2022 Cincinnati Bengals Part V: Survive and Advance

[The Operator]

If they had Lamar, there’s no guarantee they would have won.

Lamar has a history of choking when it matters.

The Bengals blew The Ravens out in their first meeting last year when Lamar was playing. The Ravens won by all of 2 points earlier this season when Lamar was playing.

It’s an AFC North game. It’s almost always going to be close, with rare exceptions.


Now that my in-game irrationality has worn off, I’m feeling better about our chances next week. Buffalo only beat Miami by 3 points with The Dolphins using their 3rd string QB. They can be beaten. Really need to figure out the offensive line, and pray that one of Cappa and/or Williams can play next week.

[WVRed]

The Bengals blew The Ravens out in their first meeting last year when Lamar was playing. The Ravens won by all of 2 points earlier this season when Lamar was playing.

It’s an AFC North game. It’s almost always going to be close, with rare exceptions.


Now that my in-game irrationality has worn off, I’m feeling better about our chances next week. Buffalo only beat Miami by 3 points with The Dolphins using their 3rd string QB. They can be beaten. Really need to figure out the offensive line, and pray that one of Cappa and/or Williams can play next week.

The Ravens made one key adjustment in the offseason in firing Wink Martindale and bringing in Mike MacDonald.

Martindale loved to blitz and Burrow exploited it. MacDonald runs a two high zone which takes away the deep threat which was why all of Burrows completions were pretty much short.

The Bengals will get absolutely no respect playing both Buffalo and KC. I’m pulling for Jacksonville but I also want no part of Trevor Lawrence if the Jags make it that far. They could easily be us from a year ago.

[Stray]

Gonna be a big Jags fan this weekend. It'd be awesome to have a chance to host the AFCCG in Cincy.

[WVRed]

Gonna be a big Jags fan this weekend. It'd be awesome to have a chance to host the AFCCG in Cincy.

I am too just for that reason but I would much rather face KC who we’ve owned than a Jacksonville team that’s peaking at the right time.

[bucksfan2]

Conference playoff games can be a mess. Look at what Miami did to Buffalo, there is just so much familiarity between the teams.

As for the Lamar angle, well he wasn't playing, and I tend to think he was holding out. Everyone is different, and Lamar playing at 80% wouldn't have been as effective. I think Huntley is Lamar light, and the Ravens would pretty much have been the same team.

I don't believe the NFL is fixed, but I do believe the NFL wants its games to be competitive and entertaining. All the WC games were exciting, going down to the wire in every one of them. I think the Bengals have started to get the benefit of the doubt for being a well disciplined team. They don't shoot themselves in the foot, they play clean football, and they have a face of the league. FWIW the NFL got an AFC of Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, and Lawrence, you think they wanted that?

I think KC rolls Jacksonville, I just don't think they are there yet. The Bills Bengals game could be an all timer, it may be the most exciting game on next week's schedule.

Twice yesterday a call was made on the field, it was obviously the incorrect call, and they reviewed it without a challenge flag having to be thrown. I think I like how they are doing that now.

[Oxilon]

From hearing some media outlets this morning, many are saying the "Bengals are lucky", "Ravens played better", or other hot-takes along those lines. For years, when bad sh*t happened to the Bengals in the playoffs (bad calls, injuries, etc.), the narrative was always "good teams always find a way to win" or some token, generic proclamation along those lines. Now suddenly, when the shoe is on the other foot, it's "the Bengals are lucky!" or "the better team lost." If not for how laughably predictable this hypocritical narrative flip is, some might get annoyed in listening to the media this morning.

[Sea Ray]

Conference playoff games can be a mess. Look at what Miami did to Buffalo, there is just so much familiarity between the teams.

As for the Lamar angle, well he wasn't playing, and I tend to think he was holding out. Everyone is different, and Lamar playing at 80% wouldn't have been as effective. I think Huntley is Lamar light, and the Ravens would pretty much have been the same team.

I don't believe the NFL is fixed, but I do believe the NFL wants its games to be competitive and entertaining. All the WC games were exciting, going down to the wire in every one of them. I think the Bengals have started to get the benefit of the doubt for being a well disciplined team. They don't shoot themselves in the foot, they play clean football, and they have a face of the league. FWIW the NFL got an AFC of Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, and Lawrence, you think they wanted that?

I think KC rolls Jacksonville, I just don't think they are there yet. The Bills Bengals game could be an all timer, it may be the most exciting game on next week's schedule.

Twice yesterday a call was made on the field, it was obviously the incorrect call, and they reviewed it without a challenge flag having to be thrown. I think I like how they are doing that now.

Not all the WC games went down to the wife. SF vs Seattle sure didn't.

Going through Balt, Buf and KC would have to be considered the toughest gauntlet of any SB team this year

[traderumor]

I was fortunate to get to attend my first playoff game last night thanks to my son's season tickets. What an amazing atmosphere the Blackburns have developed both on the field and for the fan. Screw the national media and the NFL good ole boys club. Just make sure this franchise gets its due from its support system, which is the local community and the fan base.

[traderumor]

Anyone else hear Williams report of dislocated knee?

[KoryMac5]

Jonah dislocated his knee again getting an MRI to see if there is any ligament damage, talk about bad luck.

Looks like the opposite knee this time around will be tough to suit up this week.

[Kingspoint]

Burrow is the key difference in the last two years and the Marvin era but the Bengals built a team around Dalton to mask his weaknesses. We will never know how great the 2015 team could have been after Dalton went down but I would give anything to have that offensive line blocking for Burrow.

Marvin Lewis was an idiot. He was in way over his head. He had no business being a Head Coach at any level.

[Kingspoint]

Jonah dislocated his knee again getting an MRI to see if there is any ligament damage, talk about bad luck.

I hope that makes it easier for the Bengals to find a new Starting LT for next season and for at least two more.

[Stray]

@pauldehnerjr 7m
Jonah Williams has dislocated kneecap. Zac Taylor said he is “week to week.”

[Boss-Hog]

I hope that makes it easier for the Bengals to find a new Starting LT for next season and for at least two more.

They picked up his (guaranteed) fifth year option before this season, so I'd anticipate him starting somewhere on the line next year and most likely at LT. That decision doesn't look great in hindsight.

[traderumor]

Marvin Lewis was an idiot. He was in way over his head. He had no business being a Head Coach at any level.

This is so ridiculous and obnoxious. He had weaknesses as a coach, like a propensity for burning his timeouts and allowed immature players to get away with too much, but he brought NFL quality play back to a laughingstock franchise. He is far from an "idiot" and deserves alot of credit for being a bridge to the current state of the franchise. The Bengals have a history of some true incompetents, Marvin is one of the best (not best incompetents, btw.)