AMPHAR

Once extending the core of a winning group. Bengals find themselves drafting in the bottom half of the rounds. Their strategy goes from BPA to NEED. It doesn't take a whole lot of research or thinking to realize this. Its not as dramatic and won't get clicks, so I guess that's why Matt or whoever don't write it or maybe they are dumb? Who knows? Example: Rumor Walter Nolan the target BPA. Gone. Stewart the pick. They simply had future DE roster needs that needed to be filled once the last of the BPA board was gone. Kincaid target, Murphy the pick. Karlaftis the target, Hill the pick. It was the same in the post Dalton extension years.

Turkey Hot Brown Thursday Night with a Bengals victory.

I'd say pass on DC as Head Coach. Their money is tied up in offense so its important to get the most out of them. Former DCs sometimes want to play field position, run out the last 2 minutes of the half etc. However, the top guy as DC for HC would be the Schwartz from Cleveland. It wouldn't go over well, but I'd be open to brining in Stefanski as HC if he's fired.

So the Bengals excelled with Yoshi and Tinsley pick ups and bust with Burton. Who gives a fuck? They can stick a 40 year old QB with no offseason and throw like crazy. If Burton was drafted by some sad sack offense with no skill players he'd be a knucklehead with stats.

Pratt had awesome moments here as did Logan Wilson. However, they've bled yards for multiple seasons, wtf are they supposed to do? Keep running those dudes out there? They weren't getting that production from those two recently.

There's no shame in Burton. Glass half empty view. Bengals have built the best collection of pass catchers WR and TE in the NFL. You can have so many active AND there's only 5 eligible WRs on any given play. Who exactly should they be taking off? Burton could get more of a shot for a number of teams in the league as a young player.

Expectations are a bitch. That's all that's happening here. Marvin couldn't win a playoff game. Zac can't get back to a Superbowl. Each elevated the expectation of the fan base. IF the job should open they'd have a pick of guys for it. Why? Bengals will have a starting offense that's top of the league and the only spots that will be open for 2 years will be guys you don't want anymore. Then ton of cap room to fix a defense. Vs. some job that will have you forced to pick a college QB and then ultimately tied to that player for your initial success. I don't want a former DC as HC, but IF they go that route the first stop is Cleveland. There's a big list of offensive guys you could go through.

I really don't know what fixes it other than Zimmer. At min, I would hire him as a consultant in the secondary. Defense has played slightly better the last 2 weeks but way short of what is needed. The breaks downs on 3rd down that happened under Lou are still happening. Sure Bengal D had 2 nice goal line series. But one of them was a drive that started near the 10 and featured an 3rd and forever conversion again. WTF? They've dumped a ton of draft picks into improving that D. This is literally a replay of the Boomer era Bengals.

For reputation, IF Burrow steps on the field in Baltimore. He needs to get the win, period. He hasn't beaten Lamar head to head in a while. Don't care about draft positioning right now or Bengal playoffs. Knock the Ravens down a peg or two and make their playoff road harder. If they can do that, it puts Baltimore in a tough off season as well.

A coversation needs to be had does Burrow/Zac need to change? I think for health reasons, yes. For offensive performance a lot more confusing grey area. But what Whit and Aikman described as an unfriendly O-line scheme has been proven out once again. How much of the offense do you want to put on Burrow's arm and health? I think getting back a little more to Chase Brown has proven to be effective. I think if you incorporate that run game mentality more in the off season and TC it could help a bit with your defense which was also another Aikman point.

Bengals pressure percentage (pass pro) has now dropped below the 20% mark. Which has 5 games of disaster QB play in terms of protection metrics. These past 6 games are probably the best line performance since maybe 2nd half 2022 or 2015. Gave it time. Gave it snaps. Everyone kinda knew Burrow negatively impacted pass pro this streak of games shows his impact on those metrics is a lot bigger. Why it matters? Because a lot of fans create off season wish lists/narratives as if all the PFF metrics are equal across the board. If Burrow don't change or Zac then its next impossible to draft/sign an O-line that's going to rank favorably with those metrics.

I hope Sanders plays well enough for them to mark off QB during draft time. Then he flops, I don't really see a great QB yet.

the telling stat about how the Bengals Defense doesn't get to the ball.... I think Pitt threw it 19 yards in the air and 250+ yac. Zone defense is what it is and a lot of teams play more zone due to the offense favoring nature but zone defense requires a defense to be able to tackle and limit yac. Which is shocking because that's 1 thing that was huge problem under Lou past two years and maybe Al could fix right away to get the defense up to average. Nope.

Burrow comes in a starts and they revert back to the 3 sacks a game metric. Then what's the point of continuing the charade that Burrow will ever make through a whole season for playoffs? If Burrow didn't learn his lesson playing hero ball in the PRESEASON turning simple throw aways into QB twisting sacks, and didn't learn the lesson vs. Jacksonville then he never will.

The suck for Luck is applicable. They got Luck and promise. Denver got a 2 AFC Champ and a Superbowl. Manning skill wise was a shell of his prime but he knew how to get points without getting killed. If you are fearful of playing Burrow because of injury in 6/7 remaining games. Then how the hell would you be confident in a 17/18 game season plus playoffs? Burrow has something to prove, IMO. Produce points and play smart. Flacco at 40 years old put up yards/points without taking a bunch of hits. If Burrow can't do it then just start the wheels in motion to move on from him.

Burrow would not be practicing without medical clearance. If he's cleared to return to the roster then you play him end of story. If you are worried about him getting hurt with 6/7 games remaining. Then you are really saying "Trade Burrow this offseason." Because if you are worried about 6/7 games, well then there won't be a season shorter than 17 games the rest of his life.

If the Burrow/Zac relationship is good. Then I don't see any turnover due to firing above assistant coaches. IMO, that's a huge gamble. Never paid off for them with all those 1 year Marvin extensions. But its easier to say Zac has 1 year left after this. We know Burrow/Zac together can produce a QB MVP stat worthy season. Now if Burrow says get rid of him, different story. So then IF they keep Zac. Golden left ND with years remaining. I think they'll respect that and keep him along with Zac. So then front office? They made all those dudes assistant GMs to make it harder for team to hire them away without promotions. Tobin? I just don't see it He's a NFL legacy and probably has more people singing his praises in NFL circles than most the fan base and local media realize. Unless there's some friction between personnel and coaching staff hard to envision a change.

Zac should be accountable for the mounting 1 score losses, blown leads at home that have happened in games they were favored the past 3 seasons. It really isn't worth listening to anybody that can't grasp this reality of the NFL.

lol, get off my lawn.

If we had real local media they would have been on Shemar during the summer. He/his agent made up a reason to hold out. The local guys buy his version despite other rookies without contracts participating. It was fair back then and its fair now to question IF Shemar really wants to play NFL football. Even though Darnell Wright (Bears 1st round pick OT) is a becoming one of the leagues better RTs he dominated Stewart to a point you have to Stewart's pride. Apparently whooped him so bad his knee hurts now. Off topic its not unthinkable for Mims to take the path of both Wright or Sewell were they really start to morph into elite status year 3. Off topic a 2nd time: Wish those mocks that had us getting Wright with pick 60 or whatever during that draft were correct. I think he went top 10.

Probably the best game to judge the O-line. Last game Pitt had an impressive streak of sacks in the games prior. Bengals got the ball out quick and Pitt couldn't cover without committing a penalty. Now up in Pitt, defense adjustments, maybe a defense favorable whistle will put more pressure on the line to protect, IMO.

Expectations are a bitch. In all the hirings and firings of Head Coaches/General Managers, I have yet to see BigDawg101 from Browns Watercooler message board hired. Or Mo from 1530 AM hired. Or Whoever. Coaches fired/hired are mostly victims of a parity league and fall victim of the cyclical nature of success/failure in the NFL especially once expectations are risen. Then there is a deep pool of qualified replacements.

Supposedly Burrow told Glazer he'd be back before Thanksgiving, according to Glazer. So if that's the case its hard to bench Burrow in that circumstance. Sure if he was limping in December, like he was with his calf that's a different story.

If its rushed comeback, I agree. If he's healthy then and there's little risk to the initial injured area I think you have to let him play. If the organization is having thoughts of having to save a healthy Burrow from himself, then its time to trade him.

Aaron Rodgers looks annoyed to have to be playing football.