The NFL's strength and weakness conversion speed is the fastest in the four major leagues. Cincinnati Meng Hu was a fish belly in the league 2 years ago, a month ago, they won their first playoff game in 32 years, and now they are on the Super Bowl stage again after 33 years.
Meng Hu's example has rekindled the hope of revival for many weak teams. Every year, nearly half of the teams in the league hover outside the playoff threshold, constantly firing coaches and changing quarterbacks, but to no avail. If they can find their own destiny like Meng Hu, maybe in the 2024 season it will be their turn to reach the Super Bowl.
However, the reconstruction of the teams in the league is far less smooth than that of Meng Hu. Even if you have a big pick, find a great quarterback, and have a huge salary space, it's hard to pick Burrow and Chase in two years. However, Meng Hu's reconstruction process still has many places worth learning from other teams in the league.
First of all, the team has to clarify its own rebuilding schedule. A bad result is not terrible, the terrible thing is to lose your way and let the rotten culture spread and grow in the locker room. In the 2019 Champion Bowl, Meng Hu scored 16 consecutive points in the last 29 seconds, dragging the game into overtime. In the end, the Dolphins defeated Meng Hu in overtime, and Meng Hu got the first prize as he wished, and picked Joe Boro.
But at that time, Meng Hu's dressing room did not have any happy atmosphere, and they were very depressed because of the loss. After 2 years, there are now many players in the Menghu squad who participated in the Bowl at that time, including running back Mixon, security guard Bates and external receiver Boyd. To this day, they are still the backbone of the team.
With the high draft picks in hand, Meng Hu has selected players with explosive talent for two consecutive years. At the time of the previous swing, the team was very cautious in the free agent market. As the team's talent improved, they signed a number of strong players in succession in the past offseason, helping the team to achieve a leap in record.
Weak teams to achieve a turnaround, first of all, they must be like Meng Hu can beat some strong teams, and at the same time can not make fatal mistakes, lose to the league's fish belly. Such requirements may seem low, but many teams just can't do it. Other teams may have had a longer rebuilding cycle, but by the second year, the team's performance on the field should have shown signs of revival.
Secondly, when the team chooses its own superstar, it must trust him wholeheartedly. MengHu's offensive coordinator Callahan compared Burrow to Peyton Manning at his peak before the season began. He was able to adapt to changes in the situation on the pitch, so the coach also gave Boro more tactical freedom in the game.
Obviously, at present, Meng Hu's attack has been dominated by Boro. The team's offensive tactics incorporate a lot of LSU-like offensive tactics, and Burrow and Chase are very good at this tactical system, maximizing their offensive talents.
Before this season, Meng Hu's head coach Zach Taylor's record was extremely dismal, with only 6 wins, 25 losses and 1 draw in two years. In the first season, Meng Hu's quarterback was Dalton, and in the second season, Burrow was reimbursed for injury in the middle of the season.
To this day, it's hard to say that Taylor is the top coach in the league, but the most correct thing he did was he gave Burrow enough room to grow. Few people can single-handedly change the culture of the team like Burrow. Even though he was killed nine times in the game, he was still not afraid, did not give opponents the opportunity to change the ball, and led the offensive team to score points.
Finally, when the team is freed from the quagmire of reconstruction, the next direction will determine the future of the team. Many general managers were complacent after taking this step, but Meng Hu did not stop there. Although Meng Hu only has the fewest 6 scouts in the league, they can still dig out a lot of powerful players.
At present, the competition between the league's strong teams is becoming increasingly fierce, and the Rams regard the first round of signings as a straw in order to strengthen the lineup; the Chiefs also use the first round of signings to strengthen the offensive front. Breaking into the Super Bowl does not mean that Meng Hu has entered the ranks of strong teams.
Boro is certainly a model of tough guys in the league, but this is by no means a reason for Meng Hu to sit back and watch the paper-like offensive front. Previously, Andrew Lark retired early due to frequent impacts, and No matter how strong Burrow's will is, it is not a king kong incorruptible body.
For teams aiming for revival, the priority is to find their own Boro. With the cornerstone of the team, there is the cost of impacting the playoffs.