Do you honestly think we were in an all out tank job last year or was it just a bad year. Kinda feel like we were all out early in the year and then just gave in after starting 0-4. Even with the record I thought we were close. We played so good @Seattle and @Buffalo but things just didn't go our way. After that we pretty much shut down 2019 with the benching of Dalton. People were calling to can Taylor with the rough start. I truly believe this guy can coach and the players love playing for him. Cant wait for the season to start to see what this guy will bring with his roster now in place. WHO DEY!!!

I can't say with any certainty, but it would appear as such that the team just decided to tank for the future.

(03-25-2020, 09:13 PM)Jhowdy54 Wrote: Do you honestly think we were in an all out tank job last year or was it just a bad year.  Kinda feel like we were all out early in the year and then just gave in after starting 0-4.  Even with the record I thought we were close.  We played so good @Seattle and @Buffalo but things just didn't go our way.  After that we pretty much shut down 2019 with the benching of Dalton.  People were calling to can Taylor with the rough start.  I truly believe this guy can coach and the players love playing for him.  Cant wait for the season to start to see what this guy will bring with his roster now in place.  WHO DEY!!!

I don't think there was a plan to tank but damn,it sure worked out that way  very nicely.

The Steelers were pretty bad the year before they got Ben and I remember thinking those SOB's sure picked a fine time to be bad.  As the old saying goes, timing is everything.

Either way, we sure showed Miami a thing or two about how to tank.

4th quarter Vs the Dolphins make me think otherwise

I think we tried to win. No first year coach wants to go 2-14. If we were tanking, we would have seen Dolegala.

(03-25-2020, 09:27 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I think we tried to win. No first year coach wants to go 2-14. If we were tanking, we would have seen Dolegala.

We saw Finley.

(03-25-2020, 09:46 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: We saw Finley.

Not long enough. If we were tanking, he would have played 1 or 2 more and finished the season with Dolegala. It would have been acceptable too with a new coach, late start, no hope for playoffs trying to evaluate his team.

(03-25-2020, 09:55 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Not long enough. If we were tanking, he would have played 1 or 2 more and finished the season with Dolegala. It would have been acceptable too with a new coach, late start, no hope for playoffs trying to evaluate his team.

Said this before Harley, I wanted to see Dolegala after Finley's poor showing but once we had the first overall pick wrapped up I 
think the coaches thought we should at least win a couple games with Dalton to get him some value and not go 0-16.

Hopefully the coaching staff learned a lot from last year. Nobody can say Zac is a stupid guy... it remains to be seen if he can become a good coach though

I don't think they started out tanking. Sure seems it developed into that though.

In not sure I understand how the team gave up 25% of the way into the season but you saw players loving to play for ZT. This seems like a contradiction in my mind.

So for 75% of the season players were following ZT and his inspiring message of "go out there and lose!" Ida know....

(03-25-2020, 10:28 PM)Nately120 Wrote: In not sure I understand how the team gave up 25% of the way into the season but you saw players loving to play for ZT.  This seems like a contradiction in my mind.

So for 75% of the season players were following ZT and his inspiring message of "go out there and lose!"  Ida know....

You can plan a tank being the guy calling the plays on Offense...

Just sayin'...

You can plan it just enough to stay in 8 games and lose by a small amount.

The players didn't quit like the year before under Marv. Also just sayin'.

This Free Agency has me questioning a lot of things about last year man. Does it you at all?

(03-25-2020, 10:34 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: You can plan a tank being the guy calling the plays on Offense...

Just sayin'...

You can plan it just enough to stay in 8 games and lose by a small amount.

The players didn't quit like the year before under Marv. Also just sayin'.

This Free Agency has me questioning a lot of things about last year man. Does it you at all?

This free agency was great, but I'm not sure I can get happy with the idea that we lost on purpose.  Would Joe Burrow actually want to play for a coach who intentionally tried to lose?

We lost on purpose but we promise that we aren't going to do that again?  Its ok to just admit we were unlucky and stunk last year and learned from it and made changes.  

If we struggle in 2020 do we just give up and tank again?

(03-25-2020, 10:57 PM)Nately120 Wrote: This free agency was great, but I'm not sure I can get happy with the idea that we lost on purpose.  Would Joe Burrow actually want to play for a coach who intentionally tried to lose?

We lost on purpose but we promise that we aren't going to do that again?  Its ok to just admit we were unlucky and stunk last year and learned from it and made changes.  

If we struggle in 2020 do we just give up and tank again?

Hell no.

I know it was the only time I have ever wished we tanked for a player.

(03-25-2020, 11:07 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Hell no.

I know it was the only time I have ever wished we tanked for a player.

All I know is if ZT intentionally lost to the Steelers and Browns and Ravens I want him and every other player who doesn't disown him fired.  

Fired I tells ya!

I don't think it was a tank. More it was once we had the bad start then the injuries hit they decided to use the season to do an extended evaluation of the roster. Good points, bad points and also how compatible it was with the systems they want to use.

(03-25-2020, 10:14 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I don't think they started out tanking. Sure seems it developed into that though.

The Seattle game was the furthest thing from an intentional tank I’ve ever seen. The Bengals should have won; they outplayed the Seahawks until the last possession of the game.

(03-25-2020, 11:13 PM)Nately120 Wrote: All I know is if ZT intentionally lost to the Steelers and Browns and Ravens I want him and every other player who doesn't disown him fired.  

Fired I tells ya!

I don't think ZT intentionally lost to those teams, no sir.

(03-25-2020, 11:15 PM)Joelist Wrote: I don't think it was a tank. More it was once we had the bad start then the injuries hit they decided to use the season to do an extended evaluation of the roster. Good points, bad points and also how compatible it was with the systems they want to use.

Feel the same as usual Joelist.

Just questioning everything after the great FA I have ever witnessed by the Cincinnati Bengals.

(03-25-2020, 11:18 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: The Seattle game was the furthest thing from an intentional tank I’ve ever seen.  The Bengals should have won; they outplayed the Seahawks until the last possession of the game.

Sure did, just didn't have the ball last is truly the only reason I don't think we won that game...

The Seahawks were like wiping the sweat off their brow saying...

Last year was an "Evaluation" year for the new coaching staff to see who would buy in to the new direction and who would half ass it or who was bad.

What we are seeing now is players being replaced with upgrades and holes filled...On the Defensive side anyway...And I pretty positive that this upcoming draft will be heavy Offense with a Linebacker through in here and there.