WEBVTT - Bengals Pep Rally -- 12/19/25 0:00:01.040 --> 0:00:01.200 Well. 0:00:01.280 --> 0:00:05.240 This is Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Beared Chicken 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:09.360 on the Bengals Radio Network Paycor. Paycor is proud to 0:00:09.360 --> 0:00:13.600 be the official hr software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:18.200 Kettering Health Best Care for the Best Fans. Kettering Health, 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:23.759 Official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:29.280 fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:33.440 Happy Holidays, everybody. Welcome to the Bengals pep Rally Show 0:00:33.520 --> 0:00:37.199 presented by Just Bear Chicken. We are live on ESPN 0:00:37.280 --> 0:00:40.640 fifteen thirty and as is the case every Friday afternoon, 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:44.479 we are broadcasting from the On the Rhine Eatery. It's 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:47.400 the food hall above the downtown Kroger that's at the 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:51.840 intersection of Court and Walnut. Lots of inexpensive eateries here 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.080 at the On the Rhine Eatery, there's a full service 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:57.760 bar as well, plenty of seats. There's a parking garage attached. 0:00:58.040 --> 0:01:00.520 It's a great spot for our Friday afternoon Bengals pep 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:03.480 Rally Show. I'm Dan Hord along with Dave Lapham. We 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:06.640 are here until six o'clock tonight and our special guest 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:08.880 in the final hour of the show for the second 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:10.960 week in a row, and we greatly appreciate it. Is 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:14.720 going to be the Cincinnati Kid Bengals legend, Sam. 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:17.280 Hubbard, and he is the jet at Bengals legend. There's 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:22.080 there's no question about it. Iconic plays in Sam Hubbard's 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:25.640 career with the Cincinnati Bengals. The fumble in the jungle 0:01:26.160 --> 0:01:30.240 when he recovers the football two yards deep in the 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:32.319 end zone and goes one hundred and two yards to 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:36.399 pay dirt, serpentineing his way down the football field from 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:40.280 about midfield into the end zone. And then the two 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:45.600 point conversion that that was deflected and blocked and Sam 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:48.640 made a play on and that was huge. That football 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:52.560 game ended up being a big, big game, uh, deciding 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:55.240 play in that football game as well. So I mean, 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:59.480 for defensive player to have two plays like that in 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:05.639 franchise history is I mean rare, very unusual and couldn't 0:02:05.640 --> 0:02:07.640 happen to a better guy. Sam Hubbard's good people. 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.480 We are six days from Christmas. I know there are 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:13.480 plenty of people listening that are like me. They've still 0:02:13.480 --> 0:02:16.120 got lots of shopping to do. If you've got a 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:19.120 Bengals fan on your Christmas list. Here's what you do. 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:21.640 You go to the Bengals Pro shop at the stadium 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:24.640 between now and five o'clock. You pick up it can 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:29.120 be an inexpensive item, mini football, mini helmet, pennant, something 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:33.560 like that. You slept over here, inexpensive parking spot. You 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:36.600 come in when Sam Hubbard is here and during the 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:40.760 commercial breaks, he will willingly sign free autographs, no question, 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.800 no charge. So you can get that Bengals fan on 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:48.560 your Christmas list an awesome signed item from a Bengals legend, 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:51.760 and they will think you are the best friend and 0:02:51.919 --> 0:02:53.639 or relative in the family. 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:53.840 No question. 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:56.640 You'd have a bigger place in heart than Santa claus Man. 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:01.639 I mean a personalized Sam Hubbard football. That would be huge, 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:03.800 That would be on everybody's mantle for sure. 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:06.000 So Sam will be here from five to six lap 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:08.840 and I are here from now until six as we 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:11.080 get you set for Sunday's game. The Bengals playing their 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.320 final road game of the year one o'clock on Sunday 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:18.480 against the Miami Dolphins. This might be the biggest temperature 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:21.480 swing for a team from one game to the next 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:24.359 in the history of mankind. Well, actually, now that I 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:26.560 think of that, back when they were still the San 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:29.440 Diego Chargers, they came to the Freezer Bowl having played 0:03:29.440 --> 0:03:32.040 in Miami the week before, and since the wind show 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:35.040 was fifty nine below, that's the record. But this will 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:38.200 come close. It was single digits during the game last Sunday. 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:40.800 It is expected to be in the low eighties on 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:41.800 Sunday in Miami. 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:44.520 And you know, guys that I talked to after the game, 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:47.800 they talked about how miserable they were during the course 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.720 of that football game physically, I mean very, very tough 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:52.640 to deal with, and then you know, you have to 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:55.440 be tough mentally as well to realize that you've just 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:57.160 got to keep playing. You got to continue to play. 0:03:57.200 --> 0:03:59.840 You've got to continue to put forth the best effort 0:03:59.840 --> 0:04:04.200 you possibly can uh and you know you can't. There's things, 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:08.400 elements and conditions you can't control, and the cold is 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:08.880 one of them. 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:09.960 It was. 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:13.880 It was very, very cold, to say the least. I 0:04:13.920 --> 0:04:16.359 did play in that Freezer Ball you referenced in God, 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:22.279 I've never ever experienced that feeling and never want to again. 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:26.480 I mean totally numb. My entire body was totally numb, 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.400 and I've never never come close to experiencing that again 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:29.880 for sure. 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.440 I know guys that we've talked to over the years 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:36.400 that say playing in the Freezer Bowl changed their you 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:40.039 know psych or not psychology, their physiology for the rest 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:43.200 of their lives. They felt colder in cold weather for 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:46.240 the rest of their lives. Some guys had serious frostbite 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:48.840 in that game. So I guess despite going out there 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.240 in short sleeves, you were a little bit lucky in 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:53.400 the sense that you did not suffer long term effects. 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:56.960 Yeah, it did lower my thermostat though being from New England, 0:04:57.279 --> 0:05:00.240 I've tolerated cold. You know, I had a cold, you know, 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:04.360 single digits teens. I mean, but man, that that wins. 0:05:04.600 --> 0:05:07.039 The wind was whipping off the Ohio River and it 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:11.000 was just it was ridiculously brutal, there's no question. And 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.560 uh yeah, I mean, guys, it changed changed a lot 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:17.760 of lives, changed guys' lives, the way they they they handled, uh, 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:24.920 they handled temperatures and weather conditions. It's not an easy thing, 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:28.520 not an easy thing to deal with. And to play football, 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.240 playing a kid's game. You know, it's like people people 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:33.839 were like, they asked me all the time, why didn't 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:36.000 they postpone that game, Why didn't they just delay it 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:38.880 for twenty four hours? They came close, came close, but 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.760 the NFL decided that you know, all the fans were there. 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:44.960 Every people had traveled a good distance to stay in 0:05:45.040 --> 0:05:47.800 hotels to attend the game. They didn't want to disrupt 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:49.840 that and disrupt people's holidays. 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:53.159 I never met the late great Phil Samp, the original 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.560 radio voice right of the Bengals, your first broadcast partner 0:05:56.960 --> 0:05:59.800 with the Cincinnati Bengals. If I had the opportunity to 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:01.360 tell to Phill, I'd want to know if he left 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:02.960 the window open for the Freezer Bowl. 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:05.000 He did, Yeah, we did. We opened the window. 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:07.320 Well, you're on the field, But I wonder if he opened. 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:08.440 The right for that game. He did. 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:12.360 He's he's a window open guy, Yeah, he's he's. I 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.760 want the natural conditions. I want to experience, but the 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:17.440 players are experiencing. 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:19.320 And we weren't allowed this past week. They insisted that 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:22.160 the windows remained cold or closed because they were concerned 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:23.400 that the pipes are going to burst. 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:27.240 Yeah, I mean, I wonder, Uh, I guess, I guess 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:29.920 they if they had that concern back in the Freezer 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.200 Blell days They totally dismissed it right away. 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:34.320 They didn't give it a second thought. 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:38.880 Yeah, the pipes at Riverfront Cares go ahead, exactly exactly. 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:42.120 All right. Well, it's been an eventful week, to say 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:45.320 the least for the Cincinnati Bengals. It started early in 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:49.239 the week when our friend and colleague Paul Danner Junior, 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:52.120 does a great job of covering the Bengals for The Athletic, 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:57.320 wrote a story about the job security for people like 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.000 Zach Taylor, Duke Tobin, et cetera. And in the twin 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:03.440 paragraph of a story that he wrote several days ago, 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:06.480 he casually dropped in the fact that Zach Taylor has 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:09.560 two years left on his contract, not one which had 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:13.360 widely been the thought. A year apparently was quietly added 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:15.400 to his deal after the Bengals went to their second 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:20.080 consecutive AFC Championship game in twenty twenty two. Here's my 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:23.600 feeling on the subject, lap I didn't really think that 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:27.760 Zach was in that much jeopardy. Yep, now Joe Burrow 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:30.400 feels about him, and now Mike Brown feels about him. 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:33.080 I think, in light of the fact that Joe's only 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:36.280 played in four games this season, Mike Brown wasn't likely 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:40.280 to pin a bad year on the head coach, So 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:44.240 in that sense, I don't really think the contract is 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:48.000 a huge factor. Now, having said that, there are three 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:52.360 games left in this season, and the Bengals organization, they 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:54.280 are always the type that are going to wait until 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:57.600 all of the data points are in and then make 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:00.680 any decision they're going to make. So the last three 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:05.560 games went terribly, Zach has probably not one hundred percent 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:09.760 guaranteed of being back, but my suspicion is regardless of 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:12.200 whether there's one year left on his deal or two, 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:14.320 he's almost certainly coming back. 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.320 I couldn't agree with you more, you know, and I 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:21.120 think most NFL coaches and really most organizations look at 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:23.520 it as you know, you may have signed a three 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.160 year contract, but it's it's year to year anyway. I mean, 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:31.640 if you absolutely crap your breeches and you prove that 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:34.360 you you know, why why did we even do this? 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:37.719 You should not be coaching a head coach in the 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:40.440 National Football League. There's no question about it. You're in 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:43.200 way over your head, You're drowning, and you're not going 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:46.760 to be able to be saved. I do I do 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:51.079 think that Mike Brown because his dad was a legendary 0:08:51.080 --> 0:08:53.320 coach in the NFL, and his dad talked to him 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.120 about the pressures of coaching in the day to day 0:08:56.160 --> 0:09:01.839 grind of a of a head coach. He basically taught 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:06.880 Mike to honor contracts and contracts were your word, you know. 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.920 And Mike Brown's always been that way. And I think 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:13.160 Zach Taylor is about as safe as almost any head 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:15.040 coach in the National Football League because of that. 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.320 Yeah, I think a few things come into play. As 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.719 you said, I do think that Mike feels that way 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:23.600 about the contracts that he gives to his coaches. I 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:26.920 think the fact that his dad got fired in Cleveland 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:30.040 despite winning all of those championships and disrupted all the 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:33.400 lives of the coaches, the families, the assistant coaches, etc. 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:36.240 I think that means something to Mike. The other thing 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:38.920 I think that comes into play is that Mike, at 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:42.240 least this is my belief from having talked to Mike before, 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.600 he thinks when you change coaches, you're more likely to 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:49.880 take an initial step back yep, before you move forward. 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:52.880 And I think he believes that this team is not 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:56.720 far away from being back in contention. They obviously have 0:09:56.840 --> 0:10:00.839 to fix the defense, right, everybody knows that. But all 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:02.760 the good players are going to be back on offense. 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:04.680 You've got one of the best quarterbacks in the league, 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:08.679 hopefully stays healthy for seventeen games next year. And if 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:12.640 this defense can just be decent, yeah it doesn't have 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:16.120 to be top five, but just absent. Yeah, this team 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:18.960 should be in the playoffs. And if Joe Burrow gets 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:20.960 into the playoffs, you know what he's capable of doing. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.280 Absolutely, I mean, I agree with you, Dan, if the 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.760 defense can somehow under the guidance and leadership of Al 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:32.240 Golden be fifteen sixteen. In terms, I'm talking about points loud. 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:36.680 You know other things yardage, pit yards, passing, yards, rushing. 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:40.800 Those are circumstances that are dictated on a week to 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.520 week basis. They're different. I mean, from one week to 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:46.319 the next, it could be a totally different dynamic that 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:50.840 you're dealing with defensively. So my thing is, don't be 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:52.920 at the bottom of the barrel in terms of points 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:55.839 we lowed. I mean, that's way too much pressure on 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.520 your offense. And they do have pieces. The biggest piece 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:01.240 is I think they have the best quarterback in the 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:04.480 National Football League. And I don't care if you're talking 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:07.439 pee wee football, junior, high school, high school, college, or 0:11:07.440 --> 0:11:10.640 the NFL. The most important position is the quarterback position, 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:13.120 and the Bengals are in great shape there and he 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:15.760 has weapons to throw the football to. Jamar Chase is 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.439 as good as there is in the National Football League. 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:23.040 T Higgins, I think will play. I maybe, you know, 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:25.560 maybe hoping against hope, and I have a strong feeling 0:11:25.840 --> 0:11:28.040 that he's going to be okay. You know he will. 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.760 He's dealing with concussions and those aren't no joke. You 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:35.600 don't mess with that. You make sure that everything's the 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.160 way it should be in terms of how you're dealing 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:43.360 with you know, your brain. So it's it's I don't 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:46.160 want to dismiss it, but I think that weapon, that 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.880 one two punch of Jamar Chase and T Higgins with 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:51.120 Joe Burrow throwing the football is as good as there 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:54.760 is in the National Football League. So I have confidence 0:11:54.760 --> 0:11:57.760 that Al Golden can figure it out. And they are 0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:00.720 missing some pieces on the defense side of foot of 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:04.960 the football. They have some not enough pieces on the 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:08.079 defensive side of the football. But if they can't, think 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:11.000 can somehow climb to mediocrity, and by that I mean 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:11.800 the middle of the pack. 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.840 Sixteen, go with average instead of mediocrity. 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:18.559 Yeah, yeah, right, that sounds better. You're right. 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:23.160 It's a passing grade that average. So yeah, if they 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:26.920 can get to fifteen or sixteen, you know, I think 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:29.400 the biggest thing that they have to do on a 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:33.000 weekly basis is cause turnovers create turnovers. If the Bengals 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:35.079 can be on the plus side of the turnover ratio 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:38.080 on a week to week basis, with Joe Burrow at quarterback, 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.800 giving him more possessions than the opponent has, you're taking 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:44.800 possessions away from the opponent and giving him to Joe Burrow. 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:46.480 I think he can beat anybody. 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:50.640 Earlier this week, Zach Taylor talked about his confidence in 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:52.920 his ability to get this thing turned back around in 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.920 the right direction. Joe Burrow discussed the topic as well. 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:58.920 Let's hear from the head coach and his quarterback. 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:01.200 I'm confident we're going to make the best decisions for 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:04.160 the organization. It's I got a ton of belief in 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:07.960 our coaching staff, our scouting department, our ownership that we 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.199 are very much in alignment with every decision we've ever 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:13.199 made here, and so again when things haven't been good 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:15.120 enough over the course of this season, there's really no 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:17.400 one to blame other than me, truthfully, and so I 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:19.760 know we all play a piece of this, but I'm 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:21.080 the guy that gets to sit there and talk to 0:13:21.120 --> 0:13:23.400 the team every single week and present plans and make 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:27.280 in game decisions, and so frustrating that I haven't done 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:30.520 any job this year, but a ton of confidence, and 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.240 maybe it rings hollow to everyone listening, but I know 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:35.080 that we've been here before and I've seen how we 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:35.880 can get out the other side. 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:37.040 I'm very confident we're going to get that. 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:40.440 Don I think we have great coaches. I think we're 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:45.720 consistently putting good positions to make plays and do our best. Obviously, 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:48.400 there's good games and bad games, just like players have 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:50.240 good games in bad games. But I have a lot 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:54.440 of confidence and everybody that's putting together the plans for 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:55.920 us weekend and week out. 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:57.200 That's not to say that. 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:02.160 Changes don't need to be made saying personnel or people. 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:04.960 I'm just saying, you know, what we've been doing hasn't 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:07.440 worked the last couple of years, so you know, we 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:09.880 have to think outside the box and get creative about 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:10.960 where we go from here. 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:12.840 All we want to do is win and bring championships 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:15.440 here in Cincinnati, and we'll do whatever it takes to 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:17.480 put it specific words on how that's going to look. 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:19.360 That's all for us behind the scenes to work through 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:22.280 it and make sure we do all that. But I 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:25.080 have absolute confidence that we have the right people and 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:27.440 the right setups to make this happen, because we've proven 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:28.640 it and we'll prove it again. 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:30.480 We haven't been where we want to be the last 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:35.600 three years. A big part of that is the injuries. 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:37.360 On my end, I've. 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:40.200 Played one full season. I've played four games this year. 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:44.360 It's hard to make an impact on a season when 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:50.160 you play four games, So that's an emphasis. Obviously, you 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:52.760 need to figure out a way to be available for 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:57.360 everybody here, and so as far as what I can control, 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.360 that's something that is on top of my mind for me. 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.080 As Joe Burrow just said, we haven't been where we 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:06.280 want to be over the last three years, and that's 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:08.320 obviously the case. But I do want to point out 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:11.960 one thing to me, this is a two year failure, 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:16.120 not a three year failure, because at twenty twenty three, 0:15:17.000 --> 0:15:19.280 that team was going to the playoffs and had a 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:22.240 chance to go a long way in the postseason when 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:25.440 Joe hurt his wrist. When with seven games to go, 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:27.720 they went on the road and beat San Francisco, they 0:15:27.760 --> 0:15:32.600 dominated Buffalo in a home game. They started slowly that year, 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:35.320 Joe was coming back from the calf injury. Once his 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:38.480 calf was healthy, that team was starting to look like 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:40.800 one of the best teams in the NFL. Then he 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.480 suffers the wrist injury when they had the lead on 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.400 the road on a Thursday night in Baltimore. They still 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:49.800 managed to go four and three with Jake Browning because 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.200 the whole team was so good. There's no doubt in 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:55.680 my mind. They went at least one more of those 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.080 last seven games, maybe a couple with Joe Burrow instead 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:01.920 of Jake Browning. Then they're in their playoffs. Then who 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:04.200 knows what would have happened in twenty twenty three. So 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:07.920 I put a little asterisk on twenty twenty three. The 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:10.000 last two years though, no doubt about it. 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:15.480 Failure, yeah, absolutely, and the common denominator is adding twenty 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:19.760 twenty three as well. The inavailability aren't availability of Joe Borrow. 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:24.360 I mean you know, he's he's he's the key, I mean, 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.600 the guy when he's at the helm, when he's at 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.160 the controls, when he's deciding what to do with the. 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:32.240 Football, where to put it, how to distribute it. They win. 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:36.640 They win a high percentage of the time. And you know, 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:40.000 any team in the National Football League if they lose 0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:44.240 their guy, if the Rams lose Stafford, you know, for example, 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:46.520 they're going to struggle. I mean, it's not going to 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:49.200 be the same. It's just not going to be that way. 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:52.880 So if the Baltimore Ravens lose Lamar Jackson, it's different 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:57.640 and they're gonna have to make adjustments and do things differently. 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.800 I do think the one thing that the Bengals are 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:05.719 probably a little bit unique around in the National Football 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:09.200 League is how collaborative they are in terms of personnel. 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:14.879 I mean they Zach was talking about it today, how 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:18.080 they talk every every day. I mean, he'll he'll talk 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:23.040 to Duke, the scouting department, ownership, other coaches, everybody is, 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:28.479 you know, in communication talking about who's gonna play, how 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.119 how long we're gonna play him, how many snaps are 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:33.719 you gonna get, who are gonna rotate, which which one 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:35.359 of the younger guys who are gonna put it in 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:38.159 a rotation to see if that guy is somebody that 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:41.000 we can work with down the road, if he's part 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:43.960 of a big piece of the puzzle or not. So 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:46.800 I don't think there are many organizations in the National 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:51.480 Football League that are built that way, structured that way, 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:55.200 put together that way. Like the Cincinnati Bengals are Mike Brown, 0:17:55.640 --> 0:17:59.560 He's not, you know, the Bengals ownership is just a 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:02.600 part time thing, and then he's in seven different businesses 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:05.480 that he's part of and making decisions. This is it, 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:09.680 this is his life. He's a football lifer and draw 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:11.560 many of those in the National Football League from the 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:12.480 nornship perspective. 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:15.639 I don't know if Mike will be behind his desk 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:18.040 next Thursday, Christmas Day. 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.560 Yeah, he might be. He could be. 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:23.240 I guarantee you the other three sixty four he's. 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:24.320 There, agreed. 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:28.960 I mean for you know, not not burning up ten 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:32.360 twelve hour days. But he's in there. And when he's 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:36.920 in there, he is. He is totally and unabatteredly focused 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:38.960 on on football and how he's going to improve his 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.840 football team. He lives, breathes, sleeps, eats, football. 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:45.879 And he probably will be there next Thursday as well, 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:48.239 because there's a game a few days later. Right, all right, 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.040 we're gonna take a time out. The Bengals made a 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.320 roster move today. We'll tell you about that when we 0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:56.320 come back. One guy in, One guy out. This is 0:18:56.359 --> 0:18:59.480 the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Beared Chicken. 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:01.840 We are live at the On the Rhine Eatery, the 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:05.399 food hall above the downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut. 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:08.720 We're here until six o'clock tonight, and Sam Hubbard will 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:12.480 be our special guest from five to six. You are 0:19:12.520 --> 0:19:15.920 listening to The Bengals pep Rally Show on ESPN fifteen thirty. 0:19:22.280 --> 0:19:24.240 Dan Old and Dave Lap them back on the Bengals 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:27.199 pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken. Life from 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:29.080 the On the Rhine Eatery, the food hall above the 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:32.080 downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut. Come out and join us. 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:34.879 We're here until six o'clock. All sorts of great food 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:37.960 available here and it is inexpensive. The city's best dry 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:41.440 rub wings, plus burgers, plus sushi, lots of other great 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.320 stuff here again, it's the On the Rhine eatery. There's 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:46.600 a full service bar as well. Come out, grab some 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:49.080 to eat, have a beverage. Get ready for the Bengals 0:19:49.080 --> 0:19:52.359 and Dolphins coming up this Sunday. At one o'clock, it 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:55.760 is time for the Kettering Health injury report on a 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:59.159 Friday afternoon. Here who is out? Here's who are out 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:02.800 for the Bengal on Sunday in Miami. Joseph Osaiah is out, 0:20:02.880 --> 0:20:07.119 Charlie Jones is out, and Noah Fant is out. The 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:10.119 following guys that listed is questionable T Higgins, although he 0:20:10.240 --> 0:20:13.359 was a full participate in practice today as he comes 0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:17.400 back from the concussion protocol. BJ Hill listed as questionable. 0:20:17.440 --> 0:20:19.600 It sounds like bj is going to be able to play, 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:23.919 but he is listed as questionable. PJ Jewels also listed 0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:28.680 as questionable. There was also a roster move today. Chris 0:20:28.760 --> 0:20:30.760 Jenkins is finished for the rest of the year. He 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:35.240 suffered a significant enough ankle injury last week that he 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:37.840 is going to be placed on injured reserves, so he'll 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:40.840 miss the rest of this season. But his response his 0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:43.919 spot on the roster has been filled by Shamar Stewart. 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:46.200 So good to have the first round draft pick back 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:48.840 for the last few games of the year. It's been 0:20:48.880 --> 0:20:51.879 a tough year for Schamar. First was the contract squabble 0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:54.760 that caused him to miss all of the OTA's got 0:20:54.760 --> 0:20:58.000 a late start when training camp got under way, had 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:00.840 a good camp, played very well in the season opener 0:21:00.880 --> 0:21:04.680 against Cleveland, then got hurt in week two. He missed 0:21:04.720 --> 0:21:07.520 four games. He came back and he played three, he 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:10.640 got hurt again. Now he's missed the last five games. 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:13.719 He comes back in time to hopefully play in the 0:21:13.760 --> 0:21:17.840 final three games at the year. Let's hear from Shamar Stewart. 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:19.919 I'm making his return this week. 0:21:21.000 --> 0:21:24.199 What I was doing well before the first time I 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:27.080 got heard. You know, I feel like I was pretty 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:30.600 good in the running, I was pretty stout. My body 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:33.560 was one hundred percent, you know, nothing lingering. I was 0:21:33.600 --> 0:21:37.520 getting more familiar to playbook. And then you know, injury happened. 0:21:37.760 --> 0:21:40.280 Came back for another two games, and what another injury happened. 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:43.080 So you know, just sucks. You know, just gotta keep 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:45.600 your head on right, you know, keep you just know 0:21:45.640 --> 0:21:49.480 this better days ahead. Oh, it's been a long year. Yeah, 0:21:50.119 --> 0:21:52.280 it's been a long year for sure, you know, but 0:21:52.440 --> 0:21:54.200 you know, you just gotta keep you just gotta be 0:21:54.240 --> 0:21:56.320 where your feet are, you know, Nexte. 0:21:56.359 --> 0:21:58.199 Hopefully next year is a better year for me. 0:21:59.200 --> 0:22:01.560 Well, next year's almost certain to be a better year 0:22:01.600 --> 0:22:03.680 for him, because he's been heard so much this year. 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:06.040 It's funny how that's happened to the Bengals first round 0:22:06.040 --> 0:22:09.080 pick so many times over the years. Happened to Tyler Riifford, 0:22:09.119 --> 0:22:13.440 happened to Will Jackson, there have been others. Hopefully Shamar 0:22:13.800 --> 0:22:17.199 comes back healthy. He's with the team throughout everything in 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:19.800 the offseason as a normal training camp, and we can 0:22:19.840 --> 0:22:21.800 see just what this guy is capable of doing. 0:22:21.880 --> 0:22:25.960 Yeah, absolutely, because like you said, you know, almost like 0:22:26.320 --> 0:22:28.639 a throwaway comment, keep my feet under me, you know, 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:32.760 I just gotta keep my feet under That's what it's 0:22:32.800 --> 0:22:35.600 that's been his problem. His problem is he's been hurt 0:22:35.680 --> 0:22:38.840 so much. I mean, he's been injured more than he's 0:22:38.840 --> 0:22:41.960 been healthy. He's been unavailable more than he's been available 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:45.720 to the team, and it's frustrating to everybody, him in particular. 0:22:45.800 --> 0:22:48.040 I mean, he's got to be the most frustrated because 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:51.920 he's the one that's having to work through the treatment 0:22:52.000 --> 0:22:55.320 for injuries, the rehabilitation for injuries, everything goes along with it, 0:22:55.840 --> 0:23:01.160 but I mean the organization. He's he's got unbelieve physical traits. 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:07.080 I mean, he's a if you taped necessary traits to 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:10.400 be a defensive end successfully in the National Football League, 0:23:10.400 --> 0:23:14.200 play that position successfully, he would become His body type 0:23:14.320 --> 0:23:15.120 comes spitting. 0:23:14.840 --> 0:23:15.359 Out of the ground. 0:23:15.600 --> 0:23:19.199 I mean, it's amazing. But he just man and to 0:23:19.320 --> 0:23:22.720 boot he's got. I mean, the coaches, his teammates, they 0:23:22.720 --> 0:23:25.960 all talk about his football like you. He understands the game. 0:23:26.280 --> 0:23:29.159 He understands the game at a very high level. You know, 0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:31.840 he's not just some schmoe off the street that's you know, 0:23:32.400 --> 0:23:36.280 let me go play some football. It's it's very, very frustrating, 0:23:36.560 --> 0:23:38.920 you know. I feel badly for the kid because he 0:23:38.960 --> 0:23:42.600 does have something to give the city of Cincinnati's something 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:45.800 to give his teammates and himself, and because he can 0:23:45.800 --> 0:23:48.640 play football like very few can. 0:23:49.480 --> 0:23:51.560 He's got at least three years left on that deal, 0:23:51.680 --> 0:23:54.600 so hopefully we see the real Schamar Stewart next year. 0:23:54.920 --> 0:23:57.560 Then there's the case of Chris Jenkins. Last year, the 0:23:57.600 --> 0:24:00.439 second round draft pick broke his thumb just before the 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:02.960 start of the season. Played a big chunk of the 0:24:03.040 --> 0:24:05.200 year with a giant club on his hand. That's hard 0:24:05.240 --> 0:24:09.520 to do when you're playing defensive tackle. He's played reasonably 0:24:09.560 --> 0:24:12.320 well this year. I think he's certainly a guy where 0:24:12.320 --> 0:24:15.439 you would say the arrow is pointing up. Let's hear 0:24:15.480 --> 0:24:18.200 from head coach Zach Taylor as he kind of sums 0:24:18.280 --> 0:24:21.240 up the progress that Chris Jenkins made this year before 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:23.040 going on injured reserve today. 0:24:23.359 --> 0:24:26.840 The part that I did see was just his football 0:24:26.880 --> 0:24:29.840 IQ really starts to take shape with all the experience 0:24:29.840 --> 0:24:33.920 he was scanning so understanding how the alian's playing, different 0:24:33.960 --> 0:24:37.119 calls they're making. He was doing a good job communicating 0:24:37.119 --> 0:24:39.000 with the D line. Thinks he was becoming aware of 0:24:39.160 --> 0:24:42.040 that was giving everyone a better chance of succeeding. So 0:24:42.080 --> 0:24:44.080 I think that element is critical that you see really 0:24:44.119 --> 0:24:46.159 good D line in the league have that understanding. They 0:24:46.200 --> 0:24:48.800 understand what the calls the line are making and what's 0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:51.119 coming at him and how to defeat it. So I 0:24:51.160 --> 0:24:54.760 think that's been a really good step in Chris's progression 0:24:54.960 --> 0:24:56.520 that was starting to really show up. 0:24:57.600 --> 0:24:57.800 Lapp. 0:24:57.880 --> 0:25:00.959 I don't know what kind of ceiling Chris Jenkins has. 0:25:01.280 --> 0:25:04.080 I don't ever see him being a pro bowler. I 0:25:04.119 --> 0:25:09.840 could definitely see him being a very valuable rotational defensive tackle, 0:25:10.119 --> 0:25:12.679 no drop off you know from if he's not a 0:25:12.720 --> 0:25:15.520 starter from the guy that he's you know, playing behind, 0:25:15.600 --> 0:25:18.200 or maybe as a solid starter. That's who he feels 0:25:18.280 --> 0:25:20.160 like to me two years into his career. 0:25:20.240 --> 0:25:22.120 I think that's fair, Dan, I mean, I think he's 0:25:22.160 --> 0:25:25.280 a guy that could have seven eight year NFL career 0:25:25.680 --> 0:25:29.040 on a rotational basis as a defensive tackle going in there. 0:25:29.080 --> 0:25:33.560 And it's funny you talk about the football IQ. We 0:25:33.680 --> 0:25:36.560 talked about Shamar Stewart with his Chris Jenkins with his 0:25:37.760 --> 0:25:40.680 I can tell you that, like when Zach was talking 0:25:40.680 --> 0:25:45.720 about how Jenkins will, you know, make calls based on 0:25:45.840 --> 0:25:49.720 what he's hearing the offensive line communicating that's high level. 0:25:50.280 --> 0:25:52.840 Mike Reid did that, He's drive me nuts. 0:25:52.560 --> 0:25:55.800 Me he'd be he'd he'd you. 0:25:55.760 --> 0:25:57.399 Know, we'd make a call, you know, I made the 0:25:57.400 --> 0:25:59.680 call for the calls to the offensive line, I'd make 0:25:59.720 --> 0:26:01.760 a call. He'd counter it. You know, It's like we're 0:26:01.760 --> 0:26:04.840 playing chess, you know, and he'd make his move, his 0:26:04.840 --> 0:26:07.200 his counter move, and then there's not a whole lot 0:26:07.200 --> 0:26:09.760 of time, you know, to do anything else as the 0:26:09.760 --> 0:26:13.560 play clocks winding down. So having a guy with that 0:26:13.640 --> 0:26:17.159 kind of football intelligence as well as physical ability. I mean, 0:26:17.200 --> 0:26:20.320 Mike Reid was like that dude was so damn quick. 0:26:20.760 --> 0:26:22.800 I mean I was like, I know, how didn't close 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:24.880 my eyes? How did he get from there to there 0:26:25.320 --> 0:26:28.840 so quickly? It's it's incredible how some of these guys 0:26:28.880 --> 0:26:33.520 are so gifted physically. But yeah, Chris Jenkins, you know Zach, 0:26:33.760 --> 0:26:37.600 Zach loves him because you know, there's so many guys 0:26:37.600 --> 0:26:41.040 in this football team that have intelligence, uh, you know, 0:26:41.040 --> 0:26:47.159 football intelligence plus raw intelligence, basic understanding, book smart intelligence, uh, 0:26:47.320 --> 0:26:51.199 and good people. You know that that's the thing this 0:26:51.280 --> 0:26:53.639 football team. You know, your heart kind of aches for 0:26:53.720 --> 0:26:57.240 him a little bit because they are good people that care, 0:26:57.640 --> 0:27:00.960 that care about their performance, care about wins and losses, 0:27:01.000 --> 0:27:02.639 care about doing well for the community. 0:27:03.320 --> 0:27:05.639 And we are going to hear from another person like 0:27:05.680 --> 0:27:08.680 that when we come back. The Bengals did not score 0:27:08.960 --> 0:27:11.640 in last week's lost to the Baltimore Ravens. We'll hear 0:27:12.000 --> 0:27:14.560 from a member of the tight end core about that 0:27:14.680 --> 0:27:17.240 when we continue. You're listening to the Bengals pep Rally 0:27:17.240 --> 0:27:20.159 Show presented by Just Bear Chicken, live from the on 0:27:20.359 --> 0:27:23.920 the Rhine Eatery, the food hall above the downtown Kroger 0:27:23.960 --> 0:27:27.240 at Court and Walnut. We're here until six o'clock tonight. 0:27:27.320 --> 0:27:31.359 Sam Hubber joined us at five on ESPN fifteen thirty. 0:27:36.680 --> 0:27:39.119 Dan Ordon Dave Lapham back in the Bengals pep Rally 0:27:39.119 --> 0:27:42.119 Show presented by Just Bear Chicken, live from the On 0:27:42.320 --> 0:27:45.359 the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. It's the food 0:27:45.400 --> 0:27:48.920 hall above the downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut. Mike 0:27:48.960 --> 0:27:51.320 Mills is with us here at the On the Rochet Eatery. 0:27:51.359 --> 0:27:53.840 He is our engineer. Austin Elmore is back in the studio. 0:27:54.240 --> 0:27:57.120 Sam Hubber is going to be our special guest from 0:27:57.160 --> 0:28:01.640 five to six this afternoon. Well, Joe Burrow's been back 0:28:01.680 --> 0:28:04.000 for three weeks. In his first game back, the Bengals 0:28:04.000 --> 0:28:06.800 scored thirty two points on the road and beat Baltimore. 0:28:07.080 --> 0:28:09.720 In his second game back, they scored thirty four points 0:28:09.760 --> 0:28:13.239 and unfortunately lost at Buffalo, and then last week they 0:28:13.280 --> 0:28:16.280 didn't score. It's the first time in Joe Burrow's career 0:28:16.320 --> 0:28:19.359 as a starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals that the 0:28:19.400 --> 0:28:23.560 Bengals got shut out. Now, the frigid temperatures probably had 0:28:23.640 --> 0:28:26.600 something to do with that. Joe, by his own admission 0:28:26.600 --> 0:28:29.600 did not play particularly well. Let's hear from tight end 0:28:29.800 --> 0:28:33.840 Tanner Hudson. Tanner Hudson, who had three catches in the 0:28:33.840 --> 0:28:38.440 game for Cincinnati, about Cincinnati's inability to score against the 0:28:38.480 --> 0:28:39.440 Ravens last week. 0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:42.520 And anytime you get shut out in a big game 0:28:42.600 --> 0:28:46.560 like that, you definitely go back to the drawing board 0:28:46.560 --> 0:28:49.680 a little bit kind of see what went what went wrong, 0:28:50.720 --> 0:28:53.760 and where it went wrong. So yeah, I think I 0:28:53.760 --> 0:28:56.160 think for all those guys, especially with the talent that 0:28:56.200 --> 0:28:58.400 we have in the room, putting up zero points is 0:28:58.440 --> 0:28:59.920 just it's unacceptable for us. 0:29:00.680 --> 0:29:02.840 I think the Bengals were inside the thirty two yard 0:29:02.840 --> 0:29:06.760 line five times and did not score, which is highly unusual. 0:29:06.960 --> 0:29:10.840 Mitchell Tinsley dropped a touchdown pass on the very next play, 0:29:11.080 --> 0:29:14.440 Joe Burrow threw a pick six, Andrea Yosi vash dropped 0:29:14.440 --> 0:29:17.960 about a forty yard pass. Jamar Chase, who rarely drops 0:29:18.000 --> 0:29:20.920 passes at least since his very first training camp, had 0:29:20.920 --> 0:29:23.640 a couple of drops last week. Joe Burrow made some 0:29:24.760 --> 0:29:30.280 highly unusual poor decisions terms of protections and some of 0:29:30.320 --> 0:29:32.080 the things that he did in that game. So it 0:29:32.160 --> 0:29:35.200 was a team effort in failing to put any points 0:29:35.240 --> 0:29:35.880 on the board. 0:29:35.840 --> 0:29:39.840 Right when you get shut out. Nobody did well and 0:29:40.800 --> 0:29:45.000 you did a good job of so many different components, 0:29:45.040 --> 0:29:49.560 so many different players had issues, made big mistakes, didn't 0:29:49.720 --> 0:29:54.400 execute the way that they needed to execute. And Joe Burrow, 0:29:54.480 --> 0:29:57.920 as you mentioned, dan very forthright, very honest, and look 0:29:58.360 --> 0:30:02.000 the way I played. If I played for any team 0:30:02.000 --> 0:30:04.520 in the NFL last week, they wouldn't have won the 0:30:04.520 --> 0:30:07.880 football game. All thirty two teams would have come up 0:30:07.880 --> 0:30:10.479 on the short end of the stick. The way I played. 0:30:10.840 --> 0:30:14.120 I have to be better. I have to do better. 0:30:15.000 --> 0:30:17.160 I respect the hell out of him for saying that 0:30:17.240 --> 0:30:19.880 and doing that. That's just the way he is. I mean, 0:30:19.920 --> 0:30:23.600 he is the leader. The capital L capital E capital 0:30:23.720 --> 0:30:26.360 A capitol, the D capital, the ee capitol R. He 0:30:26.480 --> 0:30:29.760 is the leader, and he comports himself that way, he 0:30:29.840 --> 0:30:34.280 acts that way. So I do think, though, you have 0:30:34.360 --> 0:30:36.960 to dive into that tape, take a look at that 0:30:37.040 --> 0:30:42.200 tape and see what you did right, if anything, and 0:30:42.240 --> 0:30:44.440 there's not too much, that's not a long part of tape, 0:30:44.760 --> 0:30:47.920 part of the tape, but to see what you did wrong, 0:30:48.240 --> 0:30:50.520 why you did it wrong, what you need to do 0:30:50.600 --> 0:30:53.160 to correct it and get it corrected and get it done, 0:30:53.160 --> 0:30:55.200 and get it done quickly. You want to win these 0:30:55.240 --> 0:30:57.720 last three football games. If you can win these last 0:30:57.720 --> 0:31:02.000 three football games, you can salvage a little bit going 0:31:02.040 --> 0:31:04.400 into an offseason. You want to go in on an 0:31:04.480 --> 0:31:06.480 up note. If you win three in a row to 0:31:06.520 --> 0:31:09.240 finish the season, you're going in on an up note. 0:31:10.160 --> 0:31:12.880 Miami's defense is middle of the pack. They're thirty two 0:31:12.960 --> 0:31:16.040 teams in the NFL. They're tied for sixteenth and points allowed, 0:31:16.080 --> 0:31:19.280 so smack dab in the middle. Their defense had been 0:31:19.320 --> 0:31:22.280 playing well of late. They gave up twenty eight on 0:31:22.360 --> 0:31:24.760 Monday and a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but prior 0:31:24.800 --> 0:31:27.280 to that, in their previous four games, they had given 0:31:27.360 --> 0:31:31.280 up thirteen, thirteen, seventeen to ten. So four straight games 0:31:31.320 --> 0:31:34.600 on defense where they did not allow twenty points. Now, 0:31:34.640 --> 0:31:37.360 three of those games were against bad teams, but one 0:31:37.440 --> 0:31:39.520 was against Buffalo and they only gave up thirteen to 0:31:39.560 --> 0:31:40.200 the Bills. 0:31:40.600 --> 0:31:44.520 That's impressive, I mean very impressive. Yeah, Jared Allen and 0:31:44.680 --> 0:31:47.280 Josh excuse me, Josh Allen. Yeah, Jared, that'd be good. 0:31:47.320 --> 0:31:49.080 A defensivevent getting after. 0:31:48.920 --> 0:31:50.120 The he was a Hall of Famer. 0:31:50.800 --> 0:31:54.440 He's definitely a Hall of Famer. He boy, he and 0:31:54.520 --> 0:31:57.440 Anthony Moon has had some stirring battles, but I digress. 0:31:59.720 --> 0:32:03.200 Josh Allen is legit. I mean, he's gonna be in 0:32:03.200 --> 0:32:06.480 the Hall of Fame himself. So you hold that Buffalo 0:32:06.520 --> 0:32:10.880 Bills offense thirteen points. Job well done, no question about it. 0:32:11.720 --> 0:32:19.160 Zach Taylor very very complimentary of Baltimore's defense, saying, you 0:32:19.160 --> 0:32:22.200 know that he just likes the way they're put together. 0:32:22.240 --> 0:32:25.880 He likes the way McDonald's has structured that defensive football team. 0:32:27.000 --> 0:32:31.000 This minded me Dolphin team. The thing when I watch 0:32:31.080 --> 0:32:34.640 them on tape, when I watch their games, their game film, 0:32:35.080 --> 0:32:39.480 they all run to the ball. Their pursuit is outstanding. Man, 0:32:39.480 --> 0:32:42.160 There'll be like three or four guys in position to 0:32:42.240 --> 0:32:44.800 make a play. One does, but if he doesn't for 0:32:44.840 --> 0:32:48.560 some reason, there's plenty of support there in case somebody 0:32:48.560 --> 0:32:49.040 else has. 0:32:48.960 --> 0:32:49.440 To make one. 0:32:50.040 --> 0:32:51.800 All right, we're gonna take a time out. When we 0:32:51.840 --> 0:32:54.960 come back, we're gonna shine the spotlight on an unsung 0:32:55.200 --> 0:32:57.960 Bengals hero, a guy that you might not even know 0:32:58.080 --> 0:33:01.320 his uniform number, but he's playing extremely well. This is 0:33:01.320 --> 0:33:03.520 the Bengals pep Rally Show. We're live at the on 0:33:03.680 --> 0:33:07.240 the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati, talking Bengals football 0:33:07.320 --> 0:33:10.440 until six o'clock tonight. Sam Hubbard joins us from five 0:33:10.520 --> 0:33:20.760 to six here on ESPN fifteen thirty, Dan and Dave 0:33:20.880 --> 0:33:23.720 back on the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just 0:33:23.800 --> 0:33:25.959 Bear Chicken, live from the on the Rhine Eatery here 0:33:25.960 --> 0:33:28.480 in downtown Cincinnati. We're getting he set for the Bengals 0:33:28.480 --> 0:33:31.960 and Dolphins coming up one o'clock on Sunday in Miami. 0:33:32.280 --> 0:33:34.360 So over the past few weeks, it seems to me 0:33:34.480 --> 0:33:38.800 that every time the Bengals are in kickoff coverage and 0:33:38.920 --> 0:33:41.920 the other team's kick returner runs it back, Bengals make 0:33:41.960 --> 0:33:44.800 the tackle. I look down at my spotting chart as 0:33:44.800 --> 0:33:47.479 they call it, with the uniform numbers and the names, 0:33:47.880 --> 0:33:51.600 and I attribute the tackle to number forty three Joe 0:33:52.000 --> 0:33:56.040 Giles Harris. He's been making a bunch of tackles in 0:33:56.080 --> 0:33:58.360 special teams in recent weeks. So I looked it up 0:33:58.400 --> 0:34:01.000 on Pro Football Focused to find out where they have 0:34:01.160 --> 0:34:05.360 him graded among special teamers around the NFL. Would you 0:34:05.400 --> 0:34:10.160 believe number eleven the eleventh best overall special teams player 0:34:10.760 --> 0:34:14.320 in the NFL? I talked to Joe Giles Harris about 0:34:14.320 --> 0:34:15.720 that earlier this. 0:34:15.600 --> 0:34:18.960 Week, shout out you know, coach Daron, coach Ben, and 0:34:19.000 --> 0:34:20.279 you know the guys in the unit. You know, I'm 0:34:20.320 --> 0:34:21.640 just the guy who's been lucky enough to have a 0:34:21.640 --> 0:34:24.359 couple tackles these past few games. But it comes down 0:34:24.400 --> 0:34:27.120 to film study and just working hard. And you know, 0:34:27.320 --> 0:34:29.840 I think for a lot of guys, you know, early 0:34:29.880 --> 0:34:31.279 on you can kind of look at special teams as 0:34:31.280 --> 0:34:32.560 that I don't want to play special teams. I want 0:34:32.560 --> 0:34:33.920 to be a defensiveuy. I want to be offensive guy. 0:34:33.960 --> 0:34:37.879 But it's just as important. It's it's just as fun 0:34:37.920 --> 0:34:40.600 and you know, guy's carve out roles doing that. So 0:34:40.719 --> 0:34:43.200 for me, like I told you, just being consistent and 0:34:43.239 --> 0:34:44.400 doing what I have to do to stay in a 0:34:44.440 --> 0:34:46.560 building and you know, getting the opportunity to play there 0:34:46.600 --> 0:34:49.120 and it's been nothing but good to me and kind 0:34:49.160 --> 0:34:49.960 of opened my eyes. 0:34:49.800 --> 0:34:51.040 A little more special teams world. 0:34:51.080 --> 0:34:52.920 And I just thank my film setting things for being 0:34:52.920 --> 0:34:54.279 able to be in the right place at the right time. 0:34:55.160 --> 0:34:57.319 You gotta love a guy like Joe Giles Harris. If 0:34:57.360 --> 0:34:59.480 you look at the roster laugh, he's listed as somebody 0:34:59.560 --> 0:35:02.480 with two years of NFL experience. And this comes down 0:35:02.480 --> 0:35:06.640 to how the NFL counts accrude seasons. Right, He's in 0:35:06.640 --> 0:35:10.160 his seventh NFL year. He's basically put five years in 0:35:10.200 --> 0:35:13.759 on practice squads, grinding, trying to stay with a team, 0:35:13.920 --> 0:35:17.160 doing whatever it takes. Now, guys on the practice squad, 0:35:17.200 --> 0:35:20.680 it's a good living. You're making six figures. You know, 0:35:20.719 --> 0:35:23.160 there are a lot worse jobs out there, but you're 0:35:23.160 --> 0:35:25.320 a professional athlete. You want to get out there and play. 0:35:25.880 --> 0:35:27.880 Most of his time in the NFL has been on 0:35:28.000 --> 0:35:30.440 practice squads, but he's getting a chance to make a 0:35:30.440 --> 0:35:32.799 big contribution on special teams and he's coming through. 0:35:33.080 --> 0:35:34.600 He really is, it really is. 0:35:34.640 --> 0:35:37.680 And as a former player, I got nothing respect, nothing 0:35:37.760 --> 0:35:40.600 but respect for a guy like this, because you could 0:35:40.600 --> 0:35:43.120 have gone on to your as Paul Brown would say, Look, 0:35:43.160 --> 0:35:46.399 we're letting you go. You know, you almost made it. 0:35:47.040 --> 0:35:50.560 You're the last couple of three get people we were considering, 0:35:50.960 --> 0:35:53.959 but it just didn't card cut the mustard. So giving 0:35:54.000 --> 0:35:55.440 you a chance to go to your life's work, he 0:35:55.560 --> 0:35:59.160 tried to spend it. Possibly Jiles Harris is like, no, 0:35:59.600 --> 0:36:03.960 this is my life's work for right now until you know, 0:36:04.120 --> 0:36:06.520 maybe ten years down there, I'm gonna give this every 0:36:06.640 --> 0:36:09.880 chance I possibly can, every single season to be a 0:36:09.920 --> 0:36:12.600 contributor on the football team, and the quickest way to 0:36:12.640 --> 0:36:16.120 contribute his special teams and with the Bengals, he's fortunate 0:36:16.200 --> 0:36:19.040 enough to be hooked up with Darren Simmons, who understands 0:36:19.800 --> 0:36:24.720 Giles's mindset, makeup, love for the game of football and 0:36:24.760 --> 0:36:28.920 in general. Darren's like, I keep it simple. I mean especially, 0:36:28.920 --> 0:36:31.560 it's not rocket science. You know, we're not split in 0:36:31.640 --> 0:36:35.279 the atom here, guys. You know we're playing football. Run 0:36:35.320 --> 0:36:37.640 down the field as fast as you can. Take on 0:36:37.719 --> 0:36:40.960 an opponent, you know, separate, get off his block and 0:36:41.000 --> 0:36:44.320 tackle people. Be a good tackler, get guys on the ground. 0:36:44.719 --> 0:36:46.520 If you do that for Darren Simmons, you're gonna play 0:36:46.520 --> 0:36:50.000 special teams for him for a long time. And Joe 0:36:50.120 --> 0:36:53.040 Giles Harris is somebody that I think Darren Simmons has 0:36:53.080 --> 0:36:54.480 an immense amount of respect for. 0:36:54.800 --> 0:36:57.480 Joe Giles Harris is from the New York City area. 0:36:57.680 --> 0:36:59.879 He went to Duke, where he was the three time 0:37:00.080 --> 0:37:03.840 winner of the Vincent Ray Award, which goes to the 0:37:03.840 --> 0:37:06.600 best linebacker at Duke. It is obviously named for former 0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:09.640 Bengal Vinnie Ray. And it's been cool, cool for Joe 0:37:09.719 --> 0:37:12.840 Giles Harris to get to know Vinnie. Now, yeah, Vinnie's 0:37:12.840 --> 0:37:15.759 the team chaplain. Two guys from the New York City 0:37:15.800 --> 0:37:19.120 area that went to Duke and have wound up in Cincinnati. 0:37:19.160 --> 0:37:19.760 It's amazing. 0:37:19.840 --> 0:37:25.480 It's amazing how football can be the conduit to relationships 0:37:25.480 --> 0:37:28.960 that are lifelong. I mean, bonds that are made forever. 0:37:29.280 --> 0:37:33.319 And uh, I love the game of football for so 0:37:33.360 --> 0:37:36.399 many reasons. That's right there with every one of them. 0:37:36.400 --> 0:37:40.920 I mean, you know, I see how guys really feel 0:37:40.960 --> 0:37:43.400 about each other, how much they care about each other. 0:37:43.280 --> 0:37:45.759 Will do anything. And I'm not I'm not. 0:37:46.480 --> 0:37:48.600 I guess I'm not saying I'm not, but I guess 0:37:48.640 --> 0:37:51.320 I am. I'm going to compare it some to the military. 0:37:51.920 --> 0:37:54.359 You know. It's it's you're going for all for one 0:37:54.440 --> 0:37:55.520 common cause, all. 0:37:55.400 --> 0:37:58.960 That you do anything, anything for the good of the 0:37:59.000 --> 0:38:00.200 football team. 0:38:00.600 --> 0:38:02.200 All Right, we're gonna take a time out. When we 0:38:02.239 --> 0:38:04.520 come back, we will talk about the wisdom of Joe 0:38:04.560 --> 0:38:07.320 Burrow playing in the final three games of the season. 0:38:07.360 --> 0:38:11.480 Now that the Bengals have officially been eliminated from playoff contention, 0:38:11.680 --> 0:38:14.040 this is the Bengals pep rally show presented each week 0:38:14.080 --> 0:38:16.120 by Just Bear Chicken. We are live at the On 0:38:16.200 --> 0:38:19.480 the Rhine Eatery, the food hall above the downtown Kroger 0:38:19.560 --> 0:38:31.480 at Court and Walnut, here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Welcome 0:38:31.480 --> 0:38:33.680 back to the Bengals pep Rally Show Live from the 0:38:33.800 --> 0:38:37.120 on the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. It's the 0:38:37.160 --> 0:38:40.640 food hall above the downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut. 0:38:40.680 --> 0:38:44.560 Plenty of great food options in here and they are inexpensive. 0:38:44.600 --> 0:38:47.200 Come grab a Burger, Come grab the best dry rub 0:38:47.239 --> 0:38:51.440 wings in Cincinnati. There's sushi, other Asian food, lots of options. 0:38:51.440 --> 0:38:53.680 There's a full service bar as well. Lap and I 0:38:53.719 --> 0:38:56.080 are here until six o'clock tonight, and our special guest 0:38:56.360 --> 0:38:59.000 coming up in one hour and seven minutes will be 0:38:59.000 --> 0:39:02.320 the Cincinnati kid, Sam Hubbard. He'll be here from five 0:39:02.400 --> 0:39:05.600 to six. Last week, with a loss to Baltimore, Cincinnati 0:39:05.719 --> 0:39:09.120 was officially eliminated from playoff contention. So there are a 0:39:09.160 --> 0:39:11.359 lot of people out there, and I understand it. It's 0:39:11.400 --> 0:39:15.360 a fair argument that say you should shut down Joe Burrow, 0:39:15.440 --> 0:39:18.640 don't run any risk in these final three games of 0:39:18.719 --> 0:39:21.240 him getting injured again. Well, Joe is going to play. 0:39:21.480 --> 0:39:24.839 Zach Taylor said that at a news conference earlier this week, 0:39:25.000 --> 0:39:28.560 Joe is hell bent on playing. He didn't work as 0:39:28.560 --> 0:39:31.200 hard as he did to come back from that toe 0:39:31.239 --> 0:39:33.960 injury just to sit out for the final three games 0:39:33.960 --> 0:39:36.200 of the year. So again it's a fair debate, but 0:39:36.320 --> 0:39:38.600 Joe Burrow is going to play. Let's hear from Joe 0:39:38.719 --> 0:39:40.720 on what he hopes to get out of these final 0:39:40.719 --> 0:39:41.600 three games of the year. 0:39:42.000 --> 0:39:45.320 Anytime you get the opportunity to shove up the pads 0:39:45.320 --> 0:39:47.799 and put the cleats on and go in the front 0:39:47.800 --> 0:39:51.600 of the world and prove your worth, prove all the 0:39:51.600 --> 0:39:54.480 hard work that you've put in, prove that you're improving. 0:39:54.040 --> 0:39:54.600 Week to week. 0:39:55.360 --> 0:39:57.239 That's what we're all trying to do. We're trying to 0:39:57.760 --> 0:40:01.920 get better and better ourselves, and we have three. 0:40:01.719 --> 0:40:03.839 Opportunities to do that. 0:40:05.120 --> 0:40:08.160 You know, when I wanted to come back, obviously you 0:40:08.239 --> 0:40:09.520 want to make the playoffs and you want to make 0:40:09.520 --> 0:40:11.680 a run and all of that, but that was kind 0:40:11.680 --> 0:40:15.359 of tertiary in my mind. I just wanted to get 0:40:15.360 --> 0:40:17.399 back out there and play and put on a show 0:40:17.440 --> 0:40:18.600 and try to play well and. 0:40:19.160 --> 0:40:25.960 Produce tertiary excellent word excellent. Joe Burrow good vocabula. He 0:40:26.040 --> 0:40:30.040 busted out the thesaurus while he was rehabbing his toe injury. 0:40:30.400 --> 0:40:32.160 You know, as long as the doctors say that the 0:40:32.200 --> 0:40:35.759 toe has completely healed, that he is in no risk 0:40:35.840 --> 0:40:38.879 of further damage to that. Now that he's come back 0:40:38.920 --> 0:40:42.560 and he's got this specially designed shoe, yeah, I defer 0:40:42.600 --> 0:40:45.000 to him. Let him play. If you know it's important 0:40:45.000 --> 0:40:47.320 to him to play, let him play. 0:40:47.680 --> 0:40:54.080 Totally. One agree. Joe Burrow is a football player. Joel 0:40:54.120 --> 0:40:58.000 Burrow loves to play football. Joe Burrow loves to throw 0:40:58.040 --> 0:41:01.719 the football. Joe Burrow loves his teammates. Joe Burrow loves 0:41:01.719 --> 0:41:05.360 his coaches. Joe Burrow loves Cincinnati. Joe Burrow wants to 0:41:05.400 --> 0:41:06.680 be part of it. He wants to be. 0:41:06.600 --> 0:41:08.280 Part of the whole, the whole deal. 0:41:09.600 --> 0:41:12.600 You have a guy like that that wants to play, 0:41:13.200 --> 0:41:17.799 and as talented as he is, he let him play, 0:41:18.440 --> 0:41:22.160 and if another injury happens, God forbid, knock on wood. 0:41:23.680 --> 0:41:26.560 You never, you never, you never take anything for granted 0:41:26.600 --> 0:41:30.640 in that regard. But I mean, that's that's football, that's 0:41:30.640 --> 0:41:36.080 a byproduct of football. Unfortunately, I think he's gonna play 0:41:36.239 --> 0:41:39.280 really well. I think He's gonna put up significant numbers, 0:41:39.840 --> 0:41:44.279 and you know, he loves the challenge. He loves to 0:41:44.320 --> 0:41:47.799 be tested. He wants to show what he can do 0:41:48.160 --> 0:41:50.640 against the best that there is in the world, and 0:41:50.680 --> 0:41:52.120 that's the National Football League. 0:41:52.160 --> 0:41:54.680 I just hurt my knuckles pounding on that wooden chair, 0:41:54.760 --> 0:41:59.719 so I I think I might have broken something. I 0:41:59.760 --> 0:42:01.600 agree with you. I think Joe Burrow is gonna play 0:42:01.640 --> 0:42:04.560 great this week. I mean, when he has a subpar game, 0:42:04.640 --> 0:42:06.719 and he called last week's game maybe the worst of 0:42:06.719 --> 0:42:09.440 his career. I'm not sure that I necessarily agree with that, 0:42:09.760 --> 0:42:12.560 but when he has a subpar game, he typically comes 0:42:12.600 --> 0:42:15.040 back and lights up the next opponent. And while I 0:42:15.080 --> 0:42:18.040 do think the Dolphins have an above average defense, I 0:42:18.040 --> 0:42:21.880 would expect Joe to play great, not good great on Sunday. 0:42:22.080 --> 0:42:23.160 Totally agree. You know. 0:42:23.239 --> 0:42:25.880 I think I think he'll probably have, you know, one 0:42:26.280 --> 0:42:29.320 of those games where it's like when people are driving 0:42:29.360 --> 0:42:32.440 home after the football game, it'll be like, can you 0:42:32.480 --> 0:42:34.879 believe that throw that Joe Burrow made, you know, at 0:42:34.880 --> 0:42:37.520 the end of the third quarter to Jamar Chase, I. 0:42:37.440 --> 0:42:38.319 Can't believe that. 0:42:38.760 --> 0:42:40.880 I mean, if you throw that ball one hundred times 0:42:41.320 --> 0:42:44.239 one time, it may it may be like that, and 0:42:44.600 --> 0:42:48.040 that's what happened, and he's capable of those kinds of things. 0:42:47.760 --> 0:42:51.560 He's he's a special talent, very unique. 0:42:52.160 --> 0:42:55.960 This week's opponent is the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were 0:42:56.040 --> 0:42:58.200 on a roll. They had a four game winning streak 0:42:58.480 --> 0:43:01.640 prior to losing on Monday Night to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 0:43:01.960 --> 0:43:04.480 They didn't play particularly well in that game, and as 0:43:04.520 --> 0:43:07.880 a result, they have benched their quarterback. He makes fifty 0:43:07.880 --> 0:43:10.600 three million dollars a year two a Tongo vy loa. 0:43:10.960 --> 0:43:13.960 He has been sent to the bench. Rookie quinn ew Ers, 0:43:14.000 --> 0:43:17.040 the former Ohio State Buckeye, at least briefly at the 0:43:17.040 --> 0:43:18.839 start of his college career, went on to have great 0:43:18.880 --> 0:43:22.440 success with the Texas Longhorns. He will make his first 0:43:22.640 --> 0:43:26.680 NFL start on Sunday against Cincinnati. We'll talk about that 0:43:26.840 --> 0:43:30.400 and much more where the Dolphins are concerned with the 0:43:30.400 --> 0:43:34.160 guy who covers the team for ESPN when we come back. 0:43:34.239 --> 0:43:36.840 This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just 0:43:36.920 --> 0:43:39.680 baired Chicken, live from the on the Rhine Eatery here 0:43:39.680 --> 0:43:42.880 in downtown Cincinnati on ESPN fifteen thirty. 0:43:44.760 --> 0:43:48.000 By Just baired Chicken on the Bengals Radio Network. 0:43:48.239 --> 0:43:48.680 Paycor. 0:43:49.120 --> 0:43:52.760 Paycor is proud to be the official HR software provider 0:43:52.920 --> 0:43:57.200 of the Cincinnati Bengals. Kettering Health Best Care for the 0:43:57.239 --> 0:44:01.239 Best Fans. Kettering Health, official health care provider of the 0:44:01.400 --> 0:44:07.280 Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home 0:44:07.600 --> 0:44:09.160 of the Cincinnati Bengals. 0:44:09.600 --> 0:44:12.200 Dan Howden Dave Lapham with you this afternoon live from 0:44:12.239 --> 0:44:14.600 the on the Ryan Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati, the 0:44:14.600 --> 0:44:17.520 food hall above the downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut. 0:44:17.560 --> 0:44:20.560 We're here until six o'clock tonight. Sam Hubbard joins us 0:44:20.560 --> 0:44:22.560 from five to six as we get you ready for 0:44:22.680 --> 0:44:25.359 the Bengals and Dolphins coming up on Sunday at one 0:44:25.360 --> 0:44:28.480 o'clock in the afternoon. The Dolphins come into the game 0:44:28.560 --> 0:44:31.520 with six wins, coming off a loss to the Pittsburgh 0:44:31.520 --> 0:44:34.240 Steelers on Monday night in Pittsburgh, and it is time 0:44:34.320 --> 0:44:36.480 for our no the faux segment where we get the 0:44:36.520 --> 0:44:39.080 inside scoop on the opponent. And here to fill us 0:44:39.080 --> 0:44:43.160 in on the Miami Dolphins is Marcel Luis Jacques, who 0:44:43.200 --> 0:44:46.879 covers the team for ESPN. Marcel, we appreciate you joining 0:44:46.920 --> 0:44:48.480 us on the show today. I thought you did an 0:44:48.520 --> 0:44:52.160 awesome job on Sports Center talking about to a tongueo 0:44:52.239 --> 0:44:54.480 by Loa who has gone to the bench this week 0:44:54.520 --> 0:44:57.600 for the Dolphins. Let's start with That's there the sense 0:44:58.160 --> 0:45:01.120 that this might be coming or was it kind of 0:45:01.160 --> 0:45:04.080 a shock or after Monday's lost to Pittsburgh. 0:45:04.280 --> 0:45:07.719 I think it should be a shock or I guess 0:45:07.800 --> 0:45:10.000 let's put it this way. It wasn't surprising, but there's 0:45:10.000 --> 0:45:12.560 always a little bit of shock value when you are 0:45:13.920 --> 0:45:17.560 benching your starting quarterback, Like that's that's the natural reaction. 0:45:17.719 --> 0:45:20.960 But I think the playoffs were no longer in the picture. 0:45:21.360 --> 0:45:24.600 I mean even the trap talking in the in the 0:45:24.640 --> 0:45:28.400 tunnels over there after the game, like okay, so we're 0:45:28.440 --> 0:45:30.719 gonna see Queenewers now right, Like it makes the most sense. 0:45:31.280 --> 0:45:32.920 Don't see what you got with the rookie. There's no 0:45:33.160 --> 0:45:35.839 material left to play for. I mentioned it a couple 0:45:35.880 --> 0:45:37.719 of times in my writing, and you know, a couple 0:45:37.719 --> 0:45:39.840 of videos after the game as well, So like it 0:45:40.000 --> 0:45:43.719 wasn't a surprise per se, but it's still it's a 0:45:43.800 --> 0:45:47.960 little like a whoa anytime you see a two hundred 0:45:47.960 --> 0:45:50.400 and twelve point one million dollar quarterback. 0:45:51.920 --> 0:45:56.200 Yeah, that's that's crazy, that's incredible. Oh boy, I wish 0:45:56.280 --> 0:45:59.200 those numbers were being paid out in the seventies and eighties. 0:45:59.239 --> 0:46:01.319 Man. So let's talk about Quinn. 0:46:01.360 --> 0:46:03.520 You are the guy who is going to be quarterbacking 0:46:03.920 --> 0:46:06.879 the Miami Dolphins when they come to Cincinnati to play 0:46:06.880 --> 0:46:09.640 the Bengals. What what can you tell us about him? 0:46:09.880 --> 0:46:12.000 What makes him chick? What are his strengths? 0:46:13.680 --> 0:46:17.400 So Quinn is very I don't want to say nonchalant 0:46:17.400 --> 0:46:21.520 because that almost sounds like derogatory, but like this guy 0:46:21.560 --> 0:46:23.080 who's not going to get too high and not going 0:46:23.160 --> 0:46:28.560 to get too very even keeled demeanor, confident, hard worker. Teammates, 0:46:28.640 --> 0:46:31.280 they say he's a playmaker at practice, he's a baller 0:46:31.360 --> 0:46:35.120 at practice. He's missing off the linebackers, making players, running 0:46:35.120 --> 0:46:38.279 the scout team. I don't know that. I don't think 0:46:38.320 --> 0:46:41.560 it's reasonable to say he's about to take the field 0:46:41.719 --> 0:46:45.040 and the deafinis, you know, Roberty on their hands, like, 0:46:45.239 --> 0:46:46.759 I don't know if he's going to come out here 0:46:46.920 --> 0:46:50.000 in the even Joe Burrow like, I think they're just 0:46:50.120 --> 0:46:53.280 looking for something to build on as they move forward 0:46:53.320 --> 0:46:57.839 into a potentially tumultuous offseason. Like is there is there 0:46:57.840 --> 0:46:59.839 a guy you can usually tell? Is this a guy 0:47:00.000 --> 0:47:02.560 who's got a future in the league or did Does 0:47:02.640 --> 0:47:05.120 he look like a seventh round dart room? 0:47:06.000 --> 0:47:06.560 You know, I don't know. 0:47:07.480 --> 0:47:11.719 Wins losses immateial at this point. I think they're just 0:47:11.800 --> 0:47:14.960 looking for the possibility of something being there. 0:47:16.280 --> 0:47:20.320 Marcel Louis Jacques covers the Dolphins for ESPN. I imagine 0:47:20.360 --> 0:47:22.520 one thing that Quinn Ewers will spend a lot of 0:47:22.640 --> 0:47:25.879 his day doing on Sunday is handing the ball off, 0:47:26.400 --> 0:47:30.279 because that's the strength of the Dolphins offense. Devon a 0:47:30.560 --> 0:47:33.040 Chan is excellent. He's already rushed for more than a 0:47:33.120 --> 0:47:36.120 thousand yards this year. The Dolphins recently had a four 0:47:36.200 --> 0:47:38.719 game winning streak where they ran for one hundred and 0:47:38.719 --> 0:47:40.960 fifty plus in every game, and the Bengals are last 0:47:41.000 --> 0:47:43.480 in the NFL at stopping the run? Is that the 0:47:43.560 --> 0:47:48.120 key Sunday? How well that Miami running attack firs against Cincinnati? 0:47:49.320 --> 0:47:53.520 Yeah? Absolutely, absolutely, especially after a kount of a disappointing 0:47:54.000 --> 0:47:58.080 output against Pittsburgh. But the one thing that I don't 0:47:58.120 --> 0:48:01.239 know if fantasy players everybody's still in, I don't know 0:48:01.360 --> 0:48:03.640 that they're going to love hearing this. But if you 0:48:04.200 --> 0:48:06.400 look at it not only just logically, but with what 0:48:06.760 --> 0:48:09.439 they're also doing at the quarterback position and like going 0:48:09.520 --> 0:48:11.439 to the young guys, and it's just kind of using 0:48:11.480 --> 0:48:14.840 the next three games as a developmental period. I wouldn't 0:48:14.880 --> 0:48:18.359 be surprised to see more of a split between Hn 0:48:18.560 --> 0:48:20.880 and Jalen Wright, who had you know, one hundred and 0:48:21.000 --> 0:48:23.640 ten yards on twenty four carriers a couple of weeks 0:48:23.680 --> 0:48:27.280 ago when Hn was hurt. So I wouldn't be surprised 0:48:27.320 --> 0:48:30.719 to see a mix of Jalen Wright, a mix in 0:48:31.200 --> 0:48:33.600 of Olie Gordon as well. But yeah, I don't I 0:48:33.640 --> 0:48:37.640 don't think it would be super responsible of Mike and 0:48:37.960 --> 0:48:41.600 of Frank Smith to send Twin out there and telling 0:48:41.640 --> 0:48:44.279 him right, throw the ball forty five times right now. 0:48:44.719 --> 0:48:46.840 I think they just want to see him navigate the offense. 0:48:46.840 --> 0:48:48.080 Of course, they're going to put him in a couple 0:48:48.080 --> 0:48:50.799 of situations where it's one of those let's see how 0:48:50.840 --> 0:48:53.239 to kive Reox, But I don't think the game plan 0:48:53.440 --> 0:48:55.880 is going to necessarily revolve around when you weres in. 0:48:55.960 --> 0:48:59.840 Frank Smith said, when's grasp of this offensive playbook is 0:49:00.160 --> 0:49:03.760 advance for his his experience in league. It's so advanced 0:49:03.800 --> 0:49:06.239 that they don't really plan on changing much about their 0:49:06.280 --> 0:49:06.959 offensive book. 0:49:07.000 --> 0:49:11.359 And every team that doesn't make the playoffs is disappointed 0:49:12.320 --> 0:49:16.160 that they season didn't go as planned, and you know, 0:49:16.280 --> 0:49:18.560 the fan base starts to get a little restless and 0:49:20.200 --> 0:49:23.360 they start calling for the head coach's head. How vulnerable 0:49:23.520 --> 0:49:26.000 is Mike McDaniel. Do you think he's on the chopping block? 0:49:27.600 --> 0:49:30.680 I do not know, And I'd be kind of willing 0:49:30.760 --> 0:49:33.359 to put my state, my name on it here. Yeah, 0:49:33.520 --> 0:49:37.440 it's a gut feeling at this point, but like if 0:49:37.840 --> 0:49:40.799 the wins really mattered for his job security right now, 0:49:42.000 --> 0:49:44.759 Quinn yours is not the best chance to win. And 0:49:44.840 --> 0:49:47.400 I know he's been saying that. He said that publicly 0:49:47.440 --> 0:49:50.320 a few times. Like that, I think is what you 0:49:50.480 --> 0:49:53.640 have to say, because it doesn't sound good when you 0:49:53.760 --> 0:49:56.520 gotta have pissed off fan base and you're over here saying, yeah, 0:49:56.560 --> 0:49:57.920 we're going to just see what the young guys got 0:49:57.960 --> 0:50:00.719 the rest of the season. We're gonna punt, especially to 0:50:00.800 --> 0:50:03.040 an ownership that still wants the CEL tickets for the 0:50:03.120 --> 0:50:06.719 next couple of weeks. That's not fun to hear. But 0:50:07.120 --> 0:50:09.360 in this is one of those scenarios where it's like 0:50:09.440 --> 0:50:12.239 watch what I what I do and what I say, 0:50:12.280 --> 0:50:15.360 and if it was really about winning games, Jack Wilson 0:50:15.480 --> 0:50:19.000 is probably the quarterback if you're insistent on benching tour. 0:50:19.600 --> 0:50:22.319 So I think this is a move that you make 0:50:22.400 --> 0:50:25.759 when you are pretty sure you are still going to 0:50:25.880 --> 0:50:28.600 have your job, or if you've gotten an out right 0:50:28.640 --> 0:50:31.080 assurance that you are going to keep your job for. 0:50:31.160 --> 0:50:31.800 The next season. 0:50:31.880 --> 0:50:35.239 But I don't think that I don't think that Mike 0:50:35.360 --> 0:50:38.200 is in danger as at this point. Obviously, you know, 0:50:38.280 --> 0:50:41.040 something dramatic can happen, something drastic could happen over the 0:50:41.120 --> 0:50:44.520 next couple months or so. But when the ball rolls 0:50:44.560 --> 0:50:47.600 out in September twenty twenty six, I expect McDaniels the sideline. 0:50:47.920 --> 0:50:50.760 It's a really good point. We're visiting with Marcel Louis Jacques, 0:50:50.760 --> 0:50:54.080 who covers the Dolphins for ESPN. A couple more questions. 0:50:54.160 --> 0:50:56.640 Let me ask you about the defense for the season. 0:50:56.719 --> 0:50:59.400 Miami is smack dab in the middle of the NFL 0:50:59.440 --> 0:51:03.439 and points, but it's been good better over the last 0:51:03.520 --> 0:51:05.440 five games. Are giving up sixteen a game over the 0:51:05.520 --> 0:51:08.640 last five. They shut down Buffalo in one of those games. 0:51:08.719 --> 0:51:11.400 What are the strengths of the Dolphins defense. 0:51:13.280 --> 0:51:17.760 I think this secondary, which ironically you entered the season 0:51:18.440 --> 0:51:22.480 as a question mark. I think it's solidified into a 0:51:22.640 --> 0:51:26.239 pretty good, pretty good unit. Obviously Minker is not going 0:51:26.280 --> 0:51:28.319 to play, so that's going to take a hit there. 0:51:28.360 --> 0:51:33.080 But Dante Trader, fifth Brown rookie out of Maryland, it's 0:51:33.080 --> 0:51:34.840 a guy that they're excited about, so he's going to 0:51:34.880 --> 0:51:37.239 get some more run there on Sunday. Russell Douglas is 0:51:37.320 --> 0:51:39.560 playing at a high level. Jack Jones is playing at 0:51:39.600 --> 0:51:42.600 a high level. I think that that is something that 0:51:43.600 --> 0:51:45.759 I'm sure it surprises a lot of Dolphins stands, and 0:51:45.920 --> 0:51:48.560 it surprised the media to the level they're playing. I 0:51:48.680 --> 0:51:53.080 considered where they were in June July. But the heart 0:51:53.160 --> 0:51:55.680 of this defense is in the sly back record, Tyrol 0:51:55.719 --> 0:51:57.759 Dobson and then of course Jordan Brooks, who leaves the 0:51:57.840 --> 0:52:01.120 NFL and tackles. Brooks has been there most consistent player 0:52:01.239 --> 0:52:04.360 on either side of the ball. Offseason. It does not 0:52:04.520 --> 0:52:06.759 have an off game, rarely makes a mistake. He to 0:52:06.920 --> 0:52:08.960 him get hit with tawn and penalty at the end 0:52:09.040 --> 0:52:11.719 of or towards the end of the Steelers game, that's 0:52:11.800 --> 0:52:14.040 not super indicative of his character. That was kind of 0:52:14.040 --> 0:52:16.680 a surprise to see. But this is a this is 0:52:16.680 --> 0:52:19.760 a guy who I would expect, I'd expect an extension 0:52:19.840 --> 0:52:22.680 done for him this offseason. But he's really the heart 0:52:22.680 --> 0:52:23.640 and soul of that defense. 0:52:24.719 --> 0:52:27.520 Let me ask you about the Dolphins offense the same 0:52:27.560 --> 0:52:31.040 way then, Marcel. It's like, Okay, what do they do 0:52:31.200 --> 0:52:35.120 best offensively? Where's where's their offensive strength? Who's playing at 0:52:35.160 --> 0:52:37.960 a high level? For offensive coordinator Frank Smith right now? 0:52:39.360 --> 0:52:39.600 Yeah? 0:52:39.840 --> 0:52:43.799 Will We talked about it before, right Devon h Han 0:52:44.080 --> 0:52:47.160 is really the team MVP on offense because without him, 0:52:48.280 --> 0:52:49.680 I mean I know the game the one game that 0:52:49.760 --> 0:52:52.239 we did see without him with when Jayden Wright went on, 0:52:52.440 --> 0:52:55.680 but that was against a New York Jets defense that 0:52:55.840 --> 0:52:58.440 quick before it left its house in the morning, So 0:52:58.880 --> 0:53:00.480 I would take that one with the great and assault. 0:53:00.560 --> 0:53:03.520 But he is he is crucial in the run game, obviously, 0:53:03.600 --> 0:53:07.040 but also in the passing game. Miami. You know, considering 0:53:07.320 --> 0:53:10.000 what Miami is and where this team was a couple 0:53:10.000 --> 0:53:12.799 of years ago, flying up and down the field leading 0:53:12.800 --> 0:53:15.080 the league in points and offense, you don't have a 0:53:15.120 --> 0:53:18.120 whole lot of playmakers and like in terms of pass 0:53:18.160 --> 0:53:19.920 catchers right now, not people who are really going to 0:53:19.960 --> 0:53:24.879 scare an opposing defense. So Hn, he's found, he's found 0:53:24.920 --> 0:53:29.560 a living stretching defense, is stressing defenses out coming out 0:53:29.600 --> 0:53:32.200 of the backfield. Absolutely, it's got to be devout. 0:53:32.280 --> 0:53:32.480 Hn. 0:53:32.560 --> 0:53:36.760 And then and that you know he maybe wouldn't expect 0:53:37.040 --> 0:53:39.960 is Aaron Brewer the center. I think he's been the 0:53:40.000 --> 0:53:42.400 best center in the NFL. Although that is a metric 0:53:42.440 --> 0:53:44.600 that I'm not willing to argue with anybody, So let's 0:53:44.600 --> 0:53:46.560 just take that real quick. It is. I don't watch 0:53:46.560 --> 0:53:48.160 a whole lot of center play, but I know that 0:53:48.239 --> 0:53:50.040 a lot of centers don't look like that. The way 0:53:50.080 --> 0:53:53.040 they use him as a blocker, as a lead blocker, 0:53:53.160 --> 0:53:55.960 as a puller, it's special. It's something to keep an 0:53:55.960 --> 0:53:58.400 eye on if you're if you're looking for teams to 0:53:58.440 --> 0:53:59.960 watch within Sunday's game. 0:54:00.560 --> 0:54:03.040 Well, Dave Lapham is a former offense watching and so 0:54:03.200 --> 0:54:05.760 he'll be watching it. He sounds kind of Jason Kelsey 0:54:06.040 --> 0:54:07.840 like based on that description. 0:54:08.000 --> 0:54:12.000 Yeah, it's similar to that. Yeah, yeah, I would think so. 0:54:12.040 --> 0:54:14.879 I think if he doesn't make the Pro Bowl, it's 0:54:15.000 --> 0:54:18.359 kind of a it's a disgrace. I think he has 0:54:18.400 --> 0:54:21.480 been phenomenal this season. Wow, especially, you know, considering when 0:54:21.480 --> 0:54:26.160 he got here he was labeling injury prone, undersized, underwhelming, 0:54:26.280 --> 0:54:29.080 and what he's done under mc McDaniel has really been 0:54:29.120 --> 0:54:30.439 special for the past couple of years. 0:54:31.080 --> 0:54:33.239 Marcel, we know Fridays are busy in your world. We 0:54:33.560 --> 0:54:35.760 really appreciate you covering out some time for us today. 0:54:35.800 --> 0:54:39.040 Thank you, of course, thanks for having me. 0:54:39.200 --> 0:54:39.920 Thanks very much. 0:54:40.120 --> 0:54:42.960 All right, that is Marcel Luis Jah who covers the 0:54:43.080 --> 0:54:45.880 Dolphins for ESPN. We'll take a time out when we 0:54:46.000 --> 0:54:48.880 come back. It's this week's fun Fact segment where you 0:54:49.000 --> 0:54:52.320 get to know the person under the pads. This is 0:54:52.400 --> 0:54:55.720 the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Beared Chicken. 0:54:55.800 --> 0:54:57.759 We are live from the on the Ryan Eatery, the 0:54:57.840 --> 0:55:01.200 food hall above the downtown Kroger At and Walnut. Here 0:55:01.280 --> 0:55:11.000 on ESPN fifteen thirty. You are listening to the Bengals 0:55:11.040 --> 0:55:15.320 pep Rally Show presented by Just Fair Chicken every Friday, 0:55:15.480 --> 0:55:18.879 usually three to six, occasionally two thirty to five thirty 0:55:18.880 --> 0:55:22.279 when there's a programming conflict. It's a three to six show. 0:55:22.320 --> 0:55:25.160 Today we're here until six o'clock and Sam Hubbard will 0:55:25.200 --> 0:55:27.839 be joining us from five to six. So again, If 0:55:27.920 --> 0:55:32.000 you've got a Bengals fan on your Christmas list and 0:55:32.120 --> 0:55:35.000 you are not finished shopping, here's all you need to do. 0:55:35.560 --> 0:55:38.799 Visit the Bengals Pro Shop located on the north side 0:55:38.800 --> 0:55:43.320 of Peycorp Stadium. Pick up some inexpensive item. Yeah, small 0:55:43.400 --> 0:55:46.319 mini football, little mini helmets, something like that. Sure, Come 0:55:46.400 --> 0:55:49.239 over here. Sam will sound autographs for free during the 0:55:49.320 --> 0:55:53.080 commercial breaks, and you will be the favorite friend or 0:55:53.160 --> 0:55:56.200 relative when you hand over that autographed Sam Hubbard item. 0:55:56.360 --> 0:55:56.880 Absolutely. 0:55:57.000 --> 0:55:59.759 I mean, all of a sudden, with Sam's autograph on it, 0:56:00.320 --> 0:56:02.880 that little inexpensive item became priceless. 0:56:03.080 --> 0:56:03.239 You know. 0:56:03.360 --> 0:56:08.600 It's like now it's like your son, your grandson will 0:56:08.680 --> 0:56:11.960 be man in high cotton with his buddies. It's like, 0:56:12.080 --> 0:56:13.040 what what'd you get? 0:56:13.440 --> 0:56:14.120 How'd you get that? 0:56:15.000 --> 0:56:15.040 So? 0:56:15.280 --> 0:56:18.400 Yeah, be smart, get over here and give yourself one 0:56:18.480 --> 0:56:19.840 before they're gone. 0:56:19.960 --> 0:56:22.399 All right again, Sam will be here five to six. 0:56:22.520 --> 0:56:25.240 Hope to see you here at the on the Rhine Eatery. 0:56:25.760 --> 0:56:28.160 Time now for this week's fun Fact segment, where you 0:56:28.239 --> 0:56:30.880 get to know the person under the pads. It is 0:56:30.960 --> 0:56:35.399 presented each week by Skyline Chili. Time for some fun 0:56:35.480 --> 0:56:38.800 facts with running back Taje Brooks from Manor, Texas, not 0:56:39.000 --> 0:56:42.920 far from the capital city of Austin. Describe growing up 0:56:42.960 --> 0:56:44.960 in Manor and some of the things you enjoyed doing 0:56:45.000 --> 0:56:45.600 when you were young. 0:56:46.080 --> 0:56:48.960 Oh, man, the thing I did the most was just 0:56:50.440 --> 0:56:53.319 play football, went to school, and then you don't hung 0:56:53.360 --> 0:56:55.239 out with friends. That was really just the most part. 0:56:55.360 --> 0:56:56.759 And you know, I was kind of kind of a 0:56:56.840 --> 0:56:59.040 country boy at That's home too, you know, it's Mayner. 0:56:59.239 --> 0:57:01.239 Back back in high school, it was a it was 0:57:01.320 --> 0:57:03.040 a kind of a little suburb. Now it's a lot 0:57:03.080 --> 0:57:04.960 of play, a lot of things growing out there, so 0:57:05.320 --> 0:57:06.759 but it was more country when I was out there, 0:57:06.760 --> 0:57:08.400 when I was, uh growing up and stuff. So it 0:57:08.480 --> 0:57:08.799 was fun. 0:57:09.360 --> 0:57:12.120 I read somewhere that you rode horses growing up? 0:57:12.320 --> 0:57:12.959 Was that the case? 0:57:13.000 --> 0:57:14.080 And it's it's still the case. 0:57:14.320 --> 0:57:16.000 It's it's a little bit kind of the case now, 0:57:16.120 --> 0:57:18.400 but uh I try to get uh not too much, 0:57:18.480 --> 0:57:20.400 but uh, yeah, I grew up. I rode a little 0:57:20.400 --> 0:57:22.360 bit of horses. Uh it was just when I was little. 0:57:22.520 --> 0:57:24.640 My aunt, uh shout out to her. She kind of, 0:57:25.040 --> 0:57:26.800 you know, just instilled in me just uh just to 0:57:26.880 --> 0:57:28.760 do it for fun. And it's been it's been great 0:57:28.800 --> 0:57:31.520 ever since. But uh it's crazy. It's just uh, I 0:57:31.640 --> 0:57:33.640 kind of had like a little reaction to like one 0:57:33.680 --> 0:57:35.360 of like the horse little blanket sheets. 0:57:35.400 --> 0:57:37.440 And you know, I always I loved animals. 0:57:37.480 --> 0:57:38.800 I uh, when I was little, I wanted to be 0:57:38.920 --> 0:57:41.640 like a vi visit, I guess a vegetarian, not a vegetarian, 0:57:41.760 --> 0:57:44.920 uh veninarian, excuse me. And it was just, uh, I 0:57:45.040 --> 0:57:47.520 love watching like the incredible Doctor Poe shows and things 0:57:47.560 --> 0:57:49.080 like that, so I just won't see like just the 0:57:49.120 --> 0:57:50.600 way of living over horse and things like that. 0:57:50.720 --> 0:57:52.960 But nah, it was That's just something uh that I 0:57:53.120 --> 0:57:54.480 cherished the most when I was growing. 0:57:54.280 --> 0:57:57.480 Up, tysh you had an exceptional high school football career, 0:57:57.560 --> 0:58:00.320 running for more than four thousand yards. Way did it 0:58:00.400 --> 0:58:03.800 start to become clear that the other kids either couldn't 0:58:03.880 --> 0:58:05.560 catch you or tackle. 0:58:05.360 --> 0:58:08.440 You really, I want to say a little league. 0:58:09.000 --> 0:58:11.800 And then going into my ninth grade year, that was 0:58:11.840 --> 0:58:14.800 my first year I was a freshman on varsity ninth 0:58:14.840 --> 0:58:16.960 grade and you really don't see that happening in a 0:58:17.040 --> 0:58:19.520 lot of places, and that kind of just changed my 0:58:19.680 --> 0:58:22.040 trajectory of football. And I'm very thanking for the coach 0:58:22.200 --> 0:58:23.480 that gave me the opportunity. 0:58:24.120 --> 0:58:27.240 Mainneris and far from the University of Texas. I've read 0:58:27.520 --> 0:58:30.720 that the Longhorns did not recruit you. Was that the case, 0:58:30.800 --> 0:58:32.080 and if so, was it disappointing. 0:58:32.800 --> 0:58:35.320 It wasn't disappointing, But they recruited me a little bit. 0:58:35.960 --> 0:58:39.160 They kind of wanted me. It was back in twenty Yeah, 0:58:39.240 --> 0:58:41.920 back in twenty twenty when it's kind of that covid 0:58:41.960 --> 0:58:44.600 era and they had a guy, which is he's in 0:58:44.680 --> 0:58:47.760 the league actually right now, so kudos and him. 0:58:47.680 --> 0:58:48.240 And things like that. 0:58:48.360 --> 0:58:50.200 But they had a guy, and I feel like text 0:58:50.240 --> 0:58:52.880 Tech was the best for me. Coach Matt Wells. I 0:58:52.920 --> 0:58:56.200 got recruited by him and and he changed my life forever. 0:58:56.400 --> 0:58:59.160 And then just the inductive of just Joey MacGuire, just 0:58:59.200 --> 0:59:00.280 the things that he built there. 0:59:00.320 --> 0:59:03.080 It has been great. So uh, I'm glad. I'm gonna 0:59:03.080 --> 0:59:03.840 take a stake Raider. 0:59:04.400 --> 0:59:08.120 You initially committed to Tulsa largely because of an assistant 0:59:08.200 --> 0:59:11.360 coach named Justin Hill, who is your running backs coach 0:59:11.480 --> 0:59:15.200 now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Described that relationship going back 0:59:15.240 --> 0:59:16.000 to the tenth grade. 0:59:16.360 --> 0:59:18.200 It was a it was a great relationship. It's still 0:59:18.240 --> 0:59:18.920 great to this day. 0:59:19.000 --> 0:59:20.760 You know, the Jay Hill, he does a great job 0:59:20.800 --> 0:59:22.920 with just the cult of aspect and then just uh, 0:59:23.480 --> 0:59:26.280 just being a teacher, a great guy you can learn from. 0:59:26.360 --> 0:59:28.480 And then just off the field a great a great 0:59:28.560 --> 0:59:30.720 family man, a great uh somebody you want to be 0:59:30.880 --> 0:59:32.800 like when you want to grow up and things like that. 0:59:32.920 --> 0:59:35.720 But the relationship is has been there. I want to 0:59:35.720 --> 0:59:38.640 say my freshman year I committed to him and in 0:59:39.000 --> 0:59:41.400 that program and it was great. And then he got 0:59:41.440 --> 0:59:43.840 the job here, and I knew, I knew I was 0:59:43.920 --> 0:59:46.760 kind of gonna be back, not as a Cincinnati ban 0:59:46.840 --> 0:59:48.000 I thought I know I was gonna be back in 0:59:48.040 --> 0:59:50.360 the ropes because I texted him one year I guess, 0:59:50.560 --> 0:59:52.360 I guess, congrats, I'm going to the super Bowl and 0:59:52.440 --> 0:59:54.000 he takes me back. He's like, thank you, man. So 0:59:54.440 --> 0:59:56.360 it was just a good good seeing out of eye. 0:59:56.440 --> 0:59:58.480 And then shoot, I got blessed and I got jobbted here. 0:59:58.560 --> 1:00:00.680 So it all came for full a full circle. 1:00:00.800 --> 1:00:01.880 So it's cool for. 1:00:02.000 --> 1:00:04.920 Visiting with TODJ. Brooks. You ultimately chose to play at 1:00:04.960 --> 1:00:07.080 Texas Tech. As you mentioned, you're gonna be in their 1:00:07.120 --> 1:00:09.960 Hall of Fame someday you're their all time leading rusher. 1:00:10.200 --> 1:00:12.440 What did you enjoy most about your five years there. 1:00:13.000 --> 1:00:15.640 Man, It wasn't breaking the records or anything. 1:00:15.760 --> 1:00:17.920 It was just I want to say, my teammates, the 1:00:18.000 --> 1:00:20.120 guys that I met there, the guys that I came 1:00:20.200 --> 1:00:23.000 in with, we built those are my brothers for life. 1:00:23.040 --> 1:00:25.000 And that was probably like one of the biggest things 1:00:25.080 --> 1:00:28.680 that I missed about college and things like that. But 1:00:29.040 --> 1:00:32.080 besides the accolades that I broken things, but that's probably 1:00:32.120 --> 1:00:33.040 the most important ones. 1:00:33.800 --> 1:00:36.600 In addition to your on the field success, you excelled 1:00:36.720 --> 1:00:39.400 in the classroom. You were nominated for the Campbell Award 1:00:39.520 --> 1:00:42.640 last year, which is known as the Academic Heisband Trophy. 1:00:42.960 --> 1:00:45.800 Did your folks put a big emphasis on the classroom? 1:00:46.240 --> 1:00:46.640 For sure? 1:00:47.080 --> 1:00:50.000 My mom and my dad, they pushed me academically as 1:00:50.040 --> 1:00:51.800 well as on the field. You want to be the 1:00:51.880 --> 1:00:54.680 best person in the brain before you get outside and 1:00:54.760 --> 1:00:55.560 get on the field, you know. 1:00:55.680 --> 1:00:58.120 So that's just it's been instilled me at a young age. 1:00:58.600 --> 1:01:00.760 My Grandma's also instilled in me just you gotta you 1:01:00.800 --> 1:01:02.600 gotta be a student before you be an athlete. So 1:01:03.320 --> 1:01:05.600 just learning different ways just to get better with your brain. 1:01:05.680 --> 1:01:08.360 That's just something I always honored as and you know, 1:01:08.520 --> 1:01:10.640 just want to just expand my knowledge more. 1:01:11.120 --> 1:01:13.040 The Bengals selected you in the sixth round of this 1:01:13.160 --> 1:01:16.680 year's draft. Describe that day leading up to getting the 1:01:16.720 --> 1:01:17.880 phone call from Zach Taylor. 1:01:18.480 --> 1:01:20.320 First and foremost, it was just it was a blessing. 1:01:20.720 --> 1:01:24.040 I can't think enough to the man above. The Bengels 1:01:24.080 --> 1:01:26.720 got a great guy, a great a great person that's 1:01:26.720 --> 1:01:28.360 gonna come in and impact the way that he can 1:01:28.600 --> 1:01:30.160 if any opportunity that he gets. 1:01:30.720 --> 1:01:32.120 But nah, that that day was amazing. 1:01:32.440 --> 1:01:34.280 I talked to Zach, I talked to Jay Hill, and 1:01:34.320 --> 1:01:36.520 then shoot, after that, it was it was ready to work. 1:01:36.600 --> 1:01:36.760 You know. 1:01:36.840 --> 1:01:39.840 They Nothing wasn't handed, nothing wasn't given. It was just 1:01:39.920 --> 1:01:43.000 come in, learn and just be uh. Whenever opportunity for 1:01:43.080 --> 1:01:44.800 this herself, be ready for that opportunity. 1:01:44.840 --> 1:01:45.800 And I can't wait. 1:01:46.840 --> 1:01:50.720 This was a crazy deep draft for running backs. I'm 1:01:50.760 --> 1:01:52.960 thinking in a normal year you would have gone several 1:01:53.080 --> 1:01:55.080 rounds earlier. How did that affect you? 1:01:55.800 --> 1:01:58.280 I really didn't. Uh, it really didn't affect me. I 1:01:58.360 --> 1:02:01.240 have I have a great team, great agent within that 1:02:01.520 --> 1:02:03.520 well and things like that. So they kept me. Uh, 1:02:03.920 --> 1:02:05.080 he kept me, truly honest. 1:02:05.080 --> 1:02:06.960 He's like, man, I feel like you're one of the 1:02:07.000 --> 1:02:09.160 top backs in this class and you know, your film 1:02:09.240 --> 1:02:11.360 proves it. You can pass, take and catch the ball 1:02:11.440 --> 1:02:13.480 great out the backfield and you know, run the ball. 1:02:13.560 --> 1:02:15.360 That's nothing. But I don't know why he can't question 1:02:15.720 --> 1:02:18.280 question you about that. So man, that's just uh, it 1:02:18.360 --> 1:02:18.720 was deep. 1:02:18.920 --> 1:02:21.040 But I feel like I separated myself just off pass 1:02:21.040 --> 1:02:22.240 protection and then catching. 1:02:22.040 --> 1:02:25.080 The ball where we at the backfield were the guys 1:02:25.160 --> 1:02:27.600 draft before you, where you said yourself, Man, that guy 1:02:27.680 --> 1:02:29.520 is good, but I know I'm better than he. 1:02:29.600 --> 1:02:31.840 Is for sure, you know, just the competitor in me 1:02:32.160 --> 1:02:34.320 just saying that. And then just you know, on draft 1:02:34.400 --> 1:02:36.080 day I kind of wrote and thought about every guy 1:02:36.160 --> 1:02:38.200 that went before me, so uh, not saying when we 1:02:38.280 --> 1:02:40.160 played him, I I just wanna, you know, be the 1:02:40.320 --> 1:02:42.000 whenever I get my opportunity to be the best back 1:02:42.040 --> 1:02:43.040 on the field and things like that. 1:02:43.160 --> 1:02:44.640 So I just can't wait for that to happen. 1:02:45.080 --> 1:02:47.640 All right. Some wild card topics now for Bengals running 1:02:47.680 --> 1:02:51.160 back Taj Brooks. Who is your all time favorite athlete 1:02:51.960 --> 1:02:52.920 in any sport? 1:02:54.040 --> 1:02:57.840 And why I gotta be one or just one? 1:02:58.080 --> 1:02:59.320 You can pick several if you'd like. 1:02:59.440 --> 1:03:02.880 All Right, man, it's tough. I'm gonna go Kobe just 1:03:02.960 --> 1:03:04.200 because the Mama mentality. 1:03:05.480 --> 1:03:08.040 I'm gonna go Ray Lewis, just because a guy that's 1:03:08.040 --> 1:03:09.760 gonna come to work each and every day and giving 1:03:09.800 --> 1:03:12.440 his all and someone that's that's gonna embrace you and 1:03:12.960 --> 1:03:14.520 you know, makes you want to do things that you 1:03:14.600 --> 1:03:16.240 wanna that you don't want to do, but you're doing. 1:03:16.920 --> 1:03:21.880 And then my last one is probably Barry Sanders, just 1:03:21.960 --> 1:03:25.240 a guy that's just very consistent as being playing a 1:03:25.320 --> 1:03:27.440 running back, being at the plane at the highest. 1:03:27.200 --> 1:03:29.200 Level and doing the great things that he did in 1:03:29.240 --> 1:03:29.760 the NFL. 1:03:29.920 --> 1:03:32.000 Man, it's just you always want to put yourself in 1:03:32.080 --> 1:03:34.240 that role and just want to see yourself doing those 1:03:34.280 --> 1:03:35.120 great things that he did. 1:03:35.400 --> 1:03:38.640 So Barry Sanders was before your time. Have you watched 1:03:38.640 --> 1:03:40.000 a lot of the clips on YouTube? 1:03:40.080 --> 1:03:40.200 Oh? 1:03:40.320 --> 1:03:40.640 For sure? 1:03:40.840 --> 1:03:41.560 I watch him. 1:03:42.320 --> 1:03:44.120 Then you know the Madden you know, I play Madden 1:03:44.120 --> 1:03:46.680 a lot, so I'm always using him, Watter Payton, you know, 1:03:46.920 --> 1:03:49.000 just Marshall falk Man. 1:03:49.080 --> 1:03:50.680 You can go a list goes down, man. 1:03:50.800 --> 1:03:52.880 But I kind of watch those guys on YouTube and 1:03:53.000 --> 1:03:54.920 just you know, going what they did in the NFL 1:03:55.000 --> 1:03:57.120 and just try to see how my game can imprint 1:03:57.200 --> 1:03:58.760 and how I can take things from their game. 1:03:58.920 --> 1:04:01.440 So we're visiting the t Brooks For the last three years, 1:04:01.480 --> 1:04:04.320 you put on a free football clinic back home for kids. 1:04:04.520 --> 1:04:06.720 More than three hundred attended this past year. 1:04:07.200 --> 1:04:07.960 Why do you do that? 1:04:08.520 --> 1:04:11.320 I do it just it's a blessing first and foremost 1:04:11.400 --> 1:04:13.960 for the kids, and you know, just so it's been free. 1:04:14.080 --> 1:04:16.200 It's something that I love, you know, giving back to 1:04:16.280 --> 1:04:18.240 my community, giving back to where I came from. And 1:04:18.680 --> 1:04:20.000 you know, you always want to get back to your 1:04:20.040 --> 1:04:22.360 hometown because they're going to support you no matter what, 1:04:22.600 --> 1:04:24.480 no matter if you're an NFL, no matter if you're 1:04:24.840 --> 1:04:26.640 you know, a college coach to day, no matter whatever 1:04:26.640 --> 1:04:28.240 you're doing, they're going to always support you. And I 1:04:28.280 --> 1:04:30.200 always want to give my support back to to my 1:04:30.320 --> 1:04:31.360 high schools and things like that. 1:04:32.280 --> 1:04:34.400 We know you're a good running back, we know you're 1:04:34.400 --> 1:04:37.440 a good student. You rode horses as a kid. But 1:04:37.520 --> 1:04:38.600 where do you allow to at? 1:04:39.560 --> 1:04:39.640 Uh? 1:04:39.800 --> 1:04:42.280 To be honest, I'm not a good singer. I will 1:04:42.520 --> 1:04:43.640 not I sing. 1:04:43.880 --> 1:04:46.360 I sing to myself sometimes, but it's just myself and 1:04:46.560 --> 1:04:49.480 probably my girlfriend. But besides that, I'm not a. 1:04:49.480 --> 1:04:51.080 Great singer at all. That's probably the one. 1:04:51.880 --> 1:04:52.880 What do you like to splur? 1:04:53.040 --> 1:04:54.360 John Man? 1:04:55.080 --> 1:04:57.800 I don't know because I haven't. Man, I'm not I'm 1:04:57.840 --> 1:04:59.600 a big I'm not a big spender. It's just it 1:04:59.680 --> 1:05:03.800 depends like I kind of left my big spending probably 1:05:03.840 --> 1:05:06.680 in my college days. But now it's just more of 1:05:06.880 --> 1:05:09.920 just I don't know, man's I don't really splurs a lot. 1:05:10.280 --> 1:05:13.640 Second contract, probably buy a home back home, you know, 1:05:13.760 --> 1:05:15.520 by a home, get something set up off of the 1:05:15.560 --> 1:05:18.360 off season, and you know, get something going with the 1:05:18.400 --> 1:05:19.240 off season, things like that. 1:05:19.400 --> 1:05:20.680 So just buy a home and things like that. 1:05:21.040 --> 1:05:23.640 All right, Final fun fact for Taj Brooks. This one's 1:05:23.680 --> 1:05:27.680 a little bit deep. If you could meet anybody in history, 1:05:28.400 --> 1:05:31.000 living or deceased, who would that person be? 1:05:32.080 --> 1:05:33.960 I want to say one is Nipsey Hustle. 1:05:34.200 --> 1:05:36.720 Nipsey Hustle, excuse me, just the way how powerful he 1:05:36.880 --> 1:05:38.960 is with his voice and the way he carried on 1:05:39.160 --> 1:05:43.720 his life and his legacy. And then two, probably my 1:05:43.800 --> 1:05:47.080 brother trolley Man, just to talk to him, see how 1:05:47.120 --> 1:05:50.000 he's doing up there. He passed away in twenty nineteen 1:05:50.080 --> 1:05:53.360 during a gun violence accident, So just meet him and 1:05:53.400 --> 1:05:54.200 just chop it up with him. 1:05:54.240 --> 1:05:56.640 That would probably be my two. Like most coming back 1:05:56.680 --> 1:05:58.320 and just chopping it up, So that probably be my 1:05:58.760 --> 1:05:59.320 things right there. 1:06:00.080 --> 1:06:00.840 Appreciate your time. 1:06:00.880 --> 1:06:01.880 Best of let the rest of the year. 1:06:01.960 --> 1:06:04.240 Yes, sorry, thank you TOAs Brooks. 1:06:04.280 --> 1:06:06.560 Easy guy to root for. A six round draft pick 1:06:06.600 --> 1:06:08.560 this year out of Texas Tech. Haven't seen much of 1:06:08.640 --> 1:06:11.000 him during the regular season. He's only got nine carries 1:06:11.040 --> 1:06:13.479 this year, but that's a good news in a sense 1:06:13.560 --> 1:06:17.040 because it means Chase Brown has stayed healthy. And one 1:06:17.080 --> 1:06:18.720 thing I would like to see before the end of 1:06:18.760 --> 1:06:21.600 this year is for Chase Brown to average seventy three 1:06:21.680 --> 1:06:23.320 yards in the final three games of the year and 1:06:23.360 --> 1:06:24.160 get to one thousand. 1:06:24.480 --> 1:06:26.760 Love to see Chase Brown get a thousand yards as well. 1:06:26.800 --> 1:06:29.400 I think he's one of the hardest working players on 1:06:29.480 --> 1:06:33.320 the football team. I mean he is dedicated to his craft, 1:06:33.400 --> 1:06:36.960 to his profession, and they have a great room in 1:06:37.080 --> 1:06:38.120 that running back room. 1:06:38.760 --> 1:06:39.000 TODJ. 1:06:39.080 --> 1:06:42.720 Brooks another you know, phenomenal kid as well as football player, 1:06:43.440 --> 1:06:47.360 and Chase Brown, he just he might be as well 1:06:47.600 --> 1:06:50.040 liked as anybody on the football team. I mean that 1:06:50.200 --> 1:06:52.480 all he does is come to work every day, keep 1:06:52.560 --> 1:06:56.000 his nose clean, you know, put it to the grindstone. 1:06:56.440 --> 1:06:58.720 He is a grinder in every sense of the word. 1:06:58.760 --> 1:07:00.760 And the kid is a talented best I mean he's 1:07:01.640 --> 1:07:03.480 got a low center gravity dan. He runs with a 1:07:03.520 --> 1:07:06.400 good body, lean, puts the football away, doesn't put it 1:07:06.440 --> 1:07:09.960 on the ground. He secures the pig. He hits the 1:07:10.000 --> 1:07:14.680 weight room hard. I mean his squads are phenomenally strong, hamstrings, calves. 1:07:15.360 --> 1:07:17.760 He's the real deal. He's a great football player. I'd 1:07:17.800 --> 1:07:20.520 love to see him get rewarded with a thousand yard season. 1:07:21.040 --> 1:07:23.480 And again he needs to average seventy three a game 1:07:23.560 --> 1:07:26.960 over the final three to reach one thousand yards this year. 1:07:27.080 --> 1:07:28.960 We'll take a time out. When we come back, we 1:07:29.040 --> 1:07:33.240 will talk about the biggest challenge the Bengals defense will face. 1:07:33.480 --> 1:07:36.840 This Sunday at one o'clock in Miami, you're listening to 1:07:36.880 --> 1:07:39.240 the Bengals Pep Rallley Show were presented by Just Bear 1:07:39.400 --> 1:07:41.840 Chicken live from the on the Rhine Eatery, the foodhull 1:07:41.840 --> 1:07:44.280 above the downtown Kroger here on Courton Walnut. Come on 1:07:44.360 --> 1:07:47.160 and join us. Have some great dry rub wings, or 1:07:47.200 --> 1:07:50.360 a burger or some sushi. Have a frosty beer. There's 1:07:50.360 --> 1:07:52.320 a full service bar to our left. It's a great 1:07:52.360 --> 1:07:55.280 spot and we're here until six o'clock tonight on ESPN 1:07:55.400 --> 1:08:05.200 fifteen thirty Lapping the ball Man back on the Bengals 1:08:05.240 --> 1:08:08.240 pep Rawley Show presented by Just Bear Chicken or live 1:08:08.280 --> 1:08:10.720 at the on the Ryan Eatery Here in downtown Cincinnati. 1:08:10.800 --> 1:08:13.520 It's the Foodhull above the downtown Kroger at Corton Walnutt. 1:08:13.520 --> 1:08:15.360 Come out and join us. We're here until six o'clock 1:08:15.400 --> 1:08:19.000 tonight talking Bengals football. Sam Hubbard's coming to join us 1:08:19.360 --> 1:08:22.200 from five to six. The Bengals are heading to Miami 1:08:22.280 --> 1:08:26.200 to face the Dolphins this week. Miami in recent years 1:08:26.280 --> 1:08:29.799 has been one of the better offensive teams in the NFL, 1:08:30.360 --> 1:08:32.680 and even though they have benched to a Tongo vy 1:08:32.800 --> 1:08:35.280 loa going into the game this week, the key for 1:08:35.439 --> 1:08:38.120 Miami is the running game. That's what they do best. 1:08:39.000 --> 1:08:41.559 In recent weeks, they had a stretch of four straight 1:08:41.640 --> 1:08:44.920 games of one hundred and fifty plus on the ground, 1:08:45.000 --> 1:08:47.040 including a game against the Jets where they ran for 1:08:47.120 --> 1:08:49.760 more than two twenty and one thing you're going to 1:08:49.920 --> 1:08:53.280 notice when Miami has the ball is that before virtually 1:08:53.360 --> 1:08:57.040 every play, somebody's going to be going in motion, often 1:08:57.200 --> 1:08:59.760 sprinting in motion. Then they'll stop go back in the 1:09:00.000 --> 1:09:03.880 original direction. They use motion as much as any team 1:09:04.080 --> 1:09:07.479 in the NFL, And here's Bengals head coach Zach Taylor 1:09:07.920 --> 1:09:11.679 talking about why that presents problems for the Bengals this week. 1:09:12.280 --> 1:09:14.800 If it creates any hesitation from you on the second level, 1:09:15.520 --> 1:09:17.960 then that's the increase they need with the speed to 1:09:18.040 --> 1:09:21.680 have a running back to get explosives. And so it's 1:09:21.760 --> 1:09:24.200 all a lot of it's I can do window dressing, 1:09:24.280 --> 1:09:27.840 creating leverage. They'll come back to it over and over again. 1:09:28.040 --> 1:09:30.840 They'll have the compliments that you now start to overplay it, 1:09:30.880 --> 1:09:32.280 and they'll come back and hit you with something different. 1:09:32.320 --> 1:09:35.320 They was on the same frame. Miami. They do a 1:09:35.400 --> 1:09:38.120 really good job with the really creative scheme of the 1:09:38.160 --> 1:09:41.280 run game, and they've always had really explosive running backs 1:09:41.320 --> 1:09:43.760 that can really hit it at that moment when you've 1:09:44.400 --> 1:09:47.400 gone an extra step too far, and now they got 1:09:47.439 --> 1:09:48.639 a chance for an explosive play. 1:09:49.600 --> 1:09:52.400 Pretty good description of what Miami's looking for this week. 1:09:52.720 --> 1:09:55.400 Number one running back de von A Chan ran a 1:09:55.520 --> 1:09:58.080 four three two forty at the combine. He was the 1:09:58.160 --> 1:10:01.799 fastest running back in his class, and that class included 1:10:01.840 --> 1:10:04.400 Jamiir Gibbs, who ran a four to three six. So 1:10:04.680 --> 1:10:06.760 a chen can fly. He was an All American in 1:10:06.920 --> 1:10:09.280 track and it is being a great football player. At 1:10:09.320 --> 1:10:12.080 Texas A and M. Their number two running back Jalen 1:10:12.160 --> 1:10:14.960 Wright out of Tennessee, ran a four to three eight. 1:10:15.040 --> 1:10:17.879 So you've got two running backs that run four three forties. 1:10:17.960 --> 1:10:20.880 And again, well all that motion and movement, if you 1:10:21.160 --> 1:10:25.080 take a step, a half step in the wrong direction 1:10:25.240 --> 1:10:28.680 or hesitate just enough, he's off to the races right on. 1:10:29.040 --> 1:10:30.960 I mean, that's what it's all. It's all built on 1:10:31.960 --> 1:10:35.439 false steps. You know, if you if you do, if 1:10:35.479 --> 1:10:39.599 you overstep by one step, you're out of position because 1:10:40.120 --> 1:10:41.800 they they've put their foot in the ground and they 1:10:41.920 --> 1:10:45.639 cut and they because of the sub four to four speed, 1:10:46.120 --> 1:10:49.680 low four threes, they're gonna make you pay. So it 1:10:50.040 --> 1:10:55.439 is it's a very very difficult offense to uh to stop, 1:10:56.040 --> 1:10:59.200 not because it's overly sophisticated. They do a ton of things. 1:10:59.720 --> 1:11:02.640 It's pretty simple they do. They try to out leverage you. 1:11:03.000 --> 1:11:05.280 They try to get you to overrun by a step 1:11:06.200 --> 1:11:09.439 and take advantage of those kind of mistakes. And when 1:11:09.479 --> 1:11:11.200 you do, that's when they gash you. That's when they 1:11:11.320 --> 1:11:17.639 hit the big play. It's it's a very creative. Mike 1:11:17.720 --> 1:11:21.400 McDaniel deserves a typic of the cap that that running 1:11:21.479 --> 1:11:24.960 game is pretty much unlike any other in the National 1:11:24.960 --> 1:11:27.400 Football League. The Bengals haven't faced anything like it yet 1:11:27.439 --> 1:11:27.800 this year. 1:11:28.080 --> 1:11:30.880 As for the passing game, they will not have Tyreek Hill. 1:11:31.160 --> 1:11:33.439 We know how great he is. He was lost in 1:11:33.560 --> 1:11:36.080 Week four with a pretty gruesome looking knee injury, so 1:11:36.520 --> 1:11:38.439 he's not going to be back this year. They still 1:11:38.520 --> 1:11:42.439 have Jalen Waddle, former high first round draft pick and 1:11:42.600 --> 1:11:45.000 an excellent player. He's got eight hundred and thirty eight 1:11:45.080 --> 1:11:48.760 receiving yards this year. Da Darren Waller came out of 1:11:48.840 --> 1:11:52.240 retirement to play tight and he had two touchdown catches 1:11:52.640 --> 1:11:55.719 on against Pittsburgh, so it looks like there's still something 1:11:55.800 --> 1:11:58.760 in the tank for Darren Waller. The big question mark, 1:11:58.840 --> 1:12:00.280 of course, is going to be the play of their 1:12:00.360 --> 1:12:03.559 rookie quarterback, Quinn Ewers. He appeared in one game earlier 1:12:03.640 --> 1:12:06.920 this year, a blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns. His 1:12:07.080 --> 1:12:09.320 first pass in the NFL should have been a pick six, 1:12:09.520 --> 1:12:12.800 it was dropped by Cleveland. He threw eight passes in 1:12:12.840 --> 1:12:15.320 the game, went five for eight. He's never started a 1:12:15.360 --> 1:12:18.280 game in the NFL, started the last three years at Texas, 1:12:18.360 --> 1:12:21.000 played well for the Longhorns, got them to the College 1:12:21.040 --> 1:12:24.160 Football Playoff a couple of times. But now a particularly 1:12:24.240 --> 1:12:27.360 big guy. He's six to two hundred and nine pounds. 1:12:27.960 --> 1:12:30.880 He was the fourteenth and final quarterback taken in this 1:12:31.080 --> 1:12:34.479 year's draft, So even though he was a ballly hooed recruit, 1:12:34.880 --> 1:12:37.519 the number one quarterback recruit in his class when he 1:12:37.560 --> 1:12:40.120 originally went to Ohio State, by the end of his 1:12:40.240 --> 1:12:44.000 college career, even with his success at Texas, he was 1:12:44.040 --> 1:12:46.760 selected in the seventh round of the draft, number two 1:12:46.880 --> 1:12:47.759 thirty one overall. 1:12:48.160 --> 1:12:50.600 Yeah, last round, last round of the draft. Now, and 1:12:51.760 --> 1:12:55.040 you know, let's face it, you're talking Quinn Ewers for 1:12:55.160 --> 1:12:58.360 the Miami Dolphins. Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Banks. Come 1:12:58.439 --> 1:13:04.559 of advantage Cincinnati. Yeah, most definitely advantage Cincinnati, and they 1:13:04.720 --> 1:13:06.840 just have to make sure that they take care of 1:13:06.920 --> 1:13:11.240 business that way. You know, don't try to do too much. 1:13:11.880 --> 1:13:13.680 Just let the game come to you. If you're Joe 1:13:13.760 --> 1:13:17.200 Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, put the pressure on Quinn yours. 1:13:17.520 --> 1:13:19.920 See if you can see him, make him make some 1:13:20.040 --> 1:13:24.280 poor decisions and put the ball where he's gonna regret 1:13:24.360 --> 1:13:27.400 putting the football. Make him make some mistakes and stop 1:13:27.439 --> 1:13:30.080 the run. Stuff the run exactly. 1:13:30.680 --> 1:13:30.920 Do that. 1:13:31.400 --> 1:13:34.479 That's first and foremost, because that's what the Miami that's 1:13:34.520 --> 1:13:37.240 the DNA of the Miami Dolphins offense. 1:13:37.840 --> 1:13:39.760 We're gonna take a time out. It's been a tough 1:13:39.840 --> 1:13:41.920 year for the Bengals, the record four and ten with 1:13:42.040 --> 1:13:44.519 three games to go, but there has been at least 1:13:44.720 --> 1:13:50.040 one very big positive and we'll talk about that next. 1:13:50.160 --> 1:13:53.320 This is the Bengals pep Rawley Show presented by Just 1:13:53.439 --> 1:13:55.640 Bear Chicken, live from the On the Rhine Eatery here 1:13:55.680 --> 1:14:06.439 in downtown Cincinnati. Out of ESPN in fifteen thirty, Dan Orton, 1:14:06.479 --> 1:14:09.040 Dave Lapham back at the On the Ryan Eerie, the 1:14:09.080 --> 1:14:12.480 food hall above the Downtown Kruger here in downtown Cincinnati. 1:14:12.920 --> 1:14:16.120 It is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just 1:14:16.280 --> 1:14:19.599 Beared Chicken. As we said before the commercial break, nobody 1:14:19.640 --> 1:14:23.240 would suggest this has been a successful year for Cincinnati 1:14:23.320 --> 1:14:25.600 at four and ten with three games to go, but 1:14:25.720 --> 1:14:28.439 there has been a positive. One area of the team 1:14:28.840 --> 1:14:32.040 that's been a concern throughout the Joe Burrow era has 1:14:32.160 --> 1:14:35.479 performed much better this year, particularly over the last six 1:14:35.600 --> 1:14:39.519 or seven weeks. And I'm talking about the offensive line. Yep, 1:14:39.640 --> 1:14:42.880 the Bengals built an offensive line that they can finally 1:14:42.920 --> 1:14:46.719 feel good about going into next year to protect Joe Burrow. 1:14:46.840 --> 1:14:50.080 Earlier this week, I spoke to Robert Wintraup. He covers 1:14:50.120 --> 1:14:53.959 the Bengals for Cincinnati Magazine. He's got an analytical background. 1:14:54.280 --> 1:14:58.520 He also covers the NFL for the FTN Football Almanac. 1:14:58.680 --> 1:15:03.200 Was kind of a numbers crunchers a website in any case, 1:15:03.520 --> 1:15:07.320 I asked Robert, if we should feel good about the 1:15:07.439 --> 1:15:09.479 play of the offensive line. 1:15:10.200 --> 1:15:12.600 Sure, I mean, why not in the season where a 1:15:12.640 --> 1:15:15.960 lot of things have gone wrong. That's one that whereas 1:15:15.960 --> 1:15:18.360 in past seasons it's gone very wrong. This year, he 1:15:18.439 --> 1:15:21.160 can't really point to it as being a detriment. Maybe 1:15:21.240 --> 1:15:23.439 not a top five unit in the league by any stretch, 1:15:23.520 --> 1:15:26.400 but they've played well. Anytime you start a rookie at 1:15:26.439 --> 1:15:28.519 one of the five positions and he not only you know, 1:15:28.920 --> 1:15:31.280 keeps his head above water, but actually plays well in 1:15:31.400 --> 1:15:36.960 Dylan fairschild at left guard, that's a success story. Marius 1:15:37.000 --> 1:15:40.160 Mims taking the next step forward playing well and not 1:15:40.320 --> 1:15:43.560 being injured and actually playing for the most part of 1:15:43.640 --> 1:15:46.160 full season was a huge success story in his development. 1:15:47.040 --> 1:15:49.640 You know, and importantly, obviously they're going to have to 1:15:49.680 --> 1:15:53.160 devote a lot of resources again to the defensive side 1:15:53.160 --> 1:15:55.280 of the ball in the off season. That would look 1:15:55.360 --> 1:15:57.680 different if you were having, like going into this year, 1:15:58.000 --> 1:16:00.599 having to also devote resources to try and to fix 1:16:00.720 --> 1:16:03.560 several positions on the offensive line. I think they've stabilized 1:16:03.600 --> 1:16:06.599 that unit at least for the time being. They certainly 1:16:06.680 --> 1:16:10.160 looked to maybe making changes going down the line with 1:16:10.280 --> 1:16:12.400 some of the veterans, maybe at center and at left tackle, 1:16:12.640 --> 1:16:15.040 but I think they feel comfortable going into at least 1:16:15.080 --> 1:16:17.240 twenty twenty six that they're in decent shape on the 1:16:17.280 --> 1:16:20.160 offensive line and it's not holding the team back as 1:16:20.200 --> 1:16:22.320 it've had in a lot of ways, you know, really 1:16:22.360 --> 1:16:24.920 the entirety of Burrow's career to this point. 1:16:25.720 --> 1:16:29.200 Good description from Robert Weintraub. The Bengals did give up 1:16:29.280 --> 1:16:32.719 three sacks last week. The twenty four to nothing final 1:16:32.800 --> 1:16:33.800 score had a little bit. 1:16:33.760 --> 1:16:34.200 To do with that. 1:16:34.800 --> 1:16:37.800 Baltimore had the opportunity to quote unquote pin their ears 1:16:37.880 --> 1:16:39.960 back go after the quarterback late in the game, but 1:16:40.040 --> 1:16:43.720 prior to that, one sack allowed in each of the 1:16:43.840 --> 1:16:45.559 previous four games. 1:16:45.880 --> 1:16:48.840 That's what you're looking for absolutely, you're looking for that 1:16:49.000 --> 1:16:51.519 type of level of performance and the consistency of it. 1:16:52.040 --> 1:16:54.960 You know, for or four games, to give up one 1:16:55.040 --> 1:16:58.559 quarterback sack per is good. I mean in today's football 1:17:00.120 --> 1:17:03.240 times that you're throwing the football, to allow just one 1:17:03.320 --> 1:17:08.479 quarterback sack is excellent. Really, the other thing you want 1:17:08.520 --> 1:17:11.200 to bear in mind is not only do you want 1:17:11.240 --> 1:17:13.519 to keep your quarterback from being sacked, you want to 1:17:13.800 --> 1:17:16.760 keep him from being pressured and hit. You don't want 1:17:16.880 --> 1:17:19.479 him taking too many shots and going to the ground. 1:17:20.680 --> 1:17:23.680 That's that's where you know, now you're exposing yourself to 1:17:24.720 --> 1:17:28.880 a higher percentage in risk of injury at that key position. 1:17:29.120 --> 1:17:32.760 So I do think the offensive line though, as a unit, 1:17:32.840 --> 1:17:37.000 has improved light years from the beginning of the year 1:17:37.520 --> 1:17:39.800 to this point in the season. I think the graft 1:17:39.840 --> 1:17:44.360 has definitely gone up, and Orlando Brown Junior is playing 1:17:44.479 --> 1:17:47.559 at a very consistent level. Dylan Fairchild, who you guys 1:17:47.640 --> 1:17:50.960 were talking about, the rookie guard from Georgia. I mean, 1:17:51.280 --> 1:17:53.680 he was a great perform in the SEC. You know, 1:17:54.240 --> 1:17:57.519 that's good football Alabama and everybody else that you that 1:17:57.560 --> 1:18:00.360 you play against, you're gonna play against good op position 1:18:00.439 --> 1:18:02.840 on a week to week basis. Ted Carriss has been 1:18:02.880 --> 1:18:06.519 around for a long time, understands the game and knows 1:18:06.600 --> 1:18:10.960 how to utilize fundamentals and techniques to his advantage. Out 1:18:11.080 --> 1:18:14.280 leverage opponents, very intelligent, makes all the calls to the 1:18:14.320 --> 1:18:17.240 offensive line, gets some in the right spots, blocking the 1:18:17.320 --> 1:18:20.600 right people. Dalton Reisner is a veteran guy who's been 1:18:20.640 --> 1:18:23.680 around and has solidified the right guard position for the 1:18:23.720 --> 1:18:26.679 Cincinnati Bengals. He's playing at a pretty darn good level. 1:18:26.720 --> 1:18:33.400 And Marius Mims getting it done. Big, strong, powerful, athletic. 1:18:34.000 --> 1:18:37.360 I mean just about every adjective that you can think 1:18:37.439 --> 1:18:42.760 of to describe a football player playing good football. Marius Mims. 1:18:42.920 --> 1:18:46.439 It fits him well. Jalen Rivers, the rookie that you 1:18:46.600 --> 1:18:51.400 talked about, dan bright future. I mean you put requirements 1:18:51.439 --> 1:18:55.280 for offensive linemen into a computer, that body type Jalen 1:18:55.360 --> 1:18:57.439 Rivers has comes spitting out of there, man. I mean 1:18:57.520 --> 1:18:59.960 he's this guy is going to be fun to walk. 1:19:00.600 --> 1:19:03.200 I think he's got a very bright future. And Cody 1:19:03.280 --> 1:19:06.160 Ford is the guy that can play anywhere. He plays 1:19:06.200 --> 1:19:08.240 center in a pinch. He's played a lot of guard 1:19:08.320 --> 1:19:11.400 and a lot of tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. Lucas 1:19:11.439 --> 1:19:14.479 Patrick is a veteran guy that's been around the block 1:19:14.560 --> 1:19:18.160 and he can play center in guard. So I think 1:19:18.200 --> 1:19:22.200 the offensive line is turning into a strength rather than 1:19:22.600 --> 1:19:24.040 a weakness for the football team. 1:19:24.120 --> 1:19:26.680 You were involved recently in a Dine with the Old 1:19:26.760 --> 1:19:30.120 Line event where the old time sorry if that term 1:19:30.160 --> 1:19:33.519 offends you, the old time offensive lineman get together with 1:19:33.640 --> 1:19:37.280 the current offensive lineman guys like you and Anthony Munoz 1:19:37.320 --> 1:19:40.080 and Max Montoya chop it up with the current guys 1:19:40.400 --> 1:19:43.360 Orlando Brown junior, Ted Carris, et cetera. How is that 1:19:43.520 --> 1:19:45.160 interaction between the old and the new. 1:19:45.360 --> 1:19:46.680 It's great, it really was. 1:19:46.800 --> 1:19:49.519 You know, one thing you realize is there's not that 1:19:49.720 --> 1:19:56.840 much difference really in how guys approach their craft, how 1:19:56.880 --> 1:19:59.160 they work, what they have to do to get ready 1:19:59.160 --> 1:20:03.719 to play football. Understanding you know who they're supposed to block, 1:20:04.080 --> 1:20:08.800 how they're supposed to block them. It's it's it's a fraternity. 1:20:08.840 --> 1:20:09.439 It's a bond. 1:20:10.000 --> 1:20:13.760 It's like a bond that is never broken. And it 1:20:14.120 --> 1:20:18.920 was stands generations. You know, there were three distinct generations 1:20:18.960 --> 1:20:24.040 of offensive linemen at that function, and everybody interacted pretty well. 1:20:24.160 --> 1:20:26.519 The stories were flowing fast and free. 1:20:27.200 --> 1:20:29.840 Oh you guys all speak the same language. 1:20:29.640 --> 1:20:33.720 Exactly, exactly. Yeah, it was fun night, real fun. 1:20:33.800 --> 1:20:38.080 You all speak trenches in the trenches, baby, yep. All right, 1:20:38.120 --> 1:20:40.639 we're gonna take a time out when we come back. 1:20:41.200 --> 1:20:44.040 Our special guest has arrived. It's going to be with 1:20:44.160 --> 1:20:46.880 us until six o'clock tonight here at the On the 1:20:47.040 --> 1:20:50.360 Rhine Eatery. We'll talk to Sam Hubbard in just the moment. 1:20:50.479 --> 1:20:53.600 This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just 1:20:53.720 --> 1:21:02.880 Bear Chicken on ESPN fifteen thirty. Welcome back to the 1:21:02.920 --> 1:21:06.120 Bengals pep Rowley Show presented by Just Bear Chicken. We 1:21:06.200 --> 1:21:07.920 are live at the On the Ryan Eatery, the food 1:21:08.000 --> 1:21:10.920 hall above the Downtown Croker at Courton Walnut here in 1:21:11.000 --> 1:21:13.880 downtown Cincinnati. We're here until six o'clock tonight, getting you 1:21:13.960 --> 1:21:16.920 ready for the Bengals and Dolphins coming up on Sunday 1:21:16.960 --> 1:21:19.600 at one. As promised a very special guest in the 1:21:19.680 --> 1:21:22.360 final hour of our show, and he has joined us 1:21:22.360 --> 1:21:26.240 a few minutes early, which we appreciate. Sam Hubbard in 1:21:26.400 --> 1:21:30.519 Jack his first year as a former Bengal. You look healthy, 1:21:30.640 --> 1:21:34.080 you look relaxed, nothing aches. Now you're not getting up 1:21:34.120 --> 1:21:37.400 on Mondays feeling terrible. You've got a nice pig smile 1:21:37.479 --> 1:21:40.479 on your face from first year as a former Bengal. 1:21:40.680 --> 1:21:45.000 Yeah, that's true. It's definitely in a different feeling on 1:21:45.120 --> 1:21:48.800 Monday mornings, like you said, But enjoining, I love being 1:21:48.880 --> 1:21:52.880 back home in Cincinnati. Still here connected with a bunch 1:21:52.920 --> 1:21:55.400 of the guys on Tuesday, a bunch of the D 1:21:55.560 --> 1:21:59.680 line guys, Trey Miles, cam had a little outreach thing. 1:22:00.240 --> 1:22:01.639 It was good to see some of those guys. 1:22:01.920 --> 1:22:04.920 Were you at the game last Sunday? I was somewhere 1:22:04.960 --> 1:22:05.400 in a suite. 1:22:05.479 --> 1:22:07.920 I hope. I did my best to stay with. 1:22:10.520 --> 1:22:12.760 How tough was it to play in conditions like that? 1:22:12.960 --> 1:22:15.559 You obviously played in some really cold games. That Christmas 1:22:15.600 --> 1:22:18.320 Eve game in New England I think was technically the coldest. 1:22:19.000 --> 1:22:22.679 Second AFC Championship game in Kansas City was really cold. 1:22:23.280 --> 1:22:24.280 How did you deal with that? 1:22:24.840 --> 1:22:25.000 Yeah? 1:22:25.000 --> 1:22:27.519 I always felt the worst for the guys handling the ball, 1:22:27.640 --> 1:22:30.080 because you know, you do you do the tricks where 1:22:30.120 --> 1:22:34.160 you have surgical gloves underneath the actual gloves, right, and 1:22:34.280 --> 1:22:37.559 of course train ever wore gloves. But uh, I think 1:22:37.640 --> 1:22:40.880 that when you gotta like be dexterous and handle the ball. 1:22:41.880 --> 1:22:44.479 It's really tough, but you know, the contact feels a 1:22:44.520 --> 1:22:48.880 little bit more uncomfortable, your helmets frozen solid. Everything's a 1:22:48.920 --> 1:22:51.680 little bit more of a mental game at that temperature. 1:22:51.800 --> 1:22:54.400 And uh yeah, it's it's part of the game. 1:22:55.240 --> 1:22:56.200 Yeah, it really is. 1:22:56.320 --> 1:22:58.800 I played in the Freezer Bowl and that thing was 1:22:59.720 --> 1:23:03.720 nine below a raw temperature and fifty nine below wind chill. 1:23:03.880 --> 1:23:06.400 They still talk about that game. They got brought up 1:23:06.439 --> 1:23:09.640 a lot on Sunday. Yeah, I mean it it was 1:23:10.400 --> 1:23:13.080 cruel and unusual punishment. You know, it was it was 1:23:13.200 --> 1:23:16.160 hard to hard to play the game of football, you know, 1:23:16.320 --> 1:23:18.560 under those conditions for a lot of the reasons that 1:23:18.640 --> 1:23:22.519 you talked about, Sam. I mean, you know, the hitting, 1:23:23.080 --> 1:23:24.519 you could really feel it. And then when you hit 1:23:24.560 --> 1:23:27.240 the ground the second hit, well moon, the two hits 1:23:27.400 --> 1:23:32.040 was like the raise what turf burn? Yeah, things much 1:23:32.280 --> 1:23:38.040 much worse. Absolutely, you know, everything's everything's magnified. And then 1:23:38.280 --> 1:23:40.439 you know, I decided I was gonna I had a grabber. 1:23:40.560 --> 1:23:43.920 I had a guy that Gary Bighans Johnson appropriately named. 1:23:43.920 --> 1:23:46.200 The guy had muckers on and they were like big 1:23:46.280 --> 1:23:49.639 old mits. He grabbed and pull. So I didn't want 1:23:49.640 --> 1:23:51.680 to have extraneous cloth there, you know. So I'm like, 1:23:51.720 --> 1:23:54.800 all right, I'm gonna slap that vasse leno in there. 1:23:54.840 --> 1:23:56.679 They told us we can put it on exposed skin, 1:23:57.360 --> 1:23:58.439 put on my face, put. 1:23:58.320 --> 1:24:00.559 It on my arm. Yeah, that definitely helps. Yeah too. 1:24:00.800 --> 1:24:04.560 But man, when you swapped that thing and it coagulated, 1:24:04.960 --> 1:24:07.160 but which it stung like heck. Man, when you hit 1:24:07.240 --> 1:24:10.400 that bear that pair of skin, it was like it's working. 1:24:10.439 --> 1:24:12.439 I can feel it's working, man, because his hand would 1:24:12.800 --> 1:24:15.519 slide right off of there. The things you do to 1:24:15.600 --> 1:24:16.639 try to win football game. 1:24:16.680 --> 1:24:19.040 I've played a few games in Miami in Decemmer. It's 1:24:19.040 --> 1:24:19.760 a nice switch up. 1:24:20.240 --> 1:24:20.439 Yeah. 1:24:20.640 --> 1:24:22.400 I wanted to ask you that because now they go 1:24:22.560 --> 1:24:25.800 from you know, ten degrees last week to eighty one 1:24:25.880 --> 1:24:30.280 degrees supposedly this Sunday. When you went south late in 1:24:30.360 --> 1:24:32.960 the season, after the weather had taken a turn for 1:24:33.200 --> 1:24:37.560 the worst in the Midwest, did it completely energize you 1:24:37.760 --> 1:24:39.639 or you're like, man, it's gonna be warm, I'm gonna 1:24:39.640 --> 1:24:40.679 go out and feel great today. 1:24:40.960 --> 1:24:42.120 No, you definitely feel great. 1:24:42.200 --> 1:24:45.320 The turf down there hard or it's natural grass, it's 1:24:45.400 --> 1:24:49.479 it's a really nice surface to play on. Softer, but 1:24:49.760 --> 1:24:54.400 you know, it's a hydration difference because the colder gets, 1:24:54.439 --> 1:24:56.400 the harder it gets, the hydrated, you don't really sweat 1:24:56.400 --> 1:24:58.720 as much. But you know, I remember being down there 1:24:58.800 --> 1:25:01.880 getting an ivy at half we played and I think 1:25:01.880 --> 1:25:06.080 it was double ot and uh what was that nineteen? 1:25:06.840 --> 1:25:09.920 Yeah? Actually, yeah, it's the burrow to a bowl. 1:25:10.960 --> 1:25:12.880 But yeah, it's it's an adjustment. You got to make 1:25:12.880 --> 1:25:15.160 sure you hydrate. But it was a nice switch up. 1:25:15.160 --> 1:25:19.519 I enjoyed it for sure. Yeah, I'm telling you, the 1:25:21.439 --> 1:25:24.680 going from the cold, the bitter cold, to the to 1:25:24.840 --> 1:25:27.439 the warmth. I mean your blood thickens. You know it 1:25:27.560 --> 1:25:30.560 literally does your blood thickens, and uh, you can you 1:25:30.600 --> 1:25:33.599 can feel it. Did you have many cramping problems when 1:25:33.640 --> 1:25:35.280 you went from cold to hot like that? 1:25:35.600 --> 1:25:37.439 I didn't really, and I know a lot of. 1:25:37.560 --> 1:25:41.040 I mean you're a highly conditioned dude. You gotta hydrate. 1:25:41.240 --> 1:25:44.000 And uh, I know Jamar is probably pumped about the 1:25:44.320 --> 1:25:47.639 playing in the heat, right, Yeah, it's easier. I think 1:25:47.640 --> 1:25:51.720 that they'll be slinging the ball around hopefully nice sunny day. 1:25:51.960 --> 1:25:54.679 How long did those halftime ivs take? 1:25:55.400 --> 1:25:58.360 Uh, it's it's a you get in there and you 1:25:58.439 --> 1:26:01.719 scream for an ivy back there, you got five minutes 1:26:01.800 --> 1:26:04.720 maybe to get it set up, hooked up, do a 1:26:04.840 --> 1:26:07.240 pressure bag, you miss the adjustments, and then you run 1:26:07.280 --> 1:26:09.960 out of there. The problem is is when twenty guys 1:26:10.040 --> 1:26:13.479 need Yeah, yeah, it's it's a process. The training stop 1:26:13.600 --> 1:26:15.599 does a great job, though, and you know you kind 1:26:15.600 --> 1:26:17.200 of give them a heads up if you're real, Like 1:26:17.439 --> 1:26:20.000 if there's a long two minute going into the half, 1:26:20.520 --> 1:26:22.439 if I was finding mad, I was like, hey, Matt, 1:26:23.320 --> 1:26:25.280 set me up, and then you run in there and 1:26:25.320 --> 1:26:26.120 get it taken care of. 1:26:26.240 --> 1:26:28.960 But get it kind of prioritized based on all right, well, 1:26:29.000 --> 1:26:31.040 these guys are starters. These guys are getting a bunch 1:26:31.040 --> 1:26:32.160 of snaps. They get them first. 1:26:32.680 --> 1:26:34.200 Oh yeah, Well, if you're not getting a bunch of 1:26:34.240 --> 1:26:35.240 snaps and you're getting. 1:26:35.080 --> 1:26:37.439 I V I think I would say something as right, 1:26:37.760 --> 1:26:41.679 get out of here. I wasn't when I was a rookie, 1:26:41.720 --> 1:26:45.000 I wasn't necessarily getting Ivis I hear you? You kind 1:26:45.040 --> 1:26:46.080 of get to earn your hierarchy. 1:26:46.600 --> 1:26:50.000 Yep, yeah, I mean rookies and Tiger had a great 1:26:50.080 --> 1:26:55.240 line and when you guys young buckshee, rookies understand. 1:26:55.040 --> 1:26:57.880 You to be seen and never heard you got me 1:26:58.320 --> 1:26:59.040 never heard. 1:27:00.120 --> 1:27:03.160 I mean I adopted that for philosophy. Yeah, I think 1:27:03.160 --> 1:27:04.719 it's a wise one. Yeah, I agree. 1:27:05.600 --> 1:27:08.040 So we've got warm weather to look forward to. This Sunday, 1:27:08.080 --> 1:27:11.280 the Bengals heading to Miami to take on the Dolphins. 1:27:11.320 --> 1:27:13.599 We'll be talking about that and much more with our 1:27:13.640 --> 1:27:16.040 special guest, Sam Hubbard. Sam is with us until six 1:27:16.080 --> 1:27:18.120 o'clock tonight. We're here at the On the Rhine Eatery, 1:27:18.400 --> 1:27:20.880 the food hall above the downtown Kroger. If you've never 1:27:21.000 --> 1:27:23.400 been here before. Great place to come out and get 1:27:23.439 --> 1:27:25.280 a bite and have a drink on a Friday afternoon. 1:27:25.320 --> 1:27:29.759 They've got incredible dry rub wings. I'm from the Buffalo area. 1:27:29.960 --> 1:27:32.120 I know my wings. These are out as good as 1:27:32.160 --> 1:27:36.040 it gets in Cincinnati. They've got great burgers as well, sushi, 1:27:36.280 --> 1:27:38.559 other Asian food. There's a full service bar. 1:27:39.080 --> 1:27:39.360 Again. 1:27:39.439 --> 1:27:42.560 It is the on the Rhine Eatery, just above the 1:27:42.640 --> 1:27:45.839 downtown Kroger at Court and walnutt. Plenty of seats available 1:27:45.960 --> 1:27:48.920 parking nearby. There's a garage attached. I would love to 1:27:48.920 --> 1:27:50.519 see you come out and join us in the final 1:27:50.600 --> 1:27:52.320 hour of the show. And as we've said earlier, if 1:27:52.320 --> 1:27:54.880 you've got a Bengals fan on your Christmas list, you 1:27:54.960 --> 1:27:57.640 can get something signed by Sam Hubbard. He'll do it 1:27:57.760 --> 1:28:00.920 for free. During the commercial breaks in the final hour 1:28:01.080 --> 1:28:02.680 of our show, we're going to take a time out 1:28:03.080 --> 1:28:05.880 back with much more on The Bengals pep Rally Show 1:28:06.120 --> 1:28:09.840 presented by Just Bear Chicken. Here on ESPN fifteen thirty. 1:28:12.840 --> 1:28:17.200 Of Best Care for the Best Fans, Kiddery Health, official 1:28:17.280 --> 1:28:23.280 healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, 1:28:23.640 --> 1:28:26.559 the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. 1:28:27.240 --> 1:28:30.320 Happy Holidays, everybody. It's a Friday afternoon here in the 1:28:30.400 --> 1:28:33.160 Queen City. The Happy hour is underway, the work week 1:28:33.280 --> 1:28:36.400 is basically done, and we've got the Bengals pep Rally 1:28:36.439 --> 1:28:38.960 Show for you, presented by Just Bear Chicken. Life from 1:28:39.000 --> 1:28:42.000 the on the Rhine Eatery the foodhull above the downtown Kroger. 1:28:42.080 --> 1:28:44.160 Come out and join us, grab a bite to eat, 1:28:44.479 --> 1:28:47.360 a lot of inexpensive items here there's a full service 1:28:47.439 --> 1:28:49.800 bar as well, and our very special guest in the 1:28:49.840 --> 1:28:52.919 final hour of the show today is former Bengals defensive 1:28:53.040 --> 1:28:57.240 end Sam Hubbard, whose NFL career came to an end 1:28:57.280 --> 1:28:59.120 at the end of last season. We're going to turn 1:28:59.160 --> 1:29:03.519 the clock back to the very last play. Oh baby, 1:29:03.840 --> 1:29:08.519 Sam Hubbard's NFL career. Let's listen. In Burrow fakes a handoff, 1:29:08.600 --> 1:29:09.320 throws a pass. 1:29:09.760 --> 1:29:14.960 Sam Hubbard with the catchon touchdown Bengals. 1:29:15.600 --> 1:29:17.760 Sam Hubbard raising. 1:29:17.479 --> 1:29:21.320 The football over his head and spiking at ground style 1:29:21.800 --> 1:29:23.040 after the first catch. 1:29:23.320 --> 1:29:26.400 How his NFL career Sam Hubbard's started his career at 1:29:26.439 --> 1:29:27.200 Moler High School. 1:29:27.280 --> 1:29:31.360 Is a tight end? Sam Hubbard is an athlete, Sam Hubbard. 1:29:31.560 --> 1:29:33.360 That's a great fingertip catch. 1:29:35.040 --> 1:29:37.400 It was a great fingertip catch. How about that spike? 1:29:37.600 --> 1:29:39.800 Was that something that you had in mind or was 1:29:39.840 --> 1:29:41.120 that completely in the moment. 1:29:41.280 --> 1:29:42.599 No, we had rehearsed that one. 1:29:43.280 --> 1:29:45.960 Joe was making me do them the routes full speed 1:29:46.360 --> 1:29:48.479 and walk through pre practice, and then we had to, 1:29:48.840 --> 1:29:52.439 you know, practice a spike. Of course, I almost messed 1:29:52.439 --> 1:29:54.320 it up, getting too excited as soon as I got up, 1:29:54.360 --> 1:29:57.639 but then held it back, gathered ted and the rest 1:29:57.680 --> 1:29:59.639 of the crew, and I actually gave it a legit spike. 1:29:59.760 --> 1:30:02.400 So uh it worked out one of the one of 1:30:02.400 --> 1:30:05.200 the coolest moments ever. I got Joe's jersey. 1:30:05.200 --> 1:30:07.919 From that game, nice framed in my basement. 1:30:08.240 --> 1:30:10.599 Uh got the ball. 1:30:10.680 --> 1:30:11.720 I got the ball too. 1:30:12.200 --> 1:30:13.679 Did you expect to be wide open? 1:30:13.760 --> 1:30:15.639 I mean normally I was not wide open. 1:30:16.200 --> 1:30:18.600 No, no, that's what I'm saying. I'm wondering if you 1:30:20.760 --> 1:30:24.479 being a defensive linemen lining up presumably to block. 1:30:24.720 --> 1:30:26.800 Yeah, no, Joe told me there's gonna be a guy 1:30:26.920 --> 1:30:29.200 on me, and I don't have the exact breakaway speed. 1:30:29.320 --> 1:30:31.000 But uh that was God. 1:30:31.320 --> 1:30:35.400 Yeah, the the in traffic catch. But it was a 1:30:35.640 --> 1:30:38.080 I think Zach was so confident in calling it because 1:30:38.080 --> 1:30:41.360 it was a third string or second string linebacker. 1:30:41.400 --> 1:30:42.000 They didn't really know. 1:30:42.840 --> 1:30:46.719 So huh, take advantage, no doubt, no doubt, take advantage 1:30:46.760 --> 1:30:52.640 of opportunities from opportunity knocks man open the door. So uh, 1:30:53.000 --> 1:30:57.439 Molar High School, Ohio State, Cincinnati Bengals. You are the 1:30:57.560 --> 1:31:01.599 Cincinnati kid, the Ohio kid. Are you glad? 1:31:02.200 --> 1:31:02.240 It? 1:31:02.439 --> 1:31:04.840 Is it something that as you reflect back on it, 1:31:05.680 --> 1:31:09.040 you even cherished their decisions you made even more to 1:31:09.120 --> 1:31:09.759 stay local? 1:31:11.080 --> 1:31:11.280 Yeah? 1:31:11.320 --> 1:31:11.760 I think so. 1:31:12.040 --> 1:31:15.000 I think that now you know, the plan since I 1:31:15.080 --> 1:31:18.360 got drafted was to to always stay local. And you know, 1:31:18.479 --> 1:31:22.840 I'm here full time and want an opportunity to have 1:31:23.040 --> 1:31:25.840 the support system and everything that I had. And what 1:31:26.040 --> 1:31:27.880 makes it all the sweeter is the success. We were 1:31:27.880 --> 1:31:30.479 able to have here, the energy we brought to the 1:31:30.560 --> 1:31:34.880 fan base, and you know, if you recall that that 1:31:35.840 --> 1:31:37.960 run to the Super Bowl, what the city felt like 1:31:38.120 --> 1:31:41.599 walking around the streets for those months. I mean, I'll 1:31:41.600 --> 1:31:43.880 hold onto that time for the rest of my life, 1:31:43.920 --> 1:31:47.720 and you know, hoping for it again here soon I got. 1:31:47.800 --> 1:31:50.920 I got faith in our and our boys to uh 1:31:51.200 --> 1:31:52.679 to get back to the promised Land. 1:31:52.800 --> 1:31:55.479 I worked that back when he wanted back soon. You 1:31:55.680 --> 1:31:59.080 preceded Zach Taylor. You actually started your Bengals career when 1:31:59.120 --> 1:32:02.120 Marvin Lewis would the head coach. We had the opportunity 1:32:02.200 --> 1:32:04.800 to visit with Zach earlier today and I asked him 1:32:04.840 --> 1:32:08.640 about the impact you made on his career to this 1:32:08.840 --> 1:32:11.960 point as the Cincinnati Bengals head coach. Here's Zach Taylor, 1:32:12.680 --> 1:32:13.320 always the guy I. 1:32:13.320 --> 1:32:17.400 Could kill, Always a guy that if I needed and 1:32:17.640 --> 1:32:22.960 the opinion of a player on schedule or vibe of 1:32:23.000 --> 1:32:26.160 the team, or I knew I could get Sam up 1:32:26.200 --> 1:32:31.920 there and transparent and as a leader like it was 1:32:32.160 --> 1:32:36.599 fun for me to see when he finally decided, you know, realize, 1:32:37.280 --> 1:32:40.320 these guys respect me and I can now talk more. 1:32:40.720 --> 1:32:42.439 I don't just have to be the lead by example 1:32:42.479 --> 1:32:43.920 guy all the time, and I think that was more 1:32:44.000 --> 1:32:47.840 year two. So it was fun watching him become a 1:32:47.880 --> 1:32:51.479 captain and guys rally around him and we had the 1:32:51.520 --> 1:32:53.840 success we had, and he was a huge part of that. 1:32:55.400 --> 1:32:58.840 Fought through injuries. That's as a coach you appreciate that 1:32:58.920 --> 1:33:02.360 more than anybody, the guys that give you everything they 1:33:02.439 --> 1:33:06.519 have despite your circumstances. And Sam was the number one 1:33:06.640 --> 1:33:10.479 example of all that. And so that's that was always 1:33:10.600 --> 1:33:12.080 meant a lot to me to know that Sam was 1:33:12.160 --> 1:33:14.519 gonna we'll have the off season charter, we're going to 1:33:14.560 --> 1:33:17.040 play and doing everything I came to play. So that 1:33:17.200 --> 1:33:19.040 was that was great, and I you know, for him 1:33:19.120 --> 1:33:21.600 to he was on me for years to catch a 1:33:21.680 --> 1:33:25.160 pass and so first career to end on that play, 1:33:25.560 --> 1:33:27.720 it was very fitting, you know, it really was, and 1:33:28.040 --> 1:33:30.320 it I don't obviously don't want his career to end 1:33:30.360 --> 1:33:35.840 on an injury, but I think it was I can 1:33:35.880 --> 1:33:38.240 say this without feeling stupid, like it was a cool 1:33:38.280 --> 1:33:40.080 way for him to in his career. You got to 1:33:40.080 --> 1:33:42.160 go in and run one route all season and you 1:33:42.280 --> 1:33:44.840 kind of touching up past contest to catch from his 1:33:45.400 --> 1:33:46.200 college roommate. 1:33:47.680 --> 1:33:49.240 Pretty cool. But that was cool. 1:33:51.120 --> 1:33:51.880 I think he's right. 1:33:52.080 --> 1:33:52.759 It was cool. 1:33:52.840 --> 1:33:54.920 Were you on him in fact for years to catch 1:33:54.960 --> 1:33:55.360 a pass? 1:33:56.240 --> 1:33:58.920 No, that was pretty cool. I didn't you asked him that. 1:33:59.520 --> 1:34:03.479 I was definitely you know, in his year, I you know, 1:34:03.760 --> 1:34:07.840 jokingly because of my great reps as a rookie fullback. 1:34:08.640 --> 1:34:10.680 I was like, hey, you know, I'm ready, let's do 1:34:10.760 --> 1:34:13.400 it and go. And you know, when it comes down to, hey, 1:34:13.560 --> 1:34:16.479 here's the play we're calling it, it's a whole different ballgame. 1:34:16.560 --> 1:34:18.720 You get much more nervous and you're like, I don't 1:34:18.760 --> 1:34:21.040 know if I actually want this and drop it right here. 1:34:21.479 --> 1:34:23.400 But I got to give credit to Zach. He you know, 1:34:23.600 --> 1:34:23.920 he did. 1:34:25.160 --> 1:34:27.600 You know, he really made that happen and it was 1:34:27.920 --> 1:34:31.280 it turned the momentum in that game. But Zach, you know, 1:34:31.400 --> 1:34:33.840 I he did so much for me in my career. 1:34:33.920 --> 1:34:36.839 Have so much respect for him and how he's handled 1:34:36.920 --> 1:34:40.960 you know, tough situations from you know, twenty nineteen till now. 1:34:41.120 --> 1:34:43.800 You know, I can't say enough good things about Zach 1:34:43.880 --> 1:34:47.560 and how he goes about his business. Also watching you know, 1:34:47.640 --> 1:34:50.880 he watched my evolution. I watched his evolution from a 1:34:51.080 --> 1:34:53.200 first time head coach to where he is now. 1:34:53.320 --> 1:34:55.920 I think that he's learned. 1:34:56.000 --> 1:34:59.000 He's all you know, he journals and writes everything down 1:34:59.080 --> 1:35:01.720 and really reflect and gets better every year. 1:35:01.920 --> 1:35:03.560 So it's cool to be around a guy like that. 1:35:03.760 --> 1:35:05.920 And yeah, that was cool. 1:35:06.680 --> 1:35:11.400 When you're in your playing days with the Bengals Ohio State, 1:35:11.760 --> 1:35:14.160 who's the greatest player you ever played with? Who is 1:35:14.160 --> 1:35:16.519 the guy that had the biggest impact on the gaming 1:35:16.600 --> 1:35:16.800 on you? 1:35:19.080 --> 1:35:21.800 Obviously in my time with the Bengals, I would say, 1:35:21.960 --> 1:35:24.479 you know, Joe had the biggest impact, and that's kind 1:35:24.520 --> 1:35:28.080 of the obvious answer. But you know, I came into 1:35:28.160 --> 1:35:32.479 the league watching you know, Aj Green, you know he 1:35:32.640 --> 1:35:36.200 unfortunately got hurt, but in twenty eighteen, you know, winning 1:35:36.280 --> 1:35:40.679 games and overtime against Atlanta Falcons, Geno Atkins having ten sacks. 1:35:40.840 --> 1:35:43.200 You know, you come in and you see these legends 1:35:43.280 --> 1:35:45.960 you you grew up watching play at a high level 1:35:46.040 --> 1:35:50.160 and that was like, wow, that's you know, this is 1:35:50.760 --> 1:35:53.880 the epitome. And then go throughout my career and you 1:35:53.960 --> 1:35:56.240 see a guy like Jamar come in and his his 1:35:56.479 --> 1:35:58.639 youth and energy take you straight to a super Bowl 1:35:58.680 --> 1:35:59.120 and do some. 1:35:59.200 --> 1:36:01.200 Things you couldn't imagine. 1:36:01.400 --> 1:36:03.320 I mean, he's a different player than Aj but a 1:36:03.479 --> 1:36:05.360 twenty one year old kid watching him do some of 1:36:05.439 --> 1:36:07.880 these things with joe It's like, wow, this is this 1:36:08.040 --> 1:36:10.800 is cool to watch. But yeah, I played with a 1:36:10.880 --> 1:36:13.960 lot of great players, but you know, I think the 1:36:14.080 --> 1:36:16.920 most special player I've seen is Jamar I mean it's 1:36:17.280 --> 1:36:21.439 unbelievable Tea too. I mean, wow, some of the stuff 1:36:21.479 --> 1:36:23.559 they do. They're so different in the way they play. 1:36:23.640 --> 1:36:26.200 But what great players in the privilege to watch and 1:36:26.280 --> 1:36:26.600 play with? 1:36:26.840 --> 1:36:29.400 What about college? Who would be the guy or guys 1:36:29.760 --> 1:36:32.080 he might choose from a college career. 1:36:33.000 --> 1:36:35.560 So I came into Ohio State, like you said, I 1:36:35.600 --> 1:36:37.960 didn't know anything about the position, and once I was 1:36:38.080 --> 1:36:42.400 transitioned to defensive line, they put me directly behind Joey Bosa. Yeah, 1:36:42.680 --> 1:36:47.320 and I just watched Joey do everything and a lot 1:36:47.360 --> 1:36:50.800 of the defensive line stuff. I mean, he worked tirelessly, 1:36:50.920 --> 1:36:54.360 but he's probably the most gifted natural pass rusher like. 1:36:55.920 --> 1:36:58.320 Ever I've ever seen. So the way he moved and 1:36:58.400 --> 1:36:59.840 the way he worked his craft. 1:37:00.520 --> 1:37:01.000 If I just. 1:37:01.040 --> 1:37:03.120 Followed exactly what he was doing in the drill, like 1:37:03.200 --> 1:37:05.519 you watch his drill, just try and copy how he 1:37:05.600 --> 1:37:08.080 does the drill right, if you do it half as good, 1:37:08.160 --> 1:37:11.200 you're you're doing all right. But I think a lot 1:37:11.280 --> 1:37:14.639 of players see Joey or have seen Joey in college 1:37:14.680 --> 1:37:16.599 when you know, we won the national championship. He had 1:37:17.120 --> 1:37:20.439 twelve and a half sacks. I mean, probably the best 1:37:21.560 --> 1:37:25.240 defensive player I've ever seen, so still playing. He's having 1:37:25.240 --> 1:37:27.000 a good year. He's playing really well for the Sales 1:37:27.040 --> 1:37:31.280 this year. It was fun to watch who else on 1:37:31.720 --> 1:37:34.519 the buck eys I gotta go Joey. I mean, some 1:37:34.920 --> 1:37:38.920 of the stuff a Zeke Elliott did, Michael Michael Thomas. 1:37:39.200 --> 1:37:42.560 Watching Michael Thomas and Eli Apple go at it in 1:37:42.720 --> 1:37:45.680 practice in spring, just doing one on ones was some 1:37:45.800 --> 1:37:48.680 of the most competitive football I've ever watched because it 1:37:48.840 --> 1:37:51.040 was about it was about pride, and they would talk 1:37:51.680 --> 1:37:55.639 so much to each other, a lot of trash Talkoh yeah, 1:37:55.880 --> 1:37:58.200 but that's good thing about How say you get exposed 1:37:58.240 --> 1:38:00.519 to some incredible generation players. 1:38:01.280 --> 1:38:04.240 It was interesting hearing Zach Taylor talked about how he 1:38:04.439 --> 1:38:07.799 leaned on your leadership, especially once you had established yourself 1:38:07.840 --> 1:38:10.280 in Cincinnati. Did he call on you often to get 1:38:10.720 --> 1:38:13.200 input on, as he said, the schedule or the vibe 1:38:13.240 --> 1:38:15.080 and in the locker room, did he have he come 1:38:15.160 --> 1:38:17.080 up to the offense and office rather and kind of 1:38:17.120 --> 1:38:17.479 fill him in. 1:38:18.160 --> 1:38:20.000 Yeah, as I went throughout my career, I think he 1:38:20.240 --> 1:38:21.840 does that with a lot of players. I mean, as 1:38:21.880 --> 1:38:24.040 the head coach, your job is to assess where the 1:38:24.120 --> 1:38:26.479 team is, where the head of the team is. And 1:38:27.200 --> 1:38:29.920 as leaders as captains, your job is to shoot it 1:38:30.240 --> 1:38:32.080 straight to the coach about what you're seeing and what 1:38:32.200 --> 1:38:34.000 needs to be addressed because his job is to make 1:38:34.080 --> 1:38:37.160 decisions and he needs to have all the information about 1:38:37.720 --> 1:38:41.639 you know, our players really you know, upset about talctice 1:38:41.640 --> 1:38:44.800 and inside or outside, like he makes a decision and 1:38:44.840 --> 1:38:46.519 the whole team can be like, oh what. You know, 1:38:46.640 --> 1:38:50.400 the transparent communication was always what Zach was after and 1:38:50.479 --> 1:38:52.439 I tried to do my best, you know, tell him 1:38:52.479 --> 1:38:55.160 what he needed to hear or wanted to hear. And 1:38:55.280 --> 1:38:57.360 it's not like you need to be scared of him, 1:38:57.400 --> 1:38:59.800 but you know that comes with trust and you know 1:39:00.040 --> 1:39:02.559 he understands that I'm not just serving my own interest 1:39:02.760 --> 1:39:05.200 or he's not serving his own interests. And I think 1:39:05.240 --> 1:39:08.320 there's guys on the team, Ted BJ, there's guys that 1:39:08.439 --> 1:39:11.600 he can go to now. But you know, Zach was 1:39:11.640 --> 1:39:14.720 always trying to get the most information to do right 1:39:14.880 --> 1:39:17.920 and make the right decisions by the team. And that 1:39:18.080 --> 1:39:20.519 only comes if you have people that'll tell you the truth. 1:39:21.720 --> 1:39:24.160 You are not only a great football player, you were 1:39:24.280 --> 1:39:31.120 unbelievable lacrosse player as well. Tell us about your lacrosse career. 1:39:31.560 --> 1:39:33.960 When did that start, how did that start, and did 1:39:34.000 --> 1:39:35.519 you play any other sports growing up? 1:39:36.520 --> 1:39:39.160 In third grade? I played lacrosse. Well. 1:39:39.200 --> 1:39:41.400 I grew up doing all the sports like I think 1:39:41.479 --> 1:39:45.200 every kid should, you know, soccer, baseball, but had to 1:39:45.320 --> 1:39:48.120 choose between baseball and lacrosse in the spring, and I 1:39:48.280 --> 1:39:51.920 chose lacrosse in third grade. So third grade starts tackle 1:39:51.960 --> 1:39:55.400 football and you start lacrosse. And played basketball in the 1:39:55.439 --> 1:39:57.360 winner and that was kind of you know, the grade school. 1:39:57.400 --> 1:40:00.519 But I was always you know, my brother's a cross player. 1:40:00.560 --> 1:40:03.080 I would spend hours outside throwing against the wall and 1:40:03.439 --> 1:40:06.000 really took to it. And I was always the la 1:40:06.040 --> 1:40:08.280 cross player, you know, one of the best players to 1:40:08.840 --> 1:40:10.040 play wherever it was. 1:40:10.200 --> 1:40:12.600 And I was an okay football player, you know, I 1:40:12.640 --> 1:40:13.080 did all right. 1:40:13.320 --> 1:40:15.439 And then you know, I get to high school and 1:40:16.080 --> 1:40:18.599 get invited to all these camps and make varsity as 1:40:18.600 --> 1:40:21.000 a freshman, and I was a lacrosse guy and get 1:40:21.080 --> 1:40:26.160 the offers early. Was really cool to be viewed as 1:40:26.280 --> 1:40:28.599 you know, you're such a highly sought after recruit because 1:40:28.640 --> 1:40:30.760 it's all on the East Coast. You know, it was 1:40:30.960 --> 1:40:34.799 very really for Midwestern players to get offers and get recruited. 1:40:36.400 --> 1:40:39.040 So I was, you know, going about my business. Then 1:40:39.080 --> 1:40:42.360 we had success in football. We went state my junior year, 1:40:43.160 --> 1:40:45.559 and you know, the recruiting process, I think the rules 1:40:45.600 --> 1:40:47.840 were a lot different as far as contacting back then. 1:40:47.920 --> 1:40:50.479 But I was just finished my freshman year, committed to 1:40:50.560 --> 1:40:53.960 go play college lacrosse at Notre Dame. At Notre Dame 1:40:54.200 --> 1:40:58.439 just turned sixteen, so you know you're going into sophomore 1:40:58.520 --> 1:41:01.680 year already knowing you're going to Notre Dame on lacrosse scholarship, 1:41:03.120 --> 1:41:05.160 so you know, you play football for fun. 1:41:06.240 --> 1:41:06.360 You know. 1:41:06.600 --> 1:41:09.400 Two years later was when we win state as a 1:41:09.479 --> 1:41:12.720 junior and I get recruited for football, and I tell 1:41:12.800 --> 1:41:15.840 coach coach Rodenberg, who was the Muller varsity coach at 1:41:15.880 --> 1:41:18.439 the time, you know, I'm a lacrosse player. There's only 1:41:18.520 --> 1:41:21.599 four schools that I would listen to if they came knocking. 1:41:21.720 --> 1:41:26.400 It was Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Stanford and 1:41:27.520 --> 1:41:30.200 as soon as those are the schools, but that's what 1:41:30.360 --> 1:41:32.240 you give up. That's what I was willing to give 1:41:32.320 --> 1:41:36.519 up lacrosse to consider. And of those schools, Ohio State 1:41:36.680 --> 1:41:39.360 was kind of the first one to really offer me, 1:41:39.439 --> 1:41:42.360 and then after that everyone everyone came once the word 1:41:42.479 --> 1:41:47.200 got out. But funny enough, Notre Dame didn't didn't want 1:41:47.240 --> 1:41:50.679 to take from their own program and let me play football, 1:41:50.800 --> 1:41:54.479 so kind of was hands were tied on that decision. 1:41:54.600 --> 1:41:57.040 They wanted me to play lacrosse and said I could 1:41:57.880 --> 1:41:59.960 I think walk on or they. 1:42:00.040 --> 1:42:00.599 It wasn't. 1:42:02.760 --> 1:42:05.960 Athletic directors got to be fired. It wasn't like they 1:42:06.000 --> 1:42:08.240 wanted me to come play football. I definitely knew that 1:42:08.360 --> 1:42:10.560 was the vibe, but I loved their lacrosse program, but 1:42:11.280 --> 1:42:14.280 ultimately decided it was the full ride that I had 1:42:14.320 --> 1:42:16.479 to go with at Ohio State and had to shift 1:42:16.560 --> 1:42:19.680 my mindset from being, you know, the lacrosse player to like, 1:42:19.840 --> 1:42:22.160 I was a solid football player, but now I'm going 1:42:22.240 --> 1:42:22.439 all in. 1:42:22.760 --> 1:42:26.639 So lap and I both went to Syracuse famous lacrosse program. 1:42:26.720 --> 1:42:29.000 Oh yeah, yeah, most final fours of any school did 1:42:29.040 --> 1:42:30.200 they for lacrosse? 1:42:30.360 --> 1:42:30.400 No? 1:42:30.760 --> 1:42:36.440 They come on, they love. 1:42:34.600 --> 1:42:37.439 Their East Coast guys. Pat Kennedy I think was the 1:42:38.080 --> 1:42:42.000 Moller guy that went to Syracuse though, yeah he was. 1:42:42.160 --> 1:42:44.599 He was still holds maybe the all time goals. 1:42:45.680 --> 1:42:48.000 Was there a father son, Pat Kennedy father. 1:42:48.080 --> 1:42:52.400 Yeah, yeah, yeah, the father I think coached for a while. 1:42:52.400 --> 1:42:54.000 I think you might have coached my brother. Then Pat 1:42:54.040 --> 1:42:57.880 Kennedy coached me and a select travel team. But great players, 1:42:58.320 --> 1:42:59.080 lacrosse family. 1:42:59.840 --> 1:43:00.360 I all right. 1:43:00.680 --> 1:43:02.320 In the last week or so, there have been a 1:43:02.360 --> 1:43:06.440 lot of national stories about Joe Burrow, Where is his mindset, 1:43:06.640 --> 1:43:08.080 does he want to be in Cincinnati? 1:43:08.520 --> 1:43:08.880 Whatever? 1:43:09.120 --> 1:43:11.320 You've all heard about it and read about it. Well, 1:43:11.400 --> 1:43:14.240 Sam knows Joe as well as just about anybody. We're 1:43:14.240 --> 1:43:16.800 going to talk about Joe when we continue with our 1:43:16.840 --> 1:43:19.240 special guest, Sam Hubbard. We are live at the on 1:43:19.400 --> 1:43:22.400 the Rhine Eatery, the food hall above the downtown Kroger. 1:43:22.680 --> 1:43:25.639 It's the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear 1:43:25.800 --> 1:43:40.519 Chicken on ESPN fifteen thirty. Welcome back to the Bengals 1:43:40.520 --> 1:43:43.760 pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken. It's a 1:43:43.840 --> 1:43:46.719 Friday afternoon here in the Queen City. We're getting ready 1:43:46.720 --> 1:43:49.320 for the Bengals and Dolphins coming up. On Sunday at 1:43:49.439 --> 1:43:51.640 one o'clock. We are live today at the on the 1:43:51.760 --> 1:43:54.720 Rhine Eatery, our Friday afternoon home for the Bengals pep 1:43:54.840 --> 1:43:57.599 Rally show. It's the food hall above the downtown Kroger 1:43:57.640 --> 1:44:00.400 at Court and Walnut, and our special guest Sam Hubbard 1:44:00.479 --> 1:44:02.040 is with us for the second week in a row. 1:44:02.080 --> 1:44:05.080 We really appreciate it. Sam is here until six o'clock tonight. 1:44:05.160 --> 1:44:07.960 We'll be breaking down some plays just a little bit 1:44:08.040 --> 1:44:09.960 later on the show, but we want to talk about 1:44:10.080 --> 1:44:13.280 Joe Burrow in this segment. Joe's a very close friend 1:44:13.320 --> 1:44:16.320 of yours, going back to your days at Ohio State, 1:44:17.000 --> 1:44:21.080 and last week it made headlines when Joe expressed frustration. 1:44:21.240 --> 1:44:23.360 It's been a tough year coming back from his injury. 1:44:23.640 --> 1:44:26.240 The team's not going to the playoffs. We get it, 1:44:26.439 --> 1:44:31.400 he's frustrated. Mike Brown's frustrated, Duke Tubbin's frustrated. I'm frustrated, well, 1:44:31.439 --> 1:44:33.840 but he's frustrated. We want this team to get back 1:44:34.120 --> 1:44:36.760 to the postseason as quickly as possible. But there's just 1:44:36.920 --> 1:44:40.160 something about Joe when it comes to the national media 1:44:40.720 --> 1:44:45.800 where they're just determined to insist did he hate Cincinnati 1:44:46.240 --> 1:44:48.559 even before he was drafted. What did we hear, Oh, 1:44:48.600 --> 1:44:51.200 he's gonna pull an Eli Manning, gonna want to go 1:44:51.200 --> 1:44:53.920 to the Bengals. Then he comes here, does great things, 1:44:54.120 --> 1:44:57.960 says nothing great, nothing but great things about Cincinnati, about 1:44:57.960 --> 1:45:01.280 playing for Zach Taylor set. So I get a little 1:45:01.320 --> 1:45:04.120 bit agitated anytime I see these talk shows where people 1:45:04.160 --> 1:45:08.160 are cooking up these wild scenarios. Ah, the Jet should 1:45:08.200 --> 1:45:11.680 trade for him tomorrow. Please, you're driving me crazy. In 1:45:11.800 --> 1:45:15.960 any case, Albert Breer is the number one NFL guy 1:45:16.280 --> 1:45:19.320 for Sports Illustrated. He comes to town every year in 1:45:19.400 --> 1:45:22.720 spring camp or fall training camp. He has a great 1:45:22.760 --> 1:45:25.639 relationship with Joe, always talks to Joe whenever he comes 1:45:25.680 --> 1:45:28.880 to town. Typically writes a very good story for Sports 1:45:28.920 --> 1:45:32.880 Illustrated about Joe whenever he's here. So he posted a 1:45:33.000 --> 1:45:37.240 video yesterday about this situation with Joe Burrow, and I 1:45:37.320 --> 1:45:40.280 thought it was just about perfect. So we're going to 1:45:40.320 --> 1:45:43.439 play this from Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated, and then 1:45:43.439 --> 1:45:46.000 we're going to talk to Sam Hubbard about it. So 1:45:46.160 --> 1:45:48.439 here is Albert Breer on Joe Burrow. 1:45:48.720 --> 1:45:52.519 I've had conversations with Joe about this over the course 1:45:52.560 --> 1:45:54.400 of the last five years, and I can tell you this, 1:45:55.680 --> 1:45:58.400 he really views himself as the change agent there, as 1:45:58.439 --> 1:46:02.719 the guy who was going to really turn the page 1:46:02.760 --> 1:46:05.000 for that organization. He used this phrase with me a 1:46:05.040 --> 1:46:07.160 few times earlier in his career, where he said, the 1:46:07.200 --> 1:46:08.160 old Bengals are dead. 1:46:08.240 --> 1:46:09.839 This isn't the old Bengals anymore. 1:46:10.479 --> 1:46:13.920 And he really has had a voice in that organization, 1:46:15.160 --> 1:46:17.280 in getting Jamar Chase paid and getting T. 1:46:17.479 --> 1:46:20.080 Higgins paid, and like you even look at things like 1:46:20.160 --> 1:46:22.800 the practice bubble right like they didn't have a practice. 1:46:22.439 --> 1:46:26.479 Bubble in Cincinnati, Ohio, which sounds crazy, but you know, 1:46:26.680 --> 1:46:28.920 his presence there I think is part of why they 1:46:29.000 --> 1:46:33.000 now have an indoor facility. The scouting staff last off 1:46:33.080 --> 1:46:35.160 season was expanded. That's the first time they've done that 1:46:35.240 --> 1:46:37.200 in forever. And they still have some more to do 1:46:37.280 --> 1:46:39.880 in building the operation out, but he's changed that as well. 1:46:40.520 --> 1:46:42.439 And so I think his level of investment in the 1:46:42.439 --> 1:46:45.760 Bengals organization and his interest in being the change agent. 1:46:45.560 --> 1:46:47.760 There, I think is very very real. 1:46:48.280 --> 1:46:49.519 And so I don't think you have to be worried 1:46:49.520 --> 1:46:52.280 about Joe Burrow elbowing his way out of there now, 1:46:52.760 --> 1:46:54.920 but it's something that should be on the Bengals radar 1:46:55.200 --> 1:46:57.400 going forward, and it's something that's on the radar every 1:46:57.439 --> 1:46:59.439 time he makes one of these sorts of comments with 1:46:59.600 --> 1:47:02.120 the other thirty one team. So I think Joe is 1:47:02.160 --> 1:47:04.360 still invested in making it work with the Bengals. I 1:47:04.360 --> 1:47:07.000 think Joe still wants to be the change agent in Cincinnati. 1:47:07.360 --> 1:47:09.439 I still think I still know that he feels that 1:47:09.479 --> 1:47:12.639 there'd be great value and being the person who turned 1:47:12.680 --> 1:47:15.200 a franchise around in that sort of manner. I mean, 1:47:15.240 --> 1:47:17.920 he has a chance to be what Joe Montana is 1:47:17.960 --> 1:47:20.400 in San Francisco, what Tom Brady is in New England 1:47:20.479 --> 1:47:23.880 and Cincinnati, and I think he really values that. Then 1:47:24.240 --> 1:47:26.080 you know, you look at and say, okay, like, could 1:47:26.120 --> 1:47:29.599 this eventually be Matthew Stafford in Detroit? Like that's possible too. 1:47:30.439 --> 1:47:32.120 I don't think we're there yet, but you know, you 1:47:32.240 --> 1:47:33.280 get a few years down. 1:47:33.240 --> 1:47:35.200 The line and this still isn't working, then certainly I 1:47:35.240 --> 1:47:39.080 think that could that that could wind up happening. And 1:47:39.240 --> 1:47:41.799 so to me, I look at this as the pressures 1:47:41.840 --> 1:47:44.640 on the Bengals to keep building aggressively around him, to 1:47:44.720 --> 1:47:46.599 create championship scenarios for him. 1:47:46.640 --> 1:47:49.120 But that's been what it's been since he was drafted 1:47:49.200 --> 1:47:49.920 in twenty twenty. 1:47:51.439 --> 1:47:54.720 All right, So I think that's very fair analysis from 1:47:54.760 --> 1:47:57.519 Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated. Sam, what did you think 1:47:57.560 --> 1:47:58.080 when you heard that? 1:47:58.479 --> 1:48:00.040 Yeah, I think it was very fair. I mean, and 1:48:00.280 --> 1:48:04.640 he puts things in perspective. You're right, there is you know, 1:48:04.760 --> 1:48:08.960 a fixation on Joe from the national media for whatever reason. 1:48:09.000 --> 1:48:10.840 I think it's because he's such a great player and 1:48:11.520 --> 1:48:14.240 people you know, love to talk about him or you know, 1:48:14.439 --> 1:48:18.040 analyze what he does. But very much so, Joe views 1:48:18.120 --> 1:48:19.760 himself as the change agente and a lot of the 1:48:19.880 --> 1:48:23.679 change that has come since I walked in the door, 1:48:24.960 --> 1:48:27.400 Joe was the catalyst for you know, you remember, we 1:48:27.560 --> 1:48:29.800 hadn't won a playoff game in thirty one years, and 1:48:30.439 --> 1:48:32.200 we go to the super Bowl, and I understand that 1:48:32.520 --> 1:48:33.919 we want to go to the super. 1:48:33.720 --> 1:48:38.160 Bowl every year, but h to you know, focus. 1:48:37.880 --> 1:48:41.880 On Joe being you know, anything but the driving force 1:48:42.280 --> 1:48:45.920 of you know, doing everything in the whole organization, trying 1:48:45.960 --> 1:48:49.519 to mobilize and as he said, invest aggressively to get there. 1:48:50.720 --> 1:48:53.280 You know, it's kind of doing the disservice, making a 1:48:53.360 --> 1:48:56.200 narrative out of nothing. Like everyone in that building is 1:48:56.400 --> 1:49:01.720 you know, focused on trying to the narrative and uh, 1:49:02.000 --> 1:49:05.120 you know, we really had some great years where it 1:49:05.160 --> 1:49:07.880 felt like there would never be another losing season. But 1:49:08.360 --> 1:49:12.880 it's the NFL is tough every year, some new team 1:49:12.960 --> 1:49:17.720 emergings and for whatever reason, the mixes of guys, injuries, 1:49:19.760 --> 1:49:22.600 coaching turnover. You know, it can be attributed to a 1:49:22.640 --> 1:49:25.040 lot of things, but the attribute to get to Joe 1:49:25.120 --> 1:49:26.680 being checked out is not one that. 1:49:26.920 --> 1:49:29.040 Should should make the headlines. 1:49:29.160 --> 1:49:32.360 In my opinion, I agree thirty one years. I mean, 1:49:32.400 --> 1:49:35.000 when you think about that, I mean, what more do 1:49:35.080 --> 1:49:38.519 you want from the guy? He was a month early 1:49:38.680 --> 1:49:44.040 from a total toe replacement surgery, and like his dedication 1:49:44.200 --> 1:49:45.960 to come back just to give the team a chance, 1:49:46.240 --> 1:49:47.960 and even if they didn't have a chance, just to 1:49:48.000 --> 1:49:50.880 be out there with his guys to play football. He 1:49:50.920 --> 1:49:53.519 could have honed it in before the season was even there, 1:49:54.320 --> 1:49:56.080 could have honed it in never played another snap, but 1:49:56.280 --> 1:49:58.920 he worked for three months tirelessly to get back out 1:49:58.960 --> 1:50:02.599 there because he loves ball and he loves being in Ohio. 1:50:02.760 --> 1:50:05.680 Guys about as higle guy as I am, even more so. 1:50:07.160 --> 1:50:10.880 So you know, it takes a great pride in playing 1:50:10.880 --> 1:50:11.840 for the Cincinnati Bengals. 1:50:11.880 --> 1:50:15.000 I know that I've said over the years, the calendar 1:50:15.400 --> 1:50:19.200 historically is measured in you know, years BC and AD, 1:50:19.920 --> 1:50:22.479 But in this case, this is the year six JB 1:50:23.040 --> 1:50:27.320 because things have changed since Joe Burrow arrived in Cincinnati. Now, 1:50:27.439 --> 1:50:31.000 maybe not at the pace as some people would like, right, 1:50:31.400 --> 1:50:34.080 but every year the Bengals have been trying to do 1:50:34.320 --> 1:50:38.559 something that has made the franchise better, whether it's building 1:50:38.640 --> 1:50:42.400 the bubble, whether it's rebuilding the locker room, the training facility, 1:50:42.520 --> 1:50:46.559 the weight room. Obviously we saw the contracts they handed 1:50:46.600 --> 1:50:50.240 out last year to Jamar and t. So the next 1:50:50.360 --> 1:50:54.080 project is to fix the defense. The defense just has 1:50:54.120 --> 1:50:57.000 not been good enough the last couple of years. They're 1:50:57.000 --> 1:50:59.720 gonna have to aggressively attack that this offseason because we 1:50:59.800 --> 1:51:01.040 know the offense is going to be. 1:51:01.040 --> 1:51:02.280 Good absolutely, you know. 1:51:02.400 --> 1:51:06.400 And and I think Joe Burrow has as much influence 1:51:06.760 --> 1:51:10.080 and pull with his organization as any quarterback in the area. 1:51:10.600 --> 1:51:14.280 I mean, I think I think the Brown Blackburn family, 1:51:15.080 --> 1:51:16.160 to give them credit. 1:51:15.920 --> 1:51:16.640 They listen to them. 1:51:16.920 --> 1:51:19.760 Yeah, I mean, they know they know that he he 1:51:19.840 --> 1:51:23.360 knows what he's talking about, and they know that he's 1:51:23.439 --> 1:51:26.760 representing the opinion of the football team. Uh, and and 1:51:26.880 --> 1:51:30.240 he's definitely the leader of the pack. So it, like 1:51:30.320 --> 1:51:32.160 you said, a lot of the stuff that they've done, Dan, 1:51:32.320 --> 1:51:35.719 and kudos to them. It's it's tremendous. I mean they've 1:51:35.760 --> 1:51:39.120 been you know, called penny pinchers, cheap all that for 1:51:39.360 --> 1:51:41.960 for years and I think, you know, at some point 1:51:41.960 --> 1:51:43.560 in time, you do get sick and tired of it. 1:51:43.680 --> 1:51:45.120 If I'm them, I would be yeah. 1:51:45.280 --> 1:51:48.439 But uh, you know, I do think that the Joe 1:51:48.520 --> 1:51:52.559 Burrow era has many chapters left, and hopefully the final 1:51:52.680 --> 1:51:53.760 chapter is the Super Bowl. 1:51:53.960 --> 1:51:57.160 And there's nothing wrong for the organization to get together 1:51:57.400 --> 1:51:59.360 at the end of this year, once all of the 1:51:59.479 --> 1:52:03.719 data is in and say, Okay, why haven't our most 1:52:03.840 --> 1:52:06.880 recent picks been more successful? Why haven't some of our 1:52:06.920 --> 1:52:10.240 more recent free agent signings been more successful? It was 1:52:10.320 --> 1:52:13.320 working in twenty one and twenty two, that hasn't worked 1:52:13.560 --> 1:52:17.479 quite as well since. And let's fix that because we've 1:52:17.600 --> 1:52:20.680 got one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. When 1:52:20.720 --> 1:52:23.639 you start with that, you've got a chance of doing anything. 1:52:24.200 --> 1:52:27.040 And you know, I've pointed this out before as well. 1:52:28.080 --> 1:52:30.680 In nineteen eighty one, the Super Bowl team that you 1:52:30.800 --> 1:52:33.360 played on lap the team won six games the year before. 1:52:33.880 --> 1:52:35.559 In eighty eight when they went to the Super Bowl, 1:52:35.600 --> 1:52:38.320 they won four games the year before. Sam, the team 1:52:38.400 --> 1:52:40.200 that you went to the Super Bowl with in twenty 1:52:40.240 --> 1:52:43.120 twenty one, you won four games the year before. That's 1:52:43.200 --> 1:52:45.880 how it happens in the NFL. So frequently it's not 1:52:46.160 --> 1:52:49.639 just a steady climb to the mountaintop. Sometimes you've got 1:52:49.720 --> 1:52:52.519 some things right, you've got other things that need help. 1:52:52.800 --> 1:52:55.280 You fix that thing that needs help, and now you're 1:52:55.320 --> 1:52:56.320 in the mix to win a title. 1:52:56.479 --> 1:52:57.519 Yeah, it is. 1:52:57.640 --> 1:53:01.240 It's a it's an interesting recipe, you know, building a 1:53:01.600 --> 1:53:03.639 building a franchise, building a football team. 1:53:04.280 --> 1:53:05.240 Uh, sometimes it's just. 1:53:05.360 --> 1:53:08.519 Like one ingredient, one one last spice is all it's 1:53:08.560 --> 1:53:11.000 gonna take to to get you over the top and 1:53:11.080 --> 1:53:14.080 take you to the promised Land. And uh, I do 1:53:14.280 --> 1:53:16.519 think with Joe Burrow at quarterback and some of the 1:53:16.600 --> 1:53:18.679 skilled players they have offensively, they're close. 1:53:19.240 --> 1:53:19.439 Yeah. 1:53:19.479 --> 1:53:21.920 I mean that is the hardest part to a lot 1:53:21.960 --> 1:53:24.479 of teams wish that they had the quarterback part figuring 1:53:24.520 --> 1:53:26.840 out that very few people on the earth can do 1:53:26.960 --> 1:53:29.160 what he does. And you know we've got the guy 1:53:29.240 --> 1:53:33.160 and I Joe, you know, everyone wants him to speak 1:53:33.280 --> 1:53:35.680 or use his voice, and Joe knows how much his 1:53:35.960 --> 1:53:38.439 uh you know how with the impact of his word 1:53:38.520 --> 1:53:41.280 and his opinions, and he uses it to better the 1:53:41.439 --> 1:53:44.040 organization and the team. And like you said, the ownership 1:53:44.479 --> 1:53:48.040 values what he says and tries to mobilize on what 1:53:48.200 --> 1:53:52.479 he requests because it's gonna help everybody. So yep, you know, 1:53:52.560 --> 1:53:56.000 I kind of just let those those narratives spin off. 1:53:56.080 --> 1:53:58.680 Like I'm sure you know the players do as well. 1:53:58.920 --> 1:54:02.439 Sure, right. When Sam joins us on our radio shows, 1:54:02.479 --> 1:54:05.320 we like to break down some plays from the previous game. 1:54:05.360 --> 1:54:07.040 We're not going to do quite as many this week 1:54:07.120 --> 1:54:10.840 because last week's game obviously didn't go very well for Cincinnati, 1:54:10.960 --> 1:54:14.000 but we we do have a a few plays excuse me, 1:54:14.520 --> 1:54:16.840 that Sam has picked out. We'll get to those when 1:54:16.920 --> 1:54:19.200 we come back. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show. 1:54:19.200 --> 1:54:22.160 We're presented each week by Just Bear Chicken, live from 1:54:22.200 --> 1:54:24.240 the on the Rhine Eatery the food hall above the 1:54:24.320 --> 1:54:27.400 downtown Kroger Here on ESPN fifteen thirty. 1:54:30.680 --> 1:54:32.080 While honoring our past. 1:54:36.200 --> 1:54:38.880 Welcome back to the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by 1:54:39.160 --> 1:54:41.480 Just Bear Chicken Live from the on the Rhine Eatery. 1:54:41.560 --> 1:54:43.920 I'm Dan Hord with Dave Lapham, our special guest in 1:54:44.000 --> 1:54:46.040 the final hour of the show this week, Sam Hubbard. 1:54:46.320 --> 1:54:49.200 Really appreciate Sam coming out in joining us this week. 1:54:49.280 --> 1:54:51.920 We'll be back here at the on the Rhine Eatery 1:54:52.280 --> 1:54:56.160 next Friday from three to six. We tentatively have rookie 1:54:56.280 --> 1:54:59.680 left guard Dylan Fairchild scheduled to be our guest in 1:54:59.680 --> 1:55:02.360 the fi hour of the show. We'll confirm that early 1:55:02.480 --> 1:55:04.760 next week, but as of a couple of days ago, 1:55:05.080 --> 1:55:06.840 looked good for Dylan to be able to join us 1:55:07.280 --> 1:55:11.160 next Friday from five to six. When Sam joins us, 1:55:11.720 --> 1:55:14.880 we'd like to have him break down some plays nice 1:55:15.080 --> 1:55:19.520 typically few on offense, few on defense. Unfortunately, the offense 1:55:19.560 --> 1:55:22.040 didn't score last week, so we're just gonna go with 1:55:22.120 --> 1:55:24.560 a couple of plays on defense, and we're going to 1:55:24.680 --> 1:55:27.760 start in the first quarter. Baltimore got the ball to 1:55:27.840 --> 1:55:29.960 begin the game. The Bengals won the toss, elected to 1:55:30.160 --> 1:55:33.360 to first. So the defense trying to shut down Lamar 1:55:33.520 --> 1:55:36.640 Jackson and keep the Ravens off the scoreboard early in 1:55:36.720 --> 1:55:39.360 the game, and that's exactly what they did on the 1:55:39.480 --> 1:55:43.680 opening drive. Here's how that drive ended third down and seven. 1:55:43.960 --> 1:55:46.560 Baltimore and its own forty nine first drive of the game. 1:55:46.680 --> 1:55:49.640 Lamar with a deep drop looking to throw, begins scrambling 1:55:49.680 --> 1:55:52.840 and gets brought down near the line of scrimmage Miles 1:55:52.960 --> 1:55:55.520 Murphy with a tackle. There's a loss on the play, 1:55:55.640 --> 1:55:58.160 so that'll be a sack and the Bengals will force 1:55:58.240 --> 1:56:02.240 Baltimore to punt. That's great, all right, Sam, tell us 1:56:02.280 --> 1:56:04.320 a little bit about what's about to you on that play. 1:56:04.760 --> 1:56:05.000 Yeah. 1:56:05.040 --> 1:56:06.760 I got to point out Miles Murphy. You know, I 1:56:07.040 --> 1:56:09.640 said I was with him on Tuesday. He looks great. 1:56:09.720 --> 1:56:12.720 He told me he was about two sixty five to seven, 1:56:13.280 --> 1:56:15.000 so a little bit leaner, but you see it in 1:56:15.080 --> 1:56:17.160 the play speed, like his play speed every week just 1:56:17.200 --> 1:56:18.320 seems to be picking up and. 1:56:19.320 --> 1:56:20.440 Getting those two sacks. 1:56:20.480 --> 1:56:20.640 I know. 1:56:20.760 --> 1:56:22.440 It's big for your confidence, Kevin. 1:56:22.520 --> 1:56:24.400 You know a couple of good games like that early 1:56:24.480 --> 1:56:26.800 in your career for me, made me really, you know, 1:56:27.000 --> 1:56:30.920 ascend and start feeling some confidence. And I watched him play. 1:56:30.960 --> 1:56:34.440 He was using his hands, getting extension, being reactive off 1:56:34.480 --> 1:56:37.240 the ball. You know, he beat two tight ends like 1:56:38.080 --> 1:56:40.480 very cleanly. And Lamar is not an easy guy to 1:56:40.520 --> 1:56:43.200 bring down, so I think if you're looking for a 1:56:43.280 --> 1:56:45.160 bright spot, you got to look at Miles Murphy and 1:56:45.160 --> 1:56:46.880 the way he's been playing the last couple of weeks. 1:56:47.560 --> 1:56:51.800 He is is athletic on the edges there is in 1:56:51.800 --> 1:56:55.000 the NFL. I mean, the guy has got superb athleticism, 1:56:55.080 --> 1:56:55.400 doesn't he. 1:56:55.640 --> 1:56:57.560 Oh yeah, the way he moves is unbelievable. 1:56:57.600 --> 1:56:57.720 You know. 1:56:57.760 --> 1:57:01.240 I remember when you know, first drills he did after 1:57:01.360 --> 1:57:04.160 the draft, and it was unbelievable how fast he moves 1:57:04.200 --> 1:57:06.760 because of his size. He's He's a huge dude, and 1:57:06.960 --> 1:57:10.320 I think that he's really allowing that to translate to 1:57:10.600 --> 1:57:13.400 increased game speed. And you know, once that all clicks 1:57:13.480 --> 1:57:17.400 with his with his tools, he could be really really special. 1:57:17.640 --> 1:57:20.680 And you know, I think that it's really starting to click, 1:57:21.280 --> 1:57:23.480 and he's starting to string together some nice games, some 1:57:23.600 --> 1:57:27.400 nice pressures. I thought he and Joseph Aside played well together. 1:57:28.320 --> 1:57:32.160 One of your strengths was setting the edge in run defense. 1:57:32.240 --> 1:57:35.080 I feel like Miles, by and large has done that 1:57:35.880 --> 1:57:38.440 much better this year than the previous two. Does that 1:57:38.560 --> 1:57:39.080 send out to you? 1:57:39.480 --> 1:57:41.400 Yeah, there was a few plays. I remember it played 1:57:41.480 --> 1:57:44.840 last Sunday a little. I think it was a pitch 1:57:44.960 --> 1:57:46.800 action out to the flat, and he was about five 1:57:46.880 --> 1:57:49.960 yards in the backfield setting the edge. And when you're 1:57:50.000 --> 1:57:52.880 playing that left defensive end, you know you're usually getting 1:57:52.920 --> 1:57:56.760 the bigger right tackle and the more athletic left tackles 1:57:56.800 --> 1:57:59.200 on the other side guarding the blind side. But when 1:57:59.200 --> 1:58:01.480 they're running the ball, you know they usually run to 1:58:02.080 --> 1:58:04.920 the side of the left defensive end. And you also 1:58:05.000 --> 1:58:06.960 got to think about the fact that at the left 1:58:07.000 --> 1:58:10.200 defensive end, you are the quarterback's face and that's the 1:58:10.640 --> 1:58:13.720 escape lane he's staring at when he drops back, and 1:58:13.880 --> 1:58:16.760 you know, Trey had the blind side and the quarterback 1:58:16.800 --> 1:58:18.840 can't really see if you're running too deep. But as 1:58:18.880 --> 1:58:21.280 far as being the left defensive end, you have to 1:58:21.360 --> 1:58:24.280 be in your power family rush and collapse in the pocket, 1:58:24.800 --> 1:58:26.880 and you can't just kind of speed rush every time, 1:58:27.880 --> 1:58:30.200 which his size and speed puts him in a great 1:58:30.240 --> 1:58:32.760 spot to be successful on the left edge. But it 1:58:32.840 --> 1:58:34.800 all starts with you know, you got to be the 1:58:34.800 --> 1:58:36.920 shutdown run guy on that side of the ball, and 1:58:37.880 --> 1:58:40.880 then you can work your power, work your speed, and 1:58:41.480 --> 1:58:42.920 he's kind of putting it all together to be a 1:58:43.000 --> 1:58:43.760 three down player. 1:58:44.440 --> 1:58:47.640 Josephsai to compliment him on the other on the other edge. 1:58:48.400 --> 1:58:51.200 He's more of that speed rush guy that you're that 1:58:51.320 --> 1:58:53.880 you're talking about, but if needed, I mean he can 1:58:54.320 --> 1:58:57.400 he can to gap and shut that rundown pretty decently. 1:58:57.480 --> 1:59:00.240 Do you do you like where the Bengals are with 1:59:00.280 --> 1:59:02.120 their tandem and defense. 1:59:01.800 --> 1:59:03.960 Ave end, Yeah, no doubt. I think they're playing well. 1:59:04.000 --> 1:59:06.120 I think I'm excited to see Schamhar come back, and 1:59:06.320 --> 1:59:08.680 every rep for him is just gonna be beneficial and 1:59:09.160 --> 1:59:12.600 his career, So seeing him back out there is gonna 1:59:12.640 --> 1:59:14.680 be great. And then you got Cam Sample who's just 1:59:14.760 --> 1:59:19.240 been a great rotational guy, very consistent, and those two 1:59:19.320 --> 1:59:21.520 guys can't be enough. You have to have at least 1:59:21.600 --> 1:59:25.760 three starting level caliber defensive ends in rotation at all times. 1:59:27.160 --> 1:59:28.960 You look at any great D line and they'll have 1:59:29.280 --> 1:59:31.080 you know, two guys will start the game, but there's 1:59:31.120 --> 1:59:36.440 really three starting defensive ends. That's essential. So you know, 1:59:36.880 --> 1:59:40.520 Trey's out with I think he's doing well off his surgery, 1:59:40.560 --> 1:59:43.120 but you got to have a third guy Merge. Hopefully 1:59:43.120 --> 1:59:46.040 they can be Shamar and Cam's really just a plug 1:59:46.080 --> 1:59:48.120 and play on de tackle or anywhere. You got to 1:59:48.120 --> 1:59:52.000 have those versatile guys too. But as far as you know, 1:59:53.240 --> 1:59:55.280 this year I think Joseph is a free agent, but 1:59:55.640 --> 1:59:57.680 you gotta have three. That's that's what I'll say. 1:59:58.680 --> 2:00:01.040 All Right, we heard one highlight. Let's get to another. 2:00:01.640 --> 2:00:04.920 The first highlight was a sack on Baltimore's opening drive. 2:00:05.000 --> 2:00:07.680 Now we're going to go to the Ravens second drive, 2:00:07.840 --> 2:00:11.240 and the Bengals got to Lamar Jackson again. Let's listen. 2:00:11.320 --> 2:00:14.280 In the Ravens line up in an eye formation, it's 2:00:14.320 --> 2:00:16.920 a fake to the left. Jackson runs to the right 2:00:17.000 --> 2:00:21.360 and gets sacked at the ten yard line by Demetrius Knight. Right, 2:00:21.480 --> 2:00:24.840 he intercepted Lamar Jackson in the first meeting and the 2:00:24.960 --> 2:00:26.760 tackle was made at the nine yard line for a 2:00:26.840 --> 2:00:27.400 big loss. 2:00:27.640 --> 2:00:29.960 And I'll tell you this, deja sack he's going to have. 2:00:30.440 --> 2:00:33.400 I mean, he's not touched, nobody lays a fingernail on him, 2:00:33.640 --> 2:00:36.120 and he does a great job of containing Lamar Jackson. 2:00:37.760 --> 2:00:41.240 It's been a growing process for Demetrius Knight. Rookie thrown 2:00:41.360 --> 2:00:43.200 right in there in the starting lineup in week one. 2:00:43.280 --> 2:00:44.960 He had a couple of sacks in the game last 2:00:45.000 --> 2:00:48.160 weekend of forest Fumble. Your thoughts on Demetrius Knight. 2:00:48.520 --> 2:00:50.920 Yeah, like you said, the growth, I put that play 2:00:50.960 --> 2:00:54.320 on there because I saw a bunch of opportunities early 2:00:54.400 --> 2:00:57.840 in the season where he or other young linebackers were 2:00:57.880 --> 2:01:01.040 in the exact spot and they did the fatal era 2:01:01.320 --> 2:01:04.640 where you jump you leave your feet. He gave Lamar, 2:01:04.720 --> 2:01:06.640 gave a pump fake and he didn't leave his feet. 2:01:06.760 --> 2:01:08.600 He let he matched the hand and you fall right 2:01:08.640 --> 2:01:11.680 into a sack. But as a young player, it's just 2:01:11.800 --> 2:01:13.840 so easy to jump and as soon as you jump there, 2:01:13.960 --> 2:01:16.879 he's out of there. And I thought he showed some discipline, 2:01:16.880 --> 2:01:20.200 which means that I don't know Demetrius personally, but if 2:01:20.240 --> 2:01:22.400 he's been taking those mistakes he made early in the year, 2:01:22.680 --> 2:01:25.920 correcting him and turning them into production, that bodes well 2:01:25.960 --> 2:01:29.760 for his career and his development. So hopefully that you know, 2:01:29.840 --> 2:01:32.400 that's the progress he's making in the meeting room and 2:01:32.560 --> 2:01:35.440 with his coaching, and I was happy to see him 2:01:35.520 --> 2:01:37.880 have that production for his confidence. 2:01:38.160 --> 2:01:41.320 You're right on with Demetrious Knight. I mean, his teammates 2:01:42.520 --> 2:01:47.240 and coaches all say that he is a sponge. He 2:01:47.360 --> 2:01:49.680 wants to learn. I mean he's one of those guys 2:01:49.720 --> 2:01:55.000 that is never satisfied. He's always asking questions, always looking 2:01:55.400 --> 2:01:57.520 to learn more. Can't have enough of those guys. 2:01:57.680 --> 2:01:59.120 Yeah, it's a hard thing to do to be a 2:01:59.200 --> 2:02:03.280 starting middle linebacker in the NFL calling the defense. Even 2:02:03.320 --> 2:02:05.720 Logan Wilson his rookie year, we had Josh Bienes, a 2:02:05.800 --> 2:02:08.560 ten year veteran right that would start and call the 2:02:08.680 --> 2:02:11.840 defense and hold like kind of hold Logan's hand until 2:02:11.880 --> 2:02:13.080 Logan blossom. 2:02:12.760 --> 2:02:13.800 Into being, you know, the guy. 2:02:15.280 --> 2:02:18.280 But to get thrown into that position at that age, 2:02:18.360 --> 2:02:22.320 it's it's not like you're just you know, rushing the 2:02:22.360 --> 2:02:25.120 passer or doing something that doesn't have consequences of the 2:02:25.200 --> 2:02:28.120 ten guys around you. So it's a bit a lot 2:02:28.200 --> 2:02:31.720 on his shoulders. But I think that next year he'll 2:02:32.160 --> 2:02:36.320 be a leg up because whenever you go through that 2:02:36.360 --> 2:02:38.080 growing process, sooner the better. 2:02:38.160 --> 2:02:38.520 Sometimes. 2:02:38.600 --> 2:02:41.360 Yep, yep, this is the Bengals pep Rally Show. We 2:02:41.440 --> 2:02:43.640 are live at the on the Ryan Eatery. We're here 2:02:43.680 --> 2:02:46.160 with Sam Hubbard for about fifteen more minutes. If you 2:02:46.240 --> 2:02:49.440 happen to be in downtown Cincinnati, now too late, join us, 2:02:49.640 --> 2:02:52.280 grab an autograph, get something to eat or drink here 2:02:52.400 --> 2:02:54.640 on the Bengals pep Rally Show. Back with Sam in 2:02:54.800 --> 2:03:05.240 just a moment on ESPN fifteen thirty. Welcome back to 2:03:05.240 --> 2:03:08.520 the Bengals Pet Rowley Show, presented by Just Fair Chicken, 2:03:08.640 --> 2:03:12.200 live from the on the Rhyine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. 2:03:12.280 --> 2:03:14.560 Our special guest is Sam Hubbard. We're going to play 2:03:14.560 --> 2:03:17.320 America's favorite game show and just a bit we call 2:03:17.400 --> 2:03:21.000 it No Your School. Yes, that's a few minutes away. 2:03:21.040 --> 2:03:23.680 But while we just have a brief segment here, let's 2:03:23.680 --> 2:03:26.520 get an update on the foundation. You know, Ted Carris 2:03:26.680 --> 2:03:29.880 has been named the Bengals nominee for the Walter Payton 2:03:30.000 --> 2:03:32.000 Man of the Year Award for the second time. And 2:03:32.120 --> 2:03:35.360 that's something that you were nominated for in the past, 2:03:35.840 --> 2:03:39.280 recognizing the work that you've done over several years now 2:03:39.360 --> 2:03:40.160 for your foundation. 2:03:40.920 --> 2:03:42.640 Yeah, no, I'm pulling for Ted this year. I think 2:03:42.680 --> 2:03:44.960 he's got a real shot. I'd love to see him 2:03:45.120 --> 2:03:49.400 actually win it. How's was it Kenny Anderson that wonted? 2:03:49.760 --> 2:03:53.960 Kenny, Anthony Munos you want to and Reggie Williams are 2:03:54.000 --> 2:03:57.640 the three Bengals to win it while they were Bengals. Additionally, 2:03:57.760 --> 2:04:01.720 Boomersiasin won it after you know, joining the New York Jets. 2:04:01.800 --> 2:04:05.800 Right another Bengal won it after leaving and it'll come 2:04:05.880 --> 2:04:06.120 to me. 2:04:07.640 --> 2:04:10.600 And whitworth. Oh yeah, yeah, you want it? The year 2:04:10.640 --> 2:04:12.680 that we played the Super Bowl, Yeah right. 2:04:12.720 --> 2:04:15.960 And actually Mendello Williams, a lot of fans might not 2:04:16.080 --> 2:04:18.680 remember that name. He didn't play that long in Cincinnati, 2:04:18.960 --> 2:04:22.160 but he also wanted after going to another team. The 2:04:22.200 --> 2:04:25.800 Bengals have been well represented in the highest honor the 2:04:26.000 --> 2:04:29.320 NFL gives out aside from you know, MVP Award and 2:04:29.400 --> 2:04:31.760 on field things. Right, this is the ultimate prize you 2:04:31.800 --> 2:04:34.040 can get for your all around contribution. 2:04:34.440 --> 2:04:35.400 Yeah, no doubt. 2:04:35.600 --> 2:04:39.000 But May fourteenth is gonna be our annual fowling tournament. 2:04:40.240 --> 2:04:42.960 Mark your calendars taken to go on sale. You can 2:04:43.160 --> 2:04:46.600 follow social media, but uh, we're hard at work closing 2:04:46.640 --> 2:04:48.840 out the year, a really strong year. We weren't sure 2:04:48.880 --> 2:04:51.960 what it would look like with the retirement, but uh, 2:04:52.320 --> 2:04:57.000 you know, we're we're doing better than ever and built 2:04:57.080 --> 2:05:01.480 for the sustainability of the programs we're running and happy 2:05:01.560 --> 2:05:04.200 to lean into it much more with my free time 2:05:04.360 --> 2:05:06.600 and meeting a lot of cool people, doing a lot 2:05:06.640 --> 2:05:08.880 of cool things in the city and seeing how we 2:05:08.920 --> 2:05:12.200 can work together is really something I'm enjoying right now. 2:05:12.480 --> 2:05:16.280 Have you ever gone candlepin bowling? I haven't you ever 2:05:16.360 --> 2:05:19.720 hear of that. No, it's the pins are long and 2:05:19.920 --> 2:05:22.400 skinny and they have like a ring around them, like 2:05:22.480 --> 2:05:23.280 a candle. 2:05:23.400 --> 2:05:26.360 And they have a place here since I'm very new England. 2:05:26.560 --> 2:05:29.560 Yeah, very it's New England. Yeah, we used to go 2:05:29.680 --> 2:05:31.320 candlepin bowling almost every week. 2:05:31.520 --> 2:05:31.800 Really. 2:05:31.920 --> 2:05:34.080 Yeah if the ball, the ball is tiny, well they 2:05:34.120 --> 2:05:37.840 have pins mechanical it's just like a smaller bowling type thing. 2:05:38.000 --> 2:05:38.200 Yeah. 2:05:38.360 --> 2:05:40.280 And they just opened a darts bar down here. 2:05:40.400 --> 2:05:43.600 Is that right ted throughout the first dart? 2:05:43.800 --> 2:05:44.000 Yeah? 2:05:44.120 --> 2:05:47.560 Yeah, I saw that first dart. I stopped by on Thursday. 2:05:47.600 --> 2:05:49.720 It's a really cool spot spot all right. 2:05:49.800 --> 2:05:52.960 So the Falling Tournament is May fourteenth. That sucker always 2:05:53.040 --> 2:05:56.680 sells out. It's a very popular event, so check the 2:05:56.760 --> 2:06:00.560 website for more information and tickets as the day gets closer. 2:06:00.680 --> 2:06:03.280 Yeah, yeah, you'll see, uh the save the date for 2:06:03.480 --> 2:06:06.360 when the tickets go live on the Sam Hubert Foundation 2:06:06.640 --> 2:06:09.120 social media and we'll do the best to make sure 2:06:09.120 --> 2:06:10.840 everyone's got a head start. 2:06:11.000 --> 2:06:13.640 All right. Congratulations to you for making the community you 2:06:13.640 --> 2:06:15.120 a better placement. Thanks, no doubt. 2:06:16.400 --> 2:06:18.680 We are going to take our final time out. When 2:06:18.760 --> 2:06:21.600 we come back, we will play America's favorite game show, 2:06:22.120 --> 2:06:25.680 Know Your School. And we've done this with Sam multiple 2:06:25.800 --> 2:06:28.760 times in the past, so there are almost only so 2:06:28.920 --> 2:06:33.080 many Ohio state questions out there. We're going Molar High School. 2:06:34.040 --> 2:06:38.040 I've got five questions about Molar High School in this 2:06:38.480 --> 2:06:41.120 Know Your School edition. You must get at least three 2:06:41.280 --> 2:06:44.600 rights to be declared a winner. This is the Bengals 2:06:44.640 --> 2:06:48.360 pep Rally Show, presented by Just Bear Chicken, live from 2:06:48.400 --> 2:06:51.200 the on the Rhine Eatery the Foodhull above the downtown 2:06:51.320 --> 2:07:06.920 Kroger here on ESPN fifteen thirty Brian Brown, the. 2:07:07.040 --> 2:07:12.040 Cincinnati Kid, Hob's Gotta Come Bin chase for Andreas and 2:07:12.240 --> 2:07:15.720 the thirty the twenty Well. 2:07:15.920 --> 2:07:22.440 Stop the Mike Turrico call of the fumble in the jungle. 2:07:22.560 --> 2:07:24.760 Mike was one of my college buddies at Syracuse. He 2:07:24.880 --> 2:07:27.720 nailed it with the Cincinnati Kid in that call. Just 2:07:27.800 --> 2:07:32.600 a very memorable broadcasting moment for Mike and obviously maybe 2:07:32.640 --> 2:07:36.120 the greatest single play in Cincinnati Bengals history. Provided by 2:07:36.160 --> 2:07:39.560 our special guest today here on the Bengals pep Rally Show, 2:07:40.000 --> 2:07:44.280 Sam Hubbard. Before we play Know Your School, America's favorite 2:07:44.280 --> 2:07:46.760 game show. If you thank yous to pass out Thank 2:07:46.840 --> 2:07:50.200 you to our engineer, Mike Mills. Appreciate Mike's hard work 2:07:50.280 --> 2:07:51.000 every week. 2:07:50.920 --> 2:07:51.480 Mike Magic. 2:07:51.840 --> 2:07:55.160 Thank you to Austin back in the studio at Thank 2:07:55.240 --> 2:07:56.800 you to George and the folks here at the on 2:07:56.960 --> 2:08:00.280 the Rhine Eatery for their hospitality, to the ben else 2:08:00.520 --> 2:08:02.440 we're with us here today, and thank you to the 2:08:02.480 --> 2:08:04.360 Bengals fans who are with us here today. 2:08:04.560 --> 2:08:05.800 We appreciate you guys. 2:08:05.760 --> 2:08:09.840 All of you all right. Time for know your school. 2:08:10.360 --> 2:08:14.720 Five questions about Molar High School, Big Mo. You must 2:08:14.760 --> 2:08:17.640 get at least three rights to be a winner. Dave 2:08:17.720 --> 2:08:20.400 Lapham's son, who also went to Molar and is with 2:08:20.600 --> 2:08:23.000 us today, is not allowed to give you any answer. 2:08:24.560 --> 2:08:29.040 Question number one, Name the two Major League Baseball Hall 2:08:29.080 --> 2:08:31.480 of famers who went to Molar High. 2:08:31.280 --> 2:08:34.240 School, Ken Griffy Junior and Barry Larkin. 2:08:34.360 --> 2:08:39.320 You are correct one for one nice question, the easy 2:08:39.400 --> 2:08:40.480 then you ripped that. 2:08:43.080 --> 2:08:43.320 That was. 2:08:45.720 --> 2:08:46.040 All right. 2:08:46.200 --> 2:08:48.760 This one's a little bit more difficult. Who was the 2:08:48.880 --> 2:08:51.640 first principal at Molar High School? 2:08:52.280 --> 2:08:56.080 That's a tough one. Yeah, that is, yeah, the first principal. Yep, 2:08:58.040 --> 2:09:00.440 I'm trying to think of names I've seen hung around 2:09:00.480 --> 2:09:00.960 the walls. 2:09:03.160 --> 2:09:03.720 He knows it. 2:09:04.480 --> 2:09:07.720 He does not appear to know it. Dave Lapham Sunday 2:09:07.800 --> 2:09:08.760 does not appear to know it. 2:09:12.400 --> 2:09:14.480 You know, went and down. Just go Jerry Faust or 2:09:14.720 --> 2:09:15.520 brother Flaherty. 2:09:16.080 --> 2:09:18.600 Oh for two, Lawrence eve Slage. 2:09:20.000 --> 2:09:22.080 So Eve Slage is one of the houses of the 2:09:22.160 --> 2:09:22.760 house system. 2:09:23.480 --> 2:09:23.920 Here we go. 2:09:24.480 --> 2:09:29.880 Question number three. That's amazing. There are six houses in 2:09:30.000 --> 2:09:33.240 the motor house system. Name at least three. You don't 2:09:33.280 --> 2:09:36.200 have all that pillar that was yours? 2:09:36.280 --> 2:09:40.680 Right, that pillar Zara Goza, yep, Eve Slage. That's three. 2:09:40.840 --> 2:09:42.560 All right, you're already got it right, But you. 2:09:47.080 --> 2:09:48.400 Know, I just don't know. 2:09:49.120 --> 2:09:53.480 I I'm glad I only asked for three. Four am 2:09:53.520 --> 2:09:57.720 I to stumped you? We have Quiroga Roga. 2:09:58.000 --> 2:10:02.720 Trinity, Trinity shou one and Taylor Taylor. 2:10:02.840 --> 2:10:06.720 No, I'm sorry, Zaylor Zayloralor's right, Zaylor. It's a combination 2:10:07.080 --> 2:10:08.080 of Zad and Taylor. 2:10:08.320 --> 2:10:10.880 Makes sense that they you know, where they came up 2:10:10.920 --> 2:10:14.160 with the name's last name of the principal stuff. I 2:10:14.160 --> 2:10:15.360 always wondered where they came from. 2:10:15.480 --> 2:10:19.040 There you go, all right? Question number four. What Moeler 2:10:19.160 --> 2:10:23.720 grad ascended to Speaker of the House John by John 2:10:23.760 --> 2:10:27.000 Baynor is correct? All right, you're already a winner, but 2:10:27.280 --> 2:10:28.920 now you have a chance to go four for five. 2:10:29.640 --> 2:10:32.720 This is an easy one. Now, I'm kind of embarrassed 2:10:33.000 --> 2:10:35.840 by how easy this one is. Name the molar grad 2:10:36.240 --> 2:10:39.600 who started thirty four games at center at the University 2:10:39.640 --> 2:10:43.400 of Cincinnati and was named first team All Conference after 2:10:43.480 --> 2:10:45.400 his junior and senior years. 2:10:46.560 --> 2:10:53.680 Doug ros Ros coach Doug and uh, former head coach 2:10:53.840 --> 2:10:55.040 of Buller's right. 2:10:55.400 --> 2:10:57.480 All right, so you are my history teacher. 2:10:57.640 --> 2:11:00.280 You're two for two this year and your school you 2:11:00.400 --> 2:11:04.320 won knowing Ohio State and you won again Knowing Moeller. Congratulations. 2:11:04.560 --> 2:11:07.640 Perfect next week next year bringing. 2:11:08.240 --> 2:11:09.200 Your elementary school. 2:11:09.400 --> 2:11:12.920 Yeah, all Saints, I'll take Saints. All Saints. There you go. Sam. 2:11:13.000 --> 2:11:15.160 It's been awesome to have you on our shows this year. 2:11:15.240 --> 2:11:18.160 We greatly appreciated. Happy holidays to you and your wife 2:11:18.200 --> 2:11:21.800 and the rest of your family. And go Bengals, Go Bengals. 2:11:21.840 --> 2:11:25.640 Always pleasure appreciate you. That's going to do it for 2:11:25.720 --> 2:11:28.680 our show this afternoon. Thank you so much for listening 2:11:28.800 --> 2:11:30.720 and for the Bengals fans who came out to join us. 2:11:31.040 --> 2:11:34.160 This has been the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by 2:11:34.360 --> 2:11:37.320 Just Bear Chicken here on ESPN fifteen thirty