Week 12: Patriots @ Bengals

[AMPHAR]

6 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

The Bengals need to do something along the lines of what the Patriots did in the offseason and go through a large turnover on the defensive side of the ball.  Draft all defense in the first three rounds with DE, CB and S in any order.  Get some average (because that's all we can ask for) free agents and start over.

Thing is, I have no faith the front office or team is capable of that in it's current make up.

I really don't know what fixes it other than Zimmer.   At min, I would hire him as a consultant in the secondary.   Defense has played slightly better the last 2 weeks but way short of what is needed.   The breaks downs on 3rd down that happened under Lou are still happening.

Sure Bengal D had 2 nice goal line series.  But one of them was a drive that started near the 10 and featured an 3rd and forever conversion again.  WTF? 

They've dumped a ton of draft picks into improving that D.    This is literally a replay of the Boomer era Bengals.  

[ArmyBengal]

6 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

For reputation, IF Burrow steps on the field in Baltimore.  He needs to get the win, period.   He hasn't beaten Lamar head to head in a while.    Don't care about draft positioning right now or Bengal playoffs.   Knock the Ravens down a peg or two and make their playoff road harder.    

If they can do that, it puts Baltimore in a tough off season as well.   

You are probably right AMPHAR and I totally get where you are coming from.
I just don't care.  None of that will matter this year.
I'm just a hard head...  lol

[COB]

31 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

 

Who are they going to get to coach this shitshow?

I remember years past, guys would pound the table in here to fire Marvin, bring in a HC who can do this and that, HOF would always answer, “Got a name?”

[HoosierCat]

Quote

The New York Giants have fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.

Interim coach Mike Kafka made the move after the Giants (2-10) blew a double-digit lead and lost 34-27 to the Detroit Lions in overtime on Sunday to become the first team eliminated from playoff contention. It was their sixth straight loss and fifth this season after leading in the fourth quarter.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47084249/source-giants-fire-defensive-coordinator-shane-bowen

Lucky Giants fans.

[COB]

Here’s a name: Jess Minter, DC for the Chargers.  Defensive whiz kid, was DC at Michigan, coached under John Harbaugh at Baltimore for several years.  
 

His defenses at LA are very good.  Admittedly, they were good before he got there.  
 

In his favor - first time HC so Mike can get him at a reasonable rate.  Could presumably fix our defense.  Also in his favor, his dad Rick was the HC at UC so there’s the local connection the Mike likes for some unknown reason.

Not in his favor - He’s probably the top new guy HC candidate out there.  No way will Mike compete with another owner for this dude.  
 

Also - I hate to sound like a homer, but all that sign stealing up in Ann Arbor really created some false success for various guys.  McCarthy looks like a bust now that he doesn’t know the defensive scheme in advance.  

That team went from life support, Harbaugh basically getting halfway pushed out the door, to suddenly in one year being the best in the big ten.  

Then after they get busted they immediately lose 5 games the next year.  It’s not even in the realm of suspicious, it’s obvious.  

So I’d evaluate this guy on his Ravens and Chargers work, throw the Michigan years out of the equation.  

Also not in his favor - at least in my mind, we don’t need fresh face Zac 2.0.  We need a veteran coach who can inspire and intimidate this team into playing a physical and disciplined type of football.  Basically we need Mike Vrabel.  Or the Lions coach.  That type of dude.

[ArmyBengal]

Agree about the take on the Michigan cheating scandal and the impact that has had on players and coaches.

Yes, find Mike Vrabel 2.0 or something along those lines.  A hard nosed guy that will dictate shit to the team.
Just a little accountability would be a pleasant surprise.

I'm just so sick of the hope and pray approach they seemingly employ when knowing it's all shit.

[ArmyBengal]

Thought I saw somewhere in the this thread a mention of Burton at WR.

Dude couldn't even get activated with Chase missing the game.  That speaks volumes.
If anyone needed further proof of what he means to this team, there you go.

I can't help but think the only reason they are keeping him around is because he's so cheap.
That and maybe, just maybe, he figures out how to go through life without his head up his ass.
I'm thinking that's wasted thought and hope.

[HoosierCat]

I suspect Burton is still here mostly because one, cutting him after one year would be an embarrassing admission of error, and two, doing so doesn’t really save them much this year (about a million in actual cash and 500k of cap space if he’d been shown the door ahead of 2025).

With next year teeing up $1.3 million in cash savings and freeing a million against the cap, that may change.

 

[AMPHAR]

Expectations are a bitch.   That's all that's happening here.   Marvin couldn't win a playoff game.   Zac can't get back to a Superbowl.    Each elevated the expectation of the fan base.

IF the job should open they'd have a pick of guys for it.    Why?  Bengals will have a starting offense that's top of the league and the only spots that will be open for 2 years will be guys you don't want anymore.  Then ton of cap room to fix a defense.

Vs. some job that will have you forced to pick a college QB and then ultimately tied to that player for your initial success. 

I don't want a former DC as HC, but IF they go that route the first stop is Cleveland.   There's a big list of offensive guys you could go through.  

 

[COB]

I think they’re keeping Burton because he has some actual value.  Their refusal to activate him says, “we don’t like you and we’ll play you when we absolutely HAVE to play you.

[AMPHAR]

There's no shame in Burton.   Glass half empty view.   Bengals have built the best collection of pass catchers WR and TE in the NFL.  

You can have so many active AND there's only 5 eligible WRs on any given play.   Who exactly should they be taking off?

Burton could get more of a shot for a number of teams in the league as a young player.    

 

[ArmyBengal]

Burton was a 3rd round pick with a better pedigree than at least several of the current WR's that have left him in their wake.  Tinsley is just the most recent.  Undrafted with little to no expectation and not only gets activated, but produces when given the opportunity.

Jermaine is just one of those two cent head guys in my opinion.

[AMPHAR]

So the Bengals excelled with Yoshi and Tinsley pick ups and bust with Burton.  Who gives a fuck?  They can stick a 40 year old QB with no offseason and throw like crazy.       

If Burton was drafted by some sad sack offense with no skill players he'd be a knucklehead with stats.    

[Stripes]

A defensive head coach sounds good to me. Sometimes those guys can be overly conservative with respect to trying on 4th down/punting/FG type decisions, and that would irritate me. Vrabel definitely fits the description.

But I’d still have more faith. I appreciate what Zac has done. He’s not some bum. He’s the franchise coaching leader in playoff wins. He was *better* than Marvin.

But it’s time. Stop trying to make fetch happen.

[ArmyBengal]

31 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

So the Bengals excelled with Yoshi and Tinsley pick ups and bust with Burton.  Who gives a fuck?  They can stick a 40 year old QB with no offseason and throw like crazy.       

If Burton was drafted by some sad sack offense with no skill players he'd be a knucklehead with stats.    

I don't give a fuck at all honestly, I was just commenting on someone bringing him up as a potential solution to Tee's concussion.  My point in doing so is that apparently the coaching staff feels differently.  But yeah, if thinking about it, they fucked up a 3rd round pick.  Oh well.

[ArmyBengal]

23 minutes ago, Stripes said:

A defensive head coach sounds good to me. Sometimes those guys can be overly conservative with respect to trying on 4th down/punting/FG type decisions, and that would irritate me. Vrabel definitely fits the description.

But I’d still have more faith. I appreciate what Zac has done. He’s not some bum. He’s the franchise coaching leader in playoff wins. He was *better* than Marvin.

But it’s time. Stop trying to make fetch happen.

Well, since I watch the Texans play you kind of see that.  Demeco Ryans was a defensive player, defensive position coach and now a head coach that comes from that side of the ball.  The team made some bold moves trading up to get Will Anderson and have built a pretty good defense since his arrival.

I'm not saying all defensive coaches would bear the same fruit, but give me the guy that knows that side of the ball when you obviously have the elite offense power this team does.

[TJJackson]

8 hours ago, COB said:

I remember years past, guys would pound the table in here to fire Marvin, bring in a HC who can do this and that, HOF would always answer, “Got a name?”

I miss Head On Fire

[COB]

Same.  Dude brought the heat!

[COB]

Purdy is on MNF throwing picks like he’s got a suspicious prop bet laid down somewhere.

[COB]

He just threw another.  3 in the first half.

[ArmyBengal]

Dude should have thrown about 6 picks in that first half if the defenders had just caught the ball when it hit their hands.

Purdy was more lucky than good last night.

[AMPHAR]

I'd say pass on DC as Head Coach.   Their money is tied up in offense so its important to get the most out of them.  Former DCs sometimes want to play field position, run out the last 2 minutes of the half etc.    However, the top guy as DC for HC would be the Schwartz from Cleveland.   It wouldn't go over well, but I'd be open to brining in Stefanski as HC if he's fired.