no playoffs in 2005 if.....

[turningpoint]

we don't sweep the browns, beat g bay and tenn.

those teams i think next year win a combined 15 games.

If we lose to that like we have the past 2 years i'll be looking for another 8-8 season.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Cool.

I thought you were gonna say something retardedly obvious, like stop the run.

No duh.

[Scottishbengal]

The divisional matches will hold the key, as always.

[AGrizzlyBaer]

i think pittsburg, baltimore and the bengals could finish 4-2 in the division

[BengalNation1281]

I think that we have one of the toughest 2005 sechedules in the NFL...virtually every team that we play was either in the playoffs or in contention for the playoffs. Obviously we still play some bad teams, like Cleveland and Tennessee, but every other team that we face who had a losing record in 2004 will be improved (Chicago, Detroit, Houston, KC) and looking to make some noise.

I think that the home games against the 2004 playoff teams will be the key...if we can go at least 2-2 against Pitt, Indy, GB, and Minnesota, then we should be in contention for the playoffs at the end of the year. Considering that we seem to play much, much better at home, we could conceivably go 3-1 or 4-0 against last year's playoff teams, and that would be more than enough to get us into the playoffs, even if we just went 6-6 against everyone else.

And even though they didn't get into the playoffs, I want to see us kick Baltimore's ass twice in 2005.

I think we will make the playoffs...if we can stop the run

[Kirkendall]

It's playoffs or disappointment in '05. That'll be the theme for it...

[TJJackson]

Yes, playoffs is a reasonable expectation for this year from the very first time (I didn't think playoff expectations last year were reasonable)

Keys

Stay Healthy

Maintain offensive efficiency

Work in the new defensive players

STOP THE RUN

[HairOnFire]

Ignore the schedule. They're going.

[Bgal]

Here's to being 6-0 in the division!

I believe that on its own would be almost as fun as going to the playoffs...

[San Antonio Bengal]

I think that we have one of the toughest 2005 sechedules in the NFL...virtually every team that we play was either in the playoffs or in contention for the playoffs. Obviously we still play some bad teams, like Cleveland and Tennessee, but every other team that we face who had a losing record in 2004 will be improved (Chicago, Detroit, Houston, KC) and looking to make some noise.

I don't really know if you can say that we have one of the toughest schedules. With the way that the scheduling is done now, most teams out there can make the claim that they have one of the toughest schedules. I'm not saying that the schedule is easy by any stretch of the imagination, but just that our schedule is tough just like everyone else.

When you look at the non-division games, there's no juggernaut of the group except Indy. The rest are either playoff teams with first round exits or playoff contenders. However, I'm not ready to put Detroit, Chicago, or Tennessee in either of those groups. If we defeat the teams we're supposed to defeat, we'll be in the playoffs. Nevertheless, it is the division games and general health of the team that will be the main factor in getting to the playoffs. We must go at least 4 - 2 in division.

[BengalNation1281]

I think we'll go 4-2 in the division...I think that we'll lose one game to Baltimore and Pitt, but we'll beat them once and take both from Cleveland. I don't know if we are ready to take the division just yet, but we will be good enough to get the wild-card.