Week 11: Bengals @ Chargers

[volcom69]

I still sitting here thinking what a waste of free agency this year, what a waste! 
 

So they didn’t want to pay Reader, but this Rankins guy is supposed to be better, really where, what a joke!!. 
 

Moss better then Mixon really, you give him away for nothing, when Mixon and Brown could have shared carries, instead Moss gets hurt and then have to spend that 7th round pick on another RB! Will they even miss Moss!!

Geno Stone, and Von Bell really what a terrible safety duo, please start playing the young guys!

This has to be the worst money they have ever spent could have just paid Chase and Tee instead!!!! Hell the defense sucks with the guys they got they could have just sucked without them!!

This front office is a joke and a waste of time!

[ArmyBengal]

The Texans might have me believing it’s me…

How else can you explain a team being up by 15 at the half, the defense getting 5 interceptions, and still losing ??

This is about the time of the season you tend to forget how empty the offseason is and say something stupid like, I hate football.

[HoosierCat]

My reaction to this: I guess. Why not? Who cares.

https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/bengals-hosting-four-time-pro-bowl-cb-attempt-save-season-1983868

[volcom69]

So Howard and now Fournette as RB. Oh now they feel like getting serious about trying to win, they just realize now the players they have are not cutting it, ugh whatever lol

Not to mention they put in a wavier on the DE released from the ravens, well they could have signed him 3 weeks ago and actually got him. When will this team actually care about winning instead of breaking players hearts who are not living up to there expectations!! 

[HoosierCat]

So they give the Bears a 7th for Herbert, he gets one carry and fumbles, now they’re working out Fournette.

Whatever.

[WelshBengal]

Fornette will be signed to the practice squad as they clearly have no confidence in trayvon williams

[volcom69]

So they signed some RB who I have no clue who it is.

Howard they wanted him, but didn’t accept the Gift card, to the Bengals shop, and some free Chili, so he declined to play here. 
 

I must say Awesome job guys!

[Stripes]

Howard was alleged to have sent sexual photos to a minor. "Alleged" is good enough for me in this instance, because he probably isn't even good at football anymore anyway.

[COB]

Mike Brown should sell this team to Jeff Bezos.  Bezos is on so much gear he could practically play for the team.  Oh and there is also his gigantic fortune from delivering toothpaste to people’s houses.  We’d actually be one of these good teams adding players, defrauding the cap somehow, and winning Super Bowls.  

[ArmyBengal]

I don't claim to know the inner workings of the front office for the Bengals, or any other NFL  team for that matter.
However, this team has too much talent to be losing this many games and in the manner they lose them.

I'm sick of watching players like Bates and Higgins walk away with nothing but (hopefully) a 3rd round comp pick.
What would a player like Bates do for this defense right now?  He wouldn't be the solution to it all, but he sure as hell wouldn't hurt.
Higgins has absolutely no reason to put himself on the line and worsen his hamstring when his $22 million is already in the bank.

It's just sad watching them sit on their hands, bring in scrubs to help and then seemingly scratch their heads trying to figure it out.
Many teams at least made the effort to either improve on a good thing or help their roster that is in need of talent.
We signed Herbert in dire need and some other RB to the practice squad.  No DE, DT, or CB in the effort to get better when clearly the defense is ass.

Speaking of the defense, how does Anarumo still have a job?  Where's the accountability for the underperformance of that unit as a whole?
Sadly, if they did make a move, Johnny Dickbag would probably be the replacement.

It's just an exceptionally frustrating season when there were such high expectations.
 

[COB]

Hey Army, Mike can’t help it if these other owners don’t understand good old fashioned fiscal discipline.
 

 If they want to irresponsibly spend their money, and use the Bengals as a sort of triple A feeder system for their teams, that’s on them.  

We’ll get a sweet 4th round comp pick we can use on a kid from the SEC whe went to high school locally.  But wait  - the kid is from Cincy and played high school ball locally, like 4 pairs of season tickets will get sold as a result of that signing.  Mike’s playing 4D chess while these other owners are playing checkers.  

[ArmyBengal]

Again, it's just frustrating.  This team should be so much better than 4-6.
I was watching the McAfee podcast from a few days ago and he listed some interest facts to ponder.

There have been 2 instances in NFL history where a QB had:
30+ Completions
300+ Passing Yards
4+ TD passes
Multiple 40+ Yard TD Passes
No more than 1 INT

...and yet still lost.

The QB in both of those historical events in the NFL was Joe Burrow in both the Ravens game this season.

 

Let that sink in for a moment when considering how bad this defense is and why fans get so mad when all they do to address that is a couple RB's.
To have other fans question you for being frustrated is the only thing more irritating than that.

Make not addressing the defense make sense and I will listen.  Until then Lou Anarumo should be on the street now.

[HoosierCat]

Can Lou if it makes you happy, but I doubt anyone could do better given the “talent” on the roster. Latest nugget that hit my bookface feed: Geno Stone now leads all safeties in missed tackles this season.

Look back at the SB team and Ogunjobi’s gone, Chido’s gone, Bates is gone, Reader is gone, Apple is gone. In their place are failed draft picks and FA flops.

But yeah, the DC is the guy who gets to carry the can when it all goes wrong, whether it’s really his fault or not. So I get it.

Will it happen? I think he still has like three years on his contract and we all know how much Mike likes paying guys not to work, so…

[ArmyBengal]

I get the aspect of getting him dudes but this team has used first rounds picks on CB Dax Hill and DE Myles Murphy. I’ve addressed before that those two misses are what’s killing this defense right now. Both were expected to be massive starting contributors. Neither have come close to expectations.

Whose fault is that? Scouting? Doesn’t the DC have a say in who they want to draft based upon the scouting advice? I honestly don’t know but Anarumo played a part in those mistakes.

In both instances I recall both of them falling to the Bengals. Multiple teams passed on them causing them to fall to us. While I didn’t necessarily have a problem with the picks at the time, but you have to wonder why they fell.

Sure give Anarumo another season. It’s the Bengals. It’s what they do to a fault. I still can’t get by them not addressing the defense considering this team is somehow still in contention.

They better fucking win Sunday.

[HoosierCat]

Like I said, I get it. It’s hard to justify bringing back a coordinator when his unit is giving up something like the third-most points per game in franchise history. Even granting sub-par talent, that’s still awful.

My fear is that they fire him and then use that as an excuse not to get better talent.

[COB]

Lou is 100% not the problem.  He can scheme just fine, he’s proven that.  Just the old “build through the draft” philosophy but “psyche, we’re not even going to keep the guys we draft and develop (Bates).”  You only hit on a player like that like 5% of the time, and you just let him walk.  It’s football roster malpractice.  

[AMPHAR]

16 hours ago, HoosierCat said:

Can Lou if it makes you happy, but I doubt anyone could do better given the “talent” on the roster. Latest nugget that hit my bookface feed: Geno Stone now leads all safeties in missed tackles this season.

Look back at the SB team and Ogunjobi’s gone, Chido’s gone, Bates is gone, Reader is gone, Apple is gone. In their place are failed draft picks and FA flops.

But yeah, the DC is the guy who gets to carry the can when it all goes wrong, whether it’s really his fault or not. So I get it.

Will it happen? I think he still has like three years on his contract and we all know how much Mike likes paying guys not to work, so…

 

Lou is a big problem.    He's a secondary guy and he's had talent in that secondary from the start.   He's always given up yards since being here.   All that's happening now is he isn't getting the stops he got during his run that had media folks fawning over him as the next HC.

He's not a Dick Lebeau.     While all those dudes are gone they are replaced with high draft picks and Free Agents he favored.    Lou is a huge problem.

[AMPHAR]

Fans that want to be stuck in the 90s will always be stuck there.  Can't help them.   However, its amazing the mental gymnastics that are done to convince themselves its 1999.  Lol.

1st, yes there is plenty of evidence to justify moving on from Lou.  He has legit NFL players on his unit.   Is it enough to be ranked top 5? No.  To carry a team? No.

There's plenty of evidence to justify moving on from Pollack.  He has legit NFL players on his unit.   He probably actually has enough talent to have a top 10 line.  

However, its clear the offensive play calling has to be done with an assumption the D isn't stopping anyone in critical times and the line can't gain short yardage.

I don't even know what the debate about is on message boards.   Lou's defense SUCKED before the playoff runs.  It has SUCKED after.   To think he wasn't happy about the players they brought in is pure HINDSIGHT bullshit.  Geno Stone was celebrated in some spots as the FA best move.   Lou is a secondary coach and can't get 1st/2nd rounders to play better.   These guys were all drafted in the range most thought or even considered steals.  

The days of giving Dick Lebeau Artrell Hawkins as your No. 1 CB for years are long gone.  

[ArmyBengal]

Don't even bring up Pollack.  I haven't forgotten his dumb ass.

He's simply out of the fray because the offense has mad firepower.

I get the thoughts on Lou and why many may not point the finger at him.  I'm not mad they think that way.
I just look at what has been given and the high draft talent they have (with his approval) and then see the results.

Lack thereof...

[AMPHAR]

12 hours ago, COB said:

Lou is 100% not the problem.  He can scheme just fine, he’s proven that.  Just the old “build through the draft” philosophy but “psyche, we’re not even going to keep the guys we draft and develop (Bates).”  You only hit on a player like that like 5% of the time, and you just let him walk.  It’s football roster malpractice.  

What are you talking about?   Half his starters were drafted by other teams.   All have played better under him and other teams than they have this year.     

Lou's defenses ranked poorly with Jessie Bates.     He just simply isn't getting it done. 

Rankin, Hill, Hendrickson, Hilton, Bell, Stone.   Somehow adding these guys is football roster malpractice.  WTF? 

Lou was going to be run out of town IF not for 2021 and 2022 that were average ranked defenses that included some great individual games.  Thanks for that but its time to move on.    You can't keep a defensive coordinator that scape goated safeties, give him safeties he loved the next year and still suffer the same fundamental break downs this team has.

When you have a bad coach somehow they'll never have enough talent to succeed.   Your handing him proven NFL starters and he fails with them and the conclusion he just needs more.   Get his ass out of here, period end of story. 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

There are multiple games in which the offense had too go for it on 4th and short.  For fear the defense couldn't stop the other team.   To double down, they had to throw the ball because they simply are not moving people off the ball.    These failed plays cost them in two loses.   

Then they are on the wrong side of officiating this year.  Have no idea why but its clear.   These issues have cost them.

Is it excuses for it all? I'd say it covers a lot of it.   Its certainly not a stretch to make a case for being 7-3 or 8-2. 

The biggest blunder from front office is letting Mixon go which oddly enough was a popular move among Bengal fans.   But yeah the front office failed the team?  Some fans want to relive the 90s so bad.

 

 

[ArmyBengal]

Ok, time to switch gears and discuss why the Bengals are a playoff team.
BWAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA...  ok seriously, I'm doing this.

I was looking at the standings and currently the Bengals are the 9th seed and only ONE game out of the last wild card seed.
Let's start by giving up on any thoughts of the AFC North title right now.  That just makes things less stressful.

The Chargers (6-3) are the 6th seed and we play them Sunday.
-They have us and the Broncos again.
The Broncos (5-5) are the 7th seed and we play them on 12/29, which could be an impact game.
-They have to play us, the Chargers and Colts.
The Colts (4-6) are the 8th seed ahead of us due to conference win percentage.
-They only have the Broncos from this group.

That's my focus moving forward but it's all predicated on them winning Sunday night.
If any game to this point has been a "must win" it's this one.  Then we still have two against the Steelers.
Outside of the Steelers, the remainder of the teams on the schedule aren't teams we can't beat.

SOOOOO looking at you Lou.
Want me to have faith in your ability to scheme and gets these guys to produce??
Here's your chance.

If the Bengals lose Sunday, I'm packing it in for the season.

 

 

[HoosierCat]

Tanier on the teams vying for the last spot.

Quote

Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)

Playoff Probability: 31.9%

Playoff Moneyline: +130

Attitude If They Reach the Playoffs: “Haha, we’re the team no one wants to face, right? Not really? Oh well. See you next October. Yes, we said October.”

Greatest Advantage: Joe Burrow. Ja’Marr Chase. Trey Hendrickson. Tee Higgins when healthy.

Greatest Disadvantage: Zach Taylor. Pretty much everyone else.

The Skinny: The Bengals may think they’re the 49ers of the AFC: the perennial contender that slumbered through (another) pokey start. They are really the 2022-23 Cowboys of the AFC: a top-heavy paper tiger (heh) reliant on a handful of superstars to cover for a so-so bottom 80% of the roster and uninspired leadership. Their four wins have come against the Panthers, Giants, Browns and Raiders, four teams with a combined 9-26 record. It’s a bad sign when the Panthershave the best record among the teams you have beaten. 

Sunday’s visit to the Chargers is a must-win affair for the Bengals: not only are their backs to the wall, but they must simply prove that they can beat a quality opponent. 

https://substack.com/home/post/p-151603807?source=queue

[ArmyBengal]

"A so-so bottom 80% of the roster and uninspired leadership"

I cannot help but continue to focus on how huge the misses with Dax Hill and Myles Murphy have been to this team.
You simply cannot have two first round guys not produce at the level expected.  Especially considering they were both defensive guys.

The leadership aspect becomes more and more glaring.

[TJJackson]

Looking at another first round DL next year, but I'd prefer that they pick up a restricted free agent who has already shown overall competency plus flashes