Speaker 1: Happy Thanksgiving everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading
Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth podcast. The Rocket Top Tennessee addition, as
Speaker 1: the Bengals head to Nashville and look to knock off
Speaker 1: the seven and three Tennessee Titans. Coming up, I'll talk
Speaker 1: to locker room favorite Trenton Irwin about his first NFL
Speaker 1: touchdown catch and his promotion to the Bengals fifty three
Speaker 1: man roster. Charles Davis will be in the booth for
Speaker 1: CBS this Sunday and has some very interesting things to
Speaker 1: say about the current state of the Bengals, especially the
Speaker 1: offensive line. Then, and this week's Know the Faux segment,
Speaker 1: Nashville broadcaster John Burton gives us the inside scoop on
Speaker 1: the first place Titans. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought
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Speaker 1: here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest
Speaker 1: edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet,
Speaker 1: or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's
Speaker 1: the greatest thing since the good guy factor. In the
Speaker 1: Bengals locker room. There are roughly seventy players on the team,
Speaker 1: including the practice squad, and I can honestly say that
Speaker 1: I can't name a single jerk. The guys are fun
Speaker 1: to deal with, very accommodating with our request for interviews
Speaker 1: and radio show appearances. And trust me, that is not
Speaker 1: the case in every NFL locker room. The Bengals have
Speaker 1: done a phenomenal job of drafting and signing players who
Speaker 1: enjoy coming to work and enjoy each other. I think
Speaker 1: it's a huge reason why this team got so good
Speaker 1: so fast. Now let's get to football. Perhaps the biggest
Speaker 1: question this week involves the status of Jamar Chase. Will
Speaker 1: he return from his hip injury this Sunday. Here's what
Speaker 1: Zach Taylor had to say at the beginning end of
Speaker 1: the week when asked if Jamar could be back. It's
Speaker 1: hard to say, you know, it's it's We'll start working
Speaker 1: him back this week to see where he's at. I
Speaker 1: don't want to make any predictions on that, but everything
Speaker 1: is a kind according to plan so far, and now
Speaker 1: it's just a matter of getting out there on the
Speaker 1: grass and seeing where he's at and what's his comfort level,
Speaker 1: what's our comfort level, And so that'll truly be a
Speaker 1: day to day process, you know, really starting today tomorrow, Wednesday,
Speaker 1: to figure out, you know, how he factors in on
Speaker 1: Sunday Lawrence thing for him, it really is hard to predict,
Speaker 1: you know. It's again we told him to stay off
Speaker 1: of it for four weeks, which he did, and so
Speaker 1: now you get a chance these last couple of days
Speaker 1: to start getting him going a little bit. And so
Speaker 1: really hard to make a prediction on. It's a balance
Speaker 1: of soreness, pain, everything is so great impossible to make
Speaker 1: the predictions. Jamar did practice on a limited basis on Wednesday,
Speaker 1: That's the day that Joe Burrow does his weekly news
Speaker 1: friends to discuss the upcoming game, and naturally, he was
Speaker 1: asked about the possibility of having Numero Uno back on
Speaker 1: the field. You know, we'll see how he's feeling. You know,
Speaker 1: we expect him to play. I know he ran yesterday
Speaker 1: and he felt good, so we'll see how it goes
Speaker 1: the rest of the week. Although Joe said we expect
Speaker 1: him to play, I would take that with a grain
Speaker 1: of salt. The Bengals will obviously proceed with caution, because
Speaker 1: the last thing they want to do is put Chase
Speaker 1: back on the field before he's ready. Jamar has missed
Speaker 1: three games, and while the first one went horribly the
Speaker 1: loss in Cleveland, they've scored forty two and thirty seven
Speaker 1: points in their last two games without him. One of
Speaker 1: the guys who has really contributed during Jamar's absence has
Speaker 1: been Trenton Irwin, who caught his first career touchdown passed
Speaker 1: last week at Pittsburgh. Joe Burrow praised Irwin's work ethic
Speaker 1: after that game, and I asked Zach Taylor about it
Speaker 1: this week. He lives in the facility. I think he's
Speaker 1: got a room somewhere in the facility. I promise you,
Speaker 1: whether it's the offseason, the preseason, if you hear basketball
Speaker 1: bouncing from my office and I picked my head out,
Speaker 1: there's probably Trent getting up shots because he just worked out,
Speaker 1: or he just stretched, or he just did something. You know,
Speaker 1: we're most guys, or a guy on an off season,
Speaker 1: summer or whatever it is. He just kind of lives here.
Speaker 1: And and that just doesn't mean he's just killing time.
Speaker 1: He's he's trying to achieve something. Whether it's getting with
Speaker 1: Darren extra for special teams work, you know, just mentally
Speaker 1: trying to trying to be better on special teams because
Speaker 1: he understands the value of that as a receiver when
Speaker 1: you're not a starter, how that fits into play. And
Speaker 1: so again he has done. I promise you, Trent goes
Speaker 1: to bed at night knowing that he did everything he
Speaker 1: possibly could to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
Speaker 1: And so those are the types of guys that you
Speaker 1: can just see. I mean, that's one of the few ones.
Speaker 1: I watched the TV copy of that touchdown just to
Speaker 1: watch the reaction from the players, the coaches on the sideline,
Speaker 1: to staff members, because everybody in here knows how hard
Speaker 1: the guy works and how much heaters are of that moment.
Speaker 1: Trenton Or when his twenty six years old and has
Speaker 1: been with the Bengals for four years, nearly all of
Speaker 1: it spent on the practice squad. I caught up with
Speaker 1: the former Stanford cardinal Trent, and I asked Zach Taylor
Speaker 1: about you this week, and he said, quote, he lives
Speaker 1: in the building. I think he's got a room here somewhere.
Speaker 1: And then he said he goes to bed at night
Speaker 1: knowing he did everything to make the most of his opportunity.
Speaker 1: What's your reaction to those comments. Well, I mean that's
Speaker 1: a compliment and a half right there, But I mean
Speaker 1: that's not how true. I do stay in here a lot.
Speaker 1: I try to come in here off days every time,
Speaker 1: for sure, But you know, even the bye week, I
Speaker 1: just stayed here instead of going at home and just
Speaker 1: just trying to be the most prepared I can be
Speaker 1: for when the opportunities come, and they've been coming more lately,
Speaker 1: So happy for that. Your teammates went bananas when you
Speaker 1: caught your first NFL touchdown catch last week. What did
Speaker 1: their reaction mean to you. I think it was pretty cool.
Speaker 1: It was pretty cool. I actually had like a dance
Speaker 1: ready and they all showed up, so I was like,
Speaker 1: I wish I would celebrate together, but that's the way
Speaker 1: I want to do it anywhere, celebrate together of the team,
Speaker 1: you know, just having that reaction, And actually I think
Speaker 1: part of that too was having last week's taken away
Speaker 1: with the call there, so everyone was like, ah, you know,
Speaker 1: you had it, and so it was good to get
Speaker 1: back in the zone. Yeah, let's go back to that touchdown.
Speaker 1: Catch because I think it was a touchdown against Carolina.
Speaker 1: You're just on the edge of the end zone. You
Speaker 1: reach out. It's a question as to whether you got
Speaker 1: both feet down in bounds. I watched the replay a
Speaker 1: bunch of times. I think your right foot was down.
Speaker 1: Did you get ripped off? I feel like I got
Speaker 1: ripped off. I do, I do, one hundred percent. But
Speaker 1: it's one of those they call it incomplete on the field.
Speaker 1: It's hard to overturn type of things. They made up
Speaker 1: for it in the next game that we made it happen,
Speaker 1: so it was. It was tough, it hurt, but it
Speaker 1: turned back around. Yeah, the good news is you didn't
Speaker 1: have to wait long to get the one that counted
Speaker 1: last week against the Steelers. Let's describe that play. Are
Speaker 1: you the first option there? Do you have a pretty
Speaker 1: good idea when they snapped the ball? Did Joe's coming
Speaker 1: to you? Not at all? Not at all. TV was
Speaker 1: the first option there. I was supposed to help it
Speaker 1: out for TV, and they played different covers than we
Speaker 1: were expecting and a little scramble drill. You know, Joe
Speaker 1: put it in a good spot and made a play,
Speaker 1: and I really had no shun no idea. I was
Speaker 1: gonna get that ball, so be prepared every time they
Speaker 1: snap it. You received a game ball after the game.
Speaker 1: Where is it and where will it ultimately wind up?
Speaker 1: Game ball is It's definitely in my condo right now,
Speaker 1: just sort of chilling there. I took it with me
Speaker 1: all through the airport on the airplane, you know, through
Speaker 1: the bus, all that good stuff. But I'm gonna send
Speaker 1: it back home and get it frame or get it
Speaker 1: in a box, however you frame a football. I've learned
Speaker 1: that one. I've known that one. Yeah, some sort of
Speaker 1: glass case or box or something. I'm guessing we're visiting
Speaker 1: the Trenton Irwin. During the last three games, you were
Speaker 1: elevated from the practice squad to the game day roster.
Speaker 1: A team can only do that three times during the
Speaker 1: course of the season. You played so well that you
Speaker 1: have now been promoted full time to the fifty three
Speaker 1: man roster, get a nice pay raise among other things.
Speaker 1: But is it a relief. It's definitely a huge compliment,
Speaker 1: you know. It's it's you know, getting up there three
Speaker 1: weeks in a row and then getting the fourth week
Speaker 1: to fifty three. You know, that's that's always the goal
Speaker 1: for me. But I mean it's you know, it's not
Speaker 1: nothing I haven't proven. You know, I've been able to
Speaker 1: go a weekend, week out and make some plays and
Speaker 1: I'm excited to continue to make some plays when the
Speaker 1: opportunities come. You guys scored a bunch of points each
Speaker 1: of the last two weeks without Jamar Chase. What's it
Speaker 1: saying about the offense that you guys were able to
Speaker 1: thrive without him? I mean, Jamar's special, He's special and
Speaker 1: everything that he does. But our offense has been able
Speaker 1: to tick, and you know, ball has been spread around.
Speaker 1: People have been making plays, different people making plays between
Speaker 1: Joe you know, Borough obviously, but mixing and T and TB.
Speaker 1: So I mean it just shows that we have a
Speaker 1: lot of pieces on this team, both through attitude and
Speaker 1: you know, playmaking ability to be able to create explosives
Speaker 1: for the team. Trying to hit your fourth year with
Speaker 1: the Bengals, much of that time has been spent on
Speaker 1: the practice squad. What's the hardest thing about doing all
Speaker 1: the work during the course of the week and not
Speaker 1: getting to experience the joy of game day. Man, It's
Speaker 1: a tease. It's just a tease. Every week. You know,
Speaker 1: you I love the game, I love the preparation, but
Speaker 1: being able to make a play for the team, to
Speaker 1: be able to, you know, have that adversity, that moment,
Speaker 1: it's you know, it's like something you crave and it's
Speaker 1: a little bit of tease to just be that practice,
Speaker 1: you know, going through the motions type of thing. But
Speaker 1: you can't be going through the motions if you want
Speaker 1: to be elevated because you've got to continue to get
Speaker 1: better there. So it's it's been a tease, but you know,
Speaker 1: as long as it is, I'm playing playing ball on
Speaker 1: the team right now, so I'm happy. Do you find
Speaker 1: a way to turn practice into a game. I think
Speaker 1: they do a very good job of that. I think
Speaker 1: they do some competition drills, um. But also on scout team.
Speaker 1: You know me, Stanley's been there for some time with me,
Speaker 1: and we always we always said our Thursdays of our
Speaker 1: game days when we weren't active. So you had to
Speaker 1: Tennessee this week, knocked them out of the playoffs on
Speaker 1: their home field last year. I'm sure the fans are
Speaker 1: going to be salty on Sunday. What do you expect
Speaker 1: the atmosphere to be like? Oh, it'll be rowdy. For sure.
Speaker 1: It'll be rowdy, you know. I mean they're they're coming
Speaker 1: coming for us. But I mean this is it is
Speaker 1: like a playoff game as well. You know, we gotta
Speaker 1: come out there, we gotta win, this must win. So
Speaker 1: I think, you know, I think we all approaching it
Speaker 1: with that manner, and I think I think the results
Speaker 1: show in their last seven games, they have not given
Speaker 1: up more than seventeen points in regulation. How would you
Speaker 1: describe their defense? Wow, I didn't know that's that. Um,
Speaker 1: Their front is definitely the strength of their defense there,
Speaker 1: their front sevens, you know. I mean they showed that
Speaker 1: in the playoffs as well. But you know they're they're
Speaker 1: in every position. They're just a little bit nasty, they're physical.
Speaker 1: You know they're gonna play that way, and that's that's
Speaker 1: very able there. You know, that's him going pick up
Speaker 1: those types of guys and it's gonna be a competition.
Speaker 1: But I think we're going more than seventeen. So final
Speaker 1: question for Trent and Irwin. You joined Dave Lapham and
Speaker 1: me on a radio show a few weeks ago. Somebody
Speaker 1: approached you and asked you to sign a box of
Speaker 1: Velveta because you were in a Lvita commercial when you
Speaker 1: were a kid. Is that the all time weirdest autograph
Speaker 1: request you've received? And as it started a trend, so
Speaker 1: I've signed two Vilviata boxes. Is it the all time weirdest?
Speaker 1: Some kids be creative with the weird stuff. I signed
Speaker 1: the fork ones. I don't know why I was signing
Speaker 1: a fork the Velvata boxes. Those are always fun because
Speaker 1: it shows that nos background information. But I mean it
Speaker 1: probably up there is one of the weirdest. I've even
Speaker 1: signed a fork. I tried to figure it out. It
Speaker 1: didn't look pretty. It did not look pretty, but it
Speaker 1: was what it was. I handed it back to him.
Speaker 1: It was a metal fork and who was happy? Though?
Speaker 1: That's automatted there. That's good stuff. Congrat send your first
Speaker 1: NFL touchdown catch last week. Best of luck this Sunday.
Speaker 1: Appreciate you. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Alta Fiber,
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Speaker 1: Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals They're free to play with
Speaker 1: tickets and side merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside
Speaker 1: the Bengals app The road of the Super Bowl last
Speaker 1: year included a stunning nineteen sixteen win over the top
Speaker 1: seeded Titans on their home field. It was the first
Speaker 1: road playoff win in Bengals history, and they pulled off
Speaker 1: the upset despite Joe Burrow being sacked nine times. So
Speaker 1: what's it going to take to do it again? I
Speaker 1: discussed the matchup with one of the guys who will
Speaker 1: call the game on TV this Sunday. I had Eagle
Speaker 1: and Charles Davis will be in the booth for CBS
Speaker 1: this week, and the former Tennessee safety joins us. Now, Charles,
Speaker 1: you had the Bengals Steelers back in Week one. You
Speaker 1: also had the Bengals Jets game. But I want to
Speaker 1: go back to that first game. What did you think
Speaker 1: of the Bengals when you walked out of the booth
Speaker 1: at Paycourt Stadium that day? Well, the first thing I thought,
Speaker 1: Dan was I didn't give enough credence to a cardinal
Speaker 1: rule and an adage that I'm quite aware of and
Speaker 1: believe in, and that is it offensive lines take time, continuity,
Speaker 1: is real. The best ones have played together, spent time.
Speaker 1: You know what's that great phrase, it's all through the
Speaker 1: NFL now time on task. They've all done it. And
Speaker 1: it doesn't just happen just because you're bringing new people
Speaker 1: who are very good at their positions, and then you
Speaker 1: throw in Lyon Collins really didn't practice all the run
Speaker 1: up too, like he wouldn't get like one two days
Speaker 1: in before the season opener. So when you put it together, yes,
Speaker 1: Lyon Collins is an upgrade at right tackle, Alex Kapp
Speaker 1: is an upgrade at right guard. Ted Carriss is an
Speaker 1: upgrade at center. You're hoping that Cordell Volson will be
Speaker 1: an upgrade eventually, at least with him, he was a rookie.
Speaker 1: So you exactly you said to yourself, okay that and
Speaker 1: you know it's gonna take some time. And Jonah Williams,
Speaker 1: you knew it was a proven factor. But we went
Speaker 1: into that game and let me rephrase that, I went
Speaker 1: into that game, Wow, I can't wait to see this
Speaker 1: Bengals offensive line. And they struggled rough ball game. And
Speaker 1: let's face it, just about anyone who plays Pittsburgh's going
Speaker 1: to struggle, and they did but fast forward to just
Speaker 1: last week, and you've seen an offensive line now that's
Speaker 1: had time on task. If I'm not mistaken, Dan, every
Speaker 1: guy has made every start. You don't get that in
Speaker 1: the league very often now because of injuries and all that.
Speaker 1: And boy did it show up against Pittsburgh last week.
Speaker 1: Seven If you just want blood down to one stat,
Speaker 1: seven sacks has given up in the first game, two
Speaker 1: in the second game. Just off of that, you've seen
Speaker 1: the improvement, but it was a lot bigger than that.
Speaker 1: Now this offensive line is a factor as expected. And
Speaker 1: that's my takeaway from week one. So how good is
Speaker 1: the group? Ten games? In middle of the pack, top third,
Speaker 1: not near the bottom. What do you think of the
Speaker 1: offensive line? Definitely top third and trending upwards getting better.
Speaker 1: You know they've hit their stride now to where they
Speaker 1: go into it and they're not having to account for
Speaker 1: each other as much as believe in each other. And
Speaker 1: the difference for me is very simply this. In the opener,
Speaker 1: you were counting for each other. Zach Taylor as a
Speaker 1: head coach and play caller had to count for that.
Speaker 1: Brian Callahan, do I keep tight end and more to
Speaker 1: chip and make sure I'm protecting my quarterback. Do I
Speaker 1: make sure the back checks it before he gets out
Speaker 1: into a scout? You know, no scout protection where he
Speaker 1: just gets out, but keep him in. Do I do
Speaker 1: those sorts of things? I think there's a lot less
Speaker 1: of that now in watching them over the last few
Speaker 1: weeks and seeing them being able to do that, and
Speaker 1: when they look at each other, they kind of know
Speaker 1: what the move is without having to call out the
Speaker 1: code words and do things like that. Although I'm sure
Speaker 1: they're still playing communication going on. That's what good offensive
Speaker 1: lines do, but they're definitely one of the better ones.
Speaker 1: They're not gonna get the credit for it because the
Speaker 1: numbers are so heavily skewed from the beginning of the year.
Speaker 1: When you give up thirteen sacks in your first two games,
Speaker 1: you're playing from behind the rest of the year Dan
Speaker 1: as we well know. But I think that if you
Speaker 1: take it from let's say two weeks ago to the
Speaker 1: rest of the season, then you're gonna be able to
Speaker 1: compare them to say, oh, people will go, oh wow,
Speaker 1: that's a really good You know, they've come together, so
Speaker 1: I see them, I see that happening for them and
Speaker 1: Joe Burrow. Look when you can protect him, look out,
Speaker 1: He's tough enough when you don't protect him. Because that
Speaker 1: opening game, the Steelers won it, But did the Bengals
Speaker 1: actually lose it? I think a case could be made
Speaker 1: on that. We're chatting with Charles Davis from CBS. So
Speaker 1: the Bengals are six and four right now, they're the
Speaker 1: seventh and final playoff seed in the AFCNE How good
Speaker 1: are the Bengals right now? They're good enough to play
Speaker 1: against anyone. I know. Everyone's talking about their schedule, and
Speaker 1: my colleague out of Marchiletta talked about it last week
Speaker 1: on the broadcast, and he's right, Bengals have to earn
Speaker 1: their way, okay, because there are no soft touches for
Speaker 1: the Bengals all the way out the rest of the season.
Speaker 1: But at the same time, everyone who plays them is
Speaker 1: feeling like, oh boy, gotta get ready for this squad.
Speaker 1: And when you look at numbers and again, I'm not
Speaker 1: trying to go Vince Scully here, God rest his soul.
Speaker 1: One of the greatest ever. I SI love how Ben
Speaker 1: could weave a stat into something and make it sound
Speaker 1: so incredible. And he's now batting two seventy five on
Speaker 1: a Tuesday when the temperature is four degree and you're
Speaker 1: like whoa, and you're like what was that? Right? But
Speaker 1: it felt really important. But you look at the numbers
Speaker 1: for the Bengals offensive offense, they're very good except for
Speaker 1: the running game. Defense really good, Okay, especially when you're
Speaker 1: talking about them shutting people down on third downs and
Speaker 1: getting off the field. You know things that you like
Speaker 1: what you see from them, all right, you like this.
Speaker 1: You count on the experience, even with injuries things come along.
Speaker 1: I think they're gonna be a tough out for anyone
Speaker 1: they play, and a lot of people are gonna talk
Speaker 1: about games looking even because of records. They remind me
Speaker 1: a little bit of San Francisco six and four. But
Speaker 1: I think a case could be made they're the best
Speaker 1: team in the NFC, Cincinnati six and four and in
Speaker 1: second place in their division. There's a case that can
Speaker 1: be made that that's the team you don't want to
Speaker 1: deal with. That's where I think Cincinnati is. Right now,
Speaker 1: you've got a Vince Scully imitation. I'm impressed. I just
Speaker 1: love it right there. How many times have we listen
Speaker 1: to Vince Scully give us a stat and we've just gone,
Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. And then later on you thought to yourself,
Speaker 1: who computes what the temperature was on a certain date
Speaker 1: in Saint Louis in nineteen forty seven, Ben Scully? Didn't
Speaker 1: It sure sounded good to me. All right, let's doc secondary.
Speaker 1: That's the position you played at Tennessee. The Bengals have
Speaker 1: lost chittabey a wuge. I think he's a top five
Speaker 1: corner in the NFL. You can't go find a guy
Speaker 1: like that in the middle of the season. How good
Speaker 1: is the Bengal secondary without him? Obviously they're reduced without
Speaker 1: him because he's what you said, he's one of your
Speaker 1: top players, and he's only gotten better and better in
Speaker 1: his time in Cincinnati. You know, he was relying on
Speaker 1: so much talent in Dallas, but then he refined it
Speaker 1: in Cincinnati. And he was a guy who liked to
Speaker 1: take on the challenge. He wanted to travel with the
Speaker 1: number one receiver. He wore CB one across his heart.
Speaker 1: He wanted to be that guy sending me, well, you
Speaker 1: can't do that now because it's not quite the same
Speaker 1: you're trying to do, you know, figure some things out
Speaker 1: at corner. But that's where Cam Taylor brit comes into play.
Speaker 1: This is why he was drafted, and I think he's
Speaker 1: gotten better as time has gone on. And I love
Speaker 1: a Loua and Rumo does with the defense. But I
Speaker 1: think now you go back and you say, okay, here's
Speaker 1: where my veterans come into play. Jesse Bates, von Bell,
Speaker 1: Mike Hilton, three guys that could hold down the middle,
Speaker 1: and of course Hilton going with the Nickels and doing
Speaker 1: those things and help those younger guys out. Even when
Speaker 1: they make a mistake, you have some more racers behind them.
Speaker 1: They make that mistake, they keep that mistake from being
Speaker 1: too huge. So I still think it's a very good secondary. Obviously,
Speaker 1: without a Woozia, I think it'd be disingenuous to say, oh,
Speaker 1: it's just as good. That's not true. Woozia is that
Speaker 1: type of a player. The Bengals didn't have Jamar Chase
Speaker 1: last week, they lost Joe Mixon in the first half,
Speaker 1: and they dropped thirty seven on the Steelers in Pittsburgh
Speaker 1: with t J. Watt back. What does that say about
Speaker 1: the Bengals offense. It says that they've adjusted because you
Speaker 1: remember when Jamar Chase wasn't around the first week. I
Speaker 1: had zero doubt in my mind that they would be fine.
Speaker 1: In fact, I opined everywhere people ask me, and probably
Speaker 1: even when they didn't ask me, they were gonna be okay.
Speaker 1: Remember that game, Dan, it was Halloween, It's Cleveland and
Speaker 1: Imber I actually said on a CBS HQ. They asked
Speaker 1: me who I liked in the game. I said Cincinnati.
Speaker 1: I've never been stronger on a pick this one this year.
Speaker 1: Halloween Night got me and they had to go through
Speaker 1: a little adjustment period. But a reason my reasoning at
Speaker 1: the time still stands for me because we've seen it
Speaker 1: since then. T Higgins is a wr one in most places.
Speaker 1: Tyler Boyd, before t Higgins and before Jamar Chase showed up,
Speaker 1: led the team in receiving for three straight years. It's
Speaker 1: not a matter of him not understanding how to get open.
Speaker 1: Hayden Hurst is a more than quality tight end who
Speaker 1: I thought, Okay, he'll get more opportunities. Joe Mixon, Yeah,
Speaker 1: we know the trouble running football. We've seen that throughout
Speaker 1: the year, finally starting to come together. But he could
Speaker 1: catch the ball in the backfield. P Ryan could catch
Speaker 1: the ball in the backfield. So I thought that they
Speaker 1: would adjust and Joe Burrow would find the best matchup.
Speaker 1: That one night didn't happen very well since then, with
Speaker 1: the growth of the offensive line. Yeah, all those weapons
Speaker 1: are still out there. And when you get chased back,
Speaker 1: if you get him back this week, next week, whenever
Speaker 1: it is, things go back. Not so much too normal,
Speaker 1: but they keep getting better because everyone gained more confidence
Speaker 1: in doing more things while he was out. This is
Speaker 1: a very difficult matchup with Jamar Chase or without Jamar
Speaker 1: Jamar Chase for any defense to deal with. Let's talk
Speaker 1: about the Titans. They've won seven of their last eight,
Speaker 1: the only loss in overtime at Kansas City when they
Speaker 1: didn't have Ryan Tannehill. How is this team doing it
Speaker 1: the same way they always do it? A head coach
Speaker 1: who sets a tone and a tenor and some absolutes
Speaker 1: that he makes his team play too. And his staff
Speaker 1: they you know, they have their We all know Pittsburgh
Speaker 1: the standard is the standard, right, so everyone has their
Speaker 1: version of that, whatever you want to call it. But
Speaker 1: I call him absolutes for every team, okay, because every
Speaker 1: coach says the same thing. You get what you coach, right,
Speaker 1: do you get what you demand? Well, whatever is you're
Speaker 1: absolute in Tennessee, absolutes are going to be. We're gonna
Speaker 1: be strong on defense right there, number one in the
Speaker 1: league in third down defense. And remember Dan two seasons
Speaker 1: ago they went to the playoffs giving up over fifty
Speaker 1: three percent on third down, the worst since the merger.
Speaker 1: And somehow gad in any way, Right, it gonna be
Speaker 1: tough that way, It's gonna be Derrick Henry, Derrick Henry,
Speaker 1: Derrick Henry until until further notice. But when Ryan Tannehill
Speaker 1: can throw a play action off of all that, Derrick
Speaker 1: Henry and Trailer and Burks lives up to being a
Speaker 1: first round draft pick and can break people down in
Speaker 1: the secondary, now you're starting to get there. Because their
Speaker 1: numbers with the receivers won't scare you at all. In fact,
Speaker 1: the numbers with the receivers are really abysmal. Okay, But
Speaker 1: Henry when he's running the football, and you have to
Speaker 1: respect that. When Tannehill gets that time and is locked
Speaker 1: in as he was Thursday night in Green Bay where
Speaker 1: he threw for over three hundred that night, and Burt's
Speaker 1: had a big night in the first one he's had
Speaker 1: all year long. If they can keep ascending like that
Speaker 1: on all offense, then it's look out, because now you're
Speaker 1: gonna start throwing on first down. You're gonna go play
Speaker 1: action right then and there and get those heavy boxes
Speaker 1: and create better matchups in the secondary. But the biggest
Speaker 1: thing for me is Tennessee wakes up every morning and
Speaker 1: before their feet hit the floor coming out of bed,
Speaker 1: they know who they are and they live to it.
Speaker 1: And that's why you have what you have. Tennessee Cincinnati
Speaker 1: both oh and two starts. Since then, it's been pretty
Speaker 1: darn good. I think Tennessee seven of eight Cincinnati sixth
Speaker 1: of eight. That's pretty strong matchup right there. Both of
Speaker 1: them have their a strong sense of identity and a
Speaker 1: strong sense of self. So the Bengals went there in
Speaker 1: the playoffs, slashed year, knocked out the Titans when they
Speaker 1: were the number one seed in the AFC. The fans
Speaker 1: are going to be salty this Sunday in Nashville, There's
Speaker 1: no doubt about it. What are a couple of keys
Speaker 1: for the Bengals to go there and beat them again? Well,
Speaker 1: I think it's I think it's pretty simple. We just
Speaker 1: talked about identity and sense of self. Right, Joe Mixon
Speaker 1: is able to go because of the injury he had
Speaker 1: last week. Obviously we're gonna treat that with majorcaution and
Speaker 1: air on the side of that. But if he's able
Speaker 1: to go, or if it's p Ryan and maybe tray
Speaker 1: Beon Williams running the football well enough, it doesn't have
Speaker 1: to be beating people up. It doesn't have to be
Speaker 1: that the old you have to run the ball in
Speaker 1: the AFC North to win it. Yeah, you gotta run
Speaker 1: it well enough so that you can get to the
Speaker 1: other stuff you want to get to, and that is
Speaker 1: Joe Burrow flinging it out wide to Higgins, to Boy
Speaker 1: to Hayden Hurst and just being able to dissect defense
Speaker 1: is just give him that little extra count of time
Speaker 1: in order to get that done defensively, not giving up
Speaker 1: anything big in terms of Henry meet him at the
Speaker 1: point of attack. He's going to break some tackles. So
Speaker 1: I think the Bengals wearing white this week, a lot
Speaker 1: of white shirts around Derrick Henry. Okay, first guy, it
Speaker 1: can't just be him alone, because that person, I don't
Speaker 1: care who it is, deal with Derrick Henry. He's gonna
Speaker 1: break something, all right. You may meet him in the hole,
Speaker 1: you may meet him in the backfield. He's gonna get
Speaker 1: a a little more than what is there? Your key
Speaker 1: as if it's only one person, might be a lot
Speaker 1: more than what is there, multiple people getting to Henry
Speaker 1: and then making sure you don't give a chance, give
Speaker 1: Tannehill a chance to get off growing the football. And
Speaker 1: right now that's Traylan Burkes, the rookie out of Arkansas.
Speaker 1: They get other people that they'll mix in. You're still
Speaker 1: waiting for Robert Woods to really break out. But he
Speaker 1: had six catches last week. But the big thing is
Speaker 1: just like in the playoffs, don't let Henry get going.
Speaker 1: And by the way, if I remember correctly, Dan, I
Speaker 1: think Cincinnati Hill Tennessee to one of eight, one of ten,
Speaker 1: one of whatever in the playoffs on third down. That's huge,
Speaker 1: absolutely huge. Bengals Both podcast is brought to you by
Speaker 1: Cattering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With
Speaker 1: more than one hundred twenty eight care facilities and fifteen
Speaker 1: hundred care providers, Cattering Health is committed to guiding you
Speaker 1: to your best health. Visit cattering health dot org to
Speaker 1: learn more. The tennis Titans started the year oh and
Speaker 1: two with a one point home loss to the New
Speaker 1: York Giants, followed by a thirty four point road loss
Speaker 1: to the Buffalo Bills. Since then, they're seven and one.
Speaker 1: But here are the teams they've beaten the Colts twice,
Speaker 1: the Raiders, Commanders, Texans, Broncos, and Packers. Washington is the
Speaker 1: only team on that list with a winning record at
Speaker 1: six and five, and the others are combined nineteen and
Speaker 1: forty one with three ties. And this week's Know the
Speaker 1: Faux segment, I caught up with one of my favorite
Speaker 1: people in the world, John Burton. We worked together at
Speaker 1: a TV station in Syracuse when we were just starting
Speaker 1: out in broadcasting, and now John is a popular sports
Speaker 1: anchor and talk show host in Nashville, KYB. The Titans
Speaker 1: are seven and one in their last eight. Their only
Speaker 1: loss during that span was in overtime at Kansas City
Speaker 1: when they didn't have Ryan Tannehill. That sounds like the
Speaker 1: profile of a really good team to me, But for
Speaker 1: whatever reason, they never seem to be mentioned as one
Speaker 1: of the true Super Bowl contenders in the AFC. Do
Speaker 1: they feel perpetually disrespected? I think deep down they do.
Speaker 1: They don't speak on it, Dan, you know, but I
Speaker 1: think deep down they do because you look at where
Speaker 1: this organization was not that long ago. They went through
Speaker 1: a two year stretch where they were five and twenty seven,
Speaker 1: and since then they've had a winning record every year.
Speaker 1: They made the playoffs four straight times. This will be
Speaker 1: five straight. They're about to win their third straight division.
Speaker 1: They were the number one seed in the AFC last
Speaker 1: year with a home field advantage until your guys came
Speaker 1: in and ruined the party. And you're right, they never
Speaker 1: get mentioned amongst the elite, either in the NFL or
Speaker 1: for that matter, the AFC. I think it's the market
Speaker 1: that we play in. I think it's the fact that
Speaker 1: even though Derek Henry's a star, he's not a real,
Speaker 1: you know, mouthie, dynamic kind of guy. He's a he's
Speaker 1: just a lunch pale guy. And really this organization and
Speaker 1: this team is really a lunch pale team. They've got,
Speaker 1: you know, star players, Dereck Henry's one of them, certainly,
Speaker 1: and Jeffrey Simmons is becoming an absolute stud on the
Speaker 1: defensive line. But you know, they all kind of fall
Speaker 1: in line to what Rabel wants them to do, and
Speaker 1: that's just show up, and he preaches effort and finish
Speaker 1: and you know, support your teammates. Don't do a lot
Speaker 1: of trash talking, don't do a lot of you know,
Speaker 1: stuff that's going to get a lot of attention. I
Speaker 1: think Rabel deep down likes it that way. You know,
Speaker 1: he comes from the Belichick tree, maybe not coaching, but
Speaker 1: he played for him and won a bunch of Super
Speaker 1: Bowls with him. So I think they like it that way.
Speaker 1: But if you asked him, if you put the wonder
Speaker 1: Woman last or truth around these players, they would say, yeah,
Speaker 1: you know what, we deserve more respect for what we've
Speaker 1: done the last four or five years. What was the
Speaker 1: local reaction after the playoff loss and what is the
Speaker 1: atmosphere going to be like on Sunday. Well, I'll start
Speaker 1: with your first question. Devastation. I mean, nobody saw this coming.
Speaker 1: I mean, with all due respect to the Bengals, and
Speaker 1: obviously they had a great run last year getting to
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl and maybe one Aaron Donald getting blocked
Speaker 1: away from you know, play from the winning the whole thing.
Speaker 1: Nobody expected that Cincinnati ben was to come into Nashville
Speaker 1: and beat the Tennessee Titans. Titans were, you know, basically
Speaker 1: because you look at what the Titans went through last year.
Speaker 1: They won twelve games despite the fact that they had
Speaker 1: so many key injuries, and they were able to rise
Speaker 1: above it. You know, the Titans used an NFL record
Speaker 1: ninety one different players last year and had never been
Speaker 1: done before, and they felt like, you know what, we
Speaker 1: weathered the storm. We got our guys back. Derek Henry
Speaker 1: was coming back on his injury. Everybody, to a man
Speaker 1: and a woman here in Nashville thought last year was
Speaker 1: the year that they would at least get to the
Speaker 1: Super Bowl and a chance, you know, to right the
Speaker 1: wrong that was done with them back at Super Bowl
Speaker 1: thirty four against the Rams. It was shocked. This was
Speaker 1: a quiet town for about four or five days. And
Speaker 1: after Evan McPherson kicked that field goal in the final gun.
Speaker 1: We're talking to Nashville sports anchor and sports talk show
Speaker 1: host John Burton. Ryan Tannehill was very candid over the
Speaker 1: summer about that game. He spoke about being in a
Speaker 1: really dark place after the three interceptions. He saught therapy.
Speaker 1: Do you see a difference in Ryan Tannehill this year?
Speaker 1: I do. And he's got that look at his eye,
Speaker 1: and I think, you know, he's a guy. Ryan is
Speaker 1: a guy that loves to compete and loves to win.
Speaker 1: And he's had a lot of success here being the
Speaker 1: Titan starting quarterback, taking over for Marcus Mariota mid way
Speaker 1: through twenty nineteen. But the book on him has always been,
Speaker 1: you know what, he's good. He's a good regular season quarterback.
Speaker 1: He can't get you over the hump. He can't go
Speaker 1: into Kansas City and go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 1: He can't go into Buffalo and go toe to toe
Speaker 1: with Josh Allen. And we saw what Joe Burrow did
Speaker 1: coming in here last year, getting sacked nine times and
Speaker 1: getting up every time and leading that last second drive,
Speaker 1: and of course the interceptions that Tannehill threw. So I
Speaker 1: think he's out to prove for a number of reasons,
Speaker 1: maybe chief among them the fact that he knows his
Speaker 1: days here in tennessee here number they drafted Malik Willis
Speaker 1: on the third round. He appears to be the air apparent,
Speaker 1: although he's got a lot of work to do before
Speaker 1: before we annoint him the next guy. But I think
Speaker 1: he knows you know, he's thirty four years old. He's
Speaker 1: had a good career, He's had a good you know,
Speaker 1: reset to his career here in Nashville. He really really
Speaker 1: wants to be the guy that to help lead, you know,
Speaker 1: the Tennessee Titans to a Super Bowl championship. You know,
Speaker 1: we'll find out if he can do it. But yeah,
Speaker 1: he's a different kind of player this year, and he's
Speaker 1: been able to have success despite the fact that this
Speaker 1: passing game up until the Thursday night game against Green
Speaker 1: Bay has been almost non existent. You know, you lose
Speaker 1: H J. Brown and you draft Trailing Burkes and we
Speaker 1: think he's going to be a pretty good receiver. He
Speaker 1: had a really good game Thursday night against the Packers,
Speaker 1: but he's been slow to develop. Robert Woods is more
Speaker 1: of a possession guy that tight ends haven't really gotten involved.
Speaker 1: You know, their best receiver has been their backup running
Speaker 1: back don Roll Hilliard. He's there leading touchdown catchcout, but
Speaker 1: he's been able to make the plays when the plays
Speaker 1: are needed to be made. And he is the unquestioned
Speaker 1: leader of this football team. Everybody in that locker room
Speaker 1: respects him, and I think the one thing he wants
Speaker 1: to do before he leaves Nashville or leaves the Titans,
Speaker 1: is at least get them to the Super Bowl. So yes,
Speaker 1: I have seen a different look in his eye this year.
Speaker 1: Let's circle back to Derrick Henry. There have been very
Speaker 1: few running backs in NFL history like him. He's nearly
Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty pounds. He's been time to nearly
Speaker 1: twenty two miles an hour in pads when teams have
Speaker 1: success against them, when they slow him down, you're not
Speaker 1: going to shut him down. But when they slow him down,
Speaker 1: how do they do it? Is it just hats to
Speaker 1: Derrick Henry? Is that the formula? Yeah, you have to
Speaker 1: commit to it. You know, you have to say, you
Speaker 1: know what, Ryan Tannehill beat us throwing the football and
Speaker 1: with the wide receivers, in the lack of deep threats
Speaker 1: that you have, we're gonna bang on the fact that
Speaker 1: if we stop Derrick Henry, we'll be able to make
Speaker 1: one or two plays defensively to maybe turn Ryan Tannehill over.
Speaker 1: You have to commit full time to stopping Derrick Henry.
Speaker 1: But now that you see what happens in the Green
Speaker 1: Bay game, right, tane Hill throws for three hundred thirty yards.
Speaker 1: Burkes has seven catches for one hundred eleven yards. Woods
Speaker 1: made some big catches. Austin Hooper the tight end had
Speaker 1: a couple of touchdowns. That's gonna make it a little
Speaker 1: bit more difficult to game plan against because that could
Speaker 1: loosen things up for opposing defenses pretty soon. If this
Speaker 1: keeps up with the passing game, right, you're gonna have
Speaker 1: to decide do I walk my safeties up to commit
Speaker 1: to the run, or do I stay back in coverage
Speaker 1: and let you know, some of these guys run free
Speaker 1: in the middle of Burke's Hooper, some of the guys
Speaker 1: I mentioned so, but yeah, the way to stop Derrick
Speaker 1: Henrys you've got to go all out and commit to it.
Speaker 1: I think in the Denver game, even though the Titans
Speaker 1: end up ended up winning that game, that was the
Speaker 1: best example because they basically said, Derrick Henry, if we
Speaker 1: lose this game, Derrick Henry is not going to beat us.
Speaker 1: Fill your gaps, get hats to the ball, bring your friends,
Speaker 1: you know, get and get him before he gets going right.
Speaker 1: You gotta get him in the backfield, and you gotta
Speaker 1: hit him low because if you don't, if he if
Speaker 1: he gets even with the line of scrimmage, his shoulders
Speaker 1: square as a great John Madden used to say, you're
Speaker 1: in trouble and if he gets a step on you,
Speaker 1: you're not gonna catch him, even at two hundred and
Speaker 1: fifty pounds. A couple more questions for my friend John Burton,
Speaker 1: the injuries having his pen is bad. This year is
Speaker 1: last year, but they've still got quite a few fifteen
Speaker 1: guys on ir What injuries have had the biggest impact
Speaker 1: and is there anybody we should be key thing on
Speaker 1: I on this week where that is concerned. I think
Speaker 1: the biggest injury going into this game dan is they're
Speaker 1: starting center Ben Jones. You know he's in concussion protocol.
Speaker 1: Did not play in the Green Bay game. He is
Speaker 1: the anchor for that offensive line, especially in the running game,
Speaker 1: you know, in the center guard gaps. You know, he's
Speaker 1: a leader on this team. He's pound for pound, the
Speaker 1: toughest guy on this team. They did okay last week
Speaker 1: running a football without him, but they had to move
Speaker 1: some guys around. You know, coaches never liked to do that.
Speaker 1: So Ben Jones is a guy who want to keep
Speaker 1: an eye on. Also, the starting cornerback, Christian Fulton, he's
Speaker 1: been dealing with some injuries. It looks like they're gonna
Speaker 1: get their starting safety on Monty Hooker back, which will
Speaker 1: be a big boost for them. But and also I
Speaker 1: would add outside linebacker Bud Dupree. Bengals fans are certainly
Speaker 1: familiar with him from his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 1: He's been dealing with a hip injury. He didn't play
Speaker 1: against Green Bay. I believe he did practice today. I
Speaker 1: haven't got the full practice report. I believe he did
Speaker 1: at least practice in some capacity today. And you know,
Speaker 1: you remember he had a pretty big day against Burrow,
Speaker 1: as did everybody on that defense in that playoff game.
Speaker 1: Even though y'all came out with the win, Burrow earned
Speaker 1: that victory. So those are those are the three guys
Speaker 1: you want to keep keep an eye on. But I
Speaker 1: would say chief among them is Ben Jones because he's
Speaker 1: the guy that anchors that offensive line and really really
Speaker 1: powers that running game. A couple of Bengals players brought
Speaker 1: up to Nico Autrey today, is he expected to be
Speaker 1: good to go? He is not. And I'm glad you
Speaker 1: brought that up because I completely forgot about him. Denico
Speaker 1: Autrey is not going to play in this game. He's
Speaker 1: gonna be out a while. And he's a guy that's
Speaker 1: been fantastic next to Jeffrey Simmons, and that defensive line
Speaker 1: leads the Titans with seven sacks this year, was on
Speaker 1: his way to perhaps a Pro Bowl Berth maybe double
Speaker 1: digit sacks. And he's a classic two way defensive lineman.
Speaker 1: Great against the run, great getting after the quarterback. And
Speaker 1: now with him out of the lineup and may make
Speaker 1: it easier for the Bengals to double Jeffrey Simmons. But
Speaker 1: they have guys like Tierre Tart and some other interior
Speaker 1: your defensive lineman Niquon Jones, which is ironic because they
Speaker 1: used to have an interior defensive lineman named de Quon Jones,
Speaker 1: but now they just throw that in there, Dane. But yes,
Speaker 1: Nicole Autrey is certainly a significant, significant injury for the
Speaker 1: for the Titans, and that's going to affect perhaps Jeffrey
Speaker 1: Simmons's effectiveness on Sunday. So last thing about the defense.
Speaker 1: They have not given up more than seventeen in regulation
Speaker 1: in the last seven games, which is amazing. We all
Speaker 1: know Jeffrey Simmons, he dominated that playoff game, Bengals offensive
Speaker 1: coordinator Brian Callahan said, he's right there with Aaron Donald.
Speaker 1: Is one of the two best interior linemen in the
Speaker 1: NFL other than Jeffrey Simmons, and especially since Daniko Autrey
Speaker 1: is out. Who are the other standouts on that defense.
Speaker 1: I'm going to start with their inside linebacker, David Long Junior.
Speaker 1: He's an undersized inside linebacker, but he brings the wood.
Speaker 1: He's absolutely fearless, loves playing the run, extremely physical, not
Speaker 1: that bad in space in terms of covering guys, but
Speaker 1: he is a guy that loves to stick his hat
Speaker 1: in there and and and create havoc. And also the
Speaker 1: guy just mentioned a Monny Hooker, the safety next to
Speaker 1: Kevin Bayern. We all know what Kevin Bayer can do,
Speaker 1: First team All Pro, He's been a great player for
Speaker 1: the Titans, but a Monny Hooker is an emerging star
Speaker 1: at that other safety spot. Very smart, knows his defense
Speaker 1: down cold, really good against the run, really good in coverage,
Speaker 1: and he has a knack for making plays on the
Speaker 1: ball while they're in the air without fouling. So I
Speaker 1: would say David Long Junior and a Monny Hooker are
Speaker 1: two standouts other than Simmons. Simmons is the guy, there's
Speaker 1: no doubt. And you know Bud Dupree bringing you know,
Speaker 1: bringing the pass rush. And I'll give you one more.
Speaker 1: Dan Rashad Weaver, second year guy out of pit. He
Speaker 1: was having a really good year until he got hurt.
Speaker 1: He was he was on a pace to have a
Speaker 1: really good number of sacks. He's back healthy now, so
Speaker 1: they've got some depth that they're outside pass rush. Something
Speaker 1: two years ago when they went up to Cincinnati and
Speaker 1: got absolutely torched by rookie Joe Burrow up in Citcinnati.
Speaker 1: Their defense has really really improved leaps and bounds. This
Speaker 1: is a top five defense, I would I would dare
Speaker 1: say this is a super Bowl level defense. The question
Speaker 1: is can the offense, more specifically the passing game catch up. JB.
Speaker 1: I could go for an hour with you. We haven't
Speaker 1: even reminisced about our times as the award winning duo. Man.
Speaker 1: What do you need? You've got to prepare to look
Speaker 1: dapper on the TV news and I've got a radio
Speaker 1: show to do, so I'll let you go appreciate your time.
Speaker 1: Great stuff has always look forward to seeing the in Nashville, Danny,
Speaker 1: always a pleasure, you know. How. Food about you, my man,
Speaker 1: and I look forward to seeing you as well. And
Speaker 1: I'm really looking forward to this game on Sunday. It
Speaker 1: should be a lot of fun thanks to my pal
Speaker 1: John Burton. And that's going to do it for this
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Speaker 1: find us. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to
Speaker 1: the Bengals Boot Podcast