WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Whoa Get Ready 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:06.439 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:10.920 The Bengals Booth podcast, the Whoa Get Read Abe Bambalam? 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:15.440 WHOA Get Read Abe Bambalam edition as we preview Sunday's 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:21.320 season opener against the dreaded, hated, but grudgingly respected Pittsburgh Steelers. 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:24.200 Coming up, I'll go one on one with former Steeler 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:27.680 Mike Hilton. You'll also hear from Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon 0:00:27.800 --> 0:00:30.680 and other Bengals players. And then, and I know the 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:34.800 faux segment, we chat with former Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks, 0:00:34.840 --> 0:00:38.080 who is now a member of Pittsburgh's broadcast team. The 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:42.560 Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:45.480 Bengals ahead of the twenty twenty two season. It's free 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:49.760 to play next level fantasy football with fantastic Bengals prizes. 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:52.520 Get it now on the App Store and Google Play. 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:54.880 And here's a quick reminder that you can have the 0:00:54.960 --> 0:00:58.440 latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:02.880 or computer by subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. It's 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:07.440 the greatest thing since this week's Ruler of the Jungle. 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:10.360 The atmosphere of This Sunday at pay Course Stadium is 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:13.680 going to be incredible as Bengals fans welcome back to 0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:17.800 defending AFC champs, and I couldn't be more thrilled that 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:21.320 the team has selected my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham to 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:23.960 be the ruler of the jungle and lead fans in 0:01:24.000 --> 0:01:28.000 the hooday chant before the game. Lap spent ten seasons 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:30.720 in a Bengal's uniform and this is his thirty seventh 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.640 year in the broadcast booth. Aside from Mike Brown and 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:37.560 members of his family, nobody has been more closely associated 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.920 with a franchise than lap. I look forward to the 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:43.920 ovation he receives when he takes the throne on Sunday, 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:47.280 and I can't wait for that day somewhere down the 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:50.919 road when lap is inducted into the Bengals Ring of Honor. 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:55.600 He is a great broadcaster and a better friend. Now 0:01:56.080 --> 0:01:59.000 time to preview Sunday's game against the Steelers, beginning with 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:04.320 my converse with Bengals quarterback Mike Hilton. Mike, you are 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:06.760 two and oh against your former team. The combined score 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:09.960 last year was sixty five to twenty. When you face 0:02:10.040 --> 0:02:12.960 Pittsburgh as it's still a big deal, or now that 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:15.560 it's been more than a year, has some of that faded. 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:18.000 It's still a big deal, Number one, because it's a 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:20.120 division game. You know, no matter what side I'm on, 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:23.240 you know, division games count more, and you know, obviously 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.480 being on this side with these guys, you know, our 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:27.400 last couple of games, we've been dominating. So we're just 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.080 trying to keep dictory and Roland, how strange is it 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:32.360 going to be to look across the line of scrimmage 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:35.679 and not see Ben Roethlisberger quarterback? I was going to 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:37.720 be different, but you know that time was coming and 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:39.440 you know, I'm pretty sure that's a big adjustment for 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:42.080 those guys over there. But we know we still got 0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:43.639 a job to do and let's go out there and win. 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.040 So we're excited to go out there and play Sunday. 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:49.079 You were there for four seasons and part of a fifth, 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.800 so you know Mike Tomlin, well, he's never had a 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:54.440 losing season in fifteen years as a head coach. That's 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:57.079 the all time NFL record. If you had to pick 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.000 out a couple of things that's allowed him to be 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:01.680 so successful, what would they be? Uf? I forgot just 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:04.680 two things Number one, his confidence and just what he knows, 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:07.480 how he goes about coaching, and how he just you know, 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:10.520 leads leads a group of men. You know, both of 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:13.040 those things is just qualities of him. That really shows 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:14.680 how great of a coach he is. And I had 0:03:14.720 --> 0:03:17.760 the time four years to experience that with him, and honestly, 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:19.400 I have a lot of the upmost respect for him 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:22.400 and what he brings to that organization. Let's talk about 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:25.960 the Bengals as a defensive starter. You did not appear 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:29.200 in any preseason games. Are you wondering how well the 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:32.320 team will tackle in Week one with that in mind? Yes, 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:35.240 always a thought in mind, But you know, we still 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:37.440 got a job to do, and we got the easiest 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:39.240 way to tackle. Get a lot of heads to the football. 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:41.360 And you know, the more heads you gets in football, obviously, 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:43.680 the better your chance to tackle us. So you know 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:45.800 it's gonna it's gonna come with time, but we gotta 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:49.400 make sure we're tackling whales. Sunday, we're chatting with Mike Helton. 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:51.640 You had a great first year in Cincinnati. A couple 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:54.120 of interceptions during the regular season, in cluding the pick 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:56.640 six out Big Ben. You had another huge interception in 0:03:56.680 --> 0:04:00.520 the postseason against Tennessee. Most importantly, you help Bengals get 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.000 to the super Bowl, but you didn't have a sack. 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:06.600 You've always been up for sacks. Are you putting the 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:08.520 pressure on lou Ana Roumo to let you go after 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:12.200 the quarterback a little more? Oh? No, We've asked conversations. Obviously, 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:14.160 he knows that that's what I'm best at, but you 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:17.160 know he wants the timing up to when that blissed 0:04:17.200 --> 0:04:19.279 college is going to get hit home. So you know, 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:21.560 me being the type of player I am, whatever coach 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:22.880 calls on, I'm gonna go out there and do my 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:26.520 job one hundred percent. You are very public in pushing 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:29.640 for Jesse Bates to get a contract extension, and unfortunately 0:04:29.800 --> 0:04:31.839 the two sides were not able to reach an agreement. 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:34.159 How does he look to you, both on the field 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.080 and in the locker room. Oh, it looks good, and 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:38.599 you can tell he's been down wherever he was training. Well, 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.799 obviously it might be a little different football shape compared 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:44.840 to true all season shape, but we know how much 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:46.800 Jesse loves his game and how much he puts into it, 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:48.600 and you know we'll be excited to see how he 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:53.279 is come Sunday. How excited are you to charge out 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:56.600 of the tunnel on Sunday as defending AFC champions. I 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:58.680 was a big deal man, you know, Like you said, 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:00.880 we're defending AFC champions, So the target is on our 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:05.120 bat and we love that. You know, we were we 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.040 were used to being the hunters and now we're the hunted, 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:09.159 and you know that that comes with a lot of confidence. 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:12.320 So guys are excited about this opportunity. I thought in 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:14.560 training camp that it looked like the defense picked up 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:16.640 right where it left off in the postseason. Did you 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:20.560 feel the same way for sure as guys just having 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.240 another year on the coach loose system, you know, communicating 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:25.200 well with each other, knowing what each others are going 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:27.280 to do, so we're setting each other up for to 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:30.200 make the play. So the way we've been communicating and 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:31.760 flying around, you know, I'm excited to go out there 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:33.839 and put it on table. I know you've been asked 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:37.320 a lot about Dax Hill. What's unusual about him as 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:41.240 a rookie? Really how versatile he is. Um he can 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.839 play any second really in the position in the secondary 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:45.960 and do it. You know, well, you know he's the 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:48.159 guy that we're looking forward to this year. If somebody 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:50.440 happens to goes down, we know he can step in 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.440 and we want to lose a beat, So we're excited 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:54.240 about what he can bring to the table. Does he 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.520 seem like a rookie? Not at all? Man, He's smart. Uh, 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.240 He always asking questions. He's just real elo. You can 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:02.880 tell he loves to get him football and you know 0:06:02.920 --> 0:06:07.839 he really just is open to veteran words and whoever 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:10.360 they're trying to help him. So we're excited about him. 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.520 Last thing for Mike Kelton, your wifely considered to be 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:16.080 one of the top slot corners in the NFL, and 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:19.640 most teams play nickel most of the time. Now, should 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:23.400 there be a specific spot on the Pro Bowl roster 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.039 for a slot corner in this day and age. Absolutely, 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:29.960 At this point, the slot corner is a true starter. 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:33.679 Everybody knows the game is more wide open passing spread, 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:37.760 So we feel like your third corner is Honestly, I 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:39.960 feel like your best corner because it's the most versatile. 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:42.440 He has to be in the box some plays and 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:44.880 nine now ten time he's covering the best route runners 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:48.240 and slot receivers, So I personally feel like slot corner 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:50.800 should be on a Pro Bowl roster. I think it's 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:52.760 a no brainer, which is one of the reasons why 0:06:52.760 --> 0:06:55.360 I asked the question. And if it happens, I think 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:58.599 Mike Helton will get his long awaited first opportunity to 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:00.599 go to a Pro Bowl. Oh yeah, man, I'm excited 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:02.320 to see what this season with Hoes and I know 0:07:02.520 --> 0:07:05.080 I'm just trusting my preparation throughout the all season and 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.000 up to this point. I'm just ready to go out 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:09.000 there and play ball. Best of luck this year. I 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:12.520 appreciate your time. Thank you appreciating. Mike is obviously not 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:16.160 the only Bengal with Pittsburgh ties. Tyler Boyd was born 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:19.400 there and played his college football at pitt but it 0:07:19.480 --> 0:07:22.600 took a while to beat his hometown team. After Boyd 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:26.720 joined the Bengals in twenty sixteen, the team dropped nine 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:30.280 straight to the Steelers before finally getting over the hump 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:33.840 in that memorable Monday night game just before Christmas two 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:37.840 years ago, a game highlighted by Von Bell's famous hit 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:43.560 on Juju Smith Schuster. Here's Tyler Boyd. Cincinnati Bengals have 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.880 never opened a season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. How do 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:51.080 you feel about opening against a bitter division rival? Yeah, 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:53.600 you know, I love open up to any of our 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:56.400 arrivals in the division, but Pittsburgh specifically, you not us 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.800 where I'm from in I mean, I love planning against 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:02.360 the team, I mean the team where I'm from, you know, 0:08:02.400 --> 0:08:04.360 so him. I know it's gonna be a tough game, 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:07.080 you know, and um, we're not gonna overlook them and 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:09.720 look past them, but it's gonna be a dogfight. It's 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:12.160 gonna be a good one. You swept him last year. 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.360 The combined score was sixty five to twenty. How much 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.000 satisfaction did you take in those two wins in particular? 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:22.080 I mean it was probably the most satisfying because, I mean, 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:24.360 my whole career, they've been putting the beating on us, 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:26.800 you know, each and every year. Wouldn't beating us two times, 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:28.960 and I could never beat them. Now to take mus turn, 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:33.600 and I mean, I mean, it's a satisfying to me 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:37.000 now that we finally got their number. Is it going 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.400 to be weird to line up against the Steelers and 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:42.960 not see Roethlisberger on the opposite sideline? Yeah, yes it is. 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:45.199 It's gonna be very interesting to see how they how 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:48.440 the quarterback player goes. You know, it's because Roethlisberger, he's 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:51.120 he's a he's a he's a Hall of Famer. So 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:53.800 you know, you go against a guy like him, you know, 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.240 you gotta be tightened up when you crash. You have 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:58.760 to make the best out of your opportunities. But um, 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:02.480 they they still great players over there. But um, I 0:09:02.559 --> 0:09:04.760 think I think we're going to pull it off. For 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:08.120 visiting the Tyler Boyd as one of the starters. You 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:10.680 did not play in any preseason games. He wouldn't have 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:13.480 played a lot anyway. But did you get the work 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:17.000 you needed in those two practices against the Rams? Yeah? 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:19.120 And just every day I work, you know, I'll come 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:21.800 in take taking it like a game rep, you know, 0:09:21.840 --> 0:09:23.800 because I still need to get my conditioning again. I 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:26.000 still need to polish, polish up a few things and 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:28.120 tweak a few rounds. How I'm gonna run turn rounds. 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.880 You know. Just just because we didn't play, um, doesn't 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:34.040 mean we're not still all tuned in it sound in 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.520 the offense. You know, We're we're still preparing as if 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.360 we played that week, you know, And I'm just I'm 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:41.560 just super super excited to get out there. I actually 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:42.960 playing in the game, you know, So I think we'll 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.199 be We'll be more than ready. You're gonna take the 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:49.120 field as AFC champions. Is that going to be a 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:51.480 special feeling coming out of the tunnel that you knowing 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:53.480 the way the fans are gonna respond, It's gonna be 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.000 very special, you know, because it's probably gonna be a sellout. 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.520 You know, it's gonna be going crazy to us first 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:03.040 home game. Um, it's gonna drive us, you know, and 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:05.640 it's gonna give us more energy. And we got home 0:10:05.679 --> 0:10:08.600 for the vantage and yeah, I mean it's it's all 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:10.280 set up for us to go out there and and 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:12.000 start off right, you know. But we see our go 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:14.079 out there and do it. Since coming back from his 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:16.080 happen deck, to me, Joe Burrow looks good to me, 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:20.120 but he says he's not quite all the way back. 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:24.040 Can you detect play another slightest difference in Joe pique 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:26.800 Joe versus current Joe, not at all, you know, But 0:10:26.840 --> 0:10:29.400 I think my intake on what he what he's mean 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:31.480 when he say that is he can always get better. 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:32.920 You know. He always feels like if he's at one 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:36.320 hundred percent. Then he's really not because he knows um 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:38.719 something about his game. He wanted to continue to improve one, 0:10:38.760 --> 0:10:40.920 you know, anything, because he always shocks you. You always 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:43.800 like I was not expecting that, Like wow, Like it 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:46.040 doesn't even seem like he was hurt. You know, he's 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:49.440 he's dialed in, he's ready to go. Man. It's just 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.040 just so he's a surprising player. He always succeeds at 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:55.400 the big moments. Got three straight wins against your hometown team. 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:57.560 Best of luck making it four on Sunday. Yes, sir, 0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:01.000 I appreciate you. That's Tyler Boyd when the Bengals take 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:03.839 the field on Sunday. It will be forty seven days 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:07.760 after Joe Burrow's appendectomy. When we learned about his surgery, 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:11.840 doctors who weren't specifically treating Burrow described it as a 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:15.320 routine procedure and suggested that Joe could be back in 0:11:15.360 --> 0:11:19.000 a week to ten days. But not all appendectomies are 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:24.240 created equal. Jose Appendix burst. It was extremely painful and 0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:27.880 he might have lost as many as fifteen pounds following surgery. 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:30.240 He's put the weight back on and, for lack of 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:34.840 a better word, has looked normal. At practice. Here's Dave Lapham. 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:37.640 I liked everything that he did when he went out 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:39.800 there in the golf card, he couldn't really move around, 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:41.920 so when they ran gastros, he was doing in the 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:43.880 golf card to be part of the team, you know. 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.920 I mean everything he was doing was sending a message 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:50.400 to his teammates and to everybody associated with the organization. 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:57.520 And yeah, Joe's a quick healer and he's dedicated to 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:01.160 his craft, There's no question about that. When I watch 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:05.040 him throw now, I really don't see any hesitation in 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:08.559 the torking that I was waiting to see how that advanced. 0:12:09.000 --> 0:12:12.400 I mean, like in every sport starts with your feet 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:14.760 and legs and ends with your upper body and your 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:18.320 arms in hand and throwing the football as that as well, 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:23.160 and that core torking that goes on, and that transition 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:26.959 process from lower type of body is vital. And he 0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:31.160 really accentuated that and changed his the dynamic of his 0:12:31.280 --> 0:12:33.839 motion to try to get a little more velocity and 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:37.640 not losing the accuracy. And he did that successfully and 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:41.720 now it's back. I think he's he's putting the ball 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:46.240 in tight spots with good RPMs and as an off 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:51.760 former offensive lineman. Right now, my mindset is, I can't 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.640 let my guy touch Joe Burrow. Can't put a fingernail 0:12:55.960 --> 0:12:58.079 on Joe Burrow. And I think Joe is going to 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:02.000 be very very quick with his reads, get the ball out, 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:05.600 check it down, if deed b I'm not saying he's 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:08.319 gonna play with any sort of fear, but I think 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:10.880 he's gonna play with a sense of urgency to not 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:14.920 hold out of the football. He's he's trying to find 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:18.440 that fine line between holding in, extending and creating and 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:21.240 not taking that big hit, you know, running out bounce 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:24.160 when you can and not taking that big hit as 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:26.840 opposed to just getting the ball out and protect yourself 0:13:26.880 --> 0:13:30.200 that way. And I thought down the stretch his interceptions 0:13:30.400 --> 0:13:34.680 decreased everything. He'd figured it out, and if there's any 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:36.760 guy that can figure it out, it's number nine that 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:40.000 that dude's gonna mind on him. Last year, Joe Burrow 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:43.640 led the NFL in completion percentage, set franchise records for 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:47.800 passing yards and touchdown throws, and was especially lethal down 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:52.199 the stretch, throwing sixteen touchdown passes and only two interceptions 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:56.320 in his final eight games, including playoffs. In that eight 0:13:56.360 --> 0:14:00.480 game stretch when it mattered most, Joe average three twenty 0:14:00.520 --> 0:14:04.520 three passing yards had had a passer rating of one sixteen. 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:09.520 So what sparked his incredible play? Wouldn't say there's anything 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:11.559 that helps spark it. I think and just started understanding 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:14.760 what it takes to win in the league. You know, 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:18.160 every game calls for a different joke. You know, if 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:21.520 our defense is playing great, I gotta protect the ball. 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:24.160 We gotta run the ball. Well, take the opportunities when 0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:26.360 they're there, but don't don't push anything if you know 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:28.200 they're scoring a lot on the other other side of 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:29.840 the ball, and might have to take some chances for 0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:31.040 not running the ball as well. And I have to 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:34.160 take some chances that maybe I wouldn't otherwise in a 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.280 different game. So just every game calls for something different. 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:40.680 He had a favorite, the one that throws for five 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:45.200 hundred and thirty yards for the record. He only threw 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:47.880 for five twenty five when he set the team record 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:53.720 against Baltimore, only five twenty five. Burrow did that behind 0:14:53.760 --> 0:14:57.600 a leaky offensive line, and the Bengals addressed it. Joanah Williams, 0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:00.360 who is younger than Burrow, is back and left tackle, 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.680 but the other four guys are new rookie Cordell Volson 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.960 and free agents Ted Carriss, Alex Kappa, and l Collins. 0:15:08.480 --> 0:15:10.600 When they take the field on Sunday, it will be 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:13.640 the first time they've taken a snap together in a game. 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:17.080 Collins was injured for much of training camp and Volson 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:19.520 didn't win the left guard job until the week of 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:23.800 the final preseason game. This unit has basically had three 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:27.880 weeks to practice together. Is that enough time? Here's lab? 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:31.920 Can they come together quickly? They can? They can, But 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:35.320 I think it would be foolhardy to think the very 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:38.840 first drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers they're going to be 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:42.680 playing as well as they're playing like I'm thinking, even 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:45.160 in the second half for the Steelers game. I'm not 0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:48.560 sure it comes together that quickly. But I don't think 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:51.200 it's going to take that long, you know. It's just 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:55.040 it's a matter of finishing things. And what I saw 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.520 against the Rams and those two days of practice, the 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:01.040 one thing that I saw that I really like, they 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.440 definitely have an edge. They're not gonna take it. They're 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:06.800 gonna try to dish it out. They're not gonna take guff. 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:10.720 They're gonna they're gonna try to give guff. So I 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:13.360 like that aspect of it. Now, you have to keep 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:15.920 your composure. You don't want to get kick, penalized or 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:19.480 kicked out of games. You can't have that. You can't 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:22.520 have mayhem out there. But you can't. You don't want 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:26.000 to be in a situation where you're counterpunching all the time. 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:28.320 You want to be able to punch some And I 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:30.680 think these guys all have a mentality where they're going 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.800 to be aggressive and punch some and I I'm looking 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:36.280 forward to it. I'm looking forward to seeing what they're 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:39.760 about and how they can get things, uh, get things 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:44.880 figured out quickly. This football game, like every opener, is 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:49.360 going to be adjustments and adjustments to adjustments, and a 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:51.640 lot of times, Dan, it's too late by the time 0:16:51.640 --> 0:16:53.800 you get to the sideline. You have to figure it 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:58.240 out on the football field. So Ted Carriss recently elected captain. 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:03.440 I mean it's like you're gonna have to apply your rules, 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.680 maybe you're just techniques. You're almost gonna have to self 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:08.800 coach out there. You don't want to one, two, three 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:10.800 and out and come to the sideline and have frank 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:14.440 custom out and your grease boarding things up. You might 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:16.399 have to make some adjustments during the course of the 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:20.639 first drive. They adjust to what you adjusted to adjustments. 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:23.800 This this opener because coaches have so long to prepare 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:26.200 for it. It could be like a big chess match. 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:31.800 And I do think that Kris Kappa and Collins, you know, 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:33.879 I think they may be able to compete in that 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:37.000 chess match. Hopefully check me if the line is significantly better. 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:40.720 Burrow isn't the only player who stands to benefit. Last year, 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.760 Joe Mixon rushed for one two hundred five yards and 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:48.000 thirteen touchdowns. He added three hundred fourteen receiving yards and 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:52.320 three more tds. Those numbers earned him Pro Bowl recognition, 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:56.040 but Mixon says he can do much better. I mean 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:57.879 I left a lot of yards out there on the field. 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:00.440 I mean everybody see all the you know, the splash 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:02.479 plays and things like that, and they see the yards. 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:05.600 But I left probably about like four hundred five hundred 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:09.320 yards on the field and obviously about ten touchdowns left 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:11.359 on the field last year. So if we could just 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:13.879 clean you know, certain things up at one from my 0:18:14.119 --> 0:18:17.640 end and probably one block away or anything like that 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:20.840 I mean, I could potentially turn into even more you 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:23.280 know what, you guys pretty much see you know what 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:28.439 I'm saying. So we definitely could improve. But that starts 0:18:28.440 --> 0:18:32.159 week one, you know. It obviously starts in practice, starting 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:35.000 in camp when we first reported. But like I said, 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:36.879 I look forward to, you know what, the year of 0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:39.520 bring us. So Joe says he left four hundred to 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:42.159 five hundred yards out of the field. If he added 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:44.919 four hundred to last year's total, that would put him 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:48.359 over sixteen hundred yards for the season. The team record 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:51.399 is one thousand, four hundred and fifty eight, set by 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:56.080 Rudy Johnson. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:59.240 the free to play fantasy football game. This past season, 0:18:59.400 --> 0:19:02.080 Ultimate Goals awarded a weekly winner during the course of 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:06.000 the year, with tickets, autographed merchandise, and money can buy 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:09.879 experiences all up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals in the 0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:14.440 App Store and Google Play. Now, let's turn to the Steelers, 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:16.960 a team that went nine to seven and one in 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:20.960 Ben Roethlisberger's final season and made the playoffs before losing 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:24.280 by three touchdowns at Kansas City. The strength of the 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:28.040 team is defense. Pittsburgh led the league in sacks in 0:19:28.200 --> 0:19:31.600 each of the last five years, led by NFL Defensive 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:34.119 Player of the Year t J. Watt, who tied the 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:37.280 NFL single season record with twenty two and a half 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:40.720 sacks last season. He's joined up front by five time 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:44.879 Pro bowler Cam Hayward. Tyson Alualu is back from injury 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:47.679 after only playing in two games, and the Steelers have 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:50.440 added Larry Ogan Jobie, who had seven and a half 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:53.920 sacks for the Bengals last season. Here's Zach Taylor. There's 0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:55.919 a lot of good fronts in this league. Pittsburgh's always 0:19:55.920 --> 0:19:59.240 one of them, and they're probably coming to the game 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:03.679 healthy week one. They're always motivated anytime we played a 0:20:03.680 --> 0:20:07.200 divisional team us in them. So again it's it's really 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:10.359 difficult tests in week one because we know what they're about. 0:20:10.440 --> 0:20:12.159 We had one of their players last year. We know 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:14.880 he's a really good player. We think highly of them. 0:20:14.960 --> 0:20:17.040 You know, Tyson's back off off the injury from a 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:20.440 year ago. We got tough respect for him. I thought 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:22.760 Highsmith was really coming along last year as well. We 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:24.560 know t J. Watton, Cam Heyward or two of the 0:20:24.920 --> 0:20:27.760 best players in the league at their positions, and then 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:29.280