WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Second Time Around 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:06.560 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:14.080 the Bengals Boot Podcast the second time around. Addition, as 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:16.080 we get you set for Week two of the preseason, 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:18.759 as the Bengals head to New Jersey on Sunday night 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:21.960 to take on the New York Giants. Coming up, you'll 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:25.280 hear from two rookies who did well in their preseason debuts, 0:00:25.720 --> 0:00:30.040 wide receiver Kendrick Pryor and offensive lineman Desmond Noel out 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:33.880 of Coal Rane High School. Robert Weintrouf from Football Outsiders 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.200 in Cincinnati Magazine joins me to discuss the upcoming season, 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:40.120 and I'll chat about the latest training camp developments with 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:44.720 Bengals dot Com editor Jeff Hobson. The Bengals Booth podcast 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:49.000 is presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead of 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:52.120 the twenty twenty two season. It's free to play next 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:56.840 level fantasy football with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get it now 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:59.520 on the App Store and Google Play, and here's a 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:02.240 quick from that. You can have the latest edition of 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:05.720 this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:10.160 by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:16.400 thing since great TV shows. Better Call Saul aired at 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:20.000 sixty third and final episode over six seasons on Monday, 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:22.280 and I don't want to spoil anything in case you 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:24.720 haven't watched it, but I found the ending to be 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:29.720 graceful and satisfying. Breaking Bad remains my all time favorite 0:01:29.720 --> 0:01:33.200 TV drama, but Better Call Saul cracked the top five 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:38.160 with the wire, The Sopranos and Madmen. Game of Thrones 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:42.600 got bumped off the list. But now I need something new. 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:46.480 If you have any suggestions, feel free to tweet them 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:52.360 My way at Dan underscore Hoarde. Now let's get to football. 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:55.960 One of the standouts in the Bengals preseason opener last 0:01:55.960 --> 0:02:00.960 Friday was undrafted rookie receiver Kendrick Pryor now plitt fix 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:04.720 an inside handoff guns to throw down field, Kendrick pre 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:08.359 with the one handed, left handed catch. Should he get it? Yes? 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:12.000 He did. Prior finished with four catches for eighty nine 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:15.880 yards and a touchdown at Wisconsin. With its heavy emphasis 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:19.160 on the run, he never had more than seventy two 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:22.840 receiving yards in a game. I talked to Kendrick about 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:26.400 his eye opening debut when the Bengals returned to practice 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:30.720 on Sunday. I assume you have now seen the footage 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:34.280 of your falling over backward one handed, left handed catch. 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:37.639 Where do you think? Um? I think it was a 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:40.600 pretty good catch. Um on my end, though I should 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:44.239 have said so, it's covered two faded more to the sideline, 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.280 so I wouldn't have to have been as much of 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:48.840 a tough catch as it was. But just happy I 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:52.760 got the got the outcome, Happy they coach challenged it, 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:55.520 Happy that I knew it was Personally I knew as 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:57.639 the kids, I called the boat over half possession. If 0:02:57.680 --> 0:02:59.080 I know, next time he's got to make sure I 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:01.000 keep that possession all the way inside. Get up, so 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:04.639 don't give them a chance to try to overturn the call. Well, 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:07.960 you are clearly your own toughest critic if you describe 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:10.119 that as pretty good and that you should have run 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:12.560 the route a little bit differently or better. Oh, you know, 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:15.679 it just can't be satisfied, you know, just always trying 0:03:15.680 --> 0:03:17.679 to find ways to get better. You know, just don't 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:18.919 want to be that guy that has the one good 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:21.840 game and then doesn't show up this week in Pagasta, 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:24.440 next week and the next game in the game after 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:26.720 following a week. So it just kind of figuring out 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:28.480 what I need to do better to perfect my craft 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:30.520 and just keep on continue to work on things that 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:33.880 can help me get better. Four catches eighty plus yards 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:36.720 in a touchdown in your first NFL preseason game. Did 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:39.400 that go about as well as you could have hoped? Oh? Yeah, 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:41.600 definitely just wanted to go out there. I feel like 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:43.200 I could have had a more a couple of more yards, 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:44.840 a couple of more catches in there. But you know, 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.120 it's just always going back looking at that film saying, well, Okay, 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:49.320 that's why I did last game, and let's trying not 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:51.400 to make those mistakes or just do the same things, 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:54.960 trying to get better each week. But definitely something I 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:56.760 was very proud of, like you said, first game, to 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:59.120 have those stats, but you know, we got to continue 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:02.240 to get better. We're chatting with Kendrick Pryor. It seems 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:04.760 to me from watching these practices that you have been 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.840 getting better and better and more comfortable almost by the 0:04:07.920 --> 0:04:10.040 day over the last week or two. Is that how 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:13.040 you feel about it? Oh yeah, definitely, just things slowing down, 0:04:13.040 --> 0:04:14.840 you know, just gave me more comfortable with the playbook 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:16.880 when I'm not thinking as much, and I'm actually can 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:19.600 now just go out there and play football and just 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:21.960 showcase what I can do in the field. So yeah, 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:24.920 every days been slowing. Things been slowing down from me. 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:26.799 I mean, you know, it's still some definitely some stuff 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:29.040 areas I can prove when things I can work. But 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:30.440 but I feel like that's just gonna come more and 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:33.000 more of a time, you know, just seeing how things work, 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:34.920 getting the flow the game, and then just you know, 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:37.760 watching film, talking pot after again, just you know, making 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:40.040 those corrections. So it's just, like I said, just getting 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:41.800 more comfortable with things starting to slow down while I'm 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:43.840 not thinking as much anymore, or now I'm just kind 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:48.080 of playing football. How did yesterday feel the day after 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:50.440 a performance like that in your debut. I'm sure you're 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:52.720 getting a lot of messages and so forth. How did 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:54.719 that feel to you? Oh? It felt good, you know, 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:57.159 kind of like when I got in the car with 0:04:57.160 --> 0:04:59.000 my parents after you know what, it seems too happy. 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:00.839 I'm like, oh no, I am definitely happy with that 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:02.960 kind of when they get out the car. Like like 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:04.839 you said, I'm kind of my toughest critic, so just 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:06.520 always trying to find ways to get better. But once 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:08.200 I kind of drop my parents, I was like driving 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.919 back to the hotel, Like that's kind of when it 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:14.479 set in. Really just like, oh, like first game, I 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:16.400 did pretty good for myself and just kind of continue 0:05:16.440 --> 0:05:19.400 to build off that. But definitely very happy for how 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:21.839 I did from my first game. So it's a good 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.320 building block. Does it give you a little bit I've 0:05:24.400 --> 0:05:27.560 added confidence going into the second game next week? Oh yeah, 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:29.960 definitely it's a confidence just to show that, Okay, like 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:32.440 I can make those players I belong, You're in it, 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:34.600 just like you said, giving me that extra boost of 0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:37.480 confidence talking to like I said, a couple of my friends, 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:39.280 just sending me text message before the game, you know, 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:43.520 just not trying to over complicate, overthinking yet first NFL game. Yes, 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:45.800 the NFL. They definitely want to take that moment there, 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.520 you know, because not a lot of people get the opportunity, 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:50.520 but you know, trying not to make it bigger than 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:52.640 what it is. You know, still the same game I've 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:55.120 been playing since I was younger. So it's just realized 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:56.960 getting those texts and then just going out there into 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.400 having a performance that I had just definitely a confidence boost, 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:02.760 so kind of make things that even feel a little 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:05.800 comfortable for me, things feel better next week. It's a 0:06:05.800 --> 0:06:08.359 great start. Congrats, best of luck next week. Appreciate it. 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:13.080 Kenrick was not the only undrafted rookie who performed well. 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:16.800 Offensive lineman Desmond Noel out of Coleraine High School was 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:21.200 the Bengals highest graded pass blocker according to Pro Football Focus. 0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:23.760 I'll get to him in just a bit, but first, 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:26.280 I caught up this week with a guest who has 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:30.359 appeared on this podcast before, Robert Weintraub, who covers the 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:33.960 NFL for Football Outsiders and writes about the Bengals for 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:38.040 Cincinnati Magazine. All right, Robert, the Bengals were less than 0:06:38.080 --> 0:06:40.680 two minutes away from winning the Super Bowl. They addressed 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:43.920 their obvious weekness the offensive line. But my handy dandy 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:49.160 Football Outsiders Almanac projects Cincinnati to have the seventh highest 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:54.400 win total in the AFC. Explain why, Wow, it makes 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:56.600 it sound like that's a bad thing. I mean, remember 0:06:56.720 --> 0:06:59.240 who youngly won six games and I used the Royal 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:02.800 wei in this case, six games in two years, seventh 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:05.200 best record in the AFC would have sounded pretty good, 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:09.359 you know, maybe before the calendar flipped to January, twenty 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:13.920 twenty two. I feel like the expectations definitely got our 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:17.080 turbo boost from that last month obviously and into the 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:20.720 super Bowl, as it should. Basically, you have to remember, 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:26.760 a football outsiders, our main stat DVOA, which essentially measures 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:29.800 down by down efficiency. As we both know, the Bengals 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:32.800 were more of a boom er Bus team at large 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:37.200 parts of the season last year. As such, their DVOA 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:40.000 was not especially high, especially for a team that went 0:07:40.000 --> 0:07:41.480 to the Super Bowl. You would think it would be 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:44.280 much higher, so it was lower. They'd have that base 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:48.440 DBOA projection system that you reference essentially plays out the 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:53.520 season one million times, no lasers, no sharks outfitted with 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:57.840 lasers involved. However, we do play it out that many times, 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:01.080 and you know, they didn't have a huge dvawats as 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.560 I say, to build upon, and the projection system likes 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:06.520 to see it more than once. I remember we talked, 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:09.920 you know, a year ago, and the Browns we're going 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:12.080 to the Super Bowl, and the Steelers we're going to 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:15.880 be in the four and thirteen team and our numbers 0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:19.280 spoken otherwise, and everybody's like, why is doing this? Why 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.280 how can you say that? And it's like, well, you know, 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:25.840 it takes more than just one season essentially to convince 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:28.120 our numbers. We're going to do that. Still, seventh is good, 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:30.680 and you have to remember also that it's really at 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:33.800 the margins where the Bengals have improved. According to our system, 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.400 They've doubled their likelihood of winning twelve or more games, 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:40.160 put their chances of winning five or fewer games in half. 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:42.520 So that's where you really look to see where the 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:45.720 improvements lie. Listen, as we all know, and as the 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:49.240 Bengals proved last season, anything can happen. Everything can happen. 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:53.680 The idea that they were saying they're definitely the seventh 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:56.319 best team, what does that even really mean? Is the 0:08:56.400 --> 0:08:58.200 showing lots going to play six games? Is he going 0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:00.400 to play twelve games? Is he going to play it all? Well, 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.760 you never play again fingers crossed? Uh, you know, it's 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:05.920 that kind of thing. Who know, that's just you know, 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:10.240 an example, right small. You know the injury history that 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:13.480 we know the Bengals were pretty fortunate last year, These 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:15.800 things can change. On the time. The Ravens were the 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.360 exact opposite. Their whole team was wiped out by an 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:22.880 injury tsunami. If they're back then being healthy, things look different. 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:26.200 Those are just two examples of a million. The idea 0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:28.760 that we're definitely saying the Bengals are the seventh best 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:31.600 team in the AFC isn't necessarily what you should take 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:33.120 from it. We should, well you should take is that 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:36.400 they're a contender. They've launched themselves out of the bottom 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:38.600 of the dregs of the league where they stayed for 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.000 a couple of years, and to put themselves into a 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:44.040 you know, a solid playoff type team. Now it's just, 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:46.400 you know, are the what are the small bits going 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:48.600 to be to either launch them back to the super 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:51.800 Bowl or we won't even go there, But let's talk 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:54.520 about something else. But you know, you know what I'm saying. 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.640 You know what I'm getting at. Robert Weintraub is our 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:01.640 guests from Football Outsiders and from Cincinnati Magazine. Had you 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:05.079 asked me before I picked up the Football Outsiders Almanac 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.440 if Joe Burrow was good in the red zone last year, 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:11.920 I would have said absolutely, and I would have been 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:14.920 very wrong. As it turns out. Can you explain the 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:17.640 room for growth there for a guy who otherwise is 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:21.840 so terrific? Yeah, he was actually based on our numbers 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:24.760 in the red zone. And again, remember our numbers don't 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:28.079 factor in all things when it comes to the passing game, 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:30.520 but it does factor in sex, which a lot of 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:34.480 numbers that you see that love Burrow do not. He 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.280 was the second to worst quarterback in the red zone 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:41.280 of all qualifying quarterbacks, only Trevor Lawrence was worse. I 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:43.080 think we can all close our eyes and picture the 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:46.240 Denzel Ward ninety nine yard interception, neat a couple other 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:49.680 goal line picks, but it isn't really so much those 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:52.800 highlight plays as it was just again but down to 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:56.520 down consistency where the Bengals, you know, we all remember 0:10:56.600 --> 0:10:59.000 the huge plays, the bombs to Chase, the bombs to 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.720 Higgins plays even to Uzama over the course of the season, 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:06.760 but when they got done deep didn't nearly match that 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:09.880 kind of efficiency that they need to have to turn 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:12.440 you know what are otherwise field goal drives and thank 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:16.160 god for Evan McPherson into touchdown drives. Those four point plays, 0:11:16.520 --> 0:11:19.680 so to speak, four point drives when they got down deep, 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:21.960 really spelled the difference in a lot of close games. 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:25.000 And that's definitely a place where I think Zach Taylor 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:28.720 and Joe and the entire offensive unit. I'm sure they 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.760 have spent a great deal of time this offseason looking 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:34.760 for plays that worked, heightening the efficiency and not just 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:38.480 relying on you know, Jamar getting open and you know 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:41.360 the meme throw it to him regardless of whether he's open. 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:45.720 They need to help their efficiency leveled down deep to 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.560 a much higher capacity than if they do. Boy, the 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:51.959 offense really has this room to grow. As you reference, 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.240 the Bengals were fortunate where injuries were concerned last year. 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:58.400 That's undeniable, and I think the stat exists, whether it's 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:02.319 in Football Outsiders or elsewhere. Demonstrated that the difference between 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:06.480 their injuries and their opponents injuries was number one in 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:10.840 the NFL. Is that the biggest area where the Bengals 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:14.439 were quote unquote lucky? Is there a way to quantify 0:12:14.640 --> 0:12:19.880 that from the various data the Football Outsiders has, you know, 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:23.280 calling it the biggest area, it's definitely up there, and 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:26.559 it's definitely something that the Bengals are not used to 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:30.360 being in that position, that's for sure. And it does 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:34.079 have a what we call plexiglass principle, where wouldn't where 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:37.120 it happens one year tends to bounce back the next year. 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:40.079 That doesn't mean that all of a sudden, you know 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:42.640 they're going to lose Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase for 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:45.160 sizeable chunks of time. You have to remember we do 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:50.080 weight the injuries and guys who play more snaps. It's 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.720 a snap weighted system, so the guys who play more 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:56.000 snaps when they get hurt, that goes into the into 0:12:56.040 --> 0:13:00.400 the algorithm and is weighted. You know, the Angles have 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:03.000 also had years when they've had a lot of issues 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:06.000 because their depth was a concern. They had injuries throughout 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:10.000 I think backack to just twenty twenty, and when they 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.720 had that huge run of injuries in the defensive secondary, 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:15.360 that really cost them a lot. They wound up playing 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:18.000 guys who should never have played. And you know, Burrow 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.640 got all the attention when he went down, but really 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:22.360 that cost them a lot of games as well. The 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:24.760 fact they didn't have that kind of depth of good 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:27.280 players to come in and take over for guys who 0:13:27.280 --> 0:13:30.040 were nicked in or out for the season. God forbid. 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:33.320 It's really the kind of thing where it's very difficult 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:36.559 to predict. That was obviously a huge factor in what 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:39.040 the Bengals did last year, but at the same time, 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.160 again according to our numbers, it's not like they were 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:44.079 at the top of the pyramid. You know, they had 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:47.920 some guys injured, and there was definitely a room to 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:50.680 grow in that sense too, So they can absorb a 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:54.120 couple more injuries this year, improve the team anyway, and 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:56.000 still be in a good position. I think a lot 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:57.760 of fans are sort of waiting for the other shoe 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:00.640 to drop. You know, obviously we're not telling you can 0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:02.360 talking about Joe Burrow, but if any of the top 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:06.440 five or eight players go down, that's caused for alarm. 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:09.200 That's really when you have a team wide run of 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:12.000 injuries like Baltimore half last year, that's what it really 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:14.240 gets to a point where it affects your team and 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:17.480 win loss record. Otherwise shouldn't be something that keep fans 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:20.440 up at night. I'm glad you mentioned Baltimore because you 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:23.760 wrote the Bengals chapter in this year's Football Outsiders Almanac. 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:26.600 You also wrote the Ravens chapter, and I didn't realize 0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:30.200 until reading what you wrote about Baltimore that the Ravens 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:35.200 truly had a historically bad season when it comes to injuries. 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:37.960 We all knew it was bad. I didn't realize this 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:41.640 was like NFL history bad, right, the worst since we've 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:44.640 been doing it, since we put together that just a 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:48.240 games lost stat And I didn't really realize it either 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:50.600 until we ran the numbers and it came out that way. 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.160 And again, it's not just because of the guys you 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:54.480 can think of up the top of your head. You 0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:57.200 got hurt Marcus Peters and JK. Dobbins and a couple 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.400 other other quote unquote star players, but it was really 0:15:00.440 --> 0:15:04.000 the sort of team wide and also not just for 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:07.560 the entire season, but guys missing a month here, Rashad 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:10.480 Bateman missed the first half of the season. Obviously, Lamar 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:12.680 Jackson went down near the end of the season, but 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:16.240 still count And the more of these guys you know, 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:18.960 had played before that also affects the way that that 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:21.720 number is tabulated. But no question, it was the worst 0:15:21.760 --> 0:15:25.600 in this century is basically when we've been doing that number, 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:28.040 and it was by far the worse, not just you know, 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:30.400 sort of sneaking ahead of one team here or there. 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:32.600 I mean, they were lapping the field. I think I 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:35.200 compared them to a secretariat at the belt On in 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:38.320 that chapter so it was definitely historic. It's definitely a 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:40.440 reason why the Ravens fans are a little chesty this 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:42.920 summer because they assume things will just snap back to 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:45.680 the way they were before all the injuries hit, and 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:49.040 if they certainly will be improved, and having players the 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:51.240 likes of the guys we mentioned on the field for 0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:54.000 the entirety of the season will obviously help them. Still, 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:56.040 as I write in the chapter, there's a lot of 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:58.960 other issues underlying all that, and you can't just point 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:00.720 to with the injuries and say that was a reason 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:03.760 why they, you know, collapse at the end of the season, 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:06.200 And that's not necessarily a reason why they're all of 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:08.360 a sudden going to turn around and go thirteen and 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:11.760 four this year. Either they realized they had some issues, 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:14.960 they had six fourth round draft picks and use them all. 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:16.520 I think they should tell you that what they thought 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:19.560 about the guys in their reserve units and their depth 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:22.520 pieces that they needed to improve, similar to Cincinnati, when 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:24.400 guys like that go down and you're not confident in 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:26.920 the next wave of players, that affects the team all 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:30.640 the way through. Our guest is Robert Weintraub from Football Outsiders, 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:33.200 in Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow them on Twitter at 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:37.400 Rob Wine w ei N. Let's talk about the Bengals 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:41.560 offensive line improvements. We tend to look at that as okay, 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:44.000 now we can cut down on the sacks, and then 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:46.480 clearly that would be a good thing. Nobody would be 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:49.360 bothered by that. But do you think that's the biggest 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:52.760 way they stand to benefit by having a better offensive line. 0:16:54.200 --> 0:16:57.520 It's definitely up there, there's no question about that. You know, 0:16:57.560 --> 0:17:00.080 we talk about the sacks, and yes, they were thirty 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:03.640 first in our adjusted sackurate. They were also thirty first 0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:06.639 in power situations, which is almost as important. You know, 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:10.600 third down and short, fourth down and short. We don't 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:12.240 have to bring up the Super Bowl to remember. You 0:17:12.280 --> 0:17:15.800 got to convert those situations, and the Bengals were second 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:18.240 and lass in the league at doing so. They also 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:20.879 gave up by far the most in the league in 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:24.240 terms of sacks when we marked it as rusher untouched, 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:28.280 which essentially means somebody did not pick up the blitzer 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:32.240 or the stunt completely kerfuffled the line and they was 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:36.840 all over for Joel. Basically, you'll eliminate sort of picking 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:39.720 number fifteen of those kind of plays, of the sacks 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:41.520 that he had to take or throw away the ball 0:17:41.560 --> 0:17:44.440 in key situations, handful of times where they convert on 0:17:44.560 --> 0:17:47.520 third and short where they didn't last year. These are 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:50.320 the small things that spell the difference throughout the season 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:52.439 in winning or losing. They're the small things that affect 0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:55.600 our numbers in terms of efficiency. And there are the 0:17:55.640 --> 0:17:58.159 small things that you would wind up putting the Bengals 0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:00.320 back in the Super Bowl. They were in a lot 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:03.359 of ways much better in the playoffs defensively when you 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:06.320 look at those same stats, and on special teams to 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:08.719 a lesser degree. And that's a big reason why they 0:18:08.760 --> 0:18:11.680 went to the Super Bowls, because they played and came 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:14.920 up in those timely situations on defense so often game 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:18.520 after game. And you know, if the Bengals imports on 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:22.200 the offensive line means that they have those similar improvements 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:25.680 on offense. I think we're all pretty segment about the 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:28.040 abilities of the skill players. You know, it's just a 0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:30.239 matter of how those guys are going to gel the 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:33.119 new players, the hard seas as I call them Kappa 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:36.560 Carris mccollins, if they can all blend together. You know, 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:39.000 the way we saw Kansas City's line, for example, blend 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.919 together pretty rapidly last year and avoid injuries. Obviously, you know, 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:45.600 they don't have to become the best line in the 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:48.320 league by any stretch. With the guys that have the 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:51.240 playmakers Cincinnati has, you know, all they have to do 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:53.040 is get out of the bottom of the league and 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.480 get into the twenties. That would be okay, into the 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:59.520 teams in terms of league ranking. Then again, it's similar 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:02.679 to what we is tucked about the offense. As you know, 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:06.760 a turbo boost and a sky's the limit. There's no 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:08.640 reason why they can't, you know, be at the top 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:11.240 of the league in terms of points, score and efficiency. 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:14.080 So there's a lot of riding on it. Those three 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.200 imports are gonna have a lot of light on them. 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:18.880 I prefer to have seen their depth look a little 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:20.800 bit better in the first preseason game, but you know 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:22.920 it was only the first preseason game. A lot of 0:19:23.000 --> 0:19:25.800 room for improvement, and there's still I think moves to 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.080 be made in terms of guys who are not on 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:31.280 the team yet. No team is finished, as we know, 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.600 until you know they say you can't make any more moves. 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:37.280 So yes, I do think the offensive line it's a cliche, 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:39.879 but that's definitely the place where you look to first 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:42.520 for an improvement. In terms of the Bengals, let's talk 0:19:42.520 --> 0:19:44.520 about what the Bengals did in the draft, because one 0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:47.560 of the guiding principles in the Football Outsiders Almanac every 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:51.359 year is that establishing the run is wrong. That's not 0:19:51.400 --> 0:19:54.080 the way to win football games. You pass to build 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:57.760 the lead. It's a more efficient way of scoring points, 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:00.640 and then you run the ball to main tying the lead, 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:03.919 to work the clock, etc. So in the draft, the 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:09.119 Bengals go heavy on defensive backs to counter the modern 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:12.400 passing game. What did you think of that approach? Yeah, 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:14.080