Bill of all guys?!

[ccartman2]

[quote name='eva4ben-gal' post='737589' date='Jan 4 2009, 08:35 PM']At the end of last season I know I heard the Bengals pop up on at least a few "teams to watch" lists.[/quote]

That could be. What would be really entertaining is if the networks and magazines published results of predictions kind of like when someone bumped our thread about season predictions.

[eva4ben-gal]

[quote name='ccartman2' post='737599' date='Jan 4 2009, 08:52 PM']That could be. What would be really entertaining is if the networks and magazines published results of predictions kind of like when someone bumped our thread about season predictions.[/quote]
Yeah, I was actually trying to find something like that not too long ago, but if all the pickers reminded us how poor they were at their jobs, it might impact their ability to hold a job.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' post='737577' date='Jan 4 2009, 07:13 PM']i found it


[b][url="http://www.sportsline.com/video/player/play/nfl/pUie9MfvgOhuULqffXoSU7z1HYofbpKw"]Link[/url][/b][/quote]



See Boomer hiding his face like he was embarrassed for Cowher.
Now watch when the Bengals do make the Playoffs, Boomer will be
like "That's my team, Carson is my boy." I swear I hate Boomer the
analyst. He is such an asshat.



Anyway . . .



[quote][size=5][b]Cowher: Bengals in playoffs in '09[/b][/size]
Posted by JoeReedy at 1/4/2009 9:05 PM EST on Cincinnati.com

With seven teams making the postseason this year who were not there last season, the crew on The NFL Today on CBS was asked if they can expect the same next year? The panel was split but when they were asked to name a surprise team for next season, Bill Cowher named the Bengals.

His reasons ...

-- A defense that finished the season ranked 12th.

-- The return of Carson Palmer.

-- Cedric Benson establishing himself as the running back.

Cowher also forgot one other thing that might help -- an easier schedule. Next season the Bengals will face teams from the NFC North and AFC West. While the rest of the teams in the division will face mostly the same opponents, the Bengals have an advantage of getting the Bears and Broncos at home.

And after the turnaround the Dolphins and Falcons pulled off this year, along with parity, anything is possible.[/quote]



[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=blog09&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ac78cbe8a-2b47-436d-a33e-623f9b65de7cPost%3a1502f43d-ec8a-42b8-bca2-1ceade239875&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com"]http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/s....cincinnati.com[/url]

[-Dan_Bengals_FL-]

Cohwer still fears Bratkowski.

Nightmares of the shuttle pass used to prevent him from sleeping at night. That's why he won't come back to coach any teams the Bengals play next season. He's hoping to wait until 2010 as he hopes some crazy injuries, etc. get Brat fired. Then he can bring him on his staff and no longer have to worry.

[ccartman2]

[quote name='Dan_Bengals_FL' post='737710' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:57 AM']Cohwer still fears Bratkowski.

Nightmares of the shuttle pass used to prevent him from sleeping at night. That's why he won't come back to coach any teams the Bengals play next season. He's hoping to wait until 2010 as he hopes some crazy injuries, etc. get Brat fired. Then he can bring him on his staff and no longer have to worry.[/quote]

Must be why he didn't take the Cleveland Job.

[scharm]

We all fear Bratkowski in some way or another.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='Dan_Bengals_FL' post='737710' date='Jan 5 2009, 09:57 AM']Cohwer still fears Bratkowski.

Nightmares of the shuttle pass used to prevent him from sleeping at night. That's why he won't come back to coach any teams the Bengals play next season. He's hoping to wait until 2010 as he hopes some crazy injuries, etc. get Brat fired. Then he can bring him on his staff and no longer have to worry.[/quote]



Actually, rumor has it (I am just starting this rumor) that Cowher
is actually holding out for Marvin to either get fired or move
on, so Cowher can then swoop in and coach with, and never have
to coach against, the almighty Bratkowski. Cowher will then look
to make Bratkowski a QB/OC, because he is made of teflon, and players
would just slide off him.

[-Dan_Bengals_FL-]

[quote name='ccartman2' post='737711' date='Jan 5 2009, 12:00 PM']Must be why he didn't take the Cleveland Job.[/quote]

He also bowed out of the Jets job once he found out they are hosting the Bengals in 2009.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='scharm' post='737712' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:02 AM']We all fear Bratkowski in some way or another.[/quote]


ha

[-Dan_Bengals_FL-]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='737713' date='Jan 5 2009, 12:04 PM']Cowher will then look to make Bratkowski a QB/OC[/quote]

Did you ever see Brat throw a pass in warmups? Wicked spiral ... it's clear he is the son of the legendary Zeke!

[oldschooler]

[quote name='Dan_Bengals_FL' post='737717' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:08 AM']Did you ever see Brat throw a pass in warmups? Wicked spiral ... it's clear he is the son of the legendary Zeke![/quote]


A spiral on a shovel pass?

Whoa, he is awesome !

[|kennethmw|]

[quote name='eva4ben-gal' post='737551' date='Jan 4 2009, 07:42 PM']Follows football more than the guys whose job it is to follow football? Come on. It's not like Cowher is getting behind the scenes info, especially when he has always been thought to want to return to coaching. And his knowledge of the Bengals is the same as any other guy looking in from the outside.
He made a prediction that a few TV guys make every year and it's a popular one to make because with one of the best QBs in the league, the always present potential of young players and a good finish to the season, the Bengals never are far off from being a contender - something just seems to go wrong once they get on the field.
He's just trying to set himself up to look like a genius prognosticator with no risk of being called out if it doesn't pan out because like this year, there will always be an excuse as to why a talented team sucked.[/quote]

There is a difference in the way a "Coach" looks at football and the way most talking Heads look at football. Most coaches look at players and how they fit within the system. 14 weeks into the season, anouncers were still talking about the bengals D and about how they were weak against the run, while they were 11th or 12th in yards per carry against the run. Too many people who think they understand football don't understand the underlying numbers and how they reflect on the team as a whole. Just like a lot of people dont understand that you can have all the skill players you want, but if you don't have a cohesive O-line, you have problems moving the ball.

Cowher also has the experience of Coaching against the Bengals twice a year against Marvin, and also has the experience of working with Marvin, so yes he probably does have more insight than someone just looking in. IMHO.

[eva4ben-gal]

If he was still coaching the Steelers I would give his remarks more weight. He didn't play against us this year or last year and there have been plenty of personel and hopefully scheme tweaks since then so I really think he's just guessing like anybody else would.

[Bengals fann]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' post='737577' date='Jan 4 2009, 08:13 PM']i found it


[b][url="http://www.sportsline.com/video/player/play/nfl/pUie9MfvgOhuULqffXoSU7z1HYofbpKw"]Link[/url][/b][/quote]
wow i cant believe it and thanks a bunch for posting the link someone one actually told me about this and i couldnt beliieve it

[joester16]

Bill Cowher personally predicted that the Cincinnati Bengals will make the playoffs in 2009.

I don't know about you guys, but when a man like Cowher makes a statement like that.... It's hard not to get excited about.

Hopefully, however, the Bengals can make some changes that need to be made and stay healthy in 2009.

[-GoBengals-]

i didnt much care what he had to say at the steelers coach.. and that hasnt really changed...

good to hear good things, but they hold no more water than if he said we would suck ass.

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Cowher: Chins up, Bengals faithful[/b][/size]
[size=4][b]Playoff run possible in '09, ex-coach says[/b][/size]
By Dustin Dow • ddow@enquirer.com • January 11, 2009


It might be hard to think of the Bengals as playoff contenders next season.


Yet in the midst of the NFL playoffs' opening weekend, Bill Cowher, a CBS analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, suggested on air last Sunday that the Bengals could be in contention.

This despite the fact that the Bengals have won five or fewer games nine times since 1991, including this season's 4-11-1 performance. They failed to make the playoffs the year following any of those seasons.

Why would things be different next season?

Cowher recently expanded on his comments, citing the prospects of a healthy Carson Palmer, a stronger running game and a much-improved defense.

The nucleus of Cowher's reasoning is Palmer, the quarterback who did not play in the Bengals' final 11 games this season because of an injured elbow. Palmer is not expected to need offseason surgery, meaning he should be fully healthy when the Bengals begin training camp in July.

Said Cowher: "The big key is Carson because with him you can really exploit the weapons the Bengals have on offense. And with stability on defense, they look like a real team. But it starts with Carson."

Indeed, a glance at the remaining playoff teams reveals big-name quarterbacks in charge, such as Ben Roethlisberger with the Steelers and Eli Manning with the New York Giants. Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens stands out as the exception.

Even the Arizona Cardinals, with their long-time struggles, are in the playoffs - thanks in large part to the leadership of star quarterback Kurt Warner.

But Palmer's absence wasn't the only reason Cincinnati struggled this season. As Palmer openly acknowledged, the Bengals started 0-4 with him in the lineup.

A stronger running game might relieve pressure on Palmer. Cedric Benson had productive games in December and finished the season with 747 rushing yards, including a career-high 171 against Cleveland Dec. 21. He's a free agent but has indicated a desire to return to the Bengals.

ESPN analyst Floyd Reese, a former general manager for the Tennessee Titans, pinpointed Benson as a potential bright spot for Cincinnati.

"Certainly, from a running backs standpoint, you look at what Cedric did this season and you can say that this guy isn't obsolete and might be ready to emerge and have a couple strong years ahead of him," Reese said of Benson, who has played four NFL seasons.

Another encouraging sign: The consistency of Cincinnati's defense, which finished 12th in the NFL under first-year coordinator Mike Zimmer.

"Week in, week out, you saw the defense play with more understanding of Zimmer's system," Cowher said. "You don't want to make many changes on that side of the ball because they were very good defensively for much of the season."

The defense was so reliable, it led the way to a three-game winning streak to end the season.

And Cowher said he liked the passion exhibited by Bengals coach Marvin Lewis during an outburst aimed at the media in December.

"A football team takes on the personality of its coach," Cowher said. "In that incident with the media, Marvin displayed a sense of 'enough is enough.' This is a good team, and they responded by backing him up. There's something to be said for a coach who still believes in you even in a tough year. Marvin's a fighter, and he showed that in his own way."

Enquirer reporter Joe Reedy contributed to this report.[/quote]



[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090111/SPT02/901110400/1066"]http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2009011.../901110400/1066[/url]

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]These teams have maps to a turnaround[/b][/size]
[size=4][b]Dolphins, Falcons rebounded quickly[/b][/size]
By Dustin Dow • ddow@enquirer.com • January 11, 2009


It has become almost commonplace in the NFL for underperforming teams to turn into playoff contenders in a single offseason.


The Bengals, who just finished a 4-11-1 season, could find inspiration in two of this season's playoff teams. Though each lost wild-card games, the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons both rebounded from miserable 2007 seasons:


Miami Atlanta
2007 record 1-15 4-12
2008 record 11-5 11-5


[b]Behind Miami's turnaround[/b]
First, owner Wayne Huizenga hired former Super Bowl champion coach Bill Parcells to be the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations. Parcells immediately instituted a more rigorous offseason conditioning plan, designed to prevent injuries. Miami had 15 players on the season-ending injured reserve list in 2007, but only seven ended up on IR in 2008.

In addition to replacing former coach Cam Cameron with first-year head coach Tony Sparano, Parcells signed a seasoned quarterback in Chad Pennington, who was released by the New York Jets when they traded for Brett Favre.

"If you want to point to one thing that's the biggest part of this puzzle, it's Chad Pennington," linebacker Matt Roth told the Miami Herald. "The way he manages the game, the way he doesn't turn over the ball. We play for field position, and we hold them on defense. That's not luck; that's winning football."

The Dolphins also were fortunate to play three teams - St. Louis, Oakland and San Francisco - that fired their coaches in the middle of the season.

The Bengals already have part of this plan - a star quarterback in Carson Palmer. Despite his elbow injury, he remains highly regarded in the NFL.

Injuries plagued the Bengals more than any other team in the league this season, as a franchise-record 23 players were placed on injured reserve. If those numbers could be dramatically reduced, as they were in Miami, the roster stability could lead to more wins for Cincinnati.

[b]Behind Atlanta's turnaround[/b]
Falcons owner Arthur Blank first looked inward when it came to rebuilding his team.

He had to "hire the right people to make the right football decisions and let me get out of the way and make sure I handle the financial resources they need," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

So Blank made two important hires in the offseason: general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith.

Dimitroff demonstrated how his football knowledge made a difference when three of his draft picks became starters for the Falcons and six of the first eight picks became key players.

Dimitroff released several older players and began to rebuild with a younger roster in the wake of quarterback Michael Vick's arrest and prison sentence for criminal conspiracy relating to a dogfighting operation.

Blank shook up his business model of how to run the team, stepping as far away as possible from football decisions.

As for the Bengals, owner Mike Brown operates the team without a general manager. But the Bengals began moving away from older, costlier players such as Rudi Johnson and Willie Anderson prior to this season and had plenty of younger players gain experience because of the number of injuries.[/quote]



[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090111/SPT02/901110401/1066"]http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2009011.../901110401/1066[/url]

[Bengals1181]

why would you write that article a full week after the comment was made?

[scharm]

Cowher reaffirmed his thinking Cincinnati would be a playoff team (wildcard) during a discussion of Cleveland's chances. Something like he doesn't like Cleveland's chances because he's picked the Bengals for a wildcard.

[The inmates of the nati]

[quote name='scharm' post='739078' date='Jan 11 2009, 12:24 PM']Cowher reaffirmed his thinking Cincinnati would be a playoff team (wildcard) during a discussion of Cleveland's chances. Something like he doesn't like Cleveland's chances because he's picked the Bengals for a wildcard.[/quote]
Yes, he did. I didn't see last weeks comments (but read them here). I wander if the AFC North is getting 3 teams in next year? I don't see Pitt or Balt falling that quickly.

[BENGALS666]

With a this year's AFC Championship likely made up of two Bengals division rivals the playoffs are a tall order yet..
Theisman used to always seem to "know" when Cincy was gonna have a playoff season - somebody should axe him..

[bengaled]

[quote name='schnittke33' post='737492' date='Jan 4 2009, 12:53 PM']did anyone else just see bill cowhead just call us a playoff team next year?!

Of ALL PEOPLE.

Guys this upcoming season is a long ways away, but im beginning to have good feelings about it..

he made good points like with 12th ranked defense and a healthy carson palmer that we should be good to go..

[/quote]

12th ranked in yardage. yardage doesn't win games. points scored and allowed do. we were 23rd in scoring defense.

[BengalBacker]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='739043' date='Jan 11 2009, 09:30 AM'][url="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090111/SPT02/901110400/1066"]http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2009011.../901110400/1066[/url][/quote]

What he was really thinking.

[quote]Said Cowher: "The big key is Carson because with him you can really exploit the weapons the Bengals have on offense. And with stability on defense, they look like a real team. But it starts with Carson. Why do you think we put a bounty on his knee in that 2005 playoff game?"[/quote]

[Jamie_B]