remember correctly, Andy has a pretty quick release time.  That, along with Mixon being a beast and the new additions on the line, should mean we'll be ok there.

(06-16-2019, 06:52 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Great defense? No. We had the worst defense in the NFL last year.

And it's not like we upgraded at LB unless you expect rookies to play like Pro Bowl players. Our strategy at LB is to hope for the best.

Anarumo is a good enough coordinator to mask the defense's weaknesses and I think Lukabu is a good enough coach to elevate the backers' play.

(06-16-2019, 08:55 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: I think Turner's schemes can fix the line and, if I remember correctly, Andy has a pretty quick release time.  That, along with Mixon being a beast and the new additions on the line, should mean we'll be ok there.


Anarumo is a good enough coordinator to mask the defense's weaknesses and I think Lukabu is a good enough coach to elevate the backers' play.

Lou Anarumo Has never been a
Defensive coordinator in the nfl
For a full season. He was interim dc for like 8 games. That’s it. He was the chosen dc for the bengals after like 4 others passed on the job.

What are you talking about? You’re making things up. Lol

(06-16-2019, 09:10 PM)BNSF Wrote: Lou Anarumo Has never been a
Defensive coordinator in the nfl
For a full season.  He was interim dc for like 8 games.  That’s it.  He was the chosen dc for the bengals after like 4 others passed on the job.

What are you talking about? You’re making things up. Lol

But he was a very successful defensive backs' coach and is known for his aggressive style, which aggression is the best way to mask a defense's weakness because you cause confusion and force mistakes.

A few other guys passed, but I think that's because of their egos (guys like Del Rio), so I'm pretty sure that, along with the other new positional coaches, they can put together a solid defense.

(06-16-2019, 06:52 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: 'We have a great back. We have great receivers. We have a great line. We’ve got a great defense.'

I'll agree on back. I'll agree on receiver.

Great line? No way. Not even average line.

Great defense? No. We had the worst defense in the NFL last year.

And it's not like we upgraded at LB unless you expect rookies to play like Pro Bowl players. Our strategy at LB is to hope for the best.

The only game we lost last year at full strength, was the Carolina game. They have been a problem for us recently, with Newton.

I agree that the line comment is an overreach, but this year we should be better.

Defense should be much better, solely because the offense will be better. The old adage that the best defense is a good offense, is true.

Last year, the defensive scheme put a lot of pressure on the back end guys. That worked when Lawson was healthy and you got some LB play. But it all went south after those injuries.

If Jefferson, Pratt, and Vigil step up and Brown and Lawson return healthy, the defense will be tough.

But everything depends on the OL!!!!!!

(06-16-2019, 09:10 PM)BNSF Wrote: Lou Anarumo Has never been a
Defensive coordinator in the nfl
For a full season.  He was interim dc for like 8 games.  That’s it.  He was the chosen dc for the bengals after like 4 others passed on the job.

What are you talking about? You’re making things up. Lol

Every DC who ever lived was never a coordinator in the NFL until he was.  Fortunately, reality, unlike you, will not decide his fate ahead of time.

I don't know what he'll ultimately do but having the players buying is a good step one.  And if they're playing well in practice, call that a good step two.

(06-16-2019, 10:51 PM)McC Wrote: Every DC who ever lived was never a coordinator in the NFL until he was.  Fortunately, reality, unlike you, will not decide his fate ahead of time.

I don't know what he'll ultimately do but having the players buying is a good step one.  And if they're playing well in practice, call that a good step two.

He said the bengals defense is gonna be better because ‘Anarumo is a good enough coordinator to mask the defense's weaknesses’. His quote

How has he been a good enough coordinator? To make the worst defense in the league good? How.

Your first line about every dc who Has ever lived...doesn’t make sense. I’ve never been an nfl qb. So maybe I’m gonna be great. Lol

(06-16-2019, 11:40 PM)BNSF Wrote: He said the bengals defense is gonna be better because ‘Anarumo is a good enough coordinator to mask the defense's weaknesses’. His quote

How has he been a good enough coordinator? To make the worst defense in the league good? How.

Your first line about every dc who Has ever lived...doesn’t make sense. I’ve never been an nfl qb. So maybe I’m gonna be great. Lol

I agree with you that Anarumo doesn't have enough body of work to make a judgement. But you can't argue to the negative either.

So it is a matter of opinion, at this point.

But I disagree with you and state that every DC who gets promoted to the position the first time, come with no DC experience. But it's important to consider that they do come up the ranks and have football defensive backgrounds.

So your QB analogy is not accurate. You don't get promoted to an NFL QB. Even a back up QB, is an NFL QB. A college QB is still a QB. There is no assistant QB.

So unless you have QB experience in college or backup QB experience in NFL, your chances of being a great NFL QB is near zero.

(06-16-2019, 11:40 PM)BNSF Wrote: He said the bengals defense is gonna be better because ‘Anarumo is a good enough coordinator to mask the defense's weaknesses’. His quote

How has he been a good enough coordinator?  To make the worst defense in the league good?  How.

Your first line about every dc who Has ever lived...doesn’t make sense.   I’ve never been an nfl qb.  So maybe I’m gonna be great.  Lol

It's a passing league, and, while he may not have been Taylor's first choice, he's qualified because he spent a bunch of years as a defensive backs' coach, with his defenses usually ranking in the top ten in interceptions.

He also likes to play his defensive backs up in the receivers' faces, which is great if we can get some pass rush (which it looks like we will) because it will force the offense into making mistakes.

All of our other qualified defensive position coaches will also make life a lot easier on him.

Words mean nothing.

I like the confidence, but after what we’ve seen the last couple of years, keep your mouth shut and show me.

(06-17-2019, 01:23 AM)PlayadLc Wrote: Words mean nothing.

I like the confidence, but after what we’ve seen the last couple of years, keep your mouth shut and show me.

I think Bengaldome feels the same.

One thing I would hope we as fans would do is to put everything that happened under Marvin away. This is no longer a Marvin Lewis coached team. The only real issue and one that needs plenty of healthy speculation is the front office and ownership, but the coaching side is all new and completely different with a blank slate. Perhaps Mike Brown has finally stopped meddling with things, perhaps not, but if he leaves the entire thing up to Taylor and his staff to run I think our chances are as good as any team in the league at this point.
I think plenty of other teams are going to try to test Taylor and the team by extension and may pull plenty of stunts in attempts to confuse the rookie coach and that issue alone may be the one that makes or breaks Taylor and the rest of the staff and team. Stay tuned.