Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody on Dan Horde and thank you for
Speaker 1: downloading the Bengals Boot podcast The help I need somebody addition,
Speaker 1: as we discuss the return of the red Rifle Andy
Speaker 1: Dalton to the Bengals starting lineup heading into Sunday's game
Speaker 1: against the four and seven New York Jets. Coming up,
Speaker 1: we'll have a very candid conversation with Andy about how
Speaker 1: he handled his benching and his hopes going forward. Then
Speaker 1: Dave Lapham and I will discuss the quarterback switch and
Speaker 1: with the three game sample size taught us about the
Speaker 1: future of Ryan Finlay. My locker room conversation this week
Speaker 1: is with Bengals cornerback Darquez Denard, and in our Know
Speaker 1: the Faux segment, we'll talk to Rich Samini, who covers
Speaker 1: the Jets for ESPN. All of that is straight ahead,
Speaker 1: but first, here's a quick reminder that you can have
Speaker 1: the latest edition of this podcast delivered as soon as
Speaker 1: it's recorded, right to your phone, tablet, or computer by
Speaker 1: subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing
Speaker 1: since the ability to remember names. Aren't you jealous of
Speaker 1: people who have an uncanny ability to remember names? I
Speaker 1: consider that a superpower right up there with invisibility in flying.
Speaker 1: So if we've met before and I don't remember your name,
Speaker 1: I apologize. Unfortunately I do not possess that superpower. Now,
Speaker 1: let's get to football. The last time the New York
Speaker 1: Jets came to Paul Brown Stadium back in twenty thirteen,
Speaker 1: Andy Dalton through a career high five touchdown passes. Nobody
Speaker 1: expects that this Sunday, but the Bengals hope that he
Speaker 1: plays well enough to give them a chance to win.
Speaker 1: Simply put, Ryan Finlay didn't. In three starts. The rookie
Speaker 1: completed forty seven percent of his passes and had a
Speaker 1: passer rating of sixty two point one. Nobody wants to
Speaker 1: be part of an Owen sixteen team, and it was
Speaker 1: hard to envision a Bengals victory at this stage of
Speaker 1: Finley's development. So Andy Dalton is back, and if he
Speaker 1: throws one touchdown pass on Sunday, he'll become the Bengals
Speaker 1: all time leader. He's currently tied with Kenny Anderson. Andy
Speaker 1: sat down with Dave Lapham and me to discuss his
Speaker 1: return to the starting lineup following the game on Sunday, Andy,
Speaker 1: did you wonder in the back of your head if
Speaker 1: Zach might go back to you in the starting lineup.
Speaker 1: You know, I didn't think it was going to happen.
Speaker 1: I think I've I've had so many conversations with Zach
Speaker 1: and even after the decision was made where I wasn't
Speaker 1: gonna be starting anymore. And yeah, I guess maybe in
Speaker 1: the back of my mind that there's a possibility, but
Speaker 1: I didn't. I didn't think it was going to happen.
Speaker 1: So you're a man of faith and a family man.
Speaker 1: How important of those two components to your life been
Speaker 1: in dealing with what you've been dealing with here. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's been the biggest thing for me. You know, I think, Um,
Speaker 1: I was saying earlier when when it first happened, I
Speaker 1: was just bitter. Didn't like I was wanting to not
Speaker 1: be the same person that I've been wanting to choose
Speaker 1: to you know, uh, not help out, just sit in
Speaker 1: the meeting and get through the rest of the season
Speaker 1: and then let it go on. But it's like, that's
Speaker 1: not who I am, that's not who I'm called to be.
Speaker 1: It's um, now, I'd be choosing to be somebody that
Speaker 1: I'm not. And so you know that weighed on me
Speaker 1: heavy and um and and for then, I was just like,
Speaker 1: just be yourself. You know, God's gonna honor whatever. If
Speaker 1: you handle this the right way, God's gonna honor you.
Speaker 1: And um, you know, I felt like that's how I
Speaker 1: had to I had to be. I know, I told
Speaker 1: everybody well right when it first happened in the team meeting,
Speaker 1: like I'm gonna be the same guy I'm you know,
Speaker 1: don't don't feel awkward around me. It's gonna be It's
Speaker 1: gonna be okay. You know, I'll get through it. Um.
Speaker 1: But uh, you know, and I felt like I was
Speaker 1: that way even on game day. I felt like I
Speaker 1: was giving suggestion and trying to help right out as
Speaker 1: much as I could, and uh, you know, trying to
Speaker 1: help this team win. Yep, we're visiting with Andy Dalton.
Speaker 1: There's an old saying you don't appreciate someone or you
Speaker 1: don't appreciate something until it's gone, and you haven't been gone.
Speaker 1: But after you were taken out of the starting lineup,
Speaker 1: it seems to me there was an outpouring of appreciation
Speaker 1: and respect that I'm not sure that you got when
Speaker 1: you were leading the team to the playoffs five years
Speaker 1: on a row. Did you feel that long overdue? Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, I have received a lot of support and so, um,
Speaker 1: you know, it's it's kind of a weird spot to
Speaker 1: be in, you know when you're uh, you know, felt like,
Speaker 1: you know, I didn't deserve to to not be playing,
Speaker 1: but you know, I guess I understood a little bit
Speaker 1: what Zach was trying to do, but I mean I
Speaker 1: didn't agree with it and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1: And then m yeah, a lot of people have supported
Speaker 1: me through it, and um, yeah, I think that's it's
Speaker 1: it's been cool to see, you know, there's people that
Speaker 1: gave to our foundation and in different things like that,
Speaker 1: and um, I mean will always take that and we'll
Speaker 1: be able to help so many kids and families with
Speaker 1: with that kind of stuff. But it's always nice when
Speaker 1: you have to support of the city around you. Let's
Speaker 1: get to the football game itself. Your strengths, or one strength.
Speaker 1: One of your strengths, in my opinion, is diagnosis. Confident
Speaker 1: in your diagnosis. Get it out. And Greg Williams is
Speaker 1: the master disguise. He's got every pressure package in the book.
Speaker 1: He's got players to utilize to fit his schematic M.
Speaker 1: Do you feel like you have a good plan, you
Speaker 1: feel like you're really ready to just tear this thing
Speaker 1: up on Sunday. Yeah, that's the goal, you know, I
Speaker 1: feel like and I've I've I've watched a lot of tape,
Speaker 1: a lot of film, and I mean, they are a
Speaker 1: very disguised defense, and um, you know, guys start in
Speaker 1: one spot, run out to two different areas, and so
Speaker 1: you got to be ready for it. And yeah, I
Speaker 1: feel like I've played enough football where now I understand
Speaker 1: how teams are trying to play and when what they're
Speaker 1: trying to do. And there'll be some new stuff on Sunday.
Speaker 1: I'm sure that they will get But yeah, I feel
Speaker 1: I feel confident with what we got going. The team
Speaker 1: really struggled to run the ball the first eight weeks,
Speaker 1: and over the last several weeks they've tweaked the scheme
Speaker 1: a bit. Things are going much better, averaging far above
Speaker 1: one hundred rushing yards a game over the last three games.
Speaker 1: How much do you think that can help you lead
Speaker 1: this team to a victory. Yeah, obviously we knew the
Speaker 1: run games struggled early on, and while I was playing it,
Speaker 1: it got tough of times because we had to be
Speaker 1: one demential and so you know, hopefully we can get
Speaker 1: this thing going and uh, you know, keep keep the
Speaker 1: momentum that we have running the ball because I mean,
Speaker 1: anytime you can run the ball, I mean it sets
Speaker 1: up your whole offense. There's three phases to every football game.
Speaker 1: Special teams coming into our last week's game number one
Speaker 1: in the NFL, I mean, they've really done a good
Speaker 1: job defensively, not on top of the running game, offensively
Speaker 1: for complimentary football within that phase of the game. Defensively,
Speaker 1: seventeen sixteen points. That's that's winning football, you know, on
Speaker 1: that side of the ball. So the running games improved,
Speaker 1: the defence has improved. I mean that's going to give
Speaker 1: you a lot of a lot of confidence going into
Speaker 1: this football game. I think if you look at the
Speaker 1: best teams out there, their defense is playing really well
Speaker 1: and they can run the ball, and so, um, you know,
Speaker 1: if you if you're playing well in those phases of
Speaker 1: the game, I think it you know, allows you a
Speaker 1: chance to to win each week. And so you know
Speaker 1: that's our goal this week. Hopefully we we we play
Speaker 1: the kind of way we've been playing on defense and
Speaker 1: the same as special teams, and you get the run
Speaker 1: game going real quick. I know, um, your your situation,
Speaker 1: that the conversations you have with Zach so and I
Speaker 1: know you know you weren't real happy. There was even
Speaker 1: talk about just go ahead and trade me. So in
Speaker 1: your mind right now, you're not just playing for the
Speaker 1: Cincinnati Bengals evaluation, you're playing for thirty one of the teams.
Speaker 1: To take a look at what Andy Dalton's all about.
Speaker 1: After having been sat down, come back? What's you got?
Speaker 1: I mean, what kind of what kind of intestinal for? What?
Speaker 1: What's this guy all about? All the way around? Is
Speaker 1: that pretty accurate? Yeah, I mean I understand the situation
Speaker 1: that we're in and and everything, and so you know,
Speaker 1: I'm I'm trying to put the best stuff out there
Speaker 1: that I can. You know, if if that's for here,
Speaker 1: then great, If that's for somewhere else, I mean, that's
Speaker 1: it's all to be determined to going forward. But you know,
Speaker 1: my whole goal is to win and win right now
Speaker 1: and win some of these last games. And you know,
Speaker 1: I think that's the most important thing right now. How
Speaker 1: frustrating was it because players were coming up to me
Speaker 1: and stay lab four teams and we win these last
Speaker 1: two games. How frustrating was it to you to be
Speaker 1: on the sideline thinking if I was in the football game, man,
Speaker 1: I mean, can you let that kind of enter your
Speaker 1: thoughts or do you have to kind of keep them out? Now?
Speaker 1: I think for any competitor, you want to you feel
Speaker 1: like your skill set should be able to help the team.
Speaker 1: And you know, for me, regardless of the situation, I'm
Speaker 1: going to be confident in myself and know that, Okay,
Speaker 1: there's some little things that I feel like I can
Speaker 1: do that that they can help us win. And you
Speaker 1: only get that through experience. So for Ryan, Ryan was
Speaker 1: getting great experience in those those three weeks and this
Speaker 1: stuff that he's gonna take with for the rest of
Speaker 1: his football career. And he's gonna understand like he went
Speaker 1: against some really good defenses. I mean, you go against
Speaker 1: the Ravens, the Steelers and uh you know some of
Speaker 1: the blitz stuff that that that apology can do in Oakland. Uh, So,
Speaker 1: I mean he's gonna just the best. Um, the best
Speaker 1: thing for you is experience and playing in the game.
Speaker 1: So you know, when you've played for nine years and
Speaker 1: you understand and you've seen so much. I felt like
Speaker 1: there's little things that I can do to definitely help
Speaker 1: this team and help this team win. We've kept here
Speaker 1: for one more minute than promise. This is my last question. Lap.
Speaker 1: You're not allowed to have anything. I got one more
Speaker 1: good one. I think you're tied with Kenny Anderson all
Speaker 1: time touchdown passes. I know you don't play for numbers.
Speaker 1: You're trying to win championships, but it felt to me
Speaker 1: like your Cincinnati story couldn't end the way it did.
Speaker 1: You know, having your starting spot take and being tied
Speaker 1: in the record book, there's there's a chance here for
Speaker 1: a happy ending. Yeah, you know. It was one of
Speaker 1: those things. It's like, well, am I gonna get in
Speaker 1: that last game? Let's get one more touchdown fast, just
Speaker 1: so I have bragging rights over Kenny. Yeah, but you know,
Speaker 1: who knows what's gonna happen. I think that's one thing
Speaker 1: that through these last several weeks, I truly have had
Speaker 1: to trust in God's plan for for my life, for
Speaker 1: my career, my my family and all the stuff that
Speaker 1: goes into it, and so um, you know, hopefully we
Speaker 1: can score a lot of touchdowns and uh and hopefully
Speaker 1: that record gets broken. Here we have one more quick
Speaker 1: quick yeah. No, in you're mentoring and you're a hell
Speaker 1: of a mentor. I can't think of a better mentor
Speaker 1: for young quarterback. But you're mentoring Ryan Finley and he
Speaker 1: went through some some knocks really, I mean hard lessons. Ultimately,
Speaker 1: you know, if for him to come out now and
Speaker 1: you do your thing, I know he's probably not happy.
Speaker 1: No competitors happy when it's taken away. But in the end,
Speaker 1: when he cools down in hindsight, it might be the
Speaker 1: best thing that ever happened to him, because if he
Speaker 1: goes out there and get torn apart by Greg Williams
Speaker 1: and the Jets, I mean, at some point in time, man,
Speaker 1: there's that fine line where you're breaking a young guy's
Speaker 1: confidence to the point where he'll never recover. I mean,
Speaker 1: is there something to that When you're mentoring a young
Speaker 1: guy like that, it's got to be part of it.
Speaker 1: But as a as a quarterback and in the way
Speaker 1: you have to play the game, you have to forget
Speaker 1: about what's already happened to you. You can't focus on that,
Speaker 1: and so um, you know, yeah, is there could there
Speaker 1: be a confidence issue with that? There could be. I
Speaker 1: don't think Ryan's built that way. I don't think he's
Speaker 1: He's gonna ever ever lacked confidence in himself. That's just
Speaker 1: kind of the person he is and so m But
Speaker 1: you know, it's one of those things where Zach obviously
Speaker 1: felt like I could help his out, and I'm glad
Speaker 1: he didn't. Now time for my weekly podcast visit with
Speaker 1: Lap as we cover the quarterback switch, the return of
Speaker 1: Corty Glenn, and previews Sunday's matchup against the Jets. Lap.
Speaker 1: Ryan Finley is out, Andy Dalton is back. Why did
Speaker 1: Zach Taylor go back to the red rifle? Well, as
Speaker 1: you so aptly found out in your research that Andy
Speaker 1: Dalton was getting the ball out of his hand in
Speaker 1: two point two eight seconds, second best in the NFL
Speaker 1: when he was playing, and Ryan Finley two point eight three,
Speaker 1: second worst in the NFL when he was playing. So
Speaker 1: going against the Greg Williams defense, that's going to be
Speaker 1: showing you everything under the sun in terms of pressure packages.
Speaker 1: I think you know the experience that Andy Dalton has
Speaker 1: with those kind of defenses that he's played against over
Speaker 1: the years in the division and outside of the Division,
Speaker 1: I think he just felt like got to win a
Speaker 1: football game, and he gives us the best option. The
Speaker 1: week before, he decided to play Corty Glenn left tackle
Speaker 1: is stabilize that position, and the reason was players that
Speaker 1: he talked to. Coach. You know, we know it's a
Speaker 1: tough pill maybe for some people to swallow, but we
Speaker 1: got we got to win a football game. So making
Speaker 1: the decision to go back to Andy Dalton, he gives
Speaker 1: them their best chance to win a game against teams
Speaker 1: you know that have a coordinator like like Greg Williams,
Speaker 1: I Bill Belichi at coach defense with the Patriots, and
Speaker 1: I mean they're going to change looks on a snap
Speaker 1: by on a series by series basis. So experience counts
Speaker 1: in some of these games down the stretch. Lap three
Speaker 1: games as a small sample size, But based on what
Speaker 1: we saw of Ryan Finley, what do you think his
Speaker 1: ceiling is? I think that's hard to say, hard to
Speaker 1: call right now because you know, not having the best
Speaker 1: receiving corps available to him, I think that's tough. I
Speaker 1: think it's it was tough for Andy not to have
Speaker 1: the two best receivers that the Bengals have as options
Speaker 1: out there. So I think how much more difficult. It
Speaker 1: must be for you know, a rookie quarterback. And you know,
Speaker 1: sometimes I couldn't tell if he didn't see the field
Speaker 1: or if he didn't like what he saw when he
Speaker 1: was seeing in the field. In terms of guys winning,
Speaker 1: you know, making the adjustment from the college level of
Speaker 1: the NFL level. Is the windows closed so much faster,
Speaker 1: and when you're out there in an NFL regular season game,
Speaker 1: not a preseason game where there are backups. That's more
Speaker 1: like probably what he saw in college. Now see an
Speaker 1: NFL regular season action, and man, those windows are closing,
Speaker 1: so you're you're thinking, should I cut it loose? Should
Speaker 1: I do it? Man? Is that enough? Because you're evaluating
Speaker 1: your arm strength with the window And he's smart enough
Speaker 1: maybe to think should I or shouldn't I? And you
Speaker 1: can't be in a should should I or shouldn't I?
Speaker 1: Position in the National Football League. That's that's a losing proposition.
Speaker 1: And his numbers showed that, you know, forty seven percent
Speaker 1: and didn't didn't get done when he needed to get done.
Speaker 1: So I think, I think is great at this point
Speaker 1: is incomplete um, but it's it's not It's not a
Speaker 1: passing grade at this point in time, it's incomplete. What
Speaker 1: about arms strength? Pro Football Focus had the stat were
Speaker 1: on passes thrown more than ten yards down the field
Speaker 1: and outside the hash marks, he was three for eighteen.
Speaker 1: Seemed like some of those passes were floating dangerously close
Speaker 1: to being intercepted. Would that be a huge concern in
Speaker 1: your opinion? I think that's the that's the biggest thing
Speaker 1: that uh, that you have to be starting about looking
Speaker 1: at it. Um even the touchdown pass the Tyler Boyd waffled,
Speaker 1: you know down the football field, it wasn't it wasn't
Speaker 1: a tight Uh. You never saw a frozen rope. You
Speaker 1: never saw it on a string or clothesline, which I mean,
Speaker 1: it was in there. And you know, honestly, I'm looking
Speaker 1: at Andy Dalton's arm strength and Ryan Fielding's arms strength.
Speaker 1: There's no doubt in my mind that Andy Dalton has
Speaker 1: a has more arm talent in terms of strength arm strength,
Speaker 1: you know. And so I think there have been guys
Speaker 1: though over the years, and you know, you can go
Speaker 1: back in the wayback machine and there are plenty of
Speaker 1: quarterbacks that have had successful careers in the National Football
Speaker 1: League that don't have a howitzer hanging off of their
Speaker 1: right shoulder. But they do throw, you know, with anticipation
Speaker 1: and accuracy, and that was the thing on him coming
Speaker 1: in anticipation, accuracy, pocket presence, slidestep, climb the pocket when
Speaker 1: it got the heat of the battle. A lot of
Speaker 1: that stuff was not was not there for him. Again,
Speaker 1: small sample size three games, but arm strength, you know it.
Speaker 1: Throwing the football through a wall is not the only
Speaker 1: requirement to playing quarterback in the National Football League. But
Speaker 1: if you have all the other things, that's the that's
Speaker 1: the tiebreaker, man, that's the difference maker right there. The
Speaker 1: conspiracy theorists are out. I've seen a lot of people
Speaker 1: suggest that Mike Brown was pulling the strings when Zach
Speaker 1: Taylor went back to Andy Dalton byatt No, I don't.
Speaker 1: Mike Brown, I'm sure was in full support of it.
Speaker 1: But Mike Brown realized that Andy Dalton when they were
Speaker 1: oh and eight, that he was getting beaten up and
Speaker 1: that that Zach wanted to evaluate Ryan Finley, and he didn't,
Speaker 1: you know, disallow it. I mean, he said, okay, if
Speaker 1: that's what you want to do on I'm okay, I'm
Speaker 1: with you. And when Zach, in my mind, when they
Speaker 1: met said, you know, I think we need to go
Speaker 1: back to Andy Dalton because we want to win football
Speaker 1: games here. I mean it's like you don't want to
Speaker 1: you don't want to make a statement in Courty Glenn
Speaker 1: at left tackle distasteful. I mean that's like, that's like
Speaker 1: swallowing the bitterest pill there ever is to go back
Speaker 1: to Courty Glenn with all that went down, I mean
Speaker 1: a lot of water over that, damn. So if you
Speaker 1: do that, and when you pulled players, it's like, coach,
Speaker 1: you know, we understand their issues, but we got to
Speaker 1: win a game. If he's our best left tackle, let's
Speaker 1: play him. So I'm sure that I know I was
Speaker 1: hearing it from players. Hey, we would have won that
Speaker 1: game with fourteen in there. We would have won both
Speaker 1: these games with fourteen in there. So I know I
Speaker 1: know Zach had to be hearing it if I'm hearing it,
Speaker 1: so to me, you can't send a mixed message. You
Speaker 1: can't say. What coaches look for in players is consistency
Speaker 1: in their performance, in their effort. They don't want it
Speaker 1: peaks and valleys, ups and downs. Players look for consistency
Speaker 1: from coaches too, So if you make a move to
Speaker 1: solidify your left tackle position. Quarterbacks a hell of a
Speaker 1: lot more important than that. Make the move back to
Speaker 1: solidify the quarterback position. And I think Zach realized he
Speaker 1: had to do that or he was in danger of
Speaker 1: losing team because Dan nobody wants to be on Owen sixteen.
Speaker 1: Team that stays with you forever. How about a first
Speaker 1: year head coach. Do you think he wants that to
Speaker 1: be the thing that people will remember him for. Everybody
Speaker 1: remembers the Cleveland Browns won Owen sixteen, but they want
Speaker 1: one in thirty one. They were one in fifty. Nobody
Speaker 1: thinks about the one in thirty one. It's just man
Speaker 1: Owen sixteen. That's the scarlet letter, you know, in the
Speaker 1: in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, the
Speaker 1: Cleveland Browns, and that stays with you. You're always a
Speaker 1: member of that football team. Geno Atkins on Pro Football
Speaker 1: Hall of Fame possibility. Don't want that mark of Owen
Speaker 1: sixteen on your resume. You know, nobody nobody wants that
Speaker 1: that type of thing. So I'm telling you, with five
Speaker 1: games left, the pressure is going to start to mount.
Speaker 1: These guys want to and feel like they have to
Speaker 1: get a win. They do not want to join the
Speaker 1: scarlet letter club. Getting back to what you were saying
Speaker 1: about what players look for out of coaches, they want
Speaker 1: to see that consistency. How about the fact that, to me,
Speaker 1: the number one thing that a player wants from the
Speaker 1: coach is to put you in the best possible position
Speaker 1: to win, right, no doubt, absolutely no doubt. I mean,
Speaker 1: you know people are that are like, you know, all right,
Speaker 1: just just lose all the rest of your games and
Speaker 1: get the first pick of the draft. It's not fantasy football. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and it's if you're if that's your DNA, you're not
Speaker 1: going to last in the NFL. You shouldn't even be
Speaker 1: in the NFL that that can't be your DNA. So
Speaker 1: it's easy for the fans to say, because you're right,
Speaker 1: it's not fantasy football. But you know you're you're getting
Speaker 1: evaluated on game tape every week, not just by the Bengals,
Speaker 1: by all thirty one teams, because if your situation ends
Speaker 1: in Cincinnati, who's going to be looking at you all
Speaker 1: thirty one other teams? Did this guy tank when they
Speaker 1: were losing games and they're on eleven? How did he play?
Speaker 1: Oh Man? He's playing his tailoff. Let's take a look
Speaker 1: this guy. He put it neutral. He's I see seven
Speaker 1: loaves out of the out of the forty plays. Don't
Speaker 1: want that guy. So you're talking about your career, You're
Speaker 1: talking about your livelihood, you're talking about feeding your family,
Speaker 1: all those things. They're not in a mindset. Players and
Speaker 1: coaches are not in a mindset to say, let's lose
Speaker 1: them all and get the number one pick in the draft. Ludicrous.
Speaker 1: You're also playing a sport that puts your short term
Speaker 1: and long term health in jeopardy, let's face it, and
Speaker 1: people expect them to go out there and intentionally lose. Seriously,
Speaker 1: right right, I mean honestly, the people that are that
Speaker 1: think that never strapped on the equipment and went out
Speaker 1: there in a competitive environment. I mean you have to.
Speaker 1: You have to play at a high level to survive
Speaker 1: the physicality of it. I mean literally in some in
Speaker 1: some instances, it's like you went through multiple car wrecks,
Speaker 1: you know, and during a three hour time frame, you
Speaker 1: got that kind of as you get that kind of hit,
Speaker 1: you're I can remember hits where organs moved, you know,
Speaker 1: internal organs. It was like, man, that was a shot.
Speaker 1: You know, it's like, well, let me see if I
Speaker 1: can get all this stuff right now. I mean that
Speaker 1: that those things are those are crazy. I mean some
Speaker 1: of the injuries did guys sustain. Doctors say, that's that
Speaker 1: kind of thing happens in a car wreck, you know
Speaker 1: that that type of violent collision, that type of violent deal,
Speaker 1: and it can happen out in a football field. So
Speaker 1: when you're when you're susceptible to injury one hundred percent
Speaker 1: of every snap to one percent of every player, you're
Speaker 1: gonna tank and try to lose football games. You ain't
Speaker 1: gonna last long. Let's get back to Corty Glenn for
Speaker 1: a second. Is it possible to let bygones be bygones
Speaker 1: at this point? You know, the biggest the biggest problem
Speaker 1: that I see is the most important word in any
Speaker 1: relationship is trust. And I think I I think Cordy
Speaker 1: feels like trust was violated in his mind, and the
Speaker 1: Bengals feel the trust was violated in their mind. And
Speaker 1: I don't think by just a little bit. I think
Speaker 1: it's a major breach of trust. So, you know, is
Speaker 1: it a white lie? You know kind of thing can
Speaker 1: you recover from a white lie. Yeah, you can recover
Speaker 1: from a white lie, But man, did you did you
Speaker 1: put together this big plot? You know that it was
Speaker 1: more than a white lie. Can you recover from that?
Speaker 1: So that that's to be determined. But bottom line is
Speaker 1: seeing a lot of things in the National Football League
Speaker 1: that you wonder, how can they live with each other? Answer?
Speaker 1: The dude can play. If you can play, you can
Speaker 1: live with a lot of things. And if Cordy Glenn
Speaker 1: shows you can play, and you saw what it was like,
Speaker 1: you know, when they didn't have somebody out there to
Speaker 1: stabilize it the left tackle position. The biggest thing is
Speaker 1: what will Jonah Williams be like? That's the key because
Speaker 1: they were gonna move Courty Glenn into guard. If Jonah
Speaker 1: Williams is fine and he can play the left tackle position,
Speaker 1: all of a sudden that trust is a little bit
Speaker 1: more of an issue. But if you have a guy
Speaker 1: that can play it's not then it's a different kind
Speaker 1: of trust issue. Let's look at the defense. They've given
Speaker 1: up seventeen and sixteen points over their last two games,
Speaker 1: the only two this year where they've allowed fewer than twenty.
Speaker 1: Are they figuring things out under lou An Rumo or
Speaker 1: was that simply a matter of playing a couple of
Speaker 1: mediocre offenses in the Raiders and Steelers. I think it
Speaker 1: is a combination, you know. I think, you know, the
Speaker 1: talent level of those offenses wasn't. Let's face it, Lamar
Speaker 1: Jackson's killing everybody and the Bengals played him twice and
Speaker 1: still haven't figured him out. I mean, he's he has
Speaker 1: taken people apart. Look what he did to the Rams,
Speaker 1: I mean embarrassed him, embarrassed him. He's going to put
Speaker 1: up numbers that I mean, they're going to be freakish.
Speaker 1: Like John Harbaugh said to him on the sideline after
Speaker 1: during the course of one of the games, you're going
Speaker 1: to change the quarterback position. I mean, kids are going
Speaker 1: to be looking at this stuff for twenty years and thinking,
Speaker 1: what the heck. I mean, you're you're changing, You're changing
Speaker 1: everybody's definition of an NFL quarterback. I mean, it's remarkable.
Speaker 1: So I think when you play a guy like that,
Speaker 1: there's not only that game, but there's collateral damage you're
Speaker 1: trying to recover, you know, from it now. I think
Speaker 1: it I think it does set you back. And they did.
Speaker 1: They did play him, you know, twice in a pretty
Speaker 1: short time frame. But I do think you know, the
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers were hampered obviously with what they had out there.
Speaker 1: Um skilled people weren't the same Oakland Raiders, you know,
Speaker 1: they weren't. They had a really good running back, their
Speaker 1: quarterback had been playing well, but heck he get benched.
Speaker 1: I mean, Gruden didn't waste any time he benched car
Speaker 1: and when they get spanked by the Jets in the
Speaker 1: third quarter. So I think it is a combination. But
Speaker 1: it's going to be interesting. You a young quarterback that's
Speaker 1: on a little bit of a role as team scored,
Speaker 1: as team scored thirty four points three weeks in a row,
Speaker 1: and they're feeling confident. How will they handle the Jets?
Speaker 1: How will they handle Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns
Speaker 1: up there. They're starting to get it figured out. They've
Speaker 1: got immense skill position talent. Will the Bengals. I think
Speaker 1: the key is will the Bengals defensive line play the
Speaker 1: rest of the season like they played the last couple
Speaker 1: of games, Because, like lou Aneruma said to us earlier
Speaker 1: in the week, it starts if the defensive lines disruptive
Speaker 1: and people are having trouble blocking them, everything else falls
Speaker 1: into place. So if the defensive line stays motivated and
Speaker 1: makes as many players as they've made in the last
Speaker 1: eight quarters down the stretch of the season, I think
Speaker 1: that defense could play pretty solidly. The Bengals host the
Speaker 1: Jets on Sunday, and if you look at their entire
Speaker 1: season stats, the Jets offense stinks. They're next to last
Speaker 1: in yards thirty if in rushing thirty first in passing.
Speaker 1: They're averaging eighteen points a game. But over the last
Speaker 1: three weeks they've scored thirty four points and each of
Speaker 1: their last three games. What has gotten into the New
Speaker 1: York Jets, I think a little bit has to do
Speaker 1: with who they played, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and
Speaker 1: the Raiders. I mean, we saw the Raiders are vulnerable.
Speaker 1: We just couldn't take advantage. I think of Andy Dalton
Speaker 1: quarterbacking against the Raiders would have put up some points.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying thirty four necessarily, but would have put
Speaker 1: up some points. And you know, I think the thirty
Speaker 1: three nothing slacking by the Patriots when you know you
Speaker 1: have a young quarterback Sam Donald come out and say
Speaker 1: I was seeing ghosts. You know, he's being honest. And
Speaker 1: I think after that, they loose to Jacksonville by fourteen.
Speaker 1: They lose to the Dolphins by eight points, and I
Speaker 1: think at that at that point in time, was like
Speaker 1: that's enough, you know. So obviously they're they're feeling better
Speaker 1: about the way they're operating. And you know, they've they've
Speaker 1: got some players we know about Levon Bell and Anderson,
Speaker 1: this guy averaging over fifteen yards of catch, has a
Speaker 1: ninety two yard touchdown catch amongst the three touchdown receptions.
Speaker 1: That they've got some players, real good slot receiver and Crowder.
Speaker 1: So Bengals defense has been playing better. Let's see if
Speaker 1: that holds up against this Jets offense that's kind of
Speaker 1: finding their form a little bit. As the Bengals defense
Speaker 1: is finding their form, who's going to hold their form?
Speaker 1: The Bengals house the Jets this Sunday. The Jets have
Speaker 1: twenty six sacks, number nineteen in the NFL. So that's
Speaker 1: not great, but fifteen different players have at least a
Speaker 1: half of sack led by their safety Jamal Adams, who
Speaker 1: has six and a half. What does that say about
Speaker 1: defensive coordinator Greg Williams. It says that he's going to
Speaker 1: bring everybody from everywhere, you know, the kitchen, sink, the kitchen,
Speaker 1: the whole house. Everything's coming. So Adams, though, that's the
Speaker 1: interesting one. If I'm an offensive line coach, I'm saying,
Speaker 1: when Adams, when number thirty three is in the box,
Speaker 1: treat him like a linebacker. I designate him in my
Speaker 1: rules protecting from inside out depending on where he is
Speaker 1: that if he's if he's in the between the tackles,
Speaker 1: he's a linebacker to me. If he's on the outside,
Speaker 1: I'm going to count guys more dangerous, you know, closer
Speaker 1: to the quarterback. But but he I have to find
Speaker 1: thirty three. I have to find thirty three and communicate
Speaker 1: him up and down the line of scrimmage like like
Speaker 1: he's a linebacker in our protection. So six and a
Speaker 1: half sacks the most of any defensive back in the NFL,
Speaker 1: and he's in the top thirty in the NFL overall.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's got more sacks than the Bengal sack leader.
Speaker 1: He's got more sacks than a lot of sack leaders
Speaker 1: on individual teams around the National Football League. So, you know,
Speaker 1: it's interesting. They just played a safety that was a
Speaker 1: deep center fielder, you know, and all he was doing
Speaker 1: was you know, coming downhill and make plays. This guy
Speaker 1: is going to be right around the line of scrimmage
Speaker 1: a lot of times in the box more so. And
Speaker 1: they may be the two Pro Bowl safeties and the
Speaker 1: Bengals are going to have him in back to back
Speaker 1: weeks at a little bit different style of play. I'm
Speaker 1: talking about Fitzpatrick, Minka Fitzpatrick, and this this young man
Speaker 1: who is getting it done for the Jets is no,
Speaker 1: there's no question about it. He's a big time player.
Speaker 1: And their coordinator Greg Williams talk about aggressive. I mean,
Speaker 1: the first blitz will be as they get off the
Speaker 1: bus coming to the locker room. It's gonna be a blitz.
Speaker 1: Craig to the stadium. Final crucial question, what's your favorite
Speaker 1: part about the Thanksgiving feast? Oh man, I'm a I'm
Speaker 1: a dark meat guy. I do I do like I
Speaker 1: do like the dark meat. Um. I really enjoy turkey skin,
Speaker 1: which is the worst thing you can possibly eat. It
Speaker 1: is the best as long as it's cooked properly. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it has to be crispy, you know, it can't be soggy.
Speaker 1: Nothing worse than soggy, greasy turkey, you know, turkey skin,
Speaker 1: but nice crisp turkey skin, man of chev It's And
Speaker 1: I always always get the hairy eyeball when I, you know, partake. Sorry, Land, Yeah, sorry, Land,
Speaker 1: I had to do it, But I mean that dog
Speaker 1: will hunt right there. Give me some stuffing covered with
Speaker 1: a really good gravy stuffing, the stuffing that we have
Speaker 1: because I'm a corn of war, so it's got sausage
Speaker 1: and beefing. Uh yeah, are you kidding me, dude? I
Speaker 1: could make a meal just on the turkey stuffing. I
Speaker 1: mean yeah, I've got my real loose sweatpants that I
Speaker 1: throw on for Thanksgiving and I roll. Baby. I can't
Speaker 1: keep them up before I eat, but they're tight when
Speaker 1: I'm done. Something for the Lapham family to look forward to.
Speaker 1: Hopefully you enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast with a family as
Speaker 1: much as lap did. Now time for this week's locker
Speaker 1: room conversation as I visit with a Bengals veteran whose
Speaker 1: return to the lineup has provided a boost to the
Speaker 1: Bengals defense. We're in the locker room with Darquez Denard.
Speaker 1: Over the last couple of games, you've held opponents to
Speaker 1: seventeen points and sixteen points. And I don't think it's
Speaker 1: a coincidence that you have been back in there for
Speaker 1: more than ninety percent of the defensive snaps. How do
Speaker 1: you think you've helped that's the thing by communicating and
Speaker 1: you know, adding a little hedge and you know, hipping
Speaker 1: out with coverages and you know, communicating and doing my job.
Speaker 1: Give me the feeling on the defense right now? It's
Speaker 1: confidence growing based on how you've played the last few weeks. Definitely.
Speaker 1: I think, uh it has shows. It showed on Sundays
Speaker 1: as well. I think we're having great week comparatices and
Speaker 1: making turnovers and forcing turnovers and practicing and showing up
Speaker 1: in games and you know, and that's allowing us to
Speaker 1: obviously play well and whole opponents and you know, to
Speaker 1: under seventeen points and less. We're visiting the dar quest. Denard,
Speaker 1: Can you take a lot of satisfaction from a great
Speaker 1: defense performance even if the team loses? For me personally, no,
Speaker 1: not really, uh, because I feel like it's always something
Speaker 1: you can do a little bit more. Uh. You know,
Speaker 1: it was to play here and there's you know, you
Speaker 1: always had those those games and that you feel like
Speaker 1: you could have done more if you did this, if
Speaker 1: you did that. So for me personally, I feel like
Speaker 1: you can play the best game in your life. But
Speaker 1: you know, if you lose, it really don't matter. Dark
Speaker 1: Qua is one of the things that's always stood out
Speaker 1: about you since you've been here is your ability to
Speaker 1: tackle in the run game. Is that skill or will?
Speaker 1: I think it's a little bit of both, but majard
Speaker 1: is will. It just kind of just want to think that's,
Speaker 1: you know, something that's you know, it was coaching me
Speaker 1: and at Michigan State and just you know, follow me.
Speaker 1: You are a couple of lockers away from Sean Williams
Speaker 1: and you guys have been teammates your entire time here
Speaker 1: in Cincinnati. He has gutted it out this year despite
Speaker 1: a bunch of injuries. Can you describe your respect for him?
Speaker 1: You know, me and Sean uh pretty much like brothers.
Speaker 1: Uh so Uh. I know what he deals deals with,
Speaker 1: has been dealing with this year, and you know he's
Speaker 1: a one tough guy. He plays with a lot of injuries,
Speaker 1: don't complaining a lot, just you know, basically put a
Speaker 1: band aid over whatever it was hurt. If it's broken,
Speaker 1: if it's whatever it is, Uh, put a band aid
Speaker 1: over and you know, tape it out, tape it up,
Speaker 1: and you know he backed sort That was kind of
Speaker 1: guy he is. He loved the game of football and
Speaker 1: obviously shows on Sundays when you go out there and play.
Speaker 1: Got a question. Your first two years here, the Bengals
Speaker 1: were really good, including that twenty and fifteen season where
Speaker 1: you opened eight no and finished twelve and four. How
Speaker 1: difficult is it for you to be going through what
Speaker 1: the team is going through right now? It's difficult. Uh,
Speaker 1: you know, it's crazy because I you know, I kind
Speaker 1: of laughing, not really loud, but kind of just play
Speaker 1: with the younger guys. It's kind of like Tenu and
Speaker 1: you know Adam and Lee Un and you know Reggie
Speaker 1: did with me as when I was a young guy.
Speaker 1: You know they basically I was telling young guy earlier
Speaker 1: today those guys like, hey, man, ain't always like this. Uh.
Speaker 1: I always winning, you know, I was always winning games.
Speaker 1: You just got a chairs these moments and you got
Speaker 1: to really embrace him. And when you had the opportunity to,
Speaker 1: you know, make a run for a championship when you
Speaker 1: have a good team, you gotta do whatever it takes
Speaker 1: to to you know, basically do your job and get
Speaker 1: it done. And I think that kind of plays back
Speaker 1: in my head, especially the last couple of years and
Speaker 1: about what those guys said to me, and it's really
Speaker 1: hit home now. So it's just crazy. It's definitely difficult.
Speaker 1: I felt like we had a good team. Obviously, you know, injuries,
Speaker 1: of course happens, and that's the unfortunate part about this game.
Speaker 1: And he kind of switch a whole season up, so
Speaker 1: you know it. You know, it's definitely difficult. It's definitely difficult.
Speaker 1: When you talk to the younger guys, do you give
Speaker 1: them the opposite message. It's not always going to be
Speaker 1: like this. We can be good again in a short
Speaker 1: period of time. Definitely just tell them, I mean just
Speaker 1: tell them like, man, were a few plays away, ball here,
Speaker 1: ball there, Just how it rolls or you know, a
Speaker 1: game changes, just like this whole season been because we've
Speaker 1: been in games. It's not like we've been you know,
Speaker 1: been losing my fifty points every game. We've been in
Speaker 1: a lot of games, like a lot of games, and
Speaker 1: you know, we kind of just come down to the
Speaker 1: last wire and you know, the ball just don't roll
Speaker 1: all the way and just how football is kind of
Speaker 1: like the game of life. So you have your ups
Speaker 1: and downs, but you know, uh, you have more ups
Speaker 1: if you keep working on it, keep grinding and just
Speaker 1: staying patient and just trusting. A couple of questions about
Speaker 1: this week's opponent, the New York Jets. Sam Donald has
Speaker 1: been on a roll of like his last three games.
Speaker 1: He's been terrific. What stands out when you look at
Speaker 1: him on tape. You know he's a bigger quarterback and
Speaker 1: his mobile uh stays trying to move the pocket and
Speaker 1: and standing plays. Uh. He got a lot of great
Speaker 1: whippers around him. Uh, you know you got leave On,
Speaker 1: you got Robbie. Uh, you know, I got a champions,
Speaker 1: and you got Demarrius and you know you got a
Speaker 1: lot of guys just around him HIPing him. So, uh,
Speaker 1: they're doing a really good job right now. We just
Speaker 1: had to come out and you know, compete will I
Speaker 1: noticed in their game last week, Leaveon Bell was lining
Speaker 1: up a lot as a wide receiver and going down field.
Speaker 1: I mean it wasn't the type of passes he used
Speaker 1: to catch with the Steelers where he'd go three yards
Speaker 1: and turn around and then look for yards after catch.
Speaker 1: They're having him run down the field, right. It's kind
Speaker 1: of not a surprise to me. You know, me and
Speaker 1: Lebon was at Michigan State together, so I know the
Speaker 1: type of player he is. H I was able to
Speaker 1: watch up coach personal since we you know, we was
Speaker 1: in the same recruiting class, so you know, I got
Speaker 1: to watch him every day, so I know what type
Speaker 1: of player he is and what are you capable? So
Speaker 1: it's not a surprise to me at the things that
Speaker 1: you're doing now. But he's definitely a you know, a
Speaker 1: capable receiver as well as a running back, so he
Speaker 1: definitely a tart to win. You know, he's out there.
Speaker 1: Appreciate your time as always, Happy Thanksgiving, best a lot,
Speaker 1: everything's giving me as well. Thank you. Last, but not least,
Speaker 1: it's time for this week's Know the Folk Conversation is
Speaker 1: we take an in depth look at the Jets with
Speaker 1: long time beat writer Rich Samini. He joined Lapping Me
Speaker 1: this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show, and I
Speaker 1: started the interview by asking Rich the following question. If
Speaker 1: Sam Darnold had not missed several games due to mono,
Speaker 1: would the Jets be in playoff contention. That's a great question, Dan,
Speaker 1: really hard to say. You know, I would say, you know,
Speaker 1: they played I'd say no, because they played three really
Speaker 1: difficult opponents during that stretch that he was out, and
Speaker 1: they played Philly, New England, and I'm missing one game
Speaker 1: then they lost, So I don't even think they would
Speaker 1: have beat them. With Sam. It was a new offense.
Speaker 1: They were going through some growing pains anyway, and without
Speaker 1: him they were just hopeless. I mean, they couldn't get
Speaker 1: the ball in the red zone, let alone score. I've
Speaker 1: never in all my years of covering the Jets, and
Speaker 1: I've seen some really bad offenses that was as bad
Speaker 1: as I've seen early in the year with Luke Falk
Speaker 1: at quarterback. So the answer is no. But now they're
Speaker 1: playing better and they're you know, kind of make it
Speaker 1: interest interesting a little bit. Let me ask you about
Speaker 1: the defensive side of the football, my goodness, top ten
Speaker 1: in a lot of categories, top five and many significant categories,
Speaker 1: including stopping the run, number one in yards seventy eight
Speaker 1: point one per game and three yards per carry, and
Speaker 1: Greg Williams, the Master Disguiser. I watched the Dolphins tape
Speaker 1: and he was playing Cover one. The Dolphins torched it,
Speaker 1: so he went back to Tampa two and he said,
Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna make it a job. I'm gonna
Speaker 1: make Jamal Adams's going to be a rush guy for him.
Speaker 1: He's got six and a half sacks the last four games,
Speaker 1: five tackle for loss. I mean, and he's still playing
Speaker 1: Cover two behind it. I guess if he plays Coup
Speaker 1: one against the Bengals, it'll be a true look testament
Speaker 1: how people feel about the Bengals wide outs, because he
Speaker 1: probably feels like they can't beat him. But I mean,
Speaker 1: this guy has been doing some unbelievable stuff schematically and
Speaker 1: utilizing his players to their fullest. He's unreal. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: he really has done a great job. And you know,
Speaker 1: they've had so many injuries, and last week against the Raiders,
Speaker 1: of the top sixteen guys on defense based on the
Speaker 1: number of snaps in the game, seven of the guys
Speaker 1: came into the league as undrafted free agents. So he's
Speaker 1: been doing it with you know, replacement level talent. And
Speaker 1: you're exactly right about the way they've dialed back the pressure.
Speaker 1: They've been come more. But they cover two team in
Speaker 1: recent winks and a lot of that is to protect
Speaker 1: their corners. They're playing basically with two third string corners
Speaker 1: and Arthur Mallet and rookie Bless Austin, and so instead
Speaker 1: of putting those guys out on islands, they've been playing
Speaker 1: more too safety looks. But like you said, they've been
Speaker 1: using Jamal as a blitzer. That's not a weekly thing,
Speaker 1: but I think it depends on the opponents more of
Speaker 1: a game plan specific thing. But he's been racking up
Speaker 1: sacks and so they've really found an identity on defense.
Speaker 1: Rich Amini from ESPN New York is our guest. What
Speaker 1: was the reaction in New York or in the Jets
Speaker 1: locker room when they learned that Andy Dalton was coming
Speaker 1: back to be the Bengals quarterback instead of a struggling
Speaker 1: Ryan Finley. Yeah, I don't. I think they kind of
Speaker 1: expected it. I think, you know, from the reaction I
Speaker 1: got is, you know, they saw Finley struggles with turnovers,
Speaker 1: and the Bengals have actually played a pretty good defense
Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks they've been in these games,
Speaker 1: and I think the Jets, at least in terms of
Speaker 1: the coaching staff, they had a pretty good idea that
Speaker 1: it was going to be back to Dalton just because
Speaker 1: they've been in some of these games and if they
Speaker 1: could just minimize the turnovers, they could win some of
Speaker 1: these games. And also you're looking at a coach who
Speaker 1: doesn't want to go out in sixteen and wants to
Speaker 1: win some games here at the end of the year,
Speaker 1: and obviously feels that Dalton gives them the best chance.
Speaker 1: It seemed to me that Adam Gas was not really
Speaker 1: trying to hide the fact that he thought overpaid for
Speaker 1: Levon Bell. Did they Yes, they did. I mean, you know,
Speaker 1: thirteen and a half million per year for a running
Speaker 1: back is a lot, and Adam Gates has never said
Speaker 1: that publicly. By the way, just for the record, you know,
Speaker 1: I reported and other people reported at the time a
Speaker 1: free agency that Gays was not keen on the idea
Speaker 1: of spending that much for a running back. And he
Speaker 1: has nothing against Bell. I think he really respects Bells
Speaker 1: as a player. He just felt that philosophically, that was
Speaker 1: just too much for one guy. And I think we've
Speaker 1: seen that those feelings come to bear because he has
Speaker 1: not having a good year. I mean, it's not all
Speaker 1: on a labe on their offensive line has been a
Speaker 1: mess with the most part. So he has not rushed
Speaker 1: for more than seventy yards in a game this year,
Speaker 1: and frankly, to me, he looks like a half a
Speaker 1: step slower than what you guys have seen him a
Speaker 1: lot more than I have. From the division. He looks
Speaker 1: a little bit slow to me. And maybe it's the
Speaker 1: year off, you know, maybe it's the offensive line, but
Speaker 1: he just has not been the same. Lady On, we
Speaker 1: are visiting with Rich some meaning long time reporter covering
Speaker 1: the New York Jets. I mentioned this streak at the
Speaker 1: beginning of our conversation Rich, how the Jets have scored
Speaker 1: exactly thirty four and three straight games. How much is
Speaker 1: that Giants, Redskins Raiders as the opponents, and how much
Speaker 1: is that this is an offense that's finding its stride. Yeah,
Speaker 1: mostly the schedule, I think, Dan, it's I mean, they
Speaker 1: just hit it at the right time. I mean, it's
Speaker 1: amazing how they work out. So the owner, they get
Speaker 1: embarrassed by Miami. Down in Miami, they dropped to one
Speaker 1: and seven. It was as ugly a loss as I've
Speaker 1: ever covered. And so there's a lot of rumors about
Speaker 1: Gays's job security. Could he get fired in the middle
Speaker 1: of the season. The owner comes in a private meeting
Speaker 1: with the players. The owner of that week says, you know,
Speaker 1: I'm sticking with Adam. He's my guy. And it's like
Speaker 1: the old thing in baseball. You know, if you have
Speaker 1: a team meeting, make sure you do it on the
Speaker 1: day your ace is pitching. So the Jets knew that
Speaker 1: they were playing the Giants, then they were playing the Redskins,
Speaker 1: two really poor defensive teams. So they got their offense
Speaker 1: rolling a little bit, they built some confidence, and they
Speaker 1: went against the Raiders, you know who I considered more
Speaker 1: of the middle of the road team, and they really
Speaker 1: took it out on the Raiders and Raiders so now
Speaker 1: they got their mojo. Sam Darnold's as hot as any
Speaker 1: quarterback in the league not named Lamar Jackson, right, and
Speaker 1: so they're really feeling good about themselves offensively. Prior to
Speaker 1: the three game win streak, the highest score, the most
Speaker 1: points they scored against Dallas, and to me, that was
Speaker 1: one of the biggest outliers of the season. The twenty
Speaker 1: four twenty two victory over the Dallas Cowboys on October thirteenth,
Speaker 1: what led to that what was the circumstance that football
Speaker 1: game in your estimation, that's I'm still trying to figure
Speaker 1: that way, right, j went in there and four and
Speaker 1: you know, it was Sam Darnold's first game back from mono,
Speaker 1: and you were all looking at him like, you know,
Speaker 1: if he gets hit in the spleen as he get
Speaker 1: high on the field, you know, they're you know, there's
Speaker 1: a lot of people reporting that he's back too soon.
Speaker 1: And so he goes out and he played out of
Speaker 1: his mind, and I game he played a really good
Speaker 1: game and they beat him. But now let me say this,
Speaker 1: Dallas played without their two starting offensive tackles, and we
Speaker 1: know those are very good players, and they played Amari
Speaker 1: Cooper went out in the first series of the game,
Speaker 1: and I truly think that if Cooper were in there
Speaker 1: for the whole game, the Jets would have lost. But
Speaker 1: he wasn't, and they won the game. And so then
Speaker 1: you thought, Okay, they're going to start to go on
Speaker 1: a little bit of a role here. But then they
Speaker 1: just went into like a tailspin, and Sam Darnold went
Speaker 1: into a really bad tailspin, and then the season got
Speaker 1: away from them. So the the I'm seeing ghosts that
Speaker 1: was it after that Dallas game, you know, the New
Speaker 1: England game. Yep, So you know that's a that's a
Speaker 1: big deal. ESPN talk show hosts and Fox talk show
Speaker 1: hosts go crazy over that, and I know the team
Speaker 1: wasn't happy that that audio was used. To me, it
Speaker 1: was like stating the obvious. That's what a young quarterback
Speaker 1: experiences against a Bill Belichick type defense. So a really
Speaker 1: good NFL defensive team was it. Was it a big
Speaker 1: source of embarrassment for Sam Darnold or was it everybody else? Yeah,
Speaker 1: Darnold handled it really well. He didn't duck the questions.
Speaker 1: He just admitted on numerous occasions. He because I always
Speaker 1: try to be honest with my coaches when I get
Speaker 1: to the sideline, and that's what I was feeling at
Speaker 1: that moment. And he had just a horrific game. He
Speaker 1: had four interceptions in that game, and he truly was
Speaker 1: seeing goes. I mean, he didn't know what was coming
Speaker 1: at him. And unfortunately, you know, usually that's the NFL
Speaker 1: films is responsible for that stuff at the game, and
Speaker 1: usually they added out all the good stuff, and the
Speaker 1: stuff that we get on TV is the very planned
Speaker 1: soundbites from the bench and in this case, they let
Speaker 1: it go through and you know, which was great for
Speaker 1: TV viewers around the country, but bad for the Jets.
Speaker 1: And you're right there. You know, the Jets were pissed
Speaker 1: when that got out and my network aired it, you know,
Speaker 1: after it received clearance from NFL Films. And it was
Speaker 1: embarrassing for Sam because he went into Jacksonville the very
Speaker 1: next week and at the end of the game he
Speaker 1: had another bad game, three interceptions, and on the PA
Speaker 1: in the stadium, they're playing the Ghostbusters team and showing
Speaker 1: a montage of all his interceptions on the scoreboard, which
Speaker 1: I really thought was bush league by going on about
Speaker 1: two minutes left and they're playing the Ghostbusters theme and
Speaker 1: so it's something that Sam has and one other stadium
Speaker 1: played it too, I can't remember offhand, but he, you know,
Speaker 1: it's something he's had to live with. But he's playing
Speaker 1: really well for the last three games, so I think
Speaker 1: he's come out of that. That's funk. Well, I know,
Speaker 1: Ryan Finley saw a bunch of ghosts and you know
Speaker 1: it's it's all he's saying is pre snap, I'm seeing
Speaker 1: one thing post snap another, you know. I mean, yeah,
Speaker 1: he's he's being honest. Yeah, the fans when they hear that,
Speaker 1: the fact that it was Belichick too, you know, sure,
Speaker 1: and I'm sure he enjoyed a nice little smirk with
Speaker 1: them when he heard that. But no, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 1: Yeah they got he got validation, you know. Van Noy
Speaker 1: basically said, oh, man, that's that's validation of what we're doing.
Speaker 1: You know. I mean, it's my my final question, and
Speaker 1: thanks for carbon time for us. You're great and appreciate
Speaker 1: your patients. Frank Pollock, Uh, he had a tremendous round
Speaker 1: amount of respect in this locker room by his offensive
Speaker 1: line and other position groups. He really um made an
Speaker 1: impression on the Cincinnati Bengals locker room overall. What's it
Speaker 1: been like for Frank in New Jersey excuse me, in
Speaker 1: New York with the Jets. Yeah, that's a man. That's
Speaker 1: a weird you know. I thought he didn't do it.
Speaker 1: I thought he did a poor job at the beginning
Speaker 1: of the year. I mean, their offensive line was just
Speaker 1: which was really bad. I mean, Sam and the other
Speaker 1: quarterbacks were getting a hit on a regular basis. And
Speaker 1: they've started six different offensive line combos, so you know,
Speaker 1: injuries have played a factor. But even when they had
Speaker 1: Theirs in there, they were just missing assignments, turning guys loose,
Speaker 1: they were sliding in the wrong direction. It was just
Speaker 1: a really poorly coached unit at this part of the year.
Speaker 1: And they have calmed it down a little bit, you know,
Speaker 1: you know, and I think Pollock has done a good
Speaker 1: job of figuring out what's going on. But you know what,
Speaker 1: I think a big part of it was, you know,
Speaker 1: they signed Ryan Khalil out of retirement right before training
Speaker 1: or actually right as training camp was starting, and of
Speaker 1: course he was a five time pro bowler with the Panthers,
Speaker 1: and the thought they were getting a coupe and he
Speaker 1: just was not in shape. And he came in and
Speaker 1: I think he just disrupted all the chemistry and they
Speaker 1: really struggled with him, and when they replaced him because
Speaker 1: he went on IR. The last three weeks with Jonathan Harrison,
Speaker 1: it's been a much smoother operation. So partly because of that,
Speaker 1: and I think partly because Frank has figured out some
Speaker 1: things that they've gotten better. But it was pretty bad
Speaker 1: there for a while thanks to Rich Samite, and that's
Speaker 1: going to do it. For this episode of the podcast,
Speaker 1: if you haven't done so already, don't forget to subscribe.
Speaker 1: Comments and five star ratings are helpful and appreciated. I'm
Speaker 1: Dan Horde, Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for listening to the
Speaker 1: Bengals Boot Podcast