(06-01-2023, 02:53 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: You are much more optomistic than me lol 

Anyone who lists our secondary as an asset I would say is on meth haha. I actually think its a huge liability going into the season. Weakness, maybe not...but def a liability. I think our safties covered up a lot of mistakes by our DBs last year. 

I mean we def have more than a shot to win the Super Bowl, but I would start with our division first. I think pretty much every team is improved. 

(06-01-2023, 04:58 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: KC has issues at LT. The secondary is a legitimate concern for us. But other than that we’ve improved our 2 biggest areas of concern…. Depth and OL. We came within a whisker of returning to the SB. I really think this offense takes flight with the ability to do more with better protection.

(06-01-2023, 02:09 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Every other team that lost to the 49ers in the SB those years got trounced too. We actually played them really tough unlike everyone else.

Would love to get the big damn monkey off our back and beat the 49ers in the SB...

But I actually like TKUHL's thought on the Lions. It sounds out there, but that team is on the up and up. Good coach who has his guys 
playing every team tough, they are young and been through a ton as a franchise.

(06-02-2023, 01:36 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: With Lou Anarumo still here I don't find the secondary to be nearly as big of a concern. There will be growing pains with Dax and Scott I 
am sure, but it should get ironed out eventually by the 3rd or 4th game. The Offense should be able to carry us through that stretch with 
the upgraded OL. Now if we lost Anarumo I would be right with you guys in saying the secondary is a legitimate concern.

We could very well end up being much better in the Secondary this year with Awuzie being healthy and CTB growing as a player in his 
sophomore season. Dax Hill's upside is crazy high, same with DJ Turner who I think is more pro ready than CTB coming into the league.

Spot on about KC and their LT issue. Taylor isn't a LT, just watch, he will get beat a lot from pass rushers and Mahomes will be feeling it.

(06-02-2023, 04:30 PM)3wt Wrote: Totally plausible Nate.   They were tough last year and had a really nice draft.

It's going to be a fun year!

(06-02-2023, 05:11 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Our secondary likelihood of being better is unlikely. Lou is overrated as a secondary coach…. Oh he’s incredible but he had 2 veterans at safety that also were very knowledgeable in his system. It’s not really fair to 3 new starters. Doesn’t mean they won’t be capable even with their upsides. And I agree with your optimism. Just don’t think it’s realistic. Next year maybe.

(05-31-2023, 10:21 PM)Wyche Wrote: Man ....the way this team has exorcised most of the franchise's demons, if we get SF in the SB it's destiny. We will win.

(06-02-2023, 05:20 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: It is. The Lions should only get better this year, same as us. Great times to be a Bengals fan though for damn sure, we got Burrow and 
our roster is way deeper than last year where we were a breath away from another shot at a Superbowl. This year we know we can beat
every team in the stacked AFC as we got the Bills number in the Playoffs, we match up really well against them and the Chiefs.




Disagree completely on Lou being overrated as a Secondary coach, just the opposite. Underrated.

2 new starters at Safety BTW and Dax Hill is as talented as a Safety could be and Nick Scott has valuable experience as I said and 
Lou picked him for a reason over others. He is smart, same as the guys who left. There will be growing pains with these 2 but these
guys will learn and we are so much faster in the Secondary this year with the guys we brought in.

We weren't that great last year, don't know how it is unrealistic for us to not be better this year.

(06-02-2023, 05:53 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: You missed the part where I said he was incredible. Just mean with 3 new starters and 2 very inexperienced he can’t be expected to be a super hero. I think he’s overrated here that he can be a miracle worker. I expect us to be good eventually. I agreed with your optimism on the upside. I just don’t think it’s realistic to think there won’t be some droppoff.

(06-02-2023, 06:12 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Cool, I mean we were pretty pedestrian last year. Were we even a top 10 Secondary?

This is with Bates and Bell. CTB should get much better this year, Chido being back healthy etc.

Who is the 3rd new starter? CTB started last year, so did Hilton, so did Chido...

Early on, I expect struggles with the new Safeties like I said, but by mid season we could be better and I don't find it unrealistic.

Dax Hill was a much better prospect in my eyes than Bates and I wanted us to draft Bates before we did.

Battle could be a stud if Nick Scott isn't the answer. Love watching Battle's film, he can be a ballhawk, great instincts and lays the wood like
Bell but is much bigger. This isn't even mentioning DJ Turner who I think is much more pro ready than CTB was coming in. We have to have
one of if not the fastest Secondary's in the league with these additions and the loss of Bell even if I loved the guy.

(06-02-2023, 06:44 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: 3 new starters from the start of last year. CTB got lots of work but he’s still very inexperienced.

(05-31-2023, 07:29 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I saw Brock Purdy in person several times in Norman. I saw him a lot on TV he definitely has some moxie and QB savvy. But he’s plenty hot and cold. When he stinks it up it’s a doozy. I don’t think they are good enough at QB. And if he gets hurt worse.

Glad somebody remembered ? https://t.co/XlLPdjA4Zk

— TEEHIGGINSMOM #5 ✋?? (@adizlady) June 9, 2023

(05-31-2023, 05:50 PM)pally Wrote: From the same article, some other predictions

93. Joe Burrow will do something cool with his contract so the Bengals can re-sign all of his wide receiver friends

Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins are not long for Cincinnati, unless the Tiger King includes some wild provision that slides some of his contractual windfall toward his teammates so the Bengals can continue their stranglehold on the AFC North. I’m not saying it’s right, but I’m saying it might be a subtly Joe Cool thing for Burrow to do.

98. Ja’Marr Chase will win Offensive Player of the Year

If you think about it, this award has such a narrow scope. At the beginning of any season, someone could reasonably assume that anyone on offense could win this award. But really, it’s a select list of offensive players whose functioning is essential to the system, who can put up a large enough statistical sample size to impress voters. That leaves Chase, Justin Jefferson (who we may assume will see a slight decline in production given the addition of another first-round pick at the position, and defenses generally being sick of getting demolished by him), Cooper Kupp, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and a small handful of others. Given that we are projecting Burrow’s production to continue skyward, so, too, will Chase’s.

100. Joe Burrow will win his first MVP award

En route to a second Super Bowl appearance in three years, Burrow’s greatness will finally be recognized by the voters. He will throw for 40 touchdowns and lead the Bengals to a 13-win season. Buoyed by his contract extension, which will come in at a $55 million average per year, Burrow will start working his way into statue territory in Cincinnati.

(06-01-2023, 02:53 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: You are much more optomistic than me lol 

Anyone who lists our secondary as an asset I would say is on meth haha. I actually think its a huge liability going into the season. Weakness, maybe not...but def a liability. I think our safties covered up a lot of mistakes by our DBs last year. 

(06-10-2023, 10:39 PM)casear2727 Wrote: I'd like to see examples of all that cover-up.   Bates gave up the 1st TD vs KC in the AFCCG and then left Hilton out to dry leaving his spot for the second TD.  Our boundary CBs actually played quite well.  Hilton became a liability in the passing game, Bell was never a speedster or a great deep guy, and Bates is not the ball hawk that many outside of our fanbase think he is.  Chido was excellent, CBT came on strong, he and Apple had outstanding games in the AFCCG.