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Bengals Booth Podcast: Final Countdown · Bengals Booth Podcast

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: I get everybody on Dan Horde and thanks for downloading
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast. Uh it's the final countdown addition
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: as we look ahead to Sunday season opener against the
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Los Angeles Chargers. By the way, I don't know about you,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: but I can't hear that song or even without thinking
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: of Joe Blooth performing tricks make that illusions unarrested development
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: coming up, my one on one conversation with tight end
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: c j u Zamba, who compares the Bengals to a
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: peewee football team in a good way. Then Dave Lapham
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: joins me to look at three of Sunday's biggest storylines,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: and finally it's our No the Faux segment as we
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: get the scoop on the Chargers from Joe Ready, who
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: covers the team for the Associated Press in Los Angeles.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Sport, the official
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. And here's a quick
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: reminder that you can add the latest edition of this
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: It's the greatest thing since dark chocolate. I stumbled upon
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: a pack of dark chocolate Reese's Peanut buttercups for the
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: first time, and it confirmed by longstanding belief the dark
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: chocolate is vastly superior to milk chocolate. But that's not all.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: According to healthline dot com, dark chocolate is loaded with
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: nutrients that can positively affect your health. Made from the
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: best sources of antioxidants on the planet, and studies show
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: the dark chocolate can lower the risk of heart disease.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: So I think I'll go ahead and eat a case
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: of those dark chocolate Reeses Peanut butter cups, you know,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: for my health. Let's get to football. The Bengals opened
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: the season on Sunday at four oh five against the
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: LA Chargers. Cincinnati's a three point underdog. This week, I
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: had the opportunity to preview the game at a one
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: on one visit with tight end cj Uzama. CJ. Professional
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: athletes always sound optimistic heading into the season, but one
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: specifically gives you confidence that this could be a good year.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: I just think the chemistry that we have, you know,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: I think in the locker room, hanging out with the
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: defensive guys, and you know, this is a team chemistry
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: that I haven't seen in a really long time, you know,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: getting back to maybe Pema years, if we're being completely honest.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: So just just the team chemistry that we have and
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: the will for one another. You know, we're truly playing
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: for the guid next to us, and we're a locker
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: room full of brothers right now. And yeah, we're excited.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: We're excited to get out get out there and not
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: hit each other for the first time and really just
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: show you know, what we're about and what this new
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: year means to us. So the chemistry on this team
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: reminds you peewee football or minds of purie football and
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: just hanging out, messing with one another, like you know,
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: it's it's it's good vibes, you know, it's it's really um,
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: it's it's something that you know, we we come in
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: and we're competing, you know, I'm competing against Bond and um,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: these these you know, secondary people and all this stuff,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: and then we come inside and you know, we're we're brothers.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: You know, we're hanging out, we're talking shop where um,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: it's nice. It is. It is. Uh, it's something I
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: haven't seen in a long time. We're chatting with tight
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: end C. J Uzama. When asked about Joe Burrow recently,
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: you said, quote, he's a beast, He's an absolute animal.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: What has he done to earn your respect before you've
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: ever played a game? I think just the command that
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: he has, you know, I think, um, we're going over situations,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: we're going over plays, and he's stopping the meeting sometimes
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: and saying, hey, and this situation, you know, you can
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: do it like this or in this situation, we can
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: check it to this or you know, we're gonna do this.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: And and I think you know, as a rookie, as
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: a quarterback in journal, you want to see that, you know,
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: you want to see someone who takes control and takes
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: him in of a huddle and things like that. But
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: I think you know him coming in and you know,
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: showing the assertiveness that he has so early on and
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: in such a way that we're like, oh, nice, like
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: we can't do that, all right, nice Like, all right,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: that's a that's a good check that we have. Oh
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: we can run this shout this way against this coverage
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: or against this leverage. I think things like that that
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: really sticks out to you and that resonates in your mind,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: and that kind of gives you He's like, oh nice,
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: he knows what he's gonna do. He's gonna get us
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: in the best possible play and it's up to us
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: to make the plays. CJ and the most significant scrimmage
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: inside of Paul Brown Stadium, Joe's first two passes and
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: three of the first five we're thrown to you. Did
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: you take that as a good sign for how the
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: tight ends will be used this year? Thousand percent. No,
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: that's that's always. It's always. Uh. It means a lot
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: to me in particular, and then to the tight end
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: group knowing that you know, we're we're we're in his mind.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: You know we're we're we're going to be involved in
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: the in the playbook. And um, I think I've mentioned
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: this before. I want the onus on us. I want
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: us to be stressed, whether it's um, you know, a
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: passing play or running play, protection, whatever the cause is.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: I want I want that pressure. So uh yeah, having
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: having those passes thrown early in that scream and I
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: was like, all right, here we go. This is this
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: is Um, something I can look forward to. Hopefully. There
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: were no preseason games this year and limited tackling in practice.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: From your perspective heading into your sixth NFL season, is
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: that a good thing or a bad thing? I think
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: I think the coach has kind of prepared us in
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: a in a in a good way. UM, with you know,
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: having no preseason games. UM, I think it's gonna be
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: more so for me. I'm I'm I mean, like I like,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: like you said, this is my sixty year so I've
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: kind of, um, I'm used to speed of the game
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: and things like that. I think more so for the rookies. UM,
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: I think, you know, defensively, they've been doing some tackling
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: drills and things like that, and UM, we've been doing
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: we've been opening up kind of with like a tackling station,
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: um with most practices. So yeah, I think I think
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: we prepared ourselves, um, and in a really good way.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: I think kind of the coaches, know you know this
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: with with not having as much live contact, with not
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: having these preseason games, that needs to be a mindset
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: in an m O. So, UM, I'm expecting us to
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: come out and not have you know, mistackles and um,
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: you know, hopefully we get some turnovers and things of
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: that nigue as well. In addition to no preseason games,
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: there have been severe limitations and what the media can
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: report on a training camp. And I'm sure you're going
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: to try to surprise the Chargers with something. I would
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: not expect you to divulge any secrets, But is that
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: an intriguing aspect to this opener? That's the biggest thing
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: I think. You know, we talk about um, you know,
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: Darren and special teams. We talked, He asked, you know,
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: what's the biggest takeaway from game one? How are you
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: gonna how are we gonna win Game one? And its
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: adjustments because you're right, we don't know and they don't
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: really know what we're gonna throw at them, what they're
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: gonna throw at us. I think having hard knocks was nice,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: you know, being able to you know, kind of see
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: see their players, see just their mannerisms, how how they
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: go about their gay and things like that. But yeah,
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: it's gonna be, um, you know, it's gonna be one
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: of those things where who can adjust the best against
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: certain things that other team's gonna throw at them. So
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: I'm excited about that aspect. A couple more questions for
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: tight end c j Uzoma. Let's look at that Chargers defense.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: No team in the NFL only rushed for more than
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: the Chargers did last year. That was eighty two percent
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: of the time on passing plays. Because they have great
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: edge rushers and Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. How much
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: of your success will simply depend on blocking those two guys. Yeah,
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: I mean, I think I think that kind of allows
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: their secondary players and their their young linebacking linebacker courts
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: to kind of play a little more freely. You know,
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: you have two guys like that who are um you
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: know who I have a great deal of respect for
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: for how they play the game. Um, you know that
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: that dictates the flow of their defense. And I think
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: that kind of run, their defense of energy runs through
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: those two players. So UM yeah, I think, um, we're
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: gonna have to be on them early and often, and
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: um kind of a certain art dominance, UM kind of
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: unsettled them so that they can't, you know, dictate the
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: pace of the game and we're not you know, going
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: into their counter moves or um playing up to their
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Samon cj I would describe he is a very positive,
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: upbeat guy. How thrilled are you just at the prospect
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: of playing football this year. I'm excited. I'm ecstatic. I
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: can't tell you how how happy I am that um,
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: you know, off off rip, you know, during like where
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: when OT should have happened. I'm sitting here like there
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: you got any Kennedy. Come on now, we have to
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: have football. We have to I have to get out
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: of this house and and and go back up to
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Cincinnati and get ready for the season. So I can't
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: tell you I'll throw it. I am to be back
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: in the locker room, be with my guys. Um he
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: chatted up with TV every day and and and you know,
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: messing with him and Geo and all the guys, you know,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: all the tight ends in the room. It's to me,
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: it's it's this is my family. So I was away
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: from my family for way too long during these during
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: these times. So I'm excited to get back on the
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: field with him and get after it. Appreciate your time.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Best of luck this year, Yes, sir, thank you. It
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: will be interesting to see how often Joe Burrow throws
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: to his tight ends. Last year at the last you
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: Randy Moss's son Thaddius finished with forty seven for five
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: hundred and seventy yards, setting school records for receptions and
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: receiving yards by a tight end. Now time to look
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: at three of Sunday's biggest storylines with my broadcast partner
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: Dave Lapham. The return of aj Green, the debut of
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: Jonah Williams, and obviously the debut of Joe Burrow. I've
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: been trying to think of a debut that compares to this.
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: I mean, the first thing they'll come to mind is
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: a Bengals fan would be Carson Palmer. But for whatever reason,
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: that didn't seem quite this hyped to me. Maybe there's
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: the fact that he sat out his entire rookie year.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: Ken Griffey Junior coming home kind of compares. But that's
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: baseball one hundred and sixty two games instead of sixteen.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: This is something special in this city's history. I think
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: you have to go back to Greg Cook Local. You
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: see product drafted by Paul Brown, big excitement, you know,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: Greg Cook, oh local boy making good Chillcothee Ohio University, Cincinnati,
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, and he had star written
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: all over him. Just you know, like Joe Burrow didn't
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: win a Heisman Trophy or a national championship obviously, like
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: Joe Burrow did, but just a physical specimen and then
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: tragic injury obviously ended his career very prematurely, and the
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: franchise recovered and brought Ken Anderson into the fold. But yeah,
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: I mean, this guy's you talk about buzz it's constant buzz. Well.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: He is coming off what many have called the greatest
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: season by an individual in college football history. He completed
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: seventy six percent of his passes five thousand, six hundred
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: and seventy one yards, sixty touchdown passes, only six interceptions.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: If he used the NFL Quarterback Rating system, his numbers
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: last year compute to one forty three point seven. Nuts
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: and ridiculous. It's nuts, it's nuts. What is it? One
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: fifty seven point ages pun fifty eight points say is
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: a perfect So he was one forty three point seven.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: That's that's that is nuts against that competition level. I mean,
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: you know, we're not talking about little sisters of the
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: poor year. We're talking about the SEC and then we're
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: talking about getting into the National championship tournament, you know,
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: and playing the best teams in the in the country,
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: and he shredded everything. So it's uh, that's the thing
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: is he did it week after week after week. It
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: wasn't any one hit wonder And the consistency of his
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: level of play to raise the bar to where he
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: raised it to and to reach it so many weeks
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: in a row against again, more than formidable competition most
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: weeks is truly remarkable. He had just a spectacular year.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: He's twenty three years old. He has already been named
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: one of the Bengals captains going into the season, chosen
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: by his teammates as one of their captains. That was
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: the first topic of conversation today when Joe Burrow met
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: with Cincinnati area reporters to look ahead to send Day's
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: game against the Chargers. You know, that was one of
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: my goals coming in. I really didn't expect to be
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: a captain. Um, but you know, I'm I couldn't be
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: happier to represent our team in our offense. Um. You know,
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: we have a lot of guys that that could have
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: been up there, but UM, I'm happy that that that
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: my team decided that I should be the one to
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: get that honor. Oh, You're known for the grind and
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: preparing for games. By being your NFL debut, is this
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: unlike anything you prepared for before. I mean, obviously it is,
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: but I try not to, you know. I just just
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: come in and work like I always do. UM lots
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: the film, like I need to prepare, like I need
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: to UM. So I try not to focus on all
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: the pressure stuff. UM. I feel like I'm going to
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: be ready to play. I feel like I'm going to
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: play well. And you know I'm not not ready to
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: play yet. I saw a few more days preparation that
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: that need to come in. But I'm feeling pretty good
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: right now. When you look at the tape of the Chargers,
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: what jumps out at you? Is there anything that they're doing?
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: It's like WHOA just all of a sudden, you know,
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: hit you hit you like a ton of Brooks. Obviously,
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: they have BOTHA and Ingram, two of the best pass
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: rushers in the league. So we're gonna have to um.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to get the ball out of my
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: hands quickly and know what I'm looking at. If I
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: don't know what I'm I'm looking at every snap, it's
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: gonna be a long day. Um, those guys will get
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: get to me quick. And you know, I know the
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: old line will be ready for it, and I don't
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: know I'll be ready for it as well. You and
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Zach Tayler have both said the ultimate goal here is
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: to win a championship. How long have you been a
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: person who's focused on championships? Did that start at LSU
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: in high school? When did that start? That's the goal
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: whenever you're playing anything. I started when I first started
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: competing in sports. M If you're not striving for a
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: championship for perfection, what are you? What are you doing
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: it for? That's you know. I'm not. I'm not out
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: there to win Go five hundred and you know, squeak
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: into the playoffs. I'm here to win games and win championships.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Music to the ears of Bengals fans. Not here to
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: win games, He's here to win championships. Exactly what he
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: did last year at LSU at Athens High School, good
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: enough to have the stadium renamed for him Joe Burrow Stadium.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: He'll have a statue in front of the stadium at LSU.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: After national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy, and now
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: he is trying to turn a franchise around that hasn't
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: been to the playoffs in the last four years, and
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: I think he's I think he's up to the task,
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: I really do. You know. The thing about him, Dan,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: I think is he was raised right. I mean, his
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: parents did a remarkable job, and his dad obviously a
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: very successful football player, football coach, Jim Burrow. You know,
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: he has created almost the perfect combination of player person.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: I mean, this kid understands people. His people skills are
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: off the charts, so that that would stand him instead
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: in any walk of life. And you know, to be
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: elected captain as a as a rookie quarterback is a
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: significant thing. But he's he's experienced beyond his years, There's
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: no two ways about it. But he just has a
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: great feel for how to respect people, treat people. His
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: people skills are off the charts, and I think his
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: teammates are going to do everything they possibly can to
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: support him, and he is going to do the same
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: for them in every way feasible. Joe Burrow is going
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: to have a lot to say about how much improvement
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: the Bengals make, but so is Jonah Williams. The offensive
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: line has really struggled over the last four years, and
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: they are counting on him to solidify left tackle for
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: many years to come. No question, Dan. It was a
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: revolving door personnel wise at the left tackle position, as
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: we know last year, and a couple of guys that
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: filled that spot aren't even in the NFL this year.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: They did what they could. They gave everything they had
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: to coach Jim Turner, but it just wasn't good enough,
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: you know, and they had problems there. And Jonah Williams
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: is a guy they took with the eleventh pick in
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: the draft in twenty nineteen to anchor that position and
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: give continuity and just solidify that spot. And that's what
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: they're hoping that he does. When you're drafted eleventh in
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: the draft, you're drafted to shut down guys one on
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: one pass rush guys. Well, he's going to be facing
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: two great ones in his first you know, one hundred
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: hours of his professional career, Joey Bosa and Miles Garrett.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: Joey Bosa, like Joe Burrow was saying earlier today in
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: his media press conference, he knows what Joey Bosa is
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: all about. In terms of a technician. It's going to
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: be technique against technique, technician against technician. Joey Bosa has
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: tremendous hands. He can get people's hands off of him.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: Offensive lineman has to have good hands, a good hand
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: placement to try to jam and keep his shoulders back
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: and his shoulders and chest away from the defensive lineman.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Joey Bosa does a good job of rushing with tremendous
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: strength and the body lean and using his hands to
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: break down the offense of lineman's hands and get to
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: the shoulder pads in the chest of the offensive lineman.
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: So it's going to be literally hand to hand combat
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: out there at that you know, left tackle right defensive
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: end position. And I do not believe that Jonah Williams
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: is going to be out there one on one all
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: day long. I think they'll slide the line his way.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Some I think they'll have a tight end over there.
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: Some they're gonna chip with the running back. Some but
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: they're gonna be snaps where Jonah Williams and Joey Bosa,
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: the Jay Boys are going to be going one on one,
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: head to head. And really the biggest thing Dan is
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: defensive players have to earn the opportunity to pass rush.
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: They have to get the offense in third and seven
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: or more. The offense has to make sure the defense
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: doesn't earn those opportunities. So the best thing to do
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: is to be balanced and have a running game where
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: you're gonna run at Joey Bosa, some anchor him some
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: you know, and make it where he's just not teeing
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: off If he's teeing off on Jonah Williams on every
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: third down. If every third down is third and long,
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: oh could be a long afternoon. If every third if
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: most of the third downs are third and short to medium,
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: we've got a shot. And that's what it's going to
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: be all about. It's going to be can they can
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: they run the football? A running game helps the offense,
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: it helps the defense, keeps them off the field, a huge,
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: huge ripple effect there. Jonah Williams and his fellow offensive
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: linemen are well aware of the fact that the world
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: doesn't think that highly of the Bengals offensive line, to
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: put it nicely, and Jonah also knows that the old
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: linemen have the opportunity to try to start changing their
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: reputation this week. It's definitely something that motivates us. But
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: I think, as I've said before, it's not so much about,
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: you know, trying to prove everyone wrong. It's just trying to,
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: you know, give Joe confidence and help this offense execute
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: and with that will gain respect as a unit um
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: And I think that you know, that's that's a mindset
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: that everyone has, is we're excited about this offensecute and
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: me us five to our job and trust that you know,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: the six will do theirs. If the offensive line can
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: just be solid, they don't have to be the best
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: offensive line in the NFL. They just can't be among
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: the worst. Absolutely, if they can climb to average. If
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: they can be an average offensive line, watch out because
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: they do have weapons. And if Joe Burrow in twenty
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: eighteen didn't have the year he had in twenty nineteen.
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: And one of the biggest differences they put five out
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: in routes. They had five offensive lineman and Joe Burrow.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: If they rush five, they had five to pick it up.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: If it was the six guy coming, Joe Burrow knew
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: he had to get the ball out of his hand
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: before the guy got there, or make the guy miss
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: and create an extend to play So if the Bengals
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: offensive line can do that, if they at times can
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: put five out in routes and let Joe do his
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: thing where he so quickly quickly diagnoses defenses. He's a
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: problem solver, an excellent problem solver, and knows where to
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: go with the football right away if he can get
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: the football out of his hand pronto, which he's great at,
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: and they can, you know, not have to have tight
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: ends and running backs and all that help and upfront
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: and the offensive line. It's it's it's going to be
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: a dynamic offense, there's no question. But in order to
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: do that, you're gonna have to be in favorable situations.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: Again with you have to have some sort of a
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: running game. You can't be one dimensional and put five
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: out every single pass play in the National Football League,
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: defensive coordinators will be drooling. Aj Green is expected to
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: be in the starting lineup for the Bengals on Sunday.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: The question is can he stay on the field this year.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: There's a website lap called Sports Injury Predictor dot com.
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: I have no idea what their track record is, how
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: legitimate it is, if there are doctors involved or whatever,
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: but the website Sports Injury Predictor dot com says there's
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: a ninety three percent chance that AJ Green will get
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: injured at some point this year, and they project him
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: to miss five games. He missed every game last year.
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: He's missed twenty nine over the last four aj has
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: done everything humanly possible to put his body in position
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: to try to answer the bell for all sixteen this year.
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: He certainly has dan. I mean, he had a remarkable
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: offseason of conditioning and I've said it a few times.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: He came back and looked looking like an Olympic caliber athlete.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: He looked like he was going to be part of
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: the Olympic sprint team. Phenomenal, and his route running is extraordinary.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Joe Burrow made mention of it earlier today during the
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: course of the press conference that AJ Green is such
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: an explosive route runner. He's such a precise route runner.
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: He knows exactly, you know where he's supposed to be
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: when he's supposed to be there, and I mean, he
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: just makes such a huge difference. There's there's just no
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: two ways about it. He's upper crusted in the National
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: Football League and you have to you can't leave Aj
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: Green one on one. If you do, you're asking for
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: You're cruising for a bruising. There's no doubt about it.
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: So if if aj Green can stay healthy for sixteen
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: games like he did for a bunch of seasons early
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: in his career, I mean he was he was about
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: you know, you just check him off every single week.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: AJ Green's going to be in the starting lineup and
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: then he's had a spell here of some bad luck
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: and hopefully the football gods reverse it and let him
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: go back to earlier in his career. If he's able
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: to play sixteen games, he's going to put up significant numbers.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: He's gonna make Joe Burrow's life a lot easier, Joe
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: Mixon is gonna like his life better. Tyler Boyd. It
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: has a trickle effect, a ripple effect, and AJ Green
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: is extremely important. You know three and twenty one in
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: the last twenty four games that AJ Green missed. That
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: tells you something. In his career, when he's played, the
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: Bengals are sixty six forty four and one. That means
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: they've won sixty percent of the time when he's played.
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: When he hasn't played a single snap, seven wins, twenty
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: five losses, one tie they've on twenty two percent of
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: the time when he hasn't played now at all. He
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: hasn't practiced that much after tweaking his hamstring early in
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: training camp this year, so head coach Zach Taylor was asked,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: how carefully do you have to watch his snaps this
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: Sunday against the Chargers. We're fortunate right now we have
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: you guys. We're deep at receiver, and we feel like
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: there's a lot of guys that can step in there
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: and be a primary receiver. And obviously AJ Green's Aj Green.
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: There's no replacing him. But our guys have had a
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: strong training camp and and Bob mcnell and Troy Walters
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: have done a great job preparing those guys to where, um,
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: you know guys can step up. And it's really a
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: time where you call a play and you don't necessarily
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: have to look to see who's out there to make
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: sure what player you're calling. It's you're fully confidence that
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: all those guys can execute their jobs. You've waited a
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: very long time to coach Aj in a game. Have
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: you thought about what that feeling is going to be
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: like on Sunday? And how excited are you to have
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: him as an asset. He's a tremendous weapon and you know,
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: he really attacks, you know, to attack defenses, and he's
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: somebody they got to be concerned about. And not only that,
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: but is he a great weapon, but he takes the
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: pressure off all the other receivers, you know, to go
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: and just make plays as they come to him. And
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: so he's just a tremendous weapon. Half, it is a
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: deep group at the wide receiver position. However, AJ Green
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: is not the only guy who's had injury issues during
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: training camp. That's also been the case for John Ross
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: and t Higgins. It has I mean they haven't been
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: in the huddle together at all, you know, so you know,
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: it is a little bit of a concern. Obviously, when healthy,
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: that's the strongest position group in the offensive side of
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the football. I think the defensive line is arguably and
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: probably unquestioned the strength of the defense in terms of
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: position groups. So yeah, I mean, this this core, if
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: if healthy, if intact, can put up some significant numbers.
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: There's no two ways about it. But with a rookie quarterback,
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: to to make him have to throw, if he has
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: to throw the football, if Joe Burrows throwing the football
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: to these guys because he wants to. It's gonna put
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: up big numbers if he's thrown to him because he
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: has to. It's gonna be a little bit different spin.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: And that's uh, that's up to each and every one
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: of the receivers, uh, the offensive line, the running backs,
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: everybody to execute the run game the pass game. They've
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: got plenty of weapons, but they have to be you
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: have to do both. Dan at some point during the
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: season and a football game you have you're gonna have
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: to run the football well against tough odds. I mean,
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: it's like this is this is an incredible situation, but
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: you've got to go run the football now. And the
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: same thing throwing the football. You're gonna have tough situation
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: where you're you're you're gonna have to throw the football
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: to come back and and you know, get back into
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: a football game. So those are the that's when the
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: rubber meets the road. That's when it separates the men
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: from the boys. Can you run the football when you
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: have to? Can you throw the football when you have to?
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: When you're doing both when you want to Easy Street
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: JJ told reporters on Thursday that his hamstring is one
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: hundred percent and that he has been practicing full speed
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: this week. Geno Atkins, on the other hand, has not
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: been practicing due to a shoulder injury, and his status
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: for Sunday's opener appears to be up in the air
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: now time for this week's no the Faux Segment. Joe
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Ready used to cover the Bengals for the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: Now he covers the Chargers for the Associated Press. In
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: Los Angeles, Joe joined Dave Lappam and me on the
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: Bengals Game Plan Show and we started our conversation by
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: discussing the Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn. Acquitted himself quite
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: well on Hard Knocks. What kind of a guy is
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: Anthony Lynn? Good guy, very very blunt at times, but
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: he gets it across in a way that is not
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: it all feel bad after after he does it. I
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: think he has many similarities to Marvin in terms of that.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: Anthony's one liners with the media, I will say, are
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: better than Marvin. He's a little more joking with the media,
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: which I think is good at times. But I think
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: much as Hard Knocks and two thus nine did a
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: good job of acquitting Marvin to a national audience. I
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: think that, you know, especially with everything that was going
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: on in society and everything, Anthony came out very well
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: on this edition of Hard Knocks. Yeah, I thought he
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: was the star of the show this time around. Or
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: talking to Joe Ready, Joe, the Chargers were five and
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: eleven last year, after going twelve and four and winning
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: a playoff game the year before. Do you think this
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: year's team is closer to twelve wins or five wins?
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: I think closer to twelve wins, Dan. I think when
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: you look at last year, nine of the eleven losses
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: were by eight points or fewer. And there there are
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: a few factors that I that I will put on
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: that their third down defense teams were converting at a
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: fifty to fifty five percent clip, and if you can't
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: get off the field on third down, it's going to
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: be a very long day for you. And also eight
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: red zone turnovers that led the league as well, and
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: they didn't generate a enough. They gave it away more
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: than a few times with fumbles and Philip rivers in
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: late game situations, but they didn't take it away enough either.
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: I think that it might be closer than the two
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: thousand and eighteen team in terms of changes with the
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: offense and a quarterback that'll be a lot better. And
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: I think this defense is a lot better at linebacker
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: in the secondary than last year. Boy eight red zone turnovers.
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: I know Rivers had eighteen in receptions and man, but
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: you're right the takeaways there. There were ten interceptions and
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: three funebre recovers. Thirteen takeaways in a sixteen game season
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: for a defense that statistically tied for six in the NFL,
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: fifth in the league defending the pass. But they just
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: couldn't take the football away with those pass rushers, two
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: Pro Bowl pass rushers, two Pro Bowl cornerbacks. Well, I
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: guess they just signed one of them, but it just
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: didn't compute. You know, Derwin James was there the whole season.
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: Not going to have him this year, but they had
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: plenty of players, didn't they. Well, Derwin missed. Derwin missed
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: ten games last right due to the broken foot. Right.
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: I think that was a big loss for him. But
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: I think they really were thin a linebacker the last
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: couple of years, and they've really phoned up in terms
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: of that area. This year. They drafted Kenneth Murray that
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: traded up with New England to get him in the
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: first round. Former Bengal Nick Vigil is here, who has
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: versatility at all three spots his life. What he what
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: he's done, I think the secondary with that and Chris Harris,
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: he's gone back to covering the slot and playing his
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: natural position, which will be good. Casey Hayward has always
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: been aggressive, and then you know you had that defensive
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: line which is already good, but it has gotten a
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: lot better with Lynvaal Joseph in the middle, which he
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: held everything from a mack truck to a rolling coke
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: machine by a couple players there during training camp. So
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: he'll he'll plug up the middle on the run and
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: also give them some pressure on the pass rush up
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: the middle, which they really haven't had. We're talking to
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: our buddy Joe Ready, who covers the chargers for the
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Associated Press in LA. It is going to be strange,
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: Joe to see the charger Chargers trot out there with
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: somebody other than Philip Rivers as the starting quarterback. He'll
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: be the first time in fifteen years. We're all familiar
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: with Tyrod Taylor who takes over. How much different is
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: this offense going to be well. I think on third
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: and less than a yard bill run quarterback sneaks for
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: the first time since at least two thousand and six,
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: and that you know Philip Philip, for as good of
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: a quarterback he was, was a statue back. There your
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: traditional pocket passer, not a lot on scrambling. I think
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: you're going to see a lot more RPOs. The Tyrodold
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: throw a lot more on the scramble. I think without
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: having Melvin Gordon here, with Austin Ekeler with what he
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: can do and running back running back in terms of
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: all purpose yards and touches, I think it's a I
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: think it's a lot more dynamic offense. But I think
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: much as you look at with the Bengals too, there's
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: questions with the offensive line, especially this Chargers offensive line.
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Mike Poundcy is questionable this week. He played in only
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: five games last year due to a neck injury. Sam
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: Tevy is moving to left tackle, and he traditionally, especially
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: in pass coverage, has rated not well among offensive tackles.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: And if you're bad at pass protection and right at
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: right tackle, I don't know how you're going to do
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: a left tackle. They the right side has gotten better
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: with Brian Bulaga and Trey Turner, but that left side
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: still concerns me a lot. Yeah, that's an interesting dynamic
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: when you look at Tyrod Taylor, Like you mentioned, RPO
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: zone reads those kind of things. Anthony Lynn was a
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: backup running back of the Denver Broncos when Trell Davis
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: was there. Mike Shanahan, he knows about the running game.
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: They Tyrod Taylor and Anthony Lynne were both with the
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: Buffalo Bills when the Buffalo Bills led the NFL in
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: rushing in twenty sixteen. To me, it stands to reason
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: Anthony Lynn is going to want to pound Eckler and
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: uh and Tyrod Taylor I think is going to be
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: a factor on the ground. It wouldn't surprise me if
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: Eckler's numbers he haf fifteen hundred all purpose numbers last year,
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: he's only seven yards short of a thousand receiving and
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: rush for like five fifty. I wouldn't be surprised to
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: the numbers reverse, what do you think? I think? I
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: don't know if he'll get too close to a thousand
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: yards running lab um. They do have, they do have depth.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: They're running back and I don't see Eckler as a
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: you know, twenty to twenty two carry carry guy game.
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: Justin Jackson Dave they've really been impressed with, but he's
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: been injury prone. And uh, Josh Kelly, the fourth round
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: pick out of Ucla they really liked too, in terms
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: of a Melvin Gordon type back. Um. I know Dan
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: has seen seen Ucla against you see the past couple
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: of years, but ironic thing is Josh Kelly was injured
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: in both of those games. So really UC fans have
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: no knowledge, have no knowledge of them. I think the
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: one area that's inferred with Josh Kelly too is he's
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: catching a ball out of the backfield, something that we
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: haven't seen that I didn't see him do in Ucla.
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: So I think, well, they carry the ball more than
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: twenty times a game, yes, but I think it'll be
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: almost a running back by committee set. Okay, yeah, you
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: see didn't have to deal with Joshua Kelly when he
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: was at UCLA, but USC did and he ran for
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: two hundred and eighty nine yards in one game. A
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: couple more questions for our pala Joe Ready, who covers
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: the Chargers for the Associated Press, the Rams and Chargers
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: Joe move into this five billion dollar palace So five
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: Stadium this year. It's an obnoxious display of wealth. It's spectacular.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: Here's my question for you, though, what's the interest level
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: in LA in the Chargers these days? I think it's
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: I think it's growing. I think hard knocks definitely helps.
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: But I also think that Dave having guys that Philip
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: wasn't much of a promoter of the franchise in LA.
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: He was, he still lived in San Diego and everything.
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: But I think with a young roster, with a Joey
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: Bosa who's coming out of his shell a lot more,
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: Derwin James was, you know, face of the franchise, and
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: I think despite injuries, they'll still let him around. Tyrod Taylor,
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: you know, as far as a quarterback, what you want
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: them to promote and everything. Austin Ekeler, there's definitely the
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: sense of promotion. And I think that you know, this franchise,
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: let's face it has been waiting for twenty to twenty
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: five years to move into a new facility that they
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: couldn't get in San Diego, and they were finally able
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: to team up, you know, with the Rams here, I
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: think there's a. I think there's a lot of excitement.
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: It's certainly the fans in San Diego still follow them,
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: and I think everybody's excited for a new football facility
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: in LA whenever they get the chance to come in.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: And I was in their last Friday for the media tour,
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: and it really is a spectacular facility. Almost reminds me
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: a little bit of the Meadowlands inside in terms of
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: the dynamic that way, but with the video board and
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: you know, all the other amenities, I think it really
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: changes the face of stadiums throughout the league. Joe, when
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: you talk about the charges receivers, and I'm putting Neckler
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: in that category, ninety two catches, nine and ninety three yards,
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: eight touchdown catches, pretty spectacular. Mike Williams led the NFL
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: averaging twenty point four yards reception. He had over a
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: thousand yards receiving. But the one that a lot of
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: players in the Bengals talk about is tremendous respect for
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: Keenan Allen. You know, one hundred and four catches, eleven
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: ninety nine yards last year, three street one thousand plus
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: yard seasons with six touchdown catches in three straight years.
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: Very consistent. They say that this guy, he makes plays
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: no matter what the circumstances. What the situations. Give us
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: your appraisal of Keenan Allen gave to me He's always
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: been an underrated receiver, and I think among fans and
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: maybe broadcasters, but I think players consider him a top five,
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: top six receiver. On Saturday, sign an eighty point one
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: million dollar contract and make some second in terms of
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: average pay among receivers. So he isn't a top five list,
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: you know, maybe the top five list. You really fun
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: to be in. Very good route runner, very good possession receiver,
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: very good on rats and everything. We'll get the tough balls,
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: we'll win the matchups. Will you know will Burn will
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: Burn cornerbacks since acs Ill said to the receiver to
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: watch out for in this game, to us Hunter Henry
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: is he has excelled against the AFC North in the past.
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: And you know he's got a lot to prove in
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: a contract here too. And for the first time in
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: three years, he is finally healthy. Knock on wood. Hi,
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: thanks the cj Uzama and Joe Ready, and that's going
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: podcast brought to you by Prime Sport, the official hospitality
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. If you haven't done so already,
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: please subscribe and if you have a minute, give it
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast