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[cincygrad]

I'm shocked to see the conversation about Hue being fired.... IMO, one of Cleveland's biggest problems is that they keep changing systems and personnel before knowing what they got. Right now it looks like they have a promising young defense and an offense that eventually needs to build around Mayfield. They already sucked up 2 crappy seasons with Hue... If he wins 4 or 5 this year, I think you give him next year. He'll have a roster full of guys he's helped draft and develop. That will be the true test.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I wasn't happy w/ the Mayfield pick, I wanted Barkley. And hopefully he doesn't see the field anytime soon. He had some good moments in the preseason but it was against 2nd & 3rd stringers.

I would've taken Darnold...now that I've said that, watch him stink it up for the Jets when they come to CLE...lol

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm shocked to see the conversation about Hue being fired.... IMO, one of Cleveland's biggest problems is that they keep changing systems and personnel before knowing what they got. Right now it looks like they have a promising young defense and an offense that eventually needs to build around Mayfield. They already sucked up 2 crappy seasons with Hue... If he wins 4 or 5 this year, I think you give him next year. He'll have a roster full of guys he's helped draft and develop. That will be the true test.

I think you're spot on about continuity and that in part had to be some of the reason Haslam wanted to keep Hue....if you were going fire Hue this season if the record was not up to par (i.e. he's on the hot seat) they should've fired him last year and started with a HC that regardless of the record he's your guy for '19.

Probably the worst thing CLE can do is go 6-10, fire Hue and start over with a new HC, and probably new OC...they might be hard pressed to improve on that 6-10 record in 2019.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

@cincygrad @CrashDavisSports, et al

Congrats...the Bengals look sharp early...I wasn't sure which DL was going to force the other the give up the run, but the turnovers were basically enough. BAL OFC vs a DIV foe looked more like what I was expecting this season...of course week 4 that probably won't be the case.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Very impressed with how the Bengals handled the Ravens early on. They set the tone. Solid defensive front coupled with a decent secondary (still think Kirkpatrick is a bum but he wasn't terrible). Finally Andy found his sack in primetime. The AJ Green show was fun to watch. Hated seeing them go conservative late in the game. Steelers did the same against the Brownies & we all know how that ended for them.

Ravens were able to catch up a little, which proves to me that the Ravens are a legit unit. Flacco looked much more poised & accurate than I've seen him in over half a decade. This could have been a much different ballgame had Jimmy Smith suited up, but who knows.

AFCN definitely looks up for grabs gentlemen!

 

[CrashDavisSports]

@cincygrad @CrashDavisSports, et al

Congrats...the Bengals look sharp early...I wasn't sure which DL was going to force the other the give up the run, but the turnovers were basically enough. BAL OFC vs a DIV foe looked more like what I was expecting this season...of course week 4 that probably won't be the case.

Thanks. Still white knuckled that second half of football. Seen the opposite episode too many times as a Bengal fan.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

If the Bengals didn't snipe William Jackson and Jessie Bates from the Steelers, we'd be in some trouble lol.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

If the Bengals didn't snipe William Jackson and Jessie Bates from the Steelers, we'd be in some trouble lol.

I was HUGE fans of both. I don't know if too many here were onboard with Bates as much as I was, but I think more than anything we all really liked the idea of going 1. ILB then 2. FS in the '18 draft. Knock out the biggest needs with the 1-2 punch then all else is icing on the cake.

Both of those guys have a bright future ahead of them. Better hope Mike Brown does right by them.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Week 2 in the AFCN

CIN...2-0, W vs BAL 34-23, the Bengals own the 1st place position early in this 2018 season. They jumped out in front and hung on for a DIV win.

BAL...1-1, L @ CIN, 23-34, turnovers kind took the Ravens out of their game plan, ultimately they could not make up that early deficit.

CLE...0-1-1, L @ NO, 18-21, The poor Browns just can't get over the hump. They go into NO and face Brees and held that OFC to only 2 TDs...two missed FGs decided it.

PIT...0-1-1, L vs KC, 42-37, The Steeler D was torched by Mahomes' near perfect game...23-28/326/6TDs. Let's not forget this is the young man's 2nd game as a starter.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Week 2 in the AFCN

CIN...2-0, W vs BAL 34-23, the Bengals own the 1st place position early in this 2018 season. They jumped out in front and hung on for a DIV win.

BAL...1-1, L @ CIN, 23-34, turnovers kind took the Ravens out of their game plan, ultimately they could not make up that early deficit.

CLE...0-1-1, L @ NO, 18-21, The poor Browns just can't get over the hump. They go into NO and face Brees and held that OFC to only 2 TDs...two missed FGs decided it.

PIT...0-1-1, L vs KC, 42-37, The Steeler D was torched by Mahomes' near perfect game...23-28/326/6TDs. Let's not forget this is the young man's 2nd game as a starter.

Well we definitely learned who's who this week.

CIN... Not perfect, but they proved their mettle early in this game. They are clearly the best team in the division right now. Their defense is coming into its own. Touched on this game in post 1045 above. Bengals head on the road to Carolina. Should be a very interesting game for them. Teams seem almost identical right now.

BAL... Still a good team, but man was that defense completely different without Jimmy Smith out there. Night & day difference. 1 guy shouldn't make them look that different, so there's probably a lot they still need to work on. Flacco does look better this year, I'll give him that. Broncos coming into town this week should test their offensive line. Could be a low scoring game.

CLE... Defense is definitely ready to move mountains, but their offense is simply not getting the job done. I believe this for all teams, but if you are relying on your kicker to win you football games then you aren't a competitor. Jets coming into town reeling. I think Cleveland should win that game, but the Jets D is no joke. Taylor is going to need to play well if they want to win that game.

PIT... Same old Steelers. Their locker-room, and season, are quickly spiraling out of control. This week should prove their future. If Tomlin has any semblance of a grip on this team, and he can reel them back in as a unit, then they will come out angry this week and beat the hell out of TB. If they keep rolling out the same schemes then stick a fork in them.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Well we definitely learned who's who this week.

CIN... Not perfect, but they proved their mettle early in this game. They are clearly the best team in the division right now. Their defense is coming into its own. Touched on this game in post 1045 above. Bengals head on the road to Carolina. Should be a very interesting game for them. Teams seem almost identical right now.

BAL... Still a good team, but man was that defense completely different without Jimmy Smith out there. Night & day difference. 1 guy shouldn't make them look that different, so there's probably a lot they still need to work on. Flacco does look better this year, I'll give him that. Broncos coming into town this week should test their offensive line. Could be a low scoring game.

CLE... Defense is definitely ready to move mountains, but their offense is simply not getting the job done. I believe this for all teams, but if you are relying on your kicker to win you football games then you aren't a competitor. Jets coming into town reeling. I think Cleveland should win that game, but the Jets D is no joke. Taylor is going to need to play well if they want to win that game.

PIT... Same old Steelers. Their locker-room, and season, are quickly spiraling out of control. This week should prove their future. If Tomlin has any semblance of a grip on this team, and he can reel them back in as a unit, then they will come out angry this week and beat the hell out of TB. If they keep rolling out the same schemes then stick a fork in them.

There's a saying that you can't win the DIV in the 1st Qtr of the season but you sure can lose it.

I'm not ready to say PIT has lost it yet, but they've already entered the critical win stage....the only saving grace is they don't have a DIV loss yet, and they have both games remaining with CIN and BAL.

If Butler doesn't get after old man Fitz, this could be an ugly game and a 0 for 3 start. The Bucs do not have a very good running game (might be in the Bell sweepstakes next year) but Mike Evans is a beast, DeSean Jackson suddenly wants to play again and oh, they have a very good big, athletic TE as well in OJ Howard.

Add JPP to Vinny Curry and the mainstay DL, Gerald McCoy, the Bucs will not be an easy out...days are still 90+ degs with plenty of humidity still, fortunately for the Steelers it's a night game.

I counted this game as a W on MNF, now after seeing this DEF for 2 weeks...IDK, decent vs a QB that is not very good, but absolutely shredded by 2nd yr QB Mahomes.

At least for one more week, I still think the DIV comes down to PIT, CIN and BAL, of course right now I'd give the edge to CIN.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

There's a saying that you can't win the DIV in the 1st Qtr of the season but you sure can lose it.

I'm not ready to say PIT has lost it yet, but they've already entered the critical win stage....the only saving grace is they don't have a DIV loss yet, and they have both games remaining with CIN and BAL.

If Butler doesn't get after old man Fitz, this could be an ugly game and a 0 for 3 start. The Bucs do not have a very good running game (might be in the Bell sweepstakes next year) but Mike Evans is a beast, DeSean Jackson suddenly wants to play again and oh, they have a very good big, athletic TE as well in OJ Howard.

Add JPP to Vinny Curry and the mainstay DL, Gerald McCoy, the Bucs will not be an easy out...days are still 90+ degs with plenty of humidity still, fortunately for the Steelers it's a night game.

I counted this game as a W on MNF, now after seeing this DEF for 2 weeks...IDK, decent vs a QB that is not very good, but absolutely shredded by 2nd yr QB Mahomes.

At least for one more week, I still think the DIV comes down to PIT, CIN and BAL, of course right now I'd give the edge to CIN.

The blueprint to run a clinic on this defense has been hung up outside of Heinz field. The entire world knows how to beat them.

If Butler or Tomlin, or whoever the hell calls the shots, doesn't burn their playbook from last week (same one they've always resorted to & failed EVERY time) then they are doomed. How many times do they need to get punched in the mouth rolling out that 2-4 man rush with 7-8 in zone coverage? I cannot fathom how they can continuously believe that it just boils down to execution.

Coaches need to revamp & go with what works, and then improve apon that and ONLY that. Stop trying to force square bricks into round holes. Be a damn coach and do what your paid to do. Use the tools you have at your disposal, adjust & improve.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The blueprint to run a clinic on this defense has been hung up outside of Heinz field. The entire world knows how to beat them.

If Butler or Tomlin, or whoever the hell calls the shots, doesn't burn their playbook from last week (same one they've always resorted to & failed EVERY time) then they are doomed. How many times do they need to get punched in the mouth rolling out that 2-4 man rush with 7-8 in zone coverage? I cannot fathom how they can continuously believe that it just boils down to execution.

Coaches need to revamp & go with what works, and then improve apon that and ONLY that. Stop trying to force square bricks into round holes. Be a damn coach and do what your paid to do. Use the tools you have at your disposal, adjust & improve.

NE has long ago exposed that DEF...what is so shaky is that JAX also exposed it in a totally different manner so I think it's matter of picking the blueprint your personnel is best suited for....ground and pound with a big RB, or via the air route like NE does and KC did yesterday.

The Steelers haven't shown since LY they can stop either one.

 

[cincygrad]

This is going to be a challenging season for all AFC-N teams. Playing teams from the AFC-W and NFC-S is going to be a significant challenge. And Cleveland no longer counts as an automatic 2 wins. When I looked at the Bengals schedule at the beginning of the year, I figured home games vs. the Dolphins, Broncos, and Raiders were sure things.... Now I'm not so sure. I think 10 wins will take the division.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

This is going to be a challenging season for all AFC-N teams. Playing teams from the AFC-W and NFC-S is going to be a significant challenge. And Cleveland no longer counts as an automatic 2 wins. When I looked at the Bengals schedule at the beginning of the year, I figured home games vs. the Dolphins, Broncos, and Raiders were sure things.... Now I'm not so sure. I think 10 wins will take the division.

Yep...KC's DEF is not very good, but if they can keep up this assault on the endzone it won't matter...DEN is still tough on DEF and better on OFC so you hope you can come away 2-2 in the AFCW...with the Bucs looking good early...I say 2-2 vs the south is good also....considering PIT also has NE...unless they make a very quick turnaround, they might do well for 9-7 and I had them 11-5, worst case 10-6.

 

[cincygrad]

Yep...KC's DEF is not very good, but if they can keep up this assault on the endzone it won't matter...DEN is still tough on DEF and better on OFC so you hope you can come away 2-2 in the AFCW...with the Bucs looking good early...I say 2-2 vs the south is good also....considering PIT also has NE...unless they make a very quick turnaround, they might do well for 9-7 and I had them 11-5, worst case 10-6.

The Tampa game was another game that I figured would be easy. I already figured winning in Atlanta and Carolina would be very unlikely and a home game against the Saints doesn't feel any easier (though they haven't looked great as of yet).... I'm starting to think 1-3 vs the South might not be bad.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The Tampa game was another game that I figured would be easy. I already figured winning in Atlanta and Carolina would be very unlikely and a home game against the Saints doesn't feel any easier (though they haven't looked great as of yet).... I'm starting to think 1-3 vs the South might not be bad.

Boy...the CAR game, I only saw parts, but every time CAR scored seems like it was off a turnover.

 

[cincygrad]

Boy...the CAR game, I only saw parts, but every time CAR scored seems like it was off a turnover.

We turned it over; they did not.

They also absolutely destroyed us with their run game. This was the first game that Burfict's absence really seemed to count. As much as I dislike Marvin Lewis, his teams normally do not struggle so much to stop the run. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and simply call it a really bad day. I'm not so sure that they'll have an easy go of it being in ATL next week either... They should limp home 2-2 and then the season really begins for them as AFC contenders and divisional opponents start coming to town.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

We turned it over; they did not.

They also absolutely destroyed us with their run game. This was the first game that Burfict's absence really seemed to count. As much as I dislike Marvin Lewis, his teams normally do not struggle so much to stop the run. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and simply call it a really bad day. I'm not so sure that they'll have an easy go of it being in ATL next week either... They should limp home 2-2 and then the season really begins for them as AFC contenders and divisional opponents start coming to town.

Falcons are really struggling on DEF with I think 3 or 4 starters out now...plus their OG play is still shitty imo (LG out fore the yr) when it comes to run blocking...Dunlap should have a decent day as well...Schaerder (RT) got slapped around yesterday by Jordan....ATL is not the same team they were week one for sure.

 

[cincygrad]

Falcons are really struggling on DEF with I think 3 or 4 starters out now...plus their OG play is still shitty imo (LG out fore the yr) when it comes to run blocking...Dunlap should have a decent day as well...Schaerder (RT) got slapped around yesterday by Jordan....ATL is not the same team they were week one for sure.

We're likely heading down there with no Mixon, back-up center, and either a gimpy or out AJ Green. It's also Burfict's last game served on his suspension. 2nd week on the road playing a team coming off a divisional loss. It's not the best spot to be in. The Falcons are struggling, but I think this might be their chance to get healthy. We'll see.