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Bengals Booth Podcast: Get Right Back · Bengals Booth Podcast

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast. The we gotta get right back
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: to where we started from edition as I visit with
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: one of my favorite guests, radio and TV host and
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: NFL dot Com columnist Adam Shine. Then Bengals dot Com
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: editor Jeff Hobson joins me to discuss the biggest positives
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: coming out of training camp, as well as our biggest
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: concerns heading into the season opener against Pittsburgh. The Bengals
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: ahead of the twenty twenty two season. It's free to
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: play next level fantasy football with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: it now on the App Store and Google Play. And
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: the greatest thing since a good steak. Last weekend, I
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: traveled to Arkansas to call the UC Bearcat season opener,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: and I figured it would be wise to get a
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Friday night dinner recommendation from former razorback star Brandon Allen,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: who not only played at Arkansas but grew up near campus.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: The Bengals backup quarterback set me and my friends to Doze.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: That's d Oe apostrophe S, a casual steakhouse with four
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: locations in Arkansas. I took our servers recommendation and ordered
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: the Ribi, and I'm here to tell you that it
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: was not only delicious, but it was gigantic. It would
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: have tipped over Fred Flintstone's car. As I told Brandon,
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: my arteries hate him, but it was an excellent recommendation
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: in one I am happy to pass along. If you
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: like a big, juicy steak when in Arkansas, go to Doze.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Now time to get to my first guest. He hosts
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: a nash No radio show, He hosts a nightly TV
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: show on CBS Sports Net. He has his own podcast.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: He writes a column for NFL dot Com. He is
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: my guy, Adam Shy. Now, with that schedule, Adam, there's
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: not a lot of free time, so I really appreciate
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: you doing this. Let's start with Joe Burrow. Your admiration
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: for the Bengals quarterback is well documented. I think you've
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: used the word obsessed before give us the national perspective.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: What has Joe Burrow done for the Cincinnati Bengals. Well,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: first and foremost, Dan, It's always great to be with you.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Love you, lovely, love your podcast, love listening to your
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: play by play calls of the Cincinnati Bengals, and listen.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: I I'm obsessed with Joe Burrow. I love Joe Burrow,
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: and I think I think everyone nationwide knows Joe has it.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: I mean, I think it goes back to that year
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: at LSU where I'd make the case and now as
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: years later, non subject to exaggeration or hyperbley, great offensive
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: season ever in the history of college football, and that
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: starts with Joe Burrows. Then he goes to Cincinnati ads
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: needed talent, swagger, attitude at the quarterback position. Look, the
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Bengals caught a lot of people off guard last year.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: I thought they'd be great. I did not think they
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: would be Super Bowl great. I thought the offense would
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: be excellent. I was all in on Burrow. But what
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: really impressed me, I think what really translated with a
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: lot of people nationwide. Joe Burrow wouldn't use Cinderella, He
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: wouldn't use this as some kind of little engine that
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: could story, or you know, the plucky upstart Bengals. It's no,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: we expect to win these games. We expect to be here,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: we expect to beat Baltimore, we expect to beat Kansas City,
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: we expect to win the super Bowl. And he was
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: pissed off when the Bengals didn't win the Super Bowl.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: I thought it all just fit the genius on and
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: off the field of what Joe Burrow is all about.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: You have had some big name quarterbacks on your podcast
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: in recent weeks, Josh Allen from the Bills, Aaron Rodgers
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: from the Packers. I'm sure you would love to have
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Joe Burrow on the Adam Shine Podcast if you were
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: able to book him. What are some things you would
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: like to know from Joe Burrow? Well, first of all,
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: I would love to have Joe Burrow on the podcast
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: just I want to know what makes him tick because
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: we talk about how there's no element of surprise or
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: Cinderella story. I mean, his story is pretty amazing considering
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: his path and his ride in college. I mean, even
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: before that year at Elis You we weren't talking about
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: him necessarily as being that number one overall pick. I
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: mean going back to the Ohio State days and then
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: the transfer, so you know where he got that amazing
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: confidence from and at what point he developed into this
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: great quarterback but natural leader. And I'm just obsessed with
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: his work ethic. I'm obsessed with his accountability. I'm obsessed.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: You know, he's one of those quarterbacks. He always knows
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: from a young age, never point the finger, always point
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: the thumb. Whether that's right, wrong, or indifferent, it's on him.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: You know. If something good happens or something positive from Bengals,
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: credit the teammates, something that doesn't go our way, that's
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: on me. That's my responsibility. So I would love to
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: talk to him about his work ethic, his leadership, his
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: mentality and his swagger. Dan. It's I'm kind of when
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: I say obsessed, I mean he's one of those cock
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: shore quarterbacks. It's like right out of Central Casting. I'm
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: gonna kick bought, take names, tell you I'm gonna do it,
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: and have fun in the process. I just love watch him.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: By the way, if you want to help me get
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: him on the Adam Schian podcast, I'd love that too.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: I'd love to talk to Joe Burrow right after he
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: does the Bengals Booth podcast. I'd be happy to try
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: to help. Adam Shine is our guest. It's no secret
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: that Joe got sacked too many times last year seventy
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: times if you include the postseason. The Bengals did something
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: about it. They went out and signed three established veteran
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: free agents. With that in mind, Adam, do you think
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: the Bengals have changed the narrative that's been out there
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: forever that they won't participate in free agency. I think
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: they completely change it, and I think they had to
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: change it, and I think they had to change it
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: because you know, it was real, it was legit, it
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: was a fair criticism. And I think with Joe Burrow
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: there's now accountability and there's now a standard, and it
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: goes back to that hole that was not Cinderella quote
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: shit that I talked about earlier. Okay, so what do
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: great organizations do? See a problem, fix a problem, have
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: a franchise quarterback, surround him with what he needs to win. Okay,
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: you want Jamar Chase And by the way, that was
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: the right pick, the only pick. We talked about that
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: on your podcast last year. Griggs, you want te Higgins
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: greats Joe Mixon, who was there before a top five
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: running back in my opinion in the National Football League.
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: All right, pass protection is not what it's supposed to
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: be passed on some offensive tackles. Right, move to draft Chase. Now,
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: let's go out and be active in free agency. Let's
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: spend the money not haphazardly, wisely, and I think it
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: got everybody's attention. I mean, you know, a lot of
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: Collins could have picked a lot of different places to go.
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: I mean people were flocking to Cincinnati to be part
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: of this, to be part of Joe Burrow's offensive line,
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: to be one of his body protectors. Because a free agency,
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: let's not kid ourselves, right, money is at the top,
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: but you want an opportunity to win. So the Bengals
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: had to join the party. And I just thought they
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: did so brilliantly. Dan in the off season, you ran
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: down the skill position talent Chase Higgins, Mixon. We can
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: throw Tyler Boyd in there as well. Let's talk about
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: the defense, because the defense really was the key to
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: the three playoff victory that led to the appearance in
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. Do people sleep on the Cincinnati Bengals defense?
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Without question, they do I think everybody's guilty of it
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: because the offense is so great and so dynamic. But
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: you know, I don't think you're exaggerating at all. I
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: mean that defense was so tough, so clutch. You know,
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: you look at the Raider game, you look at the
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: Tennessee game, you look at the Kansas City game. You
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: know that, to me is the ultimate defense for the
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: juggernaut offense and the fantastic quarterback. You need a playmaking defense.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: Look at the Kansas City defense when the Chiefs who
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: were winning a Super Bowl. Look at the Rams defense.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: You don't have to be in Cincinnati, in my opinion,
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: a top ten defense. You have to be tough, you
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: have to be clutch. You have to get the opportunistic
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: interception and quarterback sack, get the ball back to Joe.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: That that's what it's all about. The front seven I
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: thought was excellent. The dbs made plays. You're right, I
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: think we're all guilty of it. I'm guilty of it.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: This defense is really under the radar, and it's not
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: a fluke. It's not a flash in the pan. I
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: thought the team drafted well on defense, and I think
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: the Bengals will be back in the Super Bowl conversation. So,
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: prior to last year, the Bengals were six twenty five
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: and one the previous two seasons. You did say prior
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: to last year that you thought they were going to
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: be good. I will give you credit for that. Had
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: they pulled off the Super Bowl title and they had
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: to lead with less than two minutes to go, would
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: you have considered it one of the great underdog championship
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: stories of all time? Yes, absolutely, And I think that
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: you know, a lot of things tie in first to
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: your point the record, right, because I could like a
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: team where you could like a team. But you know,
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: as Bill Parcels once said, you are which record says
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: it is at the end of the day. So you
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: know a lot of people wanted to see it before
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: they believed it with the Cincinnati Bank, so I think
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: that that's fair. And you know I also think too.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, I picked Cincinnati to beat Tennessee that and
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: people kept calling my radio show on Sirius XM. They
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: thought I was crazy, Like they thought that was an
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: assinine pick Cincinnati over Tenniseate. Now Albeita came down to
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: the final play, great game. You know, I think people
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: kept going against and betting against and just not believing
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: in the Bengals because of Bengal history and that that
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: wasn't fair. So I think that history is a part
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: of that. And you know, the division historically tough, the
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: conference historically tough. So yeah, I think I think that
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: would have been considered one of the greats from the
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: beginning to the end single season super Bowl rides if
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: the Bengals won in NFL history. So the Bengals open
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: at home, they get the Pittsburgh Steelers at pay Course Stadium.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: Where do you think of that Week one matchup? I
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: think it's great. You know, I had Mike North, the
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: VP of Programming and scheduling, on my Serious XM radio
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: show and Dan. He made the point to me Week
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: one schedule was done with a purpose where he wanted
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: to put big games, rivalry games week one, get the
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: juices flowing for the NFL season, And to me, this
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: is one of them Steelers Bengals, I mean Cincinnati. That
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: scene is gonna be unbelievable and it's a rare year
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: based upon history where you clearly feel better about the
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Bengals compare contrast to Pittsburgh, and I think Joe Burrow's
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: gonna come out on fire. I think that Joe Mixon's
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: gonna have an excellent game. I think Jamar Chase is
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: absolutely special. And I think that Bengals defense going up
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: against a newbie at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Stealers, either
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: they're gonna thrive, feel the energy, and I think Cincinnati
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: will absolutely take care of business in Week number one.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: Adam Shine is our guest. Let's get you on the
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: record for this season. Where do you see the Bengals
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: in the AFC North and in the AFC in general.
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: So I've put a lot of thought into this. First
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: of all, I think the AFC this year is the
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: strongest conference in the history of the NFL. Seriously, in
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: terms of quarterback play, in terms of overall talent. You
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: look at all the players that you know got traded
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: or free agents that moved from the NFC to the AFC,
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: the great quarterback talent in in the conference, players returning
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: from injury. I don't think that that is crazy talk
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: before the season starts. So I've Cincinnati winning the division
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: and I don't even remotely hesitate, And I think the
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: North is going to be strong. I think by every
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: single team's own metric. All four teams in the division
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: are better than what they were last year. I think
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: the Bengals are better. Another year for Joe, the offensive line,
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: that defense, everything Dan we just talked about. I think
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: this Dealers are better. I think Trubisky picked. I think,
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: no matter what happens, that's an upgrade over the version
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: of Ben Roethlisberger we saw in the field last year.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: I love George Pickens, can't believe he lasted to the
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: second round. Miles Jack excellent talent. Cleveland not to the
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: level they wanted, but they're better even with six games
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: of Deshaun Watson down the stretch of the season. I
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: don't think Cleveland's a playoff team, don't misinterpret, but I
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: think they're better. The Ravens are better. Lamar's healthy, Dobbins
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: is healthy, Stanley's healthy, and Baltimore, to me, is kind
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: of a bit of a factory in terms of, you know,
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: excellent owner, excellent gam excellent coach. Baltimore is always going
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: to be in the mix. So I have them winning
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: the division. The Bengals because I think an amazing talent
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: at quarterback, great coach, great organization. Bengals are ready to rock.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: I think the Bengals I have them super Bowls the
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: upside as the third best team in the AFC go
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: into the season. Now, if I'm a Bengals fan listening,
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: and I'm Bengals fans are listening to this on your podcast,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: I think, I hope you can appreciate where I'm coming
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: from without being offended. I think the Bills are the
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: most talented team in the AFC. Now the second one
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: to me, team number two on the AFC list might
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: be offensive, and that's the Chargers. I think the Chargers
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: had the best offseason of any team in the league,
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: calculated with J C. Jackson and Khalil Mack and Joseph
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Day to stop the run, resigning Mike Williams, drafting a
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: needed offensive lineman, and I love Herbert. I think Herbert
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: is fantastic. So I think the Bengals are the winner
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: of the AFC North. I think of the third best
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: team in the AFC, and I think they're upside is
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: to go to the Super Bowl and win it. But
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: that's where I will pick them for this upcoming season.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: I can't imagine any Bengals fan will be too offended
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: by that. Last thing for Adam Shine. You do a
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: column every year for NFL dot com where you make
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: nine bold predictions. Now this was filed in June, but
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: I have to ask you about one of those predictions.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: You've got the Patriots as the third worst team in
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: the AFC, Bill Belichick third worst team in the AFC.
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: Do you still feel that way? You know, it's interesting.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: I'm glad that you brought this up because it's funny.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: You're you know, we're all creating content, right and my
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: editors asked me to do that fronto call dot Com.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: I didn't even hesitate, and that's stamped when I did
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: it in June. You know, oftentimes we're all suckers for
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: training camp at preseason football. You know, I call it
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: dan a little bit of Joey Harrington disease, where you
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: see someone like Joey Harrington and go fifteen to sixteen
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: and oh, Joey's gonna be great. Now that's you know,
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: all slowdown. It's not gonna be that good or in
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: the league at all when it's all said and done,
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: paid Stots August has been a train wreck. So I
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: not only believed it, then I feel even better about it. Now,
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: and I mean, you help me with the numbers here.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: I think all four teams in the Bengals Division are
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: better than the Patriots. I think all four teams in
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: the AFC West are better than the Patriots. I think
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: bare bones minimum two teams in the South are better
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: than the Patriots. I think the Bills are better than
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: the Patriots. I think Dolphins are better than the Patriots.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: And really I like the players more in Jacksonville than
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: I do in New England. I mean, I don't know
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: what Bills do. And again, I think he's the greatest
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: coach in the history of sports, not just football. I
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: think the Patriots dynasty will never be duplicated. But I
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: don't know what he's doing with the offensive coordinator. I
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: don't like talent on offense. I don't like the talent
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: on defense. If they win eight games, i'll solely be
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: because of Bill Belichick. I do not like the dress
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: this year at all. I like the bold prediction, and
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: I love the term Joey Harrington disease. I don't know
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: how you fit everything you do into your schedule, but
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: I love everything that you do and I really appreciate
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: your time. Thanks so much. Adam for joining us. Damn,
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: You're the best. I have an unbelievable season, my friend.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: You can hear Adams radio show Shine on Sports every
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: weekday from nine to noon on Sirius XM. His TV
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: show Time to Shine Here's weeknights at six pm on
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: CBS Sports Network. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game. This
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: past season, Ultimate Bengals awarded a weekly winner during the
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: course of the year, with tickets, autograph merchandise, and money
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: can't buy experiences all up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: in the App Store and Google Play. Now that it's
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: opening week, it's time for some final thoughts on training
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: cap who stood out, what concerns remain, and did Zach
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: Taylor do the right thing by not playing his starters
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: in the preseason. I discussed those questions and more with
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: Bengals dot Com editor Jeff Butch Hobson. What's It's opening week.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: We're getting ready to kick off the season against the
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at pay Corps Stadium, but we're
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: going to take some time today to review what took
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: place during training camp on a regular basis, you give
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: out the player of the day. So in a similar
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: vein who is your training camp MVP? I don't know
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: if he ever wanted the coveted player of the day.
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with two of them. Actually, I'm gonna
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: go with co Evan McPherson, who you know hardly ever
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: missed and which is self explanatory. And then I think
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: Von Bell. I think Vaughn did get it once, but
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: I think the reason he's the MVP is I think
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: how much he helped Dax Hill. You know, Jesse Bates
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: did not show up really until after training camp, and
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: so Dax Hill played his spot. And you know, he's
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: a rookie. I guess he made some rookie mistakes, I guess,
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: but it show didn't look blatant, you know, And I think, yes,
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: I think Dax Shill is a smart guy. He showed
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: all the things why they made him the first round pick.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: But I think Havin Vaughan Bell next to him, no doubt,
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: helped to help to make it that much easier. So
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: Bell for what he did off the field, and Mac
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: for what he did on the field. Oddly enough, I
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: wrote down two guys as well, and Evan McPherson is
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: one of mine. You had the sixty five yard field
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: goal and Welcome Back Saturday, you had the fifty six
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: and fifty eight yarders in the first preseason game. I
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: think it just underscored how valuable he has become this
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: quickly in his NFL career. He had the five walkoff
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: game winners last year, and then if you look back
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: at those playoff games, if he had missed one of
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: those kicks leading up to the Super Bowl, that might
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: have doomed them. But for four against the Raiders, four
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: for four against the Titans, including the fifty two yarder
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: to win the game, four for four against the Chiefs,
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: including a fifty two yard or in the fourth quarter
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: that helped them get to overtime. And then he picked
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: up where he left off in training camp. So I'm
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: with you on Evan McPherson. The other one for me
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: would be Trey Hendrickson. I thought on a daily basis,
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: he was the most dominant player during training camp. He
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: had thirteen and a half sacks a couple of years ago,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: fourteen sacks last year, so he went up by a
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: half a sack. I'm going to predict he goes up
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: by a half a sack again, fourteen and a half
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: sacks is my prediction for this season. And you know,
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: when they practiced against the Rams, we got to see
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: Andrew Wittworth's replacement, Joseph Noteboom, a guy that's kind of
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: been waiting in the wings for the Rams, and they
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: trusted him enough to give him a forty million dollar
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: contract going into this year. They might want their money
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: back after seeing what Trey Hendrickson was doing to him
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: in those two joint practices. So I thought he was great.
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: His contracts certainly looks like a bargain these days, a
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: year two of a four year, sixty million dollars deal.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: People scoffed thought it was a bad deal when the
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: Bengals handed it out, and now it seems like one
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: of the better bargains in the NFL. So each of
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: us choosing Evan McPherson plus a member of the Bengals
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: defense as our training camp MVPs. Let's move to topic
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: number two. What did you consider to be the biggest
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: positives coming out of training camp? Oh? I think the
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: fact that nobody get hurt. I think was a big thing.
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: And I know we'll probably talk about that later. I
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: guess it's a bit of a gamble with not playing
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: anybody during the season. But I think Zach has taken
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: the nod. I think he's taken the key from the quarterback.
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: And a quarterback has played all of Joe Burrow specifically,
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: has played all of three preseason snaps in his career.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: It doesn't seem to have hurt him. So given that,
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: you know the appendi sitis, probably when that happened, they
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: probably said, well, he definitely won't play in the preseason.
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure he was gonna play anyway, you know.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: And so to me, that's the big thing is everybody's pretty.
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: You know, he gets him to the gate, and I
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: think in this league, if you get him to the gate,
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: you get a shot. And then you know, I think
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: the other positive two is and I think we hit
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: on it. I picked Bell, you picked Hendrickson. But the
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: theme's the same. This defense is back. They don't miss anybody.
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: They're a year older there, they've been in a year
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: in the system with lou Anna Rumo. So I think
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: it's and they and they and they look ready to go.
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: I mean, I thought they didn't miss a beat. I
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: thought they looked good against the Rams, although I have
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: to be honest with you, Hordy, I didn't see much
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: of that because I was watching Burrow. I said to
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: Jay Gruden. I said Jake Gruden, the former Bengals offensive
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: coordinator now consultant for the Rams. I said, Jay, I've
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: never been able to figure out how to cover one
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: of these uh joint practices. You know, you can't watch
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: both he goes, he goes. I fire you, I'd go
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: when number nine is so I took. I took that
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: advice and I followed number nine, which was good because
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: I had a bird's eye view for the for the
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: extra curriculus. But defensively, when I whenever I did turn around,
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: you know they looked like they did against the Bengals offense.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: You know they look I just think the defense. I
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: think nobody said anything about the defense. It's all Burrow,
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: it's all Chase, it's all Higgins and Boyd and rightfully so.
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: But two things I can't wait to see her the
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: two best secrets of training camp in my opinion, the
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: defense and Joe Mixon. For the record, Matthew Stafford also
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: wears number nine. Sorry, Are you sure that Jay Gruden
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: wasn't talking about the Rams quarterback since he's now a
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: consultant with the Rams, But no, I'm sure he was
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: referring to Joe Burrow. And I agree with you on
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: the big positive, particularly where the defense has can learned.
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: To me, that was the most impressive thing overall at
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: training camp. It looked like the defense picked up right
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: where it left off, and the defense was the key
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: to the postseason run last year. And I think you've
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: got some guys that are emerging that are going to
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: help make that defense even better. Dax Hill is going
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: to be a nice versatile piece for lou Anna Rumo.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: And I'm really interested to see what a Keem Davis
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: Gaither is going to do this year because while Logan
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: Wilson was not practicing eleven out eleven for two thirds
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: of training camp, Keem Davis Gaither looked really good. So
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: he's going to be used in a lot of situations
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: by lou Anna Rumo. We know he's good in the
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: passing game. I think they might be able to get
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: more use out of him in early down So with
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: those two editions and the guys they've got coming back.
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: I think the defense is something to be very excited
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: about for Bengals fans. Let's move to topic number three,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: and this is the flip side of what we were
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: just talking about. What's your biggest concern into Week one? Oh,
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: I'm the classic front runner here. My biggest concern is
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: they didn't play anybody in the in the preseason, So
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: that's a that's a classic front runner for you. But
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: you know, I guess if that's one thing, you know,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: that maybe what we're you know, how long we'll take
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: him to get into sinking the opener? You know, will
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: you know, will will they come out sluggish? Will they
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: you know, will they not come out of the gate quickly?
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: And will they have to knock off Rustum? And how
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: long we'll take him a knockoff rust? But I think
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: I'd rather be healthy. I think I'd rather be healthy.
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: And if it takes you know, if it takes a
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: quarter and a half, you know, to get into it,
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: then then I think over a seventeen a seventeen game,
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: eighteen wink eighteen wink week Valley Forge swag that the
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: NFL has become, then I think I'll take the first
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: you know, the first you know, two quarters getting into it,
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I think I think that's worth
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: I think that's worth the uh the risk. And I
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: think the way they play the game now, you know,
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: I just think it's I think they I think they
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: got enough work in. You know, the way the game
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: is played now. Uh, they you know, they get about
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: they gotta lock. You know, they get a lot of
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: work in. I think they got in more work against
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: the Rams, which was pretty close to live. It was
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: live for everything but tackling. You know, they got in
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: to play as much work as they would have if
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: they did the preseason before, when they played about fifteen
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: preseason snaps. So you know, maybe that's you know, I
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: think they probably have done just as much work. It's
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: in a different it's in a different fashion. So maybe,
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: like like any fan, I'm worried about nothing. My biggest
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: concern is the offensive line. I think it's going to
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: be better. I liked what they did in the offseason.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: I liked the new pieces on the offensive line, but
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: we still haven't seen it. When they take their first
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: stat snap against the Steelers, it will be their first
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: snap together in a game. I don't know if three
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: weeks basically working together is enough to develop that chemistry
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: and timing and communication that an offensive line needs to
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: be good. Dave Lapham seems to think that's enough time.
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: Frank Pollock seems to think that's enough time. I hope
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: it's enough time, But I guess until I see it,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: I'm going to remain a little bit concerned about it.
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Plus l Collins, you know the amount of time he missed,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: how much rust is there going to be there to
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: begin the season? He looked pretty good in the first
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: joint practice against the Rams. Not so good the next day.
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: Maybe he was just, you know, exhausted because he had
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: not taken part in eleven on eleven football prior to that.
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: Will Cordell Wolson be able to pick up the type
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: of stuff that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to show
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: him in Week one and the Ravens are going to
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: show him when they get to the Baltimore game. So again,
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: I think it should be better. I think it should
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: be at least league average, But until I see it,
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: there's going to be a little bit of concern there
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: for me. The other thing I would say that is
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: shaping up as a current concern would just be cornerback depth.
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: Should it be a Wouge looks great, looks healthy, That's fine.
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: Mike Kilton, same thing, looks great, looks healthy. After that,
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: you've got some question marks. Elie Apple had a good
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: training camp but then had fluid drained from his thigh
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: at the end of camp. We'll see how that looks
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: going into the season. Opener Cam Taylor Britt's going to
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: be out for a while. After you get by the starters.
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: You've got Trey Flowers, who is pretty good in a
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: situational role, but how good would he be as your
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: starting corner if he had to go in there. Jalen
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: Davis has been good in preseason games over the past
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: couple of years, but if you had to rely on
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: him in the slot taking Mike Hilton's place, how good
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: would he be? Alan George good for him, I mean,
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: I think it's great that he's made this team as
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt, But how confident
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: would you be if he had to be in there
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: for meaningful snaps? So I guess those are the two
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: things that stand out to me as the biggest concerns
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: that I have. Will the offensive line be as good
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: as we hoped it would be when they made those additions,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: and uh, well they have enough enough depth at the
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: beginning of the season at the cornerback position. Yeah, I mean,
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: I would just say a court nobody has any depth
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: of cornerback right what you what you just ran through
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: is I would have bet what thirty one other teams
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: are going through right now. Certainly the Rams are ye
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: after looking at what they had after the you know,
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: the the you know, the third and fourth corner. I mean,
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: that's how you make it live in this league. How
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: many times have we had Chase or Boyd or he
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: could scorn a touchdown and you look down at you
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: you look down at your flip card to see who
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: they beat. You never heard of the guy, you know,
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: And that's uh, that's that's that's what happens, you know. So, um,
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: I don't you know, I think, uh, and I think
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: kind of just switched flop them back of the offensive line.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: I understand the concern. But the thing that I think
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: maybe different and you know, yeah, and we won't know.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: We won't know if three weeks is enough. We won't
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: know if LC will hold up these or questions that
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: you know, they can't be answered. But I like the
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: fact that you know, all three guys are veterans and
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: they know how to play. They know how to play
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: the game, you know, And I think, well, that's the
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: one thing I thought Elcu looked. I mean, there was
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: some ugly moments against Floyd, but heat, but but he
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: made you the quarterback didn't get you know, he didn't
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: make you know the quarterback. There were no there were
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: no free runners when they were out there, you know
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: what I mean. He knows how to keep the guy
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: away from the quarterback. I think all those Carass Kappa,
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: you know, they haven't had experience up like that up
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: front in a while. So I'm I'm thinking that's going
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: to be the difference this trip. Which are there any
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: surprises on the fifty three man roster to begin the
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: season or in the position battles now that we're set
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: for the start of the season. Yeah, yet not really.
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: I mean, I mean maybe the numbers wise, I was
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: kind of surprised they went with six receivers and four
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: running backs. You know, I don't know if that's a
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: major Is that a major surprise? You know, that's not major.
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: It's a little tweak. Um you know, Alan George making it. Yeah,
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: that was gonna happen when Eli get thinged and Cam
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: Taylor Brentman down, so that that really wasn't a surprise.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: I think probably maybe shelv in the fourth round or
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: not being able to stick, you know. I think, you know,
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: I think they thought the way he came back, I
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: think they were encouraged that he came back in shape.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: But I think the Risks kind of bothered him, maybe
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: more than we thought. So I think they're hopefully he
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: can you know a little more seizing on the practice squad.
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: But I think other I think other than that, Wardy,
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: I'm I'm not surprised that Hubern Harris made it. I thought,
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: uh that, you know, with those gut with those two guys,
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: it was gonna have to be a knockout. You know,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: it was gonna be a have to be a third round.
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: You knocked them down four times in the third round.
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: Just didn't happen. It was they were raised or you know,
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: they were Clark Harris I thought, can still obviously get
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: down the field. And Huber Huber has you know, he
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: has knocked the ball inside the twenty against the Steelers,
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: So I think that that probably although his ke As
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: I was talking to Darren Simmons about this, he said, now,
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: I remember he said Kevin Huber hadn't done it either
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: when he got the job. But I think Kevin showed enough,
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: and I think Drew show I think Drew Christmas showed
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: enough talent that's worthy enough to develop, and Hubers showed
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: he's got, you know, enough left to bail out this
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: offense if they if they do need bailing out. To me,
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: Alan George from the guys that were in training camp
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: would be the biggest surprise to make the roster, But
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: I guess my biggest surprise overall was that they were
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: able to get three guys that look like they can help,
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: as Waiver claims, and I think that's the big surprise
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: to them as well, since they were thirty first in
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: the order after being the Super Bowl runner up last year.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: I don't think they dreamt it'd be possible to add
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: three guys that they like most, especially Max Sharping, because
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: this is a guy who's been a three year starter
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: in the NFL. Now, admittedly he doesn't have extraordinarily good
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: PF grades, he wouldn't have been available if that had
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: been the case, but I think if nothing else, he's
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: league average. Last year, he was ranked fifty six out
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: of ninety guards that had enough snaps by Pro Football Focus.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: And he's not coming in to start in Cincinnati. So
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: when you can get a guy like that, proven guy
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: that you liked when he was drafted, that has at
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: least been okay in the NFL to add to your
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: depth on the offensive line, I think that's a really
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: good addition right before the start of the season. Yeah,
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: I agree, that's I mean, basically, it was a supplemental draft.
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: I mean they had guys, you know I you know,
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: fairly high draft picks make it through. And I also
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: think I think the guy who's going to end up
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: helping them probably quicker than anybody, is probably the tight
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: end that they picked up from the patrons because they
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: need to help it ight end. Even before Wilcox get hurt,
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: I think that was a position of need that they
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: were focused on that they were going to try and
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: upgrade in the last week or two of the preseason.
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: And I think that that's I think you're right. I
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: think that's surprising that they could get a guy of
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: U And I'm gonna have trouble pronouncing his name, but
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: of getting the tight end from USC, I believe is
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: that No? From Yeah? From USC? Right? Um, yes, right?
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: And uh they you know, the guy's a block and
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: I think that's what they were looking for. I mean,
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: I know there was interesting O. J. Howard, I guess
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: according to some reports, but I think Acasi probably fits
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: them better because I think they're looking for the kind
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: of the blocking and like James Casey said, we got
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: to protect the quarterback. You know, we got to block
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: the defensive end. And here's the other thing they don't use.
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: You know, they don't use three tight ends a lot.
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: They don't use two tight ends a lot. But you know,
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: I think that's so that's why I think this is
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: what they had in mind. And I think he'll be out.
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: He'll probably be I'm I would imagine he'd be active.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: I would think, uh and uh so I think he's
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: a guy that could you know, I'm gonna get to
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: see you to see the first short. Yeah, the situation,
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: we'll see, yuh see how good of a blocker he is.
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: All right, let's touch on a topic that you referred to,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: and that is how Zach Taylor used his starters or
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: didn't use his starters in the preseason games. Was that
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: the right decision. I'm all for it. I'm one hundred
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: percent for it, even if the tack buyers in the opener.
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: I think, what did we do all camp? We spent
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: you know, we spent it looking at pull football talk
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: to see what was the what was the latest biggest injury.
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: You know, even the Steelers, the team they're gonna play,
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: two of their guys getting knocked out. T J. Watt,
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: their best defensive player, the player of the year, the
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: defensive player of the year, he got you know, he
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: he nicked his knee, and uh, you know, I'm not
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: you know, I'm sure he'll be fine. I you know,
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: I hope he's fine. I'm sure he's fine, he'll be
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: for the opener. But I mean, I just not sure
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: you have to do that in this day and age,
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: the way they play the game, you know. So I
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: think it was also, you know, I think I was
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: talking to Dan Pitch about how much work bar got
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: against the Rams. Think, uh, if you throw in the
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: seven on seven stop, you get up to about sixty snaps,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: you know, not granted that wasn't you know, guys weren't
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: hitting him. But you know it was good. You know
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: it was good. Uh it was good. Uh. I hate
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: to say because this is what everybody says, good work,
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: but it was kind of but it was. I think
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: it was good work. I mean considering that what he
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: would have faced in a regular preseason game, you know,
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: with a thread of injury or something happening. So yeah,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: I'm I'm I think, you know, and I think this
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: is the I think this is the way of the future.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: I mean, guys like Sean McVey and Zach, the young
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: head coaches, h they look at it, they see what
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: it is, and uh, I think they've adjusted accordingly. Here's
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: the answer to that question. Should Zach have rested the
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: starters as much as he did? Tyrn Smith Cowboys left
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: tackle out indefinitely. David Bakhtiari Packers at left tackle. He's
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: out for Week one in all likelihood. McKay Beckton, Jets
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: offensive lineman, he's out for the season. You just can't
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: afford in this day and age, to have your best
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: players knocked out in preseason action, So you do whatever
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: you can to try to keep those guys healthy. And
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: like you said, if it means you get off to
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: a bit of a slow start. That's the calculated gamble
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: that you're taking. But I think it's a smart gamble.
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: And I do think along the lines of what you
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: were saying that those two joint practices against the Rams
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: probably gave them more legitimate preseason work than a handful
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: of snaps at the beginning of a preseason game would
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: have given them. So that seems to be the formula
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: going forward. Always try to have a joint practice lined
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: up against the team, make sure your starters get some
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: legitimate work with restrictions that make serious injuries less likely,
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: and that that's the best way to get get your
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: team to Game one healthy. Yeah, the only thing I
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: would do is I would make it. I would make
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: it with two teams and only do it once a day.
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: The second day seems to be a bit of a
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: bit of a problem, So just sign up two teams
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: won the second week in the training camp, and then
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: the next one like they did with the Rams the
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: third week in training camp, and let's go. And I guess,
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: but you know, they still want to sell tickets to
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: the games. So but that's always a good spot, good
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: spot to get your the games is a great way
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: really to to find out what the bottom of the
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: roster is going to look like. Really, I think they
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: the way they planned it was really just about right.
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: And one of those joint practices and preseason games should
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: be against the Colts like it used to be. Yeah,
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: the two teams are so close together. How they've gone
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: a couple of years after the reduction of preseason games
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: from four to three without playing each other is a
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: mystery to me. It makes too much sense not to do. Yeah, yeah,
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: and uh bringing in the team from the West Coast
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: and um, you know, and I don't know, is maybe
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: matching up matching up two teams that just played in
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. That's kind of interesting, but that might
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: you know. Uh, I thought that was really interesting because
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: that's I think there was that was good from the
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: standpoint of I think there was some opening day adrenaline there.
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: They couldn't help me, but just you know, to be
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: something left over from February thirteenth. All right, a few
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: more topics. What do you expect from Jesse Bates to
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: begin the season? Jesse, he's so consistent, you know, he's
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: one of these guys you uh, you know, you you
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: wind them up, your roll them out there, and he's
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: gonna and he's gonna be good, you know. Uh, And
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: I think, uh, I think he'll be better than last year.
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: I think he was pretty open about how he struggles
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: last year trying to come to terms with his contract
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: and playing, and he was pretty open about that. So
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: I think he's got his arms around that now. I
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: think he's in a better place. And so I think
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: I think he's going to be good. I think he's
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: you know, he's a hell of a player. And look
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: what he did in the postseason. You know, he had
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: a great postseason. You know. So if he can come
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: anywhere near that, you know, they'll they'll be fine. Historically
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: he's played nearly every snap. That might go down a
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: little bit, especially early in the season. Maybe they'll give him,
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: you know, the occasional break just because of the amount
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: of time missed, but I expect him to play well.
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: I'm with you, Do you have an under the radar
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: candidate to have a breakout year? Yeah, just probably because
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: I just wrote about him and you know, cam Sample,
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: I think the versatile defensive lineman, I think he's a
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: And I agree with you on on Davis Gaither. I think,
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: I think that's a great guy to watch, and it
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: Cam too. You know, Cam's I think last year he
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: was hurt a little bit. He got hurt late in
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: the year with a hamstring with a hamstring issue that
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: took him out of the last two games. But and
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: I also think he was you know, he also had
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: some other stuff going on with his court. He ended
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: up having having surgery on his core. So you know,
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: they say, you know, he looked really good in camp.
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: I thought he was very active. He gives him a
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: guy that can go inside and outside. He's not you know,
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: you don't want to use him as a three technique
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: a lot, but you can. He's a really good edge
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: put placement, run really well. I thought. I thought that
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: was one of the major reasons last year that they
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: were so good against the run was Cam. I think
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: Cam played about three hundred and ten snaps. He's really
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: good against him run, and he can give you some
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: pressure inside too, really very you know, like Loui and
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: Rumo said the other day, this guy he'll play for
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: ten years just because he knows, just because he'll always
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: be in the right spot, you know. So I think
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: a guy like that, who's serious, committed another year in
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: the system, and he's healthy, and I think, you know,
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: you know, we're looking to kind of lowry open jobie
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: seven sacks. It doesn't come from really the same position,
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: but maybe camp can help you get some of those.
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: I don't know if this guy should count as under
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: the radar because I've been talking about him so much
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: in camp, but hayden Hurst would be my guy. I
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: just think he's poised to surpass the numbers that c
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: j Uzama put up last year. And admittedly those were
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: not Pro Bowl like numbers, but he was pretty productive.
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: But I think hayden Hurst could have sixty plus catches.
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: I think he could have seven hundred plush yards, eight touchdowns,
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: with a bunch of them coming in the red zone.
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: I just think there's going to be so many opportunities
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: for him with all of the attention on the three
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: great wide receivers, and we know that Joe Burrow will
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: find the open man. So if hayden Hurst stays healthy,
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: I think he's got the chance to earn a huge
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: contract at the end of this year, since he signed
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: a one year deal with the Bengals. Let's get to
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: our final topic and that is next Sunday Week one
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers. Do you have an early key to that
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: Week one matchup? Yeah, you can't have mentioned it. I
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: mean it's it's it's always the Bengals offensive line burst
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: and Steelers defensive line. I always thought in this previous
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: era of Dalton and Green, there wasn't a hex against
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: the Steelers. There wasn't a jinx against the Steelers. He
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: had to block Hayward into it. That's that's what that
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: series came down to in that stretch. And I think
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: now with the Steelers in the post been era, trying
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: to find some weapons, got a basically a new offense.
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: You know they're gonna ride that defense. You know they
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: got three They got three good minds over there. Mike
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: Tomlin h he hasn't gone anywhere hell of a coach,
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: but he's also got Brian Flores there a good defensive
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: mind as long. With Terrell Austin, the former Bengals defensive coordinator,
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: he's he's now the Steelers defensive coordinator. So you know,
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: you know they're gonna be good on defense. They got way.
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: So to me, it always comes down to protect and
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: protect and Borrow against I mean against those guys. You
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: can't you can't let the Steelers defense dictate to you.
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: You got to attack them. I thought they did great
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: to let their first game down in Pittsburgh last year.
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, they broke their sack. They broke
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: the Steelers consecutive game for sacks. Borrow didn't gets sacked.
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: And you know need another one like that being great,
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: it's a great be a great way for this offensive
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: line to get off the and I think that's the
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: other thing that's the key. But guys like Carris and Kappa,
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: they can get they can get Volson through a game
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: like that. All those guys have played in Super Bowls,
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: you know, So I think, you know, I think that's
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: a this is trip around. I think it's a pretty
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: good matchup at home. The Steelers have led the NFL
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: and sacks in each of the last five years. That
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: is a record for longest streak by any team in
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: NFL history. So what you're saying makes sense. And yet
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: I am shocked because the Steelers were dead la in
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: the NFL. It's stopping the run last year, which is
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: highly unusual for them. I thought, for sure, I was
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: going to get a Joe Mixon versus that questionable run
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: stopping defense would be the key to the game. Well, yeah,
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: well the Steelers gave up five yards per bolt, which
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: is very very Unsteeler like. But I you know, I
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: don't know, because then that would be the great answer,
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: you know, to you know, for for Volson and that
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: new offensive line. What's the answer, Well, run the ball.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: You know you want to get them. You know you
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: don't want to get them in a past sets right away,
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: you know what I mean, You don't want them, you know,
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: you know they haven't If you want to get into
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: a rhythm in the season, what's the way to do it.
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: I guess it would be to give Mixing a give
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: them thirty touches or something like that. But I still
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: think when push comes to shove, you got to protect
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: the big fellow. It's gonna be a fun week. It's
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: going to be an unbelievable atmosphere on Sunday taking the
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: field as defending AFC champions in a regular season game
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: for the first time. Have never played the Steelers in
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: an opener, which is which is unbelievable, And I think
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: they've played them more than any other team, right think,
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: and yet they've they've never played an open I find
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: that unbelievable. I can't wait to hear Dan Horde welcoming
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: the audience with about five minutes to go before kickoff.
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: That's always a great It's always one. I'm dialing in
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: there and you and Lapp get me jacked up. There'll
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: be I'll be waiting for this one because the first
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: time they take the field since the Super Bowl is
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: AFC champions Here's the heads up that our Bengals weekly
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: on location radio shows get started this week. Dave Lappham
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: and I will be at Bucketheads on Harrison ad for
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: the Bengals Game Plan Show Wednesday night from six to eight.
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: Then on Friday, we'll be at the Buffalo Wings and
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: Rings location in Oakley for the Bengals pep Rally Show
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: from three to six. We hope to see you. That's
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: going to do it for this episode of the Bengals
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: Booth podcast, presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: of the twenty twenty two season. Gets free to play
• 47:10
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• 47:14
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• 47:17
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• 47:20
  Speaker 1: and if you have a minute, give it a rating
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: or share a comment that helps warm Bengals fans find us.
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: Boot Podcast.