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To win the AFC North again next season


BengalszoneBilly

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Obviously the offense carried the team this season even though the defense gave up more points (350) than anyone else in the division:

b20057al.jpg

For the Bengals to win the AFC Central again, or at least capture a playoff berth, I think they'll need to knock between 100 to 150 points off of that total. Man I'm hoping for another good draft!

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I don't think they'll have to shave off quite that many points to win it again. I don't expect Cleveland or Baltimore to be truly dangerous next year, and the Steelers will be pretty much the same. I want the defense to improve as well, but I don't think that big a change is paramount in retaking the division.

If we want a Superbowl, then yes, I agree completely.

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That 350 is a bit skewed when you look at our last two games of the season. We had a really bad game against Buffalo... and the defense really wasn't to blame. Special teams gave Buffflo the ball with an average starting position on their 40... not to mention the 99 yard kick return for TD. Then Palmer gave away 7 points at the end of the game. The defense played fairly well though given the situation.

Then in the final game of the season, when we didn't play our starters, we lost 37-3. That is 74 points right there in games that were fairly meaningless to us. The issue is not points allowed, as much as the the point differential. We are bound to give up more points, because we score more points.

I'll agree that if we give up 350 points next year we are not likely to win the division... but I would say that those stats are a bit skewed. We could have scored more than 421, and we could have allowed less than 350. I think with the additions we are bound to make through FA and the draft, this discussion won't be an issue next year.

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Obviously the offense carried the team this season even though the defense gave up more points (350) than anyone else in the division:

b20057al.jpg

For the Bengals to win the AFC Central again, or at least capture a playoff berth, I think they'll need to knock between 100 to 150 points off of that total. Man I'm hoping for another good draft!

For the Bengals to win the AFC Central again, we will have to have another realignment of the league.

As for giving up 350 points, yes, we need to cut some of that out. That requires healthy safeties, and some growing up by the youth at linebacker.

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For the Bengals to win the AFC Central again, we will have to have another realignment of the league.

Oops. Looks like the oldtimer in me slipped! He still thinks the Reds play in the NL West too.

Weird. I got it right in the title. :rolleyes:

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LMFAO!

if we knock off 150 points that means we only allow 200 points the entire season, only like 10 other teams in NFl history have done that, defensively.

Oh. Well I believe Marvin coached one of those teams, did he not? (2000 Ravens?)

The 2000 Ravens went a month -- a month -- without scoring an offensive TD. That same team, obviously inept on offense, went on to win the Super Bowl (they went 2-2 during the no TD span) that season.

The amazing thing about that defense is they never tired. The philosophy is that you can grind it out against a team and eventually their D-line will wear down and become susceptible to big gains, especially on the ground. Not the Ravens, who played the four teams with arguably the best running games in the league in the postseason -- the multiback Denver Broncos, the Eddie George-led Titans, the Raiders who led the league in rushing yards and the Giants' thunder and lightning. All were emphatically shut down.

Even next season, with Elvis Grbac throwing picks right and left, and no Jamal Lewis to chew up the clock, the Ravens had the No. 2-ranked D, which carried them into the second round of the playoffs before the Steelers finally proved to be too much for them. But in 2000, the Ravens defense was king.

Yeah. That's what I want. High powered offenses are nice, but the truth is they all can be beaten. One way or another. Great defenses aren't as easily overcome. Plus I'd love to watch other teams get bitch-slapped around by our defense for a change.

C'mon Marv...make it happen! :bengal:

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Wow the Ostriches and defensive apologists are out in force per expectations. :)

Throw this current defense out there against next year's schedule, and the Bengals' will be fighting Cleveland/Baltimore for last place. There are no Minnesota's or Green Bay's or Texans' or Titans' teams to beat up on next year.

As it stands they need 3-4 new starters, and some young guys to play better, period, IMO. Most likely they'll get 3 new starters and get some new depth, and play some younger guys more often...which could work with the right replacements and a mix of FA's and drafted folks.

The offense scored 30+ more points than the SuperBowl team in their division - and that isn't enough?

Wow, talk about putting too much pressure on your QB and offense!

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B) If Palmer is not back by the start of the season, we will need a D that can keep games close until the 4th qtr. All the real good defenses carry the offense until someone makes that gamebreaking play(e.g. int. fum. or a good return on st) More 17-14 point games should be the norm, no 38-31, 38-24 point games.
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Wow the Ostriches and defensive apologists are out in force per expectations. :)

Throw this current defense out there against next year's schedule, and the Bengals' will be fighting Cleveland/Baltimore for last place. There are no Minnesota's or Green Bay's or Texans' or Titans' teams to beat up on next year.

We already had the thread that talked about next year's schedule... and it was pretty much agreed upon that it isnt' nearly as bad as it looks, so don't give me the weak opposition argument... There will be plenty of really bad teams to beat up on next year...

Secondly, the issue you're arguing is a moot point. We aren't going to put the current defense out there next. We will have new starters at important positions. My contention is that if Madieu hadn't gone down, and KK would have been able to play SS all season, the 350 would have been shaved by 10's. With Odell and Pollack having a year under their belts, and Madieu back.. .the defense will be better even without FA and the draft. WIth FA and the draft we'll be fine...

And it is still my contention that the numbers are skewed. We weren't a good defense... but we also were't as bad as we played the last 2 games of the regular season. The defense played well against the Steelers in the playoffs with very little help from the offense in the 2nd half. The Steelers had to beat us with trick plays. Next year that won't even work.

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aren't steelers like 10-20 million over cap next year? with all their non high priced players probbley gonna have cut quite abit

. . . and Super Bowl participants have historically been "held up" by players who feel their contribution to the team's success was more critical than it might actually have been. The result always seems to be hold outs, FA defections, and the like.

Even the Patriots have not been entirely immune from this phenomenon.

Couldn't happen to a nicer group of guys! :cheers:

WHO DEY!

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