1 Joe Burrow he is playing better every week.
2 31st ranked schedule 2nd easiest schedule remaining
3 XSF He played good against Chargers Running game might improve with his return
4 Geno Run D might improve with his return
5 Competitive nobody is blowing us out. Most competent we have looked through 3 weeks since Marvin's 2nd to last season
6 We are playing better every week
7 No significant injuries
8 Extra playoff spot our poor start might not kill us and with Joe he gives us a chance
9 Improvement from rookies LB's seem to be improving along with Tee\
10 Lawson may have had his breakout game. He was beating Peters 1 on 1 no easy task.

Joe Burrow should attract good replacement coaches once the FO realizes ZT is in over his head.

13-2-1 baby!

Pass coverage seems improved.
Jonah Williams looks like best or second-best OL on the team already.
Reader appears to be a good FA signing.
Burrow has kept the team in games.
I don't see the Bengals being worst team in the league this year. I see the NY teams (at least) being the worst.

(09-29-2020, 04:36 PM)bengaloo Wrote: Joe Burrow should attract good replacement coaches once the FO realizes ZT is in over his head.

Good for you rushing in to prove that no expression of optimism will be tolerated under any circumstances in these parts.  How lucky are we?

(09-29-2020, 04:43 PM)McC Wrote: Good for you rushing in to prove that no expression of optimism will be tolerated under any circumstances in these parts.  How lucky are we?

I thought the OP said it well and there are reasons for optimism. I just added another point to it. Who woulnt want to coach Burrow? Maybe ZT gets it together, but as it is now, I'm more optimistic about the team than ZT's future here.

(09-29-2020, 04:31 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote: 1 Joe Burrow he is playing better every week.
2 31st ranked schedule 2nd easiest schedule remaining
3 XSF He played good against Chargers Running game might improve with his return
4 Geno Run D might improve with his return
5 Competitive nobody is blowing us out. Most competent we have looked through 3 weeks since Marvin's 2nd to last season
6 We are playing better every week
7 No significant injuries
8 Extra playoff spot our poor start might not kill us and with Joe he gives us a chance
9 Improvement from rookies LB's seem to be improving along with Tee\
10 Lawson may have had his breakout game. He was beating Peters 1 on 1 no easy task.

This all basically sums up to a whole lot of hope with not a lot substance. I can counter each one of your points with realistic counter points.

1. Burrow is getting beat up every week.
2. The team is winless against teams with losing records from last season and has zero wins against a team with a winning record since Taylor arrived.
3. RG has been poor no matter who's been in there.
4. Geno has been injured and largely makes his mark by offenses having to account for him on passing plays. He's not a big run stuffer.
5. Since Talyor arrived, the Bengals have blown out no one, not even winless loser teams.
6. Better is relative given the competition. Tying a winless team still makes you winless.
7. The DT spot has been injury riddled so far this season.
8. There's no chance of the #4 team in a division making the playoffs. Bengals have already lost to the #3 team in their division, so they are solidly at #4.
9. Tackling issues continue, particularly in the running game. Being unable to stop the run is a mark of a team that will not win many games. This is historically true and still holds true.
10. Players flash here and there, but it's consistency and doing it together that the team hasn't been able to during Taylor's entire time with the team. Ross had a flash game last season, but has done little since.

 

In the last 15 years I can only imagine how many threads have this title or one just like it. It makes you sick to think about...

(09-29-2020, 05:05 PM)BengalChris Wrote: 9. Tackling issues continue, particularly in the running game. Being unable to stop the run is a mark of a team that will not win many games. This is historically true and still holds true.

 

2006 Colts won super Bowl with a run defense that ranked dead last in the league.

Last years SB champion Chiefs run defense ranked 26th.

2009 Sainst won SB with 1st ranked run defense.

(09-29-2020, 05:05 PM)BengalChris Wrote: This all basically sums up to a whole lot of hope with not a lot substance. I can counter each one of your points with realistic counter points.

1. Burrow is getting beat up every week.
2. The team is winless against teams with losing records from last season and has zero wins against a team with a winning record since Taylor arrived.
3. RG has been poor no matter who's been in there.
4. Geno has been injured and largely makes his mark by offenses having to account for him on passing plays. He's not a big run stuffer.
5. Since Talyor arrived, the Bengals have blown out no one, not even winless loser teams.
6. Better is relative given the competition. Tying a winless team still makes you winless.
7. The DT spot has been injury riddled so far this season.
8. There's no chance of the #4 team in a division making the playoffs. Bengals have already lost to the #3 team in their division, so they are solidly at #4.
9. Tackling issues continue, particularly in the running game. Being unable to stop the run is a mark of a team that will not win many games. This is historically true and still holds true.
10. Players flash here and there, but it's consistency and doing it together that the team hasn't been able to during Taylor's entire time with the team. Ross had a flash game last season, but has done little since.

 

I agree 100% That is exactly what's wrong most with this team and fanbase. There are no moral victories!

(09-29-2020, 05:16 PM)fredtoast Wrote: 2006 Colts won super Bowl with a run defense that ranked dead last in the league.

Last years SB champion Chiefs run defense ranked 26th.

2009 Sainst won SB with 1st ranked run defense.

Outliers do exist in any statistical observation. Doesn't change anythinig.

 

(09-29-2020, 04:43 PM)McC Wrote: Good for you rushing in to prove that no expression of optimism will be tolerated under any circumstances in these parts.  How lucky are we?

That sounds like actual optimism to me. If you're going to get annoyed any time people doubt a 2-16-1 HC you're treading a rough path.

(09-29-2020, 05:05 PM)BengalChris Wrote: 8. There's no chance of the #4 team in a division making the playoffs. Bengals have already lost to the #3 team in their division, so they are solidly at #4.

Just last year HALF of the teams that made the playoffs lost to the third place team in their own division (Ravens, Texans, Vikings, Seahawks, Titans, Bills)

(09-29-2020, 05:17 PM)Tony Wrote: I agree 100% That is exactly what's wrong most with this team and fanbase. There are no moral victories!

Yep! To a player, a real player, there's no such thing as moral victories. You've won or you've lost. Those who are happy with losses continue to have them.

 

(09-29-2020, 05:28 PM)BengalChris Wrote: Outliers do exist in any statistical observation. Doesn't change anythinig.

Those are just Super Bowl Champions.

Last year almost half of the teams that made the playoffs finished n the bottom half of the league in run defense (Chiefs, Packers, Seahawks, Forty-niners, Texans)

(09-29-2020, 05:30 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Just last year HALF of the teams that made the playoffs lost to the third place team in their own division (Ravens, Texans, Vikings, Seahawks, Titans, Bills)

Yes, but they weren't 4th place teams were they? Last I looked the Bengals were the 4th (last) place team in their division. In fact, they've been the 4th place team in their division since Taylor arrived, and after every game since. Look that stat up! How many teams have been in 4th (last) place in their division for 19 straight weeks over the past two years?

 

(09-29-2020, 05:37 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Those are just Super Bowl Champions.

Last year almost half of the teams that made the playoffs finished n the bottom half of the league in run defense (Chiefs, Packers, Seahawks, Forty-niners, Texans)

Dude! You keep deliberately missing the point.

 

(09-29-2020, 05:16 PM)fredtoast Wrote: 2006 Colts won super Bowl with a run defense that ranked dead last in the league.

Last years SB champion Chiefs run defense ranked 26th.

2009 Sainst won SB with 1st ranked run defense.

When you're blowing your opponent out by multiple scores, do you really care about giving up yards if you can keep them from scoring points? Playing run D from behind is a lot different than playing run D 3 scores up JMHO. 

(09-29-2020, 05:44 PM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: When you're blowing your opponent out by multiple scores, do you really care about giving up yards if you can keep them from scoring points? Playing run D from behind is a lot different than playing run D 3 scores up JMHO. 

When you are blowing out other teams they don't run against you.  They have to throw to play catch up.  So that would make your run defense stats look BETTER not worse.

(09-29-2020, 05:41 PM)BengalChris Wrote: Dude! You keep deliberately missing the point.

 

No I don't.  I am just proving you are wrong.

If teams that have problems stopping the run can't win then a bunch of teams in the bottom half of the league in run defense would not be making the playoffs.