1 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,479 Speaker 1: I get everybody. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for downloading 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: the Bengals Booth Podcast the right here, right now. There 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: is no other place I wanna be. Addition, as the 4 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: Bengals look to capitalize on a six game stretch of 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: their schedule in which four of the games are against 6 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: teams with a combined record of nine and twenty eight Washington, 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: the Giants, the Cowboys, and the Texans coming up, Dave 8 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: Lapham joins me to discuss how the Bengals are handling 9 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: positive COVID tests among players and coaches, and the teeter 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: totter that aj Green and te Higgins have been on. 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: My one on one player interview is with Mike Daniels, 12 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: and we'll find out if he agrees with my prediction 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: that he has headed toward a highly successful career in 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: broadcasting when his playing days are finished. And in our 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: know the faux segment, I'll ask Washington radio voice Bram 16 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: Weinstein if he ever slips and accidentally says Redskins. The 17 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. Refresh 18 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: the game, and here's a quick reminder that you can 19 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to 20 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, 21 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing 22 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: since none. During the pandemic, we've tried to support local 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: restaurants by getting takeout once or twice a week, including 24 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: occasional trips to our favorite Indian restaurant. I'm a big 25 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: fan of Indian food, and for me, the best part 26 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: of the meal is the non the oven baked flatbread. 27 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: There used to be an Indian restaurant in town that 28 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: served a non which a sandwich on none that might 29 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: have been the greatest sandwich in history. So if you 30 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: are a restaurant to or in the Cincinnati area, put 31 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: a nonwich on your menu and I will beat a 32 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: path to your door. Now let's get to my conversation 33 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: with Dave Lapham. It's been a turbulent week and a 34 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: half for the Bengals, largely due to COVID nineteen. They 35 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: did not have Fred Johnson last week, they did not 36 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: have Marcus Hunt last week. They did not have several 37 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 1: of their coaches, including four that they thought they would 38 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,839 Speaker 1: have until game day. Stuff to overcome it is, I mean, 39 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: you know they're they're flying out to Pittsburgh. Coach takes 40 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: off his mask to eat. You know, they have their 41 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: masks on even when they fly. Duffner's sitting across from 42 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,399 Speaker 1: them and a linebacker coach sitting behind them. Both those 43 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: guys are contact traced, and I mean they're woken up 44 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: like in the wee hours on the morning to tell them, 45 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 1: you know, we've got a situation here. You guys are 46 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: part of contact tracing. Stay in your rooms, quarantine until 47 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,839 Speaker 1: further no and then earlier a few hours later, they're 48 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: told get rental cars, al golden and marked. After they 49 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: have to get rental cars, one each drive back separately 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: to Cincinnati. Crazy and Dan. When you have guys that 51 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: were as experienced as these guys head coaches both have 52 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: been former head coaches during the course of a game, 53 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: I mean their eyes, experienced eyes are valuable. They're experienced, 54 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: you know, just having all the experiences of being a 55 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: head coach as well as coordinator and position coach and 56 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: everything else for all those years. When you're making adjustments 57 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: and adjustments to adjustments as that game goes on. That 58 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: that's a factor, you know, and players like to come 59 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: off the field and have the same coach that they're 60 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: speaking to when they come off the field, and all 61 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: that change. Am I saying that's the reason that Pittsburgh 62 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: thumped them? Hell no, I mean they didn't do anything right. 63 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: There's no any one of the three phases. Nobody in 64 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: any of the three phases stepped up and played modicum 65 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: of a game that would have been worthy of a 66 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: victory in Pittsburgh. But all of these things are facts, 67 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: and it certainly didn't help the cause. I can tell 68 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: you that for sure. Because of the positive tests coming 69 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: out of the buy. Nothing has been normal since. Their 70 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: meetings have all been virtual, their practices have been disjointed. 71 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: They've been wearing masks at practice. It's unprecedented. Teams have 72 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: never gone through anything like this before. Let's hear from 73 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: Von Bell about the Bengals trying to deal with these 74 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: COVID issues. Man, we're in a weird time and you 75 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: never know, how can you get the virus whatnot? And 76 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: it's like it's weird. But when you get close contact, 77 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: they track it with those tracers and and so you 78 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: could be next to somebody for five minutes and then 79 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: got do in close contact and you could be knocked 80 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: out and it's always the next play, next man of mentality. 81 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: It's like man, and it affects the whole group because 82 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: of you know, we're not getting that time together. We 83 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: could spend the meetings and really break down of how 84 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: can we do this and get detailed and what can 85 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: we do in the game because all on zoom and 86 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: you're not getting enough reps sometimes and it's just crazy, man. 87 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: So you know, you just gotta find a way because 88 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: nobody cares about that. Like my old coach's telling me, Man, 89 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,239 Speaker 1: ninety percent of the world I don't care about your problems. 90 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: Ten percent care that you got them, and we just 91 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: gotta figure out to produce on Sunday and then that's 92 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: that's that's the end of it, and we just gotta 93 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: find a way. Let's talk specifically about zoom meetings. Everybody 94 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: and just about every walk of life is doing them 95 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: these days. But when it comes to a game plan 96 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: and a team football setting, how much do you think 97 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: they're missing by not being in a room discussing exactly 98 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: what they're going to do against the next opponent. Well, 99 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 1: I mean, you know you can you can still follow 100 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: the grease board in a zoom with the coach up 101 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: there at the grease board. You can watch tape, you know, 102 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: on zoom with a coach. It's you know, the meetings. 103 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: That's the big thing to me is when they go 104 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: on in the field, like you said, they go out 105 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: and shifts. So the offense will come in, and the 106 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: offense go out for a walkthrough, they'll leave, Defense comes in, 107 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: defense goes out for a walkthrough, they leave, and then 108 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: they all reconvene a few hours later for a practice 109 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: and uh so, and right now they're in the stiffest 110 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: protocols possible because they've had positive tests. So that's that's 111 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: the stiffest scenario schedule wives that you can go through. 112 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh was going through it. That's why with Ben not 113 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: practice or you know, he had treatment. That's all he 114 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: was going to do anyway, and he went out and played. Well, 115 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna not take credit away from for doing that, 116 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: but I think that whole thing was overrated. He couldn't 117 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: have done any more than he did anyway. COVID or 118 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: no COVID and he's in his seventeenth year. Yeah, I 119 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: mean there's there's no that was no. Uh that was 120 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: Everybody's like, oh, my gosh, it's just unbelievable. Ben didn't practice. 121 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: Ben hasn't practiced a bunch of weeks during the course 122 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: of his seventeen year career and then gone out and 123 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: played on game day. Right, he said so many times 124 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: he just stands behind watching the other quarterbacks, and that's helpful. Yeah, 125 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: but yeah, he's getting mental reps, you know. And you know, 126 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: the bottom line was, in my opinion after watching it again, 127 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: the Bengals played zone every time. You know, Pittsburgh went 128 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: jet sweep motioning guys. Nobody went with them, so they 129 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: knew right away of the playing zone defense. And they're 130 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: just playing soft. I mean, forget cushion. They were giving 131 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: counties up. It wasn't just cushion. And part of that 132 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: is if you're getting beaten, you know, I remember coaches 133 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: many times pushing the defensive backs in practice, get up there, 134 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: get up there. I don't want you given an eight 135 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: yard cushion. I'm talking like four yards. What do you 136 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: do well your natural instinct when you think that you've 137 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: got a guy that's a good receiver in Pittsburgh had 138 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: three of them, and the defensive backs that were playing 139 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: a corner weren't necessarily all starting corners. Your tendency is 140 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: to back up. I remember one time in an All 141 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: Star game, had a cornerback that was getting torched by 142 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: this wide receiver who's damn good on the other team, 143 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: obviously going to a big Division one school. The kid 144 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: lined up from the they have the ball at the 145 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: eight yard line. The receiver lines up our defensive backs 146 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: two yards in the end zone. He's given him ten yards. 147 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: Be's so scared. It's like, there's no field from to 148 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: run behind you. What are you doing? But he's Your 149 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: natural reaction is to back up, and that's what the 150 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: Bengals were doing in the secondary. When I watched this, like, 151 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, they just basically didn't didn't really feel 152 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: like I can make place here. I got all the 153 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: confidence in the world. I mean, they were they were 154 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: playing defensive defense. I mean they weren't. They weren't playing 155 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: offensive defense. I can tell you that they weren't aggressive. 156 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: They were very, very not aggressive in their posture, and 157 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: Ben took full advantage of it. But yeah, it's it's 158 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 1: it's crazy, crazy times. There's no other way to put it. 159 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: It's whatever can Murphy's Law is twenty twenty with COVID nineteen. 160 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: Whatever can happen will happen, and you better be ready 161 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: for all of it. And you know, Zach mentioned earlier 162 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: today on Zoom conference calls that press conferences that you know, 163 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 1: during training camp they had all these things in place. 164 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: If this guy goes down, this guy's taken it, and 165 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: every team had to do that. You have to go 166 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: all the way through your coaching staff and have plan B, C, 167 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: D all the way to z. Yeah, it's one thing 168 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: to make a plan, it's another thing to actually have 169 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: to do it or the guy that's never done that 170 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,359 Speaker 1: job before. I also wonder about the state of anxiety 171 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: because of the positive tests and all the things that 172 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: have happened over the last nine or ten days. We 173 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: get tested once a week as NFL Tier three employees. 174 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: So we got to Paul Brown Stadium. There's a trailer outside, 175 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: You go into the trailer, you get your test, you 176 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: leave immediately, and then sometime overnight you get an email 177 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: that your results are in. You go to this website, 178 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: you check the website and you get your result. And 179 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: I've had no symptoms. I feel great. Nobody in my 180 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: immediate family has tested positive and Yeah, there's always a 181 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: tiny bet of anxiety for me when I click that link, 182 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: just to know for sure that I'm not positive. Yeah, 183 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's unfortunately, it's a fact of COVID life. 184 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: You know, it's it's the uncertain. Here's what you're dealing with, 185 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: and it is it's an unusual time. And as said 186 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: from the very beginning of this, the teams and the 187 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: coaches and players that can pivot the best and avoid 188 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: over infection of COVID nineteen are the ones that are 189 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: gonna gonna survive in advance. It's a it's a it's 190 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 1: a much different ballgame. There's no doubt. Last week's lost 191 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh wasn't a good day for anybody, but it 192 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: was a particularly tough day for AJ Green. He was 193 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: targeted five times in that game and did not have 194 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: a single catch. Here's head coach Zach Taylor on the 195 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: status of AJ Green. We have a really deep receiving 196 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: corps and so it's a benefit for the quarterback where 197 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: he doesn't have to be dialed into just trying to 198 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: get a ball to somebody. He can just throw to 199 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: the open man. And you know, so again it's just 200 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: it's part of the way it goes. I've kind of 201 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: predicted that this could happen for a couple of guys 202 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: as the season goes, where a guy has eight catches 203 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: one game and has zero the next game, you know, 204 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 1: And so again we just are careful enough to overreact 205 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: to that. Aj Green did have eight catches in one game, 206 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: the Indianapolis game, eight catches for ninety six yards. Came 207 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 1: back the next week had seven catches and a very 208 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: solid game against the Cleveland Browns. But really that's been 209 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: it this year. Yeah, it's still still kind of a 210 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: work in progress. The one thing I will say is 211 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: he's drawn the number one corner again, you know, I 212 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: mean he was, he was matched up in that scenario. So, 213 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,079 Speaker 1: like we said before, he used to draw the number 214 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: one as well as tilting his safety over there. That 215 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: is not happening as much. I think they paid a 216 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: lot of attention to Tyler Boyd and as a result, 217 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: he Higgins benefited. So there's a trickle down, you know, 218 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: trickle up, trickle down. When you have three good ones, 219 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,080 Speaker 1: you know, you can't double all of them. Somebody's going 220 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:01,839 Speaker 1: to have the day. Who are they? Who are they 221 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,079 Speaker 1: going to try to take out of the game, and 222 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: who are they going to try to see who can 223 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: they might be able to handle more one on one. 224 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: They do feel like most teams do feel like putting 225 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: their number one corner on AJ eliminates them and then 226 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: they can play accordingly coverage wives with the other guys. 227 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: So until AJ starts UH, you know, ramping it up 228 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 1: a little bit in terms of production and UH and 229 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: makes people change their mind. It is good to get 230 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: that number one corner removed from the process, but like 231 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: to see AJ break out of it. Do you think 232 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: he has lost a half a step because he's thirty 233 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: two or because he missed the last year and a half. 234 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: I think it's both. I think it's at the double whammy. 235 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: You know, when you lose when you're when you're off 236 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: the field and out of the game for that long 237 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,680 Speaker 1: a time frame, and you're also hitting that magic year 238 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: of thirty and you know, getting into those into those 239 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: early adult years as such, it's hard. So I think 240 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: it is a combination, and it's it's a combination you 241 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: don't want to have to experience. And I think he's 242 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: going through the process now of having experienced it and 243 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: trying to come out the other end on the flip side. 244 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: Te Higgins had the best game of his NFL career, 245 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 1: at least in terms of catches. He had a career 246 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: high seven grabs, targeted nine times, finished with one hundred 247 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: and fifteen receiving yards, including a touchdown. Let's hear from 248 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: Tyler Boyd on his rookie teammate, te Higgins. He really 249 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: can be a very special player in this league. You know, 250 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: he just gotta be more detail in a few things. 251 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: I mean, that's saw a rookies have to work on. 252 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: But I think I think he's hit it in the 253 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,719 Speaker 1: right direction so far. So the the skuy thelema for him. 254 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: We were told before this draft that it might be 255 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: the best wide receiver crop in history. Man, it looks 256 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: like they got that right because most of the guys 257 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: that were selected in the first two rounds are having 258 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: fantastic rookie years. Yeah, they really are. And U te Higgins, 259 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: I think Tyler Boyd hit it on the head, you know, 260 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: a little more attention to detail. First play the game 261 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: penalty a little bit later in the game fumble and 262 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 1: that's stunned te Higgins. I mean, he does not fumble. 263 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: He hadn't fumbled a while, and he was like wooh, 264 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: but he got over it. You know, the thing is 265 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,839 Speaker 1: he had the penalty and had the fumble. Two things 266 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 1: you don't want to do. You don't want to cost 267 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: your team yards. You don't want to cost your team 268 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: to football. And what did he do? Responded to the diversity? 269 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: Made plays. You know, it's good to see him have 270 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: that mental toughness to absorb when it's not going well, compartmentalized, 271 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: move on and play. And he played well. So a 272 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: lot of positives there. Eliminate those couple of negatives and 273 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: you'd have as good a game as you can possibly have. 274 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: He's on a pace to have more than a thousand 275 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: receiving yards his rookie year. Tyler Boyd. His success obviously 276 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: speaks for itself. He's got sixty catches this season for 277 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: that third spot. Obviously, AJ is still the guy for now. 278 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: But do the Bengals have to consider rotating Odd and 279 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: Tate in more frequently or Mike Thomas in that spot. 280 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't think it's to that point yet, um, 281 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: but you know, I mean, at some point in time, 282 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: it's a meritocracy. You know, and I think AJS is 283 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: acutely aware of that as anybody. The Bengals are one 284 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: of six teams in the NFL. They have three different 285 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: guys with five hundred scrimmage yards and more. AJ is 286 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: automatic in that in that role. Call not this year, 287 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: it's it's mixing Still and Boyden Higgins and AJ Green 288 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: and doesn't even have four hundred yards, you know if 289 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: scrimmage yards just barely over three hundred. So he's at 290 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: a different place on the totem pole. But you know, 291 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: I'd love to love to see him have a breakout game, 292 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: uh when when it's least expected. I'd like to see 293 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: it happen more than once. I'd love to see it 294 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: happen against one of the division opponents that have left 295 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh in Baltimore, because he's had those kind of games 296 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: against him before. Twenty nine year old Quentin Spain was 297 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: picked up a few weeks ago after being let go 298 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: by the Buffalo Bills, and he certainly had an interesting 299 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: first two games as a member of the Bengals. After 300 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: joining the team on a Friday, he wound up playing 301 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: most of the game in the victory over the Tennessee Titans, 302 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: and then this past week, due to the absences of 303 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: Bobby Hart and Fred Johnson, the Bengal's top two options 304 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: at right tackle, he had to play that position really 305 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: for the first time in an NFL game. He'd played 306 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: a handful of snaps, but nothing significant until last week, 307 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: and he played extremely well. Here's Michael Jordan on his 308 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: new teammate Quentin Spain. It doesn't even compare how impressed 309 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: I am. I mean, oh, my goodness for him. So 310 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: I was supposed to play against the Titans and I 311 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: went down sick with colleidis, and you know, he just 312 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: got there. What there had to be three days, three days, 313 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: knee comes in. He has a hell of the game. 314 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: I was like, this guy is the real deal. I 315 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: need to learn as much as possible from him. So 316 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: I'm truly impressed by him and his experience as a 317 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: veteran offensive linement in NFL. What was more impressive coming 318 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: in and playing in two days or going out and 319 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: playing right tackle. Well, they're both impressive, honestly, and I 320 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 1: thought he did a tremendous job at right tackle as well. 321 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: Quinton Spain, he knows, he knows defenses, he knows you 322 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: know the playbook, and he knows how to react to 323 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: different defenses on what they're doing. So he's just an 324 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: impressive guy all around. How well did he do it right? Tackle? 325 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 1: Very well? I mean, what is legit? And a couple 326 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: of times he buckled him, I mean he covered him up. 327 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: He did a good job. Now you know, a couple 328 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 1: of sacks to what gout. One of them was on 329 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: a twist, a te twist tackle penetrated Redman staying on 330 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: the tackle a little bit too long when he hit 331 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: them off to Spain and what being so quick, Redman 332 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: couldn't react back inside, So that doesn't go as a 333 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: downgrade to Spain because he was blocking the tackle that 334 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: he ended up having to block. And you know the 335 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: other sack that Watt was involved with, Joe Barrows climbing 336 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: the pocket. He kind of clouded with Trey Hopkins a 337 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: little bit and held on to the ball probably a 338 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: little bit too longer than than would have liked. And uh, 339 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: eventually walk got a piece of that action. But I mean, Spain, 340 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: to me, this is the most unusual and incredible storyline 341 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: an offensive lineman's ever had here in this franchise. They 342 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: come off the Street and in three days Friday Saturday, 343 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: play on Sunday. I have a walkthrough on Saturday and 344 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: a coach's office with other coaches and other players in 345 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: the offensive line. Tells me that what he's got Dan 346 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: is he's got the feel for the game. He's got instincts. 347 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: He sees the big picture, I mean the total picture, 348 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: though the picture window. It's it's not a little porthole. 349 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: He sees it all. And Willie Anderson was like that. 350 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: Willie saw the game, you know, and a lot of 351 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: guys in Spain, Spain has that has that ability, and 352 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: Adenogy as well. I mean he's playing next to Adenagy 353 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: in the Tennessee game and then the bye week and 354 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: then he's a bookend tackle with a Dentagy And as 355 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 1: Dennis Green said, they were who we thought they were 356 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: and we let him off the hook. Identagy is who 357 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: I thought he was. And once he actually got a 358 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: chance to go in a game and play without any 359 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,880 Speaker 1: preseason games, he's who I thought he was. Identagy has 360 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: done a good job at left tackle. And if Jonah 361 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: Williams could have if he could have played instead of 362 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: just being an emergency guid, Adenagy would have been the 363 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: right tackle. Jonah would have been the left tackle, but 364 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,399 Speaker 1: Identagy stayed at left tackle, and they said, ask Spain, 365 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: He's like, let's go. And I thought Identagy acquitted himself 366 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: well with Dupris and uh, I thought that Spain did 367 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: well with Wat as well. Michael Jordan's the left guard, 368 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: Alex Redman is the right guard. Do you see those 369 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: two guys holding off Quentin Spain for a starting spot 370 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: the rest of the way this year? That's a that's 371 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: a great question what I would do. And you know, 372 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: I'm I'm a believer in if you have shown you 373 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: can play, play him some rottum in why not play 374 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 1: all three of them? Just rote every every series. You know, 375 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: two guys play one sits, then just rotate them, rotate 376 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 1: them every series in there, because at some point somebody's 377 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: gonna go down again, whether it's COVID nineteen injury or whatever. 378 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: And it's like we talked about before Major League Baseball. 379 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: You're a utility guy. You don't sit them and then 380 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: you know, for like twenty five thirty games and then 381 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: expect him to come right off the bench and be 382 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: the guy that he you know normally is you have 383 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,399 Speaker 1: to let him. You have to let him still go 384 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,719 Speaker 1: out there and perform. So I think there might be 385 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: in that situation in a couple of categories. I mean, 386 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: in my mind, when Bobby Heart's back, and you know 387 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:53,439 Speaker 1: in Jonah Identagy, rotat them, rotate those three. I have 388 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: no problem. If there are seven or eight linemen that 389 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: can play, let them play. We know Bengals are patient 390 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: with coaches, to say the least, and this is only 391 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: year two for Zach Taylor, but at some point every 392 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: coach needs to win games, and so far Zach's record 393 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: is four twenty and one. Well, it's gonna have some 394 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: opportunity to add some wins to that ledger in the 395 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: weeks to come, because three of the next four games 396 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: are against three of the lousiest teams in the NFL 397 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: so far this season. Washington this week two and seven, 398 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: then the Giants three and seven. A couple of weeks 399 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: after that Dallas currently two and seven. Houston is still 400 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 1: on the schedule this year. The Texans are two and seven. 401 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: Here's von Bell on facing some of the weaker teams 402 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: in the NFL. We don't even look at the record, 403 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: you know, we always think about the next game because 404 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: it's the biggest game, and we just trying to build 405 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: upon and keep on getting better each and every week 406 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 1: and just trying to stack wins. And that's the end 407 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: of the day. That's all we're come to do at 408 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: work every day. So we don't look at the record. 409 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 1: We just going to work every day and just getting better, 410 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: all right. So that's what they say, that's what they 411 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: always say. But you played the game for twelve years 412 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: as a pro. How much does a team's record going 413 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: into the game affect your mindset? Well, depending on my record. 414 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: I mean everybody's doing that to us. I mean everybody's 415 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: looking as oh, the Bengal I can't wait to get 416 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: to the Bengals game. You know, that's that's one we're 417 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: gonna get. So it's it is, you know, to me, 418 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: it's it's almost like on any given Sunday kind of thing, 419 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: because it's happened. You know, we've had games where how 420 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: do we lose to that football team and it's happened. 421 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean when you are playing a team 422 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: down the stretch that has struggled to win football games, 423 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: you feel like you have a better opportunity to get 424 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: one of your own. I mean, Zack doesn't have a 425 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,479 Speaker 1: road win yet. He has a tie against Philadelphia, you know, 426 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: that very elusive road win. Maybe this weekend in Washington, 427 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 1: that would be good to get off the schneide. There 428 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:01,959 Speaker 1: no doubt. Does he need to win a few games 429 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: in the final seven weeks of the season. Oh, I 430 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: think so, I think so. You know, it's you know, 431 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: you just you can't continue validation. You can only buy 432 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: in for so long. Words start to get hollow if 433 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: there's not validation of those words and everything that goes 434 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:27,160 Speaker 1: along with them. Got to get some ws. Like I said, 435 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: one season that sticks out in my mind, we start 436 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 1: oh and eight and I don't think I've ever worked 437 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: harder some of those weeks to prepare for a game 438 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: and have no result, No, like a terrible result oh 439 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 1: and eight. I mean it's like, oh my gosh, man, 440 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: working too hard for no return on the investment of 441 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: the work. There's nothing worse than that. There's nothing worse 442 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: than that. It's like, you know, if we're doing a 443 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: radio show, prep harder than we've ever prepped to do 444 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: a good show and come on the air and stink 445 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: it out for whatever reason, just stink up the joint 446 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: you know never happened, you know, or a salesperson that's 447 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: out there just you know, going after all kinds of 448 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 1: making cold call after cold call, can't close the sale 449 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: to save his life. You know, it just gets in 450 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: one of those one of those ruts. And the thing is, 451 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: that's why you get the big bucks when you're struggling 452 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: your job. Everybody knows about it because it's the National 453 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: Football League. That's why you get paid so handsomely. But man, 454 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: the bottom line is everybody's human beings with the same 455 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: human emotions and the same human feelings. Nobody wants to 456 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: go work as hard as they're working for no good result. 457 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, you're still getting your paycheck, but 458 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: you're not really getting the payday because you're not getting 459 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 1: any w's no pay day. They've certainly been close to 460 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: that payday. The Bengals have taken the lead to the 461 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: fourth quarter in six of their nine games, including every 462 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: game they played outside of the AFC North. The Bengals 463 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 1: Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light 464 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. Now time 465 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: for this week's one on one player interview. This week, 466 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 1: I caught up with Mike Daniels, who has been chosen 467 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: three times by his peers is one of the top 468 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: one hundred players in the NFL. Mike, about a week ago, 469 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: you tweeted that you love it here with three smiley 470 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 1: face emojis and a Jodey hashtag what are you loving? 471 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: I really enjoy the locker room. I enjoy the fan base. 472 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: Everybody really supports the team out here and they love 473 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: they love the Bengals and coach Taylor. I really like 474 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: coach Taylor Man. He definitely knows how to take care 475 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: of his players, and he cares a polo players as 476 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: a players coach, and he really commands respects in that way. 477 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: So really, I really do enjoy that. And I like 478 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,640 Speaker 1: the guys that management has been bringing in. I can't 479 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: I really remember looking back and seeing that there's a there. 480 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: There is a theme with the guys that are bringing in, 481 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: and everybody are bringing in has a tough, hard nose demeanor. 482 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: So that's that's the kind of guy I am. And 483 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: it's always good to be on the same page with 484 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: your employer. Man, I love it, I really do. Or 485 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,120 Speaker 1: chattingman Mike Daniels. Early this season, you messed up your 486 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: elbow in practice and had to miss a few games. 487 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: What happened and how bad was it? I believe it 488 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 1: was a It was just a strain, and it's really 489 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 1: the same injury that knocked me out put me on 490 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: IR last year. But this time around, I did a 491 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: really good job taking care of it, recovering from it 492 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,120 Speaker 1: pretty well, and I was ready go in two weeks. 493 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: Unfortun I had to miss uh three games, but you 494 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: know it, I taken care of as we can see 495 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: on the film, and I'm am I feel feeling really good. 496 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: You've been getting more and more snaps every week. You 497 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: had a season high forty two last week against Pittsburgh. 498 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 1: Do you feel like you're getting back to being the 499 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: dominant player that you've always been? Absolutely, and with the 500 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: more reps that that definitely happens, and I really do. 501 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: I'm really enjoying this process right now. It's it's tough, 502 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: but it takes you back to a good place of 503 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 1: humility for more areas of growth. So I definitely feel 504 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 1: like I'm getting back to a really good place, and 505 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 1: I think I'm in a really good place right now. Definitely, 506 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: progress from the Browns game to the Titans game to 507 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: last week in Pittsburgh, and really the only issue I 508 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: have is the fact that we went went and two 509 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 1: in that span. You just gotta continue to I gotta 510 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: get some more those wins. I asked Alex Redman about 511 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,159 Speaker 1: you last week, and he said, hitting Mike Daniels is 512 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 1: like hitting a school bus? Is that what you want 513 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: offensive lineman to think after they spend a day lined 514 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: up opposite of you. That's absolutely what I want offensive 515 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: lineman to think, and to come from a guy like 516 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: Redman who hitting him is like hitting school bus as well, 517 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 1: that's a that's an awesome compliment. I gotta make sure 518 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 1: I give him a hug for us speaking speaking so 519 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: highly of me by saying that. But but that's definitely 520 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: what you want. You weren't anything. You want the respect 521 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: from the guys that line up across from you. You 522 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: can make a whole bunch of plays, but that doesn't 523 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: necessarily mean you have the respect, right, So you really 524 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: want the respect of your peers and your brothers out there, 525 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 1: your brothers in arms and your brothers in combat. And 526 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: that's uh, that's that's what it's all about. Chatting with 527 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: Mike Daniels, if there was a big positive last week 528 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: against the Steelers that were stopping the run twenty carries 529 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: for forty four yards, did you look at that as 530 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: a big step forward despite the final score. That's that 531 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: definitely was a step forward, And outside of a couple 532 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: runs against Tennessee, we did a pretty good job stopping 533 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 1: that run as well. So we've been doing a good 534 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: job with that in the last few weeks here. We 535 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 1: just have to be more consistent with it and everything 536 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: else will start to follow with that. You're facing Washington 537 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: this week, led by quarterback Alex Smith, who's made a 538 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: miraculous recovery after nearly having to have his leg amputated 539 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago. If you have a chance 540 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: to deliver a clean but brutal hit, well his history 541 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: enter your mind at all. Well, I'm not a dirty player, 542 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: so you know I'm not gonna go for the head 543 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: or anything like that right now. Those times where you 544 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: could grab a quarterback by the legs, but those days 545 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: have done so you don't go for their legs anyway. 546 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: So it's just all about playing football and him being 547 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: the great professional that he is. He's had a lot 548 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 1: of sense in NFL. He knows that I'm not necessarily 549 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: thinking about where a guy had an injury. I'm just 550 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: focused on delivering the best blow, and that's in the 551 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: waste to but below the neck area, you know, just 552 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: in that core body, and that's the that's full walls about. 553 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: That's where you're talking to, tackles where you're taught to hit, 554 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: and that's where I'll hit. Mike, You're thirty one, You'll 555 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: be a free agent at the end of the year. 556 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 1: Do you know at this point if you want to 557 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:21,960 Speaker 1: keep playing. Absolutely, I definitely want to keep playing. I'm 558 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: going to keep playing, and your wife and kids are 559 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: on board. Everybody's on board. Man. We enjoy football. We 560 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: enjoy playing it. Well, I enjoy playing it. They enjoy 561 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: watching me out there, and I want to continue to 562 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: provide that. All right, I'm going to make a bold 563 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: prediction for what I now know is the distant future. 564 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: When you decide to hang it up, you are going 565 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: to thrive as a broadcaster. Does that interest you? Oh? 566 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: I love speaking. I love being in front of camera, 567 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: and I love speaking to people more importantly. So absolutely, 568 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: I definitely look forward into a look forward to getting 569 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: into doing some form of broadcasting. Rockin talked to some 570 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: of the guys about football and many other topics too. 571 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: Like I said, it's the distant future. Correct, Correct, Mike, 572 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: appreciate your time, best of luck this week. Thanks thanks 573 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: for having me look forward to the next time. Mike, 574 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: just do to be a free agent after the season. 575 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: It would be great if he had a strong second 576 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: half of the year and worked out a deal to 577 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: stay in Cincinnati. Now time for our know the faux segment. 578 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: Bram Weinstein, the former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, is in his 579 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 1: first year as the radio voice of the Washington football team, 580 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: and he joined Dave Lapham and me this week on 581 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: the Bengals Game Plan show. Look up to the XS 582 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: and o's in just a second. But I have to 583 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: start with this question because it's my fear. On Sunday, 584 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 1: have you slipped and said Redskins at all? So I 585 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: put a jar in the booth and we decided that 586 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: anyone who says the our word has to put twenty 587 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: bucks in it. Twenty take, yeah, twenty. We've got to 588 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 1: make it worthwhile and whatever the total is by the 589 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 1: end of the year, it's going to go to a 590 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: charity that we all agree and decide on. And it 591 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: hasn't happened one wow, not once I've said it. I 592 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: have a radio show in DC, and I've said it 593 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: a million times in the three hours you know that 594 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 1: we do the radio show here. But something it's turned into. Somehow, 595 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: it's turned into like, you know, how you can turn 596 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: your brain off and not say a curse word when 597 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 1: you don't when you don't want to. Somehow we've been 598 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: able to control it. It It has not been said once 599 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: on one game day broadcast it's because you you made 600 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: the figure twenty dollars lap and I said we would 601 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 1: do one dollar this week when it's only one. You 602 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: don't really care enough. That's right, it has to be worthwhile. 603 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: But we've we've gotten through it. And you know, the 604 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,719 Speaker 1: funny part is that I don't know. I would love 605 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: to hear your experience with this when because of my 606 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: first year doing this, and I wanted to have some 607 00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: kind of touchdown call and I'm limited in my choices 608 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: are so it's going to end in Washington, you know, 609 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: no matter what. And so I think I've just kind 610 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: of trained in my brain over and over and over 611 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: just to say, Washington, that's pretty good. That's real good. 612 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: So there are a couple of real inspirational stories with 613 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: this football team. Ron Rivera publicly fighting cancer. That's inspirational, 614 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 1: no question about it. And then Alex Smith. What do 615 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: you say about this guy? They should rename the Comeback 616 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: Player of the Year award, the Alex Smith player, the 617 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: Comeback Player of the Year award. They really should. I mean, 618 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:38,440 Speaker 1: the guy has thirty eight completions throughout a ninety yards 619 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: against Detroit, both career highs. What do you say about 620 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: Alex Smith and what he's done. So it's amazing we're 621 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: talking today about it because this is the two year anniversary, 622 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: literally to the day of when the injury happened against Houston, 623 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 1: and it also happens to be the exact anniversary of 624 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: the date that Joe Eisman broke his leg on Monday 625 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: night football against the Giants and it ended his career. 626 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: And One, because both of those things happened to you 627 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: almost arguably two of the best of the maybe five 628 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: quarterbacks that have come through this organization over that period 629 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: of time. One, it tells you how advanced our medicine 630 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:19,800 Speaker 1: and training regiments are now that Alex Smith is playing somehow, 631 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 1: playing when he almost lost his life, and Joe s. 632 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 1: Eisman's career was definitively over the second that the practically 633 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,799 Speaker 1: the exact same injury occurred back then, So it tells 634 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: you about progress in the sport and in medicine and 635 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: in recovery, which is amazing in its own right. And secondarily, 636 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: to answer your question directly, back in the winter and spring, 637 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,479 Speaker 1: when it was pretty clear that he was going to 638 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: try to give it a go and test his body 639 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 1: and come back, there was not one single person in 640 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: or out of the organization that thought he would play 641 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,400 Speaker 1: football again. They were all really proud of him, and 642 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: they thought this was an incredible example to set, and 643 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: they wanted to keep him around the team, especially with 644 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: a young quarterback here for mentorship. But no one thought 645 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: he would be playing by the time the summer rolled 646 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,320 Speaker 1: around and practice, you know, whatever portions of practice we 647 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: could watch. I'm sure you went to the same thing 648 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,359 Speaker 1: with the Bengals there. Because of the COVID protocols, it 649 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 1: became pretty clear, at least to me, that if they 650 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: actually gave him an opportunity to compete for the job, 651 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,239 Speaker 1: he would have had the opportunity to win it. They 652 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,240 Speaker 1: chose not to do that. Like they wanted Dwayne Haskins 653 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 1: to win the job, they wanted a clear path for him. 654 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,239 Speaker 1: They brought in no particular competition for him, and they 655 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: did not think Alex Smith was going to be in 656 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: his way. Anyone who has seen the documentary of called 657 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,560 Speaker 1: Project eleven about Alex Smith, you can't unsee what you 658 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: see there. He nearly lost his life. They almost removed 659 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: his leg. He had a flesh eating bacteria that you 660 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: can't unsee if you see it. And there's part of me, 661 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 1: and I think a lot of us that go, Okay, 662 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 1: we appreciate your proving a point. Why do you have 663 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 1: to run away from Fletcher Cox. Why don't you just 664 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 1: go run an iron man or see in France or 665 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,359 Speaker 1: do something like that. But he's done this and then 666 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,720 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, in the last two weeks he's 667 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:11,240 Speaker 1: had back to back three hundred plus yard passing games, 668 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:14,799 Speaker 1: one in relief, having had no snaps with First Steamers 669 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: at all since this, you know, since this recovery began, 670 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: and it truly is an inspirational, an amazing story. And 671 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: he also just happens to be the type of person 672 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: you want in your locker room, whether he's your quarterback 673 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: or your backup or someone who just works in the organization. 674 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: So this is beyond an inspirational thing that's occurring here. 675 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: Brand Before the injury, Alex Smith was one of the 676 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:41,439 Speaker 1: most mobile quarterbacks in the NFL. How's his mobility now? 677 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,759 Speaker 1: It's not the same. He is able to move, He 678 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: is able, you know, he uses his acumen and skill 679 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:50,800 Speaker 1: to get out of trouble and get out of the pocket. 680 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: But he has not you know, he used to run. 681 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: I mean, he was one of the original run pass 682 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: option type quarterbacks because you could do that with him. 683 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 1: We have and seen a lot of that yet and 684 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:03,319 Speaker 1: I don't get the sense at all that he is 685 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: interested in trying to figure out if he can do that. 686 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,279 Speaker 1: And Washington is going out of its way to try 687 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 1: to protect him as much as possible, not because they 688 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: don't think it's unsafe for him to play. They believe 689 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:15,799 Speaker 1: that his leg is safe, but I think they know 690 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: that his body cannot handle that level of mobility. And 691 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 1: really the big unanswered question here is now that he's 692 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: the starter, at least while they're in it's a playoff 693 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: race because of their division, at least while they're in 694 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:32,280 Speaker 1: that that we don't know how long he can physically 695 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,400 Speaker 1: handle this, Like can he really do this? This is 696 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: a beware of what you wish for, Like he wanted 697 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 1: to come back prove something to himself or whoever else. Well, 698 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: it happened, and now we're asking him to do this 699 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:45,320 Speaker 1: for seven, eight, nine weeks, and I don't think anyone 700 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 1: knows the answer to whether his body can physically handle that. Well. 701 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: I guess a good way to help him be everybody 702 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 1: else step up and the running game. What's the status 703 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: of the running game in Washington? Very poor, very erratic. 704 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,680 Speaker 1: A couple problems here at one, they have not scored 705 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:05,359 Speaker 1: first in any game they've played. They have been down 706 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: by double digits in almost every game they've played in 707 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: the first half with the absence of Dallas, who came 708 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 1: in here completely inept a situation. Outside of that, they've 709 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 1: been behind in every game they play, and so they 710 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,200 Speaker 1: end up getting away from the running game. They have 711 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,360 Speaker 1: problems along their offensive line, have got a lot of 712 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 1: injuries that may manifest themselves in a real tough way 713 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:29,360 Speaker 1: this weekend. It happened last week against Detroit, but Morgan Moses, 714 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: who's their right tackle, had to move to left tackle 715 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: at the end of the game because of injuries for 716 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,719 Speaker 1: both Chair and Kristen and his backup Cornelius Lucas, and 717 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 1: that may stay that way this week, so we're not 718 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:42,760 Speaker 1: sure how that's going to play out. And the running 719 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 1: back JD. Mckistick is outstanding out of the back yield 720 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:49,000 Speaker 1: as a almost traditional receiving back. He will get some handoffs, 721 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: but he's never going to be a full workload type 722 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,280 Speaker 1: running back. Antonio Gibson is the rookie they're really excited about, 723 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:57,759 Speaker 1: the third round pick, and he's been outstanding for them, 724 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:02,720 Speaker 1: but he's transitioning to running back. He took maybe thirty 725 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,440 Speaker 1: three snaps as a lead back and was mainly used 726 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: as a wide receiver. They're using him in both roles, 727 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: but out of the backfield, so he's really learning how 728 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:14,720 Speaker 1: to be a running back. So coupled the two problems together. 729 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:16,879 Speaker 1: They get behind in every game that they're in, which 730 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: forces them to throw the ball to try to come 731 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:22,640 Speaker 1: back a lot more. And they have inexperience and injuries 732 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: across their offensive line, and what you'll see are results 733 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:27,840 Speaker 1: that don't look very good on the whole for the 734 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 1: running game. A couple more questions for the radio voice 735 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 1: of the Redskins, Bram Weinstein. There's a lot of interest here, 736 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 1: obviously in former Ohio State Buckeye Chase Young, the second 737 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 1: pick in the draft. There were some that thought the 738 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 1: Bengals should have taken him or traded down and tried 739 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: to take him in order to get more draft capital. 740 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,479 Speaker 1: How is Chase Young doing in his rookie year? Good? First, 741 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:52,040 Speaker 1: you have to put twenty bucks in the jar because 742 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 1: I heard you say the R words, and I really 743 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 1: it's only a dollar on our end. Hold that he's 744 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 1: been great. He's been everything build is advertised. He's a monster. 745 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: He is. You'll get one look at him and you'll go, man, 746 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: I wish that dude was on my team so he 747 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 1: could be a game changing type player for them. Now, 748 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:16,640 Speaker 1: last week, he owes them one because the reason why 749 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:19,760 Speaker 1: Detroit won in regulation and it didn't get the overtime 750 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,520 Speaker 1: was a very bad late roughing the pastercall that was 751 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: completely unnecessary that gave Detroit a shot on a fifty 752 00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:28,719 Speaker 1: nine yard field goal. Otherwise they would have been playing 753 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:31,319 Speaker 1: in overtime after a major comeback against them a week ago, 754 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:34,000 Speaker 1: so that one's a little bit on him. Other than that, 755 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 1: he is typically getting double and triple teamed because you 756 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,319 Speaker 1: cannot block him one on one. He's got a lot 757 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 1: of energy, and I think what we like most about 758 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:46,360 Speaker 1: him here he's humble, he's team player, he talks work ethic, 759 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:48,800 Speaker 1: he wants to get better, he wants to be coached. 760 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,400 Speaker 1: He's one of those first in, last out type of guys. 761 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: And there's nothing better than when the best athlete on 762 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,040 Speaker 1: the field and it's clear that he's the best athlete 763 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,359 Speaker 1: on the field wants to be that way. And he's 764 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:00,919 Speaker 1: also walking into a really good situation here, Like if 765 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,440 Speaker 1: five first round picks on their defensive line, most of 766 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:07,080 Speaker 1: which we're young, and unfortunately matt I and I just 767 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: got hurt for them, is missing the season, he might 768 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,879 Speaker 1: have been their best interior defensive lineman. Had he been 769 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 1: there as well, they would have been even more effective. 770 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:16,759 Speaker 1: But they've spent first round picks in the last four 771 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:20,839 Speaker 1: years on two interior defensive linemen at two rush ends, 772 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: all of which are performing pretty well. It is by 773 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:26,440 Speaker 1: far the strength of the team, so they're not asking 774 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:29,160 Speaker 1: him to do this as a lone wolf. Collectively, it 775 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 1: is their strength. Surprisingly, the trouble that Dave had the 776 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,600 Speaker 1: last couple of weeks last month is their run defense. 777 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:39,839 Speaker 1: So even I don't know what Joe Mixon's situation is, 778 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:42,840 Speaker 1: but even backup running backs for the Giants, we're having 779 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:46,320 Speaker 1: easy time moving the ball in the ground against Washington 780 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:48,880 Speaker 1: and that's something that we hope is going to be rectified. 781 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:51,319 Speaker 1: But young in itself. We look at him and we go, 782 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,800 Speaker 1: this could be our Khalil Mack or our JJ Watt. 783 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:58,640 Speaker 1: You mentioned built the defensive line through the draft. Secondary 784 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 1: was done in free agency, I mean overhaul the secondary 785 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 1: and free agency. And Jack del Rio, who I have 786 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:06,799 Speaker 1: a lot of respect for, is put together and pretty good, 787 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,239 Speaker 1: pretty good scheme. It looks like, I mean, number one 788 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:12,800 Speaker 1: in the NFL against the pass, fifth and first downs alloud, 789 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: top ten and you know, multiple categories. Is del Rio? 790 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: Is he made that big an impact? Did the numbers 791 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:24,680 Speaker 1: justify the way they've been playing? No, they really actually don't, 792 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 1: and they're actually their deceptive. Like last week, you can go, 793 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:30,640 Speaker 1: if you go look at the box score the game 794 00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 1: against the Lions, you will not understand how Washington lost. 795 00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:38,239 Speaker 1: They ran almost thirty more plays, had twelve thirty more 796 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: minutes time of possession. Like every metric you would look 797 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:43,319 Speaker 1: at and barely turn the ball over one So every 798 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:44,920 Speaker 1: metric you would look at, you go, I don't know 799 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,319 Speaker 1: how they lost that game the Lions. It's deceptive. The 800 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 1: Lions were able to move the ball so quickly and 801 00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 1: efficiently against their defense. The time of possession looks skewed 802 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:57,200 Speaker 1: that way. It's happened against the Giants twice too, over 803 00:42:57,239 --> 00:42:59,600 Speaker 1: the last month. I don't want to sit here and 804 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: say that they're you know that they're bad. They're not like, 805 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:07,080 Speaker 1: they're clearly an above average group. But it's deceptive when 806 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:08,880 Speaker 1: you see these stats and say they're number one at 807 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: this or number one at that. Their record shows you 808 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 1: that their defense is not as effectives as those stats 809 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 1: might suggest, and they do have a lot of work 810 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: to do. And as I mentioned before, the big surprise 811 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:23,440 Speaker 1: run here is teams that aren't great running teams are 812 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:26,400 Speaker 1: running the ball on them pretty easily. They haven't caused 813 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:29,680 Speaker 1: the turnover in a few weeks. They're not getting anywhere 814 00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:32,240 Speaker 1: near the sack totals that they got. They're having trouble 815 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 1: getting pressure with their front four, which should be the 816 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:36,719 Speaker 1: thing they had in their hat on. So there's a 817 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,239 Speaker 1: lot of room for improvement. They're not bad, you know, 818 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 1: by any stretch of the imagination, But maybe the bar 819 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:44,320 Speaker 1: was just set a little too high because we're expecting 820 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: them to be top ten in every way eye test 821 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:50,319 Speaker 1: and statistical test, and they're not meeting that. And they've 822 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:52,920 Speaker 1: had a couple of injuries. And the other part for 823 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:55,080 Speaker 1: them that I think would be a concern against Cincinnati 824 00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:59,160 Speaker 1: is they've given up a ton of deep balls, a ton. 825 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:03,279 Speaker 1: When Landon Collins was in there, it was problematic. Even 826 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,680 Speaker 1: as he's injured, it's been problematic. They have made numerous 827 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: changes at the safety position. One of the guys who 828 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:13,040 Speaker 1: became kind of the main replacement, Duches or Everett, may 829 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:16,080 Speaker 1: not be playing this weekend. They've been beaten over the top, 830 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:18,240 Speaker 1: over and over and over by teams that are capable 831 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 1: of it, and that's a concern this weekend too. The 832 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,440 Speaker 1: number that blows my mind. They've forced eleven fumbles and 833 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:28,239 Speaker 1: recovered one. That's almost impossible. They're a little unlucky. Oh 834 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:32,360 Speaker 1: my gosh, it'tle unlucky that way, You'll see. It's it's interesting, 835 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:34,200 Speaker 1: like there will be periods of the game. This happens 836 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,480 Speaker 1: every week. I describe them as inconsistent, Like there are 837 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:40,360 Speaker 1: periods where you'll watch them and you're like, oh my, 838 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:44,000 Speaker 1: like they're electric, You're like, oh my, you can't block them. 839 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:46,160 Speaker 1: And then there are periods where you just walk right 840 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: through them and it's as if it's a completely different 841 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 1: team and we just quite can't figure out what's going 842 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,840 Speaker 1: on here. This is extremely resilient. They come back in 843 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:58,800 Speaker 1: every game, the results are close. They could very easily 844 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:00,799 Speaker 1: have a very different record right now, and I bet 845 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:04,560 Speaker 1: you probably could say the same things familiar. We're both 846 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:11,120 Speaker 1: bobbing our heads, Like I remember we played Cleveland early 847 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:13,040 Speaker 1: in the year, and I watched the Thursday night game 848 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:16,320 Speaker 1: where Burrow through twenty seven fourth quarter passes or whatever 849 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 1: that was to get them back into it. And I 850 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 1: think you all know that the record probably and I 851 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,120 Speaker 1: haven't watched enough really the Bengals jet, but I'm pretty 852 00:45:23,120 --> 00:45:25,959 Speaker 1: certain I'm going to see the same thing, that their 853 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:28,200 Speaker 1: record could be different. You could say the same thing 854 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:30,120 Speaker 1: about Washington. You'll watch him in the first half and 855 00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:32,800 Speaker 1: you'll go that team didn't show up or they weren't 856 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:35,120 Speaker 1: prepared or whatever it is, and then the second half 857 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,600 Speaker 1: you'll go, I can't believe they're practice. They look unstoppable 858 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:42,719 Speaker 1: at times, so they're very inconsistent. There's a lot going 859 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:44,960 Speaker 1: on here. If they're a young team, they got a 860 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:47,719 Speaker 1: new coach. They do believe in this coach. As you 861 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:49,880 Speaker 1: mentioned with Ron Rivera, there was a lot going on 862 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:53,080 Speaker 1: there with his health. He was not as available he 863 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:54,920 Speaker 1: would have liked to have been, but he fought through it. 864 00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:58,399 Speaker 1: His chemotherapy rounds. The regiment's done for now, he said. 865 00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:00,759 Speaker 1: The bye week kid at the right time for him personally, 866 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:03,920 Speaker 1: so he's more engaged and more available to the team. 867 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:06,120 Speaker 1: And this is the process for them, and they're selling 868 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:09,040 Speaker 1: it as a process. The tough part's been I think, 869 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:11,759 Speaker 1: you know, we all think around here, especially with the 870 00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:14,560 Speaker 1: defensive talent that they have, that the record could be 871 00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:17,280 Speaker 1: a little better than it is, and so they're looking 872 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:20,240 Speaker 1: for a couple of results to kind of validate the process. 873 00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:22,160 Speaker 1: They're going through it as you all are probably going 874 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:24,960 Speaker 1: through the same thing there. Don't forget to tune into 875 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:28,240 Speaker 1: the Bengals pep Rally Show this Friday afternoon on ESPN 876 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,640 Speaker 1: fifteen thirty. We're on a half hour earlier than usual 877 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:35,120 Speaker 1: this week two thirty to five thirty, and our guests 878 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: include the great Greg Kosell from NFL Films. That's going 879 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,520 Speaker 1: to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, 880 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:46,240 Speaker 1: brought to you by bud Light Seltzer, refresh the game. 881 00:46:46,719 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 1: If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and if 882 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:51,040 Speaker 1: you have a minute, give it a rating or share 883 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:55,080 Speaker 1: a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. 884 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:58,400 Speaker 1: I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to The Bengals 885 00:46:58,440 --> 00:46:59,560 Speaker 1: Booth Podcast.