1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,359 Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: the Bengals Booth Podcast. The time has come today. Addition, 3 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: as the Bengals practice in full pads for the first 4 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: time in training camp. Coming up, Dave Lapham joins me 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,159 Speaker 1: to share his training camp observations, and then I'll be 6 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: joined by Robert Weintraub, who writes about the NFL for 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: Football Outsiders and writes about the Bengals for Cincinnati Magazine. 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: We'll discuss the Bengals chapter in this year's Football Outsiders Almanac, 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,279 Speaker 1: and much more. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: Bud Light Seltzer. Refresh the game, and here's a quick 11 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 1: reminder that you can have the latest edition of this 12 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by 13 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. 14 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: It's the greatest thing since Dan Patrick's Interviews. Due to 15 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: training camp, I'm usually not able to tune into Dan 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: Patrick's radio show, but lately I've been listening to the 17 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: Best of Dan Patrick podcast on my ride home. The 18 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: producers take the best segments from his three hour show 19 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: and condense it to less than an hour on the podcast, 20 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: and that's where his interviewing ability really shines. Dan does 21 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: his homework and clearly comes in with a list of questions, 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: but he's naturally curious, so he doesn't feel the need 23 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: to stick to his list. He listens to his guests, 24 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: ask great follow up questions, and his sense of humor 25 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: puts those guests at ease. A few things for me 26 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: to keep in mind each week on this podcast. Now, 27 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: let's get to football. The Bengals held their first padded 28 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: practice on Tuesday, and when it was finished, offensive line 29 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: coach Frank Pollock asked my broadcast partner Dave Lapham and 30 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer Anthony Munio's to address his group. He 31 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: told them that lap and Anthony were part of one 32 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: of the best offensive lines in franchise history and a 33 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: key reason why the Banks got to the Super Bowl. 34 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: He then said, that's the standard we are trying to reach. 35 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: When Anthony spoke to the current players, you could sense 36 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: the respect and reverence that they have for the greatest 37 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: Bengal of all time. I spoke to lap about that 38 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: and the first few days of training camp. Anthony obviously 39 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: in the Hall of Fame, and I mean perennial pro 40 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: bowler twelve Pro Bowls in thirteen years or some such 41 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: thing like that. That was crazy. You know, obviously I'm 42 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: listening to him in of what he's got to say, 43 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: and he's just, you know, he's just such a special guy, 44 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: special friend, special husband, special father, special grandfather. He's just 45 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: he's he's solid gold and every every way you can be. 46 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: And it's funny when we were talking about some of 47 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: the things training camp and repetition of techniques and all that, 48 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: just it just takes you right back there. It's it's 49 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: it's truly amazing how when you go through something like that. 50 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure guys in the military even more so, or 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: guys you know in a police force or fire department 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: over where you have to be codependent with guys you 53 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: know next year from a physical standpoint and all the 54 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: things that go along with it. I there's there's something 55 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: to that, there's something to that bond. And I remember 56 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: Tiger Johnson telling me after I made the team as 57 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: a rookie, he said, congratulations, young man, do this as 58 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: long as you can, because he goes, you're gonna make 59 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: relationships here that you'll never be able to duplicate in 60 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: any other walk of life, and he was exactly right. 61 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: Anthony began his address to the offensive line by saying, 62 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: be coachable, whether in your first year or eleventh year, 63 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: pay attention to the coach, and try to get better 64 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: every day. Yeah, I mean Anthony, that's that's a good 65 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: example of his humbleness, you know, because he's playing at 66 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: the highest level possible. But if somebody had a suggestion 67 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: or a recommendation, it had merit to him. You know, 68 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: he wouldn't necessarily do it all, but he'd experiment, try it, 69 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: always looking to improve his game, never thinking he had arrived. 70 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: Even as great as he was for as long a 71 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: period of time as he was, never felt like he'd arrived. 72 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: And that's I think a key to his greatness. I 73 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: think it's a key to anybody's greatness if they're at 74 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: the top of their profession, whatever it may be. You know, 75 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: never settled, never say you know, I've done it, I'm 76 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: here because that's the end of the journey. You know, 77 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: Anthony never wanted the journey to end. So we're basically 78 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: a week into practice. They've had six sessions. Today was 79 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: the first one in full pads by and large, the 80 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: defense has been ahead of the offense. Why do you 81 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: think that's the case. Well, I think defense is a 82 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 1: reactionary thing and the offense is more of a you know, 83 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,119 Speaker 1: a timing and a coordination of a multiple of things. 84 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: But honestly, I just think the defense is executing their 85 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: fulfilling their assignments extremely well, you know what I mean. 86 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: I think they're playing with a lot of enthusiasm. When 87 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: Pratt had his interception yesterday, it was like they won 88 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: a playoff game. The guys reacted and everybody exploded off 89 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: the sideline. That's good to see. I mean it was, 90 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: you know, still an unpadded practice, and uh they're they're 91 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: taking it, you know that seriously. So um yeah, I 92 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: think defensively, they I think they have a solid understanding 93 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: of what Leu and Rouma wants and how he wants 94 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: it done. He said that during OTAs he you know, 95 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: really was aggressive with his installation, and their attention of 96 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: that has been pretty good. They're doing quite a few 97 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: things and they're doing them pretty well. So I think, 98 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: uh yeah, right now, the defense, I'd say they're stacking 99 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: good practices together. You know, three or four in a 100 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: row have been really really high level um defending between 101 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: the twenties, red zone, low red zone, inside the ten 102 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: yard line, first and goal stuff. I mean, they're they're 103 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: plastering people, they're suffocating, they're they're doing a good job. 104 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: You know. For Joe, it's like when he's uh, when 105 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: he can has time to set his feet and scope 106 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: the field, there's coverage, and then it's times they're open players, 107 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: but there's no time to set his so it's like 108 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 1: pressure and coverage or complimenting each other. The defense is 109 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: on a nice little role right now. For sure, Joe's 110 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: moving around fine, scrambling left and right, rolling out whatever 111 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: the past play calls for. Seems to have moments where 112 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: he's throwing the ball extremely well. But in the eleven 113 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: and eleven sessions, he test is a tick off, and 114 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: I think I think it's because, like we talked about 115 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: how well the defense is playing, and you know, he's human, 116 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: and I think he's pressing a little bit and he 117 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: wants to do well. He wants to show his teammates. 118 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 1: The need is not an issue. I'm back, I'm here, 119 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: I'm doing everything, and I'm doing everything well. And I 120 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: think everybody watch him practice has such an expectation every 121 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: throw is going to be a beautiful fifty yard touchdown pass. 122 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: And so I'm not saying there's pressure. If there is, 123 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: if he's feeling any pressure, it's self imposed, obviously, But 124 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: I think he just he wants to do well and 125 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: he's competitor, and I think he's frustrated. And sometimes when 126 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: that occurs, you know, you just start to press a 127 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 1: little bit, and sometimes that's the worst thing you can do. 128 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: If all eyes are on Burrow, they then go to 129 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: Jamar Chase next. They always said checking out the first 130 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: round draft pick in any season, And similarly, he's had 131 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: moments where he's looked great, but he hasn't been dominant yet. 132 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: And I suppose I find myself wondering a little bit 133 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: about the fact that he missed all of last year 134 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: and maybe it's just going to take a little while 135 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: to get back up to speed. Yeah, I think you 136 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: know you can, you can make a case in a 137 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: legitimate case that you know, opting out is a factor. Um, 138 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: but I watched TUPO, and of course that's interior line 139 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: players opposed to skill position a wide receiver, and he 140 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,239 Speaker 1: seems to be, you know, hold holding the Ford pretty 141 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: well inside as an interior defensive lineman. But yeah, I 142 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: think I think, I think they're going to be fine. 143 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: I mean, this is still very very early in training 144 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: camp when when we look at team reps there's probably 145 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: two sets of fifty or sixteen during the course of 146 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: a practice, so, you know, a couple of practices and 147 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: barely over sixty reps. But is it something you abnor, No, 148 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: do you feel like you need to make adjustments and 149 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: improve and get better? Hell, yes, there's no question about it. 150 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: And I think defensively they're riding. They're riding a nice 151 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: little little high right now. I'm sure they're talking about 152 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: it in the locker room and in everything that goes 153 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: along with it. But you know, the practices they had 154 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: up until today, Dan, I just I just look at 155 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: that as a football conditioning, you know, and uh, it's 156 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: it's good football conditioning. But now, putting pads on for 157 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: the first time, I remember when every training camp I 158 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: did this. This was the last day my body was 159 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: going to feel good until the Steveson was over. And 160 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: hopefully that's February for this football team after the Super Bowl. 161 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: But yeah, tomorrow morning, when they wake up they'll be 162 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: a little sore. It's a good sore. You're back to 163 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: playing football. But your body is adjusting, you know, and 164 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: it'll it'll have to be adjusting now for the rest 165 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: of the season. With the full pads on, they did 166 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: their first past rush drills where an individual offensive lineman 167 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: is isolated one on one against an individual pass rush. 168 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: Are a little bit unfair for the offensive lineman because 169 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: the defensive guy has great latitude to go left and right, 170 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: which you wouldn't have with a lot of traffic around. 171 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: But I thought by and large, the starting offensive lineman 172 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: or the guys that are expected to play a lot, 173 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: held up pretty well. I agree with you, Dan, you know, 174 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: I think you know, people are like, oh jeez, he 175 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: get pushed back five yards in that drill. It's almost 176 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: impossible to wire you guy at the line of scrimmage 177 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: and he doesn't move a muscle and moving in So 178 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: that's just not gonna happen. They're gonna take an edge 179 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: on you every once in a while, they're gonna try 180 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: to bull rush. But you know, like you said, Interstate 181 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: seventy one and seventy five are both open. You got 182 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: two lanes and they can utilize both of those lanes, 183 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,719 Speaker 1: and you know, then you get into pass protection with 184 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,839 Speaker 1: the garden tackle center garden tackle and the twists and 185 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: stunts and all that. That's a different animal. That's a 186 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: totally different scenario. They didn't do any of that kind 187 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: of stuff today, but they'll get to that. But yeah, 188 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: I thought, I agree with you. I thought that, you know, 189 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: the five guys that Frank has been working with probably 190 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 1: the most, and I thought really at tackle they held 191 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: up pretty well. Every once in a while there was 192 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: a problem at the interior position where a guy get 193 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: beaten quickly, pretty quickly and got off balance. You know, 194 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: either you know, you know, leaned his shoulders or or 195 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: you know, get his body out of total balance or 196 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,439 Speaker 1: whatever the case may be. So um, there's there's always 197 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: work to be done. But for a very first day 198 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: of pass rush, it was yin and yang. There were 199 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: some wins, there were some losses, just like you'd expect. 200 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 1: The kicking battle has been closely watched at the end 201 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: of practice. They did not attempt field goals at the 202 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: end of practice on Tuesday. But unless he has a 203 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: horrible preseason, I think Evan McPherson is just about a 204 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: lock to be this team's kicker on opening day. Dan, 205 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: you've covered baseball for a long time. You know how 206 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: the special hitters the ball sounds different coming off their bat. 207 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: When the ball comes off this guy's foot, it has 208 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: a different sound. You know. He just absolutely cranks the thing. 209 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: I mean, the thud is just even more pronounced. It's 210 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: it's unbelievable how hard he strikes the ball and how 211 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: it just jumps, like the ball jumps off of a bat, 212 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,319 Speaker 1: and like the ball jumps off of this guy's foot, 213 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: and he is he is explosive. I don't know if 214 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: it's it's overall strength, biomechanics, the leverage of it. Whatever 215 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:29,839 Speaker 1: he's got going on, it's going on very very well 216 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,559 Speaker 1: and very very powerful. There's no question about it. This 217 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: team lost Will Jackson as a free agent. I have 218 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: no idea how he's doing in camp for Washington, but 219 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: they basically signed two guys for the same price, chittabey 220 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: O Wouge and Mike Hilton. Boy, they both looked good 221 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: at this camp. Couldn't agree more, Dan, I mean, you 222 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: go two for it's it's it's hard to beat, particularly 223 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: when the two for two for one is playing like 224 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: they are and and they're basically Cheeto is doing what 225 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: Will Jackson did, maybe as well or maybe even better 226 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,079 Speaker 1: at this Now it's early, you know, first day of 227 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: pads and all that, and then you get the best 228 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: pressure guy at slot corner in the National Football League, 229 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: and he's got he's got some juice to him, there's 230 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: no question. I mean, he's a guy that players are 231 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: gravitating toward because he came from a great defensive football 232 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: team and a team that has had overall success for many, 233 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: many years, and that gives him some credibility. How does 234 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: Riley reeflick? He looks He looks good. You know, he's 235 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 1: battling a little bit of an ankle injury now. He 236 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: twisted his ankle on the interception that Pratt had against 237 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: Joe Barrow. Nothing serious, you know, He's just a little 238 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: bit of a hitch and hiss. Get along. I think 239 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: he's going to be back sooner rather than later. But yeah, 240 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: he's a he's a ten year of veteran that gets it, 241 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: gets it in every possible way you can get it 242 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: on and off the field, and he's going to be 243 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: a stabilizing influence on and off the field. For this 244 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: offensive line in this football team. I think all season long, 245 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: Joe Mixon looks frisky like he can't wait for his 246 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: first regular season carry. That's a great, great word, great description. Yeah, 247 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: it's like, uh, the first time you let the puppy 248 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: out in the backyard, you know, and it's yeah, he's 249 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: he's he's ready to he's ready to roll. And I 250 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 1: would not I'm not sure. I might wrap him and 251 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: suran rap and just make sure that he's there on 252 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,439 Speaker 1: the twelfth or opening day against the Minnesota Vikes because 253 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 1: he's in great physical shape. He understands this running game, 254 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: and he's getting plenty of reps. He'll get every rep 255 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: that he needs and uh, you know when they do 256 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: thump drill in the team process, he's getting what he needs. 257 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 1: Just don't bring him to the ground, and don't let 258 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 1: anybody in the preseason bring him to the ground. You know, 259 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: maybe maybe he may as Again I say this as 260 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: a as a former player, but you want to go 261 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: through and check all the boxes, Well, maybe he wants 262 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: to have a box checked where he has a couple 263 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:52,959 Speaker 1: of three carries to get hit, get back up and 264 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: make sure that everything's good. Last thing hasn't have been 265 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 1: nice at training camp to be able to get up 266 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: close and personal and see the various trills from a 267 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 1: few feet away as opposed to last year where we 268 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: had to stand on the very periphery. Yeah, Dan, that's 269 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: that's a great, a great point. And uh, you know, 270 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: you can tell a lot by looking into a guy's eyes, 271 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: you know. And the thing you talked about at the 272 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: end of practice with Anthony and I when I looked 273 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: at those guys and when Anthony was talking and I 274 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: looked at him and looked at them. Man, you talk 275 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: about laser focus and just just you know, absorbing and 276 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: living on every single word. That kind of stuff is powerful, 277 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: you know. You see, you can tell if a message 278 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: is being delivered. A coach can tell easier than zoom. 279 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: You know, when you're you're in a meeting room with 280 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: guys and everything that goes along with it. Plus you know, 281 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: just building relationships with teammates face to face. You gotta 282 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: be able to do that. You gotta be able to 283 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: shake that guy's hand, look in his eyes, see what 284 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: he's all about. Appreciate this. Thank you, you're the best, sir. 285 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. 286 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: It's light and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. 287 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: The foot All Outsiders Almanac went on sale a few 288 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: weeks ago, and I purchased a copy the first day 289 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: it was available. I love it. There's a chapter on 290 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: all thirty two teams featuring great statistical analysis, but more importantly, 291 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: very entertaining writing. One of the writers is Robert Weintraub, 292 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: and the name might sound familiar since he also writes 293 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: about the Bengals for Cincinnati magazine. Robert, Before we get 294 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: to this year's Football Outsiders Almanac, let's start with your 295 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: thoughts on the team. Because you don't hide the fact 296 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: that you are a Bengals fan at heart. What gives 297 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: you hope, what gives you concern? Well, yes, I am 298 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: a Bengals fan, both at heart and deep in my soul. 299 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: Then thank you, And you know, obviously my concerns are 300 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: several fold, one being just kind of the last five 301 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: years of futility and the fact that you know, there's 302 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: not necessarily been a massive change except the quarterback. And 303 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: that leads to my next particular concern, which is that 304 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: you know we're we're all been kind of banking on 305 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: the fact that Joe Burrow is fully healthy again. He 306 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: seems like he's okay. He's running around and training camp 307 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: like he's you know, back to one hundred percent, But 308 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: we'll never really know until he gets out there, faces 309 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: a real pass rush, tries to avoid, you know, a 310 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: three hundred pound man with evil intentions, trying to plant 311 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: them back into the turf, or stepping up into the 312 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: pocket with guys rolling around at his feet, that kind 313 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: of thing. And you know, I have every hope and 314 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: I optimism that he'll be at least right back to normal, 315 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: but there's always going to be in the back of 316 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: his mind, and certainly in the back of all of 317 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: our minds, you know, the worry that it's going to 318 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: take a while and he won't quite be the special athlete, 319 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: slash escape artist, slash udde man that we saw in 320 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: the first Apple last season before the unfortunate injury, And 321 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: you always have to be considering that in the back 322 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: of our minds it could happen again. This could happen again. 323 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:07,440 Speaker 1: So that's really the main thing. Otherwise, I'm fairly optimistic, 324 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: certainly about the offense. I think the addition of Jamar. 325 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: Chase is certainly going to bring an explosivelopment that's been 326 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: missing the last couple of years. And you know, in 327 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: terms of the offensive line, while I think you and 328 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 1: I were both teams Sewell, you know, the offensive line 329 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: is not going to be quite the drawback the anchor 330 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: maybe that it has been in recent years. It can 331 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: be upgraded still, I believe, and they can improve, certainly 332 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,719 Speaker 1: with Frank Pollock there to shepherd the guys to shape. 333 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: I have a great optimism about his capabilities. So it's, 334 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: you know, kind of a guarded optimism, but it's it's 335 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: also you know, a realistic realism that's tempered by the 336 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: fact that I've been optimistic in this way the last 337 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 1: few years as well hasn't necessarily worked out. So before 338 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: they before I really go and Overhaug of my optimism 339 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: and my deep in my soul Bengal fandom, they have 340 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 1: to prove it to me a little bit before I 341 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: really jump right back in with both feet. Let's say 342 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: fair enough. I think any Bengals fan can understand that. 343 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: And more on Chase versus Sewell to come. But you 344 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: wrote the Bengals chapter in last year's Almanact. Mike Tanyer 345 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: wrote it this year and he didn't pull any punches. 346 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: Before we get to specifics about that chapter, how do 347 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,479 Speaker 1: those assignments work. Do you like to switch it up 348 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: from year to year? Yeah, we uh, you know, bounce around. 349 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: I usually stick with the AFC North just because of 350 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: my familiarity to it. And you know, it's always good. 351 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: It's generally speaking, a two out of every three year 352 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: kind of deal with the Bengals, or you know, has 353 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: been every other year in the last couple of years 354 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 1: for me, just to give somebody else a chance to 355 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: you know, observe the team. I thought in this case, 356 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: as you mentioned, Mike ten year this year, and it's 357 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: good from the aspect of letting Bengal fans kind of 358 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,719 Speaker 1: know how the outside world sort of sees them, you know, 359 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 1: how a neutral observer sees them. And as you say, 360 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: he didn't pull any punches. So I did. The Cleveland 361 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: Browns one of my teams this year, and in Cleveland 362 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 1: there's nothing but unbridled optimism there. And you know, something 363 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: I've done in the past and did again this year 364 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: was used the figures and the stats to throw a 365 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: little cold water on those optimistic dreams. So it works 366 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: both ways. You know, I don't know that I'm overly 367 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,360 Speaker 1: optimistic or view the Bengals through rose colored glasses when 368 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: I write about them for Football Outsiders, but perhaps somebody 369 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: else coming in from a different perspective will and doesn't 370 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 1: necessarily have the same history with the team that I have, 371 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,719 Speaker 1: will look at some of their moves in a different 372 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: perspective and see them, in this case much more negatively, 373 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: And people will probably accuse me of doing the same 374 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: for Cleveland and Pittsburgh as well, who I wrote about 375 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 1: this year. So it's a good opportunity for everybody to 376 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: switch around and sort of take other perspectives on teams 377 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: that you don't get locked down and caught in the 378 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: minutia every single year writing about the same team we 379 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: are talking to. Robert Weintrauba writes about the NFL for 380 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: Football Outsiders, He writes about the Bengals for Cincinnati Magazine, 381 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 1: and he is also the author of several books, including 382 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: The Divine Miss Marble, which comes out in paperback next week. Robert, 383 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 1: most analytic or analytical websites, including Pro Football Focus, seem 384 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: to think the Bengals got it right by choosing Jabar 385 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: Chase instead of Pinney Sewell. As you mentioned earlier, we 386 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 1: were both team Sewell prior to the draft. The Football 387 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: Outsiders Almanac was very critical of that move in a 388 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,479 Speaker 1: nutshell why well, I think from that perspective it was 389 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: and from mine too, It's less about the cape abilities 390 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 1: of the two players. I certainly believe that jo Mar 391 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: Chase will be very good. I don't think anybody who's 392 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: seen him play at LSU or you know, figure how 393 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: him and Joe Burrow going to reconnect their unique chemistry 394 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: and Cincinnati have any doubt that he's going to be 395 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: a stud in the NFL. It's more about like a 396 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 1: team building concept, especially for me. You know, what do 397 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: you want to be as a team. The Bengals have 398 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: historically had good wide receivers, high flying offenses, and you 399 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: know where's it gotten them. They've had good offensive lines 400 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: in the past too, and when they've been really successful 401 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: it's when they could bull the other teams and be 402 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: an offensive line centric team that unlocked all the skill 403 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: position guys. And you know, as we saw in years past. 404 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: Over the last few years, the skill position guys tend 405 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 1: to get injured. You know, your skill players come and go, 406 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 1: they wax and wayne. If you have an offensive line 407 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: that is a healthy obviously, but be talented and works 408 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: together as a cohesive unit and a strength of your 409 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: team rather than you know, either a drawback or just 410 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: kind of a middling part of your team. If it's 411 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: a real strength of your team that can that can 412 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,919 Speaker 1: unlock your offense even if your skill guys are not 413 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: so great or injured or you know, all the things 414 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: that happened during a season that you don't expect. And 415 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: it's also just sort of a mindset of the team, 416 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: a sort of you know, a loadstone, if you will, 417 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: where you look at them and say, oh, yeah, that's 418 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: a team that's going to come in here and pound 419 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 1: us with their offensive line, and whether or not we 420 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,479 Speaker 1: know it's coming, we're not gonna be able to stop it. 421 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: I think so in Cleveland last year, they made the 422 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: sort of internal decision to become an offensive line cent 423 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: your team. They signed a guy who turned out to 424 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: be an all protacle, they drafted another in the first round, 425 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: and they basically said, we're going to run the ball, 426 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,239 Speaker 1: try and stop us, and most teams couldn't. And they 427 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: were very effective as we saw, So you know, I 428 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: kind of was jealous of that, I guess you say. 429 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: And I've always thought that that's kind of the way 430 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: it all outsiders, We've always had the precept they build 431 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: from the inside, out from the trenches and then out 432 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: to the perimeter. And I think, generally speaking, football history 433 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: has proven us correct. There have been exceptions, of course, 434 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: and since then he has had good teams with you know, 435 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: middling offensive lines, and they've got great teams with great 436 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: offensive lines. I sort of wanted to get back to that. 437 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: And drafting Sewell was regardless of him as a player personally. 438 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: You know, he's obviously a great prospect, but there are others. 439 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: But the idea was the focus with all intentions on 440 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: the offensive line. And when Mike wrote what he wrote 441 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: in the chapter this year, it was less about Sewell 442 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: himself than it was sort of the five year holistic 443 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: look at the team and thinking, you know, while they 444 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: have tried and have put some resources into the line, 445 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: they could have done much more. And when you have 446 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: and that' said like Joe Burrow, everything has to be 447 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: evolve around protecting him. So I think that's where he 448 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 1: was coming from. That's certainly where I'm coming from. I 449 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: think it's where you were coming from, and all of 450 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: us Team Seoel types are coming from. But you know, 451 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 1: we have Jamar Chase now, and there's certainly nothing wrong 452 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: with him, and I think we can all get behind 453 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: the fact that throwing the ball and having as many 454 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: weapons as possible in the modern NFL is a good 455 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: plan of attack as well. I just prefer to be 456 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: more of a physical brand. Call me a throwback and 457 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: Neanderthal school, whatever you wanted to be. I like my 458 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: football to be about burying the guy in front of me, 459 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: not necessarily running around him. I kind of like Neanderthal. 460 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 1: I think I'm going to refer the US and Neanderthal. 461 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: I will say this about the Sewel versus Chase debate. 462 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: Prior to the draft, very much Team Sewel. But after 463 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: the first round, when I looked at the remaining wide 464 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: receivers left versus the remaining offensive lineman left, I do 465 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 1: think that the package of Chase plus Carmen might be 466 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: better for the Bengals than any package of Sewel plus 467 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: the remaining wide receivers out there. I mean, that's a 468 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: fair assessment, and I certainly go that way myself. I 469 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 1: guess what I would say is, if you have a 470 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 1: quarterback the level of Joe Burrow, he can make any 471 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: wide receiver that you were going to take in the 472 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: second round look like a guy who maybe we don't 473 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: know is going to be as good as say Jamar 474 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: Chase or whoever whomever they could possibly have gotten. The 475 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: idea is that when you have a guy that good, 476 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: you know he's going to do his magic. What you 477 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: have to do to benefit him is, you know, keep 478 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: him from the stuff that he has no control over. 479 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 1: He has the control over getting the ball out to 480 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,239 Speaker 1: his receivers, and yes, Jamar Chase is going to help 481 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: him in that respect and that respect, but the thing 482 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: he has no control over is getting walloped from the 483 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: blinds that or guys falling around his knees as we saw, 484 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: and to me, that was the most important place to 485 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: go in terms of building the team. But you know, 486 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: I don't disagree, and I certainly don't believe the Chase 487 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 1: was a bad pick. It's more about a team kind 488 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: As we said before, how do you build your team? 489 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: What's your overall strategy? Where do you want your main 490 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: resources to go? And I think in this case I 491 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: would have gone offensive flot. We're talking to Robert Weintraub. 492 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: You can follow them on Twitter at rob wine wi N. 493 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 1: This year's almanac is nearly five hundred pages long. In 494 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: addition to some very entertaining writing about all thirty two teams, 495 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 1: there's a ton of statistical data. Is there anything along 496 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: those lines that you found especially revealing where the Bengals 497 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: are concerned? There were a few things. I think I'd 498 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,400 Speaker 1: probably start with the defense, which we don't really talk 499 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: about as much leading up to this in this offseason 500 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,879 Speaker 1: because everything was so much about Suell versus Chase and 501 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: how the offense should be built. You know, the defense 502 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:49,640 Speaker 1: obviously wasn't good and hasn't been good in a while, 503 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,439 Speaker 1: but in breaking the numbers down, we found that in 504 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 1: the first quarter of games last year they were actually 505 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: a top five defense by our efficiency numbers, which are 506 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: called DVA. I won't get into the higher math, but 507 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 1: basically it's all about a play per play kind of 508 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: efficiency and how good are you from preventing the other 509 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: team from getting first downs and getting moving the sticks 510 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: and keeping the ball. And then the first quarter of 511 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: the Bengals were excellent. Problem was in the second through 512 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: the fourth quarters they were thirty first in the league. Now, 513 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: why does that happen? I mean, I think there's a 514 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: combination of things. Is it the adjustments that were either 515 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: made or not made by lu and Rumo and then 516 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: the coaching staff? Is it a stamin of thing? I 517 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: personally come down on depth. I think we know that 518 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: the Bengals were reduced to playing a lot of guys 519 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:41,199 Speaker 1: who barely knew where the bathrooms were in Paul Brown Stadium, 520 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 1: much less you know the complexities of a stunt or 521 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,959 Speaker 1: a cloud coverage or anything like that. So you know, 522 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 1: when you get down to using guys like that, it's 523 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: obviously going to be difficult. I think their approach this 524 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: off season was to get not so much the top 525 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: one through five guys sorted on your defense, but ten 526 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 1: through sixteen, and so when the inevitable injuries come around, 527 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:04,679 Speaker 1: they'd be in better shape than they were last year. 528 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,119 Speaker 1: They were running out guys who really had no business 529 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: on an NFL field last year, and you know, with 530 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: the addition of guys like you know, smaller level of 531 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: guys Ricardo Allen, Eli Apple, guys like that who aren't 532 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 1: you know, big names and aren't Hopefully you're going to 533 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: make a huge impact. But when the time comes and 534 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: the you know, guys in front of them get injured, 535 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: or they have to play laden games because other guys 536 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: are tired, or just because of schematics, you have a 537 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: guy who's who's an NFL VET, who knows what he's 538 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: doing out there. So I thought the stats reveal sort 539 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: of an interesting team building building concept in that sense 540 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: on the defensive side, which I wasn't really aware of 541 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: during the season. Necessarily, Robert, as you mentioned, you wrote 542 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: to Cleveland and Pittsburgh chapters this year in the Almanac, 543 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: and the Browns chapter definitely surprised me because the data 544 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: projects Cleveland to win one more game than Cincinnati and 545 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: to finish behind ball More and Pittsburgh. What do those 546 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: numbers say about the Browns? Well, a lot of things. 547 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: First of all, you have to remember that the way 548 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: we do projections for a season is sort of a range, right. 549 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: It's not saying they're definitely the Browns are definitely going 550 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: to finish ten and seven or nine and eight, And boy, 551 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: that's weird just still doing that for seventeenth game I 552 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: guess we'll all get used to it. But you know, 553 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: basically what happens is we played the season out one 554 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:33,719 Speaker 1: million times via some supercomputer in a lab somewhere, and then, 555 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: you know, using our numbers, we then assign ranges of 556 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: probabilities for the overall results of these seasons, and basically, 557 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 1: you know, we break it down by you know, zero 558 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: to five wins being a terrible team, mediocre, six to eight, 559 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 1: nine to eleven being a playoff contender, and then twelve 560 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: or more being a super Bowl contender. And yeah, the 561 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: Browns the preponderance like seventy, we're in the six to 562 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,719 Speaker 1: eleven win range. Now, obviously eleven wins is a lot 563 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: different than six, so you're talking about, you know, a 564 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: decently wide variety there. But I think most people imagine 565 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: that Browns are going to be a super Bowl contender 566 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 1: and you know, twelve or more wins, and the numbers 567 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: just aren't there a lot of the reasons why. First 568 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: of all, last year was sort of a hollow eleven 569 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: and five season for them. They didn't even score more 570 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 1: points than they gave up during the year. They were 571 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: one of the worst teams by our numbers ever to 572 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: finish eleven and five. They had unusually healthy offensive line. 573 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: You know, I think they had seventy four out of 574 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: eighty potential started games started by their five guys up runt, 575 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: which is unusual and usually bounces back. They had a 576 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: great number of turnovers, even though their defensive numbers were 577 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: not good. They were a bottom ten defense, but they 578 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: were a top ten defense and forcing turnovers per drive. 579 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: And that's also another stat that usually redounds the other 580 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: way from year year. And you look at their team, 581 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: I mean, they know, they knew in Cleveland that their 582 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 1: defense was shotty last year, and they brought in a 583 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: whole raft of new guys. They could have as many 584 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: as nine new starters on their defensive side, and certainly 585 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: you would imagine that'll take a while to work out. 586 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: Gets them cohesionly going on defense there. So and you know, 587 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: it's not definite that they're even that much of a 588 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 1: talent upgrade. It seems like they are, but we'll see. So, 589 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: I mean, there's guarded optimism. There's reasons for them to 590 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: be optimistic based them. Like we were talking earlier, you know, 591 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: their basic principal last year in offense was we're going 592 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: to run it down your throat and nobody could stop them. 593 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's going to change all that much. 594 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: Baker Mayfield certainly responded well to Kevin Stefanski's coaching and 595 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: the way that they made him more comfortable in the 596 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: pocket and got him outside the pocket where he's much 597 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 1: more of a threat than he is really inside the 598 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: pocket given his size and in accuracy concerns. So you know, 599 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: there's certainly reason for them to believe that they'll be 600 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 1: in the mix. Just maybe don't buy those Super Bowl 601 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: tickets just yet. Well, on the flip side, while the 602 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: rest of the football world seems to think the Steelers 603 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: are steeply declining, football outsiders doesn't necessarily see that make 604 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: the case for Pittsburgh still being good. First of all, 605 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: their defense is still really good, and we project them 606 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: to be the number one defense again this season. I 607 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: think they're on the seventy three games sax streak something 608 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: like that. They get death in bush back, you know 609 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: they're still gonna be helping enemy quarterbacks girls, including Joe Burrow, 610 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: and they have better prepare for that. I mean, you know, 611 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: there's also the case, just from a Bengal fan, perspective. 612 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: You know, wish casting Pittsburgh to be bad usually doesn't 613 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: turn out very well for all of us. You know, 614 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: we find up getting our faces planted in the turf 615 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 1: by their black and gold cleats. So let's just that 616 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: part of it is like I don't want to come 617 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:02,120 Speaker 1: out and be thinking all the Steelers are going to 618 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: stink this year because that that hardly ever turned to 619 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: well for Cincinnati. But they have, you know, some elements 620 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: that their team that are still going to work. Beside 621 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: the defense, you know, the question is their depth. I 622 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: think you'd see say it's safe to say their offensive 623 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: line is as questionable, if not more so than Cincinnati's. 624 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: And you know, the running game was awful last year. 625 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: They did draft Naja Harris, who hopes to be certainly 626 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: an excellent addition to their backfield, but you know, running 627 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: backs without an offensive line that's that's doing the job 628 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: up front or are questionable picks in the first round. 629 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: So I can understand the reticence around the nation to 630 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: think that Pittsburgh is going to be the same old Steelers. 631 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: We don't necessarily think that they're going to be the 632 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: same old Steelers either. We kind of put them in 633 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: the same range as the Browns. They could win six, seven, 634 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: eight games, or they could easily sneak a couple others, 635 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 1: win nine or ten, get into the playoffs, and then 636 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: you know it's right or die with Ben roethlis Burger. 637 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: Is Ben Roethlisberger the same Ben Roethlisberger that's been plaguing 638 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: us for these last couple of decades in Cincinnati? Or 639 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 1: is he the guy that at the end of last 640 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 1: year fall off a cliff. You know, that's not really 641 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: a question that the numbers can answer, per se. We 642 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: forecast him to be somewhere in between. That's usually good 643 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: enough at least with the Steelers, the rest of the 644 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 1: pieces that they have, barring any huge injuries to the 645 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 1: key guys like t. J. Watt, let's say, or Menca Fitzpatrick, 646 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 1: you know, that should be enough to still get them 647 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: in the playoff mix right there with the Browns and 648 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: the Ravens and hopefully the Bengals. This should be a 649 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: good four team race. You know, we don't have the 650 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: Bengals necessarily being a bad team in terms of our 651 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: projections that it's just they have a much more wider 652 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:49,320 Speaker 1: range and many more possibilities of falling away than the 653 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: other three teams because of their history. But you know, 654 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: I think we all think, just based on the personnel, 655 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: that they should have a fighting chance. It's they'll come 656 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: down to the close games like it always does. The 657 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 1: last couple of years. The Bengals I've shown they can't 658 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:05,080 Speaker 1: win those, that's been the problem, whereas Pittsburgh has shown 659 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: that they can. I think right there, that's the main 660 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,239 Speaker 1: difference in our projections, and you know it has to 661 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,879 Speaker 1: be proven on the field before our algorithms will really 662 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 1: reflect that. You know, we don't. We don't truck We 663 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,360 Speaker 1: don't truck in in what we think will happen. We 664 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 1: truck in what we've seen before. So that's really the 665 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: main reason Pittsburgh ranks higher than both the Browns and 666 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 1: the Bengals, at least at this point. So you give 667 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 1: the Bengals a thirty five percent chance of winning nine 668 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,399 Speaker 1: or more games and going to the playoffs, what has 669 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:39,319 Speaker 1: to go right for that to happen. Well, let's start 670 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: up front. Obviously, you know, it goes without saying Joe 671 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: has to play the entire seasons. That goes without saying. 672 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 1: I think the other Joe Joe Mixon is in a 673 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 1: similar boat. You know, without Joe Bernard backing him up, 674 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the Bengals look a bit thin 675 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 1: in the backfield. And this is a guy Joe Mixon, 676 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,919 Speaker 1: who only played six games last season, and it's coming 677 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 1: of a foot injury, not necessarily something you want to 678 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,319 Speaker 1: be dealing with as a running back. Based on your 679 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 1: agility and your acceleration that kind of thing, we all 680 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 1: think he'll be perfectly fine, but again we don't know that. 681 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: So their health and overall health, which has been an 682 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: illusive concept in Cincinnati for some time, that's obviously key 683 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:24,240 Speaker 1: number one. Nutrition in the NFL is the most important 684 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 1: factor really year after year. He saw just with Tampa 685 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 1: Bay last year. I think what we also need to 686 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 1: see is, as I mentioned before, and improving in those 687 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:40,759 Speaker 1: defensive numbers and specifically situational numbers. And I think they 688 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 1: have to and they almost certainly have nowhere to go 689 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: but up since they finished last in the league and 690 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:49,640 Speaker 1: read its own offense last year. Those situational plays down deep, 691 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: that's really where they really got injured last year, literally 692 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:58,280 Speaker 1: and figuratively when Burrow went down their red zone efficiency 693 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:02,839 Speaker 1: fell off a cliff, and you know, it's so much 694 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: of football. We tend to think of it as, oh, 695 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: you know, this team stinks because they only won five 696 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: games or six games or whatever it is. But think 697 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,319 Speaker 1: about how many games in the last couple of years 698 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:16,800 Speaker 1: have come down to a play, two plays, one drive. 699 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 1: You know, it's really improving in those key situations. And 700 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: I think that's what they we're thinking again, as I 701 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: mentioned before, by improving the depth and having guys on 702 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 1: the field and key situations that know what they're doing 703 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: and aren't going to give up a key first down 704 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:36,320 Speaker 1: or not get open in the key situation on the 705 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,360 Speaker 1: offensive end, not miss a big block in this key situation. 706 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 1: That's really what it comes down to for them. Unfortunately, 707 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: they have improven that they can do that over the 708 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: last couple of years. And I don't know where Zach 709 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:52,800 Speaker 1: Taylor can say to himself, all right, we really have 710 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: to stress late game, key game situations. We can practice 711 00:37:57,440 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: as much as we want, but you kind of have 712 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 1: to indom to prove that you can do it before 713 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: you can get anywhere as a team. And you know, 714 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 1: it's just going to have to be done on the field, 715 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: and you know, for that thirty five percent number to 716 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,400 Speaker 1: be realized, they're going to have to show that they 717 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: can they can do it and do it consistently. Final 718 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,279 Speaker 1: question for Robert Weintraub, who writes about the NFL for 719 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:22,360 Speaker 1: Football Outsiders and the Bengals for Cincinnati Magazine. You're working 720 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: on a profile I'm my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. What 721 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,800 Speaker 1: inspired you to write about lap Obviously I'm in favor 722 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 1: and when can we look forward to seeing that? Well, 723 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:36,880 Speaker 1: that'll be out relatively soon next month's issue of Cincinnati Magazine, 724 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: indeed the September issue, I guess, coinciding with the beginning 725 00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:45,400 Speaker 1: of the NFL. Yeah, Dave, Well, you know, as you 726 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:49,160 Speaker 1: well know, he's a great guy and excellent at his 727 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,239 Speaker 1: craft and somebody who's, you know, kind of a key 728 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:58,840 Speaker 1: figure in Cincinnati and Cincinnati sports. But I just felt 729 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,880 Speaker 1: he was sort of own certainly his background. Everybody knows 730 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: he plays for the Bengals, and he's been associated with 731 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 1: a team for so long. It could have been shown 732 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 1: Oaxhall figure in stripes, if you will. But I know 733 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: I didn't know very much about his background and what 734 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: made him take his motivations, etc. And I figured I 735 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: was as big a fan as anybody else out there, 736 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 1: and if I didn't know much about him, there were 737 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:24,720 Speaker 1: probably a lot of people out there who felt likewise. 738 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: So he just seemed like a natural subject for somebody 739 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: who's been kind of hiding in playing sight all these years. 740 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: So I got a chance to hang out with him 741 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: and talk to him, and he proved to be, you know, 742 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: not just as nice as a guy as we all 743 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:42,960 Speaker 1: know he would be, but pretty deep and pretty feeling 744 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:45,720 Speaker 1: and had some interesting things to say about a variety 745 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,239 Speaker 1: of subjects. So hopefully you'll everybody out there will check 746 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,800 Speaker 1: it out and read about a guy who, you know, 747 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 1: we all kind of take for granted lower these many years, 748 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 1: but has obviously been a crucial part of the franchise 749 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 1: and the city of Cincinnati for so long. I can't wait. 750 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:04,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure it'll be a great read. And speaking of that, 751 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 1: I mentioned earlier that the book he wrote last year, 752 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,839 Speaker 1: The Divine Miss Marble, is about to come out in paperback. 753 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 1: For those who have never heard of Alice Marble, tell 754 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 1: us a little bit about her. How is that possible, Dan, 755 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 1: No one's heard of her? The truth as I had 756 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 1: never heard of her until I kind of stumbled across 757 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:23,960 Speaker 1: her name one day, so I don't blame anyone. She 758 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 1: was the foremost female tennis player in the world in 759 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 1: the years right before World War Two, the late mid 760 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: to late nineteen thirties, had her career and dominance in 761 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: the sport basically ended by the war, and then wound 762 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:45,279 Speaker 1: up being recruited to be an spionnage agent for the 763 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,319 Speaker 1: US and pretty US military during the war. And from 764 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: there many many interesting and questionable things proceeded. To have 765 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 1: to beat the book to really get into why, but 766 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,759 Speaker 1: it's a place to say I became a detective as 767 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,760 Speaker 1: part of this story. I owned out reams and reams 768 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,839 Speaker 1: of information about a fascinating woman who went and had 769 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:08,400 Speaker 1: influence far beyond the tennis court in her life and 770 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 1: really overcame immense obstacles to achieve what she did. So 771 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 1: she's really a fascinating figure and I was really lucky 772 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: to be able to write about her. So hopefully people 773 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:22,160 Speaker 1: will take the opportunity to read about her. I know 774 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:25,080 Speaker 1: it's it's worthwhile. Robert, thanks so much for the time. 775 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 1: I always appreciate it. Anytime, dam thank you appreciate it. 776 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 1: That's going to do it. For this episode of the 777 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 1: Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by bud Light, Seltzer 778 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: refreshed the game. If you haven't done so already, please 779 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:38,800 Speaker 1: subscribe and if you have a minute, give it a 780 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:42,360 Speaker 1: rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans 781 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 1: find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thank you for 782 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,400 Speaker 1: listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast