The bandwagon is starting to heat up

[derekshank]

The Chargers won their division last year at 8-8, so who knows.

they won the AFC West - chiefs, raiders, and broncos. no competition. we've got the ravens and the steelers.

Yes... I know. I was merely pointing out that it doesn't always require 10 or 11 wins to make the playoffs.

That said, my entire post was dedicated to the fact that I don't see the Bengals making the playoffs and think that they have a top end 9 wins.

[COB]

Well, the bandwagon is heating up. At least in terms of national media and Bengal fans.

We had, by all accounts, a draft that could help us in the upcoming season. On top of that, last season we had a team that didn't quit when all hope was lost. They played hard to the end of the season, and actually got a little better in their offensive line play. And our traditionally soft defense is toughening up under a new coordinator who demands intense, physical play.

By any objective analysis, one would have to see the prospects for this season in a good light, compared to last season. But as one poster already pointed out, we get four games against the two teams who played in last season's AFC championship game. Uphill all the way.

[derekshank]

And our traditionally soft defense is toughening up under a new coordinator who demands intense, physical play.

Yeah... I hope that was more Zimmer and less the players on the field. Most of the players were back-ups who will get limited playing time. If they were simply out there playing with a chip on their shoulder because they were journeymen and cast offs, then perhaps when the starters return it will be more of the same.

I hope not.

[ArmyBengal]

I love Zimmer and love Fitzgerald as the two coaches that will determine just how far this defense goes. While I will agree the team didn't quit when things were going bad, they had the benefit of playing some of the worst teams in the league to end the year. Since I'm speculating here, had we been playing the Giants, Steelers, Titans, and Ravens to end the season do you think we would have seen the same effort, let alone outcome ?? I'm guessing obviously, but I think no...

I'm seriously hoping things turn out well for them this season, but it won't suprise me in the least to see 8-8 at best, while allowing for the chance of something odd getting us another win or two. Stranger things have happened...

[Pidge]

I'd be very very content with .500 right now. Like Army said though - who knows? Maybe the pieces don't fall into place and we go 5-11 or 6-10. Or they do and we end with a winning record even.

I'm actually looking forward to this season now though, as opposed to last season when it seemed we were trying to find new levels to sink to right from even before the draft.

[HairOnFire]

Well, the bandwagon is heating up. At least in terms of national media and Bengal fans.

Question: If too many people jump on the bandwagon does it continue to heat up until we're all in danger of it suddenly bursting into flames?

[redsbengalsbucks]

Well, the bandwagon is heating up. At least in terms of national media and Bengal fans.

Question: If too many people jump on the bandwagon does it continue to heat up until we're all in danger of it suddenly bursting into flames?

It will cool off when the first injury in preseason hits home.

[ArmyBengal]

Well, the bandwagon is heating up. At least in terms of national media and Bengal fans.

Question: If too many people jump on the bandwagon does it continue to heat up until we're all in danger of it suddenly bursting into flames?

Yes and the explosion that follows is so powerful it blows everyone on the bandwagon back to the early 90's to repeat the "lost decade" of Bengals football !!!

[walzav29]

There is no reason to NOT be optimistic. Palmer is back, A+ draft, nice Free Agency moves, getting Palmer some protection, not relying on Chris Perry. That crappy Larson is gone. Zimmer said he needed some playmakers. They got him some. If there is ever a time for optimism it is now. Super Bowl.

[redsbengalsbucks]

There is no reason to NOT be optimistic. Palmer is back, A+ draft, nice Free Agency moves, getting Palmer some protection, not relying on Chris Perry. That crappy Larson is gone. Zimmer said he needed some playmakers. They got him some. If there is ever a time for optimism it is now. Super Bowl.

Wow four posts for the same thing, do we have a stutter today walzav?

[COB]

Well, the bandwagon is heating up. At least in terms of national media and Bengal fans.

Question: If too many people jump on the bandwagon does it continue to heat up until we're all in danger of it suddenly bursting into flames?

Ah, a physics question. The answer is no. Spontaneous combustion occurred last year about week 9.

This year? Too many people on a small market, family-run bandwagon will result in the first arrivals getting squashed by the latecomers. More and more people pile on. Density in the middle increases as converted Reds fans pile on.

Finally, Paul Daughtery can see which way the wind is blowing and decides that, for job-preservation purposes, he better jump on. He abandons writing columns about getting rolled up in a wrestling mat in high school (yes, he wrote about that), and decides to lumber over to the Bandwagon and jump on.

Bad idea. His fat ass proves to be just the thing to compress the inside of the Bandwagon to infinite density. Our bandwagon is converted to a black hole, which has such great gravitational pull that nothing, not even light or message board posts, can escape. The Bengals Bandwagon black hole then sucks in the entire earth, compressing same into a cube about the size of a chevy 350 engine block.

Nice work Paul Daughtery! You get fired from the radio and then you destroy the world, you f**king hack.

[ArmyBengal]

I took care of the multiple posts...

Optimism is fine and I'm really hopeful that the team does in fact improve. It's the degree of improve that people are having a hard time with.

Some think that the drafting of a few players (regardless of them not taking a snap yet) equals the playoffs and possibly more.

Some think that the Bengals are still going to suck due to the questions that still haunt this team. Such as:

1. How healthy is Carson and will he actually improve?

2. Is the defense going to be better or are they going to be to young to see marked improvement?

3. Is the o-line going to be better even though they still have no idea who the starting tackles are?

4. Is the WR corps going to figure it all out with a new vet, headcase, trouble maker and a bunch of 2nd year guys?

5. Is the run game going to be better or is the lack of o-line development going to take another year to bear fruit?

And then you have others that take all those things about the drafting of players coupled with the questions and considering all things think the team improves but only to somewhere around the 8-8 mark.

Things could take a bounce to the good and gain another game or two, but then we could have another mysterious roughing the passer call that keeps us out of the playoffs. You just never know. I know I'm looking forward to this upcoming season very much !!!

[COB]

It will cool off when the first injury in preseason hits home.

I'm guessing it will be Caldwell. Just feels like it. Skill player Mike liked. Bit of a reach. Hasn't done much so far. This just fits our injury history.

[cincy9275]

i am just going to wait and see and, just hope this is a step in the right direction.

[scott91575]

It was announced that the Bengals and Steelers game Sept. 27th has been moved up to 4:15. It was also written on Bengals.com that an ex-GM said they will be a playoff team. This is where I think this team is different now. If this came out 2 seasons ago TJ, and Chad would be running their mouths about how great this team is but they wouldn't put in the necessary work. They're all there now. I know Chad isn't but he's just 1 guy now. I truly believe that this is now Carson's team.

You realize the reason for that is that day is Yom Kippur (begins at sunset), and they originally had the Jets for that game. So in order to accommodate the large Jewish fanbase they moved that game to 1, and replaced it with the Steelers/Bengals. Has nothing to do with any bandwagon.

[BengalByTheBay]

It was announced that the Bengals and Steelers game Sept. 27th has been moved up to 4:15. It was also written on Bengals.com that an ex-GM said they will be a playoff team. This is where I think this team is different now. If this came out 2 seasons ago TJ, and Chad would be running their mouths about how great this team is but they wouldn't put in the necessary work. They're all there now. I know Chad isn't but he's just 1 guy now. I truly believe that this is now Carson's team.

You realize the reason for that is that day is Yom Kippur (begins at sunset), and they originally had the Jets for that game. So in order to accommodate the large Jewish fanbase they moved that game to 1, and replaced it with the Steelers/Bengals. Has nothing to do with any bandwagon.

So why did the league set it at that time on that date originally? Your explanation doesn't make sense. Not saying that it means the Bengals are popular all-the-sudden, but Yom Kippur wasn't just announced or anything. They would've known about it when the schedule was set.

[HoosierCat]

It was announced that the Bengals and Steelers game Sept. 27th has been moved up to 4:15. It was also written on Bengals.com that an ex-GM said they will be a playoff team. This is where I think this team is different now. If this came out 2 seasons ago TJ, and Chad would be running their mouths about how great this team is but they wouldn't put in the necessary work. They're all there now. I know Chad isn't but he's just 1 guy now. I truly believe that this is now Carson's team.

You realize the reason for that is that day is Yom Kippur (begins at sunset), and they originally had the Jets for that game. So in order to accommodate the large Jewish fanbase they moved that game to 1, and replaced it with the Steelers/Bengals. Has nothing to do with any bandwagon.

So why did the league set it at that time on that date originally? Your explanation doesn't make sense. Not saying that it means the Bengals are popular all-the-sudden, but Yom Kippur wasn't just announced or anything. They would've known about it when the schedule was set.

The NFL schedules are all generated by computer. They actually generate hundreds of variants then sort through them by hand. And indeed, they screwed up and didn't recognize the Yom Kippur conflict.

http://jta.org/news/article/2009/04/17/100...y-games-changed

[Bearcat1975]

You realize the reason for that is that day is Yom Kippur (begins at sunset), and they originally had the Jets for that game. So in order to accommodate the large Jewish fanbase they moved that game to 1, and replaced it with the Steelers/Bengals. Has nothing to do with any bandwagon.

But...but...but... I thought there was a bandwagon...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[walzav29]

They could have moved different games.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=REG#Week

The draft hits and everyone give the Bengals great draft grades, and they choose this game. I understand why you glass half empties guys wanna whine, but these might be the best days of 09!

[Bearcat1975]

They could have moved different games.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=REG#Week

The draft hits and everyone give the Bengals great draft grades, and they choose this game. I understand why you glass half empties guys wanna whine, but these might be the best days of 09!

lol "glass half empty" people?

-1 Winning season in 18 years. Is that being glass half empty, or is that just telling it like it is?

-Carson's oline got him killed last year. The Bengals responded by letting 2 starters go and replacing them with 2 rookies. Is that being glass half empty, or is that just telling it like it is?

-The Ravens and Steelers have some of the best draft minds at work, a scouting staff of 20, and have the track record to prove it. The Bengals still only have a handful of "scouts" and I use that term loosely, with a miserable track record and no plans for change. Is that being glass half empty, or is that just telling it like it is?

Look, if you want to say you "prefer to ignore the glaring issues with this franchise and just blindly hope they win" then that's fine. But quit saying people are pessimists just because they are paying attention. Gets old.

[scott91575]

They could have moved different games.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=REG#Week

The draft hits and everyone give the Bengals great draft grades, and they choose this game. I understand why you glass half empties guys wanna whine, but these might be the best days of 09!

The only other options were...

Cleveland/Baltimore

KC/Philadelphia

Jacksonville/Houston

None of them are battles of playoff teams. Second, it's still just a regional game. Why not move the defending champs. I highly doubt anyone thought "hey, did you see that Bengals draft? Move that game."

Sorry to be a glass half empty guy, or as most would see it realistic.

[Esiason#7]

It was announced that the Bengals and Steelers game Sept. 27th has been moved up to 4:15. It was also written on Bengals.com that an ex-GM said they will be a playoff team. This is where I think this team is different now. If this came out 2 seasons ago TJ, and Chad would be running their mouths about how great this team is but they wouldn't put in the necessary work. They're all there now. I know Chad isn't but he's just 1 guy now. I truly believe that this is now Carson's team.

You realize the reason for that is that day is Yom Kippur (begins at sunset), and they originally had the Jets for that game. So in order to accommodate the large Jewish fanbase they moved that game to 1, and replaced it with the Steelers/Bengals. Has nothing to do with any bandwagon.

I saw a couuple of articles as well stating that the reason the game was moved was becuase of Yom Kippur.

[walzav29]

I'm telling you guys this team is going to be completely different. I'll take my lumps if they don't but Zimmer needed some more firepower and ON PAPER he did with this draft. He doesn't need these guys to come in and carry the load right away, but they can definitely make an impact right away in certain packages. Stacey Andrews sucked. Whether A. Smith moves to left or right it doesn't matter. It will be an upgrade over last years line. No you can't depend 100% on a rookie, but rookie lineman come in every year and fir right in. See Jake Long and Ryan Clady. I don't care about Yom Kipper or anything else. The fact is they could have just as easily talked about the big Browns/Ravens rivalry crap, but didn't.

[HoosierCat]

I don't care about Yom Kipper or anything else.

Yeah, well, a lot of Jews in Joisey do, and that's why the schedule got adjusted, pure and simple.

The fact is they could have just as easily talked about the big Browns/Ravens rivalry crap, but didn't.

Browns/Ravens isn't a national draw. Steelers vs. anybody is. The Bengals just happened to be the "lucky" team on the card with Pitt in week 3.

As for the Bengals looking different, I think they will. My gut tells me this year's team will be closer to 2007's than 2008's. They will continue to progress on defense -- though they will still probably be the third- or fourth-best D in the division -- while the offense bounces back strongly. However, all the shuffling on the offense, particularly on the line, leads to a lot of inconsistency, and the D still isn't quite good enough to bail out the O when it goes on the fritz.

The Bengals will tease in 2009. They might -- might! -- even manage to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card if they can take advantage of a relatively friendly schedule. But I think they need one more year. The Bengals had too many holes to fill them all in one offseason, though they did a good job of trying. But they still need a stud in the secondary -- Hall is good, but not great, while Joseph can't stay healthy -- a scarier RB than Benson (and I say that as a Benson fan), and a No. 1 wideout (Henry? Simpson? draft pick in 2010?) who can kick Ocho to the Curbo.

[redsbengalsbucks]

I don't care about Yom Kipper or anything else.

Yeah, well, a lot of Jews in Joisey do, and that's why the schedule got adjusted, pure and simple.

The fact is they could have just as easily talked about the big Browns/Ravens rivalry crap, but didn't.

Browns/Ravens isn't a national draw. Steelers vs. anybody is. The Bengals just happened to be the "lucky" team on the card with Pitt in week 3.

As for the Bengals looking different, I think they will. My gut tells me this year's team will be closer to 2007's than 2008's. They will continue to progress on defense -- though they will still probably be the third- or fourth-best D in the division -- while the offense bounces back strongly. However, all the shuffling on the offense, particularly on the line, leads to a lot of inconsistency, and the D still isn't quite good enough to bail out the O when it goes on the fritz.

The Bengals will tease in 2009. They might -- might! -- even manage to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card if they can take advantage of a relatively friendly schedule. But I think they need one more year. The Bengals had too many holes to fill them all in one offseason, though they did a good job of trying. But they still need a stud in the secondary -- Hall is good, but not great, while Joseph can't stay healthy -- a scarier RB than Benson (and I say that as a Benson fan), and a No. 1 wideout (Henry? Simpson? draft pick in 2010?) who can kick Ocho to the Curbo.

3rd best D I can see as very possible, no way Clev. D improves enough to overtake the Bengals this season though. If anything the Stains look to be worse this season than last, they have not helped themselves much during the off-season.