We Need a Better Record Against the AFC North

[casear2727]

(02-05-2024, 03:55 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: I’m not sure how anyone can look at how bad we look against Dallas and confidently say that the bengals shouldn’t fear any NFC team.

We didnt play Dallas this year.

[Soonerpeace]

(02-05-2024, 03:55 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: I’m not sure how anyone can look at how bad we look against Dallas and confidently say that the bengals shouldn’t fear any NFC team.

Well I thought your takes on the offense now this? We didn’t play Dallas

[TheCincinnatiKid]

(02-05-2024, 03:55 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: I’m not sure how anyone can look at how bad we look against Dallas and confidently say that the bengals shouldn’t fear any NFC team.

I presume you're referring to our historic record against Dallas? Not all that relevant to Burrow's Bengals. 

[*ochocincos*]

Another thing I think is making some jump to conclusions:
2021 divisional record: 4-2
2022 divisional record: 3-3

People are quick to jump on the 1-5 record of 2023, but it's not like they've been having a losing record.
It was one season after two good seasons.

About the only things I can think of that really caused the downfall were:
1) Bengals lost some key DB talent and didn't have the young guys quite up to par
2) Burrow only being really healthy for ~5 games the entire season, resulting in a worse-than-expected offense
3) Coaches decided after having to battle through the Bills and Chiefs the past two playoffs that they needed to tweak the team to be better against those guys rather than the divisional opponents

#1 there really wasn't going to be much to help other than maybe keeping Bell for continuity. But we have to give young talent a chance to learn on the job. There will be growing pains.
#2 some of us kinda had a feeling going into the regular season that it could be a rough season. I don't think any of us quite expected that rollercoaster though.
#3 would definitely be on the coaches though and something I think they could work to put more in the middle rather than swing the pendulum to the complete opposite direction...assuming they even did try to change that.

[Essex Johnson]

(02-05-2024, 07:08 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Another thing I think is making some jump to conclusions:
2021 divisional record: 4-2
2022 divisional record: 3-3

People are quick to jump on the 1-5 record of 2023, but it's not like they've been having a losing record.
It was one season after two good seasons.

About the only things I can think of that really caused the downfall were:
1) Bengals lost some key DB talent and didn't have the young guys quite up to par
2) Burrow only being really healthy for ~5 games the entire season, resulting in a worse-than-expected offense
3) Coaches decided after having to battle through the Bills and Chiefs the past two playoffs that they needed to tweak the team to be better against those guys rather than the divisional opponents

#1 there really wasn't going to be much to help other than maybe keeping Bell for continuity. But we have to give young talent a chance to learn on the job. There will be growing pains.
#2 some of us kinda had a feeling going into the regular season that it could be a rough season. I don't think any of us quite expected that rollercoaster though.
#3 would definitely be on the coaches though and something I think they could work to put more in the middle rather than swing the pendulum to the complete opposite direction...assuming they even did try to change that.

I agree this year there are a few variables in play with 1-5 but I do think some people are discounting division wins, one big tiebreaker in the playoff seeds is conference record and 1/2 of those games are division games, it is not a good trend to be 500 or below in division games when it comes to seeding..

[TheCincinnatiKid]

(02-05-2024, 07:08 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Another thing I think is making some jump to conclusions:
2021 divisional record: 4-2
2022 divisional record: 3-3

People are quick to jump on the 1-5 record of 2023, but it's not like they've been having a losing record.
It was one season after two good seasons.

Oh I think we should write 2023 off... the Bengals aren't typically 1-5 in the North. I think Burrow was healthy for a single 30 mins of the division games this year and that was it. We shouldn't look too much into this year's record (even though we did still manage 8-3 outside of it). 

I personally wouldn't say 3-3 is a 'good' season, especially when we should've been aiming at the #1 seed. Though we did rebound from an 0-3 start didnt we?

Ironically the team in the division I'm most confident we'll beat is the Steelers! 

[*ochocincos*]

(02-06-2024, 01:33 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I agree this year there are a few variables in play with 1-5 but I do think some people are discounting division wins, one big tiebreaker in the playoff seeds is conference record and 1/2 of those games are division games, it is not a good trend to be 500 or below in division games when it comes to seeding..

(02-06-2024, 06:35 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Oh I think we should write 2023 off... the Bengals aren't typically 1-5 in the North. I think Burrow was healthy for a single 30 mins of the division games this year and that was it. We shouldn't look too much into this year's record (even though we did still manage 8-3 outside of it). 

I personally wouldn't say 3-3 is a 'good' season, especially when we should've been aiming at the #1 seed. Though we did rebound from an 0-3 start didnt we?

Ironically the team in the division I'm most confident we'll beat is the Steelers! 

I understand what y'all are saying.
However, if the Bengals catered more to just beating their divisional opponents, it's possible they wouldn't do as well against some of the other styles of teams outside of the division.
So we could still be talking about having an overall record of 9-8 when all is said and done, just with a better divisional record.

In an ideal world, you have a team that properly adapts to every style every game, but we know that's not most teams.

[Soonerpeace]

This is a funny discussion. We just need to be better at what we aren’t good at. Run the ball better, protect better, and just be better in the trenches.

[NotBigzo]

(02-05-2024, 06:49 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: I presume you're referring to our historic record against Dallas? Not all that relevant to Burrow's Bengals. 

They slapped Burrow silly last season @Dallas.

And they slapped him silly for the same reason they slapped Dalton silly. Their D line dominates our O line, especially D Law.

[TheCincinnatiKid]

(02-12-2024, 01:13 AM)NotBigzo Wrote: They slapped Burrow silly last season @Dallas.

And they slapped him silly for the same reason they slapped Dalton silly. Their D line dominates our O line, especially D Law.

Lol, dude that's one game. Hardly enough data to run scared of the Cowboys. We lost on a last minute FG to Cooper Rush, while Burrow was clearly not 100% either. Not a game I'd put any stock in tbh.

[NotBigzo]

(02-12-2024, 01:20 AM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Lol, dude that's one game. Hardly enough data to run scared of the Cowboys. We lost on a last minute FG to Cooper Rush, while Burrow was clearly not 100% either. Not a game I'd put any stock in tbh.

Because above d lines have never stalled our offense for extended periods of time, right?

[TheCincinnatiKid]

(02-12-2024, 01:37 AM)NotBigzo Wrote: Because above d lines have never stalled our offense for extended periods of time, right?

Well no, but the initial point was me saying there's nobody in the NFC I 'fear' us playing...

Last I checked Dallas beat very few decent teams and got absolutely smoked in the playoffs. The Niners are way better than the Cowboys, and we beat them comfortably, in SF. I certainly don't fear the idea of playing the Cowboys. They're a decent team, but jesus.

[Soonerpeace]

(02-12-2024, 01:13 AM)NotBigzo Wrote: They slapped Burrow silly last season @Dallas.

And they slapped him silly for the same reason they slapped Dalton silly. Their D line dominates our O line, especially D Law.

And at home where they are tough won at the gun on a FG LMAO

[NotBigzo]

(02-12-2024, 01:41 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: And at home where they are tough won at the gun on a FG LMAO

After demolishing us at home the game prior. Granted Burrow wasn’t playing, but when the same factors come to play time and time again, it doesn’t matter whether Burrow is playing or not.


Their team is a hard counter to ours. A stout defense with a great pass rush, and a high tier offense in the regular season with personnel good enough to make plays when they’re needed.

[NotBigzo]

(02-12-2024, 01:41 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: And at home where they are tough won at the gun on a FG LMAO

And it didn’t even require their starting QB.

[NotBigzo]

(02-12-2024, 01:40 AM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Well no, but the initial point was me saying there's nobody in the NFC I 'fear' us playing...

Last I checked Dallas beat very few decent teams and got absolutely smoked in the playoffs. The Niners are way better than the Cowboys, and we beat them comfortably, in SF. I certainly don't fear the idea of playing the Cowboys. They're a decent team, but jesus.

And I’m saying that this attitude doesn’t make sense because Dallas has the head to us on us over the last few times we’ve played.

[TheCincinnatiKid]

(02-12-2024, 01:48 AM)NotBigzo Wrote: And I’m saying that this attitude doesn’t make sense because Dallas has the head to us on us over the last few times we’ve played by a large margin.

Yes, but only one of those games had our franchise QB playing, and he wasn't even that healthy for it...

If you want to 'fear' playing Dallas because of historical record, by all means. We seem to struggle over the course of history with them. But those games you're on about, don't have really have anything to do with the current Bengals team. I'm not sure why we'd be using them as comparative points tbh. 

The Bengals team that played in Dallas was absolutely nothing like the Bengals team that kicked on as that season went on. 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Who the hell cares about the Cowboys? They haven’t even sniffed a Super Bowl in almost 30 years.

[NotBigzo]

(02-12-2024, 01:51 AM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Yes, but only one of those games had our franchise QB playing, and he wasn't even that healthy for it...

If you want to 'fear' playing Dallas because of historical record, by all means. We seem to struggle over the course of history with them. But those games you're on about, don't have really have anything to do with the current Bengals team. I'm not sure why we'd be using them as comparative points tbh. 

The Bengals team that played in Dallas was absolutely nothing like the Bengals team that kicked on as that season went on. 

How doesn’t that have anything to do with this current bengals team? We still can’t run the ball. We still can’t protect Burrow from a top
Tier pass rush. Dallas’ strength is still our weakness.

Christ, the fact that they didn’t even need Dak last time should tell you all
You need to know. I get the rosters change, but the Bengals still have the same problems now that they did when they last played.

[TheCincinnatiKid]

(02-12-2024, 01:53 AM)NotBigzo Wrote: How doesn’t that have anything to do with this current bengals team? We still can’t run the ball. We still can’t protect Burrow from a top
Tier pass rush. Dallas’ strength is still lit weakness.

Christ, the fact that they didn’t even need Dak last time should tell you all
You need to know. I get the rosters change, but the Bengals still have the same problems they’ve had in the Burrow era.

You're literally harking back to one game where neither team had a healthy QB, as proof we should fear the Cowboys mate. Im not sure what to tell you.

Another comparison for you; the week before this fabled Cowboys humbling? We lost at home to the Steelers. Who last I checked, have a good D-Line.

Later that SAME season? WE whipped them in Pittsburgh. 

We beat the Niners easily this year, and they have a good D-Line.

We don't just lose the game the second we play a good D-Line. I'm not saying we automatically beat the Cowboys by any means, but you're the one telling me to 'fear' the Cowboys mate, and I've no idea why one game two years ago is proof of anything. It's not like the Cowboys have become some dynasty since.