(01-04-2021, 08:13 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: 1)  Not a comment to the OP specifically, but in general about some posters/fans.

2)  No, I'm asking for actual positives.  Not "hope", and not a Twitter endorsement in a business context.  I want actual positives.  I want to know why I should be truly optimistic.  

1. We'll just disagree that there's folks around here saying you should love Zac

2. OP did give actual positives. 

(01-04-2021, 06:57 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: LOL yes, I was hired by the Bengals to join a message board on their website, and then move to this site in 2015 all to wait for ZT to have two bad years.  

7+ years in, still an intern not gettin paid.  But the library has internet, so it's all good.

Not you.

(01-04-2021, 08:17 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Yep.  Looks like we made it!!



or...

Fool's Gold and Mikey fell for it. Taylor retained! Steelers still win the division and going to the playoffs! Well played Pittsburgh, WELL PLAYED!

(01-04-2021, 07:20 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: So then back to my question:  what has Zac shown in terms of progress that gives one hope for next season?  

Absolutely nothing. To bring Zac Taylor back even after last year was a gutless decision. The Front Office made a colossal mistake in hiring Doogie in the first place but no way will they ever admit it. Instead of doing the mature thing and admitting a mistake they are doubling down on failure. This is the 1990s all over again.

(01-04-2021, 08:17 PM)bfine32 Wrote: 1. We'll just disagree that there's folks around here saying you should love Zac

2. OP did give actual positives. 

So we'll ignore point number 1 and just go straight for 2.  Let's see what the OP had as far as positives...

1) Consistency - Heh, we have consistency all right.  Consistently sucking, but it's consistent! 


2) Zac has been calling good games - Maybe?  Not sure I can really stand behind that, seeing how the offense ranked through the year, the lack of or terrible halftime adjustments and the fact that it appears the team simply stumbled into a couple of wins at the end of the year.  I guess you could say time will tell if he's improving on that front, but the sample size of 32 games and 6 wins among them doesn't seem to indicate he's calling good games.  

3) Comparing an NBA record (in a 72 game season) to an NFL record with 16 games - Hmm, okay.  But what I really see from that comment is that fans of even the Sacramento Kings (who aren't lighting the world on fire) demand more of their team than Bengals fans.

4) Don't compare Gase and Taylor - I don't know why not.  Gase won 10 games his first year as a HC.  But we have to give Taylor at least 3 years to hit .500 because he's new?  

5) Let's be optimistic about the draft and FA - We can be, but both are unknowns and have zero to do with Zac being retained as the HC. 


So when I look at that list, I don't really see anything that stands out to me as a reason to be optimistic other than that I hope for the best for this team.  Which is why I don't like Zac.  I don't think he can bring this team even close to the best it can be.  

(01-04-2021, 08:24 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: Fool's Gold and Mikey fell for it. Taylor retained! Steelers still win the division and going to the playoffs! Well played Pittsburgh, WELL PLAYED!

I've been told Fool's Gold is a good thing. 

(01-04-2021, 08:27 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Absolutely nothing. To bring Zac Taylor back even after last year was a gutless decision.  The Front Office made a colossal mistake in hiring Doogie in the first place but no way will they ever admit it.  Instead of doing the mature thing and admitting a mistake they are doubling down on failure.  This is the 1990s all over again.

What really gets me is that they were so exhausted from the last HC search.

Okay. Hiring a football coach ain't your thang.

I mean Mike hasn't had to hire one for 16 years since Marvin walked in his door.


FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HIRE A FOOTBALL PERSON/GM TO ACTUALLY DO THE DAMN THING FOR YOU!!

Bunch of lazy arrogant ass clowns.

(01-04-2021, 08:30 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: So we'll ignore point number 1 and just go straight for 2.  Let's see what the OP had as far as positives...

1) Consistency - Heh, we have consistency all right.  Consistently sucking, but it's consistent! 


2) Zac has been calling good games - Maybe?  Not sure I can really stand behind that, seeing how the offense ranked through the year, the lack of or terrible halftime adjustments and the fact that it appears the team simply stumbled into a couple of wins at the end of the year.  I guess you could say time will tell if he's improving on that front, but the sample size of 32 games and 6 wins among them doesn't seem to indicate he's calling good games.  

3) Comparing an NBA record (in a 72 game season) to an NFL record with 16 games - Hmm, okay.  But what I really see from that comment is that fans of even the Sacramento Kings (who aren't lighting the world on fire) demand more of their team than Bengals fans.

4) Don't compare Gase and Taylor - I don't know why not.  Gase won 10 games his first year as a HC.  But we have to give Taylor at least 3 years to hit .500 because he's new?  

5) Let's be optimistic about the draft and FA - We can be, but both are unknowns and have zero to do with Zac being retained as the HC. 


So when I look at that list, I don't really see anything that stands out to me as a reason to be optimistic other than that I hope for the best for this team.  Which is why I don't like Zac.  I don't think he can bring this team even close to the best it can be.  

Young team stars have publicly pledged their support

Managed to win games this year with 2-3 string players

FO pledging to be active in FA

It's only been 2 years.


I guess if youdon't want to see positives in the OP, you won't

(01-04-2021, 08:13 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: 1)  Not a comment to the OP specifically, but in general about some posters/fans.

2)  No, I'm asking for actual positives.  Not "hope", and not a Twitter endorsement in a business context.  I want actual positives.  I want to know why I should be truly optimistic.  

We get high draft picks.  
Like a train wreck its kind of fun after a while to see how bad it can get.
Strong foundation.

Since 1968 I have always been in for the ride. And what a ride it has been! Not ready to jump from this roller coaster as it has given me great moments (as well as sadness). Who Dey!

"Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And
Always look on the bright side of life"

(01-04-2021, 08:31 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I've been told Fool's Gold is a good thing. 

It is if you're in the market for pyrite.

Player publically show support for HC:

They're expected to do that, they really don't feel that way, but what do you expect

HC publicly shows support for staff:

What an f-ing idiot.

(01-04-2021, 08:38 PM)Chezaugie Wrote: Since 1968 I have always been in for the ride. And what a ride it has been! Not ready to jump from this roller coaster as it has given me great moments (as well as sadness). Who Dey!

"Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And
Always look on the bright side of life"

This feels like Americana.

(01-04-2021, 08:47 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: This feels like Americana.

I’m happy for those of you who are optimistic. Hopefully you all end up being right and can throw a big fat, “I told you so” in my face next season. That would be awesome. The kind of patience and understanding you guys are expecting everyone to have is reserved for franchises with better track records than our beloved Bengals. As it is right now, if after the wildcard win in 1990 the Bengals hired 5 year old me to a 30 year contract as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, I can 100% guarantee you that I would have as many playoff victories as all of our coaches combined in that time span. This is the only team I can say that about. That’s not a track record that has earned patience when it comes to keeping around a coach that has managed 6 wins in 2 years while allowing veteran players to become disgruntled and allowing the future of the franchise to get destroyed behind a terrible offensive line.

(01-04-2021, 07:57 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: You sir have been conditioned. 8-8 in a head coaches third year is NOT a major step forward. PERIOD! 8-8 would not get you a playoff spot in our division. PERIOD. As much as I hate the Steelers, they are the gold standard in our division. Ask ANY Steelers fan if they would be happy in ANY season going 8-8. PERIOD.

This this this....

8 wins next year? Get the **** outta here! It should be playoffs or gone, but quite frankly he should've been gone last year.

(01-04-2021, 08:36 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Young team stars have publicly pledged their support

Managed to win games this year with 2-3 string players

FO pledging to be active in FA

It's only been 2 years.


I guess if youdon't want to see positives in the OP, you won't

We don't win enough games to have stars. That's why the best free safety in the game isn't in the pro bowl.

We did manage to win 2 games with some second and third stringers starting. We were also pummeled in several games... Full strength or not.

Remains to be seen, but last off season was a positive.

How many years is this supposed to take?

The bottom line for me - when you haven't won a playoff game in 30 years, have 5 straight losing seasons and 7 total wins in your last 40 games as a franchise - there should be zero room for patience, complacency or acceptance. This front office has a level of comfortability with failure that is truly mind boggling at times. 

(01-04-2021, 07:12 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Let's talk about halftime adjustments.  They averaged 3.3 points in the 3rd quarter this season.  They finished in 31st place for 3rd quarter scoring.  If the offense was making positive adjustments at halftime, wouldn't that point total have been higher?  They averaged 3.8 points in the 1st quarter this year (26th place), so not great by any stretch, but a definite decline after halftime.  

Beat me to it!  You can't use the name Zac Taylor and halftime adjustments in the same sentence.  Facts are facts and the Bengals were horrible in the 3rd quarter.

(01-04-2021, 09:28 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: The bottom line for me - when you haven't won a playoff game in 30 years, have 5 straight losing seasons and 7 total wins in your last 40 games as a franchise - there should be zero room for patience, complacency or acceptance. This front office has a certain level of comfortability with failure that is truly mind boggling at times. 

Right.

I also want to see a sense of urgency to get the most of Joe Burrow in his rookie contract.

Just like they should have tried to get over the hump in those playoff years but sat on their hands to make necessary adds/changes.

It's just so frustrating.