WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Do You Believe In Magic 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.279 Hike and everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.280 --> 0:00:13.160 The Bengals Booth Podcast the how Do You Believe In Magic? Addition, 0:00:13.320 --> 0:00:16.360 as the super Bowl bound Cincinnati Bengals get ready to 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:19.720 face the Los Angeles Rams next week at the five 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:24.919 billion dollar palace known as Sofi Stadium, coming up, we'll 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:26.920 hear from a Hall of fame coach who will be 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:31.400 part of NBC's broadcast team next week. Former Indianapolis and 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:35.200 Tampa Bay head coach Tony Dungee. My broadcast partner Dave 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:38.760 Lapham joins me to discuss Bengals coach Zach Taylor and 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:43.000 team president Mike Brown, and in Our Know the Faux segment, 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:46.840 we'll catch up with a radio voice of the Rams, JB. Law. 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:50.720 The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:54.400 free to play Next Level Fantasy football game downloaded now 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:58.360 from the App Store and Google Play and by on Location, 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:02.480 the official hospitality partner of the NFL. Visit on Location 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:06.520 exp dot com for exclusive access to the biggest events 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:10.920 in the NFL, including Super Bowl fifty six. Here's a 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:13.200 quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:16.840 this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:21.120 by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:26.480 thing since people who don't recline on airplanes. I'm six two, 0:01:26.640 --> 0:01:29.399 so perhaps I'm more sensitive to this than others. But 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:31.520 when the person in front of me on a plane 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:36.319 reclines way back, it's brutal. That seat is right in 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:39.960 my lap. I know it's every passenger's right to recline, 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:42.840 so I don't complain or shove the seat. But if 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:46.759 you have to recline, how about just going back a little? 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:51.640 The person behind you will appreciate it. Now, let's get 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:55.560 to my guests, beginning with Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungee. 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:58.600 He'll be part of NBC's Super Bowl pregame, halftime and 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:02.160 postgame coverage, and he joined lapping me this week. I'm 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:06.160 the Bengals pep rally show. They great to be with you, 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:08.120 Dan and Dave. And I don't know if I've talked 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:10.520 to Dave since he gave me so many headaches when 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:13.560 I was back coaching with the Steelers long ago. Yeah, 0:02:13.720 --> 0:02:16.960 that's a long time ago, coach, that's a long time ago. 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:21.840 Great to hear your voice, and I want to because 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:25.800 you are a guy that every player of yours that 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:29.560 I've ever talked to loves you, not just respects and 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:32.120 like you, I mean loves you as a person, as 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:35.480 a human being. So you know, people throw the term 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:40.400 culture around so loosely, but you always established an unbelievable 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:43.080 culture with your football team. Your locker rooms are always 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:46.520 dynamic that way. What's more important? Culture? Are the equally 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.440 important culture or xs and os? I think the culture 0:02:50.760 --> 0:02:53.560 is more important because you can have all the x 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.960 and os you want in the world and it's not 0:02:57.000 --> 0:02:59.360 going to get you anywhere if you don't have that 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:02.560 locker room together. And I'd say I was there Wednesday 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:06.960 doing interviews in Cincinnati Bengal players and coaches for our 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:10.880 pregame show, and I sensed it. I felt it. I 0:03:11.040 --> 0:03:13.359 felt the same thing four years ago when we had 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:17.239 the Eagles. I was at the Eagles for four days 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:21.000 and I said, then, these guys, this is a different vibe. 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:24.280 And I really came away in press with Philadelphia and 0:03:24.320 --> 0:03:27.760 I had the same impression with these young men. All 0:03:27.800 --> 0:03:31.160 they talked about was coach Taylor and how he had established, 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:34.240 how he brought winners in, how he brought unselfish guys 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:37.760 in and I'll tell you what, in that day, I 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:41.520 really really felt that there is a strong winning culture 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:45.360 there in Cincinnati. How about Joe Burrow in particular, Coach, 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:48.640 anything stand out from your interactions with Joe? I actually 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:52.520 didn't talk to Joe. Drew Brees did that interview, you know, 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.440 I watched it from AFAR and I watched him, But 0:03:55.640 --> 0:04:00.400 just in talking to other players, I asked DJ Reader, 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:02.680 what in the world, how could you be a free 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:05.840 agent and decide to come to a two win team 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:09.160 when you had to switch the point anywhere? And he said, Hey, 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:11.680 I wanted to play with Joe Burrow. I knew they 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:13.880 were going to be good when they got this guy, 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:16.320 and he wasn't even there yet, I don't think, but 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:19.160 just you know the fact that he was going to 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:22.919 be there, so many players talking about his impact, his leadership. 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:25.840 It was just it was great to hear it. Really 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:28.880 that it reminded me of our guys talking about Peyton Manning. 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:30.600 It really did. Yeah, that's what I was going to 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:33.919 ask you about, Coach. When you got a guy like 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:36.599 Peyton Manning, who's football menza, I mean, he has a 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:39.800 beautiful mind. For the game. It's just it's incredible how 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:43.400 much information he can absorb and be able to sort 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:45.920 through it at the most opportune time to answer a 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:49.280 problem that a defense is presenting. Whatever. And do you 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:53.279 think if you felt like Joe Burrow, I'm not staying 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:55.560 he's Peyton Manning. I mean that that would be very 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:59.040 premature obviously, But do you think he could track along 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.599 those ways with that mind that he has football wise? 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:05.600 I do, and I think his players since that it's 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:09.560 the poise, is the confidence. It's not getting rattled when 0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:12.160 I have a couple of bad series, We're going to 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:16.160 have the answer. When it's that third and man critical 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.200 third down in the Kansas City game and Chris Jones 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:23.159 comes almost untouched yea, and some way just able to 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:27.520 get away, keep his wits, make the first down and 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:30.440 not you know, oh, how did we blow this blocking assignment? 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:33.279 But no, I'm going to make something happen. And I 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:35.920 think that's what the players since, you know, no matter 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:39.159 what happens, Joe's in control. He's going to make something 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:41.200 good out of it, and we're going to move forward. 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.520 And when you had that type of confidence in your leader, 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:47.520 it impacts everyone Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungee is 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:49.960 our guests. Before being a great head coach, you are 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:53.000 highly successful for your work as a defensive coach. And 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:57.400 let's talk about the Bengals defensive performance last week. Seven 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.360 possessions in the second half of the Chiefs without scoring 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:04.080 a touchdown. How remarkable was that in your opinion? Well, 0:06:04.120 --> 0:06:07.800 it was really remarkable, especially after the first half where 0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:10.120 in the first half there were four drives that went 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:12.040 right up and down the field and the fourth one 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:15.680 stopped at the one yard line. But everything Kansas City 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:19.360 seemed to do was working, and they made some adjustments, 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:23.479 they kept their poise and came back with a confidence 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:26.479 And you don't normally see that. I mean sometimes you 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:29.200 see people come in and hey, we blanketed the Chiefs 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.520 and we had a great game plan. But to do 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:37.760 it after being struck so quickly that that was very 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:42.520 impressive to me. Coach, How big a deal is position versatility? 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:46.080 You have a Swiss army knife like Sam Hubbard, who 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:48.520 you know, in his high school days at Mulla High School, 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:51.160 a very successful program here in Cincinnati, was a safety 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:54.000 and then ended up getting bigger and strong, moved to linebacker. 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.560 Ohiose State went from linebacker to defensive lineman. So he's 0:06:56.600 --> 0:07:00.719 got some athleticism. So they plant linebacker or some spying 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:03.000 and you know, and then the late rush. To have 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.640 a guy like that or guys like that on your 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:08.920 defensive football team, How does that What kind of an 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:12.560 edge does that give you? To have that athletic versatility? Well, 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:15.680 that versatility helps, and you always want athletes, But what 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:19.520 I love is the guys who understand what's going on. 0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:22.760 So Sam is able to play in different spots but 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:25.040 know what to do right. And I was speaking to 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:27.800 Von Bell and hey, we've got a couple of things 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:29.920 going on here and we had to make some changes 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:32.160 and we had to show this. But look like this 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:37.600 because this is what Mahomes was seeing. And Jesse Bates, 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:39.800 you know on the big interception, Well here's what was 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:41.960 going on. We had a double on Tyreek Hill, but 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.920 I knew that's where Mahomes was going, so I just 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:47.800 was able to come out of center field and shift 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:51.080 over that way a little bit. Guys who understand the game, 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:55.440 it makes such a difference. Tony Dungee is our guest. 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:58.040 A lot of US coach look at this matchup and think, 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:01.160 all right, if we've got to pick out a specific 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:05.480 positional battle, it's the Bengals offensive line trying to block 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:09.280 Aaron Donald, von Miller, Leonard Floyd, etc. Is that the 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:12.120 matchup that you kind of have your eyes on at 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:16.280 this stage. It absolutely is that, David, I know you 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:22.440 got to relate to this, But they're evenly match across 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:25.520 the board. You know, the Rams has some really really 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:29.040 good receivers, well, so so do the Bengals. The Bengals 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:31.600 have a great quarterback who's playing well and playing hot, 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:34.679 well so do the Rams. And you can go up 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.520 and down the line. The one difference seems to be 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.360 here's a team that creates a lot of pressure with 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:43.520 their front, the Rams, and a team that struggled in 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:47.960 pass protection, Cincinnati. And that's where it's going to be 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:51.800 one or loss to me. If Cincinnati gives Joe Burrow 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.240 time to throw, they're gonna move the ball. These guys 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:57.199 are gonna get open, he's gonna throw it accurately, and 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:00.320 they're gonna make plays. And I think if I was 0:09:00.360 --> 0:09:03.520 sitting in the Rams seat, if I'm Raheem Morris, I 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:05.840 would say, you know what, the one chance we had 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:08.040 you guys up front. You have to dominate the game. 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:10.200 You have to get pressure. That's the way we're going 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.440 to win the game. And if Cincinnati can come up 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:15.720 with a way to protect, I think they will move 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:18.880 the ball and score and win the ball game. So 0:09:19.000 --> 0:09:21.640 special teams the all important third phase, you know, the 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:24.720 hidden yards, And I think there's only been one punt 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:28.480 return touchdown in Super Bowl history. I believe so there 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:32.680 haven't been, you know, those unscripted, unconventional scores as such. 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:36.040 But field position is always a huge factor. The bigger 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:38.680 the game, the bigger the hidden yards are you see 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:42.760 it that way in this one? Yeah, that's always important. 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:46.079 And you've got to catch the ball in your punt returns. 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:50.880 A kickoff game in today's game is pretty much neutralized. 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:52.840 You're getting the ball at the twenty five most of 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:55.960 the time. So how is it going to change decision 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.800 making by your coaches? Who's going to be aggressive? Hey, 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:01.200 we're going for it on fourth down rather than punt him, 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:05.520 but rather than punt him in there, And so coaching 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:12.280 decisions can make that difference. Hunting the football one or 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:15.680 two opportunities to pin people down and close. Don't let 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:18.280 the ball, bounce as a return man, don't fumble a 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:22.680 return and change the field positions. But I think the 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:26.320 field position will be turnovers and takeaways, and I think 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:30.040 it'll be pretty balanced if neither team turns the ball over. 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:33.160 Final question, coach, and we appreciate you so much for 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:35.360 carbon time out of your schedule. I know it must 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:39.640 be crazy busy. If you as a Hall of Fame coach, 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:43.160 super Bowl winning coach, what would your piece of advice 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:46.079 be if you could sit down with Zach Taylor and 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:51.400 McVeigh Sean McVeagh the day before the game and say, 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:53.839 I'd like you to say this to your football team 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:57.480 before the Super Bowl. I would go back to something 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:00.280 my coach, Chuck Mole used to tell us when I 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:04.000 was with the Steelers every game and it didn't matter 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.120 for the first preseason game or the Super Bowl. He 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:11.240 would say, you win with fundamentals. You don't have the 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:15.520 bigger the games get. You don't have to up your production, 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:18.200 you don't have to raise your level of play. You 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.479 have to do what you always do in crucial situation. 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:24.199 So to me, the team that can play their game 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:26.559 not worry that it's the super Bowl and not I 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:29.720 think they have to do something special or something spectacular, 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.880 but do what they do, play in and play out. 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:37.000 That's who's going to win the game. Coach Dungee, you 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:39.400 are a Hall of Famer in every sense of that expression. 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:42.439 Congratulations on a remarkable career, and thank you so much 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:45.600 for joining us on our show today. We really appreciate it. Hey, 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:48.319 thank you. Looking forward to sending the game and very 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:50.120 very excited, and I was, I'll tell you what, just 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:54.680 coming into Cincinnati and seeing the excitement there, it really 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:57.880 made me feel good. The flight attendance on the flight 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:00.520 coming in, Hey are you going to cover up Bengals? 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:05.600 The rental car plays everywhere, was just excited and you'd 0:12:05.600 --> 0:12:07.240 love to see that. And you know what, let me 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:10.400 say one more thing too. I really have to commend 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:14.240 Mike Brown in this day and age, he hired a 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:17.200 coach he believed in. The coach. The first year they 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:19.720 won two games, the second year they won four games. 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.480 How many other places of the other thirty two teams 0:12:23.559 --> 0:12:25.839 when the head coach won six games in two years 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.880 do they make a change. And Mike Brown said, no, 0:12:29.480 --> 0:12:32.400 this is the staff I believe in. And it paid off. 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:35.000 And I think that's a message to the rest of 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:40.360 the league. Stick with your guys and have confidence, have 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.360 faith in the choices that you've made. And I just 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:46.240 there's a part of me I want the Bengals to 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.200 win just for that. So that makes the rest of 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:52.559 the league get that message. Here here, coach, you're the best, sir. 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:57.240 Thank you all right. Thanks. Guys's comments about the Bengals 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.960 sticking with Zach Taylor are the perfect segue to our 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:04.280 next topic, because Friday mark the three year anniversary of 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:08.160 the Bengals naming him head coach. Before I discuss Zach 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.679 with Dave Lapham, here's what team president Mike Brown had 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:15.439 to say about coach Taylor just before his first season 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:19.959 got underway. You're getting ready to start a new season 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:24.400 with a new head coach. What about Zach Taylor impresses you. Oh, 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:29.800 he's a great young guy. He's dedicated coaching. He is 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:36.560 offensive oriented. I like that. I think my father was 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:41.280 that way. I have never been a coach, but I 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:45.160 like to think in those terms, and I focus on 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:49.600 the offense first and foremost too. It'll be interesting to 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:53.840 see if we can get things together and be the 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:56.240 kind of team we want to be in. We'll see 0:13:56.280 --> 0:14:00.439 how quickly that can come about, but I think has 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:05.200 write ingredients. Well how quickly part turned out to be 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:08.600 three years. But interesting to hear Mike at the time 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:11.160 talk about his feelings for why the Bengals chose Zach 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.239 Taylor as the head coach. Yeah, and you know, obviously 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.640 the head coach prior was defensive oriented with Marvin Lewis, 0:14:17.760 --> 0:14:21.560 there was some success there, but Mike Brown is predisposed 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:24.000 to the offensive side of football. I think he feels 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:27.160 more comfortable, you know, in dialogue on that side of 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:30.840 the football from a philosophical standpoint, And there's there's no 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:35.800 question whenever anybody spends time was Zach Taylor and does 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.880 a deep dive into what his mind is like from 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:42.520 an offensive standpoint, This guy's you know, we talked about 0:14:42.600 --> 0:14:45.280 Joe Burrow all the time, you know, being a football sumount. 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:50.040 Zach Taylor has a reliant offensive mind. I mean, he 0:14:50.120 --> 0:14:53.640 knows his offensive football, there's no question about it. And 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.080 you know, other coaches on the staff, I mean, Brian Callahan, 0:14:56.120 --> 0:15:01.080 there's these guys are all you know, and Pitcher just 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:04.040 go right down the line. Frank Pollock. The coaching staff 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:08.560 has jelled, and that's important. Everybody knows their role, everybody 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:12.120 knows their lane, everybody knows what they're responsible for. Nobody, 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:15.080 you know, tries to step on another guy's territory, another 0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:18.640 guy's toes, and it is clicking right now. And that's 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:21.440 what that's what Paul Brown was so good at. Paul 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:23.680 Brown was like, I know what I want, I know 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:26.720 what I'm doing, and I'm gonna hire guys and designate 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:30.000 them with responsibilities and if they can't do it, I'll 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:33.240 fire them. But once I hire them, I'm gonna let 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:35.440 them do it. But if they prove to me they can't, 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:40.400 they're gone. So that's that's what I think. They've found 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:45.600 a combination of guys that just jelled and hit it 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.720 off in terms of the coaching staff and then the 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:50.760 players as well. As we talked about, you know, it's 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:54.520 it's like it's like one big we are family. That's 0:15:54.560 --> 0:16:00.760 what it is. It's like another another redo of that lyric, 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:04.920 we are a family. Darren Simmons has been the Bengal 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:08.120 Special teams coordinator now for nineteen years, the first sixteen 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:11.880 under Marvin Lewis, the last three under Zach Taylor. So 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:15.240 He's got an interesting perspective about the two most recent 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:18.920 Cincinnati Bengals head coaches haven't been with coach Lewis and 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:21.440 Zach that they have very different styles. You know, Marvin's 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:23.880 probably more of an old school guy. Zach is more 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.400 new school. So it's been I say new school. It's 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.440 been great to be a part of seeing uh, you know, 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:31.960 how you deal with players. Um, it's been different in 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:34.080 the fact that you know, Marvin was more of a 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:36.680 head coach. I mean he you know, he really managed 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:38.960 the whole team. He didn't really call defenses that much. 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:41.040 You know, he had a defensive background. He didn't call 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:43.200 a lot of defense except for you know, a couple 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:45.480 of spots that he did. But you know, Zach has 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:49.160 to deal with with calling offensive plays, trying to manage 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:51.800 the in game situations, and trying to manage the whole team. 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:54.440 It's it's unbelievable how he can manage all that and 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:56.640 shows his capacity and it's it's been really neat to 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:59.280 be a part and see all that. But it's unbelievable 0:16:59.320 --> 0:17:01.000 the way that he deals of the players, that the 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:05.479 level of confidence that he brings to our guys. I 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:07.640 think our guys trust him, our guys believe in him, 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:11.240 and uh, you know, he's really made great strides, you know, 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:14.760 from twenty nineteen so now, it's been really an unbelievable 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:17.520 credit to him, how he's really evolved and developed. And 0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:20.359 I've learned a ton from that too. Well, Darren Simmons 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.160 used the term great strides. Do you see any obvious 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:26.439 ways that Zach Taylor improved in his three years as 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:30.399 the Bengals head coach? I think that the log that 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:32.959 he keeps, I think it's served him well. You know, 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.240 he has a journal like a football diary as such, 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.679 that he keeps on a daily basis, and it's pretty 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:43.919 extensive and it's all handwritten and it's his reference, you know. 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:46.920 And I think you know, as the old saying goes, 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:50.840 make make them stake once. You know, shame on you 0:17:51.119 --> 0:17:53.840 make the mistake twice, shame on me. It's he's not 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:57.640 gonna He's not gonna make the same mistake multiple times. 0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:00.680 And that's all you can ask for. You know, you grow, 0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:07.719 you learn, you grow from your experiences. And honestly, on 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:11.920 the one franchise that Zach Taylor could have survived six 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.320 twenty five and one in the first two years is 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:17.760 Mike Brown and Cincinnati Bengals. And I think Zach is 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:22.320 acutely aware of that, and they just feel, I think, 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:25.640 at this stage now with a payoff, the greatest turnaround 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:30.159 in NFL history, no question, the greatest turnaround in NFL history. 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:33.920 They feel comfortable with each other right now. And and 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:37.080 but the thing that was very, very a credit to 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:41.040 all even when they were struggling and going through the 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.439 tough times, they had the same vision and they're like, 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:47.959 you know, let's just keep plugging. Let's just keep plugging 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:50.560 and try to get there. And the patients that everybody 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:53.040 showed with each other and the persistence that everybody showed 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.200 with each other, it paid off. And you got to 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:57.520 tip your cap to them. I mean, there there really 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:02.200 isn't It would not take long to call roll on 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:06.040 other owners and franchises in the National Football League. They 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:08.600 would have gone through six, twenty five and one in 0:19:08.680 --> 0:19:11.960 a two years stretch and said we're good. Let's take 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:13.639 that a step further. Because there were a lot of 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:15.760 people at the end of last year that said, well, 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:18.840 if they're going to keep Zach Taylor, at least they've 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:22.360 got to change defensive coordinators right, and when the Bengals 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:25.120 did not make changes either with the OC Brian Callahan 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:27.919 or the DC lou Ana Rumo, there are plenty of 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:30.240 people that said, well, that's you know, that's just a joke. 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.040 Well you're happy you have lou Anna Rumo now, because 0:19:33.960 --> 0:19:37.680 last week was his ultimate masterpiece, the second half performance 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:40.359 against Kansas City in a year where the Bengals defense 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:44.159 has consistently performed well, and I think that's a tribute 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:47.439 to Zach, because you know, Zach in the meetings with 0:19:47.520 --> 0:19:49.639 the family said he stood up on the table for 0:19:49.680 --> 0:19:52.200 his coordinators. He said, if you're gonna, if you're gonna 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:55.479 be patient with me, please. You know, I'm working with 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:57.720 these guys every day. I know what I see, I 0:19:57.800 --> 0:19:59.960 know what's happening. I know all the ins and out, 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:03.240 so why things are happening. Some things are beyond a 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:05.760 lot of things are beyond these guys control. You know, 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:08.600 let's just let's just let it play out. And uh, 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:12.200 and they did. And sometimes the best decision you can 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:15.000 make is to not make a decision like that. You know, 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:19.280 it's it's like, uh, stay status quo sometimes can be 0:20:19.359 --> 0:20:23.959 the best decision. It'll it'll frustrate people, There's no question. 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:29.679 I mean, human nature is quick change, you know, move on, 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:32.160 move on, and get away from that. That's we don't 0:20:32.200 --> 0:20:34.480 want to have. If you're having success over and over 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:37.560 and over again, obviously that's that's great. But if you're struggling, 0:20:37.720 --> 0:20:41.560 you know, multiple consecutive years or whatever or whatever it 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:43.920 is in your workplace, I mean, you feel like you're 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:45.560 gonna get fired or if you're a manager, you're going 0:20:45.600 --> 0:20:50.400 to fire somebody. It's it's very rare to do what 0:20:50.600 --> 0:20:53.320 the Bengals and Mike Brown decided to do. It really is, 0:20:53.359 --> 0:20:57.560 particularly in this era of football, and it paid huge 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:00.800 dividends going to the Super Bowl, and if they can 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:06.240 win this Super Bowl, oh my god, it would be unbelieving. 0:21:06.280 --> 0:21:09.840 It really would be unbelievable. From two and fourteen and 0:21:10.080 --> 0:21:14.000 four eleven and one to a super Bowl trophy, a 0:21:14.119 --> 0:21:18.479 Lombardi Trophy is sticking in the lobby. What it's crazy. 0:21:18.520 --> 0:21:22.119 I mean about flying back from the Super Bowl with 0:21:22.160 --> 0:21:25.479 a Lombardi Trophy and flash back to that first year, 0:21:25.600 --> 0:21:28.440 how many road games in a row. It was just like, 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:31.720 I mean, you were you were getting on a plane 0:21:31.720 --> 0:21:35.320 and flying to you know, hell basically, you know, I 0:21:35.359 --> 0:21:38.320 mean it was it was just there was no pleasure 0:21:38.520 --> 0:21:41.280 in those road trips. It's fly back, you know, just 0:21:41.359 --> 0:21:43.280 kind of shaking your head again, scratching your head and 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:46.239 shaking it. And I can't imagine what the coaches were 0:21:46.280 --> 0:21:51.960 going through. I mean, it's Zach. How about how about 0:21:51.960 --> 0:21:54.359 the story he told when he and brianon Callahan when 0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:57.200 they played the Rams the first time and they said, 0:21:57.240 --> 0:21:58.760 you know, let's just figure out how we can get 0:21:58.760 --> 0:22:01.720 a yard against Aaron Donald and they're having trouble even 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:04.359 figuring that out. I mean, you talk about coming a 0:22:04.400 --> 0:22:10.200 long way, baby, that's that's a man, That's that's memories 0:22:10.240 --> 0:22:14.479 where all those building blocks, all those foundational building blocks 0:22:14.520 --> 0:22:17.080 that you had to you had to put in place 0:22:17.440 --> 0:22:20.760 in the right way before the thing would wouldn't be 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:25.879 able to be built upon. And that's that was a long, long, 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:29.520 arduous process. More from Lap in a moment, but first, 0:22:29.560 --> 0:22:32.399