Week 17: Cardinals @ Bengals

[HoosierCat]

The Bengals are in the thick of the Dead Cat Bounce, on course for a 7-10 finish that will ensure minimal to no changes of significance in the offfseason. Yay?

They currently hold the 9th pick in the next draft. The good news is that despite the DCB chances are good they don’t drop too much more.

All the picks 17 and up are taken by 8-win teams, so the worst they can do in theory is 16. Tampa, Baltimore, Minnesota and Dallas just need to win one of their last two to bar them from spots 13-16. There are three 6-win teams, Miami, Atlanta and KC, but all have weaker SOS so they’d have to win out. That would leave Cincy at 9.

On the other end, they are locked out of the top two spots. In a perfect world losing out could get them to 4 but that would require a lot of bad teams to win out. Realistically I think the most they could hope for if they finish 0-2 is 7.

So most likely seems somewhere in the 7-12 range.

[volcom69]

So the good thing that I have seen so far, is Myles Murphy looking good

DJ Turner looking good

Dax Hill as of late has been playing awesome

I will be curious to see if Jalen Davis continues to get better

Battle had been playing great as of late, still would like a little better tackling but he looks like a good starter moving forward. 
 

So through this crappy season there have been some bright spots hope it continues the rest of the way into next season. 

[ArmyBengal]

The Cardinals can't win a game if their life depends on it.
The Bengals should win this game much like yesterday's.
Hopefully it doesn't cost them draft position.

This is as meaningless as a preseason game.
Two eliminated teams battling it out for no good damn reason.

[HoosierCat]

If I were Zac I would sit every starter I could. Last thing we need is for someone(s) to blow out a knee or wreck an ankle or whatever in these last two meaningless games. Joe and the gang had their fun in Miami, they should be on a beach there for the next two weeks.

[gregcook69]

1 hour ago, HoosierCat said:

If I were Zac I would sit every starter I could. Last thing we need is for someone(s) to blow out a knee or wreck an ankle or whatever in these last two meaningless games. Joe and the gang had their fun in Miami, they should be on a beach there for the next two weeks.

Not sure the Browns/Blackburns see it that way, but I could be wrong!

My guess on their philosophy is, “We are paying them, so keep them on the field and let them earn their over inflated salaries!”

[gregcook69]

2 hours ago, volcom69 said:

. . . . Battle had been playing great as of late, still would like a little better tackling . . . . 

The tackling has been an issue off and on with the Bengals, not as much with Zimmer, because he was no nonsense!

Now I know guys are going to get juked like on Chase Browns first pass TD.

I don’t think Ronnie Lott could have made THAT tackle, but the Bengals miss too many standard tackles trying to arm tackle!

It’s especially a mystery and frustrating when watching the OSU/Indiana game where standard tackles were being made from start to finish by BOTH teams!!

[Stripes]

If it’s any comfort, Anarumo can’t seem to stop TEs in Indy either.

[Stripes]

Looks like Ja'Marr Chase is our only Pro-Bowler.

"Woo"

Nobody is watching that event, but it will still help his eventual Hall of Fame case.

[TJJackson]

17 hours ago, Stripes said:

If it’s any comfort, Anarumo can’t seem to stop TEs in Indy either.

other defenses can cover TEs

ours should be equipped to do so as well

shrug

[ArmyBengal]

For those that care, the Ohio Bobcats are playing in the Scooter Crunch Frisbee Toss Coffee Bowl tonight.

[HoosierCat]

3 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

For those that care, the Ohio Bobcats are playing in the Scooter Crunch Frisbee Toss Coffee Bowl tonight.

Considering recent OU coaching news, shouldn’t that be the College Girls Gone Wild Jack Daniels Bowl?

[ArmyBengal]

Good point Hoosier.

The Bobcats got the win though, so good for them.

[ArmyBengal]

Busy days ahead with the holidays.

Just wanted to wish everyone and your families a Merry Christmas !!

Hope Santa brings you everything you ask for. A winning Power Ball ticket in my stocking would not be turned down.

I’d ask for a playoff season from the Bengals but a winning lottery ticket seems to be the more likely thing to get.

Enjoy !!

[COB]

13 hours ago, HoosierCat said:

Considering recent OU coaching news, shouldn’t that be the College Girls Gone Wild Jack Daniels Bowl?

OU fired Temu Sherrone Moore and went out and won that bowl game.  They wanted badly to win for the interim coach, known popularly as Whatshisname.

[COB]

Merry Xmas to everyone here at Bengalszone.  
 

Don’t forget that many older people get depressed over the holidays, mainly when they realize that a 1000 year old business, Santa’s workshop, uses more modern recruitment and accounting strategies than our Bengals front office. 
 

Enjoy the holidays everyone!

[TJJackson]

6 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

Busy days ahead with the holidays.

Just wanted to wish everyone and your families a Merry Christmas !!

Hope Santa brings you everything you ask for. A winning Power Ball ticket in my stocking would not be turned down.

I’d ask for a playoff season from the Bengals but a winning lottery ticket seems to be the more likely thing to get.

Enjoy !!

I have a 2 dollar winning ticket that I will gladly sell to you for 5 bucks

[ArmyBengal]

2 hours ago, TJJackson said:

I have a 2 dollar winning ticket that I will gladly sell to you for 5 bucks

What? Are you part of the Bengals front office now? I’m sure the county will be interested in that deal.

[gregcook69]

Just turned on TV after a great Christmas!

I was going to watch a movie on Prime Video and saw the Broncos/Chiefs game was streaming!

Watched the Broncos score go ahead TD and then watched a series with the Chiefs!

The Broncos defense put on a tackling exhibition!

Amazing how stifled the offense can be when tackles are not missed and made immediately!

[HoosierCat]

Santa was good to the Bengals yesterday. Minny and Dallas won, closing off two more spots and pushing our draft pick floor up to 14. So we are guaranteed to pick in the top half of the round.

 

[Stripes]

I’m counting on ARI running back Michael Carter to shred the Bengals tomorrow to win my fantasy championship. They’d better not pick this week to be competent.

[ArmyBengal]

5 hours ago, Stripes said:

I’m counting on ARI running back Michael Carter to shred the Bengals tomorrow to win my fantasy championship. They’d better not pick this week to be competent.

Now you did it…

[HoosierCat]

56 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

Now you did it…

Fire Zac! Fire Golden! FIRE STRIPES!!!

[Prophecy]

I asked Santa Claus for a new head coach for Christmas, and he reminded me that the University of Michigan just signed Kyle Whittingham for $8.5 million per year and Zac Taylor only makes $4 million a year.

So, why would a decent coach come to the Bengals when he can make twice as much, or more, coaching in college? Let alone, any other NFL team.

Thanks Santa

[Stripes]

As of May 2025, Taylor was ranked 18th in the league in annual head coach salary.

Not to defend the front office. Fuck 'em. I just tend to focus my ire on the areas they really fail to spend (primarily scouting).

[HoosierCat]

6 minutes ago, Stripes said:

As of May 2025, Taylor was ranked 18th in the league in annual head coach salary.

Not to defend the front office. Fuck 'em. I just tend to focus my ire on the areas they really fail to spend (primarily scouting).

Funny note on spending. I deleted my personal twitter account when Elmo bought the site because Nazis suck. But I still have to keep an eye on it for work and so occasionally I search #bengals just for breaking news. And prior to the Fins game a weird thing happened: suddenly a bunch of (at)namebuncanunbers accounts started tweeting an identical message about how the bengals are back and I can’t wait to see how they play this week! stuff. Shoulda taken a screenshot but oh well. Anyhow the point is I wonder if you can use your 2% Amazon card points on bot campaigns and if so I know what Liz Blackburn did with hers.