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Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody on Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading

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Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast the because the ninth addition has

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Speaker 1: the Bengals return to prime time for the second straight week,

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Speaker 1: looking to knock off the six and three Chargers on

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Speaker 1: Sunday Night Football coming up, Mike Turrico will be in

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Speaker 1: the Booth for NBC and tells us how he views

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Speaker 1: the importance of this game for Cincinnati. I'll talk to

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Speaker 1: cornerbacks coach Chuck Burks about the loss of Dax Hill,

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Speaker 1: the play of Cam Taylor Britt and the challenge of

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Speaker 1: facing Justin Herbert. And we'll get an in depth look

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Speaker 1: at the Chargers from Daniel Popper, who covers the team

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Speaker 1: for the Athletic. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to

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Speaker 1: you by pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals official

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Speaker 1: HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof Fiber Internet

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Speaker 1: designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a

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Speaker 1: new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for

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Speaker 1: the best fans. Kettering Health is the official health care

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Speaker 1: provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick reminder that

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Speaker 1: you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered

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Speaker 1: right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever

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Speaker 1: you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since Jay

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Speaker 1: Morrison getting the picture. On Sunday Night, Zach Taylor will

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Speaker 1: coach against Jim Harbaugh for the first time, but it's

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Speaker 1: not the first time they've met. Their initial meeting happened many,

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Speaker 1: many years ago.

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Speaker 2: I went to my first ever NFL game, I think

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Speaker 2: was ninety two Bear Steelers, and I got to go

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Speaker 2: to a Saturday walkthrough and I have a picture with

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Speaker 2: Jim Harbo, me Press Taylor and Jim Harbo ninety two

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Speaker 2: ninety three. I'm not sure which year it was. It

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Speaker 2: was a Steelers at Bear's Bubby Brister versus Jim Harbo,

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Speaker 2: so I'm sure I think they retired Mike Singletary's jersey

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Speaker 2: at the game. I think very shaky memory as a

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Speaker 2: nine year old, ten year old freezing. I remember just

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Speaker 2: being why are we here? I think was a question

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Speaker 2: I posted a bit so Jim wouldn't know that, But

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Speaker 2: but again that's that was the first ever NFL practice

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Speaker 2: and game I ever went to. It had to have

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Speaker 2: been a Saturday walk through because I remember the fridge

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Speaker 2: driving around a golf cart throwing snowballs at people, and

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Speaker 2: we got a picture with Mike Didka and Jim Harball.

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Speaker 2: The two people got pictures with picture. You have it,

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Speaker 2: I don't know where it is. Yeah, uh, all right,

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Speaker 2: I'll continue the story. When I was in Miami, the

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Speaker 2: picture showed up at my house autographed when I was

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Speaker 2: with the Dolphins, and I remember calling my mom saying,

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Speaker 2: why do I have an autographed Jim Harbaugh picture? Which

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Speaker 2: I don't know if he actually autographed it or not.

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Speaker 2: It might have been somebody at the forty nine ers.

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Speaker 2: My grandfather thought that Jim Harbaugh needed to know that

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Speaker 2: the two kids in the picture are now NFL coaches,

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Speaker 2: and so he kept sending it to the forty nine

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Speaker 2: ers and was getting no response, and I'm sure a

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Speaker 2: secretary somebody eventually just signed it and sent it back.

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Speaker 2: And so he shows up on my doorstep in Miami,

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Speaker 2: and I remember call my mom like what are we doing?

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Speaker 2: And she explained the whole situation, which I understoo. My

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Speaker 2: grandfather's very proud and felt like, you know, Jim Harball

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Speaker 2: needed to know, like he hadn't taken a million other

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Speaker 2: pictures with other kids before so the picture exists. I

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Speaker 2: don't know where it is. Is probably my parents' house.

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Speaker 1: Norman like that Sunday, You'll go, that's really cool. You're

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Speaker 1: probably right. Would you like to see the picture? Of

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Speaker 1: course you would like to see the picture. Our pal,

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Speaker 1: Jay Morrison, contacted Zach's mom to get the pick and

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Speaker 1: some additional details about the meeting. Just search for Jay

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Speaker 1: Morrison Sports Illustrated, then scroll down to the story about

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Speaker 1: Zach meeting Jim Harbaugh for the first time in thirty

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Speaker 1: two years. It is outstanding. Now time to look ahead

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Speaker 1: to Sunday Night with Chris Collinsworth's broadcast partner on NBC.

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Speaker 1: For the fourth time this year, the Bengals are in primetime.

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Speaker 1: It's the second time they are on the most watched

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Speaker 1: show on television, Sunday Night Football, And that means my

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Speaker 1: buddy Mike Tarico be in the booth for NBC. Mike,

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Speaker 1: the Bengals are a game out of the final playoff

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Speaker 1: spot in the AFC. How do you plan to frame

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Speaker 1: the importance of this game for Cincinnati when you sign

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Speaker 1: out on Sunday Night.

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Speaker 3: It's not a must, but it is right.

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Speaker 4: It's not a must because there's no mathematical elimination, any

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Speaker 4: of that stuff. The back half of the AFC is

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Speaker 4: not who we thought they were, to quote Denny Green,

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Speaker 4: but the Bengals have let them off the hook.

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Speaker 3: A couple of times here To continue that thought.

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Speaker 4: They had great chances to win a few of these games,

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Speaker 4: and now they're out of chances pretty much. And Dan,

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Speaker 4: I think it's one of those games that all of

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Speaker 4: a sudden, if you get the Chargers to six and

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Speaker 4: four and then you're sitting at five and six. Let's

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Speaker 4: forget the imbalance of the number of games, but now

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Speaker 4: you're looking at the lost column. Go okay, now we're

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Speaker 4: two within two of these guys and have a head

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Speaker 4: to head against them. It just shortens the deck a

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Speaker 4: little bit so mathematically in the big scope of the

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Speaker 4: AC playoff picture, which I guess we'm starting to see

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Speaker 4: on TV now, right, that's how you know it's getting cold.

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Speaker 3: If you live in the Northeast, they are living the North.

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Speaker 4: Rather, the golf courses start to put temporary greens out

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Speaker 4: and play less plentiful, and the playoff picture shows up

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Speaker 4: on TV. You're in that mix. If you get a

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Speaker 4: win in the AFC against one of those other teams

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Speaker 4: in the mix. So I think it's not a must win,

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Speaker 4: but it is for the Bengals.

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Speaker 1: They could easily have two wins over Baltimore. They could

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Speaker 1: easily have a win over Kansas City. How would you

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Speaker 1: describe the Bengals season to date?

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Speaker 4: They're good enough, but they've been disappointing. I mean, the

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Speaker 4: difference is I'd probably say good teams play five or

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Speaker 4: six games in that neighborhood, and the really good ones

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Speaker 4: go five and one, and the okay teams go three, three,

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Speaker 4: two and four. But the teams that aren't good don't

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Speaker 4: win these games. And that's where the Bengals record is

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Speaker 4: right now. And look, Tony one's playing better, I got that,

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Speaker 4: But that one feels like there's one you'll never get back.

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Speaker 3: Right.

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Speaker 4: Sometimes you lose a game, you say, okay, you know what,

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Speaker 4: things will leaven out during the year. That one feels

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Speaker 4: like we're not going to get that game back. There's

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Speaker 4: no makeup for that loss during the season, and now

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Speaker 4: it's it's requiring other people on the team to match

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Speaker 4: the remarkable that have come from the quarterback of the receiver.

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Speaker 4: Burrow and Chase have been truly remarkable. Highlight moments, big

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Speaker 4: plays gotta have it. Everybody in the ballpark knows it's

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Speaker 4: going to him, and he he still ends up opening

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Speaker 4: catching the ball. There have to be other guys, not

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Speaker 4: that everybody's been poor, but other guys have to come

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Speaker 4: up to that level for this team to go on

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Speaker 4: a run that they kind of need. At this point,

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Speaker 4: you're looking at you know, a five and two, a

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Speaker 4: six and one. You need everybody else to be great

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Speaker 4: along with them. I think that's the key to this

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Speaker 4: team right now.

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Speaker 1: Mike, you've been doing NFL games on primetime for about

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Speaker 1: twenty years. Have you seen a better combo than Burrow

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Speaker 1: to Chase.

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Speaker 3: It's a great question.

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Speaker 4: You know, the year of Brady and Moss was ridiculous

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Speaker 4: and the records show it. There are you know, there

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Speaker 4: have been guys along the way at years like this,

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Speaker 4: I mean Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson at a couple

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Speaker 4: of months like this. But this is right up there

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Speaker 4: and it's sustained and it's I think Dan. What maybe

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Speaker 4: puts it in a unique place in space is they're

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Speaker 4: both making spectacular plays. The hits that Burrow is taking,

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Speaker 4: the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver on

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Speaker 4: past forty eight and fifty two. We've been beaten up

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Speaker 4: all night. That jumps out to you and Chase on

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Speaker 4: the business and there there is almost nobody. You start

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Speaker 4: going through how good the receiver group is right now

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Speaker 4: in the NFL. I don't think I'd rather a ball

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Speaker 4: be thrown to anybody but Jamar Chase right now. And

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Speaker 4: that's in the Justin Jefferson comversation. We just had him

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Speaker 4: a few weeks ago. I watched all his catches. I

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Speaker 4: watched all the Chase catches from the year earlier today,

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Speaker 4: and you just go, Okay, speed, yes, strong hands, hands, catch,

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Speaker 4: catch on the run, work his way open, physical contact,

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Speaker 4: double teams. It's like every box possible for well the

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Speaker 4: receiver catch against these circumstances, He's checking every single one.

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Speaker 4: And I said it about Joe like his toughness is

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Speaker 4: off the chart, off the charts.

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Speaker 3: He's been so good.

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Speaker 4: So I think it's a long way of saying probably not,

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Speaker 4: but that Brady Maushiere was pretty special. So I don't

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Speaker 4: want to dismiss being a prisoner of the moment right now.

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Speaker 1: You and Chris had the Bengals Giants back in Week six,

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Speaker 1: Cincinnati held New York to seven points in that win.

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Speaker 1: It's their best defensive performance of the year. The Giants

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Speaker 1: offense obviously has something to do with that. But did

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Speaker 1: you see anything that night that makes you think, all right,

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Speaker 1: if the Bengals can do this a little bit better defensively,

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Speaker 1: they've got a chance in the less seven that night.

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Speaker 3: Yes, not as much last week.

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Speaker 4: Cover like the first half last week, they had Lamar Jackson.

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Speaker 3: And the Ravens kind of flummixed a little bit.

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Speaker 4: They had them gasping and grasping for straws, and then

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Speaker 4: all of a sudden, it was like every every pass

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Speaker 4: was accessible and open. They need better corner play, they

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Speaker 4: just do. And I know louis shuffling the deck as

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Speaker 4: much as possible. No, look, the linebackers to take them

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Speaker 4: with everybody with Trey has done up front with eleven sacks.

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Speaker 4: Now that's you can't get better that, especially when there's

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Speaker 4: not an opposite number who's piling up five or six.

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Speaker 4: So Trey is doing it with all the attention on him.

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Speaker 4: So edge rush is there can need some help. That

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Speaker 4: interior push isn't the same as it was. That would help,

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Speaker 4: But the corner places got to be better down the

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Speaker 4: stretch here. And the Chargers are an interesting team because

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Speaker 4: Herbert contest Herbert and Burrow. If the game gets bad,

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Speaker 4: I think we're just stopping at halftime and just let

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Speaker 4: those guys just show off their arms, because it's two

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Speaker 4: of the greatest throwing shows you'll see in the NFL.

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Speaker 4: And there's a ball Herbert threw in a game last

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Speaker 4: year that I still can't believe he completed against Miami.

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Speaker 4: And we've seen Joe do it like I was talking

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Speaker 4: about before, But the Chargers are playing harball. It's just

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Speaker 4: like kind of rough and tumbling. Here comes a defensive

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Speaker 4: line and we've turned into a full back and we're

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Speaker 4: gonna make him into the same kind of piece that

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Speaker 4: Patrick Ricard is in Baltimore. Jim Harbaugh has a way

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Speaker 4: of kind of making a physical, tough team come together.

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Speaker 4: And that was never ever what you said about the Chargers.

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Speaker 4: But in nine games you do because of harball. But

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Speaker 4: this is to your question, your point, like, if Herbert

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Speaker 4: needs to throw, he can throw. And Quentin Johnston has

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Speaker 4: been good, Joshua Palmer was good with injuries a few

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Speaker 4: years ago. He's good, and Lad McConkie has done a

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Speaker 4: very nice job as coming in. So if they need

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Speaker 4: to sit back and throw, they've got the people to

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Speaker 4: do it, and the quarterbacks got the arm to do it,

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Speaker 4: Which means the Bengals corners might not be tested as

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Speaker 4: much as they will against other people, but they better

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Speaker 4: be ready because this can morph into an explosive offense

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Speaker 4: if they so choose.

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Speaker 1: The Chargers are giving up thirteen points a game. Nobody

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Speaker 1: scored twenty on them yet now they haven't faced the

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Speaker 1: top ten scoring offense to this point of the season.

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Speaker 1: Is that the big story Burrow Chase hopefully Higgins versus

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Speaker 1: that great Chargers d.

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Speaker 4: It is in large part, and I think one of

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Speaker 4: the big stories with that is the edge pressure that

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Speaker 4: the Chargers bring. We'll talk about Cincinnati needing other people

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Speaker 4: that come along here.

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Speaker 3: You know the Chargers.

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Speaker 4: You think of, Oh, it's Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack

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Speaker 4: And we've seen those guys are a lot of years.

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Speaker 4: They're both very good and we know what they can

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Speaker 4: do over the years. But all of a sudden, Twoy

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Speaker 4: two Polo two who played for them last year. He's

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Speaker 4: been an effective pass are and Bud Dupree, who most

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Speaker 4: of the people listening and watching this know from the division.

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Speaker 4: He's come in and given them a factor. So when

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Speaker 4: you can roll four guys in there, now you've got something.

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Speaker 4: And I think that's been the basis for a lot

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Speaker 4: of what they've done. The same defensive coordinator that we saw,

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Speaker 4: Jesse Minter, who the Minter family is very well known

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Speaker 4: to the Cincinnati folk from Rick Stays at EC. Jesse's

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Speaker 4: just a it's a solid defense. It's a solid defense

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Speaker 4: with a piece in Derwin James playing what's become I

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Speaker 4: think dan one of the coolest positions in the NFL's

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Speaker 4: slot corner. They are like seven or I wonder who

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Speaker 4: the best slot corner is in the AFC. I mean,

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Speaker 4: you guys see Mike Hilton on a regular basis. We

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Speaker 4: saw Kenny Moore with the Colts. We've seen Taron Johnson

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Speaker 4: with the Bills, we saw Houston and Petrie last week.

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Speaker 4: That position has become populated with some really good players,

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Speaker 4: and they've got one in Derwin James, who they finally

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Speaker 4: I think it found the right role for on this team.

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Speaker 4: So that's a guy who's gonna be nosing around to

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Speaker 4: try to take away any easy throws for Joe.

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Speaker 3: This is a good defense.

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Speaker 4: But like you said, now you step into the deep

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Speaker 4: end against as dynamic and offense as there is in

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Speaker 4: the league throwing the ball. Can you keep them to

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Speaker 4: thirteen fourteen points? If you do that, then then you

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Speaker 4: probably win a football game.

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Speaker 1: Final thing for my buddy, Mike Tarico. You've hosted the Olympics,

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Speaker 1: the Masters, the Kentucky Derby. You're gonna get to call

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Speaker 1: the super Bowl following next season. So you've done it all.

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Speaker 1: But this past Sunday night, you were part of the

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Speaker 1: greatest timed sideline report in the history of television for

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Speaker 1: people that might not have been watching. Can you explain

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Speaker 1: what happened?

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Speaker 4: Oh, it was crazy. Usually the sideline reports. Here's coach

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Speaker 4: X after halftime. Yeah, you know, we went in there.

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Speaker 4: We told them we've got to stop the running. We

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Speaker 4: got establish the run. If we could stop the run

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Speaker 4: and establish the run, I think we can win the game.

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Speaker 4: Thanks very much. Back to you. So Dan Campbell's interview

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Speaker 4: air coming out at halftime, and here's a backstory. Nobody's

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Speaker 4: heard Dan the time before it. Dan Campbell's good TV. Right,

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Speaker 4: you just put a microphone in front of his face.

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Speaker 4: He's good TV, but with forty five seconds, which is

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Speaker 4: long to squeeze in after a kickoff and before the

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Speaker 4: next play. So we're going back and forth with Rob Highland,

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Speaker 4: our producer, and me like how do we do this?

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Speaker 4: And said, hey, I'll get it to you. I'll get

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Speaker 4: it to it as quick as possible. Let it lead

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Speaker 4: into the first play. He's like, yeah, let's do it.

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Speaker 3: That's fun. Good idea. So he was driving that bus

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Speaker 3: and then of course Dan Campbell's answers.

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Speaker 4: We got to come up with some turnovers and five

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Speaker 4: seconds later, boom, there's a turnover. Actually, if I wasn't

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Speaker 4: fast so fast getting to the interview, it would have

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Speaker 4: timed up right to the second, but it was. It

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Speaker 4: was pretty funny, and then kind of set the tone

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Speaker 4: for the whole half. And it's interesting.

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Speaker 3: Every once in a while, I think they have value

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Speaker 3: because I like to.

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Speaker 4: Hear the voice that the guy we're showing for three

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Speaker 4: hours and more and more coaches say things Brian Dable

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Speaker 4: after the first quarter a couple of weeks ago, at

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Speaker 4: least gave him some sub since on what's bothering him

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Speaker 4: and what's the key? Right?

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Speaker 3: So I think they're better than other people do. But

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Speaker 3: that one was the al.

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Speaker 4: Timer, and that's one that will gladly be a part

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Speaker 4: of forever.

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Speaker 1: The game was an all timer, two five picks for

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Speaker 1: the team that won. Maybe we'll see something similarly crazy

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Speaker 1: this Sunday night. Looking forward to seeing you, my friend.

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Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time.

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Speaker 4: Wait a minute, Wait a minute, wait a minute, before

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Speaker 4: you keep going.

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Speaker 3: You knew I was going to get you on this.

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Speaker 4: Cincinnati, your voice of the Bengals and voice of the Bearcats,

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Speaker 4: Dan Hordes, being honored by our album out of Syracuse

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Speaker 4: with the Marty Glickman Award. Marty Glickman was the early

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Speaker 4: great broadcasters of all time. Look them up. He's a

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Speaker 4: great story. Marty's legacy means a lot to the people

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Speaker 4: in Syracuse. And Dan is being honored for his contributions

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Speaker 4: to this industry with that award, and I just want

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Speaker 4: to say congratulations.

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Speaker 3: No one deserves it more.

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Speaker 4: You know what you mean to me in my career,

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Speaker 4: and we are so thrilled that you are joining our

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Speaker 4: club with this award. Sinceres, congratulations, Cincinnati, you have an

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Speaker 4: all time gym on your hands, the last on a

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Speaker 4: quarter century and I hope you just appreciate him as

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Speaker 4: much as we do, so congrats, Budge.

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Speaker 1: I got to know Mike when I was a junior

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Speaker 1: and he was a freshman at Syracuse, and here's what

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Speaker 1: you need to know about him. Despite truly being one

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Speaker 1: of the best sportscasters in the history of TV and radio,

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Speaker 1: Mike is that guy that never forgets his friends. When

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Speaker 1: he comes to town, He'll reach out to grab breakfast

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Speaker 1: if something significant happens for one of our college buddies.

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Speaker 1: He is the guy that makes sure that everybody else

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Speaker 1: knows about it. I am blessed to have wonderful friends,

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Speaker 1: and Mike Tariko truly is one of the kindest and

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Speaker 1: most generous people I have ever met. Now let's get

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Speaker 1: to my second guest. In my conversation with Mike, he

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Speaker 1: mentioned the need for better cornerback play in order for

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Speaker 1: the Bengals defense to take a big step forward in

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Speaker 1: the final seven games of the season. I discussed that

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Speaker 1: position group this week with cornerbacks coach Chuck Burt. Chuck,

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Speaker 1: let's start with the guy that unfortunately you lost back

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Speaker 1: in Week five to a torn acl Dax Hill. How

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Speaker 1: was he playing when he went down?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I thought Dax was doing a phenomenal job, especially

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Speaker 5: for somebody making a transition. You know, within a year,

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Speaker 5: he was really playing extremely consistent. The game against the Ravens,

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Speaker 5: he was actually starting at corner and starting at nickel

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Speaker 5: because Mike Mike Hillton was gone and he was on

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Speaker 5: his way to have a good game that week. He was,

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Speaker 5: you know, really playing the best out of all the

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Speaker 5: corners to that point of the season.

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Speaker 6: And that was a tremendous loss.

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Speaker 5: You know, I told Lou that when we lost Dax,

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Speaker 5: we really lost three starting positions. We lost the corner,

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Speaker 5: we lost the nickel, and we lost you know, a

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Speaker 5: tight end cover guy on third down. So that was

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Speaker 5: a tremendous loss for the defense.

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Speaker 1: Outside cover corner is one of the most difficult positions

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Speaker 1: to play. It's why the top ones make more than

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Speaker 1: twenty million dollars a year. Did Dak show you that

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Speaker 1: he had the ability to be one of those guys?

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Speaker 5: And you know, I've never doubted that really since he

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Speaker 5: was drafted. You know, I always believe that that Daks

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Speaker 5: could play outside corner. And you know, when he made

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Speaker 5: that transition, you know, he didn't blink. I didn't blink.

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Speaker 5: I actually felt that we had drafted the first round

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Speaker 5: corner this year, you know, when we made the switch.

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Speaker 5: So I definitely see it from an ability standpoint, But

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Speaker 5: more importantly, Dax has the mental makeup of being able

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Speaker 5: to play that position and critical moment of the game.

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Speaker 6: And what makes these guys elite.

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Speaker 5: Me and me and Jase mccordy is actually having this conversation,

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Speaker 5: is what makes elite corners elite is their elite and

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Speaker 5: third down raider and two minute against their best. That's

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Speaker 5: what makes these guys elite. And you have to have

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Speaker 5: the right temperament for it. You have to have a

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Speaker 5: short memory and be able to have a tremendous belief

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Speaker 5: in yourself throughout the game.

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Speaker 6: And that's what Dax has.

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Speaker 1: We're visiting with cornerbacks coach Chuck Berks Cam Taylor. Britt

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Speaker 1: is twenty five years old. He's in his third NFL season.

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Speaker 1: He wants to be great. Play this year has been inconsistent.

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Speaker 5: What stands out to you, you know, it's just that,

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Speaker 5: you know, it's just that it's it's the inconsistency with

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Speaker 5: the with the details and the day to day things

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Speaker 5: that he knows what to do and he just has

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Speaker 5: to do what he knows on a consistent basis. And

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Speaker 5: me and him had a conversation the other day about

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Speaker 5: what makes a pro. A pro is consistency, being able

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Speaker 5: to go out and play at a high level on

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Speaker 5: a consistent basis, not just for one week, not for

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Speaker 5: two weeks, but throughout the season. Now, they are gonna

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Speaker 5: be games where, you know, those guys on the other

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Speaker 5: side get paid as well. But we just want to

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Speaker 5: make sure, you know, whenever those plays are made, it's

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Speaker 5: not because of us, because they're being great, you know,

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Speaker 5: And that's that's what we're getting to. I don't I

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Speaker 5: don't have a lack of confidence or lack of faith

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Speaker 5: and came to the Bride. I've had him since his

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Speaker 5: rookie year. I know that he wants to be great.

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Speaker 5: I know that it's important to him.

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Speaker 6: I know this team is important to him.

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Speaker 5: And he's fighting through it and it's it's growing pains.

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Speaker 5: Know he's still a young development player in our league

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Speaker 5: and it is hard to do.

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Speaker 6: It's hard to do, but.

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Speaker 5: The great players do the hard things and if that's

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Speaker 5: what he wants to be, we gotta fight through it.

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Speaker 1: He had one of the greatest interceptions ever in Week

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Speaker 1: two against Kansas City, has he gambled for interceptions since?

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Speaker 6: You know, there's.

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Speaker 5: Definitely been y'all wouldn't say a gamble for a particular play.

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Speaker 5: But it's just honing in on your technique and not

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Speaker 5: necessarily wanting to do everything, wanting to do too much,

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Speaker 5: you know, and just honing in on the things that

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Speaker 5: you know to do. And that's what we're just trying

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Speaker 5: to get back to is just those little things. There's

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Speaker 5: the play is not going to come to you. At

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Speaker 5: times when that play doesn't come to you, your technique

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Speaker 5: needs to be great. Your eyes need to be great,

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Speaker 5: your pad little needs to be great because eventually the

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Speaker 5: ball's gonna find you. And if you do that consistently,

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Speaker 5: when the ball shows up, you're gonna be in position.

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Speaker 5: But when you know, as you kind of alluded to,

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Speaker 5: but when you're you know, when you're looking to make

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Speaker 5: a play on every play, that's what's gonna lead to inconsistency.

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Speaker 1: DJ Turner moved back into the starting lineup after Dax's injury.

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Speaker 1: How has he played through ten games?

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Speaker 6: You know, I've been pleased with Dj.

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Speaker 5: Obviously, there's always things we want to get better at

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Speaker 5: but you know, there's a there was a few penalities

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Speaker 5: I believe in the Cleveland game and the Giant game

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Speaker 5: that you know, we we want to get our head

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Speaker 5: around and those penalities obviously could have went the other way,

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Speaker 5: but we want to take it out of the ref's hands.

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Speaker 5: But other than that, I thought DJ covered extremely well

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Speaker 5: this last game versus tough cover you.

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Speaker 6: Know, Zay Flowers.

434
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:34,359
Speaker 5: You know, when you assigned somebody against a Flowers one

435
00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,480
Speaker 5: on one, that's you know, that's that's a tough task.

436
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:39,000
Speaker 6: And he did it.

437
00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:40,840
Speaker 5: He finished well, was on third down, and then one

438
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:42,680
Speaker 5: of the last plays that we gave up, he was

439
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,520
Speaker 5: in great position and he was covering them all over

440
00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,600
Speaker 5: the end zone. So I've been pleased with DJ. He's

441
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,440
Speaker 5: going to continue to get challenged. Both of those guys

442
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,480
Speaker 5: are going to continue to get challenged. But I'm looking

443
00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:54,480
Speaker 5: forward to these guys stepping up and you know, really

444
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,280
Speaker 5: putting us in a better position towards the end of

445
00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:56,760
Speaker 5: the season.

446
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,399
Speaker 1: Mike Helton continues to excel at age thirty. What do

447
00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,719
Speaker 1: you admire and respect about Mike Helton?

448
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,560
Speaker 5: I really admire Mike's leadership, his willingness to challenge the

449
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,600
Speaker 5: people around him, his willingness to h you know, he

450
00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:13,080
Speaker 5: has a unique path to you know, where he's at today.

451
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:14,359
Speaker 6: And he's been through adversity.

452
00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,720
Speaker 5: He's played on multiple teams, he's played on you know,

453
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,919
Speaker 5: obviously playing with the Steelers and you know, making a

454
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:25,600
Speaker 5: name for himself there. And he's really been a consistent

455
00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:27,800
Speaker 5: voice to lean on with the younger guys and just

456
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,920
Speaker 5: telling these guys and reiterating that, look, the season is long.

457
00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,760
Speaker 5: And you know, he may have played poorly or inconsistent

458
00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,760
Speaker 5: in October a little bit in November, but he's been

459
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,880
Speaker 5: harping on the guys that, look, we still are in it,

460
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,720
Speaker 5: just like anybody else throughout the league. And I've really

461
00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,320
Speaker 5: admired that, and then it really shows up in his play.

462
00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,359
Speaker 5: I think when you watch Mike play and make plays

463
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,480
Speaker 5: and you know the energy that he brings, you really

464
00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 5: see a guy who's been through the ring of the NFL.

465
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,199
Speaker 5: You see a guy who's had to fight for everything

466
00:22:56,320 --> 00:23:00,240
Speaker 5: that he has and everybody respects that. So UH love

467
00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,760
Speaker 5: having Mike as a player and being able. It's really

468
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,560
Speaker 5: an honor to be his coach and he's doing he's

469
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:07,040
Speaker 5: doing well.

470
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,000
Speaker 1: Josh Newton played a season high nineteen snaps against Baltimore.

471
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:12,879
Speaker 1: Do you see his role growing?

472
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:13,440
Speaker 6: I do?

473
00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:13,840
Speaker 3: I do.

474
00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:14,359
Speaker 6: Josh.

475
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,280
Speaker 5: Josh is another guy who's he's earned his opportunity, and

476
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:19,920
Speaker 5: he's relation to this opportunity.

477
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 6: He's went out, he's covered well.

478
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,680
Speaker 5: He covered well versus the Raiders, and he's covered well

479
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:27,400
Speaker 5: this past game versus the Ravens, and you know, he's

480
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,159
Speaker 5: a guy that I want to put him in there

481
00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,399
Speaker 5: a few snaps at outside corner, you know, just to

482
00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:35,200
Speaker 5: see how he handles that, and really pushed all these

483
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:36,840
Speaker 5: guys because you know, at the end of the day,

484
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,480
Speaker 5: everybody is always competing with themselves, and whoever's getting better

485
00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,480
Speaker 5: and whoever's getting hot, they're gonna play. So I wouldn't

486
00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,440
Speaker 5: say that Josh is far off because he's getting better

487
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,159
Speaker 5: each each and every day and we're gonna have to

488
00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:52,880
Speaker 5: depend on him to get to where we're going.

489
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,760
Speaker 1: A couple more questions for cornerbacks Coach Chuck Burkes, you

490
00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,280
Speaker 1: face the Chargers this week justin Herbert has as much

491
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,399
Speaker 1: arm talent does any quarterback in the NFL. What's the

492
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,080
Speaker 1: big challenge for your group as a result.

493
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,480
Speaker 5: The big challenge for us is simply everybody's open with

494
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,080
Speaker 5: a guy like Justin Herbert, no matter where he's at

495
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,600
Speaker 5: on the field, he can get the ball there. He

496
00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,080
Speaker 5: has tremendous arm talent, he has tremendous confidence in his

497
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,920
Speaker 5: arm talent, and he's gonna make the tough throws. So

498
00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:24,840
Speaker 5: we have to definitely be on top of the positioning

499
00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,040
Speaker 5: that we are in relation to the receivers. We have

500
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,560
Speaker 5: to you know, be in great position on our zones.

501
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,960
Speaker 5: And one thing that I think that he's doing, you know,

502
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,440
Speaker 5: better this year is he's taking care of the football.

503
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 5: And that's a really kudo to you know, Harball, Greg Roman.

504
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,040
Speaker 5: That they're protecting him with the run game, you know,

505
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:45,280
Speaker 5: putting the receivers and advantation's positions with high percentage throws,

506
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:47,879
Speaker 5: knowing that this guy can make any throw in the field.

507
00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:49,080
Speaker 6: But they're.

508
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:55,119
Speaker 5: Really making the game more efficient for him, which you know,

509
00:24:55,160 --> 00:25:00,840
Speaker 5: I know he is excited about, but he's he's talented.

510
00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:02,399
Speaker 6: Is any quarterback in the NFL.

511
00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 1: You're four and six with seven to go. You could

512
00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,119
Speaker 1: easily have two wins over Baltimore. You probably should have

513
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,040
Speaker 1: had a win at Kansas City. Have you ever been

514
00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,800
Speaker 1: in a season like this where at least to this point,

515
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,520
Speaker 1: it seems like all of those close games are just

516
00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:17,760
Speaker 1: slipping through your fingers.

517
00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,320
Speaker 5: I wouldn't quite say this kind of season where you

518
00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,400
Speaker 5: know you're in these games and it's like one play away,

519
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,720
Speaker 5: you know you can ease a lady if you know

520
00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,280
Speaker 5: one player here or one player here, that our season

521
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,399
Speaker 5: will be a lot differently but different. But I really

522
00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,040
Speaker 5: believe that you know, everything happens for a reason. I

523
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,479
Speaker 5: think that you know that all of these guys are

524
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,520
Speaker 5: learning lessons from this, and I think at the end

525
00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,040
Speaker 5: of the day, it comes down to us winning as

526
00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,000
Speaker 5: a team, winning on offense, defense and the kicking game

527
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,360
Speaker 5: and playing, you know, playing off of each other. And

528
00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,640
Speaker 5: when one side of the ball creates momentum, the other

529
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,600
Speaker 5: side of the ball needs to continue to maintain that momentum.

530
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,680
Speaker 5: And I think ultimately the Ravens did that last week.

531
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,600
Speaker 5: You know, the Ravens created their momentum and they carried

532
00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:08,320
Speaker 5: the momentum through the fourth quarter and they finished. And

533
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,199
Speaker 5: that's we can learn a lesson as a team through that,

534
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,200
Speaker 5: because this is a game of momentum. This game versus

535
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,600
Speaker 5: the Chargers, at the end of the day will come

536
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,040
Speaker 5: down to the fourth quarter and what we do in

537
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,159
Speaker 5: the fourth quarter as a team will dictate the outcome

538
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:20,600
Speaker 5: of the game.

539
00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,520
Speaker 1: I always appreciate your time. Best of luck this week, all.

540
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:24,119
Speaker 6: Right, thank you.

541
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,000
Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps,

542
00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,840
Speaker 1: Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by

543
00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 1: Alta Fiber, future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business,

544
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,200
Speaker 1: and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health

545
00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,480
Speaker 1: the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is

546
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,480
Speaker 1: the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you've listened

547
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,240
Speaker 1: to our radio postgame shows over the years, you know

548
00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,720
Speaker 1: that after a Bengals win, you can usually hear loud

549
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,359
Speaker 1: music pumping in the background. Well, last week, after the

550
00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,960
Speaker 1: Chargers beat the Titans, when reporters walked into the locker room,

551
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 1: the song they heard playing was Gordon Lightfoot's nineteen seventy

552
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:09,080
Speaker 1: six folk song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It

553
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,080
Speaker 1: tells the tragic story of a shipwreck that took the

554
00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:15,639
Speaker 1: lives of all twenty nine people on board. You know

555
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,679
Speaker 1: the song The Legend Lives On from the Chippewa on

556
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:24,600
Speaker 1: down of the Big Lake. Nicole get Chigumi. It's one

557
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,960
Speaker 1: of the most unlikely hit songs of all time, and

558
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,800
Speaker 1: coach Harbaugh has frequently used it over the years to

559
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,399
Speaker 1: motivate his teams, the message being that they're going to

560
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,200
Speaker 1: have to try to make it through choppy waters at

561
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,639
Speaker 1: various times during the year. Well, he used it with

562
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,560
Speaker 1: the Chargers last week, and whatever he's doing seems to

563
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,080
Speaker 1: be working. LA is six and three after winning a

564
00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:51,359
Speaker 1: total of five games last year. Daniel Popper covers the

565
00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,159
Speaker 1: team for the Athletic and he joined Dave Lapham and

566
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,760
Speaker 1: me this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show. Let's

567
00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,840
Speaker 1: start with the appius head. Oh, Jim Harbaugh. What are

568
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,720
Speaker 1: some of the biggest things that he's done to turn

569
00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:06,119
Speaker 1: this Chargers team around?

570
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,520
Speaker 7: Yeah. I think it starts with sort of the buzzword

571
00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:13,560
Speaker 7: that everybody uses, which is culture. I think what he's

572
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:18,120
Speaker 7: done is really created a level of togetherness, a unity

573
00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:21,239
Speaker 7: in the locker room that had been missing for this

574
00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:24,520
Speaker 7: team in recent seasons. And you know, when you have

575
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,200
Speaker 7: a schedule like the Chargers have had this season, where

576
00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,600
Speaker 7: it's quite a few middling teams on the schedule, you know,

577
00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:33,840
Speaker 7: if you can get a certain amount of togetherness, a

578
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,920
Speaker 7: certain amount of unity. You play hard, and you obviously

579
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,480
Speaker 7: improve the coaching and the preparation and the consistency in that.

580
00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,560
Speaker 3: Phase, you you're gonna get some wins.

581
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 7: And so I think that's a big reason why there's

582
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,920
Speaker 7: six and three. There's a real culture being built here

583
00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,600
Speaker 7: by Jim Harbaugh. Obviously, he's done that everywhere he's been

584
00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:54,920
Speaker 7: at both the college and pro level.

585
00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,760
Speaker 8: As a former offensive lineman. Let me ask you about

586
00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,960
Speaker 8: the two edge players for the Chargers defensive football team.

587
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,840
Speaker 8: Khalil Mack only played two snaps battling that groin issue

588
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:11,840
Speaker 8: last week, didn't practice today. Joey Bosa on a pits count.

589
00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,960
Speaker 8: He got his seventieth sack. That's that's huge, number two

590
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,520
Speaker 8: in Charger history now, but he's on a pitch count.

591
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,760
Speaker 8: What do you forecast for the two edge players in

592
00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:23,840
Speaker 8: terms of playing time?

593
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,520
Speaker 7: Yeah, So, Joey Bosa has been dealing with this hit problem,

594
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,320
Speaker 7: missed several games with it. It was initially a groin strain,

595
00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,640
Speaker 7: it ended up moving into a psiatic nerve, but he's

596
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,320
Speaker 7: been improving the last few weeks. He played a season

597
00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,080
Speaker 7: high twenty two snaps on Sunday, against the Titans. Obviously

598
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:42,960
Speaker 7: got that sack as you mentioned, So I think he's

599
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,240
Speaker 7: steadily improving, figuring out how to sort of play through

600
00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,120
Speaker 7: the pain and discomfort that he's been dealing with. And

601
00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,400
Speaker 7: I think we'll start to see a version of Joey

602
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,480
Speaker 7: Bosa closer to his fully healthy self here, you know,

603
00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:57,960
Speaker 7: starting Sunday and moving forward. Khalil Mack obviously, like you said,

604
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,600
Speaker 7: was injured. He's been playing at an extremely high level

605
00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,320
Speaker 7: all season. He's been playing at an extremely high level

606
00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:05,160
Speaker 7: ever since the Charge Is traded for him in twenty

607
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:09,680
Speaker 7: twenty two, both as a as a rusher, you know,

608
00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,480
Speaker 7: a pass rusher and in the run, in the run

609
00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,960
Speaker 7: game as a run defender. He's been a very elite player.

610
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:16,680
Speaker 7: But they have a lot of depth at the position

611
00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:19,760
Speaker 7: Tooey twoy Polo Tu who was a second round pick

612
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,320
Speaker 7: last year. He's playing at a really high level. He

613
00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,360
Speaker 7: brings a level of physicality to the edge as a

614
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,920
Speaker 7: pass rusher and as a run defender. And then they

615
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 7: signed Bud Dupree in free agency. He had a couple

616
00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,640
Speaker 7: of sacks against the Titans on Sunday as well. So

617
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,400
Speaker 7: we'll see what happens with Clion Mack. He's gonna work

618
00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:37,800
Speaker 7: through it, see where he's at. But if Clill Mack

619
00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:39,880
Speaker 7: is still sort of limited, Joey Bosa is still sort

620
00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,200
Speaker 7: of limited. They do have a second line of edge

621
00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,040
Speaker 7: rushers there in Bud Dupree and Tuy two Polo two,

622
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,960
Speaker 7: who would frankly be starting for quite a number of

623
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:48,840
Speaker 7: teams in the NFL.

624
00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,720
Speaker 1: Our guest is Daniel Popper, who covers the Chargers for

625
00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,200
Speaker 1: the Athletic. Let's talk about this defense as a whole.

626
00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,640
Speaker 1: It's been incredible through ten games. They played a couple

627
00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:04,480
Speaker 1: of good offensive teams Kansas City and Arizona. Most of

628
00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,040
Speaker 1: the teams they've played have been on the lower end

629
00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:11,400
Speaker 1: of the NFL's offensive statistics. Is that the big story

630
00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:16,600
Speaker 1: this week, Daniel Burrow, Chase hopefully Higgins against that great Chargers.

631
00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,160
Speaker 7: D Yeah, I know, I just left the locker room

632
00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,520
Speaker 7: about a half hour ago, and I get the sense that,

633
00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:23,960
Speaker 7: you know, these guys, especially on the back end, really

634
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,040
Speaker 7: want to prove themselves and what better tests than than

635
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 7: this offense, and especially the way that Joe Burrow and

636
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,720
Speaker 7: Jamar Chains have been playing this season. You know, you know,

637
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:35,360
Speaker 7: there is a sense, you know within the locker room

638
00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,320
Speaker 7: that this is sort of a litmus test for this group.

639
00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,840
Speaker 7: As you mentioned, they haven't really played high level offense

640
00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,440
Speaker 7: of this season. You mentioned the Cardinals. I thought that

641
00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:48,560
Speaker 7: was one of the Chargers' worst defensive performances of the season.

642
00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,520
Speaker 7: They didn't tackle well against James Connor. They let Kyler

643
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,840
Speaker 7: Murray get outside the pocket and score on a forty

644
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,920
Speaker 7: four yard scramble touchdown. So when they've had to go

645
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,640
Speaker 7: up against better offenses, and there's been a few opportunities

646
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,000
Speaker 7: to season, I think we've seen a different version of

647
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,040
Speaker 7: the defense. But the way I'm looking at it is,

648
00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,480
Speaker 7: you know, I think Jim Harbaugh has raised the floor.

649
00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,800
Speaker 7: Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has raised the floor for this unit,

650
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:14,040
Speaker 7: which is better coaching, more cohesive coaching. But this is

651
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,320
Speaker 7: a real test here about what the stealing of this

652
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,080
Speaker 7: defense can really be. Are they what the statistics say,

653
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,680
Speaker 7: are they really a top five unit or are they

654
00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,640
Speaker 7: not quite there yet with the talent that they have

655
00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:25,320
Speaker 7: on the roster. I think that's really the question that

656
00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,400
Speaker 7: we're going to see answered on Sunday against the Bengals.

657
00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:33,960
Speaker 8: For the Chargers, jesse Minner, the defensive coordinator it seems

658
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:39,520
Speaker 8: like he's got an allergy with regard to explosives. I

659
00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,280
Speaker 8: mean he's not going to give any up. I mean

660
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:45,040
Speaker 8: he keeps everything inside and in front of him. Defensively,

661
00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,880
Speaker 8: you know, it's like, try to make the offense take

662
00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:53,840
Speaker 8: multiple snaps, you know, ten twelve play drives increase the

663
00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,760
Speaker 8: chance for mistakes. If you can execute for that long

664
00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,920
Speaker 8: a timeframe, you know, God bless you, We're going to

665
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,080
Speaker 8: make a play at some point in time. They're playing

666
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,040
Speaker 8: very fast. It looks like in very free and very

667
00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:10,719
Speaker 8: very confidently. Is that pretty much the case. He doesn't

668
00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:14,640
Speaker 8: over complicate anything. It seems to be fairly simple concepts.

669
00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,720
Speaker 7: Yeah, you're seeing it exactly right. I think talking to

670
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,680
Speaker 7: players starting in training camp and then through the season,

671
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,040
Speaker 7: the big thing that guys have talked about is that

672
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,800
Speaker 7: jesse Minter has really simplified things. Now they do a

673
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:30,320
Speaker 7: lot of disguise, there's a lot of posts, snap rotations.

674
00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,240
Speaker 7: But I think the big thing with jesse Minter is

675
00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,920
Speaker 7: that he's going at the speed at which his guys

676
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:38,280
Speaker 7: can can execute the defense. He's not trying to do

677
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,760
Speaker 7: complex stuff in the name of complexity. He wants his

678
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,080
Speaker 7: players to be able to play fast, and I think

679
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:45,440
Speaker 7: that's what you see in the field. You see a

680
00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,560
Speaker 7: level of physicality, You see how fast these guys are playing.

681
00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:51,280
Speaker 7: You see a lack of coverage bus. Now, there was

682
00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,479
Speaker 7: one on Sunday against the Titans that was probably their

683
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,400
Speaker 7: worst coverage bus of the season where it looked like

684
00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:58,600
Speaker 7: where they were trying to rotate to a Cover two

685
00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:00,360
Speaker 7: look and there wasn't a safety to that side of

686
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,160
Speaker 7: the field. But those have been few and far between.

687
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 7: I think you just have a scheme and a system

688
00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:08,880
Speaker 7: where the players really understand the ins and outs of it,

689
00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:10,799
Speaker 7: and the way that jesse Mentor has explained it is

690
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,719
Speaker 7: when he simplified things in that way, then your players

691
00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,759
Speaker 7: can be can become problem solvers on the field. I

692
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,120
Speaker 7: think that's what you're seeing. It's there's a level of

693
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,319
Speaker 7: connectivity with the defense that just wasn't there under the

694
00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,520
Speaker 7: previous regime. He has these guys playing fast, and I

695
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,120
Speaker 7: think they're able to limit mistakes because they really understand

696
00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,160
Speaker 7: it because he's not making it more complex than it

697
00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:32,640
Speaker 7: has to be.

698
00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:36,279
Speaker 1: Daniel, the Chargers let Tenan Allen and Mike Williams go

699
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,440
Speaker 1: after last year. I think a lot of people wondered

700
00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,919
Speaker 1: how good would the weapons be for Justin Herbert. Well,

701
00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:46,240
Speaker 1: they've got a rookie wide receiver, h Luke McCaskey or McConkie,

702
00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,799
Speaker 1: rather Ladd McConkie. Excuse me, who's played well? He's their

703
00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,279
Speaker 1: leading receiver, got a former first round draft pick in

704
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:55,600
Speaker 1: Quenton Johnston. How good is McConkie, How good is the group?

705
00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,759
Speaker 7: Yeah? I think Ladd McConkie is a real, really good

706
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,839
Speaker 7: route runner. Now. The way they use him is a

707
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,200
Speaker 7: lot in the slot, a lot of option routes, whip routes,

708
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,520
Speaker 7: and he's very shifty. He has a really good understanding

709
00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 7: of leverages. He can beat don't coverage, he can beat

710
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,640
Speaker 7: man coverage, and he's really been a depth at operating

711
00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:18,440
Speaker 7: over the middle of the field. And I think his

712
00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,719
Speaker 7: knowledge and his ability to field defenders is a big

713
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 7: reason why Justin Herbert trust him, particularly in third down situation.

714
00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,120
Speaker 7: So he's a real dynamic player. You know, against the

715
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,239
Speaker 7: Saints in Week eight, he was able to get down

716
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,240
Speaker 7: the field on the slot fade and actually attack vertically.

717
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,440
Speaker 7: He has the speed to do that. He's a four

718
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,680
Speaker 7: to three to nine guy. We haven't seen a ton

719
00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:41,680
Speaker 7: of it. But you know, that's another thing that he's

720
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,120
Speaker 7: potentially adding to his game sphere as he moves through

721
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,720
Speaker 7: his rookie season, is potentially being able to attack vertically.

722
00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,960
Speaker 7: You know, Quinn Johnson has really developed. I think the

723
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,960
Speaker 7: coaching staff deserves a ton of credit here, starting with

724
00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:57,279
Speaker 7: Jim Harbaugh, but especially wide receivers coach Sanjay Law, who

725
00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,160
Speaker 7: came over from Seattle where he worked with a good

726
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:05,560
Speaker 7: group of receivers there and with the Seahawks, and he's

727
00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,479
Speaker 7: really gotten a ton out of Quinton Johnson. He looks

728
00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,240
Speaker 7: like a completely different player. His route running has really improved,

729
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:16,040
Speaker 7: his hands have improved, how deceptive he is when facing cornerbacks,

730
00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,080
Speaker 7: is setting them up, all of that has really improved,

731
00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,640
Speaker 7: and he's really become a legitimate weapon now. The other

732
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,920
Speaker 7: guy to keep an eye on his DJ Shark. He's

733
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,120
Speaker 7: only played one stat ball season. He was on IR.

734
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:29,680
Speaker 7: Last week was his first week he was active in

735
00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,120
Speaker 7: a game. They haven't really used him that much, but

736
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,920
Speaker 7: obviously he's an experienced player and he could be a

737
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,000
Speaker 7: factor here. So I think, like it's not an elite group,

738
00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,680
Speaker 7: but they have enough to get the job done. And

739
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,200
Speaker 7: obviously they have a quarterback in Justin Herbert, who's going

740
00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:47,160
Speaker 7: to elevate the receiver? And I think that was the

741
00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:48,799
Speaker 7: vision going into it, and I think we're seeing that

742
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,919
Speaker 7: materialize with how some of these guys are playing right now.

743
00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,440
Speaker 8: Not just a quarterback that's elevating receivers, but I mean

744
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:56,719
Speaker 8: a guy that's taking care of the football man one

745
00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:01,680
Speaker 8: interception all year Long's he's pubbled at four times but

746
00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,120
Speaker 8: only lost one. And the knock on him, he was

747
00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,920
Speaker 8: a little bit of a turnover machine. I mean he

748
00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:09,200
Speaker 8: would average, like, you know, ten giveaways a season. Now

749
00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:12,680
Speaker 8: with Harrorball, he's got seven straight starts now without an interception.

750
00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:15,239
Speaker 8: That's the longest streak in the National Football League and

751
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,160
Speaker 8: it's a Charger record. I mean, how big is that

752
00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:21,799
Speaker 8: fall security is that Herbert's showing.

753
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,719
Speaker 7: Yeah, it's absolutely massive. And I think over the course

754
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:29,120
Speaker 7: of his career, Justin Herbert has been very good at

755
00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,799
Speaker 7: avoiding turnovers. Some of those higher interception seasons, there were

756
00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:36,879
Speaker 7: some slooky stuff that happened with deflected passes and wrong

757
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,520
Speaker 7: routes run and that sort of stuff. I think overall,

758
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:41,920
Speaker 7: he's been very good at protecting football. He's been very

759
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,239
Speaker 7: good at avoiding sacks and avoiding negative plays. I think

760
00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:45,640
Speaker 7: it's been one of the best parts of his game

761
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:48,640
Speaker 7: through his career. But that has been a point of emphasis.

762
00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:50,840
Speaker 7: I mean, Jim Harbaugh, when I asked him about the

763
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,400
Speaker 7: identity of the offense a couple of weeks ago, you know,

764
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:55,719
Speaker 7: the third thing he mentioned was protecting the football. So

765
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,799
Speaker 7: they've made it a big point of emphasis, and I

766
00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,480
Speaker 7: think Justin Herbert explain well when he said, like the

767
00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:04,960
Speaker 7: statement is that you know, sacs aren't the worst thing

768
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,560
Speaker 7: in the world. Turnovers are the worst thing in the world.

769
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:09,360
Speaker 7: And so what I think we've seen this season is

770
00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:12,319
Speaker 7: maybe he's been a bit more willing to take a

771
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:14,399
Speaker 7: sack here or there as opposed to trying to make

772
00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:16,759
Speaker 7: some sort of heroic play. And obviously in a lot

773
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,000
Speaker 7: of those situations when you're escaping pressure, you're outside the pocket,

774
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,399
Speaker 7: and you're in those types of situations, that's and you're

775
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,080
Speaker 7: throwing late in the down, that's where times where where

776
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,520
Speaker 7: fluky things can happen, you get deflected passes, you can

777
00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,880
Speaker 7: make a poor decision. So they've emphasized it, and I

778
00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:33,319
Speaker 7: think Justin Herbert has really done a great job of

779
00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:37,440
Speaker 7: executing that. Taking facts when that is the better alternative,

780
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,920
Speaker 7: not throwing late over the middle, and really being smart

781
00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,720
Speaker 7: about where he puts the football in certain situations, especially

782
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:48,799
Speaker 7: when he's throwing into single coverage, putting the ball into

783
00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,880
Speaker 7: windows where it's either his guy makes a play or

784
00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,239
Speaker 7: it's it's incomplete. And obviously like his talent allows him

785
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:57,680
Speaker 7: to do that because he's so accurate. But that's been

786
00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:00,600
Speaker 7: a huge part of their ability to build these leads

787
00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:04,480
Speaker 7: and games and really avoid having those catastrophic negative plays offensively.

788
00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,520
Speaker 1: Our thanks to Chargers reporter Daniel Popper, and that's going

789
00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,120
Speaker 1: to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast,

790
00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,840
Speaker 1: brought to you by pay Core, Proud to be the

791
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792
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793
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794
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795
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,160
Speaker 1: healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you haven't done so already,

796
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,719
Speaker 1: please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute,

797
00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:37,440
Speaker 1: give it a rating or share a comment that helps

798
00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,520
Speaker 1: more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Hord and thanks

799
00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,560
Speaker 1: for listening to the Bengals Booth podcast,