Nobody Wants This Division

[CrashDavisSports]

Another shit show week for the AFC North.

Baltimore gets their cans kicked by Miami (the now 3 win Dolphins)

Pittsburgh TIES with the winless Lions.

Cleveland got beat like a damn drum by the Patriots and their rookie QB, coming off a week they beat the bejesus out of the Bengals.

For a division with no teams under .500, it sure didn't show up this week at all.

I am just sitting here thinking, maybe we as Bengal fans are lucky this happened to be our bye week, because that blew. All the other teams are back to their winning w ays after getting upset last week. Dallas creamed the Falcons, Bills beat the crud out of the Jets, etc.

Cardinals lost, but when you are playing with your 3rd string QB, can't really blame them. TB did lose to the Redskins and their rookie QB.

What a season. I don't think I have ever seen this much parity in the NFL. You have no idea what each week is going to bring from any team.

 

[futballiscool]

The whole AFC is wide open.

 

[cincygrad]

Tennessee without Derrick Henry would be one of the weakest 1 seeds that I can remember. They should easily slide into the top seed as they still get the Texans twice, the Jags and Dolphins. I can't see them winning less than 13.

I get the sense that Mahomes could get hot and the Chiefs might be the favorite in the conference.

 

[cincygrad]

BTW -- I watched the last quarter and overtime of that Pittsburgh/Detroit slugfest.... It dawns on me that being a Lions fan might be worse than being a Bengals fan. I'm not sure what the hell was going on with the Steelers yesterday, but that was some ugly shit.

 

[Cincyfan78]

BTW -- I watched the last quarter and overtime of that Pittsburgh/Detroit slugfest.... It dawns on me that being a Lions fan might be worse than being a Bengals fan. I'm not sure what the hell was going on with the Steelers yesterday, but that was some ugly shit.

No Ben, and costly turnovers.

The lions are worse than their record, and that is saying something. They lack everything. Goff looks terrible, but that OL is awful. They don't have any real play-makers, but again - it's hard to tell because the OL and QB are so bad.

Defensively - I wonder how teams don't put up 30 every game.

 

[cincygrad]

No Ben, and costly turnovers.

The lions are worse than their record, and that is saying something. They lack everything. Goff looks terrible, but that OL is awful. They don't have any real play-makers, but again - it's hard to tell because the OL and QB are so bad.

Defensively - I wonder how teams don't put up 30 every game.

Big Ben not playing should not be as big a penalty as it would have been 5 years ago. The fact that the Steelers D gave up 230 yards rushing was not a good look on a rainy day where the Lions had no other chance. It was like our D giving up all of those passing yards to Mike White.

Anyway, the real question I have about Detroit is about the kicker. Who the fuck is that guy and why does he keep kicking for them? It looked like they pulled a Steeler fan out of a tailgate party and threw a uniform on him for the day.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Big Ben not playing should not be as big a penalty as it would have been 5 years ago. The fact that the Steelers D gave up 230 yards rushing was not a good look on a rainy day where the Lions had no other chance. It was like our D giving up all of those passing yards to Mike White.

Anyway, the real question I have about Detroit is about the kicker. Who the fuck is that guy and why does he keep kicking for them? It looked like they pulled a Steeler fan out of a tailgate party and threw a uniform on him for the day.

I feel like football teams (and not just NFL) when driving for a winning score especially in OT, get too reliant on kicking the FG rather than continuing to attack. You'll see an offense attack, attack, attack and move from their 20 to the other teams 35-30 yard line, and then because they are in "FG range" suddenly go into conservative mode, and be OK with a 45 yard FG, which isn't a gimme by any stretch (other than maybe Tucker). I realize you don't want to turn the ball over in scoring range, but you also can't continue to rely on kickers making 45+ yard FG, especially considering the condition of that field even on a good day is poor, let alone in a driving rain/snow and cold.

Far too many coaches rely on the "book" far too much as they are just chicken shit to try something outside the box, or against the "norm" and if it doesn't work, face the music. They'd rather go by the book, and if it doesn't work, then they just point to that's the best option...in in all likelihood, it's not.

 

[cincygrad]

I feel like football teams (and not just NFL) when driving for a winning score especially in OT, get too reliant on kicking the FG rather than continuing to attack. You'll see an offense attack, attack, attack and move from their 20 to the other teams 35-30 yard line, and then because they are in "FG range" suddenly go into conservative mode, and be OK with a 45 yard FG, which isn't a gimme by any stretch (other than maybe Tucker). I realize you don't want to turn the ball over in scoring range, but you also can't continue to rely on kickers making 45+ yard FG, especially considering the condition of that field even on a good day is poor, let alone in a driving rain/snow and cold.

Far too many coaches rely on the "book" far too much as they are just chicken shit to try something outside the box, or against the "norm" and if it doesn't work, face the music. They'd rather go by the book, and if it doesn't work, then they just point to that's the best option...in in all likelihood, it's not.

I had zero percent faith in that kicker. Outside of Pittsburgh's kicker, Chris Boswell, nobody does particularly well kicking to the open end of that stadium. Particularly on a bad weather day. That was a hope and a prayer by Dan Campbell.

 

[futballiscool]

Big Ben not playing should not be as big a penalty as it would have been 5 years ago. The fact that the Steelers D gave up 230 yards rushing was not a good look on a rainy day where the Lions had no other chance. It was like our D giving up all of those passing yards to Mike White.

Anyway, the real question I have about Detroit is about the kicker. Who the fuck is that guy and why does he keep kicking for them? It looked like they pulled a Steeler fan out of a tailgate party and threw a uniform on him for the day.

For all the flaws in Detroit's roster their running backs are actually quite good. DeAndre Swift would be an All Pro on a better team imo.

The weather and last minute backup QB playing without practice or game planning to his strengths are valid excuses for the Steelers imo.

I agree Kansas City can be an offensive juggernaut. Buffalo is top to bottom the most talented team in the conference. On paper those seem to be the best teams but I can also see a scenario where both of them miss the playoffs. Any team in the AFC who makes the postseason has a legitimate chance to make the SB.