WEBVTT - 00053.mp3 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:06.000 Hike and everybody. I'm Dan Horde and this is the 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:10.440 Bengals Booth Podcast, the Best Laid Plans Edition, as we 0:00:10.480 --> 0:00:12.760 look back at a five point loss to the Chargers 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:15.520 that saw the Bengals follow their game plan to a t. 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:19.400 They ran the ball, effectively, controlled the clock, did not 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:22.720 commit a turnover, stop Philip Rivers and the Chargers on 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:26.960 third down, and still found a way to lose. Coming up, 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:30.360 you'll hear radio replays, locker room interviews with key players, 0:00:30.680 --> 0:00:34.159 and Dave Lappom will join me for postgame analysis plus 0:00:34.159 --> 0:00:36.680 and this week's fund Fag's interview. You'll get to know 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:41.200 safety Brandon Wilson. Among other things. We'll discuss the former 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:44.839 head football coach for four years at his high school. 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:48.519 You might have heard of the guy Doug Peterson, the 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:52.959 current head coach of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. 0:00:53.360 --> 0:00:55.680 All of that is straight ahead, but first, here's a 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:58.000 quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:02.520 this podcast delivered to your phone, tablet, or computer by 0:01:02.600 --> 0:01:07.200 subscribing an itune, Stitcher, or pod Bean. It's the greatest 0:01:07.200 --> 0:01:13.440 invention since the search engine. In choosing a name for 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:16.080 this edition of the podcast. I thought of the expression 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:20.120 the best laid plans of mice and men, saying used 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:23.720 to suggest that no matter how carefully something is planned, 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:28.640 things may still go wrong. Then I realized, I don't 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:32.760 know where that expression comes from, so I google searched it. 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:36.560 It's from the poem to a Mouse, written by Robert 0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:40.199 Burns in the seventeen hundreds, and it includes the line 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:45.600 the best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew. 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:50.560 Now you know that, Let's get to football. The LA 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:54.000 Chargers entered Sunday's game with a fifteen and four record 0:01:54.040 --> 0:01:57.520 in their last nineteen games. Nobody has a better mark 0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:01.400 during that stretch, so it was no surprise that the 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:04.920 Chargers were favored by more than two touchdowns at home 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:09.160 against the injury ravaged Bengals. It was also no surprise 0:02:09.240 --> 0:02:12.400 when LA opened the game with a sixth play, seventy 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.440 five yard touchdown drive first and ten at the Bengals 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:18.440 fourteen yard line. Rivers, with a glove on his left hand, 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.320 catches the shotgun, snap throws it toward the end zone 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.920 as a man open, and it's a touchdown for the Chargers. 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:29.520 A beautiful throw lofted over the shoulder Keenan Allen with 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:31.880 the catch. Sheen and Allen made the catch. Star Quest 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:35.000 narting coverage of Keenan Allen reren a great route. It's 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:38.480 the twenty sixth straight game with a touchdown pass for Rivers, 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:41.000 but it turned out to be his only one of 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:45.240 the day, ending Philip's streak of thirteen straight games with 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:49.560 two or more touchdown passes, two short of Peyton Manning's 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:53.240 NFL record. The Bengals answered with a field goal, but 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:57.080 quickly fell behind fourteen to three as the Chargers also 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:00.440 went seventy five yards to score on their second session. 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:03.480 Eckler lines up seven yards behind the line at the 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.000 twelve yard line. Hands on these second and goal from 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:08.240 the five for the Chargers. A receiver goes in motion. 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:10.920 That's Benjamin. Here's a handoff to Eckler and he will 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:13.920 run it into the end zone for a Charger's touchdown, 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.040 a five yard run for Austin Eckler and the Chargers 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.520 have scored touchdowns on their first two possessions. Two possessions, 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:24.000 two touchdowns and one hundred and fifty yards of offense. 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:27.120 It looked like it could be another butt kicking similar 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.680 to the Chiefs or Saints games. As it turned out, 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.400 far from it. For the rest of the game, the 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:38.200 Bengals defense was spectacular, allowing one hundred thirty eight yards 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:43.520 and no touchdowns on the Chargers' final eight drives. Here's 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:47.280 safety Jesse Bates on slowing down Philip Rivers. Once we 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:51.440 start to move around a little bit, disguising a lot, 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:53.840 we gotta get fill of what he was looking at 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:56.560 and how deep in the play clot he was going. 0:03:57.360 --> 0:03:58.920 I think that kind of flustered him a little bit. 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.400 The Bengals appeared to or their first touchdown with five 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:03.800 and a half minutes left in the half when quarterback 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:07.040 Jeff Driscoll scrambled to the right and dove toward the 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:10.280 end zone, extending the ball over the goal line for 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.440 a one yard score, But after a replay review, the 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:17.640 officials ruled that Driscoll had given himself up and was 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:21.360 down inches from the goal line. Here's the Bengals quarterback. 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:24.560 I've never seen that before. But you know, if that's 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:27.000 the rule, that's the rule, and you know you can't 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:29.960 you can't argue with an official. If that's the rule, 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.640 that's the rule. Maybe it's a you know, maybe they 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.280 need to relok at the rule, but I obviously was 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:38.320 not giving myself out. But if that's how the rules interpreted, 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:41.880 it is what it is, and you know, unfortunately not hurt. 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:44.000 The call was the result of a rule change in 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:47.520 the offseason. For years, in an attempt to protect quarterbacks, 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.880 defenders have had to ease up when a QB goes 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:55.000 into a feat first slide. Head first dives were treated differently. 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:59.560 Not anymore. Now, a diving quarterback is treated just like 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:03.360 a lighting one. The play is dead when anybody part 0:05:03.480 --> 0:05:06.800 hits the ground. That's why Driscoll's touchdown was taken off 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:09.240 the board. But you know what, it shouldn't have mattered. 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.040 The Bengals were about a nostril hair from the goal 0:05:12.160 --> 0:05:14.600 line and should have been able to score easily on 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:19.680 fourth down, but offensive lineman Alex Redman moved before the snap, 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:23.080 and his five yard penalty forced the Bengals to kick 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:26.479 a field goal, reducing the deficit to fourteen to six. 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:30.640 Here's Redman, I mean, that's that's that's some rookie. Can't 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:34.560 be letting happened. So, yeah, it is frustrating. In the 0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:38.960 second quarter, the Bengals defense actually began to dominate, driving 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:43.120 the Chargers backward on three straight three and outs, but 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:45.560 his third down and one Chargers stick with the empty 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:49.920 backfield in five wides. Rivers scanning the Bengals defense catches 0:05:49.920 --> 0:05:53.440 a high shotgun snap being chased by Dunlap. He's got him, 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:57.320 They'll sack him back at the six yard line. Dunlap's 0:05:57.400 --> 0:05:59.880 eight sack of the season forced the Chargers to punt 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:02.359 in the back of the end zone, allowing the Bengals 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:05.080 to start a drive at the LA thirty five yard 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:08.640 line with one thirty five left in the half. Five 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:11.920 plays later, they were in the end zone. Three receivers 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:14.160 out to the right, one to the left. Nobody why 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:17.200 to the Numerals. Driscoll catches a shotgun snap. He's back 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:20.719 to throw, good protection. His throw taught by John Ross 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:24.040 right over the medal for a Bengals touchdown, and he 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:28.159 was wide open across the Dan Cross. Has it been good? 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:32.279 That's the six touchdown reception for John Ross and he's 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:36.120 not even close to twenty catches yet. It's crazy. Ross 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:39.279 is from nearby Long Beach, California, and had about twenty 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:42.000 five friends and relatives in attendance. I one of the 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.120 best feelings I've had, you know, in a very long time. 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:47.440 Definitely in the best moment I've had playing in a 0:06:47.880 --> 0:06:51.760 in a stadium since I've been you know, and colleger 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:55.960 in NFL. So it's just nothing can beat playing in 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:57.800 front of your family and your friends and your son. 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:01.080 How do you think you're doing yourself personally this season? 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.520 I think I'm doing okay, which is not good enough. 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:07.760 I think it's always room for improvement no matter who 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:10.080 you are, especially me, you know, hold myself to a 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:14.640 high standard. And you know, I think I'm still you know, 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:17.920 figuring it out, you know, find an identity on him. 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:20.960 I will say this those It's much more smooth than 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:23.720 it was last year. Ross's touchdown made it fourteen to 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:27.200 twelve with twenty seconds left in the half. They're gonna 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:29.480 go for two and try to tie it with twenty 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:33.400 seconds left in the half, so chasing points early not 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:37.320 necessarily recommended, but we'll see if it works. Two receivers 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:40.080 to each side of the formation, Driscoll back to throw. 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:42.840 He swings it out to the right to Bernard and 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:45.200 he has tackled at the five yard line. As if 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:47.760 that wasn't bad enough. The final twenty seconds of the 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:52.600 half were a comical disaster. The Chargers used ten seconds 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:55.119 to return the kickoff to the thirty two yard line, 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:58.920 leaving ten seconds in the half. Back to back eleven 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:02.239 yard completions used up nine of those seconds and moved 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:05.680 la to the Bengals forty six yard line, not close 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.560 enough for a field goal attempt, so Rivers dropped back 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:11.600 to throw a hail Merry pass and got sacked by 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:17.200 Dunlap and Sam Hubbard, but inexplicably, Jordan Willis was offside 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:19.880 that moved the ball to the forty one yard line, 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:23.520 allowing the Chargers to bring out rookie kicker Michael Badgeley 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:26.119 badually made the game winner at the gun last Sunday 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:28.800 night in Pittsburgh on his third try. The Bengals do 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.320 have a returner waiting in the back of the end zone. 0:08:32.640 --> 0:08:35.079 Nine yard attempt. It looks like it is long enough 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:40.960 and it is good. Wo wow. How about that. Here's 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:45.000 Jesse Bates on the two critical first half penalties. I 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.959 think that's losing football. I mean, we got a chance 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.920 to score on not even the one yard line, and 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:53.120 we jump offside in the sulfield goal it's four points. 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:56.040 And then right before the half, we you know we're 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:59.040 about going inside halftime our offense getting the ball back 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:01.599 on on saw and give them three more points. So 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:04.360 that's a seven point you know swing right there. The 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:06.880 Bengals got the ball down by five points to begin 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.959 the third quarter, and on their opening drive, faced fourth 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:12.520 and less than a yard at their own thirty five 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:16.320 yard line, Marvin Lewis elected to go for it. Driscoll 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:20.360 under center, He's got to hand it off. Mixon trying 0:09:20.400 --> 0:09:23.600 to fight for the yardage he won't get there, doesn't 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:26.800 come close. That's a great wall of China right there, 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:29.800 I thought, hammered up inside where those young guys had 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:33.840 been operating so efficiently and effectively, and the Los Angeles 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:37.440 Chargers said, nah, baby nah. That led to an easy 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:40.520 Chargers field goal in a twenty to twelve lead. Here's 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:42.839 coach Lewis who got less than four inches to go, 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:44.960 five inches to go. We don't make it. I mean, 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:47.480 you know those things we got to make those man 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:50.280 we're counting long in the make it. On their next possession, 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:53.360 the Bengals drove to the LA thirty four, but rather 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:56.440 than attempt to fifty two yard field goal. They lined 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:59.360 up to go for it on fourth and seven before 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:02.560 a penalty on Billy Price forced the Bengals to punt. 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.840 Lap asked Marvin about passing up the field goal try. 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:08.880 Was it a tough decision not to go for that 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:11.120 fifty two yard field goal? Was right on the border 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:13.319 of what you thought might be his range might be? Well, 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:15.280 I felt with the wind today and just the way 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:17.439 it was, the wind was cross wind and it was 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:20.439 you know, and warm ups, and didn't so comfortable with it. 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:24.000 On the Bengals next drive, Bullock was given the opportunity 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:26.640 to attempt a forty six yard field goal, and he 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.520 drilled it with room to spare to pull the Bengals 0:10:29.559 --> 0:10:33.000 back within five. LA answered with a field goal to 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:36.000 push the lead back to eight, but Cincinnati was still 0:10:36.040 --> 0:10:38.960 within a touchdown. In a two point conversion with seven 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.640 forty five to go, Matt Lengal goes in motion. Driscoll 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:44.560 takes the direct staff It's a run to the right 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:47.720 for Mixon charging up the middle. Filt first down, still 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:50.600 going all the way down to the eleven yard line. 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:54.200 Want a run for Joe Mixon and the Bengals are 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:58.760 eleven yards away after that nineteen yard run. Again between 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:02.199 the tackles, those young guys up front in the middle, 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.079 they're operating very, very efficiently. Mixon finished with twenty six 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:09.839 carries for one hundred eleven yards. Here's Jeff Driscoll on 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:12.280 Joe's performance. We've been saying we got to be able 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:14.400 to run the football. That's gonna set everything else up. 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:18.240 And I thought Joe did a great job today, you know, 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:20.240 hitting the holes when the holes were there, and in 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:23.360 creating when maybe there wasn't as much, you know, free 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:25.760 room to run. So I mean, I thought he competed 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:30.199 and ran really hard, and you know, I'm just you know, 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:33.080 it was fun to watch him play well today. Mixon 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:35.559 gave the Bengals a chance to tie the game with 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:39.040 less than two minutes to go. Sam Hubbard in at fullback, 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:41.520 first in goal from the one, Driscoll hands it to 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:44.839 Mix and he is in a touchdown from the one 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.480 yard line for Joe Mixon, and now the Bengals will 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.720 try for a two point conversion in hopes of tying 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.800 the game with one fifty to go. The Bengals have 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:58.280 not had a two point conversion in fifty six games, 0:11:58.480 --> 0:12:01.719 longest streak of any team in the NFL. They will 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:03.679 try for one here to tie the game. Drist go 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:07.839 back to throw looking still looking sacked back at the 0:12:07.960 --> 0:12:11.719 fifteen yard line. That's a coverage sack right there, man, 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.199 because he had nowhere to go at the football, and 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:16.360 you can't throw it away. You have to try to 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.640 create a play and he couldn't find anybody to throw 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.480 it too. That's and he takes the sack. The failed 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:24.880 two point try forced the Bengals to attempt an on 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:28.640 side kick, and that failed as well. The Bengals have 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:32.280 not had a successful on side kick since two thy ten. 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:37.200 They are over six since the Chargers added three points 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:40.040 on Badgeley's fourth field goal of the game to win 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:44.199 it twenty six to twenty one. Here are John Ross 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.000 and Clayton Federlum. It was a wake up call, like, 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:50.200 you know, we are better than what people think, you know, um, 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:54.000 And you know we actually we were playing we're playing 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:57.199 really good. It is this. We gotta put everything together, 0:12:57.400 --> 0:12:59.960 you know, and it'll come. I never never feel good 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:02.640 after loss. Doesn't matter if you lose by one hundred, 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.520 by one point losses, you know, you know, I hate 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:07.199 losing more than I like winning, so you know it 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:10.720 hurts um. You know where there's some positive out there, absolutely, 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:14.400 most notably the play of the defense. The Bengals held 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:17.240 the Chargers to two hundred eighty eight yards, the fewest 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:19.559 the Bengals have allowed in a game all season, and 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:23.679 one hundred forty five yards below the whopping four thirty 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:26.920 three the teams have been averaging against Cincinnati this season. 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:30.720 The Chargers were also just five for thirteen on third down. 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:34.959 That's thirty eight percent, well below the Bengals league worst 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:38.280 average of fifty four percent. Going in. Now time to 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:41.440 bring in my broadcast partner Dave Lapham for postgame analysis, 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:45.199 and we start with the critical mistakes that cost the 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:48.160 Bengals an upset win. You know, you can't put yourself 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:50.319 from your schedule, and you only have six penalties for 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:52.920 thirty four yards or whatever it is, but four of 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:56.240 those six penalties were crucial. I mean, you know, one 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:58.880 at the one inch line that makes you settle for 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.199 a field goal. There's four points off the board potentially 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:03.160 because they were going for it on fourth down and 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.320 literally less than a foot. And then at the conclusion 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:08.319 of the half, they have a sack and there's a 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.439 penalty because Jordan Willis jumps, uh, and you know now 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:14.800 it's it's line up for a fifty nine yard field goal. 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:18.000 Makes it so there are seven points right there worst 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:21.040 case scenario, and a five point lost, and it's it's 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:22.880 just it's just unfortunate. I mean, you do a lot 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:25.400 of a lot of things right, but when the chips 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:27.600 are on the line, you know, there's not that margin 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:30.560 for error, and I think guys maybe start, you know, realizing, 0:14:30.640 --> 0:14:32.840 oh man, I you know, I can't make a mistake, 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:34.840 and then that's when you might make mistakes. You just 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:37.480 have to play kind of free and easy. And it's 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:40.760 unfortunate because very there's only two teams in the NFL 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:42.760 at this stage of the season that have run the 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:44.880 football more than theyve thrown it, and both of them 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:48.360 have winning records. And the Bengals did that today. They 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:50.240 ran the ball more than they threw it. And I thought, 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.320 you know, I still didn't really think that they had 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:55.320 a big attack throwing the ball down the field. A 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:58.280 lot of it was horizontal throwing, but I thought the 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:02.160 game plan was sound. And I will never understand how 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:05.800 they apply a rule a quarterback giving himself up at 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.280 the one inch line. I mean, I understand the rule. 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:10.760 I understand the application rule, but there when you're you're 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.080 going to score and you're you're stretching the ball out, 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:15.760 I don't understand how you can apply it there. I 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:20.080 don't know, but unfortunately was called and and that's you know, 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:22.120 that's just another another thing you have to deal with 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:25.760 when it when it rains, it pours. Hindsight's always twenty twenty. 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:28.040 But when it comes to a couple of decisions during 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:29.760 the course of the game, the decision to go for 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.760 two at twenty seconds left in the second quarter and 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:36.120 actually your question chasing points that early in the game. 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:39.440 The decision to run the ball on fourth and short 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.560 early third quarter when you got a quarterback, try to 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.840 quarterback sneak and possibly picked it up that way. Obviously, 0:15:45.920 --> 0:15:48.400 when it doesn't work, it's easy to second guess. But 0:15:48.800 --> 0:15:50.400 those are some decisions that I'm sure a lot of 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:52.800 people were first guessing as well. Yeah, I'm sure. And 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:56.440 if you decide to go for two and you don't 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:58.640 make it, then you have to, you know, at the 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:01.120 end of the game to go for two. And the 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:03.040 other thing is if you're going to chase points and 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:05.240 go for two. Why don't you chase points and kick 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:07.080 a fifty two yard field goal? At least try to. 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:10.440 It's not congruous, you know, it's in incongruous there. It's 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.040 like they don't they don't. The pattern doesn't doesn't follow. 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:16.360 So you know, a fifty two yard field goal in 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:19.040 these weather conditions. He hit that fifty nine yard room 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:21.360 to spare, and I think a fifty two yard or 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:23.600 is makable. I didn't really detect a whole lot of 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:26.560 wind or any kind of problems, but maybe they did. 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:28.760 Maybe they didn't like what they saw in pregame warm 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:30.920 ups or whatever. There has to be a reason for it. 0:16:31.040 --> 0:16:33.640 But you know that, I'm sure people are thinking, what 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:35.040 if you're going for two, why aren't you trying that 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:37.560 fifty two yard field goal? I guess in hindsight, that's 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:40.440 that's my thought on that too. Biggest positive on the 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:43.800 defensive end for me is this. The Chargers scored touchdowns 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:48.000 on their first two possessions, did not score another touchdown 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.800 then their last eight possessions of the game. Now, they 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:53.720 did kick four field goals, including a couple of short 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.640 fields where they got the balling Bengals territory. But it's 0:16:56.680 --> 0:16:59.400 hard to imagine, or it's been hard to imagine this 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:03.120 defensa as badly as it struggled, holding a potent offense 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:07.040 like that to eight possessions without a touchdown, and to 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:09.359 play the way they did after the start, you know, 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.960 and to h to put your finger in the hole 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:13.760 in the dike, you know, that's hard to do on 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:16.840 the road against a really good quarterback. That's that's a 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:18.840 really good football team. I mean they're ten and three now, 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:21.520 they might be playing the AIRC Championship game here at 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:23.520 stub Hub. Boy, the league would love that, wouldn't they. 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.480 But I mean, that's a really really good football team. 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:29.080 And defensively, I thought the Corners played hard. I thought 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:32.320 Joe Mixon played hard, Tyler Boyd played hard. The Corners 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:35.120 player so many guys played hard, played really really hard. 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:37.560 Defensive guys were you know, getting after it in the 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:40.520 front front line, you know, after the first couple of drives, 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:43.680 so the encouraging signers, they didn't spit the bit, you know, 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:46.119 it didn't become an ugly situation. They made it a 0:17:46.200 --> 0:17:48.840 really really good football game. And I thought the physicality 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.640 of the three young guys inside was a plus. I thought. 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:55.760 I thought Westerman and Billy Price and Redman. Redman had that. 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:58.320 You know that tough penalty obviously, but those guys were 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:00.920 getting course. Now Joe Mixon was. He wasn't making his 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:02.440 first cutting his own back for he was making his 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:04.960 first cut three four yards down the football field. That's 0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:06.320 what you want to see with him back like that. 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:10.200 Thanks Lap. Up next the home finale against the three 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:14.280 and ten Oakland Raiders, who stunned Pittsburgh on Sunday twenty 0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:17.520 four to twenty one. The Steelers are seven to five 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:20.680 and one with a home game against the Patriots this 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:24.840 week followed by a road game against the Saints. So 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:28.040 much for resting starters against the Bengals in week seventeen. 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:32.640 The Steelers might have to beat Cincinnati just to qualify 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:36.040 for the playoffs. The Bengals knocked the Ravens out of 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:37.920 the playoffs in the final game of the year on 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:42.080 the road last year. With so many players on injured reserve, 0:18:42.600 --> 0:18:46.400 they couldn't do it in Pittsburgh, could they? Could they? 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:50.560 It would be fun to find out. Now Time for 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.960 this week's fun fact segment, where you get to know 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:57.159 the person under the pads, in this case a second 0:18:57.240 --> 0:19:00.760 year safety and special team stand out from the University 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:03.760 of Houston. Time for some fun facts with Bengal safety 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:08.560 Brandon Wilson from Shreveport, Louisiana and the northwest tip of Louisiana, 0:19:08.680 --> 0:19:11.600 not far from the Texas and Mississippi borders. Tell us 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:13.960 a little bit about growing up in Shreveport and what 0:19:14.160 --> 0:19:17.200 you like to do as a kid growing up. I mean, 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:19.840 I like to do what every kid does, go outside, 0:19:19.880 --> 0:19:23.280 I play play video games, but most of the time 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:26.800 I really played football, I mean like everybody else, So 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:31.000 I mean just playing football that was that was really 0:19:31.040 --> 0:19:34.480 my main thing. And running track. I feel like that's 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:37.640 what kind of got me. You know where I am today. 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:40.919 You're from a big family. Yes, I have three brothers 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:44.639 and three sisters, and I'm the middle child, so you 0:19:44.680 --> 0:19:48.120 know how that goes. I'm the fourth out of five, 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:50.800 so I do know how that goes. How excited are 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.000 they to have a brother in the NFL? Oh, my goodness, 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:57.159 they are very excited. I Mean they always calling me 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:00.560 every day, calling me after games, asking me how, you know, 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:03.880 just checking on me, and they they're they're all excited. 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:05.600 And proud for me, you know, just having a brother 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:09.080 that's playing in the NFL. What your parents do for 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:13.000 a living all My dad he works at a factory, 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:16.760 and my mom she works as a custodian at apartment complex. 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:19.040 So I mean I kind of always looked up to 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:22.639 them because they were always hard workers. Also one of 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:25.120 my brothers, I always kind of look up to him 0:20:25.119 --> 0:20:27.359 as well, you know, because just growing up and just 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:30.080 saying them work hard, you know, it always just pushed 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:32.480 me to work hard as well. We're doing fun facts 0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:36.160 with Brandon Wilson. Your high school was Calvary Baptist Academy, 0:20:36.720 --> 0:20:39.600 which was in the news last year because before Doug 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:42.240 Peterson was the head coach of the Super Bowl winning 0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:45.480 Philadelphia Eagles, he was the head coach at your high 0:20:45.520 --> 0:20:48.720 school for four years. Now that was before you got there, 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.560 But do you remember it at all? I remember it. 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:56.800 I remember because my brother that's older than me, Zi Kendrick, 0:20:57.160 --> 0:21:01.000 he actually played under coach p And you know, it 0:21:01.119 --> 0:21:04.119 was always cool just watching them. And I think, if 0:21:04.200 --> 0:21:06.240 I'm not mistaken, I think Brett Farve came went to 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:08.320