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Speaker 1: Fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's sports station.

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Speaker 2: Hi, what's up. Good afternoon, I'm Onleggar. This is ESPN

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Speaker 2: fifteen thirty. Thank you so much for listening. Hopefully you're

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Speaker 2: having an awesome Tuesday, the second to last day of

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty five. No better place to celebrate the new

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Speaker 2: year than right here at Oakley Greens, where we've been

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Speaker 2: every Tuesday since August. We were here when it was hot,

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Speaker 2: We're here when it's cold. It's warm inside, it's festive.

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Speaker 2: Great place to post up on New Year's Eve. An

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Speaker 2: awesome place for the college football Playoff, the upcoming NFL Playoffs.

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Speaker 2: Important NFL games this weekend. Also Bengals, Browns, college basketball,

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Speaker 2: the Liberty Bowl, you name it, you can watch it

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Speaker 2: here at Oakley Greens.

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Speaker 3: The staff here is awesome.

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Speaker 2: They have been so hospitable to us, and so many

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Speaker 2: events happening throughout the course of twenty twenty six here

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Speaker 2: at Oakley Greens. I just talked to a gentleman a

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Speaker 2: few minutes ago who had not been here before, and

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Speaker 2: this is his first Oakley Greens experience, and he called

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Speaker 2: it life changing. So change your life. Come to Oakley Greens.

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Speaker 2: We are here till six o'clock. We we have just

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Speaker 2: a boatload of stuff to get to today. Our friend

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Speaker 2: Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic and the Growlar podcast

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Speaker 2: is here.

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Speaker 3: How you doing, I'm doing great. How are you wonderful? Yeah?

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Speaker 3: Feel like we just talked. We did just talk.

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Speaker 4: We just just recorded a whole other podcast did but

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Speaker 4: we left a lot of topics on the table, A

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Speaker 4: lot of topics, topics, a lot of time.

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Speaker 2: Well there is we could spend an hour on Cody

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Speaker 2: Ford wide receiver. Could uh you know we we talked

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Speaker 2: about this on your podcast that when he was lined

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Speaker 2: up to catch a pass, I knew he was gonna catch,

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Speaker 2: because why would you have him line up there if

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Speaker 2: we're not going to throw it to him in the

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Speaker 2: game that's lopsided against an opponent that's quit. So he

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Speaker 2: catches the pass, and I instantly start thinking of you

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Speaker 2: and your your peers in the on the Bengals beat,

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Speaker 2: because it's I don't know what the story is if

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Speaker 2: the Cody Ford catch doesn't happen. Quite frankly right, the

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Speaker 2: catch and run by Cody Ford. Because they played a

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Speaker 2: similar game against Miami. It's not the last game of

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Speaker 2: the season, so you really can't write your official oh bit.

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Speaker 2: And then Zach Tech with this late Christmas gift for you,

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Speaker 2: putting Cody Ford on the field as a wide out

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Speaker 2: and he catches a pass and rumbles for twenty one yards.

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Speaker 4: You can't beat you can't beat it, God bless him.

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Speaker 4: I will say that it was It was sort of

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Speaker 4: like the old journalism school days where you get you

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Speaker 4: give an assignment to the whole class on something that's

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Speaker 4: kind of weird and cookie out of nowhere and see

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Speaker 4: how everybody handles it. And everyone wrote, like, you know,

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Speaker 4: eight or ten different versions of kind of the same

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Speaker 4: basic storyline.

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Speaker 3: Who can go? So I feel like Bengals figures kind

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Speaker 3: of got to be.

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Speaker 4: Like a little upperfessor sitting there reading through everybody's papers.

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Speaker 4: How they handle this was a little different, Oh this

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Speaker 4: is oh this person went this route. I thought it

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Speaker 4: was a fun, little, fun, little exercise for us to

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Speaker 4: liven up otherwise meaningless sunday.

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Speaker 2: As somebody who has a friend who is a social

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Speaker 2: studies teacher and you know, you know, we'll go home

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Speaker 2: at a weekend and have to read like twenty five

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Speaker 2: papers on you know, the Civil War. I would imagine that.

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Speaker 2: That's what it was like for me as a reader.

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Speaker 2: It's what it was like. Your piece, of course.

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Speaker 3: Was the best. Obviously. You know, I appreciate you saying.

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Speaker 2: There's Well for years now from from now, that'll be

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Speaker 2: known as the Cody.

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Speaker 3: Ford the Cody Ford Game. Yes, sure, sure it will.

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Speaker 3: I mean, why not. It's it's fun. It is fun,

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Speaker 3: like I I I do, I do enjoy. I thought

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Speaker 3: it was cool.

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Speaker 4: Joe Danoman had a a thing with Zach Taylor yesterday,

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Speaker 4: yes going through the play and he stopped and pointed out,

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Speaker 4: look at the sideline. All the players are like all

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Speaker 4: the way up on the line. No one's on the

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Speaker 4: bench because everyone's looking to see like they know what's

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Speaker 4: coming and they want to see see what happens.

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Speaker 3: And that was cool.

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Speaker 4: I asked Dan Pitcher about something very much related to

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Speaker 4: this yesterday, and I see, you know, you guys have

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Speaker 4: not always been trick play, fun play type of people.

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Speaker 4: It certainly hasn't been like Ben Johnson has been in

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Speaker 4: Detroit and Chicago or whatever like is does this kind

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Speaker 4: of remind you because players were talking so much about

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Speaker 4: the excitement during the week when it was going in

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Speaker 4: how it kept practice, you know, both light and.

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Speaker 3: Have energy and bring that excitement.

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Speaker 4: And I go back to like remembering you hear these

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Speaker 4: stories about the Sam Weis days when everybody couldn't wait

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Speaker 4: to show up on Wednesday to see what the new

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Speaker 4: weird thing they were gonna do this week could be,

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Speaker 4: And he said, you know, I think it kind of

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Speaker 4: was a good reminder for me of the secondary effects

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Speaker 4: that a play like that, just having one in the

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Speaker 4: in the books like that that week can can have

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Speaker 4: on a team in terms of energy, especially if you

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Speaker 4: are in the court the dog days of a season,

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Speaker 4: right or energy just feels low for whatever reason, as

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Speaker 4: it does during the course of a year, and you

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Speaker 4: want to do something to do something up, to spice

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Speaker 4: something up, to keep guys engaged and involved, something like that,

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Speaker 4: can't you know?

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Speaker 3: His point was, we don't really feel a lot of

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Speaker 3: need to.

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Speaker 4: Do gadgets because like, why are we gonna take on

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Speaker 4: some risk when we could just go let Jamar and

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Speaker 4: t go do what they do. Have the time where

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Speaker 4: it's like it's just easier to let the guys who

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Speaker 4: are unbelievable do that rather than take on unnecessary risk

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Speaker 4: trying to accomplish the same goals, I understand, but I

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Speaker 4: thought it was an interesting response talking about secondary effects

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Speaker 4: of plays like this and maybe having a few more

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Speaker 4: of those that you dabble in over the course of

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Speaker 4: the year.

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Speaker 3: My favorite part was the reaction of his teammates.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, easily so excited for it. For him and for that,

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Speaker 4: I mean, it was uh, it was, it was. It

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Speaker 4: was a fun moment and and I think that's just

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Speaker 4: part of it. Is kind of what this time of

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Speaker 4: year is. I mean, you just have to do stuff

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Speaker 4: like that to be fun. And I I I sort

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Speaker 4: of so.

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Speaker 2: But see what I would do is I would expand

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Speaker 2: upon this and for the game this Sunday, everybody gets

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Speaker 2: a turn to play quarterback. Cody, Yeah, Cody, I want

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Speaker 2: to take some snaps. Yeah, Like I want to expand

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Speaker 2: upon this, like let's go grow empty the bag this week.

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Speaker 2: In fact, I would maybe play like the entire game.

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Speaker 2: What would happen if its team played the entire game

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Speaker 2: without a quarterback or just ran the wildcat?

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Speaker 3: Do we think Cody could play safety? I would rather

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Speaker 3: watch him than Geno Stone.

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Speaker 2: Although you know Geno Stone and I for these two years,

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Speaker 2: it's it's been a it's been a rocky relationship. Name

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Speaker 2: my dog after him. I'm gonna enjoy Sunday. Sunday is

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Speaker 2: gonna be Geno and I were. I want him to

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Speaker 2: have a good game, have a good game that or

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Speaker 2: just like blatantly just misstackles like try you know.

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Speaker 3: Well is it? You know you don't want to have

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Speaker 3: the fear?

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Speaker 4: What if he has the greatest game of his life

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Speaker 4: and it's like I think we it's finally the light

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Speaker 4: came on.

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Speaker 3: Here we go, time to bring him back. Let's good,

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Speaker 3: that's right.

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Speaker 2: So but what I would like to see them do

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Speaker 2: is decide, like, man, this gadget play thing is working,

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Speaker 2: and then spend the entire week just coming up with

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Speaker 2: ways to run offense.

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Speaker 4: Without a quarterback. Yeah yeah, let's see if that can

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Speaker 4: work out. That work out, which sounds better than the

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Speaker 4: concept of.

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Speaker 2: Because like here's how it works, okay, And I don't

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Speaker 2: believe in jinxes, but like, folks are feeling my man

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Speaker 2: Burrow's back, and you know what, if they could just

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Speaker 2: fix the defense, it all goes up in smoke. If

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Speaker 2: Miles Garrett breaks the sack record by destroying Joe Burrow,

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Speaker 2: let him get the sack record with I don't know

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Speaker 2: Todge Brooks at quarterback.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, that's that's true, Right, that's true. Yeah, sure have

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Speaker 4: have Todge Brooks throw like five. The whole first drive

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Speaker 4: is just TODJ Brooks passes. Just no one will ever

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Speaker 4: see it coming.

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Speaker 3: No, not at all. Absolutely, I'm all for it. I'm

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Speaker 3: not against it. Are you? Are you in the uh?

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Speaker 4: Joe Burrow can go ahead and take a vacation now camp, Yes,

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Speaker 4: yeah I had.

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Speaker 2: I would have had no issue with them not having

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Speaker 2: them play once. The game's got meaningless, right, the Miami game.

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Speaker 2: But but I understood it, like I get it. Guy

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Speaker 2: wants to play. There are three games to go. Fine,

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Speaker 2: but okay, he got his reward for coming back, which

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Speaker 2: is he got a chance to play and show what

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Speaker 2: he can do and are there down the road benefits

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Speaker 2: to him coming up, coming back and playing in those games. Sure,

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Speaker 2: but like this one, this feels like Joe you got,

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Speaker 2: you got your chance, you got to come back. This

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Speaker 2: could not be more meaningless. We got a guy going

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Speaker 2: for the sack record. It's probably the best. You know,

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Speaker 2: Zach Taylor talked about him in extraordinarily glowing terms and understandably,

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Speaker 2: so let's let this dude, Zach Jake Browning or Joe

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Speaker 2: Flacco or Drew Plitt or whoever the hell they want

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Speaker 2: to have played quarterback.

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Speaker 3: I am Joe, welcome back. It's good to have you back.

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Speaker 2: You played, you did your thing, you bought some fossils,

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Speaker 2: go go to Tahiti or something.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with you.

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Speaker 4: I feel like the coming back and having fun with

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Speaker 4: the guys.

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Speaker 3: Thing happened, did it? Yeah?

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Speaker 4: Crew, you see where the offense is at. There's no

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Speaker 4: reason to go out there and do it one more

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Speaker 4: time in week team. And meanwhile, here's Joe Flacco, who

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Speaker 4: this team, the Browns just cast aside earlier this season,

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Speaker 4: who probably would take some enjoyment out of this, and

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Speaker 4: you're fine with him getting hit in the back by

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Speaker 4: Miles Garrett for the sack record.

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Speaker 3: Right, A little bit more?

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Speaker 4: Sorry, Joe, I mean, but I mean, I just think

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Speaker 4: that's everybody's comfortable with that, and I just I feel

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Speaker 4: like we've seen it and I don't think.

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Speaker 3: Anybody needs to see it anymore. Yeah.

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Speaker 4: I understand you're trying to quote unquote win every game,

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Speaker 4: but I just feel like, what was what this was supposed.

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Speaker 3: To be about?

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Speaker 4: Through In my mind and what we saw was just

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Speaker 4: about going out there and playing these There's no there's

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Speaker 4: no need for this week eighteen thing. You re established

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Speaker 4: the offense, you showed where you're at. Everybody's in a

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Speaker 4: great place with it.

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Speaker 3: See yah.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, this is like you know, I go on a

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Speaker 2: spring training trip every year with friends of mine, and

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Speaker 2: and since I met my wife, I remember telling her, like,

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Speaker 2: I go on this trip every year. I'm gonna go

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Speaker 2: on this trip every year for the rest of my life.

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Speaker 2: And I was smart enough to establish those ground rules.

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Speaker 2: So as life is unfolded and we have a daughter

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Speaker 2: and responsibilities, like early March, late Feb I go to

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Speaker 2: spring training and she's cool with that.

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Speaker 3: She's awesome.

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Speaker 2: One year, I said like, hey, we're gonna add a

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Speaker 2: Vegas component, and she's like, do you have to?

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Speaker 3: Like, well, I don't have to.

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Speaker 2: She's like, so you're gonna go to spring training, how

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Speaker 2: about not the Vegas thing? And that's kind of how

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Speaker 2: I feel.

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Speaker 3: About this game.

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Speaker 2: For Joe Burrow got a chance to playing a couple

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Speaker 2: of games. You got sacked a few times. That was

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Speaker 2: an awesome watching Klays Campbell throw you around like a

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Speaker 2: rag doll.

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Speaker 3: Uh, You're good. Do you have to play against the Browns?

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Speaker 3: I guess I don't have to cool, so don't? Yes?

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Speaker 3: Maybe maybe you don't.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean was everybody I assumed everybody that was

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Speaker 4: at the game was doing the same, muttering under their

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Speaker 4: breathes as Burrow was laying on the ground being thrown down.

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Speaker 4: Please get up, pace, get up, Please get up. Yes, nobody,

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Speaker 4: nobody wants that. Nobody wants to see that happen. No

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Speaker 4: one wants to see the five seconds after Miles Garrett

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Speaker 4: pops back up and the carcass of Joe Burrow's laying

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Speaker 4: on the ground and wondering what's gonna happen.

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Speaker 2: As somebody who has gone out of his way to

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Speaker 2: make things in his life overly complex, way too often,

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Speaker 2: what the Bengals have in front of him this offseason,

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Speaker 2: it's not easy, but it's also not that complex.

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Speaker 3: Fix the defense, right, Fix the defense.

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Speaker 2: Now, that's not to say that they will or can

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Speaker 2: or will to the degree that it will put him

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Speaker 2: in the championship conversation, But like the objective for this

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Speaker 2: team is very very clear. Fix the defense and that

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Speaker 2: offense we've seen the last couple of weeks.

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Speaker 3: It's gonna be good enough. You should be back in

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Speaker 3: the hunt.

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Speaker 2: Don't complicate the offseason by putting Joe Burrow at risk.

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Speaker 2: And then you walk out of the last game of

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Speaker 2: the season going into your off season, and suddenly there's

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Speaker 2: a Joe Burrow question. Well, like, don't it's needless, it's pointless.

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Speaker 2: Don't have him playing.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and I understand the organizational philosophy whatever.

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Speaker 3: I understand. Yeah, this is what exists is.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, they play to win every game no matter what.

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Speaker 4: They don't ever want to feel like they're not well.

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Speaker 4: The preseason exists, and right, that's that's fine too. I

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Speaker 4: just I just feel like everything that was supposed to

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Speaker 4: be proven by Burrow coming back has been proven. We've

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Speaker 4: seen it. It's okay. He wanted to play in the preseason.

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Speaker 4: He played the first two game, he didn't play it third.

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Speaker 4: You know, there's no reason to go do the third.

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Speaker 4: This is the third preseason game. He didn't play every

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Speaker 4: snap of the preseason. Actually not, Joe, you're gonna play

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Speaker 4: in these these handful of series.

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Speaker 3: Okay, cool?

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Speaker 2: Good, Like, I don't see why you can't have just

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Speaker 2: a mutual understanding so that that, to me is the

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Speaker 2: only thing that's interesting about Sunday is that yeah, well, well,

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Speaker 2: well something happened that completely changes how we talk about

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Speaker 2: this off season. And if nothing does, then how we

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Speaker 2: talk about this offseason hopefully involves no protracted contract disputes,

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Speaker 2: no sideshow soap operas, and an off season that's all

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Speaker 2: about devoting a ton of time, energy, money, and resources

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Speaker 2: to a defense.

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Speaker 3: You do not want to add any more variables to it.

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Speaker 4: Yes, people are already concerned about the simplicity of this

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Speaker 4: being too complicated, right, and he's like, Okay, this shouldn't

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Speaker 4: be too hard. Let's not add a Okay, what's happening

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Speaker 4: in another rehab situation?

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Speaker 3: Nobody nobody wants that. I'm with you.

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Speaker 4: That's where I sit with it. I that would be

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Speaker 4: my call. I understand it doesn't appear to be theirs.

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Speaker 4: I understand that they just feel like they want to

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Speaker 4: put value on every game, and Joe wants to play

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Speaker 4: and and there's maybe there's something too. Okay, let's see

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Speaker 4: how this offense is playing so good looks against a

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Speaker 4: maybe the best defense so in the North, I'm I'm

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Speaker 4: just I'm speaking and like, okay, maybe there's.

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Speaker 2: Did you watch the first game of the season. Remember

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Speaker 2: bad matchup. No, they can't play against the Browns. They

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Speaker 2: got sticky corners and they got Miles Like we saw

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Speaker 2: them play against they can't Like they won that game.

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Speaker 2: And everybody's like, look, you're just gonna have to understand

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Speaker 2: they can't play offense against the Browns. So now we're

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Speaker 2: gonna have them try to play offense against the Browns

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Speaker 2: in the game.

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Speaker 3: That doesn't mean anything. What are we doing?

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Speaker 2: Go back to Week one? All anybody said is can't

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Speaker 2: do it. It just it's a bad match up. Okay, it's

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Speaker 2: a bad matchup Week one. It's a bad matchup week

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Speaker 2: Show how far you've come?

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Speaker 4: I mean, how much better you feel about the offensive

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Speaker 4: line and the offense as a whole.

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Speaker 3: Uh? You know?

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Speaker 4: And you if you go, if you go into the

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Speaker 4: offseason and now you you did it. You ran up

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Speaker 4: thirty points on on the best defense in the North,

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Speaker 4: one of the best defenses in football, coming off with

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Speaker 4: Maybe maybe they're that's what that's Maybe they they kept

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Speaker 4: Miles Garrett from getting the sack record.

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Speaker 3: Maybe maybe you're now you're feeling even better? Right?

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Speaker 5: No?

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Speaker 3: Is that it? No? Not really?

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Speaker 2: I I feel pretty good about not where the Bengals

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Speaker 2: are right now. But I there are some off seasons

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Speaker 2: where it feels like the to do list is really lengthy,

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Speaker 2: and there's lots of different things that's not that lengthy.

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Speaker 4: Fix the defense, don't don't add another box unchecked, and

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Speaker 4: when you click the fix the Defense tab and a

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Speaker 4: whole bunch of other tabs open up, and.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, a lot, a lot. Yeah, just fix the defense

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Speaker 3: and that's it. Yeah, don't hit the drop down on

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Speaker 3: fix the defense.

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Speaker 2: I don't want to have to call it doctor next

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Speaker 2: week and go Okay, can can Joe be ready for

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Speaker 2: training camp?

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Speaker 3: Is Joe? Is his ability to play the first game

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Speaker 3: gonna be threatened? Like?

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Speaker 2: Who's plan is Flacco? Does he have to prepare him?

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Speaker 2: Like he's I don't just have him not play. I

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Speaker 2: wouldn't even have him go to the game. I wouldn't

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Speaker 2: even have him in the country. Like, I just know

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Speaker 2: where you want to go?

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Speaker 3: Right? Is there another met galer or something?

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Speaker 4: No, I'm sure go on like an archaeological dive, right,

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Speaker 4: like a big dig somewhere.

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Speaker 3: It's gotta be something like that going on.

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Speaker 2: I want to talk about, not Joe Burrow buying presence

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Speaker 2: for his offensive lineman, but who should also buy presents

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Speaker 2: for Joe Burrow's offensive lineman.

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Speaker 3: When we come back, We're at Oakley Greens.

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Speaker 2: Paul Danner Juniors here at the Athletic dot com covering

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Speaker 2: the Bengals as well as the Growler podcast on ESPN

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Speaker 2: fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

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Speaker 1: Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 5: Traffic from the uc Health Traffic Center from non invasive

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Speaker 5: to surgical treatments. The uc Health Backneck and Spine Center

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Speaker 5: offers every option to improve quality of life with convenient

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Speaker 5: locations across Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at

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00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:05,640
Speaker 5: u sehealth dot com. Northbound Coal Ring is closed off

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00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,480
Speaker 5: due to an accident. That's between round Top Road and

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Speaker 5: Common Circles found on State Route twenty eight. It's an

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Speaker 5: accident between Cedar Lake Lane and Smith Road. I'm at

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Speaker 5: Eazel Like with traffic.

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Speaker 3: This report is sponsored by AUDI twenty five. After three

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Speaker 3: word Oakley Greens. This is esd F fifteen thirty. Thank

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Speaker 3: you so much for joining us. It's our last show

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Speaker 3: of twenty twenty five.

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Speaker 2: No better place to celebrate New Year's Eve and more

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Speaker 2: than Oakley Green's Paul Danner Junior is here. You and

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Speaker 2: I discussed this a little bit on the Growler podcast today.

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Speaker 2: So Joe Burrow buys fossils for Bengals offensive line, which

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Speaker 2: is cool.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, Meat, I think.

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Speaker 2: Duke Tobin should buy the offensive line presence for Christmas.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, because he's made his job this offseason easier. Yeah.

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Speaker 4: Well, I mean he he did draft and sign some

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Speaker 4: of these guys, sure, right, yeah, and so maybe maybe

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Speaker 4: he gives himself a gift.

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Speaker 3: So I.

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Speaker 2: Mean twenty twenty six mode as I think most fans

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Speaker 2: are sure. I think for twenty twenty six, the two

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Speaker 2: most important developments are one that you and I talked

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Speaker 2: about and you wrote about extensively last week. The ascension

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Speaker 2: maybe slower than we would like. Ascension though of the

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty three class, because there's a lot of guys

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Speaker 2: you want to be there next year. Maybe beyond The

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Speaker 2: other thing is the offensive line's good. Yeah, like they

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Speaker 2: I don't know what PFF's overall grades or rankings are.

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Speaker 3: I care, but not that much. They're not great.

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Speaker 2: They're not the twenty fifteen offensive line. They have players

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Speaker 2: who need to get better with more experience.

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Speaker 3: But it's a pretty good offensive line.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it's got a high floor where you have you

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Speaker 4: don't have what were the old, the old no donkeys

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Speaker 4: line that we used forever. Yeah, just don't have the

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Speaker 4: one hole that just gets exploited. They don't have that right.

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Speaker 4: They feel solid at the very least everywhere. Amarus Mims

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Speaker 4: has taken the step like what's happened with him? It's

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Speaker 4: interesting I wrote about him and it'll be up tomorrow.

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Speaker 3: Is that over? Since Joe Burrow has come back.

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Speaker 4: You've seen Amarus Mims. I think the progress that he

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Speaker 4: was making during over the course of the year was

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Speaker 4: a little bit hidden in some of the challenges of

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Speaker 4: protecting for Flacco and when the offense is a mess

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Speaker 4: with Browning, And when Burrow came back, it's like everything

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Speaker 4: is snapped into place and you see it much clearer.

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Speaker 4: Joe Burrow has not been touched due to a Marius

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Speaker 4: Mims according to PFF, no.

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Speaker 3: Hits, no sacks. When memes is out there, I mean,

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Speaker 3: and they have been awesome.

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Speaker 4: And then you saw it clear as day when he

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Speaker 4: had to go out for those series, a couple of series,

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Speaker 4: all of a sudden, it felt like everything was kind

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Speaker 4: of falling apart. You know that that was when the

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Speaker 4: Saxon and the struggle was happening, and it made it

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Speaker 4: that much clearer. We were talking with Zach Taylor and

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Speaker 4: went Damn Pitcher about this a little bit yesterday and

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Speaker 4: Pitch said, look, I mean, he has the ability to

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Speaker 4: be the best in the world at what he does,

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Speaker 4: and he's moving in that direction, like you see it.

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Speaker 4: This is what you've seen over the last five weeks

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Speaker 4: since Joe has come back, has really been the accumulation

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Speaker 4: of a lot of nice steps, and all of a sudden,

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Speaker 4: it feels like it's really taking off and they're leaving him.

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Speaker 4: It's not just their words. I mean they're leaving him

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Speaker 4: out there on an island a lot more. They're just

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Speaker 4: no matter who's over there, they trust Amarus to take

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Speaker 4: care of business. If there's help happening on an edge,

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Speaker 4: it's going to Orlando at this point, like they are

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Speaker 4: viewing him as the just eraser over there.

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Speaker 2: Every snap he plays looks the same, Yeah, I mean

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Speaker 2: it does every snap he plays.

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Speaker 3: I'm not gonna pretend that I watched right tackle.

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Speaker 2: Play exclusively, but what I do like, every every snap

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Speaker 2: looks the same.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, he's just so big it's so hard for anybody

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Speaker 4: to really get around him. Yeah, and he does this

441
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,240
Speaker 4: and this was I remember this during his draft season

442
00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:14,160
Speaker 4: after he was picked, and you know the same time,

443
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,600
Speaker 4: we were talking about these big, long guys they can

444
00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,239
Speaker 4: just demoralize and end and I feel like he just

445
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,520
Speaker 4: demoralizes guys that have to keep trying over and over

446
00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:25,639
Speaker 4: again to run into a brick wall and not be

447
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,320
Speaker 4: able to go around it. And his ability to now

448
00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,000
Speaker 4: you know, understand and recognize what guys are trying to

449
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,960
Speaker 4: do to him. This is what Zach Taylor focused on

450
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:40,000
Speaker 4: yesterday was that that's such a huge step. Whereas before, yeah,

451
00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:41,960
Speaker 4: guys would try a lot of the same moves, but

452
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,000
Speaker 4: they could get him because he didn't always he didn't

453
00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,879
Speaker 4: quite know what was coming. Now he sees the twists,

454
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,119
Speaker 4: he sees the stunts. He's got a pretty good relationship

455
00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:53,360
Speaker 4: going with Dalton Reisner. He understands what edges what are

456
00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,399
Speaker 4: going to try to do to him, and how to

457
00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,560
Speaker 4: protect that and how to see it coming. And when

458
00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:59,880
Speaker 4: you do that, when you now get him where his

459
00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,600
Speaker 4: recognition game is catching up to his traits, that's how

460
00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:05,199
Speaker 4: you end up with a guy who literally could be

461
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,199
Speaker 4: as good as anybody in football doing it. If he

462
00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,800
Speaker 4: continues on this path, that's encouraging. When you have that,

463
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,119
Speaker 4: and then you can direct your help elsewhere. It really

464
00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,600
Speaker 4: accentuates everything even more. So you have a high floor,

465
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,439
Speaker 4: and you have one at least one player with a

466
00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,880
Speaker 4: really high ceiling, veterans, continuity, good chemistry is.

467
00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,520
Speaker 3: In that room. Everything about it has really come together.

468
00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,879
Speaker 4: And if you would have told me that after the

469
00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,120
Speaker 4: first month of the season and that looked like a

470
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:36,000
Speaker 4: train wreck, I would have said, there's just absolutely no shot.

471
00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,959
Speaker 4: So yeah, certainly a top development of this entire season

472
00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:41,080
Speaker 4: is what has happened.

473
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,200
Speaker 2: So the strike technique has worked as much as I

474
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,359
Speaker 2: made fun I guess I don't is that it I

475
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:46,800
Speaker 2: don't know.

476
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,439
Speaker 4: I think there I legitimately, I do think, especially at

477
00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:55,399
Speaker 4: that position, there is something too. Chemistry and guys really

478
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,000
Speaker 4: liking each other and playing next to each other and

479
00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:01,560
Speaker 4: being good communicators is more important there than anywhere else

480
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,640
Speaker 4: on the field. It really is kind of a one

481
00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:08,280
Speaker 4: group thing, and they have that. They felt very disjointed

482
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,920
Speaker 4: at the end of last year. They felt disconnected and

483
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,200
Speaker 4: frustrated and angry, and I think that I don't know

484
00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,920
Speaker 4: if it's the strike technique or just generally people seem

485
00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,719
Speaker 4: happier in the room. But it does feel like that

486
00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,520
Speaker 4: has gone a long way to help everybody play a

487
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:27,240
Speaker 4: little bit better.

488
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,440
Speaker 3: I do worry.

489
00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,600
Speaker 2: You know, their death has been offensive Line depth is

490
00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,479
Speaker 2: tested almost every year. Hasn't been tested that much this year, No,

491
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,159
Speaker 2: And so like you think about things that rarely carry

492
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,200
Speaker 2: over from one year to the next, offensive line health,

493
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:43,919
Speaker 2: And there's a part of me that does worry, like

494
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,960
Speaker 2: and they stunk this year. Their offensive line was good

495
00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:51,360
Speaker 2: and intact, and I wonder about the intact part kind

496
00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 2: of falling apart next season, because that year to year

497
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,679
Speaker 2: is what tends to I think they would like to

498
00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,480
Speaker 2: have basically the same group that's in there back next year.

499
00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,040
Speaker 2: And then, to me, the perfect thing that's happening next

500
00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,720
Speaker 2: is is is what what's gonna happen with Orlando Brown?

501
00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,840
Speaker 2: You know, he's entering the last year of his contract

502
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:10,400
Speaker 2: next year.

503
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:15,080
Speaker 4: He's played fine, he would I'm sure he would admit

504
00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,320
Speaker 4: this hasn't been his best season. Yes, if you're watching

505
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,680
Speaker 4: a player starting to think about think about is this

506
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:22,480
Speaker 4: what's gonna happen next year? Is it going to be

507
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,720
Speaker 4: another step down. Is it going to be a bounce back?

508
00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,680
Speaker 4: Is this who he is now? I think you got

509
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,840
Speaker 4: to think about that. But I also think that they're

510
00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,680
Speaker 4: happy with who he is in this group, and I

511
00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:34,720
Speaker 4: don't think that they're willing to add that to their

512
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,080
Speaker 4: offseason list to save, even though it would be a

513
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,840
Speaker 4: substantial cap saving and still be I don't see that

514
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,240
Speaker 4: being the direction want to go. I think they have

515
00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,159
Speaker 4: the same thing back, But I think you could drop

516
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:48,359
Speaker 4: in a first, second, or third round pick that's a

517
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:49,560
Speaker 4: potential tackle.

518
00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,960
Speaker 3: Of the future. Who's a they need a swing tackle,

519
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:53,280
Speaker 3: like nobody's business.

520
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,520
Speaker 4: Who could be somebody maybe it's a developmental guy, whatever

521
00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,520
Speaker 4: it is, but somebody who could go in the background there,

522
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,920
Speaker 4: maybe somebody who could play guard if they had an

523
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,400
Speaker 4: issue there could maybe catch a couple of different spots

524
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:09,160
Speaker 4: and then if that goes well, is perhaps your answer.

525
00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:11,640
Speaker 4: And I know everyone's like, oh, here we go, Cedric

526
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:13,880
Speaker 4: obway he again or whatever, But you have to think

527
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,080
Speaker 4: that the man's contract is actually up at the end

528
00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,000
Speaker 4: of next year, so you have to think about what

529
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,040
Speaker 4: that looks like on a number of different levels. So

530
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,920
Speaker 4: you're either extending him or signing him. Maybe you're signing

531
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,560
Speaker 4: him back as a free agent. There's options there, but

532
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,840
Speaker 4: I think one of them probably has to be a

533
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,399
Speaker 4: pick ending up in the background as you're swinging.

534
00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:33,960
Speaker 2: But when is and it's probably the old way he

535
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,320
Speaker 2: Jake Fisher year. When is the last time that the

536
00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:40,080
Speaker 2: most pressing question about the offensive line was who's gonna play?

537
00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,440
Speaker 2: Down the road? Every other year it's who's gonna play?

538
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,080
Speaker 2: Can this went left?

539
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,080
Speaker 3: Not? Really? Yeah?

540
00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,280
Speaker 2: I mean a Maria can he play right now? Dylan

541
00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,920
Speaker 2: Farreshaw can he play right now? I mean Joona Williams?

542
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:52,080
Speaker 2: Can he play right now?

543
00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:55,200
Speaker 3: Hell? Billy Price? Can he? If your biggest.

544
00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,440
Speaker 2: Offensive line question is can can we groom this guy

545
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,520
Speaker 2: to be the left tackle or right tackle? If you

546
00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,680
Speaker 2: move with Marius mems in twenty twenty seven? Awesome, Yeah,

547
00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:05,360
Speaker 2: Like that's never not going to be a thing. There's

548
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,280
Speaker 2: always there's You're always going to be looking down the

549
00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:10,400
Speaker 2: road on the offensive line. If your offensive line is good,

550
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:11,480
Speaker 2: that's where I want it to be.

551
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,119
Speaker 4: Yeah, And exactly you were mentioning the left right thing

552
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,320
Speaker 4: was sparked this in the sense I get is that

553
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:21,800
Speaker 4: you know, I think they like mems right like he's

554
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:23,960
Speaker 4: not moving. I get to say that's where they want

555
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,840
Speaker 4: him to be because they can only pay him like

556
00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,000
Speaker 4: a right tackle. Then why don't get I think you

557
00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,439
Speaker 4: look at tell me you tell me you look at

558
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,359
Speaker 4: the list of the guys that predominantly rush off the

559
00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,760
Speaker 4: against the right tackle and the left tackle, and tell

560
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:37,800
Speaker 4: me what's the harder group.

561
00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,320
Speaker 3: I mean, you're right, there's a lot.

562
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 4: Of the best guys coming off that side now that

563
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,879
Speaker 4: that you'll see each year. I mean I would actually

564
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,920
Speaker 4: maybe it's something I'll do at some point this offseason,

565
00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,560
Speaker 4: But I mean, I don't know that there's a huge difference.

566
00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,080
Speaker 4: You know, the whole blind side thing is a little

567
00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:54,879
Speaker 4: of rad and I'm certainly everyone that's been banging the

568
00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,520
Speaker 4: drum about Willie Anderson getting into the Hall of Fame

569
00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,720
Speaker 4: would suggest the same thing they've been saying with that

570
00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,360
Speaker 4: guard is that the blindside thing hasn't been as much

571
00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:04,520
Speaker 4: of a deal for a while now.

572
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 3: But that said, I think, just you.

573
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,520
Speaker 4: Got a guy who's great, an elite on that spot

574
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,040
Speaker 4: and what he's doing, and you can you know you're

575
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,960
Speaker 4: gonna have a lot of the best rushers coming off

576
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,160
Speaker 4: that side anyway, why mess with it? And maybe there's

577
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,040
Speaker 4: some scenarios where like they could only sign a guy

578
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:21,480
Speaker 4: who's good at right and you'd consider it.

579
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,000
Speaker 3: But I just think it's like, let that be the thing.

580
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:25,640
Speaker 3: Let that be it.

581
00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,640
Speaker 4: Let this guy be a great right tackle and that

582
00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 4: means a lot so and things can change if Orlando

583
00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,960
Speaker 4: wasn't around, But for now, I think that's the best

584
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,639
Speaker 4: way spot for him, and I think that's how they

585
00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:37,400
Speaker 4: view his feet.

586
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,800
Speaker 6: Would you want to fossil Yeah, yeah, I mean as

587
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:43,040
Speaker 6: long as I'm not paying for it, right, yeah. I mean,

588
00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:45,080
Speaker 6: if it's gifted, I'll take it as a gift you

589
00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,119
Speaker 6: bring here, only a huge one, like I don't. I

590
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:52,200
Speaker 6: heard I think Dylan Fairchild was on with on Pepper

591
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,960
Speaker 6: Rally on Friday with with Dan and Lapp and mentioned

592
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:55,879
Speaker 6: that he had gotten.

593
00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,320
Speaker 3: Like a shark tooth or like a tooth or something

594
00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 3: like that or whatever it was. I would want the

595
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,640
Speaker 3: biggest thing in the room. Give me the tusk, right,

596
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,840
Speaker 3: like I want that on a wall. Huge. I don't.

597
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,000
Speaker 4: I don't want anything where it's like somebody in the corners,

598
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,280
Speaker 4: Like I'm strictly doing it for someone to see it

599
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:13,359
Speaker 4: when they walk in my house.

600
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:15,560
Speaker 3: Why else am I doing?

601
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:17,359
Speaker 2: I just thinking if I bring a tusk call, my

602
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,359
Speaker 2: wife is gonna be like, yeah, we're not We're not

603
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:20,480
Speaker 2: putting out above the couch.

604
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,440
Speaker 4: I mean, you know, no, it's a man cave item. Sure, sure,

605
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,040
Speaker 4: I mean that's not it's it's not above the mantle.

606
00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:28,840
Speaker 2: It seemed to me the way I look at it

607
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,320
Speaker 2: is if it's any sort of dinosaur fossil and yeah, right,

608
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,119
Speaker 2: and then you have a weird people who like deny

609
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,359
Speaker 2: the existence of dinosaurs that I can, you know, have

610
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,159
Speaker 2: over my house to talk about my dinosaur fossil, you

611
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,919
Speaker 2: know it. I would be like, if it's a dinosaur fossil,

612
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:44,640
Speaker 2: that's what I want.

613
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,760
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's more so than a wooly mammoth or a

614
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,000
Speaker 4: bear bear skull.

615
00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:51,000
Speaker 3: Yeah.

616
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,440
Speaker 4: I also am anti skull. I think skulls are creepy. Yeah,

617
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,800
Speaker 4: even I I I'd rather just.

618
00:27:57,920 --> 00:27:59,280
Speaker 3: I think I am. I'm a tusk guy.

619
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,600
Speaker 2: So or Lando Brown has gotten in his career slushy machine,

620
00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:08,920
Speaker 2: Rolex watch some luggage and uh, the the fossil of those.

621
00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,520
Speaker 3: Four which would be your preference? That's hard.

622
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,840
Speaker 2: Slashing machine sounds good, but you have you're in charge

623
00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:17,800
Speaker 2: of all the slushy stuff.

624
00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:18,880
Speaker 3: I gotta make the slushy.

625
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:20,680
Speaker 4: Yeah, now if I if there was I mean, if

626
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,919
Speaker 4: there was slushy machine and someone who makes the slushies,

627
00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,520
Speaker 4: like an assistant like that, or or just a button

628
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,000
Speaker 4: that instantly creates you're.

629
00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,399
Speaker 3: Like having to like restock the supplies of slushies. I

630
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:32,960
Speaker 3: don't love that one, don't look, I don't want to

631
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:34,959
Speaker 3: have to do any more work. I'd probably go fossil.

632
00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,560
Speaker 4: I think as long as it was big and it

633
00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:42,200
Speaker 4: could be seen, I'm for that. With sword, I have

634
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:47,200
Speaker 4: a sword, Yeah, I think the sword is probably the

635
00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 4: coolest though, without question.

636
00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, the sword better than fossil, and I think any

637
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:53,960
Speaker 2: other quarterback gift and.

638
00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,480
Speaker 3: I definitely don't need. I'm not I'm not like here

639
00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,360
Speaker 3: for the luggage and the I'm not in the watch.

640
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,040
Speaker 3: I'm not a watch guy. I like watch guy. I

641
00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:03,080
Speaker 3: like so.

642
00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,600
Speaker 2: I wear a watch every single day, and I like

643
00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:09,840
Speaker 2: watches a Rolex. I cannot imagine wearing a watch that

644
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,160
Speaker 2: expensive on my wrist and banging it against something or

645
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,360
Speaker 2: if I just know I'm not cool enough in anything

646
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,720
Speaker 2: else that I wish watch I'm wearing costs to be

647
00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:20,800
Speaker 2: able to like wear a rollleox it would be so

648
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,600
Speaker 2: it's like you've seen the meme with like the sports

649
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,120
Speaker 2: car under the beat up house in the car report, right,

650
00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:27,840
Speaker 2: that would be me wearing a Rolex.

651
00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:29,200
Speaker 3: It makes no sense. Yes.

652
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,920
Speaker 2: I used to work a show with Archrell Hawkins who

653
00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,440
Speaker 2: had some really really really nice watches, and he came

654
00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,040
Speaker 2: to me one day He's like, we're gonna up your

655
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,880
Speaker 2: watch game, and I think I was wearing like a

656
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,120
Speaker 2: like a Dakota Watch Company watch. So he like brings

657
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:44,720
Speaker 2: in this book of watches. He's like, you got to

658
00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,440
Speaker 2: get one of these. I'm like, oh, those are really nice.

659
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:49,160
Speaker 2: I'm like, you know, oh that one's eighty nine dollars

660
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,320
Speaker 2: art Trail, Like, you know.

661
00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:55,200
Speaker 3: That's not my game if I know your game?

662
00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:59,000
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, like what's on the back page? Any fossil

663
00:29:59,040 --> 00:29:59,800
Speaker 2: watches on there?

664
00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,280
Speaker 4: So it would have been really cool if he came

665
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,040
Speaker 4: in and had a trench coat and just opened it

666
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,000
Speaker 4: up and had all the watches inside of it, you know,

667
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,959
Speaker 4: like straight out of the cartoons.

668
00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know. Butch Jones, when he would lose a game,

669
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,440
Speaker 3: would go watch shopping. Is that what he would do?

670
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,640
Speaker 2: What he would do, he would he would comfort himself

671
00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:17,600
Speaker 2: by buying a really nice watch.

672
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,120
Speaker 4: I've heard I've heard stories about a lot of things

673
00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:20,480
Speaker 4: that put Jeff to do after losses.

674
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:22,200
Speaker 3: Likewise and wins Uh.

675
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,120
Speaker 2: We're late twenty one away from four o'clock Paul Danner Junior,

676
00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:27,560
Speaker 2: The Athletic dot Com and The Growler Podcast. We're here

677
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:32,200
Speaker 2: at Oakley CRE's on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

678
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,600
Speaker 1: Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

679
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:40,760
Speaker 5: Traffic from the uc Health Traffic Center from non invasive

680
00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,720
Speaker 5: to surgical treatments. The uc Health Backneck and Spine Center

681
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:48,440
Speaker 5: offers every option to improve quality of life with convenient

682
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Speaker 5: locations across Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at

683
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,240
Speaker 5: uc health dot com. Northbound Coal Raine remains closed down

684
00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,920
Speaker 5: due to an accident between round Top Road and Common Circle.

685
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,960
Speaker 5: Police fire there on scene. Northbound seventy five at Tom Left.

686
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,600
Speaker 5: Two lanes blocked from an accident at he'sund Like with traffic,

687
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:09,720
Speaker 5: this reput is.

688
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:15,320
Speaker 2: ESPN Figeratt Oakley's Lanes and Oakley Paul Danner Juniors here

689
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:16,400
Speaker 2: for another few minutes.

690
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,880
Speaker 3: You can read his work at the Athletic dot com.

691
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,880
Speaker 3: You can catch the Growl of podcast.

692
00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,280
Speaker 2: I would imagine the most recent one has not been

693
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:25,480
Speaker 2: dropped yet.

694
00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:27,720
Speaker 4: No, it'll probably be ready for doople in the morning.

695
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,000
Speaker 4: Post production post production process is happening as we speak,

696
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:33,280
Speaker 4: when files are doing the like spinning thing.

697
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,800
Speaker 2: Gotcha, the AFC North, the division the Bengals are in,

698
00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,720
Speaker 2: is still up for grabs. You've got this massive tilt

699
00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,880
Speaker 2: on a Sunday between the Ravens and Steelers.

700
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:43,840
Speaker 3: Uh.

701
00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,200
Speaker 2: Do you believe there will be negative fallout for the

702
00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,280
Speaker 2: head coach of the losing team on Sunday?

703
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:49,560
Speaker 3: I do not.

704
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,840
Speaker 2: No, no, not gonna move on from Mike Tomlin. No,

705
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:54,600
Speaker 2: not gonna move on from John Harbaugh.

706
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 3: No, okay, I mean I want the Steelers to keep Mike.

707
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,160
Speaker 3: I think I don't understand.

708
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,160
Speaker 4: Well, I'm with you. I would have said Tomlin. I

709
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,120
Speaker 4: would have thought myself, they're in this rut with Tomlin.

710
00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:15,760
Speaker 4: Like clearly they're in this rut with Tomlin. But they're

711
00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:18,560
Speaker 4: pretty dedicated to him. I mean that's been apparent for

712
00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:20,640
Speaker 4: a long time, Like they and he. I mean, the

713
00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:23,520
Speaker 4: man does seem to He takes a team that you

714
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,520
Speaker 4: think should win five games and gets them to win

715
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,320
Speaker 4: nine every year. There's very much value in that. Like,

716
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:32,720
Speaker 4: I'm for that, And if they can ever give them

717
00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,400
Speaker 4: a little bit more in terms of the offensive side

718
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,720
Speaker 4: of the ball or at quarterback, then maybe he'd have

719
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,160
Speaker 4: a chance to do something special. Again, I'm not saying that.

720
00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,560
Speaker 4: They just certainly don't seem like they have any interest

721
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:46,880
Speaker 4: in moving on from Mike. And I don't see Mike

722
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,080
Speaker 4: walking away from anything even if they lose, Like, I

723
00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:49,640
Speaker 4: just don't.

724
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:51,200
Speaker 3: I just don't see that.

725
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:54,440
Speaker 4: What do I what do I know exactly what's gonna happen,

726
00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,320
Speaker 4: But more than most I don't think. I just have

727
00:32:57,560 --> 00:32:59,760
Speaker 4: never gotten that when you hear how dedicated they are.

728
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,880
Speaker 4: I don't see Tomlin all of a sudden walking away

729
00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:04,920
Speaker 4: from it because they lose one game, like he's not

730
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,520
Speaker 4: gonna budge like that and start going and doing TV

731
00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,480
Speaker 4: or whatever like. And John Harbaugh isn't going anywhere. And

732
00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:16,720
Speaker 4: John Harbaugh has done a great job, He's had great teams.

733
00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:19,480
Speaker 4: One year, Lamar is struggling a little bit and they're

734
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,080
Speaker 4: not winning as much, and all of a sudden, John

735
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:22,640
Speaker 4: Harbaugh is not going to be a part of things,

736
00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,440
Speaker 4: right Like, I don't believe that for a second. So no,

737
00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,520
Speaker 4: I don't. I don't think. I think and in fact,

738
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,680
Speaker 4: I think all four AFS and North coaches will be back.

739
00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:32,160
Speaker 4: Is gonna come back and clean?

740
00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:33,400
Speaker 3: I don't know. I know he's under fire, but I

741
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 3: don't see him. I just think that they'll stick with him.

742
00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,640
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean there's a lot of there's more smoke

743
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,040
Speaker 4: than we've ever seen around Stefanski here, mm hmm.

744
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,800
Speaker 3: But you know, I still I still feel it just.

745
00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,200
Speaker 2: Seems to me like the moment I'm the Browns fan,

746
00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:50,760
Speaker 2: but the moment they saddled him with Deshaun Watson, they

747
00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:52,480
Speaker 2: made his job almost impossible.

748
00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:55,440
Speaker 4: Yeah, the whole every I mean, what are they supposed

749
00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:56,240
Speaker 4: to be doing right now?

750
00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:00,840
Speaker 3: What are they winning right with? With the With the

751
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,120
Speaker 3: quarterback situation being what it is, you can have a

752
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,880
Speaker 3: great defense. They don't have a quarterback or a lot

753
00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:07,920
Speaker 3: of receivers.

754
00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,279
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, Well, so all four guys back in the

755
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:11,200
Speaker 2: AFC North.

756
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:16,000
Speaker 4: I mean that'd be my bet Stefanski, with the being

757
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,080
Speaker 4: the obvious, the one who would be.

758
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:22,600
Speaker 3: Most would would Sunday. I know, you don't cover the Browns.

759
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,320
Speaker 3: Would Sunday's game have any any bearing on that? I

760
00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:25,920
Speaker 3: don't think so.

761
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:30,040
Speaker 4: I think this this feels like one of these year

762
00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:33,560
Speaker 4: long battles that have been going on internally, you know,

763
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,640
Speaker 4: and it's like whether they're either going to decide that

764
00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:39,440
Speaker 4: I'm okay with everything that you said, maybe when you

765
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,200
Speaker 4: didn't mean some things and that I said, and that

766
00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:43,800
Speaker 4: we all felt about it, and we all either agree

767
00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,160
Speaker 4: on what the path forward should be, or you're gonna

768
00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:49,120
Speaker 4: say you don't agree with what the path forward should be.

769
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,359
Speaker 4: Do you think anything to do with winning or losing

770
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:51,960
Speaker 4: at the Bengals?

771
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,120
Speaker 2: Do you think it would be reasonable for Zach Taylor

772
00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:56,560
Speaker 2: and Kevin Stefanski to meet up before the game on

773
00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:58,560
Speaker 2: Sunday morning and agree to not throw a pass?

774
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,359
Speaker 3: So again, could just be over do it?

775
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,160
Speaker 4: You remember there's been a number of final preseason games. Well,

776
00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:09,680
Speaker 4: he felt like that was the agreement. Yes, Marvin Lewis

777
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:11,319
Speaker 4: had a bunch of those where it was like did

778
00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,000
Speaker 4: they just run it like forty nine times? I feel

779
00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:17,279
Speaker 4: like that's the way to go six three final. It's

780
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:21,120
Speaker 4: just I just keep her, get Chase Brown his thousand,

781
00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:22,720
Speaker 4: you know, and just keep right ongoing.

782
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,440
Speaker 2: I think if you're Zach Taylor, you call Kevin Stefanska

783
00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,120
Speaker 2: and go, hey, how would you like to be one

784
00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,640
Speaker 2: of two head coaches who coached in the shortest game ever,

785
00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:33,759
Speaker 2: right and have that bad boy like, let's let's try

786
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:35,719
Speaker 2: to be at our like Zach says, like I want

787
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:36,960
Speaker 2: to be at my house by four o'clock.

788
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,399
Speaker 4: I'm going safe game plan. There's no doubt about that.

789
00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:42,520
Speaker 4: I mean, if it's like, okay, if Joe's gonna play,

790
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,160
Speaker 4: I certainly will not be calling any seven step drops

791
00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:50,800
Speaker 4: or long developing plays or anything that doesn't have three

792
00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:52,720
Speaker 4: people staring right at Myles Garrett.

793
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,440
Speaker 2: Is there somebody playing their last game in a Bengals

794
00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,480
Speaker 2: uniform on Sunday that we aren't necessarily talking as much

795
00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,200
Speaker 2: about them playing the last game in a beform on Sunday,

796
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,720
Speaker 2: Whether it be because they can walk as a free agent,

797
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,640
Speaker 2: the team cuts, the guy decides he wants to go

798
00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:11,080
Speaker 2: do something else, anybody like that.

799
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,680
Speaker 4: Bj Hill's the most interesting decision in that regard. I

800
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:17,839
Speaker 4: think they there would be some they would save some money,

801
00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:19,600
Speaker 4: but it'd be a little more dead money than they

802
00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:24,120
Speaker 4: usually prefer to take on. But that said, he has

803
00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,319
Speaker 4: a two million dollars roster bonus on the fifth day

804
00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:31,000
Speaker 4: of the league year, which is always an indicator of

805
00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:35,239
Speaker 4: what's going to happen there. They're potentially going to be

806
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,399
Speaker 4: looking for somebody to give you a little bit more

807
00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:40,200
Speaker 4: pass rush juice out of the three technique position. It's

808
00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:43,319
Speaker 4: not really what BJ has been doing. How much do

809
00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:45,399
Speaker 4: they view his injuries as part of what's happening. He's

810
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:49,000
Speaker 4: only a year older. All of that I think plays

811
00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,879
Speaker 4: into Okay, are they trying to turn over leadership anyway?

812
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,879
Speaker 4: So you're you're okay, just moving on? That could be

813
00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:59,759
Speaker 4: this could be that for him that maybe not all

814
00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:02,680
Speaker 4: to be are thinking about are talking about, because that'su

815
00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:05,080
Speaker 4: a position where they could upgrade with someone who is

816
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:09,840
Speaker 4: must much more of a pass rusher than what that

817
00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,920
Speaker 4: BJ is. And and he's been you know, it's been

818
00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,759
Speaker 4: okay this year, but no, you know, it's it's like

819
00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:18,000
Speaker 4: it has to be better on the on the line

820
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:18,399
Speaker 4: as a whole.

821
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:20,800
Speaker 2: Talk about somebody who represents one of the best trades

822
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:24,600
Speaker 2: they've ever made though. Absolutely, you know Billy Price, who

823
00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,080
Speaker 2: they were gonna cut anyway, and got a piece who

824
00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,080
Speaker 2: was a part of two teams in made AFC Championship

825
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:31,360
Speaker 2: games and made the critical play in the game that

826
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,759
Speaker 2: they won against Kansas City. Yeah, absolutely, what I mean

827
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,279
Speaker 2: for all that has filled a fantastic girl to me,

828
00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:40,000
Speaker 2: the Bengals lost their way when they took him out

829
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,800
Speaker 2: of the role. Like to me, when they started asking

830
00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:47,240
Speaker 2: him to be more. He was great as a rotational

831
00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,479
Speaker 2: guy in there, and everybody gets older and things change

832
00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:53,200
Speaker 2: or whatever. But like in that role when you give

833
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,080
Speaker 2: him as a real one two punch and the problem

834
00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:58,200
Speaker 2: with that is Chris Jenkins hasn't developed. But when you

835
00:37:58,280 --> 00:37:59,960
Speaker 2: give him that and don't ask him.

836
00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,360
Speaker 4: They asked him to play way too many snaps for

837
00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,560
Speaker 4: multiple years, way too many snaps, and I think when

838
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:08,319
Speaker 4: you keep that number lower, it was always a you're

839
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,799
Speaker 4: you're getting more with less, uh from from him, And

840
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,160
Speaker 4: I think they too often asked him to do too

841
00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:16,920
Speaker 4: much and it took away I think a little bit

842
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,040
Speaker 4: from what he's been later in his career. But yeah, still,

843
00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,600
Speaker 4: by every stretch, an unbelievable deal. It's like, man, why

844
00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,160
Speaker 4: can't you guys just try to throw away center for

845
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,080
Speaker 4: a guy who's gonna be a defensive centerpiece for the

846
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:28,439
Speaker 4: next five years all the time?

847
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,160
Speaker 2: They should do that more. I've thought of the emotions.

848
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,400
Speaker 2: I'll have one number twenty two jogs off the field

849
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:34,160
Speaker 2: for the last time.

850
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:36,799
Speaker 4: Will you go down to where the they go in

851
00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:38,280
Speaker 4: the tunnel and ask for his gloves.

852
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:40,080
Speaker 3: I might, you know, I might.

853
00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:42,239
Speaker 4: Could you please throw me your gloves or and your

854
00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:44,880
Speaker 4: cleats and you're you know, all of it. Could you

855
00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,120
Speaker 4: imagine how big that would be if you could put

856
00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:47,600
Speaker 4: them on your dog?

857
00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:51,480
Speaker 3: He'd miss I mean, you know, he'd throw the Yeah,

858
00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,520
Speaker 3: I know where you're going. I get it. I don't

859
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:56,080
Speaker 3: know if there is an athlete.

860
00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,840
Speaker 2: I feel like I have complained about more yeah in

861
00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:01,880
Speaker 2: my career than Geno Stones.

862
00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:04,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, and he's only been here two years.

863
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:09,359
Speaker 4: You know, I think it's interesting here. He's a lovely man,

864
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,919
Speaker 4: but they like a lot of what he has done.

865
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,280
Speaker 4: Behind the scenes, I think they've looked when they felt

866
00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:15,799
Speaker 4: like there aren't a lot of people that seem to

867
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:17,080
Speaker 4: care very much, right.

868
00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:19,040
Speaker 3: Or at least that was certainly a part of the problem.

869
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:21,480
Speaker 4: At one point this year, he always felt like somebody

870
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:26,280
Speaker 4: who did care does care, does try to make things

871
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:30,000
Speaker 4: work for the better. I think off the field, his

872
00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:34,200
Speaker 4: presence has been good. The problem is he is largely

873
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,560
Speaker 4: paid for what you do on the field, and that

874
00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:39,640
Speaker 4: has not been TOOKO. No, we'll talk to you next year.

875
00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:41,120
Speaker 4: Thank you as always looking forward to it.

876
00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:44,240
Speaker 2: Thanks for Paul Danner Junior Rita's work Theathletic dot com,

877
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:48,000
Speaker 2: catch the Growler podcast on YouTube, among other places. We're

878
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,960
Speaker 2: here at Oakley Greens till six o'clock. This is ESPN

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00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:53,959
Speaker 2: fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

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00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:59,279
Speaker 1: Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

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00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:04,319
Speaker 5: From the uc Health Traffic Center. From non invasive to

882
00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:08,600
Speaker 5: surgical treatments, The uc Health Backneck and Spine Center offers

883
00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:12,600
Speaker 5: every option to improve quality of life with convenient locations

884
00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:17,000
Speaker 5: across Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at UCHealth

885
00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,880
Speaker 5: dot com. Northbound Coal Raine remains closed down due to

886
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:24,600
Speaker 5: an accident between round Top Road and Common Circle. Police

887
00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,239
Speaker 5: fire there on scene. Northbound seventy five at Town left

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00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:31,840
Speaker 5: two lanes blocked from an accident. I met Exelic with traffic.

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00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:33,759
Speaker 1: This report is sponsored by