Did Anyone Predict a Winning Record Before Bye Week?

[Fan_in_Kettering]

Did any of us predict the Bengals would have a winning record of either 6-3 or 5-4 before the bye week?

Did you? I certainly didn’t. The sports media didn’t either.

My best estimate based on what I saw in the preseason was 2-7 at the bye week with wins over the Jaguars and the Jets.

The lopsided, dominant wins over the Steelers and Ravens were long overdue but with weak losses against the Jets and the Bears it’s a sign the 2021 iteration of the Cincinnati Bengals is a much improved team but still far too inconsistent to be at the top of the AFC.

A team like this, loaded with individual talent on both sides of the ball, should be better coached to take advantage of weak opponents like the Jets after putting a bully beatdown, to use Rex Ryan’s terminology, on the Ravens. It’s like winning the US Open one week then failing at putt-putt a week later.

It’s also possible, albeit remotely, that the Jets figured some things out after their massive humiliation at the hands of the New England Patriots the week before.

Zac Taylor, Brian Callahan, and Lou Anarumo need to rent, not buy, their places in the Cincinnati area.

[*ochocincos*]

(11-01-2021, 08:27 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Did any of us predict the Bengals would have a winning record of either 6-3 or 5-4 before the bye week?

Did you?  I certainly didn’t.  The sports media didn’t either.

My best estimate based on what I saw in the preseason was 2-7 at the bye week with wins over the Jaguars and the Jets.

The lopsided, dominant wins over the Steelers and Ravens were long overdue but with weak losses against the Jets and the Bears it’s a sign the 2021 iteration of the Cincinnati Bengals is a much improved team but still far too inconsistent to be at the top of the AFC.

A team like this, loaded with individual talent on both sides of the ball, should be better coached to take advantage of weak opponents like the Jets after putting a bully beatdown, to use Rex Ryan’s terminology, on the Ravens.  It’s like winning the US Open one week then failing at putt-putt a week later.

It’s also possible, albeit remotely, that the Jets figured some things out after their massive humiliation at the hands of the New England Patriots the week before.  

Zac Taylor, Brian Callahan, and Lou Anarumo need to rent, not buy, their places in the Cincinnati area.

While it sucks that the Bengals lost to a 1-win team, I'd rather them lose to them and beat the Ravens compared to vice versa.
The Bengals already have 2 division wins, hopefully they can get (at least) 2 more.

[Sled21]

(11-01-2021, 08:27 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Did any of us predict the Bengals would have a winning record of either 6-3 or 5-4 before the bye week?

Did you?  I certainly didn’t.  The sports media didn’t either.

My best estimate based on what I saw in the preseason was 2-7 at the bye week with wins over the Jaguars and the Jets.

The lopsided, dominant wins over the Steelers and Ravens were long overdue but with weak losses against the Jets and the Bears it’s a sign the 2021 iteration of the Cincinnati Bengals is a much improved team but still far too inconsistent to be at the top of the AFC.

A team like this, loaded with individual talent on both sides of the ball, should be better coached to take advantage of weak opponents like the Jets after putting a bully beatdown, to use Rex Ryan’s terminology, on the Ravens.  It’s like winning the US Open one week then failing at putt-putt a week later.

It’s also possible, albeit remotely, that the Jets figured some things out after their massive humiliation at the hands of the New England Patriots the week before.  

Zac Taylor, Brian Callahan, and Lou Anarumo need to rent, not buy, their places in the Cincinnati area.

I did, I predicted 9-10 wins. I still hold that prediction.

[thillan]

(11-01-2021, 08:27 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Did any of us predict the Bengals would have a winning record of either 6-3 or 5-4 before the bye week?

Did you? I certainly didn’t. The sports media didn’t either.

My best estimate based on what I saw in the preseason was 2-7 at the bye week with wins over the Jaguars and the Jets.

The lopsided, dominant wins over the Steelers and Ravens were long overdue but with weak losses against the Jets and the Bears it’s a sign the 2021 iteration of the Cincinnati Bengals is a much improved team but still far too inconsistent to be at the top of the AFC.

A team like this, loaded with individual talent on both sides of the ball, should be better coached to take advantage of weak opponents like the Jets after putting a bully beatdown, to use Rex Ryan’s terminology, on the Ravens. It’s like winning the US Open one week then failing at putt-putt a week later.

It’s also possible, albeit remotely, that the Jets figured some things out after their massive humiliation at the hands of the New England Patriots the week before.

Zac Taylor, Brian Callahan, and Lou Anarumo need to rent, not buy, their places in the Cincinnati area.

Fair post, I think the coaches have done enough to earn another year. Keys were a big letdown, shocked our defense let that happen. Makes me wonder how much we switch the momentum if Bates lands in the end zone.

Playoffs isn’t over yet though - Titans may have just lost Henry for the season.

[Sled21]

(11-01-2021, 10:30 AM)thillan Wrote: Fair post, I think the coaches have done enough to earn another year. Keys were a big letdown, shocked our defense let that happen. Makes me wonder how much we switch the momentum if Bates lands in the end zone.

Playoffs isn’t over yet though - Titans may have just lost Henry for the season.

Exactly, we are still right in the thick of things. 

[BigPapaKain]

Nah. Which is probably why I'm not getting bent out of shape about the game yesterday. The team is doing better than I thought they would back in April and tough out of left field losses happen. Just gotta ride the waves.