Curious To See How Team Responds to 1st Loss

[BonnieBengal]

(10-22-2015, 01:13 PM)Clep Wrote: Disclaimer - I hope we win every game this season including the Superbowl!

BUT

Historically, we aren't so hot the game after the bye. As much as I want and believe we will beat the Steelers next Sunday, if we happen to lose.... I'd start to sweat a little bit. Which sounds odd after losing only 1 game after playing 7 games.

This is why - If we lose against Pittsburgh, we have a short week against Cleveland at home on Thursday Night Football. Prime time.... following our first loss of the season. What a story line right? I wonder how the Bengals would rebound? If they fold on Thursday Night Football (as they always seem to do in primetime), and we lose 2 games in a row to division rivals... the Steelers will be right behind us in the division race.

I truly believe we are a great team. As a great team, we should be able to rebound against such a loss if it were to happen, and quite frankly we should be able to win both of these games. But if they fold, how do you think the season will play out? How would you feel about our Bengals heading into the playoffs if they still cannot get it done in prime time? Of course, we have the whole season left after these two games.. but I might be concerned if this happens moving forward.

It's really important that we don't lose to Pittsburgh.   This is the another statement we need to make to prove we're not the same old Bengals, and we need to make it.  The last statement will be winning a playoff game.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-22-2015, 03:25 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: We'll have to wait till next season to find out

I love this kind of optimism, and I chuckled when I read it the first time.

But then....I started thinking about the next four games:

At pittsburg-  I'm really just hoping for a fair game from the refs and no dirtbagging from the team.  I think they can outscore this team because the Bengals defense is superior to theirs....and both offenses are really good.

Win that game, then you have:

Browns at home-  They always give the Bengals a fight, but just not enough talent to hang, even on a short week.

Texans at home (MNF)-  They are a dumpster fire.  Hoyer gives them a respectable offense, but only one real weapon at WR and he will be contained.

Cardinals on the road-  Going on the road, on a short week, NFL teams have a straight up winning % in the low 30s.  That's bad.  The Cardinals have offensive weapons and a solid defense.  This was the game I predicted as the Bengals first loss.  However, the Cardinals have looked very average of late.  The Bengals are better.  If they win this game, they are 10-0.  At that point, people would start talking about it. 

The only real challenges at this point will be pitt and AZ.  Get by those two and here is the remainder of the schedule.

Rams at home

Browns on the road

steelers at home

49ers on the road

Broncos on the road (MNF)

Ravens at home

I know "getting by those two" is far easier said (typed?) than done, but it is a very real possibility after that. 

[Interceptor]

The game against Pittsburgh is more psychological than anything else at this point.

"Keep Playing!"

[PV Bengal]

(10-23-2015, 09:16 AM)Interceptor Wrote: The game against Pittsburgh is more psychological than anything else at this point.

"Keep Playing!"

Agreed. The Squealers always seem to play the bully against us .... moreso, I think, than when they play other teams. I believe that's because ... in the past ... it has always worked. A couple of quasi-legal hits by the Squealers and prior Bengal teams have folded like a cheap suit.

The team knows they're gonna get those cheap shots next week. Only time will tell if they're tough enough to punch back.

[OrlandoBengal]

(10-23-2015, 07:59 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: It's really important that we don't lose to Pittsburgh.   This is the another statement we need to make to prove we're not the same old Bengals, and we need to make it.  The last statement will be winning a playoff game.

I disagree with you.  This team has beaten the Steelers, beaten them at Heinz Field, and beaten them to insure a playoff appearance. Playing the Steelers is not as big of a psychological deal as it used to be.

It is an important game for playoff seeding, but I don't think it is a big deal mentally.

[djam]

(10-23-2015, 10:57 AM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: I disagree with you.  This team has beaten the Steelers, beaten them at Heinz Field, and beaten them to insure a playoff appearance. Playing the Steelers is not as big of a psychological deal as it used to be.

It is an important game for playoff seeding, but I don't think it is a big deal mentally.

I think its more of a psychological thing for fans, but not so much the players at this point. We fans are the ones with all the crazy superstitions, and I'm not excluding myself from that lol. Ive been psyched out by the Steelers forever. It just doesnt seem to matter who is having what kind of season, those games could go anywhere. 

[WhoDeyWho]

(10-23-2015, 10:57 AM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: I disagree with you.  This team has beaten the Steelers, beaten them at Heinz Field, and beaten them to insure a playoff appearance. Playing the Steelers is not as big of a psychological deal as it used to be.

It is an important game for playoff seeding, but I don't think it is a big deal mentally.

Yeah, I recall beating them in a game that sent them home and us to the playoffs.  The stakes were higher in that game than this one.  

[OrlandoBengal]

(10-23-2015, 11:18 AM)djam Wrote: I think its more of a psychological thing for fans, but not so much the players at this point. We fans are the ones with all the crazy superstitions, and I'm not excluding myself from that lol. Ive been psyched out by the Steelers forever. It just doesnt seem to matter who is having what kind of season, those games could go anywhere. 

Completely agree.  I bet half of the roster couldn't even tell you who Kimo Von Olhoffen (however the hell you spell it) is!

[clevelandsdad]

(10-23-2015, 07:59 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: It's really important that we don't lose to Pittsburgh.   This is the another statement we need to make to prove we're not the same old Bengals, and we need to make it.  The last statement will be winning a playoff game.

I disagree that losing to Pittsburgh makes us the "same old Bengals." Pittsburgh is a top tier team, regardless of what the latest experts or power rankings have to say about them. Their offense with Ben back, Bell, Brown and Bryant is probably the best offense in the entire NFL. Even better than ours.

Losing to them would be disappointing, but it would do nothing to shake confidence in how legit the Bengals are this year. 

What would be more concerning is losing to the Browns OR Texans. We need to win these primetime matchups. Especially against inferior teams.

[GreenCornBengal]

(10-23-2015, 09:08 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: I love this kind of optimism, and I chuckled when I read it the first time.

But then....I started thinking about the next four games:

At pittsburg-  I'm really just hoping for a fair game from the refs and no dirtbagging from the team.  I think they can outscore this team because the Bengals defense is superior to theirs....and both offenses are really good.

Win that game, then you have:

Browns at home-  They always give the Bengals a fight, but just not enough talent to hang, even on a short week.

Texans at home (MNF)-  They are a dumpster fire.  Hoyer gives them a respectable offense, but only one real weapon at WR and he will be contained.

Cardinals on the road-  Going on the road, on a short week, NFL teams have a straight up winning % in the low 30s.  That's bad.  The Cardinals have offensive weapons and a solid defense.  This was the game I predicted as the Bengals first loss.  However, the Cardinals have looked very average of late.  The Bengals are better.  If they win this game, they are 10-0.  At that point, people would start talking about it. 

The only real challenges at this point will be pitt and AZ.  Get by those two and here is the remainder of the schedule.

Rams at home

Browns on the road

steelers at home

49ers on the road

Broncos on the road (MNF)

Ravens at home

I know "getting by those two" is far easier said (typed?) than done, but it is a very real possibility after that. 

Pittsburg is Pittsburg and will always give us a fight. Both Pitt games will be tough ones. Hopefully we win both.

The Browns have been playing surprisingly well on offense, especially McCown... it could be an old Ohio shootout in both games!

The Texans aren't as bad as you may think, and Hopkins is easily the best WR in the league right now, he just isn't a household name yet. Great, great player.

Cardinal have been tough, and Carson will have something to prove.

Rams have the tendancy to play up to their competition and have a ferocious defense, can't feel too confident about that one either.

The niners will be a cakewalk.

The broncos on MNF at their house will have something to prove, as they will remember last year when we played them. This should be a great game, and I don't expect Manning to be futile the whole season, we will have to see where he is by then. Either way, Talib and the rest of that defense have been top notch.

Ravens will be done with their season by week 17, so unless our backups are playing, we should win.


Long story short, none of these games are gimmies (except maybe Niners and Ravens rematch). The team will need to remain focused if they want to go undefeated, and slip ups against these teams will not end well.