(03-31-2019, 06:58 PM)Jakeypoo Wrote: 100% healthy maybe not but losing your starting QB, #1 Wr, and top Edge Rusher in one season is tough to over come. 

(03-31-2019, 06:33 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: And most importantly, they had a Top 5 line last year and should have atleast an above average one last year.

I really think Mayfield is the wild card. Will he turn into a great QB or will he just be average?

(03-31-2019, 06:19 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Steelers and Ravens have quality management and you'd have the think that they'll find the right mixes.

The Browns appeared to have stumbled upon the correct formula after being inept for years.

I think it's possible that we go 1-5 or 2-4 within our division.

We do play a last place schedule though. Some of the teams like the Raiders appear to have improved.

IF forced to pick a record now...I'd say 8-8.

Now, I think there is atleast some chance that the new staff falls flat and we win 4-5 games. I think those odds are fairly low.

(03-31-2019, 06:13 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I keep hearing the 4-1 before injuries thing. And it's possible that if healthy, we won 8-9 games last year.

But, the year before that...our roster was fairly similar and we won 7 games.

I guess I wouldn't bank on health making us a contender alone. With $50+ million cap space, why not clearly upgrade 2-3 positions?

(03-31-2019, 07:25 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I never bought the injury excuse last year. We won a few games by the skin of our teeth. The main reasons we lost was terrible defense (which was awful before injuries) and poor pass blocking. Hopefully Zac Taylor makes a big difference because our defensive personnel is probably worse.

(03-31-2019, 08:28 PM)Joelist Wrote: The reality last season was the OL looked early on like it was starting to gel, then injuries torpedoed it. The one Glenn had to play through slowed him down and losing Price for 5 games right when he was starting to get it hurt. Also remember Boling played hurt a lot of the year. Losing Eifert should not have been as bad as it was - that alone showed Lazor was not the guy as he seemed to have no good Plan B once his two TE concepts could not be used.

Defensively we looked awful all year - Marvin simply stanched some of the bleeding by going to more Man looks in the secondary. Once Andy got hurt it was all just pointless as Driskel is not NFL materiel.

Before the Andy injury you need to look at the losses and you see a lot of defensive failures (Pittsburgh, New Orleans, KC, Stains game 1 and Rats game 2 in particular). You also see us being decisively outcoached on the sidelines and schematically.

If all ZT accomplishes is get them out on the field ready to play and not lethargic and does not get constantly outcoached at game time we will be better.

(03-31-2019, 08:34 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Steelers lose Brown & Bell and they are projected 9 wins. If we lost those same two players there's no way we would be projected at 9. I get it, we are the Bengals but I'm so sick of this Steeler love fest the media has for Pitt. What have they done to convince anyone the teams not falling apart. Nothing.

(03-31-2019, 08:34 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Steelers lose Brown & Bell and they are projected 9 wins. If we lost those same two players there's no way we would be projected at 9. I get it, we are the Bengals but I'm so sick of this Steeler love fest the media has for Pitt. What have they done to convince anyone the teams not falling apart. Nothing.

(03-31-2019, 09:26 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Man, I’m getting almost as tired of hearing about the “first 4 games” as I have been about 2015 for the past few years...

We’re not the only team to deal with injuries. At some point the excuses need to stop, and we have to just admit we’re not a very good team. If a few injuries can totally derail the season then your depth is for shit.

Having Driskel as QB2 certainly cost us. We rely way too much on AJ. And counting on Eifert to be healthy is not very smart.

(03-31-2019, 08:41 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Tbf they hardly ever miss a beat when their players go down/leave. They just plug in the next guy up. Look at Conner last season. Ben is really the only player they can’t win without.

It will be interesting to see how JJSS does as a #1 though.

(03-31-2019, 09:35 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I hear ya.  It's hard to talk up the first 4 games and blame the bad season on injuries and still claim that we HAD to fire Marvin.

(03-31-2019, 09:35 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I hear ya.  It's hard to talk up the first 4 games and blame the bad season on injuries and still claim that we HAD to fire Marvin.

(03-31-2019, 08:37 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The offense was equally as bad against KC and NO. We scored 10 points against KC and 14 against NO. Not going to win many games with that kind of production.

Those teams hung a ton of points on most of their opponents all season. Some teams like LAR and NE could actually match their scoring though.

(03-31-2019, 09:26 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Man, I’m getting almost as tired of hearing about the “first 4 games” as I have been about 2015 for the past few years...

We’re not the only team to deal with injuries. At some point the excuses need to stop, and we have to just admit we’re not a very good team. If a few injuries can totally derail the season then your depth is for shit.

Having Driskel as QB2 certainly cost us. We rely way too much on AJ. And counting on Eifert to be healthy is not very smart.

(03-31-2019, 09:35 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I hear ya.  It's hard to talk up the first 4 games and blame the bad season on injuries and still claim that we HAD to fire Marvin.

(03-31-2019, 09:37 PM)jason Wrote: Honestly, I think JuJu is gonna thrive. He's a nice player man.

But you're spot on. Before Connor, DeAngelo Williams (who was supposed to be spent) would tear it up when Bell was suspended or injured. He goes down too, and some guy named Toussant ran all over us in the playoffs...

Sorry for referencing 2015 in my post. No mention of last September though...

(03-31-2019, 09:40 PM)Jakeypoo Wrote: We had to fire Marvin because of fan support more so than anything else.  With the way the defense finished last season and with all the injuries that happened to this team last year I felt he made a solid case for himself.