Other 2-0 starts in team history

[Shake n Blake]

Playoff results in parenthesis:

1969 - 4-9-1
1972- 8-6
1975- 11-3 (first round loss @ Raiders)
1981- 12-4 (Super Bowl loss to 49ers)
1988- 12-4 (Super Bowl loss to 49ers)
1990- 9-7 (2nd round loss to Raiders)
1992 - 5-11
1995- 7-9
2001- 6-10
2005- 11-5 (1st round loss to Steelers)
2006- 8-8
2014- 10-5-1 (first round loss to Colts)
2015- 12-4 (first round loss to Steelers)

13 seasons
Overall record: 115-85-2 (.574)
Made playoffs 7 times
Made Super Bowl twice

We've made the playoffs 3 of 4 times under Marvin Lewis after starting 2-0, and we would've made it in 2006 if not for Brad St Louis.

[thillan]

So where do you feel like this team is heading this year? I always appreciate your input, so I thought I’d ask.

[Shake n Blake]

(09-17-2018, 01:17 PM)thillan Wrote: So where do you feel like this team is heading this year? I always appreciate your input, so I thought I’d ask.

Thanks bro. I predicted 9-7 before the season, but seeing how well they've played through 2 weeks, I think I may have sold them short. 

- The line looks like a work in progress, but already much better than what it was.

- AJ Green looks like he's picking up where he left off in 2016. I've never seen him better. Boyd is looking like a legit #2. Anything we get from Ross is icing.

- We NEED Mixon. The offense just has a different - SB quality - feel to it when he's on the field. He just has to stay healthy, which looks like a huge if at this point.

- Defense looks okay, but they could be better. Where is the pass rush? Burfict should (as usual) provide a big lift when he's back. Bates looks like the real deal.

--------

Overall this team will be fun to watch progress. I think the Steelers and Patriots both look vulnerable (finally...hopefully) so the AFC could be wide open. I'm pretty excited about the rest of the season, but this team HAS to break through in the playoffs. Their window (with Dalton/Green/Atkins/Dunlap) is getting small.

[*psychdoctor*]

(09-17-2018, 01:33 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Thanks bro. I predicted 9-7 before the season, but seeing how well they've played through 2 weeks, I think I may have sold them short. 

- The line looks like a work in progress, but already much better than what it was.

- AJ Green looks like he's picking up where he left off in 2016. I've never seen him better. Boyd is looking like a legit #2. Anything we get from Ross is icing.

- We NEED Mixon. The offense just has a different - SB quality - feel to it when he's on the field. He just has to stay healthy, which looks like a huge if at this point.

- Defense looks okay, but they could be better. Where is the pass rush? Burfict should (as usual) provide a big lift when he's back. Bates looks like the real deal.

--------

Overall this team will be fun to watch progress. I think the Steelers and Patriots both look vulnerable (finally...hopefully) so the AFC could be wide open. I'm pretty excited about the rest of the season, but this team HAS to break through in the playoffs. Their window (with Dalton/Green/Atkins/Dunlap) is getting small.

I said this in another thread, I think it will come down to Bengals and Jacksonville for AFC championship.  Jacksonville and Chiefs look tough.  

[*bengalfan74*]

If this team can stay healthy (Eifert), if the Oline can continue getting better, if Burfict can come back and not get suspended again, if ML will stay aggressive ? This team can make some waves I do believe.

The Jags and KC are legit I believe, that Mahomes ! Defense their weak link.

But I think we can be right in it. Need to win 1 of these next two road games. I think we can beat Carolina

[*SHRacerX*]

(09-17-2018, 01:33 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: - Defense looks okay, but they could be better. Where is the pass rush? Burfict should (as usual) provide a big lift when he's back. Bates looks like the real deal.

--------

I think as the season wears on and the offensive linemen wear down, so long as the Bengals stick to the plan of having continual rotations, I think the pass rush will be lethal.  

Right now, especially on a short week in week 2, the soreness is incredible for everyone.  Once they are in so-called mid-season form, watch out.  I think they really have something in Lawson, Willis, and now Hubbard to combine with Dunlap and Atkins.  

[*bengalfan74*]

(09-17-2018, 02:05 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: I think as the season wears on and the offensive linemen wear down, so long as the Bengals stick to the plan of having continual rotations, I think the pass rush will be lethal.  

Right now, especially on a short week in week 2, the soreness is incredible for everyone.  Once they are in so-called mid-season form, watch out.  I think they really have something in Lawson, Willis, and now Hubbard to combine with Dunlap and Atkins.  

Oh me to, I think we've just scratched the surface on the pass rush.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-17-2018, 02:15 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Oh me to, I think we've just scratched the surface on the pass rush.

.....both opponents so far have predominantly used a quick strike passing attack to avoid the rush.  While the numbers aren't there, any time a unit causes teams to go away from their typical offense is a big deal.  The times Flacco held on to the ball, he was pressured, sacked, or intercepted.

[CoCoNuT]

(09-17-2018, 01:39 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: I said this in another thread, I think it will come down to Bengals and Jacksonville for AFC championship.  Jacksonville and Chiefs look tough.  

I wonder what attendance would be like from Bengal's fans if we made it to the Superbowl.

[Shake n Blake]

(09-17-2018, 02:01 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: If this team can stay healthy (Eifert), if the Oline can continue getting better, if Burfict can come back and not get suspended again, if ML will stay aggressive ? This team can make some waves I do believe.

The Jags and KC are legit I believe, that Mahomes ! Defense their weak link.

But I think we can be right in it. Need to win 1 of these next two road games. I think we can beat Carolina

I've been wondering for awhile who the next elite QB's will be. None of the newer guys have really been blowing me away. I think Mahomes has a good shot to be that guy. Reid is a great coach to learn under as well.

(09-17-2018, 02:29 PM)Wyche Wrote: .....both opponents so far have predominantly used a quick strike passing attack to avoid the rush.  While the numbers aren't there, any time a unit causes teams to go away from their typical offense is a big deal.  The times Flacco held on to the ball, he was pressured, sacked, or intercepted.

Good point. Any time your pass rush can force a team to change their offense, that's good. That said, opposing offenses are having some success with those adjustments, seeing how we've given up 23 in both games. I think we'll be fine, but we could certainly get better at stopping this dinky stuff. Otherwise teams have an easy way to get points while neutralizing our pass rush all year.

[WiregrassBenGal]

The 1992 season was the worst of those. Everybody was excited that the Bengals beat the Seahawks and then Raiders at home but then the next week Bret Favre pulled out a win and began his career while the Bengals spiraled down to ten bad seasons in a row at least. So, it's understandable if some people are not overly excited about the Bengals being 2-0 even though this years team is WAY better than the one in 1992.

[Tiger Teeth]

(09-17-2018, 01:08 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote:  and we would've made it in 2006 if not for Brad St Louis.

You broke the cardinal rule of the message board.  We DON'T mention that name!  

[grampahol]

(09-18-2018, 01:05 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: You broke the cardinal rule of the message board.  We DON'T mention that name!  

So are you saying that you're not going to show up at games with your Brad St Louis for president poster?
I'll be so disappointed .

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(09-17-2018, 01:39 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: I said this in another thread, I think it will come down to Bengals and Jacksonville for AFC championship.  Jacksonville and Chiefs look tough.  

Completely agree Psych, that Chiefs D doesn't look very good though, just have to cover when playing them and i think
we can win. The Jags are very tough but we are much better than last year when we played them, this is who i think we
are matching up with looking at the season to date. Can never count out the Pats though, ever.

BTW, nice thread Shake, thanks for the numbers. :andy:

[corpjet]

I think we "peaked" too early in 2014 and of course not having Andy killed us down the stretch in 2015.

We are off to a great start and have won the games we needed to (both AFC games). It would be great to come back home in October 3-1 and no reason we cant squeak out one win the next two weeks.

This team is far from perfect but we have to like what we have seen thus far. The injury bug hit us hard in week 2 losing Billy and Mixon, we need to stay healthy down the stretch to make any serious run.

[HarleyDog]

(09-17-2018, 02:29 PM)Wyche Wrote: .....both opponents so far have predominantly used a quick strike passing attack to avoid the rush.  While the numbers aren't there, any time a unit causes teams to go away from their typical offense is a big deal.  The times Flacco held on to the ball, he was pressured, sacked, or intercepted.

Exactly why stats don't tell us everything but film does. These teams knew they had to make adjustments in their game plan prior to playing us.

[SladeX]

I remember the 2001 start. We beat Pats just before Brady came on the scene for one of those wins... . I was stuck in Maine for 911. Stayed in a hotel around the corner from some of the terrorists in Portland. Wound up driving home....
The next year's team was so bad i started following English soccer.

[packerbacker]

You guys need to win this Carolina game cause the next week doesn't get any easier with playing Atlsnta on the road. I think you guys can take Carolina though.