WEBVTT - Lance McAlister with Ben Baby -- 10/31/25

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let's do this weekend here, three hours of

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<v Speaker 1>sports talk, no complaints. Things to get to Bengals and

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<v Speaker 1>Bears Sunday, Paid Course Stadium. Let's welcome in our first guest,

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<v Speaker 1>who's all over Bengals coverage for ESPN and ESPN dot Com.

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<v Speaker 1>That would be Ben Baby and Ben, do you anticipate

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<v Speaker 1>we'll see Joe Flacco under center come Sunday?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Hey, Lance, I would imagine that you do see

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<v Speaker 2>Flacco on Sunday. Now, the Bengals didn't want to go

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<v Speaker 2>out and definitively say that Flacco was going to be

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<v Speaker 2>the starter. I think they still want to see what

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to look like over the course of the weekend.

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<v Speaker 2>But talked is Zach Taylor today, If Dak Taylor said

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<v Speaker 2>that everything that they needed to see for a guy

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<v Speaker 2>who could play on Sunday the Bengals saw on Thursday.

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<v Speaker 2>I saw him out there today at practice. Was talking

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<v Speaker 2>to head trainer Matt Summers. Looks comfortable out there, you know, said,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, he felt pretty good going into the week.

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<v Speaker 2>So I would imagine right now the Flacco will be

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<v Speaker 2>the guy when the Bengals play on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 1>How about Trey Hendrickson.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that seems a little less likely. Lance, I think

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<v Speaker 2>you're gonna see Trey Hendrickson and Logan Wilson potentially on

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<v Speaker 2>the sidelines, both listed as doubtful. Both guys did not

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<v Speaker 2>practice all week. You know, Hendrickson tried to go out

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<v Speaker 2>there and play on that hip. He reaggravated it in

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<v Speaker 2>that game. Wilson, he Logan Wilson, he suffered a calf injury.

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<v Speaker 2>Tried to he played through it, suffered it on kickoff return.

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<v Speaker 2>I was told this week, and so now, especially with

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<v Speaker 2>guys who have those lingering issue injuries, maybe a chance

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<v Speaker 2>for them to get healthy during the bye week and

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<v Speaker 2>don't want them to get nicked up this week. So

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<v Speaker 2>we'll see if the Bengals, you know, if they don't play,

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<v Speaker 2>if they can withstand not having both of those guys

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<v Speaker 2>against a depleted Chicago team.

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<v Speaker 1>Ben Baby ESPN and ESPN dot Com checking in tonight

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<v Speaker 1>talking Bengals Bears. You broke the news last night. McKinley

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<v Speaker 1>Jackson has asked for a trade. What's the latest on that.

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<v Speaker 1>How has Zach responded to that?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, we talked to Zach today and Zach

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<v Speaker 2>was asked about that report that we had last night.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, he said he likes McKinley Jackson in the

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<v Speaker 2>big message that he's given to him and that he

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<v Speaker 2>told us is just for him to keep working. They

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<v Speaker 2>believe that, you know, with Mike Pennell now no longer

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<v Speaker 2>on the roster, he got his release granted and now

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<v Speaker 2>he's at Kansas City, they feel like that'll open up

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<v Speaker 2>an avenue for McKinley Jackson. That being said, though, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>in talking to those around that situation, you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>got this said that McKinley and knowing him since he

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<v Speaker 2>got here in Cincinnati last year, he's always truck me

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<v Speaker 2>as someone who wants to do everything he can to

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<v Speaker 2>go out and help the team win. I've actually never

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<v Speaker 2>heard a guy talk so much about making such a

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<v Speaker 2>lasting legacy on the game the moment they got the door.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Jamar Chase is the only other one I

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<v Speaker 2>heard talk in that manner. So I've never questioned what

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<v Speaker 2>kind of drive McKinley Jackson has. I think when you

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<v Speaker 2>see the change that's happened over the offseason, they go

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<v Speaker 2>from Loui an Arumo to Al Golden, you know, it

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<v Speaker 2>just hasn't seemed to fit what Jackson does so far.

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<v Speaker 2>In the coaching staff it said, you know, publicly, they've said, listen,

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<v Speaker 2>we wanted him to to try to get those reps,

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<v Speaker 2>but he hasn't been able to get them so far.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think he just wants an avenue to contribute

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<v Speaker 2>to the team. And I think that's where you know

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<v Speaker 2>our report yesterday, that's that's kind of how that materialize.

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<v Speaker 1>Been with the multiple issues on the defensive side of things.

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<v Speaker 1>Is this defense fixable this season? In season?

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<v Speaker 2>I think you're gonna have to try to figure that out.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, when you look at it, they the injuries

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<v Speaker 2>up front are not good. But at the end of

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<v Speaker 2>the day, that can't be an excuse. It can't be

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<v Speaker 2>an excuse that you had young linebackers. You know, you

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<v Speaker 2>have to find a way to figure this out. There's

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<v Speaker 2>a reason they went from Loui an Romo, Louis Arumo

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<v Speaker 2>to Al Golden. The hope was that Golden was going

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<v Speaker 2>to be able to get the most out of these

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<v Speaker 2>young players, and so you're gonna have to find a

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<v Speaker 2>way to fix these things. We talked to Al Golden

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<v Speaker 2>this week and he felt like in terms of the

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<v Speaker 2>run game. They felt that they were guys in gaps

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<v Speaker 2>ready to make plays. It's just the matter of making

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<v Speaker 2>those plays. And I think if those if those linebackers

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<v Speaker 2>and they can continue to get acclimated to NFL game

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<v Speaker 2>speed and getting those reps on the fly, that's their

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<v Speaker 2>best chance. But I'm gonna be honest, Lance, that is

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<v Speaker 2>asking a lot of rookies. I don't know, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>for rookie linebackers to come in and play at that level,

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<v Speaker 2>For samr. Stewart to come in have to be on

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<v Speaker 2>ir you know, with an ankle injury then come back in.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, you're asking a lot of some of your

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<v Speaker 2>young players. And so what it doesn't always look like

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<v Speaker 2>for Garrett Carter and Demetrious Night. That makes sense because

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<v Speaker 2>not often do you see linebackers get thrust into the

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<v Speaker 2>spotlight so early in their careers. Jermaine Pratt, I remember

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<v Speaker 2>when he replaced Preston Brown in twenty nineteen. That was

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<v Speaker 2>about halfway through the year. Logan Wilson split reps with

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<v Speaker 2>Josh Bynes before fully take him over as a starter

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<v Speaker 2>in twenty twenty one. And so when you look at it,

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<v Speaker 2>it's not a shock to see sometimes it doesn't always

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<v Speaker 2>look right, and that's kind of a decision the coaching

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<v Speaker 2>staff has made, will that you know, be beneficial for

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<v Speaker 2>them in the long run. I think that remains to

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<v Speaker 2>be seen, and I think, quite honestly, it's gonna be

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<v Speaker 2>a tough hole to claw and.

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<v Speaker 1>Ben A just figures while all this is going on

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<v Speaker 1>on that side of the ball, now, the offensive line

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<v Speaker 1>and the run game has come on in recent weeks.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it is interesting when you look at it how

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<v Speaker 2>much going under center Lance has really helped them offensively.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, throughout the year they leaned a lot on

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<v Speaker 2>pistol formations where that running back is right behind the

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<v Speaker 2>good quarterback and shotgun. But much like in twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 2>three when Kate Browning was a quarterback, when they went

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<v Speaker 2>to under center, they've been able to open up so

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<v Speaker 2>many things. You look at the run game, how many

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<v Speaker 2>explosive runs they're getting. They've been able to work play

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<v Speaker 2>action really well, and a lot of that just sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>stems from the look that you get from under center,

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<v Speaker 2>which the Bengals they've done sometimes under Joe Burrow, but

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<v Speaker 2>really when they have their backup quarterbacks in place, you

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<v Speaker 2>know they've they've went under center more and it's been successful.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know, I think you can attribute a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of that to you know, they've kind of simplified the

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<v Speaker 2>simplified things in the run game. Guys are really blocking well.

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<v Speaker 2>They've identified solutions in that regard, and I think that's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be Joel's you know, best help on Sundays.

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<v Speaker 2>They can go out get the run game established. As

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<v Speaker 2>much as I hate that phrase, and really do well.

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<v Speaker 2>That could help him protect that shoulder and get to

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<v Speaker 2>the bye week.

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<v Speaker 1>So bye week coming up, Trade deadline coming up. We

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<v Speaker 1>know where they are right now. I mean, how how

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<v Speaker 1>considering all that, how big is Sunday? I mean, is

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<v Speaker 1>it hyperbole to say Sunday is a tipping point for

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<v Speaker 1>this thing?

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<v Speaker 2>I honestly, I think you could easily say that. I

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<v Speaker 2>think you feel a lot better at four and five

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<v Speaker 2>than you do three and six. You're just a game

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<v Speaker 2>back of five hundred, and it honestly makes that Jets

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<v Speaker 2>game so much more painful, because if you were able

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<v Speaker 2>to beat New York and beat Chicago going into the

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<v Speaker 2>bye you'd be over five hundred. Instead, you're still trying

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<v Speaker 2>to call back at that mark. But when you're three

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<v Speaker 2>games under five hundred and just the game back. That's

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<v Speaker 2>a big difference in terms of how you feel going

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<v Speaker 2>into that bye week. With Pittsburgh still on the schedule.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, you'll see what you can get from Baltimore,

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<v Speaker 2>and then you've got three pretty winnable games at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of the year. You've got Arizona, Cleveland, and Miami,

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<v Speaker 2>and we saw what Miami looked like last night. So

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<v Speaker 2>getting a win tomorrow, finding a couple of wins in

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<v Speaker 2>the middle of the schedule that could be beneficial. And

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<v Speaker 2>I think the playoffs are still not out of the

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<v Speaker 2>question if you can find a way to win on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 1>Last question, let me go back to the offense if

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<v Speaker 1>I could, do you anticipate more of an effort to

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<v Speaker 1>get Tea involved on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that they're going to try to figure that out.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, it's interesting that did not come up a

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<v Speaker 2>lot this week, But when you look at kind of

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<v Speaker 2>how the game materialized, obviously you're going to try to

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<v Speaker 2>lean into getting the ball into Jamar's hands as much

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<v Speaker 2>as possible. But you know, Tea, especially if depending on

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<v Speaker 2>what the Bear's cornerback situation looks like, you know that

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<v Speaker 2>could be a really good opportunity to get some one

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<v Speaker 2>on ones for Jamaar Aty Higgins. And the beauty of

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<v Speaker 2>Tea is that, you know, and I've said this for years,

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<v Speaker 2>is that he's got such great length, He's got such

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<v Speaker 2>good ability to catch the ball at the highest point,

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<v Speaker 2>win thows one on one. The big physical receiver who's

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<v Speaker 2>a good route runner. If you've got a quarterback who

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<v Speaker 2>can get it in his vicinity, he's such a huge

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<v Speaker 2>asset for any offense. And so, you know, we didn't

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<v Speaker 2>hear from Tea this week, which is a little like

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<v Speaker 2>difficult this season. But you know, he's a guy that's

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<v Speaker 2>always struck me as someone who wants to contribute and

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<v Speaker 2>do whatever he can. He's not one to call for

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<v Speaker 2>the ball and ask for it explicitly, but I, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>give him the look the targets looked like. I wouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>be surprised if you see taking with a more balanced

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<v Speaker 2>target share on Sunday against the pairs. Ben.

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<v Speaker 1>How can listeners read and follow along with everything you

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<v Speaker 1>got going on with the.

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<v Speaker 2>Bengals, Yeah, Lance, he's got a lot of stuff going

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<v Speaker 2>on on ESPN dot Com. Obviously, we've launched our direct

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<v Speaker 2>to consumer product, our ESPN flagship, which you can find

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<v Speaker 2>on smart TVs and the update of app on your smartphone.

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<v Speaker 2>The Sports Center for You page has a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>great stuff, a lot of good daily insight on what

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<v Speaker 2>this Bengals team is going to look like. And this

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be you know, and I've been on

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<v Speaker 2>this beat now for seven years. This could be the

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<v Speaker 2>most fascinating year that we have on this beat because

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<v Speaker 2>I think this franchise could be going It's a very

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<v Speaker 2>interesting direction depending on how this season goes.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh man, I just got chills when you said that. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>it's Friday night. There's a lot going on. I really

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate you making time. I always enjoy our talks.

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<v Speaker 2>Heany sounds good, Thank you?

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<v Speaker 1>Take care. There you go, Ben Baby, Why the hair

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<v Speaker 1>stood up on my arms? On that final line? He

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<v Speaker 1>dropped about the things that could be going on with

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<v Speaker 1>this franchise. Let's figure out what's going on with the

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<v Speaker 1>Bears franchise. How's that for a segue? We'll head to

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<v Speaker 1>the Wendy City talk with my guy, David Kaplan of

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<v Speaker 1>ESPN one thousand. Ask him about that Bear situation, expectations

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<v Speaker 1>at four and three, right now, Caleb Williams and more

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<v Speaker 1>after We Check News. RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by

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<v Speaker 1>Kelsey SCHABELAE seven hundred WLW