The #2 Seed

[eva4ben-gal]

It seems pretty simple - beat San Diego then take care of business against the Chiefs and Jets and the #2 seed is ours. Am I overlooking something?
Denver has to play at Indy and at Philly so I'm not worried about them, the Pats have 5 losses and if we beat San Diego and finish 12-4 with the loss coming at Minny we will have a 9-3 AFC record while the Chargers will be 12-4 (8-4) at best.

The best news is if Green Bay can beat the Ravens, and I think they will, we only need one more win to wrap up the division.

[-GoBengals-]

we are currently the #3 seed.

conferece record, chargers are ahead of us currently...

we NEED to beat them..

[Oldcat]

[quote name='Bengals1181' date='06 December 2009 - 07:19 PM' timestamp='1260152344' post='838002']
Also, just to be safe, we should now be rooting for the Texans to knock off the Patriots in week 17.
[/quote]

I'd root for anyone to beat the Patriots. Ok, if playing Pittsburg, I'd root for a meteor strike.

[CoMmEnT]

I'm not too worried about SD, look at the rest of their schedule:

REMAINING OPPONENTS (25-23): at Dallas (8-4), Cincinnati (9-3), at Tennessee (5-7), Washington (3-9).

Obviously here is ours:

REMAINING OPPONENTS (28-20): at Minnesota (10-2), at San Diego (9-3), Kansas City (3-9), at N.Y. Jets (6-6).

Even though their W/L is better, the problem is that TEN and Washington are surging and are not the same teams they were at the beginning of the season. Evenif we lose to SD, they're still games on the table for them to lose as well. Though, it's always best to take care of business.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='CoMmEnT' date='07 December 2009 - 10:58 AM' timestamp='1260197886' post='838238']
I'm not too worried about SD, look at the rest of their schedule:

REMAINING OPPONENTS (25-23): at Dallas (8-4), Cincinnati (9-3), at Tennessee (5-7), Washington (3-9).

Obviously here is ours:

REMAINING OPPONENTS (28-20): at Minnesota (10-2), at San Diego (9-3), Kansas City (3-9), at N.Y. Jets (6-6).

Even though their W/L is better, the problem is that TEN and Washington are surging and are not the same teams they were at the beginning of the season. Evenif we lose to SD, they're still games on the table for them to lose as well. Though, it's always best to take care of business.
[/quote]


that Washington game isn't looking like a gimme anymore either.

[Hooky]

Don't forget about Denver. They're only a game back and have the tie-breaker over us if they win their division. They do have to get past Indy though and I'll have to check the rest of their schedule.

Update:

@ Indy
Oak
@ Philly
KC

[ccartman2]

[quote name='Hooky' date='08 December 2009 - 10:47 AM' timestamp='1260283646' post='838656']
Don't forget about Denver. They're only a game back and have the tie-breaker over us if they win their division. They do have to get past Indy though and I'll have to check the rest of their schedule.

Update:

@ Indy
Oak
@ Philly
KC
[/quote]

Damn just about to do it for you. Indy and Philly are likely loses. Puts them at 10-6. Win 1 of those two and it's 11-5. Don't see them winning out. Remember, before the Giants game 2 weeks ago (and KC last week) they were getting beat pretty good, losing 4 striaght. So I'll stick to my original thought that we just need to win out on our conference games and finish 12-4. Of course beating Minnesota, SD and then KC would be nice as well, as we can rest people against the Jets. And clinching the Division on Sunday would feel so good!!!!!!

[Hooky]

Here's a hypothetical question: Would you take a #2 seed with the Bengals banged up and hope they heal up in the bye week or have a close to 100% healthy team playing in the division play-offs? Implying that injured players would have to sit and cause them to drop to a #3 seed.

Obviously the #2 seed is coveted. The bye has helped teams succeed having home field, but then there's the Colts who have had how many 1 and 2 seeds and have only won the SB when they didn't.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='Hooky' date='08 December 2009 - 11:07 AM' timestamp='1260284862' post='838667']
Here's a hypothetical question: Would you take a #2 seed with the Bengals banged up and hope they heal up in the bye week or have a close to 100% healthy team playing in the division play-offs? Implying that injured players would have to sit and cause them to drop to a #3 seed.

Obviously the #2 seed is coveted. The bye has helped teams succeed having home field, but then there's the Colts who have had how many 1 and 2 seeds and have only won the SB when they didn't.
[/quote]


give me the #2 seed. We aren't too banged up right now, and the way this team is built, it's built to play outdoor games in January in the cold. It won't matter for Indy, but playing a team like SD, its to our advantage to play at home.

[ccartman2]

Just thinking about the two seed, and it is possible we could have it clinched in 2 weeks. Beat Minny and SD....San Diego lose to Dallas and us obviously they are out of the hunt. Of course Denver would have to lose to Indy and then at home to Oakland, so I don't see that, but it's nice to dream about. I'm not sure how the tiebreaker would play out with New England so they may have to lose one more as well. Anyway, nice to dream.


To Answer Hooky's question, I'd rather be the three seed and healthy. I wouldn't want to play our playoff game like we did in 2005, where we only had Palmer for 1 play. health is a big factor in winning, and winning in San Diego would be a lot easier if they didn't have phillip rivers either. Still, for as much bad luck as we had, I'll take the two seed and be healty. If we clinch the Two seed before the Jets game, that is an extra 2 weeks Peko gets to sit and heal.

[Hooky]

[quote name='Bengals1181' date='08 December 2009 - 11:18 AM' timestamp='1260285499' post='838676']
give me the #2 seed. We aren't too banged up right now, and the way this team is built, it's built to play outdoor games in January in the cold. It won't matter for Indy, but playing a team like SD, its to our advantage to play at home.
[/quote]

I agree. The point of my question was that if sitting Peko and Scott for the rest of the regular season made them fresh and ready to go for the play-offs, but not having them happened to cost them the 2 seed (Again hypothetical), having a 3 instead of a 2 wouldn't necessarily be the end of the world or the play-offs.

I'm just rationalizing before the fact. I hope that they are deep enough to win and get a 2 regardless of who might have to sit.

That would be great if they had another Freezer Bowl with SD. Rivers would be even worse off than Fouts without the beard. I don't think he can grow one.

[AmishBengalFan]

Yes, I would gladly take the #2 seed and am strenuously hoping for that to happen. One fewer playoff game to play is the same as an automatic first-round win, and given that only the best teams make the playoffs - I would much prefer a walkover win AND a 2nd round home game to a tough opening round game and a 2nd round road game. There's also a 50-50 chance of hosting the AFC Championship if you're a bye team, and if it's on the road it'll be just an hour away in Indy (where I can get tickets). If we're a 3-4 seed, it's home, then at San Diego, THEN at Indy.

Playoffs are good, make no mistake. A 3-4 seed is great! But a 2 seed is more greater!

[Jamie_B]

The best possible scenario is to win the next two games, have Jax beat NE, Dal beat SD and Indy beat Denver. I [i]believe[/i] that would secure us the #2 seed after the SD game and we would essentially be able to rest (or at least not overwork) our guys for 3 weeks.

[JBandJoeyV]

[quote name='Jamie_B' date='08 December 2009 - 01:27 PM' timestamp='1260293224' post='838767']
The best possible scenario is to win the next two games, have Jax beat NE, Dal beat SD and Indy beat Denver. I [i]believe[/i] that would secure us the #2 seed after the SD game and we would essentially be able to rest (or at least not overwork) our guys for 3 weeks.
[/quote]

I dont know if Id want us to rest for 3 weeks, I want us to keep the foot on the pedal until at least week 17, maybe resting against the Jets if we can.

But I dont wanna walk into the playoffs like we did in 2005, I wanna keep playing hard through week 17, get a week of rest, then come out guns blazing against SD or NE probably.

I definitely want the 2 seed though, it would be huge.

[ccartman2]

[quote name='Jamie_B' date='08 December 2009 - 01:27 PM' timestamp='1260293224' post='838767']
The best possible scenario is to win the next two games, have Jax beat NE, Dal beat SD and Indy beat Denver. I [i]believe[/i] that would secure us the #2 seed after the SD game and we would essentially be able to rest (or at least not overwork) our guys for 3 weeks.
[/quote]

Another benefit would be to look at guys like Simpson and Coffman; give them some snaps before the playoffs (in case they were forced into action). Let LJ get some carries and get up to par with the offense. Andre more snaps. There are a lot of pluses by not playing the last 2 games.

[Jamie_B]

Check that with Denver having the tiebreaker over us and only having one less loss, if they went two games back after the Indy game we would need to win against KC in week 16 to ensure they dont sneak up on us. So week 16 is the earliest we can clinch the #2 seed. (well unless Oak pulled an upset on Den)