2026 Off-season notes

[HoosierCat]

Graziano is boarding the bandwagon.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48758666/2026-nfl-schedule-release-overreactions-takeaways-best-games-opponents-matchups

[ArmyBengal]

I like opening the season at home.
I don't like 4 of the first 6 games being on the road.
I hate the bye week placement.
I like seeing them in primetime games.
I like 3 of the last 5 games (and the last 2) being at home.

[HoosierCat]

It’s really four of the last five since one is in Indy. That’s about as close as you can get without actually playing at paycor, and if the Bengals look playoff-bound, Lucas oil stadium will be flooded with Cincy fans.

Aside from the Madrid game travel is really manageable. The longest trip is what, Houston?

The early bye sucks but one possible silver lining is that it means they only play six games in September and October combined. So if they start slow, at least they’ll be relatively rested for the part of the season where they remember how to play football, and will have 11 games to get back in it.

[ArmyBengal]

Great point about the Colts game.

[TJJackson]

Spain is known for having the very best ham in the world

No, I am not joking

Whoever goes, bring me back a pound of jamon iberico bellota

 

[ArmyBengal]

Shit TJ, we got that here in Anderson.

Although we call it Spam though.
Just close your eyes, it’s the same thing.

[TJJackson]

ugh spam

spam is to jamon iberico bellota as Jermaine Burden is to Jerry Rice

they are after all both nfl wide receivers

[COB]

I ate spam as a kid, don’t think I’ve had it since I was about 17.

[COB]

Aaron Rogers back with the Steelers.  This dude has about worn out his welcome.  The Steelers mishandling of the quarterback position has been a joy to watch.  Letting Ben have the job those last couple years - mistake.  Everything since then - mistake.  Hiring a proven QB developer like McCarthy then giving him no one to develop - mistake.  I hope we sweep the Steelers and we actually might.

[HoosierCat]

It sucks for conversation here, but I’m enjoying this mostly competent, boring, drama-free offseason right now.

Theres a few things I’d like to see, like Dax and Turner extensions, but even then I’m thinking, no, not now, they’ll just screw up talks and stir up negative vibes ahead of the season.

Get Howell signed, maybe snag a vet ‘backer toward the end of August as camp cuts hit, that’s about the extent of my personnel issues.

Guess this is what it’s like being a fan of a normal team.

[Stripes]

91 isn’t here having his annual five-month cry about his contract. Can you hear that? Nothing.

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah the silence is deafening and I'm rather enjoying it.

[ArmyBengal]

I saw a write up about Burrow possibly breaking the franchise passing TD's record.
He would need 48 TD's this year to take the record outright.  That's crazy to think of.
Only thing crazier is realizing the current record holder is Andy Dalton.

[ArmyBengal]

Here's a thought that has nothing to do with football.  (well... kinda)

I always see stories about these football players speeding really fast and the public outcry when it happens.  I get it, it's unsafe and can and has resulted in the death of people.  However, I don't get why people are surprised it happens.  Put millions of dollars into the hands of a 20 something kid that already feels invincible and what do you think they are going to do?  I can tell you right now, one of my first purchases would be some hyper car capable of doing 200mph and then go run it like I stole it.

When I was a young man in Germany at 19, I had a couple buddies of mine that would put money together and go rent some crazy ass Mercedes, BMW or anything else really fast and we would wear it out on the autobahn all weekend long taking turns driving like madmen.  Hell, a couple weeks back I got a rental car when going back to Sioux Falls, SD to visit friends (yeah I have some) and the highway speed limit was 80mph.  I complained about how messed up the car they gave me was and they upgraded me to a new Genesis G80.  Not my cup of tea, but fun as a rental.  Well needless to say, I had that joker hitting 115 in the 80 zone.  It was a blast.  Handled well and the fun of going that fast is a rush.  No, I didn't worry about my wife and son in the car with me.  They had fun as well.  Granted, had I lost control, the fun would have ended, but I have been driving like that my whole life.  I had a 2014 Accord Sport and drive that 200hp beast like it was a Lamborghini Revuelto.  

Bottomline, it's going to happen and it won't stop, because the situation allows for it.
Stop being shocked.  Or not...  It's whatever.

[HoosierCat]

3 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

I saw a write up about Burrow possibly breaking the franchise passing TD's record.
He would need 48 TD's this year to take the record outright.  That's crazy to think of.
Only thing crazier is realizing the current record holder is Andy Dalton.

Andy was here for a long time. 133 games. Only Kenny and Boomer played more and in Norman’s case it was just 1 more game. (And if you just count games started, Dalton is second behind Anderson.)

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah, it's easy to forget how long Andy was here.
Easier when thinking of how many playoff games he played in here and how many wins he produced in those games.