Went with 9 wins though given what looks like a tough schedule (for the moment) and continued worries about the offensive line that might be optimistic.

(08-20-2019, 05:09 PM)Circleville Guy Wrote: I think that people vote with their hearts and not their heads. I want them to win ten games as much as anyone else. Fans always take it for granted that new coaches will be game changers just like last years OLine coach, it doesn’t always work that way. Who looks at this team and is seeing position groups in the top 1/3 of the league? Who is seeing position depth? There are a few players to be excited about but every single team has that but the nucleus of this team is getting old. You can’t only look at the positives if you’re giving a fair and unbiased evaluation.

All of this talk about ZT and the offense.

We'd all like to say Lou Anarumo is better than Austin... but do we really know yet?

Is he even better than Marvin calling the D?

I want to see our DBs be able to play tight coverage.

I want to see LBers in position to cover.

Otherwise are we looking at a bad defense again?

So added Pratt.  Hope Vigil stays healthy and Brown produces like he did for Buffalo.

Behind those guys we have real subpar talent.

My only hope for the O-Line is Price & MJ gel.

Cordy Glenn has been playing way below his pay grade.

So we have Smith, Hopkins, Hart, and Jerry.

Not sold one bit on that group.  Hopkins is okay.

The rest are clueless penalty machines.

(08-20-2019, 07:14 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: All of this talk about ZT and the offense.

We'd all like to say Lou Anarumo is better than Austin... but do we really know yet?

Austin was really super bad, so it's hard to be worse just by sheer regression towards the mean.  With that being said, I wouldn't exactly have my mouth agape if Sweet Lou is one of the reasons we look back at 2019 and claim it was as big of a waste of time as the past 3 seasons have been.

Reasons the Bengals' seasons were pointless wastes of time (apparently)

2016 - Marvin and Zampese suck
2017 - Marvin and Lazor suck
2018 - Marvin and Lazor and Austin suck and injuries
2019 - ????


Leave that ???? space open if we go below .500 because I assure you there will be yet another "Of course 2019 was a waste of time, we had _____ on the coaching staff!"  My prediction will be Lou and/or Turner melting down if/when hard times hit.

(08-20-2019, 01:24 PM)Nately120 Wrote: 8-8 we stop the losing streak and have a first year akin to Marvin's first as HC.

I remember that last game of 2003.  After the LeBeau debacle of 2002, we were 8-7 with Merv and needed to beat the Clowns and have Pit beat the Ratbirds later that day and we'd have our first playoff birth since '90.  If memory serves, one of the Steelers even told the Bengals not to worry about it - they would take care of the Ratbirds for us (different times, indeed).  Cleveland was good then and we lost, and later the Ratbirds won so it wouldn't have mattered, anyway.  But, I remember leaving that stadium that day disappointed, but thinking "Damn, this team is gonna be a contender."  

I picked 8-8 as well.  Hoping I'll be two wins low.

I went with 6.. From what I've seen in Pre-season, the only thing that stands out is the 2nd team with Finley at QB

Seems like most people (so far) are optimistic about the season. Only about 1/3rd of people think we will have a losing season.

I will vote after the 4th preseason game and after I see the final 53 roster.

I agree with the poster earlier, Finley is the only player that stands out for me among those drafted. At this point, I am uncertain if Wren makes the team. Willis stands out as one of the UDFA. McRae stands out as the guy that seems to be on the out. Wynn Stands out as the FA. Willis stands out as the Vet.

The team seems incoherent at times and the penalties have got to stop. Let me see what happens over the next two preseason games.

It's a tough question, so I try to break it down in my head:
1) They play the NFC West, and I think they can realistically go at least 2-2 against that division.
2) They play the AFC East, and outside of New England I think they can beat anybody. 3-1?
3) I think they manage to finally steal one from Pittsburgh. They always seem to beat Baltimore at least once. Cleveland's still Cleveland. Can they get to 3-3? I think it's doable... I still think the division is going to be pretty mediocre overall.
4) That leaves a game against a bad Oakland team and an enigmatic Jacksonville team. I think they can beat both, but let's go with a split... 1-1.

That gives them a 9-7 record even if they don't necessarily upset any teams head-and-shoulders above them. Stealing another win or two somewhere isn't out of the question, either. Every now and then I'll see someone say that we have a tough schedule this year, but man I just don't see that at all.

So I'm going to start from that, say they lose a game they shouldn't, and say they steal a game they should lose... so 9 wins.

7-9.....8-8 tops

(08-20-2019, 10:20 PM)NKURyan Wrote: It's a tough question, so I try to break it down in my head:
1) They play the NFC West, and I think they can realistically go at least 2-2 against that division.
2) They play the AFC East, and outside of New England I think they can beat anybody. 3-1?
3) I think they manage to finally steal one from Pittsburgh. They always seem to beat Baltimore at least once. Cleveland's still Cleveland. Can they get to 3-3? I think it's doable... I still think the division is going to be pretty mediocre overall.
4) That leaves a game against a bad Oakland team and an enigmatic Jacksonville team. I think they can beat both, but let's go with a split... 1-1.

That gives them a 9-7 record even if they don't necessarily upset any teams head-and-shoulders above them. Stealing another win or two somewhere isn't out of the question, either. Every now and then I'll see someone say that we have a tough schedule this year, but man I just don't see that at all.

So I'm going to start from that, say they lose a game they shouldn't, and say they steal a game they should lose... so 9 wins.

Well said, same way i feel just didn't go as deep into it. Us having a coach that was not a lifetime Steeler fan from right outta Pittsburgh also just might help and seeing how they pretty much always owned us with our last coach at the helm i think changes are on the way in this department.

Time to at the very least start splitting with these shitheads.

(08-20-2019, 10:26 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Well said, same way i feel just didn't go as deep into it. Us having a coach that was not a lifetime Steeler fan from right outta Pittsburgh also just might help and seeing how they pretty much always owned us with our last coach at the helm i think changes are on the way in this department.

Time to at the very least start splitting with these shitheads.

I assume if the Steelers sweep us this year we are going to be quick to call it a "Dalton problem" fair or otherwise.

(08-20-2019, 11:03 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I assume if the Steelers sweep us this year we are going to be quick to call it a "Dalton problem" fair or otherwise.

Quit it. They aren't sweeping us this year. Damn, the negativity around here is as thick as spring fog.

(08-20-2019, 11:05 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Quit it. They aren't sweeping us this year. Damn, the negativity around here is as thick as spring fog.

Good point, I think we sweep them.  Now you can get off my ass and get on anyone else here who isn't predicting that we stomp their asses like nothing. The Steelers aren't good anymore, the Browns will never be good, the Ravens aren't good either.

No team can get better except us. Only the Bengals know how to win in the NFL. Signed, sealed, delivered. Get happy, people! 16-0!

(08-20-2019, 11:07 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Good point, I think we sweep them.  Now you can get off my ass and get on anyone else here who isn't predicting that we stomp their asses like nothing.  The Steelers aren't good anymore, the Browns will never be good, the Ravens aren't good either.

No team can get better except us.  Only the Bengals know how to win in the NFL.  Signed, sealed, delivered.  Get happy, people!  16-0!

My God, it is either we get swept and win like 5 games, go 16-0 win everything...

LMAO!!! :andy:

10 wins! Caught me on a positive day with my bipolar outlook on this season. Can’t wait! Don’t ask me tomorrow though

(08-20-2019, 11:09 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: My God, it is either we get swept and win like 5 games, go 16-0 win everything...

LMAO!!! :andy:

I said 8-8, but god forbid I not be optimistic enough for you.  How many games should I say we win?


PS - we are on a 3-year losing streak in case you hadn't noticed. This team is negative. This is the nature of fandom though, people are supposed to be optimistic that we are going to go from 6 wins to 10+ while simultaneously saying that Browns fans thinking they can go from 7 wins to 10+ are delusional jerks who need to shut up.

Fandom...it's a hell of a drug.

Given that key starters missed much of last season, it is easy to assume that last year's team would have produced more wins had those starters played more. So I went with 9 wins.

If the team stays relatively healthy 9 wins should be the bottom side, if this coaching staff is as good as Marvin's.

(08-20-2019, 11:07 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Good point, I think we sweep them.  Now you can get off my ass and get on anyone else here who isn't predicting that we stomp their asses like nothing.  The Steelers aren't good anymore, the Browns will never be good, the Ravens aren't good either.

No team can get better except us.  Only the Bengals know how to win in the NFL.  Signed, sealed, delivered.  Get happy, people!  16-0!

Damn straight 16-0 b17ch3s!! "We" won't even have to punt this year. New scoring record. New record record...19-0 baby!! Souuuuupppperrrrrrbowlzzzzzzzzzz!!

Dalton? MVP
Mixon? NFL rushing champ, 2,500 yds rushing and 3,000 from scrimmage.
AJ? 1,600 yds in half a year. 
First team to have 22 players All Pro!
Coach of the year, rookie of the year.

We got the rings. We got the money. We got all of it!

(08-20-2019, 01:27 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I hate using injuries as an excuse and know we have AJ out early this year, but do you think if Green, AD, Lawson, Brown, Glasgow, Eifert and others played 70% of their unit's snaps in 2018 we win less than 9 games (versus 6)??

Do you think AJ being out last part of 2018 taught our FO and coaches anything about our WR depth which proved to be very bad when we lost AJ and abysmal when we lost Boyd too.

It's funny you mention that, because some people on the board act like Marvin was a horrible coach...but as you point out...with those guys healthy, Marvin might have won 9 games or so.

I do think losing Boling and Jonah are HUGE losses. Lets hope AJ only misses a game or two.

(08-20-2019, 10:20 PM)NKURyan Wrote: It's a tough question, so I try to break it down in my head:
1) They play the NFC West, and I think they can realistically go at least 2-2 against that division.
2) They play the AFC East, and outside of New England I think they can beat anybody. 3-1?
3) I think they manage to finally steal one from Pittsburgh. They always seem to beat Baltimore at least once. Cleveland's still Cleveland. Can they get to 3-3? I think it's doable... I still think the division is going to be pretty mediocre overall.
4) That leaves a game against a bad Oakland team and an enigmatic Jacksonville team. I think they can beat both, but let's go with a split... 1-1.

That gives them a 9-7 record even if they don't necessarily upset any teams head-and-shoulders above them. Stealing another win or two somewhere isn't out of the question, either. Every now and then I'll see someone say that we have a tough schedule this year, but man I just don't see that at all.

So I'm going to start from that, say they lose a game they shouldn't, and say they steal a game they should lose... so 9 wins.

On paper that all seems reasonable. We all know they can beat almost any team, but they can also lose to any team too.

I think say they could lose to the Cardinals as we have a tendency to let rookie QB's look great against us.

I could also see us going 1-5 or 2-4 in the division.

But, you never know. Each year is different. You do lay out a nice roadmap that I'd be happy with if it happened. 9 wins would be respectable.