WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Walking To New Orleans 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:06.400 Hi again everybody on dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:10.920 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The this time I'm walk into 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:15.640 new Lands. Addition, as the two and three Bengals look 0:00:15.680 --> 0:00:17.759 to get back to five hundred as they face the 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:22.239 two and three Saints inside the Caesar Superdome. Coming up, 0:00:22.680 --> 0:00:26.239 former Bengals wide receiver t J. Hushman Zada tells us 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:29.639 how the Bengals can fix the problems they're having on offense. 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:33.879 Eli Apple discusses letting his play do the talking as 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:37.440 he returns to the Big Easy. I'll discuss criticism of 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:40.760 the Bengals play calling with Dave Lapham and finally it's 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:43.159 our No the Faux segment as we visit with the 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:47.120 voice of the Saints, my Coss. The Bengals Booth Podcast 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:51.040 is presented by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:54.600 to play with tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs. 0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:59.680 Find both inside the Bengals app. Now here's a quick reminder. 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.880 You can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:06.640 right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:11.480 you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since the 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:16.120 chargrilled oysters at Drago's. One of my good friends in 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:19.920 the broadcasting business is Todd Graffanini, the radio voice of 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:23.280 the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans. Todd was born and raised 0:01:23.280 --> 0:01:25.480 in New Orleans, and several years ago when I was 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:28.640 visiting the city, he told me that I had to 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:33.520 try the chargrilled oysters at Drago's. When I told Todd 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:37.200 I didn't really like oysters, he said, I don't care. 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:41.400 It's the single best bite of food you'll have in 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.760 the city. So out of respect for Todd, I took 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:49.840 his advice and they are amazing. Plus they come with 0:01:49.880 --> 0:01:52.920 this sauce that you sop up with fresh bread, and 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:56.080 that might be the best part. So if you are 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.640 going to the game this week, take Todd's advice and 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:04.639 get the chargrilled oysters at Dragos. I'm drooling just thinking 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:09.799 about it. Now. Let's look ahead to Sunday's game. Through 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:14.400 five weeks, the Bengals offense has underperformed. Cincinnati is next 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:16.760 to last in the league in yards per play and 0:02:16.880 --> 0:02:20.799 tied for sixteenth in scoring. The Bengals have scored twenty 0:02:20.840 --> 0:02:24.480 or fewer points in all three of their losses so 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:28.400 what's the fix? I discussed it with one of the 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:32.880 best wideouts in team history this week. The Bengals have 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:35.800 had many great receivers over the years, but nobody caught 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.960 more passes in a single season than t J. Hushman 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:42.600 Zada one hundred and twelve back in two thousand and seven, 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:45.640 and the former Pro Bowl receiver joins us now TJ. 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:49.680 Opposing defenses are trying to take away the deep ball 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:53.480 from Cincinnati this year by playing two deep safeties all 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:57.120 of the time, and it's been effective. What's the answer 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:02.799 to beating that coverage? Run the ball. Just run the ball, 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:06.520 and not only will it open up the passing game, 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:08.840 it's gonna make it easier for the offensive line the 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.600 block in the passing situations because now they can't just 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:16.520 rush up the field. Word about playing the pass, They 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:18.640 got to kind of hold their gaps to play the run. 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:20.799 So just run. You can run the ball effectively and 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:23.320 get four to five yards a pop. They're gonna bring 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:27.839 a safety down and like everybody does, you call two 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.919 to three plays at the line of scrimmage. If Joe 0:03:30.000 --> 0:03:32.799 Sings sees a single high, now we can throw it. 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:35.280 If it's too high, just run the ball and hope 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:37.400 you can get four to five yards. You have been 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:40.400 watching Joe Burrow closely since his las few days. You've 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:42.760 got a couple of daughters that have played softball there. 0:03:42.880 --> 0:03:44.839 What do you see when you watch Joe right now? 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.080 I mean, he's still the same player. You gotta think 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.040 you have surgery in the preseason. Nobody really plays the 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:55.120 preseason anymore, and so in essence, the first two to 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:59.920 three games, he's just trying to find himself and get 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:03.360 in the groove of playing football. But there's times also 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.240 when you're watching them first couple of games, Joe's holding 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:09.440 onto the ball because he wants to create the big play. 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:12.680 And sometimes it's like, Okay, let me just check it down. 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:15.200 Let me throw this hitch route, let me throw this 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:17.240 five yard en route or whatever it mean. Let me 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:21.320 throw this drag route. So maybe later on down the 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:23.520 game it opens up the stuff behind it. But there's 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:25.719 at times you watched and he's held onto the ball 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:28.200 and he gets sacked or he may get hit, and 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:30.560 it's all the offensive line, and Joe knows part of 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:32.359 that is on him. But he's trying to create the 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:34.360 big play because he did that last year, and he 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:37.720 created the big play after his record setting rookie year, 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:41.080 Jamar Chase is getting double team down just about every route. 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:43.680 How do you get your star receiver the ball when 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:46.359 that's the case. I mean it's simple, man, That's what 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.080 I said earlier. If they're able to run the ball effectively, 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:51.719 they're they're not going to be able to double them. 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:55.039 And when he's not doubled, I mean, it sucks. You 0:04:55.120 --> 0:04:57.080 just gotta make when you're not double, you gotta make 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:01.039 the play because when you start to get double, it's 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:03.200 a badge of honor. You like, you really like that. 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:05.440 You're like, oh man, they really respect me. But then 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:08.960 it becomes annoying, like Bruv playing me one on one. 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:13.400 But that's a respect thing for him. But also, if 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:16.440 T doesn't go down with that angle injury, te Higgins 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:20.320 gonna kill there. You can't double everybody, and so when 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:23.920 you have T Higgins, you have Tyler Boyd. Those guys 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:26.480 can force that double team to come off chasing. If 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.400 they don't. You see what you saw with the Miami Dolphins. 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:31.400 Te Higgins gets off and has a big game. And 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:33.800 if they're willing to lose the game because you want 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:36.039 to stop chasing going off and t does, and so 0:05:36.200 --> 0:05:39.039 be it. Let's talk about the third member of the 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:42.719 Cincinnati three way, Tyler Boyd. When I watch eighty three, 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.080 I see a lot of eighty four from back in 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:50.320 the day. Great hands, really tough against the coverage over 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:54.320 the middle, etc. This week, Zach Taylor and Brian Callahan 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.240 said they feel they need to get Tyler Boyd involved more. 0:05:57.279 --> 0:06:00.920 Do you agree, Yeah, anytime you can get the ball 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:04.200 to other guys, it's gonna open up who you really 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:07.679 want to get the ball to. And so yeah, Tyler 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:10.040 boy we're similar in that respect. I think I probably 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:12.240 talk a little more trash during the game and he does, 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:15.719 unless the camera doesn't show it as much. But again, 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:19.760 the Bengals, it's a dilemma because they have so many weapons. 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:24.479 When when I was playing, it was Chad myself and 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:27.520 we would run the ball. It was Chris Henry, but 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:30.800 we didn't really utilize our tight end. Reggie Kelly was 0:06:30.800 --> 0:06:35.159 in essence a sixth offensive linemen, whereas now they will 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.279 utilize the tight end. So now it's more more mouths 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.119 the feed, so to speak. They just got to figure 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:44.080 out a way to make this work. The two and three. 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:47.919 But each game has come down to the last possession 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:50.760 of last kick, and so I'm not I'm not too 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:53.880 much worried about them getting into the playoffs. I'm not 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:56.640 too much worried about them turning this around. They just 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:59.719 got to figure out a way how to get big plays, 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:02.760 keep Joe off his back, and they'll be fine. We 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:05.880 are chatting with former Bengals wide receiver t J. Hushman Zada, 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:08.400 now the co host of the Airing It Out podcast. 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:10.440 Let's talk about the other side of the ball. The 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:15.080 Bengals defense has given up five touchdowns in five games. 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:17.440 When you watch this defense, do you consider to be 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:20.400 one of the best in the NFL? They're very good. 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:22.920 Defense is very good. And you got to think about 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:26.920 it is when you say who's the best out to me, 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:31.400 when I think deep, when I think the Bengals nationally, 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:35.520 people are gonna think Jesse Bates. Outside of that, it's like, 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:39.800 as Sam Hubbard is it, Trey Hendrickson, The Bengals have 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:43.680 a collective unit where they all can just really play. 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:47.880 They built a team defensively that it doesn't just rely 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.000 on one player having to get pressure on the quarterback 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:56.800 or one dB having a shutter receiver down. They just 0:07:56.840 --> 0:08:01.440 play collectively as a unit. But the defense they're doing 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:03.560 this last year, it's not a secret. That's why I 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:06.120 wanted to resign Jesse Base because I think he's very 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:09.640 important to this team. But when you see who they drafted, 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:12.200 it's like, h Jesse, you might not be here long. 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:15.880 But it's a business one. But they were doing this 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:18.000 last year, so it's not a surprise to me. It's 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:20.720 not a surprise at all. They had to New Orleans 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:23.720 this week, a very loud place to play. The Saints 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:26.040 are two and three under the new head coach Dennis Allen. 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:28.600 Do you have a couple of keys that immediately come 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:31.840 to mind when you look ahead to Sunday, man the 0:08:31.880 --> 0:08:34.800 Saints are gonna play really good defense. It's a reunion 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:37.640 with Andy Dalton, so to speak, So you know, I'm 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:39.520 sure he'll probably be under center for the Saints with 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:44.120 Jameis Winston still hurt. Keep your composure. That stadium is 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:49.000 probably that Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs, so they're probably 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:51.240 the three loud of stadiums that I can recall playing in. 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:55.640 So you just gotta keep your composure. Make sure you 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.440 know where Cam Jordan is every single play because he 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:02.480 can wreck every play throughout the entire entirety of the game. 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:08.400 And the Saints don't. They don't really double guys. If 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:11.680 you watch them play defensively, they put Marshawn Laddimar on 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:13.840 your best guy and say beat him. They did it 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:16.600 with Justin Jefferson. They didn't double him when they play 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.200 the Bucks. They don't double Mike Evans. So maybe this 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:21.640 can be a game Jamar can look at it and say, 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:25.319 Dennis Allen doesn't double guys. He puts Marshawn Lattimore on 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:27.640 him and say you got him. So maybe this will 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.400 be a game that Chase can get off in. You 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:33.280 mentioned Cam Jordan. You just had him on your podcast. 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:38.079 Do you see that Cam Jordan versus Lall Collins matchup 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:41.160 possibly being the biggest matchup of the game. Yeah, no, 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:44.559 disrespect to Collins. They're gonna have to make sure they 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:48.120 give him help. Hearing there, Cam Jordan, he's just too 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:51.679 good of a player, man, and you can't block him 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:54.720 one on one. You have to account for him. You 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:58.120 don't want a team's best players to beat you. And 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:01.640 Leo Collins probably he can block him by himself. I 0:10:01.640 --> 0:10:03.920 don't even want to find out. I don't want to 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:05.920 get that crowd into the game. I don't want to 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:08.559 get him into the game. I'm not letting your best 0:10:08.559 --> 0:10:11.520 player on that front seven beat me and s Cam Jordan. 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:13.400 I got to take him out the game, all right. 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:16.640 A couple more topics for T. J. Hushman Zada. What 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:19.720 did you think of the white helmets and the white 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.920 unis on Thursday Night football? Man? It was so clean. 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:26.079 We've always had the white helmet in any equipment room 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.600 even when I was playing, just could never wear it. 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:32.520 But nah, that was I got so many message that's 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:36.600 that's probably the codest uniform in the league, that all white. 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:39.840 No question, it was nice, real nice. Tell him to 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:43.240 send me a jersey. I would definitely pass along the message. 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:47.839 You did a really cool thing prior to the Super Bowl. 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:50.600 You helped a range for an eighty six year old 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:54.160 lifelong Bengals fan to get tickets to that game in 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:57.600 Los Angeles against the Rams. What motivated you to do that? 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:03.080 Somebody sent that to me and I had already given 0:11:03.160 --> 0:11:08.560 my tickets to my uncle, and so I didn't have 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:11.520 a way to get any more tickets and so, like 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:13.679 I said, a friend of mine sent that to me, 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:18.160 and I forget it was a Saturday. I do remember 0:11:18.200 --> 0:11:22.920 that it was a late Saturday night and I looked 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:26.520 at the Instagram. He sent it via Instagram and I 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:28.160 looked and I was just laying in the bed, and 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:30.000 for some reason, I was like, you know what, let 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:31.560 me go back to this clip. So I went and 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:33.800 watched it, and I was and I showed my wife, 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:36.400 and my wife kind of got like sad about it. 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:38.959 So I clicked on the link and I found the 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:41.839 name and I just DMed her and I said, I'm 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:44.480 gonna call you tomorrow, and then she DM me right back. 0:11:44.480 --> 0:11:46.520 But I went to sleep because it was like midnight here, 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:50.360 so it's probably three o'clock and Cincinnati. I called her 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.680 the next day. She didn't it was Lizzie. She didn't 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:56.280 believe it was me. We talked. I was like, I'm 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:58.080 gonna try to get some tickets for you. I called 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:01.679 the NFL. They said they'll try to help, and in 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:06.000 the process, I called the Bengals and Alex Simons and 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:09.920 so Alex was tremendous in helping me, because the NFL 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.120 would have also helped but Alex was able to help 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:16.480 me through the Bengals, and so I bought them two tickets. 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:19.319 A lot of times we kind of take for granted 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.319 as players, the sands that come to the games, they 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:25.000 want your autograph, they want a picture like who we 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:27.880 excuse my language, that you want this from us, and 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:30.360 you kind of take that for granted. And so I 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:32.400 think that's the least we can do. At least, that 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:34.880 was the least I can do. You supported me all 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:38.200 the years that I played there. If I could help 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:39.880 you and I was able to help you, I'm more 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:42.880 than willing to do it. But this is the problem though. 0:12:43.280 --> 0:12:46.000 Now everybody is like, hey, can I get tickets to this? 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:49.000 Can I play? What do you mean I can't continue 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:51.640 to do this now? Well, if they go back to 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:55.640 the super Bowl, that's a different level. You can't just 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:58.400 constantly be firing out. TJ helped me up with tickets. 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:01.360 That is a different level. But I'm gonna be honest, 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:03.560 I think in the next halful of years they got 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:06.640 a chance to be a frequent visitor there. I really do. 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:09.560 I couldn't agree with you more. And the Joe Burrow era, 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:12.760 I'm confident they're going to get back TJ. This has 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:16.880 been great. Always appreciate your time and your insight. Continued 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:20.480 success with the Airing It Out podcast and we look 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:22.720 forward to catching up again sometime down the road. Thank you, 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:25.840 I appreciate it. We'll give back in the w columnarth 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:27.760 that we beat the Saints as this week. Trust and 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:32.400 believe it. TJ certainly sounds confident. Here's hoping the Bengals 0:13:32.440 --> 0:13:36.040 back it up on Sunday. The Bengals Booth podcast is 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:39.840 brought to you by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:42.920 of the Bengals. With more than one hundred twenty care 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:47.920 facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:51.360 to guiding you to your best health. Visit kettering health 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:55.920 dot org to learn more. Six games ago, Zach Taylor 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:59.480 had the Bengals one defensive stop away from winning a 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:03.520 Super Bowl. This past Monday, a significant portion of the 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:06.800 fan base question whether he should give up play calling 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.840 duties that comes with the territory when you go for 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:12.800 it on fourth and goal or try a couple of 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:16.280 gadget plays inside the five yard line that don't work. 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:20.920 This week, Joe Burrow was asked about the Bengals play calling. 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:25.840 Every play is designed to work if we execute it 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:30.800 the right way right and so you can talk all 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:32.680 you want about the play calling, but at the end 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:35.080 of the day, players have to go on execute the 0:14:35.080 --> 0:14:37.160 play of the way it's supposed to be executed, and 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:38.720 if we do that, the play is going to work. 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:41.960 It's always tough in those situations because if you go 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:43.560 for it on fourth down, you get it, you look 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:44.920 like the smartest dude in the world. And you don't 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:46.480 get it, you know you're gonna take some heat. Those 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:48.920 are the gambles that we face every single week in 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:52.440 this profession. Didn't go our way this time. We've had 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:54.600 several that have. As I've said in a couple of 0:14:54.600 --> 0:14:57.520 places this week, there is a statue dedicated to the 0:14:57.520 --> 0:15:00.600 Philly Special outside of the stadium and phil Adelphia up 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:03.560 since it helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl, it 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.280 did not work out quite so well for the Bengals 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:10.120 in Baltimore. I asked my broadcast partner Dave Lapham about 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:13.520 play calling this week on the Bengals Game Plan show, 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:17.680 call is executed properly, you get what you were hoping 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:20.960 you were going to get. Look wise, everybody's like, oh 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:25.680 my god, genius. It's called at the perfect time, the 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:30.080 perfect play. Everybody goes crazy. So it's like the highest 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:33.600 highs when it doesn't work, where you have a Simon 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:38.080 Arrows up front and you have multiple defensive players penetrating 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.120 and that kills a shovel pass. If one penetrates, you're 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:45.320 in trouble. Three penetrated, you're done, and put a fork 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:49.000 in it. And it's like, well, that's the stupidest thing 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:51.640 in the world. Well, in hindsight, you wouldn't do it, 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:53.280 obviously if you knew that's the way it was going 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:57.000 to turn out. But there's two responsibilities. There's the play 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:00.560 call by the coach. Then there's the execution called by 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:05.120 the players. And probably, you know, you could argue it 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:07.880 might have been better plays to call. You can definitely 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:11.920 argue the execution had to be much better than it 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:16.000 was on the on the Philly Special, you just had 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:19.240 a great player make a great play. Marcus Peters drop 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:22.920 coverage on Jamar Chase, just drop coverage on him to 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:26.120 run at Tyler Boyd, and he cut on him so 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:29.360 quickly Tyler Boyd couldn't even react to throw the ball away. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:32.000 You can throw it away. You're on a pocket. You're 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:35.000 basically the quarterback. You're the passer the ball in your hand, 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:37.280 but you know it's the reverse pitch back. You're on 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:40.200 a pocket. Throw it away, and now it's third down 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.600 from the two yard line instead of the fourteen. But 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.600 they get, you know, twelve back on third down on 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:50.360 the third down play and try to shovel pass. I 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:53.280 think two gadget plays in a four play sequence from 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:55.640 the two yard line is probably are actually three plays 0:16:55.680 --> 0:16:57.680 because you weren't at the two yard line after the lost. 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:01.680 But two gadgets in three play sequence is probably a 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:06.320 little a little over the top. And if I'm an 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:10.800 offensive lineman in that situation, I don't come to the sideline, 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:14.359 you know, complaining about the play call. I come to 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:17.879 the sideline and find out what happened, why it didn't work. 0:17:18.560 --> 0:17:22.280 And on top of that, even more so, I say 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:26.600 to my fellow offensive lineman, boys, we got to pick 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:28.880 it up first and goal to two. We don't run 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:31.959 the ball one time. They have no confidence in us 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:37.159 up front. They will not put the owners the responsibility 0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:40.480 on us getting pushed enough where we can gain two 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:44.400 yards in three snaps. You know, not even thinking about 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.120 the field goal potential. We have three downs to get 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.359 two yards and they're not running the ball one time. 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.639 We suck. We have to get better. We have to 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:56.320 do a better job up front. That's what I would do. 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:58.280 I would, I would, you know, call the group together 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.720 and say, we got to perform better. We have to 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:04.040 get the confidence of our coaches and our teammates, you know. 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:07.399 And that would be my reaction. I'd be upset that 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:12.320 they didn't feel that they could um call a run play. 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:14.960 I would I would feel like, what the what the 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:17.480 hell got to be able to run the ball one 0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:21.320 time in that situation and obviously they didn't feel like 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.119 they could trust us to do it. That would be 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:26.680 a reaction I might have as an offensive lineman, and 0:18:26.800 --> 0:18:28.800 I might ask the coaches about it a little bit, 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.520 like you know, and you know, they would probably go 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:33.480 back to the wall in this situation, third and one, 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:35.520 fourth and one, it didn't work out. They could probably 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.000 give you reasons why, and they the amount of time 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:41.680 that they put into situational football going on in short 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:45.080 yard and stuff is extraordinary. And it's not just they 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:47.800 don't just take a play out of the playbook, you know, 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:51.399 extraneously and say I'm gonna throw that, I'm throwing that 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.000 up against the here. It's it's all, it's all planned, 0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:58.879 and you know it's it's unfortunate because that you go 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:02.600 on that a fifth team play drive, taking eight minutes 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:05.120 off the clock and going over eighty yards and you've 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.800 got squad dow shot of it. That is a killer. 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:11.360 That's a dagger. It's not only that you don't put 0:19:11.359 --> 0:19:14.920 points on the board, but what it does to your emotion, 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:17.640 your psyche and all that stuff was Man, that's tough. 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.159 Or from Lap a bit later in the podcast. The 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:24.880 Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Paycorps. More 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:31.240 than twenty nine thousand customers trust Paycorps to help them recruit, pay, engage, 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:37.160 and retain employees. Learn more at paycorp dot com. Sunday's 0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:39.080 game is going to be a homecoming of sorts for 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:42.840 what seems like half of the team. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:46.399 Tyler Shelvin, and L. L. Collins played at LSU and 0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:49.960 Chase is from the New Orleans area. Wide receiver Mike 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:52.320 Thomas played at Southern Miss, which is less than two 0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:56.040 hours away, and then you have the former Saints on 0:19:56.200 --> 0:20:00.760 the Bengals roster, Von Bell, Trey Hendrickson, and Eli Apple. 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:04.120 Apple is not going to get a warm reception on Sunday. 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:07.320 After playfully getting into it with Saints fans on social 0:20:07.359 --> 0:20:12.520 media earlier this year, I talked to him this week. Eli. 0:20:12.600 --> 0:20:15.240 The team is two and three. All three losses are 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:19.400 on walkoff field goals. What kind of emotional toll does 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:23.439 that take? It hurts hurt, especially as a defense. I 0:20:23.480 --> 0:20:26.120 feel like we were responsible for those because we've got 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:27.480 to get off the field at the end of the 0:20:27.480 --> 0:20:30.160 game and closes better goals back to the Super Bowl 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:33.040 and stuff like that. If you want to win big games, 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:34.520 you gotta know how to close teams out. So that I 0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:37.280 I saw it, that that met us for us. Despite that, 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:39.600 I think we can all say that the defense has 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:42.760 played great. You guys have not allowed an opposing offense 0:20:42.760 --> 0:20:45.879 to score more than twenty points yet no touchdowns allowed 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:48.240 in the second half. What do you think the defense 0:20:48.359 --> 0:20:51.960 is doing best. We're a good bendal break defense. I 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:54.160 feel like we've been great in a red zone, but 0:20:54.200 --> 0:20:56.840 we still have areas where we can clean up communication wise, 0:20:56.880 --> 0:21:00.080 So it's just got to concede the build. Personally, you 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:02.520 have not allowed a touchdown catch yet. How do you 0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:05.600 feel about your level of play right now? It's been solid. 0:21:05.680 --> 0:21:07.639 I think there's more opportunities to make plays. It's got 0:21:07.720 --> 0:21:09.760 to be aggressive and no one I can pick those 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:13.000 chances to go get the ball. We're chatting with the Eliapple. 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.680 Describe your relationship with Luanna Rumo. It's a great relationship. 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:19.680 It's a great relationship. He's a great coach and well 0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:21.960 no we go away back, So he's just one of 0:21:22.000 --> 0:21:23.960 my favorite people to be around, you know, just a great, 0:21:24.000 --> 0:21:26.600 genuine person. He has a lot of belief in you. 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:30.080 How has that impacted your time here in Cincinnati? Oh, 0:21:30.080 --> 0:21:32.560 a big time, big time does a lot for my 0:21:32.640 --> 0:21:35.720 confidence and from the believe in me gives me the 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:38.600 ability to go out and just kind of played my game. 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:40.679