We're making the playoffs

[*PhilHos*]

Let me start by saying I get it. I get that the default option for Bengals fans is doom and gloom. I get there have only been like 4 teams in the history of the NFL to start off 0-3 and make the playoffs.

But, even if the defense does NOT improve, we're making the playoffs this year and here's why I think that: our offense is good enough to win shootouts. In addition, a lot of teams on our schedule do not have good offenses; that even with our shitty defense, we should still not have trouble out-scoring them. In fact, I think a big issue for our defense is mobile QBs. Jayden Daniels picked up a lot of 1st downs with his legs as he did his best Lamar Jackson impression (except Jayden showed he's actually really good at throwing the ball accurately). So, even if our defense doesn't improve we only have to worry about facing teams with running QBs. That's currently the Ravens (twice) and the Eagles. Maybe the Steelers, but I think by the time we play them Russ will be starting and he's not as mobile as he used to be.

With that said, I see hope for improvement. Our defense did a really good job against the Chiefs (DPI notwithstanding). I don't know what the issue with tackling is, but it wasn't an issue against KC so I can see that improving immediately. Aside from that, we were missing our starting DTs. Don't know the timeframe for when they're coming back, but they'll be back. Then we got other DLmen that will be joining this defense in Murphy, Jenkins and Jackson. Soon. Granted, not only are they coming back from injury - 2 are also rookies. But promising rookies nonetheless.

Don't get me wrong, at best, I think our defense will be mediocre, but I don't think it'll be the worst defense ever either.

So, I think the Ravens will probably sweep us and the Eagles will beat us. And we'll most likely lose at least 1 against the Steelers just because they're the frickin' Steelers. But I think we'll beat most of the other teams we'll face even if it's by just outscoring them. I see us ending with 10-11 wins assuming only a little defensive improvement which should be enough to get a Wild Card game if not the division depending on how the season goes for our divisional rivals.

And if we make the playoffs off the back of our offense ... I know defense wins championships, but, well, 0-3 teams also don't make the playoffs, right? Do you pick up what I'm putting down? (Can't wait for rfaulk's response to that question)

WHO DEY!

[*Synric*]

Alot of hope and prayer in that post.

Bengals next 5 games are Panthers, Ravens, Giants, Browns, and Eagles. Bad matchups against the Ravens, Browns, Eagles with their rushing attacks and DLs. Can easily see the Bengals as a 2-6 team headed into week 9 vs the Raiders/Trade deadline.


Edit: You forgot to mention the Bengals are a bad offensive redzone team too.

[Brownshoe]

I hope so, but I don't see it. Teams are going to run all over us and it's not like our offense has been top notch all year. They looked good against a really bad commanders defense. I think we have a better chance of picking top 10 in the draft than we do going to the playoffs

[jj22]

We couldn't even win the shootout last game...

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(Yesterday, 03:42 PM)PhilHos Wrote: So, even if our defense doesn't improve we only have to worry about facing teams with running QBs. That's currently the Ravens (twice) and the Eagles. Maybe the Steelers, but I think by the time we play them Russ will be starting and he's not as mobile as he used to be.

WEEK 6, Daniel Jones: Less so this year for some reason, but has a career 5.6 ypc and a 700 yard rushing season to his name
WEEK 7 & 16, Deshaun Watson: 14 carries for 85 yards (6.1 ypc) and a TD ...has career 5.6 ypc, and >400 yards in every season he played 8+ games
WEEK 15, Will Levis:  11 rushes for 86 yards (7.8 ypc)
WEEK 17, Bo Nix: ROOKIE, 18 rushes for 107 yards (5.9 ypc) and 2 TDs

On top of the 2 games against Lamar, currently 2 games against Fields, and 1 game against Hurts that you mentioned.

That's a lot of QBs that can run. That's 10 of the remaining 14 games.

[*psychdoctor*]

Bengals do not match up against the Browns, Eagles. Bengals are TD reversal, and a questionable DPI call from being 2-1. They couldn't stop Washington. The team cannot hit the mojo button thus far. Out of Sync. I think they can still turn it on. I am waiting for the team to wake up.

[SunsetBengal]

Already down two games in the conference, with likely another 6 losses coming from divisional opponents alone. I'm just not so sure that they make it this year.

[KillerGoose]

Cincinnati's not out of it and can make the playoffs - fact.

...but they probably won't. It's okay to admit that. It sucks to wait eight months to watch your team, going through all the training camp hype and whatnot only to find out they just aren't very good within the first month. There were some seasons where we expected to be bad. This wasn't one of them. I'm not saying the season is definitively over but my expectations of a playoff run are already gone so I'm cruising the rest of the season. The Bengals margin for error is very thin if they want to make a playoff run. They'll likely need to go 10-4 the rest of the season to get in as a wildcard. That's probably not happening. Still love watching Cincinnati on the weekends. 

[GodFather]

The way this defense has been playing I cant see us winning more than 5-6 games never mind playoffs. I lost faith in Lou keeping this defense consistent and actually being competitive.

This past game is so fresh in our minds, that the lack of sacks and pressures to a Patriot OL that had practice squad and backups and they still ran all over the place on us is still concerning.

Hendrickson tore up the tackle in the KC game which really disrupted their plan by not double teaming him like other teams do.

I just see more holes in this defense than Swiss cheese and Lou isn't doing anything to help the matter.

On a positive note, I do think the defense will play much better this Sunday against the Panthers out of pride. I just dont see it being consistent this season enough to make a playoff run.

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 03:56 PM)Synric Wrote: Alot of hope and prayer in that post.

I do not deny this.

(Yesterday, 03:56 PM)Synric Wrote: Bengals next 5 games are Panthers, Ravens, Giants, Browns, and Eagles. Bad matchups against the Ravens, Browns, Eagles with their rushing attacks and DLs. Can easily see the Bengals as a 2-6 team headed into week 9 vs the Raiders/Trade deadline.

I dsagree with the Browns being a bad matchup as their offense is pretty shit right now.

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 04:03 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: I hope so, but I don't see it. Teams are going to run all over us and it's not like our offense has been top notch all year. They looked good against a really bad commanders defense. I think we have a better chance of picking top 10 in the draft than we do going to the playoffs

I can understand where you're coming from and won't try to convince you otherwise, but I'm taking the glass is 1/8th full, optimistic approach.

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 04:17 PM)jj22 Wrote: We couldn't even win the shootout last game...

Well, yeah, but that was against an offense with a rushing QB. Plus, our starting DTs were out. And even then we held their starting RB to 2.1 yards per carry (on 16 carries). Our starting DTs will be back and our primary backups will be starting to play more (Jenkins) or coming off of injury soon (Jackson). So as long as we don't play teams with rushing QBs, I think we'll win those shootouts (hence why I think we lose to the Ravens and Eagles)

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 04:19 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: WEEK 6, Daniel Jones: Less so this year for some reason, but has a career 5.6 ypc and a 700 yard rushing season to his name
WEEK 7 & 16, Deshaun Watson: 14 carries for 85 yards (6.1 ypc) and a TD ...has career 5.6 ypc, and >400 yards in every season he played 8+ games
WEEK 15, Will Levis:  11 rushes for 86 yards (7.8 ypc)
WEEK 17, Bo Nix: ROOKIE, 18 rushes for 107 yards (5.9 ypc) and 2 TDs

On top of the 2 games against Lamar, currently 2 games against Fields, and 1 game against Hurts that you mentioned.

That's a lot of QBs that can run. That's 10 of the remaining 14 games.

You make a good and salient point, but you forget that none of those guys are good passers. Daniels and Lamar and Hurts are.

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 04:27 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Cincinnati's not out of it and can make the playoffs - fact.

...but they probably won't. It's okay to admit that. It sucks to wait eight months to watch your team, going through all the training camp hype and whatnot only to find out they just aren't very good within the first month. There were some seasons where we expected to be bad. This wasn't one of them. I'm not saying the season is definitively over but my expectations of a playoff run are already gone so I'm cruising the rest of the season. The Bengals margin for error is very thin if they want to make a playoff run. They'll likely need to go 10-4 the rest of the season to get in as a wildcard. That's probably not happening. Still love watching Cincinnati on the weekends. 

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 04:28 PM)GodFather Wrote: The way this defense has been playing I cant see us winning more than 5-6 games never mind playoffs. I lost faith in Lou keeping this defense consistent and actually being competitive.

This past game is so fresh in our minds, that the lack of sacks and pressures to a Patriot OL that had practice squad and backups and they still ran all over the place on us is still concerning.

Hendrickson tore up the tackle in the KC game which really disrupted their plan by not double teaming him like other teams do.

I just see more holes in this defense than Swiss cheese and Lou isn't doing anything to help the matter.

On a positive note, I do think the defense will play much better this Sunday against the Panthers out of pride. I just dont see it being consistent this season enough to make a playoff run.

I don't disagree with your analysis (tee hee anal) except that I, obviously, do think they win more than 5-6 games. 

I will say that even if the defense improves like I think(hope) it does, I'm ready to move on from Lou as a DC and think we can get a better one that WON'T be our 6th choice.

[HarleyDog]

(Yesterday, 03:42 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Let me start by saying I get it. I get that the default option for Bengals fans is doom and gloom.  I get there have only been like 4 teams in the history of the NFL to start off 0-3 and make the playoffs.

But, even if the defense does NOT improve, we're making the playoffs this year and here's why I think that: our offense is good enough to win shootouts. In addition, a lot of teams on our schedule do not have good offenses; that even with our shitty defense, we should still not have trouble out-scoring them. In fact, I think a big issue for our defense is mobile QBs. Jayden Daniels picked up a lot of 1st downs with his legs as he did his best Lamar Jackson impression (except Jayden showed he's actually really good at throwing the ball accurately). So, even if our defense doesn't improve we only have to worry about facing teams with running QBs. That's currently the Ravens (twice) and the Eagles. Maybe the Steelers, but I think by the time we play them Russ will be starting and he's not as mobile as he used to be.

With that said, I see hope for improvement. Our defense did a really good job against the Chiefs (DPI notwithstanding). I don't know what the issue with tackling is, but it wasn't an issue against KC so I can see that improving immediately. Aside from that, we were missing our starting DTs. Don't know the timeframe for when they're coming back, but they'll be back. Then we got other DLmen that will be joining this defense in Murphy, Jenkins and Jackson. Soon. Granted, not only are they coming back from injury - 2 are also rookies. But promising rookies nonetheless.

Don't get me wrong, at best, I think our defense will be mediocre, but I don't think it'll be the worst defense ever either.

So, I think the Ravens will probably sweep us and the Eagles will beat us. And we'll most likely lose at least 1 against the Steelers just because they're the frickin' Steelers. But I think we'll beat most of the other teams we'll face even if it's by just outscoring them. I see us ending with 10-11 wins assuming only a little defensive improvement which should be enough to get a Wild Card game if not the division depending on how the season goes for our divisional rivals.

And if we make the playoffs off the back of our offense ... I know defense wins championships, but, well, 0-3 teams also don't make the playoffs, right? Do you pick up what I'm putting down? (Can't wait for rfaulk's response to that question)

WHO DEY!

Let me sugarcoat this BS with something else. If we beat Andy Sunday, we are 1-3. Same place we were in last year after week 4 where we probably would have made the playoffs had we had Burrow all the way. WTS, it's still pretty high expectations. Plus, Zac is 12-18 against AFCN teams. I pray we can take 1 from the Steelers, but not banking on it. That's not being a negative Nancy either. It's just the way it is.

Not saying it's impossible, but a lot of things have to go right, and the refs need to get off our junk!

[125250]

I don’t see it. The defense is incredibly bad. They can’t talk or pressure the qb.

[reuben.ahmed]

I like how different we are, I will never forget our argument that we were 21 down and I said we are probably going to lose and you were adamant we were not out of it. I think it was the 3rd quarter. I get what you were saying but statistically it was going to be very tough. Same with making the playoffs now.

I felt the WA game was over at 14-7, I didn't think it would get so much worse so quickly after that, but it was a gut feel.

I remember Andy threw a pick 6 for the first play of the game against the Browns and had the same feeling. That is a fluke feeling but we did really bad that game too lol.

[Bengalfan4life27c]

I worry if it goes real bad we wont even trade Tee for draft capital we are still way behind other organizations in forward ways of thinking

[RegularGuy22]

I doubt they equal last year of 9-8 even with Burrow all season. I guessed a month ago they would go 9-8 but now that even looks tough to do. They only have 3 major problems to deal with, the Front Office, the Coaching Staff including Taylor and alot of the players. To be 9-8 they will have to go 9-5 the rest of the way, it's not happening. They are as much of a playoff team as the Reds are.