When will we see 11-5 again?

[GregCook]

How long before the Bengals are at least 11-5 again?

I think they have enough rot that it will take 2 years to replace the dead wood if we make excellent draft picks that play. I see a solid winning season no sooner than 2010.

Of course I'm assuming Marvin is fired at the end of this season and a Mike Tomlin type coach is hired. How likely is that?

[JoePong]

I don't know. But I think this team has the ability to turn it around in a hurry and be really good really quickly.

Pollack, Thurman, Brooks. Jeanty is finally back. Young players like Geathers, Peko, Fanene, Rucker, Hall, Joseph, Ndukwe, White. I actually am not worried about our defense. I worry about our chemistry on offense. Something just isn't clicking. Maybe because our O-Line has shuffled all year and we've been missing big Willie. Our WRs have been a mess without Henry, Chatman, and Perry. maybe becasue Rudi has been hurt and no Chris Perry or Kenny Irons. The talent is there, it's just not coming together for some reason.

It is possible we are bad for a few more years. But it is also possible that we come out next year and go about 13-3.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I don't know. But I think this team has the ability to turn it around in a hurry and be really good really quickly.

Pollack, Thurman, Brooks. Jeanty is finally back. Young players like Geathers, Peko, Fanene, Rucker, Hall, Joseph, Ndukwe, White. I actually am not worried about our defense. I worry about our chemistry on offense. Something just isn't clicking. Maybe because our O-Line has shuffled all year and we've been missing big Willie. Our WRs have been a mess without Henry, Chatman, and Perry. maybe becasue Rudi has been hurt and no Chris Perry or Kenny Irons. The talent is there, it's just not coming together for some reason.

It is possible we are bad for a few more years. But it is also possible that we come out next year and go about 13-3.

God. I can't believe I'm agreeing with JoePong, but I believe this time he's right. Once players are healthy again, and a few (okay, maybe more than a few) coaching changes in their game planning and schemes, and we could be right where Green Bay is right now. I mean who saw them being 9-2 before this season started?

I'll admit that Bresnahans defense impressed me today. They'll impress me more if he can make that decent defense last three games in a row. Color me stunned at two! Now the offense is another matter. I don't know WTF is wrong there. God help them is all I can say.

[COB]

Pollack, Thurman, Brooks. Jeanty is finally back. Young players like Geathers, Peko, Fanene, Rucker, Hall, Joseph, Ndukwe,

There it is, and I'm optimistic. This season has a life all its own, but it can't last forever. I think you can cross Pollack off that list, but Thurman could be back. The young players are starting to show. We just need to trim some of the overpriced dead wood. Sorry Chad Army, but he's playing like they're injecting that painkiller directly into his brain.

[ArmyBengal]

I'll agree as well that it might not be as long as one might think. The injuries have cost us this year and whatever the dysfunction on the offense is, needs to be fixed as well. A top 5 position with the comp picks we have coming as well as getting players back will be huge for the Bengals. Couple all of that with (as of now) a pretty easy looking schedule for 2008 and you could have a worst to first season on your hands. God knows finishing last (as it stands now) won't hurt in the games we pick up for the following years schedule as well. Will it mean a deep run into the playoffs ?? Maybe not, but it sure as hell wouldn't be frowned upon by any on this board !!!

WHODEY !!!

[HoosierCat]

Pollack, Thurman, Brooks. Jeanty is finally back. Young players like Geathers, Peko, Fanene, Rucker, Hall, Joseph, Ndukwe, White. I actually am not worried about our defense.

Sorry, I'm not buying. Pollack is likely done. Odell may or may not ever get reinstated. We still don't know if Brooks is any good. Jeanty is a decent run-stuffing OLB, not a difference-maker. Geathers has, for the second time, disappointed in a starting role. Peko is average. Fanene can't stay healthy and when he is, shows up for about one game a year. Rucker can't stay healthy and when he is, he's inactive. Hall shows promise, but will probably never be a shutdown guy. Joseph has regressed this year. Nduke is promising. White is strictly a teams guy at this point.

Then there's the guys you don't mention: Justin, whatever you think of him, is likely gone with no proven replacement in sight. Madieu has never been the same since his injury. Dexter is old and slow. Deltha's a head case. Thornton is an undersized speed bump. Landon? Shrug. Good No. 4 LB, likely gone after this season given the $$$ that even marginal starters now get paid.

Give the O a real RB and that side of the ball might right itself fairly quickly, IMHO. But this D is nothing but a bunch of guys who are either unproven or junk. We have zero, count 'em, zero playmakers on D, and precious few prospects of any current guys becoming playmakers.

[dave]

For me, the question isn't "when will see 11-5 again," but rather "when will we see three or four straight years in the neighborhood of 10-6/13-3?" When will we see sustained success? As the '05 team showed, any team in the NFL can catch lightning in a bottle, especially with a relatively easy schedule. The good franchises put together strings of good seasons, or recovery quickly from down years marred by bad luck, injuries, etc. Until Mike Brown steps down, the Bengals never will put together a good, sustained run.

[Bengals1]

The team will never win consistently as long as SoP runs it.....period!

Call it a curse, call it bad karma, call it being a cheapskate but call it like it is. Worrying over who we're going to draft or sign as a FA or make our new coach etc... is useless unless and until the man at the top changes.

And that's not going to happen any time soon, so you better get ready for the '90s all over again. The more things change the more they remain the same. A fish rots from the head down and something smells in Cincinnati!

The Bungles have simply become a mid-west version of the Raiders with a slightly less rotten corpse looking owner. So just sit tight, keep you fingers crossed and maybe if enough people get mad and angry enough SoP will get tired of the criticism and hate and step down or outright sell the team.

That's about the only hope we have Bungle fans.

[agreen_112]

When will we see 11-5 again?

When the Bengals don't have 5 LB's on injured reserve, 1 with a broken neck, and 1 suspended on some f**king bulls**t! That's when we might make the playoffs.

When Mike Brown decides to spend some gotdamn $$$

When Carson, Chad, TJ, Henry play a whole season and get out of this rut.

When J. Joseph and L. Hall aren't pure rookies (these two have great potential).

When Marvin Lewis quits spectating and actually starts to f**king coach.

When MB fires the Def. Cord's sorry ass.

When the Bengals decide to get an NFL starting safety.

When our defensive line gets push consistently.

..... I'm 24, so that probably means we'll be 11-5 WHEN I'M 50.

[BengalszoneBilly]

..... I'm 24, so that probably means we'll be 11-5 WHEN I'M 50.

Probably not in my lifetime then. I'm bummed.

[jjakq27]

I don't know. But I think this team has the ability to turn it around in a hurry and be really good really quickly.

Pollack, Thurman, Brooks. Jeanty is finally back. Young players like Geathers, Peko, Fanene, Rucker, Hall, Joseph, Ndukwe, White. I actually am not worried about our defense. I worry about our chemistry on offense. Something just isn't clicking. Maybe because our O-Line has shuffled all year and we've been missing big Willie. Our WRs have been a mess without Henry, Chatman, and Perry. maybe becasue Rudi has been hurt and no Chris Perry or Kenny Irons. The talent is there, it's just not coming together for some reason.

It is possible we are bad for a few more years. But it is also possible that we come out next year and go about 13-3.

This offense has had issues since Rich Braham was unable to play. Grabbing Ghiachiuc in the middle rounds was a reach and it shows. I think a lot of it starts there but there is an obvious drop off when Willie isn't in there.

I also think they have gone to the well once too often and teams know what they are doing. Chad's disapearance is very troubling and guys jumping TJ's routes will be more commonplace until adjustments are made. I wonder what's going on inside Carson's head too.

[TJJackson]

I don't see a real chance for any change until Mikey Boy is laid to rest.

I don't mean to say things WILL change, as Pumpkin and the others are not a known quantity, but at least there is a CHANCE they'll operate differently

[jjakq27]

Getting it right in the first or second round of the draft is the key. Anything else positive after that is just gravy so I am not convinced that a great deal different has to be done. Banking on finding guys like TJ or Ndukwe in the later rounds is just stupid. The Bengals need to get it right at the top every time. No wasted picks allowed.

Peter Warrick, great punt-returner but never made it as a top flight receiver. Justin Smith was a reach with the fourth pick in 2001. Levi has been a productive player but is injury prone. Palmer has obviously been a great pick. Chris Perry (no comment, nuff said on that elsewhere). David Pollack out with a major, career-threatening injury. Jonathan Joseph has been nagged by a bad foot so I am not sure about him yet. And Leon Hall has shown flashes but is still young and with a better group (Deltha, Keiwan) he should be the nickel back at best. This should be the core of the playmakers for this team and other than Palmer, who can you count on to make big plays each week?

This is where I think the change has to be. I would rather see them go with a safer bet than take a reach and "hope" that a guys pans out. Or even trade down to get more picks.

[bigdaddybengal]

Getting it right in the first or second round of the draft is the key. Anything else positive after that is just gravy so I am not convinced that a great deal different has to be done. Banking on finding guys like TJ or Ndukwe in the later rounds is just stupid. The Bengals need to get it right at the top every time. No wasted picks allowed.

Peter Warrick, great punt-returner but never made it as a top flight receiver. Justin Smith was a reach with the fourth pick in 2001. Levi has been a productive player but is injury prone. Palmer has obviously been a great pick. Chris Perry (no comment, nuff said on that elsewhere). David Pollack out with a major, career-threatening injury. Jonathan Joseph has been nagged by a bad foot so I am not sure about him yet. And Leon Hall has shown flashes but is still young and with a better group (Deltha, Keiwan) he should be the nickel back at best. This should be the core of the playmakers for this team and other than Palmer, who can you count on to make big plays each week?

This is where I think the change has to be. I would rather see them go with a safer bet than take a reach and "hope" that a guys pans out. Or even trade down to get more picks.

You cant predict injuries, and thats just the case, no method of doing, so, the day their is, drafting players will be a lot less confusing. I just think we need a new coach. Success and Failure starts from the top down.

[Kirkendall]

..... I'm 24, so that probably means we'll be 11-5 WHEN I'M 50.

Probably not in my lifetime then. I'm bummed.

No, William. You'll live forever.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I'll be 60 years old and people will still be saying "When we get Odell, Pollack and Perry back, they'll be great, just wait, next year, next year, they might be 40 years old now but they got fresh legs!"

[BengalszoneBilly]

No, William. You'll live forever.

That doesn't bode well for a Cincinnati Super Bowl win then...

[Kirkendall]

No, William. You'll live forever.

That doesn't bode well for a Cincinnati Super Bowl win then...

As opposed to actually happening?

Headline story in 2142: Billy Broome continues to live and the Bengals go 10-6 for the first time since going 11-5 in 2005. In a related story, Darth Vader found dead in the ally off Pete Rose way after his failed "purge" against Broome. Broome responds: "You can't kill me suckas!"

Note: Vader is a Bengals fan.

[BengalszoneBilly]

No, William. You'll live forever.

That doesn't bode well for a Cincinnati Super Bowl win then...

As opposed to actually happening?

Headline story in 2142: Billy Broome continues to live and the Bengals go 10-6 for the first time since going 11-5 in 2005. In a related story, Darth Vader found dead in the ally off Pete Rose way after his failed "purge" against Broome. Broome responds: "You can't kill me suckas!"

Note: Vader is a Bengals fan.

Then it looks like I'll have to take one for the team!

[NJ29]

It really depends on the mentality of the team. When we went to the playoffs, they were hungry and competitive. This season, they've been complacent.

[jjakq27]

Getting it right in the first or second round of the draft is the key. Anything else positive after that is just gravy so I am not convinced that a great deal different has to be done. Banking on finding guys like TJ or Ndukwe in the later rounds is just stupid. The Bengals need to get it right at the top every time. No wasted picks allowed.

Peter Warrick, great punt-returner but never made it as a top flight receiver. Justin Smith was a reach with the fourth pick in 2001. Levi has been a productive player but is injury prone. Palmer has obviously been a great pick. Chris Perry (no comment, nuff said on that elsewhere). David Pollack out with a major, career-threatening injury. Jonathan Joseph has been nagged by a bad foot so I am not sure about him yet. And Leon Hall has shown flashes but is still young and with a better group (Deltha, Keiwan) he should be the nickel back at best. This should be the core of the playmakers for this team and other than Palmer, who can you count on to make big plays each week?

This is where I think the change has to be. I would rather see them go with a safer bet than take a reach and "hope" that a guys pans out. Or even trade down to get more picks.

You cant predict injuries, and thats just the case, no method of doing, so, the day their is, drafting players will be a lot less confusing. I just think we need a new coach. Success and Failure starts from the top down.

So if you take the unpredictibility of injuries out of it then Marvin and Mike should get a free pass. You can't win if your best players aren't on the field right?