AMPHAR

Wouldn't be surprised if Pitcher ends up getting HC looks down the road. He has 2 guys in the room that have won games and thrown 300+. Franchise players get guys promoted, period. Joe Brady is running around cashing in off Burrow/Chase/Jefferson at LSU. Callahan cashing off Burrow. Just the way it works. Sure these guys might have some secret play book but its most likely they have the best guys on their squad. The most innovative coach, I've seen as a Bengal fan, was Sam Wyche. He tried more shit and had more stuff flop than he was successful at but always came up with something. He basically said when you coach Joe Montana, you take two steps back and leave him alone that way you can be a good coach. He used to quiz Boomer non stop. The success at the position seems to be first having a skilled QB and then the personality to work with them. Joe Montana and Boomer were wildly different personalities, but Sam figured out how to work with them. By all accounts Pitcher and Joe work well together.

Can't pay 2 WRs is short sighted. Bengals are going to spend the money. They'll never be reckless. Either Tee takes it or they move on to the next in line. But no matter what some spot on the roster will have to be managed with young players because the money is going to get spent and eventually there is a limit. So the critical factor is 1. The highly paid players perform. 2. They have success managing the young spots in the roster. So you don't pay Tee. Fine. Then the spot you have to manage is WR2 and WR3 because Boyd is likely gone too. If you pay Tee then its RT or some other spot.

This nugget from Bengals.com. I don't recall last years' senior bowl attendance via Bengals staff, but that is a big shift from they operated. Coaches not going. Now just dropping in.

Mixon convo (if there's a convo) gets answered relatively quickly this year. He's got a roster bonus due right after the start of Free Agency. I think Joe Burrow gave good insight. He thought the run game was efficient, kept them on schedule. I think that represents their attitude towards the run game. Just do enough to keep them on schedule. I don't know if they are willing to pay FA dollars for a chance to grab a bigger play back. Draft? Yeah, I could see them taking a back higher again this year. Then you need RBs on this team that are going to produce in the pass game. Sold on Newton. Higgins convo - absolutely reminds me of local scribes convo about Dunlap, Atkins, MJ. Everyone suspected that keeingp 2 of the 3 would be hard or impossible. Of course all 3 impossible. So they spent so much time rationalizing it, of course MJ wasn't this or that blah, blah, blah. MJ went away for a year then back on decent deal. They had awesome years together. They never went to a Superbowl but that's because of higher issues at QB and HC. Higgins is top player they should do everything they can up to risking Chase (which they won't). I would even go cheap at RT and figure that out later to make it happen.

Since Callahan went inside the AFC and are on the schedule next. I hope he sucks. Marvin Lewis Del Rio Singletary Rex Ryan Pagano Nolan

Crazy. Mash final episode had over 100 million viewers. Cheers 84 million. Live sports is the last of the appointment viewing and Football is king. Thus the Big 10 is the Big 18 or whatever. I think Desparate Housewives went toe to toe with Sunday Night Football when it was on ESPN. It would drag in 24 million. Its why the league will either go to 20 games or preseason game will still exist. Too many people watch to give it up. Same with pro bowl. Bills vs. Chiefs, I thought was one of the best games of the year. Although I'm not too sure about that Nantz/Romo combo.

There's been about 19 WRs drafted 2020-2022 top 35 picks not including Tee. less than 50% have 1,000 yard seasons. That's multiple years to have recorded at least 1 1,000 yard season. Untagged Higgins is gone in the first day of FA. Tag/trade - I think they'd get multiple top 150 picks. Having Tee on a 1 year $21m deal is not the best outcome but its far from an error. Latham would be might top choice at RT, although I do not think that's the route they go.

My guess would be something like the JTO QB school breakdowns. Probably a little more detailed and a little more critical eye. But basically is Joe prepared? Does Joe operate and get them into correct plays? Does Joe go to the right spot with the football? He would be evaluated on who he could bring to his staff. Most head-coaching candidates have a list made up when they walk in that door. Highschool QBs are calling their own plays. Its going to be more how prepared that QB is because most offenses in the pros are going to rely on the QB more than ever. That's why IF Pitcher wants a shot at NFL head coach it would be best to stay with Burrow. Ray Lewis was responsible for a multitude of defensive position coaches becoming defensive Coordinators to becoming Head Coaches. There should be a Ray Lewis coaching tree.

I don't think there will be a talent drain like Zampese faced.

Blah. AFC Championship game. I really don't want to see either team on Superbowl Sunday. I guess I'll pull for the Ravens over Chiefs, but reserve the right to change my stance at first annoyance. Then change it back at first mention of Brother Kelce and his future sister in law Taylor.

If you tag and trade higgins you have to get multiple top 150 picks for it to make sense, IMO. Otherwise you are just spinning your wheels and running the risk you don't replace Higgins adequately enough. Supposedly the Bengals liked Kincaid (TE Buffalo) with No. 1 draft pick last year but got scooped up by Buffalo but they clearly (rightly or wrongly) did not have other TEs rated over Murphy. I think the Bengals would be open to TE, but is Brock Bowers a Kincaid type TE or a Mayer type?

Forgot TE - 1. Any play making TE in round 1 would obviously explode to the top of the TE group. Sample (if retained) clearly will have snaps reserved for him in a blocking/release role. Tanner Hudson obviously is the top play maker right now. But I think a top pass receiving TE could get snaps. However, I will say the same thing as I did during the season. You retain the Chase/Higgins/Mixon trio; snaps/targets for TEs, 2nd RBs, 3rd/4th WRs is going to be directly tied to converting 4th downs. You can't work all these parts into the game without snapping the ball. Any opportunity for a TE or 3r/4th WR is going to be driven by coverage focused on Chase/Higgins.

Snaps for a rookies on this team are going to be tough to win without injuries. Unless they completely sit on their hands in Free Agency. If you want your rookie draft picks to be on the field early, IMO its RT, DT and CB, S are the best bets. 1. WR - Higgins tag. Then Jones and Iosivas they are going to get snaps first to replace Boyd probably 2. OL - Right Tackle - prime spot for snaps here. I don't see any other spot. 3. RB - none except maybe some Special Teams 4. QB - forget it 5. Any DE is going to have to go through Murphy, Ossai, Sample for rotation battles. Then Hubbard and Hendrickson for starting snaps. Some rotational depth is needed. Don't see any rookie coming in and completely beating out any of these guys right away. 6. DT - prime spot for NT snaps. 7. LB - Pratt and Wilson dominate snaps there. Any LB pick is Special Teams. 5. CB - CTB, Turner, Hilton - there will always be snaps available in 4th/5th CB role but you'll have Ivey returning and maybe Chido leaving. 6. Safety - Dax and Battle will get the starting share. 3rd safety up for grabs.

A lot can change after the pro days etc. But I agree. Where the Bengals are picking there seem to be a bunch of edge and CB players. I'd avoid the trade down unless its a deal you can't refuse. They've played so many Defensive Backs the past 3 years and I don't think the D-line rotation is very deep. If you watch film break down of the ravens, they put your DEs in horrible spots all game long. Just need a bunch of guys that can run and react on the edge. I think that's the direction to go assuming these spots don't get FA dollars. At this point, I would love Chop Robinson in the first, so of course if they grab him in the second that would be awesome.

If Zac requested the mash potatoes, I'd audible to brussel sprouts every time.

Joe Mixon is his neighbor. Hey, no nerf gun fights with your nephews, alright? 7,300 square foot with 4 bedrooms? I'm more of a condo guy myself but if I had a house this big I would insist on having dinner with one of those 100 foot long dinner tables. I'd make Zac sit at one end and myself at the other and communicate via helmet mic.

Shocked to see McArthy back. A little Marvin Lewis situation going on there. Its unlikely going to get better for the Cowboys. Marvin's high point was 2015. For a variety of reasons post season success eluded him again. Again and Again the Bengals tried to put the band back together and seemingly got worse. Marvin chasing post season success led to some offseason drafts and extension the Zac Taylor era would have to recover from. Good luck to the Cowboys but I think a bold Head Coaching change would have been better to save whatever window is left of the Dak, Pollard, CeeDee era. It can fall apart quickly.

Its a fake slide and almost identical to the Kenny Pickett play that led to NCAA rule changes.

lol. Cleveland has no strategy because the leadership has changed a bunch. These Cleveland blow hards have done this a thousand times since the franchise returned in 1999. Its always whatever new regime comes in, that's going to wreck the NFL. Anybody remember those Bud Light frigs that would unlock and give free beer as soon as they won a game? That fan base had to sit through a "master plan" of trading away vets, clearing cap space, accumulating draft picks that resulted in a 3 year record of 4-44. Only to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Wild Card round, watch the Cincinnati Bengals rebound to win a AFC Champ/Runner up the next two years. Then lose to the franchise they traded with in Wild Card round and then watch the QB they dumped win in the Wild Card round. Jimmy Watkins is high as fuck if he thinks that's the right way to do things. Probably one of these Brown's homers that was selling Tim Couch and Chris Palmer and them bringing Run DMC and all the lockeroom upgrades was soon going to dominate the NFL and us poor Mike Brown led Cincinnati Bengals stood no chance. 3 years and 4-44? That's even worse than Mike Brown's 1991-1993 and he wasn't investing in the franchise until his tax problem and stadium situation was resolved. That's just bad. But those dumb ass Browns fans keep coming back. As long as they can get into the Muni lot and drink themselves into generational poverty, woof woof.

Yes it was. It was very similar to the Kenny Picket fake slide that had the NCAA change rules. He clearly slows and leans back and as soon as the defender let up, he decides to go for more yards. Its complete BS. The slide rule I think came in to play to protect QBs from the 85' Bears Defense. Help them get out of the way and then get down to avoid blood thristy defenders. It wasn't intended to let the QB scramble down the field then push it to the last yard to avoid contact and now start fake slides. Just remove the rule and let these QBs enjoy the thrill of being a running back. I rather them remove it vs. making the on field ref use judgement. The competition committee will either ignore or ignorantly make it a judgement call by the ref. Bad idea. Just get rid of it. Same should be done along the sideline. If you are going to push it to the first down marker, then getting hit in the white is perfectly reasonable.

As always the league needs to review some of its rules and how offenses are now taking advantage. The Allen 52 yard TD scramble is not a great play at all. Its bullshit. A fake slide? The reason the slide is available to QBs is to avoid them taking hits. I would also say ton of RBs and QBs take advantage of the sideline rules. IMO, the league just needs to remove all these bullshit rules to make the game easier to regulate. If a ball carrier is hugging the line down the sidelines and try to duck out last minute. It should be no penalty if they are hit in the white. KC actually got a huge play out of it vs. Bengals. RB slowed up on sideline just a little and as soon as the defenders relaxed he went down field for a big gain. Won the AFC Championship game with the same kind of BS. Also if WRs need protection from big hits. Then don't run patterns through zone defense within 15 yards of LOS. Its coordinators and QBs that's putting those players at risk most of the time, not cheap shot defenders. Then of course the QBs that supposedly need protection are shoved into the LOS by a running back anytime there's a 3rd and 1. I'm glad Allen beat the Steelers, but that's just bullshit slowing down, leaning back and then as soon as defenders let up he takes advantage and scores a TD. Allen doesn't need protections running the ball. Most of these running QBs don't.

Happy for that young lady and Jake. Hopefully Bengals get him a raise and secure his services past next season. Its funny the first time she popped up on TV after a Jake Browning TD. I thought to myself IF he continues playing this way by the end of this thing she'll be Taylor Swift light. Last game of the season she's all pimped out, I'm guessing people got in here ear that she's been on TV several times in the previous weeks.

Cleveland had a decent season given their injuries. I think Pitt took advantage of the Burrow injury the most. Cleveland certainly has a lot of roster work ahead. Not impossible to mange but Watson becoming a high level QB is certainly the biggest factor. You can't have a QB costing that much and then a street Free Agent massively out plays you. I think Pitt is smoke and mirrors thanks to Tomlin. I look forward to the day all Pittsburgh fans get their wish and Tomlin leaves. Maybe the ownership finds a 4th coach that can win 140+ games in the NFL. I don't think there's a whole lot of talent. There's talent in spots (actually reminds me of the mid 90, Blake Bengals). Upper level coaching, accountable lockeroom could have easily put Blake, Pickens, Scott in the wildcard round a couple of times. Especially if they were letting 7 teams in. As for the Bengals. They replayed the 2022 AFC Championship game. Higgins is a monster. Tag him. Where was that Ossai all year? Health of the QB certainly is the biggest issue. Not similar to Cleveland but same issue you can't have that much cap room sitting on the sideline. I think Zac has to adjust the off season focus. The O-line buffoonary in the Titans, and Home Pittsburgh game clearly bring about prepared issues. You can't go period of looking horrible on the OL then to periods of looking capable. Just seems like a coaching problem.

Same. I can't wait for Browns, Steelers, and Chiefs to lose. Hopefully that's the case.

Maybe it works. Maybe it don't. Big "what if". It was rumored years ago the Patriots wanted Keith Rivers over Mayo, but the Bengals took Rivers right before Patriots and they ended up with Mayo.