WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Come With Me Now 0:00:03.800 --> 0:00:06.559 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.559 --> 0:00:12.800 The Bengals Booth Podcast The WHOA Come with Me Now. Addition, 0:00:13.119 --> 0:00:15.400 as the Bengals look to pick up where they left 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:18.200 off before the bye and begin the second half of 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:21.720 the season with a road win in Pittsburgh coming up, 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:25.080 I'll talk to Jesse Bates about how important a bye 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:29.160 week really is to an NFL player's physical and emotional 0:00:29.240 --> 0:00:33.440 well being. I'll also talk to two NFL experts, Field 0:00:33.520 --> 0:00:38.640 Yates from ESPN and Tyler Dunn from golongtd dot com 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:42.600 about the bengals chances of making a second half run. Then, 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:45.680 and this week's Know the Faux Segment, Steelers pregame host 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:50.360 Tim Bens tells us all about Pittsburgh's rookie quarterback Kenny Pickt. 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:54.080 The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:58.040 the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:01.959 one hundred twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:05.800 Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:10.200 Visit ketteringhealth dot org to learn more. Now, here's a 0:01:10.240 --> 0:01:12.760 quick reminder that you could have the latest edition of 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:16.480 this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:21.200 by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:27.440 thing since a gas fireplace. This is a rare repeat edition, 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:30.160 but it immediately came to mind with a return of 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.520 winter weather to Cincinnati. When we moved into our home, 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:37.120 the family room included a gas fireplace, and when it 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:41.279 gets cold, it's fantastic. With the flick of a button, 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:43.720 it heats up the room in a matter of minutes 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:48.160 and looks great with orange yellow flames that dance around 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:52.720 realistic looking logs. And that's with minimal clean up, no smoke, 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:56.880 and no need for firewood. So here's to having a 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:03.120 gas fireplace, especially when it with the house. Now let's 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:07.240 get to football, beginning with my conversation with fifth year 0:02:07.320 --> 0:02:13.360 safety Jesse Bates. Jesse, the NFL season is an absolute grind. 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.440 You get here early in the morning. There are hours 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:19.880 worth of meetings that walk throughs the practices all leading 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:22.200 up to that car wreck that you play in every Sunday. 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.840 You get five days off during the bye. What to 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.600 do for your mind and body? It kind of less. 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:31.960 You take a deep breath, can focus a little bit 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:35.040 on your personal side of your life. I mean, we 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:38.200 are human beings. Even though we work hours and hours 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:42.480 of playing a game of football, there's still a lot 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:46.280 of personal stuff that guys go through. Unfortunately, the you know, 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:49.000 the NFL season, it just jumps on you. I mean 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:52.280 weekend and week out. You go getting a car wreck 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:55.480 on Sunday and then you turn around on Monday, have 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:59.079 to watch the film review and flush everything and then restart. 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:02.520 So I think it's really good, um that we had 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:04.919 it back to back years um, in the middle of 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:08.680 the season, just to refresh our minds, um, and come 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:13.120 back get ready for a long season in the second half. 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:16.560 So we're excited for Can you turn your brain off 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.760 from NFL football? Are you constantly drifting thinking of the 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.840 next game, thinking of the previous game, etc. Yeah? Um, 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:25.760 something that I do I always do, like a pre 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:30.119 like a mid season review. UM. I asked a bunch 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:32.120 of my you know, former coaches and stuff just to 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:35.560 give me a review of my first couple first weeks 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:39.800 of the season and then kind of review that. Like 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:41.960 I said, you can't really turn it off. Um, it's 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:44.880 hard to turn it off and then not really turn 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:47.360 it off. So I stay tuned in. UM. I was 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:49.960 able to watch some football as well this weekend, which 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:52.640 is nice to see what other guys are doing around 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:55.120 the league. So, UM, yeah, you turn it off, but 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:58.000 at the same time, you don't. We're visiting the Jesse 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:00.280 Bates for the second straight year. The team's five and 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:02.320 four with eight games to go. Does it feel the 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:06.640 same or different? Um? It feels very similar, just in 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.680 terms of the standings. UM. How everybody's kind of it 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:13.760 seems like you're you're out. People are kind of hanging 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:16.600 around around week ten and then people separate in that 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:19.760 second half of the season. UM. Like I've been repeating, 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:22.600 you know, anytime you play and playing in football, like 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.160 my high schools in Semi State right now, you know 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:28.000 college is starting to getting ready for those bowl games, 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:29.920 conference games and stuff like that. You want to be 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:33.280 able to play your best football, UM on every level. 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.320 UM in the second half of the season November December 0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:39.440 for us, it's all the way up until February. So UM. 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:41.440 One thing is good is that we had a lot 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:43.480 of the core guys back from last year, so that 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:45.960 they've had a lot of experience, and even the guys 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:48.280 that we've brought in they know what a playoff run 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:50.560 it feels like. So, UM, I think we play our 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:52.720 best ball when you know when it really matters. UM, 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:55.920 I know, I sure do. Unfortunately, one core guy that 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:57.760 you won't have for the rest of this year is 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:01.320 Chittabay Wog. You can't run replace him. You can't find 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:05.279 a top five corner on the street in the secondary room. 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:08.600 What do you guys say about how you overcome the 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:11.920 loss of Chittabay Wuge. Yeah, I think the biggest part is, um, 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.400 when you when you lose a key player like that, 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.760 you don't only lose them physically out there on the field, 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:21.360 but as far as just him asking questions in the 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:24.560 in the meeting rooms. UM, I think every rookie sits 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:26.480 in the front row, um, in our meeting room, so 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.040 they're able to, you know, get some of those answers 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:31.800 that they're may be scared to ask. Um. But Cheeto 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:33.960 has done an outstanding job of just getting those guys 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.800 up to speed. So I think the main thing is, 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:39.520 like I said, you can't really replace them physically, UM, 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.840 But I think the preparation part of it. UM. It 0:05:42.960 --> 0:05:45.400 kind of leans on me and Van Mike Hilton as 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:48.800 well to kind of get those guys settled down and um, 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:50.640 let them know that we're still playing football. We got 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:52.960 we got their back, just like if Cheeto was in there. 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:56.279 So um, but yeah, it's hard to talk about Cheeto 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:59.120 because I know how hard he works, how much he 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:01.680 puts into this game, and for him to have that 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:05.560 unfortunate injury kind of sucks. But um, it's it's part 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:08.040 of the gain. Your lockers are next to each other. 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:12.280 How tight is that bond? Yeah, we're me and Cheetoh uh, 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:16.119 it's way beyond football. Um, you know, we're locker mates. 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:18.760 I've known them before he even got here a little bit. 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:21.640 One of my best friends play with him in Dallas. So, um, 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.280 you know, I've been able to experience what a real 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:28.240 vet looks like in the locker room. And I always 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:30.160 brag about Cheeto, like maybe it's just a couple of 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:31.840 days where I don't want to talk to anybody, but 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:36.000 cheetos the same guy every single day, and it's just 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:38.800 talks a lot about just who he is, where he 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:42.400 comes from, his foundation. Um, I guess I got emotional 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:44.200 just seeing him out there just laying down. I mean, 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:46.160 he wouldn't even lay down on the field, I'm like, Cheetah, 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:48.680 lay down on the ground. You're you know, you're hurt. Um, 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.120 he just jumped off and you know, jumping off on 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.880 one knee with a torn a cel. You don't see 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:56.440 that lot. So it just says a lot about him. 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.960 We're chatting with Jesse Bates. Louianna Rumo has gained a reputation, 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.120 shouldn't for being a mad scientist for some of his 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:05.240 defensive schemes. None of it works if you and Von 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:08.640 don't communicate the way that you do. Can you describe 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:13.280 the relationship between Lou, you and Vin. Yeah, Um, Coach 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:17.920 Lou has a really open relationship with me Von. We're 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:20.040 able to talk about some funny things, you know, off 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:22.440 the field, outside of the locker room. Um, and then 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:25.560 when we talk about, you know, game specific stuff. I 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.560 think he has a lot of confidence and U two 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:32.520 really smart safeties, two safeties that have seen a lot, Um, 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:34.920 and then the bond with me and Vaughn. It helps 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.120 as well, just having that chemistry, being able to be 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:39.720 on the same page as coach Lou. When he's calling 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:42.480 a call, why is he calling it? Make sure you 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:45.640 get the young guys lined up? Stuff like that. So, Um, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:49.080 me and Von have have grown together. I watched him 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:52.040 go to work every day in the morning and it 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.720 drives not just me, but the whole team may be better. 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:59.440 So our relationship is very unique, I think, um, and 0:07:59.560 --> 0:08:02.080 it's maybe it doesn't show on the stat sheet all 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:04.920 the time, but just being on the same level at 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:09.600 all times it's really good for our defense. He faced 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.080 the Steelers this week, a rematch of the season opener, 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:15.360 tough loss. The team had a minus five turnover ratio 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:18.600 and lound up losing in overtime. Does that one still sting? Yeah, 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:23.800 that one. I don't think people understood how I'm important 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:27.040 that those first games are in this season. And then 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:29.520 it was a divisional game as well, so I think 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:31.640 we're olling three in our division. So this one would 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:35.280 be huge, kind of set the tone for who we're 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:37.040 going to be in the second half of the season. 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:39.800 And it wouldn't be no better beating up on the 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:42.400 Steelers again on their home field. So I wish it 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:45.679 was on primetime, but the four twenty five game will 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:49.640 be just perfect. Pittsburgh's changed quarterbacks rookie Kenny pick at 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.120 his in first quarterback taken in this year's draft. His 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:55.199 stats aren't very good so far too touchdowns, eight picks, 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:57.679 But clearly there's talent there or he wouldn't have been 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:00.959 a first round draft pick. Is he just making rookie mistakes? 0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:03.920 Is that what explains those numbers? Um? Yeah, I would. 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.960 I would say there's not a lot of opportunities at 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:08.800 times for him, But yeah, he tries to force it 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:12.040 a little bit. Um. You know, I kind of down 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:13.920 talk him a little bit. He did the fake slide 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:17.360 on Wake Forest Um and the ACC Championship, so I 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:20.920 gotta get him back at some point for that. But yeah, 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:23.160 I think that he's a young quarterback, has a lot 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:26.120 of talent. He's a playmaker. Um. I think a lot 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:28.760 of his success comes from when he gets outside the 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:30.839 pocket and he starts scrambling and stuff like that. But 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:34.280 you can see that there's some type of chemistry between 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:37.760 him and fourteen, him and eighty eight UM and even eighteen. 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:40.760 He tries to get them the ball. And just certain matchups, 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:44.120 you know, single high, he'll see eighteen or whether that's 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:46.760 fourteen UM opened up and that's I feel like that's 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:48.520 where a lot of his success comes from. M So 0:09:48.880 --> 0:09:51.080 it'll be good for us to you know, mix up 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:54.959 some coverages, disguise some things, and hopefully we can force 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:58.120 him into some more mistakes. I forgot that the fake 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:00.760 slide was against wake Forest. They changed the rules because 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:03.719 of the fake slide. Last thing, there's a story on 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:08.520 ESPN today looking at the top twenty five free agents 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:11.040 in next year's class. Naturally, you are on the list. 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.120 When you're drafted, you don't get to pick your team. 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:18.400 Are you looking forward to being courted, having the opportunity 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:21.920 to see what's out there? You know, I always have 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:24.840 to remind myself. My family kind of reminds me all 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.520 the time that you know, you're in the NFL. I 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:30.720 remember watching you know, Philip Rivers. The Charges were always 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:33.559 my favorite team just because of who I played for 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:38.400 during Pop Warners. So just being able to have that 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:41.640 open market that would be pretty cool. But right now, 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:45.720 I'm just focused on the present, focus on having as 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:47.600 much impact as I can where I'm at right now, 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:50.600 where my feet are, and enjoying this locker room because 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:53.240 I know there's not a lot of other places that 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:57.000 are like this locker room, like this city. So um yeah, 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:59.400 I'm excited for you know that but you know, I 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:02.520 take here to now and the rest of that will 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:06.320 fall into place. So, like you said, it's open marketing 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:09.520 and being able to see what other teams think about you. 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.880 I think that's always pretty cool. Whether I'm leaving here, 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:15.400 whether I'm staying, I think it's pretty cool. You've been 0:11:15.440 --> 0:11:18.199 a great Bengal. We will savor every game that you 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.000 are wearing orange and black. Trust me, best of luck 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:24.840 this Sunday. Thanks you Toime. Absolutely, thank you the Bengals. 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:27.679 Both podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. More 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:33.640 than twenty nine thousand customers trust Paycorps to help them recruit, pay, engage, 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:38.800 and retain employees. Learn more at paycor dot com. At 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:41.800 five and four, The Bengals are currently on the playoff 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:45.520 bubble in the AFC, where only one team has fewer 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:48.920 than three losses. That's Kansas City. At seven and two. 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:53.680 The Dolphins, Titans, Ravens, Jets, and Bills have three losses. 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:58.240 The Patriots, Chargers, and Bengals have four. It looks like 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.640 it's going to be a wild race to the finish 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:03.679 and I talked about the bengals chances this week with 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.120 an ESPN analyst who used to be an NFL scout 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:11.640 with the Patriots and Chiefs. We are joined by NFL 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:15.520 Insider Field, the Eights from ESPN Field. Let's start big picture. 0:12:15.600 --> 0:12:17.800 The Bengals are five and four after they started this 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:20.760 season oh and two. Do you see them making a 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:23.679 run in the second half? I sure do. And I 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:26.240 know that five and four may not have been where 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.800 we forecasted this team when they went into their buy 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.280 when we were making our predictions when the schedule came 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:35.000 out all the way back in May. But the Bengals 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:38.199 probably know this better than most teams. Football and the 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:41.199 NFL is about how you are playing as you get 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.280 into the cold weather seasons when you can start making 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:48.480 your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday plans. And Cincinnati showed that 0:12:48.600 --> 0:12:50.560 last year as they got better and better and better 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:53.760 literally all the way through the playoffs. And if you 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:56.600 look at the AFC right now, well, I do believe 0:12:56.840 --> 0:13:00.480 there are a few excellent teams. I don't think the 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:03.760 depth of the AFC is nearly what we expected it 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.240 to be coming into the season. As you've got teams 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:11.599 amongst others like Denver, like Las Vegas, like Indianapolis that 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.160 as of this moment do not project to be a 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:17.160 part of the playoff picture coming into this season. I 0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:19.440 think all three of those teams thought they could win 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:22.480 their own divisions. So the last time out, Joe Mixon 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:24.880 had a monster game for Cincinnati two hundred and twenty 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:27.280 one yards five touchdowns. You tweeted that it was the 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:31.480 eighth greatest Fantasy performance of all time. How important do 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:34.559 you think it is for Joe to produce, maybe not 0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:37.760 that well, but to produce more significantly than he had 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:40.160 been for the rest of the season. Yeah, I think 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:43.200 you take twenty percent of his touchdown production every single 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:45.640 week going forward and be pretty happy about it. Right, 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:48.600 But it was important for a handful of reasons. First 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:51.520 of all, Joe up to that point of the season 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:54.360 had not had a super efficient year on the ground. 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:56.760 And as we know, the running game is a byproduct 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:00.400 not just the running back, but also the offensive line scheme. 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:03.439 You know, the quarterback involves as well. The way that 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:07.320 you are able to attack an opposing offense is due 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:10.000 to who the quarterback is or is not. So I 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:12.400 don't know that it's just Joe's issue that led to 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:14.959 the inefficient rushing prior to that game, but it was 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.559 good to see him in the entire offense get going 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:20.080 in a major way leading into the buy. You would 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:22.800 think that Joe probably feels much better physically coming out 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:24.960 of the bye as well, with an extra week to 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.640 rest up. And you know, there are coaches and there 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:31.240 are numbers that would tell you that balance is not 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:33.760 important in football. And I think that there are teams 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:35.760 that are good enough in one phase or the other, 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:37.760 and it's usually a team that's good enough passing the 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:40.640 football they don't have to worry as much about running 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:43.200 the ball. But I do think when you can achieve balance, 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:46.040 it does have some things that it does unlock. And 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:49.280 for Cincinnati, while you have a mobile quarterback, you don't 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:53.000 have a Lamar Jackson type athlete and Joe burrowback there 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:56.680 where you know if an effective play action passing game 0:14:56.800 --> 0:15:00.320 is rooted in part from a team respecting that. So 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:02.120 I think there's something to be said for being able 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.480 to run the football the way they did, not quite 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:08.320 like they did in Week nine, but at least closer 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.520 to where things were in Week nine as opposed to 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:13.120 the first eight weeks of the season. Let me follow 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:15.680 up on Joe Burrow. He started poorly after his appen 0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:17.360 deck to me. But now he's up to fourth and 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:21.800 passer rating fifth in passing yards per game. Where do 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:24.680 you consider Joe Burrow to be among the hierarchy of 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:27.480 the great quarterbacks in the NFL. Yeah, it's funny I've 0:15:27.560 --> 0:15:29.920 gotten In the world of fantasy football, which is a 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:32.040 big part of my world at ESPN, one of the 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:35.240 most popular topics is weekly rankings. You know, where are 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:38.840 you ranking this player at this position for the week ahead? 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:42.240 And I've always believed that sometimes those rankings can be 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:45.200 a bit excessive, as we might be better suited to 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:48.600 put players into tiers. And I think that applies to 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:52.600 quarterback rankings as well. Because there's a group of quarterbacks. 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:55.720 Let's let's divvy this up, or divide a line between 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:57.520 the guys that are young, en up and coming still 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:00.560 like twenty eight, twenty nine and younger versus the guys 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:02.600 that are in the latter stages of their career. Because 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:05.240 Tom Brady and Joe Burrow are going to probably you know, 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:07.520 they might meet once more for the rest of their career. 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:09.960 Who knows Brady might be done after this season, We 0:16:10.000 --> 0:16:12.680 don't know. But if you look at the guys that 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.320 are twenty eight or twenty nine and younger. I think 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:18.400 Joe fits into that category of and this applies to 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:20.320 this year by the way of guys that are like 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:25.280 no doubt about its centerpiece of your franchise haven't quite 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:29.280 won either the highest individual accolade of an MVP or 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:32.280 the highest team accolade of a Super Bowl. But obviously 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:35.600 Joe is what nine months removed from having played in 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.520 Los Angeles at the Super Bowl, so my view on 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:41.800 him hasn't changed at all. I think that probably what 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:45.160 has been reinforced this year is that when times are tough, 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:48.160 and this is a league of parody, ask any team. 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:51.200 We saw it on Monday night when the final undefeated 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:54.240 team went down in the Philadelphia Eagles, that when times 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:56.400 are tough, you don't have to worry about Joe and 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:58.680 how he is going to be able to lead the 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:01.760 entire franchise is It certainly strikes me that while there 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:03.600 are lots of guys that have been there for longer 0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:06.640 on both sides of the ball, this team goes as 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:09.879 far as Joe Burrow goes, and his demeanor has continued 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:11.879 to impress me. It makes him one of the most 0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:14.800 unique players in all of sports. We're visiting the field. 0:17:14.880 --> 0:17:18.159 Yates from ESPN DJ reader is about to come back 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.720 from injury for the Bengals. Jamar Chase could be back 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.760 after one more game on the sidelines. Should have a 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:26.119 awoojah in the other hand out for the rest of 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.600 the year. Are these injuries the big variable for Cincinnati 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:32.359 going forward? I think that's a huge part of it 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:35.240 for sure. And you know, I think in the secondary, 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:38.440 like the Bengals are probably not going to unearth some 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:41.840 you know, they're not going to find the next great 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:44.280 cornerback just out of nowhere on the street right now, 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:46.840 Like you kind of have what you have. There might 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:49.639 be some practice squad elevations or guys that have just 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:53.720 been thrust into larger roles. But my sense is that, 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:55.520 like the secondary is going to be a lot of 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:57.840 the players that you've been hearing from throughout the season 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.320 so far, and a veteran safe group certainly helps. And 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:03.560 I think one of the realities of the NFL is 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:06.480 that no great secondary is great without a great pass rush, 0:18:06.720 --> 0:18:08.760 and very few great pass rushes look as great as 0:18:08.760 --> 0:18:11.400 they do without good coverage in the back end. So well, 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.720 we're going to talk about the cornerbacks and the responsibility 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:17.639 of various players in the back end. I think that 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.040 a lot of the work can be offset if Trey 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:23.680 Hendrickson continues to play at a borderline all pro level. 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:26.720 And while DJ obviously makes the vast majority of his 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.320 money being one of the best run defenders in the NFL, 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:32.520 he can certainly impact the integrity of the interior pocket 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:34.639 and other players up front that have given the Bengals 0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:36.840 coop snaps. I mean, Sam Hubbard continues to be And 0:18:37.200 --> 0:18:39.040 I don't like to use this word too often because 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:43.359 I think it gets overused, but under appreciated or underrated 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:46.200 players in the NFL pretty much does everything well and 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.800 that includes rush in the pastor all right, since you 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:52.359 don't like that word, underappreciated or underrated, I'm going to 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:56.280 use that word anyway. In another question. Before you got 0:18:56.359 --> 0:18:59.760 into broadcasting, you had a background in scouting. Is do 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:04.280 Tobin underappreciated or underrated for the job he's done in 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:07.040 building this roster? I think so, And you know you 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:09.960 have the Super Bowl run last year that helps validate that. 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:13.840 And you know it's funny you sometimes don't get enough 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:16.080 credit when you're making picks near the top of the 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:18.880 board because people say, like, what else were you supposed 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:20.960 to do? Are you supposed to give credit to the 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:24.840 individual who took this generation of prospect, whether it was 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:26.679 you know, any number of guys that have been tabbed 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:29.399 the next great thing. And well, I think that certainly 0:19:29.480 --> 0:19:32.040 being closer to the top of the board tends to 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:35.240 lead to you know, that just the potential of those 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:38.520 players is higher, so you should be nailing those picks 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:41.119 a little more frequently. I think that the Bengals have 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:43.320 done a good job of finding depth. I think they've 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.040 done a good job of finding players in not first 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:49.680 round structure that have been major contributors for them. And 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:52.680 you know one thing about Duke and you know, I don't. 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:54.800 I don't want to speak for him, but my guess 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:59.639 is that part of what influences our perception of people 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:03.760 in sports, coaches, players, executives is just how much we 0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:07.440 see of them publicly. And as far as nanimity is concerned, 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:10.720 Duke probably is in that top class of general managers 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:12.960 or personnel executives. And that's not a bad thing, by 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:15.320 the way, that's just how he and how the Bengals 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:18.560 go about their business. So my feeling is that you know, 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:21.000 there are coaches that can have you a drinking the 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:22.920 kool aid a little bit because you see him in 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:26.600 front of the camera and you start to gravitate towards words. Ultimately, 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:29.240 I believe in results, and I think that Cincinnati's results 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:32.520 largely speak for themselves. And this is a franchise has 0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:35.160 had to reshape itself over the past handful of years. 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:37.520 And while a lot of the offensive pieces that are 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:40.280