HoosierCat

Details are up: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/joe-burrow-47594/ Looks like speculation they would copy the rolling guarantee structure the Chiefs used for Mahomes were right. Cap hits: 2023 19.5 2024 29.7 2025 46.3 2027 52.3 2028 53.5 2029 68.6 Then there are 3, count 'em, 3 void years with another 9 million in cap hits.

Yeah, the tag seems inevitable. I know mem's high on tag-and-trade idea, but that idea rarely if ever works. Having to give him a mega-contract is one thing, and then to have to give up draft picks, too? I like Higgins a lot but he's not Megatron in his prime or something. I just don't see it. $64k question is whether the Bengals are willing to eat the cap hit next year? Projected WR tag for 2024 is just under $23 million. Hope they don't have anyone else to sign! Oh, crap, wait...

2024 free agency note: as expected, there will not be any in-season extension for Higgins.

While we wait for next Sunday, I'd like to make a public service announcement: charge your phone before you leave home, or you might end up arrested like Pacman.

Some good stuff from Barnwell over on E$PN+

They had a top-5 run game in 2014 with Hill and Gio. Hill was a rookie and ran for a career-high 1,124 yards while Gio, in his second year, added 680. When they went to Cleveland that December, Andy played like Burrow did yesterday: 14/24, 117, 0 TD, 1 INT, 53.6 rating. The D also got two turnovers that day. The difference between then and now? Hill, Gio and Rex Burkhead laid a combined 241 rushing yards on the Clowns and the Bengals walked out with a 30-0 victory.

"It's a passing league" has really become the mindset. RB has been devalued both financially and as part of the game. Marvin at least used to make mouth noises about pounding the rock, even though he only followed through once (2009) when he had no other choice. Nowadays coaches don't even bother with the lip service any more.

As stripes noted in the Brawns gameday thread, JK Dobbins is gone fore the year with an Achilles tear. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38370396/ravens-safety-marcus-williams-shoulder-injury Some other guys could also miss time, depending on test results.

Well, we will see if the offense getting publicly pantsed over and over and over again Sunday fires anyone up. The most alarming thing to me was Burrow's performance. I know everyone has bad days but he was flat-out awful yesterday. Being rusty from a lack of practice and preseason snaps is one thing, looking like you're playing football for the first time in your life, and failing badly, is another. That said it wasn't all him. According to all the press clippings, we have one of the best receiving units in the league. If so, you wouldn't know it from yesterday, when they couldn't get open to save their lives. As usual, the line was inconsistent and when Mixon had a few good runs, Taylor went into Classic Marvin Mode: The run game is working? Well, let's start throwing the ball, they'll never expect that! Beyond the offense, we got "special" (in the short bus sense) teams. JFC what a crapfest. I will actually give McMoney a pass on the missed FG, it was a long shot in crappy weather. But punting? Meet the New Punter, Sucks Like the Old Punter. And the return guys? Quit catching the ball inside the five!!!! Let it go into the end zone. Dumb mental mistakes. Where the hell is Simmons? At least the defense showed up. But what should have been a dominant performance was utterly, totally, completely wasted by the rest of the squad and coaches. And they finally ran out of gas. All right. I'm done bitching. Just fix it. You got a week.

Stick this one in the bin, get back to work Monday, got Baltimore coming to town.

Game

Now they go for it? Ok whatever

Yeah, playcalling has been completely uninspired today.

Another crap punt tho more on the protection

Gassed

Holy crap they converted a third down!

There you go

Offense is just not in any kind of sync. I’ll take the 3 but that was a gift from Cleveland.

Got the ball at almost midfield, c’mon offense pull your heads out of your asses!

Good start D

Switching to the Chad jersey for the second half

Defense needs to score.

Bring back Drue Chrisman!

They heard you COB!

There’s Mixon