05-09-2023, 05:39 PM
(05-09-2023, 05:10 PM)packerbacker Wrote: I’m not even a Bengals fan but I believe that team was a Super Bowl team that could have won it all had they got there and if Palmer didn’t get hurt. I think you could say they we’re just as good as the 2021 team. What do you guys think?
The offensive line on the 05 team was one of the better ones in the league. They also had a great backfield, I would say better than the one we have now. Even Jeremy Johnson had his moments, and Chris Perry was electric when healthy.
If you think the current staff places a minimal value on TEs, then I'd like to introduce you to Reggie Kelly and Matt Schoebel. Kelly was a terrific blocker, but was not a regular option as a pass target. In his defense, he did make some tough catches.
The bias that the present success brings makes it tough to argue, but that passing game was absolutely lethal. Palmer was not yet damaged goods and he had a line that protected him well. He also had a run game that teams had to respect. Bookend tackles, a solid vet center, a rising star at LG, and arguably Marvin's best ever FA acquisition in Bobbie Williams made Carson and Rudi's lives easy.
Carson is such a lightning rod for this fanbase, but there wasn't a single Bengal fan that didn't think he was going to be competing with Manning and Brady for the rest of his career in terms of the numbers he could put up. He was a big dude with a huge arm, and he was extremely accurate deep before he got banged up. The human jugs machine didn't have the "dog" in him that Joey B does, but he was off the charts in terms of physical attributes.
The receiving corps needs no introduction. I think the current one is better, as there really was no Higgins in that group. TJ did what Boyd does, arguably better over the middle. Chad had the quickest feet in the league. I'm not sure he had the field awareness that Chase does, as Ja'marr moves around a lot. See his Buffalo TD in the playoff that he basically improvised. I don't think Chad was AS scary in terms of YAC, either. He just burned corners deep a lot. Chase changed the way defenses play this team after getting past 5 and 6 guys within arms reach against KC and Baltimore. Again, there was no Tee on that team. Henry was a tall, lean deep threat and he was great at high pointing the ball, Tee is much more powerfully built. He's a lot more than just a deep threat. He makes catches anywhere you ask him to, and he's built to absorb a lot more punishment (and dish it out, too) than 15 was.
Honestly, that team probably had more success leaning on it's offense than this one. You see sheer dominance in spurts from this group, but in many games they seem to be operating below their highest gear. I attribute this to the run game and OL. The current group also had a defense that did a hell of a job holding down slim leads late. The 05 defense would get takeaways, but they couldn't stop the run for shit. It was painful to watch sometimes. The safety play was some of the worst in Bengal history. It wasn't a great DL at all, as they didn't seem to put a big priority on the position group until later in the Marvin era.
The Taylor-Burrow era has a much better culture and staff. They have a better on-field leader. They build the roster better.
