(12-23-2024, 02:47 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Isn't this the opposite of what we want? We need KC to beat Denver.

(12-23-2024, 02:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: What NFL team goes through the year with no injuries? It's the lament of the losers. Our team is bad because of injuries.

(12-23-2024, 02:51 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Every team has injuries, that's a fact. But that doesn't negate teams get hurt by having multiple injuries to the same position group. That happen to every team now and again too. To pretend it doesn't is ignoring facts.

(12-23-2024, 03:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Nobody is pretending injuries don't matter. What the debate is, is the quality of the players injured.

At DT, IF Rankins and all the DT's were healthy, I doubt we'd have a good defensive line still. I think Rankins isn't a good fit here.

Same in the secondary. If all of our CB's were healthy, I don't think we'd be great. Dax Hill shouldn't be a #1 CB. He was considered a failure at Safety and moved to CB. He's maybe a #3 or 4 CB on a good defense.

Turner likely isn't a top 3 CB on a good defense.

Hubbard's performance has been down. Maybe it's injuries? Maybe it's age. Murphy, Jenkins, and Ossai have been relatively healthy and they've largely struggled.

(12-23-2024, 03:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Nobody is pretending injuries don't matter. What the debate is, is the quality of the players injured.

At DT, IF Rankins and all the DT's were healthy, I doubt we'd have a good defensive line still. I think Rankins isn't a good fit here.

Same in the secondary. If all of our CB's were healthy, I don't think we'd be great. Dax Hill shouldn't be a #1 CB. He was considered a failure at Safety and moved to CB. He's maybe a #3 or 4 CB on a good defense.

Turner likely isn't a top 3 CB on a good defense.

Hubbard's performance has been down. Maybe it's injuries? Maybe it's age. Murphy, Jenkins, and Ossai have been relatively healthy and they've largely struggled.

(12-23-2024, 03:41 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Jenkins and Jackson both got hurt in camp and got thrown into the deep end with the other DT injuries. We were signing guys off the street (Guy) at DT. At DE, too (Henry). 

On top of that, Stone & CTB were awful early, Hubbard, too. Bell as well, and Battle was so out of sorts Anthony was getting snaps instead. And Pratt has struggled. 

Dax & Turner are not world beaters in coverage, but they are better than Hilton, Fig, and Ivey (who was also out early). 

Speaking of Hilton, he is largely wasted sitting back in zone. If he is not gonna blitz once in a while (run or pass) we are wasting his strongest attribute. That is on Lou. 

(12-23-2024, 03:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Agree on DT, but to have all your DT's hurt but one is catastrophic no matter the talent. Dax was looking really good at boundary 
Corner and has first round talent. DJ Turner also was looking good before going down and could be a #1 with his speed and fluid 
hips which are elite.

CTB, Stone and Bell playing poorly along with terrible LB play, bad tackling and no pass rusher besides Trey have been our problems.

Thankfully these players are playing better for the most part at this point and we are finally playing opportunistic on Defense which 
seems to be the only way Lou's Defenses play well. We need a new DC after this season regardless because of this fact.

(12-23-2024, 02:48 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Yeah...I think Mia and Indy both losing out is improbable.

(12-23-2024, 04:05 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I think a lot of us come out the same place:

The injuries hurt some amount particularly at a few positions, but there are other major issues. We need several major upgrades on defense. The young guys haven't produced much. And our scheme and coaching is questionable and needs upgraded.

Does that sound fair?

(12-23-2024, 04:25 PM)Bengal Billy Wrote: Neither Miami nor Indy have to lose out.
Each of them have to lose only 1 game of their last 2.
Not super likely, but not improbable.

Miami - @Browns @NYJ
Indy- @NYG vsJags

Wouldn't surprise me to see Miami drop one of those two.
Indy, idk. Don't trust them very much to be consistent but they have an easy one.  I could see the Jags giving them a good game though.

Regardless how it shakes out,
I'm excited to see Cincy having a BIG meaningful game in week 17 at home and potentially week 18 as well.   After this disaster of a season, very surprising to see it meaningful this late.  Everyone can root how they want, I for one am glad about it.

Also, week 18:
There is the possibility that Pitt needs to win week 18 to win the AFCN or lose it to Balt.  Whether or not the Bengals are still hopeful of playoffs,, it would be super satisfying to see Cincy beat them and keep them from the AFCN title.

So there's that as well for me.

(12-23-2024, 02:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: What NFL team goes through the year with no injuries? It's the lament of the losers. Our team is bad because of injuries.

(12-23-2024, 04:57 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 100%

Lions have 5 LB and 6 DL on the IR right now. They signed and started a guy off the Rams PS. They signed and started another guy off the Broncos PS. They signed and started a guy cut off the Dolphins. They had another guy getting defensive snaps after signing him off the Jags PS.

(12-23-2024, 04:25 PM)Bengal Billy Wrote: Neither Miami nor Indy have to lose out.
Each of them have to lose only 1 game of their last 2.
Not super likely, but not impossible.

Miami - @Browns @NYJ
Indy- @NYG vsJags

Wouldn't surprise me to see Miami drop one of those two.
Indy, idk. Don't trust them very much to be consistent but they have an easy one.  I could see the Jags giving them a good game though.

Regardless how it shakes out,
I'm excited to see Cincy having a BIG meaningful game in week 17 at home and potentially week 18 as well.   After this disaster of a season, very surprising to see it meaningful this late.  Everyone can root how they want, I for one am glad about it.

Also, week 18:
There is the possibility that Pitt needs to win week 18 to win the AFCN or lose it to Balt.  Whether or not the Bengals are still hopeful of playoffs,, it would be super satisfying to see Cincy beat them and keep them from the AFCN title.

So there's that as well for me.

(12-23-2024, 05:27 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: It's hard to see either Miami or Indy losing a single game.

(12-23-2024, 05:27 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: It's hard to see either Miami or Indy losing a single game.

(12-23-2024, 05:55 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I'm absolutely torn between beliving in Indy having a crazy-easy schedule, and also believing in Indy habitually choking on win-and-in games against their division rivals.

(12-23-2024, 08:34 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Indy has issues at qb. So you never know.

(12-23-2024, 09:36 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: It happens all the time. The Colts were up big on the Titans, a team we just beat down and let them back into the game.

Not a good sign if you are a Colts fan, but a great sign if you are a Bengals fan and need them to lose a game to an inferior opponent.

(12-23-2024, 04:57 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 100%

Lions have 5 LB and 6 DL on the IR right now. They signed and started a guy off the Rams PS. They signed and started another guy off the Broncos PS. They signed and started a guy cut off the Dolphins. They had another guy getting defensive snaps after signing him off the Jags PS.