gregcook68

I thought the quick math he did, managing the clock after the penalty on the LS, knowing the Titans were out of time outs, AND deciding to take points OFF the board with the 3 kneels, almost eliminating a chance for a turnover, was brilliant!!

I've read articles online where referees admitted the bigger market winning teams get preferential treatment. I don't trust the NFL and/or referees any farther than I could throw them! Bengals are small market and I think the NFL prefers the bigger market revenue.

That would be the right thing to do HC, but I just don't believe MB will let it happen. I see him staying down the rest of the season and somebody (Cardinals) snatching him and giving a watch to their 40 year old punter . . OR . . they bring him up for KC and waste a spot on the roster with 2 punters. Hope I'm wrong and you're right.

It's just his expert opinion! Opinions are like . . oh nevermind.

They've already beaten the Jets and Dolphins so a win against the Pats is critical to give them the tie breaker advantage IF they end up tied for a WC spot with any of those 3 teams. Also, in order for them to win the division they need to stay at least TIED with the Ravens before the last game, because Ravens will hold tie breaker with a better division record. As far as KC, IF the Bengals make them one dimensional, like they did twice last year for the second half, I don't think KC will fall for, and be stymied by Anarumo's game plan of rushing 3, dropping 8, and putting Hubbard on Mahomes as a spy, even though they fell for it twice last year. TBH I know Andy Reid is a good offensive minded coach and I was stunned that he fell for it twice last year!

Not that anybody cares, but it looks like the strategy will be to send Chrisman back to the practice squad, to stay, and hope nobody snatches him before the season is up. Even though he's had national exposure with a 52.6 yard average, with his longest being 65 yards and 4 of 8 punts inside the 20, and flawless holding. The Cardinals punter is 40 with a 46.9 yard average this year. Who cares? Punters are a dime a dozen!

After the second half of the season last year, and the playoffs, I said at the beginning of this year, this will be an underated defense. Seeing those leg/ankle tackles by Hilton on Henry yesterday, took me back 59 years to 1963 at the age of 10. As a Browns fan, my dad would say, the only way to stop Jim Brown was to ankle tackle him. It's a huge uphill battle to even consider them winning out, but after their 0-2 start, I don't want them to just 'make' the playoffs, I want them to win another division championship, and in order to do that they need to be at least tied with or a game ahead of Baltimore before they beat them in that last game.

That's probably why they activated Irwin.

Been a fan since PB came to Cincy with this franchise. After 54 years I still go with the philosophy of 'Expect the worst, hope and root for the best!' They broke a few big droughts last year, but, for me, there's one left to break for me to have more confidence and amend my philosophy. Since 1968, only 2 teams of the current 32 have NEVER had back to back seasons with playoff wins. The Lions and our beloved Bengals. IF, and I say IF, they can break that franchise drought this year, I'll have a lot more confidence moving forward.

All that information about Simmons and McPherson was on the website. Also on the website was when Zac took over he wanted to clean house of all the Lewis staff and Simmons requested to stay, and yes good for him and good for the franchise. Yes, he has said on the website, he likes what he does and not interested in a HC position. Like you said, he probably prefers to stay in the background.

Good! Never thought much of Thomas. I thought Irwin showed better in preseason but then again, I thought Browning did better than Allen.

I know when he lobbied to stay on with Zac he said as much Army. I know for a fact, it was because he was special teams coach in Cincy that McPherson ended up on the Bengals, because Shayne Graham was coaching at Florida and gave Simmons a heads up about McPherson and Simmons went to Gainesville and worked McPherson, came back and told Zac that he was worth using a draft pick. If Simmons had been elsewhere, unlikely McPherson would be a Bengal.

Agree, they will get paid for their current contract, but will be released after the season. Harris probably stays on IR. I can't see them carrying two punters but if MB steps in with the final word, he might just waste a spot and do so.

I don't follow the NFL much, other than the Bengals, but I have to believe that Simmons choice to stay as special teams coach for 20 years is very much the exception in the NFL. Outside of Head Coaches, I doubt anyone else has CHOSEN to stay as an OC, DC, special teams, etc? Everyone's dream is to be a HC. Of course Simmons, from what I understand, was the only coach from the Lewis team that Taylor kept?

I agree and said pretty much the same thing except I didn't know about the 3 times per season. Not sure if they would do that to Huber even though it's the best thing for the team. I know Simmons holds some weight so I'm hoping he's on board releasing Huber rather than take a chance on losing Chrisman.

According to the rules they can leave Clark on IR even once he's ready to come back. Huber has done poorly, but they won't put him on the practice squad. They aren't carrying 2 punters, so the only other choice is to put Chrisman back on the squad. If one of the other 31 punters go down he's gone. Harris is 38, Huber is 37. I just hate to see them lost a gifted guy like Chrisman.

Can't see the Bengals keeping a punter active and one inactive for the remainder. They're not putting Huber on the practice squad. If they put Chrisman back on the squad, anyone can grab him. Do they keep Harris on IR the remainder and release him after the season?

I don't post here much because I've heard all the analyzing and what ifs, should have dones, trades to be made, positions to draft, etc for the last 54 years, and it makes no difference with this franchise. Yes, I know the 'PURPOSE' of the forums, and it's being utilized exactly for the purpose it exists. Guys like to have a voice and blow off steam. This place was designed for that, and I get that. But, from a guy who's been a fan, at the age of almost 15, since PB came to Cincinnati and started this franchise in 1968, I've learned, after 54 years, that it's EITHER move on to another team, (which I will not do), OR it's approach each game 'expecting the worst, while hoping for the best'! It's just that simple. I choose the 'OR' approach, because, for me, I know that allowing the lunacy of this franchise to raise my blood pressure and cause me to rant and rave, isn't good at my age, AND won't change the unexplainable, and year after year disappointment, I've seen now for 54 years, one iota! Did you know that, since this franchise was birthed in 1968, out of the 32 current teams, only 2 have NEVER had consecutive seasons of at least one playoff win? The Lions and our beloved Bengals. At least the Lions managed to scrape together 2 consecutive seasons of playoff wins in 1952 and 1953. It's embarrassing when teams that were birthed AFTER the Bengals, like the Jaguars, Texans, and Panthers can boast at least 2 consecutive seasons with playoff victories! Last year was their chance at a Lombardi. I call it their New Orleans Saints shot! They just needed to win one more game and I believe that would probably have happened IF the OL could have double teamed Donald on the last play, because Chase was wide open and Burrow saw him, which meant a 90% chance that was a TD, game, set, Lombardi!