WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Oh Yeah! 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.160 Hi, get everybody on Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:12.960 The Bengals Booth Podcast. Uh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:17.279 Audition as the Bengals look for their third road win 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:19.840 in as many weeks as they head to New Jersey 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:22.360 to take on the one in five New York Jets. 0:00:22.680 --> 0:00:25.840 Coming up, I'll talk to Boom Assiahsin about Joe Burrow, 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.720 Jamar Chase, and a Cincinnati team it's currently the number 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:33.279 one playoff seed in the AF Seed. One on one 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:36.519 player interview is with Eli Apple as he returns to 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:40.320 the place where his NFL career began, MetLife Stadium in 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:43.320 the meadow Lands. Dave Lappham joins me to discuss the 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:46.200 latest Bengals news and share some keys to beating New York. 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:48.680 And finally, it's our no the Faux segment as we 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:51.920 discussed the struggling Jets with a guy who has covered 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:56.040 the team for more than thirty years, Rich Samine from ESPN. 0:00:56.560 --> 0:01:00.560 The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Goals, the 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:04.560 free to play next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:07.640 from the App Store and Google Play. And here's a 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:10.520 quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:13.880 this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer 0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:18.039 by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:23.800 thing since the THEO Salted almond dark chocolate candy bar. 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:27.920 This particular candy bar is a big, expensive one that's 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:30.679 not meant to be eaten at one time. It's broken 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.440 up into eight squares, so if I need a little 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:37.560 sugar fix, one square typically does the trick for me. 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.560 It's the perfect combo, a sweet and salty blend of 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:45.399 intense dark chocolate with a few crunchy almonds and just 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:49.840 the right amount of Himalayan salt. It's made by THEO 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:53.880 Chocolate out of Seattle, and it is candy bar genius. 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:57.640 Now time for my first guest. He's one of two 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.919 quarterbacks so far to take the Bengals to the Super Bowl. 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:05.720 Joe Burrow has tied the Bengals record for most touchdown 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.799 passes to the first seven games of a season with seventeen, 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:11.840 and he now shares it with Boomer Ossias and who 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:13.720 did that back in nineteen eighty eight when he was 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:17.600 MVP and the Bengals went to the Super Bowl. Boomer. 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.080 The Bengals are tied for first in the AFC North 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:23.640 after stopping on Baltimore last week. Have they arrived in 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:27.799 your opinion, Well, I mean, certainly they have arrived in 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.320 and I just want to say congratulations to Joe Burrow 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.160 and thank him for making me relevant in this discussion 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:35.920 when it really should be all about them and what 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:38.920 they've accomplished us far. But you know, they're the number 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:41.360 one seed in the AFC right now as well, so 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:44.640 that is quite an accomplishment. But I think every guy 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:48.080 on that team, and every coach and everybody that's associated 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:50.480 with the team will tell you that it's nice to 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:54.120 be where they are. They probably expected to be here. 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.080 I think they're there a little bit earlier than I 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:59.840 thought they were going to be, But certainly, you know, 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:03.600 there's so much more to accomplish, and this week, you know, 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:07.200 and what would be considered a complete let down opportunity 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:10.400 here for them. You know, really good teams don't lose 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:13.600 the teams that they shouldn't. And they play the Jets 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.200 this week, and the Jets are an awful football team, 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:18.519 a team that is where the Bengals worth three years 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:21.799 ago under the first year of Zach Taylor. So they 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:23.480 got to come in and they got to stomp the 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:26.280 Jets and come away with a big victory, and you know, 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:29.200 then they kind of show you that they're mature and 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:33.440 that they're understanding about their expectations truly should be, and 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:35.400 that is to win every single time that they step 0:03:35.440 --> 0:03:38.280 out on the field. Bloom, when you traveled to Cincinnati 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:40.400 and spent time with Joe Burrow at the beginning of 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.160 training camp, did you expect him to play this well, 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:48.080 this fast coming back from knee surgery. Well, I wasn't sure, 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:49.640 you know, And I did ask him how he felt 0:03:49.640 --> 0:03:52.080 with the knee, and I remember meeting him in August 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:54.760 and he was itching to get back out on the 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:56.840 field and to start playing football again. You know. He 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:00.520 spent the entire offseason rehabbing and then spent even more 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.320 time with his private quarterback coach, Jordan Palmer, working on 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.080 deep ball throwing and the strength of his arm. So 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:08.880 that actually told me then and there that how much 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:11.600 he really cared about the position. What I didn't know 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:14.720 is just the type of personality that he has. He has. 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:18.560 He's a very confident guy, let's put it that way. 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:22.480 He may not show it outwardly outside of the Cincinnati 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:26.400 Bengals locker room and their practice facility. But internally and 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:28.760 especially on the NFL films clips that I have heard 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.520 of him this year, you know that he's confident and 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:33.600 you can feel it that the rest of the team 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:38.120 is confident in him. So it's I guess my answer 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:40.240 to you, then, Dan would be no, I'm not surprised 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:44.480 because what I didn't know about him is that personality 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:46.760 trait that he has, and I think the more success 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:50.520 that the Bengals have, the more the outside world will 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:53.960 understand who he is as a personality. He is a 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:56.960 very big personality, and I think most of the guys 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.200 on that team, if not all of them, are feeding 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:02.240 off of that. You referred to him on TV recently 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:08.240 as the perfect person for this franchise. Why his personality? 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:11.880 You have to have a I believe, a dynamic personality 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:14.840 to lead them to the next level. You know, Andy 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:17.719 Dalton had a really great career there, so did Carson Palmer. 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:21.000 I would say that they were more aligned personality wise. 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:24.040 Maybe they were, you know privately, they were very common 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:28.680 in their abilities, but they weren't outwardly impactful. I think 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:32.599 on the entire team and Carson's time there ended much 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:35.039 like my time there the first time, and that was 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:39.640 on a sour note. Andy kind of just got pushed 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:41.880 aside because they got to a certain point with he 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.120 and Marvin and it was really more about Marvin than 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:48.680 it really was about Andy. This team is about Joe Burrow. 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:52.320 This is his team. He probably has the absolute perfect 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:54.760 coach in Zach Taylor. And by the way, I had 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.080 to remind people this past Sunday that Zach Taylor is 0:05:57.120 --> 0:05:59.000 actually the head coach at the Bengals, because I'm not 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:03.159 sure that anybody outside of Cincinnati knows that. So, you know, 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:05.479 this could be a match made in heaven, much like 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:08.520 it was for me and Sam Weish. And the similarities 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:12.880 between the eighty eight team and this particular team, you know, 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:16.920 are significant, but more the eighty five team because that's 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:20.559 when we drafted Eddie Brown, and Eddie Brown made our 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.360 offense complete. He was the dynamic wide receiver that we 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:26.520 need at the game changer, and I think that's exactly 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:30.200 what Jamar Chase has brought to the Bengal offense. Well, 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.800 you interviewed Jamar last week for the NFL Today, and 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:35.200 I thought it was really interesting. You brought up the 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:38.520 sixth sense that he seems to have with Joe Burrow 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:40.800 going back to their days at LSU. And before you 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:43.960 would even finished the question, this ear to ear grin 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:48.599 appears on Jamar's face. Do you see that sixth sense 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:51.600 when you watch those two guys? I do. There's no 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:54.160 question about that. There's a comfort zone that he has 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.479 that other wide receivers in the league do not have 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:59.040 at this young age, and that is that he has 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:01.800 his quarterback that he trusts. And there's no question that 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.360 there is a very significant bond between the two men. 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:06.800 And you know, I think I felt that when I 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:09.560 talked to Joe Burrow back in August for NFL Network, 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.240 and I certainly felt that when I spoke to Jamar 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:15.840 Chase's past week. So you can see that there's a trust, 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:18.320 that there's a respect for one another. There's probably a 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:20.360 genuine love for each other too, to be honest with you. 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:24.640 They have participated in many big games together. There's going 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:26.280 to be a lot of other big games that they're 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.960 going to continue to play in together, and that bond 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:31.040 is only going to get stronger. And you can tell 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:34.920 that that bond right there is ignited. Not only the offense, 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:38.520 but the whole city, like, this is what the Bengal 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:41.640 fans you know, long for all these years. And when 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.720 I think about, you know, Carson Palmer and Chado Chosinko 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.840 or Chad Johnson whatever he's calling himself these days. And 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:51.080 on top of that, Andy Dalton with aj Green, this 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:55.400 is this is this dynamic partnership that is going to 0:07:55.440 --> 0:07:58.920 basically fuel the energy for the entire team and guys 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:02.440 like Joe Mixon and Higgins and c j Usama, all 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:04.160 these guys are going to be feeding off of that. 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.280 So it was the right draft choice. And I also 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:10.080 found out something else that wasn't in that interview. Dan, 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:12.280 and I'm I don't know if you know this, but 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:14.720 Jamar told me that Joe Burrow called him the night 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:17.680 before the draft and said, pack your bags, you're coming 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:19.720 to Cincinnati. Well, the rest of us are out there 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:21.800 thinking is a Penny Sewell is the Jamar Chase? What 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:24.200 is it? Joe Burrow knew that it was going to 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.160 be Jabbar Chase the night before. One more Joe Burrow 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.440 question for you, does it drive you a little nutty 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:31.600 when he doesn't slide or a run out of bounds? 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:35.360 You know, he's a he's a real athlete. You know, 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:37.959 he's remember he was a point guard in cole In 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.760 high school, I should say, and I think at Athens 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.400 High School. And when I when I heard that he 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:46.040 was all he was a great basketball player in a 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:47.920 point guard. Then I knew that he had a sixth 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:51.280 sense about, you know, playing quarterback and how he could 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:54.800 transfer that ability as a point guard into playing quarterback, 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:57.080 because ultimately that's what we are. We are the ultimate 0:08:57.120 --> 0:08:59.560 point guards. We're the ones that are directing our entire 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:02.880 offense and you know, giving players that we play with 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:05.200 maybe a tip before a play, or we're talking on 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:08.520 the sideline about redesigning a play given what we're seeing 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:11.400 on the other side of the ball from the opposing defense. 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:14.680 I just think that, you know, he is such a 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:19.160 gifted and talented athlete that he has driven to maybe 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:21.720 put himself in some bad situations. But you know, he'll 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:24.040 learn like the rest of us had to learn the 0:09:24.120 --> 0:09:26.840 hard way. Hopefully he doesn't take any more hits to 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.320 that knee. And it's smart about it, especially when he 0:09:29.320 --> 0:09:31.839 gets to the sideline. You know, one thing about young 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:36.520 players at our position, and myself included, we put ourselves 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.280 in bad situations because we don't realize just how fast 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.400 the opposing defenses are. I think Joe is starting to 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:45.000 understand that a little bit more, and that's one of 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:46.720 the reasons why I think, like when you see the 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:50.160 pirouette in the pocket and then the ball coming out 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:53.480 so effortlessly, that means the game is slowing down for him. 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:55.920 So hopefully he's smart about, you know, taking the hits 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.280 when he should. But I also understand the aggressive nature 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:02.080 of the athlete that he is. A few more questions 0:10:02.080 --> 0:10:04.440 for the great boomeris Scias and the Bengals offense has 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.160 been dynamic the last couple of weeks, topping thirty points 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:09.240 in each of their last two games, but the defense 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:12.320 has been great for all seven, currently fifth in the 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:16.160 league and fewest points allowed. It's a relatively small sample size, 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:18.600 but if we reached the point where you think the 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:20.880 Bengals have one of the better defenses in the NFL, 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:23.840 you know, in the NFL today. Last week, prior to 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:25.760 play in the Ravens, I got a chance to talk 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:27.559 about the offense because I love it and I love 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:29.520 what I see there and there's a lot of similarities 0:10:29.520 --> 0:10:32.080 to what we were able to accomplish. But coach Kauer 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:34.520 wanted to talk about the defense. He wanted to talk 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.600 about a rebuilt defense and the new faces on that defense. 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.440 And I was thinking back to why did the Bengals 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:43.480 let Carl Lawson go? Why did they let the Jets 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:46.480 sign him in the offseason? Well, I know now it's 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:49.000 because of injury, not because he wasn't a good player. 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:51.160 It's because he couldn't stay on the field. And they 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:53.480 felt like they probably needed to redo a lot of 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:56.440 things on defense, and they did that and they brought guys, 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:58.160 and I thought that defense a plan. By the way, 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:01.680 last week against Lamar Jackson was unbelievable. You could see 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:03.240 when you go back and watch the tape the All 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:05.920 twenty two and fans should do this on game pass 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.200 NFL game Pass. They can go back and you could 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.440 see kind of like the umbrella way that they were 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:12.760 trying to rush Lamar, trying to keep him in the pocket, 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:14.560 and if he was going to escape, it was going 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.000 to be up the middle, and it was going to 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:17.920 be up the middle he was going to run into somebody. 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:22.559 So whatever the game plan was, it was perfectly executed 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:25.760 from a defensive standpoint, and even coach Gauer said last 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:31.800 week before the game that the real underlying significant improvement 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.240 for the Bengals is on the defensive side of the ball. 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:37.400 So I think we all see that. And I also 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:40.079 think their kicking game has been solid this year. So 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:42.400 there's a lot to like, you know, halfway through the season, 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:45.439 and hopefully they can keep it up. As you noted earlier, 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.960 right now, they're the number one playoff seed in the AFC. 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:51.360 They're one of six teams that has two losses. Is 0:11:51.440 --> 0:11:55.560 the AFC wide open or do you think one of 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.880 those teams is still the most likely team to advance 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:02.080 to the Super Bowl? You know, I do think that 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:05.000 Buffalo and Cincinnati right now are playing the best. Their 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:07.839 quarterbacks are playing great. You know, Buffalo was off last week, 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:09.800 so we'll see him back in action again this week. 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:12.600 Since then, I should win this week against the Jets, 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.720 so that this should stand. I think through the weekend 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:19.600 that the Bills have the Dolphins. You know, it would 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:23.000 be great to see a nineteen eighty eight reunion between 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:26.440 the Bills and the Bengals and maybe maybe even host 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.760 the AFC championship game in Cincinnati. Now, I know, I'm 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:31.679 getting ahead of myself, but I'm allowed to do that. 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:33.440 I'm in the media now. I would never do that 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:35.520 if I were a player, because that would be considered 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:38.040 touching the money, and touching the money it's a form 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:39.719 of bad luck that I would not want to get 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:42.679 into if I were a player. But you know, do 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:44.560 I dare to dream to think that that could be 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:46.720 the case? I would think. So, there are a couple 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:48.760 of teams that you got off to slow starts that 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:51.040 are going to be pretty good teams when we get 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:53.520 the December in January, assuming that they stay healthy. The 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:55.920 Cults will be one of those teams. I don't know 0:12:55.960 --> 0:12:58.080 where Kansas City is going to be in this mix. 0:12:58.160 --> 0:12:59.800 This is going to be really interesting to see what 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:02.120 happen to them. They may I'll make the playoffs. But 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:05.440 the Chargers and the Raiders are really good teams. And 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:07.120 I do believe if you have to play the New 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:09.880 England Patriots later on in the season or in the 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.359 beginning of the playoffs, that there would be a formidable 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.200 foe as well. So it is wide open, I guess 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.560 to answer your question. But the interesting thing is is 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:19.640 that the Bengals are right there and I think most 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:23.199 people now, at least on a national level outside of Cincinnati, 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:26.800 are taking the Bengal seriously, which is a good thing. 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:30.560 Last thing, Boomer, you became a grandfather last year when 0:13:30.600 --> 0:13:32.920 your daughter Sydney had a baby, and now your son, 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:35.800 Gunner is going to be a dad. That would not 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:38.839 have been possible if not for the work the Assassin 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:44.400 Foundation has done about assistic fibrosis research. It is remarkable 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:47.640 to me that being an NFL MVP and taking a 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:50.760 team to the Super Bowl is the second most important 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:54.200 thing you have done in your lifetime. Do you feel 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:59.080 that your skills athletically and as a communicator were the 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:01.760 reason you were it on this earth to try to 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:05.040 fight that disease. There's a lot of destin and irony 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:08.040 in Gunner's diagnosis back in nineteen ninety three, There's no 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:12.480 question about that. I think the NFL afforded me an 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:16.440 amazing platform, and I exploited that platform without any apology. 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.320 And Gunner is living today at the age of thirty, 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:23.640 proving that what we started some twenty seven years ago 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:28.720 really has left an indelible mark on the cystic fibrosis community. 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.240 So the fact that he's thirty years old. The fact 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:34.560 that he's doing better now than he's ever done in 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.440 his life, the fact that he's gotten his master's degree, 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:39.720 he's gotten married, and he's going to be a father 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:43.520 himself come this December is nothing short of a miracle. 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:46.520 And to me, Dan, whether it was me that was chosen, 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:49.920 or Afford that was chosen, or my friend Tommy Hughes, 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:53.000 or Jay Crandell, or all the other dads and moms 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:54.480 that have been a part of this fight for all 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:58.320 these years, I think much like a quarterback. I feel 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:01.360 very satisfied that we all did this together and that 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:05.440 Gunner is a living, breathing miracle. And the story really 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:08.840 truly hasn't been totally told, and hopefully it will be 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:12.720 one of these days, because you know, I prayed to 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.880 God every night that science would lead us to an answer, 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:20.880 and God and science together has delivered me a miracle 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:25.320 in so many ways that I can't even really talk 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.560 to because that we don't have the time too. But 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:30.600 I can just tell you that when Gunner becomes a 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:33.560 dad in December, it's going to be one of those 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:39.120 amazing moments that I only could have hoped and prayed 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:42.880 that would have happened, and it's going to it's tremendous. 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:46.160 Congratulations to you, Congratulations to Gunner, and thank you so 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.360 much for your time. It's always a treat to have Vian. 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:50.880 Thanks Dan, thanks for having me. Always great to see you. 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:55.720 Since its inception, the Boomerasiason Foundation has raised more than 0:15:55.840 --> 0:15:59.880 one hundred and fifteen million dollars to support research towards 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:03.280 finding a cure for cystic fibrosis, as well as programs 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:06.720 directly benefiting the CF community. If you would like to help, 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:10.440 go to a siasin dot org. You'll find some great 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:14.360 team Boomer gear up. Next my one on one visit 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:17.560 with defensive back Eli Apple, who's played a big role 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:20.560 on one of the NFL's most dominant defenses to date. 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.320 You know, my last week against Baltimore, you did not 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:28.080 allow a catch. Two weeks ago, against Detroit, you did 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:30.400 not allow a catch. Three weeks ago against Green Bay, 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.640 you only allowed one. Are you playing the best football 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:38.240 of your NFL career? And if so, why not? I 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:40.520 think we're just playing really confident ball as a group 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:45.240 right now. Everybody's clicking and communication is great, and for me, 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:48.440 it's just about doing my job. So I'm just doing 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:51.000 what I can put myself in position to make plays, 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:54.200 and whenever the targets come, I want to make the play. 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:57.840 I think this staff might surprise some people. You've played 0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:01.400 the most snaps of Annie Bengals cornerback this year, more 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.439 than Chitabea Wouge, more than Mike Hilton. What does it 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:06.600 mean to you to play such a prominent role on 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:08.960 a defense. It's currently number five in the league and 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:12.160 fewest points allowed. It's great. I mean this is a 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:14.640 goal we set before the season and be top five 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:16.920 or better, and we just want to keep striving for more. 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:19.800 So just gonna continue to grow and get better in practice. 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:22.639 That's what it's about. We're visiting the Eli Apple. The 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:25.359 Bengals are off to a five and two start. You've 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:28.040 been a starter on some really good teams in your 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:30.800 NFL career, back to back teams in New Orleans that 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:33.520 went thirteen and three. One of those teams made it 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.040 to the NFC Championship Game. Do you see any similarities 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:38.760 to those great teams that you were a part of 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:41.399 and the current one that you're playing for. Yeah, I 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.960 think so. I think the love and camaraderie across the 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:47.240 board from top to bottom from everybody's been great communication 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:51.480 and everything which is vibing the right way, communicating great 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:53.160 out there on them off the field. So he's got 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:56.320 to continue to build on everything we've been doing. Did 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:59.880 you notice that here right away? Oh? Easily, from training camp, 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:03.400 really old tiers and meetings and stuff, and then once 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:05.920 we got on the field and making plays together. We're 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:08.240 chatting with the ely Apple. When you signed here in 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:10.800 free agency and March, you were reunited with a couple 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.400 of people lou Anna Romo, who is your position coach 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.080 with the Giants, and Von Bell has been your teammate 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:20.040 in college and in the NFL previously. They clearly believed 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:23.320 in you and wanted you on this team. Was that 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:27.119 important to you? Yeah? It was. I Mean those are 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:29.840 guys I respect a lot and played with and have 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:34.000 won games with. So definitely respect them and excited to 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:38.080 be a part of something great here. This is your 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:42.080 sixth year, You've got nearly four thousand snaps under your 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:44.520 belt in the NFL. Who are some of the best 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:50.800 receivers you've faced. Wow, the best receivers of of course, 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:56.000 like the Julios, Odell Beckham and practice Michael Thomas, those 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:59.240 guys and Devantay Adams. To me, he's probably the best. 0:18:59.320 --> 0:19:03.040 Right now. You referenced Odell in practice. Now you're practicing 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:06.119 against some great ones here in Jamar, Chase te Higgins 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:09.360 and Tyler Boyd. Give me your thoughts on those three guys. Yeah, 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:12.639 the great receivers who as well, especially you know of 0:19:12.640 --> 0:19:17.000 course with Jamar his breakout has been apparent, but they 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:20.000 all have great silence and help us get better in practice. 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:23.240 During training camp, you battled a bit of a hamstring issue. 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:26.600 Were you concerned about the possible impact of that being 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:28.959 with a new team. Oh, of course, you never know 0:19:29.000 --> 0:19:32.360 how some teams are with injuries, and it was fortunate. 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:34.879 I never got hurt that early in camp, so it 0:19:35.000 --> 0:19:38.440 was something new for me. And yeah, I'm just glad 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.600 to be healthy and playing right now. So the Bengals 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:43.320 are headed to New York this week to take on 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:45.520 the Jets. You weren't with the Jets, but you were 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:47.280 with the Giants for two and a half years. It's 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:49.520 the same stadium. You're going back to the meadow Lands. 0:19:49.840 --> 0:19:53.680 Does that add anything to this game for you? Yeah? 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:55.720 It does. I mean it's gonna be great going back 0:19:55.720 --> 0:20:00.440 to Jersey, so you know, to ties their are known 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:02.639 for being. It would be great just to see some 0:20:02.760 --> 0:20:06.080 like familiar faces round facility out there that worked there 0:20:06.080 --> 0:20:09.080 and stuff little things like that. But it's of course 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:11.639 going in there number one to get to win. You 0:20:11.680 --> 0:20:14.919 were the defensive MVP on a national championship team not 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:17.520 too far away from here at Ohio State, and we're 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:19.959 the tenth pick in the NFL draft for a reason. 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:23.280 How do you describe your NFL journey to this point. 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:26.840 It's been wild. It's been a lot, you know, going 0:20:26.920 --> 0:20:29.320 from a lot of different teams in the last few years. Actually, 0:20:30.040 --> 0:20:32.600 it's been It's been fun, and I'm enjoying the ride, 0:20:32.720 --> 0:20:36.560