Tasher Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 I think I think this about our season so far and what it holds for our future, and I don't just mean the immediate future of the remaining 9 games plus the playoffs. I mean next year and the several years to come after that.What I mean is this: the Bengals are shaking off the last vestiges of the losing culture that had its tendrils so pervasively entertwined around our collective throats, through our lungs, hearts and every possible nook, crevice and tissue in our bodies. After all, we WERE the BUNGLES. If there was a way to lose, we would find it. Now I know this is not comfortable to hear, and I am not suggesting that those days are returning. Far from it. But it takes a while to rip out all the weeds from this garden and get ALL the roots.Last year we got a small dose of winning, and while we won the division, it was to some extent a gift from the Steelers and Mr. Roethlisberger being hurt and them losing a couple of games that they should have won. We had trouble all season long with winning vs clubs that had a .500 record or better when we played them. (Pitt 1-1, Jax 0-1, Indy 0-1, KC 0-1) Yes we beat Chi and Minny but that was very early in the season and those clubs were not the same early to late. My point is we had a favorable schedule and we got match-ups vs teams at favorable points in the season. We were learning to win the games we HAD to vs teams that we should beat. And we did a pretty good job, with maybe the exception of Buffalo.This year we have the toughest schedule coming into the season, vs two of the toughest confs in football, AFC West and NFC South. 6 of our opponents made the playoffs last year, 9 were .500 or better accounting for 10 games on our schedule. A 5-5 record in these games would be phenomenal for ANY team in any year (we are 3-3 so far, BTW).But you say, that is LAST years record and teams change year to year. You are right, here is our schedule and the current record of our opponents:Opponent / Won / Lost Kansas City 4 3 Cleveland 2 5 Pittsburgh 2 5 New England 5 1 Tampa Bay 2 5 Carolina 4 4 Atlanta 5 2 Baltimore 5 2 San Diego 5 2 New Orleans 5 2 Oakland 2 5 Indianapolis 7 0 Denver 5 2 53 38 0.5824So the lesson is for the Bengals to grow through a hugely difficult schedule and learn how to play in brutally tough games, week in and week out. This will prepare them for the playoffs down the road, when there will be NO easy games that they are SUPPOSED to win and for the years to come when the schedule is tough every year because they are division winners or a wild card team.When ONE play will make the difference in the win or loss, you have to make that play. Right now the Bengals are making that play at a .500 clip (Carolina, W, Pitt, W, TB, L, ATL, L) See my point. They have to develop consistency play to play, not just week to week. When you play excellent teams, and every team that we have played this year is in or very near that category, every player has to make every play to win. It is a very thin margin, and this team has yet to learn that. But you can see the process of learning occuring and we are certainly getting better and better.So, we need to keep our heads up, there are 9 games remaining, with a huge divisional matchup next Sunday.Who Dey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasher Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 okay, i'm going to say this AGAIN!we still have much to learn and growing to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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