Tanner Hudson

[*ochocincos*]

(09-09-2024, 10:00 AM)Nepa Wrote: Found this from a year ago before the start of the season. Don't know if it was accurate: "Last year, every team that didn't play starters at all in preseason lost their week 1 game (including SB champion Rams). Do you feel this will effect us?"

Yes, the Rams are one of those teams that don't play their starters, and this is perhaps where Zac Taylor takes his inspiration. They also didn't this year and again lost their first game.

I think the better model for the Bengals is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid (4 if you count one as a assistant coach). He plays his starters, including Mahomes, in at least two preseason games and often considers doing it in a third game. Mahomes generally plays at least half a game in one of the preseason games, with the other starters, and limited snaps in another. Reid does this despite the fact that his teams are playing all the way to February the season before, unlike the Bengals who had a long off-season this year. Andy Reid defends doing so because he feels it is necessary to get ready for the speed and physicality of an actual game. 

I think we seen enough of the Bengals poor starts. One win in the first two games and 10 losses. Yesterday the Bengals looked not ready against the Patriots who played their starters in all three preseason games.

I miss the typical old cadence for the preseason games with starters:
Game 1 - A couple series
Game 2 - One quarter
Game 3 - One half

I'd like to see that again to help get the Bengals more prepared. If it doesn't work for a couple years then I'm glad to abandon that strategy, but most teams used to do that for a reason.