The Vibes are Changing

[pulses]

(09-21-2024, 07:54 PM)samhain Wrote: So I posted a meltdown thread week 1.  Many factors influenced the conception of that thread.  Some were based in the realities of the excruciating Chase drama, doubled with the Higgins surprise injury.  I can assure everyone here that the thoughts in those posts were 100 percent based in how I felt about the team at the time.  Unfortunately, my hunch was (to and extent) pretty accurate and the Bengals lost to a vastly inferior opponent.  The Burrow era being over was a bit reactive to the moment.  Frankly, I was nuclear-pissed that the best day of the year, ie NFL opening day was being shit on.

Here's how I view this team at 0-2 with reinforcements on the way: I think that this team will be viewed as an offensive juggernaut by Halloween.  Burrow is fine.  The o-line is not elite, but it's easily good enough and possible better than any we've seen in this era.  Then they get Mims.  Lee is in the wings.  Depth.  

Then, you have the rookie skill players.  I think that Erick All is going to be a dude.  He's physical as a blocker, and his role as a receiver is likely to be increased.  He's taken almost no time at all to adjust to the physicality of the pro game.  If healthy, he's going to be a big factor.

Burton.  He's not a guy I was happy to see them draft, but he seems to be doing all that's asked of him.  I view sets with Burton and Tee on the outside and Chase in the slot as an absolute nightmare for defensive coordinators.  Chase is no longer eye candy in that set and both guys on the outside make freak show catches.  

Chase Brown.  If they finally commit to giving him carries, he's going to be successful.  He looks incredibly fast.  

All the personnel is in place right now.  Better TEs.  Better usage of the TEs.  A legit 3rd down blocking back in Moss.  Yet another young deep threat in Burton.  

I can't say I love the lack of readiness or urgency early in the season.  I also still believe that the Chase contract debacle is an existential threat to the way the organization operates.  Even so, nobody will care about these losses when this team is steamrolling opponents midseason on the way to a deep playoff run.  

We've not even begun to see what this group is capable of when they start running on all cylinders.

Eventually we need results or it should start falling back on the HC for not having this team ready and horrible play calling to boot.