Can Andy and the Bengals finally win a playoff game?

[Shake n Blake]

(07-11-2015, 05:26 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I would say the 80 yd drive and the 58 yard run were "really bad"s. Garbage time or not. 20 points in a half, let alone the 2nd half--at home--are really bad. Only giving up 10 pts off 3 turnovers was a big positive in keeping the game somewhat in hand. The offense did nothing to contribute positively in the 2nd half (as usual) but that doesn't excuse the defense giving up 20 in the half. 

I'm not placing them higher than the offense in terms of accountability. They both crapped the bed. But i'm not giving the defense any excuses either.

This pretty much sums it up for me when it comes to the SD game. Which is just one of six games where the defense has given up 150+ rushing yards, a 90+ passer rating with very few sacks or turnovers to speak of.

(07-11-2015, 11:34 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Some seem to be fixated on whether the offense or defense deserves slightly more blame for each of the losses. To me, it's like arguing about which end of the same turd stinks more.

The truth is, that neither side has played well enough. Both sides have crumbled when it mattered most. At this point, I honestly don't care about percentages of blame...because the entire team, including the HC and his staff, have played their part in the record setting playoff failures.

I will say though...I hope like hell that they can finally win a postseason game, or 2, or 3 this year...because I would much rather be debating who is most responsible for a playoff "win" for a change!

Agreed. The offense has been worse overall, no doubt. The only exceptions are (maybe) the Colts game or the first Texans game. In those 2 games both sides were flat out embarrassing. The point isn't that the defense has been worse, it's that the defense has also been a disappointment. Maybe not to the level that the offense has, but it's still been pretty bad.

There is no excusing the overall numbers the defense has put up. They've never stopped the run, they've never made a QB look bad, they have 5 sacks and 2 forced turnovers total in all 6 games combined. That would average out to 13 sacks and 5 turnovers for a full 16 game season. Those would be historically bad numbers. This from a defense that's either been top 8 overall or led the NFL in forced turnovers (2005). 

I find it interesting that so many people aren't concerned about that.