08-26-2015, 12:17 AM
(08-25-2015, 08:04 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: Meh. You're nuts if it doesn't concern you a bit when the team looks that inept against the friggin' Bucs. People may be going overboard with the panicking, but there is certainly enough reason to at least discuss that performance and call it what it is: pathetic.
The Bengals in no way looked like a team that will get the chance to be annihilated in a 5th straight playoff game.
I certainly have my share of concerns (everyone knows this) and I would be the very first to agree that I don't like their chances to win a playoff game. But I personally put no stock in preseason performance in trying to predict or gauge the team's chances.
I've seen too many good to great teams play poorly in the preseason, to have them continue to play good to great in the regular season and beyond. Conversely, I've been fooled too many times thinking a previously bad team has turned the corner because of success in the preseason, only to see them sucks balls when it matters. I remember a few too many times thinking some of those turd sandwiches we were offered up in the 90's getting me to believe the preseason mattered, only to disappoint again.
IMHO, I think any team that has a lot of veterans and has had some recent success has so much less to play for, which already was little to begin with. Look at poor AJ Green. That cat probably has a 20-35 million dollar signing bonus waiting for after this season. I can't even begin to imagine how stupid it must seem for him to have to go through the motiosn and risk it all for a meaningless game. So many of those vets really don't even need the vanilla reps beyond the ones they get in practice, Dalton included.
To each their own, but the only thing I care about is injuries. I do like getting a look at some new guys, really just to see their size and how they move around. But to me it's just fake football for the vets. I think the league would be well served to get rid of the preseason entirely.
