The Bengals will end week four no worse than one or two games out of first place in the division. Do we have any hope of getting back in the race with the return of players like AJ and Glenn? Is the futility of the AFC north a bright spot on the horizon or just a dangling carrot to entice the fans to have dreams of grandeur?

I'll let you know after I see the results of tomorrow night's game. The team that is 0-4 in this division is going to seem a lot further than being 2 wins behind 1st place.

Either way I think we are in trouble. Both the Ravens and Browns have shown they have good run games. What are the Bengals unable to stop? I'm not looking forward to our divisional games.

I don't think there's any delusions of grandeur. They could put it together and do well, but this roster isn't a SB contender by a long shot. O-Line needs too much work & I don't think Glenn's return alone can fix it. The LB issue still looms large over the D to have any real expectations of a deep playoff run. That being said, I could see them getting into the Division race.

The Seattle and Buffalo games were winnable, against good teams. And Buffalo, despite losing, just held the Pats in check so that loss looks somewhat more tolerable (150 passing for Brady and not much on the ground for the Pats either). The San Fran game was the only outright disaster. I think they have the talent at least on offense to be a middle of the pack team, the line just needs to step it up a bit. If they go to 0-4 though, that's a really tough hole to climb out of even if the division as a whole is weakened, A.J's and Glenn's returns wouldn't' change that..

(09-29-2019, 09:46 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: The Bengals will end week four no worse than one or two games out of first place in the division. Do we have any hope of getting back in the race with the return of players like AJ and Glenn? Is the futility of the AFC north a bright spot on the horizon or just a dangling carrot to entice the fans to have dreams of grandeur?

I watched that Browns game and I think we can expect the media darling Ratbirds to come crashing down as more teams punch them in the mouth with the running game and attack the perimeter.  It looked a LOT like the SF game against us...

The Bengals are doing it (without doing anything) again...I am getting my hopes up.  If they could win tonight....they could beat the Cards the next week and start climbing out of the hole they are in as the divisional games begin.  That would be fun.

Do I think they win in pitt on MNF?  History says no.  But I am hopeful that they get their first complete game in all phases and come away with the W.

Who Dey, New Dey....Take the first step, ZT.  Do something Marv could never do:  beat pitt in primetime.  

This has got to be the worst Steelers team to take the field in decades. As important as a win over the Steelers us to us, I'm not sure beating mason Rudolph in his second start is going to exorcise 28 or so years of failure vs them. We just need to win this and move on. Just my take.

If AJ returns for the Raven Game (which Schefter just said he didn't expect). I could see the Bengals getting back to 3 -3.

It is anyone's division for the AFCN. Hopefully Steelers wither away in the basement.

(09-30-2019, 08:19 AM)Nately120 Wrote: This has got to be the worst Steelers team to take the field in decades. As important as a win over the Steelers us to us, I'm not sure beating mason Rudolph in his second start is going to exorcise 28 or so years of failure vs them.  We just need to win this and move on.  Just my take.

And they could still very well lose, and if they win it will be by a hair.  No Ben, no Brown and no Bell and I will still be shocked if the Bengals win.

(09-30-2019, 01:02 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: It is anyone's division for the AFCN.  Hopefully Steelers wither away in the basement.

Ugh if the Steelers wither in the basement and then watch the Dolphins take the highest draft pick they've had in 50 years....well, add the Patriots winning a 7th SB to shove in their faces and even I can't handle all that shameful joy!

Realistically I don’t think they have a chance. They just said Green will be out versus Arizona and Baltimore and it will probably take him a few games to get up to football speed. I’m having serious doubts Glenn will even play this season the guy has been out since the preseason with a concussion which is crazy. Even if Glenn comes back he hasn’t been good in 3 years and will be rusty considering he hasn’t played in pads since the 3rd preseason game. I don’t think we can even beat Pitt. I think they will be able to run on us with Connor and their offensive line. And think our o-line will struggling trying to block Heyward , Watt and Tuitt.

This Division is ripe for the taking. You have the Browns who beat a jets team with a 3rd string QB and the Ravens. The Ravens beat two bottom 5 teams as well. While Bengals who lost to a 3-0 and 2 4 and 1 teams. we stay competitive and stay in the race until December. were likely to have a average to good line by then with an extremely explosive offense. Everyone in the AFC has serious warts. with a little luck and good health. This could still be a sleeper championship team. we get healthy and go on a run. you want to be playing your best football in December and January

The Browns look pretty good. Offense looks really good, Defense is as good as it usually is. We are not surpassing them this year, especially with AJ wanting to be paid.

There is certainly still hope, but we have to start winning games.

The Steelers look horrible, but for years they have beaten us even when they were not better than us. It will be interesting to see if they still own us with a new coach.

Under Lewis the Bengals won 39% of their games against teams not named "Steelers" that finished with a winning record. That number doesn't sound very high until you see that only 5 teams in the league won more than 39% of their games against teams that finished with a winning record. But against the Steelers when they finished with a winning record we were only 4-20, or 17%. And only two teams won fewer than 17% of their games against teams with winning record.

The Steelers just owned us.

Bengals would have to sweep the Clowns to have a chance of winning the division. I could see the Clowns going 7-9 if Bengals sweep them.

If there is a "sliver" of hope now for the Bengals, then after tonight's win, there will be flickering light shining through the gloomy clouds of impending doom....until the next loss.

From Joe G. Remember this game???

2009 was a wild season. The Steelers won the Super Bowl and the Bengals went 4-11-1 in the previous year. Cincinnati drops the Steelers in week 3 with a comeback win. pic.twitter.com/QPKkF06GsT

— JG (@JoeGoodberry) September 30, 2019

Browns are overrated. They beat the Ravens they deserve a cookie. Kitchens while upgrade over Hue is in way over his head. Have you seen their schedule? I dont see another win until Steelers week 11.

Dalton will continue to put up video game like numbers while our defense gives up points like a call girl on nickel night

(09-30-2019, 04:47 PM)corpjet Wrote: Dalton will continue to put up video game like numbers while our defense gives up points like a call girl on nickel night

Dalton has never put up more than 21 points in any game against Pittsburgh. That won't qualify as video game numbers unless you are talking about blind man numbers.

(09-30-2019, 04:11 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: From Joe G.  Remember this game???

2009 was a wild season. The Steelers won the Super Bowl and the Bengals went 4-11-1 in the previous year. Cincinnati drops the Steelers in week 3 with a comeback win. pic.twitter.com/QPKkF06GsT

— JG (@JoeGoodberry) September 30, 2019

That team was mostly smoke and mirrors, but that season was magic.

Beat them a few weeks later without scoring an offensive td.