Please Don't Waste This Season...

[BengalsRocker]

(01-01-2016, 12:00 PM)masonbengals fan Wrote: Lots of frustrations being vented in this thread & I too have had flashes of that same old feeling. But there are legitimate reasons(Call them excuses if you want)for where we are today.

Houston was no doubt a bad loss
We gave the Cardinals all they wanted & it could have ended either way.
The Dalton injury on the 1st damn series was a killer blow in the Pittsburgh game. I truly think we would have won that otherwise.
Took Denver to OT with a backup QB in a game where the Bronco's playoff life depended on it.

So really in my mind, only 1 bad loss all year.

I like AJM & he is capable but our playoffs success depend on Andy's return. Do I want to see a magical run by AJM absolutely. But if he's gonna do it the rest of the team is gonna have to pick up their play a couple of notches.

Exactly.

The ground game and overall run blocking needs to help the inexperienced QB by being consistent for the whole game.

The pass defense and overall tackling needs to show up for 4 quarters as well.

Yeah AJM could play better and make better reads from time to time but the fact is he is a backup QB trying to fill big shoes.

Somebody *cough* Marvin *cough* needs to get these guys motivated like his job depends on it.  Sad thing is it doesn't... so.

That is the narrative for the OP I believe.  The constant.  The thing that makes this all seem eerily familiar.

[grampahol]

(12-31-2015, 10:16 PM)Atomic Orange Wrote: WHat about when he was 100%, what's the excuse for that one? What about Gio, why not use Gio? Hell ANYBODY except for Brandon Tate.

They could use a lot of different guys, but something not being mentioned about Tate is he's reliable and doesn't often leave the ball on the ground bouncing around in the end zone. He's never taken it to the house, true, but at least when he does return punts and kick offs the Bengals have the ball back. He in fact is one of the most reliable punt and kick off returners in the NFL. I'm pretty sure that they practice these things during the season to find out who is and isn't going to drop kick offs and punts. That's pretty important stuff in the game of football.

[Shake n Blake]

For a couple years now, I've wanted to see 4 things from this team:

1. a better division record (we'll likely finish 5-1 there, so mission accomplished)
2. improved play in prime-time (we finished 1-3 and got destroyed in 2nd halves)
3. Earn a playoff BYE (better division and prime-time records would help accomplish this)
4. A playoff win

When your team is terrible, your goal should be to improve and make the playoffs. This team is already making the playoffs on a consistent basis, so the goals and expectations should be raised. For example, I'm sure Patriots and Seahawks fans wouldn't be content with simply making the playoffs and swiftly getting their asses kicked.

This team is better than that, and that's why I expect more. Even with McCarron at QB, this team should beat whoever we face in the WC round. We have more talent than teams like the Jets, Chiefs and Steelers. Throw in the fact we'll be at home and I think yet another first round loss should be considered a massive disappointment.

[masonbengals fan]

Yes it would be....

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-01-2016, 12:18 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: I think McCarron ran the offense beautifully in the first few series last week.  That is the problem. Marvin is such a conservative individual by nature that a two score lead 20 minutes in to the game is where he starts to try to kill the clock.  

On offense, kept running in to 8 man fronts.  Why not spread those fronts out and attack them?  Because it risks a turnover.  The last time I check, three horrible plays and a punt is a turnover...it just takes a little longer and results in better field position.   The play selection after the first few drives was pathetic.  If your offensive line can't do any better than that in the run game, you must spread them out with multiple weapons and attack them with short passes.  

On defense, when it was clear in the second half that the front four was done, they stuck with it and gave B.O. all kinds of time to find checkdowns and create some decent gains in the running game.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, the other orange team attacked with a variety of blitzes on defense and allowed their QB to make plays to move the chains and ultimately score.

It was as piss-poor a coaching job (in the second half) as I have ever seen.  It is so sad that the #2 seed was right there, and they blew it in the name of not making mistakes or getting burnt deep.  This seems to be the common thread for this coaching staff and it is infuriating.  

That's the biggest thing that drives me batty about Super Marvio. That said, if Dalton is in the game, i'd expect him to check out of some of those blitz looks in the 2nd half. McCarron just doesn't have the experience yet.

[GodFather]

(01-01-2016, 02:30 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I'm sure Patriots and Seahawks fans wouldn't be content with simply making the playoffs and swiftly getting their asses kicked.

Throw in the fact we'll be at home and I think yet another first round loss should be considered a massive disappointment.

-I love how certain Bengal fans feel like they are more of a die hard fan by enjoying a winning season with no post season success, and love to throw the term "Do you want to go back to the 90's again?" when other fans aren't happy just having a winning record and no playoff wins.

-get ready for another massive disappointment.

[Essex Johnson]

(01-01-2016, 06:21 PM)GodFather Wrote: -I love how certain Bengal fans feel like they are more of a die hard fan by enjoying a winning season with no post season success, and love to throw the term "Do you want to go back to the 90's again?" when other fans aren't happy just having a winning record and no playoff wins.

-get ready for another massive disappointment.

I am going to have to disagree with you, there are many fans across the nation of teams that would be happy to make the playoffs regardless if they win or not.  What many fans across the nation are fed up with are their losing teams.  

ie  Browns, Bears, Dolphins, Saints etc..etc.. etc.. 

[Atomic Orange]

(01-01-2016, 06:21 PM)GodFather Wrote: -I love how certain Bengal fans feel like they are more of a die hard fan by enjoying a winning season with no post season success, and love to throw the term "Do you want to go back to the 90's again?" when other fans aren't happy just having a winning record and no playoff wins.

-get ready for another massive disappointment.

When it comes to the post season we are still the laughing stock of the NFL, do these fans you speak of not realize this? To those people we are still "Bungles".

[Rhinocero23]

(01-01-2016, 02:30 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: For a couple years now, I've wanted to see 4 things from this team:

1. a better division record (we'll likely finish 5-1 there, so mission accomplished)
2. improved play in prime-time (we finished 1-3 and got destroyed in 2nd halves)
3. Earn a playoff BYE (better division and prime-time records would help accomplish this)
4. A playoff win

When your team is terrible, your goal should be to improve and make the playoffs. This team is already making the playoffs on a consistent basis, so the goals and expectations should be raised. For example, I'm sure Patriots and Seahawks fans wouldn't be content with simply making the playoffs and swiftly getting their asses kicked.

This team is better than that, and that's why I expect more. Even with McCarron at QB, this team should beat whoever we face in the WC round. We have more talent than teams like the Jets, Chiefs and Steelers. Throw in the fact we'll be at home and I think yet another first round loss should be considered a massive disappointment.

Spot on.

[grampahol]

In some ways the 90s were easier to deal with simply because we expected them to tank from start to finish. Even the Palmer years were almost easier to deal with simply because they missed the playoffs to many times, but this team is maddening because they're loaded with talent and still can't get it done after January and then the thumb..With Palmer it was the knee..
I like McCarron. I really do, but I just don't have the confidence in him that Andy this season was exhibiting. It feels like a curse. Someone stuck a pin in a Paul Brown doll and stuck two in Mike Brown.
All that said I'd still rather be a Bengals fan than a fan of any other team INCLUDING the Pattycakes..For some reason there's just something comfoting about the prefix 'long suffering' that can't be matched by any other fan base..

[t3r3e3]

(01-01-2016, 06:42 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I am going to have to disagree with you, there are many fans across the nation of teams that would be happy to make the playoffs regardless if they win or not.  What many fans across the nation are fed up with are their losing teams.  

ie  Browns, Bears, Dolphins, Saints etc..etc.. etc.. 

All of the team's you mentioned have Playoff wins more recently than the Bengals, and the team formerly known as the Aints have a Super Bowl trophy. This whole "be happy the Bengals are in the Playoffs" mantra reeks of the participation trophy mentality.  The results, given the team's talent and depth, are unacceptable.  The Bengals will never be taken seriously until they start winning in the postseason.

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-01-2016, 06:42 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I am going to have to disagree with you, there are many fans across the nation of teams that would be happy to make the playoffs regardless if they win or not.  What many fans across the nation are fed up with are their losing teams.  

ie  Browns, Bears, Dolphins, Saints etc..etc.. etc.. 

I don't understand this logic whatsoever.  Every set of circumstances is different.  Different situations call for different expectations.

Just because the Titans and Tampa Bay , who are rebuilding while rookie QB's are at helm, would have been happy with finishing .500 and being competitive doesn't mean the Patriots would be happy achieving the same.

So just because there are many fans across the nation that would be perfectly happy just to make the playoffs doesn't really mean anything in determining what should or shouldn't make a fan of another team happy. A lot of 16 year old's would be happy getting a 1999 Ford Taurus. A lot of 36 years old's would not.

I was happy with just making the playoffs.  I was just like those fans you're describing.  Except it was 2005.  In each appearance since I have become less thrilled with an equal amount of success.  Why?  Because my expectations have been raised.

My boss was thrilled when the new guy we hired last year took a dead account and turned them into a regular buyer.  He took a zero dollar account and managed to get something out of them.  And while that's great for him, gaining one client at the amount he did would not be met with the same praise had I done the same.  I'm going need about 10 times that amount to earn an "attaboy".  Why?  Because I've been there longer, I make more, and as a result much more is expected of me.

Do you know what my boss would say if I went into a meeting about my poor numbers and told him that some of the trainees and junior level reps would happy writing a fraction of the sales that is expected of me?  Rather than get a "you're right, Mantooth" I'd be handed a box by HR later that afternoon to pack up my shit.

I'll leave you with one last analogy, just in case I haven't the best job making my case:  If you give a kid a peanut butter jelly sandwhich for dinner most of them are going to be ok with that.  I'm pretty sure a lot of the little ***** like shit like grilled cheese and chicken fingers too.  If you give a menu that only includes that to an adult, say at Jeff Ruby's steakhouse, when they really wanted a steak, they're going not going to be as pleased. 

As you age your tastes change.  They become more refined and you learn to like different and usually much, much finer things to eat.  I kinda view the counter to your argument similarly.  Kids (Bengals fans in the 90's) were happy with a grilled cheese (8-8) back in 2003.  And God damn was that hamburger (11-5, playoffs) good in 2005.  But guess what?  I'm ***** tired of eating hamburger every God damn year.  I've had the same ***** burger the last 4 years.  For the love of Christ, bring a steak, or a plate full of Lobster or Shrimp, or hell, I'll even take some Salmon.  But if you bring me one more ***** burger my head is going to explode.