(01-03-2024, 04:26 PM)Goalpost Wrote: At this point, draft position, to me, means more than final record.

(01-03-2024, 04:17 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I understand Browns are giving their starters a week off to rest and also as important to avoid injuries.

Should we risk our core players playing Sunday to avoid a major injury that could impact the 2024 season?

I say hell yes, sit them, run vanilla offenses and defenses like a pre season game.

A win against a team not playing their starters gets a big time asterisk next to it, why risk it.

(01-03-2024, 04:36 PM)Nepa Wrote: The Browns are resting players because they are locked into the playoffs. The Bengals are out of the playoffs. Why would they rest players?  So they're refreshed to be able to sit and watch the playoffs?

And do you really want to lose to Jeff Driskell (!) and the Browns (!) in front of a home crowd, when the Browns are resting players? As it is, even with the Browns resting players, there is a chance the Bengals could lose. That would be a total embarrassment. Not to mention adding both a losing record and 0-6 in the division. Couldn't exact wear our Bengals' jerseys with pride if they end up being 0-6 in the division.

(01-03-2024, 04:39 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: lol @, "an asterisk for a game like this."

A game where one team is out of the playoffs and the other doesn't care what happens?

'cause people will remember this game in 3 months, right? (unless it is literally the game of the year in terms of excitement).

(01-03-2024, 04:30 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: ZT in his press conference reiterated (multiple times) that they are "playing to win the game".

They need to use this game as an evaluation tool for guys like Murphy, Charlie Jones, and Yoshi to see what they have in them. I really hope those guys get a ton of snaps. It'd be foolish not to do so.

(01-03-2024, 04:40 PM)Wyche Wrote: Ssshhhhhiiiiidddddd....I was wearing Bengals gear in the 90s.

(01-03-2024, 04:36 PM)Nepa Wrote: The Browns are resting players because they are locked into the playoffs. The Bengals are out of the playoffs. Why would they rest players?  So they're refreshed to be able to sit and watch the playoffs?

And do you really want to lose to Jeff Driskell (!) and the Browns (!) in front of a home crowd, when the Browns are resting players? As it is, even with the Browns resting players, there is a chance the Bengals could lose. That would be a total embarrassment. Not to mention adding both a losing record and 0-6 in the division. Couldn't exact wear our Bengals' jerseys with pride if they end up being 0-6 in the division.

(01-03-2024, 05:02 PM)Housh Wrote: Play everyone

Least we can do is send everyone home 9-8 (which is insane seeing Burrow was hurt for 4 games then missed another 6.


In a better year we would’ve made playoffs at 9-8 it’s just unlucky the whole division was good this year.

(01-03-2024, 05:14 PM)casear2727 Wrote: This could drop us 5-6 slots in the draft, every round.  How in the world is this one beyond meaningless game more important than the team's roster the next FOUR YEARS?

I get the players and coaches want to win, but as a fan since the 70's; it is extremely shallow to me to lose out on better players in order to be happy that we have bragging rights over Jeff Driskell and the Browns 3rd stringers.  Come Monday all any one will care about is free agency and the draft.

(01-03-2024, 05:33 PM)Nepa Wrote: We're not talking picks 1-5. We are talking in the teens

(01-03-2024, 05:33 PM)Nepa Wrote: There are years the Bengals would have done better selecting later each round, because they sure messed up the picks they did have. 

We're not talking picks 1-5. We are talking in the teens, and 40's, and 70s. There is so many ways to go with these later picks. And look at this board around draft time. They are rooting for certain players as the draft pick becomes closer and closer, and then upset because they didn't select the ones they wanted. I suppose those prioritizing the draft will be complaining if the Bengals draft lower and they figure they lost out on some player they wanted and we'll hear endless complaints that they could have had this or that player. Yet, each draft posters end up complaining because the playera they really wanted were not selected. And sometimes the posters were right.

I mean the Bengals used a 6th pick on David Klinger and let Troy Vincent pass. They picked Akili Smith 3rd when they could have had Edgerin James or Champ Bailey had they been stuck with a later pick. They grabbed John Ross and let Mahomes pass. Bill Price, and so many OL picks, etc. etc. Picking a few slots earlier does not in any way meaning they are going to have greater success the next four years, unless we are talking the very top of the draft.

Fans prioritize the draft too much during the season. For goodness sakes, there were fans who starting rooting for losses, including to the Steelers (!), when there were still seven games left to go in the season and the Bengals still had a shot at the playoffs. And now they're rooting for the Bengals to lose to the Browns?  Really? Rooting for the Bengals to lose to the Steelers and the Browns in order to get a higher draft pick in the teens should be immediately disqualifying to get into this Board's Hall of Fame.

(01-03-2024, 04:36 PM)Nepa Wrote: The Browns are resting players because they are locked into the playoffs. The Bengals are out of the playoffs. Why would they rest players?  So they're refreshed to be able to sit and watch the playoffs?