(12-23-2022, 04:52 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: What does winning a division title mean if we have super bowl aspirations? We all know this team can get to the super bowl. Why does it really matter?

Plus, going to jax or tennesse is a lot easier than facing LA, baltimore, or Miami in cincy

Ask any team fanbase who got to a super bowl. Do they remember a division title  or wild card spot? Sure, but that’s secondary to winning the conference championship.

I think of the 2021 bengals as afc champs, not afc north champs

(12-23-2022, 04:52 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: What does winning a division title mean if we have super bowl aspirations? We all know this team can get to the super bowl. Why does it really matter?

Plus, going to jax or tennesse is a lot easier than facing LA, baltimore, or Miami in cincy

Ask any team fanbase who got to a super bowl. Do they remember a division title or wild card spot? Sure, but that’s secondary to winning the conference championship.

I think of the 2021 bengals as afc champs, not afc north champs

Quote:We cannot lock up the division title before week 18 unless we win our next two games and Baltimore loses their next 2 games

(12-23-2022, 05:14 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: History is not on your side with going into playoffs as a Wlid Card.. only 10 teams since 1970 have made it to Super Bowl and there have been some good QBs not make it to Super Bowl on wild card teams... it is a much harder road winning 3 straight games especially all on the road... plus ive read enough about lost chemistry with sitting too many players... starters all the way till last game and if division is on the line, we know history says win the division not rest the starters. 

(12-23-2022, 05:27 PM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: But would you rather have the Bills come to us in the Divsional Round or go to the Bills in the Divisonal Round (because that is what is likely going to happen if we don’t get the 2 seed).

(12-23-2022, 05:40 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: History does not apply to this year. Nothing is written in stone

If the Ravens win the north, this is gonna be one of those weird years where the wild card teams are all better than the 3 and 4 seed. So you would say with a straight face that the Titans and jags are better than Chargers, dolphins, Ravens/bengals? Of course not. And I truly believe the dolphins and chargers are better than the ravens.

It’s a new year.

(12-23-2022, 05:44 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: The 5-seed may legitimately be as good as the 3-seed this year (could even argue better).

I don’t think the 5-seed is remotely better than the 2-seed. Hosting a powerhouse in the divisional round is a major edge.

(12-23-2022, 05:49 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Like I said, if the Ravens win the north, and subsequently, the 3rd seed, all of the wildcard teams will be superior to the 3 and 4 seed. It’s just a weird year

No wildcard team scares me more than the chargers though. I’d hate to see cincy face them in the first round with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack going up against Collins and Jonah

(12-23-2022, 05:48 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: if nothing is written in stone how can you say a division championship does not matter?

(12-23-2022, 05:53 PM)Synric Wrote: I hate Mike Williams vs the Bengals corners matchup. Really Mike Williams and Keenan Allen size are just to very bad matchups for the Bengals secondary.

(12-23-2022, 03:28 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: They have not locked up the division or the #2 seed yet. The #2 seed is guaranteed a home game in the divisonal round if they win in the wild card round, since the #1 seed will play the lowest of the advancing seeds, which cannot be the #2 seed.

Since the #2 seed is fully within our control to achieve (since we play the Bills and Ravens), I see no reason to rest starters until that seed is no longer within our control. Especially since the likely #3 seed in that scenario is the Buffalo Bills.

You mentioned that you believe there's little benefit to the #2 seed vs the #3 seed and I disagree. I have absolutely no interest in the Bengals traveling to Buffalo in the middle of January when they could easily be playing in several inches of snow or some other kind of adverse weather that Buffalo often gets this time of year. The #2 seed is still extremely important even though it no longer has a bye week.

And then, obviously, if KC loses 1 game, which they have almost done two weeks in a row now, we would be in control of the #1 seed.

We cannot lock up the division title before week 18 unless we win our next two games and Baltimore loses their next 2 games, which means we would have beaten the Bills which then means we'd be battling for the #2 seed. If we win our next 2 games, Buffalo could still get the #2 seed back if they beat New England in week 18, assuming they don't lose to the Bears this weekend.

So, basically, the only scenario where I see us resting our starters is in week 18 if the Ravens lose the next 2 games, the Bengals win their next two games, Buffalo loses their next 2 games and KC wins out. And we won't even know about that last item until, basically, kickoff week 18 if our game is a 4pm or 8pm game and KC's game is 1pm.

If we play in the same time slot as KC in week 18, I don't think there is any situation where we rest our starters at any point this season.

(12-23-2022, 03:29 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Can’t really afford to rest anyone early if the Ravens are only 1 game back headed into week 18

(12-23-2022, 03:30 PM)jason Wrote: What Herm Edwards said...

(12-23-2022, 05:55 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: That too. Plus Josh Palmer and their tight end are also very good. Of course you have to worry about Eckler out of the backfield

The chiefs scare me less than the chargers strictly because of match up problems

(12-23-2022, 05:44 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: The 5-seed may legitimately be as good as the 3-seed this year (could even argue better).

I don’t think the 5-seed is remotely better than the 2-seed. Hosting a powerhouse in the divisional round is a major edge.

(12-23-2022, 06:14 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Out of all of our possible opponents the Chargers and even the Jags our the teams I'd rather not play over the rest. Hey bear and Co. have been getting better all season. Sunshine with the Jags is looking more and more like an NFL QB every week.

(12-23-2022, 05:43 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: The bills scare me less than the chiefs. And the chiefs don’t scare me

You’re gonna have to beat these teams one way or the other

(12-23-2022, 06:20 PM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: Sure- but if you can play them at home vs at their place every team will take it at home.