Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Let's talk Cincinnati Bengals football!
skycruiser
Posts: 1345
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:17 am
Location: Parts Unknown

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by skycruiser » Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:00 am

Swag

By Paul Dehner Jr. Dec 26, 2021 72
There’s confidence bordering on cockiness. There’s reveling in the enjoyable wake of a decisive, 41-21, monumental victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

And then there’s Joe Burrow in a postgame press conference after throwing for a franchise-record 525 yards with a wry smile admitting he was thinking about comments made by the opposing defensive coordinator while wearing a Santa hat and red SpongeBob SquarePants Krusty Krab sweatshirt.

People ask what makes Burrow such a galvanizing leader in the locker room since his arrival in Cincinnati. Talk revolves around his intangibles, but what does that specifically mean? What is it about his personality that makes believers out of everyone?


Harkening back to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in 1964 describing his definition of pornography, “I know it when I see it.”

That. Burrow smirking in the Santa hat. That’s it.

Burrow offered no apologies. The Bengals didn’t either. Not for scrambling against his coach’s wishes and throwing bombs to Joe Mixon up 20 inside the final two minutes. Not for doing the Michael Jordan shrug afterward. Not for eviscerating a decimated Ravens secondary full of practice squad players. Not for trying to sharpen the knife of their finishing instinct at the hands of a Ravens team littered with nobodies.

“No. Heck no,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “No, no, no.”

Not here.

Not for a franchise that lost Carson Palmer on the first series of the playoff game in 2005 and Andy Dalton with a broken thumb in 2015.

Not for a franchise that lost a first-round pick to injury each of the last six seasons.

Not for a franchise that spent the last half-decade living the overmatched nightmare again and again, including against these Ravens to the tune of 65-6 over two games just last season with a 38-3, 404 yards rushing, season finale debacle the exclamation point.

“Week 17 last year we hardly had anybody left,” Taylor said. “I didn’t feel anybody minimizing their win against us. We sure as heck know how hard it is to win in December. These guys have fought hard, we asked them to answer the bell. They did. That’s still the Baltimore Ravens out there playing meaningful football for them so our guys shouldn’t apologize one second for the performance they went out there and did today.”


Joe Mixon celebrates after defeating the Ravens on Sunday. (Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)
This group wanted to change the attitude, perception and intimidation factor surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and games like Sunday’s establish all three.

Unapologetically. In the hunt for a final playoff push and potential January run, they will need every bit of the residual belief.

That starts with Burrow. He heard the comments made by Ravens coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale this week. Martindale was asked about using the same aggressive double team he did on Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams last week against Ja’Marr Chase and Burrow this week. Martindale stopped that line of conversation quickly, stating he would not.

“Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Fame quarterback, and I don’t think we’re ready to buy a gold jacket for Joe yet,” Martindale said.

Burrow didn’t want to be crowned a Hall of Famer. He says he wasn’t offended. But he didn’t miss the underlying disrespect.

“I didn’t think it was a necessary comment,” Santa hat Joe said.

Burrow said on the final plays of the game when he was still shy of 500 yards passing, Taylor was calling passes but made sure to mention he shouldn’t be scrambling and just throw the ball away. The 46-yard bomb to Mixon involved a scramble and near-miss on taking an unnecessary big hit.

“I knew I wasn’t supposed to do it,” Burrow said, “but we went out there and did it anyway.”

Did Burrow do it with a wink to Wink? The same coordinator who one year ago took public exception with the Bengals kicking a field goal in the waning moments of a 27-3 loss in Baltimore that was filled with zero blitzes with the game in hand.

“Maybe,” he said.

The smile associated with the response assured there was no maybe about it. Burrow and his cast of weapons went out and did whatever they wanted. They denied the method of destruction was meant as a message to the Ravens or the league, but it was about establishing what they will be about.



They are about the same things as their quarterback.

“I can’t say enough about him,” defensive end Trey Hendrickson said. “It was fun watching 9 work. It’s just one of those things that I wouldn’t go around pissing that guy off.”

The Bengals might be bitter. They might pile it on. They might run it up and keep on running no matter the situation.

That’s how you win games, divisions and, potentially, championships by building a belief within the locker room they can finish off anyone with any combination of the cornucopia of offensive weapons like this week, a relentless pass rush like last week or pounding Mixon like the 41-10 blowout of the Steelers in this building less than one month ago.

After two years of 6-25-1, the amount of revenge to be dished out is more than 525 yards long. They’ve now won six games by at least two touchdowns, one shy of tying the franchise record for a single season (1988) and tied with New England for second-most in the NFL this season. That includes all four against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

You better believe they love piling it on.

“Of course,” Mixon said. “Why not? Over these past few years, people been doing that to us. Same time, that’s a great feeling that roles reversed now.”

They’ve learned how to win, learned how to finish, grown a connected locker room and are on the verge of an AFC North title with one more victory.

They have two 1,000-yard receivers, PFF’s highest-graded quarterback, a pass rusher one game away from tying an NFL record for consecutive games with at least a half-sack and a defense in the top half of the league in points allowed per game.

They’ve developed a style, swagger and confidence all their own in the process.

If you want to know what it looks like, he’s wearing a Santa hat, SpongeBob sweatshirt and a smirk.

After years of enduring their own bad luck, talent deficiency and moments of the Lamar Jacksons of the league spinning them into the eternal highlight reel, the Bengals and a talented young roster are the ones doing the embarrassing and riding the rise of one of the game’s great young stars into January.

“Now,” Taylor said, “we’ve got that guy.”

Don’t expect them to apologize for it.

User avatar
Bengals1
Posts: 5045
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:54 am
Location: Sedona,AZ

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by Bengals1 » Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:27 am

And it all means nothing if they go out and lose the last two games.... :?
Image

User avatar
Bengals1
Posts: 5045
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:54 am
Location: Sedona,AZ

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by Bengals1 » Mon Dec 27, 2021 8:06 am

stripesincarolina wrote:
Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:12 pm
I've been looking at scenarios for the last hour and man is this convoluted. Things I thought were put to bed last week have all the sudden come to light. The Patriots have slipped and the Bills are deep in the hunt. The Broncos still have a shot. Say wut?? I'm still so confused. Somewhere, someway that Stoolers tie comes into play. And the Ravens own several tie breakers yet dont control their own destiny. What a mess!

We want the Steelers to beat Cleveland next week to take the Clowns off the table. And of course Rams to beat the Ravens. That would set up a Ravens win over Steelers in Baltimore in week 18 that would put us in no matter what. Even if we didn’t win another game.

If they would just go ahead and find a way to beat KC next week, that would solve a lot of problems. ;)
Image

stripesincarolina
Posts: 2769
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:30 pm

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by stripesincarolina » Mon Dec 27, 2021 8:07 am

Bengals1 wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:27 am
And it all means nothing if they go out and lose the last two games.... :?
No kidding. I'm not buying into this hype AT ALL and it concerns me that Zac is letting them get away with it. Sure, praise them for doing what they were expected to do. But remind them of how badly this team has performed in critical moments. Lets keep Burrow in check with a small reminder that he is still tied for the lead in INTs and that stat alone has cost us some key wins.

I love to see games like yesterday just as much as anyone. But before we categorize this team as "elite", lets see the score against KC next week. I have a hunch it wont be 41-21 Bengals.
AJ McCarron = Superbowl Wins

MeatHeadbengal
Posts: 2163
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:15 pm

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by MeatHeadbengal » Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:32 am

Bengals1 wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 8:06 am
If they would just go ahead and find a way to beat KC next week, that would solve a lot of problems. ;)
Personally I like the matchup with us against KC. Their defense likes to run press man on the outside and blitz a lot like Baltimore. These types of defenses Joe Burrow does really well against. Now it all depends on if we can stop them, our defense doesn't match up as well as our offense does but that's why we play the game.

User avatar
Joe Bananas
Posts: 1968
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:40 pm
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by Joe Bananas » Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:40 am

Bengals1 wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:27 am
And it all means nothing if they go out and lose the last two games.... :?
Or when the Rats pay us back and they run up and throw or run when up 20 with 2 minutes to go. Pay backs are hell fellas, just a friendly reminder that when we're at a low and the Rats are not and we meet again there'll be no mercy. None. Lol. At all.

I can't see us beating the chiefs. They're good. Mahomes is a difference maker. Cleveland,...maybe. but to have to stop Chubb. If we don't then it'll be a long day and lose the next 2 and more than likely we're out which will not be a good thing we all.
I was crazy back when being crazy really meant something.

MeatHeadbengal
Posts: 2163
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:15 pm

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by MeatHeadbengal » Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:47 am

Joe Bananas wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:40 am
Bengals1 wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:27 am
And it all means nothing if they go out and lose the last two games.... :?
Or when the Rats pay us back and they run up and throw or run when up 20 with 2 minutes to go. Pay backs are hell fellas, just a friendly reminder that when we're at a low and the Rats are not and we meet again there'll be no mercy. None. Lol. At all.

I can't see us beating the chiefs. They're good. Mahomes is a difference maker. Cleveland,...maybe. but to have to stop Chubb. If we don't then it'll be a long day and lose the next 2 and more than likely we're out which will not be a good thing we all.
Yesterday's game was a payback for the past few years we've been down and they've stomped a mud hole in our butts! No this is our payback to them, and I'm enjoying it! I wish he threw for 600 yards!!!

User avatar
Joe Bananas
Posts: 1968
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:40 pm
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by Joe Bananas » Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:54 am

MeatHeadbengal wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:47 am
Joe Bananas wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:40 am
Bengals1 wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:27 am
And it all means nothing if they go out and lose the last two games.... :?
Or when the Rats pay us back and they run up and throw or run when up 20 with 2 minutes to go. Pay backs are hell fellas, just a friendly reminder that when we're at a low and the Rats are not and we meet again there'll be no mercy. None. Lol. At all.

I can't see us beating the chiefs. They're good. Mahomes is a difference maker. Cleveland,...maybe. but to have to stop Chubb. If we don't then it'll be a long day and lose the next 2 and more than likely we're out which will not be a good thing we all.
Yesterday's game was a payback for the past few years we've been down and they've stomped a mud hole in our butts! No this is our payback to them, and I'm enjoying it! I wish he threw for 600 yards!!!
I'm not disagreeing. Although I did want to see Burrow get pulled due to possibly getting hurt.

I don't think the Rats or any team would see it that way. They obviously don't remember the times they beat us unmercifully, but we do. All I'm saying is its game on now. This sets a standard of a newly, refreshed rivalry. I hate the rats worse than anyone, as well as the Stoolers and clowns. But they feel like we ran up the score or whatever and they'll be looking for paybacks. That's a Harbaugh thing, he and his brother are dicks.
I was crazy back when being crazy really meant something.

User avatar
orange_black
Posts: 974
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2019 2:14 pm

Re: Bengals v Ravens Game Thread.

Post by orange_black » Tue Dec 28, 2021 1:17 pm

so sad i missed the game live. we were having a belated christmas get together with my family.

however i have watched the highlights twice.... man what a great team this is turning out to be.

the confidence is starting to overflow... in a good way.

they are good and they know it. they are having fun. this is a fun team.

Burrow has officialy made me gay. i want to kiss him.

the future look soooooooo bright right now... including the very near future!!! (next 2 games and playoffs)

*insert "playoffs!?!?!?" gif here*

but to the point of the thread.... it is indeed very nice to be up at the top of the North again.... its been too long and too infrequent in between.
Image

Post Reply