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Speaker 1: Jared takes the snap, fakes the gift looks right. Bros

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Speaker 1: out there wo open, I'm in Ross Saint Brown touchdown

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Speaker 1: Detroit Lions hard runs Bake fourteen snuck out the right side,

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Speaker 1: golf found him. Put another six on the board for

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Speaker 1: Detroit and welcome to Week five of the NFL season.

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Speaker 1: The Lions are back on the road, playing the Cincinnati Bengals,

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Speaker 1: looking for their fourth straight victory. I am Tim twentyman.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the twenty in the Huddle podcast, and I

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Speaker 1: welcome in first and foremost. Ben Raven does a great

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Speaker 1: job covering everything Lions with the m Live Network, but

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Speaker 1: people might not know he is also a professionally trained

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Speaker 1: wrestler and commentator.

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Speaker 2: When did that start?

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Speaker 3: I was twenty seventeen. I was in a different role

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Speaker 3: that I'm live, and you know, I'd always been a

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Speaker 3: wrestling fan my whole life and I'm six six, two

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Speaker 3: fifty and a former athlete. So I was like, let's go.

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Speaker 3: I found this great school in Canada. I trained for

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Speaker 3: a couple of years, and then the inn ring stuff

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Speaker 3: kind of it in twenty twenty because I didn't have

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Speaker 3: a gateway to Cannon anymore. But for the last three

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Speaker 3: years I've been doing some pro wrestling commentary and play

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Speaker 3: by play.

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Speaker 2: And that's I just loved it.

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Speaker 1: That's awesome because you took Justin Rogers, who's been on

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Speaker 1: the podcast so far, then you took him to kind

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Speaker 1: of a little bit of an underground wrestling type deal

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Speaker 1: in Detroit there and Justin was telling me some stories.

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Speaker 1: It must be fun on the weekends.

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Speaker 2: Oh it's the best. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Speaker 3: That show I broke Justin Rodgers into was underground, hardcore,

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Speaker 3: light tubes, pin needles and all that stuff you can't

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Speaker 3: show on TV. We were a little blown away at Harpos.

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Speaker 1: I love it all right, Well, let's get back to football.

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Speaker 1: Let's take a look back against Cleveland before we move

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Speaker 1: ahead to Cincinnati. Ben, what was your biggest takeaway from

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Speaker 1: Sunday's win?

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Speaker 3: Just that when the offense stubs its toes that the

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Speaker 3: defense and the special teams can lift it up. Because

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Speaker 3: I mean it's not like the offense was terrible or anything,

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Speaker 3: but you know, they didn't take advantage of some chances

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Speaker 3: they had. They kind of stubbed their toe at two

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Speaker 3: long field goals and then they need Khalif to break

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Speaker 3: it open.

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Speaker 2: But yeah.

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Speaker 3: I just the biggest takeaway is that Helvin Shepherd is

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Speaker 3: showing some versatility and flexibility as a defensive coordinator. Like, yeah,

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Speaker 3: very matchup based. How I mean, he is who he

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Speaker 3: is in his defense, who it is, what he wants

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Speaker 3: it to be. But like I mean the QB spy stuff,

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Speaker 3: he found a way to make it his own, you know.

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Speaker 3: I mean, you get punched in the mouth on the

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Speaker 3: opening drive for the Browns and I don't think they

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Speaker 3: made it back to the red zone outside of one

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Speaker 3: more time. So it's the endgame. Adjustments are real with Shepherd,

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Speaker 3: and he's flexible, he's open ideas.

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Speaker 1: You know, we talked to him this week and he said, look,

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Speaker 1: we probably played more different schemes in variations than we had,

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Speaker 1: you know, in Dan Campbell's tenure here when Aaron Glenn

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Speaker 1: was here. That speaks to Shep just understanding what he

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Speaker 1: has in terms of personnel, how he wants to handle

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Speaker 1: those matchups like you talked about. I love a defensive

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Speaker 1: coordinator that isn't scared like that. They're playing a ton

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Speaker 1: of based defense which they think they can hide some

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Speaker 1: coverages and rush stuff off that. I just love the

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Speaker 1: way he's calling it and playing it and scheming it

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Speaker 1: right now, it seems like Dan's got a ton of

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Speaker 1: trust in him.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I wrote that in my column this week about Shepherd,

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Speaker 3: was like Dan fully trust Shepherd. And when Dan Campbell

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Speaker 3: fully trusts on you, that does a lot of weight

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Speaker 3: carrying throughout the rest of the building. And Shepherd's presence

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Speaker 3: and now he carries himself. I don't even think he

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Speaker 3: needed that boost, Like these guys really gravitate to him.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, I love it. You shouldn't treat Lamar Jackson

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Speaker 3: like any other quarterback in the right. You shouldn't chase

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Speaker 3: or treat Chasing Higgins like any other receiver do in

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Speaker 3: the league. And I mean they preach versatility, they preached

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Speaker 3: cross training, they preach getting out of your comfort zone,

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Speaker 3: and they flashed on it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: The offensive line zero sacks in three straight weeks. I

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Speaker 1: think you have to go back to nineteen fifty last

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Speaker 1: time this franchise done that fourteen sacks. They're trailing only

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Speaker 1: Denver defensively with fourteen sex Denver's got fifteen their second there,

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Speaker 1: and can the offense and defensive line continue this display

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Speaker 1: throughout the season. Look, there's gonna be hiccups here and

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Speaker 1: that's the NFL. But fundamentally, is this what they are?

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Speaker 1: Is this what we're seeing, what we're gonna see for six,

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Speaker 1: seven to eighteen weeks, and if we do, boy, how

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Speaker 1: good can this football team really be?

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Speaker 3: I mean that's the thing. I think both sides can

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Speaker 3: get better. You know, Starting on offense, Ratleich is only

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Speaker 3: four year, four games into his career, and it's been

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Speaker 3: I mean there's blips on the raidar, there's rookie learning

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Speaker 3: curves and stuff like that, but he's been good. He's

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Speaker 3: been really good, and it keeps getting better and he's

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Speaker 3: shown what his best can look like at this stage

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Speaker 3: of his career, and it's pretty great. Mahogany fits like

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Speaker 3: a glove. I think both those guys still have a

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Speaker 3: ton of room to grow. There's still a there's still

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Speaker 3: new pieces to the operation. I mean, even Mahogany was

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Speaker 3: here last year, no camp, no preseason, plays in two

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Speaker 3: games and it feels like he's been a starter here

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Speaker 3: for two years. So offensive line arrow up because as

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Speaker 3: Decker continues to get used to his shoulder and recovering

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Speaker 3: from that, I just think there's there's only room to

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Speaker 3: grow for the old line on the defensive line. That

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Speaker 3: guy Alee McNeil's.

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Speaker 1: Coming back different too. He's gonna just keep trending up.

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Speaker 1: So I thought what Shephard said today, once a Leam

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Speaker 1: gets back, and we don't know when that'll be, he's

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Speaker 1: obviously chomping at the bit the way he described his

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Speaker 1: practice yesterday, it might be soon rather than later. The

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Speaker 1: lines are gonna be careful with him. But boy, Ben,

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Speaker 1: when you can put ty Leek a Leam, DJ Reader

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Speaker 1: and Roy Lopez has played pretty well to begin this

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Speaker 1: season too. I mean that's four starting caliber defensive tackles

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Speaker 1: that you can throw around and do some different things with.

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Speaker 1: Chef's gonna really enjoy that, and he's gonna be able

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Speaker 1: to be creative with, isn't he.

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Speaker 4: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: And it lets Tyler play the downs that he's specialized

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Speaker 3: for this young of his career. And I mean McNeil,

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Speaker 3: that's you talk about finding a guy that can unlock

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Speaker 3: Hutchinson and take away some pressure from Hutchinson double teams

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Speaker 3: and chips, it's McNeil, Yeah. I mean, he's a lead

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Speaker 3: against the run and he's one of the best interior

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Speaker 3: pressure creators in the league. I mean He's a ninety

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Speaker 3: seven million dollar guy for a reason. I mean, this

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Speaker 3: is a very high quality, versatile inside outside guy coming

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Speaker 3: back to the line, and the better positions you can

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Speaker 3: put Tyleek in and DJ and play around with those fronts,

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Speaker 3: the better.

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Speaker 2: It's gonna be.

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Speaker 1: There was no letdown last week after obviously huge road

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Speaker 1: win in Baltimore. I don't see that being a thing

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Speaker 1: with this team, do you know? Just the way that

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Speaker 1: Dan is, the way that they don't take teams lightly,

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Speaker 1: the way they talk about opponents. Look, Cincinnati hasn't played

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Speaker 1: well and for good reason. They lost their all pro quarterback,

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Speaker 1: arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But

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Speaker 1: Detroit is treating them. They've talked about the weapons on

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Speaker 1: the outside with te Higgins and Chase and you know,

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Speaker 1: the running back, and some of the weapons on defense

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Speaker 1: with obviously you know Trey Hendon Hendrickson, and there's just

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Speaker 1: no letdown. I don't see that being a thing, do you.

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Speaker 3: No, I don't think that. No, there's no trap games

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Speaker 3: in the NFL. These are NFL teams, and I just

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Speaker 3: think Dan Campbell led team isn't gonna waste a Sunday.

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Speaker 3: I mean, this is what they live for. I mean,

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Speaker 3: his culture is embedded in this team's DNA, and there's

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Speaker 3: no overlooking anybody because they remember what that felt like

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Speaker 3: in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two and what

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Speaker 3: they started to do to people. I mean, there's you can't.

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Speaker 3: I mean they got Jamar Chas and t Higgins and

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Speaker 3: Trey Hendrickson and Logan Wilson. I mean this, they got

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Speaker 3: some talent on that side of the ball. And if

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Speaker 3: you fall asleep at the wheel, they'll bite you. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: And they don't overlook anybody. They're thankful to play every

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Speaker 3: freaking chance they get. I mean, I mean that you

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Speaker 3: just so rarely see a head coaches DNA and blueprint

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Speaker 3: on the culture, on the mentality like you do here

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Speaker 3: one hundred percent.

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Speaker 1: All right, let's look ahead to Cincy a little bit.

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Speaker 1: You take a look at them. They're two and two.

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Speaker 1: Get off of the start, lose Joe Burrow. They've lost

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Speaker 1: their last two. Didn't look particularly good on Monday in

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Speaker 1: Denver twenty eight to three loss. But when you watch them, Ben,

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Speaker 1: what gives you maybe the most.

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Speaker 3: Worry about that football team, it is chasing Higgins. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: because it's I mean it's it's the one of the

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Speaker 3: best all around wide receivers in the game. And Chase

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Speaker 3: who plays like he's six foot three, and then you

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Speaker 3: got t Higgins who's literally six four to two twenty.

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Speaker 3: I mean, they can be two a ton of ways.

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Speaker 3: I've been shocked that they haven't been able to get

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Speaker 3: those guys the ball. I mean everything should be going

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Speaker 3: through those two. I think they only have fourteen catches,

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Speaker 3: one hundred and twenty yards and no touchdowns over the

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Speaker 3: last two games.

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Speaker 2: It's crazy Chase can do that in one game by himself.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So that's that's the big That's where my eyes

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Speaker 3: go there because it's like those are they paid that

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Speaker 3: money to those guys for a reason, and it's like

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Speaker 3: there's there's belief in Jake Brownie. At least there was

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Speaker 3: inside that building. I mean, he had started for them before,

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Speaker 3: but like so far, it's been like they can't get

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Speaker 3: him the ball. And if they can't get those two

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Speaker 3: guys the ball, they're gonna put up three points.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and obviously the lines are gonna be without dj

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Speaker 1: Reed put him on injured reserve. That means he's gonna

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Speaker 1: miss at least the next three games. With the bye

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Speaker 1: week coming after that. So to your point, now you

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Speaker 1: dip into your death a little bit, you expect me

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Speaker 1: maybe to move outside a little bit. They'll deal with

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Speaker 1: what they've got to in the nickel. But again, they

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Speaker 1: play a lot of base defense. But I thought it

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Speaker 1: was interesting this week. I listened in on Browning's interview

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Speaker 1: on Wednesday, and he said, boy, when I looked at

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Speaker 1: that film, I did a terrible job giving my guys

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Speaker 1: opportunities on fifty to fifty balls. You just threw a

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Speaker 1: couple where the receivers had no chance under threw one.

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Speaker 1: He said, That's one thing. When I see one on

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Speaker 1: one on the outside, I'm gonna give those guys an

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Speaker 1: opportunity to make a play. I think that'll be an

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Speaker 1: interesting dynamic Sunday against a secondary that's now dipping into

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Speaker 1: their numbers a little bit.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, No, DJ read that's huge. Terryon's banged up

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Speaker 3: hasn't been the start he's wanted to the season. I

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Speaker 3: mean that is I mean, if I were the Bengals,

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Speaker 3: that's what I would be attacking too. Is like this

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Speaker 3: defense that loves to play man coverage and trust their

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Speaker 3: guys Like that's see if we canet. Yes, that's how

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Speaker 3: the Brown scored on that opening drive too. They ate

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Speaker 3: at the man coverage. But you know, Shepherd was able

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Speaker 3: to adjust move the rotations around because I'm fascinated by

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Speaker 3: what they're gonna do. Is it gonna be a day

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Speaker 3: outside's gonna play the slot?

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Speaker 5: Is?

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Speaker 3: Yes, sin as Madic, So, I mean they have that

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Speaker 3: versatility for a reason. Uh, it's obviously a daunting matchup

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Speaker 3: with those receivers, but yeah, it's a it's a big tust,

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Speaker 3: it's a big chance. As Shepherd said, for Terry and Arnold,

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Speaker 3: I mean, if you're gonna play this weekend, two practices

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Speaker 3: in a row, seems like he's on tracks. Time to

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Speaker 3: step up, be the guy. Time to see that guy

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Speaker 3: that we saw the final eight weeks the last season.

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Speaker 1: And the guy that we saw in training. He's been

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Speaker 1: a little surprising to me that he's gotten off to

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Speaker 1: the start he did, because you probably wrote it to

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Speaker 1: I know, I did pie a couple of times just

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Speaker 1: how good he looked against Jamo and Saint Brown, and

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Speaker 1: he was terrific, and I thought he was really just

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Speaker 1: gonna take off. And still some of the issues with

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Speaker 1: the technique the hands, the penalties. I think he cleans

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Speaker 1: that up. It'll go a long way to to to

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Speaker 1: play in better football. But can can the Bengals score

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Speaker 1: enough without Joe Burrow to compete with Detroit? Because offensively,

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Speaker 1: and I thought John Moreton, the offensive coordiniao, said it

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Speaker 1: perfect this week when we talked to him, he said,

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Speaker 1: we can do what we want. Yeah, and he's not lying. No,

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Speaker 1: you know they can run the football. They're top ten

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Speaker 1: in the rush, top ten in the past, number one

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Speaker 1: in scoring, top ten and overall defense. You gotta feel

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Speaker 1: really good about what this team is doing offensively going

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Speaker 1: into Sunday.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, the Bengals can't keep up. I mean there's I mean,

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Speaker 3: this was an easy prediction for me this week. And

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Speaker 3: it's like the Bengals have some weapons, they might score

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Speaker 3: some points, they might be better than they were last week.

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Speaker 3: But I don't think like I see thirty five plus

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Speaker 3: points for this line, like just because like last week,

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Speaker 3: like jam On and Golf are off, they guess what

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Speaker 3: they do. They go to Saint Brown, who's getting some

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Speaker 3: wild praise this week but deservedly so. Yeah, and they've

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Speaker 3: fed Gibbs MANI didn't have his best day. I mean,

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Speaker 3: when't they just have so many guys like that. When

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Speaker 3: somebody's not at their best, somebody else steps up. I mean,

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Speaker 3: you see Gibbs twenty one garries last week. That's the tone.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna caution you. I'm gonna caution you a little

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Speaker 1: bit about Monty though. You guys are gonna see him.

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Speaker 1: You guys are gonna see him on the podcast. He's

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Speaker 1: my guest next and he is going home, which interesting

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Speaker 1: is he has never played college or professional football in

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Speaker 1: his hometown of Cincinnati. He's very motivated. We're gonna hear

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Speaker 1: from him next. But I wouldn't be surprised if he

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Speaker 1: gets going to Both these running backs get going. Jamo

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Speaker 1: has a little bit of a bounce back. They catch

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Speaker 1: a big play with him too. We know what Saint's

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Speaker 1: gonna do. Saint's gonna be Saints. It's just it's so

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Speaker 1: hard as a defensive coordinator. I think when you sit

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Speaker 1: down and you start to scheme this year, like what

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Speaker 1: do we have to stop? And the list just keeps

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Speaker 1: going and going and going and going and going. I'm

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Speaker 1: with you. I think if Cincinnati's gonna have a chance,

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Speaker 1: they've got to get those guys in the outside going.

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Speaker 1: They've got to create some big plays offensively because I

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Speaker 1: think their only chances to shoot up because you're not

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Speaker 1: gonna stop Detroit.

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Speaker 3: No, not at all. And I just Chase Brown's a

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Speaker 3: good back. But I would take the Lions run defense,

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Speaker 3: and it's a lot of teams, especially this one because

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Speaker 3: that since the ol line has not been the best.

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Speaker 3: And like you said, Dave Montgomery don't need a lot

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Speaker 3: of motivation to bounce back. I mean, I'm sure he's

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Speaker 3: feeling it. Alpha twelve yards on nine carries last week. Anyway,

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Speaker 3: you go home for the first time. We saw what

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Speaker 3: that guy did in Baltimore. They don't forget about Montgomery

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Speaker 3: because the Lions sure have not what he.

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Speaker 1: Like about the way Hutch is playing right now, looking

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Speaker 1: for a four straight with a sack. What is this

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Speaker 1: stupid number, like nineteen or two? Yeah, the quarterback hitting

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Speaker 1: row or something like that. I mean, he's back to

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Speaker 1: be in Hutch and when he's back to being Hutch,

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Speaker 1: and we already talked about what they're going to get

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Speaker 1: back in the middle. I think we haven't even talked

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Speaker 1: about Alcahi Muhammad and what he's looked like, what they've

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Speaker 1: been able to do with him. Shepherd said, look, we've

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Speaker 1: found our guy opposite it's him, and then you just, oh, yeah,

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Speaker 1: you forget about Hutchers. One of the top guys in

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Speaker 1: the league. Is just he's playing at a really great level.

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Speaker 1: What do you like the most about his play?

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Speaker 3: That he's found ways to fight through the double teams,

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Speaker 3: the constant chips, the knowing that you are going to

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Speaker 3: get double teams on basically every single play, and just

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Speaker 3: finding ways if he's not in the backfield to take

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Speaker 3: the guys with him open it up like Muhammad has

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Speaker 3: been great at being in the right at the right

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Speaker 3: time when you know the quarterback is pushed that way

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Speaker 3: because Hutchinson is hitting two guys with an inside spin

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Speaker 3: move and he's bearing down the hatches. But I just

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Speaker 3: I just like to see that he's maybe he had

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Speaker 3: an even better form than he was last year. I mean,

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Speaker 3: the punch outs, the force fumbles, I mean, he's making noise.

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Speaker 3: I mean, it's a dpo y, man, it really is.

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Speaker 3: He was gonna it felt like he was on that

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Speaker 3: track last year, and it feels like he's right back

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Speaker 3: there this year. I just he's great against the run.

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Speaker 3: He's a workout horse, a workhorse on the levels that's

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Speaker 3: only comparable to Max Crosby. He does everything, he's about

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Speaker 3: the team and it's just if you put him one

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Speaker 3: on one or just with two offensive linemen, he's gonna win.

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Speaker 1: It's such an advantage and he's been so fun to watch.

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Speaker 1: You expect him to continue it going. This week Lions

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Speaker 1: hit the road. It should be a fun one Instancinnati

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Speaker 1: in front of a national audience. This Lions team is

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Speaker 1: rolling right now looking for four straight. He is. Ben

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Speaker 1: Raven does a great job with everything. M Live. You

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Speaker 1: got a podcast too, right yeah, Dungeon the Doom with

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Speaker 1: Corey Woods. In the Doom with Corey Woods, so you

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Speaker 1: can follow that, follow him on AM Live and we'll

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Speaker 1: be right back with David Montgomery. Welcome back to Between

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Speaker 1: the Huddle podcasts.

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Speaker 6: I'm very happy to welcome man David Montgomery, running back

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Speaker 6: for the Detroit Lions. And David, this is a little

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Speaker 6: bit of a homecoming weekend for you. I found it

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Speaker 6: amazing for how long you played obviously college bald Iowa State,

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Speaker 6: for how long you've been in the NFL, you have

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Speaker 6: never played in your hometown of Cincinnati. How exciting is

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Speaker 6: this week going back home for you?

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Speaker 4: Yeah?

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Speaker 7: I think for me it's very exciting, just because it's

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Speaker 7: something that I haven't done yet. But I think it's

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Speaker 7: cool to see, like some of my close friends that

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Speaker 7: I went to school with and some people that I

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Speaker 7: had contact with in my city coming out to support

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Speaker 7: and get to see me kind of play live in

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Speaker 7: my hometown.

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Speaker 4: I think it's really cool.

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Speaker 1: So I thought, in honor of you going back home

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Speaker 1: to Cincinnati, we want to give you a little look

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Speaker 1: at what you were doing back in the day at Cincinnati.

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Speaker 1: So for all those people listening on audio, we got

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Speaker 1: some highlights of David playing high school football in Cincinnati.

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Speaker 1: So just press play. I want you to take us

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Speaker 1: through some of this a little bit. You're a dual

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Speaker 1: threat quarterback, one of the best players to ever come

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Speaker 1: out of Ohio. What are you seeing here?

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Speaker 4: I don't know.

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Speaker 7: I think this was a sixth green and I ended

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Speaker 7: up cutting all the way backside. Oh my god, this

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Speaker 7: film is so old, bro, Oh my goodness. This was

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Speaker 7: a little skater I took to the creb. This is

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Speaker 7: against Talawanda.

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Speaker 1: High stepping there at the end, and then look at

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Speaker 1: you didn't do a lot of throwing as a quarterback.

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Speaker 1: But look at the little.

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Speaker 7: I mean I have to We was winning off with

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Speaker 7: just me running the ball, but when I had to,

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Speaker 7: thought I could throw it too.

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Speaker 1: So well, when you look at this kid right here,

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Speaker 1: when did he fall in love with football?

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Speaker 4: Man?

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Speaker 7: I think for me, probably the first time I like

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Speaker 7: really fell in love with the game was when I

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Speaker 7: was probably eight nine.

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Speaker 4: I think like when I was younger, I started playing

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Speaker 4: when I was five.

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Speaker 7: You did it because you had to do it. You

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Speaker 7: didn't really like contact as a kid. But then I realized,

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Speaker 7: like I could be pretty dominant this how I played

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Speaker 7: and how I was. I think for me, that's what

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Speaker 7: I really realized, like, oh man, I really like this

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Speaker 7: a lot.

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Speaker 1: What is it about the team aspect of football that

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Speaker 1: you that you love? You know, obviously it's a physical game,

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Speaker 1: it's a tough game, but there's this team aspect and

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Speaker 1: when you look at this football team that you're on

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Speaker 1: right now, it kind of embodies.

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Speaker 4: It to me. What do you like about that aspect

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Speaker 4: of it?

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Speaker 7: Well, I think that's the unique part about the game

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Speaker 7: of football. You know, it's a vast majority of people

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Speaker 7: from all walks of earth, all walks of life. You know,

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Speaker 7: they come together from different backgrounds and being able to

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Speaker 7: experience some of the same taxing, you know, things that

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Speaker 7: you go through on the field and being able to

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Speaker 7: like have the results together. It feels good knowing that,

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Speaker 7: you you know, fighting with somebody from a different place,

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Speaker 7: but the love is unconditional. So I think it's really

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Speaker 7: cool just being a part of a group or a

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Speaker 7: team to where like you can come from anywhere but

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Speaker 7: have the same common goal and you know, kind of

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Speaker 7: being from it together.

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Speaker 1: You know, not all players have that kind of mentality, David,

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Speaker 1: because look, you signed here in twenty twenty three, right,

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Speaker 1: you signed a three year eighteen mound deer. You're gonna

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Speaker 1: be the guy a team draftser bunny back engineer Gibbs.

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Speaker 1: I've seen it before in my time covering this league

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Speaker 1: that you know, veteran guys don't take that guy under

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Speaker 1: their wing. Maybe there's a little bit of resentment there.

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Speaker 1: You're never like that, and I've never seen that with

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Speaker 1: really any of the other groups. The offensive lineman when

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Speaker 1: young guys have come in, why was it important for

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Speaker 1: you to take jab under your wing and be a

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Speaker 1: great teammate and not be that other guy.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, I think it's easy to kind of fall into

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Speaker 7: that rabbit hole of like III and you know, ultimately

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Speaker 7: like you want to win, but like there's things that

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Speaker 7: you develop relationships with certain people like jo Joe, Like

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Speaker 7: he's an incredible athlete, but he's a more an incredible

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Speaker 7: person and people don't really know that. But I've had

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Speaker 7: an opportunity to experience like him interpersonally and being able

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Speaker 7: to get to know him, and it's far beyond football

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Speaker 7: for me, Like I want you to be the best

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Speaker 7: rid himself, but he also helps me like be a

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Speaker 7: better person, a better human, and you know, a better

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Speaker 7: football player at the end of the day. So I

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Speaker 7: just felt like it was just the right thing to do.

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Speaker 1: How do you guys compliment each other on the football

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Speaker 1: field and in the meeting room and outside.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, I think like we're both super competitive, so like

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Speaker 7: once he sees like if I see him pop one all,

436
00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,600
Speaker 7: like I gotta do the same thing. Like it's always

437
00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:25,800
Speaker 7: about us towns in each other, and I think like

438
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,199
Speaker 7: it's a lot harder for people to kind of put

439
00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,199
Speaker 7: a dot on us just because you know, when you

440
00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:31,720
Speaker 7: look at John, you look at me. They try to

441
00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,199
Speaker 7: like say, Okay, John just does this and Demo just

442
00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:36,119
Speaker 7: does that, But like that's not the truth if you

443
00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:37,600
Speaker 7: really like break down the film and see it. And

444
00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,040
Speaker 7: I think that's what makes it so hard to kind

445
00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,280
Speaker 7: of like stop us together. But I think in the

446
00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,080
Speaker 7: same degree, it's also like advantage us just being able

447
00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,040
Speaker 7: to have, you know, two guys who can do a

448
00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,280
Speaker 7: lot of things and are super selfless. I mean, I

449
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,720
Speaker 7: think it's paid huge dividends for us since we've been here.

450
00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,280
Speaker 1: Look, I say this all the time when I watch games, like, man,

451
00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,280
Speaker 1: I would hate to be an NFL running back. The

452
00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,399
Speaker 1: hits that you guys take, the pounding that you guys

453
00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,439
Speaker 1: take every week. How beneficial has that been to David?

454
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,439
Speaker 1: Just to be the better version of yourself in the

455
00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:13,320
Speaker 1: fourth quarter and to have a little bit more kind

456
00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:15,200
Speaker 1: of tread on the tires.

457
00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,280
Speaker 7: I think it's super important, just because you know, it's

458
00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,720
Speaker 7: always that late year push that you know where injuries

459
00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,000
Speaker 7: kind of kick in and you know, the guys who

460
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,080
Speaker 7: carried a load it typically split out or don't make it.

461
00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:29,560
Speaker 7: But you know, again, it's unique. The system we got

462
00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:33,360
Speaker 7: here is Jah he rolls, I roll and we are

463
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,359
Speaker 7: able to keep each other fresh. So I think it's

464
00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:37,720
Speaker 7: very important that you know, we realize be in it

465
00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,000
Speaker 7: for the long game. And you know, and I think

466
00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,159
Speaker 7: everybody upstairs understands that too, of how important it is

467
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,240
Speaker 7: to keep both of us fresh.

468
00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,800
Speaker 1: How much do you appreciate what Jared's not only done

469
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,879
Speaker 1: for the last few years, but just the level that

470
00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,440
Speaker 1: he's playing with right now. Everybody gives the offensive line

471
00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,240
Speaker 1: credit for you know, him not being sacked for three weeks,

472
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,040
Speaker 1: the running bass get a lot of credit, to the

473
00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,480
Speaker 1: tight ends for fighting on the edges get a lot

474
00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,560
Speaker 1: of credit. But JG gets a lot of credit to

475
00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,919
Speaker 1: you just when you look at how well he's playing

476
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,680
Speaker 1: right now. How perfect does he a fit for this

477
00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:09,240
Speaker 1: offense and for this team.

478
00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,640
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think everything that he's receiving is deservingly so

479
00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,040
Speaker 7: you know, he comes in here with the mentality to

480
00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,440
Speaker 7: be the best version of stuff that he can be,

481
00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,520
Speaker 7: And it's obvious and you kind of feed off of JG.

482
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,760
Speaker 7: And JG is a he's a high end competitor, but

483
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,280
Speaker 7: he's also a great team guy too. So I think

484
00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,080
Speaker 7: when you look at somebody who you want leading to charge,

485
00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,480
Speaker 7: you got to look at JG, you know, and he

486
00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,399
Speaker 7: embraces that role. He embodies what it is to be

487
00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,040
Speaker 7: a quarterback. And you know, he he was a cast

488
00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,280
Speaker 7: out just like a lot of other guys were here.

489
00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,960
Speaker 7: So I think him embracing being that guy and being

490
00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,960
Speaker 7: able to relive and recreates a name for himself, I

491
00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,000
Speaker 7: think is very important. And just to kind of see

492
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,320
Speaker 7: like what he's developing into and you know, allowing him

493
00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:54,440
Speaker 7: to be the best version of stuff.

494
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:55,800
Speaker 4: I think it's a beautiful thing to see.

495
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:57,879
Speaker 1: That's why we talked to him this week. This actually

496
00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,960
Speaker 1: marks his seventieth game in Detroit. He played sixty nine

497
00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,080
Speaker 1: brand so now he's kind of he's a Detroit guy. Now.

498
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,480
Speaker 1: You know, you mentioned more than in the offense. Just

499
00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,560
Speaker 1: what have you thought of John? I thought you made

500
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,480
Speaker 1: a great point that that you know, there's not stuff

501
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,439
Speaker 1: for John, not stuff for you. You guys, it's the

502
00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,959
Speaker 1: same offense, and you've got two backs that can do

503
00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,480
Speaker 1: both everything. So it makes it so hard on a defense.

504
00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,439
Speaker 1: What if you like the most about Johnny Moe in

505
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,040
Speaker 1: that role house he may be a little bit different

506
00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:26,400
Speaker 1: than Ben.

507
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,240
Speaker 7: I think Johnny Mo, I mean, he's unique in his

508
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,679
Speaker 7: own light, super vocal, aggressive man. He's not scared to

509
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,439
Speaker 7: like say what's on his mind. So if you are

510
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:40,080
Speaker 7: sensitive or weak minded, you won't make it. But ultimately

511
00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,720
Speaker 7: it's just him trying to make you the best person

512
00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,560
Speaker 7: that you can be in the best prayer can be. Also,

513
00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,159
Speaker 7: but you know, he demands a lot from us, and

514
00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,720
Speaker 7: there's nothing that he demands that we can't, you know, touch.

515
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,760
Speaker 7: So I think that if Johnny Mo's out there talking,

516
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,320
Speaker 7: I think it is big and it's important. So I

517
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,720
Speaker 7: think you know Johnny understanding the kind.

518
00:21:58,560 --> 00:21:59,520
Speaker 4: Of guy that he has.

519
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,720
Speaker 7: And you know he always says his job is on Sundays,

520
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,200
Speaker 7: don't mess it up cause he got enough guys. And

521
00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,199
Speaker 7: you know the guys are good enough down there in

522
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,439
Speaker 7: that locker room to where we should be able to

523
00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,680
Speaker 7: be anybody if we playing our best brand of ball.

524
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,600
Speaker 7: So Johnny, he's super, super vocal, super cool.

525
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:16,920
Speaker 4: But you know, I love the guy.

526
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,760
Speaker 1: David. You're the number one scoring offensive football. Your offensive

527
00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,639
Speaker 1: line is playing like a top five unit. You have

528
00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,200
Speaker 1: to run the ball, you could throw the ball. Are

529
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,080
Speaker 1: we seeing the best version of you? Guys? Is there

530
00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,320
Speaker 1: still more to this that that we haven't seen yet?

531
00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:31,440
Speaker 1: Are you guys? Still kind of heading this way.

532
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,200
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think we're definitely still as sending. I think

533
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,800
Speaker 7: just the expectations that we have for ourselves. You know,

534
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,280
Speaker 7: we could be so much better. It may like seem

535
00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,000
Speaker 7: like we put up a lot of points, but within

536
00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,359
Speaker 7: those games, like there's things that we kind of leaved

537
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:45,920
Speaker 7: out there on the bone that we know we can

538
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,200
Speaker 7: improve on, and we will. I think it just comes

539
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,840
Speaker 7: with like continuing to build chemistry and also like just

540
00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,480
Speaker 7: being more cleaner, get more repetition on things that we

541
00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:55,920
Speaker 7: didn't really you know at the end of the day,

542
00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,320
Speaker 7: Johnny most of our new offensive coordinator, and we still

543
00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:02,439
Speaker 7: learning him every day. So I think repetition and you know,

544
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,840
Speaker 7: us still sticking together and realizing that oh, just a

545
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,439
Speaker 7: greater you know go for all of us here, and

546
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,240
Speaker 7: you know, I think we can definitely read some heights

547
00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:13,520
Speaker 7: that a lot of people hadn't been able to touch.

548
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:15,439
Speaker 1: It a couple more for you before I let you go,

549
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,119
Speaker 1: just Cincinnati this week, how much you're looking forward and

550
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:20,680
Speaker 1: how much have you had to kind of dip into

551
00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:22,760
Speaker 1: the wall a little bit, get some tickets here and there,

552
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,199
Speaker 1: and just what's that what's that pregame atmosphere gonna be

553
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,320
Speaker 1: like for you seeing some friends for you know, the

554
00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:30,160
Speaker 1: first time again for a while, being able to play

555
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,320
Speaker 1: in front of some family. Just uh, what's the lead

556
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:35,400
Speaker 1: up to this to this week?

557
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,880
Speaker 7: Like, yeah, I mean I think of that and set

558
00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:39,800
Speaker 7: in it's not just a game, Like it's not just

559
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,639
Speaker 7: a normal game for me, just because I grew up

560
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:44,240
Speaker 7: with a lot of guys gonna be in the stand.

561
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:45,760
Speaker 7: There's gonna be a lot of guys that I grew

562
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,639
Speaker 7: up with who gonna be big Bengals fans. So I

563
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,560
Speaker 7: think it's just gonna be really really cool to see

564
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,640
Speaker 7: like a lot of familiar faces and coming to support

565
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,280
Speaker 7: me and you know, throughout my entire journey and me

566
00:23:57,359 --> 00:23:59,920
Speaker 7: playing ball the same people who rooted for me when

567
00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:01,800
Speaker 7: I was in high school and to when I got

568
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,719
Speaker 7: to college and even in the NFL now.

569
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,120
Speaker 4: I think it's super cool to have that experience.

570
00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,720
Speaker 7: But like I said, like the most important thing that

571
00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,320
Speaker 7: I'm kind of excited about seeing my sister and seeing

572
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 7: my nephew. So that's probably the most exciting thing I'm

573
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:15,199
Speaker 7: waiting for.

574
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,520
Speaker 1: Speaking of family, you became a father a couple of

575
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,280
Speaker 1: years ago. I'm just curious how how was becoming a

576
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:22,919
Speaker 1: dad changed you as a person, maybe changed you as

577
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:23,720
Speaker 1: a football player.

578
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:28,240
Speaker 4: Definitely softened my heart, you know, just you can't be.

579
00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 7: Ultra aggressive with a child that's learning life every day,

580
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,680
Speaker 7: who's curious about the things that they don't know. So

581
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,520
Speaker 7: I think a lot of times, you know, be playing

582
00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,760
Speaker 7: this game the way that I played at a violent level.

583
00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:44,919
Speaker 7: I think it enables me to think that, like I

584
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,720
Speaker 7: could be that way towards my son, but my son

585
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,320
Speaker 7: had like taught me like I'm just a kid, and

586
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,560
Speaker 7: you know, just being available and like showing up or

587
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:56,800
Speaker 7: lett him know, like this is how who your dad

588
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:58,080
Speaker 7: is and this is how your dad wants you to

589
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,560
Speaker 7: see you. I think that's super super big and important

590
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,359
Speaker 7: for me. So it definitely like has changed who I

591
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,960
Speaker 7: am and who I'm becoming. Also like giving me more

592
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,520
Speaker 7: patience too, So yeah, I love every bit of it.

593
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:11,760
Speaker 1: Well, it should be fun. You guys are on some

594
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,119
Speaker 1: kind of streak offensively, obviously the football team one three straight,

595
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,800
Speaker 1: looking for four. David Montgomery's going home looking forward to it.

596
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:20,640
Speaker 1: Go show the home crowd de of what you guys

597
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,360
Speaker 1: can do offensively. Appreciate taking the time.

598
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:23,200
Speaker 4: I appreciate it.

599
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 1: Welcome back to Toy Mohabeo Podcast presented by Microsoft. I'm

600
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,480
Speaker 1: very happy about the man, Kelsey Conway. She does a

601
00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,600
Speaker 1: great job covering everything Cincinnati Bengals for the Cincinnati Inquire. Kels,

602
00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:38,120
Speaker 1: thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it.

603
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,480
Speaker 5: Thanks so much for having me on. It feels like

604
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,560
Speaker 5: it's a rare matchup that I get to, like talk

605
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,840
Speaker 5: about the Bengals and Allions with you. So I'm excited.

606
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:48,080
Speaker 1: I know, I like these kind of you know, interconference matchups.

607
00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,800
Speaker 1: You know, the you don't know much about the opponent.

608
00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,320
Speaker 1: There's a little bit uncertainty. Unfortunately for you guys, you're

609
00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:57,439
Speaker 1: coming off a very short week, having been Monday in Denver.

610
00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,359
Speaker 1: How are you doing sleepwise? You all right?

611
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,919
Speaker 5: You? Uh, Tuesday was a rough travel day back and

612
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,880
Speaker 5: it felt like Wednesday. I was like, I don't think

613
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,400
Speaker 5: my body really got on the clock until like three o'clock.

614
00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,160
Speaker 5: So today I feel back to normal. So we're good.

615
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:12,159
Speaker 2: I hear you.

616
00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,399
Speaker 1: We had Baltimore last week. Now Baltimore's not obviously Denver,

617
00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,159
Speaker 1: so but those short weeks they add up. You know,

618
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,520
Speaker 1: when you go those Thursdays and Thursdays that they start

619
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,240
Speaker 1: to get crazy. We got one of those coming up

620
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 1: here too. But all right, let's get into this matchup

621
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,399
Speaker 1: on Sunday. Kels, you look at three games in a

622
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,960
Speaker 1: row now for Cincinnati under two hundred yards of offense,

623
00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,159
Speaker 1: and you look at all the weapons with Chase and

624
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,560
Speaker 1: Higgins and brown and look, I know they don't have

625
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,040
Speaker 1: obviously Joe Burrow, but Browning has played in this league.

626
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,440
Speaker 1: He's played good football in this league. What is it about?

627
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,120
Speaker 1: You know, these last few weeks. What's been the biggest

628
00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,200
Speaker 1: issue when you watch them offensively?

629
00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,240
Speaker 5: So, I mean that's been like the NonStop question here

630
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,560
Speaker 5: and Cincinnati, like we peppered the Bengals offensive course Dan

631
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,560
Speaker 5: Pitcher with you know, six questions back to back to

632
00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 5: back about the offensive production yesterday. And the way that

633
00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:09,840
Speaker 5: they look at it is different than the way I

634
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,680
Speaker 5: look at it. But the way that they look at

635
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:15,679
Speaker 5: it is that game against Minnesota, which was Browning's first start,

636
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:21,320
Speaker 5: was an uncharacteristic five turnovers. Like under Zach Taylor, they

637
00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,159
Speaker 5: don't really turn the ball over much and they're not

638
00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:27,880
Speaker 5: really a high penalty team, and so against Minnesota they

639
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,320
Speaker 5: had five turnovers and it was players like Jamar Chase

640
00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,920
Speaker 5: fumbling like it was just a weird game, and honestly,

641
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,960
Speaker 5: like the game got so out of whack early they

642
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,359
Speaker 5: couldn't have their full offensive playbook because once you get down,

643
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:43,520
Speaker 5: you know, three scores on the road, you're just constantly

644
00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,760
Speaker 5: trying to throw the ball. And the Vikings had an

645
00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,040
Speaker 5: answer for all of that. So that was the story

646
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,480
Speaker 5: of the Minnesota game. So Zach Taylor's like, turnovers, turnovers,

647
00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 5: turnovers that killed us. That's the story of why we

648
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,800
Speaker 5: can do anything on offense. Then everything was about a rebound,

649
00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,359
Speaker 5: and we talked to players and they were like, that

650
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,280
Speaker 5: is not who we're going to be. We need to

651
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,520
Speaker 5: play better. And I honestly thought they were going to

652
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,960
Speaker 5: play a lot better against Denver. And then they came

653
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,359
Speaker 5: out on Denver. They had a really awesome first drive,

654
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,560
Speaker 5: they got a field goal out of it, and then

655
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,680
Speaker 5: they just spiraled and they could not get a first down.

656
00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,399
Speaker 5: They had more penalties than first downs. They had eleven penalties.

657
00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,160
Speaker 5: And it just hasn't felt like the team has been

658
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,480
Speaker 5: able to even give themselves a chance on offense to

659
00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,520
Speaker 5: run the ball or do more under center, because they're

660
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,080
Speaker 5: constantly playing from behind eight ball, where it's like you

661
00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,240
Speaker 5: get a penalty and you're now first and fifteen, and

662
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 5: it just feels like they've shot themselves in the foot

663
00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,000
Speaker 5: too much with things that they can control, where it's

664
00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,240
Speaker 5: kind of hard to even judge what they are on offense.

665
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,720
Speaker 1: Well, how much do they have they talked about or

666
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,440
Speaker 1: how much do they know? Kel said that they have

667
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,280
Speaker 1: to fix it this week with a Detroit Lions team

668
00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,480
Speaker 1: that is maybe the opposite Right now, they are firing

669
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 1: on all cylinders offensively. They can run the football, they

670
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,760
Speaker 1: can protect Jared Golf, they allowed to sack in three weeks.

671
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,120
Speaker 1: They can you know, they ran for two hundred and

672
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,600
Speaker 1: twenty four on Baltimore. They threw for three thirty and

673
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,600
Speaker 1: five touchdowns on Chicago. They're number one on offense, their

674
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:13,720
Speaker 1: top ten running and passing. So when an offense sees

675
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,080
Speaker 1: that kind of task coming in, obviously don't play on

676
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:18,920
Speaker 1: the field together at the same time. But when an

677
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,520
Speaker 1: offense comes in, did you get a sense that they

678
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,320
Speaker 1: feel like they've got to kind of figure some of

679
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:27,240
Speaker 1: this out because Detroit's probably going to score some points here,

680
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:29,920
Speaker 1: even on the road, and you got to kind of

681
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,600
Speaker 1: you got to keep up with the Jones as if

682
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,160
Speaker 1: you're Cincinnati's offense.

683
00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:37,960
Speaker 5: One hundred percent. And we asked Bengals offensive coordinator Dan

684
00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:43,080
Speaker 5: Pitcher about statistically, like here's where the Lions rank, and

685
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,160
Speaker 5: he said, well, I respect the numbers, he said, my

686
00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,200
Speaker 5: job is how to beat the tape, like I have

687
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,760
Speaker 5: to watch and how to come up with a plan

688
00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,479
Speaker 5: to beat the tape. But I think that everybody knows

689
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,240
Speaker 5: that they haven't been playing winning football and that of

690
00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:59,600
Speaker 5: all games for them to play sharp and have no

691
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:04,080
Speaker 5: self inflicted issues, it would be this week because they

692
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,360
Speaker 5: know that with Jake Browning, I mean, even if they

693
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,200
Speaker 5: had Burrow, this was a game where I didn't have

694
00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,320
Speaker 5: them winning, just because I think the Detroit Lions are

695
00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:15,640
Speaker 5: so good in the trenches. I think, even without Burrow,

696
00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,760
Speaker 5: like they're going to have to play perfect, and I

697
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,720
Speaker 5: still don't think perfect is enough because I think they

698
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,920
Speaker 5: could have a great offensive game and then they haven't

699
00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,640
Speaker 5: been able to play better on defense. And on defense

700
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,160
Speaker 5: they'll tell you, well, we've been on the field too

701
00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:33,920
Speaker 5: much because the offense hasn't been able to sustain drives.

702
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,360
Speaker 5: So overall, it's just been a mess here in Cincinnati.

703
00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:41,280
Speaker 5: And I'm not really sure where the easy quick fix

704
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:44,320
Speaker 5: is because I think they just have some deficiencies that

705
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,200
Speaker 5: Joe Burrow covered up and right now you're looking.

706
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,520
Speaker 1: At them well. Sometimes coming home too after tough loss

707
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:52,920
Speaker 1: like that, a short week, you don't have time to

708
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,320
Speaker 1: reminisce about the week before. It's just about getting forward

709
00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:58,320
Speaker 1: in the next Sometimes that can do a team good

710
00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,040
Speaker 1: and refocus you a little bit too, And so hopefully

711
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,400
Speaker 1: the fans in Cincinnati can look toward that maybe as

712
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,080
Speaker 1: being something where they will play better football on both

713
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:10,360
Speaker 1: sides of the ball. Kelsy Any injury issues with Cincinnati

714
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,560
Speaker 1: coming in this game that might affect it. Are they

715
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 1: pretty healthy for the most part.

716
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,000
Speaker 5: They're pretty healthy. They haven't had Shamar Stewart, and I

717
00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,880
Speaker 5: think that's that's hurt them because I think they thought

718
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,400
Speaker 5: he was going to be able to be a factor

719
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,120
Speaker 5: opposite of Trey Hendrickston. And you know how it goes

720
00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,880
Speaker 5: with rookies if you miss three to four weeks. Coming

721
00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:29,600
Speaker 5: on top of the fact that he missed the entire

722
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,760
Speaker 5: offseason with his contract drama, I think they're really missing him.

723
00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,840
Speaker 5: It doesn't look like he's going to play. He didn't

724
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,600
Speaker 5: practice today and he is dealing with the low ankle spring,

725
00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,360
Speaker 5: and he told me it could be a couple of weeks.

726
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,560
Speaker 5: So this will be Game three that he would miss,

727
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,640
Speaker 5: So I think he'll have more of a chance next week,

728
00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:49,160
Speaker 5: So that that's probably the biggest injury. Offensively, they are

729
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,480
Speaker 5: in good shape. They have their two receivers, they have Mikeasicki,

730
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,479
Speaker 5: their offensive line is in really good shape from a

731
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,640
Speaker 5: health standpoint. So other than that, they seem to be

732
00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:02,800
Speaker 5: pretty good from injury standpoint, which they need. They need

733
00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:04,800
Speaker 5: to be at full strength to try and even compete

734
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:05,560
Speaker 5: with these Lions.

735
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,840
Speaker 1: You mentioned the wide receivers. When I was watching that

736
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:11,080
Speaker 1: game Monday night, I noticed, just from the outside looking

737
00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,000
Speaker 1: in a little bit of frustration from Jamar Chase. And obviously,

738
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,880
Speaker 1: you know, I understand it. You know, he's goes into

739
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,120
Speaker 1: the season thinking he's going to have the quarterback where

740
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,160
Speaker 1: the kindest season he had last year, and he's going

741
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:24,720
Speaker 1: to be a big part of that. You don't get that.

742
00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,600
Speaker 1: But is there any worry in Cincinnati about Jamar and

743
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:31,920
Speaker 1: the frustrations and maybe some of that, you know, bubbling

744
00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:35,560
Speaker 1: over a little bit and spilling out into other areas well.

745
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:38,800
Speaker 5: I'll tell you my I believe it was Jamar's rookie

746
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:42,280
Speaker 5: season was my rookie season covering the Bengals, and they

747
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,360
Speaker 5: were in Chicago, and he did not like how he

748
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,000
Speaker 5: was featured in the game, and he just blasted Zach

749
00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:53,840
Speaker 5: Taylor to us post game. And Jamar is very outspoken,

750
00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,680
Speaker 5: and everybody respects it because he backs up what he says,

751
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,280
Speaker 5: but he just is very matter of the fact. And

752
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,360
Speaker 5: so all of us in the media, we're wondering after

753
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,560
Speaker 5: that game in Denver, you know, how was the post

754
00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:07,280
Speaker 5: game going to be was he going to sound off,

755
00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:09,680
Speaker 5: like what was that going to be like? And he's

756
00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,320
Speaker 5: a captain this year, and he was very calm, cool

757
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:17,600
Speaker 5: and collected, and didn't, you know, throw Zach Taylor under

758
00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,640
Speaker 5: the bus. He didn't throw the offensive game plan under

759
00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,240
Speaker 5: the bus, but he did say that they lacked a

760
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,480
Speaker 5: want to on offense. And you could tell that that

761
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,360
Speaker 5: bothered him because he goes out every game. He's one

762
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:34,200
Speaker 5: of the most competitive people I've ever covered. So right now,

763
00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:37,720
Speaker 5: it seems like he's understanding the leadership part of his

764
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,320
Speaker 5: evolution in the NFL, but he's a competitor at heart.

765
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,080
Speaker 5: And I don't know how if in two more games,

766
00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:49,000
Speaker 5: if the offense continues to look as bad as it has.

767
00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,000
Speaker 5: I don't know how that's going to go over for

768
00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:56,960
Speaker 5: him and t Higgins. So right now, everybody's playing nice

769
00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,800
Speaker 5: in the Sandbux, but I'm not sure if there's if

770
00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,320
Speaker 5: they're there's two more humiliating losses that take place, Because

771
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,280
Speaker 5: you know, the Bengals play the Packers next week to

772
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,880
Speaker 5: another tough matchup. I don't know if I'll be able

773
00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,240
Speaker 5: to say the same thing, Kels.

774
00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:12,880
Speaker 1: What's the biggest matchup for you heading into this game?

775
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,200
Speaker 1: The Cincinnati Bengals need to do what to come back

776
00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,399
Speaker 1: home and get a big win against the Detroit Lions

777
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,439
Speaker 1: team that's playing really good football right now and looking

778
00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:21,280
Speaker 1: to win four straight.

779
00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,160
Speaker 5: I think they need to play really well up front

780
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,600
Speaker 5: on both sides of the ball, but specifically on the

781
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,920
Speaker 5: offensive line. They have not played well at all this year.

782
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:33,920
Speaker 5: And you're talking about players you were counting on, like

783
00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,480
Speaker 5: Orlando Brown junior. They're starting left tackle, Ted Carris, their

784
00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,120
Speaker 5: starting center. All of those guys you were expecting to

785
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,120
Speaker 5: not be an issue because the Bengals right now are

786
00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:47,040
Speaker 5: starting two rookie guards. Those two and Amarus MAM's on

787
00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,560
Speaker 5: the right side have got to play well because you

788
00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:53,759
Speaker 5: cannot afford against this Detroit Lions team with Hutchinson and

789
00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:56,880
Speaker 5: DJ Raider, who we all know well here. If they

790
00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,480
Speaker 5: don't give Jake any semblance of confidence by giving him

791
00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:02,560
Speaker 5: some time to get the ball to Jamar and t

792
00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:04,840
Speaker 5: I think it's going to be the same old, same old.

793
00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,799
Speaker 5: So I think the number one matchup for me is

794
00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,480
Speaker 5: the Bengals offensive line has to play their best game

795
00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:13,319
Speaker 5: of the season against Detroit to even give themselves a.

796
00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:17,040
Speaker 1: Chance against the Lion last one forty kels can can

797
00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:21,000
Speaker 1: Cincinnati win and win consistently with Jake Browning at quarterback?

798
00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:27,799
Speaker 5: I don't think so. I think that I thought when

799
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,520
Speaker 5: Joe went down right, because I was covering the team

800
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,320
Speaker 5: in twenty twenty three, when Jake Browning went four and

801
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:36,000
Speaker 5: three as a starter. It just feels different this time

802
00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:40,400
Speaker 5: around with this offense. He was doing things more under center.

803
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,279
Speaker 5: They had the screen game going like. It felt like

804
00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,680
Speaker 5: he took over an offense because there's later in the season.

805
00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,120
Speaker 5: It was November, he took over an offense that had

806
00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,040
Speaker 5: an identity. The fact that in his press conference on

807
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,319
Speaker 5: Monday after they lost to the Broncos, he said we

808
00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:57,040
Speaker 5: have to figure out our identity. I don't think that's

809
00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:59,640
Speaker 5: a good place for a backup quarterback to enter, and

810
00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:04,160
Speaker 5: that's where they are. So I don't currently believe that

811
00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,759
Speaker 5: they can, you know, string together enough wins to even

812
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,839
Speaker 5: make this a conversation in December about if Joe could

813
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,160
Speaker 5: come back. But I mean, they could prove me wrong.

814
00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:14,799
Speaker 5: But it just it hasn't looked good at all the

815
00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,200
Speaker 5: last two weeks. And they're about to hit the stretch

816
00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:19,160
Speaker 5: where they play the Lions, the Packers and then the

817
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:23,359
Speaker 5: Steelers and it's just gonna be tough sledding. So unfortunately,

818
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:27,160
Speaker 5: I can't say objectively I think that they can be

819
00:36:27,239 --> 00:36:30,160
Speaker 5: competitive because it just hasn't looked good the last two weeks.

820
00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:32,520
Speaker 1: Well, it hasn't looked good. But the Toroy Lions certainly

821
00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,480
Speaker 1: aren't taking them lightly. We talked to the assistant coaches,

822
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,120
Speaker 1: the coordinators, and even the players have talked about the

823
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:40,000
Speaker 1: weapons that they have on both sides of the ball.

824
00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,320
Speaker 1: How Chase and Higgins can be game breakers if you

825
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,239
Speaker 1: let them be, how Brown's a good back. Obviously we

826
00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:47,520
Speaker 1: know what Trey can do. So look, the Lions aren't

827
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,560
Speaker 1: taking them lightly, so there is certainly that out there

828
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:54,440
Speaker 1: they're expecting a ballgame comes Sunday on the road in Cincinnati.

829
00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:57,320
Speaker 1: What's the weather looked like in Cincinnati this weekend.

830
00:36:57,400 --> 00:36:59,800
Speaker 5: I think it's supposed to be beautiful like in the eighties.

831
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:01,960
Speaker 1: There we go, that's what we're talking about.

832
00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,759
Speaker 5: It'll be a four pm kickoff, so I think the

833
00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,960
Speaker 5: sun won't be be down. But just a quick question

834
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,640
Speaker 5: for you before we go. House. DJ Reader played but

835
00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,239
Speaker 5: it's been kind of hard to follow from Afar, but

836
00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:15,719
Speaker 5: he was a locker room favorite of mine in the

837
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:17,319
Speaker 5: media here in Cincinnati.

838
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:18,680
Speaker 1: Dude, he's been great.

839
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:18,960
Speaker 5: You know.

840
00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,880
Speaker 1: DJ Reader is one of the guys and Kelse. You know,

841
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:23,960
Speaker 1: those guys don't always show up on the stat sheet, right,

842
00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,120
Speaker 1: They don't tear it up, but they take on those

843
00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,560
Speaker 1: double teams. They allow Jack Campbell to get the double

844
00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:30,920
Speaker 1: digit sacks. You know, they pushed the pocket in the

845
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,239
Speaker 1: run game. Detroit Lions run defense that's top ten in

846
00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:36,160
Speaker 1: the NFL right now. And a big reason why is

847
00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,560
Speaker 1: because the DJ Reader and ty Leek Williams and they

848
00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:40,720
Speaker 1: don't even have a Lee McNeil yet. And he's coming

849
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,520
Speaker 1: back off pup. He returned to practice this week. But

850
00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,160
Speaker 1: I love DJ. He's a great guy. He doesn't have

851
00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,080
Speaker 1: the Sea on his chest, but he is a CEE

852
00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,360
Speaker 1: in that defensive line room. You know him. He's one

853
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,080
Speaker 1: of those great guys. He's playing a ton of snaps

854
00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:55,759
Speaker 1: for them. He's doing what he has to tell Leam

855
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,879
Speaker 1: gets back here, and he's a big reason why they're

856
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,640
Speaker 1: really really solid up the middle on defense. So he's

857
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:03,279
Speaker 1: been really, really good good.

858
00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:05,520
Speaker 5: Well, I'll be happy to share that update with fans

859
00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,720
Speaker 5: because I know he's a fan favorite, a media favorite,

860
00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:09,400
Speaker 5: so I'm glad that he's doing well in Detroit.

861
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:13,040
Speaker 1: Well, you do great things in Cincinnati, all you guys

862
00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:15,320
Speaker 1: out there, If you need anything on the Bengals, Kelsey

863
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,719
Speaker 1: Conway is the person to go. She does a great

864
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:20,440
Speaker 1: job with the Cincinnati Inquirre. Kelse, thanks so much for

865
00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:21,799
Speaker 1: taking the time. I appreciate you.

866
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:23,880
Speaker 5: Thanks so much. I'll see you in the press box

867
00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:30,040
Speaker 5: on Sunday.