Cincinnati travels to Arizona in a must win game. This season is in danger of slipping away. What looked like an easy W at the beginning of the years looks anything but right now. The Bengals look lost in all 3 phases and the Joe Burrow calf injury from July is still dominating the storylines around this team. Meanwhile the Cardinals look far more intriguing than anyone would have predicted just a few weeks ago. If Cincinnati will come anywhere near their preseason expectations of competing for a Super Bowl, a win this week is an absolute must.

I truly have no idea, I have very little optimism at this point. I do agree that this is an absolute must win game. 

On a positive note, the division is winnable.  The Steelers stink and neither Baltimore nor Cleveland look like they’re gonna run away with anything. 

Tee Higgins will be out for a while with a broken rib.

2 hours ago, hrcarrier said:

I truly have no idea, I have very little optimism at this point. I do agree that this is an absolute must win game. 

I agree with you, right now I would not pick the Bengals no matter who they’re playing 

29 minutes ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

I agree with you, right now I would not pick the Bengals no matter who they’re playing 

Somehow Cincy is favored by 5 points.

 

If Joe B continues to play without his normal escapability and uncanny scrambling ability, the Redbirds will win. Many of the Bengal victories the past 2 years would have been losses without Joe’s mobility. He is not the same player right now that we are used to seeing. 

If Kyler Murray was going to be back I'd say Bengals certainly.  But Josh Dobbs has been pretty solid in relief and I think gives them the best chance to win. James Connor has been solid in the run game. If the Bengals can contain Dobbs leaving the pocket, they win. 

20 hours ago, mcpapa said:

On a positive note, the division is winnable.  The Steelers stink and neither Baltimore nor Cleveland look like they’re gonna run away with anything. 

I agree but I also think if the Bengals lose to the Cards that is probably a wrap on 2023.  If anything, best case after a loss this week would be a 9-8 division champ or something like that.

Like others, I'm not sure at this point.   The Bengals are playing bad, but the Cardinals are just bad.   I'll take the Bengals.    If the Cardinals do win, do the Bengals start tanking for Marvin Harrison, Jr?

 

6 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Like others, I'm not sure at this point.   The Bengals are playing bad, but the Cardinals are just bad.   I'll take the Bengals.    If the Cardinals do win, do the Bengals start tanking for Marvin Harrison, Jr?

 

All I can say is if I think the Bengals are tanking super early in the season, I will be looking for a new NFL team follow.  With that said, if it is the last couple weeks of the season and they want to sit Burrow down, I am good with that.

14 minutes ago, theguru said:

All I can say is if I think the Bengals are tanking super early in the season, I will be looking for a new NFL team follow.  With that said, if it is the last couple weeks of the season and they want to sit Burrow down, I am good with that.

I was joking, obviously.    I think they fight as long as they can.   Even that last 2 years they started slow and hit massive winning streaks in the middle of the season.   Maybe that's just their thing.

3 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

I was joking, obviously.    I think they fight as long as they can.   Even that last 2 years they started slow and hit massive winning streaks in the middle of the season.   Maybe that's just their thing.

Joke or not, it made me think.

1 hour ago, Tranquility Base said:

Like others, I'm not sure at this point.   The Bengals are playing bad, but the Cardinals are just bad.   I'll take the Bengals.    If the Cardinals do win, do the Bengals start tanking for Marvin Harrison, Jr?

 

Saw this and back to thinking, but there is no way the Bengals are getting him unless they trade too.

2 hours ago, theguru said:

Saw this and back to thinking, but there is no way the Bengals are getting him unless they trade too.

I kinda think like the best case scenario should be Marvin Harrison.  I feel he had a better career than Johnson.