(08-11-2020, 03:03 AM)kevin Wrote: Last I read was no preseason.  If that is still the case, Bengals go into these games ice cold in Preseason Mode.

We see one problem that Bengals play Sunday and again on Thursday.  But then they don't play for 10 days.  

Now the Chargers come to Cincy from LA.  Then Bengals go to Cleveland.  That is a PLUS because Bengals never leave Ohio in travel. That will help 2 games in 5 days.

The games will be Preseason sloppy.  They would just have to be.  You can practice, but games are different. Plus Bengals are not a veteran Super Bowl type team, not even close.  They have had back to back awful seasons and are in total rebuilding mode in new head coach, new quarterback, new all over.

There are players that coaches need to see in game action off the bench just like Preseason.  It is not as hard as it sounds.  I watched Paul Brown with the 1968 expansion Bengals.  He did not mass substitute 1st string, 2nd string, because they were in Build Mode, worse than Re-Build Mode.  Paul Brown wanted to see what players did with the 1st string and he said you learn nothing about them on 2nd string only.  So Paul Brown would give players a chance to go in with the 1st string only 1 or 2 at a time, no more.  This could be a way to see different players with no Preseason.

Then there is fatigue which Jim Brown said even the best players get.  Fatigue will be high because these players are not stretched out to play 4 quarters with no Preseason. Players will have to come in off the bench.  Add in playing Sunday and Thursday. Subs will be needed. Look, in a rebuild, the coaches need to see all these players on the field and get some game film on them, see who can do what.  Every draft pick is just a guess.  Darts at a dart board on draft day.  They need some game reps.  The whole team will need some game reps.

So they will go in pretty sloppy like Preseason Game 1, except the score does count.  That is the giant problem coaches have.  I think it will be better for coaches in Week 3 and Bengals have 10 days after Week 2.  It could be playing 2 games in Ohio real fast may be a blessing in disguise. Get these 2 sloppy Preseason Mode games over with fast.  Any wins are a bonus.

So the one position you may question a sub is quarterback.  Plus rookie needs his reps.  He will find the NFL much faster, the defenses harder.  Plus the Bengals O Line may still be not so good early on.   It is not normal, but they may want to give the #2 QB some reps also, because Covid no preseason is not normal. The problem is over the years teams have tried going back and forth with QB's in game and it doesn't work.  It throws the timing way off too much. Dallas once tried changing QB every play, what a mess that was. Ohio State has changed QB every 2 series, but that is college, not NFL.  Not sure how or if they will get #2 QB a few game reps as in Preseason.

So I expect Bengals and all the NFL to look preseason sloppy the first 2 weeks and OK week 3.   Bengals in rebuild mode after 2 awful seasons makes it very hard on coaches to have no preseason.  THE GOOD NEWS is in the first 2 weeks, The Bengals never leave Ohio.  So travel not a big factor.  I'm not expecting miracles start of season.  It is a rebuild.  Much like Mean Machine Burt Reynolds said with little practice, " The main thing is protect the Superstar ".   So O Line, don't let Joe Heisman Burrow SUPERSTAR get hit on every play.  

To anybody already hoping for no wins and 2021 Draft, NO...Lets get some wins this year and start to see the rebuild taking shape on the field.  I always remember Forrest Gregg first year and team won 6 games but me and my friends could see Bengals were blocking better, tackling better.  This led to next year of Super Bowl...GO BENGALS.

(08-11-2020, 10:50 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Saw article yesterday if college football starts to collapse around us.. NFL is already looking at moving some games to Saturday.  I could see them move a team playing the following week on a Thurs to Saturday games the previous week.  So Bengals and Browns would play first game on Saturday giving extra day for Thursday game. 

(08-11-2020, 10:50 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Saw article yesterday if college football starts to collapse around us.. NFL is already looking at moving some games to Saturday.  I could see them move a team playing the following week on a Thurs to Saturday games the previous week.  So Bengals and Browns would play first game on Saturday giving extra day for Thursday game. 

(08-11-2020, 02:18 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Love the thought of Saturday games. Would prefer night games though. If they do this and it gets good ratings, I see them finding a way to stick with it. Saturday day games would suck. Wife would always have some sort of reason why we gotta do something and I would miss half the season.

(08-11-2020, 04:37 PM)Sled21 Wrote: With college football coming back whenever, and everything else going on Saturday nights, I think it's too much competition. They'll stick to Sundays and Thursdays where their only competition is NASCAR.

(08-11-2020, 10:50 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Saw article yesterday if college football starts to collapse around us.. NFL is already looking at moving some games to Saturday.  I could see them move a team playing the following week on a Thurs to Saturday games the previous week.  So Bengals and Browns would play first game on Saturday giving extra day for Thursday game.