Same Old Bengals

Wow, the Cincinnati Bengals look good hey?!  3-0, huge win in Baltimore, THIS year the Bengals are legit.  Just like we said last year.  And the year before that.  And the year before that.  Wait, soooooo why do they look good?  They don’t.

Something I’ve heard Colin Cowherd say a lot on his show lately is that you can’t trust a teams record in September and it is so true.  The Bengals always win, the Colts always lose, the Jags always fail to live up to my expectations of mediocre.

It isn’t because this team is poorly coached.  Marvin Lewis is in his 13th season as head coach of that team if you can believe it and has always done a great job with what he has to work with.  Talent is all over the field too.

But this is a quarterback league, and the Bengals have a guy in Andy Dalton who is good but nothing special.  If you traded Dalton for Eli Manning tomorrow, Manning would be considered elite, and Dalton would be getting hammered by the NY fans, media, and opposing D-linemen.  He is a result of the talent he has around him.  That O-line is REAL good, and his weapons have size and speed.  A.J. Green might be the best WR in football.  Their run game with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard is elite.  This team doesn’t have a hole, so pretty much any QB is going to look respectable with all of that around him.

But they really are in no man’s land.  Dalton is just good enough to keep around.  And this roster won’t be bad enough to put themselves in position to get a high end QB in the draft.  So what do you do?

I don’t have that answer, but what I do know is the Bengals have to win a playoff game or two before I start singing their praises.  They have pulled this shit EVERY. SINGLE. SEASON. for the last 5 years.  I don’t care anymore and the knobs jumping on their bandwagon again after 3 weeks are just that, knobs!  Let me know how you do in January, until then I don’t want to even know you exist.  Nice hair though.

Ok so how about I chill for a minute and make some of my shitty picks ATS?!  Another 2-3 week last week, putting me 8-7 for the season.  I guess at the end of the day that’s a solid jump off point, but it’s time to pad the stats and I will admit I feel great about these picks this week.  A lot of times I won’t say anything like this, I’m hesitant.  But there were a lot of games I loved this week.  In fact, I didn’t put the Rams +7 on here but I was damn tempted too (hint, hint).  I think I can safely say, use these.  Just don’t bet what you don’t have!

Houston at Atlanta

Texans +6.5

No chance the Falcons win this game by 7.  AIN’T NO WAY.  The Texans aren’t great because their QB play is brutal.  But they’re good, and they’re all wrong for the finesse ass Atlanta Falcons.  So take the points here, Texans may pull the upset here.

Kansas City at Cincinnati

Bengals -4

I’m officially off the Chiefs, and I don’t know how they aren’t 7 point dogs here much like they were in Green Bay.  Look, I know I just got done berating the Bengals, but right now they’re elite.  It won’t last, but I trust them here.  Short week for KC, Alex Smith is the check down king, the Bengals will run away with a 13-20 point win here.

Oakland at Chicago

Bears +3.5

As much as I’m pulling for the Raiders to make it back to NFL respectability and believe they’re well on their way, they shouldn’t be giving this many points.  Cutler as of writing this I believe is in for Sunday, and the Bears…while bad…aren’t THAT bad with him in.  Add to this it is a 10 AM start for the Raiders, never a good thing for a West coast team going East or an East coast team going West.

Cleveland at San Diego

Browns +7

You can’t give a team underachieving like the Chargers currently are 7 points.  I don’t care if the Browns suck and the Chargers at home, it’s too many.  The Browns have elements, namely their D, that can make life completely miserable for a football team.  So the Chargers win, but I believe this score will end up real close.

Minnesota at Denver

Vikings +7

If you can’t give the Chargers this many points then I don’t see how the Broncos get them.  Look, I haven’t drank the Vikings Kool-Aid this year like a lot of people have.  They have a good team, I don’t think they’re heading to the playoffs though.  But the Broncos have look awful.  I don’t care that they’re 3-0.  If it isn’t for a pick in the end zone and a poor decision to run instead of take a knee, they could be 1-2.  They beat the Lions in Detroit, so what?!  The Lions offense has completely disappeared this season.  The Vikings will keep this game tight, might even pull out the win.

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