What Bengals Fans Are Saying

[dieterbrock]

What Bengals fans *should* be saying:
"We should start AJ McCarron and give Dalton the week off...."

 

[jrry32]

Haha.. Dirty, please.

My bro is a Bengals fan and he says Burfect is a dirty ass player.. He ended Leveon Bells season with a dirty tackle.

Also, regarding the Bears comments about standing in the way of passes during warm ups.. how is that dirty? I mean it might be a little immature thing to do for young adults but hey, these guys are still young pups, Veterans like Zach Miller and Jay Cutler could just move over a little bit and not cry about it like little girls.

I hope the Rams blast the Bengals this weekend for 2 reasons.

1. I can gloat to my brother.
2. Another win wouldn't hurt, especially against a fantastic team.

Vontaze Burfict is a piece of shit.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ct-asked-to-apologize-to-cameraman-by-bengals

 

[Prime Time]

http://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?/topic/78152-rams-bengals-capsule/

Rams-Bengals Capsule

ST. LOUIS (4-6) at CINCINNATI (8-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

OPENING LINE - Bengals by 7

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Rams 4-6, Bengals 8-1-1

SERIES RECORD - Bengals lead 7-5

LAST MEETING - Bengals beat Rams 20-13, Dec. 18, 2011

LAST WEEK - Rams lost to Ravens 16-13, Bengals lost to Cardinals 34-31

AP PRO32 RANKING - Rams No. 22 (tie), Bengals No. 4

RAMS OFFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (7), PASS (32).

RAMS DEFENSE - OVERALL (12), RUSH (16), PASS (9).

BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (12), PASS (9).

BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (16), RUSH (13), PASS (15).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Rams making only second visit to Paul Brown Stadium, where they lost 19-10 in 2007. ... Rams have dropped last three games. Fumble set up Justin Tucker's last-second field goal in Baltimore last week. ... Game matches two of NFL's top defensive tackles. Rams' Aaron Donald and Bengals' Geno Atkins have seven sacks each, tied for league lead by interior linemen. ...

Rams rookie RB Todd Gurley has rushed for 766 yards and six TDs in past seven games. He's scored TD in each of last five games. He leads NFL with four runs of at least 45 yards. ... Rams are second in NFC with 30 sacks, led by Donald (7) and DE Robert Quinn (5). ... Bengals have dropped last two games that came down to closing minutes. Cincinnati hasn't dropped three straight games since 2012. ... Bengals QB Andy Dalton needs 262 yards passing to join Peyton Manning as only players in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards in each of first five seasons. ...

RB Jeremy Hill needs two TDs to become first player in Bengals history with at least 10 TDs in each of first two seasons. ... TE Tyler Eifert leads NFL with 11 TD catches, most ever by Bengals tight end. ... Fantasy Tip: Giovani Bernard set club record with 128 yards on eight catches in Arizona, most yards receiving by Cincinnati running back. He also rushed for 18 yards and leads team in yards from scrimmage (891).

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/rams-bengals-capsule-112515
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Rams good run/good defense team. Last passing.

How do we counter?
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http://bengalsjungle.com/forum/showthread.php?5445-L-A-er-St-Louis-Rams-Cincinnati

L.A....er, St. Louis Rams @ Cincinnati

How bad is the Rams' Offense?

They are hoping Case Keenum can get through his concussion so he can start?
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Rams.....6
bengals...16
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Rams' players and staff will struggle focusing this week as one of their players, Stedman Bailey, lies in stable, but critical, condition, following an incident that occurred this evening.
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Bengals 34
Rams 0
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Forecast for wet conditions and raw temps Sunday.

Run...the...ball.
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The Bengals need to win these next two games to get their swagger back before that tough 3-game stretch with the Steelers and consecutive primetime games out west on the road. Bengals 24, Rams 13.
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http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/11/...-line-tough-test-struggling-bengals-offensive

Rams defensive line will be tough test for struggling Bengals offensive line
By Jason Marcum  @marcum89

Whitney Curtis/Getty Images

The Bengals' struggling offensive line won't get any relief this week when they face a Rams team that features one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.

Coming into this season, the Bengals were believed to have one of the NFL's best offensive lines, as they represented an elite line the last two seasons.

While the offensive line started off the season strong, it's been been anything but during the past six games, as the line has allowed Andy Dalton to be sacked 17 times and pressured on countless other occasions. This, after the line allowed just two sacks in the first four games and 21 in all of 2014. At this rate, the Bengals will allow 30 sacks this season, the second most they've allowed since Dalton became the starting quarterback in 2011.

The Rams have 30 sacks this season and the Bengals' struggling offensive line will face them this week. The Rams have the fifth most sacks of any team this season after notching 40 in 2014 (13th most), 53 in 2013 (third most), and 52 in 2012 (tied for first). Simply put, the Rams have annually been one of the league's best defenses in terms of sacks under head coach Jeff Fisher.

But the man really responsible for the Ram's defensive dominance this season is the defensive tackle who many compared to the Bengals' ownGeno Atkins going into the 2014 NFL Draft. That man is Aaron Donald, who quietly has become not only one of the best defensive linemen in the game, but is also a Defensive Player of the Year candidate this season.

Donald is up to seven sacks this season after getting nine in 2014 and is coming off a big game against the Ravens, for which Pro Football Focusgraded him the best interior defensive lineman of the week. Donald accounted for 10 tackles and a sack as he was destroying the Ravens' game plan. He's frequently in opponent's backfields and disrupts a game as much as any one defender in the league.

However, there's more to the Rams line than Donald. Robert Quinn is one of the game's best pass-rushers off the edge when he's healthy. In eight games this season, Quinn has notched five sacks after notching 40 from 2012-14. He also has 15 forced fumbles over his last 40 games, including three this season.

But injuries to Quinn's hip and back kept him out of the Week 11 loss in Baltimore and the Week 9 loss at Minnesota. He was originally listed as questionable going into Sunday, so there should be a good chance he plays this week. In addition to rushing from the left side opposite Andrew Whitworth, Quinn will occasionally line up over the guard and rush toward Clint Boling this week. Boling played well to start this season, but he has been struggling in recent weeks.

Fellow defensive end Chris Long is no slouch either. He has 53.5 career sacks, 33 of which came from 2011-13. He has just three in 12 games over the past two seasons. Injuries have plagued Long as of late, and a knee injury cost him four games before he returned this past week. He still has enough left in the tank to take advantage of a struggling Andre Smith at right tackle and get some pressure on Dalton.

What makes the Rams even harder to defend is they often blitz one or multiple defensive backs on obvious passing downs. Defensive backsMark Barron, Lamarcus Joyner, Maurice Alexander, and T.J. McDonald all have at least one sack this season. Still, it's the defensive lineman who've accounted for 22 of the team's 30 sacks this season.

As much as the Bengals offensive line has struggled as of late, they're about to get maybe their biggest test of the season if the Rams' defensive line is at full strength.
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Scary good D-line
I have to wonder how much of our pass protection struggles, and even run blocking, is a result of no decent blocking TE’s on our roster anymore. It’s no secret Eifert is more like Graham than Gronk, and Kroft is still very raw. In years past we have had Gresham (not the best but better than anything we have now) and others like Smith or Brock who were almost exclusively blocking TE’s. We are putting far more responsibility on just our 5 O-lineman and Gio to block the pass rushers. Just my take on it.
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Eifert is a MUCH better blocker than Graham.
Also, I’ve been happier with Eifert’s run-blocking than I was with Gresham’s. Pass-blocking, though, was almost always a strength of Gresham’s.

I’d put our pass-protection struggles (mainly) on the declined play of Smith and the usual, poor play from Bodine.
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Scary D line, less than scary D
Don’t be surprised if the Bengals shred this team over the middle and with screens.
And don’t even start with the excuse of an offense they have.
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Donald is unbelievably good
I wanted him so bad in the draft, no chance he fell to us but THIS is one of the few players we should have traded up for. He is going to be all over Bodine I’m sure.
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ironically
Somehow I feel that if Geno weren’t Geno, Donald might have fallen near our spot. I think Geno made people realize that a small’ish guy could wreak havoc at DT.
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If
Moobs doesn’t step up his game as well as Bodine we could be seeing a turn for the worse here.
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You say their D line is so good,…so why are they 4-6 ? OTOH, It’s becoming apparent why the Bengals drafted OTs @ no. #1 and 2.

IMO, Whits OK, but Andre Shith hasn’t proved worthy of the no # 1 pick he was. My guess is he’ll definitely be gone in 2016, and Welcome new OTs, Ogbuehi and Dave Fisher.

As mentioned earlier, I fear Andy can be beaten by pressure when he overthrows with un-catchable balls. The Texans and Rams just showed that, as if we didn’t know before then. After the last 2 games, this one is looking like a " pick ’em " dilemma.
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why they're 4-6 is weird
In some games they look amazing, they beat the Seahawks and Cardinals and put up a good fight against the Steelers. In other games, like last week against the Ravens, they look awful. They have some good pieces, but clearly not able to always pull it together.
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well....
They almost beat Pitt because Ben got hurt.

It seems to me that if they can run the ball, they will beat you, but if they can’t, things get very bad for them. They have a very bad set of WRs and weak QB play.

Somehow this game reminds me of going to the dentist. It will be unpleasant, but you have to do it and you are glad you did afterwards. (The afterwards will be a win. I hope.)
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They're D-line is a lot better with Quinn playing.
And they’ve taken out a lot of opposing QBs/RBs this year.
Not to say they’re (all) dirty plays but just surviving a Fisher/WIlliams defense is a very real concern.
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yes
It would really, really help for the defense to show up from play 1. I’d like to get a comfortable lead so we can run the ball/throw short passes to lower the chance of Dalton getting killed. They should increase the number of WR screens, etc, this week, though I do worry that the Rams DBs will jump a lot of short routes.
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Their DL really is that good.
Aaron Donald is the only DT in the league who can match Geno, and Rams fans will actually have an argument when they will undoubtedly say they like Donald more. Those two are 1a and 1b (in either order you want) and no one else is even close.
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Over Aggressive On Defense
Get them to chase and we’ll be fine, Screens and Draws & establishing a running game will more them to to play run and reaction rather than attack the ball
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This game worries me
cuz of that D-line. If Gio can break away a few good runs and Dalton can make sharp, quick throws for 5-10 yard chunks at a time, that will throw them off. Both Houston and Arizona got to Dalton and you saw what happened.
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With the current state of the Bengals offensive line,
no one should feel overly confident versus any team in NFL right now.

Especially the rams who sport one of the best dlines in the league. Aaron Donald is gonna expose are biggest weak link on the OL, that being Bodine, and Dalton is gonna be having to get rid of the ball quicker than usual or take huge hits like last week and somehow not get injured when 300lb men fall on you play after play.
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This.
I don’t think there’s a bigger issue with the team right now than the offensive line. We could’ve survived the injuries to the secondary Sunday night had the o-line held up a little better.

I’m nervous about this game and only because of the offensive line.

I remember hearing that during the Pats game, they’ve tried how many different combos of starting offensive lineman. Well, I liked Brady’s protection better, so maybe sticking with the same lineup that’s failing so many games in a row is actually worse than trying so many combinations?
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Fisher got to that SB early in his career - and got credit for the team not imploding after ditching Houston for Nashville
But since them – not really that much 23-30 w/Rams -

Hasn’t been to playoffs since 2008 – and has the reputation of "playing to the echo of the whistle" – when that era is passed

DLine is scary but Aaron Donald does not play QB – can’t see the Rams scoring more than 20 – only averaging 17.9

The OL needs to rally – not sure if they are worn out or were just a little overrated at beginning of season – probably a little of both
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aaron donald
the player everyone and their mother wants.

 

[snackdaddy]

Some Bengals fans are concerned. Some aren't. If I were a Bengals fan I would only be concerned about this being the proverbial trap game. Rams offense is so bad they easily offset any good the defense does.

But the NFL is a strange game. Teams like the Rams who have no chance on the surface tend to have that one game where all aspects come together. Maybe a special teams touchdown. Or a defensive touchdown and one big play by the offense to go with a suffocating defense. Think Denver last year when they manhandled their offense.

They can't do it enough to win multiple games, but they tend to have one of those games every year. I wouldn't expect it this week because its a road game. But you never know.

 

[A55VA6]

Rams defense and special teams can win the game for us, but our offense can, and probably will, lose the game for us. Bengals will likely win this game, but can we please be competitive? I want to see improvement - mostly on the OL. Because I think if we had a good OL, our run game would take off.

 

[Prime Time]

What Bengals fans *should* be saying:
"We should start AJ McCarron and give Dalton the week off...."

Some Bengals fans are concerned. Some aren't. If I were a Bengals fan I would only be concerned about this being the proverbial trap game.

If I were a Bengals fan I'd be most concerned about keeping Andy Dalton intact. Don't know if it's coincidence or what but 4 opposing QB's have been injured so far while playing the Rams.

 

[Loyal]

All that I know, is that I predict teh Rams will drive me crazy.....either they play out of their minds up to the talent on their team and win....or they get blown out with the offense scoring 3 points...I don't think it's crazy to expect a good team in year 4 of Fisher.......

 

[jrry32]

I think I've figured out the most Fisher thing possible...
Rams beat the Bengals and the Cardinals to even their record up at 6-6. They give us all hope that we're somehow about to run the table.
Rams then lose to the Lions, Buccaneers, and Seahawks (with either the Lions or Bucs blowing us out).
Rams then "salvage" their season by beating the 49ers in Week 17.

Yay for a 7-9 record.

 

[MountainRam]

I think I've figured out the most Fisher thing possible...
Rams beat the Bengals and the Cardinals to even their record up at 6-6. They give us all hope that we're somehow about to run the table.
Rams then lose to the Lions, Buccaneers, and Seahawks (with either the Lions or Bucs blowing us out).
Rams then "salvage" their season by beating the 49ers in Week 17.

Yay for a 7-9 record.

If I may suggest, get another serving of turkey and be thankful Rams doesn't have Baalke/Tomsula running the show.

 

[jrry32]

If I may suggest, get another serving of turkey and be thankful Rams doesn't have Baalke/Tomsula running the show.

They have made the playoffs multiple times in the past 5 years and even gone to the Super Bowl. So yes, I'm not feeling too grateful. About the only team we can feel grateful not to be is the Browns.

 

[LumberTubs]

A great D line can make any team's offense look average on any given gameday and, according to the article posted by Prime, the Bengals o line is struggling. For this reason, I'm not expecting the Rams to be blown out.

However, until this offense shows us that they're capable of anything even close to consistent play then there's no way I'm going to expect them to win any game and certainly not one away at the Bengals.

 

[nighttrain]

I think I've figured out the most Fisher thing possible...
Rams beat the Bengals and the Cardinals to even their record up at 6-6. They give us all hope that we're somehow about to run the table.
Rams then lose to the Lions, Buccaneers, and Seahawks (with either the Lions or Bucs blowing us out).
Rams then "salvage" their season by beating the 49ers in Week 17.

Yay for a 7-9 record.

That will just suck. but with weather prediction of
"Forecast for wet conditions and raw temps Sunday.

Run...the...ball."

sounds set up for a possible Rams upset
train

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/rams-bengals-preview-112515

Rams-Bengals Preview
AP

The type of urgency that's been smothering the St. Louis Rams is starting to set in for the Cincinnati Bengals.

While the desperation for one will be relieved, it will heighten for the other when the Rams visit the Bengals on Sunday.

Three consecutive losses have left the Rams (4-6) in danger of exiting the playoff picture, while a third straight for the Bengals (8-2) would threaten their division title hopes - which at one point seemed inevitable.

Cincinnati was off to a franchise-best start two weeks ago and held a four-game advantage in the loss column ahead of Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but back-to-back losses have opened the door for the Steelers (6-4), who visit Cincinnati on Dec. 13.

The Bengals haven't lost three straight since dropping four in a row midway through the 2012 season.

"The best football starts getting played now in November and December and January," offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. "You have to get hot. You have to catch your groove back again so that you can be one of those teams that can be hitting the stride at the right time."

The Bengals stumbled with an embarrassing 10-6 loss to Houston in front of a national Monday night audience Nov. 16, and a field goal in the closing seconds of last week's 34-31 loss at Arizona denied them a rebound win.

Their play was sloppy with 19 penalties for 178 yards in the losses, while quarterback Andy Dalton was sacked eight times for his highest two-game total this season.

Cincinnati's defense allowed a league-low 16.9 points per game through the first nine weeks but surrendered 27 in the second half against the Cardinals.

Dalton was questioned for his big-game ability after the prime-time loss to the Texans, and he missed an open A.J. Green on a key third down during the Bengals' final drive against Arizona, which ended with a tying field goal.

He still threw for 315 yards and two scores, working the Bengals back from 28-14 and 31-21 deficits in the fourth quarter.

"I think the one thing you can take from this is that there's no quit," Dalton said. "We fought until the very end and that's good to see. We've got to keep that mentality. We've got to keep doing that."

The Rams need a change after a trio of losses and an iffy quarterback situation have them in danger of a 12th consecutive season without a winning record. They'll have to catch themselves against Cincinnati and Arizona (8-2) over the next two weeks.

"We're trying to dig ourselves out of a hole," tight end Lance Kendricks said. "Hopefully, we have it in us. I know we do."

A sobering scenario this week took the focus off the field.

Wide receiver Stedman Bailey was shot in the head Tuesday while sitting in a parked car outside a home in the Miami area, where he attended high school. Bailey, serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, was in intensive care but in stable condition Wednesday after surgery and is expected to recover.

Bailey was eligible to return in two weeks from his second suspension, but coach Jeff Fisher says he does not expect the third-year receiver to play this season.

It remains uncertain whether quarterback Case Keenum will get what will be his second start in place of benched Nick Foles. Keenum suffered a concussion late in last week's 16-13 loss at Baltimore on a sack that was nullified by a penalty.

Keenum continued to play after showing obvious signs he'd suffered a head injury, leading to criticism of how the situation was handled by the Rams and the NFL. He split practice reps with Foles on Wednesday and is working through the concussion protocol.

St. Louis has lost four of five road games, including its last three, and had a chance to win following Keenum's injury, but he was sacked on the Rams' 41-yard line and lost a fumble with 1:00 left to set up Justin Tucker's winning field goal.

The involvement of two playmakers is high on the fix-it list for St. Louis. Running back Todd Gurley became the first rookie to run for at least 125 yards in his first four starts Oct. 4-Nov. 1, but has totaled 200 in his last three while averaging 3.3 per carry.

Wide receiver Tavon Austin finished with one carry for 16 yards and one catch for five more against Baltimore.

"It's a little frustrating, but all we want to do is win," Gurley said.
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http://forums.bengalszone.com/topic/25415-rams-bengals-pregame-chatter/

Rams @ Bengals Pregame Chatter

St. Louis - we should win. If they drop this one we get into dangerous territory. The bandwagon is already lighter after the last two weeks and it will empty out if they lose Sunday.
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It's crazy to see the panic. If we lose Sunday (we won't) I will get antsy.
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You guys should definitely win vs. the Rams. We play them twice a year and usually win. We lost a flukey game against them this year outplayed them and moved the ball up and down almost at will but couldn't make the TDS plus had turnovers. They do have a reputation of being dirty so you have to watch out for that.

Their front four is fierce their LBs are good especially Laurinaitis but not elite. Their DBs are OK. Offense is average except for Gurley. I see you winning the rest of your games.
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Today's injury report:

DNP Pacman (foot), Whit, Hall (vet)

Limited Burfict (knee), Dalton (groin), Marvin Jones (hammy), Kirkpatrick (knee), Sims (knee), Moobs (thigh), Williams (ankle)

Full Eifert (knee)

That's the most banged up they've been all year
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To be expected at this point in the year.

Some Rams injury info:

@GeoffHobsonCin: QB Keenum (concussion) limited for Rams; DE Quinn DNP (hip/back), CB Johnson DNP (thigh)
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http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/11/...-bengals-to-watch-for-against-rams/in/9564669

NFL Week 12: 5 key Bengals to watch for against Rams
By Alexzilla408  @Alexzilla408

If the 2015 NFL regular season were Super Mario Kart, the Bengals hit a banana peel in Week 10 and spent Week 11 trying to catch up to the pack. While it wasn't the devastating red shell of death for the season, injuries are mounting and the primetime curse continues to persist, despite a solid showing from the offense in a loss to Arizona.

This week brings the St. Louis Rams into Paul Brown Stadium. While a home game against a sub-.500 team is almost exactly what the doctor would prescribe to a team attempting to bounce back from consecutive losses, this Rams team is a formidable opponent.

Yes, they have the worst passing attack in the NFL (leaving a clearly concussed quarterback in the game certainly doesn't help), but they have an incredible featured back in Todd Gurley. This bodes well for an ailing secondary that will be without Darqueze Dennard for the remainder of the season while Adam Jones recovers from a foot injury.

Alternatively, the Rams' defense features a stellar pass rush that ranks fifth in the NFL in sacks with 30 on the season. This is an issue for the Bengals. In 2015, Andy Dalton has struggled against pressure. That pass rush has helped St. Louis give up 229 yards passing per game, good for 9th in the league, despite having mediocre overall talent in their secondary. Their star-studded front seven has been as mediocre as mediocre gets against the rush, ranking 16th in rushing yards allowed per game.

1.) Jeremy Hill
While the stats may not agree, Hill looked better against the Cardinalslast week. While he still isn't playing as well as Giovani Bernard, it was good to see him being a net positive after some of the struggles he has endured thus far. Nonetheless, he will remain important as the season progresses.

While being able to employ a power running game in the cold almost seems archaic in today's NFL, there's no doubt that it will greatly benefit the Bengals down the home stretch of the regular season.

Since Hill was able to somewhat rebound against a stingy Cardinals defense last week, it's not inconceivable that he could have a good game against the talented Rams defense. If Hill out-gains Todd Gurley, the Bengals should be able to win comfortably.

2.) Andre Smith
Big Smitty has been one of the biggest disappointments for the Bengals this year. As bad as it is to say, the often hurt right tackle hasn't always proven beneficial when in his starting role this year. Rushers have been able to speed around him with scary consistency. Smith's strength has always been in the run game.

However, big maulers like him are usually cornerstones to a great power run game. Whatever the reason is, the Bengals have not had a great power run attack with Jeremy Hill yet this season. We will need to hope for a turnaround game for Smith, as the aforementioned St. Louis front seven can absolutely feast.

3.) Rey Maualuga
The Rams offense has one good thing: Todd Gurley. Rey Maualuga does one thing well: Stop the run. This isn't quantum physics folks. If Rey plays well, it'll go a long ways toward a Bengals victory.

4.) Kevin Zeitler
Zeitler might have the most unenviable position on the Bengals' line. To his left is a known weakness in Russell Bodine. To his right is the underperforming Andre Smith. To compound issues, stud defensive tackle Aaron Donald will frequently be in his area. If Zeitler can find a way to neutralize Donald while giving help to his linemates on Sunday, he'll deserve all of the praise that we could possibly heap upon him.

5.) Ryan Hewitt
If Jeremy Hill returns to his 2014 form at any point this season, Hewitt will play a pivotal role in it. The combination of Andy Dalton's struggles under pressure and the immense pressure that the Rams can bring on every play places a high priority on being able to run the ball.

An effective running game will make a Bengals victory nearly inevitable. Hewitt's ability to pop out and give Dalton an option under pressure could also be key.
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Hmmm, how about Russel Bodine,
the guy who will literally be next to Aaron Donald all game. He’ll be having his hands full with Donald more than Zeitler.
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I feel like I’ve read every week for the past 3 or so games that Jeremy Hill looked improved that week. I’m still not seeing it.

If Hill out-gains Todd Gurley

If that happens it’ll be an absolute slaughter. I also don’t think it will happen. That said, I think we can slaughter the Rams even without Jeremy Hill doing anything significant.

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/11/27/9796286/week-12-bengals-vs-rams-behind-enemy-lines/in/9564669

Week 12 Bengals vs Rams: Behind Enemy Lines
By Scott Bantel and 3k on Nov 27, 2015

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

After two straight primetime losses, the Bengals get back to afternoon games and take on the St. Louis Rams.

This week, we are joined by 3k from Turf Show Times to discuss the Rams and what the Bengals must do in order to stop their skid at two games. How does a Rams fan see this matchup playing out? Read on to find out!

Q: After nine games, Jeff Fisher decided to bench Nick Foles and go with Case Keenum. While Foles was not lighting it up, the Rams were still in position to battle for a wildcard spot. Why did Fisher decide to make this move? Do you think it is the right move? And what does Keenum offer, that Foles did not? Who will be playing on Sunday?

A: I think you can explain this one easiest with the same rationale for the Nick Foles-Sam Bradford trade: change for the sake of change. It's not so much that Keenum is a "better" option or improves the passing game. It's just a matter of Foles not getting it done the last month. Sometimes it's enough of a spark to change momentum and get things going. Now obviously, it didn't work...but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the wrong call. And you wouldn't have found many Rams fans a week ago who were all that upset about the switch.

As for this Sunday, it's down to Keenum passing concussion protocols. If we're being honest though, it doesn't matter. Jeff Fisher football cuts the quarterback down to 50 percent in any case, so it's not all that big of a decision.

Q: Speaking of Fisher, this is his fourth year in Saint Louis and he has yet to put up a winning record or find a quarterback. In fact, he hasn't had a record over .500 since 2008 when he went 13-3 with the Kerry Collins/Chris Johnson lead Titans. Do you believe Fisher is coaching for his job this year? And if so, what will it take in order for him to keep his job?

A: I guess you could argue he's coaching for his job, but I don't think he's losing that battle. The Rams won six games last year and he made it to the 2015 offseason unscathed. I'd be surprised (a) if the Rams don't win at least two more games and (b) the same outcome doesn't repeat itself.

The promise of Fisher-ball is always alluring. To win 13 games with Kerry Collins at the quarterback position tells you what you need to know. You don't need a great answer there. You need everything else. Most would argue, and I'd be inclined to agree, the Rams are close. But getting the final offensive components are going to be tough to pick up in a single offseason. It's likely the last one Fisher gets without a winning record.

Q: Todd Gurley has taken the NFL by storm and is the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year (if not Rookie of the Year). Despite missing the first two (really three) games, he ranks fourth in the NFL in terms of rushing yards (775), is tied for second with six rushing touchdowns and his 5.0 YPC is tied for fourth amongst running backs with 100+ carries. Just how good is Todd Gurley? And what makes him so difficult to stop?

A: He's good. He's real good. It's just a combination of skills. He's too fast for his size and he plays too big for his speed. It's just a rare skill set to have in a single back.

The bigger concern for the Rams is that it took a Matt Millen-like effort to get there. The Rams draft four running backs from 2012-2014 under Jeff Fisher to begin preparing for the post-Steven Jackson era. Landing Gurley has been an unquestioned hit, but it cost the Rams 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th round picks in the preceding years to get there. Oh, and of those four RBs drafted in the three seasons prior to Gurley? None were in a Rams uniform on Sunday.

Q: The Rams have one of the best defenses in the league. In my opinion, they probably are the top defense in the league. What makes this defense so good? And are there any weaknesses on this defense?

A: It's just well-staffed front to back. The line grabs most of the headlines with DT Aaron Donald the superstar, though DE Robert Quinn is starting to get overlooked at this point (struggling with some injuries this year is certainly adding to that). The linebacking corps is capable, though the potential of OLB Alec Ogletree was burning obvious. He's now on IR, which really stings. He was developing into a top quality sideline-to-sideline LB.

And the secondary is just talented. You've got athletes at CB in Janoris Jenkins, Tru Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner, though perhaps the best pure cover options among them is second-year man E.J. Gaines...also on IR. And Rodney McLeod and T.J. McDonald at the back combined with the run-stuffing Mark Barron won't make problems. It's just very well-built.

If there's a weakness, it's over-aggression, both from a scheme standpoint and a pursuit one. Def. Coordinator Gregg Williams loves to bring extra rushers into the fray, and the Rams are a very, very physical defense in general. When they put all those chickens in one basket though, it's bound to backfire from time to time. The two 80+-yard receptions (which were really 5-yard passes and 75-yard runs) are clear examples of that.

Q: If you were the Bengals coordinators, how would you attack this Rams team on offense and defense?

A: On offense, you have to get the running game off. If you can run the ball at least a bit against the Rams, you can attack them underneath the middle. If you can't run though and you get stuck in 3rd and long situations or feeling desperate to move the ball through the air in bigger chunks before 3rd down. you're playing into the Rams' defensive hands.

On defense...just load up against Todd Gurley. The Rams can't pass the ball to save their lives, so it doesn't make sense to allocate a ton of defensive assets across the back.

Q: What is your prediction for Sunday?

A: I don't see how the Rams win this...which is exactly the kind of game they win under Jeff Fisher. Three weeks ago, the Rams were 4-3 and looking to set up position for a playoff run. Their last three games have been an overtime loss in Minnesota, a bounceback loss at home to Chicago and Week 11's loss to the Ravens after being up 13-3 to start the 4th quarter... Everything's headed in the right direction to pull off an unfathomable win.

But, nope. Can't do it. Yall win by two touchdowns with an early pick-six. The Rams will score less than 10 points. Tears will be shed. Children will scream. Woe. Woe for ever and ever.
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Great Q & A from both sides
The Rams are a QB away from being a GREAT team. They have a solid core on both sides with some great YOUNG pieces that they can build upon for years. The Rams are very physical, which can win games in the NFL regardless of QB. If their D-line wreaks havoc on Dalton, they can win this game.

 

[Memento]

TV: FOX with Thom Brennamen (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analyst) and Tony Siragusa (sideline)

Welp, that settles it. Not watching the game. Thom Brennamen, the announcer for the Cincinnati Reds, commenting on a Bengals game against the Rams after he whined about how absolutely dirty they were for the whole game after the Bridgewater hit in the Vikings broadcast?

I'd rather hear a wolf being horribly tortured, and I love wolves.

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/11/...t-louis-rams-fans-think-of-bengals-in-week-12

Opposing Outlook: What St. Louis Rams fans think of Bengals in Week 12
By whodeyfans  @WhoDeyFans on Nov 27, 2015

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Every week we will take a look around the web to find some of the thoughts of opposing teams' fans concerning their upcoming game with the Bengals. This week we peek into Turf Show Times' comment section.

I wonder if it is the Thanksgiving holiday or if the bunch at the Turf Show Times is not into talking about upcoming opponents, but there is not much commenting going on at the SB Nation Rams blog about the Bengals.

Here's one tongue in cheek comment relating to the Bengals game this weekend:

we can totally put 24 to 30 points on the Bengals.
3 defensive touchdowns, a special teams touchdown, and a GZ field goal.
Rams win 31-17.

What I found far more interesting and had been mentioned many times on their site was the fans are interested in removing Jeff Fisher from his coaching duties. A full on upswell of support for firing the head coach is happening. While firing coaches is not such big news for a team that has struggled pretty badly for the last 12 years, the interesting part is who continues to get mentioned as a replacement.

I like Hue Jackson. The Bengals offense has done well lately for him, and until lately, many Raiders fans wished he remained their head coach.

Hue Jackson has been a head coach in the NFL. He also has turned some heads with what he has done with the Bengals offense the last couple of years.

The Bengals may be facing the reality of having a revolving door of assistant coaches based on the sustained success year in and year out.

For the most part, from the sparse commenting on the Bengals vs Rams game from Turf Show Times, the thoughts from Rams fans are in the Bengals' favor:

We lose 38-6....we score a meaningless TD late but Pegleg-A-Tron misses the extra point

Our only chance of winning another game are if the other teams take us for granted and we pull some tricky shit out of our asses. Even the Whiner game will be a toss up. At least I can just kick back and drink Rams beers without getting pissed at our Rams, they are what fish has made them.

Side note: Only fish could screw up this coaches dream scenario up….lots of cap space, the redskin fleecing, the dumping of SBs contract and this team still gets worse every year….i submit no other coach in the NFL would squander this much capital like the fish has….and if they did they woulda been canned long before now.

Other Rams fans are nervous about their quarterback being in the concussion protocol.

This game has Rams QB concussion protocol written all over it....... Bengals two straight close losses coming home ( Yikes)

The Rams offense will likely be an issue for them this weekend, which some fans are realizing.

We're only underdogs because we have no offense. If we had some offense, this would be a close game. Maybe Fisher and Co. picked up some offense at a Black Friday sale and we will be all set to go.

This may be sarcastic, but we'll assume this fan thinks the Rams can win with 13 points.

Look out Bengals...... We're coming and we are bringing our offense with us !!! 13 points. Take it to the bank.
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These were the same comments from the Houston fans
They mostly said the same thing. The rest was history…
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bro you literally took word for word out of my mouth,
literally same things Houston said, and we got our asses kick.

I’m tired of people just trying to compare teams on paper and calling it a day. This goes for all fans. Any given sunday a team can win. doesn’t matter how loaded your roster is.

Look at what the Lions are doing!!!
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You didn't mention the best comment I read on the entire site.
A poster who I can only assume was their version of MAB had the most positive, uplifting post I’ve ever read. Even my mood improved just by reading it. Here’s my favorite nugget

We aren’t last in passing yards. We are FIRST in opportunity to improve the passing game.
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We better not come out and lose this one..
Their fans have already given us the victory and they should know they have to watch the Rams every week. I have a feeling we’ll get back on track too. We need to get spirits up for the Pittsburgh game!!!
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Bengals fans understand Rams fans frustrations
But to think the Rams are coming into PBS and to do what the Texans did is unthinkable! I’m more inclined to believe the Rams, unfortunately, will be the recipient of absorbing all of the frustrations of a pissed off Bengals team right now. Bengals 34-13. With all due respect to the Rams fan who stepped up!
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Bengals are a good team, which means Rams will play them close or pull of a stunning upset
We only get destroyed by bad teams like the Redskins, Bears, and Ravens

Regardless, good luck and have fun! Here’s to an exciting, injury free game!