Week 15: Ravens @ Bengals

[HoosierCat]

It's all about how you structure deals. Ja'Marr and Tee combined count about $48 million against the cap this year. That was a choice, not a necessity. They could have cut that in half and had $24 million to throw at the defense.

(Actually it could have been $35 million since they are still sitting on $11 million in 2025 cap space right now...)

But we all know how the FO prefers to operate, we all know its tics about guaranteed money and pushing cap hits into the future, and its cries of poverty and being a small market team and a lack of actual cash on hand and all that. The things is, at the end of the day that all translates to either, "we refuse to operate financially like a modern NFL team" or "we lack the financial capacity to operate like a modern NFL team."

And it goes without saying that they are uninterested in selling the team to someone who would do these things.

So here we are, again. Another year down the tubes.

[ArmyBengal]

Another year closer to death without a Super Bowl victory. 

[AMPHAR]

 

3 hours ago, HoosierCat said:

It's all about how you structure deals. Ja'Marr and Tee combined count about $48 million against the cap this year. That was a choice, not a necessity. They could have cut that in half and had $24 million to throw at the defense.

(Actually it could have been $35 million since they are still sitting on $11 million in 2025 cap space right now...)

But we all know how the FO prefers to operate, we all know its tics about guaranteed money and pushing cap hits into the future, and its cries of poverty and being a small market team and a lack of actual cash on hand and all that. The things is, at the end of the day that all translates to either, "we refuse to operate financially like a modern NFL team" or "we lack the financial capacity to operate like a modern NFL team."

And it goes without saying that they are uninterested in selling the team to someone who would do these things.

So here we are, again. Another year down the tubes.

 

 This is false.   As the good players they drafted came off rookie deals these past 3 years; their cash expenditure ranks in the top half of the league. The structure you take issue with actually moves them up higher in the top 10 of spending on current active players.

 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

56 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

Another year closer to death without a Super Bowl victory. 

 

Nothing to fear.  Your body maybe getting old but your minds are young as can be.  Its as if they are stuck in the 90s, lol.

[HoosierCat]

9 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

This is false.   As the good players they drafted came off rookie deals these past 3 years; their cash expenditure ranks in the top half of the league. The structure you take issue with actually moves them up higher in the top 10 of spending on current active players.

Sure. So what? All you’ve done is confirm they could have indeed structured the deals differently and signed more defensive help. They chose not to.

[AMPHAR]

56 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

Sure. So what? All you’ve done is confirm they could have indeed structured the deals differently and signed more defensive help. They chose not to.

If you want to go with they refuse to compete financially when any objective measure proves they actually have been spending in the top half of the league, that's on you refusing to change your POV when facts are presented.

Believe what you want. 

[AMPHAR]

Quote

What they were supposed to do is draft defensive players the last several years.

 

 

Bengals have been building a defense drafting from the bottom of the draft since 2022.   Pending on how you classify Pro Bowl honors (alternate etc.) or All Pro honors.   There's 2 to 6 players you can identify that have been selected.  

Quote

2022Trent McDuffieCBKansas City Chiefs21Pro Bowl (2023, 2024); All-Pro (2023)2022

Jalen PitreSHouston Texans37Pro Bowl (2023)2022

Riq WoolenCBTennessee Titans167Pro Bowl (2023)

2023Brian BranchSDetroit Lions45Pro Bowl (2024)2023

Kobie TurnerDTLos Angeles Rams89Pro Bowl (2024)2024

Quinyon MitchellCBPhiladelphia Eagles22Pro Bowl (2024)

I can tell you they never had a chance to draft Trent McDuffie as the KC used Tyrek Hill trade to move up.  

They chose Mims over Mitchell.  

So again simply stating "fix it" isn't really anything but message board banter.  Emotion.  Bengals kept their WRs and made an attempt to fix an O-line.    That has resulted in 20th ranked offense and a negative TO margin.

Bengal fans know our defensive draft picks have struggled. FACT.  So they need to fix it by drafting other defensive players.   Not so easy.

 

 

[AMPHAR]

Along the same lines:  Sacks generated from player taken 20th or lower from Draft 2022-2025.

There's been 6 players(?) that have recorded more than 10 career sacks so far.   Ones I could find:

Quote

• George Karlaftis (2022, #30)

• Jermaine Johnson II (2022, #26)

• Boye Mafe (2022, #40)

• Byron Young (2023, #77)

• Nik Bonitto (2022, #64)

• Kobi Turner (2023, #89)

Off the top of my head they never had a chance to draft the first 2.   Are you giving up DJ Turner in order to draft Kobi Turner or Byron Young?

Bengal fans are great about bitching about scouting and making vague claims.   Here is an attempt to bring data into the conversation.    Where are all the defensive draft picks a huge scouting department would have found? 

  

 

 

[HoosierCat]

3 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

If you want to go with they refuse to compete financially when any objective measure proves they actually have been spending in the top half of the league, that's on you refusing to change your POV when facts are presented.

Believe what you want. 

It’s about how they spend, not how much. You claim they couldn’t add to the defense in free agency because of the deals they gave to offensive players like Ja’Marr and Tee. That’s simply not the case. They could have structured those deals to allow them to pursue defensive FAs. This was called out at the time. And such structures are common practice around the league. The Bengals chose a different route. 

[HoosierCat]

Anyhow, in good news the Falcons come through last night so the Bengals move up to the 9 hole. If they lose and the Jets and Cards win this weekend they could pop up to 7.

[ArmyBengal]

13 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

 

Nothing to fear.  Your body maybe getting old but your minds are young as can be.  It’s as if they are stuck in the 90s, lol.

Nah, not stuck in the 90’s, but seeing as how we’ve won as many Supers since the 90’s from then to today, it’s pretty much whatever. Still no championships for Cincinnati. I hated seeing my Dad go to his grave without seeing one and I get the feeling I will do the same.

Fear not, I’ll be excited about the 2026 season from April through September of 2026. By that time Burrow will have gotten hurt again and the season will be lost. 

Hoping and praying.
Its worked to this point.

[gregcook69]

4 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

Along the same lines:  Sacks generated from player taken 20th or lower from Draft 2022-2025.

There's been 6 players(?) that have recorded more than 10 career sacks so far.   Ones I could find:

Off the top of my head they never had a chance to draft the first 2.   Are you giving up DJ Turner in order to draft Kobi Turner or Byron Young?

Bengal fans are great about bitching about scouting and making vague claims.   Here is an attempt to bring data into the conversation.    Where are all the defensive draft picks a huge scouting department would have found? 

  

 

 

The smallest scouting team in the NFL is certainly NOT something to be proud of that’s for sure.

However, it sometimes comes down to an eye for talent!

In 1971 PB was HC and primarily the head scout!

Two of Brown’s scouting team members were, believe it or not, Mike Brown and Bill Walsh!

They were the ones who discovered Kenny Anderson, playing at a Division III college in Illinois!

[COB]

1 hour ago, HoosierCat said:

 They could have structured those deals to allow them to pursue defensive FAs. This was called out at the time. And such structures are common practice around the league. 

The abacus Mike uses to plan the salary cap doesn’t have a magic setting that allows one to incorporate modern cap management strategies into his calculations.  Sorry.  
 

Just accept that Mike and company have done everything right, and the stuff that has gone wrong is basically Joe Burrow’s fault.  We might even have to move on from Burrow so we can get back to the excellence that is the Brown Family NFL record!

 

[AMPHAR]

1 hour ago, HoosierCat said:

It’s about how they spend, not how much. You claim they couldn’t add to the defense in free agency because of the deals they gave to offensive players like Ja’Marr and Tee. That’s simply not the case. They could have structured those deals to allow them to pursue defensive FAs. This was called out at the time. And such structures are common practice around the league. The Bengals chose a different route. 

I'm just saying spending in the top half the league and most of that money going to active roster isn't an example of a team that refuses to operate financially.   You may think it does, but whatever.

2nd - Milton Williams was the No. 1 defensive FA available - IR 3.5 sacks to date.  2nd was Zac Baun who later confirmed he wasn't seriously thinking of leaving Philly.  3rd was Josh Sweat, has 11 sacks but Cardinals defense isn't any better.  4th, 5th, and 6th  were CBs (Ward, Reed, Davis) Davis has been really good.  The other 2 up and down.

The point?   Adding all those players would have gotten them a defense good enough to overcome the under performance of the offense.     IF the Bengals just sign Trey and don't sign All top 6 defensive Free Agents they aren't trying?  Is that your point?    Because not 1 of those players makes a big enough impact alone. 

 

 

 

 

[COB]

3 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

Adding all those players would have gotten them a defense good enough to overcome the under performance of the offense.    

 

 

 

Our “under performing” offense is the problem? 
 

Ok.

Please write a couple more paragraphs explaining to all these “message board fans” why we should replay last off-season’s dysfunctional shit show by tagging Hendrickson again.  Your last go at it didn’t quite convince me.

[TJJackson]

Hendrickson has to go away now

[Allentown21]

Bengals 27

Ravens 17

 

Burrow 278 passing yds 2 tds 0 int

 

 

[COB]

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/onsi/news/cincinnati-bengals-defense-product-of-major-errors-made-by-front-office-01kbzcn4d8h7

 

SI writer seems to think our historically bad defense has something to do with our historically bad front office and their historically bad decisions.  

[TJJackson]

2 hours ago, COB said:

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/onsi/news/cincinnati-bengals-defense-product-of-major-errors-made-by-front-office-01kbzcn4d8h7

 

SI writer seems to think our historically bad defense has something to do with our historically bad front office and their historically bad decisions.  

omg really?

in other news, water has been found to be wet, and the bear does indeed shit in the woods :-)

In the immortal worlds of ArmyBengal:  FUCK YOU SoaG!!!!!!!

[COB]

Very tough game to pick.  The Ravens are struggling.  Lamar was hurt when he played us, and it is difficult to tell if he’s still hurt to that degree.  They just aren’t doing anything well.  Their kicker has brought upon them the sex offender curse, the one that destroyed the Browns.  
 

We have a qb that has the suicide hotline number scrawled on his forearm.  Our defense looked good as long as the Ravens were handing them the ball two weeks ago.  Our guy Tee Higgins put it all on the line for us last week and now has a perma-headache.  
 

Finally, it’s going to be colder than a welldigger’s ass in the Klondike.  Neither team is going to enjoy this.  Our defenders who hate tackling will really hate tackling now.  That Raven’s running back will eat.  
 

Ravens 31, Bengals 14. 

[ArmyBengal]

Had more free tickets thrown in my direction to today’s game. I took a look at the weather forecast and make what I though was an above average decision to stay home in the warm.  Had they won last week it might have been different but then I suspect there wouldn’t have been offers for those tickets.

Typically I wouldn’t even watch the game but there’s literally nothing else I have to do today. Something tells me there will be a mid game nap in my future.

Go Bengals.
Well, not really…

[COB]

Basically today’s game is a therapy session for our defense.  
 

Exposure therapy, or immunotherapy, desensitizes your immune system by gradually exposing it to an allergen.  
 

Our defense is allergic to tackling.  They’ll be exposed to increasing dosages of Derrick Henry running full speed in their faces with intent to kill/maim.  If he gets one on one with a corner, and the corner somehow doesn’t dive out of the way, avert your eyes.

 

 

[Stripes]

Looking forward to winning out, finishing 8-9, and losing the division by one game.

[COB]

3 minutes ago, Stripes said:

Looking forward to winning out, finishing 8-9, and losing the division by one game.

Seems likely.  One way to ease the pain?  Go now and buy shares in Stryker (NYS:SYK), they are the largest maker of orthopedic implant devices, and I’m forecasting a surge in demand for their products in the tri-state area later today after Derrick Henry gets done trampling members of our defensive backfield (minus former Raven Geno Stone who knows what’s up).

[Stripes]

One play. One injury.

We're cooking.