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Speaker 1: This is Tony Pike Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,

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Speaker 1: sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts. Cincy Shirts, All Cincy,

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Speaker 1: all Day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 2: All right, let's jump right into it. Our number two

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Speaker 2: thanks to our friends at Cincy Shirts. We have a

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Speaker 2: ton to get to with. Our guest here to kick

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Speaker 2: off our number two from eight is E Sports covering

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Speaker 2: the Cincinnati Bengals, John Sheer and joining us right now.

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Speaker 2: What's up John?

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Speaker 3: Just trying to have some fun, guys, Yeah, have some fun.

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Speaker 2: I think we all are at this point. John, I

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Speaker 2: want your opinion. Austin and I are on a little

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Speaker 2: bit different side of the fence here. From Joe Burrow's

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Speaker 2: comments yesterday, Austin viewed and rightfully so, guys having a

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Speaker 2: bad day. It just kind of came through during a

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Speaker 2: press conference. I viewed it as Joe Burrow. It's calculated.

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Speaker 2: It's Joe Burrow sending a message. When you watched and

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Speaker 2: listened to that yesterday, what were your big takeaways from

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Speaker 2: what Joe Burrow said?

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Speaker 3: So?

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Speaker 4: I take Burrow at his word, because, like you said,

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Speaker 4: he's very calculated in what he says.

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Speaker 3: But he's also very honest in what he.

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Speaker 4: Says, and I think when that kind of combines in itself,

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Speaker 4: he sometimes get soundbites like that where it's beyond just

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Speaker 4: what a football cliche answer would be.

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Speaker 3: But when he says that there's a lot that's going

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Speaker 3: on in his mind right now, I believe it.

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Speaker 4: And I think all of that entails coming back from injury,

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Speaker 4: coming back to a team that's not good enough to

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Speaker 4: go to the playoffs. But also there's there's personal ownership

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Speaker 4: with being off the field and you know, not being

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Speaker 4: there when the team.

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Speaker 3: Was obviously losing.

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Speaker 4: And there's also just how this is all just compounding

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Speaker 4: into you know, another injury that he has to overcome,

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Speaker 4: and the trials and tribulations of coming back during the

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Speaker 4: middle of the season, which he's never really done before.

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Speaker 4: I think all of that was playing into his mind

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Speaker 4: when he was talking yesterday. And he's not just gonna,

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Speaker 4: you know, hide behind a fake smile, because it's not

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Speaker 4: the authentic person that he is. I think there is

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Speaker 4: a lot that's going on in his mind beyond just

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Speaker 4: you know, coming off of a loss, his first loss,

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Speaker 4: and over a year where he's actually played in a

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Speaker 4: game and all that kind of came out in a.

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Speaker 3: Way that like it's still like Burrow.

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Speaker 4: He's still very calm, cool and collected, but you can

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Speaker 4: tell when he's feeling certain emotions beyond just you know,

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Speaker 4: what's going on in his personal life. It shows, and yeah,

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Speaker 4: I do think it was It can be constried as

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Speaker 4: some type of a message about where the team is

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Speaker 4: and where he feels like his place with the team is,

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Speaker 4: but it is tough to really pinpoint the exact things

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Speaker 4: of what's going on. We just have to take his

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Speaker 4: word for it that there are a lot of things

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Speaker 4: that he's thinking about and most of them probably aren't good.

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Speaker 2: We also heard him he did compliment his offensive line yesterday.

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Speaker 2: It's something we've talked about this week. When you look

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Speaker 2: at the steps that this offensive line has made with

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Speaker 2: a lot of negative going around what this season has been,

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Speaker 2: I think you can pinpoint where they've gone on the

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Speaker 2: offensive line and the steps they've taken as one of

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Speaker 2: the positives the season so far.

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Speaker 4: You know, it's good that Dalden riisener with enough practice

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Speaker 4: and you know, acclamation within the offense is the type

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Speaker 4: of player that you hope that he would be and

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Speaker 4: why he was probably smart for them to go out

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Speaker 4: and sign him a lot earlier than they should. But

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Speaker 4: the best five are out there right now, and they

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Speaker 4: all fit the position that they're playing, which is the best.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's what you.

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Speaker 4: Dream of when you're when you're composing the quality offensive line,

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Speaker 4: and that was the hope when they drafted a guy

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Speaker 4: like Dylan Fairchild who had the upside to potentially be

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Speaker 4: this player. I don't think we expected him to be

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Speaker 4: this good this soon, but that's certainly a welcome surprise,

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Speaker 4: the fact that Mariuszoms again is not doing anything spectacularly

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Speaker 4: special out there now.

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Speaker 3: There there's a Learna Brown.

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Speaker 4: But we know that within this offense, with how Burrow

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Speaker 4: likes to play and his ability to evade pressure from

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Speaker 4: the outside, you know that you don't need, you know,

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Speaker 4: spectacular play from your tackles. You just need a stout,

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Speaker 4: intier offensive line. And that's what Burrow is getting now.

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Speaker 4: And that's why you know he has the time to

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Speaker 4: sit in the pocket, survey the field, make the throws.

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Speaker 4: But when he does need to create a structure, he

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Speaker 4: does have this space to step up, just like that

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Speaker 4: throwing a microsection for that touchdown like that was that.

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Speaker 3: Was perfectly executed.

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Speaker 4: From what do you want from a quarterback who knows

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Speaker 4: how to create a structure and an offense len to

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Speaker 4: get to the space to do that.

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Speaker 2: Let's stick with the offensive side of the ball here.

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Speaker 2: John T. Higgins self diagnosis after the game, concussion symptoms.

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Speaker 2: Been in concussion protocol again, but I thought a step

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Speaker 2: forward when he was taking part in individual individual drills

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Speaker 2: this week. Were you surprised to hear Zach Taylor say

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Speaker 2: he would take part in some practice and do you

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Speaker 2: foresee him playing it all on Sunday.

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Speaker 4: I think it's possible considering the fact that he is practicing,

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Speaker 4: but it's tough for me to gauge like how and

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Speaker 4: where he is in the protocol right now, considering like

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Speaker 4: there's a lot that we don't know about the concussion

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Speaker 4: protocol and we don't even know if he officially suffered

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Speaker 4: a second concussion against the Bills. He reported symptoms and

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Speaker 4: that's why he's in the protocol and that's why he

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Speaker 4: don't have a full participant out there. But it would

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Speaker 4: be shocking if he were to have suffered a concussion

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Speaker 4: for the second time in fourteen days. It would be

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Speaker 4: shocking for him to play the very next week after

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Speaker 4: that because he did miss He did have to miss,

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Speaker 4: you know, a full two weeks before coming back on

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Speaker 4: the field for the first time. And you never want

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Speaker 4: to hear about a player suffering multiple concussions in such

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Speaker 4: a short period of time. You know that the Giants

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Speaker 4: obviously had to deal with that with Jackson Dart this

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Speaker 4: year and all the ripercussions that came with that. So yeah,

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Speaker 4: there's stuff that we don't know about, you know, what

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Speaker 4: the exact diagnosis was. But you know, fortunately if he

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Speaker 4: is practicing, it doesn't mean that you know, potentially they

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Speaker 4: were minor symptoms, but he could be able to go

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Speaker 4: out and play.

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Speaker 3: But we just unfortunately don't really know. We just have

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Speaker 3: to trust the doctors of this one.

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Speaker 5: Now that the playoffs are highly unlikely to happen, We've

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Speaker 5: talked a lot about like the development of the Bengals defense.

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Speaker 5: What on offense are questions you have that need to

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Speaker 5: be answered going into the offseason.

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Speaker 3: On offense, I want to see, I still want to see, like.

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Speaker 4: How andre Yosavash continues to evolve in his role, because

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Speaker 4: I think that's an underrated need with this offense, particularly

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Speaker 4: with that position, if they do need to go back

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Speaker 4: to more of a true slot receiver and how it

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Speaker 4: works within the offense, or if Yoshi can continue taking

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Speaker 4: those steps as a versatile player in that particular position.

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Speaker 3: I think again, with the offensive.

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Speaker 4: Line, you pretty much know who you have there now,

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Speaker 4: and there's definite questions about depth to tackle and potentially

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Speaker 4: a long term replacement for in orlanda Brown junior.

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Speaker 3: But in terms of what we.

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Speaker 4: Need to see there, like, I think, continuing to show

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Speaker 4: signs of progress and positivity there I think is all

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Speaker 4: that is needed. And then with tight end, it's just

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Speaker 4: you know, like no Fan, I think has been a

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Speaker 4: fine player for what they expected him to be. Mikaseeki's

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Speaker 4: returning to his role, so it looks fine. I think

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Speaker 4: the offense in general looks to be in a really

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Speaker 4: good spot. It's just about are they still need of

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Speaker 4: that shrewd number three receiver? Is you if you find

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Speaker 4: for that role? How much more can they get out

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Speaker 4: of him there? How much more can you grow there?

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Speaker 4: And how much more can they continue to build this

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Speaker 4: run game with Burrow back? I think those are the

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Speaker 4: main questions.

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Speaker 2: Defensively, it's been a lot on the defensive line this

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Speaker 2: year based on injuries and availability. We get a little

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Speaker 2: bit clearer picture of that this week. Trey Hendrickson is

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Speaker 2: going to have surgery. Now he's on IR. We do

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Speaker 2: get the return of Shamar Stewart. What do you make

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Speaker 2: about the defensive line, the defensive end position in general,

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Speaker 2: what are you expecting to see from Shamar Stewart and

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Speaker 2: your thoughts on Trey Hendrickson.

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Speaker 4: Heah with Trey, I mean, I don't blame him at

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Speaker 4: all for the path that he's taken. Clearly, it's an

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Speaker 4: injury that needed a lot more time than what the

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Speaker 4: Bengals expected. Because if being knew from the beginning, he

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Speaker 4: would have been placed on IR a long time ago,

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Speaker 4: and it just happens to be something that he can't

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Speaker 4: necessarily push through and play anywhere near one hundred percent.

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Speaker 4: So he's taking the proper precautions to just make sure

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Speaker 4: that he's fully healthy for when the offseason comes around

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Speaker 4: and he needs to take that physical for whatever contract

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Speaker 4: he may sign. So it makes sense for him to

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Speaker 4: do that, and it makes sense for the Bengals to

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Speaker 4: move forward with the guys that have played and developed

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Speaker 4: over the past handful of, you know, several weeks with

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Speaker 4: him being out.

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Speaker 3: Specifically, you're getting.

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Speaker 4: A lot of progress from Miles Murphy, who's going to

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Speaker 4: continue to start just besides, still probably your best edge

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Speaker 4: edge Russia in.

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Speaker 3: Terms of pass rushing.

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Speaker 4: And with Schamar, I don't really know what to expect

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Speaker 4: out of him, considering the fact that he wasn't really

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Speaker 4: taking those steps before he got injured and now he's doing.

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Speaker 4: He's coming off with his second injury in just one year.

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Speaker 4: He's only played five games this year, so it's it's

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Speaker 4: not with Stewart like I just don't expect to see

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Speaker 4: very much in these final four weeks other than very

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Speaker 4: minor flashes here and there, just because that was the

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Speaker 4: player who he was before he got injured, and surely

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Speaker 4: being off the field and having to rehab with the

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Speaker 4: past four he doesn't really help that.

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Speaker 2: The Zach Taylor question, it's quieted a little bit because

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Speaker 2: this team has found a way to win some games.

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Speaker 2: But when you look CAT twenty twenty six and finishing

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Speaker 2: out the contract, do you envision any type of the

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Speaker 2: scenario down the stretch where it does get uneasy as

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Speaker 2: far as Zach Taylor coming back next year. Do you

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Speaker 2: believe that he is in place in twenty twenty six

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Speaker 2: for sure?

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Speaker 4: I wouldn't say for sure. I do think that this

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Speaker 4: team specifically looks at the entire season, in the entire year,

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Speaker 4: and it's full and wont all the pieces of evidence

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Speaker 4: before making the decision like that. That's how it was

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Speaker 4: with Marvin Lewis, Like we saw there as a handful

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Speaker 4: of times in which we thought they could have been

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Speaker 4: the end, and just how the team finishes and how

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Speaker 4: they rally like that is part of the equation. It's

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Speaker 4: the dead cat bounce that people really do fear, but

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Speaker 4: it typically happens more times than not.

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Speaker 3: And with Zach.

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Speaker 4: It's a matter of how attached he is to Al

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Speaker 4: Golden obviously the guy that was brought in to fix

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Speaker 4: everything and to make that side of the ball more salgable. Clearly,

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Speaker 4: the first thirteen games haven't been enough. Are the final

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Speaker 4: four games.

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Speaker 3: Going to be enough?

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Speaker 4: Is he going to be committed to making sure that

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Speaker 4: this works with his defensive coordinator or is that going

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Speaker 4: to be the thing that ultimately means that his time

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Speaker 4: here is done because they need significant change on.

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Speaker 3: That side of the ball.

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Speaker 4: Are they able to continue to fight over these final

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Speaker 4: four games against albeit you know, teams that are getting better,

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Speaker 4: like the Browns are getting better with Shader, the Dolphins

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Speaker 4: are winning a lot before often now like those games

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Speaker 4: aren't as easy as they may have looked earlier on

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Speaker 4: the season in the schedule, So it's not going to

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Speaker 4: be I think it's easy of a final four games

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Speaker 4: as people may think, despite the fact that they may

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Speaker 4: be favored. So how they fight and how they push

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Speaker 4: through some of these games and pull off some of

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Speaker 4: these wins, if that were to happen, I think.

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Speaker 3: That's going to play a large factor into whether or

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Speaker 3: not Zach Chal was around here.

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Speaker 5: An Tony and I were talking earlier is somebody had

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Speaker 5: written this week that they felt like the Bengals young

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Speaker 5: linebackers had taken a bit of a step forward, that

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Speaker 5: they had developed a little bit more. Do you think

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Speaker 5: they have shown progress that they've actually developed and do

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Speaker 5: you think that there's a chance the Bengals dip right

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Speaker 5: back into that position this offseason to try to fix

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Speaker 5: that position group.

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Speaker 3: I think their progress is very very difficult to see.

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Speaker 4: It could be in very small ways in terms of

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Speaker 4: like just reading keys as run defenders and you know,

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Speaker 4: wrapping up when they're actually have the chance to make

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Speaker 4: a tackle. But I think their weaknesses, whereas playing in space,

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Speaker 4: being aware when the quarterback is on the mood, being

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Speaker 4: aware of some of these rock combinations in front of them,

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Speaker 4: that is a lot more easier to see.

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Speaker 3: And because it's been such a clearing weakness.

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Speaker 4: It really does, you know, control or just it's what

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Speaker 4: you think about more often when you think about these

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Speaker 4: guys and Demetrius nine, Bearreck Carter, and their weaknesses are

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Speaker 4: just way more apparent than any progress they made in

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Speaker 4: terms of their strengths. So I don't think it's a

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Speaker 4: completely inaccurate statement, but I don't think there's been enough

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Speaker 4: progress to be like, oh yeah, we just need to

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Speaker 4: continue relying on the development of these guys and let

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Speaker 4: them continue growing. Like it's still arguably the biggest weakness

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Speaker 4: of the worst defense in the NFL, and that can't

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Speaker 4: be ignored, and it should be a factory whether or

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Speaker 4: not if they have an opportunity to add players there

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Speaker 4: to upgrade that spot. It needs to be taken very

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Speaker 4: seriously because at the end of the day, Barret Carter

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Speaker 4: is the fourth round picking on expecting that guy to

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Speaker 4: be a starter immediately as a rookie. The feature's like, yeah,

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Speaker 4: he was drafted to be a starter, but if you

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Speaker 4: have to move on from him and make him just

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Speaker 4: linebacker three entering year two, I think this far worse

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Speaker 4: scenarios and far more, far less you know, damaging outcomes

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Speaker 4: than that.

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Speaker 2: John, let me ask you when it comes to this

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Speaker 2: game on Sunday, the difficulties in playing a team twice

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Speaker 2: in sixteen days, and then that team also being an

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Speaker 2: AFC North opponent. You're not going to surprise anyone. You

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Speaker 2: know who the opponent is, you know what the scheme is.

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Speaker 2: What does a game like this Sunday come down to?

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Speaker 4: In your opinion, it works both ways because the Ravens

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Speaker 4: know that who Burrow is and what he's capable of,

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Speaker 4: and the fact that he's been able to don him

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Speaker 4: up the pass handful of times that they played him.

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Speaker 4: So they know that the raven they're gonna have to

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Speaker 4: score a lot of points in this game to compete.

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Speaker 3: And as for the Bengals and and.

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Speaker 4: Their defense, they know that Lamar can still cause you know,

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Speaker 4: a lot of chaos. So his creative ability and his

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Speaker 4: you know, out of structure ability and throwing the ball

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Speaker 4: to Mark Andrews down the field. Like, I think, the

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Speaker 4: strengths and weaknesses both teams are just going to be

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Speaker 4: on full display.

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Speaker 3: Again.

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Speaker 4: There's, like you said, there's not much that they can

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Speaker 4: do to really change that. That was kind of the

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Speaker 4: case a couple of years ago, which you know, these

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Speaker 4: teams finished the regular season and then they played in

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Speaker 4: the wildcard round.

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Speaker 3: Against each other.

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Speaker 4: Obviously, there was the quarterback situation going on with Baltimore

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Speaker 4: which they didn't have Lamar Jackson, and that kind of

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Speaker 4: even the playing field out a little bit more. But

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Speaker 4: Lamar is Lamar is. He is right, and he hasn't

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Speaker 4: been fully healthy for most of the season. He continues

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Speaker 4: to take some time off practicing, but you know, when

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Speaker 4: he does have some space, and I think he is

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Speaker 4: going to be a little bit more motivated to take

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Speaker 4: care of the ball this time around. Those are the

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Speaker 4: factors that can potentially kind of tip the scales a

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Speaker 4: little bit, because you're right, there isn't much that you

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Speaker 4: can show. You this is already a divisional matchup. Everyone

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Speaker 4: knows that everyone's tendencies. In the fact there hasn't been

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Speaker 4: a lot of time to really make any chematic changes

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Speaker 4: that only weighs into a little bit more so, it's

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Speaker 4: just about strength on strength and how and how much

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Speaker 4: that the Bengals can kind of rely on theirs to

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Speaker 4: pull out the victory.

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Speaker 2: John, when does a gentleman like yourself, maybe it's already happened,

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Speaker 2: when do you allow yourself to start diving into mock

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Speaker 2: draft season?

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Speaker 4: Uh?

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Speaker 3: Like late late January? Like when I is when I know?

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Speaker 4: Like, Okay, who do I pay attention to? Obviously guys

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Speaker 4: have declared at that point. I have not touched them

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Speaker 4: a drafts so far, and I try to go as

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Speaker 4: long as possible without doing so.

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Speaker 5: Are you getting ready for the Liberty Bowl then? Instead?

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Speaker 3: Oh that's the thing I thought. I thought we were

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Speaker 3: opted out of Bulls.

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Speaker 2: No, no, no, John, this is you know, a Navy

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Speaker 2: attack against Tyson vites three three five defense. It's one

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Speaker 2: of the more talked about non college football playoff balls.

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Speaker 5: From my understanding, John, do you think Scott Saderfield's a

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Speaker 5: good fit at Michigan?

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Speaker 3: I think so. I mean I don't know why. I

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Speaker 3: don't know why anyone else, So I think I think

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Speaker 3: you should go interview.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely more excited John as a proud bearcad of Lumberre

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Speaker 2: you more excited about the Liberty ball or this this

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Speaker 2: basketball squad getting back on the court against Georgia Saturday.

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Speaker 3: Oh wow, look at the time I think I.

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Speaker 2: John, You're the man. What's the easiest way to follow

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Speaker 2: along with all your coverage of the Bengals eight.

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Speaker 4: Is esports dot com, backslash Cincinnati wherever he gets your Instagram, TikTok,

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Speaker 4: YouTube short form content. We're doing live streams on YouTube

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Speaker 4: as well every Friday run midday.

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Speaker 2: Check us out there, John, Thank you so much, man,

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Speaker 2: we'll talk next week.

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Speaker 3: Thank you else.

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Speaker 5: He did write a good piece about Joe Burrow and

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Speaker 5: kind of reacting to the press conference much like we have,

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Speaker 5: and he's a little bit more aligned with with your thinking.

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Speaker 5: Uh so go check it out.

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Speaker 3: It is the sports nice awesome from John.

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Speaker 2: We'll get your thoughts next your talkbacks Thursday edition thanks

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Speaker 2: to Cincy Shirts on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 3: Hey Alexa,