SouthPaw

I tend to agree. This team has lost 7 one possession games. They shoot themselves in the foot ALOT, especially by not scoring points (kind of the point of the entire game). Burrow will have his growing pains to be sure, but i have to believe (if i want to continue being a fan of this team) that he makes better decisions and more plays than Dalton has this year, or any year in the past, to win games. The defense has definitely turned a corner the past month and most certainly played well enough to win this past week. What will really put this team over the top is if they are committed to getting another lineman and linebacker (atleast 2nd tier) in free agency. Couple that with a solid draft, things could change quickly. And, oh yeah, AJ isnt going anywhere. He will be franchise tagged at the very least. Im not saying he will have to honor that, but speaking in terms of next year, he will be a member of the Cincinnati Bengals organization.

As is always the case all across the league. Whats also the case all across the league, might you ask? The team that makes the plays and gets in the fucking end zone usually wins. The Bengals dont do that. They are set to become the only team in the league that has failed to score more than two offensive touchdowns in a single game all year. You lose when that happens, no matter the calls. Theres a reason this team has lost seven one possession games and its not the refs.

Yeah, its always funny when the coach gets the blame, as if the players hes coaching arent, i dont know, playing. But hey, cant get rid of them right? That might mean you would have to admit bigger issues with the team you root for. To be honest, this team has fought and played hard all year, save for a few games. They are, i believe, second in the league, when it comes to one possession games. Lets be honest, the players have left a lot of plays out there in those games. That, combined with an absurd amount of injuries to positions they could ill afford and the ball never seemingly bouncing their way all year, suggests they are just a few key pieces and key plays away from truly having atleast a 6-6 record as opposed to a 1-11 record at this time. Dont get me wrong, they have been a bad team all year, i just dont think they are as far off as we might think. That, however, will be determined heavily as they move forward in the draft and free agency. One other thing, this defense although not playing any offensive world beaters the past month (aside from Baltimore), has played pretty stout and seems to be on the upswing. This seems to be directly related to Preston Brown being cut and Pratt being inserted along with allowing some of the young guys upfront to get more reps. Even Vigil has looked very good the past few weeks. Maybe me homer glasses are back on, but with hitting in the right areas, be it draft of free agency, this team could rebound very well next season.

Agreed. Everyone should be able to see this. It was a highly likely move for an 0-8 team. With that, Finley is God awful, so the Bengals are accomplishing both things. They need a new quarterback and will most certainly secure the first pick to be able to do so.

Finley is the worst quarterback on any professional team ever. I really did not expect him to be this bad. Its alarmingly bad.

Eh, he is being investigated for a possible loan taken from a family friend. Nobody in the NFL will care. If anything, it will keep him healthy until a really meaningful game is to be played. He will still go 1st or 2nd overall. Dude's a freak.

The team won 19 games over the past three years prior to this one. Going ofer is not a good look at all, but its hardly all on Zac Taylor. This team has been in 6 of its 8 losses and just can not make the plays, hence the sign of a bad team as well as one with an impossible amount of injuries. IMPOSSIBLE AMOUNT. This thing definitely needs more time. By this time next year, Whether its Finley or Tua/Burrow, whoever, with a more healthy team (hopefully), if they are sitting at 0-8, then its time to start thinking about the next move. Regardless, they have to do what they are doing at this current moment. As much as it sucks for Andy, it only makes sense. As Marcus Spears put it, the NFL doesnt care about your feelings.

Nope.

Sure guy.

Some of you dont read on here. You just take what you want, pull the negative out, so you can carry on with your narratives. I stated twice that i wasnt on one side or the other or that i wasnt sure if it was right or wrong, just observed that it mattered. As far as Andy's hairstyle goes, is he going to be judged, sure he is. People get judged for being depressed. People judge everything. Certainly not the reason for him playing bad or not being respected. I believe he's respected very much as a man. As a football player, based on his skill set, that's another debate. That goes beyond the bias of this little forum. I mean they have devoted whole shows to the way Cam Newton dresses. I realize that espn and other media outlets are looking for content and it seems silly at times, but its a real thing, thats why they do it.

Oh yeah, not picking a side or saying anyone is right or wrong, but dressing for success and looking the part definitely matters. Not sure if there any UFC fans on here. That is a sport, outside of the die hard fan, that was formerly known as " human cock fighting." After some revamping of rules and bringing it more mainstream, it has become much more widely considered a sport now. All this to say, there's a reason why Conor Mcgregor became its greatest star and hasnt fought in over a year (lost) and is still one of its biggest stars. Changed the way the game was viewed with his look and the way he dressed (shit talking helped too). Nearly all of the fighters have followed that lead of looking their best during different media obligations leading up to the fight. It definitely matters. Im not saying its right or wrong, but you are definitely viewed and people build a perception of you by how you look and carry yourself (not talking about color). *I realize Mcgregor has done some really shit bad things over the past year + as well.

Andy wasnt THE problem, he was a part of the problem. However, he is also not the answer. I think the teams 33% red zone scoring has a ton to do with what goes on on defense. The defense, while giving up tons of yards, has been pretty good in the red zone. They have had some stands this year only to have the offense go three and out. Too much time on the field will bury many a defense. It all goes hand in hand. I think if Finley can keep drives alive and score more points, this defense will look better. What that means overall for this team is anyone's guess, but it will be different. Just this past week, while still very much in the game, they forced three consecutive three and outs from the Rams and got nothing out of it. I just dont think that can continue to be overlooked.

That is my fear as well. We can only hope, that if that happens, he is the QB of the future. Like Cincinnati, it was my time to move on from the Ginga Ninja. I respect Andy and think he's a really good human being, but his time is up. Therefore, im showing my support for Finley until further notice.

Absolutely. I was actually going to post his scouting report yesterday. It was dead on all the way down to the batted balls.

If he makes some crucial plays along with it, then yes, i believe you will be right. I actually dont think this kid is going to be that bad. What that means, im really not sure. It wouldnt shock me if he they won 4 of their next 8 though. Ill admit, i am torn about how i will feel about that, because obviously they will have to roll with him and not draft a top quarterback. Might be able to get Herbert, but dont really want them to have to settle for whats there just because. I dont know, this shit has gotten confusing. My rationale above was that if he plays better, they have money freed up to do more things, but we all know that is some wishful thinking.