Stripes

Defensive line needs to lock in. Too much push.

Can't be missing postseason PATs. Get right immediately, Evan.

Fuck yeah Ja'Marr.

Physical first quarter. Would be hugely valuable to get this TD. Let the Ravens continue to be the undisciplined idiots.

Biggest play of ADG's career so far.

Would have liked to see a flag for the jab at Tee's facemask. Glad to get 3 anyway. Let's go defense.

Alright. Let's go. Death to the purple rats.

Handle business tonight and Buffalo is ripe for the picking.

Glad the Bengals field a much better defense than most of these teams.

Allen certainly gets into cold stretches.

Miami's defensive gameplan seems to be maximum risk. Blitz mania leading to both a sack and giving up a huge play.

Whether they actually run a two-QB game or not, the Bengals should be prepared for trick play shenanigans.

Hopefully Lawrence and the Jags can carry that energy into Kansas City next week.

Well that's the most Chargers thing to ever happen. Jags advance.

Meanwhile, "generational quarterback prospect" Trevor Lawrence just threw his fourth interception of the first half.

Burrow's comments are a nice contrast to the quarterback situation of tomorrow's opponent.

LAC’s defense has been lights out against the pass over the second half of the season. Lawrence is having one of those early-career Peyton playoff games.

I’d prefer the Chargers win, because I think they’d be more likely to knock off the Chiefs in the next round.

I have a huge job interview on Monday, so I am just going to count on this game to leave me in the proper sprits. I can't afford to attend though, and perhaps that's for the best.

Between Lamar Jackson informing the world himself on Twitter that he isn't good to go, Sammy Watkins lamenting the mindset of his quarterback ( https://twitter.com/RussellStReport/status/1613966212341309441?s=20&t=Atth0T1bqGSZ09o0c1rUyA ), and John Harbaugh treating it all like the most irrelevant stuff on Earth ( https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1613960619182407681 ), it seems pretty evident that this nonsense is going to infect that organization the whole offseason. That's even true if Jackson legitimately wants to play in this game but can't.

I might agree, though I'm not certain. Anthony Brown's performance last week was very high-variance, in that he committed some bad turnovers and struggled to complete passes -- but he was also able to push the ball down the field (280 yards on 19 completions). I think their ranges of outcomes in terms of points scored look roughly like this (just educated guesses): Brown --> 6 to 24 Huntley --> 13 to 21 Let's score in the upper 20s and make sure it doesn't matter.

The line keeps scooting pro-Bengals (-9.5 or -10 now mostly) and the Ravens QB news worsens.

In truth I expect the division to be easier for the Bengals in 2023 than it was in 2022. The Ravens have been on the slow descent to offensive irrelevance even with Jackson, and if he should happen to depart by any means they nosedive. The Steelers are ever capable and should be taken seriously, but the Bengals have no business finishing behind them. The Browns are about to lose some important core players and are already the worst team in the division. They might rebound if Watson finds himself, but only while the rest of the roster degrades. Anything can happen, and who knows what the offseason will bring. But that's my immediate view.

Clearly the Bengals' opponents are better than the Browns' opponents. That's the beautiful thing about becoming a perennial division winner. I do believe though that all three of the Jets, Broncos, and Bears will be better next season than they were this season. Cleveland better hope they do the same for their own sake.