Worried about the Bengals in 2012?

[jwmann2]

The franchise has really got it's act together in terms of the way they have drafted. It looks like they understand that your top NFL free agents would only sign with Cincinnati if it were a last resort aka if a player was past his prime and had no other offers. They have a talented tandem in Aj Green and Dalton and will also have Shipley back who missed all of last season.

How do the Browns matchup against the Bengals in 2012? As always, I look for the AFC North to be wide open and the toughest conference in professional football.

[FUDU]

Dalton is completely overrated.

[jb]

Browns have to run their own race. Lots of teams to get by and the AFCN is everything the ALCD isn't. You have to be a real team to compete,not .500 bullshit. Bengals are certainly on the rise and have drafted extremely well the past several years. They are built to last and SOB didn't panic every off season. There's a lesson there people.

[pod2dawg]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That especially about their excellent drafts.

[peeker643]

Bullshit. I haven't slept well at night since the Ken Anderson days. Fucking Bengals have ruined my life. How can you not be worried?

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Bullshit. I haven't slept well at night since the Ken Anderson days. Fucking Bengals have ruined my life. How can you not be worried?

It's like the time I ate 9 tacos and drank a 12 pack of Natty Ice.

Bad things.

[googleeph2]

The first half of their schedule really opened up for them in 2011.

They started out 6-2, and their return game was getting them a lot of good field position early.

They ended at 3-6 including getting rolled at Houston in the playoffs (and including beating a crappy Browns team.

They could be up-and-coming, but I need to see it to believe it.

But if Cleveland had Dalton and Green, we'd be sky-high about it.

[jerryroche]

The Browns have enough of their own problems to worry about, starting with whether Weeden is the second coming of Otto Graham or the second coming of Derek Anderson. I won't list the rest of the worries here.

Fuck the Bengals. I dream of the day when we have to worry about the Steelers and Ravens.

[pod2dawg]

^ I dream of the day when they have to worry about us.

[googleeph2]

Man, it seems like a looooong time since we beat a division opponent.

I don't even want to look it up- would depress me.

I think we'd have a shot at Cincinnati this yr, but playing them in Game 1 seems tough since they are more established.

[Hikohadon]

If you're the Cleveland Browns, there isn't any team you don't have to worry about.

Now, is the rest of the NFL worried about the Bengals? Doubt it. Dalton is ah-ight. The Law Firm is ah-ight. Their D is solid but not world-beating. They aren't special in many areas, Green is the only one that leaps to mind. They'll probably hover around 8-8 or 9-7 again this year.

[Triple-S]

Keep in mind the Bengals won in week 1 due to flat out bad coaching.

In week 12, the Browns actually had a 20-17 lead on them, and then gave up just 6 points, and wern't able to put points on the board due to the fact that our offense was terrible.

This isn't a case of them being that team being much better than the browns, moreso of the Browns own stupidity.

[LakeErieWarriors]

I'd never admit to being worried about the Bengals. They're southern Ohio's version of us, meaning you truly never know which team will be showing up on Sundays. That being said, I think this matchup looks pretty damn close to even this year. One key to the Bengals offense is going to be the success, or lack thereof when it comes to Benjarvis Green-Ellis. We'll find out if he's a guy that was only successful because he was on a team with a great OL and an even better set of skill players, or maybe we'll find out that he is a legit 3-down back. We've seen what Dalton can do with a 1000 yard back; what if his new RB is only a 600 yard back?

[GodHatesClevelandSport]

Last season, Bengals won 9 games. Brown won 4.

Bengals beat the Browns in the final minutes of both matchups. Swing those around and the Bengals have 7 wins, Browns 6.

So the teams are much, much closer than it appears.

[Triple-S]

I had seen a few preseason power polls list us at having a win total of 1 win or being flat out dead loss.

They can't be that bad can they?

[Hikohadon]

I had seen a few preseason power polls list us at having a win total of 1 win or being flat out dead loss.

They can't be that bad can they?

No. They won't be good, per se, but they won't win 1 game or end up dead last. That's just for national guys that don't pay the Browns any mind.

Certainly helps take the pressure off them.

[Gradysmanldy]

I think most folks here agree that they'll be better than last year, but still not ready to truly "compete" for another year.