ICYMI: Cincinnati Bengals: Hearing the Voices of the Fans
Dec 13, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals fans celebrate late in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Bengals defeated the Eagles 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
We at Stripe Hype try to do our very best in presenting fans with the latest updates on Cincinnati Bengals news. Many of the articles leading up into the draft later this month will be dedicated to previewing next season-what the team can work on, which players will step up when they need to, how Andy Dalton will react to high-pressure games, whether or not Jermaine Gresham will ever catch a football, and many more topics.
Of course, we are only a small group of writers representing an entire nation of Cincinnati fans. The truth of that comes with the realization that I -that we- can only do our jobs so well without your help. While all of our work is dedicated to serving our fellow Cincinnati die-hards, this article is our attempt to give some of the Bengals fans out there a larger voice.
Whether living within 50 miles of Paul Brown Stadium, or 1,000 miles away from the bordering Ohio River, fans give their opinions on their expectations and predictions for the 2013 season.
And with that, here’s what they had to say.
“For the first time in decades, Cincinnati had back-to-back playoff appearances from 2011-2012. However, I think this is the year they make some waves once they get there. Or at least one. I expect the Bengals to challenge for the division crown, and I’m counting on watching them play next January when it really counts. Geno Atkins should lead a top defense all year, and I think Andy Dalton will improve in his third season. I’m going with a 10-6 prediction and our first playoff win since 1991.”
-Courtney Schultz, Marine Biology Major at the University of South Florida
“I’m pretty sure the Bengals will be great, since we have Rey Maualuga back on this team. We also have Andrew Hawkins back in business for a WR. If we have Hawkins, Green, and Gresham as WR’s we will be unstoppable. If our linemen block for Dalton, Dalton can make amazing plays like he did for the past 2 years. Since Pittsburgh and Baltimore are losing players, we could have a chance to win the division. We never know until we start the season. I’m pretty sure we will be fine this year. We just have to wait for the season to start before I can figure out a record. My guess will be 11-5.”
-Justin James from Murray, UT
“My expectation for the Bengals is to have a winning record and winning at least one playoff game this year. We have shown we can win games in the regular season, but we need to show people that we can win at least a playoff game, to show everyone this is the “new better Bengals” and not the same “old bungals” that we had for a few decades.”
-Michael from Columbus, OH