Did this team have the talent to make the playoffs?

[JBandJoeyV]

A lot of people have said we underachieved a lot this year.

A lot of people also say we dont have the defensive talent and some offensive talent, healthy or not, to make the playoffs.

So my question is do you guys think we had the talent here to make the playoffs or do you think we are still a ways a way from making the playoffs? Do we need to add a lot of personel (sp?) or do we just have to find better ways to execute with the guys we have while also adding a few players?

[big_dish]

We dont have the healthy talent, and even more important, we dont have the coaches/front office to get us there either...

If we had round pegs in round holes, and square pegs in square holes, we would be ok.

We have a bunch of undisciplined, unmotivated and ill-trained individuals playing a team sport, with no real glue holding them all together.

[Jason]

On offense I think this is a playoff team. Injuries to Rudi, and the O-line, and the resulting lack of continuity in the line, plus an off year by Carson I think are more to blame for our struggles this year than a lack of talent.

Defensively I think we are 2 or 3 players away, IF JoJo, Hall, and the 2 young safeties continue to develop. Not to mention Ahmad Brooks.

[Patmo]

Beginning of the year ? No.
Now ? The core talent is there but the Begals need a great draft and three quality free agents .

[Who Dey Time]

The offensive talent is there, no question about it although we really missed Willie not to mention a capable center.

Defensively, the team that started the year was capable, but could afford no injuries. Obviously that didnt happen. The depth needs to be addressed on defense because there was a significant drop from starter to backup at many positions on defense. Plus you had young players who were learning.

If the D gets upgraded at LB and DL there is no doubt that this team is good enough in '08 to make a run.

[cincity]

A healthy team, yes I really do believe we had the talent. But we don't have the depth to recover from really the last two years, and be a playoff team. The coaching staff also let "we pay them big bucks, so they are going to get the majority of the snaps" loyalty bull shit get in the way also. I think it was all fugged up the final roster cuts too. We depended on some people getting back and they never did, but we held spots for them instead of IR'ing them.....

[LudwigVan Kubrick]

well at the beginning of the year, before the injuries, I had them at 8-8. Looks like they'll finish 7-9.

With a healthy LBs, it took 6 turnovers to beat an average Baltimore team. We never had the horses on defense, even when healthy. WHY we didn't have the horses has been debated ad nauseum, but make no mistake, this wasn't our year to begin with. With luck, we might have hoped to be where the Browns are now. Weakest playoff team, and that's if they get some help.

If you "go to war with what you have", and what you have are a bunch of "has been's" and "never were's"... regardless of the reason, it probably won't turn out well. This season was no different.

And you know what? If this team decides to not do dick this offseason too? Expect more of the same, with the likely new addition of Chad Johnson as the latest "fed-up."

[rudi32]

[quote name='big_dish' post='614378' date='Dec 27 2007, 02:57 PM']We dont have the healthy talent, and even more important, we dont have the coaches/front office to get us there either...

If we had round pegs in round holes, and square pegs in square holes, we would be ok.

We have a bunch of undisciplined, unmotivated and ill-trained individuals playing a team sport, with no real glue holding them all together.[/quote]


[img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/41.gif[/img] [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/41.gif[/img]

[JC]

This is a lot of the same guys we had in 05.


We should be a playoff team, we just need to learn how to finish games and how to score in the redzone. Some better 3rd down defense wouldn't be bad either.

[|Tigers Johnson|]

[quote name='big_dish' post='614378' date='Dec 27 2007, 02:57 PM']We dont have the healthy talent, and even more important, we dont have the coaches/front office to get us there either...

If we had round pegs in round holes, and square pegs in square holes, we would be ok.

We have a bunch of undisciplined, unmotivated and ill-trained individuals playing a team sport, with no real glue holding them all together.[/quote]

Post of the year...could'nt have said it better myself.


Isn't all that the key to good scouting?

[WhoDeyThink]

[quote name='JC' post='614461' date='Dec 27 2007, 07:25 PM']This is a lot of the same guys we had in 05.


We should be a playoff team, we just need to learn how to finish games and how to score in the redzone. Some better 3rd down defense wouldn't be bad either.[/quote]
I disagree with the 1st statement.

As for the rest ... its the same shit I've heard for many years.

[STRAYCAT]

I think we had the talent but when you have the injuries and the stupidity that hit us...no NFL team would do well.

[ccartman2]

I'm sure we had the talent to make the playoffs, just not the talent to run with New England and Indy. We pissed away at least 5 games this year, 6 if you count KC where Goody dipshit dell decided to suspend JJ for his first and only defense. Have no doubt, he was punishing the Bengals this season, and not just the players.

But here are my 5 we should have one:

1. Arizona - D played great, Carson throws 2 TD's to the other team, which was the difference in the ball game.
2. Cleveland - What else is to say, we pissed it away giving up 51 points. We still could have won; Carson throws a pick on the last drive.
3. Seattle - WTF? We took the league late and the D folded. Yes it was a fumble by Hassleback but let's not make excuses for the way the D played in that one.
4. San Fran - What an Egg that was laid that night. Some how I believe if that one was for the Playoffs, they would have got it done.
5. Buffalo - Obviously the weakest game in my 5, might even be worse then the KC game, but it's one we let slip away. We led late in the first half and just let it get away. It was another poor Rudi performance, A game he shouldn't have played because he was still injured.

Now let's say we win three of those games and the Miami game. All of sudden, we are 10-6 and most people here are all smiles thinking this is the year we make it to the divisional championship games. Next year we can get healthy and really kick ass.

In truth, this year is a turning point year. Either we improve and develop into a great football team, or realistically, we will have to start over. I for one am not looking forward to the start over senario.

[bengaled]

[quote name='JC' post='614461' date='Dec 27 2007, 07:25 PM']This is a lot of the same guys we had in 05.


We should be a playoff team, we just need to learn how to finish games and how to score in the redzone. Some better 3rd down defense wouldn't be bad either.[/quote]

everybody keeps throwing that misnomer '05 season out there as a comparison. even tho we went 11-5 that team was not that good. had we not played our out of conference games against a very piss-poor nfc central, there's no way we would have garnered such a record. that schedule was very similar to the one cleveland played this year. just as they are overated this year, we were much the same in 2005. even with the easy schedule we barely creeped by in many of our wins that year. no way was that a powerhouse team. that should be kept in perspective in these discussions.

many might argue against that point. league experts would have been quick to disagree with you at the time.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='bengaled' post='614488' date='Dec 27 2007, 06:24 PM']everybody keeps throwing that misnomer '05 season out there as a comparison. even tho we went 11-5 that team was not that good. had we not played our out of conference games against a very piss-poor nfc central, there's no way we would have garnered such a record. that schedule was very similar to the one cleveland played this year. just as they are overated this year, we were much the same in 2005. even with the easy schedule we barely creeped by in many of our wins that year. no way was that a powerhouse team. that should be kept in perspective in these discussions.

many might argue against that point. league experts would have been quick to disagree with you at the time.[/quote]



Oh geez. The Colts played one of the weakest schedules
in the NFL last season. They went on to win the Super Bowl.
The Bears DID have the weakest schedule in the NFL,
and they went to the Super Bowl too.

[CarsonDaMan]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='614490' date='Dec 27 2007, 07:28 PM']Oh geez. The Colts played one of the weakest schedules
in the NFL last season. They went on to win the Super Bowl.
The Bears DID have the weakest schedule in the NFL,
and they went to the Super Bowl too.[/quote]

And then they went into the playoffs and beat the best teams that were left in the NFL. As opposed to sinking your teeth into beating the Detroit Lions in the regular season.

[cwing]

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='614374' date='Dec 27 2007, 02:52 PM']A lot of people have said we underachieved a lot this year.

A lot of people also say we dont have the defensive talent and some offensive talent, healthy or not, to make the playoffs.

So my question is do you guys think we had the talent here to make the playoffs or do you think we are still a ways a way from making the playoffs? Do we need to add a lot of personel (sp?) or do we just have to find better ways to execute with the guys we have while also adding a few players?[/quote]


Yes and no. When healthy this is a top 5 team. With the personnel losses at Lber, O-line, RB and WR, no !!!

[oldschooler]

[quote name='CarsonDaMan' post='614494' date='Dec 27 2007, 06:36 PM']And then they went into the playoffs and beat the best teams that were left in the NFL. As opposed to sinking your teeth into beating the Detroit Lions in the regular season.[/quote]


I`m sure they would have went on to beat the best teams
if Manning would have been cheap shotted huh ?

Sorgi to the rescue !

[LudwigVan Kubrick]

[quote name='cwing' post='614503' date='Dec 27 2007, 07:59 PM']Yes and no. When healthy this is a top 5 team. With the personnel losses at Lber, O-line, RB and WR, no !!![/quote]





[quote name='oldschooler' post='614505' date='Dec 27 2007, 08:02 PM']I`m sure they would have went on to beat the best teams
if Manning would have been cheap shotted huh ?

Sorgi to the rescue ![/quote]

Would Sorgi carve up this defense? Be honest...

[cwing]

[quote name='LudwigVan Kubrick' post='614446' date='Dec 27 2007, 05:44 PM']well at the beginning of the year, before the injuries, I had them at 8-8. Looks like they'll finish 7-9.

With a healthy LBs, it took 6 turnovers to beat an average Baltimore team. We never had the horses on defense, even when healthy. WHY we didn't have the horses has been debated ad nauseum, but make no mistake, this wasn't our year to begin with. With luck, we might have hoped to be where the Browns are now. Weakest playoff team, and that's if they get some help.

If you "go to war with what you have", and what you have are a bunch of "has been's" and "never were's"... regardless of the reason, it probably won't turn out well. This season was no different.

And you know what? If this team decides to not do dick this offseason too? Expect more of the same, with the likely new addition of Chad Johnson as the latest "fed-up."[/quote]


Minus the injuries you, me and know one else has any idea what they had and didn't have. Hell, they just had the best 6 weeks since they were a top 10 defense in 2001 and this with a bunch of make shift replacements and waiver wire pickups.

Who knows how well they would ahve performed had they had all the horses ------- maybe not better or maybe a ton better. No one knows.

[bengaled]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='614490' date='Dec 27 2007, 08:28 PM']Oh geez. The Colts played one of the weakest schedules
in the NFL last season. They went on to win the Super Bowl.
The Bears DID have the weakest schedule in the NFL,
and they went to the Super Bowl too.[/quote]

bad example, old. the colts are perennial winners, regardless of their schedule in a given year. we are talking about one winning season here, one where we squeaked by while playing a very weak schedule....big difference.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='LudwigVan Kubrick' post='614506' date='Dec 27 2007, 07:04 PM']Would Sorgi carve up this defense? Be honest... [/quote]

Probably. Ecspecially if it was on the road.


[quote name='bengaled' post='614508' date='Dec 27 2007, 07:07 PM']bad example, old. the colts are perennial winners, regardless of their schedule in a given year. we are talking about one winning season here, one where we squeaked by while playing a very weak schedule....big difference.[/quote]



Wait, so you`re going to discount our one Playoff season.
And act like it didn`t matter that the Colts and Bears made
the Super Bowl with a weak schedule, all in the same breath ?

I hate when people do that . . .

[cwing]

[quote name='LudwigVan Kubrick' post='614506' date='Dec 27 2007, 08:04 PM']





Would Sorgi carve up this defense? Be honest... [/quote]

Depends ------- who's playing? When I see Landon barely able to walk in the 1st quarter much less run. Then I find out Jeanty is out ------------------- well. Anyone with common sense regarding the game and with any knowledge of the Bengals issues at Lber could have figured the SF game was going to be a tough one.

The following week Landon plays better and Jeanty is back and --------- defense again plays better.

[CarsonDaMan]

[quote name='cwing' post='614512' date='Dec 27 2007, 08:17 PM']Depends ------- who's playing? When I see Landon barely able to walk in the 1st quarter much less run. Then I find out Jeanty is out ------------------- well. Anyone with common sense regarding the game and with any knowledge of the Bengals issues at Lber could have figured the SF game was going to be a tough one.

The following week Landon plays better and Jeanty is back and --------- defense again plays better.[/quote]

Yea i wouldn't necessarily they played so much better as Derek Anderson played poorly. Especially with the wind blowing the way it was that game was setup for defense. It's no coincidence that when the weather gets bad this time of year defenses all of a sudden start playing better.

[sparky151]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='614510' date='Dec 27 2007, 09:12 PM']Probably. Ecspecially if it was on the road.






Wait, so you`re going to discount our one Playoff season.
And act like it didn`t matter that the Colts and Bears made
the Super Bowl with a weak schedule, all in the same breath ?

I hate when people do that . . .[/quote]

Playing a weak schedule helps a team get into the playoffs. It doesn't help them once they're there. That's when the good teams are separated from the imposters.