WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Don't Give Up 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:07.000 Happy Thanksgiving everybody. I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:13.160 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Don't Give Up Onus Baby addition, 0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:16.000 as the Bengals try to keep their playoff hopes alive 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:21.200 as they host the dreaded, hated, but grudgingly respected Pittsburgh Steelers. 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:24.759 Coming up, I'll go one on one with Evan McPherson 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:27.240 as he tries to break out of his first slump 0:00:27.560 --> 0:00:32.000 since high school. ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates joins me 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:35.440 to discuss the season to date, what the Bengals should 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:38.800 be looking for in next year's draft, and this week's 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:41.480 Know the Faux segment, we'll find out why the Steelers 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:44.920 are in first place from their radio voice Rob King. 0:00:45.479 --> 0:00:48.440 The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:52.360 Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:56.920 Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:59.840 and community to a new level, and by kettering o 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:03.560 Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:07.480 is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's 0:01:07.520 --> 0:01:10.119 a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:13.160 of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or 0:01:13.200 --> 0:01:17.600 computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:24.080 greatest thing since the Syracuse sportscasting tradition. During the bye week, 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:27.919 I have the opportunity to visit my alma mater, Syracuse University, 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:32.319 and it was a powerful reminder of how unbelievably fortunate 0:01:32.400 --> 0:01:36.240 I am to be part of s u's sportscasting fraternity. 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:39.360 It was started by Marty Glickman in the nineteen thirties. 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:43.240 After Marty started calling New York Knicks games, he became 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:45.959 a mentor to a ball boy who wanted to get 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:50.840 into broadcasting named Marv Albert. Marv eventually followed his lead 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:54.240 and also went to Syracuse, and that started a tradition 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.600 that continues to this day and the list of Syracuse 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:03.240 sportscasting grads includes Abcostas, Mike Tarico, Sean McDonough, Iron Eagle, 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:08.440 Beth Mowens, Dave Lapham, and many others. Simply put, attending 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:14.200 Syracuse turned my childhood broadcasting dreams into a reality. Now 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:17.400 let's get to my first guest. The Bengals field goal 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:19.400 unit is lined up and ready to go. At thirty 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:21.880 three yard try to win the game for Evan McPherson, 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:25.120 fifth round draft pick rookie out of Florida. Clark Harris, 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:27.480 thirteenth year pro, will snap it back to Kevin Huber, 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.160 thirteenth year pro. The snap, the put down, the swing 0:02:30.200 --> 0:02:32.280 of the leg, the kick on its way. 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:33.799 He good. 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:37.920 The Bengals win it. 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:42.600 On the final playoff overtime, Evan McPherson poist it onto 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:46.520 the shoulders of his teammates, has Cincinnati pulls it out 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.160 twenty seven to twenty four. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.559 From the first game of his rookie year, Evan McPherson 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:57.320 has been well money Mack. He's nineteen for nineteen in 0:02:57.360 --> 0:03:00.920 the postseason. He's made seven game winners, including two in 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.440 the playoffs, and he's drilled field goals from fifty six, 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:08.600 fifty seven, fifty eight, and fifty nine yards. But this 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:12.280 year Evan has struggled, missing a game winning try in 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:16.280 overtime against Baltimore and hooking a pair of fourth quarter 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:19.320 kicks against the Chargers that would have given the Bengals 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:22.040 the lead. I talked to the twenty five year old 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:27.280 this week about trying to get back on track. Evan, 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:30.960 you have been remarkably consistent in your NFL career, and 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.120 you started off great this year, making nine out of 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:35.920 your first ten. Since then, you've struggled a bit. You've 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:38.800 gone six for eleven. Have you been able to pinpoint 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:41.560 anything specific, No. 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:42.160 Not to this point. 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:46.160 In my head, I'm kicking about as good as I 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:49.680 have and I think I've expressed that hitting the ball 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:52.080 really well, just not putting the ball where it needs 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:56.920 to go. So it's just continue to trust what I 0:03:57.000 --> 0:04:00.480 do in practice in preparation for the game, and just 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:02.760 carry that over because like I said, I feel like 0:04:02.800 --> 0:04:06.000 I'm kicking well in practice, kicking well in pregame, and 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:09.920 for whatever reason, it's not translating. But it's just keep 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:14.960 the trust and know that eventually my body will figure 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.000 it out and I'll start start getting on the roll again. 0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:21.080 Seems like your last few misses have been left. Is 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:23.640 it easier to fix when you're missing in one direction 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:25.159 than if you were missing both ways? 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.240 Yeah, I think for a right foot a kicker, it's 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:29.760 probably easier to fix a miss to the right. 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:32.600 And I've always been a right miss guy. 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:35.920 I've never missed left, and to be honest, I mean 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:39.360 I can't pinpoint again like the exact reason why I'm 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:41.960 missing left. I'll maybe tugging it a little more than 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:45.159 I have been. But yeah, it's just kind of interesting 0:04:45.240 --> 0:04:48.560 that all my misses this year have been left rather 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:49.039 than right. 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.840 It would be human nature for confidence to waiver a 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:56.080 little bit. Has any doubt started to creep in? 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:59.120 No, I wouldn't say so. Like I said, I got 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:01.599 great teammates around that believe in me. I got great 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:04.240 coaches that believe in me. And I've got a great 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:09.400 family and friends just surrounding me and pouring confidence into me. 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:10.560 Even though, like you know. 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:13.320 Sometimes I will say, the devil will try to creep 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:15.000 into your mind and get get a hold of you. 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.599 But you just got to trust in God and know 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:21.560 that he's going to pull you out of any tough times. 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:26.400 And they say there's a peak to every valley, right, 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:29.840 there's a there's a mountaintop up there somewhere. 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:32.279 We just got to climb the mountain and just keep trusting. 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:36.000 We haven't seen you experience anything like this in the NFL. 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:38.279 How about before that, did you ever have a stretch 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:41.080 in college or even high school where, for whatever reason, 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:43.000 it just took a little while to get it back. 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:43.800 Yeah, for sure. 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:46.960 I feel like high school was that time where I struggled. 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:47.760 My senior year. 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:51.479 I went like nine to eighteen my senior year on 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:53.400 field goals, which we attempted like a lot. 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:55.560 I attempted like four or five. 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:58.039 Over sixty and then all the other ones were like 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:01.440 fifty plus. But definitely struggled with my senior year of 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:03.320 high school. And then I feel like I turned it 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:08.560 around and had a really good freshman, sophomore, and junior year. So, 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:11.359 like I said, I feel like even when you're struggling, 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:13.359 I feel like you learn the most from those moments 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:17.960 and you get mentally tougher from those times, and so 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:19.600 I feel like coming out of it, we're going to 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:20.640 be better than ever. 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:24.359 We're visiting with Devin McPherson. You've had four holders in 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:26.960 the last three years. I know you well enough to 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:29.360 know you're not going to blame anything on a holder, 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:32.839 But how big are the differences from one person to 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:33.360 the next. 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.919 It's just understanding what each other like and getting building 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:39.680 trust and just so that I don't have to think 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:45.160 about any other situation other than kicking the ball, you know, 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:46.760 I think that's the main thing as a kicker is like, 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.080 you don't have to worry about if the snap's going 0:06:49.120 --> 0:06:50.760 to be good, or if the hole is going to 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:52.120 be on the spot, or if you're gonna have the 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:54.240 correct lean on the ball and the laces are going to. 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:55.719 Be facing straight out. 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:57.800 I feel like a kicker doesn't want to have to 0:06:57.839 --> 0:07:00.240 worry about those things. And when you don't have to, 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:01.920 and all you think about is going out there and 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:03.680 hitting the best wall you can, I feel like you 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:09.039 aren't a good place. But all four guys that I've had, 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:13.040 I mean, obviously Kevin and Clark were a well oiled machine. 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:16.600 They rarely messed up. 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:19.840 But after them, I mean, everybody that we brought in 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:22.760 has adapted really well, really fast, and. 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:25.680 Has really done a great job. 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:29.320 Justin Tucker is widely considered to be the greatest kicker 0:07:29.320 --> 0:07:31.520 of all time. He's got the same number of misses 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:34.720 that you have so far this year. In a roundabout 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:37.200 way or a weird way, is it kind of reassuring 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:40.880 to know that that guy is going through it this year? 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:44.880 I mean, I feel like everybody goes through it at 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:49.040 some point in their career. I feel like you try 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:52.720 to focus on yourself for the most part. Of course, 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:54.320 you look at the guys around you, But I feel 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.960 like you can get so caught up looking around you 0:07:57.000 --> 0:07:58.960 that you're not focusing on yourself. And so I feel 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:00.520 like maybe that's what I've been doing a little bit 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:02.880 too much, And so I feel like from here on out, 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:06.239 it's just kind of staying in my lane, not worrying 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:09.680 about anybody else but this team and what we're doing. 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:12.240 Did the buy come at a good time just to 0:08:12.280 --> 0:08:14.080 get away and relax. 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:17.240 Oh, fantastic time. Me and my wife and daughter we 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:20.240 went back home, were obviously from the same hometown, so 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:24.760 you got both families, and my wife's family has a 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:29.000 place on the mountain on the river and no cell 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:35.400 service whatsoever, And so talk about just fantastic and like 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:38.720 you said, coming at the right time, It probably couldn't 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:41.600 come at a better time. Just to kind of sit back, 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:46.240 relax and just enjoy family. It was fantastic, And to 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:48.559 play a little golf and just get a little mental release. 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:52.920 And I feel like it just rejuvenates your spirit to 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:54.080 finish the season strong. 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:56.160 I have no doubt that you were going to kick 0:08:56.200 --> 0:08:59.440 a game winning field goal sometime soon. Do you want 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:03.480 that opportunity more than ever, just because some of the 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:04.160 recentness is. 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:08.240 Yeah, of course, like I mean, that opportunity is always 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:10.439 a special one to get out there and to win 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:12.640 the game, and you know, it sucks that we haven't 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:15.880 been able to come through recently in those opportunities. 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:17.480 But you know, I feel like. 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:20.960 Coming up, like I said, I feel like bye week, 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:24.360 we've kind of reset and come into it like a 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:26.440 new season and we're just going to treat it as 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:32.240 that and just attack every opportunity that we get. And 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:34.400 we know the games coming up are really important, so 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.280 we're just gonna be uh locked in and ready for those. 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.440 I look forward to asking you about the game winner 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:43.440 as soon as it happens, hopefully on Sunday against the Steelers. 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:45.760 Appreciate your time, Yeah, thank you, appreciate it. 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:49.959 I've seen a few people suggest that the Bengals should 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:53.960 bring in somebody to compete with McPherson or even cut him. 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:58.960 My response is, don't cut him, fix him. Evan is 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:01.080 one of the players on the team who has proven 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:04.480 to be elite at his position. The last thing they 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:07.160 should do is let him go to another team, make 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:12.200 a tiny adjustment and become mister reliable again. That will 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:18.559 happen hopefully this Sunday against Pittsburgh. ESPN NFL analyst Field 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:22.800 Yates has a unique background. He spent six years assisting 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:26.040 the scouting and coaching staffs of the Kansas City Chiefs 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:30.240 and New England Patriots before getting into broadcasting. He joined 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.319 me this week to discuss the Bengals struggles so far 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:36.120 this year and what it's going to take to make 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:41.360 a playoff push. Our guest this week is ESPN football 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:45.480 analyst Field Yates, among other things, a fantasy football expert. 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:50.040 Leading to this question, Field, is Jamar Chase having one 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:54.720 of the great wide receiver fantasy football seasons of all time? 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:57.199 He sure is up there. I'll tell you what. He's 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.319 a whole hot in three and let's call it a 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:02.640 half season into his NFL career. But we came into 0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:05.000 the season saying to ourselves there was so much wide 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:08.199 receiver depth across the league, and it felt like, because 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:11.600 of the contract situation, it wasn't totally clear where Jamar 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:15.120 would rank amongst those wide receivers. But the uncertainty surrounding 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.880 would he be there in Week one? Would he not? Well? Instead, 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:19.960 he has been the best wide receiver in the NFL 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:23.480 by a significant margin. Not just the NFL's receiver in 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:26.080 terms of well, he's got the triple Crown threat on 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:28.800 right now, but also the number one score in fantasy 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.720 football wide receiver as well. In recent weeks, he has 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:34.120 also reminded us that in a single game, there is 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:37.320 no player who is more explosive than Jamar Chase. So 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:39.640 he has been a joy to having a fantasy football 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:41.600 roster this season, that much is for sure. 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:44.400 All right, let's get to the team in general. Four 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:48.120 and seven through eleven games. What do you make of 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:50.000 the Bengals so far in twenty twenty four. 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:53.680 Yeah, nothing revelatory about this, but this is the Kuda 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:56.240 would have should a team right now in the NFL. 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:58.360 I know that you can't do this, but you flip 0:11:58.360 --> 0:11:59.920 a few of those games and next thing you know, 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.040 we're talking about a team was challenging for the AFC 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:05.160 North title. That's not how the football had, not how 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:08.199 football works, not how the NFL works. Bengals fans have 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:11.240 been around long enough to know exactly that, But situational 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:13.840 football has been unkind to this team. You know, I 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:17.280 know the offense would never pin things publicly entirely against 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:19.559 the defense, but one side of the offense, one side 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:20.960 of the ball, has held up its end of the 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.240 bargain much more than the other side of the ball 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:26.840 has this year. And while you know the playoff chances 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:30.400 might be low, they're not gone completely. And perhaps this 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:32.240 bi week will be one that we look back upon 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:34.880 and say that was the flashball moment for the defense 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.319 to get things going, and the special teams for that matter. 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.800 But it just feels like a comprehensive sixty minute game 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.600 has been very elusive from all sides of the football 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:46.080 so far from the team this season, and they have 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:49.559 really no margin for error going forward. They must take 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.320 care of business, and of course starts this upcoming Sunday 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:53.440 against Pittsburgh. 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:55.959 To make the playoffs, it probably is going to require 0:12:55.960 --> 0:12:59.280 a five to one finish, maybe six, And oher does 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:01.520 Joe Burrow make that possible? 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:04.160 He does with the way he's playing right now. And 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.240 I know that we don't hand out the MVP award 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:08.560 after two weeks or eight weeks or twelve weeks, but 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:11.240 you know, at least if you're putting together a potential ballot, 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:13.760 Joe Burrow is on that ballots, and he's been so 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:17.840 impressive with the usual suspect traits right, the accuracy down 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:20.920 the field underneath intermedia throws has been great. I still 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:23.600 think he is the best in pocket navigator in the 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:27.440 entire NFL. His capacity to buy himself an extra half 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:30.200 second by himself a little bit more time and space. 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:32.440 And he is a good athlete. Obviously he can do 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:35.400 some damage with his legs, but he's so smart about 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:38.760 finding ways to buy himself a bit extra time in 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:41.199 the pocket that rather than scramble for eight yards, he 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:43.360 might turn it into an eighteen or twenty eight yard 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.400 throw down the field. He has been nothing short of 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.520 remarkable this year. He's playing maybe the best football of 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.240 his career, which is saying a lot for a guy 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.760 that started the Super Bowl early on in his career. 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.720 But Joe has been brilliant. You hate to see a 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:01.400 season like this go away, so that increases the urgency 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.120 required not just this Sunday, but the rest of the season, 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.160 because I agree it's going to take at least five 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:09.320 and one to get into the playoffs. Now for Cincinnati, the. 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:11.760 ESPN's field Gates is our guest, do you have an 0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:15.520 NFL scouting background. You're heavily involved in ESPN's coverage of 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:19.000 the draft. Let's talk about this year's draft class for Cincinnati. 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:22.480 Amarus Mims is starting the right tackle, Chris Jenkins is 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:25.600 playing more than fifty percent of the defensive snaps. Eric 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:29.880 All looked terrific before he suffered his knee injury. How 0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:32.440 good do you think this year's class is panning out 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:33.600 for Cincinnati? 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:35.800 Yeah, I'd say this has been a solid start for them. 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:37.560 You know, the All injury was such a bummer, just 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:39.320 because you know, unfortunately, if there was kind of a 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.680 red flag for him coming into the NFL, it was 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:44.480 a health the durability a guy who missed much of 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:47.280 his last season in college because of that back issue. 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:49.600 God do is he talented? It looks just so effortless 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:52.200 when he moves on the field. And well, you know, 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:55.360 with Cincinnati, they play probably the heaviest tight end rotation 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:58.760 alongside the Steelers and the entire NFL. So he wasn't 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:00.920 going to be a full time player for them on 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:03.960 an every snap basis. But you know, those first two picks, 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:05.480 and I'll say this is that you know, it's great 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:06.960 when you can hit on guys in the fifth, sixth, 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:09.760 seventh round and you find yourself a Chase Brown has 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:12.840 become a really meaningful contributor out of the sixth round 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:15.840 at one point. But I really truly believe that the 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:18.120 best way to build your roster up is to hit 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:20.640 on those first and second round picks, because those are 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:23.320 and nothing is a one hundred percent certainty, but those 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.840 are the best bets in the NFL. Right, It's not 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:28.320 some big surprise that you look at the best players 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:30.360 in this Bengals roster and it's guys like Joe Burrow 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.480 the first overall pick, and Jamar Chase the fifth overall pick, 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:35.920 and the list goes on throughout the league. So to 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.160 see a mary Is playing right tackle at a steady 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:41.400 level is not a major surprise. The talent was never 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:43.280 a question mark for him. It was just a matter 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:45.840 of how quickly he get up the speed. Well, the 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:49.200 Trent Brown injury opens up the door for Marius Mims 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:52.000 to not just play, but need to play and do 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:55.120 so on a high level. He's such an impressive athlete, 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:59.240 such an incredibly large human when he puts it all together. 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:01.640 His snaps snaps in college were as good as any 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:04.520 offensive tackle in the draft last year, and I've been 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.840 impressed the Trial by Fire as treated them. I think 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:08.680 pretty well all things considered. 0:16:08.960 --> 0:16:12.000 Field looking ahead, is there a position group or are 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:15.280 there position groups that you think the Bengals need to 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:17.960 target in twenty twenty five, Yeah. 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:19.400 I mean it's all going to be defense, right. I mean, 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:21.720 we can talk about the guard play, and that's something 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:24.720 that I think certainly is of note and can be addressed. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:26.560 But you know, at some point you just have to 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:28.920 sort of rebalance the equation a little bit. And when 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.240 your offense plays like it does, and we'll see what 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:33.960 happens with a couple of notable free agents this offseason, 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:36.520 but with the offense playing as well as it has, 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:38.880 you have to say to yourself, like it's almost a 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:41.720 responsible to just try on defense, throw a bunch of 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:45.000 resources that way and see what you might be able 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:47.000 to come up with. I think the draft class has 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:50.440 aligned decently with some of their needs on the defensive 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:53.280 side of the ball. Defensive tackle class looks very very 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.680 deep in the NFL Draft this upcoming year, and they 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:58.480 could use a few more players in the middle of 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:01.920 that defense to team to build out the depth. You know, 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:03.920 Chris Jenkins, as you mentioned, going to be a big 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:05.800 part of this defense for a long time. But he's 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:08.960 a certain type of player, right. This isn't some massive, overwhelming, 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:11.919 three hundred and twenty five pound defensive tackle. Needs some 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:15.080 continued added girth there in the middle of that defense, 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:18.760 and then you know, I would just say complimentary pass rushers, 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:22.679 more corners, more corners, more corners. Safety play has kind 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:24.720 of been up and down this season for Cincinnati, so 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:28.160 anybody in that back end certainly is a prospect. Note 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:29.199 in this upcoming cycle. 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:33.439 The first place Steelers are coming to town this Sunday. 0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:35.760 They've got a record of eight and three. What are 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:37.919 some of the biggest keys for the Bengals to get 0:17:37.960 --> 0:17:39.560 a badly needed win over Pittsburgh. 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:42.439 I'll tell you what this team has an identity to. 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.120 It's Pittsburgh does. So it's don't be caught off guard. 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:47.200 I'll start there, and you better tackle. This is a 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:49.280 Pittsburgh team that wants to run the football and do 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:51.960 so right between the tackle. They want to ride Naji 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:54.240 Harris as much as they possibly can. It was actually 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:56.920 Jalen Warren who was more effective in their last game 0:17:56.960 --> 0:17:59.040 against the Browns. He's a good, very good sort of 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:02.240 lightning quick act. But Najee Harris for much of this 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:03.679 year has kind of been the guy that they have 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:07.000 tried to run this offense through. And you know, I 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:09.239 know what Pittsburgh is probably thinking right now, and we're 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:12.200 playing Cincinnati. His offense has been incredible, lights out. We've 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:15.359 got a great defense. But the defense is good. But 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:18.639 you know, another way to be a great defensive team 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:21.560 against Pitts against Cincinnati is to just not let them 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:24.000 on the field. So Pittsburgh, I'm sure wants to control 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.240 the line of scrimmage, find ways to wear down that 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:29.040 Cincinnati defense and not allow Joe and the two wide 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:32.800 receivers especially to do their thing on offense. They're very 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:35.639 well coached on special teams as well, Danny Smith. Their 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.360 special team's coach always has a wrinkle or two. The 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:41.320 team the opponent has to be, you know, mindful of 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:43.920 as we know, last game was in part decideed by 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:47.119 miss kicks, and while those weren't block kicks, you know, 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:49.240 the operation has to be smooth against the team that 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:51.879 has been as effective in terms of blocking field goals 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:54.919 as any in the NFL. Under Danny Smith's guidance. So 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:57.399 it's a good team. It's a balanced team, not super 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:01.560 explosive on offense, but defensively very very sound. That you 0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:05.120 have depths of rushers, you know, obviously TJ. Watt being 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:06.919 the one that you have to pay the most attention to. 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:09.199 But if you can find a way to play this 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:11.600 game more on your terms as the Bengals, you got 0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:13.679 a really good chance because I don't think Pittsburgh is 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:15.760 the kind of team that's built to play or run 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:18.080 a race offensive and they want to find a way 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:21.080 to grind things out, almost a first to twenty type 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:21.440 of game. 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:24.119 I think a lot of football fans wondered if Russell 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:27.359 Wilson had anything left in the tag considering his play 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:31.359 in recent years. How has he performed for Pittsburgh. 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:32.840 I think he's been solid, And I think the thing 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:37.040 with Russ this year and specifically since he took over 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:39.639 his starter, as he is playing within the confines of 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:41.720 what the rasking him to do. You know, this last 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.080 game is not a toss away, but you know, the 0:19:44.119 --> 0:19:46.480