WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Get Back Up 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.400 Hi, get everybody on Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:10.520 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The we lose our way, we 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:13.239 get back up again. It's never too late to get 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:17.800 back up again. Addition, as the Bengals look to rebound 0:00:17.840 --> 0:00:20.320 from their first lopsided loss of the season as they 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:24.320 face the three and two Colts on Sunday in Indianapolis. 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.320 Coming up, Dave Lapham joins me to discuss Joe Burrow, 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:31.600 a j Greene DJ reader, and the latest Bengals news. 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:34.159 This week's one on one player interview is with the 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:38.440 highest graded safety in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:42.920 Jesse Bates and at Our Know the Faust segment, Mike Wells, 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:46.400 who covers the Colts for ESPN, makes a prediction of 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:50.720 sorts that is bound to annoy Bengals fans. The Bengals 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:54.560 Booth Podcast is presented by bud Light Seltzer. Refresh the 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:56.880 game and here's a quick reminder that you can have 0:00:56.920 --> 0:01:00.960 the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:05.039 or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:10.080 or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since Archie Manning 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:13.840 sending encouraging texts to Joe Burrow on a weekly basis. 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:18.120 Burrow shared that nugget with reporters this week. Apparently, Joe 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:21.320 struck up a friendship with the legendary quarterback and father 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:24.440 of Peyton and Eli when he attended the Manning Passing 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:28.200 Academy in college. In this week, after Burrow had the 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:32.240 worst game of his young career against Baltimore, Archie texted him, 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:35.160 told Joe to keep his head up and shared that 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.280 in Eli's rookie year, he had a game with a 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:42.640 zero passer rating against Baltimore. I looked it up and 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:47.200 Archie wasn't exaggerating. In Eli's fourth NFL start, he went 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:51.760 four for eighteen with twenty seven yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:54.600 and a zero passer rating in a thirty seven to 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:58.920 fourteen loss to the Ravens. In other words, it happens 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:02.640 to the best of them, especially as rookies. Thank you, 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:06.560 Archie Matting for the reminder. Now time to bring in 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:11.079 my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham. Lab It's Wednesday, and I 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:14.239 think Joe Burrow just got hit again by a blitzing 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:19.040 Baltimore Raven. Baltimore had seven sacks in that game. Burrow 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:23.440 leads the NFL with twenty two through five games. I 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:27.079 want to start with your specialty offensive line play. How 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:31.280 much of that performance, that rough performance for Joe Burrow 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:33.560 was on the old line. Part of it, you know, 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:36.440 good part of it. But when you're looking at what 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:39.959 happened in that football game, which was a total collapse 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:46.280 against the Blitz, everybody suits dirty offensive line, quarterback, you know, 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:50.000 holding the football too long, trying to make too much happen, 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:55.440 receivers not getting any separation, backs and tight ends not 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:57.880 doing a good enough job when they were assigned. You know, 0:02:57.960 --> 0:03:01.280 people in Blitz pickup. But the the disconcerting thing to 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:06.200 me is when you know it's a simple inside linebacker 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:08.040 five yards off the line of scrimmage and he's a 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:10.200 free runner because of an assignment error. I mean, you know, 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:13.520 physical things one thing, but the mental part of it 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:16.680 at this stage, that's that's that's troubling to me, you know, 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:21.280 And all the way back to peewee football, basically you're 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:24.320 always taught block from the inside out, protect quarterbacks from 0:03:24.320 --> 0:03:26.679 the inside out. The shortest distance to the quarterback is 0:03:26.840 --> 0:03:28.880 right up the gut. Make him come off the edge. 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:31.280 You know, and we'll take our chances. Then at that point, 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:33.079 if there's a free runner there a lot of times 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:34.840 it's on the quarterback. He has to make them missing 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:36.960 and create an extent or get the ball out before 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:39.520 the guy gets there. So to have those those kind 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:43.920 of mental errors and simple, simple blitzes, that's not good. 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:47.840 That's not good at all. The NFL keeps quarterback hits 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:52.400 as a statistic. I'm not sure it's perfectly accurate. When 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:54.240 I go back and look, it might be off by 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:57.560 one or two. But here's what the NFL says for 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.240 the first five games of the Joe Burrow era, hit 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:03.360 six times in Week one, seven in Week two, eighteen 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:07.560 in Week three, five, and week four fifteen in week five. 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:09.880 That adds up to fifty one hits. That's an average 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:13.000 of about ten hits per game. It's a cautionary tale, 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:15.760 particularly as the Bengals get ready to take on the 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:19.039 Indianapolis Colts, because we all remember what happened with Andrew 0:04:19.120 --> 0:04:21.479 Luck a year ago. He retired at the age of 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:25.039 twenty nine. He still had sixty million dollars coming and 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:29.400 yet he walked away. And here's why. Torn cartilage and 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:33.640 two ribs, a partially torn abdomen, a lacerated kidney, at 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:37.039 least one concussion, a torn labram in his throwing shoulder, 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:42.159 and calf and ankle injuries. Earlier today, Colt's head coach 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:46.480 Frank Reich was asked about that difficult balance that you 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:49.400 go through as a head coach when you have a 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:53.400 young quarterback who has the ability to extend plays and 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:55.960 make people miss and obviously has a lot of talent, 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:59.200 but you're trying to protect that guy as well. Yes, 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:02.719 Mark's win James, and you know you get behind, you know, 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:04.440 you get behind in the game or the guy that 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:07.480 you drafted is an elite pest and that's why he 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:11.000 was drafting you. That's why he's your quarterback, and that's 0:05:11.000 --> 0:05:15.360 what he's good at doing so and part and part 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:20.120 of developing is you gotta take your lumps um. But then, 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.280 as you say, there is a fine balance, I mean, 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:26.640 you know you're going to get hit and so that's 0:05:26.640 --> 0:05:31.280 that's just a week by week coaching decision. You know, 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:33.640 play by play that you got to you gotta weigh 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:36.680 how it's going in game, and there is I think 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:39.040 there are times where you pull back a little bit 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:43.279 and protect the guy. Um. But then there's other times 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:47.120 where you know, you just gotta gotta take your lumps 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:49.840 and you gotta go, you gotta work through it. It 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:52.440 being around Andrew Luck at all towards the end there 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:55.279 change your view of that and the idea of taking 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.120 their lumps and things like that. We place a very 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:01.040 high priority. I'm sure that angles due too, but on 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:06.080 protecting the quarterback. And you know that's that involves everybody. 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:09.039 That's not just not just the quarterbacks, not just the 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:14.239 offensive lines, the whole offensive units and coaching staff, includes 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:18.480 the play caller, it includes everything, and so it takes 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:20.520 the total commitment to it. And then it opously the 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:22.880 quarterbacks has to perform and get the ball out and 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:26.920 know the right protection calls. Um. That's all part of 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:30.560 the equation of learning and grow. When Andrew Luck shocked 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:34.000 the football world with his retirement announcement last year, he 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:38.560 cited the soul crushing cycle of injury and rehab and 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:40.800 here was the quote. The only way I see out 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:43.719 is to no longer play football. It has taken my 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:48.040 joy of this game away. Now. Obviously Joe Burrows nowhere 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:50.080 close to that. Hopefully it'll never come to that. And 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.720 I'm not suggesting it will, but that's what you got 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:56.159 to try to prevent. Oh, there's no doubt. And when 0:06:56.200 --> 0:07:00.760 you think about it, Andrew Luck bigger, stronger, faster, six 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:03.320 four two forty and you know, and can run better 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:06.159 than Joe. So you got you got you know, mega 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:11.520 QB at the quarterback position instead of Megatron Megatron QB 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:15.040 or whatever. I mean, he's he's a robot QB. He's 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:18.920 exactly what you would want physically, yet he sustained all 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:21.600 these injuries. And that's what's amazing to me right now 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:24.440 is it's in the early stages, but Joe Burrows tracking 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:27.040 for well over seventy sacks on one hundred and sixty 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:31.640 plus hits. Man, that's not sustainable. And right now, when 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:35.320 I watch him sometimes it's like Gumby. He is so flexible. 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:37.600 It's almost like he has no bones. He's all cartilage. 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:39.800 His whole body's cartilage. You know, he just kind of 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:43.160 like rolls with the punches. Andrew Luck was, you know, 0:07:43.240 --> 0:07:45.600 kind of a thick, strong dude, and man, when you 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:48.920 get hit, there's not a whole lot of give their flexibility. 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:51.280 I don't know, maybe Joe's built a little bit better 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:54.520 to take the abuse and the punishment. But nobody can 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:57.520 sustain taking the abuse and punishment that he's taken right now. 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.600 So and to have a guy who love the game 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:04.040 of football like Andrew Luck, I mean loves the game 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:07.920 of football. I mean his dad football quarterback, ran a league, 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:11.920 you know, in charge of the NFL Europe. Everything he 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:14.360 grew up around the game. He is a football savant. 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.560 For him to say, can't do it, man, that cycle 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.800 getting hurt, rehabbing, getting hurt and rehab it all the time, 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.200 it's just taken away, you know, every every other good 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:26.440 part of life's that's a bad way to live in. 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:28.960 He's a brilliant guy as well, so he knows you 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:31.280 could do something else, you know, It's not like football 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:33.680 is the only thing that he can do. Joe Burrows 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:36.280 the same way. I mean, Joe's a smart guy, but 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:38.920 he absolutely loves football. And like you said, it's far 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:42.280 from you know, the Andrew Luck situation. But man, you 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:44.079 don't want to do anything to even get him in 0:08:44.120 --> 0:08:47.640 the same neighborhood as what Andrew Luck was thinking about. 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:50.400 And on the opposite side of the field. This week, 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:53.600 you have thirty eight year old Philip Rivers, who might 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:58.160 be probably is the least mobile quarterback in professional football, 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:01.200 and yet he has only been sacked four times this year, 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:04.960 only been sacked four times, throwing five interceptions, because I 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:06.520 think he's a lot of times he tries to get 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:08.920 the ball out really quickly, too quick. Yeah, I think 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:11.079 sometimes maybe he's you know, he's trying to protect not 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:14.720 trying to protect his offensive line from numbers, but he knows, 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:16.480 I want to get it out so I can prevent 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:18.640 getting blown up totally. You know, I might, I might 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:21.439 take a glancing blow or a pull up shot or 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:24.440 something like that. Sometimes it's too quick, Sometimes it's way 0:09:24.440 --> 0:09:26.160 too long. Like the check down that he threw for 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:28.480 the pick six against the Browns. He was in the 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:33.240 pocket forever, but the safety that he threw, h he 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:35.440 could have just climbed the pocket. And he doesn't like, 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:37.920 he doesn't like moving off his spot. And that's going 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:39.400 to be a key in this football game if the 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:43.120 Bengals can somehow get him off his spot and you know, 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:45.959 make him throw the ball sooner than he wants to. Uh. 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:49.839 Five interceptions, four touchdown passes. That's not that's not your 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:52.640 typical Philip Rivers ratio. I mean back when he was 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:56.080 he was really getting it done in uh in twenty eighteen. 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:59.080 Thirty two touchdowns, twelve picks. You know, that's that's more 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:01.679 like the Philip Rivers that people want to think about. 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:07.880 Last week, before his gruesome ankle injury, Dak Prescott caught 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.880 a touchdown pass, meaning he has one more TD catch 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:15.000 this year than AJ Green. A rough start to the 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:18.960 twenty twenty season hit an unimaginable low for aj in 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:22.199 Baltimore last week, where he looked loss and the only 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:25.040 pass throwing his way, and then spent the second half 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:28.719 of the game on the bench voicing his frustration, apparently 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.559 with a reported hamstring injury. The day after the game, 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:36.800 Zach Taylor was asked five questions in a news conference 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:40.400 about the seven time pro bowler. I have edited those 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:45.640 questions and Zach's answers together. Is it AJ Green's left hamstring, 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.800 the same one he aggravated training camp? Yeah, it's the 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:52.720 same string. Zach, Did you talk to Ajo about maybe 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:54.719 a sense of frustration more than just the injury that 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:56.520 heast mentioned? Anything to you today about that? If you 0:10:56.600 --> 0:10:59.000 had a conversation with him, I mean I'll keep all 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:01.400 those conversations private, but we talked to our players every week, 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:04.559 and I feel really good about where everything's at. That 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:06.520 you said you feel good about the conversations that you 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:10.720 have with your players. Does that include Aj after after yesterday? Yes, 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:14.520 I mean it looked like we haven't talked to him yet. 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:16.800 It looked like he was very frustrated with his role 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:19.679 and then his rotation. I mean is did you did 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:21.040 you see the video? Do you have any comments on 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:25.360 what we said on the sideline? No comments? Is that 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:29.559 when you look at AJ's numbers off catapult during practice? Um, 0:11:30.360 --> 0:11:32.760 do you has there been any inclination that he hasn't 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:34.720 been able to go full go during games? When you 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:36.920 look at the numbers that you've been seeing that Joey's 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:42.960 looking at off catapult? I know, comment several one word answers. 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:47.720 Not the typical way that Zach Taylor address his questions 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:51.000 from the media, particularly about Aj Green. Yeah, very very 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:55.040 ei Yeah, very effusive, usual normally with Aja, and very 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:57.480 tertius A good word. So when you heard that, what 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:02.199 was your reaction? Uh? Not happy, you know, obviously frustrated. 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:04.920 So there was some sort of frustration that went on 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:08.600 in that football game, and Zach decided to keep it 0:12:08.640 --> 0:12:12.360 all in the house, which is the norm. But I 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.000 you know two things on that play. I don't think 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:18.520 AJ saw the football. I don't think he did, but 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:21.359 he did see the interception and when he saw the interception, 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:24.760 he ran away from contact. And you just hate to see, 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.840 you know, that, that type of situation. So whatever it is, 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:31.440 that's bothering AJ if he feels like, if he's trying 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:34.560 to play football not to get hurt. Can't play that way. 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:37.520 You just can't play fearful of injury and trying to 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:41.719 avoid or prevent injury while you're playing the game. It's impossible. 0:12:41.960 --> 0:12:43.720 You just have to go play as hard as you can. 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.960 As soon as you're not playing at that level, that's 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:51.040 when you do get hurt. So it's an interesting dynamic 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:54.480 that's going on. I mean, I don't, I don't. Obviously 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:58.880 we don't have the facts, all the facts that are 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:02.400 taking place. Hard to draw conclusions. But the eye in 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:05.560 the sky don't lie, and what you're seeing on tape 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:09.880 is not Aj Green. It's just not. Zach Taylor said 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.960 on Wednesday that AJ would not practice on Wednesday, but 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:15.880 made it sound like that's not uncommon for him at 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.440 this stage of his career. He said he would practice 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:21.640 on Thursday and that he thought he would be okay. 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:24.199 It's going to be very interesting to see what happens 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:26.760 on Sunday. They've got John Ross waiting in the wings. 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.160 He's been a healthy scratch. Well he was ill last week, 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:34.480 but probably would have been a healthy scratch anyway. Is 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.160 this the week that that aj takes a seat if 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:40.120 his hamstring is tender at all, and John Ross gets 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:43.720 another shot potentially, you know, if if his hamstring is 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:46.439 causing issues, there's a there's a chance that could be 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:49.000 the case. And you know John Ross obviously one thing 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:52.439 he can do is run and stretch a field. Um, 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:56.080 Now the question is will he catch the football? You know, 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:59.120 that's that's the inconsistency in his game. It's not his 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:02.880 speed's not insistent. He's fast every time he runs, but 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:07.160 catching the football on a high percentage basis has been 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:10.920 where he's had his issues. So yeah, it's very interesting. 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:14.079 You know, you look at the two position groups they're 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:17.600 going into the season. Stars you know, a star on 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:21.760 the forehead of this position. Defensive line decimated by injury 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:25.920 wide receiver. What's going on there. It's a different it's 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:28.360 a different group, a different animal. You know, John Ross 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:31.520 hasn't panned out. Aj hasn't panned out. Now it's those 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:33.880 the strengths of the football team anymore. Those two position 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:37.000 groups makes you scratch your head and wonder. I've never 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:41.720 seen ull. Last year it was left tackle, left tackle. 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:46.040 They played five of them, which is crazy for one spot, 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:50.280 one position, defensive tackle. It's like seven count and counting 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:54.360 this year after only five football games. Come on, man, 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:59.240 it's crazy. Going back. Prior to training camp, the defensive 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:03.080 lineman began dropping for the Cincinnati Bengals. Ryan Glasgow failed 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:07.160 as physical, Josh Tupo opted out due to coronavirus. Then, 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:10.520 once training camp began, Ronelle Wren suffered a season ending 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:14.640 quadriceps injury. Gino Atkins got hurt. Thankful he's back from 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:18.320 his shoulder injury. Mike Daniels is on the injured list 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:22.120 now with an elbow injury, and now most recently, DJ Reader, 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:25.480 the great defensive tackle signed as a free agent this offseason. 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:28.440 We'll miss the rest of the year with a quad injury. 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.640 Here's his teammate, Christian Covington, you know, he's a heart 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:33.840 and sold his defensive line heart and sold his defense. 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.520 Really one of the key guys on this team, so 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.000 you know, the loser guy like him is it's hard. 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:40.920 You know, I was able to talk to him after 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.120 the game, obviously talked to him today. You know, he's 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:45.560 feeling good, he's optimistic. He you know, he has faith 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:48.680 and you know, this defense, this team, so we gotta just, uh, 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:50.800 we gotta pick it up now, we gotta just uh, 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:52.920 we gotta we have to feel you know, filling the 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:56.080 spot that you know that he played with the team, 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:58.560 and uh what we can honestly, I mean, can you 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:00.840 quantify how big of a loss is, especially given the 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:03.640 already lack of bodies on that line. You know, it's 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:06.600 a big loss. M I can't lie. But at the 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:08.720 same time, you know, this is this is the NFL. 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:11.520 You know, we play a violin sport. This is you know, 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:13.040 this is a hard league to be able to compete 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.080 with and nobody ever is gonna be one hundred percent healthy. 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:17.280 So it's it's that old time you know, that old 0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:19.480 time saying that goes with being in this league. You know, 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.080 it's the next man up mentality. So it's a it's 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:23.680 a matter of fact right now. It's it is what 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:25.280 it is. We pray for this brother, we love him, 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:27.160 We send our best to him. We know he's gonna 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:29.080 be great. He's gonna come back healthier, stronger than ever. 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:30.400 But at the same time, you know, we have a 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:32.120 job to do right now, and that's to be able 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:34.480 to pick it up and you know, keep battling, keep going. 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:39.040 This one hurts. The Bengals made DJ Reader the highest 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:41.440 paid nose tackle in the NFL when they signed him 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:43.800 in the offseason to a four year, fifty three million 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:46.880 dollar deal. Obviously, a big signing bonus was part of that. 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:51.160 He's making twenty two point two five million dollars this year. 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:56.680 Done after five games. Sad. You know, um lose the secondary, 0:16:56.880 --> 0:17:00.000 he lose the defensive tackle. You lose two defensive tackles. 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:04.000 Your big signings in free agency, three multimillion dollar deals, 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:10.200 not participating at this point in time. Wren and Reader 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:15.560 same injury tendon that attaches quad to the knee. They have, 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:19.439 they have surgery exactly the same injury. It's crazy, just 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:24.600 absolutely crazy, and uh, it's mind boggling when you when 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:28.080 you think about it again, what would have been the 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:34.439 strength position wise, position group wise, and the team is decimated. 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:39.440 It's a shell of itself to nobody's fault other than injury, 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:42.760 which you can't control, and it's just eating that position 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:48.359 group alive. DJ Reader large man six three three twenty 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:51.280 five pounds, depending on whether he had his sugary cereal 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:53.639 that morning, but in any case, you know, the Bengals 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:56.640 clearly went out and got him because they've been so 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.080 bad at stopping the run over the past couple of years. 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:02.200 And while that's been up and down so far this year, 0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:05.000 that wasn't his fault. He's doing his job in that area. 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:06.840 He was giving it all he's got. I mean, he 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:09.720 is a he's a you know, one hundred percent effort guy. 0:18:09.920 --> 0:18:13.359 There's no doubt about that, you know, and that that 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:17.480 that's the thing is the guys that you paid millions 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:20.119 of dollars to, you know, and Carlos is on a 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:24.160 third extension or a third contract of his career. Guys 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:27.040 that you're paying big money to, you know, like Reader, 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:31.240 like Carlos, like you know Daniels. Now Reader and Daniels 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:33.719 are down due to injury. But those are the guys 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:36.959 that the organization. If I'm spending that kind of money, 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:40.919 I'm saying, give it, give me something, give it to me. 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:44.320 I'm not mad at Covington. I traded for Covington and 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:46.960 you know he's he's giving me everything he's got. Yeah, 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:49.080 you can't ask for anything more from it. But some 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.000 of these guys that you're paying the big money to, 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:54.080 Carlos Agent, I mean, it's an organization. You have to 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:56.760 think this man, start giving me something, Start giving me 0:18:56.800 --> 0:18:59.080 some sort of return on the investment. You know, that's 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:02.200 only fair. And one of those guys is Geno Atkins. 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:04.479 They worked him back in as a pass rush here 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:06.199 last week, but the role is going to have to 0:19:06.280 --> 0:19:09.359 increase with DJ Reader out. It is. He probably played 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:12.000 twenty five percent of the snaps and he came out 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:16.000 of it well, which is good. But yeah, you need 0:19:16.119 --> 0:19:19.160 needs somebody to really push the inside of the pocket 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:21.160 and pass rush and then and then play the run 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:24.719 stuff the run. Gino can do that. And uh, you know, 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:28.080 Sam Hubbard looked to me like he dislocated his elbow. 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:31.200 I think Sam Hubbard's probably on the shelf for multiple weeks. 0:19:31.240 --> 0:19:33.160 It's it's not just a one week thing with Sam 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:37.040 Hubbard and I've dislocated my elbow. I know what that feels. 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:41.560 Oh my god, not good, good, not good, not good 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:44.439 at all. All right, I get real quick. The trainer 0:19:44.480 --> 0:19:48.960 came out, Mark Pollins came out, and the referee he 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:51.080 sees that my arms going the wrong way. It just 0:19:51.280 --> 0:19:54.200 was going the wrong way. Mike McCoy, big defense attack 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:56.760 Green Bay just rolls on it and cut blocking me 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:02.440 and it keeps out. I'm so the referee, Tuney says, 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:04.320 you know, stay honest. I'm not going anywhere. The trainer 0:20:04.320 --> 0:20:08.320 comes out. He looks, oh god, stick cover what you 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:10.000 want to hear from the trainer. I'm like, Marv, give 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:12.720 me a doctor, for God's sake. Doctor grabs my thumb 0:20:12.800 --> 0:20:15.800 and Pinky tries to snap it back into place. Doesn't 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:18.520 fall in you guys, give me one one more shot. 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:22.120 That's it. Second time went into place and they tape 0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:24.800 it up sixty degree angle. Tiger looks at me Dan 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:26.400 and goes, you're playing, aren't you? I said, I hadn't 0:20:26.440 --> 0:20:27.800 really thought about that. I can't get in the right 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:29.360 hand of stance. He goes, put your left hand down, 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:32.800 then sends me back in the game. Wow, I know 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:36.480 it's a different game. Different again. The Bengals had a 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:40.840 new guy at practice on Wednesday, defensive lineman Xavier Williams. 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:42.520 He's a six year VET and he won a Super 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:45.400 Bowl ring last year as a member of the Kansas 0:20:45.400 --> 0:20:47.720 City Chiefs. He's only played in one game so far 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:51.040 this year. That was as a member of the Patriots. 0:20:51.359 --> 0:20:54.080 And Xavier Williams was picked up earlier this week due 0:20:54.119 --> 0:20:56.680 to all the injuries the Bengals have suffered on their 0:20:56.720 --> 0:21:00.560 defensive line. So he's practicing on Wednesday, he's going to 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:04.080 be playing on Sunday. And earlier this week, defensive coordinator 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:08.320 lou An A. Rumo remembered an incidant, an incident or 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:10.639 an instance, I should say from his days as a 0:21:10.720 --> 0:21:15.280 defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins, where the Dolphins 0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:18.440 picked up a cornerback during the week late in the 0:21:18.560 --> 0:21:22.120 year and had to throw him out there we claim him. 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:25.359 Like week fourteen, the GM comes to my office as 0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:28.040 all right, this guy's starting this week. I said, okay, great, 0:21:28.440 --> 0:21:33.919 no problem. He doesn't. He doesn't for whatever reason, missed 0:21:34.359 --> 0:21:37.440 the flight, get screwed up on Tuesday. The first time 0:21:37.440 --> 0:21:42.360 I meet the guy is Wednesday, during period six of practice, 0:21:42.560 --> 0:21:44.440 I shake his hand, I say get in the huddle, 0:21:44.440 --> 0:21:46.160 and I stood behind him and he played sixty five 0:21:46.200 --> 0:21:48.959