WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Turn The Page 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.519 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.559 --> 0:00:14.000 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Turn the Page addition as 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:17.880 the Bengals officially transition from the Andy Dalton era to 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:21.040 the Joe Burrow era. Coming up, I'll talk to Dave 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:25.080 Lapham about Andy's legacy in Cincinnati and why the Bengals 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:27.880 elected to let him go now instead of holding on 0:00:27.960 --> 0:00:30.480 to him as long as possible in hopes of swinging 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:34.040 a trade. We'll replay a short portion of an interview 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:37.280 we did with Andy late last season that hits home 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:40.599 following his release, and I'll talk to the Bengals new 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:45.239 quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher on Joe Burrow, Andy Dalton and 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:48.760 how a summer handyman job as a college student helped 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:52.240 him eventually wind up coaching in the NFL. The Bengals 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:56.120 Booth Podcast is presented by Prime Sport, the official fan, 0:00:56.200 --> 0:01:00.480 travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. And here's 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.640 a quick reminder that you can add the latest edition 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:06.600 of this podcast delivered rite to your phone, tablet, or 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:12.760 computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or Podbean. 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:18.760 It's the greatest thing since the Andy and AJ Dalton Foundation. 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:22.640 As college students at TCU, Andy and his wife JJ 0:01:22.920 --> 0:01:26.759 decided they would start a foundation to help seriously ill 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:32.440 and physically challenge children and their families. Since then, they've 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:36.760 paid for entertainment hubs for kids in multiple hospitals, hosted 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:40.240 date nights for parents of seriously ill children where the 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.560 Daltons entertain the kids while their parents are treated to 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:47.720 an expensive dinner date. They've treated children to Christmas parties 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:52.320 and trips to King's Island, and they've purchased medical equipment 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:56.600 and provided financial relief to families that need it most. 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:03.080 In short, they've been incredibly generous with their time and resources. 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:07.320 For more information about their foundation or to make a donation, 0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:12.799 just go to Andy Dalton dot org. My first year 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.560 is the Bengals radio play by play announcer was Andy 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.679 Dalton's first year at quarterback, and I remember reading a 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.840 story in Sports Illustrated around the time he was drafted 0:02:22.240 --> 0:02:26.720 where an unnamed NFL coach said the following to Peter King, 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:31.440 has there ever been a redheaded quarterback in the NFL 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:35.280 who's done really well? The coach asked, It sounds idiotic, 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.000 but is there any way that could be a factor. 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:43.880 He's right, it was idiotic, but I remembered that quote 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:47.080 the first time I met Andy and saw just how 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:51.040 red his hair is. That's why I decided to have 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:54.400 some fun with it in his first preseason by calling 0:02:54.520 --> 0:03:01.200 him the Red Rifle. The nickname certainly stuck. Andy's accomplishments 0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:06.160 were nothing short of remarkable, five straight playoff trips, the 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:09.960 best winning percentage of any Bengals QB with twenty five 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:14.800 or more starts, and the most completions and touchdown passes 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:19.520 of any quarterback in franchise history. The only thing he 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:23.120 didn't do was lead the team to postseason success, and 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:26.520 I honestly believe that would have happened in twenty fifteen. 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:30.880 That year, his passer rating was a franchise record one 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:33.920 oh six point three and the team was ten and 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:36.880 two and the number one seed in the AFC playoff 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:40.880 race when he broke his thumb. Unfortunately, the Bengals have 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:45.080 not been back to the playoffs since last year. Before 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:48.400 the season opener in Seattle, I asked the three time 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:53.200 Pro bowler the following question, what are you proudest of? Yeah? 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:55.320 I think anytime you can stay in one place for 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:57.760 a long time. I think that's one thing. We've really 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.640 established ourself in Cincinnati from the time we got here, 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:03.040 and so this is a place that we wanted to be, 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:05.040 and we wanted to be here for a long time. 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:08.080 So I think the first and foremost to be able to, 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:10.720 you know, have success enough to where you know you're 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:13.040 going to be in the city Cincinnati. I think that's 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:15.680 that's one thing. There's been a lot of accomplishments that 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.440 have gone on since I've been here, obviously, like you said, 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.000 the three the three Pro Bowls and different things, but 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:24.800 I want to keep playing for for a while, so, uh, 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.400 you know, hopefully we're kind in the middle stages of 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:31.280 my career. Andy turns thirty three in October and should 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:34.240 have plenty of good football left. It'll be interesting to 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:37.640 see where he winds up. That's among the things I 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:41.880 discussed with my broadcast partner, Dave lapham Lap. What is 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:45.560 Andy Dalton's legacy in Cincinnati. I think he's He's a 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:49.680 clear cut case of a tale of two careers instead 0:04:49.680 --> 0:04:51.640 of a tale of two cities. I mean his first 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:57.359 his first fifty seven or seventy six games, fifty twenty 0:04:57.360 --> 0:05:01.920 five and one. Unbelievable. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers the only 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:04.440 quarterbacks that had more victors in him in that time 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:08.800 frame his last fifty seven games twenty thirty six and one. 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:11.480 You know, and there's as we know him, Marry the 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:14.679 reasons why. I mean, when he started out his career 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:17.880 with those with those fifty wins and twenty five losses 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:20.440 in the tie and Andrew Worth a left tackle, he 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:23.560 at Aja Green, I mean, he had he had solid 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:27.000 people around him, a solid situation. Jay Gruden was his 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:32.039 offensive coordinator. They kind of grew together, and then at 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:36.240 the back half of his career there was musical chairs 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:38.719 at you know, a Merry go round a left tackle, 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:42.960 same type of scenario at offensive coordinator. I really think 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:45.679 that he's a clear cut case of when you surround 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:49.120 him with competent people, he'll give you a damn good 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:52.159 performance and if you leave him out there in the lurch, 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:54.960 you know, struggle. And that's the case with most quarterbacks. 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:56.960 I mean, there's a reason for that old saying that 0:05:57.279 --> 0:06:01.280 they get too much blame when things poorly and not 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.479 enough credit when things go well. In a normal year, 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:08.440 even with his salary, he would have been easy to 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:11.359 trade for a draft pick. But this is not a 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:16.040 normal year. Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, Jamis Winston, 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:21.200 Marcus Mariota were all available to teams. Nick Foles as well, 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:24.359 and the Bears pounced down him. It made for a 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:27.000 difficult market for the Bengals in trying to trade him, 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:30.400 it did, you know, and uh, there's no doubt in 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:34.000 the game and musical chairs, there were too many quarterbacks 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:37.200 and not enough chairs. The music stopped, and it was 0:06:37.279 --> 0:06:41.160 it was a tough dynamic for sure. When whenever when 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:44.279 all those quarterbacks saturated, they're saturated the market, you know, 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.920 just but at that point in time was boy, you know, 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:50.440 you know that nobody's going to give up draft capital 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.600 and inherited seventeen point seven million dollar contract. That's that's 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:57.320 there's no way that's going to happen. And there are 0:06:57.680 --> 0:07:00.640 Bill Bill Belichick's just sitting there. He was just waiting 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:02.440 in the weeds. I mean, I'd hate to play poker 0:07:02.520 --> 0:07:04.840 with him. He'll wait you out forever and keep a 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:08.520 poker face the whole time. It will try me. You know, 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:11.360 the fact that they didn't even draft a quarterback with 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:14.200 all those picks they had that he felt like he 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:15.960 was going to get a good shot at Andy Dalton 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:20.280 when the Bengals terminated him, and down there in Jacksonville, 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.960 you're think Jay Gruden and the Jacksonville Jaguars might be 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:25.960 thinking the same thing. So if there's a couple of 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:29.760 couple of teams with a significant interest, you know, I 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:34.040 think backup salary quarterback salaries are tops in the high 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:37.320 three million dollar range. He might be able to generate 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:39.320 a little bit more than that, but there's not a 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:41.560 whole lot of starting jobs left out there, that's for sure. 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:46.400 After spending more than one hundred and thirty million unrestricted 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.600 free agents, the Bengals don't have room under the cap 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:53.840 for a seventeen point seven million dollar backup quarterback, especially 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:56.520 as they try to extend aj Green and Joe Mixon. 0:07:57.120 --> 0:08:00.360 But they could have waited until Week one to see 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:04.200 if an injury created a need somewhere else. Why didn't 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:07.280 they because of their respect for Andy, you know, I 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.120 think that once the once the draft took place, and 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.600 there were no no trades, you know, prior to the draft, 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:16.360 during the draft, and right after the draft, I think 0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:19.160 at that point they realized the market was dry. Everybody 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:22.040 had made quarterback decisions and nobody was going to do 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:25.280 anything that was going to be uh, you know, would 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.800 changed the landscape significantly. So at that point in time, 0:08:28.840 --> 0:08:31.080 they wanted to do what's best for Andy Dalton. I'm 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:34.480 sure Andy Dalton wanted to move on and try to 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:37.360 find the best opportunity for him to extend his career. 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:40.520 He still believes the starting NFL quarterback. And you know, 0:08:40.679 --> 0:08:42.640 stranger things have happened. But I mean, if he goes 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:45.679 out there and it's totally dry and you know, and 0:08:45.840 --> 0:08:48.040 the BEng Wills say, hey, this is what we can 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:51.720 afford to give you as a backup quarterback for a season, 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:54.560 would you think about it. I mean, stranger things have happened. 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.400 I think the odds of that are minuscule. But it 0:08:57.440 --> 0:09:00.600 doesn't it doesn't close that door because you know, one 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:02.920 thing that ain't Andy Dalton has done as he's done 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:06.000 with everything in his career as a as a football player, 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:07.920 as a husband, as a dad, as a brother, as 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:10.480 a son, as a community member. Everything he does he 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:14.600 does with class. Even he hasn't burned any bridges here. Um, 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:18.000 So I think, you know, if something doesn't work out, 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:21.960 New England, Jacksonville, or wherever it may be. You know 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:25.600 there the door's not slammed, it's not bolted, sud, but 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:27.760 it would be. It would be a tough a tough 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.160 pilled swallow, I think, a tough dynamic. But I do 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:33.679 think the timing this is all about trying to do 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:35.960 what's best for Andy Dalton to extend his career, because 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.200 they feel like they owe that to him. Lap I'm 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:40.840 sure Joe Burrow could have learned from Andy Dalton as 0:09:40.840 --> 0:09:45.080 a veteran mentor slash sounding board. There are veterans out there, 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.880 Joe Flacco, Mike Glennon, Matt Moore, Blake Bortles, and others. 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:52.439 Do you see the Bengals possibly reaching out to a 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:55.920 little older guy like that so that Joe Burrow could 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.319 have somebody like Bruce Gradkowski was for Andy. I think 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:03.560 with Joe Burrow, you know, Jill Burrows older than a 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:06.400 lot of quarterbacks in the NFL right now, and Bill 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:11.079 Burrows had life experiences probably in terms of facing adversity, 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:13.760 more than a lot of quarterbacks that are stars in 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:16.200 the National Football League have had the experience. I think 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:21.439 his chronological age and his life experiences age I think 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.079 make him ready, and plus the fact, when you look 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.439 at it, everybody in the organization is a quarterback, including 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:32.280 the owner. Mike Brown played at Dartmouth, Duke Telvin played 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:37.959 at Colorado, you know, Zach Taylor, Coach Callahan, and a 0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:43.319 picture everybody everybody involved with Joe Burrow played the quarterback position. 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:46.320 So I think they feel they've got enough people to 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:49.280 give them opinions and tutor them and all those sort 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.800 of things. I mean, it wouldn't be bad to have 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:55.960 a guy like that in the locker room, but in 0:10:56.000 --> 0:10:58.760 that quarterback meeting room and in the locker room. But 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.239 you know, Tayl bar when I asked him about it 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:04.760 on the press conference after he was drafted about how 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:08.760 difficult it may be relationship wise with Andy, difficult or not, 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:11.400 you know, his answer was just he hit it out 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.200 of the park, like he did all of them. So 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:15.800 he'll deal with deal with it if if Andy's part 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:18.880 of the picture, and he'll deal with it if it's 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:21.880 just young quarterbacks in him. I mean, I think he's 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:26.120 capable and ready to adapt and adjust it just about anything. 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:30.760 I really do. You participated in events for the uh 0:11:31.160 --> 0:11:35.120 Andy and JJ Dalton Foundation. I know how much respect 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.240 you have for him as a person, how big a 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:40.560 part of his legacy is what he did off the field. 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:44.040 I think it's I think it's huge, you know. And 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:48.079 I think that when when, um, you know, you talk 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:52.640 about does did Andy Dalton get his just due? You know, 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.760 on the field as a quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengal 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:59.080 as well, and from a national perspective of really, nobody 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:01.520 in Cincinnati is gonna they're just due, But even on 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:04.720 a local basis, I'm not sure that necessarily he got 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:06.920 his just due from what he did, you know, as 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:09.520 a quarterback on the field, and maybe even you know 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:11.520 what he's done off the football field, because it is 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:16.160 it is remarkable. It is amazing to watch him interact 0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:19.760 with with the people and how they look at him 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.120 because of the way he's affected their lives in such 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:25.520 a positive way. I mean, giving them a beacon of hope, 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:29.160 you know, a beacon of light. It's it's just, it's 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:32.800 it's man, it's it's humanity at its highest level. There's 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:36.280 no question about it. And he should be extremely proud 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:37.920 of that. I know he is. I know his wife 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:40.960 JJ is and and I know that he was very, 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:43.640 very appreciative of all the people in Cincinnati that rallied 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:47.240 around is his efforts with respects to the foundation, and 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:50.240 not only here in Cincinnati, but down in Dallas Fort 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:53.880 Worth as well. So I'm sure he'll he'll probably continue 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:56.839 with things that he's done here in Cincinnati, but if 0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:59.600 he ends up in another location, I'm sure I'll have 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:01.480 to split the pot. Count sure it will do something 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:05.120 wherever he ends up and continue in his hometown area 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:08.240 Dallas Fort Worth as well. Lap and I did a 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.080 lengthy interview with Andy for one of our radio shows 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:14.280 in late November, right after he got his starting job 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:17.600 back after a three game benching behind rookie Ryan Finley. 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.480 He promptly led the team to a win over the Jets, 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:24.360 ending their eleven game losing streak to begin the season. 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:28.480 I've edited that interview down to about five minutes that 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:32.280 seem appropriate following his release. You're a man of faith 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:35.920 and a family man. How important of those two components 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:38.000 for your life been in dealing with what you've been 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:42.600 dealing with here? Yeah, it's been the biggest thing for me. 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:47.040 You know, I think I was saying earlier when it 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:51.120 first happened, I was just bitter, didn't like I wanted 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:53.199 to not be the same person that I've been wanting 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:57.319 to choose to, you know, not help out, just sit 0:13:57.400 --> 0:13:58.720 in the meeting and get through the rest of the 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:00.679 season and then let it go on on. But it's like, 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:03.360 that's not who I am, that's not who I'm called 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:06.360 to be. It's um now, I'd be choosing to be 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:09.640 somebody that I'm not. And so you know that weighed 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:13.840 on me heavy and um and and for then I 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:17.680 was just like, just be yourself. You know, God's gonna 0:14:17.760 --> 0:14:20.280 honor whatever. If you handle this the right way, God's 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:23.040 gonna honor you. And um, you know, I felt like 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:24.720 that's how I had to I had to be. I know, 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:27.800 I told everybody well right when it first happened in 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:29.800 the team meeting, like I'm gonna be the same guy 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.800 I'm you know, don't don't feel awkward around me. It's 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:35.200 gonna be It's gonna be okay. You know, I'll get 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:38.480 through it. Um. But uh, you know, and I felt 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:40.880 like I was that way even on game day. I 0:14:40.880 --> 0:14:42.680 felt like I was giving suggestions, trying to help right 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:44.720 out as much as I could, and uh, you know, 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:47.360 trying to help this team win. Yep, we're visiting with 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:50.680 Andy Dalton. There's an old saying you don't appreciate someone 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:53.880 or you don't appreciate something until it's gone, and you 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:56.320 haven't been gone. But after you were taken out of 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:58.080 the starting lineup, it seems to me there was an 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:02.280 outpouring of appreciation and respect that I'm not sure that 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:04.440 you got when you were leading the team to the 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:06.840 playoffs five years on a road Did you feel that 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:11.200 long overdue? Yeah, you know, I have received a lot 0:15:11.240 --> 0:15:15.400 of support and so, um, you know, it's it's kind 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:17.240 of a weird spot to be in, you know, when 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:21.280 you're uh, you know, felt like, you know, I didn't 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:25.080 deserve to to not be playing, but you know, I 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:27.680 guess I understood a little bit what Zach was trying 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:29.280 to do, but I mean I didn't agree with it 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:31.600 and all that kind of stuff. And then, um, yeah, 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.560 a lot of people have supported me through it, and um, yeah, 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:37.160 I think that's it's it's been cool to see, you know, 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:39.520 there's people that gave to our foundation and in different 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:42.600 things like that, and um, I mean we'll always take 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.480 that and we'll be able to help so many kids 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:47.800 and families with with that kind of stuff. But it's 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:49.560 always nice when you have the support of the city 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:53.280 around you. I know, Um, your your situation, that the 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:56.160 conversation you have with Zach so and I know you 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:58.200 know you weren't real happy. There was even talk about 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:01.000 just go ahead and trade me. In your mind right now, 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.520 you're not just playing for the Cincinnati Bengals evaluation, you're 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.120 playing for thirty one of the teams. To take a 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.560 look at what Andy Dalton's all about. After having been 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.400 sat down, come back? What's you got? I mean, what 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:14.160 kind of what kind of a intestinal ford? What's this 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.880 guy all about? All the way around? Is that pretty accurate? Yeah, 0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:19.320 I mean I understand the situation that we're in and 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:23.080 and everything, and so you know, I'm I'm trying to 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:25.560 put the best stuff out there that I can. Um, 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.160 you know, if if that's for here, then grade if 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:30.600 that's for somewhere else, I mean, that's it's all to 0:16:30.600 --> 0:16:33.720 be determined to going forward. But you know, my whole 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:36.600 goal is to win and win right now and win 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:39.600 some of these last games, and um, you know, I 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:42.760 think that's the most important thing right now. How frustrating 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:45.600 was it because players were coming up to me and 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:48.760 stay lap four teams and we win these last two games. 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:50.520 How frustrating was it to you to be on the 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:54.320 sideline thinking if I was in the football game, man, 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:56.360 I mean, can you let that kind of enter your 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:58.320 thoughts or do you have to kind of keep them out? Now? 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:02.080 I think for any competitor, you want to you feel 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:03.920 like your skill sets should be able to help the team. 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:10.680 And um, you know, for me, regardless of the situation, 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:13.520 I'm going to be confident in myself and know that, Okay, 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:15.520 there's some little things that I feel like I can 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.040 do that that that can help us win. And you 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:21.119 only get that through experience. So for Ryan, Ryan was 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:23.800 getting great experience in those those three weeks and this 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:25.280 stuff that he's gonna take with for the rest of 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:28.120 his football career. And he's gonna understand like he went 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:30.560 against some really good defenses. I mean, you go against 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:34.480 the Ravens, the Steelers and uh you know some of 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:37.119 the blitz stuff that that that that Polygy can do 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:40.760 in Oakland. Uh, So I mean he's gonna just the best. Um, 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.159 the best thing for you is experience and playing in 0:17:43.160 --> 0:17:46.880 the game. So you know, when you've played for nine 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:49.680 years and you understand and you've seen so much. I 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:52.080 felt like there's little things that that I can do 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:54.200 to definitely help this team and help this team win. 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:56.920 We've kept here for one more minute than promise. This 0:17:57.000 --> 0:17:59.280 is my last question. Lap. You're not allowed to have anybody. 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:01.720 I got one more. I got one more, good one. 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:05.720 I think you're tied with Kenny Anderson all time touchdown passes. 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:08.359 I know you don't play for numbers. You're trying to 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:12.159 win championships, but it felt to me like your Cincinnati 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:16.080 story couldn't end the way it did, having your starting 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:19.400 spot taken, being tied in the record book, there's there's 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.040 a chance here for a happy ending. Yeah, you know, 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:23.639 it's one of those things. It's like, well, am I 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:25.600 gonna get in that last game? Let's get one more 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:29.000 touchdown pass just so I have bragging rights over Kenny. 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:33.760 But you know, who knows what's gonna happen. I think 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:36.399 that's one thing that through these last several weeks is 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:38.399 I truly have had to trust in God's plan for 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:41.720 my life, for my career, my family and all the 0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:45.160 stuff that goes into it, and so you know, hopefully 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:48.240 we can score a lot of touchdowns and hopefully that 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:52.720 record gets broken. Dalton broke Ken Anderson's franchise record for 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:56.840 career touchdown passes with this strike that week, first and 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:59.560 ten at the seventeen of the Jets, Dalton fakes a 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:02.320 hand off from the pocket, throws over the medal Oh 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:06.800 it is caught for a touchdowne by Tyler Boyd. Andy 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:11.600 Dalton threading the needle between two New York Jets defenders 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:17.639 and with that touchdown pass, the red rifle stands alone 0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:23.560 career touchdown pass number one ninety eight in his NFL career, 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:28.480 more than any other quarterback in Bengals history. They both 0:19:28.520 --> 0:19:32.240 wear number fourteen. Kenny Anderson, Andy Dalton, And I'll tell 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:36.159 you what this throw is unbelievable. I mean, threading the needle. 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:40.520 You have a defender dropping back underneath coverage in a 0:19:40.600 --> 0:19:43.320 safety over the top, and Andy Dalton said, I trust 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.640 Tyler Boyd. I'm gonna zip it in there. And literally, 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:49.320 if he was an inch either way, it would have 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:53.320 been incomplete. But man, great catch by Tyler Boyd maintained 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:57.280 possession for that record breaking touchdown pass to be of 0:19:57.359 --> 0:20:01.679 that variety certainly far from mundane. That was one of 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:05.720 two hundred four touchdown passes in Andy's nine years with 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:10.480 the Bengals, and that's seven more than anybody else. Before 0:20:10.520 --> 0:20:12.680 we get to the next segment, here's a quick reminder 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:15.240 that you can take your Bengals pride to the next 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:19.240 level this season with an official Bengals fan package from 0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:23.720 Prime Sport. Now time for my conversation with Dan Pitcher, 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:28.080 who was promoted to quarterbacks coach in January after Alex 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:32.200 van Pelt left to become the offensive coordinator in Cleveland. Dan, 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:35.320 you're from Courtland, New York, about a half hour from Syracuse. 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:39.399 You played quarterback for your hometown college, Courtland State, and 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:43.440 your initial connection to the Bengals was another Courtland State alum, 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:49.960 former offensive line coach Paul Alexander. Explain how that relationship developed. Yeah, 0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:54.360 it was really fortunate for me. Paul had come back 0:20:54.400 --> 0:20:57.480 to campus and it was during one of their off 0:20:57.480 --> 0:21:00.239 seasons and he had come back to visit. He did 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:03.960 a little presentation, um, you know, for for some of 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:06.200 the students, and then he also spent time with the 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:10.320 football program. I think he may have crossed passed with 0:21:10.359 --> 0:21:13.480 our head coach at the time, Dan McNeill. I can't 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:15.520 remember for sure if they were teammates or maybe they 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:18.800 just barely missed each other, but you know, so he 0:21:18.880 --> 0:21:23.000 spent time with coach McNeill and met with the captains 0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:25.040 at the time, which I was one of them. And 0:21:26.040 --> 0:21:30.400 he's got some summer home on Skinny Outlas Lake, which 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:33.840 is about twenty five minutes from Courtland, and he needed 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:36.840 some help in the summer doing some work on his property, 0:21:37.040 --> 0:21:41.440 just you know, power washing his deck and cutting down 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:43.959 trees and throne rocks around and stuff you do when 0:21:43.960 --> 0:21:46.120 you're twenty one in college looking to make a little 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:48.560 bit of money. So I did that for him for 0:21:48.600 --> 0:21:50.800 a couple of summers with a couple of my teammates 0:21:50.800 --> 0:21:53.400 and was able to kind of strike up a good 0:21:53.400 --> 0:21:56.719 relationship and he helped me get into the business. So, 0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.640 in addition to being an excellent Division three quarterback, your 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:05.080 hand man skills at Paul Alexander's summer home ultimately helped 0:22:05.119 --> 0:22:08.520 you get a job in the NFL. Uh Yeah, I mean, 0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:10.320 I guess I didn't mess up as Deck's too bad. 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:16.200