Bengals haven't beat a team with a winning record

[Big Boss]

With the exception of Denver's defense, nobody really concerns me outside of the division.

Houston? Beatable.
Cardinals? Beatable.
Rams? Beatable.
49ers? Beatable.
Broncos? Don't turn the ball over and I'll take our offense over the Broncos' all day long.

Have a hard time seeing us drop more than three of those. So yeah. Take care of business inside the division. Sweep the Browns, sweep the Ravens, and AT LEAST split with the Steelers.

[BoomerFan]

Every time we beat a team we utterly break their spirit!

Or maybe it is just there aren't many teams with winning records right now. Steelers will be a incredible test and are arguably the most important two games remaining on our schedule (with Denver not far behind).

[CinciREborn]

Way I see it, just keep handing us crap teams them. We will gladly rack up wins on bums. If we beat bum teams or if we beat great teams.. it all ends the same. It ends in the first round of the playoffs

[wolfkaosaun]

Neither have the Panthers or Packers.

Patriots beat the Steelers. Broncos beat the Vikings.

There you go. Who knows. We may have played playoff teams. It's still early to tell how this season will unfold. The bengals are undefeated. Doesn't matter what the other team's records were.

[jj22]

This is a common attack against the Bengals, but the Bills did have a winning record. The win against the Seahawks doesn't look as good now as they're just not that good this season. I keep waiting for one of the teams we beat to win, or at least look competent. It hasn't happened yet this season. We're 6-0 tho, and that's all that matters. We've beat the teams we should have.

[WhoDeyWho]

(10-18-2015, 11:35 PM)CornerBlitz Wrote: I'll be honest, our schedule has been fairly easy so far but that all changes in the coming weeks with some of the toughest road games you could possibly have. Regardless, we are 6-0 and have done it in an impressive fashion.

I don't think our schedule was all that "easy".  Any given Sunday.  The Bengals are just that good.  

[Au165]

(10-19-2015, 09:16 AM)jj22 Wrote: This is a common attack against the Bengals, but the Bills did have a winning record. The win against the Seahawks doesn't look as good now as they're just not that good this season. I keep waiting for one of the teams we beat to win, or at least look competent. It hasn't happened yet this season. We're 6-0 tho, and that's all that matters. We've beat the teams we should have.

The Seahawks have lost to teams with a combined record of 19-3 (Three undefeated teams), lets not act like they have lost to bad teams. I think they will still be in the playoff hunt, but they aren't the Seahawks of old.

[jj22]

The legion of Boom has went Bust. They aren't scaring anyone. Good teams or bad. They should have lost to the 1-5 Lions. Just as they did to the good teams. The win against them no longer looks like anything to write home about.

[WhoDeyWho]

(10-19-2015, 10:15 AM)jj22 Wrote: The legion of Boom has went Bust. They aren't scaring anyone. Good teams or bad. They should have lost to the 1-5 Lions. Just as they did to the good teams. The win against them no longer looks like anything to write home about.

Every win in the NFL is something to "write home about".  This isn't college football.  The Bengals don't need style points to get in the playoffs.  They need wins.  We've faced some pretty good defenses and made them all look silly for the most part.  

[Graphicguy]

(10-19-2015, 10:20 AM)WhoDeyWho Wrote: Every win in the NFL is something to "write home about".  This isn't college football.  The Bengals don't need style points to get in the playoffs.  They need wins.  We've faced some pretty good defenses and made them all look silly for the most part.  

Frankly, I don't worry about the steelers. They have problems that other teams can't exploit. How in the world does AZ lose to a team who's playing with their 3rd string QB?

I had this discussion this a.m. with a work colleague from PA. He believes every steeler player is great, regardless. I told him their biggest weakness is Tomlin. He's using the very last vestiges of what Cowher built. After that, it's full rebuild time. Ben is getting hurt more. Teams will be keying him if/when he comes back (another rumor surfaced he may be done for the season).

Relying on Bell makes them one dimensional. Carson always had this "thing" about facing the steelers. It must be a mental thing from '05.

I think the Bengals have a real good chance to sweep the division again this season.

[jj22]

We have. And all the other teams they've played have made them look equally silly too. No need to take anything away from our wins, however those who point out that the teams we beat can't win a game have their talking point. At least they haven't used the passer rating against those teams to downplay Dalton's hot start.

[PDub80]

Easy? Easy? Pfffft.... They make it look easy.

- 2nd toughest schedule in the NFL at the start of the season based off of strength of opponents 2014 standings.

- They have dominated the 1st (Seattle), 2nd (KC), 3rd (Buffalo), and freaking 4th (SD) ranked passing defenses from 2014. http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/passing/position/defense/year/2014

- To those bitching about the Bengals pass D, just be sure to factor in their opponents are playing catch-up all game and have to throw it. Of course the passing numbers will be bigger.

Easy? Nobody should say the Bengals have had it easy. Part of the reason their opponents have a losing record is because they have played the Bengals. Which also drops their defensive rankings. Up through week 5 the Bengals were 20% of the opposing team's schedule.

Let the season play out before analyzing or wasting brain power on that kind of crap.

[WhoDeyWho]

(10-19-2015, 10:29 AM)PDub80 Wrote: Easy? Easy? Pfffft.... They make it look easy.

- 2nd toughest schedule in the NFL at the start of the season based off of strength of opponents 2014 standings.

- They have dominated the 1st (Seattle), 2nd (KC), 3rd (Buffalo), and freaking 4th (SD) ranked passing defenses from 2014. http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/passing/position/defense/year/2014

- To those bitching about the Bengals pass D, just be sure to factor in their opponents are playing catch-up all game and have to throw it. Of course the passing numbers will be bigger.

Easy? Nobody should say the Bengals have had it easy. Part of the reason their opponents have a losing record is because they have played the Bengals. Which also drops their defensive rankings. Up through week 5 the Bengals were 20% of the opposing team's schedule.

Let the season play out before analyzing or wasting brain power on that kind of crap.

This.  Didn't Seattle Start 3-3 last year before almost winning the SB?  Way too early to determine SOS when the season isn't even halfway done yet.  

[reuben.ahmed]

If and when we beat the Steelers, I would love to just have games against the Broncos, Packers, Panthers, and Patriots (the remaining unbeaten). I think we'd beat them all, barring any cheating/ref interruptions in the Patriots game.

[Au165]

Guys, there are only 11 teams in the entire NFL with winning records, and 5 of them are undefeated. There is basically the top tier, a small 6 team tier below that, then everyone else. Simple math says one of the teams .500 or below right now has to make the playoffs, and conventional wisdom says some of those tier 2 teams will fall off based on tougher back ends to their schedules.

[BengalHawk62]

(10-19-2015, 10:41 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: If and when we beat the Steelers, I would love to just have games against the Broncos, Packers, Panthers, and Patriots (the remaining unbeaten). I think we'd beat them all, barring any cheating/ref interruptions in the Patriots game.

That's what I'm most concerned about when playing that team.  It always seems like we are playing against the zebras too.  

[djs7685]

(10-19-2015, 10:24 AM)jj22 Wrote: We have. And all the other teams they've played have made them look equally silly too. No need to take anything away from our wins, however those who point out that the teams we beat can't win a game have their talking point. At least they haven't used the passer rating against those teams to downplay Dalton's hot start.

1. If anyone points out that we keep beating teams that can't find wins, as you said, it's a perfectly reasonable assessment. All that I've heard on these boards over the years is how the Lucks and Bradys of the world have it easy because of their "soft schedules". If those guys are going to get blasted for it, then the same people doing the bashing should at least take a minute to look at who we've played so far. Last years rankings don't mean shit now. However, we have been looking great for the most part and the fact that not many of our opponents look good isn't a reason to think the 2015 Bengals aren't for real. This is a great team regardless of who they're beating.

2. I don't think it would be very justified if anybody would try to downplay Andy's season, if you look at the numbers, we've played against the....

6th, 14th, 16th, 22nd, 24th, and 27th teams as far as passer rating allowed goes.
5th, 7th, 22nd, 24th, 27th, 30th teams in pass YPG allowed.

We've played some top half defenses and still performed very well against them. If there's any part of this team I'm worried about right now, it surely isn't the offense. We could very easily be considered the best offensive driven team in the NFL right now.

Fans of other teams are still up to their old schtick regarding the Bengals though. Anything football related that I post on social media is still just met with "hahaha losers they're just going to get killed in the playoffs as usual" by all of the local Steelers fans. Gah, that's one team I'm really hoping we can stick it to, and I hope Ben is playing by then. I don't want to hear any excuses after that one.

[ItsOdellThurman]

It's such a dumb argument this early in the season. If the Bengals don't beat Buffalo, they have a winning record. If the Bengals don't beat Oakland, they have a winning record. Seattle, well they are a good team regardless of record.

We can all admit that Kansas City and Baltimore are garbage. They are both looking like top 5 pick teams. San Diego is 2-4, but 4 losses to teams with a combined record of 19-4.

[WhoDeyWho]

(10-19-2015, 10:49 AM)djs7685 Wrote: 1. If anyone points out that we keep beating teams that can't find wins, as you said, it's a perfectly reasonable assessment. All that I've heard on these boards over the years is how the Lucks and Bradys of the world have it easy because of their "soft schedules". If those guys are going to get blasted for it, then the same people doing the bashing should at least take a minute to look at who we've played so far. Last years rankings don't mean shit now. However, we have been looking great for the most part and the fact that not many of our opponents look good isn't a reason to think the 2015 Bengals aren't for real. This is a great team regardless of who they're beating.

2. I don't think it would be very justified if anybody would try to downplay Andy's season, if you look at the numbers, we've played against the....

6th, 14th, 16th, 22nd, 24th, and 27th teams as far as passer rating allowed goes.
5th, 7th, 22nd, 24th, 27th, 30th teams in pass YPG allowed.

We've played some top half defenses and still performed very well against them. If there's any part of this team I'm worried about right now, it surely isn't the offense. We could very easily be considered the best offensive driven team in the NFL right now.

Fans of other teams are still up to their old schtick regarding the Bengals though. Anything football related that I post on social media is still just met with "hahaha losers they're just going to get killed in the playoffs as usual" by all of the local Steelers fans. Gah, that's one team I'm really hoping we can stick it to, and I hope Ben is playing by then. I don't want to hear any excuses after that one.

Bell had his way with our defense last year.  Brown did too.  The defense worries me more at this point than the offense does.

[djs7685]

(10-19-2015, 10:54 AM)WhoDeyWho Wrote: Bell had his way with our defense last year.  Brown did too.  The defense worries me more at this point than the offense does.

Yep, and I never thought I'd say that.

I remember Brown and/or Bryant burning Leon for a couple of huge plays last year. Le'Veon Bell is very, very good, these LBs better learn to tackle asap. Pittsburgh's receivers are dangerous in space, they have to find a way to contain both Brown and Bryant while not letting their other guys get open downfield. It's going to be interesting to see how they gameplan defensively for them, especially if Ben is playing.