ArmyBengal

Ok we got here after 9 hours driving through the asshole of America. Southern Illinois might be the closest thing to Afghanistan I’ve seen since leaving that shithole country.

Two hours to go and this drive makes me want to eat a bullet. Never saw more depressing shit in my life.

Alright guys… ArmyBengal Jr. and I are headed to KC in the morning. Wish you all could be there with us freezing our asses off and screaming loudly !! Will do our best to bring home the “W” !! Let’s fucking go !!! WHODEY !!!

I know, I know, just poking...

Is that Nickelback ?? lol

Yeah, that guy sucks...

Here's where I am with the Mahomes injury... Anyone placing a bet on the game predicated upon what the coaches say and video clips show, is a fool. Of course the coaches are going to say he looks great and will be ready to go. What else are they going to say at this point? That video never once showed Mahomes sprinting. That was the most gingerly jogging I've seen and think it's going to be an impact. Does that mean the Bengals are going to win? No, but again, high ankle sprains don't heal in 4 days. Mahomes will be taking a pain killer before the game for sure to get through, hoping to make it through the game in my opinion. His ankle will be wrapped and I would guess his scrambling ability will be hampered by the injury. All that said, I expect him to make every effort to ball out and the Chiefs to game plan for what he's dealing with. I compare it to every Bills fan telling us on the way into the stadium we couldn't win because of the o-line. Truth is, you just never know and why I wouldn't touch betting on this game. I still think both teams will have their hands full just like each of the 3 previous meetings.

Yes, the cap growth is what makes a guaranteed contract interesting as well. The cap hit stays the same year after year while the cap continues to grow. Mahomes is interesting that way for sure and it's a 10 year deal. Nice for them to not have to worry about that for a while.

So I was a little curious and took a look at the highest paid QB's in the league. I was going to look at the top 5, but the 6th included Mahomes which I thought was an interesting comparison. Age in parenthesis and Burrow just turned 26 for comparison. Watson (27)- 5 yr deal in '22- 55m per yr- At signing 230m- Cap hit stays the same Stafford (34)- 4yr deal in '22- 63m per yr- At signing 63m- Cap hit goes up a little across contract Wilson (34)- 5yr deal in '22- 48.5m per yr- At signing 124m- Cap hit goes up a little across contract Allen (26)- 6yr deal in '21- 43m per yr- At signing 100m- Cap hit goes up a little across contract Rodgers (39)- 3yr deal in '22- 50m per yr- At signing 101m- Cap hit goes up more across contract Mahomes (27)- 10yr deal in '22- 63m per yr- At signing 63m- Cap hit goes up more across contract I found it interesting how some of these were put together and I guess you could argue many different angles. There is far more than I can understand with all types of guarantees and bonuses, but the cap hit seems very important to the organization. I can see some advantage to keeping the cap hit the same, like the Watson deal, but that is risky as hell for a team to guarantee everything. Something along the lines of what Allen got, but obviously more money involved for Burrow in 2023. North of 50m per year (which has been mentioned) obviously places him in the top 5 paid QB's in the league. Conversely, I don't know what the hell Bills fans and coaches are bitching about regarding paying players when you have Allen's contract either. Anyway, something to consider...

The block Carman put on Trumaine at the end of that clip is still amazing to watch. Everyone in the stands saw it and you heard a collective, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH" !!! Carman might be the luckiest player ever. Had that injury to Jonah not happened, he probably wouldn't have seen the field. I still don't get the confusion however. He's a natural LT and regardless of what people thought of his ability to play there in the NFL. He struggled at every other position they put him in. The fact he plays better at his natural position shouldn't shock anyone. Now, does that mean he should be the LT of the future for the team? Not necessarily, but I think they know what position he should play. I don't have to (and I don't) like the character concern, but this has been more than a humbling experience for that young man and you would hope he's figured some shit out with his life. If he has, maybe that makes the team relook the LT position long term. Maybe not, but they need to address the OT spot in the draft anyway. As much as I have beaten on Carman, if this can be a catalyst for his life to improve, then good for him.

They have work to do considering all the other free agents they are looking at after the season ends. As they always say, you can't pay everyone. Guys that are starters or contributors heading into UFA: Bates- He's not back at his price point and we have Dax Bell- He's 28 and coming off a 3 year, 18 million deal. Should fit. Hurst- How much does he want? With both him and Sample hitting FA, we are drafting TE anyway. Pratt- They need to bring him back, period. He's a high priority in my personal opinion. Apple- Can I help pack your bags? Awuzie will be back, CTB is playing well and we will be drafting CB. Perrine- He's 27 coming off a 2 year, 3 million deal. I want him back. Earned another deal and pass blocks well. Scharping- I love the fact we had this guy for depth. Such a good pick up. If we can bring him back with a backup contract, do it. Sample- I really don't know what to think about Sample. Flowers- I don't think he will cost much to bring back if they so desire. Allen- If they just have to have Allen back, they can probably make that happen. and more

By watching that, he looks like he’s taking his time in that ankle. However, I’m with Mem. Let them ramble about how he’s 100%, that does them no good when we all know he’s not. High ankle sprains don’t heal in 3 days.

Karras signed a 3 year deal for 18 million, so we are good there for a little bit. He will be 31 when the deal is up. Doesn't look problematic. I think Burrow has made comments about his new deal already. I know Mike Brown has chimed in about wanting him to be here forever and the need to keep the team together. While I don't think we will get some ridiculous low ball offer, I don't think he's going to be offered a fully guaranteed contract either. I don't worry about it though, because regardless of what people think, the Bengals have paid players that have been deserving in the past. I do not expect Burrow to be heartbroken by the number he sees on an offer. I think the Bengals can keep Burrow, Chase and Higgins, but it will take some work. We won't be seeing high end free agent deals in the near future though and that's ok. Katie has handled most of the contracts for quite some time.

See ?? It's the last 4 words of that comment that differentiates Burrow from the others when it comes to mindset. Most would have simply said, "To me they're still the team to beat" and left it at that. Almost providing an excuse if you lose, or conceding loss. However, the addition of "and we're coming for them" changes EVERYTHING regarding mindset. It's savage...

I would love the Porter pick in the first.

I was going to make the same comment. Many calling the Bengals the team most likely to fall off from last year and how they just caught lightning in a bottle. Now here they are, on the doorstep from making their second Super Bowl appearance in a row. Nope, nothing to see here...

Hey, I already said it was a stupid question. The old comments are off the table !! LOL... In all honesty I've never heard that expression before. My oldness has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. SHIT, where did I put my readers ??

I personally love Dalton Kincaid, but not in the first round. I would rather have an O or D Lineman, or CB at this point. Having the ability to secure them on the 5th year option is huge. Not to mention, I could see almost any of the above taken #1. Then you may have something like last year, where a certain player falls that you weren't expecting. If Kincaid were to happen to fall to the second round, I would be all over that pick. That's where I'm taking him in mocks to this point.

Ok, I will ask the stupid question... "I'm him" ???

I finally got around to watching that clip. Glad I did. That was fun to watch.

I love the move to pick up Lammons. That’s a smart move any way you view it. Nicely done Bengals !!

Yeah, not all in on the grades and certainly don't think they paint the picture adequately. Something about them just intrigues me though and I like to see how they shake out in comparison to what I saw with my own eyes. What I saw was an o-line that everyone thought was going to get ran the fuck over by the Bills "elite" defense, hold their own. Whether that was due to amazing play on their part, the game planning by the coaches, the quick release by Burrow or a combination of all.... IT WAS AWESOME !!!

Just real quick. I saw the highest graded players from the Bills game, but couldn't find how they graded the o-line. Anyone ?? Just curious more than anything.

I was very fortunate growing up in that my father was a huge Bengals fan. He had season tickets and my mother had no interest at all. My older brother hated all things sports, so that left me to be his sidekick. I took to it like a fish to water and have fond memories of freezing at Riverfront stadium. I went to the freezer bowl when I was 10 and followed that up with a trip to Super Bowl XVI. Funny story... I got separated from my Dad at the Super Bowl and a security dude scooped me up. We couldn't find my Dad and he took me to lost and found. Thing was, the lost and found was on the other side of the Silverdome, so to cheer me up he walked me across the Super Bowl field. I quickly forgot I was lost !! We went to Bengals and Reds games up until I joined the Army and then here and there as an adult. Best times of my life. Dad passed in 2020 and he is missed greatly. However, I'm now doing the same with my son and hope he will look back as I do with my own father. Sunday is just the next one and we will be screaming and yelling for the Bengals in KC !!!

I really wish Eli Apple would just shut the fuck up. Yeah, Diggs didn’t have a great game, but don’t get it twisted. The Bills aren’t getting rid of Diggs any time in the near future. Apple could be gone after the last snap of the season, whenever that will be, and most won’t bat an eye. While he has done better here than his previous stops, he’s far from a top shelf starter.