They're not on the Steelers level but if by contenders you mean playoffs then the standard is a little different. They merely need to be at the Broncos or Jets level and I'd say they areOriginally Posted by MWM
They're not on the Steelers level but if by contenders you mean playoffs then the standard is a little different. They merely need to be at the Broncos or Jets level and I'd say they are
To be fair, they've lost their top 2 cornerbacks, their best defensive lineman, and their best offensive player for a stretch. Yes, they've struggled. How could you expect them not to? They've run up against two of the five best teams in football, with two of the three games being on the road.
It's certainly disappointing. But the season isn't over yet.
This team has overachieved and surpassed our expectations all year. I don't think that it's fair to start piling on when they hit some adversity. They're not on the Ravens and the Steelers level. I think most of us knew that going into this stretch.
Good post. That being said, they must bounce back and beat Houston this week. If they don't, they'll need to beat St. Louis and Arizona then hope that the Baltimore game means nothing for Baltimore so they rest some starters.
"....the two players I liked watching the most were Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. I was suitably entertained by their effortless skill that I didn't need them crashing into walls like a squirrel on a coke binge." - dsmith421
That's it in a nutshell. Most teams in the NFL lay an egg or two throughout the year. Three plays killed the Bengals yesterday, the penalty on their TD, the punt return for a TD, and the fumbled KO. Flush the game down the toilet, and find a way to win 3 of their last 4. In the playoffs, anything can happen. But you have to be there.
Its absolutely amazing that a few plays can determine the game when then end score is a blowout. Heck if the block in the back gets called I doubt Pitt scores before half time. The Bengals go in down 14 getting the ball at half. The entire dynamic of the game changes.
I don't think this is fair at all. It isn't about "not ready for prime time," this was a Murphy's law game. They were within reach of beating the Steelers (whom my loathing grows with every game I watch them play, man what a bunch of arrogant jerks) at home, came within a misinterpreted review of beating the Ravens at their place. Yesterday was one you just forget about and move on. This game was an outlier of the play demonstrated the rest of the season. Making such a conclusion is just so much "I told you so" after a bad game. Talk about kicking while someone's down.
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
Looks like the Bengals could get a huge break ...
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...uple-of-weeks/
Hopefully they can take advantage of it.
Even if the Texans don't have Andre, it's going to be a tough matchup. Their D is as legit as it gets. And they have two stud running backs. But clearly right now our weakness is in the secondary on defense, so it certainly helps matters. I think it will be a close game either way.
I disagree. Its not viewing this team through 'hope' colored glasses. We are so beaten down by this franchise over the last few decades now that its just hard to feel like anything has changed. Yet week after week, season after season....we get the 'gosh, if this had happened' or 'damn we were so close'. Why is it when anyone is realistic is it unfair?
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
“Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
Another blackout on Sunday. I'm pretty sure we're still dead last in attendance.
We're in the thick of a playoff race with 4 games to go, and we're hosting the 9-3 Houston Texans...pretty sad this city refuses to support their teams. Ah well though, luckily this is one of the games I'm going to be able to go to this year. Can't wait to see the guys get back on track.
This franchise is a longggggggg way from the dark years of the 90s. That reputation continues to follow them around, but in fairness, it's been a very long time since it's been a downright putrid organization. As far as W-L is concerned.
I'm a huge Bengals fan, but I'll never go to another game as long as Mike Brown is the owner. I've even turned down free tickets.
This city cares about the Bengals. Look at the tv ratings. Attendance is down for 2 reasons: 1) Mike Brown and 2) the economy.
"....the two players I liked watching the most were Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. I was suitably entertained by their effortless skill that I didn't need them crashing into walls like a squirrel on a coke binge." - dsmith421
I don't think it's even about Mike Brown anymore. Maybe for some. I think from a pure economics standpoint, it simply shows how hard it is to acquire new customers. We talked about it during baseball season, there's only a certain segment of the population that can decide on short notice to go to a game. For football it's an even smaller percentage because of the cost.
So there's only so much buffer you have if you don't sell the tickets out before the season.
The attendance is down because of Mike Brown and last year. The economy was even worse in 08 and 09 and they constantly sold out. Last year the team was so bad, they were coming out of a strike with their franchise QB quitting, a rookie QB who had no mini camps being touted as a starter, and their best offensive weapon was a rookie. That is a tough season ticket sales strategy if you ask me.
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