WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: On The Verge 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.320 Hi, get everybody on Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:12.000 the Bengals Booth podcast. The I'm on the Bridge addition, 0:00:12.360 --> 0:00:15.040 as I discussed Joe Burrow in the Bengals outlook in 0:00:15.080 --> 0:00:18.239 twenty twenty three and beyond with a Hall of Famer 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:23.280 quarterback Kurt Warner. Long snapper cal Adamitas earned a contract 0:00:23.280 --> 0:00:27.440 extension this week and joins me to discuss being thrown 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:30.240 into the fire as a rookie. And with the NFL 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:33.519 Combine coming up next week, we'll hear from NFL Network 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:38.240 draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah about a position group that Cincinnati 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:42.040 is likely targeting. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:45.680 you by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals The free to 0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:49.520 play with tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs. Find 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:53.840 both inside the Bengals app. Now here's a quick reminder 0:00:54.080 --> 0:00:56.640 that you can have the latest edition of this podcast 0:00:56.720 --> 0:00:59.800 delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by some 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:04.160 scribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:09.160 since Tim McCarver, the Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster, passed 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:12.080 away last week at the age of eighty one. I 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.520 was a Mets fan as a kid, and we got 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:17.960 the games on wo RTV, so I listened to the 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:22.080 trio of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner almost 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:25.560 every night. They were great to learn from because each 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:30.040 was so distinctive. Their personalities could not have been more different. 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.360 Then Tim McCarver became a Mets broadcaster in nineteen eighty three, 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:37.600 and he made a big impact on me because he 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:43.400 was so curious about everything. He constantly challenged traditional baseball wisdom, 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.600 and I had never really heard a broadcaster do that before. 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:50.080 In fact, he was a lot like Dave Lapham in 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:52.560 the sense that he had an endless desire to learn 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:56.320 about the game and could describe a complex sport in 0:01:56.400 --> 0:02:00.680 an entertaining and easy to understand way. So here's to 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:04.840 Tim McCarver, who accomplished the goal of every sports broadcaster. 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:10.160 He enhanced my enjoyment of the game. Now let's get 0:02:10.160 --> 0:02:14.360 to this week's guests. Up first, Hall of Fame quarterback 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:18.720 Kurt Warner, a two time MVP, a Super Bowl champion, 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:22.079 and a man who met Joe Burrow when the Bengals 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:26.959 quarterback was only a few months old. Kurt for those 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:29.920 who don't know. You and Jimmy Burrow, Joe's dad, have 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:32.560 been friends for more than twenty five years, going back 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.000 to when he was the assistant head coach for the 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:38.480 Arena League's Iowa Barnstormers and you were the starting quarterback. 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.799 You were together there for three years. Describe your relationship 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:45.040 with Jimmy and the Borough family. Well, I mean, you know, 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:48.840 one of those things player coach, you know for a 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:51.919 period of time, but Arena League was always a little 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:55.280 bit different, you know, just the structure of it. I think, 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:58.000 you know, as players, we got a chance to really 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:01.239 connect with our coaches be a little bit differently than 0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:04.160 when you look at the structure of the NFL. UM. 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:07.359 You know, so obviously you're you know, player coach, but 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:10.960 you also become friends, get to know families, um, as 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:13.520 we did there, and it's just been something over the 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.600 years where, um, you know, we've stayed in touch at 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:20.119 different times. Um, you know, his Nebraska connection. My son 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:22.840 walked on at the University of Nebraska, and so there 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:26.000 were always kind of ties that kept us connected over 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:28.840 the years. And then it's been obviously a joy to 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:32.120 watch as you get to know people as coaches or 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:35.120 as friends and get to watch their family, get to 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:38.320 watch Joe, um, you know, do what he's done and 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:40.440 kind of follow it from afar and then we've been 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:43.400 able to kind of reconnect as our you know, circles 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.520 have uh you know, have crossed once again in the 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:49.240 NFL and at different events that that we've done. So 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:52.520 it's been fun. But you're always just cheering for for 0:03:52.560 --> 0:03:55.560 good people and good families and people that helped you 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:58.000 to be able to accomplish the things that you you know, 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:00.920 you accomplish in your career and was one of those guys. 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:04.640 So Joe was born before your third and final year 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.280 with the Barnstormers. Is it crazy to you that this 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:09.840 little toddler that you probably met when he was about 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:12.480 four months old is now one of the best quarterbacks 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:15.600 in the NFL. I mean, I think it's always crazy 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:18.800 because you never, you know, you never think about things 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:22.200 like that. But obviously knowing the pedigree of the family 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:27.680 and the football background, UM, I'm never surprised when you 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:30.279 understand that part of it, and when you know football 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:33.240 is kind of, um, you know, a natural fabric for 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:37.080 a family. U that you know, the son of a coach, 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:39.520 the son of a good football player becomes a good 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:42.760 football player, and so um, yeah, it's you know, it's 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:45.720 always weird thinking, oh man, he was his dad was 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:49.280 coaching me. Um, you know, and remember when he was born. 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:51.440 And then all of a sudden, it's like boom, here 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:55.200 he is, uh, you know, top pick, Heisman Trophy winner 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:59.080 and everything that he's accomplished. It's it's fun, but the 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.279 biggest thing is that it's good people. And you know, 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:05.560 got a chance to meet Joe, you know, just a 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:07.920 few years back before he get drafted into the NFL 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.880 and kind of build a connection there. And what you 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.280 realize is that what I knew about his dad and 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:16.400 the kind of person that he was, that's exactly who 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:19.800 Joe is as well. And so it's an easy family 0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:23.479 to cheer four. He's an easy individual to cheer four. 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:25.480 And it's been fun to watch him as send at 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:28.040 this level. We are visiting with Hall of Famer Kurt 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:31.520 Warner of the great young quarterbacks in the NFL right now? 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:34.400 Is he the one that reminds you the most of 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:37.520 yourself without a doubt, without a doubt, the way he 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:41.440 plays the game, the mental aspect that he brings his 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:45.080 ability to anticipate. You know, a lot of people probably 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:46.840 would have said about me in my career, you know, 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:51.080 wasn't the most physically talented, it didn't have the biggest arm. 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:53.640 I've never put much weight in that stuff, because if 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:56.560 you know how to play, none of that stuff matters. 0:05:56.920 --> 0:05:59.000 You can make the game easier for guys around you 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:01.120 by not throwing the all hard and not having to 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:04.160 throw it sixty yards down the field. But he's got 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:07.120 such a great feel for the game and his timing 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:10.359 and anticipation, which were things that I felt really separated 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:13.760 me my ability to process information, all of those things. 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:17.400 You know, when I watch film, I watch film on 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:20.440 all these guys, But when I watch film, I get 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:23.479 joy out of watching guys that do what I did 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:27.360 because I understand it. I see it very similarly. And 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:29.200 Joe is one of those guys that I love to 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:32.640 pop on the tape every week because I know, you know, 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:34.919 what I'm going to be thinking when I watch play 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:37.960 play out is the same thing that he's thinking. And 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.680 you know, oftentimes you know it goes hand in hand 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:42.920 that he's doing exactly what I would have done on 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:46.120 that play with the same timing, the sense of accuracy 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:48.560 that he has, all those different things remind me a 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:52.000 lot of myself. This is the first offseason where the 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:54.919 Bengals are allowed to try to extend his contract, and 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:57.960 obviously that is something they are hoping to do. He 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:00.320 was asked late in the course of the season about 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:05.159 the notion of a quarterbacks window, the ideal situation for 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:07.640 an NFL team being to have an elite quarterback in 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:10.200 his rookie contract, and when Joe was asked about that, 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.480 he said, the window is my entire career. Did you 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:16.160 hear that comment? Do you agree? And what do you 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:20.160 think of the notion of a quarterbacks window? Well, yeah, 0:07:20.160 --> 0:07:21.840 I mean I think there's a couple of sides to it. 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:24.560 Is that I understand exactly what he's saying. I mean 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:27.080 I heard the comments and it was like, yeah, I 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.040 mean every time I stepped on the field, I expected 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:31.320 to win too. I mean I expected to be in 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:34.440 a championship game. Now we understand that it's the ultimate 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:37.160 team game as well, So you know, it doesn't matter 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.080 how good I am the entirety of my career, I 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:42.080 still need I need guys around me. I need good 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:44.720 players around me. But yeah, you feel like you can 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:48.000 elevate everybody, and if you're a good enough player, that 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.760 expectation to win is always there. And it didn't matter, 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.360 you know, where I was playing, I expected my team 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.480 to be one of the best teams competing for championships 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:01.200 every single year. I was under setting And so, yeah, 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.320 I heard the comment, and I think it's a great comment, 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:06.360 and it makes sense, especially in a day and age 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:10.720 where A he's young, and b we're seeing players play 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:15.200 at a high level much later than before. So you know, 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:17.400 the window for a quarterback. You know, we talk about 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:19.960 like windows for running backs. I was talking to a 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:21.760 friend today and it's kind of like when once they 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:26.040 hit thirty, that windows kind of closed with them being 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:28.920 the top of their game as quarterbacks. I mean, you know, 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.160 you look at where Joe's at right now, and you say, 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:35.480 you know, thirteen fourteen more years, you can expect these 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:38.520 guys to play at an extremely high level. So it 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:42.760 isn't a short window anymore for really good quarterbacks. I 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:47.640 expect Patrick Mahomes for the next fifteen years to believe 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:49.200 he's going to go to the Super Bowl every year. 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.360 I believe Joe Burrow and Josh Allen and those guys 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:54.439 are going to be saying those same things. And I 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:57.640 fully understand it, because once you get to that level, 0:08:58.120 --> 0:09:01.600 you say to yourself, I have no expectation that this 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:04.559 level is going to dwindle, especially when I just saw 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:06.600 a guy play at that level till he was forty five. 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:09.840 I mean, man, my windows open for two more decades. 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:12.480 I mean, most guys don't even think about playing that long. 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:15.960 And now we think, as quarterbacks, our window is open 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:19.760 that long because you know, we've reached a certain level 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:23.400 of play. Your challenging road to the Hall of Fame 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.160 as well documented. It was the subject of a great movie, 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:31.800 American Underdog. Joe's path wasn't that difficult, but he did 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:35.000 have to leave Ohio State to get his opportunity at LSU. 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.960 Do you think that stuff has served him well? I 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:41.560 really think. You know, our journeys always serve us well 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:45.600 if we're willing to embrace what is the journey? You know, 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:47.280 I think that's one of the things. You know, when 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:49.640 I looked at the Super Bowl this year with Jalen 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:52.120 hurts Is, I think one of the things that impressed 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:55.640 me is that he embraced the journey. He and pray 0:09:55.800 --> 0:10:00.480 embraced the struggle and realized, you know that sometimes when 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:02.800 we get into those situations where like he was benched 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:06.960 at Alabama, it was like, okay, yeah, I can look 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.640 and point to two it was just really good, or 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.200 the coach didn't want me, and or you can say, Okay, 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:14.400 why did I get benched? What do I need to learn? 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:16.280 How do I need to get better? And I really 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:20.000 feel like Joe's been that in those different situations as well, 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:22.319 as he hasn't just looked at it like, oh, well, 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:24.640 you know, I'm not playing because a coach doesn't like 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:27.400 me or whatever. It's like, I have to continue to 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:30.160 get better. I have to continue to grow. And when 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:32.839 we go through those struggles and we take that approach, 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.240 I think that always bodes well for a player. And 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.200 you know, I think we've both seen numerous people that 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.400 go the other route and they point the finger at 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:43.520 this or that, and they never pointed it themselves and 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:46.720 go okay, why. You know, I was benched a number 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:48.920 of times in my career, and every time I had 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:51.400 to step back and go, okay, why. And sometimes I 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:53.520 think it was because of things that I did or 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:55.800 could have done better, or things that our team wasn't 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:59.199 doing other times it was circumstantial, but I think it's 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.600 important to be able to embrace each situation and go, Okay, 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:05.360 if there is something I can do better, I need 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:07.480 to make sure I look at that and I hone 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:09.280 in on that and I get better at it so 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.120 it doesn't happen again. And I really felt Joe had 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:14.840 done that as well. It wasn't just while I'm transferring 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:17.240 from here because they're not giving me the shot that 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:19.840 I want. It was about, you know, developing as a 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.160 player and figuring out who he was. And I think 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:24.440 we even saw that at LSU, from you know, where 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:27.040 he was his second to last year to where he 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.760 was his last year and the growth made there and 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:32.560 we all said that, okay, why well, because he embraced 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:34.640 what he needed to get better at and he got 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:37.400 better at it. And that to me is where great 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.080 quarterbacks become great. And so I think, you know, we've 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:42.320 seen both sides. We've seen guys that have had easier 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:46.600 pass but I still think they all embrace those different 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.480 things that you know that they noticed and say, okay, 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:51.680 I'm not going to look to you know, just try 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:54.920 to squeeze by and you know, hope nobody notices this. 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:57.360 I'm going to grab a hold of that and get 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.960 better at that so it never becomes a liability for us. 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:02.520 And you know, I think that's a story of my journey, 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:04.120 even though it's a little different than Joe's and a 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:06.679 little different than other guys. But yeah, I think he 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:11.760 has definitely embraced those moments and looked to improve himself 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.360 through those moments. And now you've got one of the 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:18.080 best quarterbacks in the league. You are arguably the quarterback 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:21.200 of the greatest offense in NFL history, the greatest show 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:26.280 on turf, Isaac Bruce, Tory, Halt, Marshall Falk and others. 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:33.080 Does the Bengals offensive weaponry, Chase Higgins, mixing Boyd, etc. 0:12:34.240 --> 0:12:37.120 Kind of remind you of those days in Saint Louis? Yeah, 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:38.679 I think a little bit. I mean, I think we're 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:40.760 seeing more and more teams, We're seeing more and more talent, 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:45.240 you know, across the board with certain teams that always 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:47.120 I think remind us of that. You know, the beautiful 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:50.600 thing about our team is we were built a certain way, 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:52.720 but we you know, we we were full of talent 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.920 all over the place. And yeah, so anytime you get 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.120 a team that has, you know, three really good wide 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:01.400 receivers that can all be considered you know ones or 0:13:01.520 --> 0:13:04.240 high level two wide receivers to have, you know, running 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:05.880 back in the backfield that can do a lot of 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:10.120 different things, you know, but there's always that caveat with 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:13.160 the greatest show on turf is that we always had 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:16.600 two eight in the backfield. And Marshall fallk was was 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:19.480 the different guy. You know, was a difference maker because 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:21.880 of all the things that he can do. And so 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:24.400 when a lot of teams, you know, you'll see that 0:13:24.440 --> 0:13:26.240 brought up the teams to score a lot of points 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:28.000 or throw it for a lot of yards. And I 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.040 can definitely see that from Cincinnati in terms of what 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:33.600 they have on the outside. And no knock on on 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:36.440 Joe because uh, you know, and Joe Mixon because he's 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:40.320 a really good player. Marshall was different and that was 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:43.600 the key piece that I believe made us, As you said, 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:46.360 and I'll argue to this day, the best offense the 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:49.360 league has ever seen is because of that guy, and 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:53.120 that guy being different than even the great weapons that 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:56.079 I had at the wide receiver position. The Bengals came 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:58.880 within two minutes of winning the Super Bowl two years ago, 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:02.440 they were WITHINSI. Returning to the Super Bowl this past year, 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:06.080 what do you think of their immediate prospects going forward 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:08.640 and is there anything specific that you think is still 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:12.360 needed for Cincinnati to get over the hump? Obviously, you know, 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.080 I think the prospects are good. It starts with, you know, 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.240 Joe Burrow and the fact that you've got a young 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:21.760 guy that plays that position and can compete with anybody 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:24.160 in the league at that position. We know, that's where 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:26.560 it all starts. You know, if they can keep the 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:30.040 weapons around him to allow him to do what he 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:34.000 does well, boom. That's part two. Especially in the NFL 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.400 now that is more built around offense and throwing the 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:41.840 football than ever before. Defense has been you know, solid, 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:43.640 and again I don't think you have to necessarily be 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.120 great on both sides of the ball, but you have 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:48.080 to be you have to be good, especially in the 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:50.880 AFC as you know, I mean, you're not going to 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:53.200 just be able to go and outscore everybody if your 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:56.000 defense can't stop anybody. So I like all those pieces, 0:14:56.280 --> 0:14:58.240 you know, I still think I want to see more 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:01.520 growth in their offensive line. Um, you know, where they 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:05.480 can truly utilize, you know, their weapons down the field. 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:09.400 You know, because I think we've seen times obviously last year, 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:11.520 we all know the issues that they had, and although 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:14.160 better this year, you know that there were still I 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:18.080 think issues at times of just protecting or even saying, hey, 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:21.040 if we need to win a game running the football, 0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:24.640 because that, to me is what always really separates teams 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.400 of it, you know, for the most part, and getting 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:30.240 to Super Bowls is sometimes you got to find ways 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:33.400 to win games away from your strength. And you know 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:35.080 they're going to have a strength for a long time 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:39.240 with Joe and Jamaar and company. But they'll be times 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.800 where it's like, Okay, we're not going to be able 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:44.040 to do it this way? Can you can we win 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.720 other ways against the Patrick Mahomes and against the Josh 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:49.800 Allens and and those guys, And that, to me will 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.040 be the real question moving forward, because I don't know 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:57.160 if I've I'm fully believing that, you know, there's numerous 0:15:57.200 --> 0:15:59.760 ways they can win. I feel like they almost always 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:02.000 have to get a good performance from Joe and get 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:04.720 the big plays on the outside. And again, I like 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:08.040 their defense, but I want to see them develop a 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:11.240 little bit more offensive line run game where they can 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:14.160 count on that in key moments to help them win 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:15.920 those tough games that they're going to face in the 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.960 mc hurt. This has been a real treat for me. 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:21.400 I can't thank you enough for your time and your insight, 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:24.320 and I hope the rest of your off season is outstanding. 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:27.160 Thank you, you got it. Good being on and let's 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:30.600 catch up again before the season starts. By the way, 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:34.040 if you've never seen the movie about Kurt's life, American Underdog, 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:37.000 I highly recommend it. I expected it to be the 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:41.000 story of how he went from stocking grocery store shelves 0:16:41.200 --> 0:16:43.960 to becoming one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, but it 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:48.160 also details Kurt's relationship with his wife, Brenda, a former 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:52.520 marine and a divorced mother of two, including a disabled son. 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:55.800 Their story of supporting each other is the heart of 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:59.200 the movie, and if you're not a Kurt Warner fan already, 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:03.760 you will be after seeing American Underdog. The Bengals Booth 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:07.199 podcast is brought to you by Alta Fiber future proof 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:11.919 fiber internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed to 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:14.760 take your home, business, and community to a new level, 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:20.320 elevate your connection with Alta Fiber. The Bengals' biggest offseason 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.399 storyline is Joe Burrows contract, as the team looks to 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:27.200 ensure that Joe will remain in Cincinnati for many, many 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:30.800 years to come. That's obviously not the only deal that 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:33.320 the Bengals are working on, and this week they re 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.960 signed long snapper Cal Atomitas. He became the starter after 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:40.760 fourteen year veteran Clark Harris tore his biceps in the 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:44.960 season opener, and Atamitas did not have an unplayable snap 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:48.960 in eighteen games after taking over. I spoke to Cal 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:55.360 on Wednesday, moments after he signed his new contract. Cal, 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:57.639 they're only thirty two of these jobs in the world. 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:00.439 You have earned a contract extension with the Bengals. Describe 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:02.520 what that means to you. You know, it's it's awesome, 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.960 just another chance to you know, keep continuing to compete 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:08.720 and uh, you know, keep getting better at my craft, 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.080 which is snapping. And I'm just excited for another chance 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.760 to come back and OTAs in camp and just get 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:17.040 better and chase another chase down a Super Bowl. Is 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.560 there anything in particular that you feel like you need 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:22.080 to get a little better at Yeah, you know, I think, um, 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:24.760 you had some good conversations with with coach Simmons after 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:27.840 the season, and just trying to improve myself physically, you know, 0:18:28.440 --> 0:18:30.600 get a little bigger, faster, stronger. That's you know, that's 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:33.280 always the goal. Um. And then just some some detail things, 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:35.320 you know, things that um, you know, I'm no longer 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:37.240 a rookie, so things that i'll you know, need to 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:40.200 do at a very high level. And just all the details, 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:42.360 all the small details that I can't just brush off 0:18:42.400 --> 0:18:44.840 anymore and be like, oh, you know, I'm a rookie mistake. 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:46.560 You know, there's no more rookie mistakes for me. I 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:51.560 guess before OTAs in mini camps, do you snap or 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:54.360 do you just work out. I'll definitely get back into 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:56.800 snapping in the coming weeks here, and I'll definitely snap 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.200 leading up to OTAs you know, certain guys have different 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.720 routines and more veteran guys tend to snap a little 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:04.399 less in the offseason. But just knowing my position and 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:06.800 knowing how I'll have to continue to compete to, you know, 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:10.359 be the starting guy come next season again, definitely is 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:12.800 in my best interest to keep snapping and keep improving 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.240 up until that time. Who will be on the receiving 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:18.520 end of those snaps. You know, luckily with having a 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:20.840 good relationship with the staff at PITT and I'll be 0:19:20.880 --> 0:19:22.639 able to snap to the guys there and you know, 0:19:22.800 --> 0:19:25.680 train with them, and you know, my dad might even 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:27.520 get out with me here and there. But it'll mostly 0:19:27.520 --> 0:19:30.359 be just some some former teammates and uh, you know 0:19:30.640 --> 0:19:32.600 some some of the specialists as well get together in 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:35.280 different parts of the country and work out together and train. 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:37.600 So it'll probably be a mix of guys, but mostly 0:19:37.640 --> 0:19:40.040 some of my old teammates from Pitt. We're visiting with 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:43.000 cal Adamidas. Let me turn the clock back to week one. 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:45.320 You earned a spot on the practice squad. I think 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:46.960 many of us thought you would get a red shirt 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:49.439 season basically behind Clark Harris, and then of course he 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:52.160 got hurt against the Steelers. In that game. Where were 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:54.720 you and what immediately went through your mind? Yeah, I 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.399 was on the sideline and my you know, my hoodie 0:19:57.400 --> 0:19:59.680 and tennis shoes, and you know, I just remember the 0:19:59.720 --> 0:20:02.920 feeling before that game. Definitely, even just in the locker room, 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:04.639 I was like, wow, like, you know, going to be 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:06.439 on the sideline for an NFL game, and I remember 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:09.280 kind of stepping on the field and just feeling like, okay, 0:20:09.320 --> 0:20:11.119 you know, even though I'm not playing, like this just 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:13.359 feels like football. And at that point in time, I 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:16.200 really kind of try to promise myself that I would, 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:18.600 you know, never never doubt my ability to perform no 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:21.040 matter what the level. And uh, you know, my chance 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:24.399 came a lot sooner than I initially expected following camp, 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:27.520