we started Preston brown Andre smith Ryan Finley absolute garbage players. It speaks volumes that Drek hasn't even got a camp invite.

No... We just sucked.... Really bad.

No, we were just bad.

No team goes into a season purposely tanking, and especially would not with a first year new coach.

And had we decideed to tank mid season, Dalton wouldve been pulled earlier in the year, and he wouldn't have returned.

Did it look like we were tanking against Miami? We went out of our way to try to come back and win that game.

I don't think it was an intentional tank, but I do think there was a point in the season where the coaches knew the season was lost so they put in guys to see what they had knowing they wouldn't help win further games. I think the only game that they may have "wanted" to lose was the Miami game in order to ensure the #1 pick.

(08-20-2020, 02:30 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: No, we were just bad.

No team goes into a season purposely tanking, and especially would not with a first year new coach.

And had we decideed to tank mid season, Dalton wouldve been pulled earlier in the year, and he wouldn't have returned.

Did it look like we were tanking against Miami? We went out of our way to try to come back and win that game.

I agree with you, but tanking isn't players or coaches trying not to win a games. It's the organization not prioritizing winning. Trading every good player for draft picks ala the Hue Jackson Browns.

(08-20-2020, 02:30 PM)jason Wrote: No... We just sucked.... Really bad.

This^ just a terrible team

Had we been 4-4 or 3-5 at the midway point AJ and Jonah could have came back potentially. we handled jets and browns quite convincingly. We find a way to lose in week 17 if we win against Dolphins IMO. Taylor was never a fan of Dalton it's like he was set up to fail. Mike liked Dalton quite a bit. So this was taylor's way of getting rid of Dalton.

(08-20-2020, 02:32 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: I don't think it was an intentional tank, but I do think there was a point in the season where the coaches knew the season was lost so they put in guys to see what they had knowing they wouldn't help win further games. I think the only game that they may have "wanted" to lose was the Miami game in order to ensure the #1 pick.

Yeah, I think it is a little bit of us just sucking and once we saw that #1 pick was in reach and Taylor was seeing what 
Burrow was doing he did just enough for us get the pick. All of us wanted to lose that Miami game to get the #1 pick
from what I remember, maybe Zac wanted the same is all I am saying.

I don't know if it's considered tanking, but I think the whole season was looked at as an evaluation season to determine which direction the team was going to go. And after the evaluation, it appears a good number of players did not make the cut, so to say, as far as the new team. If you were a poor or unwilling tackler, you were shown the door.

(08-20-2020, 03:43 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I don't know if it's considered tanking, but I think the whole season was looked at as an evaluation season to determine which direction the team was going to go. And after the evaluation, it appears a good number of players did not make the cut, so to say, as far as the new team. If you were a poor or unwilling tackler, you were shown the door.

Looking back, I agree with this. Sure looks that way.

A better question is if we were taking last year, how many losses do we get this year before we start tanking again?

There’s a difference between tanking and trying to figure out who you want to keep next season when you have no chance of winning anything in the current season. New coaching staff that was hired late in the offseason and new schemes, they have to see which players fit what they want to do. They were actually preparing for this season, late last season.

(08-20-2020, 02:30 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: No, we were just bad.

No team goes into a season purposely tanking, and especially would not with a first year new coach.

And had we decideed to tank mid season, Dalton wouldve been pulled earlier in the year, and he wouldn't have returned.

Did it look like we were tanking against Miami?  We went out of our way to try to come back and win that game.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the  top pick already sewn up by the Miami game?

(08-20-2020, 03:43 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I don't know if it's considered tanking, but I think the whole season was looked at as an evaluation season to determine which direction the team was going to go. And after the evaluation, it appears a good number of players did not make the cut, so to say, as far as the new team. If you were a poor or unwilling tackler, you were shown the door.

I guarantee you it didn't start that way.  That team was not built in mind to "evaluate".  The team was already facing serious attendance issues and was trying to sell the fanbase on a brand new coach.

It may have turned into an evaluation, but that is the case for any losing team.  When you're start out 0 for whatever, you better start evaluating how you're going to fix the roster, and who you want to keep around to do it.

I'm sorry, these statements strike me as the laziest of excuses.  This team went into last season wanting to win as much possible, just like every other team.  Just because they ended up stinking people now chalk it up to them evaluating their roster.

IMHO, it's pure bs.

(08-20-2020, 06:07 PM)McC Wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the  top pick already sewn up by the Miami game?

No, I don't think it was yet.  Had we won the last two and Dolphins, Lions, and the Redskins lost the last two, then I think we would have all sat at 3-13.  I'm pretty sure tie-breakers were still up in the air.

We were definitely the odds on favorite.  But I definitely remember discussions about needing to lose that game to make sure we had the #1 pick secured.  I can remember the "Bungle for Burrow complete..." posts all over the internet.

(08-20-2020, 06:27 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: No, I don't think it was yet.  Had we won the last two and Dolphins, Lions, and the Redskins lost the last two, then I think we would have all sat at 3-13.  I'm pretty sure tie-breakers were still up in the air.

We were definitely the odds on favorite.  But I definitely remember discussions about needing to lose that game to make sure we had the #1 pick secured.  I can remember the "Bungle for Burrow complete..." posts all over the internet.

That’s right. If the Bengals win the Miami game and finish 3-13, Washington gets the #1 pick.

(08-20-2020, 02:42 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote: Had we been 4-4 or 3-5 at the midway point AJ and Jonah could have came back potentially.  we handled jets and browns quite convincingly. We find a way to lose in week 17 if we win against Dolphins IMO. Taylor was never a fan of Dalton it's like he was set up to fail. Mike liked Dalton quite a bit. So this was taylor's way of getting rid of Dalton.

What evidence can u present that Taylor was not a fan?

(08-20-2020, 02:42 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote:  Taylor was never a fan of Dalton it's like he was set up to fail. Mike liked Dalton quite a bit. So this was taylor's way of getting rid of Dalton.

Actually aliens were using mind control beams to scramble Taylor's brain so that he could not think clearly.

So let me get this straight.

If we were trying to lose then the change in the run blocking scheme was supposed to make use WORSE instead of better? And the same with cutting Preston Brown? And moving dalton back into the starting line up?

Basically anyone claiming we were tanking last year will have to admit that Taylor is so clueless he does not even know how to lose on purpose.

We played our best ball in the 2nd half of the season last year. So no I don't think we were tanking last season. We were unlucky last season.