10-27-25 Bengals Line with Lance McAlister and Dave Lapham

This is Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network. Pay Corps. Pay Corp is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. Kettering Health best Care for the best Fans. Kettering Health, official healthcare provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. This is seven hundred WLW, the home of the best Bengals coverage.

All right, let's get it going on this Monday night. If it's Monday, it's Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW, And that means three hours of Bengals conversation about to unfold. Unfortunately unfolding a difficult

Yeah, there's no question. I mean, it was a missed opportunity. There no doubt about that. They it was all right there, all right in front of them, and they got some help. And you know, you can't you can't ever count on that in the National Football League. You can't kind of oh yeah, they'll beat them, they'll beat them. We'll be good here. You know, you have to take care of

Well.

It's mind boggling really that both teams have very similar scenarios as to why they're where they are. I mean, the Jets now with the victory or one and seven, the Bengals fall to three and five.

Boy, and we had talked last week sitting these very seats the start of this one. If you get off to a good start, ye hit the hit the Jets with a punch, knock them into the ropes and give them no reason to get to get up at h to seven, maybe looking for reasons to to, you know,

I mean the Jets. You could just see the Jets confidence as a football team swell, you know, yes, I mean it just continued to grow even when they were they were you know they were they got spanked early on, like you said, they were down three scores, you know, for a good part of the football game. Uh, and then the Bengals just could couldn't close it out. I mean they could never just get over the hump and say, all right, here's the final drive, here's the nail in the coffin.

Man.

Once, once we.

Finish this drive and put this this ball in the end zone and score seven points, you know you're done. There's not another life. But the New York Jets found another life and they came back. And I think that's the thing too. Uh. Losing the football game is one thing, but how you lose the football game sometimes is quite another. You know, and and and and everybody in that locker room. We were talking earlier before we came on the air in the studio here we have at Pecore.

How somber the locker room was, How quiet the locker room was.

I thought I was walking into a wake, you know, I thought, Man, well, I hope it's not awake. I hope it's not the funeral of the Cincinnati Bengals twenty twenty five season. I hope they're not burying that bad boy, because you know, they still, even even as dire as it looks, as dark as it looks right now, they have a shot because, like you said, Lance, what's going on with the rest of the division. Yep, nobody wants to take control of the AFC North. Everybody's like, and

Check back with me.

Yeah, check check back to me in a couple of weeks. We'll see how this all shakes down. It is crazy.

Here is a reaction from the coach, Zach Taylor after the game.

Yeah, not acceptable, humbling for us. Certainly never got a chance to really break that game open, like we felt like we were capable of, you know, two opportunities there at the end of the game to close it out on offense and defensively to get guys on the ground and tackling wasn't good enough. So we're not gonna look at anything and say anything was good enough after that loss and uh humbling, and and we're gonna have to really dig deep to bounce back next week.

I don't know.

I mean, I I wish I had that reason for you. You know, it's just someone's gotta stet them to make a play. Someone's got to make a play either way, just to separate that game for us, create turnover, get it guy on the ground, a third down win, offensively explosive play in the game. It's never happened for us.

When the defense started to face adversity, you feel like it's snowballed on that group.

Yeah, we just need somebody to rise up and make a play. Someone just just hold the ford down, you know. And and I didn't see enough of that today.

You feel like you've got to kind of improve being tangibles there and in your first situations like that.

I think someone needs to step up and lead the group. That's what I'm waiting to see someone step up and leave the group and and take some accountability over there and get this thing on the right way. What was your message that you already had that from the rush. Defense wise, why do you think they were able to get They got a lot of momentum. I mean, it's uh, they were a dangerous team that way. That was certainly a strength of theirs, you know, with their offensive line,

Both captain gave capitalize and also in draft picks on the defensive line, how disappointing of the pass rush?

Yeah, we need we need somebody to step up and win some one on ones.

Is it trouble that this the run defense that rolled back to the preseason.

Like that's something we certainly got to improve on.

It looks like t was physically upset coming off the game through his helmet and pointing back himself. What was supposed to happen on last throw?

Was supposed to go to here?

Yeah he was, Yeah, he was an option there. I don't know what I mean, it was probably just frustrated last was there a thought of maybe given whatever it was, it was a very def decision right there, you know, and very tough, and Joe was ready to go. I don't think anything Joe did on that last couple of plays was anything that led us to not being able to win. I thought he he was fine. He threw away, we were expecting coverage, didn't get it, threw one away

Like Zach, who are some guys you see on the defense or at least?

Yeah, we just need guys to step up, you know, We just need some guys to step up. I'm not gonna sit here name names. We just need guys to step up.

Thy fours act, did you feel like maybe that's subconsciously was playing pre bad everything in front of us and don't allow big plays.

Let you guys going back to Cam in.

The starting laneup. I just gotta guys got to continue to rise up for us, you know, And so again, just just continue to find the best combination of guys got over there. Well, I'm not into ranking losses. I'm into being frustrated that we lost this game, you know, and it's uh, it was right there for us to grab and crease a momentum for ourselves and and we

You got a little moment.

We got some momentum the first down play I I I got to jog my member. In the second down play second down, we'd had some success running in that situation. Obviously, it's it's not good when you when they're up in there and they jam it up on end and then the third down didn't work. You know, we just we didn't get to go on it.

Things.

What you'll want accomplish the season now, how much, well.

It's it's still on the table. It's still a long season. You know, this is gonna be a difficult season for a lot of teams, and so you just got to be in the thick of it and give yourself an opportunity. This is one that we had right in our grasp,

This, Zach Taylor. After the game, we'll take a first time out and continue. We'll hear from Joe Flacco as we are up and running on a Monday night of Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We're back on Bengals Line of this Monday night of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Thanks for joining us and hanging out talking a little Bengals football. Lance McAllister Dave Lapham.

Yes, Sir, Lance shop the Bengals Pro Shop. I'm the best selection of Bengals merchandise anywhere. Visit the Pro Shop seven days a week, located on the north side of pay Court Stadium, or shop online at Bengals dot com.

Joe Flacco twenty one of thirty four, two hundred and twenty three yards, passing two touchdowns, no picks, quarterback rating of one hundred point five. Here's Joe after the game.

Joe, just walk us through what happened then of the fourth quarters back locker.

Yeah, just you know, had some had some ton happened a little bit. Wasn't feeling probably one hundred percent, so just trying to make sure I.

Was right good. Yeah, it felt good coming up.

What did you get hurt on the sack?

Was?

Yeah, it just kind of landed a little bit awkward, feel good right now?

What kind of changed their quarter a pretty well, all of a sudden they got those.

Stops quite like well, I mean we still kind of went down and got the touchdown in the fourth quarter, but you know, they had two stops come up late.

You know, you put yourself in third and lungs and.

You know, one or two plays don't kind of hit like they did early, and you don't convert a third down, and that's how it goes. I think the drives that we were scoring well on, you know, there was there was some conversions big time that we had. But you know, the drive that we did score in the fourth in the fourth quarter, we were krying of just rolling through

Much of that.

There was a couple of times during the game that you guys should have closed it out.

What do you think we're spend you guys from doing that. Well, you guys watched it.

I mean, listen, you know this this league is most of the time, it's going to come down to those last you know, that last minute or two and uh, you know, obviously we had a drive before that two minute where if we go put points on the board, then it's a different game, and we just weren't able to do it.

Do you think us through the final three plays or so, you guys pick up a first down, it feels like you're going to move from I think it's close to midfield, and things kind of stall.

Out of it.

Sometimes it's part of the game.

You know, you don't make you don't make the playdown stretch that that gets you over the hump and puts you in field goal range.

Were the years well, actual, I'm just pretty one here. Was there a conversation with you.

Exact on a game like ar What was that like when you're aging whether you want to be able to go back in or not?

What was that problem?

Like?

It was so quick, I mean, it was just kind of like.

There was not much conversating, you know, it was like it just all happened so quick, and next thing you know, we're out there and we're going.

So you would I mean, let's say let's say they got the stop when you come back out. What happened there?

Again, I wasn't really thinking about that.

I was just thinking about getting back out there. Yeah, yeah, I don't think so, We'll have to wait and see.

You know what we what we talk about in the Game of all time?

What makes young guys kind of turn into leaders in the locker room over the course of time, Like what enables guys to go in and kind of take those roles the longer they're in the locker room.

Well, I think the biggest thing is proving it day in and day out that you're the type of guy that's going to show up and work hard and give it your all and give it one.

Hundred percent every day.

I think, you know, I think those things kind of start with just your actions. You know, how you show up, You show up with intention every day, and I think the more you can do that, then it just slowly happens.

Is that something you.

Think guys old time or is that something that you kind.

Of Guys can definitely learn from looking at other guys and seeing how they show up and when they show up and you know, kind of the process they go through. I think you can definitely learn how to you know, how to become somebody that comes in and works with intention and has you know, and and has detailed what they do and has passion for what they do. And I think I think you can definitely feed off of that and learn yourself and then become the guy that you know that other guys are looking to.

Zach said the message to the team after the game, someone needs to step up. In an NFL lock room of adult man, how is that typically received when a coach is saying someone needs to step up?

Oh yeah, I mean we're all men. Is coaches included and prideful?

But at the same time, like I think, what makes you know.

A good football player, a tough grown man is the ability to look inward and you know, maybe acknowledge some of the things that he can get better at. So I think that's where it starts in a good locker room, is when you get that message from your coach, you take it to heart because your pride, you have pride in what you do, and you look at yourself and how you can improve and how you can how you can take that next step and help everybody around you do the same thing.

What enable you to really find that success that hadn't been there.

Yeah, I think listen, I think the fact that we were able to start well in the passing game and then they got to worry about that, it.

Opens up a little bit inside. And then you got to give.

Credit to the offensive line and the running backs just for kind of doing their thing.

That last year.

I guess jam was saying the last couple of plays, they were just they were just double on right.

Yeah.

Yeah, Yeah, we were trying to get a double move on them one time, you know, just because sometimes when they when they come and double you, you know, they they got one guy outside, one guy comes inside, he gets a little low and maybe you can kind of get over the top.

But you know, I think we expect that a little bit. You know that they're going to have to do something like that.

There was a few third downs throughout the course of the game where they made sure they doubled him, and you know, that's a credit to them.

But at the same.

Time, like we know those things are going to happen with those guys, and you got to find ways to overcome it a little bit, and for most of the day we did. It's just you know, in crunch time, we weren't able to make it happen.

Joe Flacco after the game a day another zero turnover day. He continues to protect the football and make plays.

I think that's the biggest thing that he's done. Lance is taking care of the football. He seems to be allergic to turnovers. You know, he just doesn't want any part of them. Doesn't even want to talk about you know. It's like, well, if I talk, you know, I might jinx myself here. But but he he has he himself has given the Bengals a chance to win. And what more can you ask from your quarterback? You know, I mean it's been it's been still, you know, less than

Stell ahead, Let's flip to the defense. Brace yourself. We'll hear from Geno Stone and more as we continue Bengals Ont of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW continue on talking Bengals, breaking down yesterday's game against the Jets, and eventually looking ahead to the Chicago Bears. We do it on the show we call Bengals Line of the

Be throughout the course of the year.

I don't know, I mean, I don't know.

I just I didn't really care about grabbing the liner on this right now. I think the biggest thing is we've got to get be better on defense. I feel like everyone got to step up. Our leaders gotta lead I mean, I gotta lead more in our group, so I can put that on myself, and uh, you know all the other position groups have put it on themselves to our leaders. But end of the day, we all gotta come together and we got we gotta want it.

You can't.

You can't go out there and one person be an individual to do a job right and the other ten eight. So we all got to do our jobs right together and then that's that's what all comes down to.

You guys.

You guys have a lot of young guys.

You believe in the young guys, but as it presented some challenges, just how young this defense is right now?

Me?

Yeah, a little bit.

By the end of the day, Like I mean, I think Alice put us in gracesituations where it's not too complicated. You know at then day, like you gotta just do your job whatever your job. Isn't that certain players do your job? And you know, I think we're having a little hiccups here and there, but you know, at then the day, there's ten other people in the field. So one person mess up, you should able to make them right.

No concerning is it that Zach just told us, like somebody's got to step up on defense, like that was the biggest thing. When your head coach is saying that, like, you know, eight weeks into the year, how concerning is it that, y'all he doesn't feel like somebody stepped up in that way.

No, we definitely do. I mean someone got to step up. I mean, I mean I can speak from my group as much as I can. I mean, I gotta be a guy steps up. I'm the oldest guy in the room, so I'll take it on that rule. I make sure we're wrong right in the back end. But you know, at the end of the day, as a whole defense that everyone got to step up and play better. You can't just think about one person because you know, we're on the field together.

So it is what it is.

We've got to be better next week.

Did it feel like there were a bunch of situations in the game where if you just got one stop here or there, it was gonna be over.

Yeah, definitely.

I mean it's really like the last two three drops, I mean that's all we needed to stop. So that's really all it was, even even the two points of versions, but we just need to stop. So, uh, you know, at the end of the day. I mean the office at their job today. We can't say nothing about that. I mean they put up almost forty points just so the you know us as ah, there's a defense, we definitely gotta step up, do better.

That's all it is.

Is it frustrating that it's the same thing we've been talking about last year too, where you know the defense got of struggle.

How frustrating is it's few years in.

A row now and just haven't been able to get that done.

No, I mean it's definitely frustrated. I mean, like I said, if someone got we all got to step up. It's not one person, it's not two people. Whoever it is, everyone gotta step up. Whoevers on the field gotta step up. I put myself in there included. So you know, at the end of the day, we just gotta stopped the run, uh, get the ball back to the offense, and then we all got to do our job. Whoever your job is on that certain play, whatever the call is is do your job.

What were they doing on offense?

I mean nothing, nothing so tough. I mean we, like I said, we've got to do our job. Leverage and attack. That's all it really comes down to you know, that's that's that's the main thing.

I know everyone loss is frustrating.

Is this one even more frustrating given where you guys wereriving? What court?

Yeah?

I mean, I I mean I feel like we had the game under control of the whole time in the fourth quarter, I feel like it just kind of, you know, slipped away they I mean, momentiums are you know, a big thing in this game, and that they had overle momentum the whole fourth quarter.

And that's one thing we have to do is try to change it.

And we didn't.

So you could point to one thing, you know, as the big problem with the defense today, What would you pick out of this game and say that's what has to get better?

Stopping the wrong?

You go stop the wrong?

Like I said, his message to.

The team after the game was that someone needs to step up.

I know you just said a few times, but as a football player, you're obviously you're giving it one hundred and ten percent.

When it says someone steps up.

How do you guys take that when.

Someone needs to step up?

I mean, it's the way you go about your every day. I mean, you're a pro, you know, it's the way you prepare. It's the way you communicate on the fields, the way communicate with the guys around you. So whatever it is to get that person that better next to you better and that make sure everyone's on the same page.

That's the way you step up on the run defense. It wasn't a day where it was five yards here, six yards there. It was the explosive runs. Those are killers, aren't they?

Yeah, I mean definitely.

I mean, I gotta I gotta watch the film and really see it, because I was you always see from the.

iPad ever here and there, So I gotta I gotta.

Go watch the film and see what really happens. So that's the biggest takeaway.

We gotta do it.

And like I talked, I told JB, you know, me and him were the last guys in the back end. So at the end of day we came out to score.

You got him, doun.

I know you guys, weren't you know, assuming anything going in to this game. But it was easy to say, all right, two home games, a chance to get to five and four going into your buy if you could win them. How hurtful is it to have not taken advantage of this opportunity?

Today. No, definitely, I mean, I mean that was the goal.

So at the end of the day, we got a google now and that's let's get back to five hundred and and improve.

Them from there.

So at end of the day, we got one more one more game before I buy, So we gotta take care prisons next week.

Did you feel like the defense was progressing and took a step backward today?

Obviously the score would suggest.

Yeah, definitely.

I mean we definitely took a huge step back.

I feel like last week we played it, you know, I mean a game that uh, you know, we put some something together, but at the same time you can see, you know, hiccups here and there. I think this week we took a whole step back as a as a collective group. You can't put you can't paint fingers that Nobody said a collective group. So we all gotta get better ready to get back toward tomorrow.

Benks Gina Gino Stone after the game at day five oh two. Had you had you had we said last week, Had you had turned to us during the break and said, what do you think could the Jets get to five hundred yards offense? I think I would have said maybe over the next couple of weeks, but not in one game like yesterday.

I would have lost a lot of money making a bet with you on that one. You would have been a.

Rich man telling you.

That is absolutely mind boggling to me that the New York Jets, I mean, they've got players, they're a good football team. They're not oh and seven record. You know, you think, oh my god, this team sucks. You know, they have no chance of winning any game. They've been in a few of their games, quite a few of their games, I mean one score games. Pittsburgh Steelers they lose by two. Buffalo they lost by twenty. They get spanked there. Down in Tampa Bay, they lose by two.

And give give Justin Fields a ton of credit for how he navigated a week where his owner threw him under the bus and then backed the bus up over top of him. They went through the uncertainty of if Taylor was gonna go or not. They'd split the snaps through much of the week, then late in the week it becomes justin fields. He was very eloquent in the post game yesterday talking about the week that was and how he navigated it. And he cleared every with all

He did. He was the conductor, you know, and he had the starring role. There's no question about it. The thing about in my mind that hurt the Bengals defensively as much or more than anything, is how they did run the football. And and already said, you know the balance that they had. I mean, it's it's just a few yards differential between the run game and the pass game.

And they had it.

In my mind a two back set, even when they only had one back in the backfield. You know, if they were gonna go, you know, five offensive linemen, one tight end, four wides. You know, now all of a sudden, you got just a quarterback in the shotgun and one running back. That's still two running backs because Justin Fields ran the ball exceptionally well. The guy is a good runner of the football man. Uh, he he reads it well.

Still ahead, let's flip back onto the offensive side of things and hear from samaj p Ryan talk about his day doing a little bit of everything as he usually does and does it like a pro. That is, we continue with Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio networking seven

How about a card? Lance?

How about wealth? How about we talked to Kettering Health feature the injury report presented by Kettering Health, the official health care provider of the Cincinnati Bengals, providing the best care for the best fans. And honestly, when you look at it, going into the football game, injury, Uh, the Jets were crippled. I mean their best offensive player, well, I think he is the best offensive's biggest threat definitely

Samaj p Ryan did have a nice day. Nine carries ninety four yards rushing. That's an average at ten point four yards at carry including along and thirty two went for a touchdown, had a catch, had a special teams tackle, did at all. Here is Dave with Samaj after the game.

Here in the Bengals locker room was running back Samaj p Ryan, who had a heck of a football game for the Cincinnati Bengals. I mean you ran the football hard man, you always do. I mean you finish every single play. When you get opportunities, you uh you take full advantage and and uh you finish hard man. Uh yeah, I do what I can.

You know, it's it's unfortunately we didn't get the outcome we want it, but you know, at the end of the day, it's it's, uh, the only positive is is something to build off of.

You know.

Offensively, you know, our line is playing great, quarterback is playing really good, receivers are playing really good, you know, running routes, catching balls, blocking, and uh you know obviously us as running backs, you know, we're we're feeding off of that, and uh, you know, we just got to keep keep pushing forward and you know, it's uh, it's a tough loss and unfortunate loss, but you know it's only one game, and uh, you know, we just have to come back next week and try a little bit harder.

You put a lot of a lot of yards up and points up on the on the scoreboard today. Did they do anything different defensively than you anticipated? Because if they did, you guys are tested pretty damn well. But did they give you any looks that you weren't necessarily thinking might might take place?

Not necessarily.

We knew they were they were going to come out and uh and play hard, and you know, they have a great front set and really have a great defense all around. So we just had to you know, match and exceed their intensity, and uh, you know, for the most part we did. But there at the end, they just got the better of us, and you know, we just have to come out next week and find a way to finish that. But you know, yeah, they're they're

Quentin Williams, their defensive tackle, that dude is a is a stud man He's been a multiple time Pro bowler for for a good reason. I mean, he's uh, he does everything well. He plays the run, stops the run, can rush the passer. Was he like a focal point when when you were going through your preparation during the week.

Yeah, you know, he's a player that you know you have to have extra hands on, extra eyes on. And you know, I feel like, for the most part, you know, our old line did a great job specifically did a great job at you know, sitting a call is the right way to, uh to make sure he becomes less of a less of an X factor. And uh, you know he's at he's a great player. But I feel like we did a great job at at minimizing his production.

You and and Chase Brown are a hell of a one two punch at the running back position. There's no question about it. I mean, I know Zach Taylor has talked about it, how fortunate he feels to have two players of your caliber, uh carrying the football for the Cincinnati Bengals. But you pride yourself on being a complete running back. What does that entail?

What does that involved?

Uh?

Just you know, running, blocking, doing whatever I can to have the team win, you know, uh most of the time or sometimes you know, my my thing is I have to go in on third down and and uh and pick up key blocks and uh, you know, I pride myself on that more than anything. But you know, being able to to run the ball and have them trust me to run the ball on you know, third downs, first down, whatever it is. Uh, that's just icing on

It's interesting you pride yourself on your protection, your plitch pick up, because in my eye, you're one of the best in the National Football League to do it. Man, Nobody, nobody sticks their nose in there any better, any harder than you do.

Uh.

You know it's Uh, that's what I've had to hang my head on the past few years. And you know, you just have to have the girl to love it. And you know I love it, and it's it's kept me in for this long and hopefully it can keep me in for a few more years, as long as I can.

Stop being humble, trying, try and drown saying, stop being humble.

He knows he is.

He is the best at there's no question. So I guess, you know, looking ahead, Uh, could I put this one in the review mirrors quick? Please as possible, get a get a W next week and then have a buy and and uh and come back and and you know, win another one, and all of a sudden you're over five hundred.

And still in the hunt big time.

Absolutely, you know, we it was unfortunate, but you know, we have to put it behind us. Tomorrow We're gonna watch it and kind of take accountability for it and move forward. You know, we have another really good team coming in and the Bears, and you know we just have to you know, put a game plan together and stick.

It out and uh, you know, we just have to take it one game at a time.

You know, you can't look too far into the future, and you just you know, have to take it day by day, week by week. And you know, obviously next week for or after that, we got a bye week, So this is gonna be it's gonna be a very big week for us, and you have to come out and hopefully, you know, get back on the right side of things, feeling good going into the bye week.

And and you final question again a lot I guess, final question. The makeup of the chemistry, the character and this football team is uh is extraordinary and it's time to show right now, isn't it. I mean, you know that the season can go either way right now, and you gotta make sure that it ends up going in the right direction.

And you guys stay in the.

Hunt absolutely, you know. So like the way that that we've built this locker room, we don't let you know, things get to us. And we know what kind of football team we are, and we are a very connected football team.

So we know what we have to do.

We just have to go out and go do it.

Appreciate you somebody absolutely thanks.

About JP Ryan after the game. We'll talk about his individual performance and all around contributions a little bit later on. As we continue, we are rolling through a Monday night of Bengals conversation on Bengals Line, the Bengals Radio Network, and seven hundred wl W. All right down the stretch we go. Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio networking seven hundred wl W, Lance Bacaist Dave Lapham, Hey.

Who day Nation, It's time to recognize our high school coaches. Nominate your coach to the Bengal Coach of the Week, presented by pay Corps. Visit Bengals dot com slash Coach of the Week. All right, I rapidly moving first hour in the books. Hang tight, We've got two more to get to highlighting our number two, Jamar Chase, another big day receiving the football. Ted Karas talks O Line, Dimitrius Night Junior with fun facts. We'll hear from Jordan Battle

Hey, welcome back to Bengals Line, our number two of three. We are cruising through three hours of Bengals conversation tonight Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network. In seven hundred WLW. We've talked offense, we've talked defense. Let's get back on the offensive side of the ball. And Jamar Chase was busy active again yesterday when it was all said and done nineteen targets, twelve catches ninety one yards, He had a long of seventeen and a visibly frustrated Jamar after

Cham You guys scored thirty eight Normally that's enough to get it done. What's your reaction after the game today?

Didn't put enough on on a boy a second half?

What did you think of the offense's performance?

Uh? Run game was tremendous today. Did a lot of running the ball? Uh? Up front did good?

Uh?

Running backs they good at too.

Did you sense that the Jets were a desperate team considering their record? That they were a desperate team with their winless record?

About a record? We gotta go out there and play. It don't matter about a record.

How disappointed is the entire team to come up short today?

It is lost?

Bro more Zach said he's looking for guys to step up as leaders in the defense. How much of that is on you as a leader in this room to kind of surge that charge or help the defense find leaders?

Ay?

My job, I'll play offense, not defense.

How frustrating is it for you to see the defense give up thirty nine points.

Uh, it's it's pretty frustrating. The offense don't need to capitalize the day.

Do you feel like as an offense you're doing all you can do when you scored that many points in a game like this?

Uh?

We love stuff out there.

This this offense last year at a lot of times scored a lot of points, Jamar and lost games. You're you're kind of back here again. What needs to change in here?

Uh?

I don't know, aks that did you do anything? Do your tomorm in the second half?

Covered quires?

Uh?

Really?

Fourth quarter? They just double double the whole time in every series pretty much. That's why the run was open and was not sure why the run was old so open? I think the up front did a good job today.

What was re view of the last series?

What?

Uh?

What did they do to uh uh dictate the way it came out on thirty and fourth down?

Uh?

Just double double me and t leftdre one on one and you know saying blisses.

When you lose a game like this, Jamar and you're up thirty eight to twenty four, is it stunning for you as a player?

What's your reaction?

Next question?

Uh?

Next question?

Well, what what what is your lot report to get with christ on?

What's what's the favorite bull doubles?

Last possession?

What defensive leaguer defensive played?

Both felt like you guys picked up the first down Chicks Brown runs it and on that last possession of Cola, you guys had some more n that just kind of hold.

Can you pick us through the final sequence there?

The finals?

We played.

Cool.

I mean we just didn't execute, you know, didn't execute, didn't get a pick up the dom.

Jamarks do frustrating that weekend tick out and seem to take the guys popscour over thirty five points on offense to win games.

Do you think like that's a sustainable Uh.

I don't think that's how that works. I just think it's NFL. Everybody's good, everybody's know how to play football. Everybody watch his film that I adjust that.

Just said about the message stuff.

You know a lot of mom just that somebody used to step up.

What do you think of that?

I play offense. I don't know what about what the defense gotta do. I'm just making sure I'm just chaining 'em on every play.

He didn't say deep, Well, probably stall season.

That's just said somebody.

I don't know if that no comment for that?

Marg you still think there was a lot of hope for this team?

Uh huh, we're still good, brouh. We just gotta find a way to not put ourselves in positions like this and be pissed off.

Is this a pace that you play after a lost and lights and stuff?

I don't know.

I don't like losing, so don't matter we lost.

Were you looking for the ball on that last drive?

Did you feel like you had.

An opportunity to make a play over there?

We called a play for me, but it wasn't. I was double double and the leverages were going so I couldn't really do much.

Is it a pressure ating like you over the year? Its last year was the same, issuear with the defense.

Was happening able to get up the as an offensive rise it?

Especially if us any that it's still kind of a problem. This deepens this season any like?

Uh, I'm more frustrated we lost tonight than anything.

How do you guys think out of it?

Uh?

Put our head back down, keep working the best thing we could do.

Yeah, I know everything. Loss is frustrating and hard to flush and all of those things.

But when you give up the leads that you gave up today in the fourth quarter, when it seemed like it was a a game you guys are gonna win by double digits?

Is that different at all?

Is it harder to flush?

Is it harder to get past?

Or is it always.

In a moment?

It's a lot going on, but it's a in the moment thing. It's not really worried about really worry about what just happened and how to happen.

So is it hard to wrap your mind around this loss? And they didn't have a win coming into it, y'all had some good momentum. How hard is it to kind of wrap your mind around kind of how this.

Game should out?

This game should have been over when it was sixteen thirty one, twenty eight, whatever ahead I had.

It should have been over.

Ithoud have been over?

Is that probably one of the most frustrated things about why this house that is all that y'all had, if they leave.

And it just just didn't end up pretty much.

Mine wasn't over.

I mean, I know it's not just on the defense, just on the offense, but why do you think they were able to get.

Back in the out.

After we scored on the fast job. They went scored and they just kept scoring.

You know, y'all have going back last year, y'all had leads in some games and they just kind of dissipated.

Towards the end.

Is there a reason why you're preture why some of these leads over the years just haven't been able to leave y'all haven't been able to see them out.

Oh, that's exact question.

Exact that Jamar after the game and Dave, he continues the workload, the conditioning. I can't even It's one thing to play a lot of snaps, but his playing a lot of snaps is also getting a lot of targets and getting hit a lot and running a lot. And yesterday he plays fifty eight of the fifty nine snaps, he's targeted nineteen times. He has twelve more catches. He has been a workhorse and he's in he's an incredible shape. To do what he's doing, I would.

Have to think, and you've hit on it. Workhorse is exactly the perfect terminology for him. I mean that that basically defines him right there. Workhorse And you can't fatigue the guy. I mean, he's he's one of those guys that just wants more.

You know.

His heart rate, Yeah, never goes crazy, it's never never up at a at a danger point or whatever the case may be. He is marvelously conditioned. Like you say, I mean, you look at the guy in the locker room. He's chiseled. It's like, oh my god, he looks like an anatomy chart. You know that you take a look at in high school. And he's got the pectorals, you know, and the the ab muscles, and his strength and his quads and his hamstrings. It's just it's second to none, and just a marvelous player.

Great find.

You know.

The Bengals obviously they had dry on Jamar Chase for a while down at LSU, probably even back in the high school days.

And Joe Burrow.

Obviously basically firmed it up the organization. Yes to Joe Borrow, so you play with this guy at LSU. Tell us about it. I'm sure he went on and on, waxing eloquently about all the attributes that Jamar Chase has to win games for you and be a football player that will have immense success.

And they were, and we're talking the last two weeks.

He has twenty.

I mean, these are these are like numbers you'd see over like a month span, if not more. He has twenty eight catches on forty two targets the last two weeks. And let's consider that's what Joe Flacco a new quarterback, He's learning and Joe's they're each learning each other. And there's already a trust in a like a telepathic e've going on between the two.

It's unbelievable.

It is, it really is.

I mean, I think you know, Joe Flacco has thrown some good receivers during the course of his NFL career, but he says that Jamar Chase, when I talked to him in the locker room sitting next to them one day, said tell me about Jamar the best's I mean, he does everything. There's not one thing that there's no hole in his game. It's not one thing that he can't. I would like to see, though, T Higgins get more involved. Only two targets, targets, one catch, a big one, but

He can run.

A contested catch is not fifty to fifty with him, it's like eighty five fifteen. You know, he's one of those guys that when he goes airborne to make a contested catch, he's coming down with the football. Got to get him involved, even in the red zone. I mean, the Bengals were in the red zone. You scored, you know, over thirty points. You're in the red zone a bit, and your receivers are going to have opportunities in the

Boy, And another tough day. I can't figure out, yo. See. Sometimes there's there's like last week he makes three catches on four targets and yesterday he didn't have a catch on three targets. Two weeks ago he had one catch on four targets. There's just not a connection and a catch rate that it needs to be better with him right now.

Yeah, you usually would be the first one to tell you he dropped too many balls. Yeah, I mean, he's got to secure the football. That's that's Uh, it's been a little bit of a of a problem for him the last couple of years or so. He just uh, in key moments, the quarterback has to have confidence. If oh, he's the one that's opened, they're doublin Jamar, They're doublin t You know, this is a must third down conversion. You know, I've got my tight end available and Yosi

Boy, and another guy while we're catching, tossing or talking pass catchers, Noah Fense thrown two three times, three catches forty one yards. He was effective early yesterday and he's really reliable. He was Yeah, he is reliable.

He caught the ball well, very sure handed, put it away, tucked it away immediately. Uh took it out of harm's way, and uh did a little bit ran ran well after the catch. I mean he's a big body guy, sixteen. Yeah, that has a little whig to him. He's got some moves.

Let's take a time out and come back. More to get to in this hour. Third hour spent on the recap the Ring of Honor weekend. What a weekend, Holy cow. Plus we'll get into the Chicago Bears. You are tuned to three hours of Bengals conversation tonight on Bengals Line, the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We're back on Bengals out of this Monday even on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Imlance pcalist alongside is always a Dave Lapham.

And Hey Bengals fans. On Fridays, make sure to listen to myself and Dan Horde from Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Bear Chicken on the air from three to six pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Bengals run it for one hundred and eighty one yards. They throw it for two twenty three. Let's talk all around performance by the offense, maybe specifically the offensive line, and let's hear from Ted Karras after the game.

Numb feeling, horrendous feeling. That's all I have to say about that. You feel collectively as a group of offense defense.

Maybe you guys let up emotionally psychologically when you guys were up thirty one, sixteen, thirty eight, twenty four.

I know I didn't.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I don't relax till it's triple zeros. And obviously it's a three hour fight that we lost.

It's pretty evident. I mean, Zach said postgame he needs someone to step up. It's pretty clear on defense that leadership is lacking, and that's something that even the head coach is searching for. You as the captain year in and year out. Is there any way that you can help. I know you don't play defense, but you're one of the biggest leaders on this team, Like, how how can you help fill that void on defense?

If you can?

I mean, I can be a leader for the team.

I'm not out there with the eleven guys on defense, so you know, I'm not just gonna blame one thing.

We can't just blame defensive leadership.

We got a.

Look at a lot of different things. Yeah, let the let the Jets come in.

And be horrendous.

How do you give yourself out? This amaze you guys. You guys love asking me that one same way I always do. Just coming to work tomorrow, coming to work Wednesday. We've got a football game to play, So I'm not gonna get quoted with a cliche this week. So but we got we got the Bears coming into town, so let's go.

Seemed like the offensive.

Line, you know, fluction muscles.

They had almost two hundred yads rushing them.

You had, you know, quote the game, do what you wanted to do.

It looked like there's a line.

Yeah, didn't score forty, So doesn't mean.

This loss change the outlook on the season.

For you guys.

I mean, maybe you can go through the numbers.

I don't know.

We're gonna we got the Bears coming to town, so we're gonna all summack this one for a night.

And uh get ready for a big week.

I mean, jeez, we gotta go.

Ted Carris and as he said, thirty eight points means nothing when you when you need to score forty to win. But have a said that, I mean this offensive line. The last three weeks now, Dave has only allowed one sack, two sacks, one sack. For as much as Joe Flacco is dropping back and throwing it and the way they're

Yeah, I agree, I do agree.

I think I think they're starting to get starting to mesh a little bit, starting to play as a unit, you know, five components playing as one. That the real good offensive lines in the National Football League's history, you know, have done it. It's like you make that fist. You you curl the five of the four fingers and wrap the thumb, you know, and you have yourself a strong fist.

Rather than an open handed way.

You can't really attack the line of scrimmage if you're playing your offensive line is playing soft like a like an open handed fist. As such, Now you close that fist and get some power and some thumb come off the football, and that's what that's what they're starting to do.

I think they're starting to get movement up front.

I think Chase Brown will tell you in Samajhi and p Ron will tell you that the offensive line blocked well. In fact, they both said it to me in the locker room afterwards, that the offensive line got good movement and and uh give them a lot of confidence that all they had to do is is you know, make

Lance last two weeks forty six rushes, three hundred and twenty three yar just over seven yards per carry. Nice, not nice at all. Take a time out of continue so much more to get to. It's Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Hey we keep rolling along on this Monday night a Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Sorting through yesterday, looking ahead of next week and always find a time for the segment we love that Dan Horde

No Fantastic Fun Facts with Dan Ord.

Time for some fun facts with linebacker Demetrius Knight from Locust Grove, Georgia, less than an hour away from Atlanta. Your jersey was retired last week. Describe getting that news and going home for the ceremony. Yeah, it was a true blessing just to just to be in that moment. It's not every day you get to retire in an

Over there as strong Christian schools. So uh, glad to see that they're still doing their thing in all the sports categories. But also good to see that, you know, they'll they'll leave a bit, a little bit of my legacy to see around. So uh, as my kids continue to grow, uh, that'll be something I can you know, rubbing rubbing their faces every once in a while as they're as they're growing up.

You're a linebacker now, but you were a four year starting quarterback in high school. Give me a camp, what college or NFL quarterback where you most like?

I was definitely most like Cam Newton. I was trying to emulate him and everything he did, and then started to watch more college guys, started to watch Jalen Hurts just knowing that I was a bigger type of quarterback and knowing that those are bigger quarterbacks, knowing that they can run, but also you know, not just being the run, of also being able to, you know, be a lethal

We're chatting with Demetrius Knight.

Were you heavily recruited out of high school?

No, sir, not very much.

Tennessee Tech was pretty much the only offer I had going into my junior year and whatnot. And I would go to a camp where Paul Johnson was still the head coach at Georgia Tech, and he's like, I don't I don't understand how you don't have more offers. I'm gonna give you a first one. And that pretty much sold it for us.

So he made the offer, you chose Georgia TACK and then he left before you got there.

How difficult was that for you?

It was pretty pretty difficult, just because I didn't know what I was going to get. I was already getting comfortable with the former coaching staff and him.

Of course, that's that's just line.

That's a business decision that he and his family had to make, and I didn't hate him or anything for that.

That's just just just the way life goes.

So of course I still wanted to be close to my mom and sister, uh not wanted to be too far away from them and the due places we were sharing. So I was like, of course, I don't know what the situation will be. Yeah, I know there's there might be a possibility, and I probably won't be quarterback just because I know it's a new new group coming in, but I at least figured it's it'd still be something on the offense.

Uh.

That was the complete opposite of the spectrum, but ended up working out for the best.

What was your reaction when they said, Demetrius, you're a linebacker?

Pretty much?

Uh?

World went upside down.

Uh.

I didn't know what to think.

It was kind of unreal, and I just kind of went with it for a couple of weeks, thinking, oh, they're just they'll see I know good at this linebacker thing, and moved me back to to the offense side of the ball. If that quarterback and uh, now, how now, how God hasn't played God has it playing all the time? Of course, you had to go through trials and tribulation and perseverance, and you end up here in the in the NFL as a linebacker.

While you were in college, you got married and became a dad. What's your wife's name and how did you two meet.

My wife's name is gen C. Gen C Knights, she is.

She's also from Luggas Grove and we met we went on a mission trip together, uh, my junior year, her sophomore year. But the whole funny thing is, even though we spent a week out in Haiti doing the Lord's work, we did not say a word to each other the entire trip. I remember sitting at her table with her

After four years at Georgia Tech, you transferred to Charlotte and had a breakout season, earning first team All Conference honors. How important was that season and getting you to where.

You are now?

Yeah, it was a lot.

It was very good for me just because it showed that I could play the linebacker position. Of course, at Georgia Tech, it was ups and downs, his and lows, and that made me the player who I was going into that situation not knowing who was going to be the coach because they're getting it. They ever getting a new coach ended up getting coach Coach Posy, coach Biff and him coming in was was a great start just because everybody got to start from ground zero. There were

After great season of Charlotte, you still had one year of eligibility left. This is the ni l era. You had a wife and a baby at home. Did you look for the best financial offer you could find?

I did, h of course that was there.

There were other schools that I was gonna take visits too, but you know, when you when you have a wife it ends up being you know, happy wife, happy life.

And we're already in North Carolina.

South Carolina was you know, an hour and some chains away, and you know, we've got to pack up a third floor apartment and take it somewhere, and she's like, yeah, I don't, I don't plan on going anywhere far. So, uh, South Carolina might be as far as I'm willing to go because that's not bad of a drive. But it's also close to family, so you know, you know, that's that's perfect me.

Why not?

So ended up working out very well for us.

We learned after the draft that you were a door dash driver in college to bring in a few extra bucks for your family, even after games that you played in correct.

Absolutely, yeah, that's uh not what you hear every every day. That not pretty much heard of. I'm sure they're there are probably players at other smaller schools that do the same thing. But being at a school like Charlotte, Uh, there were opportunities where got to make them count, and DoorDash delivered that opportunity to make account where you know, we didn't have to scrounge and I didn't have to go apply for different jobs at a chick flair so

But.

It ended up working out for the best. DoorDash was it was quick and easy and you just get on there and right away you start making deliveries. And luckily for me where you know, you live on a college campus. You know college kids love to eat, so that makes makes it pretty quick and easy to bring in a.

Quick But yeah, I've got a student in college and I see those door dash bills, so you're absolutely right about that. We're visiting the Demetrius night. I'm a sucker for an emotional call from a team to a player during the NFL Draft, and you got choked up when the Bengals called you. Can you articulate the emotions that you were feeling.

Yeah, just just everything that my family and I had been through, wife and I have been through and kids, just knowing where we were and how unsure we were going from from Tech to Charlotte and it's like, okay, well you don't really hear about people coming out of Charlotte unless you you know, you're Alex high Smith who's you know, doing his thing over in Pittsburgh and you know, I can make my mark here and ended up doing that and U situations changed and you know, like when

All right, a few wild card topics now for Demetrius Knight. Who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport?

Right?

Chris Fiano Ronaldo? Uh, soccer fan because of my wife and my kids. But that's my wife's favorite watching this game. He's pretty good. It's between him and you know, line On Messi. Those guys they can get you up on your feet, and of course it's always righty at those games. So uh, definitely definitely those guys who you know, make make a lot of money doing it. So definitely those guys.

Have you checked out an FC Cincinnati match yet?

We get them on TV, so we're on TV. We always tune in.

We haven't got to go to one yet, just because of the busy schedule, but if we can get around to them, we definitely plan on being there.

You shared with me that you hope to be a movie producer someday. How long have you been interested in the making of movies.

I've been interested in that since I was at Georgia Tech. That's that kind of supports is why I got the degree that I got there. Just so once football is done, you know, I won't be one of those guys just lingering around not knowing what I want to do.

I know once football is done, that's that's exactly what I want to do.

And no matter what that has to start from, I have to put together movie sets first and work my way up to that road. I'll do it just because I believe all that's fun. It all works together, just like football all works together. All the guys doing there, they're one eleven. It's the same thing with movie producing, to make you know, a masterpiece essentially.

All right, final fun fact for Demetrius Knight, and this one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history, living or deceased, who would that person.

Be probab to be Jesus himself. I'd love to be a fly on the wall just to hear him speak, and you know, just to be in the room and be in the areas washing them do what he does, you know, Washington, do the the miracles that only he can do. That that would that would have to be number one. And then if I, if I had to, number two had to be Noah. When you know he told told him to build the arc because I can't imagine He's all right, I'll build a big old boat.

So uh, the definitely have to be Jesus and then uh, good old Noah.

Excellent answers. I appreciate your time, Best of luck the rest of the year.

Yes, I appreciates Dan Horde and Dimitris Knight Junior, the star of this week's Fantastic Fun Facts. Those interviews and more found on the Bengals Booth podcast and on Bengals dot Com. Still ahead, let's get back into the defensive

Alta Fiber is the official Wi Fi and Internet provider of the Cincinnati Bengals and Greater Cincinnati's fastest internet with up to two gig symmetrical speeds.

Let's talk more of that Bengals defense. Go to the back end and hear from Jordan battle. Here's Jordan with Dan Horde and the media after the game.

It's just tough, you know, and all you gotta do, you know, all you supposed to do is, you know, in the back end, get them down, you know, savada savada down, and you know, just you know, beatles, you know, knockdown players.

You know.

Uh, my phones got to wrap up ay tikas, you know, get all blocks, you know, and not allow them to create edges, you know, and not allow them to you know, have open gaps, open holes.

You uh when you I mean, it looks like you guys were just to snap away from you can cold you never seemed to get this stop being needed.

Yeah, obviously, Uh, it's the whole second half, you know, back back against the walls the defense. You know, I only use one stop for the defense for me for the offense, and couldn't get it. You know, got to be better in the second half, you know, with miss tackles and run gaps, getting off the feet on third down. It was just what hasn't been good as well this year? It's like, overallers, that'll be better than the second half.

Do you think that's the reason they've you know, we're mistackles the reason for the two hundred and fifty five yards even.

For sure, it's the key part, you know, and having you know, and having a bunch of rushing yards and the office having a bunch of Russian ars, miss tackles, you know, this tackles and you know, not being in the right gaps and not getting off blocks. A few weeks it feels like the run defense in general has has struggled a bit more. Is there is there anything that you're seeing? Is it is is it basic stuff or is it?

Man?

The Jets running game is really really tough to stop. But it's like you know, they once you know, make tackles, you know, uh, wrap up, you know, second guy, you know, trying to turn over you know, Uh, the linement issues maybe I don't know, gotta watch the tape, but you know it's basically what what what you see on the field, you know is mostly is you know, mistackles, not getting guys on the ground. So uh, that's what I see

To the team was someone that's to step up.

How do you take that?

Uh, you know, stuff you know we do. We have to have to you know, somebody on the team, on the defense has to step up.

You know.

Uh you know, whether that's an older guy or younger guy. You know, everybody have a voice, you know, and everybody got to understand that. You know, as an NFL player on the NFL team, you know, everybody growing, everybody you know can be a leader. Everybody has his little skills.

You know.

You just have to go out there and do it, you know, and my basket against the wall. We need somebody to rally us. You know, you try to do it. I'm gonna say we don't do it. You know, we obviously, you know, there's guys in the hubbles, you know, saying, you know, let's let's let's uh not break, you know, been when I break, but let's get out the field, you know, and get the ball back to the offense.

Jordan battle after the game and Dave. When you give up five hundred and two yards of total offense, there's bound to be some chunk plays and there were a lot of them yesterday. This defense got gashed at times. The Jets had eight offensive plays of at least twenty three yards. They had runs of fifty thirty five, a passive twenty thirty four, a run of twenty seven, a passive twenty six, a run of twenty five passive twenty four, passive twenty three. We talked about balance. They had four

A double move?

Or how is that guy five yards open in every single direction? You know that that was that was the issue to me, is is you know, our guys are guys breaking down, our guys breaking assignments during the course of the football game. Are guys trying to do too much? You know when when uh, when the Jets or any opponent makes a big play, are they saying, I got to try to do a little more. I got to try to do my job and you know half of this other guy's job. You start getting into that mode.

Big trouble.

What was famous for saying, among many things, he would say, farm your own crops.

Yes, yes, harvest, farm your own crops.

There you go, yes, and do your job. Do your own job.

It makes a lot of sense. Yes, it makes a lot of sense. You don't have to be a football you know, have you a doctorate in football to understand what he's referencing there? You know, it's a it's a team game, always has been, always will be.

And for the third consecutive week and it reaches a point where maybe it just maybe they're just not capable of tackling. But I guess I don't understand as a far away observer, the the the basics of the football game is blocking and tackling. And if you can't tag, if you can't do a basic of the tackling and there there's not like a magic elixir. You're you're not gonna You're not gonna tackle for two hours out of practice. We're only tackling today. So how does it get better?

Yeah, it's it just has to be a commitment to it, you know. I mean, guys just have to realize, Look, we're capable of getting people on the ground and we're not doing it.

You know.

And to your point of looking at the and seeing things in ordering what's going on the the angle's taken. So much of tackling is about taking the right angle, and they're just there's times where the angle is wrong and seeing it from above, you just look that there's not gonna be a tackle on this play because the angles off.

Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's scary when you see the football geometry ain't happening. Yes, man, taking that that angle, he's coming up short. Man, you know, he's not not gonna be able to make a play at the point of intersection there. Uh, you know, it's it's just not happening. So they do they have to they have to. Uh,

We continue our journey through our number two tonight of Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW, our final segment of our second hour, just wait till our number three. I have questions about the Ring of Honor ceremony. Oh questions about your new jacket, OH questions about the Chicago Bears as we look ahead to this weekend and more. Let's get to all of that in our third hour of Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio

The fiftieth anniversary of Paul Brown's last and best Bengals team. Two of the most steel belted starters from that eleven to three group go into the franchise's Ring of honor. Lamart Parish, Dion before Dion and Ocho before Ocho with his electrifying bursts of flash returns and interceptions as a.

Pro Bowl cornerback.

And Dave Lapham, a civic staple for generations of Cincinnatians, as the bubbly and beloved radio analyst who has been calling it like he sees it for forty season, earning the title of mister Bengal.

Bam Bam bam.

How about that?

It ends on a turnover man? How about it? The cardiac kids take it for.

The last staff the Bengals.

They are running it back, Sam Hover, Bam, bam bam, that is unba believable, the Cincinnati Bengals come from behind on the road.

Before he brought his football IQ to the booth, Lapham used it as a brainy offensive lineman who served in the Bengals trenches for a decade, becoming one of the most versatile players ever, starting as a right guard on that seventy five playoff team, starting as a left guard on the eighty one Super Bowl team, and twice playing

As they got.

Set to host a nineteen eighty one AFC title game in Arctic Riverfront Stadium, the Bengals and Chargers shivered in a fifty nine below windshield. Lapham defied the elements, inspiring his linemates to go sleeveless in an effort they gained a mental edge on the frozen West Coasters, helping the Bengals punch their ticket.

To Super Bowl sixteen.

Lapham brought that same intellect and creativity into the radio booth, drawing fans into the huddle with his lucid x's and o's. He kept them with colorful, candid observations as his voice became as familiar as an uncle's.

I'm Dave Lapham in the Bengals locker room, and everybody knows who this guy is, but Tyler reifit joins us here.

Parish's play on many days at Riverfront defied description. His thirteen non offensive touchdowns are the third most in the twentieth century. His swashbuckling play matched his iconic seventies wardrobe and fleet of fast cars.

For the seventy four Bengals, he was just as sleek.

He led the NFL, ripping off eighteen point eight yards per part return, still the longest average since the John F. Kennedy administration. A former running back at Lincoln University, Parish had never played defense until Paul Brown pointed him to corner. That's where he collected twenty five interceptions in his eight Cincinnati seasons, still the fourth most by a Bengals cornerback. By the time he retired after his thirteenth season, he had been to eight Pro Bowls, most by a cornerback.

Not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Leapin Lamar and mister Bengal teammates in seventy five, now on and ringmates for all time.

Jeff Hobson setting the stage for the inductions. Dave, we talked about it. You've been thinking about it for months. It actually happened. Take me to yesterday in the emotions and man, Dad, hordes in your jersey and your your son is in your jersey, and your to your grandkids are in your jersey, And what a what an incredible moment it must have been.

It was, It was.

It was an emotional moment, emotional day.

I mean, you know, to go, uh broadcasting a game and be down in the field pregame, be down in the field at halftime, going through the ceremonies, I mean, it was. It was mind boggling, It really was. It was incredibly emotional. It was great for the grandkids. And that's what I that's what I was hopeful of that they would be able to be a part of it. Get down on the field. You know, they're like, buddy, we're actually gonna go down on the field at pay

Uh.

Former teammates that I was able to catch up with and swap stories with, you know, and hadn't seen some of these guys for such a long period of time and uh, you know you see him in a big, big hug, big embrace, and all of a sudden, it's like it was like, yeah, I just saw this guy yesterday.

But you know you didn't, well, boy, you and you had to uh you did the the ruler of the jungle. So you were working the elevator. Did you have like secret service and security getting you up and down up and because you had to be down on the field for the ruler and then back up into the booth. Then you had to leave the booth at halftime, go down on the field, and go back up. A holy cow, yeah it did. I had a Bengal employee that was was assign that duty. And man, she did an unbelievable job.

I mean she was.

She was rolling us from from the broadcast booth.

Uh.

Yid was up there with Dan and the rest of the boys. Everybody's up there.

Uh leaving leaving the booth at halftime and uh and rolling out and getting to the elevator and get down to that ground floor and uh, get on the get on the golf cart, Lamar and I and travel travel over to the field, get the get the jackets.

Uh.

Listen to what everybody has to say. It was great.

All we had to do was stand there and open the jackets and show the lining. Uh the Bengalo tiger stripes lining. Uh in velvet satin kind of kind of material. It's very very cool. The the ring of Honor sport coat. The jacket is is nice. I mean they tailor made it. It fits perfectly. If fits like a glove. And I will say leap and Lamar man he looks to me like he did when.

He was playing.

I mean, like, wow, the guy is the guy is amazing. He keeps himself in unbelievable condition and lance. This guy his his return abilities. I mean one year he averaged almost nineteen yards per punt return, eighteen point per putt return. It was nuts to watch this guy. Uh, you know, make make everybody look foolish. You don't make everybody look like you know, there were Pop Warner League players, not NFL players. He could he could take the take them

We heard Jeff Hopson saying that piece he did. He for those who didn't get a chance to see him. He was Dion before Dion.

Absolutely he was yep. And because he was that kind of defensive back, he was the eraser. He take take the best opponent in the passing game at the wide receiver position and eliminate him, you know, just neutralized the guy. So uh, all of it now, all of a sudden, you've got Chuck Weber, who's our defensive coach, able to double team other players and take take other things away from h quarterbacks and offensive coordinators and Lamar Parris is. Uh, it's a great one. It's about time. I think he

Dave, let me give you a little perspective in context here from what Melrose, Massachusetts to Wakefield Memorial. You're one of twelve Cincinnati Bengals in the history of the franchise to have your name up on that board and in the Ring of Honor. Incredible, it is.

It's crazy.

And when we were down on the field and you know, you saw the location of these two black covers on the Ring of Honor, and you saw the ten other names up there, and am I going to be on that right side or I'm not going to be on the less side? Because when we get down on the field, they were very well organized, and it's like, you're going to be in the forty five yard line on the south side, You're going to be in the forty five yard line on the north side. Lamar, you're here, Dave,

So, uh, it was. It was extremely well done.

And uh boy when when they dropped it, yeah, you just I mean I get chills just thinking about when the curtain comes down.

Yeah, oh exactly.

I mean that I'll never forget that, you know, seeing that, seeing that curtain dropping, there's your name and it's spelled right and everything.

That would have been a problem.

Yeah, but yeah, that I've seen and heard of those things happened before, not not here and since then he's just just in general. But uh yeah, I just I can't thank the Brown Blackburn family enough. Everything was done, first class, first rate red carp treatment all the way, and my my friends and family are eternally grateful, as am I very.

Well said, very well said. We'll come back finish off a little bit on on that and then get into a little bit more on this weekend. Here's some more from Joe Flacco on yesterday's game. We'll hear from Ben Johnson his comments on the Bears loss yesterday in advance of the matchup this weekend. All of that as we continue, It's Bengals Line of the Hey, We're back on Bengals Line on this Monday night on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

Hey Bengals fans, make sure to catch me and Dan Hord every Wednesday this season for Bengals Game Plan presented by Bud Light on the air from six to eight pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Let's get more of the sounds of yesterday and the halftime ceremony, the Ring of Honor ceremonies. Here is a little bit of what it sounded like down on the field.

Helping with today's ceremony. Please direct your attention to the field and welcome on behalf of the Bengals organization, members of the Brown and Blackburn families, along with current Ring of Honor members.

To the jacket.

Presenters are Ring of Honor members.

And teammates of the inductees, Isaac Curtis and Anthony Munios. Let the ceremony begin. First, inducting the six time pro bowler, dynamic cornerback, an electrifying return specialist, a game changer on both sides of the ball, the man who could turn

The sounds of Ring of Honor induction yesterday at pay Court Stadium, the wrap up of a big weekend and I know, let's see, I'm losing track of the nights. I know there was a Q and a session inside of Paycorn It was you and Anthony and and Kenny and and Joe Daneman was there. That was was that Friday nighter sitting? I have lost track of nights. Friday night, Yeah, that was Friday. Take me through what that experience was like and what that gathering was like on Friday.

Yeah, that was That was great.

I mean that was open to Bengal fans and you know Bengal Gym and uh fans like like Bengal Jim whether Nita was there, you know, Uh, it was Uh, it was great. It was great catching up with fans that you've had a close relationship with over many years and and to see them and how excited they were, you know about it, and so that that was that was great.

Uh.

And my you know, I think my grandkids kids were a little bit excited about that because there was gonna be good food and drink there for sure, but also you know, listening to sort they'd love to listen to the stories, you know. And when I was talking to Anthony and Tim Crumray and old teammates, you know, they're or like all ears, you know, listening, and that really happened, buddy, Yeah, yeah, it really did.

So, yeah, it was.

It was great to catch up with a lot of guys, a lot of people. I bet I mean that that bar the bond, the connection. It's never broken. You may be separated by years of seeing each other, but I bet when you get back together, it's like the pieces just fit.

Again absolutely, you know. I mean when we were talking about you know, stories, old games that we you know, we were a part of and come back victories and heartbreaking defeats and all of that, and and you uh, you know, you grow, you grow as a player person, you grow as an individual, you know, going through those kind of things. And it was, you know, Mark Dufner. I had hadn't seen Mark Duftner for a while. Duff

That's unbelievable.

And uh and then you know, everybody flashed back to you know, Tiger Johnson, Mike McCormick, all the line coaches that I had.

So yeah, it was, it was fun. It was a lot of fun.

Everything comes pouring back into your into your memory bank, for sure. Well, congratulations, thank you. I just for your family and just the looks on their faces.

Yeah, priceless. Yeah, absolutely, you're right about that.

Man.

Take a time out and roll on with Joe Flacco's reflections of yesterday and we'll look ahead of the Chicago Bears and more Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Welcome back to Bengals Line on this Monday night on the Bengals Radio Network. In seven hundred w l W. Lance Pacallister, along with Dave Lapham and Lance Pai Corp is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. Get more from

I guess Jama was saying the last couple of plays, they were.

Just they were just double on right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, We're trying to get a double move on them one time, you know, just because sometimes when they when they come and do w you know, they got one guy outside, one guy comes inside, he gets a little low and maybe you can kind of get over the top.

But you know, I think we expect that a little bit. You know that they're going to have to do something like that.

There was a few third downs throughout the course of the game where they made sure they doubled him, and you know that's a credit to them. But at the same time, like we know those things are going to happen with those guys, and uh, you got to find ways to overcome.

It a little bit, and for most of the day we did.

It's just you know, in crunch time, we weren't able to make it happen.

Extropress game kind of goes on and you feel like you're going to have to keep score. Does that feel add pressure as a game goes on an execute?

I think if you let it, then you can.

But ultimately you just got to focus on your process and and and going out there and executing. And I think when you can take your mind off of being a fan on the sideline or like putting yourself in that mode of watching the game just wanting your team to win, uh, then you can focus on your job at hand and and give yourself the best chance of success.

I really don't. Maybe we just didn't execute. I would assume we just didn't execute.

As well as maybe we wanted to on some of those on those last six, seven, eight plays, you.

Know exactly playing offensively, you guys got going for most of the game.

But is there one or two plays for you personally that stand out like you wish you could have back mm hmm.

Especially maybe in the fourth.

Quarter when when things kind of start to go.

I'd have to look at the film late. I'm trying to think there was definitely a play early on I was I was probably I threw any completion of jamar on on on my right side, going the same way we were going in the fourth quarter, So I think that was probably the first quarter, and I was probably I was a little bit ahead of him on a on a one on one route that he had backside, and I probably could have waited a little bit longer and maybe we would have had a big play out

So you played on plenty of teams were defensive carried offenses, offensive carried defenses for stretches.

How do you keep it from the volving into we're doing our part and.

They're not doing theirs?

I think everybody. I think that SIPs into people's heads, you know, like it's hard not to, and I think it more subs into that that got the sides heads. Who's who feels like they're not necessarily, you know, living up to their standard. But this is a team sport and we're all in this together. It's not offense defense. I mean, at the end of the like, they're out there doing their job, but we are one. We feel

But man, like I always try to tell people like, I'm not.

I'm so consumed with doing my job, and everybody should be so consumed with doing their job that they're not worried about what other guys are doing and how guys you know, to put the binders on and go do your job. And I think when everybody can do that, that's when you turn out. That's when you get out

Did the Jets do anything different with Tea after the touchdown you hit them because it seemed like.

The ball was going his way.

Did they take something away from or is it just kind of there.

Were other players?

So yeah, you have to go back. We have to go back.

And look, I don't really think that we threw the ball a ton in the second half. I mean to be honest with you, I could be wrong in that, but I feel like we more kind of got the run game going and you know, had to throw it in like little situations here and there.

But I just feel like it was just the way the game went.

I don't think it was Obviously they're going to do things to double those guys at times, but overall, I don't think it was like this huge, this vastly different plant Joe Flacco.

After the game, the sack and the hit and the short when you saw him warming on the sideline and then run the line room, I had grave concerns. But he comes running back out like Willis Reid and was there for the final drive and it looks like fingers crossed he have hearted any serious injury.

Yeah, I think it definitely looks that way when he first came off the football field, and then he goes in the blue tent and then he goes to the locker room.

It's like, what is up?

But you know, you had Jake Browning warming up and then all of a sudden outcomes, you know, Joe Flacco.

Like here in the in the movie. It was a perfect script, you know.

And here he comes.

He's in the tunnel, He's coming back. You know, Joe Flacco.

He's going to play. Joe Flacco is going to finish the game. It was it was something to see he I think he wanted to finish what he started. I mean, he was playing at a high level and he wanted to try to win that football game. And I do think that the Cincinnati Bengals are in pretty good shape with him at that quarterback position for the duration of

But and Joe walking around yesterday on the sidelines, Joe Burrow with helped the walking boot on, which was encouraged.

Very encouraging, and he was very very intent on focusing on what was going on in the football game, what they were doing defensively. He knew the game plan intimately.

In the NFL, no doubt.

I mean to have Joe Burrow who was taking the team to the Super Bowl, didn't but has taken him there, and I think he can take him back and win the damn thing. And I'd love to see that. Never happened in Bengals history. Three times gone to the Super Bowl, but oh for three and I think Joe Flacco, if needed, could you know, win a Super Bowl as well for the Cincinnati Bengals. I mean, I think he's that caliber quarterback.

Man he he spins the rock.

Up next, let's take a look at those Chicago Bears. You'll hear head coach Ben Johnson's opening comments yesterday following a thirty to sixteen loss at the Baltimore Ravens. The Lamar Jackson lists Baltimore Ravens yesterday. That is next on Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We continue on back end of our third and final hour tonight. We'll get into the Chicago Bears. Here at a second. It's Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network

Yes, Sir Lance, and Bengals Friday Night Stripes Tour presented by how Kat is back for all locations this season, go to Bengals dot com slash community.

Next up for the Bengals the Chicago Bears Sunday pay Corpse Stadium. Bears are four and three overall. They had a four game winning streak snapped yesterday, losing at Baltimore thirty to sixteen the final score. Ben Johnson is the first year coach of the Chicago Bears. Here are his opening thoughts on yesterday's game.

In terms of the game, give Baltimore a lot of credit. You know, they came out and they played a physical brand of football, just like you would expect. You know, they were hungry, they were determined, and truth be told, I expected a little bit more out of our squad to counter that on up, so we fell short. You know, it's our first game in a while, really all season that we didn't have a takeaway and so when that happens, you really got to play a clean game, and and

And so that will be our mission here this week. Go ahead and open it up and.

Offensively with the emptysistency what's most urgent to you right now and getting that set of the ball humming a little bit better.

Yeah, you know, I think you see flashes of some explosive plays and some really good things happen, but the penalties to me is what stands out first and foremost.

You know, we still have some of the pre snap issues.

There's occasional not getting lined up quite right, there's occasional not not getting the motion quite right, and so that stuff does, it adds up and it hurts us. We get away with it occasionally, but it's just not the way you win in this league. And so I think, you know, I really put it on the leaders there in that locker room to get this get this ship

We knew at the end of the first half with the intentional grounding and then you guys had to kind of scramble to get the kick off there.

Yeah, I thought, I thought we had a chance there for points before half. We had a good, good opportunity to do that, and the intentional grounding certainly didn't help. And so now we're in a position third and long with no timeouts where we know, if it's a clock running and we're short of the line of game that we'll need to get our hurt cane unit out there,

Did the Ravens in hunt we do anything that you might not have expected or was did they just do it well and it was tough to defend?

Yeah, you know, I thought, I thought.

I thought coach Monkin always does a great job just schematically mixing things up and and like I said before, they play a physical brand of football, and so that showed up that offensive line was getting after it. And you know, I thought our defensive line it was quite a battle there throughout the game. You know, we were intent on not letting twenty two get started. I thought for the most part, we did a pretty good job of that. But then you know, Huntley hurt us with

And what was your advantage point on the interception that cale through there?

Yeah, I didn't quite see it. I'll have to check it out on film just one more time. Just in my mind, there might have been another option that we could have gotten.

Gotten to any sense of we're having on the last three plays of the game up. So you get down there, it's a desperate situation, but you've got a completion short of the goal line, a quarterback sneak, and then a fourth down player.

Yeah, I don't like my call and the quarterback sneak.

I could have gotten into something better there, But yeah, I mean we have plays set up to go tempo down there, and I probably didn't do enough job in that that.

Department did the participation saga with Lamar Jackson.

What was your reaction to that yesterday and as it.

Unfolded, Yeah, we we always uh prepare for like I said earlier in that we were preparing for Lamar and then you know, when we found out that he wasn't playing, then you know, get ready for the next guy.

Bears fall yesterday thirty to sixteen. Another big day of penalties for the Bears. I think they had eleven more and Dave no matter how we look at the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams as their second year quarterback, the Bengals, somehow, someway are going to have to figure out how to create a pass rush and put some kind of pressure on Caleb Williams because it was once again non existing yesterday.

It was it was non existing yesterday, and when they did get some heat, you had a mobile quarterback that hurt him, you know, I mean, they just they could not pin in a guy like Justin Fields, and Caleb Williams has got every bit of that. I mean, this guy's a bigger body guy.

He can run.

I think that sometimes he gives up on plays too soon and tucks the ball and runs. And then sometimes he holds onto the ball for like, you know, five or six seconds and it's like, man, what are you doing and takes a sack. So I think he's still learning how to play the quarterback position at the level that it takes to play at the in the National Football League. But man, hey, you go back to his career USC. The dude, the dude has been a player. I mean he's been a player at every level that

The Bears have committed twenty eight more penalties than their opponents for three hundred more yards and penalty yards. In fact, they've had double digit penalties three times this season, and they've had more penalties in a game in five of their seven games versus their opponents. So that's been a big problem for him. Back to Caleb Williams and and

Yeah?

I mean, if you're not getting enough out of your front four, you don't have no choice, man. I mean, you gotta you gotta make make the quarterback heart, you gotta hire him. You got to make them uncomfortable. You gotta make them uncertain, unsure, you know. And and Caleb Williams is a guy that can be affected by a

And the Bears are giving up five point three yards of carry on the ground. Opponents have already rushed for over a thousand yards against the Bears this season. Let's go three yards, Let's go last absolutely, here we go well, we'll go down the stretch. It's Begals Lote of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. All right, final segment of the Night of Bengals lone of the Bengals

Absolutely, I mean, you know, to get to that bye week, and then the Bengals coaching staff will do a phenomenal job of kind of looking back and what do we do right?

Do wrong?

Exactly?

I mean, what can we what can we learn from how we approached this defensive football team and this defensive configuration, this schematic. What are we looking at coming up? What kind of players? How are we going to have to handle those players? How do we neutralize those players. What position are those players playing? You know, that makes a big difference as well. So a lot of work to

No doubt about it.

Uh.

Final thoughts, congratulations once again on the ring of honor. I'm very happy for you and your family.

Appreciate it. Lance means a lot coming from you. You Uh, you know what you're you're talking about, you know what you're looking at. So I uh, I'm looking at a ring of honor. Remember right now, baby, he is David Man.

I'm Lance McAllister. It's Bengels Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred a w l W