The Bengals must take advantage of this opportunity

[walzav29]

I think this will be this Bengals team's best shot at a Super Bowl victory. Next season they will have the target on their back. No one will overlook them, and they'll be playing the tough games on the road, coming off of short weeks. Everything was aligned perfectly this season, with the schedule, the Palmer breakthrough, all of the turnovers. If we could just pull it out this year would be awesome. You have to think to, that the better teams the Bengals play the more chance of injuries. It's going to be sooooooo close this year. Of course just assuming they'll be playing the Colts is assuming alot, but if they get there it will be one hell of a day and opportunity!

[membengal]

Out of the next 10 years of Carson Palmer's career, with ML coaching, you think the BEST shot the Bengals have at the Super Bowl is in a year when the Colts are threatening to go undefeated and the road to the Super Bowl goes through Indy while the Bengals sport a defense that is full of rookies and second year players? Seriously?

[walzav29]

Yes. You don't think the Pat's will get healthy next year? The Browns will be rebuilt, the Steelers are always around. It is no easy task to get to the Super Bowl we all know that. Look at the Rams from a few years back. The Greatest Show on Turf. With Warner, Holt, Bruce and Faulk you would have thought they would have won a few Super Bowl's. The only won 1, and that was the season they snuck up on everyone. I know what you're saying, the Bengals will get better and better. Their competition will also.

[Spain]

Dont forget the remergence of the no huddle. However next year we will also be better nad the only team in the leauge that worries me is INDY. These two teams are going to dominate the AFC for at least two years. Indy had a better team than us the first time but we have gotten better. Indy is maxed out. We will have to see what happens. You can also throw the pats in their as a wild card. any given Sunday they will out coach you.

[CBin2k7]

You can only assume that teams will get better. New England is getting older, as is Kansas City and Pittsburgh. Yes Cleveland is getting better, but they still have a ways to go. Miami maybe good but their D is getting older as well. The Bengals have the same staying power that the Colts do, as long as the guys continue to draft well and stockpile talent on Defense. I love the comparisons to the Colts teams of about 3-4 years ago, because I think it's right on.

Who knows maybe we will look up in 3 years and the Bengals will be on the brink of 16-0.

[HoosierCat]

I think this will be this Bengals team's best shot at a Super Bowl victory.

I don't know if it's their best shot -- but like they say on the investment ads, past performance is no guarantee of future success. It's critical to take advantage of any postseason opportunity, because you never know when you'll pass that way again.

[HairOnFire]

I don't know if it's their best shot -- but like they say on the investment ads, past performance is no guarantee of future success. It's critical to take advantage of any postseason opportunity, because you never know when you'll pass that way again.

To quote John Madden..."Boom."

Nobody knows what the future will bring. It may feature a Bengal defense that actually performs like one you'd expect from Marvin Lewis. Or the future of this franchise may be determined by a critical injury. (Hush.) Sure, the team may take a predictable step backwards next season due to a tougher schedule or a hangover from the limited success they've already have. Or we may see the planets align in such a way that hordes of important Free Agents pay their own way to come to Cincy....providing the last building blocks of the next NFL dynasty. Time will tell.

But there's no reason to believe that this team can't make some noise during the playoffs. Whether it does or not is why we watch, why we cheer, and why some of us write over 2000 posts in a single year.

[skyline]

Sure, people will target us next year. What's your point? The idea is to become good enough via free agency and the draft so that it doesn't matter whether or not teams target you. You're the better team, whether you have a bullseye on your back or not.

[Section 310]

The Bengals defense is too weak for them to be considered serious contenders this year. In my opinion a good outcome would be securing a bye, beating a team at home and playing a solid game at Indy...with a chance to win in the 4th quarter. This team is too inexperienced and has gaping holes on defense.

[ArmyBengal]

Hasn't Indy been a target all year ?? Wow, sucks to be them !!!

That said, anything can happen once you "get" to the playoffs !!!

WHODEY !!!

[hb-Bengalfan]

I agree ......... it's not our year.......

We need a Uni upgrade before we can win a SuperBowl....

Let's get back to the old school uni's please......

[Interceptor]

The Bengals defense is too weak for them to be considered serious contenders this year. In my opinion a good outcome would be securing a bye, beating a team at home and playing a solid game at Indy...with a chance to win in the 4th quarter. This team is too inexperienced and has gaping holes on defense.

I agree. Until they have a solid defense they won't go very far. Each step in the playoffs becomes more difficult. Should they be seeded after next week's game, they should try out different defensive schemes in the remaining games, maybe finding a formation to match the talents of its players. I would like to see them try out the '46'.

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