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No. 2 seed on the line at SD


kingwilly

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This about sums it up:


/>http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/6820/bengals-are-good-but-not-elite

How this team reacts to the loss at Minny when they play next week at SD will determine the No. 2 seed and what this team is truly made up from.

They did well in their bounce back from losses to Denver and Houston, going on the road to whip Gb and smashing Chicago at home.

The next test is the biggest of the season. Now it matters.

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Even if they react great, I don't think they really have a chance. Not enough consistent offense right now, and too one-dimensional. Add in that the injuries are ravaging the team where it can't afford it (up the middle on defense) and it is hard to see anything but another nasty loss coming.

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Well SD is playing very good right now. And I believe they could beat Indy at Indy in the playoffs. They are clicking on all cylinders and their QB is as good as they come, they got great RBs, All pro TE and a good Def.

Don't see us going there and winning all banged up and the off struggling. But I know the team is not just going to go there and lay down. They will put up a good fight just hope its enough

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Even if they react great, I don't think they really have a chance. Not enough consistent offense right now, and too one-dimensional. Add in that the injuries are ravaging the team where it can't afford it (up the middle on defense) and it is hard to see anything but another nasty loss coming.

Yep, they can have all the heart in the world. Unless we get 3 or 4 guys back by some miracle, they'll come up short in the talent stakes. Couple that with an anaemic pass game and I can see us losing this one. Still, 11-5/10-6 will do me.

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Even if they react great, I don't think they really have a chance. Not enough consistent offense right now, and too one-dimensional. Add in that the injuries are ravaging the team where it can't afford it (up the middle on defense) and it is hard to see anything but another nasty loss coming.

Yep, they can have all the heart in the world. Unless we get 3 or 4 guys back by some miracle, they'll come up short in the talent stakes. Couple that with an anaemic pass game and I can see us losing this one. Still, 11-5/10-6 will do me.

I agree. I guess we sometimes lose sight of where we were this time last year! But I can live with some of the shortcomings this year has dished up, with the hope that we can fix these for next year. What I find difficult to swallow is the penalties. These should be fixable with some discipline and some coaching. Get the Oline to sit still and the false-starts will cease. But each week brings the same stuff, and they should have known that in yesterday's game it was vital not to give away yards...we needed every one! Minny was a tough test, but I truely believed we had the talent to beat them. No, it wasn't as vital game for the stats, but running into a potential play-off slot it was important to make a statement to every other team that we are here by right. And winning breeds winning. It's hard to stop a slump. Hopefully, next week...win or lose...we can show teams that we have what it takes to make them think twice about us. The team have to believe in themselves, and it all starts with Carson. I feel he is just lacking confidence and that filters through the whole Oline. Get back to pounding the running game, and give the defense a break off the field. They have played very well this year overall, but they will always struggle in the second half if they are on the field too long. Any news on Scott btw? When is he likely to be back?

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San Diego is 31st running the ball. I like the Bengals chances in this game and this is the biggest game of the year. We need A. Smith to get more comfortable and hopefully that will help pass protection. They are 9-4. The majority of us Bengal fans are so scarred from past teams that this seems to good to be true. They lost to the Vikings who were 6-0 going into the game, were coming off of a humiliating loss on National TV. The Bengals simply made too many mistakes. Get ready to sweat this week boys, because NO ONE is going to pick us to beat SD. All we have to do is get 235 yards from Palmer on top of 130 yards on the ground.

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I'm not scarred and that does not impact my outlook. I don't think this season has been too good to be true. I am realistically looking at a bengals team that cannot pass the ball right now, and will need to score more than 21 to likely win against a SD team that piles up points by the bushel. They are a bad match-up for Cincy at the moment.

The Bengals will be at least 7 point dogs, maybe more.

How is being realistic being scared?

Should I be putting up bulls**t Super Bowl threads instead?

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I'm sorry, but it just seems a wee bit irrational to view the SD game in terms of getting a possible #2 seed or to pass judgment as to whether the Bengals are an elite team. Good grief, last season this team won 4 games, had the league's worst offense and lost a boatload of really ugly games. They've had a terrific turnaround this season and it has been heartening to see. However, its just unfair to expect thjem to become an elite team in one year. At the start of the season, I was hoping for a winning record. Now, I rightfully have reason to expect the Bengals to win at least 10 games and the AFC North. I also think the Bengals are good enough to tough out a win at SD if they can mount an effort like they showed against Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Bengals can beat the Chargers if they play like they are capable of doing. The Bengals are a good team,but the Bengals are not yet an "elite" team and I could care less whether they lock up a #2 seed. Another division championship and a home playoff game would suit me just fine.

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In terms of how I expect the Bengals to react to yesterday's battering? Seeing they are going to the West Coast and playing a team that has been on fire, I think the term 'fetal position' sums up my expectations, to be honest. I think the injuries, the penalties and the offensive struggles are going to take a toll and make next Sunday even more brutal.

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I'm sorry, but it just seems a wee bit irrational to view the SD game in terms of getting a possible #2 seed or to pass judgment as to whether the Bengals are an elite team. Good grief, last season this team won 4 games, had the league's worst offense and lost a boatload of really ugly games. They've had a terrific turnaround this season and it has been heartening to see. However, its just unfair to expect thjem to become an elite team in one year. At the start of the season, I was hoping for a winning record. Now, I rightfully have reason to expect the Bengals to win at least 10 games and the AFC North. I also think the Bengals are good enough to tough out a win at SD if they can mount an effort like they showed against Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Bengals can beat the Chargers if they play like they are capable of doing. The Bengals are a good team,but the Bengals are not yet an "elite" team and I could care less whether they lock up a #2 seed. Another division championship and a home playoff game would suit me just fine.

Sorry, but I disagree with the sentiment of your post. I agree that we aren't an "elite" team, and with Mike Brown as our owner, I'm sorry to say but we will never be. In today’s NFL you have to strike while the iron is hot. This is the hottest the iron has been since the 1988 season. I've always said for this team to have any playoff success we would have to catch lightning in a bottle. The team that's been on the field the last month is a mediocre team at best. If we don't turn it back on soon we will be one and done in the playoffs. On paper it looks like we're moving in the right direction, but winning breeds winning and losing breeds losing. It would not surprise me in the least to see this team regress next year and not even make the playoffs or have a winning record. This year is our best chance to make some noise, because it is THIS YEAR! We can't be happy with what we've done thus far and just hope they improve next year. We are in a position to do something THIS YEAR, so step up and freaking do it!!!

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They are a bad match-up for Cincy at the moment.

I disagree. The Chargers definitely put up a lot of points, but nearly all of that offensive production has come by way of the pass, because their running game has been pitiful all year long. Even without Peko I am at least confident that the Bengals can ensure that San Diego stays one dimensional. And if Rivers has to chuck the ball downfield to a Vincent Jackson blanketed by either of our Pro Bowl corners -- I'm okay with that.

Gates is obviously a concern given Trent's inconsistency and Crocker's injury. Should the Bengals manage to get pressure on Rivers, they can help to lessen that threat at least some. Offensively, it'll be about the same story as last week. Penalties and shaky pass protection will be problematic, but even still San Diego is mediocre in coverage and they can be run on by good running teams. Don't get me wrong, I expect to lose this game. I simply think this is a better matchup on the field for Cincinnati than Minnesota was.

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I dont like there chances here either offense is the main reason, but right now SD is the much better team and is playing better.

I think special teams could be a problem with Sproles returning it.

Offense speaks for itself right now i dont know what this offense is, but the run once again wont be enough. I dont know if Palmer with these WR have enough to pull one out and i hope they prove me wrong.

Defense side of the ball, i like our corners Jackson will tough, but Gates could have a huge game. So could Tomlinson and sproles out of the back field. The bengals Linebackers seem to have problems covering TE and running backs on screens and in the middle of the field. So if Rivers dosnt go deep he will dump it off and i hope they are ready for that.

This game will probably be the toughest game of the year, and after seeing what happend yesterday in Minn. i dont know what to think. Man i hope they prove me wrong, and come out fired up like they want to win the game.

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I mentioned this in another post, but will bring it up again.

Why the hell are people so content on saying, "Well I didn't expect them to be where they are at this point" or "This time last year we were the worst offense and looking towards the draft" ?? We lose a game and out come the "Mike Brown is holding us back comments". Seriously ?? Bottomline is when this team swept the division for the first time in the history of this organization, the expectations for this years team changed. What if the Bengals happen to lose the remainder of their games and have the epic meltdown of all meltdowns ?? Are those "At least we were better than last year" comments going to keep anyone warm at night ??

This team has the talent to do very well and simply aren't executing. Yeah, the injuries suck and we are missing players that got us to this point, but the undisciplined play resulting in dumbass penalties as we saw during the preseason are ridiculous. It doesn't have anything to do with Mike Brown and no one should just be happy we are where we are. There should be more with the team we have as opposed to simply being content.

I don't want to see this team back into the playoffs because if they continue to bring the same undisciplined game they have for the past few weeks, the playoffs won't last long. But then again I'm sure some will simply blow that off by saying, "Well, at least we made it to the playoffs". Sorry, but I won't be happy with that anymore...

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Because I don't agree they have the talent and that it is simply a matter of "not executing". Particularly on offense. This team is deeply flawed, in my view, and has greatly exceeded what was reasonable to expect. So, yeah, I am a bit more sanguine about the Minny loss than some of you.

All that said, they are better than KC, and if they are what we want them to be, will rise to the occasion, win that game, and claim a playoff spot they have earned.

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Because I don't agree they have the talent and that it is simply a matter of "not executing".

There is no question that they have the talent to do better. Much of the penalty problems have noting at all to do with talent level -- the false starts, delays of game, late hits out of bounds, kickoffs out of bounds. Whether they have sufficient talent to make a run in the playoffs is open to debate, but they are certainly going nowhere fast if they don't clean up their act.

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Because I don't agree they have the talent and that it is simply a matter of "not executing". Particularly on offense. This team is deeply flawed, in my view, and has greatly exceeded what was reasonable to expect. So, yeah, I am a bit more sanguine about the Minny loss than some of you.

All that said, they are better than KC, and if they are what we want them to be, will rise to the occasion, win that game, and claim a playoff spot they have earned.

If they beat San Diego will that change your view?

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No.

But that doesn't mean I won't root like hell for them to win. It's just that my expectations for what is reasonable for this team are markedly different from many of yours.

I don't see a qb playing at a high level, I don't see a line protecting well in passing downs, I don't see receivers to throw the ball to. And I don't see any of that changing.

They run the ball relatively well. And they defend relatively well. Both of those are wonderful things to do, but they are not a complete team right now, and, for me, there is a ceiling on what is reasonable to expect.

It is why I have enjoyed this ride this year, but we would do well to remember how razor thin close they are to being 6-7 or so right now. A lot of things went their way late in the first Ravens game and first Steelers game at the least. And that first Cleveland game was within inches of a loss.

If they were 6-7, my guess of 7-9 would be looking good.

So, I am happy with what has transpired. I want them to win at home against KC in a few weeks and claim what they have earned. But I don't see the talent here to get to a SB this year, and don't see the need to get upset that they are not at that level. If building a team is a progression, than this year will have been a crazy smashing success that they built on the end of a lost 2008 by winning a division in 2009 and making the playoffs.

And, if they do get in the playoffs, and don't have the bye, then I am hoping against hope they draw Denver again. I want that game back.

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