I have been thinking a lot about why so many Bengal fans are so negative. I think it has a lot to do with how old they are. I have seen things with my own eyes that a lot of people here could never imagine.

I first became a Bengal fan in 1973. We were a very good team back then. We won at least 10 games three of four years and went to the playoffs twice.

In 1981 I saw a Bengal team that had only won 14 games in the previous 3 seasons go to the Super Bowl. Our head coach had a 24-33 career record and had never made the playoffs. Our QB was 32 years old and in a four year slump where he had only won 20 games in 52 starts; thrown 16 more picks (56) than tds (43): and compiled a 69.1 passer rating. There was no hope for that team.

In 1988 I saw a Bengal team coming off a 4 win season go to the Super Bowl. Our head coach was 29-34 and had never made the playoffs. We had one of the best young QBs in the league, but he had suffered a serious slump in his fourth season. After throwing 51 tds in '85 and '86 he threw just 16 in '87. And worst of all he was throwing more and more picks every year (12 in '85, 17 in '86, and 19 in '87).


So if some of you think I am crazy to believe in Bengal magic, you have to realize that I have seen it happen. I think we have a decent shot to go to the Super Bowl if we can just improve our run defense.

(10-29-2015, 08:49 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I have been thinking a lot about why so many Bengal fans are so negative.  I think it has a lot to do with how old they are.  I have seen things with my own eyes that a lot of people here could never imagine.

I first became a Bengal fan in 1973.  We were a very good team back then.  We won at least 10 games three of four years and went to the playoffs twice.

In 1981 I saw a Bengal team that had only won 14 games in the previous 3 seasons go to the Super Bowl.  Our head coach had a 24-33 career record and had never made the playoffs.  Our QB was 32 years old and in a four year slump where he had only won 20 games in 52 starts; thrown 16 more picks (56) than tds (43): and compiled a 69.1 passer rating.  There was no hope for that team.

In 1988 I saw a Bengal team coming off a 4 win season go to the Super Bowl.  Our head coach was 29-34 and had never made the playoffs.  We had one of the best young QBs in the league, but he had suffered a serious slump in his fourth season.  After throwing 51 tds in '85 and '86 he threw just 16 in '87.  And worst of all he was throwing more and more picks every year (12 in '85, 17 in '86, and 19 in '87).


So if some of you think I am crazy to believe in Bengal magic, you have to realize that I have seen it happen.  I think we have a decent shot to go to the Super Bowl if we can just improve our run defense.

This and staying healthy can leave us playing in February.

(10-29-2015, 08:51 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: This and staying healthy can leave us playing in February.

I'll throw in turnovers and tackling as well.

Taking advantage of opportunity, when it arises, is a huge part in going the distance.

New England in Foxboro is the only thing standing in our way, and it's a pretty big thing. Must get home field over NE.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2015/10/29/9634552/2015-nfl-playoff-odds-week-8-too-close-for-comfort

It would seem the odds makers agree.

(10-29-2015, 08:49 PM)fredtoast Wrote:  I have seen things with my own eyes that a lot of people here could never imagine.

(10-29-2015, 09:25 PM)GodFather Wrote:

 

(10-29-2015, 08:57 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: I'll throw in turnovers and tackling as well.

you mean generate more from the defense? cause the offense has been pretty good with the ball so far this season.

I've seen a lot of inappropriate things with my own eyes

(10-29-2015, 09:05 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Taking advantage of opportunity, when it arises, is a huge part in going the distance.

Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course

He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's going the distance, yeah

To your original point, I do think much of the negativity rises from the past. There is still a great deal of animosity among much of the fan base when it comes to the Brown family, especially Mike. My hope is that as he takes less and less of an active role, that will diminish.

I think that what we as fans must realize is that many of the older thought processes that effect us don't even occur to the modern players. This team is not afraid of the Steelers or Ravens. They don't give a thought as to what happened in the 90's, as most of them were in primary school. Many of them don't remember the frequent contract hold outs, or the reputation for being overly cheap. I think that many fans, myself included at times, could do well to finally let the past go. It is gone, there is no way to change it... realize that what we do have is a well run, extremely competitive football team right now, today.

(10-30-2015, 08:25 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: you mean generate more from the defense? cause the offense has been pretty good with the ball so far this season.

The offense has been darn good. However, the defense has left far too many plays on the field.

Cut Mikey a break. No matter how much you might want to think he has no control over the team day to day, week to week and so on he's still the team owner and never sold the naming rights to PBS and owns an undefeated team that has been to the playoffs 4 years in a row. If he wanted to he could still bench Dalton, sign Mallett and completely sink the team and there really wouldn't be much anyone could do about it other than maybe have a mass suicide in PBS. Admittedly nobody is going to want to rename Paul Brown Stadium to Mike Brown Stadium and I've given up on the hope that you'll all chip in to build a giant golden statue of Mikey on fountain square and local mothers won't name their sons Mike Brown [insert last name], but he did bring in people who know how to run a football team.

(10-29-2015, 09:05 PM)Atomic Orange Wrote: New England in Foxboro is the only thing standing in our way, and it's a pretty big thing. Must get home field over NE

Irs going to be difficult but it may come down to each team's Bronco game....if we can pull out a win and they lose

1991-2003 still echoes in my mind, hence, my negativity. Yes, they've done a lot in the past few years to erase that but it's still a sore spot. I am getting over it though.

(10-30-2015, 11:12 AM)BengalFanInNJ Wrote: 1991-2003 still echoes in my mind, hence, my negativity. Yes, they've done a lot in the past few years to erase that but it's still a sore spot. I am getting over it though.

Everyone seems to forget that the Patriots almost had a lost decade too but they righted the ship and are the standard for excellence now. They had 7 seasons of horrible football.

1987 8-7
1988 9-7
1989 5-11
1990 1-15
1991 6-11
1992 2-14
1993 5-11

The Bengals are in the middle of an incredible run.

(10-30-2015, 10:46 AM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: I think that what we as fans must realize is that many of the older thought processes that effect us don't even occur to the modern players.  

They don't give a thought as to what happened in the 90's, as most of them were in primary school. 

Exactly.  The Bengals have not been an elite team the last 13 years under Marvin, but they have been far from a laughingstock.  They only have 3 losing seasons and one of those was 7-9.  They have made the playoffs half the seasons he has been here.

(10-30-2015, 12:11 PM)Cincybearcatfan Wrote: Everyone seems to forget that the Patriots almost had a lost decade too but they righted the ship and are the standard for excellence now. They had 7 seasons of horrible football.

1987 8-7
1988 9-7
1989 5-11
1990 1-15
1991 6-11
1992 2-14
1993 5-11

The Bengals are in the middle of an incredible run.

I would say that hopefully the Bengals are at the start of an incredible run.  The Patriots righted the ship by winning in the post season and by winning multiple Super Bowls.  Not to mention they have absolutely owned that division for more than a decade.  Hopefully this year is the start of post season success for this Bengals team.

(10-30-2015, 12:11 PM)Cincybearcatfan Wrote: Everyone seems to forget that the Patriots almost had a lost decade too but they righted the ship and are the standard for excellence now. They had 7 seasons of horrible football.

1987 8-7
1988 9-7
1989 5-11
1990 1-15
1991 6-11
1992 2-14
1993 5-11

The Bengals are in the middle of an incredible run.

I have a better example than that.  In the 8 seasons prior to 1972 the Pittsburgh Steelers only won 30 total games.  In the 8 seasons starting in 1972 they won 102 games including 4 Super Bowls.



In the 38 seasons before 1972 the Pittsburgh Steelers only had 7 winning years. In the 43 years since then they have only had 6 losing seasons. (The NFL season was only 14 games for 6 of those 8 years)