WEBVTT - Super Bowl Preview: Bengals Offense/Rams Defense 0:00:05.400 --> 0:00:07.840 The Super Bowl has arrived, and this is the dream 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:10.360 of the tape. Ed's Babel Shusan, a longtime radio voice 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.760 the New York Jets and obviously a football junkie and 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:14.880 a football nerd. That's why I enjoy talking every week 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:18.680 to Danilowski at Scott Pioli, Dan, longtime NFL quarterback, see 0:00:18.720 --> 0:00:20.920 him of course all the time breaking down the tape 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:25.439 everything we do NFL wise at ESPN and Scott Pioli, 0:00:25.560 --> 0:00:29.640 longtime NFL general manager, guys diving into the tape. You know, 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:32.600 we have to do these kind of survey shows each week, 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:34.360 right like we're picking out the three or four or 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:37.800 five best games of the week to talk about. And 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:42.519 for this show, we actually have one game, one matchup 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:45.000 to dive as deep as we possibly can. To me, 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:47.360 this is like the dream week for this podcast to 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:50.640 pick your brains about. This matchup is uh is as 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:53.040 fun as it gets. Here's what we're gonna do today's episode. 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:56.760 We're gonna look Bengals offense, Rams defense that side of 0:00:56.800 --> 0:00:59.400 the ball. Then the episode that will drop on Thursday 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:02.280 will fly to the other side and then get some predictions. 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:05.600 So we're gonna talk Rams offense, Bengals defense with the 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:10.040 matchup perspective on Thursday. But let's start with I think 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:12.600 the more interesting side of the ball, and that is 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:16.440 we've been waiting all season as if some shoe was 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:19.679 finally going to drop with this Bengals offense. Would they 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:22.880 not be able to protect Joe Burrow? Would he get 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:24.840 so beat up and not be able to get the 0:01:24.880 --> 0:01:27.760 ball out? Would someone be able to thwart all of 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:31.679 these weapons that the Bengals have with respect to their 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.400 offensive line of protection not being very good. And we've 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:36.880 now arrived at the Super Bowl and Dan, it still 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:40.720 hasn't happened. Is there a reason to believe in this game? 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:44.400 Let's talk about that matchup. First, Ram pass rush, Ram 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:48.160 defensive line, Bengals offensive line that they can get to 0:01:48.240 --> 0:01:51.559 Joe Burrow, maybe not even with numbers, to the point 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:53.400 that they can cover up all these weapons that the 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:55.520 Bengals have. Yeah, I think this is the game that 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:57.840 we see that. I think this is the greatest challenge 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:00.440 of this season for Joe Burrow in that offense of line, 0:02:00.920 --> 0:02:02.880 and Bob, I think it's attached to the back end 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:05.280 of the Rams. You know, there's two reasons why I 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:08.840 look at this matchup, and and it favors the Rams heavily. 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:12.919 Number one, they're gonna play their too high safety shell, 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:17.880 cover four, cover two, cover six, zone coverage, you know, 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:20.239 where they're not gonna give many one on one matchups. 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:23.840 And so, you know, for people listening from a quarterback's perspective, 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:25.959 when we get man to man coverage, man to man 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.120 across the board, there's one safety in the middle field 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:31.120 more often than not, that's easy for us. Hey, where's 0:02:31.200 --> 0:02:33.359 my guy versus the guy that I don't think he's 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:35.440 very good. It's recess all over again. Let me throw 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:37.520 it to my guy because he's better. When we have 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:40.480 to play against zone coverages, it's harder because we have 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:42.480 to think and we have to try to move people, 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:45.000 and the guy that I'm anticipating throwing two might not 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:46.920 be open, you know, and so we we have to 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:49.960 constantly be thinking. And I think that's the challenges. You're 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:52.160 not gonna get a lot of your man coverage, and 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:55.000 Joe is gonna have seven sets, you know, at least 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:57.760 six sets of eyeballs on him on a consistent basis. 0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:00.560 And then you pair that with the past rush that 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.919 that's gonna get home and I think the difference between 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:06.560 and this is in respect to the Raiders pass rush, 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:10.320 the Tennessee pass rush, and the Kansas City pass rush. 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.200 Those are all very good pass rushes. The differences the 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.520 Rams are so athletic, and I would say that, you know, 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:20.560 those pass rushes they did beat the offensive line, they 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.640 just in moments couldn't get to Joe because he is 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.960 so good at evading that. And I think the difference 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:29.640 between the Rams and those is is the athleticism that 0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:33.800 those individual players have knowing I got zone coverage behind me, 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:35.800 quarterback is gonna have to hold it for a blinker 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:39.160 two and then that athleticism of a guy like Letter 0:03:39.200 --> 0:03:44.000 Floyd is crazy athletic, and um Von Miller crazy athletic, 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:46.920 and Aaron Donald. So I think their their ability to 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:49.840 kind of chase Joe down in in in small and 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:53.640 short spaces be just as good, if not better than him. 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:56.520 I think that's the big difference this this defensive line 0:03:56.560 --> 0:03:59.280 has over the other three that Joe has played. Yeah, 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:02.080 and you know it. This is It's funny because going 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:04.840 into the Chiefs game, I think I really thought that 0:04:04.880 --> 0:04:08.480 the Chiefs front was going to get to Burrow a 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:11.360 lot more I mean the week before Tennessee had sacked 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:13.880 him nine times. I think they hit him another five 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.719 or six times, and I thought the wheels were going 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:21.040 to come off. And credit to the Bengals coaching staff again, 0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:25.440 it wasn't so much that the Chiefs weren't getting pressure 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:27.960 right like, just like Dan said, they were getting pressure. 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:31.760 There were mismatches, but it was a combination of Joe 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:34.200 Burrow knowing that he better get rid of the ball 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:36.800 quickly and the game plan and the choices that they 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:39.800 made and the choices that they told Joe Burrow to make, 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:42.520 and that helped them. And they're gonna have to do 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:45.640 that again this week because you know, again he checked 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:47.719 it down to mixing. They ran a few more draws, 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:50.479 they ran a few more screens. But the difference here is, 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:54.279 as you mentioned, the speed and the athleticism of the 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.560 Rams defense. They may do some of those checkdowns, they 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.800 may go short, they may go sideways, they are going 0:05:00.839 --> 0:05:03.919 to do some things. But the ability for von Miller 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:07.280 to turn and run, for Floyd to turn and run, 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:11.280 They're they're fast football team. I think the other thing 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:13.440 is gonna be pretty interesting in this and I can't 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:16.640 believe we're saying this or I'm saying this is Eric Wettele. 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:21.400 You know, Wettell played and make made plays close to 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:24.080 the line of scrimmage, and it reminds me, you know, 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:27.200 he's clearly not the athletes that he was. He's he 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:30.799 retired for two years or whatever he did for two years. 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:35.440 It reminds me when we had safeties like Rodney Harrison 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:37.640 near the end. And I'm not comparing the two players. 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:41.680 I'm saying how we use those players. And you've got 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:44.120 a safety and you go to not only Nickel, but 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:46.680 you go to Dime. And they're gonna probably do that 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:49.039 because the matchups of personnel groupings that the Bengals are 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:52.320 going to use, and they'll take that one extra safety 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:54.880 and play him like a linebacker, which gives them more 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:58.200 speed at the linebacker and they can cover the short 0:05:58.279 --> 0:06:03.200 and intermediate things better and more differently. So I think 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:06.440 that they're going to try to do those things. But again, overall, 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:10.560 the Chiefs offense clearly one of the fast and the league. 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:13.400 Their defense, um, I just don't think they have the 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:16.599 defensive speed that the Rams do, and so they're gonna 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.000 have to attack things a little bit differently. I believe 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:21.080 you know you brought up something. I also think the 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.279 big part is the screen game, Scott. You know, if 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:27.359 if we just look at the two teams independently, the 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:30.480 Bengals have become a good screen team. They and they 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:34.200 they're multifaceted. They've got the ability to kick perimeter screens 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.880 out there. Sometimes it's one step to a guy like 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.040 a Jamaar Chase, let's go get the yardage. Or they're 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:45.560 they're kind of traditional quick hitting screen that they ran 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:48.720 to p Ryan for a huge touchdown two weeks ago, 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:52.960 or the cross action play action screens that have been 0:06:52.960 --> 0:06:55.520 a big part of their offense. So individually, they're a 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:59.080 good offensive screen team. And then if you look at 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:02.720 the Rams, they struggle defending the screen passes, mainly the 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:06.200 perimeter ones. I mean San Francisco that that's that's how 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:09.400 they scored against them early on in that game. And 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:12.480 I think that if if you're the Bengals and you're 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:14.880 asking yourself that question, well, how do we handle this 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:17.040 defensive front? Okay, we gotta get the ball out quickly, 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:19.160 we gotta run the football, we gotta move the quarterback. 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:21.600 Screens will be a part of that as well, plaze 0:07:21.640 --> 0:07:23.480 to a strength of theirs, and you gotta make the 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.320 Ramps defensively show that they can do it. And and 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:28.920 I think the multitude of screens that they I would 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:32.480 be shocked guys if they if the Bengals didn't throw 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.080 at least I mean at least five screens in this 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:38.240 football game at least, and I agree with that. The 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:40.920 other thing is gonna be interesting is when C. J 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:44.520 Usama went down uh in the Chiefs game, I thought 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.800 to myself, oh no, this is going to be a 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:49.440 problem for the Bengals, and it wasn't as much of 0:07:49.440 --> 0:07:50.960 a problem as I thought it was going to be. 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:53.320 I think it's gonna be interesting to see how he 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:56.240 comes along this week and what version that they're going 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:59.400 to have, because the importance of him to Joe Burrow 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:02.560 and that offense is critical. But so I think if 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:07.160 they have to go a game sixty minutes without him 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:11.080 or without him being game planned importantly, because again, he's 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:14.000 not a ninety catch guy. But you know, I keep 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:17.360 repeating it every week. You know, forty nine catches, but 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:20.560 more than half of those were touchdowns and or first downs, 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:23.320 and that shows you how important he's a player. That 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:26.800 they're going to need. If those three receivers are able 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:30.160 to be schemed in a way, where is there a 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:31.920 way for them to cover up the fact that Usama 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.960 is not there, maybe adding some protection and just given 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:39.160 those three receivers an extra beat. Um is his absence 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:41.640 in the screen game gonna be if he's not able 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:44.120 to play as much of a factor as we probably believe. Yeah, 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:47.280 I think the so here here's the challenge, Bob, when 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:50.440 you do a little bit more protection. I mean if 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:53.160 if if I've got to add in protection because Uzam 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:57.040 is not there, I'm taking numbers away from numbers. You know, 0:08:57.080 --> 0:08:59.120 if if you're gonna be covering six and I'm only 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.600 three out, in my concept that is, that's not good 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:04.120 for me. If if you're gonna be covering seven and 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:06.839 I've got three or four him, that's not good for me. 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:09.120 You know, the Bengals actually want to play spread out, 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:11.760 empty football, and I think that's a huge you know, 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:14.480 part of how this game goes is how the Rams 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:18.800 defended defensively. I think the question becomes what do the 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:22.079 Rams do with Jalen Ramsey? You know, are are they 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:25.720 going to travel Jalen Ramsey everywhere Jamaar Chase goes, whether 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:28.040 it's a man or his own coverage. And then the 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:31.440 subsequent steps are, well, what do you do if you're 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:34.560 traveling Jalen Ramsey and I motioned Jamaar, I start him 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:35.960 on the right and I go to the left. Does 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:38.400 Jalen follow him? Does he not follow him? So you're 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:40.920 you're trying to find these matchups that you can attack. Well, 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.160 if you follow someone, maybe I'll work away, you know, 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:45.600 Higgins and Boyd and what happens if I line him 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:47.360 up in the backfield and I motion them out? So 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:52.080 it's it's that when that's that game, that information in 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:54.559 in that kind of calling the right stuff at the 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:56.880 right time, that is going to be more prevalent than 0:09:56.920 --> 0:09:59.959 I think, you know, trying to do protection if Uzama 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:01.840 not able to play. See, that was gonna be my 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:04.280 next question, and we're gonna take a quick time out 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:06.120 and come back on the other side of a fast 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:09.440 break to build off of that question, I think, because 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:12.800 I think that might be the most interesting schematic decision 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:15.600 that the Rams have to make defensively. We're gonna talk 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:21.640 about that. We come back on tap. Its Welcome back 0:10:21.679 --> 0:10:23.959 to tape. Its Boba Shoes and Dani or Lobsky, Scott 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:25.959 Pioli and Dan going into the break, I think asked 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.120 one of the most interesting questions in a way schematically 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:33.120 about this game, and that is, let's take this from 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:37.839 the Rams defensive perspective. Now, Jalen Ramsey his ability level, 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:40.920 he could be the X factor in any game plan. Right, 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:44.200 you can maybe x somebody out by making him a 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:46.800 matchup player. Would you do that? Would you try and 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:49.959 hide your other guys and maybe play some zone or 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:54.480 would you make Jalen Ramsey a match up specific man 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:58.360 to man kind of Darrell Reevus go follow Jamaar Chase 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:00.560 type of a corner in this game, I would match 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:03.640 him up versus Jamar Chase, but not necessarily calling man. 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:06.480 You know, I think that teams and and we've played 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:08.560 against teams, and I've played against teams that matched the 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:12.840 corner no matter where the receiver goes, and they're still 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:15.880 playing their zones. And the benefit for the Rams is 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:17.840 that they've had two weeks to prepare for this, They've 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:20.560 had two weeks to handle the communication aspect, and you 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:23.640 know there's checks upon checks upon checks. If I were 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:26.840 the Rams defensively. And I'm speaking from an offensive player's 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:31.080 or an offensive kind of viewpoint. If I were the 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:34.160 Cincinnati Bengals, that's what I would expect, and if they 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:36.800 didn't do it, I would saying thank you, thank you. 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:40.120 So I would be expecting that Jalen Ramsey should follow 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:44.120 Jamaar Chase around for plus of this football game. But 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:47.080 it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to get man coverage. 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:50.760 And so I just the way that Jalen can match up, 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:53.800 the physicality, the athleticism, the ball skills as well, the 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:55.560 ball skills when it's in the air is a big 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.360 part of this conversation as well. So yeah, I would 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:01.200 anticipate that, and if they don't know, that would be 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:04.640 a very confusing thing for me, you know, the morning after. Yeah, 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.199 I would recommend it. And I agree with you, Dan, 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.600 and I think that's sometimes you bring up a really 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:13.000 good point that that I think those you know that 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.079 that watch tape and and and have been so close 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:18.360 to it is just because someone's matched up doesn't mean 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:24.040 that it's man coverage. And to me, Jamaar Chase is 0:12:24.320 --> 0:12:26.120 I think they could have tryed to force Jamar Chase. 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:28.240 I think the young quarterback will try to force Jamar 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:31.000 Chase a little bit. That being said, to put Jalen 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:34.520 Ramsey on him, who is not only so good, but 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:39.480 so incredibly smart and thoughtful and can bait people and 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:42.520 do things. I think it would be it would be 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:44.560 wise for the Rams to do that and do it 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:46.480 exactly like you said, don't make it all man, don't. 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:48.240 It doesn't have to be pressed, it doesn't have to 0:12:48.240 --> 0:12:52.280 be close um disguise it sometimes too. And I think 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.520 that they can do that, and I think maybe even 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:57.680 near the end of the half, right because there will 0:12:57.760 --> 0:12:59.960 be some talk in the half during a halftime. I mean, 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:03.080 teams are just by the second series, but they'll be 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:06.000 a more extended conversation during the halftime because it is 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.320 a long halftime. Maybe do a couple of things if 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:13.400 you're the Rams at the end of the half, if 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.000 Cincinnati's on the field, to get in their heads a 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:17.760 little bit and make them think that they don't know 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:22.079 what's coming in the third quarter, indoor second half, and 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:24.520 something else I think really interesting in this game, and 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:26.480 in both of these segments, we haven't even touched on 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:28.760 it yet, but Scott, you've been beating the drum for 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:31.439 Jill Nixon all season, the role that you know he 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.319 needs to play for this offense in order for them 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:36.960 to be at their best. We've talked about the screen game. 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:39.559 We've talked about Jamaar Chase. We've talked about whether or 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:41.160 not it's gonna be Manner Zone on the back side, 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:44.360 maybe a combination of both. We've talked about Higgins and 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:47.720 Boyd as those second and the effect that Usama maybe 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:50.760 not being in this game could have. But in the 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:54.360 a f C Championship game, it seemed like even if 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:58.120 it was just used to keep Kansas City honest, because 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:01.559 the bread and butter of the Bengals obviously is Joe 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:04.800 Burrow's right arm and all these weapons, whenever they needed 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:07.920 just a six yard run, a seven yard run, a 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:12.120 ten yard run. At times with Mixon, he seemed key 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.319 moments in that game to pop a little run just 0:14:15.400 --> 0:14:17.600 when their offense needed it, and it kind of keep 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:20.120 Kansas City honest. Do they have to have that in 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:23.240 this game? Does there have to be a legit element 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:25.960 for the Bengals offense got of them running the football 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:30.160 with Mixon to make sure that what else they want 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:32.240 to do Schematically offense is there. I think that that 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:34.680 you always have to run to keep a team honest, 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:37.440 but I think it's more important that they find a 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.040 way to get the ball into Joe's hands again, whether 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:44.000 it's a you know, it's a run, whether it's a draw, 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:46.640 which is a run, but it's a different kind of 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:51.560 run um. But also again the short and sideways screens, 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:54.600 you know, check downs. Because here's the other thing we've 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:56.680 learned about Joe Mixon over the course of this season. 0:14:57.280 --> 0:15:01.200 When Joe Mixon is doing well, he is a motivator 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.360 for that football team. The team and the offense rally 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:06.440 around for him for some reason. I don't know anything 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:09.720 about their locker room dynamic, but you can tell on 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:12.680 the field when you're watching the team respond and react 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.840 how they feel about Joe Mixon and the energy that 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:20.239 he brings. It's different, you know, to make a Bengals comparison, 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:23.120 it's different, but similar to Ikey Woods back in the day, 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:26.840 right when Ikey had the ball, that team reacted differently. 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:29.280 And I think that there's something to be said about 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:32.080 about that, and and and I think part of it 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.800 also is the style in which Joe Mixon runs when 0:15:35.800 --> 0:15:38.800 he has the ball in his hands. Um, he brings 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.760 a different level of of intensity and a mentality, So 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:46.000 I think it, Bob. Yes, the couple of answers to 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:47.360 the to the question. I know it's one question, but 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:49.520 a couple of answers. Yes, they need to run the 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:52.560 ball with him, you know, in the traditional sense. Yes, 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:54.440 they need to get the ball in his hands on 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:58.600 a draw to keep the pass rush honest. But again 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:03.480 screens and sideways throws to get that team on the running. 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:05.320 Because here's what we know about the Rams defense. Who 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:07.560 they are gonna run. They're gonna run fast, They're gonna 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:10.640 run hard. Maybe getting them a little bit tired. We 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:13.480 know that they used their wave. But getting some of 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:15.920 those big guys like Gains, who's gonna go a thousand 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.800 miles an hour, Greg talking about Greg Gains, getting those 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:21.720 guys running sideways and getting them a little bit tired 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:24.480 early might be an important thing and another good reason 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:26.920 to get the ball in Joe Mixon's hands. Yeah. I 0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:30.600 think that the Bengals have to have their outside zone 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:33.680 going something. You just have to because that's there. It's 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:37.320 their predominant run scheme. I mean, they they're not gonna 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:38.920 come into this game go. You know, we're gonna do 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:41.160 a little bit of you know, we're gonna major encounter. 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.680 They might do a trap here there, but that's who 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:47.160 they are. That's their bread and bread and butter. Brian 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:51.720 Callaghan is Bill Callahan's son. Bill Callahan is one of 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:55.320 the best outside zone run game coaches ever. Zach Taylor 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:58.600 comes from the Shanahan tree, the McVeigh tree. So that's 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:00.280 who they are. And I think if they're gonna watch 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.960 some tree, can we stop getting again no offense to Sean, 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:07.680 but you're right, it's the Shanahan Tree. Yeah, no doubt, 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:10.320 no doubt, um. And I think if they're gonna help 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:12.600 their offensive line a little bit and try to keep 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:16.560 this this Rams defensive line from you know, or or 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:20.000 forced them to play two sided football run and or passed, 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:22.359 then they're going to have to be really good and there. Now, 0:17:22.400 --> 0:17:25.359 the good thing is they're good at it. They're they're 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:27.639 not you know, they're not a team that you know 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:30.720 we saw like the Browns b or the Packers have been, 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.400 but they're good at it. And I think the thing 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:35.240 that we could say about Zach Taylor and Scott you 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:37.720 could probably speak to this as well, because I saw 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:39.480 a couple of people in the a f C Championship 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:42.760 game getting frustrated with it. He's going to call it, 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:45.840 and he's gonna run it. It's it's He is going 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:49.040 to be consistent and committed to it because he knows 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:51.800 if he gets into a drop back game and tries 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:54.480 to throw it forty plus times, it's night night. And 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:57.960 does that equals some longer second downs? Yeah? And does 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.080 it equals some longer third and downs? Yes, But at 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:04.640 least it gives them a chance to get into those situations. 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:07.879 And I think that we will see the consistency of it. 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:10.639 And I say this all time about the zone scheme. 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:13.280 If I'm gonna call it twenty times a game and 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:16.560 you're right on sixteen of them, awesome. If you're wrong 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:19.600 or three and four, I win. And because I'm gonna 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:21.840 cut you for fifteen to twenty yards on all of those, 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:25.879 and that's that's the commitment to be consistent in calling 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:28.040 it will be a big part of this game. The 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:29.879 last thing I want to circle back on is kind 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:31.960 of where we started, but we got right to the 0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:34.600 past game. It is the offensive line for the Bengals 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:38.520 at his past protection, and I think a combination question 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:40.240 that I have for you guys coming off of both 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:44.240 championship games, because Dan, you said you thought Burrow in 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:47.840 the championship game against the Chiefs played the most Tom 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:51.520 Brady like game that you had seen him play this 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:53.439 year in a year where he had a lot of 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:58.520 really great offensive number games. And going back to the 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:02.359 NFC Championship game, defense stibly for the Rams. They didn't 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:05.800 rush three too often that I remember, but they also 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:09.320 didn't rush more than five against Tom Brady too often 0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:11.359 that I remember, and they had the worths, you know, 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:14.440 not being there obviously that was a big advantage. And 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:17.200 this is an offensive line that you think they probably 0:19:17.200 --> 0:19:20.879 could get home against a somewhat stationary quarterback with only 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:24.080 four at times five maybe not having to bring six. 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:26.880 But they also had a pretty effective three man rush 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:29.399 at times at different points this season. So how do 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:32.480 you play this against Joe Burrow if you're the Rams? 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:35.320 Is this an all four or five man rush game? 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:38.439 With Floyd You're not blitzing them, But are you ever 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:40.760 rushing three and dropping eight? Like? Do is there ever 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:42.600 the need to do that? Because they never did that, 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:44.879 it seemed against Brady to me that at times against 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:47.080 the guy like Tom Brady, that's death if you only 0:19:47.119 --> 0:19:48.760 rush three and give him a lot of time back there. 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:50.840 So how do you play that? I don't anticipate them 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:53.199 doing because here's the thing. I always look at it 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:55.200 like this, and this isn't specifically for just a d 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:57.960 I want my eleven best on the field, Like, why 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.720 would I take one of those past rushers and not 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:04.639 allow him to pass rush? You know, Aaron's rushing, Leonard's rushing, 0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:07.040