Interesting take from Hobspin on AFCN

[HarleyDog]

Not usually a fan of his articles, but thought he had an honest approach on this Q&A piece.

Quote:In our division with Cleveland going from worst to the next best team on paper, Ravins with a dynamic young quarterback and Steelers being the Steelers, there seems to be no hope or exciting news for the Bengals. What do you see will be something we can cheer for ? Do we actually have any chance this year? Why are the Bengals so un news worthy? Rick Wiggers, Cincinnati, OH

RICK: Wow. I mean, I get the whole Cleveland thing but I’m also wary of paper. In this league, that may be the kiss of death. Odell Beckham seems to disrupt more than win and quarterback Baker Mayfield has a big enough personality to make you wonder how long before the first bad tweet between the two. But, OK, Cleveland is good and probably has the most game-breaking talent in the division. But let’s see Mayfield play the whole season with the book on him. But, yeah, the Browns should be good. But how good?

And you know what I really don’t get? The infatuation with Lamar Jackson. No question a hell of an athlete. But I don’t know how you can say a guy that completed 58 percent of his passes, threw for six TDs in seven starts and got turned into a high school quarterback in the playoffs is such a dynamic player. Maybe he will be. Jury is way out, though. And now he’s learning his second offense in as many years? To me the jury is way out on the Ravens, too, then. But I love John Harbaugh. He’ll always get you to 8-8 no matter what he’s got and in a year like this with a few breaks and some good health he’s in the playoffs. Hell of a coach.

And the Steelers are the Steelers? Really? Which Steelers? Not without Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. And I’d argue the departure of offensive line coach Mike Munchak is just as big. The Steelers are always dangerous with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but they’re not the 13-3 Steelers of 2017 and they’ll have to grind to not be the 9-6-1 Steelers of last season.

The Bengals? Here’s another thing I don’t get. They’re picked for last? The least exciting team in the North? Just like the Browns, they’ve got two 1,000-yard receivers. They’ve got two starting first-round corners like the Ravens and Browns. They’ve got the only conference rushing champion in the division and they’re the only team in the North that has two players with at least 70 career sacks.

It’s a division in transition, not just the Bengals. No one is going 13-3 and no one is going 3-13. It’s a 9-7 division and any one of the four can win it. First one to nine.

Bengals not getting much respect from anyone but the fans and TBH, not all fans are sold either. I agree that the Browns look good on paper, but we also know the Browns. That team is nothing more than a Ford Edsel with a Ferrari paint job.

I’m not convinced the Ravens are going to be as tough or talented as some are forecasting. As for the Steelers, well, with much hatred in my heart for them, they have owned us. I think we are curious with the departure of AB. Not so much for Bell because Conner replaced him admirably last year.

Do the Bengals have what it takes to win this thing? I think they do, but honestly my opinion is shadowed with homerism. He may be right about the first to 9 prediction and I’m optimistic we have 9 wins in us.