Odds Stacked Against Us

[CrashDavisSports]

I would have gave ourselves a great chance to win it this year, but I think 3 particular injuries are going to derail us. Collins, Cappa and Awuzie. Our entire right side of our line is complete crap just like last year again, and Jonah Williams has now been exposed as a turnstile now that we have had competent lineman. So back to same old same old.

That Baltimore defense is no joke. Any kind of competency from the Ravens offense and they have a legit shot at ending our season. I think if we make it past Baltimore, the Bills I believe will end our season in Orchard Park. A location I didn't want to see the Bengals play, and maybe shouldn't have had to if that game doesn't get cancelled.

I would love to see us continue what we did last year, but the odds just seem terrible stacked against us this year. I don't know why. I see how the offense looked yesterday, the injuries piling up and seems like a big uphill climb.

Talk me down from the ledge? Please.

 

[Wamu]

I would have gave ourselves a great chance to win it this year, but I think 3 particular injuries are going to derail us. Collins, Cappa and Awuzie. Our entire right side of our line is complete crap just like last year again, and Jonah Williams has now been exposed as a turnstile now that we have had competent lineman. So back to same old same old.

That Baltimore defense is no joke. Any kind of competency from the Ravens offense and they have a legit shot at ending our season. I think if we make it past Baltimore, the Bills I believe will end our season in Orchard Park. A location I didn't want to see the Bengals play, and maybe shouldn't have had to if that game doesn't get cancelled.

I would love to see us continue what we did last year, but the odds just seem terrible stacked against us this year. I don't know why. I see how the offense looked yesterday, the injuries piling up and seems like a big uphill climb.

Talk me down from the ledge? Please.

Who's the Ravens starting QB, is it Anthony Brown again? If so it'll only be his second career start. Last game he was 22-49 with two int's. That's a big advantage for the Bengals D.

 

[cincygrad]

I would have gave ourselves a great chance to win it this year, but I think 3 particular injuries are going to derail us. Collins, Cappa and Awuzie. Our entire right side of our line is complete crap just like last year again, and Jonah Williams has now been exposed as a turnstile now that we have had competent lineman. So back to same old same old.

That Baltimore defense is no joke. Any kind of competency from the Ravens offense and they have a legit shot at ending our season. I think if we make it past Baltimore, the Bills I believe will end our season in Orchard Park. A location I didn't want to see the Bengals play, and maybe shouldn't have had to if that game doesn't get cancelled.

I would love to see us continue what we did last year, but the odds just seem terrible stacked against us this year. I don't know why. I see how the offense looked yesterday, the injuries piling up and seems like a big uphill climb.

Talk me down from the ledge? Please.

Everyone has injuries and everyone has weaknesses. I don't think Buffalo feels great about a defense that is missing it's primary pass rusher and has experienced countless injuries to their defensive backs. Lots of vulnerabilities in that unit. Their offense is not as consistent as many had thought they would be either and they are prone to mistakes. If I'm KC, I still don't know what I'm getting from my defense from week-to-week, but I'd definitely worry against quarterbacks like Burrow and Allen. Mahomes is the ultimate game-changer and its hard to bet against him, but they've definitely looked more vulnerable over the back half of the year.

I think there are three top contenders in the AFC (Chiefs, Bengals, and Bills) with LA being the ultimate wildcard of a squad with talent that could get hot.

As for Baltimore - There D looks really tough.... That said, since the beginning of October the best offense they faced outside of Cincinnati is Jacksonville. And they gave up 28 points in that game. Oh, and Jacksonville is pretty average. I don't take a lot from yesterday's game - I think the Bengals played most of their base stuff, Burrow struggled, and the receivers dropped a few balls that they normally catch. Can they beat us? Sure..... The formula is pretty easy for them - Force a turnover or two, crank of the ground game and make the Bengals work for anything they get (long drives, settling for field goals, etc). But, if the Bengals deliver a status quo type performance on offense, they should put up 24 points or better. Baltimore does not have the type of weapons that make me believe they can put up that many points against a good D.

 

[cincygrad]

I will also mention that the odds were definitely stacked against us last year as well. It's hard to win multiple playoff games - It's harder when you have to beat several good quarterbacks. Someone has to win though and when you have Joe Burrow you'll always have a chance.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Cappa hurts, but Collins...meh. Honestly, I haven't noticed Adeniji, granted only 1 game and about 8:43 of another (MNF) but overall....I don't notice him, so that's a good thing.

One benefit is at least the guy stepping in has some experience and has some tape - it's not an unknown, or Carmen, stepping in.

The OL was way worse last year - and Burrow did just fine.

 

[alf8478]

Divisional playoff games always make me nervous.

 

[jbuck]

raves just handed the ball off. super predictable. Bengs offense not sharp. also one dimensional. Still I like our chances.

 

[futballiscool]

Lamar supposedly unlikely to play. About as big a break they can get in the 1st rd

 

[Cincyfan78]

Lamar supposedly unlikely to play. About as big a break they can get in the 1st rd

And Huntley didn't even throw a pass, reportedly, as his shoulder is still jacked up...

 

[futballiscool]

And Huntley didn't even throw a pass, reportedly, as his shoulder is still jacked up...

I just checked Fanduel and the spread is only 8.5. Shockingly low considering the game is in Cincinnati and the news points to a 3rd stringer starting

 

[cincygrad]

There really are no excuses not to win this game. I anticipate the Ravens continuing the trolling type behavior they started last week..... They'll want to force mistakes and turn the game ugly. They still have a path if they can force turnovers and have some success in the run game. A "B-" or better game for the offense should be enough to get it done.

 

[futballiscool]

I just checked Fanduel and the spread is only 8.5. Shockingly low considering the game is in Cincinnati and the news points to a 3rd stringer starting

8.5 pts makes more sense now..

Tyler Huntley has limited practice, but John Harbaugh says the QB is "on schedule"

It doesn't appear this is the week starting quarterback Lamar Jackson will return.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

 

[cincygrad]

8.5 pts makes more sense now..

Tyler Huntley has limited practice, but John Harbaugh says the QB is "on schedule"

It doesn't appear this is the week starting quarterback Lamar Jackson will return.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Are we sure the third string guy isn't better than Huntley? Huntley hasn't put up 200 yards in 5 games.... Guess he hasn't turned it over as much either, so maybe that's the goal.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Hard to know - Bengals defense was playing a lot of soft man/coverage zone - they were going to make that QB sustain drives to score - only long drive was aided with some dumb penalties, and a ball that Apple should have batted away, at worst, and likely should have intercepted.

Going to guess we'll likely see more of that - stack the line against Dobbs - but softer zone - hope the offense gets on track and BMore presses and makes more mistakes and won't be able to sustain drives.

 

[DanBengalfan]

NFL refs Willa be reinforcing any outcome at this point for bills Super Bowl. They will try to eliminate us if possible. If it is razor close it favors the ravens. But it should not be close.

 

[futballiscool]

Are we sure the third string guy isn't better than Huntley? Huntley hasn't put up 200 yards in 5 games.... Guess he hasn't turned it over as much either, so maybe that's the goal.

I've only watched Huntley play a handful of times but he seems like a solid game managing backup QB. If Burrow and the Bengals offense plays their A game he can't keep up with them in a shootout but if it's a low scoring game I think he limits mistakes, moves the ball and keeps it close.

 

[DanBengalfan]

I've only watched Huntley play a handful of times but he seems like a solid game managing backup QB. If Burrow and the Bengals offense plays their A game he can't keep up with them in a shootout but if it's a low scoring game I think he limits mistakes, moves the ball and keeps it close.

I would have to believe that we played with game tape in mind. We probably didn't want to give away much of our plan for playing the ravens again. it felt like we barely beat them, like they held their own, until they didn't, obviously.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I would have to believe that we played with game tape in mind. We probably didn't want to give away much of our plan for playing the ravens again. it felt like we barely beat them, like they held their own, until they didn't, obviously.

I heard we played a very vanilla offense. I am not sure if we did, but if we did that could explain why our offense completely struggled againstr the Ravens D. Not that it is hard to imagine our offense struggling against the Ravens D, they are very good. Just looked out of sorts. So I am hoping we played a very base offense and didn't show them anything important. Have to execute regardless of play called though, vanilla or not.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I heard we played a very vanilla offense. I am not sure if we did, but if we did that could explain why our offense completely struggled againstr the Ravens D. Not that it is hard to imagine our offense struggling against the Ravens D, they are very good. Just looked out of sorts. So I am hoping we played a very base offense and didn't show them anything important. Have to execute regardless of play called though, vanilla or not.

Vanilla or not - the reason the offense struggled was due to Burrow being off...he missed multiple WR's, and Chase for a sure TD, and Higgins for a sure TD, and underthrew Chase on another sure TD...He was high on several others that led to incompletions as well.

Burrow will, hopefully, be back on track Sunday - hard to imagine him missing multiple wide open guys like that again.

Let's not forget - BMore likely wasn't running its full defense, either.

In the end, though, this defense is good enough to keep BMore from making it much of a game as long as the offense takes care of business.

 

[DanBengalfan]

If we can't get past the Ravens, then it means our OL has too many injuries to be effective. I don't think we're there yet, but if we are, see you next year.

This will be known as the Hamlin strong SuperBowl regardless. even if the Bills aren't in it, so, like, if you were the ref who threw a bullshit PI or holding call the wrong way this year, you might need to leave the country.