AFCN Hate Guide

[Dude]

Having to keep on fighting with the league / refs all season takes alot. It was bound to catch up.

Welp, I guess the clown show has shut down for this fan. I'll be back when the circus comes back to town ( 2023 opener ).

Against all odds. You guys can keep happy.
Good team.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Good season Bengals fans...

Not how you pictured it ending, nor how I thought that AFCCG would go to be honest. Rough way to exit being that close, but that team should be hungry next year. Will be interesting to see if they can keep some of the pieces on defense around (Bates, Bell, Pratt, Apple, etc). Burrow entering the final year of his rookie contract could make things interesting.

It's still going to be the Bengals' division to lose next year. Ravens without a QB, Steelers are paper champions, and the Browns are the Browns. Ravens & Steelers should still have formidable defenses that will give them shot every week. I'd like to say the Steelers will compete but they put a serious damper in expectations by bringing back Matt Canada. I have a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett, and the Steelers have some decent draft ammo this year with 2 picks in the 1st Rd (technically). Steelers really need to overhaul the trenches this offseason. The OL is a legit OT & C away from being formidable, and the DL needs some serious work. But I am always fearful for what Tomlin will do on draft day. I hope the tandem of Khan & Weidl will prove worthy in their 1st offseason at the helm.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Yeesh... This isn't a good look.

 

[cincygrad]

Yeesh... This isn't a good look.

He has nothing to lose - He's not in the team's longterm plans and this video probably just made the Bengals feel even better about that decision. The guy has been a key piece to a very underrated defense. I won't forget that about him. But, he's been moody all year about his bag and I think the frustration caught up with him.

 

[cincygrad]

Good season Bengals fans...

Not how you pictured it ending, nor how I thought that AFCCG would go to be honest. Rough way to exit being that close, but that team should be hungry next year. Will be interesting to see if they can keep some of the pieces on defense around (Bates, Bell, Pratt, Apple, etc). Burrow entering the final year of his rookie contract could make things interesting.

It's still going to be the Bengals' division to lose next year. Ravens without a QB, Steelers are paper champions, and the Browns are the Browns. Ravens & Steelers should still have formidable defenses that will give them shot every week. I'd like to say the Steelers will compete but they put a serious damper in expectations by bringing back Matt Canada. I have a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett, and the Steelers have some decent draft ammo this year with 2 picks in the 1st Rd (technically). Steelers really need to overhaul the trenches this offseason. The OL is a legit OT & C away from being formidable, and the DL needs some serious work. But I am always fearful for what Tomlin will do on draft day. I hope the tandem of Khan & Weidl will prove worthy in their 1st offseason at the helm.

I think if we're being honest about it, this season was the best team the Bengals have ever had. They lost 5 total games - 4 of them in the final seconds. They rarely played to their top gear and they still won 10 straight while playing one of the toughest schedules in the league. They were easily better than their team from the year before that was a drive or stop away from winning the Lombardi. So, from that perspective, it really was an awesome year. Too bad injuries caught up to them late in the year.

Bates and Pratt are likely gone. I'd love to see Bell back. I wouldn't mind seeing Apple back.... He's not great, but he's been dependable from a health perspective and he definitely has his moments. Most of this team will be back and a lot of it will be better. I think next year is probably going to shape up as their best chance to be the favorites. We'll see.

I'm interested to see how the Steelers and Ravens evolve. They are among the best run franchises in football - But neither has lived up to their lofty expectations for a good while now. Both the Ravens and Steelers have some very expensive parts on their defense - It's always a concern having lots of cap dedicated to a few defensive players in an offensive league.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I guess this did not age very well. Bengals were fighting to the end, which is more than a lot of teams can say. So close.

Played a hell of a game. Asking to beat KC 4 times in 13 months is a tall task - even if the OL was healthy, let alone missing at least 1 key starter in Cappa (Personally, I think Adeniji and Carman did better than Collins and Williams, but different story for different day).

I know the thing right now is to blame the NFL - but in the end, despite all the crap that was going against them - the Bengals had a chance to make the play, send the game into OT, and write their own script - instead, the guy made a boneheaded hit on Mahomes, who was clearly out of bounds....and they lost.

Considering all things - one hell of a season. To be, nearly, a play away from a 2nd trip to the Super Bowl after starting 0-2 and weathering injuries to the OL, Higgins, Chase, Mixon, etc....one hell of a year.

Burrow is going to get extended, cap is jumping from 208 to roughly 225, Bengals have 44.5M in space - lots of room to work with and keep key core pieces around him on offense and defense. Bengals are in a really good spot to keep winning.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Good season Bengals fans...

Not how you pictured it ending, nor how I thought that AFCCG would go to be honest. Rough way to exit being that close, but that team should be hungry next year. Will be interesting to see if they can keep some of the pieces on defense around (Bates, Bell, Pratt, Apple, etc). Burrow entering the final year of his rookie contract could make things interesting.

It's still going to be the Bengals' division to lose next year. Ravens without a QB, Steelers are paper champions, and the Browns are the Browns. Ravens & Steelers should still have formidable defenses that will give them shot every week. I'd like to say the Steelers will compete but they put a serious damper in expectations by bringing back Matt Canada. I have a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett, and the Steelers have some decent draft ammo this year with 2 picks in the 1st Rd (technically). Steelers really need to overhaul the trenches this offseason. The OL is a legit OT & C away from being formidable, and the DL needs some serious work. But I am always fearful for what Tomlin will do on draft day. I hope the tandem of Khan & Weidl will prove worthy in their 1st offseason at the helm.

Bates is gone - they drafted Dax Hill last year knowing he would be replacing Bates after this year. Bates wants top 5 safety money, and frankly - he's not worth it. Solid player, but outside of 1 really good year - he's been OK, not top tier.

Pratt is gone. He wants to be a 3 down guy, and has been unhappy with his role here, and been vocal about it. He's had a great year, and developed into a solid LB - an he wants to be THE guy on a LB corps, and with Wilson entrenched at MLB - I don't see it happening here.

Apple - eh. Awuzie returns, CTB will be #2, and I'd be shocked if they didn't sign/draft another DB to ensure depth is there. Apple could return, but isn't a "key" guy, IMO.

Bell likely gets re-signed, IMO...as does Hurst.

Outside of that - everyone else is signed. Bengals with 44.5M in cap, and will likely extend Burrow this year and can easily absorb a solid portion of a bonus/contract this year and know that going forward, they will have more flexibility in signing other guys. Other key guys coming up soon: Higgins, Reader, Wilson.

Bigger loss, IMO, is if Lou leaves as DC - he's been a freakin' wizard back there with the defense. Everyone focuses on Burrow, Higgins and Chase - and I get it, but the Bengals backbone has been the defense....not the offense.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

Bigger loss, IMO, is if Lou leaves as DC - he's been a freakin' wizard back there with the defense. Everyone focuses on Burrow, Higgins and Chase - and I get it, but the Bengals backbone has been the defense....not the offense.

He's for sure going to get a HC gig. No chance he's staying around.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

It's still going to be the Bengals' division to lose next year. Ravens without a QB, Steelers are paper champions, and the Browns are the Browns.

Our issue with the Ravens currently is far from over. They feel a certain way and the Bengals feel a certain way. Next season matchups will be nasty.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

I think if we're being honest about it, this season was the best team the Bengals have ever had.

Im just proud of the org finally confronting the league and telling them enough of the bullshit and call out the hypocrisy, favortism and 'woke' garbage. It came back to bite them in the championship game, but at least our latest installment of referee ball is trending nation wide on Twitter. Unfortuntely, the game was primetime. Everyone saw what the Bengals are always up against. It's good to see. Its folks from another countries who NEVER watch the NFL before saying why the refs heavily favored the team in the red lol.

Take a golf clap and a tip of the cap on this one.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I take it Eli Apple won't be tweeting anytime soon

Probably not. haha

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Good season Bengals fans...

Not how you pictured it ending, nor how I thought that AFCCG would go to be honest. Rough way to exit being that close, but that team should be hungry next year. Will be interesting to see if they can keep some of the pieces on defense around (Bates, Bell, Pratt, Apple, etc). Burrow entering the final year of his rookie contract could make things interesting.

It's still going to be the Bengals' division to lose next year. Ravens without a QB, Steelers are paper champions, and the Browns are the Browns. Ravens & Steelers should still have formidable defenses that will give them shot every week. I'd like to say the Steelers will compete but they put a serious damper in expectations by bringing back Matt Canada. I have a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett, and the Steelers have some decent draft ammo this year with 2 picks in the 1st Rd (technically). Steelers really need to overhaul the trenches this offseason. The OL is a legit OT & C away from being formidable, and the DL needs some serious work. But I am always fearful for what Tomlin will do on draft day. I hope the tandem of Khan & Weidl will prove worthy in their 1st offseason at the helm.

Thanks. At the end of the day, we are the AFC North and there was nothing better than representing the North and trying to prove we have the best division in football.

 

[BeaReylo]

Yeesh... This isn't a good look.

Heard about this but this is the first time I actually saw it. Yeah, Pratt definitely comes across as a wanker there.

 

[Cincyfan78]

He's for sure going to get a HC gig. No chance he's staying around.

Maybe - teams favor offensive minded guys with how the NFL is geared, and Lou has been around a long time already...Teams also seem to like younger guys who seem to have more "potential" in their careers...selfishly, I hope he doesn't get a gig and ends up staying a few more years in Cincy....

That all being said, one thing I always caution when talking about coaching hires - good coordinators do not immediately equal good Head Coaches....the list of failed coordinators who were great at their jobs, but failed as HC is long...leading a team is not like leading a unit.

 

[Pure Steel]

Congrats to Tyler Huntley on the Pro Bowl......amazing year......

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Congrats to Tyler Huntley on the Pro Bowl......amazing year......

Next Ravens QB after they trade Lamar and rake in a virtual haul of picks and save tons of money in the process?

 

[CrashDavisSports]

You mean that Superbowl winning QB? I hope so. haha

 

[Pure Steel]

Next Ravens QB after they trade Lamar and rake in a virtual haul of picks and save tons of money in the process?

I’m good with either one throwing a football……my comment above was complete sarcasm, did Huntley start 5 games?

 

[PDay8810]

Congrats to Tyler Huntley on the Pro Bowl......amazing year......

He had special moments but mostly, he has moves that make it difficult to grab his flag. This is more about winning the big game.