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Week 18: Browns @ Bengals Game Thread


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And that’s that. With the loss to KC, the Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Browns have nothing to play for; they can’t unseat Baltimore and they already have the highest WC spot locked up since they hold the conference tiebreaker over Buffalo.  So this is basically 2024 preseason game number 1.

Bring on the draft!

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27 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

And that’s that. With the loss to KC, the Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Browns have nothing to play for; they can’t unseat Baltimore and they already have the highest WC spot locked up since they hold the conference tiebreaker over Buffalo.  So this is basically 2024 preseason game number 1.

In a bit of consolation news, even though they won, Pitt was also eliminated today. Lucky them, they inherit the 18th spot in the draft, while the Bengals tick up to 16.

Bring on the draft!

I’m not sure that PIt are eliminated at all. Where are you hearing that? 

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Just lose baby !!

21 point win incoming…

Yes, fire Pollack quick and hire someone quick to help determine who they want/need before free agency and the draft get here.

Find some way, ANY way to get some Burfict physicality, without the two cent head.

They have more work than I think most realize to handle this offseason.

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Agree, Pollack has to go. His best days are now 5 or 6 years behind him, in Dallas. 
 

I’d also be asking Lou for a major self scout exercise as well as his plan for rectifying the glaring holes on that D. If his proposed solutions are not credible then he needs to go too. 

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Defensively I would go back to first principles: it all starts up front. A good line covers a multitude of sins behind it. That’s how Zim built his best defenses here. Right now the only starting caliber DT they have is Hill. They need to rebuild the DT room and that will take a minimum of a quality FA signing and a high draft pick. Reader is a wild card here. I love the guy but he’s getting older and coming off a serious injury, so I’m leery of counting on him. But in any event, they need better tackles.

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Draft pick guide for this week:

First, obviously we want the Bengals to take a dive and finish 8-9.

Second, we want New Orleans, Denver and Seattle to win. They would all be 9-8, bumping us from 16 to 13.

Third, we want Chicago and Minnesota to win and finish 8-9. They would still be ahead of us in the first but we would rotate up to 11 in the second.

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5 hours ago, HoosierCat said:

Hubbard said postgame he was getting surgery in the offseason. Didn’t say for what, but something to keep an eye on.

Needs surgery and Murphy still really didn’t get a chance to play more. Will see what happens with him and hopefully he turns out great, they do need that dominate defense player, but seems like a wasted pick. Like I said maybe going into next season he will become a beast.

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Start McCarron !!!

I mean, it’s not like it matters.
Honestly, I wouldn’t start anyone that I’m truly worried about suffering an injury that, at this point in time, would impact their availability in 2024.

An ACL this week means losing that player for all of next season.

Just be smart…

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13 hours ago, Stripes said:

I'm fine with a win and might even prefer it. 0-6 in the division is not a good thing to carry into an offseason.

I rooted for enough worthless December win in the Nineties to finally learn that the only thing they do is give them an excuse not to change anything. 0-6 in the north might actually light a fire under someone. 1-5 will be business as usual.

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Considering how many new faces we will likely see in 2024, who cares ??

As much as I enjoyed those few wins with Browning and still being in the mix, things ended how I expected them to.
Now that it has, I have to ask....
Are the wins against the Jags, Colts, and Vikings going to keep you satisfied through the offseason or would you rather be talking about our upcoming top 10 pick?  I said after Burrow went down that I would have preferred them just lose, because next to never will you see a team with an elite QB picking that high in the draft.  I'd rather be discussing which #1 rated player at either DT, RT, or CB we think would be best for us, as opposed to a second level guy we hope pans out.  Such is life though.  It's not like the draft is ever going to depress me though...

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when Browning suddenly was the second coming of Johnny Unitas for some games there, I thought we had a shot at the 6 or 7 seed, so I was up for that

when we lost to Pittsburgh tho, that disgrace was it for me.....back to rooting for a better draft pick

The immense number of bad calls and bad non-calls in KC didnt even bother me - like, it helped us lose so I was fine with it

Just hoping there are no major injuries to starters in this last game

I see 2024 as pretty much the last year in the Burrow window to the Superbowl.  He has to a) find a way to stay healthy, and b) find a way to be good to go before the start of game 1.  Err, that second part really applies to the whole team. These weak starts have cost us bigtime every year

I think the best draft spot we can possibly get right now is 13

 

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Oh, and if you’re looking for something to do other than watch a preseason game in January, I cannot recommend The Boy and the Heron highly enough. Miyazaki saved the best for last, it’s a masterpiece.

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I will check out that movie.

For next year, looking forward to the draft a ton.  The doctor’s report on Reader will mean a lot.  If he can get back to what he was, 2 or 3 year affordable deal for him and it frees up that draft spot.

Also, TJ is correct, Burrow needs to somehow stay healthy in camp AND Zac has to change his pre season work to somehow get this team ready to play.  Stumbling out of the gate is very much a pattern and it needs to be fixed.  
 

Tee is gone, too expensive.  And Boyd is in inevitable decline.  Iosivas looks competitive.  I think it’s WR in round 2.  Has to be O line in round one.  

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RT, DT, WR and CB are all equal priorities in my opinion. I think Tanner Hudson and Burrow’s connection will help them, but they will still need more and Hudson is a FA, although he shouldn’t cost much. TE is a close second to those other positions and would prefer a veteran in that role in a longer deal than a one year patch. Hell, when is pass rush NOT a priority as well ??

As always with the draft, who falls we weren’t expecting ??

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  • HoosierCat changed the title to Week 18: Browns @ Bengals Game Thread

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