WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Let's Get It On 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.520 Higat everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading the 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:13.520 Bengals Booth Podcast. The Let's Get It On addition, as 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:16.440 the Bengals wrap up the preseason and turn their attention 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:19.560 to games that count, beginning in two weeks against the 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:23.400 Minnesota Vikings. Coming up, you'll hear radio replace from Sunday's 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:27.240 game against Miami, postgame comments from players and coaches, and 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:31.360 analysis from my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. The Bengals Booth 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:35.840 Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. Refresh the game, 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:38.080 and here's a quick reminder that you can have the 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:42.280 latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:46.760 or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:51.880 or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since making Nick 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:55.920 Cosgrey an honorary captain. When the Bengals took the field 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:59.120 for the opening coin toss on Sunday, three captains headed 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:02.200 to the fifty yard fine Trey Hopkins coming back from 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:06.560 a torn ACL, Joe Burrow coming back from a torn ACL, 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:10.760 and mcl and a key person who assisted in their comebacks, 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:16.280 the Bengals Director of Rehab, Nick Cosgray. Here's Burrow, and 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:18.720 I think it was a great way to honor Nick, 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:21.600 who Who's the guy that you know works really really 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:25.200 hard for us, and you know, it's really an unsung 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:28.480 hero of the team. He's a guy that gets a 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:31.160 lot of guys right. Whether whatever injury you have, you 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:33.320 go to Nick, He's gonna he's gonna get you right 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.479 and tell you what you need to do to minimize 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.120 the effects of that injury. So you know, Nick's a 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:43.559 very important part of this organization that no, I'm really 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:46.399 glad we were able to honor him in that way. Now, 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:49.480 let's get the Sunday's game. The big story going in 0:01:49.640 --> 0:01:53.200 was Joe Burrow's return forty sundays after being carted off 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:56.560 the field in Washington. Joe was told he would be 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:59.680 in for three plays. The first was a jet sweep 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:03.000 hand off to Tyler Boyd. The second was his only 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:06.080 pass of the preseason Goyle. The Bengals line up in 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:09.760 a pistol, Burrow five yards behind Trey Hopkins, Bixon directly 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:12.400 behind him to fake to mix in a wide receiver 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:17.080 screen dropped by Jamar Chase. That's right. In the Bengals 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:21.480 final two preseason games, Chase dropped all four passes thrown 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:25.760 his way. His quarterback says he's not concerned. I'm not 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:28.440 worried about it. I know kind of got Jamar is 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:30.239 the kind of player he is, He'll be ready to go. 0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:33.119 Week one. After a handoff to Joe Mixon, Burrow's day 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:36.800 was done. The Dolphins didn't play either of their top 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:41.760 two quarterbacks two a Tungo Vyloa and Jacoby Brissette. Instead, 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:45.359 third stringer Reid Sanett got the start and directed a 0:02:45.480 --> 0:02:48.280 thirteen play drive in the first quarter to give Miami 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:50.519 the lead. From the three yard line. He takes the 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:53.680 snapsticks it in the belly of Dokes. Dokes, lowers his 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:56.639 pads and fights his way into the end zone from 0:02:56.680 --> 0:03:01.080 Miami touchdown. Dokes, his former UC bear had Jared Doakes, 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.880 who gave the Dolphins a seven nothing lead. Brandon Allen 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:08.440 replaced burrowind quarterback and promptly drove the Bengals right down 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:11.040 the field. Allen, ucker center, takes the snap, fakes a 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:14.040 hand off to trade theon. Williams fires down field. It 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:17.799 is caught by Trenton Irwin gets nailed at the Miami 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:20.920 thirty two yard line, but holds on to the football 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.960 after the big hit by Nick Needham. That's two weeks 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:26.240 in a row. Two weeks in a row he's caught 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:29.560 the football, taking a major shot and held onto the football. 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:32.840 Irwin finished with two catches for thirty nine yards, putting 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:36.360 the finishing touch on a strong training camp and preseason. 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:39.000 It's wild. I mean, it's it's two years of grinding 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:42.240 for more and more opportunities. You know, it's a beautiful thing. 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:44.440 Really in the end, you look at it and just 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.000 trying to go down there day in day out in 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.400 grind to make plays and catch someone's eye to get 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:53.200 an opportunity, and just one more opportunities is all you 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:56.200 need to compile those. The Bengals tied the game on 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:59.280 the first play of the second quarter. Brandon Allen throwing 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:02.200 toward the end, so he drops it into the bucket, 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:07.280 hit his cock for a touchdown. Chris Evans lining up 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:11.720 and receiver and streaking down the sideline and Brandon Allen 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:15.760 threw it just over the inside shoulder, right into the 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:18.880 bread basket for the score, right on dan ball placement. 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:23.840 It's everything in the National Football League. Good protection, clean pocket, 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:27.400 un obscured vision, and Chris Evans, Like we said, they 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:29.799 knew that he could run routes and catch the football, 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:32.920 and he just burned people. That was a twenty nine 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:35.600 yard strike on a play that's been working at practice. 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:40.120 According to Evans, I'm running it all camp just to 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:42.440 be able to it in the game, and they called 0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:44.719 it and already knew. I've been going over it in 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:47.520 and seeing him myself catching it, and a walk through 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:49.920 yesterday at night. I'm dreaming about it. That tied the 0:04:49.960 --> 0:04:52.159 score at seven, and a few minutes later, the Bengals 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:56.440 defense made a big play. Shotgun snaps Sinette throws and 0:04:56.560 --> 0:04:59.839 he's intercepted a deflected ball that's picked off by Since 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:03.320 add the Bengals are running it back. The tackle made 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:07.680 at the Miami forty four on trey Von Henderson his 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:11.560 second interception in three preseason games. It led to a 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:14.400 thirty six yard Austin cyberd field goal in a ten 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:19.360 seven Bengals lead, but Miami answered with another long scoring drave. 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.760 Jared Oakes already has one touchdown run, they give it 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:25.359 to him and Doakes takes it into the end zone 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:29.359 for his second TD, so Miami takes the lead with 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:32.560 one eighteen left. In the half, not a one yard 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:36.359 touchdown run by Jared Doakes. It was fourteen ten Dolphins, 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:38.560 and after a holding penalty on the kick return, the 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:41.719 Bengals had to start from their own seven with one 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:46.240 thirteen on the clock. Fortunately, with rookie kicker Evan McPherson 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.839 on the roster, the Bengals only needed to drive to 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:52.159 the Miami thirty nine to be within field goal range. 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:55.080 Harris snaps to Hubery, puts it down the swing of 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:57.960 the leg. The kick is long enough and it is 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:04.560 yes good. Evan McPherson from fifty seven yards away ends 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:09.120 the first half with a booming field goal, cementing his 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:13.279 status as the bengals number one kicker in twenty twenty one. 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:15.760 With Kyle Shermer at quarterback. In the second half, the 0:06:15.800 --> 0:06:18.440 Bengals got lucky and took the lead. Fourth down and 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:22.000 fourth to Miami forty six. Shermer cox the en throws 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:25.680 deflected Cock off the deflection, Trent Taylor streaking down the 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:29.520 far sideline inside the twenty, down to the ten, inside 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:33.200 the five and tackled at the one. First and goal 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:35.640 from the one. It's a handoff to Jock first Patrick 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:38.520 and he goes into the end zone with ease to 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:42.080 give the Bengals the lead. After the forty five yard 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:46.159 pass completion on a deflection to Trent Taylor, the Bengals 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:48.560 took a twenty to fourteen lead to the fourth quarter, 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:51.680 the third straight preseason game that they led going to 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:54.520 the fourth, and they added to their lead with roughly 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:58.520 ten minutes to go. Shotgun snapped to Shermer's back to throw. 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.640 Now scrambling, le cocks the arm, throws into the end 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:05.960 zone and his cat for the touchdown by Scottie Washington. 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.480 The Bengals went for two and failed to convert, meaning 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:13.160 they had a twelve point lead. It didn't last. Senet, 0:07:13.200 --> 0:07:16.040 back to throw from the pocket, flings a deep pass 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.960 merit open over the shoulder catch at the ten, and 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:21.320 he runs into the end zone for the score. That 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:24.560 forty four yard pass came on a second and twenty 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:28.000 two play and cut the Bengals lead to five. The 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.240 worst was still to come. Fourth and fifteen, with one 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:35.080 thirty two to go. Senet waits for the shotgun snap. 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:37.520 He has three receivers right, one left. He catches the 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:41.080 ball deep drop, being chased by Spence, gets away from him. 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:44.640 Runs away from Hodge, points deep steps into a deep 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:48.880 ball throw into the end zone and it is for 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:52.840 a touchdown by Merit who spikes the ball and make 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:57.440 it Myrick with the catch. Unbelievable. Here's Zach Taylor and 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:01.440 allowing two long touchdown passes and the fourth quarter to 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:04.720 squander a double digit advantage. I think today there was 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:08.720 plenty of opportunities to finish the game, you know, particularly 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:10.880 on the defense there in that last round. Guys, the 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:13.760 plenty shots we need to finish it. We didn't do it. 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:16.440 I just told the teams just smarting lessons here in 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:18.840 preseason game three as opposed to two, three, four or 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:20.600 five weeks from now. You got opportunities. You got to 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:22.560 take advantage of them. You never know what's gonna happen next. 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:25.280 And then so again we should go on from this. 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.000 The Bengals could have tied the game and avoided a 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:31.120 loss since there's no overtime in the preseason, but with 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:33.959 less than thirty seconds to go, they passed up a 0:08:33.960 --> 0:08:36.840 fifty yard field goal attempt to go for it. On 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:40.760 fourth and ten, Shermer back to throw the pocket closes, 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.720 he throws it deep, it is battered away at the 0:08:43.800 --> 0:08:47.520 five yard line, incomplete, and that should wrap it up 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:51.800 for the Dolphins. As Igbanagan he broke up that deep 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:55.840 ball intended for Washington. The final score Miami twenty nine, 0:08:56.000 --> 0:09:00.480 Cincinnati twenty six, as the Bengals finished the preseason one 0:09:00.520 --> 0:09:03.680 and two. Here's Burrow. I'm just excited for preseason to 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.240 be over and get ready to play the first game. 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.920 You know, we're tired of going against each other in 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.280 practice every day and hitting each other and getting in 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.480 fights because we see each other every day. It's gonna 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:19.120 be nice to go out there and hit someone. When accounts, 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:22.319 the Bengals out gained Miami four thirteen to three eighty eight, 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:25.880 including one hundred twenty rushing yards to only sixty nine 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:29.600 for the Dolphins, but the Bengals hurt themselves with penalties. 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:34.319 They had eleven to just five by Miami. The Bengals 0:09:34.320 --> 0:09:37.760 Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:41.560 and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. Now time 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:45.719 for postgame analysis from Dave Lapham lap I don't want 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:47.320 to make too big of a deal of blowing a 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:49.760 twelve point fourth quarter lead when the second and third 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:53.200 string is in the game. But the Bengals had the 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:55.239 lead in the fourth quarter of all of their preseason 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.839 games they only won one, And going back to last 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.400 year before Joe Borrow got hurt, they had the lead 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:08.080 in the fourth quarter six times and won twice. So 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:12.400 regardless of first string, second string, or third string, that 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:15.520 is a habit they need to break it is And 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:18.320 I think if you go back over Zach's entire career, 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.800 they've had a fourth quarter lead probably sixty sixty five 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:24.600 percent of the time and not being able to hold 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:28.840 on to it. So finishing games continues to be an issue. 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:32.920 And I remember Bill Tiger Johnson, a legendary offensive line 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:34.920 coach with the Bengals and head coach for a period 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:37.760 of time here, had a saying that there's going to 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:40.760 be a handful of players or less that are going 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.280 to decide football games, and you never know when they're 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.600 going to occur, and you have to be ready to 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:48.959 make the play when the opportunity for that play presents itself. 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:52.720 This game ended up a fourth and fifteen. They made 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:56.439 the play. Bengals on fourth down couldn't make a play, 0:10:56.480 --> 0:11:00.160 and that decided in the football game basically, But there 0:11:00.200 --> 0:11:03.679 was Ying and Yang long before that. And you have 0:11:03.679 --> 0:11:06.600 to take advantage of your opportunities, and the team that 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:08.960 takes advantage of a bigger percentage of them usually wins 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:12.800 the football game. In Zach Taylor's first two seasons, they've 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:16.080 had a lead, not necessarily a fourth quarter lead, but 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:19.200 a lead in twenty four out of thirty two games. 0:11:19.200 --> 0:11:24.880 That's seventy five percent. They've won six. That's nineteen percent. Yeah, it's, uh, 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:29.360 you know, the game is four quarters for a reason. 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:31.679 You know, it's it's it's sixty minutes long. There are 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:34.719 four fifteen minute quarters, and you have to play the 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:38.160 entire sixty minutes. And I guess nobody knows that better 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.959 than the Cincinnati Bengals under Zach Taylor right now, that's 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:44.240 for sure. All right, here's my favorite stat of the 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:48.440 three preseason games. The Bengals gave up one sack, and 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:51.520 the only sack they allowed was when the offensive line 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:54.600 wasn't even trying to block because the ball was snapped early. 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:57.400 That's impressive. It is impressive, and I think, you know, 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:01.360 everybody should should accept some of the some of the uh, 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:05.040 the credit for it. I think the offensive line, I think, uh, 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.600 you know, tight ends running backs, if there's blitz pick 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:11.160 up responsibility, quarterback getting the ball out of their hands, 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.880 creating extending plays when necessary. But I think that's a 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:19.240 major step forward that in that that play, you know, 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:21.840 it was exacerbated. There was a problem by a rookie 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:27.040 Trey Hill with an early snap and they get pressure 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:29.079 as a result of it, and instead of just throwing 0:12:29.120 --> 0:12:31.960 the football away trying to make something happen, and now 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.679 it turns into a fumble. So a bad play becomes 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:37.720 a horrible play. So that quarterback sack was a was 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:42.240 a catastrophe. But really, I think I think the guys 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:45.240 believe in what Frank Pollock's trying to teach, and I 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:48.280 think that's you know, shows itself. I think they're they're 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:51.640 definitely buying what he's selling. And I thought that the 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:54.720 protection for the most part, you didn't see free runners. 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:57.760 You know, you didn't see guys getting beaten on first 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:00.400 moves at the line of scrimmage. I think I think 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:03.680 it's trending in a very good direction. I felt good 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:07.480 about Jamar Chase's last three practices going into this game. 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:09.800 He practiced well and I think he had one drop 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:11.960 in three days and then sure enough in a game, 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:13.840 first time the ball is thrown his way, he drops 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:16.760 it again. The last four games, I'm sorry, the last 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:22.160 two games, four targets, four drops. I don't want to panic. 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:26.200 I'm not going to panic, but it's impossible not to 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:29.120 be concerned. Yeah, he's going to get out of his 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:31.760 own head. You know, I think when that ball came 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:35.680 his way, obviously, you know, Zach Taylor talked about after 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:39.280 the game that Joe Burrow was coming out of the 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:41.160 game and the number ones were coming out of the game. 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:43.400 After three snaps that they generated a first down, they 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:47.480 were still exiting the field. So there's no doubt that 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:50.520 every single offensive player knew the sequence of the players 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:53.240 that were going to be called. So Jamar Chase knew 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:55.640 for probably a few days that a ball was coming 0:13:55.640 --> 0:13:59.160 to him on a wide receiver screen, and you know, 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:01.720 maybe it's a case. So I want to try to 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:03.520 do too much. I'm going to peek and see where 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:05.600 they are before I catch it because I want to 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:06.880 make a big play. I want to have a big 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:09.600 splash with Joe. First ball comes my way and I 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:12.360 want it to be special. And first thing you have 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:14.880 to do is look the ball into your hands, and 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:17.520 particularly with what he's going through, you can't you can't 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:21.200 be not lazy, but you can't have your eyes everywhere. 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:23.520 They have to be on the target, and that's the football, 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:26.440 and look it in, catch it and then make your move, 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:31.120 and don't try to speed up the process because things 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.240 will happen that you don't want to happen, like dropping 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:35.320 the football. So he's got to get out of his 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:36.960 own head. He's going to go back to the basic 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:40.440 basic fundamentals, the one, two three of catching the football. 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:42.440 And the first thing you have to do is keep 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:45.600 your eyes on the football, look the football into your hands, 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.760 don't take your head away before the football hit your hands, 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:52.880 and try to locate defensive players too soon. Catch it first, 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.760 you got to you gotta take baby steps and it's 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:57.880 going to be an ABC process and he's gonna get 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:01.560 step bad down first catch the foot ball. Let's talk 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:03.880 about some of the position battles going into this final 0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:08.120 preseason game, starting with tight end Mason Shrek, Thaddeus Moss, 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:12.080 and Mitchell Wilcox. It's been a spirited competition all camp. 0:15:12.360 --> 0:15:14.840 They all bring something a little bit different to the table. 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:18.800 Wilcox had a tackle in kick coverage, made a great 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:22.040 catch on a third and long situation, then suffered a concussion. 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:26.120 Thaddius Moss had five catches in the game. You would 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:29.360 think at least I think Moss and Wilcox have moved 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:31.920 to the top of the totem pole. Now can you 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:34.200 keep them both? Do you keep one? The other guy 0:15:34.200 --> 0:15:36.160 goes to the practice squad. It's gonna be very interesting 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.360 to see it is. It's going to be very interesting 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:41.720 because Thaddeus Moss has already experienced this kind of thing 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.640 with one organization with Washington and let go and the 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.680 Bengals pick him up. And Joe Burrow was effusive in 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:51.000 his praise of what a smart football player Thaddeus Moss 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:53.880 is and what a reliable football player he is in 0:15:53.960 --> 0:15:58.280 terms of not making mistakes, understanding concepts, understanding you know, 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:01.640 what his role is in the big picture scheme of 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:05.640 the offense, and uh, you know, he speaks extremely highly 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.320 of them. Of course they're good personal friends as well. 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:12.280 But I think he's, you know, just a football player. 0:16:12.400 --> 0:16:14.760 I think he gets it. He gets the game of football, 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:17.240 and he's been around it his whole life. His dad 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:19.800 was a superstar, So he's seen that part of it. 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:22.400 He knows he's not that kind of player, but he 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.880 understands that he can do some things in the game 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:28.480 of football. So I think he's you know, I think 0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:32.040 he's somebody that is going to find a knitche somewhere 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:34.040 and when he gets his opportunity, he's going to take 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.960 advantage of it. Will it be here like you say, 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.560 or will it be somewhere else. Wilcox is the most 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.080 athletic of them. He can run the best, He's got 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:45.320 the most foot speed. I think Darren Simmons can work 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:48.360 with that. And you know, he made a spectacular play, 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:51.440 got lit up and got the concussion on that catch. 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:54.680 But you know he'll make big plays like that, and 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:58.920 then his plays are his big plays are big, his 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:02.120 mistakes are big. So there has to be instead of 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:04.639 North and South Pole, there has to be an evening 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:07.320 of that graph, you know, and and coaches have to 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:09.560 know what they can expect out of Wilcox on a 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:12.639 snap by snap by snap basis not say is this 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:14.879 the one where it's going to be good Wilcox? Is 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:17.240 this the one where it's going to be Oh my gosh, Wilcox. 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:20.720 You know that's tough on a coaching staff. Another sack 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.800 for Darius Hodge, the undrafted rookie out of Marshall leads 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:25.640 the team with two and a half in the preseason 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:30.200 with Joe's Fosi out as Darius Hodge made this team 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:32.960 as a pass rusher, boy, and I think that's what 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:35.720 you have to look at as a pass rusher. You 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:38.800 know he'll he'll give you, depending on how the game's going, 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:42.840 ten to fifteen snaps as a pass rusher on second 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:45.680 and long, third and long situations. You know, if it's 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:48.400 more than that, you're really in good shape defensively with 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:50.920 his role. If his role he gives you twenty snaps, 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:54.320 that means you're getting the offense off schedule all the 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:57.200 time and he's going to be making more and more plays. 0:17:57.200 --> 0:18:00.560 But you know his role is defined. Is that right now? 0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:04.600 Darren Simmons, I think, is trying to find where that 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:07.760 he can utilize him on special teams but hasn't found 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:11.200 that yet. So it's it's going to be a case where, 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:13.760 all right, a guy who came in as a linebacker, 0:18:14.119 --> 0:18:17.760 but they found this innate ability to rush the passer. Okay, 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:21.359 linebackers shouldn't play some special teams or you know a 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.280 tweener guy, you know a guy that can fit a 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:27.080 couple of roles. What about special teams contribution. I think 0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:29.320 that's going to be the big discussion with Darren Simmons. 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:32.879 But man, when you have a guy that has that 0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:35.719 innate ability to rush the passer and he's shown it 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:39.200 on a snap by snap basis against you know, not 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:42.440 just twos and threes, but number ones, I think he's 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:44.880 got to work with the guy. He has just a 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:49.240 very natural Everything he does is leaning and advancing to 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:52.520 the quarterback, and he's got that low center of gravity 0:18:52.720 --> 0:18:55.320 and it's just hard for the taller guys to you 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:57.320 gotta bend to get that. He puts you in a 0:18:57.359 --> 0:19:00.879 different position to pass protect than you normally are. Just 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:04.200 everything has to be lower and tighter, and he's he's 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:06.480 got he's got a skill set. So it's going to 0:19:06.560 --> 0:19:08.520 be interesting to see if, if, if he does make 0:19:08.560 --> 0:19:11.600 the team. I think he's made a case. So Noah 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:14.040 Spence got signed about a week ago, got a few 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:18.760 practices in, played quite a bit in the game against Miami, 0:19:19.400 --> 0:19:21.960 almost had a sack on the final play. What turned 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:23.639 out to be the game. When he touchdown passed for 0:19:23.680 --> 0:19:27.000 the Dolphins, did he make an impression? You know, I 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:29.120 think he flashed a little bit. He flashed a few 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:33.320 times in terms of his his rush, but again, um, 0:19:33.359 --> 0:19:35.639 it wasn't against you know, number ones, and he hasn't 0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:38.440 been here to go against number ones. But you got 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.120 to remember, I think he's he's really just now shifting 0:19:41.160 --> 0:19:42.800 it into drive, you know. I mean he was in 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:44.399 neutral and I think he's just trying to get his 0:19:44.480 --> 0:19:48.119 wind and get his football conditioning, you know, right, So 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:51.760 I think I think his NFL path has shown that 0:19:51.840 --> 0:19:54.560 he can do it. Um, I think you know, they're 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:56.919 trying to get him ready to do it in a 0:19:57.040 --> 0:20:01.080 very very fast fashion, fast manner. And the things you 0:20:01.240 --> 0:20:04.040 fear about something like that is what if he pulls 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:06.240 a himmy? What if he you know, he's trying to 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:09.200 do too much before his body is ready to allow 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:11.160 him to do it. So you have to be smart 0:20:11.200 --> 0:20:15.000 about it. But you know, the circumstances are a little 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:18.000 bit dire because of other injuries. So it's going to 0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:20.360 be interesting to see and it's going to be interesting 0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:24.360 to see how they address the edge rush position off 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:26.520 the waiver wire if they try to make a trade 0:20:26.600 --> 0:20:30.000 for somebody's fourth or fifth guy that they feel might 0:20:30.040 --> 0:20:33.200 be better than their fourth or fifth guy. I think 0:20:33.200 --> 0:20:35.080 they're going to try to improve that portion of the 0:20:35.160 --> 0:20:38.320 roster every way they possibly can. I hope Goled Karma 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:40.560 is okay, because he got off to a tremendous start, 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:44.200 got off to a very good start training camp before 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:47.600 hurting his shoulder. Now he gets off to a great 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:49.919 start in this game and has to exit due to injury. 0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:52.280 But he's a guy that when he's been on the 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:55.320 field this year has looked good. He really and I 0:20:55.359 --> 0:20:58.159 think it's one of those situations where you may have 0:20:58.240 --> 0:21:00.800 to just really monitor put him to pitch count in 0:21:00.920 --> 0:21:04.280 terms of snaps, because if if it's an arthritic condition, 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:08.840 that's not necessarily you know, like a joint problem that 0:21:08.920 --> 0:21:11.119 surgery is going to repair. I mean, it's just something 0:21:11.160 --> 0:21:14.040 that you have to treat and take care of and um, 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:16.560 you know, give it proper rest and all those sorts 0:21:16.560 --> 0:21:18.840 of things. And then and then the player has to 0:21:18.840 --> 0:21:20.680 grit his teeth and kind of fight through it because 0:21:20.720 --> 0:21:22.920 there's going to be some pain there, but you're not 0:21:23.320 --> 0:21:26.280