The Stripe Hype team weighs in on the state of the Cincinnati Bengals

0-9 has solicited a lot of opinions from Cincinnati Bengals fans. The Stripe Hype team weighs in on the state of a franchise apparently rudderless and desperate for a first win.

The Cincinnati Bengals enter Week 11 with a big doughnut in the win column as they head to the East Bay for a must-win, or look better losing, kind of game against an improving Oakland Raiders team. It really is either a must-win or keep on losing kind of event depending on which side of the aisle you sit on. Crazy, right?

First, a show of hands for those who say “lose them all, get the No. #1 pick!” Now a show of hands who say, “I just love this team and I hope they do better.”

It’s a tough time to be a Bengals fan. As I scroll through Twitter, it looks downright bleak. Yet, I also see those who have this remarkable resilience and just love the home team. It’s odd, it’s confounding, it’s hopeful, and it is, at times, brave for the few who see silver linings.

Which side are you on?

At 0-9, the Bengals are wading into that dark abyss where the word “historic” is getting kicked around, and not in a good way. Most fans would agree that this franchise is in trouble, in need of some serious and tangible guidance, and that change is needed. How they get there seems to be the most contentious debate.

Odds are, the debate won’t end soon. As my colleague said just yesterday, Stripe Hype social media is a “dark place right now.” It is, and it could be for a while.

Stripe Hype is the home of a lot of passionate debate by writers who want to opine about a winning team. That may be some time away. That said, they have a lot of opinions about how winning ultimately happens. They are also fans who, like you, have an opinion. Here, in their own words, is where the state of the Cincinnati Bengals exists.