Bengals F-chise

[ksbraswell]

Let me start off by giving you a bit of background about my experience in this game.

1. I have owned this game from day 1. Yep, bought it with the madden 09 and took me 2 days to throw madden away and just play this.
2. I have only started in preseason 1 time in this game, (right when the roster update came out with Favre on the Jets).
3. I have never played a full 15 year career.
4. I play this game religiously still .

So with that said. I needed a change. I decided to start in the preseason, and picked the Bengals for 2 reasons: 1)because I like Keith Rivers & 2) they can never get it together in real life!!
Their CB's are decent, they have a good QB and 2 good receivers. So they have a decent foundation, but they still need alot of help in the O-line, RB, TE, DL, LB, and safeties.

TJ is in the last year of his contract, so that makes it a bit more challenging as I know if I resign him, he will take up a good bit of cap.

Marvin Lewis will NOT be making an appearance in this game. I decided to keep the Bengals Vertical Passing Offense, and went with the traditional Tampa 2 defense.

I will sim the preseason and play out the regular season/playoffs with adambroski's sliders, calling the offensive plays, and allowing the D-Cordinator to call defense.

I started off with a 30 Approval rating, this may be harder than I thought.

Be back soon with the preseason results.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

So preseason so far isn't that bad. I signed Keith Rivers (5yr/16M) and Jerome Simpson (4yr/4.1Mill) to their deals. I looked to see what free agents were available, and not much there. I picked up Ty Law and Tony Bake. Was suprised to see Jordan Palmer in the game (he's not there from the offseason ).

I went 1-3 in the preseason and have my lineups set for the regular season.

Here are my preseason notable moves. I am setting some ground rules that I will list when the season starts.

Traded Ty Law for Atlanta 3rd rounder
Traded Regan Maui for Denver 4th and 7th rounder
Picked up Junior Seau from Free Agency in Week 3 of the preseason.
Picked up Mike Tolbert, Peyton Hillis and Deangelo Williams in the 4th week.

My preseason promise was to finish below .500 (-2% approval).

So my current approval is 31%, and I have the Jack English draft path (I know this is the easy path, I will have to set some strong ground rules now).

First game up is Baltimore Ravens. Hopefully the Flacco and Rice combo isn't ready to play yet.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

So here is my ground rules for playing. I hope this is challenging enough for me.

- Can only cut 2 players per year that still have contracts
- Cannot use Franchise Tag ever

Resigning:
- Any player 90+ Potential must be resigned to requested deal & signing bonus including incentives
- Any player 85+ Potential must be resigned to highest deal & signing bonus without incentives

Trade:
- Any player can be traded at any time, but can only chose the first offer from the team.
- Cannot trade for another team's player unless they initiate trade, and must give them what they ask for

Scouting:
- Cannot unlock GM scouting special skills

Coach Development:
- Can only replace coach/Gm 1x unless he leaves/retires
- Must develop all regular skills before purchasing any special skills
- Coaches that have Top 15 rank in category must be retained unless they decide to leave

Free Agency:
- Can only pickup FA if best player in that position's OVR is <80 (regardless of potential)

Draft:
- Can only dismiss GM suggestion 3x during any draft


Now, crossing my fingers to abide by these rules

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

So with the preseason wrapped up, it's on to the regular season. I play Baltimore first, and scouting them, looks like they have Kyle Boller starting, and Deuce McAllister as their HB. Ray Rice is 2nd string, as McGahee is injured.

Bengals - 15
Baltimore - 20

Bonehead Player of the Game - Carson Palmer
Stud Player of the Game - Chad Ocho Cinco

I had no running game today, and didn't stop the run all day. This was not as close as it seemed. Good ol' Palmer started my first 2 drives off by throwing picks in the redzone. the 2nd pick was returned by Ray Lewis for a 99 yd TD.

My only offense in the first half was Carson throwing to Chad, and then Shane Graham kicking field goals. Halftime score 10 - 6.

Second half wasn't much better, we were giving up sacks like they were free wal-mart gift cards. It was 17-9 with 3 mins to go, we finally stopped them on a 3rd and 3 at my 39 yard line. They decided to go for a FG, and Stover kicked the crap out of ball, 54yds ... GOOD!

Now 20-9 with 2:18 to go. We still have a shot, as we have thrown the ball good all day. And let the sacks begin. We completed two 4th down conversions, scored with 41 secs left. I actually won the onsides kick too. Can this really happen, can i come back. NO! My lovely QB goes off to take 2 more sacks, and didn't throw another pass. Are you kidding me. Throw the ball away Carson. Baltimore had 9 sacks on the game!

Quick Stats

Bengals:
QB:
Palmer - 59% completion for 445 yds 1TD/2INT
Rushing - 15 attempts/19yds

Ocho Cinco - 14 catches for 244yds

Ravens:
QB:
Boller - 60% completion for 123 yds
Rushing - 28 attempts/130yds 1TD

Very disappointing start but my approval went from a 31 to a 78. Gotta love the Defining Moments aspect (as unrealistic as it can be).

[whoRweNATION]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Good read and I like the ground rules you've set for yourself.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 2 - Tennessee Titans

After a tough week of practice, it's time to put that GamePlan to work.

Bengals - 13
Tennessee - 20

Bonehead Player of the Game - Bobbie Williams - RG - 2 sacks (stood their looking at Haynesworth, c'mon man BLOCK)
Stud Player of the Game - Keith Rivers (13 tackles, 1 TFL)

Not really what I had in mind. It was brutal, Lendale White ran all over me. 28/130 with 2 TD's. I have come to realize my interior linemen are not very good. They ripped my A gap for 5 sacks, 2 by Haynesworth at the end of the game.

Anytime they wanted to move the ball, all they had to do is hand off to White, and he got them everything they wanted. I still cannot run the ball at all. Will be glad when these HB learn the playbook.

Quick Stats

Bengals:
QB:
Palmer - 61% completion for 317 yds 0TD/1INT
Rushing - 21 attempts/23 yds 1TD

Titans:
QB:
Young - 68% completion for 82 yds 1 TD
Rushing - 34 attempts/147yds 1TD

My approval went up again, now at a 82!!! SAD, I KNOW.

Injuries are starting to show their head: Junior Seau is out 4 weeks

On a side note, the Redskins trade Santana Moss to the Dolphins for a 4th round pick. Next up the New York Giants.

[Kurt l o l]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Giants will be a tough one! Nice read and keep it up.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 3

Bengals 32
Giants 35

Bonehead Player of the Game - DeAngelo Williams (can you please learn to run forward)!!!
Stud player of the Game - Marvin White - (5 tackles 1 INT)

I fell behind 28-7 with 10 mins to go in the 2nd. I thought it was going to be really bad. The team responded and started playing pretty well though. The game seemed to change on Marvin White's pick 6 at the end of the 2nd Quarter. It was 28-17 at the Half. I still can't run the ball, and Eli Manning torched me all game. Overall I am happy with the teams improvments, but still give up to many sacks and turnovers. As we keep learning the playbook, that should get better right???

Quick Stats

Bengals:
QB:
Palmer - 69% completion for 365 yds 3TD/2INT
Rushing - 14 attempts/12yds

C Henry - 13 catches 155 yds 1 TD

Giants:
QB:
Manning - 71% completion for 304 yds 3 TD/1 INT
Rushing - 17 att/73 yds

My approval dropped to a 77, and Keith Rivers is out for 2 weeks. I've got to get a win soon, or I will be gone. Next up the Cleveland Browns. This may be promising.

See ya tomorrow.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 4 - Cleveland Browns

This is much tougher than I thought. My line really needs to be upgraded in the offseason. The Browns should be a good game, with a real chance at winning my first game.

Bengals - 16
Cleveland - 41

Bonehead Player of the Game - Jordan Palmer
Stud Player of the Game - NOBODY

This was real bad very quickly. Carson went down on the 3rd play (2nd sack of the game already) with a leg injury. Time to see what little brother can do.... 5 picks later, the answer was not very clear. He had some moments, but really played poorly. Jamal Lewis had a great day running the ball.

My coordinator summed it up pretty well saying "You guys keep playing like this, I'll be out of a job".

Quick Stats
Bengals:
QB:
J. Palmer - 56% completion for 248 yds 1TD/5INT
Rushing - 30 attempts/81 yds 0TD (I started focusing on running alot in the 4th, trying to kill the clock)

Browns:
QB:
D. Anderson - 44% completion for 177 yds 2TD
Rushing - 21 attempts/132yds 0TD

We played ok, focused on getting better long term, and trying to learn the playbook. Changes are coming soon, just cant keep playing like this.

Next week Cowboys - GREAT..... that should be a nightmare.

Junior Seau and Keith Rivers will be out for that game.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 5 - Dallas Cowboys

This week we made a couple of moves. We dropped Eric Ghulias - C (71 OVR) because he couldn't stay healthy, and picked up LeCharles Bentley(70 OVR). Also put Junior Seau on the trade block due to health reasons.
Carson Palmer is back, so hoping for a decent showing.

Bengals - 7
Cowboys - 38

Bonehead Player of the Game - My defense (all of them)
Stud Player of the Game - Offensive Line - NO SACKS ALL GAME!!!

Marion Barber was a bull, and Demarcus Ware was a beast. He was in the backfield all day. Not a good showing, but my line didn't give up a sack, which is promising.

Quick Stats
Bengals:
QB:
C. Palmer - 46% completion for 323 yds 1TD/0INT
Rushing - 15 attempts/17 yds 0TD (we are not a good running team, to say the least)

Cowboys:
QB:
T. Romo - 75% completion for 235 yds 3TD
Rushing - 19 attempts/101yds 2TD

Not much to say, we didn't play well.

During this week: We made the decision not to resign C. Henry (RIP) due to contract request

Resignings -
TJ to a 3yr/25mill deal with a 7.5M signing bonus and 3 incentives. 1000yds receiving (1.25M), 10 TD (1.25M), Pro Bowl (500K).
Tony Bake - 3yr/1.23M with a 500k signing bonus
DeAngelo Williams - 2yr/880K with a 100k signing bonus

Trade -
Junior Seau to Vikings for 2009 6th & 7th round picks. (he's 39 and injury prone, plus with the Jack English Path, I can get another LB for next year)

Next week is the J E T S Jets, Jets, Jets

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 6 - New York Jets

REALLY need a win this week, we practiced hard all week.

Bengals - 48
Cowboys - 26

Bonehead Player of the Game - Cedric Benson 3rd & 4 on the Jets 6 yd line, half-back dive, he starts high stepping in the backfield and gets tackled for a loss!!!! UGGGGGHHHHH.
Stud Player of the Game - Leon Hall - Won AFC Defensive player of the Week!!

I was kinda worried about this game, because the Jets have Favre, and we haven't been able to move the ball on offense. But D. Williams had a breakout game, and Plamer was on FIRE. We still need to work on our run defense. I think I am going to adjust the slider for the CPU, as they run at will.

Quick Stats
Bengals:
QB:
C. Palmer - 72% completion for 423 yds 3TD/1 INT
Rushing - 30 attempts/143 yds 2TD (D Williams had a 70 yard TD run in the 2nd, but got worse as the game went along....Not sure how this is going to work out.)

JETS:
QB:
B. Favre - 45% completion for 211 yds 0TD/2 INT
Rushing - 34 attempts/248yds 3TD (Thomas Jones had 19 broken tackles....REALLY??)

Glad we got our first win, maybe this will give the team the spark it needs. I guess this is what Wade Phillips felt like this year .

During this week: D. Peko - DT has mild head trauma and will be out 3 months (not good for our run defense)

Resignings -
RT - S. Andrews - 6yrs/31Mill and 13 mill signing bonus with 2 incentives (Start 16 games = 1M, Pro Bowl = 1M)
K - S. Graham - 3yrs/6.33M and 2.5M signing bonus

Trade - NONE

Next week is our rival Pittsburg Steelers

[Mike3207]

Re: Bengals F-chise

So here is my ground rules for playing. I hope this is challenging enough for me.

- Must develop all regular skills before purchasing any special skills



Now, crossing my fingers to abide by these rules

Just wanted to give you an idea of how many points you'll need to max out regular skills:

20, 500 each for Strategy, Team Chemistry and Playcalling.

35,000 for Performance.

20,500 each for 30 development skills

In all, close to 700,000 points to max out all the regular skills. You might be able to do it if you supersim or play all preseason games, regular season games, and playoff games all 15 years, but you won't be able to buy any special skills.

Good luck!

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

I know, thats going to make this very tough. Given that I keep my job that long.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 6 - Pittsburg Steelers

This has been tough. I can't run the ball, and my defense is 26th in the league. My offense is 3rd, sad for a 1 win team.

Bengals - 15
Steelers - 27

Bonehead Player of the Game - No one really, we played well despite the loss.
Stud Player of the Game - C. Ndukwe - SS (2 picks)

This was a great game. We battled back and forth in the first half, going into halftime down 7-3. The second half started with Big Ben throwing a pick, and we scored another FG. Rashard Mendenhall then started to dominate the ground game, and we just couldn't keep up. We were one dimensional, and that wasn't a good dimension today. Overall the Steelers started doing what they do best, cause turnovers. I ended up with 5 on the day (3 picks and 2 fumbles).


Quick Stats
Bengals:
QB:
C. Palmer - 58% completion for 310 yds 0TD/3 INT
Rushing - 24 attempts/-1 yds 1TD (that was tough, we had 2 runs for positive yards all day, an 8 yard run, and a 2 yard run.

Steelers:
QB:
B. Rothlisburger - 55% completion for 142 yds 0TD/2 INT
Rushing - 31 attempts/158yds 3TD (another 9 tackles broken)

ATL head coach is now on the hot seat. I may have somewhere to go when I get fired .

During this week: picked up Angelo Craig and moved him to MLB

Resignings - NONE

Trade - NONE

A much needed bye week is upcoming, gives us 2 weeks to get ready for the Jaguars.

[ksbraswell]

Re: Bengals F-chise

Week 7 - Pittsburg Steelers

Well, not much has happened this past 2 weeks. Practice, Practice, Practice....Playing the Jags, so need a good game from Carson against a strong defense.

Bengals - 34
Steelers - 27

Bonehead Player of the Game -
Stud Player of the Game - Keith Rivers - ROLB - 2 picks and 7 tackles

This wasn't even close. I was up 34-13 going into the 4th, and they scored a couple of junk touchdowns. Carson didn't play great, but made some key throws in the first half that gave us the comfortable lead. Still struggling to run the ball, and stop the run. About ready for the offseason so I can upgrade the LBs.


Quick Stats
Bengals:
QB:
C. Palmer - 55% completion for 289 yds 2TD/2 INT
Rushing - 27 attempts/59 yds 1TD

Steelers:
QB:
B. Rothlisburger - 48% completion for 243 yds 1TD/2 INT
Rushing - 18 attempts/159yds 2TD (another 14 tackles broken)

I am really liking how we are getting better at Pass Defense. 6 picks in the last 3 weeks. Get the front 7 playing well, and we will be great. The pass offense is clicking well, need a RB in the offseason, and we can be a contender.

During this week: Jacksonville head coach is now on the hot seat. More options!!!

Resignings - NONE

Trade - NONE