Quote:12 weeks and 11 games are in the books for the Cincinnati Bengals, though most want to move on to another chapter already.

2024 has been an exercise of frustration for the Bengals and their fans. Key decisions have backfired, great individual years are going to waste, and the top teams of the AFC have separated from Cincinnati not just from a roster standpoint, but organizationally. Chess vs Checkers in a nutshell.

That's why when I asked what was on your mind this week, you hit me with the big questions. I suppose there isn't much else to discuss at this juncture anyways. Here are the questions I received from the hellscape formerly known as Twitter.

Why not get right into it? I said my answer not too long ago. The Bengals need to either start guaranteeing more money in their contracts and hiring more outside help for the personnel department, or they need a new director of the department. It's a big job Tobin has considering the uniqueness of it, and while he doesn't deserve all the blame for how the roster has turned out, his shortcomings regarding trench players across multiple coaches is among the weakest in the NFL. It's a clear problem that's gone on for far too long.

Tobin's biggest piece of leverage is the fact that replacing him isn't exactly a dream gig. He's still limited by the resources given to him from above. He's not even officially a general manager. Finding someone better who's willing to accept those terms is probably a tall task. It might be needed if things don't get better here soon.


"Do you foresee any staff changes? (Not Zac Taylor). Lou Anarumo? Frank Pollack? It especially feels like Pollack should be on the hot seat." - @WowStik

There's simply no way they can run this entire staff back should they fall short of the playoffs. The defense is bad and it's not only because DJ Reader and Jessie Bates III are no longer here. Players still here from 2021-22 have regressed and most draft picks on that side of the ball since then haven't developed as planned. It's an all-around personnel and coaching disaster, but still, the unit shouldn't be this bad. It's the main reason why they've lost so many games this year. Anarumo should be held accountable barring a strong final six games.

As for Pollack, you're right. I've been in his corner on the grounds that he's been handicapped by personnel decisions, but he's responsible for putting together a run game that works with his players. There's no stability in the run game and there hasn't been in two years. It's time for a new direction there, along with some new guards.


"If they were to fire Zac Taylor and hire a new head coach, which coaches do you think should stay vs which are most likely to stay?" - @JeremyW48542628

I'd try my best to keep the majority of the offensive staff sans Pollack. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, running backs coach Justin Hill, wide receivers coach Troy Walters, and tight ends coach James Casey have all done solid jobs. Obviously a new coach would want his own guys, but keeping at least two names from this group would be a solid base to start off.


"Would you sit Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase the rest of the year if we are eliminated? They’re having historical years but a late season injury impacting 2025 would be a disaster. If it’s Chase the FO would probably use an injury against him in negotiations which would be a disaster." - @Truedeyy

I'd leave it up to them, and they'd obviously want to play. Burrow is never going to want to sit out games when two of his four years have been disrupted by injuries. Chase has his own personal goals he wants to cross off his sticky notes on his bathroom mirror.

Preventing major injuries in games that don't really matter is good in the grand scheme of things. The only counter I have is this: Is 2025 being viewed as a year of contention? This team looks at least another year away from getting back to a deep postseason run. Sitting Burrow and Chase out for the sake of next year, to me, feels fruitless. I suppose that says a lot on its own.

"Thoughts on the Bengals moving Cam Taylor-Britt to safety?" - @JonnyBengal

"What's the long-term answer at safety? We know it's not Vonn Bell and Geno Stone. Do they fix this with a high draft pick or a free agent signing? Could they move Cam Taylor-Britt? Has Jordan Battle done enough to earn the spot that Bell presently plays?" - @bengallmanbros

Combining these two for obvious reasons. For starters, how hilarious would it be for the Bengals to draft Dax Hill as a safety and Taylor-Britt as a cornerback with back-to-back picks and have them swap positions three years later? What a fitting bullet point that would be on the resume of this coaching-personnel staff partnership.

Taylor-Britt looks lost out on the field right now and I struggle to believe moving him to a position where he has to think more is going to help him. I think when his head's on straight, he could handle it and his athletic traits would allow him to make the transition, but the reason why folks wanted Leon Hall to make the switch all those years ago is because it was a way to hide his declining athleticism. Movement ability is all Taylor-Britt has because he looks mentally cooked.

Bell is certainly not in the long-term plans and Stone was only signed for one-year longer. I think the latter has slowly improved in this defense, but not enough to prevent an actual upgrade from being added. I have to believe Battle is a starter next year.


"Why does the Bengals defensive staff hate Myles Murphy?" - @Jom112

I assume for the same reasons I wasn't tremendously high on him out of Clemson. The guy can't finish around the quarterback. You love his get-off and he shows his work on film. You can see the process trying to be applied. It just isn't cohesive enough and he gets stuck on blocks too long. Is Joseph Ossai considerably better? No, but the difference isn't gaping.  

When the Bengals start actually drafting players who win as a pass rushers, not just guys who are built within the physical parameters they like, then the pass rush will improve.


"Was the Bengals’ pass rush in the Commanders game the worst in the NFL of any defense this season (especially considering it was a home primetime game)?" - @stpalme1

It's arguable that their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was even worse. Pro Football Focus credited Cincinnati with 14 pressures and three sacks against Washington. Against a banged-up Philly offensive line? Four pressures and zero sacks! Also, did you know the Panthers only generated eight total pressures against the Chicago Bears earlier this year? We're talking about the same Bears with a terrible offensive line.

Somehow, the floor can always be lower.

Being a bad team is typically an advantage against Mike Tomlin. It just never seems to matter when the bad team is Cincinnati, sans late 2020.  

As much as it pains Bengals fans to hear this, the Steelers are legit. Tomlin's decision to bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson has given the offense an actual passing game for the first time since the final years of Ben Roethlisberger's competence. George Pickens has been fully unlocked, and the offensive line is playing good enough.

The same stars on defense are playing like stars, too. Nothing needs to be said about T.J. Watt and his goons. The only point of weakness worth mentioning are the cornerbacks. I expect Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to have favorable matchups, but will that matter if Watt and Co. are in Burrow's face the whole game?


"If Mike Brown isn't in charge anymore, does anything change from a contractual standpoint with players?" - @BeardedBagel

There's an evergreen answer for questions surrounding the transition from Mike to his kin. The answer is Mike has taught his daughter, Katie Blackburn, and son, Paul Brown, what they know. Katie and Troy Blackburn handle the contracts, as they've done so for a while. Their unwillingness to emulate standard guarantee structures are their doing. It's a family philosophy. It's learned.

They're caring people. Many players and coaches can attest to that. They also think that justifies not keeping up with the times. Katie's daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline, are the hopeful exceptions. We'll see if their influence continues to increase.

(Yesterday, 10:29 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: It's time for a major shakeup IMHO. New blood, new ways.

(Yesterday, 10:48 AM)Wyche Wrote: Starting with the personnel department of the front office.

(Yesterday, 10:52 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Yep. And unfortunately, this is probably the least likely.

(Yesterday, 10:48 AM)Wyche Wrote: Starting with the personnel department of the front office.

(Yesterday, 09:25 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Seems like this reporter is feeling about the same as most of us, it's time for Anarumo and Pollack to go.

https://atozsports.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals-news/bengals-mailbag-coaches-on-the-hot-seat-cam-taylor-britts-quandary-and-other-answers-to-critical-questions/#google_vignette

(Yesterday, 11:05 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Considering the nature of his position and the curiousness of him not actually having full GM "powers", it would be really tough for the Bengals to get anyone else who is actually better suited for the position to come in and accept that limited role, particularly with NFL GMs getting turned over about as much as HCs do. As much as we'd like to see an upgrade from Duke, I just don't think that it's in the cards for us.

However, noting what the author wrote about Duke's failures in securing the trenches over the span of multiple coaching staffs, perhaps it's time for the team to expand that office and bring in a Co-Director of player personnel? Someone to focus specifically on linemen on both sides of the ball. Allow Duke to focus on what he's better at and give him a strong resource to cover his shortcomings.

(Yesterday, 11:20 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Im not bailing on ZT quite yet, but I would agree...Lou and Pollack need to go...and I think they will.

I do think they need to clean house of some of the players as well. I think there are a number of guys just straight up not producing and other guys not taking this whole thing near serious enough.

(Yesterday, 10:48 AM)Wyche Wrote: Starting with the personnel department of the front office.

(Yesterday, 10:59 AM)Wyche Wrote: ....and the biggest problem. What the author says about Duke Tobin and his failures in the trenches across both staffs and multiple position coaches is exactly what I've been echoing for a month or more. It's even made me reconsider my stance on Marvin. 

(Yesterday, 11:40 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yeah, contrary to another thread that I created calling for his replacement that I posted while angry and frustrated with the season, I tend to agree with you. A strong defensive mind needs to be brought in to replace Anarumo, preferably someone with past Head Coaching experience... I'm looking at you, Mike Vrabel. That person also needs to have strong input into personnel acquisition during the draft and free agency, as well as the ability to shape his own staff of position coaches.

Something needs to be done about that damn OL as well, and I don't think that it's quite as simple as "replace Pollack". While replacing Frank Pollack may very well be a key facet in fixing what's wrong with the OL and rushing attack, game planning and play calling are equally culpable for putting the OL in a position to fail in short yardage and sustaining blocks in pass pro. In other words, Zac needs to respect the running game as an essential part of an offensive game plan.

(Yesterday, 12:18 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Bringing in Vrabel would be incredible. I wonder if he'd be up for a coordinator gig. 

(Yesterday, 11:40 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yeah, contrary to another thread that I created calling for his replacement that I posted while angry and frustrated with the season, I tend to agree with you. A strong defensive mind needs to be brought in to replace Anarumo, preferably someone with past Head Coaching experience... I'm looking at you, Mike Vrabel. That person also needs to have strong input into personnel acquisition during the draft and free agency, as well as the ability to shape his own staff of position coaches.

Something needs to be done about that damn OL as well, and I don't think that it's quite as simple as "replace Pollack". While replacing Frank Pollack may very well be a key facet in fixing what's wrong with the OL and rushing attack, game planning and play calling are equally culpable for putting the OL in a position to fail in short yardage and sustaining blocks in pass pro. In other words, Zac needs to respect the running game as an essential part of an offensive game plan.

(Yesterday, 01:04 PM)Wyche Wrote: The two guards are bottom 7th of the league. That's a REAL problem.

(Yesterday, 12:50 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: It's not uncommon for former HCs to return as coordinators, sometimes it helps some of them to springboard back into the HC ranks, for others they discover that they really enjoy the hands-on aspect of being a coordinator.  Someone like Vrabel could come in here and change the culture of the defense back to the standard it was under Marvin and Zimmer.

If the Bengals are interested in Vrabel, they had best get their interview scheduled early as I suspect that Mike V. will be a hot commodity this offseason.