WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Here We Go Again 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.480 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.519 --> 0:00:12.039 the Bengals Booth podcast. The Here We Go Again addition, 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:15.920 as we look ahead to Sunday's season opener in Seattle, 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:19.400 and yes, I know the White Snake song is Here 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:23.560 I Go again, But here we Go Again fit the 0:00:23.600 --> 0:00:28.120 opening week theme coming up. Approximately twenty one minutes of 0:00:28.280 --> 0:00:32.120 Dave Lapham Podcast Gold. I am so lucky to work 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:35.080 with the guy because there's nobody better in the NFL 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:38.240 at covering a team. Lap is knowledgeable, he is smart, 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:40.559 he is funny, and he is definitely one of the 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:44.440 world's great storytellers. Will hit all of the important topics 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:47.640 going into the season opener every year. In Week one, 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:50.479 Andy Dalton is kind enough to join me for a 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:53.519 one on one interview. We'll discuss what it's like to 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:55.440 play for a head coach who is only four and 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:58.360 a half years older than he is, and I'll ask 0:00:58.400 --> 0:01:02.080 Andy to do something that he doesn't like to do. No, 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:04.880 I didn't ask him to cuss. It's something else he 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:07.280 doesn't like to do. And in this week's No the 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:10.800 Faux segment, we'll get the scoop on the Seahawks from 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:15.760 their longtime radio voice former wide receiver Steve Rabel. All 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:17.800 of that is straight ahead. But first, here's a quick 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:20.480 reminder that you can have the latest edition of this 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:24.280 podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:29.479 subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. 0:01:29.920 --> 0:01:35.720 It's the greatest invention since Triple A. No, not the 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.720 top level of Minor League Baseball, although that's great too, 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:44.319 I'm talking about the American Automobile Association. On Wednesday night, 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:47.119 when I had a billion things to do, including putting 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:51.480 together this podcast, my car wouldn't start in downtown Cincinnati. 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:54.800 So I pulled the Triple A card out of my wallet, 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:58.200 called the Trusty toll free number, and it didn't take 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:01.800 long for a gentleman named Mark to come to the rescue. 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:04.880 It turned out I had a dead battery, and Marty 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:08.560 replaced it in no time. I have been a Triple 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:11.799 A member forever and I can't even count the number 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.720 of times it's paid off. Now let's get to football. 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:18.720 For the first time in seventeen years, the Bengals will 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.480 have a new head coach on Sunday, as Zach Taylor 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:25.520 makes his official debut. He's thirty six years old, making 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:29.040 Zach the second youngest current head coach in the NFL, 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:33.160 behind his former boss Sean McVay of the Rams, who 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:36.919 is still only thirty three. For what it's worth, Paul 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.400 Brown coached his first pro football game in Cleveland at 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:42.720 the age of thirty seven. It was actually the day 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:47.560 before his thirty eighth birthday. Dave Lapham played for Paul Brown, 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:51.440 and this Sunday he begins his thirty fourth year in 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:55.760 the Bengals broadcast booth. We start this week's discussion by 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:58.680 looking at the makeup of the Bengals fifty three man 0:02:58.760 --> 0:03:03.000 roster and surprises, in your opinion, not anything huge, Dan. 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:05.160 I mean, I remember we were talking on a podcast 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:08.480 and said, you know, based on what I'm seeing, eleven 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:11.240 defensive linemen deserve to make the team and only four linebackers, 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:12.880 and that's kind of the way it shook down. I'm 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.680 not shocked by that, particularly as fewer times you have 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:19.320 three linebackers on the field in today's NFL seventy five 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:21.280 eighty percent of the time, most teams are in three 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:25.480 receiver formations are on war So it doesn't really surprise 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:29.600 me all that much with that configuration. You know, John 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:34.120 Jerry was the Michael George Johnson of this football team. Agreed, 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:35.720 you know, to go ahead and get way of come 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:38.040 back and then they put Duga on the IR, which 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:40.960 IR recall they can do now after the fifty three months. 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:43.160 So if they need a guy at tackle later in 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:47.240 the season, that doesn't surprise me at all. SOMJ. P Ryan, 0:03:47.280 --> 0:03:50.760 I think is a very good pickup. It's the Sooner 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:53.880 Sooner East, I guess. I mean running back rooms the 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:56.320 same as when they're in college, mix and Anderson and 0:03:56.360 --> 0:03:59.760 p Ryan. Anderson rehabbing from the knee surgery obviously, but 0:04:00.120 --> 0:04:03.240 Samaj p Ryan played all four special teams for the Redskins, 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:06.120 So Darren Simmons is happy about that that he's going 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:08.720 to have, you know, an option there. I'm not sure 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:11.000 how much of the offense p run will have you know, 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.360 a grasp of, but special teams wise, I think he's 0:04:13.400 --> 0:04:15.800 going to be a factor in that opening day, you know, 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:18.680 as the third running back for sure. Let's talk about 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:22.160 the Bengals offense. They hired Zach Taylor in large part 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:25.840 for his ability to bring the Rams offense to Cincinnati. 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:30.080 During the preseason, they kept it extremely vanilla. How much 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:32.120 different is it going to be on Sunday. I think 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:33.920 it will be a lot different. I think there'll be, 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:37.560 you know, tweaks to formations, tweaks to blocking patterns. I 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:40.520 didn't see very sophisticated blocking patterns up front in the 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:43.400 run game or protection wise, so I think they've kept 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:45.679 a lot close to the vest, which is really smart 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:51.560 to do. I remember after the first preseason game, coach 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:54.120 and Rumo told me that Andy Reid came up and said, 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:55.760 you guys are a pain in the neck to try 0:04:55.839 --> 0:04:57.600 to prepare for. We didn't know what to look at. 0:04:57.880 --> 0:04:59.760 We look at giants, we look at dolphins. What are 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.279 we look at? And then you didn't do anything. So 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.440 that's their advantage. It's going to be the same thing 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:07.840 for Pete Carroll offensively, what does he look at With 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:09.960 Zach he says, you look at the dolphin as you 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:11.360 look at the Rams. Obviously he's going to be a 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:14.279 lot of Rams influence, but he's got other influences along 0:05:14.320 --> 0:05:16.240 the way. Same with lou and Rumo. You know, it's 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:18.280 like I don't know exactly what they're going to do 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:20.720 until they spring it. And this is the only time 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.160 they'll have that advantage that there's no tape on them, 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:25.279 So they did a pretty good job of keeping things 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:27.919 under wraps. The other I guess the flip side to 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.520 that coin is the only time they've been working on 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:32.640 it so far, and they've got this week of practice, 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:35.680 but is in walkthroughs when nobody's around to see what's 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:38.880 going on. So they really haven't gone and you know, 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:42.400 practiced it against anybody. So will they be insane? Will 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:45.400 they be you know in cohesion? Will they be meshed up? 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:48.000 Because sometimes if you put too much in, you know, 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:50.640 you can hurt yourself. So there's that delicate balance. You know, 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.279 how cute do you want to be? And you know, 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.000 can it hurt us more than it fools them? And 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:58.159 ultimately you just gotta go out. Like Paul Brown said, 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.400 you know we can trick them. I get tired of 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:02.680 tricking them. Just go out and block and tackle people. 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:04.640 Will you go win a football game? That's what it 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:07.320 boils down to. Lap Over the last two years with 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:10.560 Zach Taylor on the Rams coaching staff, Todd Gurley averaged 0:06:10.800 --> 0:06:15.479 nearly thirteen hundred yards rushing, seven hundred yards receiving, and 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:19.040 twenty touchdowns. Those were his averages, not his two year totals. 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:21.760 Do you expect Joe Mixon to approach those numbers in 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:26.080 Zach Taylor's offense? I think, more importantly Joe expects it. 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:28.760 I do, and I think Joe does. I mean the 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.040 thing that he talked about just the other day, not 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.880 only running football, you know zas put an emphasis on 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:37.359 that obviously, but he likes how Zach utilizes the running 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:39.360 backs out of the backfield. I mean that's a that's 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:42.479 a very big characteristic and trade that Joe has. It's 0:06:42.680 --> 0:06:45.080 very favorable. I mean, he catches the ball. You get 0:06:45.160 --> 0:06:47.120 him the ball in space when that big freight train 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.880 gets moving, He's he's gonna make some people miss. He's 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:52.599 gonna get yards after catch. So it would not shock 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.560 me to have him with a thousand yards rushing in 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:59.200 two thousand, you know, scrimmage yards when you're throwing the 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.640 yards pass. Would It would not stun me whatsoever. And 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:04.520 uh you know, I mean he scored a bunch of 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:06.760 touchdowns last year. I think he had eight rushing touchdowns 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:10.200 last year. So I mean if he if he fifteen 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:12.560 to twenty, would be no shock to me whatsoever to 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:14.320 see Joe mix and put up those kind of numbers 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:19.080 telling you though the uh, the kind of secret weapon, 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:23.480 hidden weapon as such, Giovanni Bernard in this offense, watch 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:27.120 out for Giovanni Bernard. And then there recently acquired Samaj 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.480 p Ryan, all two hundred and forty three pounds of him. 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:32.880 He's the thunder and now he got a couple of 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:36.920 lightning strikes in Bernard and Mixing. If I had predicted 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:39.600 at the start of training camp that Jake Della la 0:07:39.640 --> 0:07:42.240 Gala would make the fifty three man roster, what would 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:44.760 you have said. I would have said that he's gonna 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:47.600 have to light it up, you know in the exhibition games. 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:51.040 We saw him though, you know, right at the end 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:56.080 of workouts the mandatory mini camp, do a job out 0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:58.720 there and watching him spend the football, it's like, man, 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:02.280 looking at this guy with his measurables and I'm talking 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:04.520 about his height at sixty seven and two hundred and 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:07.120 forty pounds and be able to spin the ball like 0:08:07.160 --> 0:08:09.160 he did. It's like, hey, you've got something to work 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:12.160 with there, you know, potentially, but you wouldn't think, oh, 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:14.240 this guy's gonna make such a statement. They're gonna have 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:16.240 to keep three quarterbacks, he's gonna make the fifty three 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:19.960 men roster and be deactivated. But he did it, and 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.160 you know, credit to him. The one thing though, that 0:08:23.160 --> 0:08:25.120 that he definitely has to work on, and I think 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:26.800 it was part of the part of what he was 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:29.840 doing was trying to impress the coaches and the organization 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:31.600 that he should make the team because of his arm. 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:35.079 Everything was going down the field. I mean Charlie checked down. 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:36.840 He was not. He was the opposite of that. He 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.480 had Ellis a couple of times in that last game 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:41.760 against the Colts where one of them was a touchdown, 0:08:41.760 --> 0:08:45.280 another one was a big game. He was like five 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:47.599 yards open, catching yards after catch would have been a 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:49.560 big game, and he was trying to get it to 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:51.760 the second and third level down the football field, showing 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:54.320 off that arm strength time and time again. So that 0:08:54.400 --> 0:08:57.400 was his mindset. So I think now that he's made it, 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:01.200 he has to work on all the things necessary to 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:03.960 be a complete quarterback in the National Football League and 0:09:03.960 --> 0:09:06.199 don't try to force things. If you try to force 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:09.880 things against you know, and the guys that are starting 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:11.679 in the National Football League as much as you did 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.360 against guys he was playing against in the second half, 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:17.079 fourth quarter of those football games. That'd be a different story, 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:19.600 I think. Lap the Bengals have tried to fix the 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.000 offensive line. They've used their number one draft pick each 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:24.960 of the last two drafts on an offensive lineman, and unfortunately, 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:26.600 neither one of those guys will be in the starting 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.080 lineup on Sunday. Is the line better or worse than 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:32.680 a year ago? You know, I think it's I think it's. 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:36.200 Looking at it, it's pretty much the same. You know. 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:39.320 I do think Miller is an upgrade at the right 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:42.120 guard position. I mean, I think that that kid is 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:45.720 a very very consistent performer. You've got to give Trey 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:47.360 Hopkins a big tip of the cap, you know, if 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:50.160 you're winning the job at the center position. And Michael 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:53.360 Jordan's an unknown, but he has got huge upside potential. 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:55.280 I mean, I guess that's why it's hard to put 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.240 a mark on it with him in particular, because his 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:02.360 good is unbelievably good. He's so long and so powerful, 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:06.720 and his bad can be bothersome though, because he's you know, 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:09.640 he's young, and hopefully he won't the bad won't continue, 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:12.640 you know, maybe a one time thing, and he works 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:14.640 through it. And gets over it. You know, the left 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:17.600 tackle position is a big question mark. You know, Corty Glenn, 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:20.240 how much will he be able to play? You can't 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:22.280 count on it for sixteen games. He hasn't been there 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.560 for sixteen games, even in the opener. If he's able 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:28.559 to uh to suit up in the opener, I don't 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:30.560 know if I count on him for sixty minutes. You know, 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:32.880 I got to get Andre Smith ready to play the 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:37.480 tackle position, so you know that I get in my opinion, 0:10:37.520 --> 0:10:41.840 hopefully this group the offensive lines that I played on 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:45.040 that were the better offensive lines, the sum total of 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:48.600 the offensive line was better than the individual parts except 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:52.520 for Anthony Munos, but I mean usually the sum total 0:10:52.760 --> 0:10:58.160 was a better component than each guy when you evaluate 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:01.440 each guy, because you know, the offensive line is the 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.400 only It's like a bunch of three hundre pound June 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:06.120 Taylor dancers. You have to be in total concert. You 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:07.600 have to be helping each other, you have to be 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:10.560 doing the same thing and understand, everybody has to be 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:14.320 on the exact same page. So we'll see if this 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:17.280 offensive line is that type of offensive line, and it 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:19.920 could be. It could be. I don't think Jimmy Turner 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:22.800 is not doing a whole bunch that is going to 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:26.040 confuse these guys. Now. They didn't show anything in the preseason, 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:28.840 and they'll show more, obviously against the Seahawks in terms 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:31.440 of blocking configurations and all that sort of thing. But 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:33.560 I don't think it's going to be rocket science. I 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:35.240 really don't. I think he's going to keep it pretty 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.120 simple and just let guys go out and execute and 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:42.199 see what they can put together. What new assistant coach 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:44.400 really cut your eye in training camp? Oh, a bunch 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:46.280 of them, did. I think? You know, Jim Turnercott and 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:50.600 eye with this simplistic approach that he was taken to 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:54.080 it all and he's a rep guy, and you know, 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:56.600 over and over and over and over again the same things. 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:59.240 And I remember with Jimmy McNally, it started with our 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:01.480 stance every access, then we did the duck walk, then 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:03.960 we did you know, the other other drills, and the 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:06.200 last practice for the Super Bowl started with our stands. 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:08.200 You're got to work on your stands every practice, guys. 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:11.360 You know, shift your weight, don't tip that you're shifting 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:13.040 your weight, but get get all your weight on the 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:14.520 left side of your body to your right side. Is 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:16.280 freed up. Shift it back to the right side of 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:18.040 your body so your left side is freed up, and 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:20.000 don't tip it by how much pressure you're putting it 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:22.360 in your hand. Working on all from the stands all 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:26.200 the way through, exact same thing every single day. And 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:30.000 Jimmy Jimmy Turner funny, it's too Jimmy, Jimmy McNally and 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:32.360 Jimmy Turner. Jimmy Turner is doing the same type of 0:12:32.360 --> 0:12:36.120 thing with these guys. The repetition of it and the 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:40.160 targets are simple. Everything fits. So I've been impressed with him, 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:44.560 how he's worked with that offensive line. James Casey, been 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:46.000 impressed with that guy. I think he's a hell of 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.120 a tight end coach. And in talking to the tight ends, 0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:52.040 they said that he not only tells you what to do, 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:53.880 he tells you what to avoid because he's been on 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:56.400 the field. Don't think he can do this, don't think 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:59.640 he can take this shortcut. Don't don't assume anything here. 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.400 I mean he's he's been there, done that. And so 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:06.160 the tight ends have had consecutive coaches that have played 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:08.920 in the National Football League for a duration. There's something 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.280 you know significant there and I mean, I could go 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:14.920 down the list, and that's I think Zach Taylor took 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:18.439 his time and put together a staff that is really 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:23.040 really good teachers, and they can all all get their 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:27.160 points across, and they do it with enthusiasm, excitement, and 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:29.199 the guys are buying into it. I think I think 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:31.360 every player is buying what the coach and staff is selling. 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:35.440 I really do. Last year, the Bengals allowed nearly four 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:40.000 hundred and fourteen yards a game, most enfranchise history, ranked 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.560 last in the NFL. They gave up twenty eight point 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:44.800 four points a game. Only two teams are worse, the 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:48.640 Raiders and the Buccaneers. Will the defense be significantly better 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:52.640 in your opinion? And if so, why, Yeah, it's the same. 0:13:52.800 --> 0:13:56.320 It's the same scenario. The strength of the teams. The 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:59.040 defensive line kept a loving of them. I mean, that's 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:03.840 that's pretty oppressive. To keep eleven defensive lineman. It was meritocracy, 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:06.719 just like everything. Um, you know, Damian Willis gets the 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.240 starting exposition because he was the best player. Didn't matter, 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:14.840 So keep eleven defensive lineman, four linebackers because eleven defensive 0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:17.319 lineman played better than the other linebackers that they let 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:21.360 go so you know, it's it's like players appreciate if 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:23.720 you go out there and you put tape a good 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:27.760 tape on your resume, it should benefit you. And I 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.520 think they respect and appreciate, you know, the fact that 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:35.320 they've structured the team the way they have. In today's football, 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:38.359 you know, how many times do you use three linebackers? 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:43.840 That's the concern defensive line. Unbelievable back end, solid linebacker, 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:46.840 big question marks. So we've seen it three years now. 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:49.120 Linebacker has been picked on. They've been isolated and picked 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:52.360 on over and over and over again. And in today's 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:56.200 NFL with teams going seventy five three receivers or more, 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:58.600 you know, you go Nickel and Dine no more than 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:03.280 two linebackers potentially, So it fits. I mean, and the 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:05.840 thing that impresses me about the defensive lineman Dan, you 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:10.240 have multiple guys that can do multiple things. Carl Lawson 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:14.120 can be like Ah, like Ross Browner with us and 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:18.800 others over the years, he can rush or drop. Hubbard 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.600 has shown he can rush or drop. Willis has shown 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:23.960 he can rush or drop. I mean, they have multiple 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:26.440 guys that they can do multiple things with on their 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:31.120 defensive line. To try to confuse pass protections, assignments. I 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:33.240 do I count him as a linebacker? Do I count 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:35.280 him as a defensive lineman? What do I count him 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:37.280 as in our protection? You know, all those kind of 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.320 things offensive linemen have to start to think about. So 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:43.920 I think I think that this group, potentially, you know, 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:47.400 could hopefully play better. And the biggest reason is lou 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:52.920 Anna Rumo. His whole scenario has been eliminate grayer, black 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:56.280 and white. I'm simplifying. It's like too much grayer or 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:59.040 too much thinking. And I think that he's done a 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:00.520 good job of that, and I think that's going to 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:03.160 show up, and I think it's going to be the 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:05.560 defense is going to be as good as their front 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:08.600 and their back end allows it to be lap. The 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:11.800 Bengals open the season at Century Link Field in Seattle, 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:15.480 which has twice held the Guinness World Record for loudest 0:16:15.640 --> 0:16:19.040 crowd roar at an outdoor stadium. We hear about that 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.880 all the time, but take us to the line of scrimmage. 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:25.200 What does that mean? When you're playing, it means it 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.240 means a bunch, There's no question about it. I mean, 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:29.680 particularly if you're in if you're in a close football game, 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:33.360 fourth quarter of a close football game, third and seven, 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:37.600 you have to convert your you're down four points, you 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:40.600 have to keep a drive going. And it's a din 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:42.920 I mean, you can't hear a thing. If you look 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:44.960 at your teammate, you can see his mouth move. You 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:48.280 can't hear one word in they're screaming, you know, they're 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.160 they're screaming at the top of their lungs and it 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:52.880 just looks like their minds. I mean, there's nothing happening. 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:57.280 So it is disconcerting to an offensive lineman. For sure. 0:16:57.320 --> 0:17:00.360 Your only advantage is being able to hear the snap 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:03.360 count and move on the snap count because the defensive 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:05.280 lineman doesn't know what the snap count is. When you 0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:08.080 have to give up that advantage and look and kind 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:11.640 of move on the ball moves that your only advantage 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.280 is taken away. So what the Bengals have done a 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.960 big time job on, and it started even during way 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.840 back in OTAs a silent snap count because they've known 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:22.840 they've had the Seahawks for an opener for a long 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:25.359 time and they've been working on in the meeting rooms, 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:28.359 on the field, in the locker room, this silent snap count. 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.399 And there's a couple of different triggers they can use, 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:32.359 and it's it's pretty cool what they're what they're going 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:35.520 to try to do. And I'm thinking they may draw 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:37.800 Seattle offside. How big would that be? If they draw 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:41.160 the Seahawks off sides out there utilizing a silent snap 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:43.639 counts of their advantage, that would be that would be 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:46.600 bigger than big time. The Seahawks are number one in 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:48.800 the NFL and running the ball last year they haveage 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:50.679 one hundred and sixty yards a game. The Bengals are 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.280 twenty eighth. Then stopping the run, they gave up one 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.439 thirty eight. It's that the biggest key on Sunday, it is, 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:59.800 you know, and Dan, you look at it. Um they're 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.480 only five teams in the NFL that threw the ball 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:06.720 last year less than five hundred times, and Buffalo is 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:11.119 one of them, Seattle's another, Miami's another, Arizona is another. 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:14.280 Bengals play all of them, and then Tennessee is the fifth. 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:17.880 So all those teams really emphasize the running game, and 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.160 you know, the Bengals play all all those teams. Only 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.800 two teams in the NFL ran the ball more than 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:31.160 five hundred times and that's a Baltimore and Seattle. So 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:35.080 you play Baltimore twice, you play Seattle. They both emphasize 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:39.719 the run. So looking at these opponents Arizona with this 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:41.960 new quarterback, will they still emphasize the run? I think 0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:43.399 so with a rookie quarterback, you want to make sure 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:44.760 you get the running game on. He may be a 0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:46.840 weapon in the running game, and I don't know how 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:49.480 much he's so small, but Miami's going to try to 0:18:49.480 --> 0:18:52.159 still pound it, you know, Seattle's obviously gonna Buffalo is 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:55.760 obviously the Bengals have to be able to stop the run, 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:57.960 and they have to be able to run the ball themselves. 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:00.080 They have to win. They're playing all these teams an 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:02.480 emphasize the running game to the extent that they had 0:19:02.800 --> 0:19:05.240 last year and probably will this year. You have to 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:08.240 be able to not get dominated in the running game 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:10.359 and be one dimensional. You have to be able to 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.320 be balanced and I mean try to outrush some of 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:16.960 these people, you know, in terms of attempts inefficiency and 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:19.879 see where it takes you. Russell Wilson is now the 0:19:19.960 --> 0:19:23.400 highest paid player in the NFL, average salary thirty five 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.880 million dollars a year. He's obviously among the best scramblers 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:30.160 in the league, but Seattle gave up fifty one sacks 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:33.119 last year. Could this be a big day for the 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:35.879 Bengals pass rush. Yeah, I think, I think. You know 0:19:35.960 --> 0:19:39.400 Russell Wilson because of his scrambling ability, like you described, 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:42.399 he thinks that you can't ever get him on the ground, 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:45.840 So he is deeper in the shotgun and any other 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:49.760 quarterback in the NFL because he's diminutive with the hype factor, 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:52.119 so he wants to get separation from the line of 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:53.919 scrimment so he can see better. So he's got a 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:58.959 deeper shotgun snap acceptance to the football, and he'll run around, 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:01.879 he'll run around act there, and he'll he'll create and 0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:04.880 he'll he'll do all of his things that way. Um, 0:20:05.359 --> 0:20:09.240 So he does get trapped. And once once you know, 0:20:09.359 --> 0:20:12.119 once a certain amount of time is taken has taken 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:16.000 place on the clock. At that point there's an offensive lineman, 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:18.800