WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Joy To The World 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.440 Happy New Year, everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:12.640 listening to the Bengals Booth podcast, Singing Joe to the World, 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:18.279 all the Boys and Girls Now. Addition, as we look 0:00:18.320 --> 0:00:21.280 back at the final game of the twenty nineteen season, 0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:25.600 a thirty three twenty three win over the Cleveland Browns. 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:29.040 Coming up, you'll hear radio replays, locker room comments from 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:32.000 players and coaches, and Dave Lappom will join me for 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:36.440 postgame analysis and in this week's Fun Facts Conversation, it's 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:40.600 a rare interview at Bengals Executive vice president Katie Blackburn 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:44.239 on a wide variety of topics, ranging from memories of 0:00:44.240 --> 0:00:48.159 her grandfather Paul Brown, to the Sports Illustrated headline that 0:00:48.280 --> 0:00:52.239 referred to her as the NFL's most powerful woman that 0:00:52.320 --> 0:00:55.800 nobody talks about. All of that is straight ahead, but first, 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:58.520 here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:02.640 edition of this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:07.640 or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:13.560 or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since family recipes. 0:01:14.280 --> 0:01:16.959 I'm not much of a cook, but every Christmas I 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:20.200 make two things that are tied to my Swedish heritage, 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:25.880 Swedish pancakes, and something my mother calls Swedish Christmas potatoes. 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:30.440 If you've never had Swedish pancakes, they're very thin and 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:35.720 typically served with lingen berry or strawberry jam. As for 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:39.839 the Christmas potatoes, I'm not sure they're even really Swedish, 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.319 but that's what they're called in my family, and they 0:01:42.360 --> 0:01:48.040 feature lots of butter, heavy cream, onions, and nutmeg. So 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:52.160 here's to enjoying family recipes around the holidays, and I'll 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:55.280 see you at the gym next week. Now let's get 0:01:55.280 --> 0:01:58.720 to football. Three weeks ago, the Browns beat the Bengals 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:02.560 twenty seven to nineteen, despite lousy passing numbers for quarterback 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:06.920 Baker Mayfield. In that game, the NFL leader in commercials 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:11.720 was eleven for twenty four with no touchdown, passes, two interceptions, 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:15.400 and a passer rating of thirty eight point nine. But 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:19.080 on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, Baker's first pass of 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:22.120 the day was a thing of beauty. Mayfield back to throw, 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:24.640 moves up in the pocket, flings a high deep ball 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:27.880 for Ratley in the end zone. He reaches out and 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:31.960 he's got it for a Cleveland Brown's touchdown forty six 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:35.520 yards on the bomb tossed by Baker Mayfield and the 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:39.040 Browns strike first less than ninety seconds into the game. 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:42.560 That three play, fifty six yard drive gave Cleveland a 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:46.800 seven nothing lead, but it didn't last thanks to Joe Mixon. 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.000 Dalton hands it off to Mixon trying to run wide 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.160 to the left. Little shimmy to get away from a 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:54.639 Cleveland defender hurdles another sprinting down the near sideline to 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:58.440 the twenty five. The twenty lowers his shoulder, knocks over 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:01.880 Denzel Ward and goes down at the fifteen yard line, 0:03:02.160 --> 0:03:05.800 a forty one yard run for Joe Mixon. That run 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:08.600 put Joe up and over one thousand rushing yards for 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:12.920 the season, despite only having three hundred twenty at the 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:16.680 midway point of the year. Over the bengals final eight games, 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:21.360 mix and rushed for eight hundred seventeen yards. Here's center 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:24.400 Trey Hopkins. I'm so hyping for that guy coming from 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:26.160 I mean, the way the season's gone the first half 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:28.120 of the year. I know you have to be frustrated, 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:29.720 but he never never let it gets on him. He 0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:31.960 always was a team guy. And then I mean, just 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:34.000 to see that he's still reached the thousand yards at 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:35.360 the second half of the season. I mean, it feels, 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:37.560 it feels great. So I got some block. Le Guy 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:41.120 Mixon's long run on the Bengals opening drive set up 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:44.160 their first touchdown first and ten from the fifteen. Here's 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:47.800 a pass toward the end zone caught by c Chauzama, 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:52.120 who Crooks spikes it after the touchdown grab and the 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:55.640 Bengals are a p e t away from tying this game. 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:58.880 Here's Tyler Boyd on the importance of answering the Browns 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:01.840 quick strike with a touchdown of their own. That's how 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:03.560 that's how you change the game. Man. You gotta you 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:05.200 gotta answer at the end of the day, Man, we 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:07.360 still early. They had three players. It was what they 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:09.200 had two minutes off the clock. This since a lot 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:11.800 of football left Massle. We just gotta go out there 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:15.240 and just just just find it, find ourselves and go 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.640 out there. And Dominic. Speaking of Boyd, he reached a 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:21.920 milestone of his own. I'm third down in fourteen. Daltons 0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:23.800 back to throw. The protection is great. He guns it 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:26.440 on the middle. I'll leaping catch made for a first 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:30.600 down at midfield with bad catch, Tyler Boyd goes up 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:34.960 and over one thousand receiving yards for the season. You're 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:37.800 one of six receivers in Bengals history to have more 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.599 than one one thousand yards season. What's that mean to 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:42.960 you at this stage of your career, man, it means 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:44.680 a lot, you know, because I know what it took 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:47.239 for me to get here, you know, and just continue 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:49.440 to continue to fight into the hard times. Man, that's 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:52.920 the only thing I really think about, Just just facing diversity. Man, 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:56.000 coming this far and still being here and doing what 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:57.800 I do best, you know, since I was a kid, 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:01.720 and continue to strive in h justus make plays man. 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:04.840 Baker Mayfield's first pass of the day was a long touchdown. 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:07.960 His fourth of the day was picked off. Catches a 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:11.560 shotgun snap back to throw his pass picked off by 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:14.800 Darius Phillips. He's on his feet at the play fifteen 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:19.360 the ten five. He dives and goes down at the 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:23.760 three yard line. Offensive lineman Wyatt Teller with the stop 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:30.280 Darius Phillips. It's incredible. That's his third interception on fewer 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:34.359 than ten passes thrown in his direction this year, and 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:37.640 three plays later, the Bengals had the lead. Third down 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:40.360 and goal from the three shotgun snap, daltni Het the 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:44.280 mixing bowers the shoulder pads and busts his way into 0:05:44.279 --> 0:05:48.479 the end zone for a Bengals touchdown. Yeah. He spins 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:52.600 the football and launches into his Bay Area dance. As 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:55.440 the Bengals had taken the lead, Randy Bullock missed the 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:59.000 extra point, the only pat he missed all year, and 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:02.080 the Bengals led thirteen to seven after the first quarter. 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.880 In the second, their lead grew to thirteen. Dalton drops 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:09.560 back to throw from the twelfth looking around, scrambling out 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.800 to the left, being chased Andy trying to sprint get 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:16.000 into the five hives for the pylon, and it's a 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:19.880 touchdown night that made it twenty to seven, the first 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:22.200 time the Bengals have scored twenty or more in the 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:26.560 first half all year. But the Browns answered a field 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:29.359 goal by Austin Cyberd made it twenty to ten, and 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:33.719 then Mayfield dialed long distance again. Play action fake Baker 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:35.760 Mayfield with a deep drop. He sings it deep down 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:38.359 the middle of the field for Landry over the shoulder catch, 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:41.320 breaks two tackles and runs into the end zone for 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.760 a Cleveland Browns touchdown. The Browns missed the extra point, 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:48.200 so at the half, Cincinnati led twenty to sixteen. With 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:52.440 mix and carrying fifteen times for one hundred three yards. 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:55.480 The only scoring in the third quarter was a forty 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:58.440 seven yard field goal by Bullock that gave the Bengals 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:03.000 a seven point lead. Meanwhile, the Bengals were getting to Mayfield. 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:08.080 They sacked him six times overall, and pressure leads to picks. 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:11.440 I'm third down in sixteen, Mayfield back to throw, has time. 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:14.320 He's gonna fire high and deep from Odell Beckham Junior Hey. 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:17.680 Fifth interception, again by Darius Phillips, has it way back 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.120 at the twenty, running back to the thirty, head of 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:22.600 steam to the forty, runs to the fifty, and gets 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:26.560 knocked down near the fifty yard line by Jarvis Landry. 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:32.880 Second interception of the game, fourth interception of the year 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:35.920 for a guy who has barely played. I haven't seen 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:39.120 the final snap counts yet, but I'm guessing the Darius Phillips, 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:41.960 who missed eight games with a knee injury, will wind 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:45.280 up with roughly one hundred defensive snaps for the year. 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:49.560 That's less than ten percent of the Bengals defensive total, 0:07:49.880 --> 0:07:54.160 and yet Phillips finished with a team high four interceptions, 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:57.600 only two off the NFL lead. It looked like the 0:07:57.600 --> 0:07:59.760 Bengals were in good shape when they went up by 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:02.120 two two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Dalton in the 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:05.120 shotgun back at the seven with Joe Mixon lined up 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:07.600 off his right hip. Dalton takes the snap, hands it off, 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:11.480 Micks said, and he sprints into the end zone. Touchdown. 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:15.520 Bengals to go up by two scores early in the 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:18.320 fourth quarter. But the way this season is gone for 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:21.480 the Bengals, you knew it wouldn't be that easy, as 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:24.760 the Browns managed to score a touchdown on fourth and 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:28.080 goal from the twenty. From the twenty yard line, the 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:31.720 Bengals send a blitz Baker Mayfield pouncing around in the pocket. 0:08:31.880 --> 0:08:34.000 Now he's going to fling it toward the end zone. 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:38.480 It is caught but out of bounds by Odell Beckham Junior. 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:42.480 He did not get two feet down in bounds, so 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.600 the officials are going to talk about it. After huddling 0:08:45.600 --> 0:08:49.080 with the officials on the field, the ruling is a touchdown. 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:52.720 It was an amazing catch by Odell Beckham Junior to 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:56.040 make it a seven point game. There was an appropriate 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.080 way for the Bengals to put the game away by 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.960 putting the ball in the hands of Joe Mixon. Two 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:04.200 on the play clock. As they snap it, he hands 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:07.199 it to Mixon and Joe first for a first Yo 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:11.680 trucks a defender and sprints between the hashbarks all the 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:15.240 way down to the twenty five yard line. A huge 0:09:15.360 --> 0:09:18.320 run for Joe Mixon and more time will run off 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:21.400 the clock. After that twenty eight yard game, they had 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:24.679 ten people within five yards of the line of scrimmage 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:27.880 and Joe Mixon split him. And then the only defensive 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:30.400 flare that was deep. The safety came up to put 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:32.599 a hint on Joe and Joe trucked them, lowered his 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:36.079 shoulder pads and ran him over. That defender was safety 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:40.840 Sheldrick RedWine. You might say a red wine stain was 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:44.600 left on the turf at Paul Brown Stadium. Mixon finished 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:48.080 with twenty six carries for a career high one hundred 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:51.160 sixty two yards. You know, the last time going out there, 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:53.000 you know what I'm saying. So at the end of 0:09:53.000 --> 0:09:56.120 the day, I wanted to leave and you know, lead 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.760 a season on a positive note. And I don't really 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:00.439 want to talk too much about me. He bought on 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:02.280 my line, did a great job, you know what I'm saying. 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:05.240 Boys getting physical aft there and we set the tone 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:07.720 right off the back. Joe's final long run set up 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:10.240 a forty six yard Randy Bullock field goal that gave 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:13.679 the Bengals at ten point lead. An interception by b 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.800 W Webb, Cincinnati's third of the game ended any hope 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:21.800 of a miracle comeback by Cleveland, and Andy Dalton took 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:24.880 two snaps in the victory formation to end the game. 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:29.439 Dalton under center, he takes a knee, and that is 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:37.640 coffin nail. Bam, bam bam. The Bengals end the season 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:42.160 on a positive note as they beat the Cleveland Browns 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:46.560 thirty three two twenty three in what might have been 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:50.079 his final game in a Bengals uniform. Dalton jogged off 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:54.200 the field to a big ovation with fans chanting his name. 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:56.559 I get that could have been the last couple of 0:10:56.600 --> 0:11:01.360 snaps that yeah, uh, you know, I've played in a 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:04.360 Cincinnati Bengals uniform, and you know what better way to 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:06.120 do it? If it is the case again, I don't, guys, 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.120 I don't. I have no idea, no idea what's going 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:12.160 to happen. Um, But if it is, I mean, you 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:15.760 always wanted any game with taking the knee, So glad 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:16.959 that it was able to do that from from my 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:19.200 last one too. If if that's the case, there's been 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.680 a lot of support from the city for you know, 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:24.480 not only what I've done on the field, but what 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:27.199 we've done off of it. And um, I mean, the 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:30.160 city's meant a lot to us, To my family, I mean, 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:33.040 we've you know, spent my whole married life here, if 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:36.160 you know, our three kids have been raised here. So 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:38.280 I mean it's the city's meant a lot to us, 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:41.920 and so um, you know, it feels good to get 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:44.760 the appreciation from from the fans chant my name. After 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:47.840 getting bench for three games at mid season, Dalton came 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.440 back to lead the Bengals to two wins in their 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:54.839 final three home games, and Sunday's win means he still 0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:59.000 has the highest winning percentage of any Bengals quarterback to 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:02.600 start at least twice five games. A loss would have 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:08.360 dipped him below Ken Anderson. Here's mixing. I'm the red rifle. Yeah, fighter, 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:10.839 you know what I'm saying. He went through adversity and 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:13.200 at the end of the day, man, you know that's 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:15.000 that's Andy Dark. As soon as I came in, he 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.160 embraced me since day one, you know what I'm saying. 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:19.600 So I'm gonna always ride and die with Andy, you 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:21.440 feel me, So at the end of the day, no 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.199 matter what the situation may be, at the end of 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:26.840 the day, I'm sure he gonna fight. And you know, 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:29.199 like I said, no, nothing in this league come easy. 0:12:29.440 --> 0:12:31.680 And uh, you know, I'm definitely proud of how he 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:35.440 bounced back with his adversity. I mean, you put anybody 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:37.920 else in that situation, they're not gonna bounce back like that. 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:40.600 And Andy did that. So I mean, I'll take my 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:42.800 hat off to him, and you know, I appreciate him 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:44.960 for what he did. So that's how I feel about it. 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:47.520 So the Bengals ended a rough season with a win 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:51.080 and a two and fourteen record. The Browns ended a 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:54.320 rough decade with a loss to finish six and ten 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:58.840 and fired head coach Freddy Kitchens after just one season. 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:03.320 To put the browns miserable decade into perspective, we all 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:06.800 remember how badly the Bengal struggled in the nineteen nineties, 0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:11.120 as they won a total of fifty two games. From 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:15.480 two thousand and ten to twenty nineteen, the Cleveland Browns 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:20.440 one forty two games. Here are Carlos Dunlap and Tyler 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:24.000 Eiffert on ending this season on a winning note. It's 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:27.160 good today, you know, in the year off with a win. 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:32.360 It's a great feeling. But obviously our season didn't go 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:34.400 the way we want it. So that's the big picture. 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.040 You know, we focus in weekend, week out, but now 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:40.400 at the end of the season, you evaluate your season. 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:43.480 So you know, today is good. We're gonna enjoy it, celebrate, 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:46.960 get together, go eat um. You know, we don't know 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:48.840 how this locker room is not gonna be the same 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:51.000 after this game. We know that, so we're gonna get 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.240 together as a team, you know, do something together, and 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:57.360 then we're gonna handle everything as it comes. We're gonna 0:13:57.400 --> 0:14:03.280 go hang out, have a little gathering after this. So 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:06.320 tomorrow when we all have headaches, will probably think about it. 0:14:07.920 --> 0:14:11.520 I mean this, yeah, I just enjoy being together and 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:15.720 everything that comes with being on a football team and 0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:20.920 the you know, the brotherhood, the camaraderie, you know, obviously 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:22.920 I've said it before, it doesn't we did. It didn't 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:25.520 go how we wanted it too, but there's still a 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:27.840 lot of it spent a lot of time together. So 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:30.720 it's so hard because you know, you don't want the 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:34.040 season to be over, but it is over. So you know, 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:36.680 we're just gonna enjoy each other. And because a lot 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:39.480 of time when the season's over, some of your good 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:41.720 friends are in here, but everybody has their own lives 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.200 in different parts of the country, and so you won't 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:46.520 see a lot of guys, and so you know, we 0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:50.320 just enjoy it and have some fun. After the game, 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:53.960 Dave Lapham spent six minutes with head coach Zach Taylor. 0:14:54.320 --> 0:15:00.280 Coach huge win, division win at home and finish season. 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:02.880 I mean it had to be big. It was fun, 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:05.880 you know, and that's when you're doing things the right 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.480 way in a lot of different areas. You got great 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:10.840 momentum throughout the game outside of a stretch there at 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:12.720 the end of the second quarter. That's what it should 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:14.600 feel like. And we all got to remember that because 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:16.560 there's a lot of games where we didn't remember what 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:19.000 that felt like, and so you really got to capture 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:20.920 this moment right now and feed off of it and 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:23.520 let us let it propel us into April, let it 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:25.920 propel us into August. But this is what it should 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:28.080 feel like every week for us. Do you feel like 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:31.480 the conclusion the Miami Dolphin game carried over into the 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.200 early stages of this football game. We've always had confidence 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:36.680 in ourselves, and so I wouldn't necessarily say that that 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:38.640 was any sort of factor. Our guys had confident that 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:41.160 we should have played better than the last time we 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:43.080 played Cleveland, and we need to finish this thing off 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:44.560 the right way. We get another shot out him three 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:46.160 weeks later, and we need to play the way that 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:47.560 we know we're supposed to play. And I thought we 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:49.640 did improved on third down, on defense, we proved the 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:51.080 red zone on offense, all the things that we did 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:53.000 poor early the last time. Our guys stepped up and 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:56.920 made this place. Yeah, it was incredible. I mean, got 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.080 sixteen out of thirty five points in the red zone 0:15:59.120 --> 0:16:02.280 up there, left nineteen in the field today, four touchdowns 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:04.640 in a field goal in five red zone opportunities, and 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:07.760 mixed extra point. Obviously, you know one one point that 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:11.080 you didn't didn't generate there, But penalties. I mean way down. 0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:13.800 Last game up there, it was like ninety nine yards 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:16.800 and penalty yards. I think it was a season high. Today, 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:19.600 no factor whatsoever. Like you said, third down was it 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:21.720 was a big deal. You guys were three for twelve 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:23.880 up there, and today I think something like nine for 0:16:24.040 --> 0:16:28.760 thirteen or something like that. Something crazy. What what is it? 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.680 Is it just a matter of focus, concentration? What is 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:34.480 it just guys stepping up on their numbers called And 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:36.360 you look at the end of the fourth quarter, and 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:38.680 that's just a great image of how we want to 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.440 finish this year. The offense got the ball up seven points, 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.520 drove down the field because guys made plays. Randy stepped up, 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:47.160 made a huge field goal in the rain, and then 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:49.000 our defense stepped up, got a turnover, and that's how 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:50.920 the game ended. And all three phases stepped up and 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:52.760 did that. And that's what we've been preaching all year. 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:54.640 And so to finish off the last game of the 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.720 season that way, I think just think speaks to the 0:16:57.800 --> 0:16:59.320 character of this locker room and speaks to the character 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.480 of the coaching staff. Keep these guys going through all 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:04.399 that adversity we face. Joe Nixon was rushed for over 0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:06.679 three hundred yards in two games against the Cleveland Browns, 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:09.199 had over one hundred and sixty today. He needed one 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:11.000 hundred and ninety three to rush for more yards than 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:12.800 he rushed for last year when he led the AFC 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:15.040 in Russian And I thought, got a shot here, now, 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.680 So what was it? I mean, the offensive line obviously 0:17:18.680 --> 0:17:21.359 taken pride, Joe taking pride. They were just rolling. They 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:23.840 were getting after the Cleveland Browns and shut Chubb down. 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:26.200 I mean Chubb didn't even have fifty and Joe Rushes 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:27.720 rove one hundred and sixty. That's a big deal in 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:29.520 a football game like this. It is he ran hard, 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:31.440 ran through people. No one want to tackle him today 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:34.680 because of his physicality. Thought our alignment or receivers really 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:36.680 did a nice job blocking down the field and giving 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.480 those lanes. But it was just a physical rushing attack 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:41.960 by our guys and they executed very well. You got 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:44.280 up on him and they couldn't run the football, shut 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:46.800 the running game down, so they had to throw. Baker's 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.360 got talent. He's got Pro Bowl receivers to throw too, 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:52.159 so he made some chunk plays. But it was it 0:17:52.240 --> 0:17:55.480 was a situation where they were so one dimensional. You 0:17:55.520 --> 0:17:57.880 guys never really lost control of that football game. Yeah, 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:00.600 they've got great weapons all over. That offense was really pleased, 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:02.240 but it starts with the run game. Trying to shut 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:05.080 that down, get some pressure on the quarterback, Odell and Jarvis. 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:07.440 They're gonna make plays. It's gonna happen. But I thought 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:08.800 for the most part, we came out the second half 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:12.160 and minimize those explosive plays. And they got the fourth 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:14.720 and twenty, which is just you know, a premier player 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:16.080 going up and make a play. That's a tough one 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:18.600 to stop. But overall, plays with our guys finished in 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:21.080 the second half. I know when I played, it was 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:23.920 usually we'd go back maybe four games as we're preparing 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:27.680 for an opponent, and did you emphasize your games and 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:29.320 it was only three weeks ago, your game more than 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:32.080 anybody else's game, because this is where we were, This 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:33.720 is what we could have done, This is how what 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:35.600 we have to do to turn this around. It is 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.879 because Baltimore sets a unique system that they run in Arizona. 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:41.880 Now kind of what they've gotten to you know, they're 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:43.840 executing wealth. That quarterback that runs around a lot, so 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:46.800 you see unique defensive plans when teams play those two teams. 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:48.879 So the next one up was our game and there 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:50.600 was a lot to learn from that that we can 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.800 improve upon. And our guys really took that to heart. 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:55.480 You know, the one thing and people are gonna people 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:58.480 have said it to me, you know, and when they 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:00.760 asked me, you know, the football team only one when 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:02.520 I said, I'm going to tell you something. The thing 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:05.600 that's amazing to me. There's nobody throwing another guy under 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:07.640 the bus. There's no finger point and there's no backstabb 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:09.160 and there's none of that going on. It's the most 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:12.240 unbelievable dynamic. You wouldn't and they look at me like 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.199 I have three heads. You know, they don't really believe it, 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:17.520 but it's true. I mean, this football team stay I 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:21.720 know your emphasis was stay connected. My god, they stayed connected. Yeah, 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:23.560 I mean, that's the foundation of our culture. This guy's 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:26.399 sticking together, taking accountability for what they can be accountable for. 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:29.959 We expected more wins this year, but this has got 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:31.800 to be the foundation for a future here, and the 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:33.520 wins are gonna come if we keep doing the details 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:36.000 the right way and raising our standards. And again, proud 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:37.879 of the staff, how the way they've communicated with the 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.680 players and the ways of the players have taken to it. 0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:43.800 What if you had to point to one thing the 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:47.800 biggest improvement that you saw in any phase was I 0:19:47.920 --> 0:19:50.359 think our guys just making plays in critical moments. You 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.119 saw that last week, you saw it. This week you 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:55.080 saw in the Jets game. You started to see more 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:57.240 of it. Guys stepping up and saying, I'm maybe the 0:19:57.280 --> 0:19:58.600 guy that steps up and make the plays. I'm not 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:01.000 just gonna gonna do the madeum here, I'm gonna make 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:02.720 a play and try to turn this game. And UM 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:06.320 today was a great, great sign of all that I 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:09.119 know UH coaches have told me in the past coaching 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:12.159 a football seasons like dog years. You get through, you 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:14.520 get through one season, it's like you've aged seven years 0:20:14.560 --> 0:20:18.040 like dog years. I know, I know this this season 0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:20.720 had its difficulties, but you never lost your energy, you 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:22.919 never lost your enthusiasm, and you you were the beacon 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:25.560 light for your whole football team. Well, I think the 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:28.560