Feeling like Bengals might be "Top Opponent" this year

[ddaryl]

you want to be the best you beat the best , whoever that may be

[wagne591]

I think the Steeler's might surprise this year.  Always great defense, second year back Harris will be just fine and the Steeler's will play in a bunch of grind it out defensive battles this year.  

 

As for the Bengals, I put them in the same tear are the Steeler's.  Not the top dog even in their own division and fighting for a wildcard spot with the Steeler's.  

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Captain Hindsight said:

They are better than the Jags, particular at QB, but thats a good comparison 

 

They are a lot worse than the Jags on defense though. I think that is the unit that felt most like smoke and mirrors to me last season. Especially their secondary. 

[Patrick Duffy]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

They are a lot worse than the Jags on defense though. I think that is the unit that felt most like smoke and mirrors to me last season. Especially their secondary. 

I don't know how much one defense may be worse than the other since I didn't watch very much of either team to be honest, but Bengals D managed to do what was needed against Pat M./KC offense when they had to at crucial moments.

 

Even though KC started out hot in the 2 games between them eventually the Bengals D figured it out when they had to the most, which isn't an easy task.

[Royale with Cheese]

6 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Bengals miss the playoffs. Book it.

 

As I predicted last year, the Bengals will win the division again.  Book it homie!

[Patrick Duffy]

23 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

As I predicted last year, the Bengals will win the division again.  Book it homie!

Will probably be between them and Ravens I'd guess. 

[eball]

4 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Colts with an old Matt Ryan? Not a chance.

 

C'mon, the "Matty Ice is rejuvenated" and "he's throwing like a 27-year-old" takes are already all over the Twitterverse...

[Jerome007]

I fully agree with Bills being favorites, but favorites doesn't mean automatic. Last year had that SB or bust feel. It's even crazier this year.

 

Colts and Titans are running teams so hopefully the Bills have fixed that run D issue somehow... Though they have stopped the Ravens. 

 

Colts remind me of the Cowboys a few years back. Their OLine is so good they could just go run 80% of the time, yet somehow decide to pass it too much ha ha.

[Patrick Duffy]

8 minutes ago, eball said:

 

C'mon, the "Matty Ice is rejuvenated" and "he's throwing like a 27-year-old" takes are already all over the Twitterverse...

 

This has a bit better chance happening than some of the Tua takes out there lol

[BuffaninSarasota]

That was a painful OP to read - my eyes still  hurt .....

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Bengals miss the playoffs. Book it.

with their track record 

most likely 

 

Good, but not good enough 

 

Andy Dalton wasn’t a slouch and the reason they weren’t good enough 

[Success]

With how the AFC is, it's going to be pretty crucial to get the top seed.

 

Any team that has to play 3 games is going to play 3 very tough teams.  Get the bye & then getting the lowest seed in round 2 will increase the chances of making the SB exponentially.  The AFFCG is going to be brutal regardless - I could see Cincy or KC in that one (but please let it be the Chiefs, AT Buffalo this time).

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 minute ago, Success said:

With how the AFC is, it's going to be pretty crucial to get the top seed.

 

Any team that has to play 3 games is going to play 3 very tough teams.  Get the bye & then getting the lowest seed in round 2 will increase the chances of making the SB exponentially.  The AFFCG is going to be brutal regardless - I could see Cincy or KC in that one (but please let it be the Chiefs, AT Buffalo this time).

 

 

 

while I tend to say get the 1 seed.  
 

it hasn’t been that beneficial these past few years 

[BigDingus]

8 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Bengals miss the playoffs. Book it.

 

I'll take that bet. Burrow & Chase are just going to get better, that O-line HAS to improve (they'd hope), & the Browns shot themselves in the foot...so their only competition is the Ravens.

[Patrick Duffy]

14 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

with their track record 

most likely 

 

Good, but not good enough 

 

Andy Dalton wasn’t a slouch and the reason they weren’t good enough 

 

Will be interesting how it plays out in the end. I can see 2 teams coming out of the West, wouldn't be surprised if it's 3. Then I'd go with 1 from East, maybe 2 depending what happens. Then we have North and South and I think there's a better chance for 2 teams making it from North than South. 

 

In any event, I think Bengals do end up getting in.

[Patrick Duffy]

10 minutes ago, Success said:

With how the AFC is, it's going to be pretty crucial to get the top seed.

 

Any team that has to play 3 games is going to play 3 very tough teams.  Get the bye & then getting the lowest seed in round 2 will increase the chances of making the SB exponentially.  The AFFCG is going to be brutal regardless - I could see Cincy or KC in that one (but please let it be the Chiefs, AT Buffalo this time).

 

 

Agree. I think Bills has a really good shot to get that #1 seed this time. The AFC West is loaded and those teams will beat each other to death and each team likely splitting with one another all the way down.

 

Bills would need to do enough to beat out North and South teams and I think they have a good chance to do so.

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Sheneneh Jenkins said:

I don't know how much one defense may be worse than the other since I didn't watch very much of either team to be honest, but Bengals D managed to do what was needed against Pat M./KC offense when they had to at crucial moments.

 

Even though KC started out hot in the 2 games between them eventually the Bengals D figured it out when they had to the most, which isn't an easy task.

 

I put that second half mainly on Mahomes. He played like *****.

17 minutes ago, BigDingus said:

 

I'll take that bet. Burrow & Chase are just going to get better, that O-line HAS to improve (they'd hope), & the Browns shot themselves in the foot...so their only competition is the Ravens.

 

I am not sold on what they did on the oline AT ALL. They got a good guard, a past his best unathletic tackle and a career backup center. 

 

And I just think their D overachieved last year. 

[Patrick Duffy]

9 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

I put that second half mainly on Mahomes. He played like *****

 

Well I can agree to an extent. For me though I feel Bengals D should get the same amount of credit because it was 2 games Bengals D got the stops needed when they had to for Offense getting opportunity for those comeback wins.

 

Maybe they figured it out in 2nd half that played part for Mahomes play to a degree.

[Beast]

13 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Bengals miss the playoffs. Book it.

 

In a league where 7 teams in each conference make the playoffs, I'd lay serious money down against you.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

15 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Bengals miss the playoffs. Book it.

 

Agree think there's a better chance of this happening than the Bengals being the top team we face all season.  Often when a team comes out of nowhere, they tend to regress the following season, Won't take teams by surprise, not that's its a huge difference, but not playing the 4th place schedule ether.  They improved this off season, but a lot went right for them last season.