WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: California Dreamin' 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.399 Hi, get everybody on Dan Horde, and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:12.799 The Bengals Booth Podcast, The California Dream for your dreaming 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:18.360 on such a Winner's Day audition. As we begin to 0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:22.000 look ahead to Super Bowl fifty six in Los Angeles 0:00:22.400 --> 0:00:25.319 coming up, my broadcast partner Dave Lapham joins me to 0:00:25.480 --> 0:00:28.960 discuss a wide variety of topics, including if they were 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:32.360 to make a movie about this remarkable Bengals season. Who 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:36.200 plays lap We'll also hear from his road roommate back 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:39.080 in the day, the first quarterback to lead the Bengals 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:41.960 to the Super Bowl, Ken Anderson, and in our Know 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.800 the Faux segment, we'll catch up with Joe Ready, who 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:47.680 used to cover the Bengals for The Inquirer and now 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:51.720 covers LA Sports teams for the Associated Press. The Bengals 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:55.040 Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:59.160 play next level fantasy football game, downloaded now from the 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:03.440 App Store and Google Play and by on Location, the 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:09.280 official hospitality partner of the NFL. Visit Onlocation exp dot 0:01:09.280 --> 0:01:13.720 com for exclusive access to the biggest events, including next 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:16.880 week's Super Bowl. Here's a quick reminder that you can 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:19.679 have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:23.320 your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:28.720 your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since kind text messages. 0:01:29.640 --> 0:01:32.840 Moments after Evan McPherson's game winning field goal last week 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:35.200 that sent the Bengals to the Super Bowl, the text 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:39.000 messages began pouring in from friends and family all over 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:42.080 the country saying how happy they were that I would 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:44.759 get a chance to broadcast a Super Bowl. I can 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:47.520 only imagine what it was like for the players and coaches. 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.760 It was really nice to hear from so many friends, 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:54.000 including some that I hadn't heard from in years, and 0:01:54.040 --> 0:01:57.320 it was a great reminder that if something special or 0:01:57.400 --> 0:02:01.040 difficult happens to somebody you care about, take a moment 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:05.520 to reach out though really appreciate it. Now let's get 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:09.720 to my guests, beginning with Dave lappam Lap. It's Wednesday. 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:12.280 We've had a few days to think about it. Does 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.679 it seem real at this point to you? It's it's 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.639 starting to get that way. It really is. Uh when 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:21.000 you when you look back on it, though, it's it's 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.520 it's an amazing accomplishment. It really is. I mean, I 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:26.520 think when you go on the road in the playoffs 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:28.400 and you beat the number one and number two seed. 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:31.960 That's that's getting it done. There's no doubt about it. 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:34.800 I mean, I don't want to diminish, you know, the 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:38.240 successes of the team I played on the team in 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:40.960 eighty eight eighty nine, the eighty one team. You know, 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:43.360 we were the number one seed in the eighty one 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.120 eighty two same as eighty eight eighty nine. And you 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:48.520 have home field advantage, you take full advantage of that 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:51.480 FREEZEA bowle involved in there in the eighty one eighty 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:55.160 two situations. So I mean, I just think the for 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:58.160 them to make it to the Super Bowl, the road 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:01.679 they had to travel, it's quite remarkable. I mean, I 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:05.320 think it's it's as good as good an accomplishment by 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:09.680 any team in franchise history. I really do excellent points 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:12.600 that I hadn't thought of. So I'm on cloud nine. 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.400 We all are. But I have found one thing mildly 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:18.400 annoying over the past few days, and that is the 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:21.680 national angle on the game on Sunday that the Chiefs 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:25.239 blew it. It's been more of what went wrong with myhomes. 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.000 Andy Reid made a terrible decision in the second quarter, 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:31.200 which he did, but not enough credit is going to 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:34.760 the Bengals and the Bengals defense in particular, in my opinion, 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:38.400 couldn't agree more. You know, I think I think people 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:42.240 were so shocked by the outcome. You know, I think 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:44.320 I don't know what kind of a percentage of the 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:46.360 population thought the Chiefs are going to win the game, 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:48.920 but I'll guarantee it was a big percentage. And when 0:03:48.960 --> 0:03:52.520 they didn't, normally it's okay, Well the favorite blew it 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.720 instead of the underdog winning it. You know, it's just 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:57.960 kind of human nature. I guess it's like you were 0:03:58.000 --> 0:03:59.960 supposed to win. Why didn't you win? Well, here's the 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:03.160 reasons you didn't win. Why did you do that? Instead 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:07.520 of you know, to me, uh, you know, Andy Reid's 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:11.240 decision obviously was was was not good. Um. But it 0:04:11.320 --> 0:04:13.440 still boils down to the fact that in one on 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:18.240 one in space Apple had to tackle Tyreek Hill. If 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:20.800 he doesn't, it's all a mood point. If he doesn't 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:23.960 make the play, Um, it's you know, the whole thing 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:28.200 is is meaningless. Um. And then in the in the 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:31.440 second half, I thought there were tremendous adjustments. I mean, 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:34.320 Loui Anna Rumo and the defensive staff. I think Anna 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:38.719 Rumo outcoach Spagnola and I think that his act outcoached 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.320 Andy Reid in this football game. I mean, bottom line, 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.880 and still, like Loui Ana Rumo said when when he 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:48.720 was did his press conference, you know a couple of 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:51.719 days after the game, the players still have to execute. 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:54.839 So you can, you can put them in position to succeed, 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:57.200 but they still have to step up and get it 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:03.400 done and succeed. So yeah, I mean, honestly, Patrick Mahomes 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:06.919 looked totally befuddled. I mean, he didn't know what he 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:08.960 was looking at. He was holding on that football and 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.800 had no idea where to go at that football. And 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:15.160 I think you know that old saying apply the pressure 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:17.920 or field of pressure. He did not want to make 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:20.120 a mistake that was going to lose a close football game. 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:23.039 And the closer the Bengals got, the more he held 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:25.599 the football. He did not want to turn the football over. 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:29.320 And you know, I mean that's a metamorphosis. I guess 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.880 a little bit of Mahomes. He's been a gun slinger. Well, 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:33.839 he wouldn't have slinging any gun in the second half 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:37.320 of that football game. It was it was a pe 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:39.599 shooter and he had a holstered man. There was nothing 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.919 going on there. So I give all the credit to 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:46.479 the Bengals. Obviously, it's always a combination. It's always one 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:49.479 team does things they need to do and other teams don't. 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.200 I mean, it's are you going to make plays or not? 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:55.039 And Bengals had players make plays, and some of the 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:57.320 players have made plays. It's like, I didn't expect that 0:05:57.320 --> 0:06:00.440 guy to make a play. Your ability to realize the 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:02.719 game in real time is second to none. But you're 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:04.320 like a coach or a player in the sense that 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:06.279 then you go back and watch the video and you 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:09.720 pick out nuances that maybe it didn't see initially. What 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:13.159 really stood out, particularly when you watch the defense shutting 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:15.960 down the Chiefs on seven possessions without a touchdown in 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:20.320 the second half, the uh, the versatility of some of 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:23.920 the defensive players. I mean, they had Sam Hubbard doing 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:25.359 a lot of a lot of things, a lot of 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:27.480 things he's capable of. I mean, here's a kid that 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:31.440 was a safety at Mohler, kept growing, goes linebacker, keV Growling, 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:35.120 gotting stronger, goes the defensive line, so he's got athleticism, 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:38.040 and they were utilizing him really really well. I mean 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:42.719 they had him, you know, playing his defensive end spot 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.320 and pressuring. But then they also one time they had 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:49.040 him in the spot working and jamming a receiver and 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:52.200 then and then dropping back to the middle linebacker position 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:57.120 where we've seen him blitz. We've seen Wilson and Sam 0:06:57.240 --> 0:07:01.359 Hubbard transposed positions and sometimes Hubbard blitz, sometimes he won't. 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:04.960 So they had Wilson up at the line of scrimmage 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:07.840 and they had Hubbard at at at the linebacker spot, 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:10.840 and he was spying. You know, he was a spy 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:13.800 that was designated. They had Wilston designated as a spy. 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.840 I'm looking back at the tape on Mahomes. So they 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:19.320 had they had a really really good plan. They would 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:22.160 only rush three, but then the fourth rusher would be 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:25.000 the spy. They time it up perfectly. You know, when 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:27.440 can I prush, I'm coming downhill. I'm coming after him now. 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.920 And then Mahomes has to worry about not just what 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:32.239 he's confused about, down to football. I gotta I gotta 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.600 make this guy miss. It's a pretty good athlete. He's 0:07:34.600 --> 0:07:37.080 moving in spade, a big guy moving in space about 0:07:37.080 --> 0:07:39.640 as well as I'm moving in space. So I mean 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.720 about Sam Hubbard getting back to back sacks on two 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:47.360 consecutive plays, and I mean, you look at it. He's 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:49.480 got three sacks now in three games in the playoffs, 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:52.320 and Henderson continues to be, you know, a big factor. 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:56.480 He's got two and a half. The interception that that 0:07:56.680 --> 0:07:59.240 von Bell had, Jesse Bates and Von Bell made a 0:07:59.240 --> 0:08:03.120 great play, but they had Lou had Trey Henderson dropping 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:06.360 off a zone blitz. He dropped off into a short 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:09.520 zone and just totally disrupted where Holmes wanted to go 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:11.320 at the football. So then he tried to force it 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:14.000 to a place he really didn't want to, and they 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:17.920 did a lot of zone blitzing stuff. It was almost like, um, 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:22.120 you know, it was so so complimentary or variables game 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:24.880 plan where he had guys at the line of scrimmage 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:27.840 and which ones are coming, which ones aren't. Lou did 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:30.400 a lot of that. He was bringing guys and dropping 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:33.960 guys that the Knste Chiefs weren't anticipating. It was an 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:39.559 unbelievably well orchestrated performance in the second half. And uh man, 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:43.960 it's like, you know, whoever whoever wrote the ballet and 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.920 then Barishnikov, you know, went out and executed. It was. 0:08:47.960 --> 0:08:51.600 It was that kind of thing with that second half unfolded. 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:55.040 The Bengals Booth podcast the only podcast where you'll get 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:58.920 a Barishnikov reference courtesy of Dave Lapham. You know, it's 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:02.200 it's great at rushing three and dropping eight worked out, 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:04.960 but when you do that a lot of times, mahomes 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:08.120 is gonna have forever. And there were several instances where 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:11.079 it was four seconds, five seconds, six seconds. So for 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.680 it to work, even though you got the numbers in 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:15.960 the secondary, they've still got to be able to cover 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:19.520 guys forever. Absolutely, they got a plaster And I think 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.000 it started, you know, the whole thing in the second 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:25.960 half when when lu saw how well guys took away 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.800 every option from Holmes on that second and one from 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:32.559 the one yard line. I mean, Cheeto just jammed and 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:36.840 just plastered his receiver. There was nowhere to go. And 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.520 I think, you know, I think that triggered all right. 0:09:39.600 --> 0:09:44.120 We were aggressive on that play all half long. We 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.720 were kind of on our heels. We were we weren't punching, 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:49.040 we were counterpunching. We were letting them take it to us. 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:51.640 Let's reverse this a little bit. And that's kind of 0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:54.000 what they did on the second and one play from 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:55.839 the five yard line with five seconds go. It's like, 0:09:55.840 --> 0:09:59.160 all right, well, if you're going for it, we're getting aftercare. 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:01.480 We're gonna make you get the ball out. And and 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:04.400 I think that kind of when it worked, gave them 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:06.560 momentum going at a halftime. It's like, let's bring it 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:08.960 all out. Let's let's get as aggressive as we can be. 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.600 And uh. But with that said, when you are, when 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:15.880 you aggressive in what you're doing, differently empty the bucket 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:17.960 that way, like, let's not leave anything. What do we 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:21.160 Why why we have all these schemes are? What are 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:23.160 we gonna do with them? If we lose this football game? 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:25.200 We'll take into training camp next year. It's not going 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.720 to do us any good. So they started implementing a 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:30.960 lot of things, and I agree with you they definitely 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:33.400 had the numbers in their favor, but they got decent 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:35.640 pressure sometimes out of that three man and then the 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:38.000 fourth guy would come, you know a little late and 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:42.520 cause problems. But man, the way guys plastered in that 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:46.400 second half, the coverage was extraordinary. And then when they 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:49.439 you know, they were real good leveraging with the double teams. 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:53.520 They bracketed guys effectively. I mean it was just you're right. 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:57.120 I mean, when the when the front end is you 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.400 only got three or four going, the back end has 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:01.880 to step out in the back end stepped up, boy, 0:11:02.040 --> 0:11:06.200 And the sacks they got were covered sacks, period, no 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:10.280 question about it. So in an AFC Championship game, they 0:11:10.520 --> 0:11:14.679 rotated right guards, which I'm not sure if that's happened 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:17.640 in twenty thirty, forty, fifty years whatever, it might have 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:21.800 been a Chemodenergy and Jackson Carmen both played. How did 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.080 they do? And do you think that's the way to 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.880 go in Super Bowl fifty six? I wouldn't be surprised 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:31.640 if they if they stay with that, because Carmen showed that, 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:35.880 you know, he belongs. He made some plays. Both guys 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:39.000 did some good things. Both guys did some things where gosh, 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:41.600 at this stage of the season, you wish that wasn't 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:48.440 the case. But competition always breeds excellence. So and I'm 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:51.520 not saying that. Chemodenergy said I've arrived and I don't 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:53.400 have to worry about my job anymore. You know, I've 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.080 got it. I'm gonna play this position for twelve years. 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.199 You know, I'm not saying that he took that approach whatsoever. 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:04.080 What happened he opened the door crack because Simmons gave 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:06.200 him a tough way to go in that Tennessee game, 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.240 and he had had some issues. He had had some 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:12.920 really bad flow up plays in terms of physical dominance, 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:14.920 you know, down the stretch toward the end of the season. 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.520 And Carmen is a is a bigger, you know, a 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:24.120 more physical, naturally physical guy. So you know, one obviously 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:29.320 is further along mentally than the other, but the other 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:31.960 one has maybe more physical gifts. So if you could 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:34.400 combine both and you'd have a hell of a player probably, 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:37.880 But I think I think they are probably going to play, 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:41.000 both of them. I think they both have shown that 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:45.760 they are capable and probably worthy of playing in the 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:49.720 Super Bowl. Um, and then I guess if you if 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:52.000 you get a hot hand, if one really starts playing well. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:55.120 The one thing you hate to have happened though, when 0:12:55.120 --> 0:12:58.920 you're playing guys like that, is a guy makes one 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:01.600 mistake and he's looking over shoulder, is he gonna am I? Am? 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:03.839 I done? Am I done? For the game? Man? I 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:06.880 wish I didn't do that. You know, Um, that's that's 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:12.120 the only downside to it. But if if the level 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:15.960 of play for both players has elevated, because Frank said, 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:19.200 you know what, nobody's got this right guard position, to 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.560 show me what you got, you know, it could could 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:24.320 turn out to be a brilliant move. But it would 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:29.360 not surprise me whatsoever if all of a sudden instead 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.720 of like Aaron Donald can rush from both both right 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.800 and left defensive tackle. But I would not be surprised 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:37.880 if in the Super Bowl He's done a lot more 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:40.280 rushing from left defensive tackle and he is from right 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.120 defensive tackle because of the issues going on at that 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:45.319 rotation at the right guard spot. It wouldn't shock me 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:49.839 at all. Is Bengals offensive line versus Aaron Donald, Von 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:52.240 Miller and the rest of the Rams defensive line the 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:55.520 obvious key matchup of this Super Bowl? I think it is. 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:58.439 I mean, I think you know we're looking at when 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:01.199 when going to ten to see the play of the Titans, 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.559 they had three pass rushers. Well, these guys in the 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:05.880 regular season Donald went for twelve and a half sacks, 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:09.040 Floyd for nine and a half and Miller for nine 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:11.959 and a half. Floyd being a linebacker. They used to 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:16.160 rush the pass are pretty well and uh in the playoffs, 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:19.040 Miller's got a couple of sacks and Donald has a 0:14:19.080 --> 0:14:22.480 sack and a half, so they're continuing to to show 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:24.400 that they're going to be able to pressure the quarterback. 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:28.600 So I think I think they've got three solid pass 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:30.840 rushers and one you have three and the other the 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:33.600 other reason that I would put Aaron Donald over their 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:36.760 right guard as opposed to the left guard. When you 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:39.280 slide the line, you can put three blockers on two 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:41.200 guys if they're both in the same side of the 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:44.200 line of scrimmage slide protection and you have an extra guy. 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:47.400 When they're on opposite sides, you can't slide protect it. 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:49.800 You know, you still if you slide to one side, 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:53.560 the right guard who's struggling, potentially is working against Aaron 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:56.040 Donald one on one with no center. He's slide un 0:14:56.560 --> 0:14:58.800 So you know that that could that could be a 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:02.000 little bit of of a factor too. So having having 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:04.800 three guys, you know, if you need to go seven 0:15:04.880 --> 0:15:09.440 man protection, put five linemen in there in a tight 0:15:09.560 --> 0:15:10.880 end and a running back, and if you need to 0:15:10.880 --> 0:15:13.000 put it in a big body, tight end. If adenergies 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:16.080 in the game, put Carmen out there as the as 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:19.800 the extra linement, and in vice versa, you get guys 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:21.960 that are in the flow of the game plan. I 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:24.680 mean that that might not be a bad, bad remedy 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.920 the guard that's out on that particular series. If you 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:29.960 need to throw him on our third and long situation, 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:32.000 throw him in there at the tight end position to 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:34.680 be an extra pass protector and keep it back into 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:37.800 to help on the other side. So be it. I mean, 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:40.480 just give Joe Burrow time. And then in that case, 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:44.160 somebody has to win a route. I mean, there's gonna 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:46.520 be guys are gonna be double team, but somebody is 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:48.720 going to have a one on one situation and they 0:15:48.800 --> 0:15:52.080 got to win that win that matchup. For sure, We've 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:54.200 spent a lot of time talking about Joe Burrow over 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:57.400 the last couple of years. This was his greatest moment yet, 0:15:57.440 --> 0:15:59.480 guiding this team to a super Bowl in his second 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:04.480 year as the quarterback. At this point, is there something 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:07.600 that just stands out more than anything else about what 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.040 this guy's accomplished? Boy, I'll tell you you know, I 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:15.280 think I think it's obviously his mental capacity for the 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:20.080 game is one thing. Um, you know, I I think 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:22.680 it's second and done. I think the amount of information 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:28.360 that he can digest, retain and regurgitate, you know, accurately, 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:31.560 it's incredible. And his ability to take it all in 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:36.240 and hold onto it, process it. Something shows up in 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:38.640 a game, he can store through and hit exactly what 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.320 he needs to to respond and answer that particular problem 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:45.560 that they're trying to cause him. It's incredible to watch. 0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:48.640 He's got a computer like brain for a game of football, 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:51.120 and he can. He's got a lot of megabytes in there, 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:54.920 there's no question about it. And that and then you know, 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:59.800 as a former linement, I just inspired by his toughness. 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:04.399 I mean he just the guy doesn't flinch. The guy never, 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:08.520 you know, gets after his teammates for getting beaten. I mean, 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:10.720 he knows he's part of football. He's just he's a 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:15.040 football player. The guy plays quarterback with the linebacker's mentality. 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:17.440 And he's brought up in a defensive household. His dad 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:20.000 was a coordinator and a lot of skins in the 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:23.800 walls a defensive coordinator. Two brothers played linebacker at at 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:26.919 at a high level at Nebraska. I mean he he 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:28.920 said urban Meyer. Let me cover a kickoffs. If you're 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:31.240 not gonna let me play quarterback, let me play some football. 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:34.080 The dude is a football player, you know, he's not 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:37.119 He's not just a quarterback that you know. Don't hit me, 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:39.360 don't hit he he likes to mix it up. I mean, 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.560 he likes football. He's he's uh. I'm not saying that. 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:45.040 You know, he welcomes and thrives on contact, but he 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:47.639 didn't shy away from it. Tell you that he's a 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:51.800 he's a tough guy man, and you know he I 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:56.240 think I think that inspires offense defense specially, that inspires everybody. 0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:59.639 Your quarterback is uh is playing like that and playing 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:04.120 at that level, and a playmaker like he is. Spashal 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:07.919 with a big old capitals man. We're having this conversation 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:10.320 on Wednesday, a week and a half before the Super Bowl. 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:13.720 The Bengals did not practice today. They'll get back out 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:17.239 there tomorrow. We've got nasty weather coming into Cincinnati. They 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:19.480 are going to be practicing in the practice bubble that 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.600 you see for the next several days. It's nice that 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:24.680 that option is there and they're always free to take 0:18:24.720 --> 0:18:28.439 advantage of it. My question is with the practices they 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:32.800 have now. Between now and the Super Bowl, you'll have 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:35.960 some practices here, you'll have some practices in Los Angeles. 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:38.679 Is there a time period for these practices that you 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:40.959 consider to be the most important or is it all 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:44.320 equally important. I will say that the Super Bowl that 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:48.440 I played in super Bowl sixteen, we have the Freeze Bowl, 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:51.040 and the week after the Freeze Bowl is provably cold 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:53.679 as well, and we didn't have any bubble or anything 0:18:53.720 --> 0:18:55.840 like that to go into and we didn't get much 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:58.200 done that we could practice. And I think it hurt us, 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:02.960 I really do. You know, We went out there before 0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:07.040 the game itself and had practices, you know, in a 0:19:07.160 --> 0:19:09.720 dome where we could actually you know, get to get 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:12.840 something done, but it was hard getting things done the 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:14.840 way you wanted to get them done in that in 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:17.520 that weather in Cincinnati that week. So I think the 0:19:17.560 --> 0:19:20.560 fact that they have a bubble and UC is being 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:22.240 gracious enough to let them use that it's going to 0:19:22.280 --> 0:19:25.239 be huge for them and they'll get you know, they 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:27.600 get some things done. The one thing you don't want 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:33.560 to do necessarily is put your game plan out there too, 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:37.320 you know, real early, and then say, uh, maybe we 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:39.480 can adjust this, oh in the red zone? Why don't 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:41.639 we do that? And then just start to overthink it, 0:19:41.720 --> 0:19:47.080 overthink it um I personally would, and we did this. 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:50.640 Don't don't make it a normal week. Present the game 0:19:50.680 --> 0:19:52.720 plan at the early stage of the second week, and 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.400 go through that process. Right now, be working on things 0:19:56.400 --> 0:19:58.840 that you might think about incorporating into the game plan. 0:19:59.520 --> 0:20:05.399 U stay sharp with the core plays and the philosophical 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:09.760 configuration of those plays that you like. And then, like 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:12.800 we've been talking about here down the stretch of the season, 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:15.479 how are you going to make them look different? As 0:20:15.520 --> 0:20:17.439 the great one said Paul Brown said, and make the 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:20.120 same things look different and different things look the same. 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:23.160 So how are you going to tweak things where it's 0:20:23.200 --> 0:20:26.800 the same walking for the offensive line, same throw for 0:20:26.880 --> 0:20:30.560 the quarterback, But it's different matchups, it's different personnel groupings, 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:33.600 it's different formations. It's how are you gonna window address it? 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:35.560 How are you gonna make it look different? Where their 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:38.320 eyes are like, ooh this, what is this? We haven't 0:20:38.320 --> 0:20:40.920 seen this? And then they run a player that they've 0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:43.159 been running the whole Oh jeeze long, That's what it 0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:45.959 was all about. Just make it too late, you know 0:20:46.000 --> 0:20:49.159 you make a decision correctly too late, it's still a 0:20:49.200 --> 0:20:51.439 wrong decision. And that's what you're trying to get. You're 0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:53.840 trying to get that little bit of an advantage, you know, 0:20:53.960 --> 0:20:57.360 mentally as you go into the biggest game of your life. 0:20:57.359 --> 0:21:00.800 For sure. Brian Callahan coach and this Bowl four years 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:03.040 ago with the Rams or not Brian Callan. Zach Taylor 0:21:03.080 --> 0:21:05.320 coach with the Rams. Brian Callahan has coach in the 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:07.520 Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. How big of a 0:21:07.600 --> 0:21:09.639 deal do you think having a little bit Super Bowl 0:21:09.680 --> 0:21:12.560 coaching experience is going to help? I think it's a 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:17.160