WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Ready To Go 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.480 Hike and everybody on Dan Horde and this is the 0:00:06.519 --> 0:00:12.640 Bengals Booth Podcast. I'm standing on the rooftop shouting out, baby, 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:17.560 I'm ready to go. Addition, as the Bengals try to 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:19.920 make this the week that they get their first win 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:22.759 under Zach Taylor, as they try to upset the first 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:28.600 place Ravens in Baltimore. Coming up, you'll hear three conversations. First, 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:31.880 it's my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham. We'll discuss the matchup, 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:36.199 the possibility of the Bengals trading veteran players, and we'll 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:39.000 do something a little different as each of us will 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:42.880 pick the player on another NFL roster that we would 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:47.320 most like to have in Cincinnati. With a qualifier, we 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:50.000 weren't allowed to select Patrick Mahomes. That would have been 0:00:50.080 --> 0:00:53.440 too easy. My locker room conversation this week is with 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:57.240 wide receiver Auden Tate, who had his first NFL touchdown 0:00:57.320 --> 0:01:00.480 catch last week, but as he was quick to point out, 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:04.600 he probably should have had two. We'll discuss his catch 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:08.200 and his drop. And in this week's No The Faux segment, 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.759 we'll get the lowdown on the Ravens from their longtime 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:16.200 radio play by play man, Jerry Sandusky, that's Jerry with 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:19.400 a G. All of that is straight ahead. But first, 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.440 here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest 0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:25.200 edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:29.919 or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:35.400 or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since NFL Turning Point. 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:39.960 My favorite football show on TV is NFL Turning Point. 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:42.800 It's a thirty minute show where they do a deep 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:45.399 dive into a couple of games from the previous week, 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:50.600 using highlights and on field audio provided by NFL Films. 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:53.480 For my money, it's the best show out there that 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:58.040 captures both the strategy of pro football and the emotional drama. 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:02.600 New episodes are on FS one every Wednesday night, and 0:02:02.840 --> 0:02:07.640 I highly recommend NFL Turning Point. Now let's get to 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.840 my conversation with Dave Lapham, and we started with something 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:14.680 that isn't going to happen, but was fun to discuss. 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:18.040 Here's a question we are both going to answer. If 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:21.720 you could add one player to the Bengals roster off 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:25.480 another team, who would it be? With this qualifier, it 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:28.840 can't be a quarterback because we would both pick Patrick Mahomes, 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:32.160 you go first. A close second might be Russell Wilson 0:02:32.240 --> 0:02:34.320 for me, that dude, he just seems to make plays 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:36.160 when he has to make plays. That son of a gun. 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:40.440 He's amazing. As a former offensive lineman, I'm going to 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:43.480 take the offensive side of the football and struggling up 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:47.760 front the offensive line. And the Indianapolis Colts went into 0:02:47.840 --> 0:02:50.560 Kansas City and beat the Chiefs and they were just 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:54.400 physical with them, and they just you know, they mauled 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.320 the Kansa City Chiefs up front. They kept Mahomes off 0:02:57.400 --> 0:02:59.639 the football field. And a guy that I think is 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:02.160 the lead to the pack there is Quintin Nelson, kid 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:04.560 out of Notre Dame. I just think I like everything 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.760 about him. I like his demeanor. He's the policeman out there. 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:11.040 He's the bodyguard for everybody. Anytime there's a little skirmish, 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:13.280 he's the first one in to support his teammates, pulling 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:15.799 guys apart or doing what he needs to do to 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:18.600 help his teammate. And h plus the fact that he's 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:21.600 a hell of a football player. I mean, run blocker, 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:26.400 great pulling guard, tremendous pass protector. Just need to start 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:29.200 to improve that. That up front, you know, get get 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:32.800 something done up front, and his style of play may 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:35.800 be contagious as well. Maybe that'll, you know, get get 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:38.960 somebody like a kingpin up front that has that kind 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:41.839 of mentality. As for me, if I knew he could 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:44.600 stay healthy and would play eight to ten more years, 0:03:44.640 --> 0:03:47.280 I'd take Louke Keekley, But he's twenty eight and in 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:49.200 his eighth year in the NFL, So I'm going to 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:53.920 go with Quentin Nelson's Indianapolis teammate. Linebacker Darius Leonard, twenty 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:56.160 four years old, second year in the NFL, led the 0:03:56.240 --> 0:04:00.400 league in tackles last year. Eight passes defended, seven sacks, 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:05.640 two interceptions. Give me a playbacking, a playmaking linebacker that 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:09.000 can go sideline to sideline, reading stuff and making plays. 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:11.800 When was the last time the Bengals defense was good 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:15.840 when Vont's perfect was still good. The Bengals desperately need 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:19.200 a guy like that. That's their two weakest positions, you know, 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.400 offensive line and linebacker though, where they need the most 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:25.600 help for sure. Dan. We had Andy Benoit, formerly of 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.720 Sports Illustrated, on one of our radio shows earlier this year, 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.840 and I asked him if the Rams style offense that 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:35.919 Zach was springing to Cincinnati would help the offensive line, 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:39.680 and he said, not necessarily, because the best runs that 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:43.040 Sean McVay likes to go to are outside zone runs, 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:47.040 and Andy said they require a threshold of athleticism that 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:50.960 the Bengals don't have upfront. Is that preventing the Bengals 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:53.760 from running the type of plays that Todd Gurley has 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:56.400 been so successful doing. I mean, yeah, you could. You 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:59.680 could say that the running game or the lackter of 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:03.840 with respect to the running game, my theory as having 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:06.799 played the position is I always love play action pass 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:11.440 because you're in max protection. It's very offensive line friendly 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.800 and usually very quarterback friendly because you're you're basically in 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:17.560 max protection of a fake, faking running back that basically 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:21.240 consumes somebody potentially if he runs a good enough fake 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.080 or can block the guy if he does blitz and 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:26.240 he doesn't have the football. So that's your six blocker 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:28.440 picking up of a you know, an extra rusher, and 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:32.640 you're you're selling the run and that's making the defensive 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:36.039 line not too often rush the quarterback. So you know, normally, 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:39.359 if your running game's going, play action pass is great. 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.800 It's very very friendly. But if the running game gets 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:46.040 a lack of execution or whatever the case may be, 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:49.679 isn't working, or you're putting yourself and down in distances 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.320 where the running game isn't a factor, and you're, you know, 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:54.880 first in fifteen second and twenty too often like they 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:56.800 have been, you're going to drop back and throw it. 0:05:56.880 --> 0:06:01.880 And this offensive line strength is not you know, pass protecting, 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.440 dropping back and throwing the football thirty times a game. 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:07.360 That's not that's not who they are at all. So, 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:10.680 you know, and he makes a great point. I mean, theoretically, 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:14.800 if you can establish some sort of a pressure point 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:18.600 with that outside zone or inside zone, they're much better 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.920 inside zone blockers than outside zone for the reasons Andy said. 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:24.480 You have to be you know, you have to be 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:28.240 able to move latterly, horizontally, athletically, you know, to be 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:31.600 able to get the stretch in the in the outside 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:34.720 zone that you're looking for. So until they get that 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.960 running game going, the theory of it being a very 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:41.839 offensive line friendly, quarterback friendly offense goes out the window 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:44.520 because you're stuck in down to distances where you're just 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:46.600 dropping back and throwing the football and people are teeing 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:49.840 off on you. You have made no secret of your 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:54.200 desire to see Giovanni Bernard more involved. Yeah, I mean, 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:57.880 I think whenever he plays, I like what he does. 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:00.440 I mean, I think he can be a fact, a 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:04.760 very positive factor the organization. They don't give a guy, 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:07.880 you know, an eight figure contract, not seven figures, an 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:10.360 eight figure contract because they just like you, and they 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:13.000 do like him. What's not to like about him? He's 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.440 a great guy. He's doing a lot of a lot 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:17.920 of good for people that need help with respect to water, 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.200 you know, the bare necessities of life. You know, he's 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:25.560 providing people. And you know, how can you not respect 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.720 and like a guy like that. But you know, at 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:31.320 some point, okay, you think he's he's really a good 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:33.640 football player. You want him to be part of your 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.760 your football team. How about giving him some snaps, you know, 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:42.480 incorporate him. You're down in the game, the Bengals were 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:46.360 down to four receivers. They lost Alex Erickson and you know, 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:49.520 no offense to the third and fourth receiver. But why 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:52.480 why can't Gievarnie Bernard do at least what they're doing 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:56.600 in some formations or you know, two back sets, you know, 0:07:56.720 --> 0:07:59.760 be a little creative, do some jets jets sweeps with him, 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:01.960 do some shovel passes with him. He's a guy that 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:03.280 could do this sort of thing and get on the 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:05.520 perimeter for you. So yeah, I'd like to see a 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:08.680 little more Giovanni Bernard involvement for sure, And I think 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.400 I think it would pay dividends. And nobody wants to 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:15.000 win any more than Giovanni Bernard does. And I'll guarantee 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:17.800 you he's frustrated, but you know the reason he was 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:21.320 elected captain. He's not going to verbalize his frustration. He's 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:23.480 frustrated about being oh and five, and I'm sure he's 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:27.040 frustrated about not being more of a remedy to solve 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:32.400 the problem. But you know, recently married, elected captain, eight 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:37.520 figure contract. Life's good lap. Let's talk about this year's 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:41.040 rookie class. Jonah Williams is obviously out. Nothing the Bengals 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:44.120 could do about that. Their second round pick, tight Andrew 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:47.040 Sample is in for fifteen snaps last week. He's played 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:50.839 sixty seven snaps on offense through five games. Third round 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:54.760 pick linebacker Jermaine Pratt in for nine snaps last week. 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:58.000 He's been in thirty four on defense through five games. 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:01.079 Is it time for that to change? I think it is. 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.600 I think it's time to take the reins off the rookies, 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.400 or take the training wheels off the bike and let 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:10.240 the rookies ride. You know. Lu and Umu in our 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:12.880 conversation that everybody in the media had with him earlier 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:16.640 in the week, was pointing out the fact that, look 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:21.280 what Arizona did. They ran ten personnel, one back, four wides, 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:23.840 no tight ends, you know, just one back, four wide 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:26.559 receivers a high percent of almost like sixty percent of 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:29.360 the time. Well, they lost a couple of receivers to injury. 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:32.880 They were going as much as twelve personnel, one back 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:35.079 and two tight ends, and they didn't even they weren't 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:38.120 even playing a tight end. They would go eleven personnel 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.480 with one of the tight ends twelve personnel and that 0:09:40.720 --> 0:09:44.240 changed the gap responsibilities and the assignments in the running game. 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:46.120 And it took the Bengals a while to adjust, and 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:48.320 they really did never adjust to it all that well, 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:50.880 to the two to two hundred and sixty sixty yards. 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:55.640 So why not Cincinnati do the same thing, I mean, 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:59.600 why not give the Baltimore Ravens a little bit more 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:02.280 to think about. I mean, Baltimore utilizes their tight ends. 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.920 Three of their top five receivers are tight ends. So 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:08.600 they put them out there, they throw it to him, 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:10.800 and they have more than one out there to block, 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:13.720 and you know, why not go to a little bit 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:15.760 of that style of offense. Give them a taste of 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:18.120 their own medicine. I guess a little bit, because I mean, 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:20.200 you draft a kid in the second round, you don't 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:23.120 draft them just to block, you know, on short yarriage 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:25.079 and goal line situations or whatever the case may be. 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.040 And I think he's proven that. I think he can 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:30.319 be a factor. It can be a viable factor. So 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:34.240 let let him roll a little bit. And then you know, 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.800 at the linebacker position, with all the problems that there 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:40.280 they have at the linebacker position, I mean, pratt Is 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:44.000 is probably overall the most athletic of all of them. 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:48.800 And obviously, you know, like Lewis talking about earlier again, 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.360 you know, I'm telling them just this one gap, don't 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:53.600 worry about anything else. Just hit this gap. And it's 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:55.800 not one hundred percent of the time that maybe maybe 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:58.520 he's doing it, because you know, he's he said, he's 0:10:58.559 --> 0:11:01.360 a kid that wants to please people, and maybe he's 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.439 trying to do too much, maybe he's press them a 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:05.560 little bit. But at some point you get to let 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.800 them get out there. And the only the only way 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.520 you can improve in the NFL is to experience it. 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:14.880 To stand there and watch it is nothing. Believe me, 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:18.679 it's nothing like being out there and experiencing what it's like, 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:20.839 the speed of the game, how quickly you have to 0:11:20.840 --> 0:11:22.800 adjust all the things you have to do, both mentally 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:25.520 and physically. So I think it's it's time to let 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:28.400 these guys, uh, you know, step up and see what 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:31.800 they can do. The Baltimore Ravens are a three four 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:37.000 defense with two massive defensive tackles up front three hundred 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:39.600 and forty five pounds and three hundred and thirty six pounds, 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:42.599 and they're probably bigger than that. If you were a 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:46.680 defensive coordinator, philosophically, would you be a three four guy 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:52.160 or a four three guy? It would depend on my personnel. 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:54.400 I mean, if I if I came to an organization, 0:11:55.040 --> 0:12:01.040 you know, blank slate, I mean, I think the three 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:06.160 four defense is you have you have to draft well 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:09.000 for it. You have to draft the right guys. Um, 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:13.839 you know, I see, I see benefits to both of them. Um, 0:12:14.880 --> 0:12:18.560 having played the center position, if you have a nose guard, 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:20.679 they can dominate. I can tell you that that that 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:23.360 that makes it tough on everybody when you have it, 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:25.240 when you have a big old beast that's inverting the 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:29.760 center all the time. Um, you know, it's just like 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:31.640 anywhere you want to be solid up the middle and 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:35.640 baseball shortstops center field, you know, catcher and if you 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:38.720 can be solid up the middle of a lacious nose guard, 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:42.280 you know, in a like an inside linebacker at the 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:45.520 next level to boot and a safety that's that's assaulting 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:47.240 in the middle of football field. Man, that you know, 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:51.599 you're making people go side and the sideways go go outside. 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:54.959 So I think, you know, unless like unless I have 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:57.480 two beasts inside a defensive tackle, I mean that you 0:12:57.559 --> 0:13:00.160 know that that's that's great as well. But I just 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:03.640 think that in a three to four it's I think 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:05.480 it's harder to run against. I think it's harder to 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:08.439 get that initial push on him, you know, But you 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:10.800 better have dan good linebackers to people in a throat 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:13.559 on you, they're going to isolate your linebackers in a 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:15.719 three to four defense. If you go base three four, 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:19.120 they're going to isolate those linebackers, and you better better 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:21.800 be able to be up to snuff. I'd be a 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:24.199 three four guy for a lot of the reasons that 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:27.960 you just described. Secondly, it makes you better on special 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:32.320 teams because you carry more linebackers, and they are ideal 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:36.079 special teams guys. Darren Simmons wouldn't agree with with the 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.439 with the Bengals right now. The linebackers agree with the philosophy. 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:44.199 Not necessarily team, no doubt. But I mean, you know 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:47.000 he's got some my JP Ryan. You know, he's got 0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:51.080 a running back making huge contributions. He has players at 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:54.520 other position groups. Darren Simmons, in my mind, does such 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:56.360 an unbelievable I know we're getting off on a totally 0:13:56.440 --> 0:14:00.079 different subject, but he, of any special teams coach in 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:04.400 the National Football League piece meals different positions into his 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:07.480 special teams more so I mean others. It's cookie cutter. 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:10.000 You know, I got these tight ends, I have these linebackers, 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:11.760 I have these defense about you know, it's it's like 0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:15.800 I've got X y Z. You know, Darren will he'll 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:18.240 pull a receiver out of there, He'll pull a running 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:19.800 back out of there if he has to. I mean, 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:24.440 he's not a shy er embarrassed to try other things 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:28.360 like that. But I agree with you. Usually linebackers are 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:30.640 some of the best athletes on your football team from 0:14:30.640 --> 0:14:33.160 a size speed ratio, you know kind of thing. They're 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:35.600 getting smaller in the NFL, but they're also getting faster, 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:40.240 smaller and faster. So special teams now they've taken away 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.800 double teams, they've taken away the wedge. I mean, it's 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:46.440 just all about matching up in space. The whole NFL 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:50.360 is offense defense, special teams. Who can match up in space, 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:54.240 who can block speed in space? Who can defeat blocks 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:56.720 in space? I mean, who can It is. It's all 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.560 about spreading people out as wide as you can and 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:02.480 in creating as much space as you can, and you 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:08.240 need guys that have speed and the short space quickness. 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:10.120 You know, you're looking for as many of those type 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.520 athletes as you can find. The Bengals defense has struggled 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.440 this year, and this Sunday they face Lamar Jackson and 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:20.400 the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson has eleven touchdown passes so far. 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.960 That is as many as Patrick Mahomes. He has also 0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:27.080 rushed for three hundred and eight yards. That's a pace 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:31.360 for nine eighty six this year. What is the formula 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:35.840 for preventing Lamar Jackson from having a monster day? And 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:39.960 he's rushed it in the first five games fifty times. Now, 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:43.200 it's not all design runs. There's scrambles in there, but 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:47.240 I bet half of it minimum is design runs. And 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.400 we saw it. We were the first team to see 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:52.160 it when he had his first NFL start. We saw 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:58.240 quarterback sweep, quarterback draw, quarterback counter, quarterback power. I mean, 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:00.960 they used him as a running back. And the thing 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.760 about it is when the quarterbacks running the football like that, 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.680 it's eleven on eleven football. It's not ten on eleven 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.480 quarterbacks not handing off and not doing anything. So you 0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:11.400 can get an extra helmet at the point of attack, 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:14.400 pulling lineman and getting an extra helmet out there to 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.680 outleverage the defense. And that's that's the problem he you know, 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:21.600 he presents. He's averaging six point two yards to carry 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:26.560 on those fifty carries, so and that's part. That's a 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:28.600 big part of his game. But I think his pocket 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.040 presence is getting better. I think his ability to throw 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:33.640 the deep ball with accuracy has gotten better. I think 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:36.480 he's become a better quarterback, although I think he's thrown 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.520 an interception in three out of the last fourth series 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:40.480 that he's been on the field for the Ravens. But 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.040 the Ravens were crying about a couple of the interceptions 0:16:43.120 --> 0:16:45.200 the Steelers had should have been a one should have 0:16:45.240 --> 0:16:48.480 been a rule non catch on the interception. The other 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:51.720 one should have been past interference. But you know they 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:55.520 go on the record books as interceptions, so I guess 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:58.680 they're not blatant interceptions where he's forcing into a spot 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.680 where he shouldn't force, which he had done a little bit. 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:04.640 I think he's becoming more of a quarterback and man. 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:10.800 Two guys back to back that are basically the epitome 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:13.480 of what you're looking for in the NFL quarterback today. 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:18.480 Feet and throwing on Kyler Murray last week, Lamar Jackson 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:22.200 this week. There's no question it's hard to stop and 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:26.080 very effective from an offensive standpoint. The question is is 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:29.520 it sustainable? Can those guys do that week after week 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:32.440 after week and stay on their feet? You know? The 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:37.399 only the thing the thing that Michael Vick did RG 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:40.400 three was a straight line runner, so RG three could 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:44.200 not avoid contact. He got blown up. I mean it 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:47.320 was like you watch him running. Even at Baylor, I'd 0:17:47.359 --> 0:17:49.639 watch him running and there was no dipsy due to it. 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:52.399 It was just I mean, he was an Olympic caliber hurdler. 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.760 So I'd watch and I'd think, oh, man, this could 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:58.480 be you know, like an AUTOBONND collision. I mean, the 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:01.040 got there's two people on it, a high rate of 0:18:01.080 --> 0:18:03.840 speed in it, and he took some shots, you know, 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.040 and he would stay in bounds and take the shots, 0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:09.440 and I'm like, uh, that's not gonna bode well. These guys. 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:11.760 You can't get a straight hit on them if you 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:14.960 if it's like it's like James Brooks would say to me. 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:17.719 I'd say, JB Man, pooh, gotta put a shot. That's me, man, 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:20.600 that's my bad. I can't let guy take a hit 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:22.720 like that on me. He said. I gotta I gotta 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:25.119 make them. I gotta make it a glancing blow. I 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:27.800 can't take a full force, you know, facial shot like that. 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:31.440 That's what these quarterbacks do. They're so quick with short 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.560 space quickness. It's like and if you're hitting them, you 0:18:34.640 --> 0:18:36.200 don't run up there one hundred miles an hour, like 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:37.600 they're run up to r G three. You have to 0:18:37.720 --> 0:18:40.359 break it down because they'll juke you. If you're going 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:42.240 one hundred miles an hour and they juke you, you're 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:46.040 you're off in space. So I think that they have 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:48.720 a better chance because of those kind of things, but 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:52.320 they're still gonna get cought in traffic, caught in a pile. 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:54.600 Those are the kind of things when you get you know, 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:57.359 you get caught in something that you really can't control, 0:18:57.400 --> 0:18:59.639 and somebody falls on your leg awkwardly and stuff, and 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:02.640 backs don't normally unless in the pocket, you know, when 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.080 the protections collapse and they may find out, but they 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.520 don't find that, you know, seven yards down the field 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:09.280 where four guys are gang tackle. Now you got to 0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:11.800 worry about all these bodies in a pile and how 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.399 am I going to get contorted and twisted? So I 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:17.080 just keep going back to the to the same thought. 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:21.040 In the NFL, one hundred percent of the players are 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:23.080 one hundred percent of injury risk one hundred percent of 0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:26.919 the plays. And the little you are, the more susceptible 0:19:27.000 --> 0:19:29.800 you are. But if you're quick as a cat, you 0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:32.560 know that that kind of balances it out a little bit, 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:36.119 but man, the more you run them, the odds are 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:40.040 increased and they're gonna get smoked. The Baltimore Ravens have 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:42.639 one of the best defenses in the NFL. That is 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:46.520 usually the case, but Andy Dalton has historically done well 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:50.160 against Baltimore as a winning record against the Ravens last 0:19:50.240 --> 0:19:54.280 year in two games, six touchdown passes, no interceptions. Why 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:57.560 does the red Rifle do well against the Ravens? Well? 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.840 The Thursday night game here and since and Andy last year, 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:03.560 they were blitzing him to death and he was tearing 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:06.440 them up. Aj Green had three touchdown catches in the 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:10.160 first half and they just backed off the blitz because 0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:13.000 Andy was destroying them. And I'd never seen Baltimore back 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:14.880 off the blitz for as many snaps as they did. 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:20.240 When you look at last week's game, you know against Arizona, 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:24.240 the touchdown drive before the forty two yard touchdown to Boyd, 0:20:24.520 --> 0:20:26.600 they were blitzing like crazy. They were bringing all their 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:29.520 pressure packages. That's when he played the best. He got 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:33.000 rid of the football. He can really pre snap, diagnose 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:36.200 the blitz pretty well and know the vacated spot that 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:38.200 he has to go to. At the football and he 0:20:38.359 --> 0:20:40.600 does it very well. He does it as well as 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:43.199 most quarterbacks in the NFL. So I think it's going 0:20:43.240 --> 0:20:46.240 to be interesting to see if Baltimore comes out with 0:20:46.359 --> 0:20:48.880 as heavy a blitz percentages as they have in the past, 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:52.160 because he torched them with it twice last year, really, 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:55.440 particularly in that Thursday night game, and I thought his 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:59.639 best drive of quite a few quarters came against a 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:02.440 pot of we're gonna get after him, we're gonna blitz him, 0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:04.800 and he made him pay. They went on a nice 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:07.320 touchdown drive there where they mixed the run in the 0:21:07.359 --> 0:21:10.040 pass and as he's releasing the ball, he's getting stung. 0:21:10.119 --> 0:21:12.600 I mean, they're hitting him hard, but he realizes, you know, 0:21:12.640 --> 0:21:14.080 I got to stand in there and throw it and 0:21:14.119 --> 0:21:15.680 I'm going to throw it to where that guy should be. 0:21:15.720 --> 0:21:18.120 He was hitting me and he did it very well. 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:22.080 The trade deadline is three weeks away. It's two days 0:21:22.119 --> 0:21:25.240 after the London game in Week eight. What would it 0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:28.679