What is up with the Bengals?
doubledragon
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in Sports Talk
The defending AFC champions are 0-2, Joe Burrows words from 2020 are popping up again.
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The offensive line is obviously a problem, looks like crap. I wonder if that appendectomy is bothering Burrow a bit?
They’ll struggle. Cinderella season. Stars aligned. Last place schedule. Swami picked them to miss the playoffs. Still early but 0-2 teams have an 18% chance to make the playoffs
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
It all starts and ends with their OL, Burrow has to cut lose and run as soon as he gets the ball
They retooled that line which is hilarious, poor Burrow will be lucky to get through the season without getting hurt
If you follow the Cincinnati Bengals history they have a pattern: they stink it up for 5-10 years and suddenly come from nowhere to reach the playoffs and/or Super Bowl and then sink back into mediocrity. This season may or may not follow that pattern, but I lean towards them not making the playoffs.
The reasons are sort of obvious. Maybe the primary one is the worst-to-first nature of their schedule. Last year was easier, this year much tougher. Secondly, their offensive line does not pass block very well and teams are finding that out, quickly. That feeds into two of the bigger problems, Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow tends to hold the ball a little too long and that got him injured in that first season. I'm not sure if that can be "coached" away but he just doesn't seem to have the pocket sense needed and it's collapsing around him this year. With Chase, he made a number of catches last season on those sideline-fly-back-shoulder patterns. It appears that now teams have a good "book" on him, have taken that away and double him more.
It's only two games but last season's magic doesn't seem like it's there. The defense and Joe Mixon are keeping them close but aren't enough to salt games away.
Bengals played at the highest level of their talent last year against the schedule they had, everything came together. Changes happen, and can disrupt. Burrow is not one of the elite qb's in the NFL, so the combi of changes and not an elite qb and you get pretty much what Maywood says above..............