07-08-2021, 10:00 PM
(07-08-2021, 06:25 PM)BengalChris Wrote: I don't see how that changes anything. We've witnessed a worse team the last two seasons. I don't see how a this coaching staff is going to take the 1/3 new arrivals and somehow improve their play. They've yet to do that with roster they had.
You can't see why that changes anything because you've already made up your mind and are trying to shoe-horn the evidence into your pre-determined narrative. Be a bit more open-minded.
Jessie Bates improved his play to an all-pro level under/despite the current coaches.
According to PFF Sam Hubbard and Trey Hopkins, improved their play in 2019 compared to 2018 and in 2020 compared to 2019. Other than Boyd (improved from 2019 to 2020) that's all the starters PFF listed who were here under the previous coaching regime.
Vonn Bell went from a PFF grade of 62.8 in 2019 before he joined to 71.5 under the Bengals' coaching staff.
If they improved why can't the 1/3 new arrivals? Or the 1/3 who have only been here a year and who haven't had a full pre-season under the coaches yet? Or the 1/3 who were held back by injury. This is a rebuilt roster who we've seen very little of.
Chances are we again see a better team in 2021 than in 2020. How much better remains to be seen. Maybe the team won't improve enough but to argue the team can't improve under the coaches would be asinine and contrary to the evidence available. Maybe they'll only take small improvements like Hubbard and Hopkins. Maybe they'll make big improvements like Jessie Bates. I'll be hoping the latter.
