WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Friday Can't Come Fast Enough 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:06.480 Higen. Everybody, I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading The 0:00:06.559 --> 0:00:11.600 Bengals Booth Podcast. The Friday Can't come fast enough Yo 0:00:13.119 --> 0:00:16.439 edition as we get you set for Friday's preseason opener 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:20.800 against the Arizona Cardinals with three guests, NFL writer and 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:25.840 podcaster Tyler Dunn, Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, and my broadcast 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:29.760 partner Dave Lapham. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:33.280 Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead of the twenty twenty 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:36.720 two season. It's free to play next level fantasy football 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:40.720 with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get it now on the App 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:43.879 Store and Google Play. And here's a quick reminder that 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:46.680 you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:50.639 right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:55.400 you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since seeing 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:59.200 live music. As you can probably tell from my brief 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:02.160 singing appearance is at the start of this podcast. I 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:05.080 like a wide variety of music, and one of the 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:08.759 things I missed most during the pandemic was seeing concerts. 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:12.440 I caught Elvis Costello this week and planned to see 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:16.160 Lake Street Dive next week. So if the title of 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:20.480 an upcoming episode is pump it up or call off 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:24.679 your dogs, you'll know why. Now let's get to my 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:28.559 first guest. If you love great feature stories about NFL 0:01:28.600 --> 0:01:31.680 players and coaches, there's nobody out there doing better ones 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:36.040 than Tyler Dunne. He's written for newspapers and Bleacher Report 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:39.160 in the past, but now he has his own website, 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:44.560 golongtd dot com. There's plenty of free content there, including 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:50.600 a story this week about one of the Bengals starting cornerbacks. Tyler. 0:01:50.640 --> 0:01:54.280 You posted a great profile on Eli Apple on Monday morning. 0:01:54.360 --> 0:01:57.360 The title was Eli Apple sends peace and love to 0:01:57.440 --> 0:02:01.360 his haters. Did you come to Sense Daddy specifically intending 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:03.160 to write about him or did that just kind of 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:06.160 happen when you got here? Good question, because it just 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:10.320 kind of happened, honestly, great access. I got to start there. 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:13.720 The Cincinnati Bengals. They they're great to us media folks 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:16.640 versus a lot of other teams out there. So to 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:19.680 have those two opportunities to get some players in the 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:22.480 same day. I just saw Eli in the locker room 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.519 earlier in the day and figured, hey, we should catch 0:02:25.600 --> 0:02:27.360 up because I talked to him ahead of the Super Bowl. 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:29.680 You know, after that Kansas City game when he was 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:31.800 riding the high baby, you know, he took it to 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:35.160 the Chiefs. He let Tyreek Hill know that was like 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:39.200 prime peak. Eli Apple figured, you know, what, a lot 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:42.200 has happened since we talked, So let's touch base and 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.079 you know, kind of a mental check. You know, we 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:47.880 all kind of saw the world come crashing down at 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:50.000 Eli Apple, so I wanted to see how he was 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:53.560 doing it. He's doing great. He's doing great. He certainly 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:56.920 does not back away from, as you put it in 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:59.840 the title, the haters. I mean, he seems to embrace 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:04.880 being this Twitter villain that other NFL players have no 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:08.520 hesitation in calling out. I've never seen anything like this, 0:03:08.600 --> 0:03:10.640 And I mean you've covered this game longer than me, 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:13.360 and you know, granted their Twitter has only been around 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:16.680 since what oh nine, twenty ten, but I've never seen 0:03:16.880 --> 0:03:20.600 players collectively rag on a guy like this. It's it's 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:25.240 not like he had these unspeakable mistakes or gaffs or 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:28.519 these He didn't really do anything different than what we've 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:31.800 seen from any player ever in big games. But for 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.960 every reason, like you know, he Mike Hilton said, the best, 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:37.120 and he does run his mouth. He likes to talk. 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:39.200 It's part of the reason they love him. You know. 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:41.960 He's kind of that that soundtrack for the secondary where 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:44.680 they've got a lot of gnarly dudes that want to 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:47.520 kick your butt and let you know, you know, outcasts, 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:49.920 guys that other teams gave up on. They play with 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:51.360 an EDGI. I love it. I mean, I think the 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:54.760 secondary is more equipped to face these quarterbacks in the 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:59.520 AFC than anybody. But he is. When he talked right, 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.560 when he talking, things don't go well, players are ready 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.880 to pounce. And by god, did they pounce. It was gosh, 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:07.600 what a lot of players who were sitting at home 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:09.400 on their couch for the Super Bowl. We should add, right, 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:13.720 I mean Tyreek Hill, McCole, Hardman, Lamar Jackson, Rashad Bateman 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:17.599 across the board, guys enjoying the game from the comfy 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:21.200 confines of home, not in the game. You know, we 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:23.440 can maybe we can make that clear had had their fun. 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:26.680 But I think Eli Apple took it in stride. You know, 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:29.839 he posted a message on Instagram shortly after that game 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:31.880 just saying he'll be back. And then when we caught 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:35.320 up Dan it was just, you know what, everybody's going 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.160 through problems, everybody has things going on into their life, 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:41.000 peace and love. I'm in a good place. And he 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.400 really did say, like he turned that corner just out 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:44.960 of that game. I thought it would have been earlier, 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:46.480 you know, maybe when the Giants gave up on him, 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:49.120 or the Saints or he's bouncing around, But he said 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:52.440 he really kind of rode that roller coaster up until 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:55.200 that ram Super Bowl game. So I take him at 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:56.880 his word. I think he's in a really good place 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:00.839 mentally into this twenty twenty two season. Done is our guest. 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:02.800 He's a writer in podcast. You can find him at 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.440 golongtd dot com. I want to get to some more 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:07.760 of your training camp observations in just a bit, but 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:10.640 I also want to first look back at some of 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:13.440 the other profiles that you've written about Bengals players in 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:17.200 recent months. You wrote a great Joe Burrows story in 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:21.600 January before the playoff run. The title was Joe Burrow 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:25.200 is the most Dangerous man in Football. It was terrific. 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:27.760 From all of the people that you talked to in 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.880 writing that story. What stood out most to you about 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:35.440 Joe the game was never too fast for him, and 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:38.560 you really appreciate that when you watch other training camps 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:42.440 and other quarterbacks, especially young quarterbacks where I mean we 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:45.960 all saw it on Sundays last year. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:50.040 justin Fields, I mean, players who dominated college football, Heisman 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:53.200 Trophy playoff games. They made it look easy. I mean, 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.400 Lawrence was unbelievable at Clemson. Fields was unbelievable at Ohio State. 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:59.320 Remember getting socked in the jaw, gets up, throws a 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:03.320 touchdown and then the pros come and everything's too fast. Everything. 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:05.600 I mean, we can, you know, blame urban Meyer all 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:07.440 we want. He was a disaster, I get it, but 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:11.360 Lawrence deserves some blame too. It just seems like they're 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.840 all kind of skittish to some degree, and rightfully so 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:17.760 it's a different speed. And I saw that Steelers training camp, 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:19.520 you know, before you know seeing you guys are at 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:22.159 Sincy with Kenny Pickett where I mean he's got the 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:25.520 red jersey on, you're not gonna get hit, but there 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.320 is that hesitation. And I'm not poking fun of Kenny Pickett. 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:30.000 I think all young quarterbacks are pretty much like that 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.560 in the NFL. But Joe Burrow never was, and he 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:37.960 probably had the most poor sim of an offensive line 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:40.520 if any of these guys as a rookie, he's getting 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:44.360 snot beat out of him, but he never seemed hesitant. 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:46.200 I mean, you're watching this guy way more than me, 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:48.600 But when you have that kind of vantage point of 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:52.120 comparing to other guys, it's stunning. Kurt Warner first kind 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:55.400 of opened my eyes to it, where he noted early 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:57.680 on and Joe Burrow's pro career, like, this guy is 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.440 going through his progressions one to two to three to four, 0:07:01.040 --> 0:07:03.760 and he takes his lap layups. He's not relying on 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:06.320 his athleticism. He has it, he can move, but he's 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:08.920 not bailing out of plays. And that's what it takes 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:10.640 to win a super Bowl. To get to a Super 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:14.200 Bowl where you've everything tightens in the playoffs, you know, 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:19.120 the windows get smaller, there's pressure in your face, everything, 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:22.240 everybody knows everything about you. You're gonna win with your 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:24.920 head a lot more than you're gonna win with athleticism. 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:26.960 And I think that's why Joe Burrow and year two 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:28.720 gets to Super Bowl, where a lot of these other 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:33.000 quarterbacks are insanely athletic. They can't. They can't. I mean, 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:36.440 and I love Lamar Jackson, He's incredible, but I think 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.720 Burrow is more dangerous than Lamar Jackson because he can 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:40.520 can win with his brain and that's what it takes 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:43.680 in January. But yeah, it's he's the most dangerous man. 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:46.920 It's not a surprise, right he his dad was a 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:49.000 college football coach. He's been around this since he was 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.320 a little kid, studying films since he was little, so 0:07:51.880 --> 0:07:53.640 he was always ahead of the game. It starts way 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.320 back as far as you can remember. That's great insight 0:07:56.360 --> 0:07:58.840 about Joe Burrow. And the thing that I always say 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:01.520 about these young quarter backs. If I'm watching an NFL 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:05.560 game on TV, and they have the skycam over the field, right, 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:09.800 and they line that cam up behind the offensive line, 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:13.960 so you're kind of seeing the play from above the offense, 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.760 so almost like the way the quarterback would see it, 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:21.200 but higher and behind them. Any completed pass that's not 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:24.720 a screen as a miracle to me, because you've got 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:28.560 these three hundred pound behemoths in their face. The defense 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:31.480 is shifting all over the place. Their world class athletes, 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:34.960 the receivers you're trying to hit are moving at an 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:38.800 incredible rate. How do these quarterbacks do it? I mean, 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:42.760 it really is a remarkable skill to be able to 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:46.760 complete passes that aren't screens in an NFL game. That's 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:49.640 so perfectly put man like it is people don't realize 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.360 they're watching at home because it just seems so stagnant. 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:57.040 But pre snap, I mean, everything is disguised. Defenses are 0:08:57.400 --> 0:09:01.520 really preserving their plans and their tensions until the absolute 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:05.320 last split second before the ball is snapped. And like 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:07.679 you said, they're all running four threes, they're all two 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:10.199 hundred fifty pounds, all take your heads off, and you 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.439 have a quarterback in the middle of that, nahem who 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:16.400 can dissect us all and process at all so incredibly fast. 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:21.120 Is rare. I mean, you don't see this. And I 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.080 think that's why we're gonna see him playing for super 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:25.800 Bowls for a really long time, because that's something that's 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:27.640 only going to get better. I mean, the fact that 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:31.960 he can process things that quickly this soon. I can't 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:36.440 think of a comparison. I mean, Payton Manning did, Aaron 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:39.360 Rodgers had the benefit of sitting for a few years. 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:41.679 Tom Brady even sat for a year. I can't think 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:43.520 of many quarterbacks who are able to think the game 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:46.520 this fastest. Soon. Tyler Dunn is our guest. You can 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:50.760 follow him on Twitter at tie Done. That is Dunne. 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:53.439 I want to reference one more story that you've written 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:55.600 about a Bengals player in the last year, and that 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:58.920 was your story about Tyler Boyd. Tremendous story, a great 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:03.280 look at his impoverished hometown, Clareton, PA, what it was 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.280 like for him to grow up there. But there was 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.720 one thing about that story, not specifically about Tyler, about 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:11.840 Tyler Boyd that stood out to me, and that is 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:14.960 this is November fifth of last year. The Bengals have 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:18.240 played eight games. They're five and three. You right at 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:20.800 the top of that story. Believe it or not, the 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:25.440 Bengals are ready to contend. What did you see eight 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.319 games in that maybe the rest of the NFL world 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:31.480 did not. Well. If you say that stuff enough, you're 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:33.440 gonna be right once in a while, all right, that's all. 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:37.400 I can't even play Noster damas that no. I mean 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:41.760 I think that the fact that this offense had you 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:44.800 could tell it. They've had three stud receivers with a 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:48.080 Joe Burrow and really with a I'm sure we'll get 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:49.839 into it, a little bit of a defense that has 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:52.400 an edge to it, And yeah, it just seemed like 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:56.640 a confident, blissful, blissfully ignorant team, which is a great 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:59.160 team to be, right when you don't know what you 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:02.800 don't know and you're out there playing and talking trash 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.800 and you know you've never been here before. I think 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:07.720 there's a value to that. You're not overthinking it. There's 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:11.360 really no pressure, gosh, you know, and that I think 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:14.560 this would have happened probably after the story ran. You 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.680 know better than me. But you know what play really 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:20.600 sold me on the Bengals was again they actually lost 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.959 right against San Francisco. And I think the quarterback coach 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:28.440 Pitcher was telling me about this. He probably told you 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:33.600 about it too. Joe Burrow is scrambling right and Jamar 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:35.840 Chase is kind of in the scrambled Joe with them, 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:40.079 and Jamar Chase is running one direction and Burrow throws 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:43.320 it the other direction to the corner, just knowing that 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:47.560 he's gonna cut and get that pieline, which you don't 0:11:47.559 --> 0:11:51.640 see veterans make a play like that. It was diabolical 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.760 almost for him to throw the ball as Jamar Chase 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:57.840 is running the other direction. I was really sold after 0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:01.040 that play. Right after that description from a quarterbacks coach 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:02.920 is going to be a head coach somewhere very very soon. 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:06.600 It's like, yeah, they've got something special cooking here. That 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:09.400 was a ridiculous play. Fourth down as well, so it's 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:13.160 do or die. You're scrambling, you're in trouble. Chase is 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:15.920 running in the opposite direction on the back line of 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:20.440 the end zone. You throw it hoping that he'll pivot 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:24.000 see the ball and run it down and burrow through 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:26.720 it with perfect timing, perfect touch. And Chase is so 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:29.560 damn good that he made the play. That really was 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:32.600 a memorable More, isn't like from your banner's point, like 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.520 when you're seeing that up above, Yeah, that was insane. 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:38.319 I mean, obviously we're doing the live play by play, 0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:41.480 so you're following. Your eyes are following the ball as 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:45.080 the play by play announcer, So I'm following Burrow. It's 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:47.800 really only after the fact, when I go back and 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:50.959 talk to people and look at the replay that I 0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:55.439 see that Jamar Chase is running in the opposite direction. 0:12:55.960 --> 0:13:01.480 His head is not turned. He just sent that he 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:05.000 would spin around at that moment and be able to 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.880 find the ball, stay in bounds and make the catch. 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:11.400 It was a ridiculous play. It's a play you only 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.840 see like Aaron Rodgers, DeVante Adams with a decade of reps, 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.600 you know, Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison. It's that kind of 0:13:17.640 --> 0:13:20.400 stuff out of a first year player and a second 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.520 year player. So you know, you can pay those two guys. 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:25.400 I don't care what else happens on that roster though. 0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:28.320 They'll be okay, they'll compete, trust me, they will. I 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:30.520 don't think there's any doubt they will pay those two guys. 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:35.400 Tyler Dunn is our guest. Your specialty is the in 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:39.280 depth profile what we used to get in the back 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:41.960 of Sports Illustrated on a weekly basis from guys like 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:45.959 Frank de Ford or Gary Smith. Those stories aren't out 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:49.760 there much anymore. How do you pick your stories and 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:53.160 build the relationships with players and coaches that allow you 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:55.960 to tell them? Man, I really appreciate that because that's 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:58.800 definitely the goal, right. I just think it's getting squeezed 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:02.560 out of sports media coverage. It's a lot of you know, 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:06.080 fast food, quick stuff today memes and gifts and tweets 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:09.160 and takes and trying to zag away from the zigging. 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:13.200 I think it's just relationships. It's it's not any different 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.319 than life and any any walk of life. It's just 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:20.800 getting to know people across you know, I guess different 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:22.720 lanes where I know a lot of agents, I know 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:24.680 a lot of players, I know a lot of teams, 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:27.960 and you just kind of scouts coaches and you add 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:29.520 it all up and you just try to learn as 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:31.720 much as you can and at some point a light 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:33.760 bulb might go off and it's like, Okay, this is 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:36.320 a story. This is something worth kind of digging into 0:14:36.360 --> 0:14:39.000 a little bit, whether it's you know, behind the scenes 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:41.320 kind of story and we've done those, you know, the 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:44.720 New York Giants, which might show an ugly side of 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:46.920 a team that wasn't very pretty as things were kind 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:49.080 of going south for then towards the end of last 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:53.200 season and they're about to fire everybody, or you know, 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:55.600 the stuff we're talking about player profiles and kind of 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:59.480 humanizing the game. So it's, you know, it's just getting 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.720 to know people and just being curious. I always think, like, 0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:04.720 what are people talking about at the bar? Like if 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:06.520 you're at the bar, with your buddies, just having a 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.640 couple of IPA's, Like what would just get you? What 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.160 would get you talking? It's probably not. You know, you 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.280 might talk about your fantasy teams and you know the 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:16.960 fact that you're running back needs seventy seven yards to 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:19.480 win your game that night. Not really interested in that stuff. 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:24.000 It's like, it's those holy, you know what moments. I've 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:27.520 never heard that before, right like this that that is bizarre, 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:30.680 that's crazy, and I want to know more. And I 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:32.560 guess the teams for your listeners. I had one of 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:35.880 those moments on this trip with another Cincinnati Bengals player, 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:38.920 so we'll have that story later this month. But uh, 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:43.720 and it does take you know, just great PR departments 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:45.640 at times too. And I gotta get a lot of 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.560 love to the Bengals there where they're incredibly helpful. They 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:51.480 just get it. They want good storytelling, and that's not 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.960 always the case as well. I can see why players 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:58.120 would open up to you because your respect for them 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:02.720 is obvious in what you write. You know, respect for 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:07.120 the toughness and commitment it takes to play professional football. Man, 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:10.400 thanks a lot. It's I mean, like a lot of 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:12.520 us all played back in the days to some degree, 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:14.800 and it just is a different It's just a different 0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:18.160 game and it just takes, god, it takes a different 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:21.400 level of violence. Yeah, I think I'm trying to think back. 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:24.720 Chris Borland obviously stepped away from football really young, and 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:27.000 it kind of shoot the football world. This was my 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:29.520 first story of Bleach Report when I was there, and 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:31.720 he even Chris Borland, I loved how he put it. 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.960 He said, football is just different. It's like a drug. 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.920 Because if you're a linebacker out there, as he was 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:41.120 for Wisconsin and San Francisco, you know, if I if 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.240 I botch my assignment, if I do something wrong, the 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.480 player next to me might get be lined and be 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:49.760 down for the count with a concussion or something. Right 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:53.080 like that takes a different level of togetherness and teamwork 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:59.880 and intelligence in the moment that Hey, I love basketball, hockey. 0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:02.720 There's a lot of good to other sports, but football 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.480 is just different with the angles that these guys are 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.119 hitting each other. So yeah, I mean, if these players 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:10.480 are out there head that, I make no bones about it. 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:12.600 I'm a pretty pro player guy and go along. I 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.080 think these are the ones out there risking their bodies, 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:18.120 risking their brains, and a lot of them come from 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:21.240 places like Tyler Boyd where it's how in the hell 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.400 did you get out of that place? And football can 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:27.520 be such a beacon of hope for them and their families. Yeah, 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:29.440 I just can't get enough of it, and I'm glad 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:32.280 that readers enjoy what we're putting out. All right, let's 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:34.480 get to your training camp visit. So after you're in 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:36.679 the locker room talking to Eli Apple and others, you 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:40.760 attended practice on a day where the Bengals defense dominated. 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:42.760 It was an ugly day for the offense. It's been 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:45.480 the only one this camp that looked like that, thankfully, 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.800 and obviously Joe Burrow is not taking part in practice yet. 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.680 But what did you come away thinking about the defending 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:55.200 AFC champs after attending that practice? Yeah, I mean it's 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:57.520 it's hard to really rip the offense, right. I mean, 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.520 if any team loses their quarterback for an extended period 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.719 of time and they're reliant on the quarterback, they're probably 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:07.040 toast coverts and packer teams. Was like that, Aaron Rodgers 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:10.200 goes down and you're cycling through Scott Tolzine and Matt 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:14.160 Flynn and you're barely getting by. So yeah, they want 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:16.800 Joe Burrow out there. So that's you know, priority number one, 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:19.639 and it's it's gonna be hell for any team that 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.000 loses a talent like that. But I think you can 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:24.520 take a lot from that defense. And I feel like 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.760 we're not talking about it enough rightfully. So we've kind 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:31.359 of obsessed nationally from a standpoint of Tyree Killer to 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:35.919 the Dolphins Russell Wilson to Denver Devantae Adamsgas. You know, 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:38.000 all these teams loaded up at pass rusher to get 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:40.720 after these quarterbacks and all, by the way, the Bills 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:43.399 are Super Bowl favorites and the Chiefs are kind of 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:49.040 remaking their offense. And this Bengal secondary made Patrick Mahomes 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:52.600 look like a bomb. I mean that second half, he 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:56.359 had a twelve quarterback rating. I mean he struggled to 0:18:56.359 --> 0:18:58.800 complete a pass. There was pressure in his face, The 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:02.639 coverage was tight. All those Bengals dbs were picking up 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:05.480 on their routes. They knew it was coming. And we'll 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:07.560 see what happens with Jesse Bates. That's a big one. 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:09.320 Do you want him out there? But even in the draft, 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:12.520 the Bengals covered their bases a little bit anticipated him 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:16.399 potentially missing some time. I think you want him out there. 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:18.720 But with or without Bates, this is a secondary to 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:23.280 me that is more equipped to at least get by 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:27.359 and contain these explosive offenses. Hey, I live here in 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:29.960 Buffalo that this this Bills team is a lot of fun. 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:32.240 They're gonna put up a lot of points. They couldn't 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:34.760 stop a nose bleeded arrowhead. I mean, it was I 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:38.040 love that game as much as everybody else, but if 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:40.960 you love defense, it was kind of ugly. There wasn't 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:44.080 much defense being played, right. I mean, the Bengals will 0:19:44.080 --> 0:19:46.200 play a little defense, and up until that last drive 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:49.080 in the Super Bowl, they were doing enough to win, 0:19:49.640 --> 0:19:52.440 and then that last drive happened. We can't just skim 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:55.440 pass that. There's no look passes and Cooper Cup doing things. 0:19:56.600 --> 0:19:59.960 But I think in today's NFL, with every rule again 0:20:00.119 --> 0:20:02.480 against you, and the flags get thrown all over the place, 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:04.520 and the league trying to get into your brain and 0:20:04.560 --> 0:20:07.440 make you be a hesitant player out there, or whether 0:20:07.480 --> 0:20:11.000 you're a pass rush or a linebacker. dB. Since he's 0:20:11.080 --> 0:20:12.959 kind of thread of that needle, they figured out how 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:16.800 to be aggressive on the back end and make the 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:19.320 necessary players they have to make. I think those turnovers 0:20:19.320 --> 0:20:20.800 weren't flukey. Towards the end of this season. I think 0:20:20.800 --> 0:20:24.320 that can stick. You've been on an NFL training camp tour. 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:28.920 So when you come through Cincinnati and you see Chase Higgins, 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:35.080 Boyd Hurst, Mixon and others, is that the best skill 0:20:35.119 --> 0:20:38.880 position talent you've seen on one team? It's right there 0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:42.720 with Buffalo. You know, I think that you'd probably say 0:20:42.760 --> 0:20:45.200 Cincinnati even has the edge. And I know it sounds 0:20:45.240 --> 0:20:48.919 like I'm pandering here on your show, right, I promise 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:51.320 I'll say the same thing on WGR you're in Buffalo, 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:57.199 I promise, Hey, in all honesty, I think Joe Mixon 0:20:57.480 --> 0:21:00.280 is better than any of the Bills running backs. They've 0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:03.280 got good depth there, good variety of players, but I 0:21:03.320 --> 0:21:07.440 think Joe Mixon is the separator. That's me on my podcast. 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:12.119