steeler week

[*SHRacerX*]

(12-12-2016, 03:41 AM)samhain Wrote: I don't love our chances vs Pittsburgh, so let me get that out of the way.  Crowell had a pretty good day vs this defense, so what's a vengeful Bell going to do?  

That said, I don't think this is the same Bengals team we've seen for most of the year.  The offense seems to have found something with the return of Eifert and the abrupt pause in the Ogbuehi experiment.  The run game stil kinda sucks, but Andy is still playing extremely well when he has time.  

On top of it all, the defense has played better, too.  Burfict looks like himself again.  

I have a tough time seeing the Bengals win on paper, but you never know.  This Steelers team got their doors blown off by the Eagles and Dolphins.  They take things for granted and believe every ounce of smoke that the national media blows up their asses.  I doubt they're dumb enough not to take the Bengals game seriously, but they are vulnerable IMO.  A shitty Ravens team proved that late last year.  

I hope the bengals kill them.  I also would laugh my ass off if they lost a key player like Bell or Brown again.  Their misfortune is the second best thing to a Bengal victory.

 I understand what you are saying if you look at the statistical evidence of the Browns game in relation to Crowell, but that WAS their Super Bowl.  And they did absolutely nothing against the Bengals defense in the first half.  Nothing.  Up 20-0, you could see the Bengals relax.  It is human nature, somewhat.  Do I think they would relax against a team like pittsburgh?  No.  But I don't put too much in a few big read-option runs after halftime.  RGKness's QB rating at the half was....zero.

The offensive assesment is dead on.  Without an absolute turnstile at RT, the offense seems to have found their groove.  With the climate sure to be similar Sunday, I could see a similar game plan with more passes just moving the chains and less down the field.  Boyd and Eifert are great targets for this.  Core could stretch the field, if they would let him more than once, and Hill/Burkhead continue to prove what I have said all along, that Gio isn't the only back that can catch.  And all this without AJ Green.  

As keyed up as the defense was against the Browns for some apparent boasting by Terrelle Pryor, I think after the hold-fest of week 2, and the bad officiating, the defense will be very angry.  And an angry Bengals defense is a good one. Please, I don't need 20 references to them losing their cool....I am talking about when they seem to play motivated vs. flat as a pancake.