The Two Games Left The Bengals Do Make The Playoffs But Where Thread

[|Elflocko|]

8 hours ago, Gary said:

 

 

No doubt.. The only game that even scares me a little is Buffalo. Can you imagine ending the season beating KC, TEN, BUF, BAL, TB? We are talking beating almost every 1st place team in their div. 

 

I seriously think that we will end the season 13-4 or at the very worst 12-5. NE, BAL, TB, CLE do not scare me in the least bit. 

Cleveland should at least concern you as Burrow has yet to beat them, and they seem to have our number at present. Just sayin’… 

[UncleEarl]

1 hour ago, Elflocko said:

Cleveland should at least concern you as Burrow has yet to beat them, and they seem to have our number at present. Just sayin’… 

Its a cliche, but one game at a time.  Win today, worry about tomorrow later. 

[Jamie_B]

If 10 wins gets you in, we have 99.999999% chance of getting in.

 

I still think we win this division.

[Sea Ray]

We need the Ravens to quit pulling games out of their butt

[spicoli]

On 12/10/2022 at 4:48 PM, Gary said:

 

I like how you think.. People here are still living IN THE PAST. The team we have is like a Tom Brady New England Pats of 10 years ago. We won't win it all every year, but in big games we will find a way to pull 99% of them out. 

 

Burrow is a leader. He wins games. Players want to play with him. Burrow's halo is so bright that it encompasses the rest of the team, and they play above their level to keep the light shining! 

I stand by it 100%.

This team is going to be one tough out no matter who or where they’re playing going forward.

#BattleTested

[Cricket]

36 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

If 10 wins gets you in, we have 99.999999% chance of getting in.

 

I still think we win this division.

When the NFL played 16 games, there were some 10-6 teams that didn’t make the playoffs.  With 17 games, “in with ten” is a bit less likely…

 

…so, let’s not stop at ten.

 

[Jamie_B]

5 minutes ago, Cricket said:

When the NFL played 16 games, there were some 10-6 teams that didn’t make the playoffs.  With 17 games, “in with ten” is a bit less likely…

 

…so, let’s not stop at ten.

 

 

Last year the first year of the expansion and every team that won at least 10 games got it, in fact there were a number of 9 win teams that made it as well.

[Jamie_B]

We're going to win more than 10 though

[BengalBuck]

59 minutes ago, Cricket said:

When the NFL played 16 games, there were some 10-6 teams that didn’t make the playoffs.  With 17 games, “in with ten” is a bit less likely…

 

…so, let’s not stop at ten.

 

Back in the 80s the Bengals missed the playoffs with a 10-6 team. 

[Sea Ray]

1 hour ago, Cricket said:

When the NFL played 16 games, there were some 10-6 teams that didn’t make the playoffs.  With 17 games, “in with ten” is a bit less likely…

 

…so, let’s not stop at ten.

 

Let's not stop at ten for sure, but it's only very recently that a 7th team was added to the playoffs

[UncleEarl]

18 minutes ago, BengalBuck said:

Back in the 80s the Bengals missed the playoffs with a 10-6 team. 

Bengals were 10-4 in ‘76, but guess who won the division?  PB had some good teams in the mid 70s, but not as good as you know who.  

[T-Dub]

53 minutes ago, BengalBuck said:

Back in the 80s the Bengals missed the playoffs with a 10-6 team. 

 

 

How shitty would that be with the NFC South-leading Bucs at 6-7?

[BengalBuck]

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

 

 

How shitty would that be with the NFC South-leading Bucs at 6-7?

Hopefully 6-8 soon.

[Gary]

3 hours ago, Sea Ray said:

We need the Ravens to quit pulling games out of their butt

Doesn't matter. We control our own destiny, as do they. 

[-GoBengals-]

On 12/5/2022 at 2:19 PM, spicoli said:

I’m definitely not betting against them to pull it off. Are you? 

 

they seem to be rolling very smoothly. im all in.

 

On 12/10/2022 at 9:50 AM, Le Tigre said:

According to the Playoff Machine, the next two weeks—depending on outcomes—will have the Bengals range anywhere from 7 Seed to 3 Seed. 
 

Even with the worst of outcomes, they are still in the Playoffs. 

 

yea it would take a total collapse. 

 

16 hours ago, Elflocko said:

Cleveland should at least concern you as Burrow has yet to beat them, and they seem to have our number at present. Just sayin’… 

 

i guess they lost our number.

 

4 hours ago, Cricket said:

When the NFL played 16 games, there were some 10-6 teams that didn’t make the playoffs.  With 17 games, “in with ten” is a bit less likely…

 

…so, let’s not stop at ten.

 

 

in the same way at least 1 team that was 6-7 at this point in hte season made the playoffs each of the last 4 years. the division system can be brutal sometimes.

 

4 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Last year the first year of the expansion and every team that won at least 10 games got it, in fact there were a number of 9 win teams that made it as well.

 

early in the season, especially on HTPG podcast they had the worthless stats of 3% chance of 0-2 team to make the playoffs since 1968 type states, which is immediately worthless when a game was added, not to mention an extra playoff spot added, how many more 0-2 teams were the 7 seed in the conference and would have been in? and how many teams could get it together with an extra game. 

i guess all im saying is the division game is far more important that the total wins game.

if we go 12-5 losing to only the ravens and end up the 5 seed instead of like the 2 seed, thats gonna be wack.

 

3 hours ago, BengalBuck said:

Back in the 80s the Bengals missed the playoffs with a 10-6 team. 

 

thats a crazy ass factoid factoid, luckily, its pretty far from being relevant to todays NFL, that was the bengals in the AFC Central, a total of 10 teams got into the playoffs 5 per conference, now 14 get in.

 

currently if we lost out the last 4, the jets would have to go 3-1 to pass us as we beat them in a head to head tie breaker. and we have a 1.5 game lead in the conference, if thats the tie breaker..

 

so it would have to almost be a burrow-less last 4 games to lose out i think.

 

 

[Jamie_B]

9 hours ago, GoBengals said:

 

they seem to be rolling very smoothly. im all in.

 

 

yea it would take a total collapse. 

 

 

i guess they lost our number.

 

 

in the same way at least 1 team that was 6-7 at this point in hte season made the playoffs each of the last 4 years. the division system can be brutal sometimes.

 

 

early in the season, especially on HTPG podcast they had the worthless stats of 3% chance of 0-2 team to make the playoffs since 1968 type states, which is immediately worthless when a game was added, not to mention an extra playoff spot added, how many more 0-2 teams were the 7 seed in the conference and would have been in? and how many teams could get it together with an extra game. 

i guess all im saying is the division game is far more important that the total wins game.

if we go 12-5 losing to only the ravens and end up the 5 seed instead of like the 2 seed, thats gonna be wack.

 

 

thats a crazy ass factoid factoid, luckily, its pretty far from being relevant to todays NFL, that was the bengals in the AFC Central, a total of 10 teams got into the playoffs 5 per conference, now 14 get in.

 

currently if we lost out the last 4, the jets would have to go 3-1 to pass us as we beat them in a head to head tie breaker. and we have a 1.5 game lead in the conference, if thats the tie breaker..

 

so it would have to almost be a burrow-less last 4 games to lose out i think.

 

 

 

yeah all stats about who makes it and who deosnt are meaningless now taht the extra spot has been added, and yes it sucks for teams that have better records but end up being a wild card, got to win your division

[Sea Ray]

11 hours ago, Gary said:

Doesn't matter. We control our own destiny, as do they. 

They've got a far easier schedule. I doubt we win out

[Jamie_B]

1 hour ago, Sea Ray said:

They've got a far easier schedule. I doubt we win out

 

I don't think we win out either, I think we will drop only 1 between now and week 18. I also think they drop at least one by then too. Week 18 imho is going to be for the division 

[I_C_Deadpeople]

Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt passes crunchtime tests from Deshaun Watson, Browns

By Jay Morrison

8h ago

9

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CINCINNATI — After gambling on an interception and losing, Cam Taylor-Britt received a terse coaching point in his first career start six weeks ago from Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. It resulted in a 37-yard gain for Cleveland wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

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Taylor-Britt received a different type of coaching reinforcement Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium against that same Browns team.

A game ball.

 

Frequently targeted — and more than occasionally beaten — since entering the lineup on Halloween night, the rookie second-round pick from Nebraska had recorded only one pass breakup in his first six games. He had two Sunday, and he should have had a third except for a statistical quirk.

And in perfect bookend fashion, the final one came against the same team and same receiver who lit the flames for his baptism, as Taylor-Britt blasted Peoples-Jones along the sideline in the end zone, jarring the ball loose to deny the Browns a touchdown on fourth-and-goal while snuffing out their last hope in a 23-10 Cincinnati win.

“He’s growing up right before our eyes,” Bengals safety Vonn Bell said.

If the first half was adolescence, the fourth quarter was full-on manhood.

The Browns were trailing by 13 and at the Cincinnati 20-yard line with 7:06 to go when Taylor-Britt defended a deep shot for Amari Cooper, breaking up the pass right at the front pylon. Taylor-Britt closed on scrambling Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson on fourth-and-4 and nearly forced him out of bounds before he got to the marker.

Watson went at Taylor-Britt again on third-and-goal, but the rookie had Cooper smothered along the back line of the end zone. Then came the fourth-and-goal stop to cap an afternoon in which Watson went after the rookie more than any other quarterback had.

“It was crunchtime, man,” Taylor-Britt said. “They comin’ to the rookie. And I’m ready for them. I love it. Keep throwing at me. That was my very first start when we played them the first time, and I know they looked at film and thought I was the same Cam. But I was just getting my feet wet. Now I’m better than ever.”

 

Targeted 21 times since making his NFL debut as a substitute for Eli Apple in Week 7 against the Falcons, Taylor-Britt had allowed 16 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown. He replaced Apple in the starting lineup for the Monday night game in Cleveland, and just before halftime, the Bengals took one of their biggest injury hits of the past two seasons when starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who was playing at an All-Pro level, tore his ACL.

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The Bengals’ starting outside corners were all of a sudden a rookie who missed almost all of training camp with a core muscle injury and a guy who had just been benched for said rookie.

Taylor-Britt has drawn praise from his coaches and teammates for his willingness to stop the run — and his effectiveness at doing so.

“Physical, aggressive and fast as f—” is how teammate DJ Reader described him.

But Taylor-Britt’s pass coverage has been a work in progress in every sense, as he’s consistently one of the first players on the practice field each day to get in extra technique work with position coach Chuck Burks.

“I work on it every day. I go into practice and just try to hone in on something to get better at,” Taylor-Britt said. “Me and coach Burks, every day he critiques me on every little detail so I can be the best corner in the league later on in my career.”

And that fearless approach Taylor-Britt takes when he’s chopping down bigger running backs such as Cordarrelle Patterson and Derrick Henry has translated into the way he attacks the challenge of getting better against top receivers and quarterbacks committed to testing him.

“One thing about him is he’s not scared of s—,” Bengals safety Jessie Bates said. “If you’re playing corner, that’s gotta be your mindset at some point. A lot of times you’re one-on-one in a matchup, and as confident as he is as a person, it shows up on the field. I’m super proud of him. We’re gonna see a lot of Cam Taylor-Britt here soon.”

Anarumo telling Taylor-Britt to “never do that again” in Cleveland wasn’t the last time he would say that. Anarumo repeated the phrase a few weeks later in Pittsburgh when the rookie tried to blast Pat Freiermuth in the middle of the field, only to have the tight end bounce off him and pick up additional yardage.

That night in Cleveland also wasn’t the last — or, technically, the first — time Taylor-Britt gambled on an interception.

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Taylor-Britt, the rookie who had yet to play a snap in the league, bet Apple before the Week 7 game against the Falcons that he would be the first cornerback on the team to record an interception. The outcome of that wager is still up in the air, although Taylor-Britt was certain he was about to pluck his winnings, and the ball, out of the air on that play against Cooper at the pylon.

“He saw me about to pick it, and Cooper’s a vet, so he just turned into a defensive player at that moment,” Taylor-Britt said. “But he had my arm. I tried to bring it on in, but yeah, didn’t happen.”

Because Cooper had his arm, the ball hit off the receiver first, preventing the play from being scored as Taylor-Britt’s third pass breakup of the day. But the near pick is what really got him going.

Bell leads the team with four interceptions, and Bates closed the game by adding his third early in the fourth quarter Sunday. Linebackers Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson each have one, and the cornerbacks group is still sitting on zero.

As Taylor-Britt was recounting his near miss against Watson, Bell, in the locker next to him, chimed in.

“It’s all about the safeties,” Bell said, laughing.

“Look, Eli’s right over there,” Taylor-Britt said to a reporter. “Go tell him this. Tell him I’m gonna be the first corner to get a pick.”

“It’s all about the safeties,” Bell roared even louder.

Sunday, it was all about the defense. With Tee Higgins aggravating a hamstring injury in pregame warmups and playing only one snap and Tyler Boyd suffering a dislocated finger that ended his day on the second play from scrimmage, everyone on defense knew they’d have to step up.

“You never want to lose two of your top receivers, but it was a ‘so what, now what?’ mentality,” said Wilson, who led the Bengals with a career-high 17 tackles.

 

 34 yards on 14 carries for one of the least-efficient days of his career.

 

GO DEEPER

DJ Reader, Bengals defensive line keep bullying way to respect, wins

And that comes two weeks after the Bengals did the same thing to Derrick Henry, holding the Titans running back to 38 yards, the fewest he’s had in the 54 games in which he had at least 17 carries.

Two of Taylor-Britt’s six tackles came against Chubb, and the rest of his day was spent battling Cooper and Peoples-Jones as he fended off the bulk of the attention from Watson.

“He knows we’re leaning on him a lot more than we were a couple of weeks ago,” Bengals slot corner Mike Hilton said. “We’re gonna count on him the rest of the year, and he embraces that. He wants that pressure. And he had a great day today.”

The game ball, the first Taylor-Britt said he has received at any level, is proof of that.

GO DEEPER

How Momager, PopsJuice and high energy boost Cam Taylor-Britt for major test vs. Chiefs

But he still was lamenting a missed tackle he had early in the game that led to an extra 15 yards for Cleveland tight end David Njoku.

“Man, that really did eat at me, most definitely,” he said. “I don’t like to leave my feet, and I left my feet a little early on that one. I knew what I did instantly as soon as I did it. That’s the type of guy I am. I already know what I did before somebody tells me. I’m very open to listening to criticism. I take it in well.”

Apple said he knows what that’s like, being a high draft pick and feeling the sting of criticism as a youngster.

“I went through a lot of growing pains early,” Apple said. “We all make mistakes. Cam’s a high-energy guy. He wants to be great. You can see the way he plays. He plays so physical and with so much passion. You just love to see that out of a young guy. He’s gonna be a great corner. I think he already is, honestly. And he’s just gonna continue to get better.”

He did Sunday, overcoming that early mistake and saving his best play for late on that fourth-quarter drive when he showed up over and over again to help the Bengals snap a five-game losing streak against the Browns and remain in a first-place tie with the Ravens in the AFC North.

 

“You lose Chido, who’s super experienced and who wins a lot of those one-on-one matchups, and the way Cam has played is huge,” Bates said. “When you see him get isolated in those matchups in a big part of the game, a critical part of the game against a really good receiver in Amari Cooper, even (Peoples-Jones) — he’s been killing us — and Cam shut that down today.”

Bates, who cost Taylor-Britt a chance to cash in his bet with the other corners when he collided with him on a near interception of Patrick Mahomes last week, went on to give Taylor-Britt a compliment that might have more meaning than the game ball the rookie cradled as he walked out of the locker room.

“People always talk about Joe Burrow, what’s so special about him, and I think it’s just that he’s not scared of anything,” Bates said. “When he’s put in that moment, he’s gonna make a play. That’s similar to Cam.”

[Jamie_B]

Good to see Eli Apple praising him after losing his starting job to him earlier this season before Cheto went down.

 

That's a good teammate. 

[Jamie_B]

How I have this working out if both we and the Rats drop 1 but keep pace with each other and we win Week 18 vs lose Week 18

 

[claptonrocks]

13 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

How I have this working out if both we and the Rats drop 1 but keep pace with each other and we win Week 18 vs lose Week 18

 

Looks like you have us winning all but Buffalo to reach 12-5..

I agree except I believe they'll beat the Bills..

Winning out would mean 9 game winning streak..

Im still in on that hspoening..

 

 

[Jamie_B]

3 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

Looks like you have us winning all but Buffalo to reach 12-5..

I agree except I believe they'll beat the Bills..

Winning out would mean 9 game winning streak..

Im still in on that hspoening..

 

 

 

 

I posted that thinking Hendrickson would still be out and that's the side that Allen likes to run to when he takes off

[esjbh2]

26 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

How I have this working out if both we and the Rats drop 1 but keep pace with each other and we win Week 18 vs lose Week 18

 

 

Home versus Tua?  Yes Please!!!  I really don't want to play the Rats a 3rd time and at their house, but even if we do, in Burrow I trust.

 

[Jamie_B]

Just now, esjbh2 said:

 

Home versus Tua?  Yes Please!!!  I really don't want to play the Rats a 3rd time and at their house, but even if we do, in Burrow I trust.

 

 

Not sure how I feel about that, TBH, Tua looked pedestrian the past few weeks but with Cheeto out I'm slightly more concern against those two speedy WRs