04-26-2017, 12:55 PM
(04-26-2017, 12:46 PM)depthchart Wrote: Here is where I am coming from with limited time to research every last injury for each game cause I work.
2010 team goes 4 and 12.
2011 enter Dalton & Green - 9 and 7 and a Playoff - lose to the Texans 31 to 10 - nice improvement - Texans are better
2012 - 10 and 6 - Green ellis, Marvin Jones, Sanu, Dre, Iloka added to team - roster better - lose to Texans 19 to 13
2013 - 11 and 5 - Eifert, Bernard, Shawn Williams added - roster better - lose 27 to 10 to Chargers who we had just beat earlier in the season - Gio fumble and Zimmer's defense ran all over by Chargers
2014 - 10-5-1 - add Dennard, Jeremy Hill - roster pretty strong & experienced playing together - lose 26 to 10 to Colts
2015 - 12 and 4 - BEST ROSTER so far in Dalton era - Start 8 and 0 - lose Dalton - lose to Steelers 18 to 16 - Hill fumbles with game in hand (I don't blame on FO) Pac Man & Burfict screw up (can blame on FO for having them especially having Pac Man.)
* Saw improvement year over year from 2010 through 2013.
* Roster was thin with little Depth to overcome injuries in 2011, better in 2012.
* Better showing in 2nd Texans loss which is improvement
*2013 we Had the better team than the Chargers and lost. Zimmer's defense ran all over and he is a Great coach
*2014 had Zero starting wide receivers and zero starting tight end available for Colts game as I remember. All normal receiver starters out with injury for Colts game including Gresham.
2015 - 8 and 0, no Dalton, fumble, melt down
** These are Observations and NOT excuses even though many will immediately Post that they are excuses. Go for it.
*** The Bengals FO is LESS COMPETENT than the Patriots FO and many others. I know that.
*** They have, however, finished in the Top 12, 5 of the last 6 years which does show some Competence
** Out did 20 other teams to get into the Playoffs those 5 years - Top 12
** They seem to be right on the Fence between becoming a better FO, doing more than just getting in the Playoffs only to lose and building up to Roster Peak seasons with teams that stay generally healthy & maybe make a run.
* Would I rather have Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, OF COURSE, but we have what we have.
*** Many find HOPELESSNESS in the Playoff losses and assume the Bengals FO can NEVER EVER under any circumstances win a Playoff game and they may be right.
** I simply look at each year's team as a DIFFERENT group, with differing levels of Roster Depth and Health, playing different opponents at a different time and say MAYBE they can get over the Hump and win a Playoff game someday.
Consistent Top 12 five of last 6 seasons and other Good signs are there along with the Bad signs others point out like keeping Pac man
** Mike & Marvin are not going anywhere right now so we will see if they can IMPROVE themselves.
** They have consistently been just a Top 12 team that can get into the Playoffs 5 of 6 years then lose.
** That in ON THEM to the Bad and ON THEM to the Good
** On one hand successful and on the other a Failure.
** I'm simply saying MAYBE they can break some Barriers and do more.
** People that say they can NEVER, EVER under any Circumstances win a Playoff game have ruled out the MAYBE
** I have not ruled out the MAYBE yet mainly due to the 2015 team's show of Promise
Just imagine on that 2013 team if they had another capable LB that they signed in free agency or a big DT.
On the 2015 team...just imagine if they had a Center?
The thing with football is...progression isn't linear. You don't win 8 games one year, then 10, then 12, then 14 and win a Super Bowl. Look Atlanta came out of nowhere.
Team progression isn't linear. Free agency and injuries make teams worse. Players age. Players decline. From that 2015 team...we lost Sanu, Jones, Nelson, Peko, Leon Hall, Whitworth, Zeitler, AJ Hawk, Bernard has a torn ACL...I could go on and on. That's 6 starters in that list. 6 out of 22 starters gone from the 2015 team.
Our team was absolutely worse last year from free agent losses. They weren't replaced with better guys in any case. The dropoff from Nelson to Williams was steep.
