33 Comments

Zac Taylor is a hack coach... I've been beating this drum for years. Why would anyone think that a coach who was inept at being a college offensive coordinator would be a good coach... oh yeah the same team that thought that hiring the son of a coaching legend was a good idea, even though he was a bad offensive coordinator... those who don't learn from history...

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Is our talent that much less by position than the Browns? If so, I guess I understand the loss. If not, than how does that happen?

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I can't add a thing to your analysis of the mess this team is right now. However, for many years my parents yard was on the leeward side of their next door neighbor's 60' tall oak tree. Every autumn, my dad would cuss like hell at the leaves that blew into his yard. These days, the oak leaves from MY neighbor's tree does the same to me. Regarding your leaves Doc, count yourself lucky. But trust me, somebody's cussing about it.

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Frank Pollack's "glass eaters" looked more like "glass jaws."

Mixon and Burrow appeared very dispirited.

Zac Taylor's playcalling is matching the back of his baseball card -- that baseball card being his lone year as offensive coordinator at UC under Tommy Tubervillain -- and the stats shown on that baseball card are uglier than Mario Mendoza's.

Last year's Super Bowl run might have been lightning in a bottle, much like '81 and '88. It's looking more and more like that. This year is becoming eerily reminiscent of the '89 Bengals, who went 8-8 and missed the playoffs a year after dominating the AFC.

I was quite happy when the neighbor in front of me put up a fence for their dogs. Now, the majority of the oak leaves from my gigantic oak fall within the confines of the fence. Much like you, I enjoy them having to rake instead of myself.

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"This is still the Bengals we’re talking about." For some reason, those unfortunate words made me laugh at this late date in my Bengal fandom. Clearly, I have put my life-long pro football sympathies in the proper place after all is said and done.

I do think last night was the result of the Browns being en fuego and ready to play at kickoff and The Men thinking about something besides football. It was pretty apparent so I will hope they can shake it off and move forward. The Ravens are behaving similarly IMO and are not going to run away with the AFC North crown any time soon. They did add an All-Pro caliber LB from the hapless Bears and that should help with the periodic 4th qtr defensive meltdowns they're known for.

I will keep the faith for now.

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That run to the Super Bowl was great - and I wouldn't trade it for anything - but I feel like that put a fire-proof bubble around Zac for at least a year or two. It was frustrating to hear a guy with a really crappy overall record tell the fans to be patient a week or so ago. The bar was raised from last year's playoff run and all the off-season signings. Unfortunately he keeps hitting his forehead on said bar. The Bengals are firmly in win-now territory and missing the playoffs this year would be unacceptable.

Put me down in the 'fire Zac' column even before it gets to the point of the Bengals watching the playoffs at home.

Personally, I'd love to see Sean Payton step in as the next Bengals coach. Based on his track record with Drew Brees and the Saints, I'd have to think he'd jump at the opportunity to coach Cincinnati. All that said, I think the Bengals will miss. that opportunity. If he wants an NFL head coaching job, someone is going to snatch him up quickly.

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The Bengals will keep Taylor as long as he wants to be here. Marvin had zero playoff wins, and lasted 17 years. Do you really think Brown will fire Taylor after he had one season that exceeded all expectations? Sure, Sean Payton would be a great choice, a very smart choice; but when do the Bengals ever make the smart choice, except by accident?

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Nov 1, 2022·edited Nov 1, 2022Liked by Paul Daugherty

That silly celebration last night looked so bush league. Your analogy of a guy burning a spread sheet in the break room was hilarious. How dumb was that celebration? Why can't the Bengals ever show some maturity? This stuff's been going on for years. Is there something in the drinking water we don't know about?

I did Peyton and Eli in the first half. Boomer was the perfect 3rd to those 2. I remember the Waterfront and Glass Menagerie days. Mighta hoisted one or two with a couple Bengals there. Those were great times, fun people, positive vibes and players. Of course, Paul Brown still ran the show back then. Monkey business bought you a ticket outta town. Disciplined fun describes those days best.

Maybe bourbons and cigars after a huge filet mignon at Rubys is not the best way to persuade OLs to sign. Seems to me Collins cares more about his steaks than all-out effort and solid blocking technique. Fair to say Williams is a bust. The other 3 guys are undersized and porous as a sieve. At least last year's line always busted a gut to play above their skill level. This line is just the opposite.

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Football seems a little less important this morning having just read of the tragic death of Adam Zimmer, who had just returned to work with Bengals after the Viking parted ways with he and his dad. I remember when Mike’s wife died suddenly during the season when he was DC. Peace and prayers to the Zimmer family.

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Nov 1, 2022Liked by Paul Daugherty

One of your better “Ten Things”. I can’t really add anything. The game was a complete fiasco, starting with the play-calling head coach being “timid” and clearly not having his team ready to play. (It’s really hard to believe all 3-4(?) coaches agree on the plays he calls. If they do, they’re all pretty timid and unimaginative.)

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Nov 1, 2022·edited Nov 1, 2022

-Wouldn’t La’El Collins and Jonah Williams ability to miss oncoming rushers make them more suited to avoiding July bulls in Pamplona?

-Should the stadium be renamed PayJa’mar?

-It might be time to bring back pollack jokes…Frank Pollack jokes. Did we HEAR him right when he said he loves to coach “glass eaters”? It sure seems like both tackles are constantly blocking from BEHIND.

-I’ve done the math; in no situation whatsoever is a 3 or a 2 ever a 1 until the real 1 is playing again in 6 weeks. Great for future salary cap implications. Bad for prime time football.

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Doc, i think the one constant is this team is never ready to play especially in prime time games. But thats what happens when you hire a WR coach to be your HC with very little play calling experience.

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10-7 last year with easy schedule, no major injuries and good luck.

The variables are the opposite this year and may see this team finish 7-10.

Last night was dreadful.

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Huber was brought back for sentimental reasons. Never make roster decisions based on sentimentality. No way will they now make him suffer the ignominy of being cut mid-season so the Bengals are willingly stuck with him for the rest of the season.

Re end zone celebrations. If guys are giving up the future health of their bodies and brains to entertain us, I am OK with them having fun with their celebrations, some of which are incredibly clever.

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I think biggest reason they kept huber is becuase he is a good PK holder. From what i read, crisman is not very good at that. But huber has been costing them field position all season.

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Fair enough. I think they’re over the top. Just my opinion

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On the positive, at least last years team gave us an improbable ride that the warmed soles of Bengals diehards who were down to just a few glowing embers in the potbelly stove. Does the fired prediction employee have any guess before the stars align again?

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To quote a famous former NFL head coach, "They are who we thought they were, and we let 'em off the hook!". The Browns will not make the playoffs. The Bengals looked embarrassingly bad last night. This team thinks it can just roll into a stadium and blow the team out because they were AFC Champs last year. If they don't get their heads right, we are going to be hearing "Whispering Dave Lapham" a lot in the locker room after the games the rest of the year.

You can't "establish the run" if you don't run the ball very much. What is the difference between a two yard check down and a two yard carry into the gut of the line? At least you set up the play action pass with the former!

Anybody else enjoying the lovely weather right now??

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Mixon was never that good and now he's actually bad. The line still isn't what we expected, either. Teams are stopping their run game with ease while kicking back in 2 high safety looks. It's time to draft a RB and more O-line help. I know running isn't the "sexy" thing to do in the NFL anymore, but you have to at least be able to do it when the defense is giving it to you.

Unless they get hot in a hurry...this team is done for 2022. Offense is feast or famine and now the defense is getting beat up. Not a fun day to be a Bengals fan that's for sure.

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Bold take regarding Mixon. Players don't usually get drastically better or worse in a year. Something else is up with his production.

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Even running backs, though? I've never thought the dude was great running between the tackles. He's always been hesitant before hitting the line.

He averaged 4.1ypc last year, 3.6 the year before. 3.1 this year. Maybe it's not all him. maybe it's the line and the scheme...but based on what we've seen this year would YOU treat him as a serious threat if you were a D-coordinator? I wouldn't. I'd set up to stop Joe Burrow and dare the Bengals to run. So far we've seen that most games this year and it's shockingly effective.

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Panthers might start Browns castoff Baker Mayfield next week just to frighten the Bengals. He's 6 and 1 against the men.

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