The following takes place between six pm and seven pm.
You want answers.
I think I'm entitled. You what answer the truth?
You can't handle the truth?
Truth, the truth?
All right, let's get to it. At six eight seven hundred WLW Welcome into RNL Carrier Sports Talk. I'm presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. I'm Lance McAlister. I'm excited just to say my name. Let's get into it. The news surrounding the Bengals over the last thirty hours. Joe Flacco, he arrived on the scene today for practice on the scene. It was my first guest who covers the Bengals. His
publisher of Bengals Talk dot com. You should watch and listen to the Enter the Jungle and Locked on Bengals podcast. We welcome in James Rapine and all right, for those getting in their car on the way home tonight, let's provide the update. They are preparing to start him on Sunday. Is this is this realistic? Is it doable in your eyes?
Yeah?
I mean more than prepared. I mean apparently Zach Taylor. The second sentence to Joe after they made the deal was, Hey, you're going to start to get ready and so it's cool. I was surprised that devolved that.
I was happy he did, because that gives you.
An idea of where the Bengals were at with this thing. They know the offense needs to be their strength. It was built around the offense. They're obviously invested a lot in the offense, even without Joe Burrow. When you think of the Bengals, you're thinking of those star receivers and you're thinking about getting them the ball. And so when you look at what they haven't been able to do,
which is score touchdowns, how do you fix that? And I think they are buying into the idea of Joe Flacco eighteen years in the NFL, still has the arm talent, still has the intelligence and smarts and also the right mentality slash leadership to handle starting four days, five days, really after being driven down seventy one from Cleveland to play for the Bengals.
And during that drive, if you could detail the what sounds like a playbook and game planning discussion as he was being driven to Cincinnati.
Yeah, yeah, it's really It's so cool, honestly to know the behind the scenes, because you know Joe Flacco, it was a normal Tuesday for him, he was probably getting a little rest, relaxing and kind of getting ready for the week in Cleveland. Finds out he's getting traded. And so the Bengals they have two drivers, one for Joe and his wife and the other one for all of
Joe's belongings and all the essentials. And so you have two cars coming down seventy one, and as Zach Taylor calls Joe, they go over the playbooks some and start to dissect things a little bit and get things put in place so they can and so they could hit the ground running today. And I think that's the important thing is you've got to maximize your practice time. You know, they have so many practices, and so for them to be able to do that and use that time, I
do think that that could be valuable. Will it end up being successful, We'll see, But I do think that every minuteccounts.
You were out in front of the idea of hey, kick the tires, look around, look at look at upgrades at quarterback. You were out in front of this weeks ago. What was your reaction the moment the news hit.
I'm I was happy they did something, and I didn't really wrap my head around the Joe Flacco move itself because of the division part of it, and because of Mike Brown and the history with the Browns, like they've never traded with the Browns, you know, and it's a division rival, and it was just naturally you look at it fifty thousand foot view and it it makes sense.
From what Joe things, what they need.
But yeah, my first reaction was happy that they did something. I thought this was an obvious thing that they needed to address, and you're right, a couple of weeks ago would have been the time. But when I hear who they were looking at, I'm glad they waited because Sam Howe wasn't going to help you, you know, Drew Locke wasn't going to help you. I'm not sure if Joe Flacco is going to help them, but I think he's
better than those guys. And so maybe it wasn't Jameis Winston like people wanted, or it wasn't Russell Wilson, but I do think Joe Flacco can give you a lot of those same elements. Plus I do think he's going to be a better leader than say Russell Wilson.
James.
What can the offense look like, now would Joe Flacco, what can he help them do?
One?
If Zac made this very clear, I was almost surprised at how clear it was he could pass the football, which it sounds ridiculous. Oh the quarterback passed the football dog James, Well, they haven't been.
Able to pass it.
When you have Jamar Chas and t Higgins, it really shouldn't matter who's on the other side. You should be able to throw the ball around the field of it make some big plays. And quite frankly, I know people are going to bring up the offensive line, but the past couple of games, even in Denver, when Jake Browning didn't turn the ball over, he left so many plays on the field and the offensive line gave them a shot. I thought, I'm not saying they're perfect. I'm not saying
they're flawless. They're not plenty that they need to clean up, but you need to take advantage of the plays that are there. And so what can this offense look like? Well, I do think they're going to be able to push the ball downfield in a way that they haven't in the past. Obviously, you have to give Flacker some time to do that. At the same time, his arm talent is extremely unique. This isn't even Joe Burrow arm strength. This is on another level. There aren't many guys that
can spin it like Joe Flacco. So from that element, I think you could see the downfield game worked in their favor with the Jamar Chase and Ti Higgins and then He's was really good. Flacco was at targeting the tight ends, targeting the running back. So I think you're gonna see plenty of Chase Brown, Mike Kasiki, and Noah Fan as well.
James, what happened to Jake Browning?
Oh my goodness, you know, I.
Thought about this last night. I was like, you know, in training camp, the Bengals thought they had arguably the best quarterback room in the NFL, because you have a guy in Joe Burrow who you think is the best on the planet if you're the Bengals, and then Jake Browning arguably the best backup in the league in their minds, I'm sure, and when you consider the contract of what he's making versus some of the other backups, I'm sure
they considered him the best backup in the league. And so for him to unravel the way he did, especially because he played pretty well when he came in spot duty for Joe when Joe got hurt and leads them back against Jacksonville like boiler Alert. Joe Flacco is going to throw picks, but he's also going to produce big plays. And the Bengals could have lived with the interceptions is if it was also coming with explosive plays. In the explosive plays went away, and I really I don't know where when.
I don't know why.
He wasn't seeing it better, or maybe maybe it's this lance. Maybe he just caught lightning in a bottle a couple of years ago and that's what that was.
And in that in who he is is who he.
Is, which is an undrafted quarterback that was on practice squad for the majority of his career and he's limited physically. I don't know, but I do feel feel for him because I think the Bengals viewed him as one of the top backups in the league and now he's back up Joe Flacco. Five days after Flacco gets traded.
For James, I said Sunday after the loss, this this situation feels worse than the reality from the standpoint of they're still in the AFC North Race. There's still right now. They're the eighth seed the pecking order of the AFC. It's not like they're out of this.
Thing, I know, and I think that was the importance of doing what they did by acquiring a quarterback, showing hey, we know, we know we have to be better. We're going to try to be better. We'll take this step and whether or not it works, we'll see. But things were starting. It hadn't fully gotten there yet, but one more a week and this might have erupted like it was starting to, you know, the finger pointing could have could have quickly become a thing in the locker room,
could have started to break a bit. And so you and I'm not saying that's all bage's fault, because it's not. But when you lose and you're getting your butt kicked and you're being outscored one thirteen to thirty seven, and all four of those touchdowns, by the way, were garbage time touchdowns, it's it's tough sletting. So yeah, it's they are in it and in they view it that way and they should it that way because the team at the head of them in the division, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They play them twice starting next week. They play them twice in a month. You know, So even if you lose.
A lambo, if you had no business twice against the Steelers in a month span with Joe Flacco, You're probably going to be in the asc North.
Nex you mentioned running backs and tight ends and the impact Joe Flacco could have. I look at a guy in terms of his targets, in terms of his catch right that is I think do for a bounce?
Is T Higgins? Yeah, No, I agree with you, And I think that is the one that I point to.
Why would you make a move? Why would you do it? Well?
T Higgins right now?
And I don't believe he's this to be clear, He's just a guy. Yeah, And.
There's no planet, there's no quarterback. There's no scenario where T Higgins in this offense without Joe Burrow can be just a guy. Because they're built around he, Jamar Chase Brown, their skill talent, and they need a quarterback that is going to get as much out of them as they can, especially without Joe. And so yeah, I agree with you. I think T Higgins unlocking him as such a huge part of what they need to do, and it's it's got to start. Honestly, it's got to start. Winn, lose,
a draw, it doesn't matter. Sunday a Lambeau like t Higgins should be a problem and we should be talking about t Higgins making big plays even if they don't win the game.
Last question for you always appreciate your time. Let me flip to the other side of the ball. Do you see encouraging signs about this defense?
The defense is so tough to judge because of how weird these games have been.
Yeah, I mean they've.
Been putting in really tough spots. I think I see some encouraging signs for sure.
Is it real or not?
I have no idea, And that's another element to this. And you just you've got to be able to play a normal game where you're not looking up in wondering what the heck just happened. I mean, Minnesota game is such an outlier. And then I just thought Jake was fled out bad against Denver and that that game was for the taking. And I'll be honest with you. At the Land so we spent all off season talking about how you know, if they're just mid mid middle of the pack.
On defense, they're gonna be fine.
I think that's true. I think they would have been middle of the pack on defense. I think it would have came together. I would bet a significant amount of coin that if Joe Burrow hadn't gotten hurt, their four and one right now, and maybe that loss was in Minnesota, maybe it's a Denver I don't think so. I think they would have won in Denver. Maybe it's last week against the Lions, but I think they'd be four and one, and so to not be in that spot, you'd think, oh, well,
it's the defense, and it's not. The offense has been the worst in the NFL, and and that has to change if there's any chance of turning this season around.
This week at LAMBA, all.
Right, you were all over all these happen with excellent content. Tell listeners how they can read, watch, listen, and follow.
There's a ton right now at Bengals Talk dot Com. From the Drive down seventy one or the ride down for Joe down seventy one, Zach's decision, Jake Browning being upset, anything and everything in between, a Bengals Talk dot Com, a Lock on Bengals podcast, and then of course locker room interviews it more at Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube.
I know things have been turned upside down over the last thirty hours. I really appreciate you making time tonight.
Absolutely thanks for having me Las.
Thanks James.
There you go.
James Arpeene check it in talking to the Bengals situation with Joe Flacco. More on that in this hour, get to some headlines. By seven o'clock hour has Red's Conversation and more. Zarnel Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevalie seven hundred WW