WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Rocky Top 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.840 Happy Thanksgiving everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.840 --> 0:00:13.960 The Bengals Booth podcast. The Rocket Top Tennessee addition, as 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:16.520 the Bengals head to Nashville and look to knock off 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:20.680 the seven and three Tennessee Titans. Coming up, I'll talk 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:24.080 to locker room favorite Trenton Irwin about his first NFL 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:28.080 touchdown catch and his promotion to the Bengals fifty three 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:30.920 man roster. Charles Davis will be in the booth for 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:34.400 CBS this Sunday and has some very interesting things to 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:38.120 say about the current state of the Bengals, especially the 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.479 offensive line. Then, and this week's Know the Faux segment, 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:46.000 Nashville broadcaster John Burton gives us the inside scoop on 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:49.360 the first place Titans. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:52.400 to you by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:57.000 customers trust pay Corps to help them recruit, pay engage, 0:00:57.120 --> 0:01:02.000 and retain employees. Learn more at acorps dot com. Now 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:04.479 here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest 0:01:04.600 --> 0:01:08.000 edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:12.039 or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:15.520 the greatest thing since the good guy factor. In the 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:19.080 Bengals locker room. There are roughly seventy players on the team, 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:22.120 including the practice squad, and I can honestly say that 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:25.280 I can't name a single jerk. The guys are fun 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:29.040 to deal with, very accommodating with our request for interviews 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:32.400 and radio show appearances. And trust me, that is not 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:35.679 the case in every NFL locker room. The Bengals have 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:39.560 done a phenomenal job of drafting and signing players who 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:43.360 enjoy coming to work and enjoy each other. I think 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:46.080 it's a huge reason why this team got so good 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:51.320 so fast. Now let's get to football. Perhaps the biggest 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:54.920 question this week involves the status of Jamar Chase. Will 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:58.480 he return from his hip injury this Sunday. Here's what 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:00.240 Zach Taylor had to say at the beginning end of 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:04.040 the week when asked if Jamar could be back. It's 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:06.360 hard to say, you know, it's it's We'll start working 0:02:06.440 --> 0:02:09.320 him back this week to see where he's at. I 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.040 don't want to make any predictions on that, but everything 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.040 is a kind according to plan so far, and now 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:15.880 it's just a matter of getting out there on the 0:02:15.919 --> 0:02:18.440 grass and seeing where he's at and what's his comfort level, 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:22.040 what's our comfort level, And so that'll truly be a 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:25.760 day to day process, you know, really starting today tomorrow, Wednesday, 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:28.440 to figure out, you know, how he factors in on 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:33.320 Sunday Lawrence thing for him, it really is hard to predict, 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:35.840 you know. It's again we told him to stay off 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:38.200 of it for four weeks, which he did, and so 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:40.400 now you get a chance these last couple of days 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:42.519 to start getting him going a little bit. And so 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:47.520 really hard to make a prediction on. It's a balance 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:52.720 of soreness, pain, everything is so great impossible to make 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:57.160 the predictions. Jamar did practice on a limited basis on Wednesday, 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:00.000 That's the day that Joe Burrow does his weekly news 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:03.080 friends to discuss the upcoming game, and naturally, he was 0:03:03.120 --> 0:03:06.920 asked about the possibility of having Numero Uno back on 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:10.240 the field. You know, we'll see how he's feeling. You know, 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:14.239 we expect him to play. I know he ran yesterday 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.320 and he felt good, so we'll see how it goes 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:18.800 the rest of the week. Although Joe said we expect 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:21.080 him to play, I would take that with a grain 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:24.919 of salt. The Bengals will obviously proceed with caution, because 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:26.959 the last thing they want to do is put Chase 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:30.680 back on the field before he's ready. Jamar has missed 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:33.640 three games, and while the first one went horribly the 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:37.320 loss in Cleveland, they've scored forty two and thirty seven 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.480 points in their last two games without him. One of 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:44.000 the guys who has really contributed during Jamar's absence has 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:47.360 been Trenton Irwin, who caught his first career touchdown passed 0:03:47.480 --> 0:03:51.760 last week at Pittsburgh. Joe Burrow praised Irwin's work ethic 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.440 after that game, and I asked Zach Taylor about it 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:56.640 this week. He lives in the facility. I think he's 0:03:56.680 --> 0:03:58.560 got a room somewhere in the facility. I promise you, 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:02.640 whether it's the offseason, the preseason, if you hear basketball 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:04.920 bouncing from my office and I picked my head out, 0:04:04.920 --> 0:04:08.000 there's probably Trent getting up shots because he just worked out, 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:10.800 or he just stretched, or he just did something. You know, 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:12.960 we're most guys, or a guy on an off season, 0:04:13.040 --> 0:04:15.440 summer or whatever it is. He just kind of lives here. 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:19.560 And and that just doesn't mean he's just killing time. 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:23.120 He's he's trying to achieve something. Whether it's getting with 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:26.560 Darren extra for special teams work, you know, just mentally 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:28.960 trying to trying to be better on special teams because 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.840 he understands the value of that as a receiver when 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:34.080 you're not a starter, how that fits into play. And 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.840 so again he has done. I promise you, Trent goes 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:39.159 to bed at night knowing that he did everything he 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:42.400 possibly could to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:44.520 And so those are the types of guys that you 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:47.000 can just see. I mean, that's one of the few ones. 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:49.560 I watched the TV copy of that touchdown just to 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:53.839 watch the reaction from the players, the coaches on the sideline, 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:56.960 to staff members, because everybody in here knows how hard 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:58.680 the guy works and how much heaters are of that moment. 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:00.840 Trenton Or when his twenty six years old and has 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:03.640 been with the Bengals for four years, nearly all of 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:07.039 it spent on the practice squad. I caught up with 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.760 the former Stanford cardinal Trent, and I asked Zach Taylor 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.040 about you this week, and he said, quote, he lives 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:18.200 in the building. I think he's got a room here somewhere. 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:20.840 And then he said he goes to bed at night 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:24.800 knowing he did everything to make the most of his opportunity. 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:27.600 What's your reaction to those comments. Well, I mean that's 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.880 a compliment and a half right there, But I mean 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:32.080 that's not how true. I do stay in here a lot. 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.080 I try to come in here off days every time, 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:36.640 for sure, But you know, even the bye week, I 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:39.279 just stayed here instead of going at home and just 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:40.960 just trying to be the most prepared I can be 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:43.960 for when the opportunities come, and they've been coming more lately, 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:47.080 So happy for that. Your teammates went bananas when you 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:50.000 caught your first NFL touchdown catch last week. What did 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:52.960 their reaction mean to you. I think it was pretty cool. 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:55.080 It was pretty cool. I actually had like a dance 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:56.640 ready and they all showed up, so I was like, 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:58.720 I wish I would celebrate together, but that's the way 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:02.240 I want to do it anywhere, celebrate together of the team, 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:04.719 you know, just having that reaction, And actually I think 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:07.599 part of that too was having last week's taken away 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:10.520 with the call there, so everyone was like, ah, you know, 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:12.400 you had it, and so it was good to get 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.520 back in the zone. Yeah, let's go back to that touchdown. 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:18.320 Catch because I think it was a touchdown against Carolina. 0:06:18.400 --> 0:06:20.440 You're just on the edge of the end zone. You 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:23.040 reach out. It's a question as to whether you got 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:25.839 both feet down in bounds. I watched the replay a 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:27.880 bunch of times. I think your right foot was down. 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:30.240 Did you get ripped off? I feel like I got 0:06:30.320 --> 0:06:32.560 ripped off. I do, I do, one hundred percent. But 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:34.640 it's one of those they call it incomplete on the field. 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:38.120 It's hard to overturn type of things. They made up 0:06:38.160 --> 0:06:39.640 for it in the next game that we made it happen, 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:42.600 so it was. It was tough, it hurt, but it 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:44.720 turned back around. Yeah, the good news is you didn't 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:46.599 have to wait long to get the one that counted 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:49.960 last week against the Steelers. Let's describe that play. Are 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.480 you the first option there? Do you have a pretty 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:54.800 good idea when they snapped the ball? Did Joe's coming 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:56.880 to you? Not at all? Not at all. TV was 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:58.560 the first option there. I was supposed to help it 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:01.320 out for TV, and they played different covers than we 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:05.240 were expecting and a little scramble drill. You know, Joe 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:06.760 put it in a good spot and made a play, 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.279 and I really had no shun no idea. I was 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:12.760 gonna get that ball, so be prepared every time they 0:07:12.800 --> 0:07:15.760 snap it. You received a game ball after the game. 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:18.920 Where is it and where will it ultimately wind up? 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:23.240 Game ball is It's definitely in my condo right now, 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:25.960 just sort of chilling there. I took it with me 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:28.960 all through the airport on the airplane, you know, through 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:31.320 the bus, all that good stuff. But I'm gonna send 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:32.920 it back home and get it frame or get it 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:35.800 in a box, however you frame a football. I've learned 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.480 that one. I've known that one. Yeah, some sort of 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:42.760 glass case or box or something. I'm guessing we're visiting 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:45.840 the Trenton Irwin. During the last three games, you were 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.280 elevated from the practice squad to the game day roster. 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:51.000 A team can only do that three times during the 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:53.600 course of the season. You played so well that you 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:56.240 have now been promoted full time to the fifty three 0:07:56.240 --> 0:07:59.360 man roster, get a nice pay raise among other things. 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.800 But is it a relief. It's definitely a huge compliment, 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.120 you know. It's it's you know, getting up there three 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:06.760 weeks in a row and then getting the fourth week 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.600 to fifty three. You know, that's that's always the goal 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:11.960 for me. But I mean it's you know, it's not 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:13.600 nothing I haven't proven. You know, I've been able to 0:08:13.600 --> 0:08:15.280 go a weekend, week out and make some plays and 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:17.920 I'm excited to continue to make some plays when the 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:20.720 opportunities come. You guys scored a bunch of points each 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:23.680 of the last two weeks without Jamar Chase. What's it 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:26.240 saying about the offense that you guys were able to 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:28.800 thrive without him? I mean, Jamar's special, He's special and 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.400 everything that he does. But our offense has been able 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:33.840 to tick, and you know, ball has been spread around. 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:36.360 People have been making plays, different people making plays between 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.800 Joe you know, Borough obviously, but mixing and T and TB. 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:41.679 So I mean it just shows that we have a 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.559 lot of pieces on this team, both through attitude and 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.800 you know, playmaking ability to be able to create explosives 0:08:47.840 --> 0:08:49.880 for the team. Trying to hit your fourth year with 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:52.000 the Bengals, much of that time has been spent on 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:55.120 the practice squad. What's the hardest thing about doing all 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:57.400 the work during the course of the week and not 0:08:57.480 --> 0:09:00.600 getting to experience the joy of game day. Man, It's 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:02.720 a tease. It's just a tease. Every week. You know, 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:05.199 you I love the game, I love the preparation, but 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:07.760 being able to make a play for the team, to 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:10.360 be able to, you know, have that adversity, that moment, 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:12.839 it's you know, it's like something you crave and it's 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:15.400 a little bit of tease to just be that practice, 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:17.360 you know, going through the motions type of thing. But 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:18.800 you can't be going through the motions if you want 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:21.600 to be elevated because you've got to continue to get 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:24.240 better there. So it's it's been a tease, but you know, 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:27.360 as long as it is, I'm playing playing ball on 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:29.240 the team right now, so I'm happy. Do you find 0:09:29.320 --> 0:09:31.920 a way to turn practice into a game. I think 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:33.400 they do a very good job of that. I think 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:37.440 they do some competition drills, um. But also on scout team. 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:40.679 You know me, Stanley's been there for some time with me, 0:09:41.120 --> 0:09:43.160 and we always we always said our Thursdays of our 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:46.120 game days when we weren't active. So you had to 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:49.080 Tennessee this week, knocked them out of the playoffs on 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:51.080 their home field last year. I'm sure the fans are 0:09:51.080 --> 0:09:53.240 going to be salty on Sunday. What do you expect 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:55.680 the atmosphere to be like? Oh, it'll be rowdy. For sure. 0:09:55.760 --> 0:09:58.040 It'll be rowdy, you know. I mean they're they're coming 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.839 coming for us. But I mean this is it is 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:02.480 like a playoff game as well. You know, we gotta 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:04.280 come out there, we gotta win, this must win. So 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:06.400 I think, you know, I think we all approaching it 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:08.480 with that manner, and I think I think the results 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:11.680 show in their last seven games, they have not given 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:15.160 up more than seventeen points in regulation. How would you 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:18.320 describe their defense? Wow, I didn't know that's that. Um, 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:20.760 Their front is definitely the strength of their defense there, 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:24.160 their front sevens, you know. I mean they showed that 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:27.880 in the playoffs as well. But you know they're they're 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.760 in every position. They're just a little bit nasty, they're physical. 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:32.800 You know they're gonna play that way, and that's that's 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:35.000 very able there. You know, that's him going pick up 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:37.439 those types of guys and it's gonna be a competition. 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:40.800 But I think we're going more than seventeen. So final 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:43.520 question for Trent and Irwin. You joined Dave Lapham and 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:45.959 me on a radio show a few weeks ago. Somebody 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:48.120 approached you and asked you to sign a box of 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:51.960 Velveta because you were in a Lvita commercial when you 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:55.880 were a kid. Is that the all time weirdest autograph 0:10:56.000 --> 0:11:00.400 request you've received? And as it started a trend, so 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:04.080 I've signed two Vilviata boxes. Is it the all time weirdest? 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:06.640 Some kids be creative with the weird stuff. I signed 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:08.319 the fork ones. I don't know why I was signing 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:12.200 a fork the Velvata boxes. Those are always fun because 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:15.400 it shows that nos background information. But I mean it 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:17.840 probably up there is one of the weirdest. I've even 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.559 signed a fork. I tried to figure it out. It 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:22.640 didn't look pretty. It did not look pretty, but it 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:24.960 was what it was. I handed it back to him. 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:27.079 It was a metal fork and who was happy? Though? 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:30.160 That's automatted there. That's good stuff. Congrat send your first 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:32.920 NFL touchdown catch last week. Best of luck this Sunday. 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:37.960 Appreciate you. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Alta Fiber, 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:42.680 future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:45.320 designed to take your home, business and community to a 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:49.720 new level. Elevate your connection with Alta Fiber and by 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:54.199 Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals They're free to play with 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:58.600 tickets and side merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:01.480 the Bengals app The road of the Super Bowl last 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.600 year included a stunning nineteen sixteen win over the top 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.559 seeded Titans on their home field. It was the first 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:10.439 road playoff win in Bengals history, and they pulled off 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:14.640 the upset despite Joe Burrow being sacked nine times. So 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:17.240 what's it going to take to do it again? I 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:19.840 discussed the matchup with one of the guys who will 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:24.040 call the game on TV this Sunday. I had Eagle 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:26.240 and Charles Davis will be in the booth for CBS 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:30.040 this week, and the former Tennessee safety joins us. Now, Charles, 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:33.200 you had the Bengals Steelers back in Week one. You 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.000 also had the Bengals Jets game. But I want to 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:36.880 go back to that first game. What did you think 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:39.240 of the Bengals when you walked out of the booth 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.640 at Paycourt Stadium that day? Well, the first thing I thought, 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:46.240 Dan was I didn't give enough credence to a cardinal 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:49.319 rule and an adage that I'm quite aware of and 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:54.960 believe in, and that is it offensive lines take time, continuity, 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:59.120 is real. The best ones have played together, spent time. 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:02.400 You know what's that great phrase, it's all through the 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:06.000 NFL now time on task. They've all done it. And 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:08.640 it doesn't just happen just because you're bringing new people 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:11.120 who are very good at their positions, and then you 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.839 throw in Lyon Collins really didn't practice all the run 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:16.920 up too, like he wouldn't get like one two days 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:20.280 in before the season opener. So when you put it together, yes, 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:22.960 Lyon Collins is an upgrade at right tackle, Alex Kapp 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:25.120 is an upgrade at right guard. Ted Carriss is an 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:28.400 upgrade at center. You're hoping that Cordell Volson will be 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:31.160 an upgrade eventually, at least with him, he was a rookie. 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:33.440 So you exactly you said to yourself, okay that and 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:35.679 you know it's gonna take some time. And Jonah Williams, 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:38.080 you knew it was a proven factor. But we went 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:40.720 into that game and let me rephrase that, I went 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:42.600 into that game, Wow, I can't wait to see this 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:46.400 Bengals offensive line. And they struggled rough ball game. And 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:48.880 let's face it, just about anyone who plays Pittsburgh's going 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:52.400 to struggle, and they did but fast forward to just 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:56.160 last week, and you've seen an offensive line now that's 0:13:56.200 --> 0:14:00.280 had time on task. If I'm not mistaken, Dan, every 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:03.320 guy has made every start. You don't get that in 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:05.600 the league very often now because of injuries and all that. 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:08.640 And boy did it show up against Pittsburgh last week. 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:11.160 Seven If you just want blood down to one stat, 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.880 seven sacks has given up in the first game, two 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:17.360 in the second game. Just off of that, you've seen 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:19.520 the improvement, but it was a lot bigger than that. 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:23.680 Now this offensive line is a factor as expected. And 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:26.880 that's my takeaway from week one. So how good is 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:30.640 the group? Ten games? In middle of the pack, top third, 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:33.160 not near the bottom. What do you think of the 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:38.280 offensive line? Definitely top third and trending upwards getting better. 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:41.800 You know they've hit their stride now to where they 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:44.120 go into it and they're not having to account for 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:47.600 each other as much as believe in each other. And 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:50.800 the difference for me is very simply this. In the opener, 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:53.560 you were counting for each other. Zach Taylor as a 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:55.600 head coach and play caller had to count for that. 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.520 Brian Callahan, do I keep tight end and more to 0:14:58.640 --> 0:15:01.240 chip and make sure I'm protecting my quarterback. Do I 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:03.720 make sure the back checks it before he gets out 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:05.840 into a scout? You know, no scout protection where he 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:07.800 just gets out, but keep him in. Do I do 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:09.840 those sorts of things? I think there's a lot less 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.200 of that now in watching them over the last few 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.920 weeks and seeing them being able to do that, and 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:16.640 when they look at each other, they kind of know 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:18.640 what the move is without having to call out the 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.000 code words and do things like that. Although I'm sure 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.680 they're still playing communication going on. That's what good offensive 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:26.280 lines do, but they're definitely one of the better ones. 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:28.680 They're not gonna get the credit for it because the 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:31.360 numbers are so heavily skewed from the beginning of the year. 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:34.080 When you give up thirteen sacks in your first two games, 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:35.760 you're playing from behind the rest of the year Dan 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:38.000 as we well know. But I think that if you 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:41.160 take it from let's say two weeks ago to the 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:43.880 rest of the season, then you're gonna be able to 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:46.760 compare them to say, oh, people will go, oh wow, 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:49.080 that's a really good You know, they've come together, so 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:51.120 I see them, I see that happening for them and 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:54.920 Joe Burrow. Look when you can protect him, look out, 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:57.560 He's tough enough when you don't protect him. Because that 0:15:57.640 --> 0:16:02.440 opening game, the Steelers won it, But did the Bengals 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.120 actually lose it? I think a case could be made 0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:08.320 on that. We're chatting with Charles Davis from CBS. So 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:10.640 the Bengals are six and four right now, they're the 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:14.200 seventh and final playoff seed in the AFCNE How good 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:17.920 are the Bengals right now? They're good enough to play 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:21.520 against anyone. I know. Everyone's talking about their schedule, and 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.400 my colleague out of Marchiletta talked about it last week 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.960 on the broadcast, and he's right, Bengals have to earn 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:30.160 their way, okay, because there are no soft touches for 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:32.320 the Bengals all the way out the rest of the season. 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:36.000 But at the same time, everyone who plays them is 0:16:36.040 --> 0:16:38.360 feeling like, oh boy, gotta get ready for this squad. 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:40.680 And when you look at numbers and again, I'm not 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.000 trying to go Vince Scully here, God rest his soul. 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:45.280 One of the greatest ever. I SI love how Ben 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:47.520 could weave a stat into something and make it sound 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:51.080 so incredible. And he's now batting two seventy five on 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:55.520 a Tuesday when the temperature is four degree and you're 0:16:55.560 --> 0:16:58.840 like whoa, and you're like what was that? Right? But 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:02.440 it felt really important. But you look at the numbers 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:05.600 for the Bengals offensive offense, they're very good except for 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:09.880 the running game. Defense really good, Okay, especially when you're 0:17:09.880 --> 0:17:12.439 talking about them shutting people down on third downs and 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:15.000 getting off the field. You know things that you like 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:17.480 what you see from them, all right, you like this. 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:20.760 You count on the experience, even with injuries things come along. 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:22.960 I think they're gonna be a tough out for anyone 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:25.280 they play, and a lot of people are gonna talk 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:28.960 about games looking even because of records. They remind me 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:33.159 a little bit of San Francisco six and four. But 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:34.960 I think a case could be made they're the best 0:17:34.960 --> 0:17:38.480 team in the NFC, Cincinnati six and four and in 0:17:38.560 --> 0:17:41.800 second place in their division. There's a case that can 0:17:41.880 --> 0:17:43.879 be made that that's the team you don't want to 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:46.600 deal with. That's where I think Cincinnati is. Right now, 0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:51.280 you've got a Vince Scully imitation. I'm impressed. I just 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:54.720 love it right there. How many times have we listen 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:56.760 to Vince Scully give us a stat and we've just gone, 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:59.520 Oh my goodness. And then later on you thought to yourself, 0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:03.720 who computes what the temperature was on a certain date 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:07.359 in Saint Louis in nineteen forty seven, Ben Scully? Didn't 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:10.520 It sure sounded good to me. All right, let's doc secondary. 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:13.080 That's the position you played at Tennessee. The Bengals have 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:15.960 lost chittabey a wuge. I think he's a top five 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:18.680 corner in the NFL. You can't go find a guy 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:20.800 like that in the middle of the season. How good 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:25.679 is the Bengal secondary without him? Obviously they're reduced without 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.080 him because he's what you said, he's one of your 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:30.720 top players, and he's only gotten better and better in 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:33.280 his time in Cincinnati. You know, he was relying on 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:36.480 so much talent in Dallas, but then he refined it 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:38.240 in Cincinnati. And he was a guy who liked to 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:40.000 take on the challenge. He wanted to travel with the 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:44.919 number one receiver. He wore CB one across his heart. 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.600 He wanted to be that guy sending me, well, you 0:18:47.640 --> 0:18:49.880 can't do that now because it's not quite the same 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:52.560 you're trying to do, you know, figure some things out 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:55.280 at corner. But that's where Cam Taylor brit comes into play. 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:57.680 This is why he was drafted, and I think he's 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:00.239 gotten better as time has gone on. And I love 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:02.679 a Loua and Rumo does with the defense. But I 0:19:02.720 --> 0:19:05.240 think now you go back and you say, okay, here's 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:09.240 where my veterans come into play. Jesse Bates, von Bell, 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.480 Mike Hilton, three guys that could hold down the middle, 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:14.760 and of course Hilton going with the Nickels and doing 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:17.520 those things and help those younger guys out. Even when 0:19:17.520 --> 0:19:21.000 they make a mistake, you have some more racers behind them. 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:23.600 They make that mistake, they keep that mistake from being 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:27.680 too huge. So I still think it's a very good secondary. Obviously, 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:30.359 without a Woozia, I think it'd be disingenuous to say, oh, 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:33.359 it's just as good. That's not true. Woozia is that 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:36.920