Bengals given a "C" Rating for 2015 Season

[fredtoast]

(02-23-2016, 11:47 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: The season was a failure. Until there's a playoff win, not a bye, a win, then the season is a failure, which gets the letter grade F.

How do you live everyday as a complete failure?  Especially since everyone of your friends and family are also complete failures?

At least the Bengals have hope.  How so you survive with none?

[Bengalzona]

I give their rating a C

...minus.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

People are forgetting that Texans game where the Bengals were favored, at home in Prime Time and stunk up the place. You could say they were "Looking Ahead" to the Cardinals but they lost that game too although the Bengals took them to the wire.

Sorry, but that Texans game drops the Bengals season grade down one full point alone.

[magikod]

(02-23-2016, 03:33 PM)Hoofhearted Wrote:

my thoughts exactly

[2MinutesHate]

Had they won at least one playoff game, I would've given them a B. We already know who the "A" teams are.

Because of what happened to them in such critical moments in the playoff game (both offensively and defensively), it shows they still lack the discipline it takes to win it all (or at least just one playoff game).

For the talent this team has, anything over a "C" is just thinking with your heart and not your head.

[fredtoast]

(02-24-2016, 01:49 AM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: Sorry, but that Texans game drops the Bengals season grade down one full point alone.

This is ridiculous.

A loss against a playoff team on the road is not that Bad.  Panthers lost to a losing team (falcons).  Patriots lost to two losing teams (eagles at home, dolphins)  Broncos lost to Raiders (at home) and Colts.  Cardinals lost to Rams.


Do all of those teams get their season grade bumped down a letter grade?   ALL of those losses were MUCH WORSE than losing to a playoff team on the road.

[fredtoast]

(02-24-2016, 11:52 AM)2MinutesHate Wrote: For the talent this team has, anything over a "C" is just thinking with your heart and not your head.

A Division title with a last second loss in the playoffs with the #2 QB does not equal a "C".  

Anyone who thinks so is just hating.  You would not give a grade like that to any other team in the league who did the same thing.  It is only a "C" because it is the Bengals.

[2MinutesHate]

(02-24-2016, 12:06 PM)fredtoast Wrote: A Division title with a last second loss in the playoffs with the #2 QB does not equal a "C".  

Anyone who thinks so is just hating.  You would not give a grade like that to any other team in the league who did the same thing.  It is only a "C" because it is the Bengals.

A Division Title!!  Holy smokes Fred!  Did you get one of those AFC North Division Winner caps or t-shirts?  If you're a Redskins or Texans fan, you could've also ordered similar apparel.  

I wouldn't say I'm "hating", but I'm am critical and giving them a "C" for underachieving this year.  You have to win when it counts, and they did not.  Nobody really cares about your regular season record.  Teams like Denver and Carolina get "A's", while teams like the Pats and Steelers get high "B's".  If you think the Bengals should get either an "A" or a "B", I think you're just being silly.  I even think that the Bengals might have actually been one of the top 2 teams in the NFL.  If we're grading just the regular season, I'd give them B+ to A-.  Unfortunately, the season doesn't end there and McCarron was playing well enough for the Bengals to win, which they were.

It's ridiculous the way they lost that game and I'm not giving them a gold star and a pat on the back for their record.  They had an awesome team this past year but melted down in the playoffs (again).  The end of this season bothered me more than any other in 35 years watching this team.  I'm glad for you that you enjoyed your season, but I just have sour grapes over the ending.  

[Brownshoe]

(02-24-2016, 04:14 PM)2MinutesHate Wrote: A Division Title!!  Holy smokes Fred!  Did you get one of those AFC North Division Winner caps or t-shirts?  If you're a Redskins or Texans fan, you could've also ordered similar apparel.  

I wouldn't say I'm "hating", but I'm am critical and giving them a "C" for underachieving this year.  You have to win when it counts, and they did not.  Nobody really cares about your regular season record.  Teams like Denver and Carolina get "A's", while teams like the Pats and Steelers get high "B's".  If you think the Bengals should get either an "A" or a "B", I think you're just being silly.  I even think that the Bengals might have actually been one of the top 2 teams in the NFL.  If we're grading just the regular season, I'd give them B+ to A-.  Unfortunately, the season doesn't end there and McCarron was playing well enough for the Bengals to win, which they were.

It's ridiculous the way they lost that game and I'm not giving them a gold star and a pat on the back for their record.  They had an awesome team this past year but melted down in the playoffs (again).  The end of this season bothered me more than any other in 35 years watching this team.  I'm glad for you that you enjoyed your season, but I just have sour grapes over the ending.  

Really the Steelers defense was dominating us until Ben went down. The only ridiculous thing about that game was how good our defense was playing to keep us in the game (which we were only winning very briefly).

Honestly though I don't see how anyone would give us a "C" just because we couldn't win a playoff game with a backup QB. The Bengals had a great 2015 season, and anyone who wants to downplay it is just silly.

[2MinutesHate]

(02-24-2016, 04:30 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: Really the Steelers defense was dominating us until Ben went down. The only ridiculous thing about that game was how good our defense was playing to keep us in the game (which we were only winning very briefly).

Honestly though I don't see how anyone would give us a "C" just because we couldn't win a playoff game with a backup QB. The Bengals had a great 2015 season, and anyone who wants to downplay it is just silly.

Ben doesn't play defense and we had the game won pretty much.  Total collapse by the best Bengal team that we may ever see.  Anyone can say, "We would've won with Dalton, so it really doesn't count."  Every team has injuries.  The Steelers might have destroyed us without their own injuries with or without Dalton.  I don't waste my time thinking about hypothetical situations.

I'm saying, A's are for Super Bowl teams, B's are for playoff winning teams, and C's-F's are for all the rest.  Doesn't matter what your record is if you don't win in the playoffs.  Sorry, but that's my take.  I don't think there's any right or wrong answer.  It's just an opinion.

Lots of criticism of other's grades but nothing to offer yourself?  

“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.” - John Wooden

[*ochocincos*]

(02-23-2016, 08:26 PM)CincyProduct Wrote: First you say first 8 games were average, then you call that start amazing make up your mind....

No he didn't. He said....

"If we can be honest, after the first 8 games the team was pretty average."

So he's not being inconsistent. It was just being misread.

[Brownshoe]

(02-24-2016, 04:45 PM)2MinutesHate Wrote: Ben doesn't play defense and we had the game won pretty much.  Total collapse by the best Bengal team that we may ever see.  Anyone can say, "We would've won with Dalton, so it really doesn't count."  Every team has injuries.  The Steelers might have destroyed us without their own injuries with or without Dalton.  I don't waste my time thinking about hypothetical situations.

I'm saying, A's are for Super Bowl teams, B's are for playoff winning teams, and C's-F's are for all the rest.  Doesn't matter what your record is if you don't win in the playoffs.  Sorry, but that's my take.  I don't think there's any right or wrong answer.  It's just an opinion.

Lots of criticism of other's grades but nothing to offer yourself?  

“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.” - John Wooden

Ben doesn't play defense, but he effects the defense. Once Ben went down I don't know if the Steelers got a first down. It put the Bengals in great field possession, and let the Bengals come back. If Ben doesn't go down there's no way that we come even remotely close to coming back.

Backup QBs rarely ever win in the playoffs. Just the past 10 years backup QBs have went 2-6 in the playoffs, and the only ones that won were Jeff Garcia in 2006, and T.J. Yates. For the Bengals to make it a close game with a backup QB says something, and should bring your grade up from a "C".

You have to consider the injuries each team faced. You can't say just because a team didn't have their starting QB for the playoffs they didn't have a good year. With Dalton on the field I honestly believe that the Bengals were the best team in the league. They were one of the best offensively, and defensively (which the defense played way better at the end of the year when Burfict started getting healthier).

[Brownshoe]

(02-23-2016, 04:13 PM)jj22 Wrote: If we can be honest, after the first 8 games the team was pretty average. We lost 3 out of the 4 national tv games which was pretty typical of the Bengals and can't be considered an improvement. We only needed to win one more game to get a bye (which at the time was meaning a good chance to get Dalton back), and we choked under pressure, which again is typical. And we lost to playoff teams late in the season, which again is typical. So you can't say it was anything more than an average season. Even with the improvement of Dalton.

Overall after the amazing start, the team crashed and burned. Even with honorable backup qb play.

It kind of hurts when the last 4 games we had to play a backup QB, and one of the other losses were to one of the best teams in the league at their house, and coming down to the wire. The Houston game was bad, but every team has a hiccup here or there.

[Yojimbo]

(02-24-2016, 12:11 AM)fredtoast Wrote:

How do you live everyday as a complete failure?  Especially since everyone of your friends and family are also complete failures?

At least the Bengals have hope.  How so you survive with none?

I don't live in a competitive sport? The goal of any sport is to win, the Bengals are past the point of regular season wins meaning anything. The only way for this current team to get anything but an F is to win in the post season.

[fredtoast]

(02-24-2016, 06:47 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I don't live in a competitive sport? The goal of any sport is to win, the Bengals are past the point of regular season wins meaning anything. The only way for this current team to get anything but an F is to win in the post season.

If that is your opinion then you also have to believe that you and everyone you know is a complete failure.

We all agree that the goal is to win.  We all agree that the Bengals did not win the Super Bowl.  But only you think that deserves an "F", for complete failure.  How can you think like that about a football tram, but not apply it to your real life. If anything less than the best in the world is a complete failure in sports why not in your life also? 

I don't know if you are a complete failure, but you are clearly a hypocrite who judges others differently than yourself.

[Derrick]

(02-24-2016, 06:01 PM)ochocincos Wrote: No he didn't. He said....

"If we can be honest, after the first 8 games the team was pretty average."

So he's not being inconsistent. It was just being misread.

Look, 8-0 is awesome! But they did their typical swan dive the rest of the season. That is 100% on Marvin Lewis PERIOD! Plot the season on a graph and a "C" looks like a gift.  It will never get better with Marvy. Marvin has gotten a lot of credit that should have been awarded to Duke Tobin. Marvin IS a "C" at best.

[Yojimbo]

(02-24-2016, 07:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: If that is your opinion then you also have to believe that you and everyone you know is a complete failure.

We all agree that the goal is to win.  We all agree that the Bengals did not win the Super Bowl.  But only you think that deserves an "F", for complete failure.  How can you think like that about a football tram, but not apply it to your real life. If anything less than the best in the world is a complete failure in sports why not in your life also? 

I don't know if you are a complete failure, but you are clearly a hypocrite who judges others differently than yourself.

Grading a team vs grading individual players or performances are completely different, as well as, trying to grade life, which doesn't have a single goal vs. a sport that does have a single goal, are completely different. I don't grade people's life because there is no standard way to live your life that makes you a winner or loser, it's all just opinions.

This "team" failed this year, no gray area in my opinion. The goal was win a playoff game. Do that and get an "A", don't do that and get an "F". In past years there were gray areas of B's and C's, team was young, playoff game was on the road, too many injuries. We are well past excuses as this point.

[fredtoast]

(02-24-2016, 09:50 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: Grading a team vs grading individual players or performances are completely different, as well as, trying to grade life, which doesn't have a single goal vs. a sport that does have a single goal, are completely different. I don't grade people's life because there is no standard way to live your life that makes you a winner or loser, it's all just opinions.

This "team" failed this year, no gray area in my opinion. The goal was win a playoff game. Do that and get an "A", don't do that and get an "F". In past years there were gray areas of B's and C's, team was young, playoff game was on the road, too many injuries. We are well past excuses as this point.

Anyone who does not see any difference between the '15 Bengals and the '15 Titans doesn't know anything about football.

[fredtoast]

(02-24-2016, 09:20 PM)Derrick Wrote: Look, 8-0 is awesome! But they did their typical swan dive the rest of the season. That is 100% on Marvin Lewis PERIOD! Plot the season on a graph and a "C" looks like a gift.  It will never get better with Marvy. Marvin has gotten a lot of credit that should have been awarded to Duke Tobin. Marvin IS a "C" at best.

Yes it will get better.  You are wrong.

BTW the fact that you called the second half of the 15 season a "typical" swan dive shows how little you know about the Bengals.  Prior to this year the Bengals have been known to finish strong (5-2 in '14, 5-1 in '13, and 7-1 in '12)

[Yojimbo]

(02-24-2016, 10:02 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Anyone who does not see any difference between the '15 Bengals and the '15 Titans doesn't know anything about football.

The difference is their goal. The Titans aren't in the same position as the Bengals, they are rebuilding, we are supposed to be in our window.