(12-25-2023, 12:09 PM)samhain Wrote: My view is this and I don't think it's controversial:

The Bengals are built to go on deep AFC playoff runs if health is reasonably intact. Their best players are elite offensive skill guys that beat defenses by being just plain better athletes with a hyper-processing qb distributing the ball. The defense is (was) built to limit big plays while the offense scores fast. This plays beautifully vs the Buffalos ad KCs. It works against the teams you play in January, ie the ones you need to get past to make it to the big game.

Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't work against division rivals. Every team in this division that's not the Bengals is built to slow down games. They suffocate offenses with elite pass rushing DLs and in turn beat up defenses in the run game. It's hard to get big leads against teams that do those things well, and all 3 teams that rival us seem to execute that as well as any in the league. In short, they make other teams play their game.

This isn't to say that talent doesn't win out. The Bengals have imposed their will on Baltimore and Pittsburgh in seasons when health is more in our favor and those teams were going through similar identity issues to our current ones. The Browns are confounding. I can't explain that shit.

This division eats it's own. Whoever makes it out alive is going to be maimed in the process. Look at our o-line after playing the Ravens twice in a row last year. That was some shit luck. If that doesn't go down that way and we go into KC with Cappa and Jonah, we might have had a Lombardi in Cincinnati. It cuts both ways. I don't see the Browns getting far in the playoffs. The Ravens are better built for it, but the flaws are there. An intact Bengals roster going into the wild card round is scarier than either team to opponents outside of the division.

(12-25-2023, 01:00 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Well thought out. Baltimore/Lamar is healthy this year and weren’t the previous 2 years. Funny how that works. This team looked solid against SF & the Bills and took the lead on the Ravens when Joe went down. And about that time Volson in particular and the entire OL started playing better and we were more successful in the run game finally. The defense was playing better. The AFC is brutal and our division for sure. Thinking it was a repeat of 21 & 22 shouldn’t have been a foregone conclusion especially with our slow start. I realize a few on here are impatient with their Super Bowl obsession but as KC & Buffalo are finding out this year too winning is hard.

(12-25-2023, 02:36 PM)PCB Bengal Fan Wrote: The Ravens were healthy the 1st game 2 years ago & we stomped them, they were decimated the 2nd game & we stomped them & that's all the league would talk about, the injuries.

(12-25-2023, 11:54 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Yep, Madden was scum too.

(12-25-2023, 12:09 PM)samhain Wrote: My view is this and I don't think it's controversial:

The Bengals are built to go on deep AFC playoff runs if health is reasonably intact. Their best players are elite offensive skill guys that beat defenses by being just plain better athletes with a hyper-processing qb distributing the ball.  The defense is (was) built to limit big plays while the offense scores fast.  This plays beautifully vs the Buffalos ad KCs.  It works against the teams you play in January, ie the ones you need to get past to make it to the big game.  

Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't work against division rivals.  Every team in this division that's not the Bengals is built to slow down games.  They suffocate offenses with elite pass rushing DLs and in turn beat up defenses in the run game.  It's hard to get big leads against teams that do those things well, and all 3 teams that rival us seem to execute that as well as any in the league.  In short, they make other teams play their game.

This isn't to say that talent doesn't win out.  The Bengals have imposed their will on Baltimore and Pittsburgh in seasons when health is more in our favor and those teams were going through similar identity issues to our current ones.  The Browns are confounding.  I can't explain that shit.  

This division eats it's own.  Whoever makes it out alive is going to be maimed in the process.  Look at our o-line after playing the Ravens twice in a row last year.  That was some shit luck.  If that doesn't go down that way and we go into KC with Cappa and Jonah, we might have had a Lombardi in Cincinnati.  It cuts both ways.  I don't see the Browns getting far in the playoffs.  The Ravens are better built for it, but the flaws are there.  An intact Bengals roster going into the wild card round is scarier than either team to opponents outside of the division.

(12-25-2023, 03:55 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: Good, I am glad you are consistent, but it bothers me that you gave Knoll and Cowher a pass.

(12-25-2023, 03:59 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: Let's hope the Ravens and Steelers destroy each other in the last week of the season. 

(12-26-2023, 03:21 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Can you imagine Lamar finally heading into the postseason healthy for the first time since 2020 only to injure himself in the last regular season game of the season?

(12-25-2023, 03:59 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: Let's hope the Ravens and Steelers destroy each other in the last week of the season. 

(12-25-2023, 03:55 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: Good, I am glad you are consistent, but it bothers me that you gave Knoll and Cowher a pass.

(12-27-2023, 09:21 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I really do not know much about Knoll and it goes without saying Cower is scum and always has been. Coaches that have their players go out and purposely injure opponents with cheap and dirty shots should be lifetime banned (looking at you out there in Denver coach)

(12-24-2023, 12:28 PM)Science Friction Wrote: Sounds like the opening line to a joke that is awaiting a punchline, doesn't it?  Some man by the name of "Chick" was on WLW late last night talking Bengals football. Btw, I don't know who in the hell Chick is. I live in southern KY and don't listen to guys like Chick much. But Chick posed this somewhat odd question to his listeners:

Chick asked, "If Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, and Zac Taylor were all three in a pitch dark room, who would walk out first, who would be second, and who would be the last out ?" Now, I'm not even sure what Chick meant by his question but I took it as which coach is the best. In other words, which coach is the smartest to find his way out of the room. I guess the question could also be interpreted as , if three men were in a dark room, who would get scared the easiest and want to leave the room first. That's not the way I interpreted it, though. I think he meant, who is the best coach, who is second best, and who is worst. Maybe I'm wrong, though. How do you interpret Chick's question and who do you think is first, second, and last to emerge from the room?

Btw, Chick's answer was:  Mike Tomlin emerges first, then Harbaugh, then Taylor.  I think I agree with Chick.