What if.....week 1 Chargers.

[impactplaya]

Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

[*jason*]

Nope...

Cause we had injuries, the Rona, a learning curve, no preseason, etc etc etc. We all knew this would be a rocky season of getting where we need to be. It will be the same next year. But boy, when we get there, we're gonna look back and remember these days.

[GreenCornBengal]

There are a few what if’s throughout the season. I guess that is the “one play away” in “one score games”..

I see a lot of rookie Burrow mistakes that changed games. Don’t get me wrong, he played amazing for a rookie, but I’m excited about the upside.
-shoveling the ball to Melvin Ingram week 1
-redzone INT in Browns matchup
-fumble touchback vs WAS
-took a sack that knocked us out of FG range (can’t remember which game)

And that’s just a few.

Again, just excited about his potential as he gets past those rookie mistakes.

[thompson19osu]

(01-05-2021, 11:09 PM)jason Wrote: Nope...

Cause we had injuries, the Rona, a learning curve, no preseason, etc etc etc. We all knew this would be a rocky season of getting where we need to be. It will be the same next year. But boy, when we get there, we're gonna look back and remember these days.

Short answer is no but not because of these reasons. The answer is no because of the staff and lack of talent in the necessary positions. You input an improved oline, dline, HC, DC, and then i think the season would have been different.

[Fan_in_Kettering]

No way. You could ask the same question about Week One against the Seahawks in 2019. That was a fluke performance, period. I love this team but I have to be honest. We stink. We stink on ice.

[MileHighGrowler]

I don't think it would have changed the season except for one additional win on the record. Remember that when this team beat Pitt and Houston there was a cry about the morale boost and the confidence the team now had, and an expectation they'd pee in Baltimore's frosted flakes. But they didn't. In fact, they got trounced mercilessly. So I don't think a win in the first game would have changed a thing. In fact it may have even had a more negative effect of people believing they'd arrived after just one win. It's an interesting what-if, but this exercise could be conducted ad nauseum about every close call every year and usually just serves to show how close the team was, even if quite far away.

[*bengalfan74*]

(01-06-2021, 12:42 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: No way.  You could ask the same question about Week One against the Seahawks in 2019.  That was a fluke performance, period.   I love this team but I have to be honest. We stink. We stink on ice.

Yep

Just like the Pittsburgh game three weeks ago or whatever ? We could play that game under the same circumstances 100X and we'd lose 98.734 of those games. And the Steelers aren't all that this season.

And that one play, wouldn't have changed anything in the big picture.

[BengalChris]

(01-05-2021, 11:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

What is the Bengals hired a real HC two seasons ago?

Two completely different seasons would have unfolded!

 

[Murdock2420]

(01-05-2021, 11:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

We'd be drafting lower then 5 and still wouldn't have made the playoffs.

Might be slightly less angry threads about coaching.

[fredtoast]

(01-05-2021, 11:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

Our offense was held under 300 yards.

Chargers gained 362 behind the guy who was really their #2 QB.  Tyrod Tayor posted a 75.4 passer rating and 208 passing yards per start compared to Herberts 98.4 rating and 289 yards per start.

Bengals were nut "unlucky" to lose that game.  Instead they were "lucky" to be in a position to win that late in the game.

[Sled21]

(01-06-2021, 02:01 AM)BengalChris Wrote: What is the Bengals hired a real HC two seasons ago?

Two completely different seasons would have unfolded!

 

Wouldn't have Joe Burrow.

[*pally*]

(01-05-2021, 11:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

It would have given them some confidence.  

[impactplaya]

(01-06-2021, 09:36 AM)pally Wrote: It would have given them some confidence.  

Some dont realize what winning in Week 1 can do 
For the psyche of a young football team led by 
A 1st yr QB. 

Especially in the last seconds of a game.
Those kind of things carry over to a great week
Of practice then onto the game. 
Winning is contagious. Losing is like a cloud
You cant escape.

I recall a few seasons ago in Marvs last year
This team pulled off a thrilling win over the Colts
On the road in Week 1. 
Next thing you know this team was 4 and 1. 
Even John Ross was playing good.
When you win, you feel good and your confidence 
Is unshakeable.
When you lose over and over, doubt sets in.
You hope to compete instead of expecting to win.

[fredtoast]

(01-06-2021, 01:55 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Some dont realize what winning in Week 1 can do 
For the psyche of a young football team led by 
A 1st yr QB. 

Especially in the last seconds of a game.
Those kind of things carry over to a great week
Of practice then onto the game. 
Winning is contagious. Losing is like a cloud
You cant escape.

I recall a few seasons ago in Marvs last year
This team pulled off a thrilling win over the Colts
On the road in Week 1. 
Next thing you know this team was 4 and 1. 
Even John Ross was playing good.
When you win, you feel good and your confidence 
Is unshakeable.
When you lose over and over, doubt sets in.
You hope to compete instead of expecting to win.

And I remember the '09 team coming off a 4 win season and losing at home on opening day in one of the most painful "cursed" sorts of way.  A tipped 80 yard td pass on the last play of the game.  Yet that team went on the road the very next week and beat the 11-5 Packers and rolled to a Division title.

Momentum and confidence are way over rated.  Not saying they are completely meaningless, but I don't believe pulling out a lucky win over the Chargers would have made any difference to a team as shitty as the 2020 Bengals.

[*pally*]

(01-05-2021, 11:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

It would have given them some confidence.  

[XenoMorph]

(01-06-2021, 09:36 AM)pally Wrote: It would have given them some confidence.  

you mean the didnt have the momentum from winning the last game in 2019?

[BengalChris]

(01-06-2021, 09:21 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Wouldn't have Joe Burrow.

Would have won games though and not been an embarrassment to the one and all.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-06-2021, 02:35 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: you mean the didnt have the momentum from winning the last game in 2019?

Lol...

All that "momentum" and "you have to start winning sometime" talk the previous 2 weeks got real quite immediately after they got absolutely stomped by the Ravens, for some reason.

[*ochocincos*]

(01-05-2021, 11:04 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Just thinking today at the desk.....
What if AJ Green doesnt get called for the OPI vs the Chargers
And the Bengals win........
Any way the season could have unfolded different?

Nope. It'd just be one more win.
5-10-1 on the season.
Would have ended up picking 9th with that record.