09-10-2015, 03:08 PM
(09-10-2015, 12:42 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I really don't know why this year would be any more of a "legacy" year than last. At least as far as the thinking that "this has to be the year or else...".
[INSERT VALID AND EXCELLENT POINTS ABOUT YEARS 1-3]
Which brings us to last year. Now this, this had to be the year. No more excuses. Mike, Marvin, Andy, AJ, etc. They had to win this year. This was year 4. There was no youth excuses any longer. Surely this was to be the year. For whatever reason it wasn't. People gave them another year. That "no excuses" mantra turned into a ton of excuses.
And here we are now. Why does this year have to be the year any more than any of the last 3? Year, 2, 3, and 4 of Reboot 2.0 were all, in differing degrees, "have to get it done" years. Yet they weren't. And our front office gave and bought into another year. Many of our fans did, or do, the same. So why exactly should we expect any different if they fall short this year? What greater demands are being put on the team by ownership in year 5/year 25. Why now, after all this time, should we think there is any more urgency than before?
If this team falls short I would love the idea of the experiment ending. Kick Giggles to the curb. Shake up the staff. Be open to personnel and approach changes. That would be great. But I'm not going to be at all shocked if next year at this time we're doing the same thing we've been doing... "This has to be the year for this bunch." Until Mike makes no changes and we're saying things the following year.
I disagree with you heavily here. Last year WOULD have been the year. But when your #2 and #3 receivers (Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert) don't play the ENTIRE season, it tends to change things a bit (not to mention AJ Green's injuries, Burfict). This team was built to have our average quarterback (Dalton) distribute the ball to our great weapons. But when the weapons aren't actually playing, it changes the entire outlook of the team.
Look at the playoff game against Indy. No Green. No Eifert. No Jones. No Gresham. Did anyone HONESTLY think we stood a chance against them without ANYONE playing? Dalton can only do so much, we all know this. But the product we had on the field was sub-par, and not playoff worthy. The Clowns would have played better than us in that game!
That's why I would say this year is the last chance. Everyone (mostly everyone) is healthy. It's both coordinators' 2nd years. Complete continuity on both sides of the ball. JEREMY HILL (dudes a beast). Barring MAJOR injuries (like last year), if this isn't the year, then I agree with everything you said.
But first, let the REAL Bengals play.
